Balta1701

Who is Sherman?

Turn Viciedo and Garcia into big league hitters Hopefully turn Beckham into something useful See if Gillaspie can improve on last year to be a tolerable cheap option at 3b Get Saniago to 200 innings Get Danks back to his old self Give Petricka or Webb innings in the pen to develop at this level Wake De Aza up. Get Johnson and Rienzo to 175 innings each between AAA and the bigs Get Veal back into the 2012 groove Get Semien and Sanchez consistent playing time at AAA

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 10:42 PM) Maybe if they were in the west. For the Bulls to win 20 games they'd have to go 12-52. Even at 25 wins is 17-47. That's not happening without a complete gutting. I'm just hoping for low 30s in wins and no playoffs. Are we certain low 30s isn't a playoff team in the east?

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 08:23 PM) So (humble brag, btw) Ohio State is offering me a funded position into a PhD program there and when I told my dad the good news, the first thing he says is "now you can finally get that tattoo you wanted" What program/major and congrats and buck the f***eyes.

QUOTE (beck72 @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 07:35 AM) I'd agree. If the contract was like 5 years, $90 mil. But Choo should get a bigger deal than that. The thing I like about getting Choo is it would allow the sox to then make multiple deals to fill holes. And have the sox bring along young guys without the added pressure of hitting at the top of the lineup. De Aza or Tank could net something productive. Dunn could be unloaded. The sox could get a young SS, C, or OFer by trading a SP. Still, I don't see it happening with the market way over priced. The problem with this line of thinking is that IMO the free agent market right now is where players are overpriced while it seems like the trade market is where value is. So, you're paying a premium price while signing the guy on the FA market and yet when you try to trade your guys, you don't get an over-valued return on them.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 10:09 PM) If this has already been posted, sorry, but doesn't signing Belisario make trading Nate Jones (in some package) more likely? "More likely" yes. Certain? No. Same boat as Reed. Young talented guy who can continue to get better and who is under team control for what, 4 more years? No reason to move him unless someone offers something above face value for him. But if someone does that...yes this makes you more willing to do so.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 8, 2013 -> 07:01 AM) "A lot of people have this bad image of A.J. in general, it seems around the league, but the guy is one of the greatest guys when he needs to be," Beckham said. "It's something nobody sees. He can be a really great friend. He was there for me in tough situations off the field and was a big-time mentor. So, it's tough to see him go." What a s***ty teammate. It's what turned Beckham into the player he is today.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 09:54 PM) They have that guy, Eduardo Nunez....Ramirez, whatever his name is...for over there. I've seen his defense described as really bad and his bat isn't all that good either. On top of that, now that they've lost their 2b, their infield is quite weak. They have ARoid at 3b but he might be suspended, Jeter who is obviously an injury risk, Nunez and Brendan Ryan and then whatever else they sign. If the suspensions go through, the White Sox could send them Keppinger and expect he'd be starting if no one else is added, they're that weak around the IF.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 06:03 PM) Hahn has made it clear that the development of Abreu and Avisail is the most important aspect of next year's offense. You don't have to worry about anyone taking anything away from him. I'm just throwing s*** at the wall re: Loney as a stopgap IF the Sox think Abreu is more of a DH. I'm already worried about it thanks to signing another RH hitting 1b who has veteran credentials. If they think Abreu is more of a DH...play him at 1b anyway. What's the harm? Worst case scenario is we lose an extra game because of his defense. Oh well.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 05:45 PM) Loney hit .299/.348/.430 last year with the Rays in the AL East. He's a lefty bat, plays D at 1B, makes contact (77 K in 549 PA) and he's 30 next year. A 2-3 year stopgap who doesn't cost a draft pick? Nice bridge piece IMO. I mean he adds balance at low cost, not a big name, no draft pick, no need to deal a prospect.... sounds really like the kind of player Hahn seems to be pursuing. At any position other than 1b? Let's talk. At the same position the most important player on our roster plays? No. That's why I hate the Konerko signing so much. Throw in a guy who isn't obviously a part time/platoon player at the same position? My god no. Please no. I beg of you.

