Balta1701

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 07:25 PM) Disagree. This is a closely held corporation. They don't have hundreds of subsidiaries or sister-companies or anything like that. It's one company that happens to have a lot of stores. It's the same as a mom and pop shop in that respect. I think it's crazy that anyone would think that a person or business like this would have to pay for something that directly contradicts their religious beliefs, especially when it's not a health risk or a life and death situation. You want birth control or the morning after pill? Go pay for it yourself. Vaccines would work the same way, assuming you have a company that is in a similar situation. I mean at some point when you start implementing policies and laws that force people to give up their own rights in favor of someone else's, you all realize that's LESS democratic and LESS progressive, right? You guys don't see that as at least a fundamental diversion from liberalism, even if you don't ultimately agree with the result here? Again, based on IRS rules, Walmart is a "closely held corporation". Koch Industries, Cargill, Toys R Us, Ernst and Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, GMAC Financial Services are some other ones.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 09:14 AM) Too bad for "some of us" no matter what side they're on in this battle -- religious or not...I don't want EITHER side telling me what I have to believe. The important thing is that your boss can tell you what to believe. That's what counts.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 09:15 AM) He's not have a decade away. He's 19 years old. I would agree with you on the 16 year old signings though. If he's 19, he could quite easily be 4-5 years away.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 09:19 AM) If his level of play stays about the same through rest of this season, I think he will be back here in 2015. Dunn, PK, and de Aza most likely will be gone,,,,,who's going to beat him out for a roster spot? Don't forget the other part of it though, he'll be a 2nd year arb-eligible player this offseason and so this will be the first year he's due a substantial raise. He's at $2.8 million this year but presumably goes to the $4-$5 million range next year.

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 11:55 PM) Thank you for doing this. Some people seem to forget that for some players it does take time to develop. Viciedo is still only 25, he's got talent, just needs to put everything together, and I hope that it's with the White Sox. If nothing changes in the next 3 months, I think it's a safe bet that it won't be with the White Sox if it happens.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 1, 2014 -> 12:20 AM) http://obstructedview.net/commentary-and-a...-and-video.html Their entire budget for international would have to go to this guy, but it might be worth it. He's exactly the kind of dynamic athletic talent we need on the infield, especially if he can play 3B. Seems he's become more of a middle infielder (SS/2B), but the idea he could play 3B, combined with that level of speed and athleticism...well, obviously Jose Abreu's going to be intimately involved in the entire process of the White Sox going after him. Would be another great option to go along with Timmy Anderson at SS. Have Abreu personally bring his former teammate a check for $5 million. Only the Marlins and Astros can outbid us, right? Forget Ynoa. Some of us seriously prefer grabbing multiple guys for that kind of money rather than spending it all on a single player half a decade away from the big leagues.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 05:35 PM) I still think they are on the same page and will come up with a plan B, that will still make the Bulls significantly better then they were this past season and a title contender. Under no scenario do I not see the Bulls as a legit title contender (unless Melo goes to the Heat and form a big 4 and that would be because no one can contend with that). Even under a repeat of the DJ Augustine/other pickup as a starting PG following injury?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 05:32 PM) One nice thing is Thibbs and the front office seem to be on the same page this off-season, which is a huge thing for this franchise going forward, imo. Forman & Thibbs both say Rose is doing excellent and expect him to play with Team USA (barring any setbacks). Until they cut Boozer, trade away a piece, and then come up empty.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 03:45 PM) Religious nonprofits have the same case pending as Hobby Lobby. QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 03:53 PM) The nuns who don't want to have to sign a waiver? Or something else? QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 03:54 PM) I think there's that one plus a university or two. It's worth noting the text that Justice Alito wrote would suggest that the justices find the exemption the administration gave to non-profits (but not to for-profit companies) to be compelling. Of course, it's probably a safe assumption that when a case actually arrives that exemption won't matter either.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 05:26 PM) the evil socialist evil public 'option' was never really an option, but the ONLY choice. if you had 8 million uninsured people, would have been easier to somehow subsidize them to get them insured rather than screwing the whole country so that the feds can have their fingers in medicine as well. So...Medicaid?

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 04:40 PM) or more reasons for the Federal Guvmint to get the hell out. Would have been cheaper and less disruptive to have just done a means testing for an insurance rebate, or to let all the people they give subsidies to onto the governmental insurance programs with the rest of the Fed workers. They all suck at the same teat. You realize that the former is exactly what this case involves and the latter was the "evil socialist evil evil evil public option"?

