Balta1701

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 06:16 PM) 34 years old, but a 5-time Pro Bowler in 2006-2010. Of course, there is probably a reason why he is not on a roster, but better than a corpse. Presumably he has an in tact ACL.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 04:41 PM) Another guy with a huge year at the plate in 2012 gets busted Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan RT @TBrownYahoo: Phils catcher Carlos Ruiz suspended for first 25 games of '13 because of positive test for amphetamines. An amphetamine suspension means 2 positive tests, IIRC.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 03:35 PM) Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal Told #Mets' offer of extension to Wright yesterday was 6 yrs./$100M. Source today says team offering 7 yrs. between $125M and $150M. Wright would be foolish not to accept an offer in the 7/$125 range.

Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen confirmed as cast members for the next X-men movie by Bryan Singer.

QUOTE (bmags @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 02:59 PM) While I hear your point, I imagine it would be easy to take out a loan for the taxes considering you have at least 1.5 million worth of property to back it up, I'm not sure what the proposal is. Because currently it is: If an asset is left to a spouse or a (Federally recognized) charitable organization, the tax usually does not apply. For deaths occurring up to 2012, up to $5,000,000 can be passed from an individual upon his or her death without incurring federal estate tax.[2] As part of the austerity bomb, on January 1, current law as I've read it has that $5 million amount reducing back to $1 million.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 03:05 PM) Ultimately, if you want a better offense, your line-up needs better hitters. Rudy Jaramillo was a guru when he had Texas Rangers hitters. When he had Cubs hitters, he became a dope. It works with pitchers too. Leo Mazzone was the guru, the gold standard, when he had Maddux and Glavine and Smoltz. He cashes in, goes to Baltimore where they have a staff Soxtalk could pound, he loses his job and suddenly he can't get hired anywhere. Really? I gotta think Leo Mazzone would be able to walk into a pitching coach job tomorrow if he really wanted one.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 02:55 PM) I tweeted him from the FS account... we'll see if he answers. If nothing else, it'd be nice to know that his back was healthy enough to be trying to play somewhere, given that I don't know if we can afford to replace him.

QUOTE (knightni @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 02:46 PM) Pelfrey is a Don Cooper project waiting to happen. Just because he's being non-tendered doesn't mean he won't get a couple million dollar contract offer from someone.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 01:47 PM) I think the whole Susan Rice thing is much ado about nothing. When the administration said what is probably something worth reviewing, and internally they should strive to communicate better... but this drum beat from the right that is hinting (clumsily) at some sort of conspiracy is ridiculous. It just isn't a big deal. Whether there needs to be a reevaluation of Embassy positions and embassy security worldwide is something that Congress actually ought to be holding hearings on, and Hell, whether it's appropriate for administration officials to share intelligence estimates that are incomplete at all is worth discussing as well. But neither of those are actually being discussed at all because of the conspiracy crap.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 01:47 PM) OK, I find your views on this bizarre and lacking consideration of the realities of the job. I also think you are placing blame in entirely the wrong place. But clearly I won't be changing your mind. If the realities of the job at the state department involve lying to the American Public to start a war...then it's not a job worth keeping, because any concept that he was somehow making things better by providing a different voice was untrue. Colin Powell destroyed his reputation that day and should have known better. But we never condemn people for advocating for war in this country, we never condemn people who fail to stop war, who enable it, whatever. Oh...and in terms of Powell actually making things better by staying in his position...a large portion of the post-war reconstruction failures ought to be laid at his feet as well. The State Department had a full year to plan for what to do when the rest of them got their war...and it took an extra 3 years, until Rice took over and Powell was gone, for the State Department to figure out a strategy in Iraq and actually have anyone listen to them.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 02:00 PM) In all seriousness, that would be about the best possible move for both parties. Illinois isn't going to find a football coach of that level who wants to come to their campus. Their best other hope is to pray they can fish the next second tier coach out of obscurity who can replicate his success at Illinois. Tressel would be a godsend for the Illini. Didn't he wind up with the "Show cause" penalty on his name

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 01:41 PM) Update on Sox players and prospects so far in the winter leagues, on FS. Enjoy. Out of curiosity, any word on whether Morel is playing anywhere this offseason?

