Location: Wondering when # became hashtag and not a number sign.
Exp:
White Sox are a tire fire.
Quote:
"We came in with no rules," Middleton said. "I don't know how you police the culture if there are no rules or guidelines to follow because everyone is doing their own thing. Like, how do you say anything about it because there are no rules?
"You have rookies sleeping in the bullpen during the game. You have guys missing meetings. You have guys missing PFPs (pitcher fielding practices), and there are no consequences for any of this stuff."
Multiple sources, who corroborated Middleton's account to ESPN, said a pitcher was seen napping during games as well as skipping fielding practice.
"When I got to spring training, I heard a lot of the same stuff was happening last year," Middleton said. "It's happening again this year, so not sure how I could change it. They don't tell you not to miss PFPs. They don't tell you not to miss meetings, and if it happens, it's just, 'OK.'"
"I wouldn't say anything bad about the pitching staff," Middleton said. "We went about our work the right way. I think the rest of the team struggled to do the right thing."
"If you're trying to create culture, you need your big dogs," Middleton said. "The guys who played in the WBC were our big dogs, and those are the guys I feel like can police the things that are happening.
"There was no jelling of the team. We're supposed to find our identity in spring training so we can roll out for the season. If you don't find your identity, you're scuffling from Day 1."
Asked where the void exists with the White Sox, Middleton said: "Leadership in general. They say s--- rolls downhill. I feel like some guys don't want to speak up when they should have. It's hard to police people when there are no rules. If guys are doing things that you think are wrong, who is it wrong to? You or them? It's anyone's judgment at that point."
So not only did the Angels not trade Ohtani at the deadline, they actually became buyers. And in the week after the deadline ends they lose seven in a row, including multiple ninth inning heartbreakers, to pretty much end their season. Did they do something to the Rally Monkey to have whatever curse is on them right now?
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"Think I'm gonna be the scapegoat for the whole damn machine? Sheeee......."
So not only did the Angels not trade Ohtani at the deadline, they actually became buyers. And in the week after the deadline ends they lose seven in a row, including multiple ninth inning heartbreakers, to pretty much end their season. Did they do something to the Rally Monkey to have whatever curse is on them right now?
Predictable. As I stated above, their schedule after going all in was very difficult. 22 games against teams ahead of them, including 3 division leaders.
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Watching the Oilers defend is like watching fire engines frantically rushing to the wrong fire
I'd be mad if I were Angelos too. I understand that comparing how ####ty they were to how they’re playing now makes this sweeter. But at some point, when do you stop mentioning it? When is that point? They had a winning record last year. They’re having a great season this year. Anyone watching local broadcasts already knows they sucked before. I can understand an owner preferring the focus to be on the now and the future.
Imagine in 2025 if the Flames are in 1st place and Hrudey keeps mentioning that this is so great compared to 2023 when there was internal fighting and Huberdeau set a record for the lowest decrease in points.
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Watching the Oilers defend is like watching fire engines frantically rushing to the wrong fire
Who cares? Geez are people so thin skinned? Jays have had a winning record for years and we still lament that stadium and call it the trop of horrors. Every single time we go to play there the fan base bemoans about how awful we do there. Guess what baseball is a sport about numbers and streaks and records more than any other. It was a nothing segment that didn’t talk anything negative about how Baltimore has spent and just went that this is a tough place to play and we won a series here now and we’re now in first place. Stupid overreaction by the notoriously thin skinned Angelos family.
Edit: Also that comparison sucks. It’s one thing to harp on negative things the team has done (in this case hiring Sutter and having him turn back into a dirtbag) and another to say that this is a rival we’ve historically had troubles beating. Are you saying as a Flames fan it’s voodoo to have announcers talk about how we’ve historically had issues winning in Anaheim? If Brendan Parker goes out and talks about that pregame and says this is a tough place to play and it’s hard to win here then the Flames should suspend him?
