Balta1701

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 14, 2010 -> 08:16 AM) I did say earlier, things are getting better in the minors, so I agree that things are improving. Last three drafts have been good. 2009's was wracked this season by injuries, but guys like Mitchell, Thompson and Phegley are still talented players. Still, the Sox system is not exactly stellar, even with the improvements. I think there's a real chance the AA pitching staff this year could make it look a whole lot better.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 05:36 PM) With an O-Line though you need to stick with something and hope it gells. At some point the evaluation process needs to end. Turns out Garza isn't getting "benched", this is an injury-move.

QUOTE (T R U @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 05:27 PM) at least with the current system a team like Boise or TCU has a chance.. with a tourny there is no way they would ever get to a title game.. Why wouldn't they have a chance, because they'd lose before getting to the title game? Well, first I think Boise would disagree (Statue of liberty play!), but more importantly...if they can't beat a top 5 team in the semifinals they don't belong in the finals. At least we'd be guaranteed a chance to know whether they could stand up to a top 5 team, and if they could, they'd still have a shot at the tropy.

QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 05:14 PM) Do you mean like Cliff Lee? A while ago, Nitetrain and I were discussing the Hudson deal and basically I was asked what it would take for me to in the end admit that the Jackson deal worked out well for the Sox. My answer was quite simple; 2 playoff wins out of him. I figured that would mean the Sox made the playoffs with Jackson, Jackson's salary didn't get in the way of building a team, and Jackson pitched well enough that he was in the rotation in the playoffs. To me, that would offset the fact that we lost a minimum salary guy. Cliff Lee...has 2 playoff wins...this year.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 04:57 PM) Perhaps you can forward that info over to Chet Kincaid. He's obviously on something if he's actively rooting for the Yankees. Quit assuming that all Yankee fans are meth addicts. There are obviously other drugs to consider as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:33 PM) Now Meth is worth talking about. Maybe someone can call the Breaking Bad dude? Obviously as a resident of Tennessee, if you need to know more about that, I can probably find the people you need to get in touch with.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 04:10 PM) Jocketty isn't stupid enough to trade a young stud player who is the MVP for an injury prone DH/OF and a #2 or #3 starter. Any deal for Votto would start with Beckham. I'd probably do Votto for Beckham. If Alonso is any good that's a deal that actually makes sense for the Reds by filling their SS hole.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 04:18 PM) wHOA WHOA WHOA, I did not ever specify where the drilling would be, you just assumed it. And Cuba could drill in the gulf, close enough to American waters that the oil deposits could be on both sides. I know that currently nobody is doing that, but it is being talked about and when oil becomes expensive enough it will be done, by someone. There's actually a really big reason why Cuba does very little drilling as it is...Cuba doesn't have substantial refining capacity, and it makes no sense for anyone to invest in a large refinery facility on that island, because there are massive refinery facilities in a nearby country. Cuba would probably do a lot more drilling...without the embargo...because they'd sell the oil to the U.S. for processing.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:51 PM) I thought he was under a team option, no? Maybe I am not remembering. Maybe we get Donny Lucy instead (who would be an improvement defensively, but probably a big drop offensively). Kap's document says you're correct, $1.2 million team option.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:49 PM) That doesn't make it a myth - unless, again, we are talking about the idea that Cuba or China or anyone else drilling in US waters without permission, which won't happen. But the general point, that other countries will drill where they can, certainly stands. Which is the exact myth that he quoted...that oil in U.S. waters is being drilled by Cuba and China. The whole reason why Cuba comes into this at all is that it's close enough to Florida that you can legitimately whip up scared people by saying they're taking our oil.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:48 PM) What if Cliff Lee beats the s*** outa the Yankees this week? Twice. Still? That will only earn him another $10 million this offseason.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:10 PM) Between Vizquel (3B, SS, 2B), Teahen (1B, DH, RF), Castro © and probably De Aza (OF generally, PR), it seems like the Sox already have a bench that works just fine. Not really an area of concern. Isn't Castro a free agent as well?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:14 PM) This is a non-issue. If its US waters, no other country is stupid enough to try to drill without authority from the US. If its outside of territorial waters, the US has no case to intervene, and won't. Exactly why this is a myth.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 03:29 PM) Like, where else would you go? Maybe Walgreens. Unless the ingredients can also be used to make meth. Then we're in trouble.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 02:43 PM) I didn't say they are, I said they will, if we don't. Sooner or later they will need it, and if it is there, what is going to stop them from taking it?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 02:44 PM) No, the article is saying 40-50% of them could be "sold" back to the underwriter. That means it failed to meet underwriting requirements, which certainly would include flawed foreclosures, but also an array of other things. The author is making a leap over the hole in his theory, without addressing what's there. I mean, yes, if indeed 40-50% of foreclosures were materially flawed in their execution in a way that directly effected the homeowner, or if the mortgage itself was flawed in a similarly material way, then yeah, that could be a HUGE problem. But that isn't the case here, at least in so far as this author's exploration goes. Well then the question is...what else is it in the underwriting standards that could have resulted in the documents being sent back in that fashion other than having the document actually be fraudulent in some way?

