NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Mar 24, 2017 -> 08:38 AM) With all the talk about our prospects we really never here about Charlie Tilson except that he has had bad luck with injuries . Yet surprisingly I see him 89th on the one list and 55th on the other. Question: Why would he be on these KATOH lists and not others ? KATOH is a statistical modeling system. Most scouting tends to avoid stats or only take them into account as a smallish part of the picture, so KATOH will often show very differently than scouting type views.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 24, 2017 -> 07:49 AM) Changing the entire bill last minute behind closed doors. Now these are guys you can trust. I mean, let's be honest, ACA's final form came out last minute and after lots of back room crap too. In that sense it's no different, methodologically.

It's really all about the Options situation with Davidson not having any and Delmonico having them. It's that simple. But if Davidson flops, Delmonico probably comes up (outside chance it could be Hayes instead). Here's a prospect profile on Delmonico by the way, for those who don't know some of the strange back story with him. Delmonico's defense doesn't have to be above average, but he's got to be at least MLB-playable. And if he can do that at 1B, 3B and corner OF, he suddenly becomes appealing as a utility player (and DH) you can plug in 5 days a week with some offensive potential.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 23, 2017 -> 07:51 AM) The Highlander and Rav4 are pretty nice Hybrid SUV's. I still dont get why more SUV's arent offered as hybrid or electric. I would totally shop larger ones. We looked at the RAV4, liked it too, it was on our short list until near the end. The Highlander is a tank, its like our Honda Pilot - it's a very nice car, but the hybrid pushes $50k when you get the high end safety gear and is almost 10k more than the non-hybrid version, all to get about 29 mpg net. We plan to keep our Pilot as the 2nd car, so we have something big around if we need it. The main car will be more about efficiency for every day stuff. And I am totally up for spending extra on the new safety toys, especially since this car may eventually be what my older kid starts learning to drive on (lord help me). I do agree though that the larger vehicles in some ways are better cases for hybridization. Taking an SUV from, say, 20 to 28 mpg, is a bigger value-add than taking a sedan from 32 to 40 mpg.

This farm-wide health update article takes a look at the significant injuries that happened last year and this spring, providing updates on a number of prospects in terms of where they stand today. Good info going into the season, plus Julie has a talent for making the depressing somehow entertaining in her writing.

QUOTE (ChiliIrishHammock24 @ Mar 22, 2017 -> 10:48 PM) I'm not sure how they compare cost-wise, but have you looked in to the Chevy Bolt at all? Or the, albeit ugly, Nissan Leaf? Bolt and Leaf are just a lot smaller than I want to go. If it was just my wife and I, and/or if I was shorter (I'm 6'3"), then maybe. I like the idea of an electric car if it has enough range. I'd like a Tesla S but can't justify spending 90k on a car. Also am not going to plunk down $1000 now for a car I might get in 2018 if I'm lucky and for which I have little idea what it will be (Tesla 3).

QUOTE (ChiSox59 @ Mar 22, 2017 -> 12:53 PM) May as well give Davidson a shot. Delmonico has options, and he'll likely get a shot at some point. We'll likely lose Davidson if he does not break camp with the Sox, and while that may not be a huge loss, they may as well give him a look. Nothing to lose, something to gain. Delmonico will still be there. Totally agree. I think Delmonico (and Hayes even) has more potential, but might as well play out Davidson first.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Mar 22, 2017 -> 12:28 PM) But at this point, who would you rather have? Pretty easy decision in my opinion. QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Mar 22, 2017 -> 12:31 PM) I'll take Ynoa over Covey no doubt. I honestly haven't watch spring games enough to know on Covey. That's partly why I was saying I was on the fence. I only have what I researched when he was acquired, and a small glimpse from one ST game. As SS2K5 said, you need to lean on your staff to tell you if what they are seeing - results aside - from Covey is positive enough.

