BlackSox13

QUOTE (Jake @ Jan 9, 2014 -> 03:50 PM) I wonder if he's still a little heavy and a step slow, like John Manuel was saying God I hope not. Maybe he became too acclimated to the american lifestyle of eating McDonalds . Good thing is he's plenty young enough to burn off the excess weight and get back on track.

Just my take on teams and possibilities. AL West Rangers- seem rather tapped for money so my guess is doubtful. Oakland- I just don't see them making this kind of commitment given the money being talked about Seattle- confusing. Some say they have the money and some say they don't. They do need money in the near future to extend Felix so.... Astros- don't know if they have the money but its hard to see them making this kind of commitment. Angels- last I read they don't have the money, period. AL East Yanks- they have the money since they won't be able to stay under the luxury tax cap but NY media is a circus and may not appeal to Tanaka. Talk about pitching under a microscope, Irabu found that out. They do have Ichiro which could help. In the end my guess is the Yanks won't land Tanaka. Boston- too much money tied up in their current rotation, plus the DiceK debacle could be a factor. Rays- naa, just don't see it. Jays- I think a lot will depend on how much money/years Tanaka is looking for. For now a real possibility. O's- not sure about the money they may have but given the competition in that division I just don't see Baltimore appealing at all. AL Central Sox- I think is more realistic than given credit for. Smaller media market and more kind than say the east coast markets. Iguchi and Takatsu give the Sox some history with Japanese players and the Sox have the money. Tigers- don't see it. They need money to extend Sherzer/ Miggy and that going to cost! Royals- just can't see it. Tribe- could come out of nowhere, not sure how much money they have to spend. For now they are a real possibility. Twinkies- they have some money to spend and are looking for another starter so its possible but in the end I'd guess they're outbid. NL East Braves- don't have the money and are looking to extend Freeman/ Hayward Mets- they have the money from what I've read but given the NY media and the lack of the mets contending I just don't see it. Marlins- no friggin way. Philly- tapped for money, end of story. Nats- this I can see although they're looking to extend a few players in the near future so its not clear. NL Central Cubs- there's nothing enticing about the Cubs, at all. They are tied up with money/bad contracts and won't be contending anytime soon. They can't even make up their minds on whether to trade or extend Shark. No chance of Tanaka landing with the cubs, just a media ploy by the FO to give fans false hope because the cubs have done nothing to improve this team and the fans are rightfully pissed. Pirates- limited funds in a small market and also looking to extend a few guys as well. Brewers- could come out of nowhere. Seem to have some money and need pitching,could be a fit. Cards- nope and dare I say pointless. With their young pitching talent why the hell would they? Reds- don't have the funds as far as I know, could be wrong. NL West Dodgers- with the financial backing they have its very possible. What's interesting is they are looking to extend Kershaw and Ramirez so I question just how serious about Tanaka they really are. Could try to drive the price up on the DBacks. DBacks- a very real possibility. They have money are looking for a front line pitcher. Seems a good fit. Giants- meh, more kicking tires than anything. Not sure they have the money. Rockies- should have some money and definitely need the pitching. Not sure how enticing the Rox are considering the park and tough division theyre in. Padres- no comment necessary. I'm guessing Tanaka signs with one of the DBacks, Sox, Nat's, Dodgers, Mariners. Just my uneducated guess is all. If I missed something or speculated wrong , feel free to point it because that's what discussions are for.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 9, 2014 -> 01:26 PM) I'd say it might do the opposite , because 2015 definitely would look like a possible contention year. It should force the Sox to become more aggressive as far as seeing what they've got so they have a better idea of what they would need to do after the season. Maybe they would be more aggressive with the likes of Semien and/or Davidson than they would normally plan on being. But I think we're a major long shot here, and we only get him if we get very creative. I mentioned an opt-out clause in the middle of the deal ala CC Sabathia and recently Elvis Andrus, I think it would probably at least have to be something like that since I can't see us giving 6-7 years of big guaranteed money to any pitcher. And Tanaka may still get that big mid-contract opt-out even at a massive annual salary because because the current demand is so great, ala LeBron with the Heat. I can see the Sox being serious contenders for Tanaka. A 25 yo international FA that would be signed for years to come fits in with what Hahn's plans, provided the contract cost isn't too steep. I know the Yanks will try to outbid everyone but maybe Hahn can remind Tanaka and his agent about how s***ty Irabu was treated by Steinbrenner and how well Takatsu and Iguchi were treated by the Sox as well as the fans.

