Balta1701

QUOTE (beck72 @ Dec 23, 2010 -> 05:37 AM) The Sox don't have to and won't trade Danks. He's the replacement for Buehrle. Give him the type of contract that pays him what he's worth and it'll still be less than what MArk is making this year. His durability and stuff make him a prime guy to build around rather than trade. Really, no it isn't. If he gets to the FA market right now, no injuries, he's probably a $17-ish million a year pitcher.

Should try the black cherry rum I had with coke last week...

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:27 PM) What's wrong with Quentin-Gardner-Rios? Quentin's defense. That's what's wrong with it.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:24 PM) Why not? I'd rather have a Pierre-Gardner-Rios OF than a Gardner-Rios-Quentin OF, wouldn't you? Defensively yes, offensively? Clearly no.

The whole "No 2011-2012 season" might complicate that too.

Quit encouradgiuinjgy tudt mieee.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 10:16 PM) I wouldn't trade Gavin or Danks straight up for Gardner either. But I would love to make a package around Gardner. Besides, it makes no sense for the Sox to take Gardner if they can't dump Pierre onto the Yankeesz.

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 07:51 PM) I'd dispute the statement that the Dolphins aren't popular. Their clothing is easily the most popular in the AFC East if they even sniff the playoffs. But it's no where close to where they were in the Marino years.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 09:25 PM) Bobcats pick is looking sexier and sexier. That pick has to be lottery-protected right?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 06:19 PM) I don't understand your point here. What do the Rangers care that it took Lee time to develop? When it was time for them to make their move and seize a golden opportunity, they pounced. As far as the other guys you named, you have a point. But were any of those guys (save Holland) ever viewed in the same light as KC's top pitching 'spects? Had anybody even heard of Lewis before this year? Who's to say Montgomery can't have a Price-Verlander like impact right off the bat? And he could obviously take longer or flop all together. There's no way to know at this point. David Price didn't turn into an ace right off the bat.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 07:33 PM) Yanks interested in bringing back Johnny Damon. Hmmm... could this mean that they are about to part with Curtis Granderson or Brett Gardner in a deal for Floyd or Jackson?? Trouble believing that they'd think Damon is an OF right now.

From that list, the Raiders, Dolphins, and 49ers have been on hard times compared with the mid-90's, while the Iggles and Patriots have had such long streaks that htey've moved up.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 04:15 PM) The NE slobber-fest on ESPN and CBS really makes them see too low on that list. I think there you've got to consider market saturation. Yeah, the guys in CT love them and that helps, but there's also the Celtics and Red Sox up there as legitimate challengers to them, and on top of that, if you ask the question "How many teams are there in the New England area", some portion of their market area genuinely falls into upstate NY and winds up Giants/Jets/Bills fans.

QUOTE (knightni @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 05:43 PM) I find it very hard to believe that the Bengals are more popular than the Browns. Remember, that's a 1 year survey, and in 2009 the Bengals were a playoff team.

QUOTE (wsgdf_2 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 05:15 PM) I'd like to see Sale used similarly to how the Twins used Johan for two years when they broke him in. Get him as many important innings as you can without making him a full time starter. Let him spot start and work from the pen, but when you bring him in from the pen put him in important high leverage spots and let him go a couple of innings. If there's a tight spot in the 6th - bring in Sale and leave him there until the 8th. Get 100+ innings out of the guy. I wouldn't be totally against using him as the closer - but I think you can get more out of him if used creatively and I also fear his success as closer would peg him into that role permanently. Just my 2 cents. I like the cut of your jib...I just think it'd be really hard to get 100+ innings out of the guy using him exclusively out of the pen...and you're right, getting 100+ innings out of him would be ar eally good thing.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 05:15 PM) Good points. But then you could look at the Rangers. They were able to scrap together a strong enough staff and then go out and get a proven ace. I agree that a vet or two will probably be essential in order to allow their young pitchers to mature. Weird thing about that though...who out of the Rangers rotation was even young? CJ Wilson's been in the bullpen for about 5 years, Colby Lewis spent a while off in Japan, Scott Feldman's been there a while, Tommy Hunter's genuinely sorta young, and there's that Holland kid who picked up some innings. The Rangers were able to scrap together a strong enough staff...out of guys who they developed a lot...but who took periods of 3-5+ years to develop. Hell, how long did that proven ace they acquired take to develop. Guys like Verlander who come in and lead their teams to the playoffs from day 1 are such an exception that I'm having to go back to 2006 with Verlander/Weaver/Liriano to come up with those examples.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 05:06 PM) The 2000 Royals? Look at that starting pitching. The '99 Indians offense would struggle to go .500 with Jeff Suppan as their 'ace.' Thing is I don't disagree with a lot of what's being said. Of course we're all going to have to see it to believe it. I just don't agree with the premise that "We've heard this before." Because quite frankly they've never had talent like this before. I think I've got to ask about the pitching though. Yeah, they have guys, but let's use the Rays turnaround as a comparison. When they pulled off their 2008, they had a very young pitching rotation, but none of the guys in their rotation were actually rookies, and the only guy who was a 2nd year pitcher was Sonnanstine. David Price, for example, took a good couple years before he turned into a dominating ace. Pitching just takes a while. If we're starting to talk about the 2012 Royals...the guys they'll be relying on to be their pitchers to be winners right when they come up.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 04:39 PM) Must have something to do with the batter passing up the runners on base. I'd assume an infield fly rule as well.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 04:19 PM) Or Sergio Santos, we go with the more traditional RH closer...and keep Thornton/Sale as our own two-headed version of Joel Zumaya that can be used in high leverage situations anytime between the 6th and 8th. I could legitimately see Santos working his way into the Closer's spot before the end of the season, but between his inexperience and the fact that he was at least a little iffy in high-leverage spots last year, they won't hand him that job. I still think they add another LHP to the pen before this offseason is done, especially if they think Sale will spend a few weeks starting to open the year.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 03:45 PM) And teams 3 and 6 seem high to me. I can see why you'd say that about Minnesota and the Pack, but I think the Bears and Giants are right where they belong.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 03:23 PM) I can't find a good article anywhere that tells me what the edits were. Anyone have that info? They pared the amount the government would spend back by about $2 billion by cutting the period covered to the next 6 years rather than the next 10 years. There were a few more stringent CBO reporting requirements included, and a clause capping lawyers fees at 10% of whatever the lawyers are getting paid for (I have no idea what that refers to).

The Senate has passed Start 3, by a 71-26 vote.

The Senate passed the 9/11 health care bill with a unanimous voice vote. Since it was edited, it has to go back to the House now, which is expected to pass it today.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 22, 2010 -> 02:38 PM) If the Democrats could have passed the landslide they've gotten through recently back in September or October, they'd probably have done much better in November. Of course, Republicans were well aware of this and were not going to let that happen, instead banking on the public forgetting legislation from 2 years ago in 2012. Some commentary on that topic I read this morning:

I think Jon Stewart just won.