caulfield12

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 8, 2014 -> 01:27 AM) But a good bullpen on a bad team is useless. A good offense on a bad team at the very least helps attendance and exposure and fan interest. A good rotation on a bad team offers very valuable trading chips to rebuild. A good bullpen on a bad team does neither. And then trading those pretty reliable veterans like Crain and Thornton that you do have opens up even bigger gaps that you can't easily fill. Spending top of the market money on a very very good but not quite elite closer in Robertson just doesn't make much sense. Plus, we've seen enough of those situations blow up (look at the A's with Jim Johnson last year or acquiring Billy Koch for a Sox-related example) to know better by now.

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20326356_2...0.html#30261552 Top 10 and Worst 5 movies of 2014 (Entertainment Weekly) https://www.yahoo.com/movies/s/japan-toho-p...-015736054.html Japan's TOHO to produce new Godzilla movie

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 7, 2014 -> 11:28 AM) Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 7m7 minutes ago From last night: #DBacks ownership declined to approve proposed Montero-for-Ethier deal with #Dodgers. Story: http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/dodgers...-through-120614 … Makes a lot of sense for LA. They want/ed to move on from AJ Ellis after his abysmal offensive performance in 2014. Makes less sense for AZ financially. And of course both players are already familiar with the NL West, which is another important consideration.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 7, 2014 -> 02:34 PM) Bruce Levine ‏@MLBBruceLevine 7m7 minutes ago Toronto may be turning back to Kenny Williams who they discussed at some business levels ,but not in all departments the end of Oct So quasi-CEO but not full powers? Sounds very vague. Probably intentionally so. Reading between the lines, it wasn't quite the full promotion it was perceived to be in the media originally, but very likely a step up from his White Sox position. And KW played for the Jays previously, so there's already that connection.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Dec 5, 2014 -> 05:56 PM) Looks like the team that offered him that was the Astros so ya... Seriously? That runs completely counter to their new operating model.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Dec 5, 2014 -> 10:57 AM) They did just receive Shane Greene back in this trade though, which will effectively replace the starting spot that was vacated by Fister. So, they actually did do well fixing a problem that they unnecessarily created, imo Except for the fact that Fister's a much better pitcher with a super solid track record in Detroit. Cost savings...there's that.

The A's are either rebuilding on they're not. If they trade Samardzija, they pretty much have no choice but to rebuild the next couple of seasons. At least that's the signal they're sending. I also don't believe the Indians with their Swisher/Bourne experiences are going to be so quick to take on another "bigger" contract who's only under team control for 2 more years. That's the opposite of the Indians' normal style of locking up those players like Santana and Kipnis into their first or second FA years. With their young pitchers, their best window of opportunity is 2016-2018, just like the White Sox.

SIGH. There are about 50 reasons Quintana is overlooked. And probably 90% of baseball fans would think your favorite team trading top prospects for Cole Hamels (despite his age and contract) is a better bet than trading those same prospects for Quintana. You can practically guarantee that there would be a significantly blip on the season ticket radar for any team adding Hamels. (Of course, this is not a smart way to run a franchise, looking at short-term PR gains versus longer term, repeatable success).

Is Moss really going to be any better than Michael Morse, Torii Hunter or even Dayan Viciedo in the OF? Can the A's afford to part with even more offense with Donaldson a near-MVP talent as well as Cespedes gone? If there's one thing that's certain, it's that we shouldn't be worsening a defense with any acquisition we make. Now that's hard to do in the case of LF, but Moss isn't going to be a Rasmus or even on par with Markakis/DeAza/Aoki out there.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 4, 2014 -> 12:09 AM) Uthoff had a bad shooting night but he seems to be more confident and willing to keep shooting, which was something he wouldn't do last year. He'd disappear for long stretches and he is far too talented to do that. This could be a big win for the program. Have some huge in state games coming up against ISU and Northern Iowa. They have to split against Iowa State and UNI, going 10-3 in nonconference. Then 9-9 or 10-8 in conference and probably need one victory in the B10 Tourney. Lasty year, there were a lot of rumors out of IC about Marble's selfishness and me-oriented play. I think you might actually see Iowa improve in the 2nd half this year as the team comes together, instead of falling apart. At least that's the hope. On the flip side, you don't have many shot creators on the team that can generate their own way to points when the offense breaks down. Aaron White's never going to be that type of player.

