Cubano

One more time. Players do not change too much. You are who you are. I have read several times that Cora was working miracles in Miami with Fields. I never bought into that. If your defense has been shaky all your life, you will be sorry with the glove until you retire. If you are a good fastball hitter in the minors, you will be able to hit fastballs in the majors. If you are lazy in the minors, you will be lazy in the majors. If you have personality problems, you will have those all your life. What makes me mad is the following. If the Sox gurus have doubts about Fields at 3B, then tell him that and move him to another base or DH immediately. Maybe for Viciedo is too early to tell. The Sox do not have had the time to evaluate Viciedo fully. But if there are some doubts about him at 3B, tell him that and move him to another position very soon. Why wasting so much time and resources on failing projects?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 26, 2009 -> 09:18 PM) http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,2905815.story Well, we shall see how long into the season KW will go with things "as is"...or if we have to trade in some of our newfound minor league depth for another solution. I would call it the Final Solution, but then I would sound like Joseph Goebbels. I do not believe anything they say. It is hard to find somebody in a leadership position that keeps his word. Today they say this and tomorrow they say something else. If the CF platoon do not perform and there is a CF out there available, the Sox will eat their words and trade for the guy especially if the playoffs are within reach. If the sucks, which I think they will, the old guys will be expendable and no CF will be needed for 2009.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 28, 2009 -> 08:07 PM) One of the most experienced scouts working the Cactus League raves about hard-throwing Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman, whom he watched in Mexico City. He called him "one of the best I've ever seen," citing Chapman's makeup and ability to speak English as major assets. Phil Rogers Any word on Bell, their Olympic star who was hit (I think in the face?) by a thrown ball and isn't yet able to play? Is it a story similar to Juan Encarnacion of the Cardinals/Tigers? Hopefully not... I did not konw Chapman can speak some English. We are taught in the school but with very old British tapes. Then, if you do not work in tourism you forget everything. Is Chapman preparing to say bye bye? I think he wants to leave. I do not konw wether or not he would do it. But he leaves, be prepare to pay big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ dolares.

QUOTE (knightni @ Mar 27, 2009 -> 09:09 PM) Let Japan come over mid July and face an American best-of team best of 7. They'd be lucky to win 2 games. They lost in Beijing vs an all star team from the minro leagues. About 10 of these players saw MLB action in 2008. Japan lost vs Cuba and Korea as well.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Mar 27, 2009 -> 06:24 PM) It was something Bud created like 5 years ago, to me it's contrived and I value the MLB season much more over the WBC. He did not create it alone. The owners approved it. They want to emulate the NBA expanding globally.

The Cuban Comet shoud be in the HOF.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 27, 2009 -> 02:15 AM) And we have 4 (I think it's 4?) picks in the first two rounds of the upcoming draft. We're still lacking overall depth (especially in the pitching department). But considering where we were just two years ago, I'm more than satisfied with where our system currently stands. Key word being "currently." I still expect it to get better. If I am a GM, I will be picking pitching all the time unless there is a 5 tool player out there. You win with pitching.

MLB quality is diluted big time by the following: 1. Type of contracts: If you have a big league contract, you can suck big time. Most of the time, they are force to play to justift the money being paid. 2. The fear to expose a young player even though he may be 100 % better that an old and finished player or a mediocre player who will seat in the bench. When I was in the refugee camps in Guantanamo Bay, I saw the big leagues for the first time. The year was 1994. I saw the big leagues was about performance first. If you performed, you were safe. The ones that did not performed were replaced by somebody else. I soon found out I was 100 % wrong. What a disappointment! I still can get over it.

Nothing yet.

I did not watch the game. I heard it in the radio. Davey J. did not do a good job. Also, Jeter is overrated. USA pitching performed poorly. They are MLguers. Aren't they? In addition, defense was pretty bad for USA, Mexico, Dominican R. and Venezuela. If you can not catch the ball, you won't win. The White Sox may have the same problems this year.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 20, 2009 -> 10:19 AM) Meh. Its not that important around here though. We can probably agree that the top professional sports in the world are football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer. 4 out of those 5 have their best professioanl leagues in the US. Hence why a US org would control a meaningless tourney like the WBC. The world cup is great around the world, but does it even break into the top 5 most watched events in the US? Probably not. I would not be so sure about that. There are lots of foreigners in the USA that follow world soccer. Spanish TV gets high ratings and one of them usually gains TV rights. English TV stations do not care too much. Non-Spanish speaking customers would love to have a TV stations to watch it. Africans, Europeans, Asians, etc. Maybe, there is another ethnic channel out there showing Soccer World Cup games out there, but I am not sure about it. How many watch Hockey? I do when I have some time but not often. Go Red Wings and Caps!