Yay Thiggy...got his autograph when the Barons were here last year

Rob Deer is a Cubs hitting coach? That's just awesome.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 09:36 AM) I like the part where they mention their total debt before and after bankruptcy, but don't mention the pension debt until later, even though that was probably most of the debt, and non-dischargible. Didn't they already fail to contribute over $150 million in past payments to the pension plan?

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 09:28 AM) What work rule changes were implemented? He fails to list them...Probably because they weren't any...Two trucks delivering bread and twinkies from the same distribution center is not efficient. But union work rules say its a good idea. Probably would save on truck wear and tear too, no? An extra delivery truck = $800 million in debt?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 09:01 AM) Do you have any clue how all that went down? If you did, you'd think otherwise. Have you read any of the Woodward books? Or Curveball? Or anything else that actually detailed what happened? Yes. He knew better. He had better information sitting there staring him in the face, fought with the administration because he didn't trust what he was saying, and went out and said it anyway. I don't think he's an idiot...but he would have to have been an idiot to not know why he was the one giving that presentation. He had credibility that no one else in the administration had, so they had him give that presentation because he was one that the press would trust and not question the next day. He staked his reputation on those words, on that little glass vial. He sold their war. Whatever his reasons were, the blood of thousands of American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis was spilled because he was willing to go out and sell a story that he seemingly never trusted. They used him to start their war, and he said ok. If a man who threw his medals over a fence to protest an unwinnable war is unqualified for Secretary of Defense, then the man who sold out his entire career to start one is unqualified for everything.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 08:53 AM) Your point being? People are mad at John Kerry for disavowing a disastrous, war crime filled war. Colin Powell sacrificed his own dignity to start one. If John Kerry is unqualified to serve as Secretary of Defense, then Colin Powell is unqualified for everything. He should never, ever be allowed to live that moment down.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 08:51 AM) Powell would be good, if he'd take the job.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 26, 2012 -> 09:59 AM) Black Friday does a nice job of encapsulating our terrible culture. The day (or sometimes hours) after we are supposedly thankful for everything we have, we rush out to stores to literally fight over mass-produced electronics offered at discounted prices. A guy in Tennessee trying to reach another walmart shot at a car that wasn't moving fast enough for him. Yup.

QUOTE (Jake @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 08:40 AM) I hope they go nuclear. Not sure if you really understand what that term was previously applied to or not...

QUOTE (WHarris1 @ Nov 26, 2012 -> 11:48 PM) Our bench is so improved this year!!!!! oh f***... They should have torn down enough to get under the tax level. Better to do that than tear down partially and get stuck paying Hinrich $4 million while also paying the tax and pushing the team into multi-year penalties once Rose is healthy

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 08:37 AM) Once the free agents start to sign, we'll see some movement. Once things happen, things will have happened.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Nov 26, 2012 -> 08:17 PM) With Reid pushing for fillibuster reform (most likely down to 55 from 60) I doubt that Obama would pick Kerry for anything. He doesnt want to risk losing his seat in a special election to Scott Brown and thus taking the Democrats to down 54. I don't think the bench is horribly deep in Massachusetts right now. Susan Rice will be SOS. Book it. That's totally not anything resembling the proposed filibuster reforms. Everything I've read says They'll keep 60 voted but remove the filibuster on the motion to proceed, and maybe require the minority to actually hold the floor rather than the current painless filibuster, if they can even pull those off.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 26, 2012 -> 08:01 PM) Really the Rays were lucky that Longoria doesn't have a greedy bone in his body. 6 years and $17 million is low by a factor of 4 years and maybe 10-$15 million annually on the open market. Still, guaranteeing that amount of money this early is big. He's going to retire with >$100 mil in the bank guaranteed even if he gets hurt.