QUOTE (bshah723 @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 11:23 PM) Jared Leto – The Joker Will Smith – Deadshot Tom Hardy – Rick Flag Margot Robbie – Harley Quinn Jai Courtney – Boomerang Cara Delevingne – Enchantress Suicide squad cast. I am pumped Interesting to see Margot Robbie paired with Wil Smith again so soon.

Heck, the White Sox could have used Happ or Saunders this year. Either one. Of course, they're not the "dream" KW options.

QUOTE (thxfrthmmrs @ Dec 4, 2014 -> 12:31 AM) Reading an Andrew Miller speculation article, it was mentioned that the record contract for a non-closing reliever is held by Jeremy Affeldt at only 3 years $18 million. With Miller's new salary hitting the $40 million range, it's crazy to think how much more expensive it is nowadays just to acquire bullpen arms. It's the opposite of the Moneyball niche to be exploited. Seemingly closer quality lefties whose careers suggest set-up roles but whose teams are hoping for closer results off a one or two year period of high productivity. JP Howell also comes to mind for some reason, here.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 09:41 PM) or to get premiere exciting hispanic base players. now it will be the Cuban factor as i was always mentioning. Except we're not in South Florida or NYC, so that has less of an impact economically. Or the Pacific Coast, where the M's (also Nintendo-owned) and Dodgers have spent a lot of money on Japanese and Korean players (Chan Ho Park, now Ryu). Now if MLB would allow an agreement for the White Sox to play 10-15 home games per season (especially April/May/September) in Havana and we had Abreu, Ramirez, Viciedo and Rodon....THEN, and only THEN, would you have something quite interesting economically.

Iowa finally breaks through with a win against a highly-ranked opponent on the road. There's hope now at least. After losing to Texas and Syracuse last week, it was starting to evaporate a little. In the end, as usual, they're probably one more athlete (shooting guard/small forward) away from being a very good team. You can certainly understand why Bo Ryan didn't want to let Uthoff go. And what was a 10-12 man rotation last year has been whittled down to just 6-7 players in 2014. We'll see how well they can hold up in the second half of the B10 season. To make that next step, Oglesby/Jok/Dickerson are going to have to become more dangerous...particularly one of the last two guys.

Was thinking that Gemma wasn't going to kill herself...there was that warning sign on the back of her rearview mirror before she met Michael Chiklis. We all imagined at the beginning of the year that Nero would probably end up with Wendy and the kids on the farm. Looks like that's going to happen still. If you read the Unser "post character death" interview at ew.com, it's pretty hilarious. www.ew.com/sonsofanarchy

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 08:24 PM) I don't understand why anyone is surprised at this attendance disparity, lol. The north side of Chicago is a f***ing treat. It's a fantastic place to live and hang out. The South side of Chicago is the butt of all of America's murder jokes. The best argument anyone has to live in Bridgeport is "it's cheap" and "it's really not that bad anymore." People have way more money up north, they have way less money down south. There are cheaper, more effective, more convenient ways to follow the team. The Cell is a f***ing bore. There's nothing to see. Even if there was, they don't let you on the main concourse unless you have a ticket in the bottom bowl, lol. There's hardly even anything to buy in the team store. It's the worst team store of any major league sport I've ever seen. It's not 1965 where you had to either go to the game or listen on the radio. You can follow the action ten times better on the TV, and it's cheaper too! If you want people to spend $50 to come somewhere, you have to make that place worth $50 to go to. Amen.

