NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 01:19 PM) No love for Franklin Reyes? He's got a few serious tools, but we've also gotten a number of quite negative reports on him in the past year in terms of a lack of athleticism and other factors.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 01:39 PM) Do you think they may start Burdi to build strength, work on his pitches and make sure he gets regular innings? The Sox like to do that, but at the lower levels, then move them back to bullpen by the time they reach upper levels. Clark, Cooper, Goldberg are all following that path. But Burdi is already at AAA, so I kinda don't see it. QUOTE (Dubzinski rules @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 01:43 PM) So is Holmberg altogether out or is he MLB? He's one I just don't know where to fit, but probably AAA bullpen I'd guess.

Also, Cooper is definitely a bullpen guy now, that was made clear to me by affiliate staff.

Yeah Burdi won't be starting, at least not this year. Based on the Big Board I maintain, here are my best guesses: AAA: Giolito, Fulmer, Lopez, Danish, Sanburn AA: Kopech, Guerrero, Adams, Stephens, Lowry A+: Dunning, Thompson, Martinez, Lambert, Fry A: Hansen, Flores, Solorzano, Comito, McRee Guys above who may go to pen instead: Sanburn, Thompson, McRee Guys not above who could jump in somewhere: Volstad, Banks, Walters, Beck

QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 11:47 AM) To be fair, he RCP did report a Rasmussen poll from today that had Trump's approval rating at 57%. Rasmussen skews conservative, and is a pretty clear outlier in the polling at the moment (Rasmussen was at 52% favorable per RCP last week). But they do have Trump at 57%. Interesting. Doesn't show up on the RCP page I am looking at, but maybe it's dated.

QUOTE (brett05 @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 10:39 AM) No, he's up to 57% if you looked at my other link in the same post. You only provided one link, to RCP, which is a good source because it collects lots of polls. And in no poll is he near 57% favorable.

QUOTE (brett05 @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 09:53 AM) I can't find my original link but here is a different one and as you can see, 38 range on election day http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/ot...rable-5493.html Looks like his peak was shortly after election, around early December, and he's been trending down since. He got the typical post-election bounce, but his actual decisions in transition and in power have scared more people off. So as I said, he's trending down, though I thought his peak was a little earlier. Of course he's also been so low all along compared to historical peers, he just doesn't have as much room to wriggle.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 08:31 AM) Expected to see Call/Fisher in this list, I guess they maintained your interest even as the system beefed up. Quite a fall for Micker. Really hope he can stay healthy and have a season here. The 2016 draft is looking very good. And that's not just me or FS saying it, that's the consensus across the industry. Call and Fisher both have a lot of potential, in addition obviously to Collins, Hansen and Burdi, and others as well. Adolfo should have made bigger strides this year and didn't. Some of that was injuries, but that's becoming a recurring theme too.

QUOTE (brett05 @ Jan 25, 2017 -> 06:40 AM) Just the opposite. His approval has gone from 38 on election day to 45 on Jan 23 with 10 percent undecided. Yeah no. He's at 45% in the latest one I see, that's true. And he's the only modern President to be below 50% at this stage. Except of course he wasn't 38% on election day, as he got 48% of the votes. Also his 45% disapproval rating is dramatically higher than any other at this stage, most of whom have been around 15% on that number. He is not doing well, so far, in the eyes of the voting public. The 38 number I cannot find anywhere, where did you get it? Link? Source?

