caulfield12

4-22/3-18 streak against KC isn't much better. 28-49 since 2021 Last head to head winning record 2020.

https://www.mlb.com/player/tristan-gray-656484 Tristan Gray was going to finally retire if he didn't win a big league job this spring....White Sox didn't give him much of a chance. https://seattleontap.com/blogs/sports-on-tap-seattle-blog/from-retirement-talk-to-grand-slam-the-tristan-gray-story-nobody-saw-coming%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOop189-VxbBDhocLzM8m-mqKdqRWjHvTvsNg01Q-FyWN56SM3iwr&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiavdb5uuGTAxXiLLkGHRiPBycQFnoECAQQAg&usg=AOvVaw1mRYJGp5VCi9cJjtjAU3jw Less than two weeks ago, Tristan Gray was having a very different kind of conversation with his wife Madelyn. At 30 years old with just 122 Major League plate appearances under his belt after nine years of professional baseball, retirement wasn't just a thought experiment anymore. It was becoming a real contingency plan. Then everything changed in 24 hours. The next day, Gray got the call: he'd made the Twins' Opening Day roster. By Friday, he wasn't just in the lineup. He was hitting a grand slam in the home opener against the Rays, capping a seven-run seventh inning and sending Minnesota to a 10-4 win at home.

Tatis and Semien staying with the Sox, along with Chris Bassitt... Then you have Lopez Gio Sale Q Crochet Rodon Cease.

White Sox would simply argue not a priority...they slrrsdy have two big league catchers better than combinations on all but 4/5 other teams.

CHW 1030 Miami 1027 LET’S extend from 2011-2026...

MLB Wins 2011-2025 LAD 1390 NYY 1320 StL 1258 CLE 1249* TB 1246* ATL 1245 MIL 1239* BOS 1225 HOU 1208 SFG 1186 TOR 1181 CUBS 1179 PHA 1168 SEA 1167 NYM 1165 WSH 1164 TEX 1152 OAK 1135* AZ 1132 LAA 1126 SD 1119* DET 1118* BAL 1116* CIN 1102* PIT 1100* MIN 1097* KCR 1080* Getz Team 1 CHW 1030 Getz Team 2 MIA 1026* COL 1000

https://sportshandle.com/mlb-cost-per-win/ The money has been there from 2011-2023. Pretty much dead middle of the pack at spending per win. 2024-25 make the numbers look a bit better....but even those tecord low twin totals are offset by lower payrolls. Mostly big market playoff teams on top...Rockies also stand out for wasting a lot of money. Small market/highly efficient teams proliferate at the bottom.

https://www.si.com/mlb/guardians/onsi/news/how-the-cleveland-guardians-can-replicate-the-success-of-the-1980-s-and-1990-s-01km1p0swmhg&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiwv9H72uCTAxVLPUQIHf86EGIQFnoECAYQAg&usg=AOvVaw3oI5TClz09w3CcmAJRya3G "If anything, this year, the group of young, talented players that make up the minor league system has a chance to set the organization up for future success. Whether it's starting arms that have a chance to anchor the back of the rotation or prospective bats that are looking to be game-changing, Cleveland's young core will be what makes or breaks the upcoming season. "After targeting hit-over-power types in the Draft and on the international market for several years, Cleveland has assembled perhaps its best collection of power prospects since Albert Belle, Brian Giles, Manny Ramirez, Richie Sexson and Jim Thome were percolating through the system in the late 1980s and early 1990s," wrote MLB Draft and prospect writer Jim Callis. Comparing Cleveland's current makeup to the generation that helped put The Land on the map says a lot about how Callis views the organization today."

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&type=36&month=0&ind=0&startdate=&enddate=&sortcol=1&sortdir=default&pageitems=30&season1=2026&season=2026&qual=5&pagenum=8 112 Leasure 110 Newcomb 106 Taylor Hicks 102 C Murphy 100 Kay 98 Burke 97 S.Smith 89 Fedde Martin

Former Hawkeye basketball star Chris Street's hometown...passed away in 1993 in a tragic snowplow collision.

Same with the 1962 Mets and their loss record.

https://nypost.com/2026/04/08/sports/packy-naughton-leaves-2026-debut-after-just-three-pitches-with-injury/ Korey Lee makes NY Post for heartbreaking (for opponent) reasons.

And yet nowhere close to the Guardians spending that exact same $70 million.

The Power or Precise Progress - Duncan Davitt's JourneyGo Hawkeyes!!!

Even the Rockies look much better than the White Sox out of the gate at .500.

B.Montgomery is critical. So are one of Schultz/H.Smith being a frontline/TOR starter. McDougal profiles more as a high impact reliever. Bonemer is critical. But starting pitchers have to give you 5/6 innings each time out or they will simply destroy an already overtaxed/overextended bullpen. But progress.

Has to at least get up to 5 ip/start though...

“I want someone who is process-oriented,” Reinsdorf said. “I think the biggest mistakes we’ve made over the years is we have not followed a process.” Translation: Fired exec Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley had a plan of no plan. That was evident the last four seasons as they fooled themselves into running back mediocrity after mediocrity. “Conviction: We need someone who is not afraid to pull the trigger,” Reinsdorf said. Translation: The Karnisovas regime and the end of the Gar/Pax regime had too many roster spots filled with players the front office overrated and didn’t want to move off of in time. Sam Hinkie c'mon down!

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds/fg/wc?date=2026-04-08 I think I will take the Twins at 30-35% WC odds after beating DET tonight vs. the White Sox at 0.05% https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds/fg/wc?date=2026-04-08 0.2% to win Central DET KC CLE and MIN very close to each other, in the high teens

4/29/25 Hamstring 3/26/25 Calf 9/5/24 Kidney Infection 8/8/24 Hamstring 8/7/24 Hamstring 7/13/24 Abductor 4/22/24 Calf 7/2/23 Hip 5/3/23 Finger 4/25/23 Hand 8/3/22 Oblique 7/10/22 Wrist 7/5/22 Hand 5/14/22 Hand 5/26/21 Hamstring 4/4/21 Hamstring 8/15/20 Rib

Remember when the majority of SoxTalk projected finishing fourth ahead of the Twins in 2026...? Not looking very likely at this point.

Now starting (again) at DH, Danny Tartabull.

SIEnjoy the Final Season of Baseball As We Know ItThe 2026 MLB season will likely be the last of its era, as several converging factors could turn the sport on its head by this time next year.

Please refer to Hays' recent injury history.

Meanwhile Guardians at $70 million payroll (30th) and emerging as a dark horse WS candidate.