chw42

Really exciting game between Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. El Tri with only 5 points in the group stage. Poor showings for the 3 top teams in CONCACAF so far. Costa Rica and Mexico are both on the other side of the bracket. We should have it easy against Cuba. Jamaica's the other 1 seed and they're actually a solid team.

Mr. Robot was trippy as hell. I think I'm even more confused as to what the hell is actually going on. That said, that's what makes the show so great.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 10:35 PM) Best parts were Trout lead off hr and then Chapmans amazing performance, hitting 103 multiple times. Not a lot in between those. DeGrom was really good too.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 04:05 PM) I'm intrigued. What if you could only loan to the other league? Well for starters, I think most teams will disallow their loan players from playing against them. Most teams will probably never loan to a division rival.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 03:26 PM) I would absolutely hate this. Every playoff franchise would get a bunch of ringers every year, and it wouldn't even feel like it was the same franchise that actually got through the season in the first place. I understand that trades for pending free agents are kind of halfway there already, but as a fan, I can at least consider the rental player a "part of my team." Well the article suggested you can get one loan per year.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 03:06 PM) It would be fascinating, but I think I'd hate to see it. Chris Sale wins the World Series in Houston. Decided he likes it there. Demands a trade to Houston. Welcome to European soccer.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 02:54 PM) http://grantland.com/the-triangle/trading-...er-loan-system/ I've always found the loan system interesting in soccer. It's a very foreign concept to American sports, but it's a very good tool to develop players in soccer. Have a guy who's not good enough to start for you, but good enough to start for a mid-table team? Loan him for a season, let him get some PT, and grow.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 12:33 PM) I only do the pump fakes if I have a reason. Like, the hitter is talking crap (usually just for fun), or the like. Otherwise I don't bother. Though I will sometimes pause before I pitch just for a second or two longer than seems needed, or speed up or slow down the motion, just so they can't get a good timing going. I rarely do the sidestep either, unless the hitter is clearly pounding my pitches. Also, for whatever reason, while I can pitch 16 pretty well, I am awful with pitching 12. There's actually the possibility of getting blasted by a ball in 12 when you pitch. 16 comes off a lot slower and the ball isn't as hard, so it might be a mental thing. At least it would be for me.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 12:03 PM) I like that lineup. Was Agudelo on the provisional? He could add some speed up top as a sub. Also hearing that DMB might get brought in to play LB. That would allow Fabian Johnson to play a midfield wing position where I think he could very dangerous. I think he is. If they bring up a forward, it'll probably be him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 11:24 AM) I liked the clock but I think it's obvious the clock gives the guy up 2nd a huge, huge advantage. Something has to change about that, I think the guy going first won once. My immediate suggestion: I liked 4 minutes, move the bonus time until after the 2nd guy has swung. Agree with this. It's a disadvantage for the first guy since he has to hit after sitting out for 4 minutes. But at the same time, he's at a huge disadvantage for not knowing how many he has to hit. I propose this: 1st guy's 5 minutes 2nd guy's 5 minutes If tied or bonus time criteria is met: 2nd guy's bonus time 1st guy's bonus time