Chavez has cheated, repressed, intimidated, etc in order to win elections. Ordonez should not be allowed to come to the USA once Chavez turns on him. I have lived in a Communist/Socialist society. It is the same crap. One ruler and many semi-slaves. Social Security and other programs do not have anything to do be Socialism/Communism. Ordonez, on one hand, support Chavez socialis ideas. On the other hand, Ordonez comes to the USA (imperialism) to enjoy the USA $$$$$$$$$$$$. As I wrote before, the way these socialists like Castro and Chavez operate is the following. First, they go after big corporations. Then, middle size corporations. Then, small businesses. Then, everybody. They like to dictate and propagate hate among citizens. I am not oppose on Ordonez freedom of speech. He can talk all the BS he wishes. I, as an American citizen, would love the USA government to deny entry to those that are in bed with governments that are clearly against USA. That is my opinion.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 09:59 PM) Bad turn of events for Cuba. CF makes a great play to get to the ball, drops it when he does. Don't mentioned! We get runners after two outs too. I can't win like that. Maybe, he got confused with the fog.

Stop crying about injuries and such. The Soccer World Cup is the best thing in the planet. The best players compete and nobody cries like MLB teams. Maybe there is a reason baseball has faling behind others sports in popularity.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 02:09 PM) Some their games will be on MiLB.tv throughout the year. When they play in Buffalo, Scranton, Durham, Louisville and a few others that I cannot recall. Once I bought this package and I went through hell cancelling my subscription with MLB. You really have to look hard to find the link to cancel it. I do not if they have made the link more accesible now.

I am mourning.

The thing is tha Cepeda does produce less in Cuba than many others. He is not a complete player. His defense is questionable. He is selective and clutch. That is for sure. He will get less money tahn other young players on this team like Cespedes, Despaigne, Gourriel, etc.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 07:50 AM) Good luck with that. If you think that a lot of the best players from North/South America are missing the WBC now, imagine if its not sponsored by MLB. You would have all-star teams from Japan, Korea, & Cuba facing teams of minor leaguers/scrubs from USA, Canada, Dom., Venezuela, Puerto Rico. Might as well make a four-team tourney with Japan, Korea, Cuba, & Taiwan or someone like that. If the big three outside MLB says we won't send a team, MLB cries. They made the impossible for Cuba to come. They know there is no legitimacy w/o these teams. Next time, other countries should challenge MLB and asked for the finals to take place outside the USA. I like to see what MLB based players will do.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 06:48 AM) None of the other leagues are at the same level of the MLB. Add to the fact a good majority of the players are from the MLB, it only makes sense to use MLB balls with an MLB umpire behind home plate. But there are good umpires in other leagues as well. I would say that Cubans, Japaneses, Koreans, Dutch, big China, little China, Panama combined make more players than MLB players.

I do not like the fact that this tournament is solely controlled by MLB. The finals rounds are in the USA for the second time. The games are played with the Rawlings. Only MLB umpire are allowed behind the plate. The rules were made thinking about MLB players first. Japan, Korea and Cuba should say Hell with MLB.

Korea has beaten Japan 5 out of the last 8 times they had faced each other in major tournaments such as WBC, Olympics and Asian Cups.

QUOTE (JDsDirtySox @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 10:05 PM) JC Romero got a little too excited after the 8th pounding his chest, and going all KRod on the field. Great 9th JC... and you will have 50 games to sit out and think about it.... HA HA. I am happy this happened to him. He competed for the USA in a Panamerican Games. Then, he competes for Puerto Rico now. Prior to the WBC # 1, Livan Hernandez wanted to pitch por Puerto Rico. He owns a female volleyball team and had a girldfriend and property down there. Iniatially, the PuertoRricans were excited about Livan joining them. Then, the Cuban governement complained. Romero came out publicly saying only Puertorricans should play for Puerto Rico. Obviously, he forgot when he played for the USA team. Then, the Media found out and asked him about it. He is another hypocrite. By the way, the USA came back from the dead.

QUOTE (tommy @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 08:28 PM) How retarded is the fact that USA - Puerto Rico game is on ESPN Deportes? I get ESPN, ESPN2, Classic, NEWS, even ESPNU but not no Deportes!!! :mad: The other day they were showing The Netherlands vs Puerto Rico in ESPN. ESPN did not show the USA game that day. I got ESPN Deportes because I have the DirectTV Spanish programming.

Yes Network does the Yankees games. Right? I guess they have more fans.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 02:36 PM) CSN has only broadcast 2 games so far this spring. I bet you if I turn CSN now, they have some crap going on.