LittleHurt05

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 11:42 AM) Bernstein called out Wittenmeyer and Telander and basically everyone at the Sun-Times for being stupid about the Cubs. Bernstein was 100% correct too. The SunTimes doesn't listen when the Cubs speak. They are like the voice of the meatball fan. Wittenmeyer wrote an article about how Kris Bryant would leave the Cubs in 6 years because he's mad that they are jerking him around. Bernstein was saying that is totally false and that Bryant is on board with the way the Cubs have handled the situation. Bernstein was asking if there were any quotes from Bryant to backup Gordon's claims and of course there aren't any. Wittenmeyer is a goof. There is absolutely no way that Bryant is "on board" with the Cubs delaying his service time clock and potentially costing him money. Especially after he has destroyed all minor league pitching. He wants to be in the majors now and thinks he should be. Is he gonna come out and say that publicly? Of course not. Now if Wittenmeyer said that Bryant will hold this against the Cubs 6 years from now, then he is also an idiot. I think you have said this later in the thread, but 6 years from now, Bryant will sign with whatever team offers him x + 1 dollars, if it is the Cubs or not.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 10:20 PM) Just a pathetic showing from Pittsburgh. With the way MadBum was pitching, I'm not sure there was much Pittsburgh could have done. People may bring up the decision to start Cole on Sunday, but last night showed exactly why he should have pitched Sunday. Do everything you can to avoid the one game playoff.

QUOTE (Brian26 @ Oct 2, 2014 -> 08:03 AM) LOL. I assume the 12 game stretch you are referring to is the 2005 postseason? The Sox had the best record in baseball and lead wire to wire. To say they overachieved or to cherry pick the playoff run like they were the '03 lucky-ass Marlins is insane. Ridiculous post. They ruled baseball that entire season from April 1 to the Uribe throw to Konerko on October 26th. Time and revisionist history doesn't erase that fact. I think you completely misread what I was trying to say. Given the size of the Sox payroll compared to their division mates, they should have made more than 2 playoff appearances during the KW era. His teams often underacheived. Because of what happened in 2005, all that will be forgotten and he will forever be a WS champion GM. On the contrary, given what Billy Beane has had to work with, the amount of times he has made the playoffs is very impressive. However, nobody seems to care anymore, they only remember his teams' struggles in October.

The Pirates better start bunting if they want to come back

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 01:59 PM) You approve of the Cespedes trade and what it did to the A's? Yup. Had he not made the Cespedes trade, I think Seattle may have been playing the Royals yesterday. Yet people seem to keep blaming injuries on the trade.

QUOTE (VAfan @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 11:53 AM) Exactly!! Sorry for those who love Beane. Kenny Williams doesn't get nearly the same adoration but he has a World Series ring. Okay, the Sox have more money to spend. But still. Beane isn't the only smart GM in baseball. It's funny how one great 12-game stretch overrides bad underachieving 162-game seasons. And vice versa for Billy Beane. Overachieving full seasons get forgotten because of one inning or one game in October.

I enjoyed these Brandon McCarthy tweets last night about the Cespedes trade ruining Oakland.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 10:51 AM) How can you state that. It clearly appears A's were negatively impacted in clubhouse and Cespedes had more value then Beane believed. Was the negativity in the clubhouse what caused Brandon Moss's hip injury to get worse? Or Jaso & Gentry's concussions? Or Crisp's neck injury turning him into a shell of himself at the plate? Or Stephen Vogt suddenly remembering that he is Stephen Vogt? In their rotation, Jesse Chavez was so good in the first half, but didn't have the arm strength to keep starting in August and September. 4 of Kazmir's last 7 starts lasted less than 6 innings. Having Lester to lead the rotation and save the bullpen every 5 days was huge.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 10:08 AM) Do they though? Yup, although I guess maybe I slightly underappreciate defense. It also matters where you rank Hosmer and Moustakas, given that they still haven't reached their "talent" potential. Either way, looking at Kansas City's roster makes me think the Sox are not that far away. It helps when you find a Wade Davis/Cliff Pollitte with an unrepeatable season for the 8th inning.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 09:41 AM) Honestly looking at how much talent there is on the As roster compared to ours and to see the result it's more depressing to me than anything else on how far we have to go. Look at the Royals though. They have way less talent than Oakland IMO and look where they are.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 09:00 AM) You and Merkin are about the only people who seem to think Walker was unfairly criticized. Scott Merkin @scottmerkin · 15h 15 hours ago I've said this 100 times before: There was no more underrated/underappreciated coach in recent Chicago sports history than Greg Walker.

Had Billy Beane not traded for Jon Lester, I think it's very possible Oakland doesn't even make the wild-card game.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 08:17 AM) I think you would have to be a fool to go more than 6 years on a 30 year old pitcher. That being said it wouldn't surprise me at all if somebody did. I would have to think at some point GMs are going to get smarter and see how bad the contracts given out to players like Sabathia, Pujols, Hamilton, Fielder, A-Rod, Crawford, Howard, etcetera are hamstringing their teams and will look to avoid them. If someone gave Scherzer 7 or 8 years at $25 million there is a good chance they are going to regret at least $50 million of that contract. Doubtful. Most GMs have to win NOW. What's the best way to win now? Sign the best players available. Who cares what happens 6 years down the line, if the team doesn't win before that, he'll be looking for a new job anyway.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 1, 2014 -> 06:49 AM) After 2001 games and 462 home runs. And zero postseason at-bats, quite the way to end a career last night

So Adam Dunn has still never played in a postseason game

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 10:46 PM) Dyson is insanely fast And he's not even the fastest guy on the roster

When you can't hit home runs, just steal every base possible.

So it's a guarantee Dyson steals second, right?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 10:23 PM) Aoki, Cain, Hosmer and Moustakas the only Royals to get a hit off Doolittle....current roster sits at 4/23. First interesting decision for Yost will be pinch-hitting Nix or Colon for Moustakas to lead off the bottom of the 9th. Who is Josh Willingham?

Gregerson kind of throws like an old knuckle baller

Butler with another RBI single. Royals' best hitter now comes to the plate as the potential winning run

A chance to be a hero for Billy Butler

QUOTE (chw42 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 09:43 PM) Hey, it happened! I think that was all Infante though. Haha. I was more referring to a sacrifice bunt. With the way Lester is cruising and this weak offense, you gotta get on base anyway you can.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 09:14 PM) Yost probably should get fired after this game. I feel like the Royals won despite him being their manager this year. They'll probably bunt down 4 runs late in the game

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Sep 30, 2014 -> 09:03 PM) Guess it's easy to say that Yost panicked there a little bit pulling Shields in the 6th...but hindsight is always 20/20. 2-0 fastballs. Doesn't matter how hard you throw them. It seemed like a bad idea before Moss crushed that pitch