ThunderBolt

I have us pegged for 12. I just can't see any of the more mediocre teams improving that much.

It was pretty cool of the organization to let Hudson share this moment with all of his family and friends. Perfect timing.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 11:09 PM) I don't think that will be a problem anymore. Assuming the Astros win a couple more games then us, we'll have the 12th pick of the draft.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 11:34 PM) Shoemaker and Gerst got RBI's. Shoemaker is a legit hitter. I imagine he'll be a Marrero-like Dark Horse prospect.

Fangraphs on the trade. "Put Away the Torchesby R.J. Anderson - September 1, 2009 - Share this Article Add the White Sox to the list of teams people will call quitters since they effectively “threw in the towel” by dealing Jim Thome and Jose Contreras last night. The White Sox are six games back of first place Detroit and two and a half back of second place Minnesota. To date they’ve played a little under .500 ball and with 30 games remaining, CoolStandings has their playoff odds at 6%. That is to say, for every 1 million simulations, the White Sox make the playoffs 60,000 times while they miss out the other 940,000 tries You don’t have to run simulations to understand the chances weren’t good anyways. The Tigers have 32 games remaining, and if they simply played .500 ball Chicago would have to go 22-8 to tie Detroit for first. That’s without taking Minnesota into account. If Detroit plays like they have all season, at a .531 clip, then Chicago has to go 23-7 to tie, 24-6 to win and this is again without taking Minnesota into account. The bigger offense here might be missing out on a chance to land draft picks or potentially costing them a pick. Per Eddie Bajek’s latest Elias rankings, Jim Thome is a Type-A while Jose Contreras appears to be on the outside looking in on Type-B status. Maybe the Dodgers have agreed against offering Thome arbitration, but otherwise if the White Sox plan to bring the slugger back into the fold next season, it would cost them – or whoever signs him, for that matter – a draft pick. The draft pick angle should be focused on more while the playoff potential angle is focused on less. Either way, I don’t think Kenny Williams should take much heat for doing what amounts to a favor for Thome. " http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/p...ay-the-torches/

The future truly is now. Good to see this organization giving Flowers and Hudson an extended audition. I might even shake things up, and make Flowers be Hudson's personal catcher. Let them establish a rapport.

f***, but thank god we don't have Brandon Allen. He's not a superstar yet so he has to suck. Somebody told me that.

Here's my boy, Holmberg's line. He had some ups and downs, but he's adjusted well. Looks like a nice draft pick with a decent future ahead of him. Bristol Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Holmberg, D (W, 2-2) 5.0 8 3 3 0 3 0 4.72

Anyone see what Kyle McCulloch put up? Birmingham Player IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA McCulloch (W, 9-9) 7.0 5 0 0 1 2 0 4.52

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 07:29 PM) I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FOR A SECOND. Your green does little to temper my enthusiasm.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 07:24 PM) Is there a reason Huddy only went 3 innings? Either he's hurt or he just got his contract bought by the Sox.

So, we're in line for the 13th or 14th pick of next years draft. I hope like hell we pick it up and play well down the stretch, but Laumann might be in the position to work some magic next year.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 07:04 PM) Why? Because Kenny Williams hates jenks45monster. Also, because he touches himself at night.

The 40 man is at 39, right now.

QUOTE (longshot7 @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 06:00 PM) This lineup is wrong, according to Reifert. His post: pods8, beckham5, aj2, pk3, jd dh, q 7, ram6, rios9, nix4. Danks pitching. Much improved, not perfect but better.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 01:45 PM) I am kinda shocked too. With Viciedo having a bad August, there wasn't really anyone else to call up as a third base back up. The earliest we’re going to see Viciedo is next September. This has pretty much always been the case.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 05:02 PM) Why the f*** did we get Rios if he's not in CF? There's no logic to most of what Ozzie does. This is yet another example of it. Also, why is Rios batting below Getz? Furthermore, why is Alexei batting below Getz?

More from the Col press on the Hynick trade. They think it could backfire bigtime. "In Hynick, the Rockies had a brainy, 6-foot-3 prospect who has displayed a keen understanding of pitching at each level of his development. His strikeout numbers were never particularly impressive, but everything else about his game was. The 24-year-old former eighth-round pick walked just 119 batters in 580 minor-league innings and posted a 3.83 ERA in the hitting haven that is the Pacific Coast League. He’ll be best remembered for throwing the first perfect game in Sky Sox history, a seven-inning masterpiece against Portland in late June. Altitude kills some pitchers, Hynick seemed impervious (opponents were hitting .257 against him at home, .257 on the road). Even his perfect game came here in the Springs, a thousand feet above Denver. This ability to pitch in the thin air — where breaking balls lose their bite and location is at a premium — should not be taken lightly. Jhoulys Chacin and Esmil Rogers, a pair of prospects rated higher than Hynick, have not shown a knack for retiring hitters at altitude. In 36 combined innings in Denver and Colorado Springs they are 0-6 with 34 walks and a 10.50 ERA." http://skysox.freedomblogging.com/2009/08/...-surprise/1645/

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) It's about time Wise is back. Anyone else notice that once he went down the team tanked? Anyone notice that whenever Wise took the field he looked like he was tanked? Also, i hope we run a straight platoon with Getz/Nix. I'd still like to see Jayson get some playing time.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 03:36 PM) I agree that the package he mentioned wouldn't be enough, but I'd also rate Getz as more than a utility guy. I think it depends on the economy as well. If the Nationals play things by the wallet, and set aside money for Bryce Harper, the price for Dunn dramatically lowers. Especially, with Chris Marrero knocking on the door for them very soon.

QUOTE (G&T @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 03:07 PM) He's signed through 2010, so who are we trading? I'd offer Torres, Getz and Shelby. I'd be operating under the assumption that the Nats want to dump salary to make room for having the probable #1 pick in next years draft.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 01:17 PM) Man, BP had us pegged right again. What were the projections again?

I'd still put a healthy Peavy in play. I'm a stubborn son of a b**** and still think we can get at least 3 games back even without Thome in the lineup.

Hynick is pleased with the trade, waiting to see if he goes into the Charlotte rotation. “Definitely it was a little mix of surprise and excitement,” Hynick told InsidetheRockies.com. “Nobody really expects to be traded. It’s an exciting opportunity. I’m happy about it. A trade means somebody wants you.” http://www.insidetherockies.com/2009/08/31...icted-by-trade/

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 08:14 AM) Good luck, but I hope you're never back in Chicago. If I had to watch you swing and miss and a slider low and away against a LHP one more time, I think I would've puked. It's interesting that a guy with Alexei in his sig would take that kind of an issue with one player and not the other.