Jake

Mark Buehrle has zero good pitches. He is a man of pure mystery. He has a bad curveball, a straight and slow fastball, a straight changeup, and a barely moving cutter. He locates beautifully, is very smart in pitch selection, and never tips his pitches. He is a freak of nature as far as I'm concerned. Surkamp's stuff is objectively better, it's just a matter of whether he has half of the moxie and savvy of a guy like Buehrle. He has been compared to Barry Zito which is a good comp to me considering the very slow fastball and plus curveball and plus change.

I'd like to know his contract situation in Japan. Do they have free agency there? All Tanaka has to do is leverage his ability to change teams in Japan. Say, "if you don't post me, I'll play one year for XX team and THEY will get the $20 million AND me pitching for them for a year"

After seeing how much an extended run in the bullpen dicked up Santiago's stuff, I'm not one to endorse moving a guy who might have value as a starter to the pen. I also don't care about righty-lefty balance, especially when Surkamp is a totally different type of pitcher than anyone else on our team. He throws a two-seamer and big curveball, primarily, with some changeups mixed in for good measure. Q throws a relatively straight heater, a cutter, a slider, and a changeup. Danks is primarily fastball-changeup, with cutters used prominently as well. In terms of pitches and pitch shapes, Surkamp is most similar to Sale...except not similar at all on the whole because he throws so much slower. Anyway, Rienzo is promised nothing as he is a less promising prospect than Surkamp as a starting pitcher and had a similarly bumpy ride to Surkamp in his brief stint in the majors. Rienzo has had an extremely unremarkable run through the minors as well. Hahn has said more than once that they aren't planning for Paulino to be ready to start the year, so I don't see him being competition out of ST. Surkamp should get an honest look at 5th starter in ST and will probably be kept in AAA as depth otherwise.

I was down 6 points with Vernon Davis as my only remaining player.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 24, 2013 -> 09:12 PM) Uncoachable? Why? Because he told Martz to go f*** himself? Martz was awful in Chicago and deserved it. Trestman doesn't seem to have issues getting to him. His first years in Chicago had bad talent around him and questionable coaching. Some frustration could be expected. Tom Brady cusses out the sidelines and he is a competitor. Cutler does it and he is selfish and uncoachable. I've concluded that he's uncoachable because he continues to make the same mistakes he has always made. It looked earlier this year like he may have made some strides but it no longer seems that way. He fails to make adjustments at the line, he holds the ball too long, he constantly throws off of his back foot, does not progress through his reads, holds the ball one-handed and near his waist in the pocket, and who knows what else. When people talk about Jay's wasted talent, this is why. This is why McCown can come in and outplay him. McCown will see the blitz and abuse it to the extent that they quit doing it. He doesn't turn the ball over. He makes the right reads. His inferior arm is nullified by the fact he steps into his throws with his feet under him. McCown is nothing special, he's just well coached. It is indeed hard to prove whether or not he is coachable, but the fact that he makes the most fundamental quarterbacking mistakes year after year with coach after coach leads me to believe it is the case. That doesn't mean he is a dickhead or that he has a bad relationship with his coaches. When I'm saying uncoachable, I'm saying that he is being coached and not implementing what is being coached. Maybe he's not smart enough or too scared of the rush from his early years or he's walking around half-concussed. I don't know why he is uncoachable, but I can't think of any other reason he has failed to improve any on these things that you're taught in high school.

Player A on 2008/09 Bears - 9-6 QB record, 58.5% cmp, 3.9% TD%/2.6% Int%, 6.0 AY/A, 79.6 Passer Rating Player B on 2008/09 Bears - 7-9 QB record, 60.5% cmp, 4.9% TD%/4.7% Int%, 5.5 AY/A, 76.8 Passer Rating Player A on 2008/09 Broncos - 8-7 QB record, 62.1% cmp, 3.9% TD%/2.2% Int%, 6.8 AY/A, 86.8 Passer Rating Player B on 2008/09 Broncos - 8-8 QB record, 62.3% cmp, 4.1% TD%/2.9% Int%, 6.8 AY/A, 86.0 Passer Rating If you haven't guessed, player A is and player B is . Now, I'm not saying Kyle Orton is better or really very good at all. There are some flaws in this comparison, since the teams were similar from year to year, not the same. Nonetheless, it says a lot about Jay Cutler that the main statistical difference between those two playing for the same teams was more pass attempts and picks for Jay. The value added from Jay is just not there, not significant enough. His best PFF rating ever was that year in Denver where he ranked 6th among QBs in PFF's first year, tied with Jake Delhomme and David Garrard - proof that being good in one year doesn't prove a whole lot. Other than that, he has fluctuated from 15-30 out of roughly 45 qualifying QBs per year. At Orton's best, he was average -- Orton is no longer that guy and the "real" Orton is below average. Maybe at Cutler's best, he's a top 6 QB -- but there isn't a whole lot there to convince me that the "real" Jay isn't just an average QB that comes with a top 5 QB level of drama and attitude.

