Balta1701

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 10:38 PM) That's what I was getting at. His defense is horrendous. People can say his offense will make up for his defense, and who knows it may, but it'll be interesting to see how many balls Quentin misses that an average right fielder would make. It is possible that Carlos could be better with the glove this season, just from either practice or from being further removed from injuries. Even a modest improvement would make a big difference since he was so bad last year. But if that doesn't happen, then he's almost a liability if he hits under 30 HR. If he's hitting 40+, he's winning games with the bat even if he's losing them with the glove, which is where Dunn was most of his seasons in the NL.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 07:30 PM) The team has to get used to playing with all of there guys though and that will take some time. Before Noah got hurt, they were one of the top 3 teams in the league in pace (Possessions per game or however you define it). After Noah got hurt, they've been in the bottom 10.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 07:23 PM) I think it does. Our rotation is made up of one #2 (Danks), a #3 (Floyd), and two #4s in Jackson and Buerhle. Don't even get me started on our 5th starter. Peavy, Beckham and CQ are the keys to our season in my opinion. The scary thing to me...I look at that rotation and see 4 guys who I think "man, if this guy ever does ____, he'd be a number 1". 4 damn guys. Everyone in the rotation except for the guy who gives you 200+ innings and an ERA under 4 every year could be a #1 if a certain thing happened. This rotation's ceiling could be higher than Philly. The chances of them getting there aren't good, but man, if I'm allowed to dream about what could be in ST...

QUOTE (WCSox @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 05:58 PM) Thome would probably spend a third of the season on the DL if he still played in the NL. There aren't very many players who can hit at an elite level in their late 30's. And while Pujols looks like he may be one of them, it's going to cost a franchise $100M to find out. I can see both sides of the argument here and wouldn't think that the Cardinals were insane for giving him the 10/300 deal that he reportedly wants. But outside of the health/diminishing skills potential towards the end of that deal, I'd also want better marketability for a $300M player. Pujols isn't Barry Bonds or anything, but he doesn't have the national appeal that Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, or Peyton Manning does. I'd bet that factors into the Cards' decision-making as well. I don't know if it's been noted yet...but if Albert were to average 35 HR a year over that 10 year deal, he'd be passing tetrahydrogestrinone on the all time list. That's some marketing dollars.

QUOTE (MHizzle85 @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 07:17 PM) Donte Stallworth was suspended for a year. He didn't have the MLBPA behind him though. Selig doesn't have nearly the power Goodell does over things like this

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 07:37 PM) If he hits like he did when he turned 29. If he hits the way he did from ages 23-28, it might be the worst contract in baseball. I'm sure there's worse. Every year since 2007 he's been at least a positive WAR player, which means he's been worth a couple million.

From the annals of "great facebook statuses:":

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 06:34 PM) Someone tell Republicans that the budget was balanced before Walker enacted additional spending, that he's exempting some unions as political favor, and that the budget can be balanced even with Walker's additional spending without stripping collective bargaining rights. Stupid fiscal policy that raises popular unrest has consequences. Deal with it! If the Democrats wanted Unions to exist, either they shouldn't lose elections or they should pass laws giving people the right to organize.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 06:56 PM) waste of money

Hopefully they stay open.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 07:43 PM) I'm kinda buzzed. What does FMB mean? Bleep Mark Buehrle

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 06:41 PM) I know. But he's the best example I could come up with of a guy who was pretty putrid in the field but nobody cared because he was sporting 1.000+ OPSs every year. It's really not that hard J4L. Adam Dunn. Carlos Quentin last year was Adam Dunn in RF, except he hit

QUOTE (WCSox @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 05:24 PM) Or they chose Holliday for $120M over Pujols for $300M. Can't say that I blame them for not wanting to give a 31-year-old a 10-year deal at $30M/year. Unless Pujols starts taking some of Barry's flaxseed oil, he's not going to be worth much over the last 3-4 years of that deal. I'd rather pay Pujols the $300 than Holliday the $120.

Here's ESPN Boston floating Albert as Ortiz's replacement next year.

I think this is a worth-while editorial with an additional note on how the WI situation came about... The programs he established through votes in January were some corporate tax cuts and additional money for Health-Savings accounts. The Governor actually generated his own fiscal imbalance to start this.

M-56 was asked about this again today.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 03:41 PM) How many get two, plus all of the stuff with the officers in the second case? At the end of the day I doubt Selig does anything about, just because that is his style, but there is no doubt in my mind that he should. Has baseball ever suspended anyone, as a league, for conduct unrelated to anything happening on the field of play? Has anyone (Lincecum) ever been suspended for a positive marijuana test?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 04:25 PM) Sure it is, shooting with modern weapons is a sport in its own right. I'd venture to guess there are more people on here that could hit a homerun than could hit a moving target at 100 yards. Terminology question...is that a skill or a sport? Many people couldn't say, compete in a trivia competition against a machine, but I doubt most people consider Jeopardy a sport. Rapid trivia responses is a skill you can teach yourself and get better at with practice; doesn't make it a sport.

Different topic but discussed here a few pages ago. The South Dakota "Justifiable Homicide/Kill an abortion provider" bill has been shelved, seemingly permanently.

Mets don't expect Johan Santana back until just before the AS Break.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 03:10 PM) If it passes, it will be contested in court, and the first judge might very well issue a stay order on the legislation until the matter is resolved. So this thing may die a quick death anyway. I think a number of those are probably legal at this point (the federal union laws have been chipped away at for decades). You can certainly ban the paycheck withholding, you can decertify a union, you can pass regulations that override collectively bargained workplace safety issues.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 02:58 PM) Pretty sure that would violate a number of Federal labor laws, so I'm doubting that's the case. It's true. The bill explicitly strips those unions from the right to bargain with the State over any issue, whether it be]retirement, health care, or even workplace safety. The Unions for everything other than the police would effectively be banned. And even wages that were bargained for would be subject to a popular vote.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 02:39 PM) Wow, this is quite a thing. It seems that logic and compromise are out the window. I don't blame Walker for forcing the government to find cuts to make... but he's being a beligerent ass about it. If it were just budget cuts it wouldn't have come to this. There might have been protests, but a compromise would have been possible. Declaring unions illegal, declaring that workers have no right to organize, declaring that raises have to be put to referenda, that's something else.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 01:06 PM) Obama promises full funding of Land and Water Conservation Fund, for only the third time in its history, as part of his Great Outdoors initiative. He also wants a new CCC-like job corps for young people, working on parks and rec areas so that they are working. Funding will come from existing oil and gas extraction funds, so this doesn't have to pass Congress. Linky. But...that takes money out of the land-purchase program.

QUOTE (Soxy @ Feb 17, 2011 -> 01:57 PM) Wisconsin democrats didn't show up to the vote today to prevent a quorum being met. Walker tells the state police to round them up and bring them in. Democrats high tail it to Illinois. linky link The fleeing legislature again? Awesome!