Usually I don't have to make these. Happy Birthday!

Yeah...that got pulled.

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 04:32 PM) Also, I misread your original post. There is a significant amount of fuel energy that is necessary to power any fuel burning plant. But another point to visuals and how we generate power. The only type of plant I believe some would consider as actually increasing beauty would be a hydroelectric dam. The argument could be made that a large mountain lake is more beautiful than a river running free. I would disagree, but I could be persuaded that it is less obnoxious than some of the others. I just really dislike seeing so much natural habitat destroyed. To some degree, I really don't agree with the concept that a wind farm built in the middle of a cornfield or a wheatfield is "destroying natural habitat", on the grounds that...it's a cornfield. Or it's a wheatfield. It's a long way away from a natural habitat already. However, as I said I totally understand your hesitation to "destroy natural habitat" with electrical generation facilities. It's a really good point when people want to build solar plants in the Mojave, they are actually taking a natural habitat and turning it into a power generation station. That's a tough balance to strike, but then again, there are already scars across that area in roads, rails, aqueducts, and electric transmission lines.

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 01:20 PM) I guess we'll differ here. The fact that wind farms need to be placed on the most prominent land features also bothers me. But I love the outdoors and natural beauty so I am not happy with any of our energy options at this point. Probably the least objectionable to me is solar. They can be placed low to the ground or coordinated onto rooftops. Again, I am only commenting on the visual. I am near two natural gas powered plants which power much of this area. They can't be seen from more than about a half mile away. They build them right on pipelines that runs through the area. I accept that more so than many miles of a wind farm blotting out the sky. Also one more detail on the "Visual" part. If you go up to the high peaks in the Smokies, they have pictures showing "what this view looked like in the 1950's or right after a rainstorm" when the air is clear. On those days you could see across the entire Tennessee River valley, maybe 100 miles or so if you had good enough eyes/binoculars. On an average day up there right now you can't even see the cities 20 miles away. I'd trade having some multi-square-mile large white areas filled with wind farms down in that valley for actually being able to see them. It'd be no different than seeing the cities in the valley to me.

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 02:49 PM) Drops to zero? That's interesting, I always thought there were electronic controls on them but I guess they could manage them with mechanical brakes. That actually might make more sense. You're right, I should have said "nearly zero". There is some small bit of supplies and regular maintenance required to keep them lubriCated and running. It's similar to how you have to change the transmission fluid in an electric car even though it doesn't use gasoline - it's not 100% down to zero but the operating costs are several orders of magnitude less for similar power generation. The startup cost is high, the operating costs are minimal.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 03:10 PM) Shouldn't Sale be in the pen then? He threw harder out of the pen, most pitcher do when they don't need to worry about 5-7 innings of work. Sale only picked up a couple mph. His average fastball in '11 was 94.9, in '12 was 92.3 (and remember he was tired the entire season from having been in the bullpen the year before), his fastball in a full season in '13 was 93.3. By all accounts, Webb's velocity jump was several times larger, Sale's fastball picked up 1.6 mph while being in the bullpen.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 02:52 PM) Nobody is taking anything away from Abreu. Hahn's said this the whole time, and reiterated it again this morning. What are you not hearing? Hahn says the guy will need some breaks. You're talking about someone who has never spent such a long season playing and having to do it against the toughest pitching in his life. He will be in there when he's performing, and if/when he hits a couple major snags ala Alexei Ramirez's April coming out of Cuba then he will get a breather. Let's not Hawkins this guy right out of the freakin gate for crimminey christ. At least with Konerko and Dunn, people can make the excuse that they're "part time players". James Loney, being put in at 1b? Come on.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 03:08 PM) He won't shorten his swing with 2 strikes IMO. That's the worst crime to me from a guy in the middle of the order. You gotta be a tough out. Except in April when he clearly was trying to do that...and it made him so much easier to strike out.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 02:44 PM) Hahn when asked about other big signings coming in the future kind of side-stepped the question by saying that there is still room in the budget but not to expect any 9-figure salaries. However, dumping Dunn and say signing James Loney as a stopgap upgrades 1B/DH considerably at the dish and in the field, plus adds much needed contact while preserving the power through Abreu/Paulie and keeping a lefty bat there. Abreu's write-ups don't make him sound like a defender. This could be something they are looking at, especially since if someone like Loney hits in the Cell he is still young enough to where you can trade him for something & dump the remainder of the contract when you're ready to call up/trade for your long-term 1B. Just what we need. To take even more playing time from Abreu.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 01:20 PM) Brett Gardner is 30+ right now and due to be a free agent after next season. I have read the Sox aren't supposed to trade for those types. See Headley, Chase. I didn't check that, you're right it'd make zero sense to give up Reed or Santiago for him.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 02:25 PM) This all sounds like wishful thinking. While Dunn is arguably one of the worst Sox ever, that same fact will probably keep him here thru 2014. Nobody wants to pay for a guy who won't play team ball. WTF is that bull? Like how he refused to play 1b last year when Konerko got hurt (oh wait he did, he was just really bad at it). Like how he spent the whole first month of the season being terrible because he was trying to do what the hitting coach asked him to do by swinging earlier in the count and putting the ball in play more (and then when he started being more patient suddenly started hitting HR again)?

