ChiSox_Sonix

I wonder if all of you who think eating meat is wrong would get mad at the Berbers, Australian aboriginees (sp?), Amazon tribes or Southeast Asian/Indian Ocean/Polynesian tribes who live today the same way (or pretty damned close at least) to how they lived hundreds if not thousands of years ago? I personally do not understand the argument that eating meat is wrong, or that we aren't "supposed" to be doing so. As for hunting, I have no problem with hunters who eat their catch. I personally dislike hunting purely for sport, but if people want to do it I won't raise a stink about it. I do think the fur trade is disgusting however. I'm fine with the groups of people who do it because that is part of how they survive, but I will never own a fur coat or buy one for anyone else. That I don't agree with.

QUOTE (bighurt4life @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 04:06 PM) Can't believe how cheap he was, that's a big surprise. Hopefully he gets down to Bristol in the next day or two and gets his career going. Which means any extra that they didnt spend should be thrown at Jones/Goodwin/Morgado

Well i wish BA the best of luck in Boston. I truly do hope he is able to find success there. As for Kotsay, is he really an upgrade over Fields? I guess it would make sense to have Fields get every day AB's in Charlotte though. I don't think Wise will be gone b/c Kotsay is really just a 1B who can fill in the OF on occasion now. Wise is much better defensively than him now. I doubt we could have gotten much for BA, but to me Kotsay doesn't do much to help us either.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 12:08 PM) Ok, then aside from Mitchell, who did we draft who has impressed so far? Cioli, Shoemaker, Colligan, Collop, Serafin, Bellamy It's hard to get too high or down on any of these kids after 100 at bats / 4-5 pitching appearances though.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 10:53 AM) does anyone know if we truly are the only industrialized nation in the world without universal healthcare?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 11:11 AM) So, its too late now, but I had an idea recently about the Stimulus bill(s). We spent a lot of money (or will spend) on a lot of short-term stuff like construction funding, as well as some money for energy and transit infrastructure. But a lot of it isn't very sustainable, which is a shame. Here is a better idea, if you are going to spend this much money, for what the federal government should have done: buy land. Think about this for a second. We have an economy in the worst hole since the Depression, and one of the major factors in that is the collapse of the housing bubble. So what I would propose is, the feds should have spent the money on buying up land - land of various types, all over the country, that could be used for things like resource extraction for energy, or wild land protection, or for lease to various industry purposes. Think about the advantages in doing this: --By purchasing a lot of land, you take supply out of the real estate market, helping prop up prices, and therefore people's equity, allowing fewer people to get upside down --You also put money into the hands of people trying to sell or people in mortgage-related trouble, which allows them to go purchase other property or pay off debts --You help the financial industry with some of the bad mortgage debt, making them healthier and more able to lend more readily --You give yourself the ability to extract more resources (water, oil, gas), or create more energy (solar or wind fields, energy grid infrastructure) --You can protect more wilderness and green spaces, helping improve air and water quality --You create jobs to maintain those spaces which will actually last a while, instead of a 3 month construction job --This creates more movement in the real estate market, which puts money into the governments of states and localities via transfer and other taxes, which they need right now --Some of the money would ultimately go straight into the economy as spending, to help move the economy forward --Other money is invested in the markets, helping them do better as well, which helps all of us --Unlike, say, construction jobs, this plan puts larger chunks of money into the economy right away - it is more immediate than much of the other stim funding that is being planned. --Land could be sold at heavy discount to industry wanting to develop something new, helping them grow. The second phase of this plan would be a transfer plan. Some of the land may stay in federal hands, but much of it can be turned over to private entities. Energy-producing areas can be sold to energy companies to manage, again creating private sector jobs, and allowing the land to be sold with certain easements and caveats to protect the public interest. Wild lands can be turned over to non-profits like Nature Conservancy or Audubon Society, creating more jobs and value for those entities, still protecting the land from haphazard development but not putting the cost onus on the government. Still other land can be handed to states or localities for whatever best purpose they desire, helping those governments in their efforts at smart development. The only big disadvantage to this method of stimulus, that I can see, is that even after the transfers occur over time, some of the land will still be in federal hands. It wouldn't be a huge change, but there would be an overall increase in federal land holdings, giving the feds more control. The best way to address this is through an aggressive plan to make those transfers, and furthermore, apply those transfer plans to already-held lands. This should be a government philosophy moving forward - where private or non-profit groups can make more efficient use of land in its intended purpose, make it a priority to sell it or donate it to them. To reiterate my basis here, this is all under the assumption that we want to spend the money at all - I am not addressing here the question of whether or not the money should even be spent. Thoughts? Interesting. I'd agree with most of that. Unfortunately though, when you hurriedly pass reactionary bills you get what we got.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jul 28, 2009 -> 06:43 AM) This. For years we had to watch Fordyce, Johnson, etc behind the plate. Now we have a catcher who is hitting .300 and people are down on him and his "act". Please. I wish we had 9 guys in our lineup with his "act". When AJ is gone, we will see teh effects immediately with the pitching staff. Exactly. We really underestimate the value AJP provides this team. There really aren't that many catchers in the league I'd rather have over him.

