caulfield12

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/02/29/today-the-day-the-indiana-fever-learned-they-were-getting-caitlin-clark-is-the-most-important-day-in/72795931007/

Truly inspirational stuff. The marketing department must want to put out a figurative hit on him at this point.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mlb-average-salary-rose-7-220616506.html White Sox among 8 teams headlined by Mets and Padres blaming for cutting back on FA spending by $300 million...

Even worse, when he came to Hong Kong, he and Suarez didn't even play (or talk to the crowd to explain or even acknowledge them) at all when people had paid $100's of dollars for tickets. That didn't go over particularly well.

Imagine if you were to actually see on screen the price increasing as you were in the process of ordering. I think a good 50% of customers (especially if the restaurant wasn't that busy) would walk out in frustration. Of course, driving away or out of the drive through might not be as easy in a crowded line, but I could just imagine "road rage" drive-in episodes with people getting angered by the price hikes and abandoning their place in line...getting upset when someone won't move or back up or can't possibly backup to accommodate them. But yeah, you're right, great motivational technique to get people to abandon the typical fast food diet. Here in China we're going through a period of deflation (especially real estate prices), while restaurants like McDonald's are starting to get some serious pushback for price hikes and also "upselling" all the online menu options (mostly for delivery) by making it almost impossible to find a combo with Big Mac/fries/Coke. They keep adding chicken wings or pies or other stuff you probably don't want, and it takes ages hunting through apps to find exactly what you want.

In the list of things to be upset with the White Sox about...remember, this goes back to 2010/11, when they had a relatively successful season (26-5 stretch in the summer kept them in competition) and then marketing the acquisition of Adam Dunn the following season...this is probably not in the Top 25 gripes or complaints, but it did seem at the time they were gouging their customers over Cubs/Yankees/Red Sox, etc. games at that time. It made sense, in that the afterglow of the World Series championship was falling off considerably after the 2006/2007 and 2009 seasons (positive vibes used to last a full five years, recently closer to 3-4 years of benefit from that type of post-season run). https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/news/story?id=5618359

Thread soon to be cancelled/closed/locked, lol.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/wendys-says-it-wont-use-surge-pricing-for-burgers-after-announcing-dynamic-pricing-whats-the-difference-between-the-2-175039236.html Just curious what people think...as the reaction to the restaurant has been universal condemnation, pretty much. Especially this idea of a nefarious AI/algorithm in real-time changing prices on a display board or "upselling" in order to get customers to spend more money (obviously a health concern) buying more than they need or at least should eat in various combo meals? The White Sox and numerous major league teams (and all across the Big 4 sports, for that matter) utilize similar marketing tactics but there's not THAT much organized pushback. I suppose the obvious answer is that Wendy's has significant competition, whereas sports teams do have competition in the entertainment/leisure spending niche...but sports fans are much more loyal/community pride etc., to their favorite teams than consumers. Trying to imagine if similar strategies by let's say Apple or Nike or Starbucks, where there's considerable brand loyalty, would work nearly as well. Probably not.

That's about the ONLY current interest area where JR would have any supporters, the cigar-smoking community.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/iowa-star-caitlin-clark-declares-for-wnba-draft-212721128.html As said before, she's making the right decision. The incoming freshmen class (5 members) just isn't dynamic enough to wait around to develop when she has just one year of eligibility. Wouldn't be shocked if they were knocked out in the Sweet 16 (or even 2nd round game at home), OR reaching the Final 4 again. Just don't see taking down South Carolina two years in a row, it took almost a perfect game last year, and also a referee calling USC for being so physical on defense and putting their best player on the bench and out of game.

Has a team EVER done a Bobblehead Night for a visiting/active player? I could easily see an Ohtani or Yamamoto one almost selling out GRF...minimum low 30's if it was done over the summer months. I can imagine having them for HoF players from other teams, but not actual opponents. Wonder if there's a licensing issue with the Sox doing let's say Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente, etc.? Or doing a Clemente Bobblehead for Roberto Clemente Day/Week?

We're somehow going to end up with Sheets OR Moustakas on the roster...aren't we?

https://news.yahoo.com/philadelphia-phillies-scrapping-1-hot-184927691.html

Pontifications?

Heard Karchner is still pretty good.

Cubs already right up on luxury tax threshold now.

You just cursed us with a Hosmer signing. Sounds too similar.

https://www.mlb.com/news/best-projected-mlb-team-defenses-2024 This is easily our favorite projection, because Chicago was straight up bad with the glove last year – ranked last in MLB, in fact – to the point that new GM Chris Getz said he was having difficulty convincing free-agent pitchers to sign with the team for fear of playing in front of that defense. We figured he’d improve the gloves, and he has, but we thought it might be “poor, but better.” Instead, it might actually be good? If it is, it’s because the returning Luis Robert Jr. is an excellent defender, and new middle infielders Nicky Lopez and Paul DeJong always play strong defense, even if the bats might lag. Max Stassi didn’t play in 2023 for personal reasons, but he had for years been an excellent framer. There are still weak spots here – notably Andrew Benintendi in left and Andrew Vaughn at first – but as we said above, up-the-middle fielding is more valuable than corner fielding. Less time in the field given to Oscar Colás and Gavin Sheets should help, and veterans who had seen better days than they showed in 2023 like Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal have departed. It's a different roster now. The White Sox don’t have to be, and won’t be, baseball’s best defensive team. They might be the most improved, though.

What was it?

Truly rational! But being a White Sox fan the past 15 years has pretty much been the definition of irrationality in terms of opportunity cost.

JR and the Finance Dept. loves this post.

They couldn’t if they knew he was injured. Grievance would have been filed by MLBPA.

Village of Bedford Park

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/741650-simply-a-natural-the-15-mlb-couples-most-likely-to-produce-a-star See #2. Olympic softball player.