The problem with Beckham's "hot" streak was that it was so predicated on weak singles that 1. it didn't pass the eye test, as he was clearly hitting a bunch of shanks, bloops, and low liners and 2. the huge drop in walk rate and XBH made it so that his overall offensive contributions were hardly better than the bad version of him. I think Gordon "has it in him," but I don't think "it" will ever come out. If it does, I'd be very surprised if it happens while he is playing for the Chicago White Sox. Nonetheless, we're not playing in the world of the abstract. It isn't, "is Gordon going to 'make it'? The question is whether he is the sensible option for the 2014 Chicago White Sox. If not Gordon, then who? FA options were always scant and the main potential guys that you'd feel assured would be an upgrade like Infante and Drew are already snatched up and at a higher price than I'd anticipate. From within, Semien is an obvious contender and probably not yet 100% out of the running. Of course, he looked quite overmatched in MLB and his numbers took a sizable regression when he moved up to AAA too. It seems the prudent thing to do at this point is to start Semien in AAA. If Semien replicates or comes close to replicating his 2013 AA production in AAA after a month or two, the magnifying glass turns to Beckham. He has to be playing above his career norms to not be replaced by Semien at that point. If he gets hurt, Semien comes up. If Alexei gets hurt, Semien comes up. If Semien gets everyday playing time and looks really good, we will prioritize his playing time over anybody else's. Gordon will be the least protected player in the starting lineup. If an infielder, whether Semien or someone else, needs playing time, Gordon will be the first one out.

The problem with bringing back Cutler is that it means you are committing this excellent core of offensive skill players and intriguing young talent on the line to him. Whether or not the money is there, you have to decide if you want Jay Cutler to be the last QB for this offense. By the time any Cutler deal would end, you've probably seen the last of Forte, Marshall, and Bennett while also nearing the time where you have to re-up with Jeffery. We've already given Jay a contract on the premise that we wanted him to play better than he ever had. I'm not sure that I want to pay a 30 year old, oft-injured, apparently uncoachable QB on the premise that his play gets better.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 08:56 PM) As I said before, big time hype from Giants fans when he was comming up. His curve is pretty sick, great change as well. I actually think having him in the bullpen is a great idea. Might add 2-3 MPH on his fastball, (already has the frame) and he will probably have some pretty good strikeout numbers. Young, cost controlled (lefty) entering his prime.. the theme for Hahn this off-season. Can't stick him in the bullpen until you know whether he can cut it at as a starter. Has excelled at every level starting in his career so far

Surkamp was pitching in the PCL and coming directly off of TJ surgery. I don't think Dylan Axelrod won the pitching triple crown in AA.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 03:39 PM) Considering the fact the kid just slid through the entire National League before getting claimed by the White Sox, color me a bit skeptical. He's clearly not the 6'5" lefty from NC State that many of us would like to have, but he's a very worthy "lottery ticket" who deserves a shot to be our primary rotation depth for at least this coming season.

I doubt he goes in our bullpen and I honestly hope he doesn't. He's not a LH version of Dylan Axelrod because he actually has good secondary pitches and the LH equivalent of Dylan's fastball would be 79 mph. This is a guy who was solidly in SF's top 10 prospects before his injury and after what he did in AAA last year (in the PCL, for Christ's sake), he needs to be starting. He'll get a shot to make our rotation and will more likely be in AAA where he has a decent chance of pitching himself into some more MLB starts. MLB.com rated him as SF's number 12 prospect entering this season. That is seriously saying something for a guy who rarely touches 90 with his fastball and is coming off Tommy John surgery. Nobody ever thought anything of Axelrod. They could end up having similar career paths, but Surkamp has a lot more upside and I'm very glad to have him instead.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan99 @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 12:24 PM) All it would have taken for the Bulls to tank is trading Deng and Hinrich and going with a PG duo of Teague and James. It is too bad they are trying to compete and wouldn't do that though. If you want to have your guys get better during your tank season, the worst position to intentionally decimate is point guard. If your point guard is completely inept, it is really difficult to develop as an offensive player

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 01:04 PM) I didnt realize Schwartz got into it with the booing fans last night(even though he is denying it today). I guess he is just going out in a blaze of glory I saw the footage that led people to say that and I don't think that's what he was doing. His screaming up towards the fans seemed to flow from the conversation he was having through his headset. I think he was looking up at the pressbox and screaming at whoever was talking to him in his ear. QUOTE (Boogua @ Dec 23, 2013 -> 01:55 PM) With the losses of Melton, Tillman, and Briggs I would guess petty bad. Maybe not this bad, but I think it's fair to say that it wouldn't be anywhere near last year. Peppers getting old hasn't helped either. While it remains a good point, I would like to give Zack Bowman some props. He went from Aaron Rodgers's personal whipping boy to a very decent corner. We really have needed Tillman's knack for turnover creation, but Bowman has really filled in admirably. I would expect him to start next year -- it's just a matter of who the other starter is.