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 01:50 PM) Quite frankly, I'd rather start the season with 6 righties than carry both of those guys. I have very little confidence in either of Leesman or Veal, so either sign or trade for a left-handed reliever or start the season with just one of them in the bullpen. Both of these guys have some upside and Leesman gives the extra benefit of being a potential long reliever. Veal clearly has upside based on what we saw in 2012, we clearly can't just toss guys like that aside with where we're at. Leesman, ok, if we find someone better I promise not to be mad. He seems like a guy who will find a slot as a 2nd lefty in bullpens over a number of years, maybe bouncing back and forth between AAA and the bigs because there are always guys who do that. We've got to try to get something out of Veal for at least one more year since we've already seen what he can do if he finds a groove.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 01:31 PM) I actually care a lot about all that stuff, too. And yea wind farms on corn fields really doesnt bother me aesthetically but they arent efficient. Those turbines break, and they got to be trucked in. And they arent cheap to build and a lot of it reeks of government connections enabling guys to just throw them up with no care in the world. The birds will be fine, too. Thats not a concern. I very much disagree with the claims here. The turbines do break yes on occasion, but they are extremely efficient if they're placed in areas where wind actually blows. They're not cheap to build, but they're incredibly cheap to operate because once they're up the fuel costs drop to zero. Compared to a fossil fuel plant...the plant is cheaper to build, but the plant needs a constant supply of fuel to operate (which, in many cases, comes in via train or ship as well).

QUOTE (Tex @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 01:20 PM) I guess we'll differ here. The fact that wind farms need to be placed on the most prominent land features also bothers me. But I love the outdoors and natural beauty so I am not happy with any of our energy options at this point. Probably the least objectionable to me is solar. They can be placed low to the ground or coordinated onto rooftops. Again, I am only commenting on the visual. I am near two natural gas powered plants which power much of this area. They can't be seen from more than about a half mile away. They build them right on pipelines that runs through the area. I accept that more so than many miles of a wind farm blotting out the sky. You'll change your tone on solar if you see the stuff that is going to be built out in California to power large areas. Those things need space. In terms of the visual...I've hung out in a lot of mines, pipelines, and drilling projects. The gas plants near you might not be quite visible...but the drilling, construction, and extraction apparatus leave impressive scars on the landscape.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Dec 7, 2013 -> 12:54 PM) You rationalize genocide by saying the victims were also kind of bad people? Marvelous. Mandela fought for equality. Europeans fought for exploitation. Their motives were slightly different. I wasn't rationalizing anything. I was saying Tex's post describing, heck anyone as "when you don't realize you are fighting a war or have no understanding in your life of "war"" really doesn't describe...anyone.