Balta1701

It's probably thinking a bit too far ahead, but it's worth noting that a late-January storm like this, if it comes to pass, on top of the other hits earlier in the winter which have partially melted, sets up prime conditions for another large series of Midwest floods in a couple months. Of course you still need a wet spring, fairly rapid melting, etc., but the pump will probably be primed.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 31, 2011 -> 09:19 AM) Well, the possibility of a slow-down among NY street cleaners is pretty plausible, even if it turns out not to be true. The idea that the President was spending $200M a day in India for travel was unbelievable on its face. Honestly, I was willing to believe both. Still would be.

Milledge could well make this team slightly better. However...he's a guy who now looks like a career fringe starter/backup. Career .723 OPS, has never earned/completed a 500 AB+ season. On top of that, he'd be a guy who would probably get a major league level contract, so it'd be hard to send him down if someone outplayed him in ST. I'm inclined to go with the Bridge/De Aza option to start the season, but if I were in the GM spot I'd have at least put in a call. I wouldn't really get that bent out of shape about it either way though.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 10:59 PM) Escobar still needs to prove to me he can hit over a full season anywhere in the minor leagues before I get too excited about him. I don't think I'd get too excited about him even if he does hit. With the whole Sox infield under team control for at least 3 years and likely pitching needs over the next season, he's not hitting the big leagues with this team.

QUOTE (ScottyDo @ Jan 31, 2011 -> 12:44 AM) Not to mention that the level of disparity depends on the quality of the backup catcher, too. And you can have the added wrinkle of pitches being called from the dugout.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Jan 31, 2011 -> 12:18 AM) The smoke was awful though. That's one thing I'd say is legitimately better about the highest-end places, like the Strip, or in CA where there's no indoor smoking. They flat out handle the air quality better.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 09:45 PM) I would have been fine with either AJ or Miguel. I kind of actually wish we had signed Miguel, now that I think about it. You could well be right, given that AJ is older, but I will note; career OPS is .710 for Miguel, .747 for AJ. With AJ also having the added benefit of batting on the left side of the plate, and virtually no difference in salary...

Link

Link

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 09:23 PM) Of course. I'm just saying that if my team is down 1 with 10 seconds left and I need one player to have the ball, I want it to be Kobe Bryant, stats be damned. In 2004, I felt the same thing about Ben Gordon, then I watched that team force the ball to him game after game, and realized...you're so much better off if you run the offense. If the offense regularly runs through Kobe Bryant, then you run that offense. Run a play, and convince him to give the ball up if needed. There's a reason why Jordan didn't hit the last second shot until title 6.

The Pro Bowl doesn't count.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 09:03 PM) I guess Barackus the Great might have the balls to do it... yea... I wonder why...? I doubt it.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:55 PM) No, they're already here (Dallas) and have a connection through O'Hare going back to Indianapolis. I'm sure the flight will get cancelled but I wonder how bad they are about change fees in advance as opposed to after the storm hits. Bah, you always have to make my suggestions difficult. How's this one...make up the guest room?

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:57 PM) So I was supposed to go back to Carbondale this weekend but I couldn't make it cause I couldn't get my car out of the garage(true story) but one of my best friends who was back there visiting got jumped and got his face all f***ed up, facial fractures galore. As much as I love that place it's gotten so ridiculous the last few years, unfortunately I can't even count the number of times my buddies and I have been jumped down there the last 2 or 3 years. My freshman and sophomore years, we never had any problems and all the sudden it became a weekly thing for someone in my group of friends to have to defend themselves from something ridiculous happening. Well, I've heard nothing back on that job application for them, maybe that's a good thing.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:56 PM) That worked for Billy and George W., didn't it? \ Did either of them actually cut off aid to Israel? Clinton was still trying to bribe Arafat into taking a deal that Arafat turned down, and he'd have had it work if Arafat had wanted to. Hell, as Bush went out, Israel decided to level Gaza completely and try to kill everyone there before Obama got the chance to get in. Either they were trying to show Obama who the real boss was or they were a little concerned he might not let them do it so they got it done before he had power.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:53 PM) I thought about that, but I wonder if the airlines are going to be stupid asses about change fees ahead of a storm instead of behind it. Just drive out anyway and expect that the flight will be canceled.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:52 PM) Plus what is on the ground now. We got a couple feet about two weeks ago. Its down to about a foot worth of snowpack now. So about 2 feet or so of fresh stuff. Not bad.

Personally, if I have 5 seconds left on the clock and I need 1 basket to win a game, I dunno about you guys, but I'd prefer the wide open dunk rather than the "Clutch" shot from outside.

Is that just from this storm or this storm + what's on the ground?

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:08 PM) Yeah, I see where he's going with this, never happening though. I don't care if Dennis Kucinich was elected president. I wonder if at some point it isn't actually going to happen, just because it's the real leverage the U.S. has over them. Until the U.S. uses that leverage, Israel will assume they have a free hand, just like they've been doing the last few years. You know what might do it? Not having to face the electorate again and wanting Middle East Peace to be one's legacy.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:42 PM) Tom Skilling projected us to have a snowpack of almost 40 inches by the end of this storm in Michigan City. Ok, that ain't bad. I'll give you some credit on that one.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 08:43 PM) They aren't going to fly out of ORD on Wed if this storm is even 1/2 accurate. They are talking at least 12 inches everywhere, with 16-20 projected lakeside, and higher squals possible in lake effect belts. Yeah, this is one of those "Make other plans in advance" weeks.

I wish there was something worth watching tonight.

QUOTE (SoxFanForever @ Jan 30, 2011 -> 06:39 PM) Will this be like every other snow scare where we get dusted with a few inches and it's just enough to be annoying? You've got a Blackhawks player in your avatar. I'm going to assume your definition of "a few inches" is the Chicago definition, which means

Human? Ew.