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 12:50 PM) Alex Kennedy: Source says that the Bulls are trying to trade the contracts of Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy Jr. No surprise, but Bulls are trying. Twitter @AlexKennedyNBA Dunleavy might be the actual real key here. He's the difference between the Bulls being able to offer Melo a crappy, below market deal and a near-Max deal.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 30, 2014 -> 10:35 AM) An important point about this ruling is that it applies only to closely-held corporations. Hobby Lobby may be a huge nationwide chain, but it's still owned by one family. A publicly traded company like Walmart couldn't make the same arguments. Walmart could potentially define itself as a "Closely held" corporation as >50% of it is controlled by 1 family.

QUOTE (Brian @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 03:28 PM) I'd guess Mirotic is a chip in a sign and trade for Melo...hopefully I don't see that as making much sense for either the Bulls or New York. Mirotic ought to be a guy you want to contribute right away and he's only going to sign for probably 3 years...if New York is doing something like circling Love or Durant on their FA calendar, they'd be eating Mirotic's useful, cheap years when they wouldn't be very good and they'd be hurting their cap room next offseason and the year after. They should be wanting draft picks.

Well hows about that.

one series down and thus far I am quite content with Surkamp in this role. Hope his arm stays attached.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 03:14 PM) Surkamp arm is going to fall off 4 days in a row. If he gets used to this he will make himself a very good amount of money.

QUOTE (Tmar @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 02:50 PM) what's with the standing ovation? Welcoming back Bautista after missing several games with injury.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 01:10 PM) We've seen this with Nestor Molina too, to some extent. I understand that Beck has a great sinker, which is going to come at a cost to strikeouts, but it seems he just has no put-away pitch/ability. If he was throwing the sinker I didn't see too much of it unless it's the hardest sinker I've seen. He was very consistent with his velocity for 6 innings.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Jun 28, 2014 -> 08:28 PM) I don't doubt what Balta saw, but I don't believe we've gotten confirmation from anybody else that Beck is purposely working on something which causes him to strike nobody out. Or, at the very least, that he has been doing it in more than just that one start. At any rate, he is going to have to show the ability to miss bats at some point or another. The longer it takes the harder it is to believe that he will. I can't figure out why else a guy who spent 6 innings hitting 93-94 with the fastball regularly wouldn't be able to start missing more bats.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 28, 2014 -> 11:31 PM) Marte and Howry would be other guys in that category. Then you have those one-year wonders like Hermanson first half of 2005 and Jason Grilli last year with the Pirates. But that success almost never continues for a veteran who rises to closer in the 2nd half of his career after being a reliever or mostly a starter...unless his name is Eckersley. Well yeah, because they often get injured.

QUOTE (Bigsoxhurt35 @ Jun 29, 2014 -> 02:46 AM) Our lineup needs to include Abreu, Garcia, Eaton, Gillaspie. I hope we sign Victor to DH. Then Micah at 2B, Semien SS. (If they progress). I'd be ok with keeping Alexei one more year but if his value is peaked and we can get a good deal make it. Find a catcher, LF. It seems like there's a good chance the Tigers will be willing to offer Martinez a qualifying offer, so at the least signing Martinez would send our 2nd round pick next year to Detroit if that happens. Possibly our first round pick if we stumble into a few wins. I think we should make plans to look at people other than VMart.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 28, 2014 -> 06:23 PM) If Gar/Pax fail, there is always the possibility JR winds up taking the heat. Lawrence is a NY loudmouth, so take it with a grain of salt. http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketba...ticle-1.1847672 For a moment I thought you were suggesting JR would sell the Bulls and buy the Heat.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jun 28, 2014 -> 04:21 PM) Couldn't they do that anyway? PR for Dunn, and move Viciedo to DH and Sierra to RF? No, you can't move other people to the DH spot during the game if they start in the field.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Jun 28, 2014 -> 04:15 PM) Here's one I don't get. Why PR for Viciedo instead of the lead-runner Dunn? Well, they already used Ramirez, Sierra could actually take over in the OF to give a defensive improvement, and Konerko is the only other one left on the bench. Why they waited until the counts as 1-1 is much more confusing to me.