Still Alice and Mr. Turner (not sure I can sit through 2 1/2 hours of a character actor, though) look like they'll be on many Academy lists.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 08:14 PM) I think you're way off-base here. Someone will take Viciedo off our hands for an insignificant prospect, because right-handed power is at a huge premium right now. I get he's been horrible for us the past couple years, but he's still young and has some very attractive tools. Right or wrong, it's really not that crazy to think another organization believes there is some chance they can fix him and turn him into an above-average hitter. In the meantime, he serves as OF depth until we acquire something better. Hahn isn't stupid, he wouldn't tender Viciedo a contact if he was unmovable. He's obviously talked to other GMs and determined there is some market for his services. I'm fairly certain that Hahn doesn't want Dayan as a starting OF unless all other plans fail to work out. IMO, the odds of Viciedo being on Opening Day roster are incredibly low. Although one could have easily guessed that DeAza and Beckham wouldn't be leveraged into much of anything. Where he got hurt was all those bullpen "lottery tickets," like Belisario and Downs, Paulino and Keppinger becoming write-offs, coupled with the fact that Gavin Floyd and Crain imploded and couldn't be traded for anything of value.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 08:12 PM) Their attendance has plummeted so much, there have been 4 seasons the White Sox drew more than the 2014 Cubs. 1991,1992,2006,2007. Think aboit it, no White Sox playoff team has ever outdrawn the 2014 Cubs. White Sox fans as a whole, suck. They always have some excuse. In 2012, the line was they didn't go to games when they were in first place for a few momths because they "knew" they would fall apart. Then they need an owner like Moreno who took the fight right to the Dodgers. The problem is he hasn't managed to win a World Series, whereas a corporate board pulled off that trick in 2002. But he's proven that a 2nd sister team in a major market can compete head-to-head.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 07:59 PM) It is. It absolutely is. Cub fans go to games, when Sox fans won't. That is completely different. And Cubs attendance last year after something like six straight losing seasons is still higher than Sox attendance in every other year but 2 in their entire history. It even went up a tiny bit last year. And they are now reaping the benefits by getting to go after literally any free agent they want to go after. Other than Joe Maddon, who have they been able to attract over the last couple of offseasons? First, it was going to be Russell Martin. Then Lester and Peavy, etc. Until they translate that "soft power" into an actual signing, it's pretty meaningless. And then there's the underlying financial stress on the ownership group itself, which can't be discounted. Remember when Ozzie Guillen being the manager was going to translate into a new pipeline into Latin America/Venezuela...and we'd be able to bring in guys like Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez as a result? It resulted in only ONE significant addition, that was F. Garcia, and that was just as much a family thing as a fellow Venezuelan thing. So until they pay Lester $150 million or Scherzer whatever he's going to end up with, we can't take them 100% seriously. Or trading Castro for pitching, at the very least.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 07:53 PM) Sox fans can break their arms to pat themselves on the back and make excuses all they want. The only ones they hurt by staying home is themselves. Say what you want about Cub fans, but their franchise has had an open ability to do whatever they want to rebuild fully from the ground up, and they still have the money to go out and sign big named free agents after a MUCH longer drought than the Sox. Hard to say they are the stupid ones when their franchise gets that kind of flexibility. Out of curiosity, if fans that only show up when you win aren't bandwagon fans, what are? And yes, if there are fans out there using excuses from the 1980''s, to not go to games in 2014 or 2015, that is pretty much the definition of miserable. Then couldn't you say the entire Midwest/Rust Belt (Kansas City, Cincy, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Minnesota, Milwaukee) was miserable because of their reaction to the baseball strike? It's not about just the White Sox. It's about that specific region of the country, and an economics history lesson. Of course, Detroit and Milwaukee were able to right their ships (the Cubs and Cardinals have always been insulated for unique reasons), and new stadiums were built in those other cities, but there's a tremendous amount of evidence that a lot of those franchises lost 25-35% of their fans for a decade or more.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 07:44 PM) All the last eight years has done is reinforce what we saw in the first 26 years of this ownership group: making it to the playoffs just once every eight years or so and coming away from those rare appearances with practically nothing to show for it is going to result in dwindling attendance. It's that simple, and should be expected. It's not because Sox fans are "miserable people" (not a nice thing to say, btw). There should be no expectation of unconditional love here, that the 2.9 million plus who walked through the turnstiles in '06 should have done so in 2011 and 2013, or else be dismissed as "bandwagon". They are consumers, and unfortunately when Sox product isn't up to snuff, they choose not to consume as much of it. Only one year in the 34 this ownership group has been running things worthy of mention. Just one! Only four playoff appearances in the other 33 years, with just four wins across all four of those appearances. THAT record is what is MISERABLE, not the fans. And the White Sox, fwiw, really overestimated the "good will" that was built up in 2005. They gouged their ticket buyers from that 2006-2012 time period, finally relenting and lowering prices when it was too late, in 2013. For much of that time period, they had somewhere between the 4th and 6th highest average price for a family of 4 if you factor in tickets, parking, souvenirs and concessions. Recently, dynamic pricing for a number of teams that weren't even really prime draws in the minds of many fans has also left a sour taste. It might have maximized revenue, but it alienated a lot of fans in the process. Going away from the Pepsi discount nights, reliance on fireworks and family days/groups/Sundays...they just placed too much faith in their season ticket buyers and the corporate community to support the team through thick and thin at elevated prices. That model worked for awhile, but came crashing down in 2007 and especially 2009 and with the Dunn fiasco in 2011. If you look at teams like the Dodgers and Angels, they never had to charge nearly what the White Sox were charging their fans. While they have a bigger population base, the disposable income is similar...instead of broadening their fanbase, they narrowed it, putting more and more financial pressure on the remaining season ticket holders and corporate sponsors. They probably could have gotten away with it, too, if they would have managed to consistently field playoff teams. We always hear this argument that the Sox are 18th-26th in attendance but were in the Top 6-12 in terms of spending for many of those years (2006-2012). The problem is that doesn't take into consideration what prices were being charged or revenues derived, it's one simple measure that doesn't square with the fact that no fanbase (other than the Cardinals or Cubs, maybe) will be satisfied with that track record of success (or lack thereof). If you want to change your fortunes, you have to do what the Mariners are doing. They witnessed firsthand one of the model MLB franchises dwindle into an afterthought. It still might not work in the long-term, but, at the very least, their fans can FEEL that the team is doing everything possible to win.