Chicken. It's so versatile.

QUOTE (chisoxfan09 @ Jul 26, 2009 -> 04:11 AM) Guess what? Viciedo picked up another error (23 for the season). He is butchering 3rd base and is definitely not the answer there long term. Outfield, 1st base, or DH maybe? He's 20 years old. Joe Crede made 30 errors at the same age.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jul 27, 2009 -> 10:53 AM) Im not so sure what yesterday's game proves. Sure the US lost in devastating fashion, but some times in soccer once a team goes up 2-0 the score can get out of hand because the other team brings to many people forward. The US defense failed to step up to set the off side trap properly and gave up some good chances to Mexico. As for the depth argument, I believe that about half the players on that team will be starting for Mexico in Azteca. On the other hand 1-2 may be starting for the US. The real shame here is that the US did not field a better team. I mean does Altidore and others not need the experience all of a sudden? I don't know if I buy the depth argument either. Mexico probably has the best young player in the continent but the team we fielded isn't expected to contribute much. A lot of our young players who could have been included (should have been) were not. It was a disappointing loss, especially in a 5-0 fashion, and it would have been nice to win the tourney, but it really doesn't matter. No country fielded much of a squad (except possibly Costa Rica) so it doesn't really prove or disprove much, regardless of what the outcome was.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Jul 25, 2009 -> 03:58 PM) The United States should just be banned from talking about or being involved in anything that has to do with soccer. I'm so tired of this s***. That's what they deserve for paying him 250 million thinking he can make it popular in the US. If the Galaxy went out and signed Messi right now, I wouldn't give 2 s***s because the MLS is a joke. And anyone who is blaming Beckham for "taking up soccer" is ridiculous. What was he supposed to say? That he didn't want to be there and that the United States is retarded for not liking soccer? Give me a break. It was a stupid move by the MLS and by Beckham. But at least Beckham got paid. What an incredibly ignorant statement.

We got chicks in the living room gettin it on and they ain't leavin 'til 6 in the mornin

There should be an "It Depends" option. I love that the network exists, I love that they try and expand their coverage for events such as the ConFed Cup, Euro Soccer Leagues, Strongman etc...I like that Sportscenter and Baseball Tonight exist. BUT, I hate how they cover like 5 teams for 90% of their shows. I wish there was a good alternative but for the most part there isn't. So I guess my answer is one of those "Yes, but no" type deals.

Hopefully they have the ball he caught. He should get that (signed by MB) provided it wasnt the same ball used for the final out.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 24, 2009 -> 10:37 AM) About 4-5 years ago someone in San Diego (don't remember if it was a Padre or the opposition) took a no-no into the 8th or 9th and I think it might have even been Ben Davis (could even be 6 or 7 years ago) who bunted and messed up the no-hitter and there was a huge out-cry amongst baseball players regarding it. I'll try to dig up the details but all I know is if I'm on the opposition I do everything I can to prevent getting no-hit. I wouldn't want to get no-hit, no way. Plus that way, you fully earn that no-hitter when you throw it. I believe it was against the DBacks and the manager said after the game that "it was chicken s***". I fully believe that if the situation calls for it, you bunt. At the time i think it was 2-0 so thats fine. If it's 5-0, 8-0 whatever I don't think you do. I support basebal etiquette and the "unwritten" rules so I personally wouldn't do it or call for it if I was the manager.

The US and Mexico advance to the Gold Cup final on Sunday. Hopefully the game is actually televised. I'd like to see some of our young players as well as Mexico's Gio dos Santos play. I was gonna go down to the game but I dont feel like driving and paying to see our 'B' team. I'll watch it for sure it ESPN picks it up though.