Who cares? Geez are people so thin skinned? Jays have had a winning record for years and we still lament that stadium and call it the trop of horrors. Every single time we go to play there the fan base bemoans about how awful we do there. Guess what baseball is a sport about numbers and streaks and records more than any other. It was a nothing segment that didn’t talk anything negative about how Baltimore has spent and just went that this is a tough place to play and we won a series here now and we’re now in first place. Stupid overreaction by the notoriously thin skinned Angelos family.
Edit: Also that comparison sucks. It’s one thing to harp on negative things the team has done (in this case hiring Sutter and having him turn back into a dirtbag) and another to say that this is a rival we’ve historically had troubles beating. Are you saying as a Flames fan it’s voodoo to have announcers talk about how we’ve historically had issues winning in Anaheim? If Brendan Parker goes out and talks about that pregame and says this is a tough place to play and it’s hard to win here then the Flames should suspend him?
If he's been told not to do it then yes he shouldn't do it. Plus it's fine to say it when it's actually true, we can't win in this building. But the Flames have won I think 3 of the last 4 with 6-1 and 5-1 wins there so there's no point bring it up anymore.
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Watching the Oilers defend is like watching fire engines frantically rushing to the wrong fire
So not only did the Angels not trade Ohtani at the deadline, they actually became buyers. And in the week after the deadline ends they lose seven in a row, including multiple ninth inning heartbreakers, to pretty much end their season. Did they do something to the Rally Monkey to have whatever curse is on them right now?
Absolutely brutal mismanagement. This should serve as a cautionary tale for teams that feel like trading away quality futures in a frantic attempt to salvage a foolsgold season...
The Angels could have been bathing in all kinds of quality prospects/picks right now. Instead, the cupboard is bare and Ohtani has one foot out the door...
Absolutely brutal mismanagement. This should serve as a cautionary tale for teams that feel like trading away quality futures in a frantic attempt to salvage a foolsgold season...
The Angels could have been bathing in all kinds of quality prospects/picks right now. Instead, the cupboard is bare and Ohtani has one foot out the door...
I feel that GMs are often afraid of losing trades. For a player like Ohtani, it's impossible to get 'fair value'. So looking back 5-10 years from now, a GM would rather have been brave enough to go for it and get nothing, rather than having a reputation of throwing in the towel and getting not enough back. I agree with you, it's terrible and selfish mismanagement.
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Watching the Oilers defend is like watching fire engines frantically rushing to the wrong fire
I've seen a lot of suggestions that Moreno would never sanction a trade even if the GM wanted to. Speculation that he didn't want to be known as the owner who traded "the best player ever". Well hey he gets to be the owner who lost the "best player ever" and only got a comp draft pick back, so I guess that's better? But being an emotionally driven owner is why they are such a tire fire to begin with.
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"Think I'm gonna be the scapegoat for the whole damn machine? Sheeee......."
I think it's a bit more complicated. On one hand the Angels erred in not coming to a deal with him to this point. Still though, as an owner I can see how Ohtani might appreciate that he wasn't dealt and may give them a 5% discount and stick with them. He seems like a nice guy that way. If he was dealt there would be no chance he'd sign back as the obligation would be to sign with the team that dealt for him. If the Angels don't make a significant offer, that would be a disaster. Something tells me they made the right move and will be rewarded with him signing there.
Absolutely brutal mismanagement. This should serve as a cautionary tale for teams that feel like trading away quality futures in a frantic attempt to salvage a foolsgold season...
The Angels could have been bathing in all kinds of quality prospects/picks right now. Instead, the cupboard is bare and Ohtani has one foot out the door...
I hear you but I don’t think you can go from “bathing in quality prospects” to “cupboard is bare” simply on the basis of one trade for a rental player. I think doing what you can to convince Ohtani to stay is worth more than the prospects you get in a trade for a rental.
Obviously it looks bad that they have lost a bunch in a row but that’s total hindsight. There wasn’t this much outrage at the deadline.
But I generally take exception to the notion that you build championship teams by selling off your good players. IMO you do it by being good at drafting and development, which you can you do with your own picks and prospects.
I mean, all sports owners are billionaires, so on average they aren't saints. But you look at how he made his money and how he acts and it's hard to disagree with this sentiment.