QUOTE (LDF @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 07:35 PM) JR has one of the sweetest deal ever with sox park. maybe it was coincidence was a ummm an associate of JR. you know how many times other owners tried to use JR lease as a platform. here is another unrelated example, hockey, and arz. JR was trying to get the city of arz to foot the loan at an ungodly low amount of interest. JR is smart in business but ....... oh well you can fill in the rest. Wouldn't have been possible without Jim Thompson's "midnight deadline" being conveniently ignored...the purest definition of a personal relationship leading to a result that permanently altered sports history for two cities (and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tampa/St. Pete lose the Rays in the future).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 3, 2014 -> 07:29 PM) Much like any other business that gets tax breaks and TIF money, etc. Balta, I'm sure would have done the research....but there's a ton out there about the utilitarianism of public stadium construction financing (see Miami/Loria) vs. tax increment financing for underserved/underdeveloped areas of metropolitan areas. I'm not sure how we can have this conversation without going into Filibuster territory, so I'll just leave it that getting taxes waived/TIF is still not the exact equivalent, although they are on the same range or spectrum. When you receive 100% public financing AND you're not in any way accountable to public shareholders, then, as Eminor mentioned, you SHOULD have even more of a responsibility to NOT abuse that trust and provide a quality product. In that sense, the team should "serve the community" not unlike policemen, firefighters or teachers.