Making the playoffs is always preferable. Always.

Phil Rogers has no insight into the feelings of the organization so I wouldn't read much into it. Ken Williams has long been openly hostile towards him and Phil has done so as well. I doubt the FO and Phil are sharing secrets

Also, I'm not on the Jeff Hoffman bandwagon. Great stuff, strangely meh production. 6.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, and 1.26 WHIP in an iffy Conference USA doesn't impress me very much. That is not very Chris Sale-like. Sale had a 10.5 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, and 1.2 WHIP in sophomore season. Followed that with 12 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, and .9 WHIP in his draft season with better stuff than Hoffman. Why would I draft Hoffman at 2? I need to see more promise in his college season before he's even on my radar there.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 21, 2013 -> 03:49 AM) I'm still hoping for Hoffman. Wasn't Tim Anderson pretty much the equivalent to Turner last year? Not that Anderson is bad, but last time we took a pitcher in the 1st RD, it worked out okay. I love the idea of Sale-Quintana-Hoffman-Johnson in 2016. Anderson vs Turner Speed - we'll say it's a scratch. Turner is a much more prodigious base stealing threat though due to his skill at the moment. I can't find any times for Anderson, but Turner has been clocked at 3.5 to first and a legit 6.3 60 yard dash. Turner is easily an 80-grade speed, where there is some debate about whether that is true of Anderson. Defense - serious questions existed and still do about Anderson's ability to stick at SS. Needs lots of development before we'll know. Turner is close to a lock to be a SS and many predict he'll be a top tier glove there. Has all the physical tools and actions to project very well there. If he slows down, has the frame and hands to be a 3B. Bat - Turner is a rather polished bat who makes consistent contact and has produced in a huge way at the top amateur level. They both have similar power potential, which is rather modest. Would be surprised if either develop into more than 20 HR players at any level, with 10-15 being more likely for each. Turner is closer to his power ceiling. Anderson has many more problems making contact and it is unclear if Anderson will take many walks as he moves up. Turner's patience at the plate is much more well-regarded ATM. Turner's swing mechanics are very good and most scouts don't believe he has mechanical problems that can be exploited at higher levels. Anderson is far more raw as he had just become a full time baseball player. Before Turner's high ankle sprain which "hampered" his spring production, Kiley McDaniel said he would honestly pick him first overall in the draft. He has more recently demoted him to the 3-spot in the class. His hampered sophomore year production included a 1.000 OPS, still-great defense, and a reduction in steals down to 30. I would expect Turner to break out big time in this coming season and he will be a relatively low-risk proposition. While Tim Anderson doesn't have the same ceiling as Turner, it isn't impossible that Anderson becomes a better player or otherwise very good player. Anderson just has a lot more development ahead of him as well as question marks.

I'm still excited for Bostic. He needed more time to develop and learn how to do things, a better line in front of him, and more experience around to help him out. It wouldn't surprise me to see him really turn things around next year, but I also wouldn't mind bringing back DJ Williams to compete with him for another year as well.

Murphy is a guy who IMO has a higher floor and equally high ceiling compared to all the catchers on the 40-man. At 22, it is quite reasonable to think that he is more likely to find his ceiling than any of the others as well. They have no reason to value him super highly and given his relatively modest ceiling, it makes much more sense for them to get a guy in Gillaspie who is probably going to be a similar MLBer but in a position of greater need and hits from the left side, which is always going to be useful for them. We got a top 15 prospect from a much better system for Matt Thornton, so let's not start acting like his prospect rating turns him into a god or something.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 10:52 PM) Well Cutler is that guy. Question is, can people live with him forcing the issue which can lead to bigger plays, but more turnovers. He has proven to know how to run a West coast offense with Shanahan. Trestman might have a different terminology, but it's still the same philosophy. He is the best QB the Bears have had since Luckman, but that isn't that impressive in our history. Should the Bears stay with him or Josh in a short window to win, or are they better off drafting and grooming a QB, surrounding him with more talent as the Marshalls, Fortes of the world start to age a bit, and then see what you got (with a right side, young OL and Jeffrey's potential as a #1). The latter two can be done simultaneously.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Dec 22, 2013 -> 01:36 PM) Smart move by Texas. '15 FA market doesn't look that great. Get him now. Yeah and that '19 FA market looks like s*** too!

I just don't think the joke had anything to do with the definition of Downs Syndrome. If it was meant as a criticism and thus was a joke that was made at someone's expense, I wouldn't like it. I'm not going to beat my chest about my Downs Syndrome cred but it has certainly touched my life and that comment did not strike me, even for a moment, as out of line

Yeah, finals probably just wrapped up a week or two ago and they probably brought the kid to "trial" with a regulations board/honor council something like that

Getting Briggs back made us all optimistic but he looked like as bad of a player as any other on the defense.