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 08:39 AM) The pitcher could not throw until the ball landed. But yeah some were better than others at it. Pujols was especially slow. Pujols took his sweet time getting to 10 homers.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 11:27 AM) This is kind of why I hate group stages in tournaments--you win your first two games and you have your spot locked up in the next round. You're playing to win the tournament so you do the right thing and rest Dempsey the first half and try a couple guys in new spots. Then you end up with a draw instead of a win which costs you world ranking points. I was thinking of this lineup for the knockout round: Zardes Johannsson Dempsey Zusi Bradley Bedoya Johnson Gonzalez Evans(Brooks after suspension) Yedlin I have a feeling Klinsmann will play Dempsey up top and Bradley as a CAM. Jozy is out for the tournament. Jordan Morris just got surgery and Bobby Wood isn't on the provisional roster. Somebody's gonna have to come up, but I doubt they'll see the field much.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 07:45 AM) Bedoya was fouled just outside the box, but should have been a free kick at close range. Should have been an offsides on Panama's goal though. Not the goal scorer but the assister was clearly offsides when the ball was played into him. I didn't get a chance to watch the foul, but I saw the replay and thought it was in the box. And yeah, the Panama goal was definitely off-sides. The officiating just didn't go our way.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jul 14, 2015 -> 07:45 AM) This was one of the poorest officiated games in seen in a real long time. The ref was clueless and let the US get demolished all night long, rarely calling fouls. Bedoya was just outside of the box, but it was still just about the most obvious foul ever and to me was also an obvious DOGSO and should have been a straight red. One of the worst missed calls I've ever seen. CONCACAF officiating at it's finest. USA again played fairly poorly. Very uninspiring group in the back. Johansson played well again though. I'd like to see him get some more run up top. Bedoya is our best MF not named Michael Bradley. He needs to be on the wing every time he's available. This ref was the same one who called Argentina vs. Colombia in the Copa America. That game was a f***ing blood bath as Colombia fouled Messi every chance they got and got away with it most of the time. Cuadrado should have gotten at least 4 yellows and stayed on somehow. He even told Messi something along the lines of this is America, we don't play football like it's played in Europe.

Watched the second half. The US had some good chances, but only converted one. Oh well, we didn't need a win. Ref was absolute s*** though. Bedoya should have had a penalty and there were a lot of 50/50 calls that didn't go the USMNT's way in the second half. Guzan was awesome at the end of the game.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 09:38 PM) Big fan of the new format, just confused by the bonus time. Loved Frazier's approach. Don't watch. Just keep hitting. I thought they were showing replays during Frazier's at bats. They'd show a HR nearly landing and then he'd launch another. It was awesome.

This new HR derby format is pretty awesome. However, I feel like both hitters should only do the bonus 30 seconds if they are tied.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jul 12, 2015 -> 11:27 PM) Indubitably

QUOTE (knightni @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 01:58 PM) Adam Dunn was better than Sox Adam Dunn prior to his arrival. Who's the last power hitter to actually improve by being on the Sox? Jim Thome?

QUOTE (knightni @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 01:52 PM) Bruce has very poor plate discipline and batting average. Is that someone that the Sox need to add? Yeah I had this thought too. We've had way too many left handed swing and miss power hitters recently. But outside of last year, Bruce has been a far better hitter than Adam Dunn from a BA standpoint.

I wouldn't mind as long as the price doesn't include anyone too crazy. No Rodon or Anderson obviously. Avi I would be willing to trade, but I don't know if the Reds think that's enough.

QUOTE (zenryan @ Jul 13, 2015 -> 09:28 AM) Jamaica and T&T are the two teams that are playing up to or above their potential right now. Mexico hasnt been that great this year and without Hernandez who knows. Costa Rica?? Very uninspiring showing so far. Welcome back to reality? 7 of the 12 teams still havent lost a match yet. 3 of the 7 havent won a match either. It should make for a real interesting Hex. Might see a few different teams make a run for the the last automatic spot and the playoff spot. And of the possible different teams, I think it's safe to eliminate one and that is Canada. How bad are they? If there was ever be a time to be average by CONCACAF standards and make a run, this would be the cycle. Keylor Navas saved Costa Rica's ass over and over again in the WC. He's not playing in the Gold Cup, so that could be why they look so uninspiring.

After beating a depleted Cuba team 6-0, Mexico drew with Guatemala. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ And we thought the USMNT were underperforming...

Did anyone catch 7 Days in Hell on HBO? Absolutely hilarious.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Jul 11, 2015 -> 05:56 PM) The Sox are in contention in the AL. 5 back of the WC and 9-2 in our last 11. I should rephrase that. The Sox would be in a playoff spot.