Here are the prospects ranked 16th through 30th in the White Sox system, with capsules for each. This section of the list is deeper on talent than it has been in a long time, not surprisingly. What do you think? Who were we too high or low on, in your view? Tomorrow, the full list goes up.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jan 24, 2017 -> 08:33 PM) I have no faith in my fellow man. I thought maybe the clowns elected to care about my fellow man would do so. I thought Trump would be normalized. Instead he's simply signing every piece of paper out in front of him and smiling like an imbecile. It's pretty depressing that someone so clearly unqualified, so very bigoted and misogynist, so clinically narcissistic, was elected. Heck I've voted for more GOP'ers than Dems over the years and I find him appalling. That said... --A majority of voters didn't want him to be President, and since he was elected his support has been plummeting - which indicates how things may go for him --Remember that even when Obama, and Bush before him, had brief full party control in the legislature, even they could only do so much --The 2018 Congressional elections at the state and federal levels will almost assuredly rock the boat back left - this is just history. --Speaking of that, whomever does do well in 2018 gets control over 2020 redistricting efforts. 2010 it was GOP control, and 2020 probably is more Dem control, though we'll see how it goes. Balancing out. --Citizens were duped by fake news, but the citizenry adapts over time. Slowly, but, they do. It won't work forever. --Trump got the margin of victory by those silent supporters, not the loud ones. And the silent majority is always easiest to sway. They won't stick with him for long. Things will balance out. Meanwhile, yeah, it will suck, and not just for liberals mind you. Those of us who are aligned with a Republican Party who emphasizes individual freedoms and fiscal restraint are also disgusted by this man. But I do believe we will be OK in the end. Just need to hope for minimal damage in the meantime.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Jan 24, 2017 -> 10:38 AM) I'm more shocked Victor Diaz is that low at 29. I didn't rank Diaz in my Top 30. I think he's Robin Leyer with a couple extra ticks. Interesting to be sure, but I can't see him above the other guys I ranked. Hopefully he develops to be more than that, but right now he's on my radar but not a T30 name.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 24, 2017 -> 10:06 AM) Does something like Bummer being a non roster ST invite make you guys go hmm at all? He's an unusual case. Here's what I know on Aaron, including some info he gave me directly... --Drafted 19th round in 2014, but got an out-size bonus --He's got a cannon, throws as hard as 98 mph, but was raw coming in --After a strong pro debut in rookie ball --Had elbow issues, and had a minor surgery to clean out some junk --As he started recovering from that surgery, he had soreness that turned out to be a torn UCL --Tommy John surgery - missed all of 2015 and most of 2016, before sprinting through three levels for 16.2 IP So here's a guy going into his fourth season since being drafted, and he has a total of 38 pro innings. And we really don't know how the surgeries have effected him. So yes, that made me "go hmm", but I can't justify putting him even among the top 50 guys in the system right now. That could change quickly based on how he looks this spring.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jan 24, 2017 -> 09:55 AM) I've seen no mention of Willy Garcia anywhere. Kind of surprising. This is a good point. He was added as we were making the lists, so he may not have been in scope for everyone as they built lists that became our discussion points as a group. He's definitely a guy worth considering.

QUOTE (rowand's rowdies @ Jan 24, 2017 -> 09:28 AM) Great information. Very informative. My question is how are there 4 guys who have a very good shot at playing on the MLB team this season not in the Top 30? How is having the talent to make the big league club, even for a few games, not enough to get you on a top 30 prospect list for a MLB team? Just an honest question interested in your answer. Even in our rebuilding situation I'd have to think nearly half of the top 30 prospects you're about to name will never play a single MLB game, no? I'd think a very good shot at making the team, this season at some point, should get you automatically into the Top 25 even in a deep system. Maybe you can explain your thought process behind this? I'm not saying Matt Davidson has to be a Top 10 prospect we have because he's going to get a chance, but you are surely going to name some high ceiling kids who haven't even played AA ball over a guy who has a small (very small, I'm not a Davidson fan) chance at becoming a MLB regular this season. I would just think that reaching MLB, even as a 25th man, has more real value than a high ceiling at a very young age. You are hitting on one of the always-debated questions around prospect evaluation - ceiling versus floor. Everyone considers both, but the balance between them is subjective. Davidson broke out in 2016 at AAA, but only after years of showing problematic swing and miss. He's seen as a guy most likely to end up providing only replacement-level value in the majors, though his chances of playing there at all are 90% if healthy. To stick with 3B's in this example, Trey Michalczewski may have only a 60% chance of reaching the majors, and less than that of being productive. But with his tools, if he puts it together enough to make it at all, he likely provides much more value when he gets there. Think of it as an equation. If Matt's likely ceiling is a 0.5 WAR 3B/DH/1B role player but is 90% going to get there, and Trey's ceiling is a 2 WAR starting 3B but 50% to get there: MD: 0.5 * .9 = 0.4 TM: 2.0 * .4 = 0.8 Thus Trey has greater "value". Obviously this is overly simplistic (it's comparing 1 year clips likely to occur in different years), but wanted to illustrate. As with all prospect evaluation, I can and will be wrong at times, as will anyone else. Floor has value too.

This week, FutureSox will be releasing our new Top 30 White Sox Prospects list. For those unfamiliar, we do these lists twice a year, in January/February and July/August. Usually we release in 2 parts - 16-30, then the full list. But this year, because the system is the deepest it's been in over a decade, we added a third layer. Here is a list of 15 prospects we (the writers at FS) discussed for consideration, but who just missed the Top 30. It's kind of amazing to see that these are real prospects. There are a few names here I'm sure some of you assumed would make the T30. Who is on this list that you thought for sure would be in, or should be in, the Top 30? What are your thoughts on these 15 guys? FYI: Tomorrow we post 16-30, and Thursday will be the full list.