I hate this. The we always have our alumni reunion the weekend the last weekend in April, which is usually when the draft is on. It's awesome being able to throw the draft on some TV and check it every now and then with everyone and debate picks and whatnot. That aspect will be missed this year.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 24, 2009 -> 09:33 AM) Regardless of how prospecty you think Cook is, it seems pretty clear that he has gotten shafted the past couple years. Of course, there is also the possibility that something odd is going on that we don't know about - personal issues between him and the org, or who knows what. But the fact that he was 26 when he started getting screwed over, is not in itself enough of a reason for it to have happened. The AAA roster is filled with guys just as old or older and with apparently lower ceilings. IMO, the only argument you have for Cook is over Hopper or Restovich. BA needs to play and Kroeger does as well. Also, no one knows what is said to get players like Restovich to sign with AAA. Bringing up a AA guy who to start over someone like that might not look good to other players like him. If it was someone like a Shelby, Danks, even Gartrell yeah that's justifiable as they have likely futures in the majors, but someone like Cook probably not. Being in a city with a AA team and an AHL I know a little about the ins and out of stuff like this. One of KW's jobs is to try and field competitive teams at all levels. He needs the support of Charlotte and he needs the support of Bristol. Every year there will be signing like Restovich, JVB, Daryle Ward to try and better those teams. Obviously prospects come first, but roster fillers are crucial to the success of affiliates and the relationship between those teams and the parent club. Does Cook deserve to be in AAA? Probably. But I doubt the organization "has it out for him". They are probably doing what they feel is in the best interest of the entire organization, Charlotte and Birmingham. Unfortunately for Cook, what is in the best interest of a player like him comes last. There's also something to be said about growing in a winning environment. They probably want some of those guys in AA to experience that and without Flowers, Beckham, Poreda and Allen they need the David Cook's of the world more than Charlotte does for a month of every other day playing.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jul 23, 2009 -> 10:13 PM) I value AA (and the player within) a lot more than AAA. The fact that we have a 28 year old guy whose proven what he has to prove, and a 1st round bust (McCulloch) toiling down there with no signs of improvement or progression frustrates me. To me they constitute, what is effectively a waste of space and time for both the players and the organization. What exactly is the goal of the organization here? There are a lot of promising prospects who have earned promotions, who could soon find their development impeded by two guys who appear not to be in the team’s future plans. That has nothing to do with Cook. Only a percentage of players on every team at every level are players who are considered to have a "big league future". However, it is still the job of the parent club to sign players for each of those teams to field a team with. McCulloch's skill level is fine for the AA level. He is still on his initial contract and Birmingham needs pitchers. He isnt blocking anyone there anymore. Why do you think Adam Ricks and Jared Price are backup catchers at AA/A+? Because they are org filler guys there for their respective teams. It works the same way with hockey and the AHL/ECHL/CHL. There is nothing to get frustrated about. They are both org guys. Cook is a great AA player, McCulloch is a mediocre one. Kind of like the different types of players you get at every level. And that last sentence is not true at all if you take time to think about for a minute.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jul 23, 2009 -> 09:44 PM) The love fest with David Cook is quite amusing. He's a 28 year old non-prospect. Who cares. I don't know, maybe he wants to be in Birmingham or perhaps he's a good influence and teacher for the younger guys. However, getting all worked up about this is silly. +1 Exactly. We sent down an outfielder, Cook wouldn't be getting any playing time so he was sent back down. Birmingham will be in the playoffs, maybe this was an org move to help them out the rest of the year? Either way it doesn't matter. He wasn't a prospect coming into the year, and he still isn't.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jul 23, 2009 -> 11:20 PM) Hey there, awesome straw man I hate how often people here try and use this when someone posts something they don't like (sorry lostfan, it's not usually you but you just happened to make this post this time). He's partly right though. There are people here who root for him to fail. The level that some people loathe certain players on this team sometimes is fascinating and goes beyond ridiculous. I realize he is not a good baseball player, but when you read comments about the guy it is often hard to come to any other conclusion than some people would love to see him fail just so they can say "told ya". (I'm just using him as an example, but it's happened elsewhere)

QUOTE (qwerty @ Jul 24, 2009 -> 09:02 AM) How is that feasible? Someone has to reach at some point so that they can be brought around to score at least one run for the win. There have been no-hitters in which a pitcher loses, but no one on base? Please explain, i must be going nuts. I don't recall what he is talking about. But i'm guessing he means someone hit a HR so no one was ever on the bases, not that no one ever reached a base.

I was in a meeting all day yesterday and I get this Twitter update on my phone (I have a couple Sox accounts sent to my phone) and it says something like "Sox fans I suggest you check out the game...mid 7th" so I knew something special was going on. I got back to my desk in the bottom of the 8th and it was a perfect game. Got mlb.tv turned on just in time to see the 9th start. I never use that at work but this time I said screw it. Wow what a performance, I'm so happy for Mark. Truly a great player and a great person. Oz was right, this could not have happened to a better guy. Also, this will probably start to give him more recognition throughout the baseball world now. He has some nice credentials. I'd say this performance helped out his case for the HoF. Still a long shot, but if he pitches long enough to get 250-260 wins this will definitely carry some weight. Oh and D-Wise, what a freaking catch! He's made a few great plays this year. Do we under rate his 'D' or were these just abberations? I havent seen him enough to really form an educated opinion on it.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 5, 2009 -> 12:02 PM) They're putting in a Sonic a couple blocks away from me. Construction is supposed to start any day now. I've been seeing their commercials for years now yet have never even seen one so this should be interesting. So it opened last night. Went there around 9pm after my baseball game and the lot was full, the drive thru was backed up, and there was an entire parking lot of cars waiting in the "staging area" to get in. We parked at a gas station and walked up to the outside area to order. Food came in about 10 minutes. Their mozzarella sticks were great. Chicken sandwich wasn't bad for fast food. Slushie was good (not like it's easy to screw that up though). Oh and just found out that the only reason it got built here is b/c the brother in law of a friend of mine bought a franchise and brought it up with him from the South.

QUOTE (Tex @ Jul 22, 2009 -> 02:21 PM) The point I was trying to make is there are some things where there just has to be a national reciprocal agreement. As a society we are too mobile. Plus, would anyone really support a cash strapped state implementing a special driver's permit for visitors? That would be ridiculous. But in other things we do accept a state by state difference. We buy fishing and hunting licenses by state. So a blanket statement that a state can make laws for everything and not be forced to honor another states laws is unworkable and a detriment to the national picture. We are supposedly *united* states. So maybe we should get rid of the state system altogether then.