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 02:25 PM) Makes us awesome...then we just go sign Cliff Lee for 2 expensive years, lose our pick and call it an offseason. Cliff Lee is 31 years old. There's every reason to think he can get 5 years from the Yankees.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 01:50 PM) Idiots stick their hands in there to see if they are poisonous. Just let me know where to find the antidote.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 02:20 PM) So for all the bluster we are seeing over this, unless the foreclosures are all beyond messy and downright fraudulent or illegal, I don't see this becoming a huge impact. If you read the data given in that Reuters link...that could well be the case for on the order of 40-50% of them.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 01:54 PM) I personally like it. Danks or Floyd, especially if coupled with something else, could bring a very nice bat that the team needs. And with Sale looking ready, and Freddy as a backup option, I think the Sox would be smart to use this position of strength to shore up a weakness. Why wouldn't some NL team on the outside and needing pitching outbid us for Garcia? He's a legit middle of the rotation starter for a lot of those NL teams, and you want him to be a 6th starter.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 01:58 PM) Problem is this run we seem to be making at freezing all foreclosures, etc. Doing that for any significant length of time will be devastating, a far worse impact that any of the current problems going on with existing mortgages and their holders. Well, the counterpoint is that every time a bank or an investor forecloses on someone when they don't have the correct paperwork, they're opening themselves up to a lawsuit. There seems like there's the potential for a class action suit here involving literally millions of people if they don't clean this up, and they haven't figured out how to clean it up despite being 2+ years into the crisis.

I wish i could excerpt this whole thing. Read the rest and I'm interested in replies.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 01:48 PM) Also, I'd be willing to bet that the Sox are going to trade one of those starters and replace him with Sale, saving some number of millions. I'd really like to think that the Sox wouldn't put a rookie in that spot...but the Sox have been so aggressive with bringing people up levels lately that it would fit their recent M.O.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 01:19 PM) Fools, the animal I was speaking of is a spider. Heavens, there are cobwebs above my desk. What do I do?

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Oct 13, 2010 -> 01:11 PM) I don't see Vizquel even matching his .673 OPS next year, and really think that Morel would be the best choice given cost, youth, and performance. Thanks Vizquel for everything you did and brought but it's time to move on, put Lillibridge or someone of that ilk in that position and save some cash. As well as the Sox played with Vizquel at 3B, he was and is not the answer. Even if we assume Vizquel isn't going to match his .673 OPS next year...he was basically according to fangraphs a replacement level player this year. He's had 2 years in his recent career where he performed significantly worse than that, 2007 and 2008 in S.F. Both last year with the Rangers and this year with the Sox he gave approximately the same performance with the bats, and his numbers the last couple years were similar to his numbers from his mid 30's. Between his versatility and ability to cover 3 defensive positions and the fact that he's probably going to be around replacement level with the bats, there's little reason not to bring him back, other than the fact that a crazed manager might try to make him a 150 game starter.