QUOTE (bjm676 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 02:59 PM) I'm surprised no Jake Peter or even Eddy Alvarez. Good catch on both, that surprises me a little too.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 23, 2017 -> 01:35 PM) Those are surprises for me. Fry is a mild surprise coming back from TJS. Bummer is a guy who throws really hard left-handed, missed some time to a surgery and injuries, got an overslot bonus in the 19th round - so a mild surpise. The other guys I figured on. Delmonico has a legit shot at the team. Hayes was near a call-up last year before he got hurt. Clark is a legit prospect.

Rob snagged an interview with HC Todd Steverson, asking some questions about the mini-camp and a few key hitting prospects. Always fun to get an interview like this, and Todd didn't disappoint. Read it all here. What are your impressions of Todd, and the camp?

The differences in property taxes, in the Chicago area and nationally, are amazing. My examples... My condo in Bucktown (which I sold a couple years ago), I paid around $4,000 a year at the top, but sometimes it was down closer to $3,000. House in Northbrook (Cook County)? $10,000+ each year. Ouch. But as others have said, you get what you pay for. We have some of the best schools around, it's safe, the village is financially very healthy, etc. I've owned to pieces of unimproved, rural real estate. We used to have about 6.8 acres in SW Wisconsin, in the driftless area. Most of the land was steep so only a small part was buildable. That was $800 a year in property taxes, which seemed like a lot for 6.8 acres of trees and grass. Wisconsin has a separate real estate type for "recreational land", which is basically their way of charging more for the Chicago and Milwaukee folks who have other properties. We sold it a few years ago. We still own a chunk of land in New Mexico. Same sort of deal in that it's rural, only semi-buildable. But it's 24 acres instead of less than 7, and the views are utterly spectacular - it's on the nose of a ridge and you can see mountains that are literally 50 miles away. Also has a seasonal creek running through part of it. Property tax there? $120 a year. I honestly don't know how that county (Catron) survives.

QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 12:08 PM) Is there any chance Mason Robbins gets a shot? If he mashes AA and AAA pitching for most of the year, maybe a September callup? He's enigmatic, he may get a shot but likely not in 2017. 2018 is his best shot, probably. He has a pretty odd set of skills and gaps, but his gaps are eminently fixable, which makes him a potential pop-up candidate in 2017. I wrote a bit about him once.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 11:06 PM) I had a friend of mine call me tonight and tell me one of his coworkers is going to move out of the city because of incredible property tax hikes. She is going to move to one of the cities where there are no state taxes. Is this a true concern in the great city of Chicago? Is our city doomed or not? Let's say you lived on 103rd and Trumbull. What would your taxes cost you as a working stiff for a full year in one of those modest homes. Any figures for me? What are your thoughts about Chicago going broke? Is the city in deep financial trouble in terms of turning into a wasteland in the city itself like Detroit or not? No it's nothing like Detroit. No the property taxes are not dramatically higher than other large cities. No the city is not dying or anything of the sort. But yes, taxes are generally high, and the city has financial issues. But the financial risk is not about current tax rates. It's about unfunded obligations and current debt, but even that is less of an issue for the city than it is for the state. State of Illinois is the government in the biggest trouble financially.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 08:10 PM) https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/us/po...=0&referer= Perry thought the department of energy was the department of the interior when he accepted the job. Because of course he did. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 08:11 PM) Yeah so apparently Rick Perry accepted the Secretary of Energy job without knowing that it didn't deal with Oil and Gas. Like anyone didn't expect that. I said this on social media, and maybe even in here, the moment he was announced for it. I was sure that Perry, nor Trump, knew that Energy's main thing is atomic energy and running the national labs (Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, etc.). Trump nominated Rick Perry to run that. Frightening.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 05:17 PM) Not to demean your scouting eye, but this was one performance in the Arizona Fall League. That is way too small a sample size to conclude anything of significance. That's true. But, it does mesh with what I've read in a few places now - Kopech doesn't have very good command of any of his pitches yet. He needs development. But that's not at all unusual, even for high end prospects, at his level and stage of development.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jan 17, 2017 -> 10:17 AM) https://twitter.com/coatesktbb/status/821389680507752448 Check the gun. Is this a dumb thing to do? https://twitter.com/BrandonOSports/status/821389615135358976 QUOTE (Dam8610 @ Jan 17, 2017 -> 10:32 AM) I hope that's not his normal delivery. Nice find. I put it out on FS Twitter. No telling if the gun is hot or not, but I'm not a fan of him airing it out that way for no good reason other than the gun.