Congrats Big Hurt and thank you for the memories!

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 7, 2014 -> 10:47 PM) I'd offer a contract like this: 2014: 17M 2015: 18M 2016: 19M 2017: 20M; after the season the player has ability to opt out of remainder of contract; team also has $6M buyout to get out from remainder of deal 2018: 20M - guaranteed year if no opt-out by either side 2019: 20M - another mutual option with a $5M team buyout 2020: 20M - guaranteed year if no opt-out by either side A deal like that would give Tanaka $80M guaranteed over 4 years, or $74M for 4 years plus a shot at hitting FA before 30. Further there are options for the Sox to get out of the deal should things go bad later, but should they stick in the deal the Sox guarantee Tanaka more money. Something that would provide flexibility for both sides I would do. However I think he's getting everything guaranteed. *Edit: deferring some of the early money in 2014 & 2015 to a later point in the deal could be nice too as it could offset the posting fee some. I agree that he will likely get guaranteed money but your ideas do give some incite into some possible offers Tanaka may get rather than the say, 18M per 5/6 year deal.

Curious as to what the board thinks. If Tanaka can be had for say 18m per year or less for 5/6 years would you do it? And what do you think the chances would be in Tanaka having genuine interest in signing with the Sox? After a bit of thinking the Sox could come out of nowhere on Tanaka and so can Tanaka's interest in the Sox. Tanaka is going to get good offers from plenty of teams. I think it might come down to two things from Tanaka's perspective. 1- is the team a contender or at least close? 2- how good are the other teams in the division? If the Sox thought Tanaka's asking price was within budget the chances might be better than speculated. Yes the Yanks will offer plenty but they are in a tougher division than the sox which could raise Tanaka's interest level in the Sox. I admit I'm just guessing here but am curious what others think.

I'd guess this is the Sox kicking the tires since Tanaka will be in town to meet the cubs anyway. I can't see the Sox offering up what Tanaka is expected to get. As for the cubs, wishful thinking. The whole " we won't be outbid" is bs by the cubs front office because they've done nothing this off season and cub fans are not happy about it.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 7, 2014 -> 11:09 AM) I would be upset if that were the case. He likely starts in Kanny and if he succeeds pull him up to W-S. I wouldnt be upset at all. This is based on Tyler earning the promotion, not pushing him through the system.

Sounds like Danish is going to use this as fuel to prove the naysayers wrong, I like that approach. 2014 will be a telling season for Danish and not to put too high of expectations on him I can see him ending the 14 season at AA. Maybe I'm just really high on him but I love what I've seen in videos as well as his attitude.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 7, 2014 -> 10:24 AM) We have found the asshole. Ken Gurnick, Dodgers beat reporter on MLB.com, did not vote for Greg Maddux. In fact, he refuses to vote for any player who happened to play in the PED era. He voted for one player, Jack Morris. Gurnick should not be allowed to ever attend another baseball game in his life. Well, its been said that there's an asshole in every crowd and it looks like this guy is proud to be the one. Maybe he didn't like the " chicks dig the long ball" commercials. Glad his vote really won't make a difference.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 07:04 PM) Is the chat free? I checked BA and you need a subscription to view the chat. I'm a fan of Danish too and until proven otherwise he can still be a starter since he's only 18 for f***s sake! Way too early to tell IMO.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 08:12 AM) I think she's brain dead in the sense of there's no detectable brain function and currently all functions of the body including respiration are being driven by instruments. However, if blood is being pumped through the body and respiration is being sustained artifically then oxygen is being moved through the body to keep the tissues alive. That doesn't mean the brain can function, that doesn't mean there isn't significant damage already, but it is probably enough to slow the deterioration of tissue from this point. However, you're 100% right that there's no hope of recovery. At some point, yes, people will have to let go...but the question of how you can force people to do so is not open and shut. As I said, when it was a white woman in Florida, a significant part of the country thought a condition almost this bad which had gone on for half a decade should continue to be maintained indefinitely regardless of the cost, to the point that there were widespread protests and we had the remarkable spectacle of the Senate Majority leader, a trained M.D., giving a diagnosis on the Senate Floor based on a highly edited couple minute clip of video. I understand completely that the family does not want to let go and I completely agree that there's a point the hospital will need to force them to do so. But it's not a decision that should be made lightly and if the family wants to fight for now, they have that right. I understand Balta and I do agree. I admit its very easy to have an opinion on this since I'm in no way involved in the situation. I can see both sides to this. There's just so much more to this story than the money aspect of it I'm really not sure what else to say.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 01:51 PM) That's what we used to do in michigan when our cars sat outside for days. Hell yeah Rock, ya do what you must especially with the winters Michigan gets.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 01:39 PM) Just the battery light that showed up when I tried starting it....Should be pretty telling as to what the problem is. Main question I had was will it revive itself in the "warmer" weather, and balta answered that. I've got road side assisstence so if hasn't started by ~3p tomorrow I'll go ahead and get in contact with my insurance. OK cool, sounds like you have it under control. Could always pull the battery out and warm it up indoors for a while and try again later.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 01:36 PM) Lead-acid batteries start re-rating once it gets too cold. That's while you'll see Cold Cranking Amps or "CCA" on a battery. That's the rating at 0F, and it'll only get worse from there. So your battery is pushing out substantially less amperage, and now you're trying to turn over an engine that's full of really think oil on top of it (anyone who's driven a manual transmission in this type of weather will know how 'thick' the fluid feels). If there isn't a gauge, you could always use a multimeter to read the Voltage (VDC) of the battery as well. If the battery is drained of charge and you can get someone to give you a lift, you could try bringing it into any auto parts store to have it tested, and they might even be able to charge it for you. A local mechanic's shop would probably help out too. Sound advice here. I know what you mean on the manual trans too.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 01:12 PM) It tries to start, doesn't click. It's kind of a slow drawn out attempt at starting I used to build my own race cars and was an owner operator (truck driver) based on that experience along with cold Chicago weather your either not getting enough juice to the starter from the battery or the starter is is just worn out. When I first bought my own rig 10 years ago one of the first things I was told by other owner operators was that if the rig had any problems they would show when it got very cold over the winter. See if you can find some way of trying to get a jump start, if that doesn't work you most likely need to replace the starter. Is there a guage for the battery juice on the dash?