I should mention too, Liriano is a decent outfielder with a very strong arm. Asche is a pretty lousy OF by all the reports I read when he signed. I think, as others have said, this team will emphasize defense.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Mar 22, 2017 -> 12:16 PM) Isn't Ynoa out of options? The choice between those 2 seems like an obvious call if so. Yes, but Covey is lost to Rule 5 rules (potentially) if he doesn't make it. Both are at risk of being taken away.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 22, 2017 -> 11:53 AM) The 37 left include Tilson and Minaya, so there are ten cuts left barring something happening. Burdi Covey Purke Swarzak Smith, K Cabrera, E Delmonico Hayes Liriano May Davidson is going to make it. Hope something clicks with limited play. I think Liriano makes it over Asche. Asche is on a minor league deal and goes to AAA without waivers - Liriano needs to clear. I think a rebuilding team will be all about protecting assets, and Asche is not a potential future piece - he's insurance. I could be wrong of course! And if Liriano does clear waivers, that's perfect. Otherwise agree with the above. Covey/Ynoa is a coin flip at this point.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 10:53 PM) The Dylan Covey experience may be ending. Just not enough quality innings this spring. Yeah, I went into ST thinking he was a near-lock, but now I'm 50/50 on him making the roster.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 03:19 PM) Not looking into the Ford CMAX? And I'm interested to hear your reviews of those 2. CMAX is a little smaller than we are looking, with our two kids. In addition to the Sonata and Optima, we also looked at the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, and Chevy Volt. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 03:37 PM) Just as a FWIW, I just signed on a 2015 Jetta SE that I got for $11,500. Highway I am averaging about 40 mpg, and about 25 in town. I know that isn't quite hybrid type mileage, but for the price difference, it might be worth considering. The diesel scandal just punished the prices of even their gasoline line, even though they weren't part of the problem. I thought about VW for exactly that reason (pricing depression). The reason we are looking at plug-ins is that they happen to fit our needs so perfectly, and the tax credit makes them really good options. There are certainly plenty of non-hybrids (and non plug-ins) that get very good mileage nowadays. QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 04:15 PM) I've had my Sonata (although it's not a hybrid) for about 5 years now and haven't had any problems with it. Just routine maintenance. My only complaint is that it seems I've had to change light bulbs on it more often than other cars I've owned. Headlights, taillights, turn signals. It seems like 3 or 4 times a year I have to replace one. Luckily they are all really easy to get to and replace. This is a small thing but I also love the fact that the windshield washer fluid reservoir actually holds an entire gallon. I always hated the fact on some cars you could fill them up and then have another cup or 2 of fluid leftover in the jug. Good to know. One of the appeals of both the Korean companies is they have huge warranties - 10/100 for most everything, and lifetime on the batteries for a hybrid.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 01:37 PM) He got hit in the head with a pitch I think it was last spring. He spent the year dealing with vision issues. He's k'd 19 times already. You can probably chalk it up to not playing at all last year and not seeing pitches but he could possibly be having vision issues. That's why he was on waivers at all. He was at one time a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball. My view is, if you are a rebuilding club (ATL, SDP, etc.), and you see a talent like that is healthy and available, he's very much worth a shot.

Car shopping for the first time in about 6 years. Amazing how far the safety stuff has gotten in that time. Looking at a pair of plug-in hybrids. My wife has a round-trip commute of around 30 miles, which makes these cars with roughly 30-mile electric-only ranges basically perfect for us. And they still get 40+ mpg after that as hybrids. Current tax credits are about $4900 on each, but the difference in price of plug-in versus not is only about $3000-$4000, which further makes it a no-brainer. Not sure why anyone would get the straight hybrid in that case, if the plug-in is actually cheaper and gets better efficiency overall (a lot better for us). Narrowed to the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima plug-in hybrids. Anyone have experience with either of those brands? I'm new to both. Reading mostly very good things, but always up for deeper info.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 12:39 PM) He did get through all of the way to the middle of the AL wire last time around. Yeah, so he got claimed, and now he's shown to be healthy which was a big part of the question with him. I'd be surprised if he cleared waivers, but we'll see. QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 01:20 PM) His spring stats are better than I thought, but still, I don't think he'd have much deadline value even if he was decent and I'd rather give a younger guy his spot. Brian Clark is the only "young" lefty getting a real look at that level, and he's not quite ready yet. The team may not elect to carry a 2nd lefty at all, but if they do, Luebke is the guy.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 21, 2017 -> 12:41 PM) It's released that there's no evidence of Russia fixing the election but the talk is still impeach Trump. I mean, I don't remember actual vote fraud being a "thing" with Russia anyway. It was always about softer influence, which in fact Comey confirmed was the Russian aim. Now it's a question of whether or not there was collusion.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 20, 2017 -> 01:08 PM) I've heard the Sox want to get Liriano to AAA to work with him. I'd guess this. C - Soto/Narvaez 1B - Abreu 2B - Saladino/Sanchez 3B - Frazier SS - Anderson LF - Cabrera CF - Bourjos RF - Avi Garcia DH - Davidson/Ashe Bench: Soto/Narvaez, Saladino/Sanchez, Davidson/Ashe, Leury Garcia 1.) Quintana 2.) Rodon 3.) Shields 4.) Gonzalez 5.) Holland CL - Robertson SU - Jones LHP - Jennings RHP - Putnam RHP - Petricka RHP - Ynoa LHP - Luebke So, they think Liriano clears waivers? I personally don't think he would, but if he does, that's great.