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jan 6, 2014 -> 08:37 AM) This is generally considered the absolute worst way to build a team. I agree and that's why my post said nothing about building a team. Its about using the money from the sale of a young talent to help fill an immediate hole on a team that see's itself as a contender or at least close enough to contending to make it worth while.

No work for me or the little woman so I'm thinking we'll be lounging in bed together staying warm being happy as hell we have reason to go out into the cold and plenty of food/ drink in the house.

I can see Q and Sanchez for Castro and Altuve being pretty damn close to an even trade, not sure if Houston would agree tho. Then we could take a run at Tanaka, if we can't get him I'd go after Santana or Garza.

My understanding of brain dead ( correct me if im wrong) is there's no oxygen and or blood getting to the brain. If this is true, this girls brain has been without blood/oxygen for weeks so its difficult for me to understand how this girl has any hope of recovery. Hospitals are businesses so you bet the bills will fall on the family and their insurance, at least until the inevitable law suit is settled. What really bothers me is this family refuses to let go despite the brain being dead. I understand they love their daughter and they are good people for that but if the brain is dead you have to let go. I can only hope my wife would do this for me should i ever become brain dead because that's not living and even if by some f***ed up crazy circumstance I would wake from it, I wouldn't be me and would rather not be alive if you could even call it that. I certainly do not mean to judge the family and my heart goes out to them, but if in fact the brain is dead then its time to let go as difficult as it may be.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 5, 2014 -> 06:30 PM) Not pricey but too many years that's for sure. The years and annual salary scare me I he gets what is being speculated. At least for a guys that's never pitched in the mlb.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Jan 5, 2014 -> 06:27 PM) To think Houston sees Phegley or Flowers as a valuable is laughable. Maybe they think Phegley has potential or Flowers could be a decent back up but neither of these guys are going to be a significant part of any return. Its not at all about value, its about giving Houston SOMETHING in return to hold them over til Stassi was ready. We all know the lack of value in our catchers.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jan 5, 2014 -> 06:20 PM) That's a great idea. In fact, let's bowl them over with all our catchers. Take our catchers, please! I know our catchers aren't really worth squat but they can serve as stop gaps for Houston.

Seeing as how Stassi doesnt look MLB ready we could include Phegley or Flowers in the deal so Houston has a catcher to hold them over til Stassi shows he's ready.

QUOTE (coco1997 @ Jan 5, 2014 -> 05:59 PM) Sale Tanaka Danks Johnson Surkamp/Paulino/Rienzo Works for me although Tanaka may end being too pricey for good old uncle jerry. Ervin Santana or Garza would be fine with me if it meant upgrading the offense with Castro and Altuve.