QUOTE (juddling @ Mar 20, 2017 -> 04:05 PM) Just watched Arrival. I swear I heard good things about it but man was I bored through 95% of it.. . I thought it was one of the best SciFi films in years. That said, it's not an action film either. I think people assume that SciFi has to be action-packed, but some of the best ones aren't (in my view anyway).

Get up to date on all things related to prospects and the farm in the past couple weeks right here. Lots to report! These are getting pretty long, so we will start doing them weekly from here on out and into the season.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Mar 17, 2017 -> 07:56 AM) Entertaining. He tries to explain to fans why something is happening on the field. Too many of the broadcasters that use stats instead of examples try to educate fans on numbers behind the game instead of the game. Personally, and I know I'm old and in the minority, but I enjoy hearing about comparisons of player style and approaches to the game. Granted, Hawk goes overboard but I like it better than the dry professionalism in an entertainment industry. I mean, I'm an older guy too (relative to most of the board anyway, I assume). I like explanations, and some stories sprinkled in. But he doesn't really explain things, he just tells a lot of stories. I am not saying I want super-dry either. I will probably get crucified for this, but I really like the Cubs TV team. They are entertaining, have fun, but deliver good info and are open to all manner of angles. They incorporate advanced stats, but aren't dry. It is possible to do both.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 17, 2017 -> 07:20 AM) I'll say this for Hawk even now: his content is awful but he still sounds like no one else. I like Benetti but he is a move toward "broadcasting voice". When you turn on the television and Hawk is on it sounds like white Sox and nothing else. Something that distinctive was cool, is cool, but was not everything. I guess I don't see how "different" is good in and of itself. Plenty of different voices available, but the southern-twanged euphemism bot isn't really what I'd hope for.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Mar 17, 2017 -> 07:08 AM) Can one of the Anti-Hawk and Pro-Benetti people please explain why they dislike Hawk and like Benetti? Hawk is, today at least, an awful announcer. He throws in a constant stream of drawl-tinged one-liners that got old a decade ago pretty constantly, leaves huge gaps of silence when he's not in a good mood, and utterly refuses to acknowledge most any useful statistical measures. He spends half his broadcasts telling old war stories, and they're the same ones. My question is, what is he actually good at? I will say that when the team is doing well, he's obviously very excited about it and that helps bring the fans in emotionally. I think that's his only positive quality in the job, to be honest.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 16, 2017 -> 08:44 PM) Not sure why you question if I have a straight face when your opinions don't line up with reality. I'm glad you respect President Obama but that doesn't make it as if he can do no wrong. Obama's administration got caught targeting conservatives through the IRS, journalists with the AP scandal, political opponents abroad in Merkel and others, journalists like James Rosen and Michael Hastings. Illegal surveillance was started by Bush's administration but normalized, expanded and abused throughout the Obama years. These are facts not opinions. Everything Obama did set a precedent for Trump. Obama even expanded surveillance reach on his way out. IRS scandal: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washington...dal-in-one-FAQ/ AP scandal: https://www.google.com/amp/www.nydailynews....ticle-1.1349443 Merkel: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardia...erman-newspaper Rosen: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/...-134204299.html Obama'a administration surveillance makes Nixon'a administration look like children putting their ears against walls to eavesdrop. Obviously that's due to technology but your comment is totally off base regardless. Who knows what Obama's administration did behind the scenes with instances where they had the competence to keep their internal investigations, you know, internal. --IRS had nothing to do with surveillance - at worst it was more audits to make people's lives more difficult. But also there was never any evidence of Obama or his cabinet or inner circle having anything to do with it. --Not touching Merkel because again, we are talking domestic surveillance here which is a very different thing. --As for the AP and Rosen stuff that actually was surveillance, those were investigations via the FBI that went through all the legal channels and were approved. So again, no evidence of anything at all in the way of illegal surveillance. The idea that a President would do what Trump is accusing Obama of doing is beyond anything since Watergate. Did you seriously try to make the case that one instance of COURT-APPROVED surveillance (the AP/Rosen stuff) is somehow worse than Nixon's illegal spying? Do the courts and the system not even matter to you? If you want to discuss that the law should change to make it harder to get warrants, that's a different discussion. But the facts are quite clear here, there is no evidence of per se illegal (outside the process) domestic surveillance on Obama's part or Bush's part for that matter.

It's time, past time really, for this to happen. He just hasn't been good at his job in a long time. So this works out well for all, including him with that huge commute and having to deal with such frustrating teams in the short term.