Balta1701

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 20, 2010 -> 11:56 AM) Sampson is an interesting name. He is another that is a helluva recruiter. I might as well quit watching basketball if that one happened.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 20, 2010 -> 10:29 AM) There is one much easier explanation, and one I have heard first hand... Doctors hate medicare. The extra work, plus lower pay = fewer people willing to accept it. It is a complete disaster. So why would Medicare recipients not be more likely to end up in the ER?

There's some interesting things written there but not commented on or highlighted. So, why is ER patient volume increasing? Why is there such a strong correlation between income and ER usage? Why is there such a strong correlation between race and ER usage? Why are Medicaid recipients so much more likely to use the ER than people with private insurance or Medicare? There's one possible explanation for all of that data...that people without primary care providers/insurance/high incomes/pale skin color wind up putting off treatment longer and thus are more likely to wind up in the ER with actual serious conditions because of the delay. Raw study is here.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 20, 2010 -> 10:10 AM) Welcome to the bandwagon. Of all of the moves that could happen, this is the one that would surprise the most people, but make the most sense if we are truly going to rebuild. It depends on your definition of "Rebuild." If your definition of Rebuild involves competing in 2011, then you don't. If your definition of rebuild focuses on 2012, then its probably the right move. FWIW, I'd say the inverse for Rios. If your definition of rebuild involves competing in 2011, I think he's the guy you try to move. If your definition of rebuilding focuses on 2012, I think you hold him, since, even if he's expensive, he's signed for so long. How's that for a wierd shift?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 20, 2010 -> 10:07 AM) I might rather have Francisco Cervelli over AJP at this point. Long term, probably right. But he's RH and AJ is LH, so there's at least a role there for AJ if they wanted it. They also have that rotating DH spot that is inserting a weaker bat into their lineup every day (Yesterday Juan Miranda played 1b while Tex was at DH), and they also have a weak Randy Winn bat in the OF until Granderson comes back, so there's lots of potential room there.

The 76ers are talking to Doug Collins about their coaching vacancy.

Floyd Landis has admitted doping for most of his career and accuses Lance Armstrong of doing the same. And I heard so many passionate defenses of Landis and how it was really someone screwing with him at the lab.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 20, 2010 -> 09:51 AM) Sure if you are a fan of Yankees prospects through trades... The Tigers are.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 20, 2010 -> 09:47 AM) Don't rush Viciedo. If anything we have seen that he takes a while to adjust to the higher level. He is just getting acclimated to AAA, and we would start all over if he was moved up here. The only reason to bring him up this year is that there is a trade deadline.

I like your list of guys likely to move but I think you're off here. I think Buehrle is at the top of the list in terms of asking price, but that's because of emotional attachment to the team more than anything else. I put Rios above Peavy as well, because his contract actually costs less and he's performing at or above it. Buehrle and Peavy are currently under-playing their contracts,w hich also hurts them. If you really want to say "Which guy on the Sox brings the most return if you trade him right now", the answer is D1: the pitching Danks.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ May 20, 2010 -> 09:42 AM) I'd almost look at Arenas playing a Jamal Crawford type of role off the bench long - term if they had a decent enough 2 guard. Probably makes Randy Foye very attainable as well (if he's not a FA). Ok, so the Wizards need front court depth and the 76ers need backcourt help. Brand for Arenas.

Twitlinnk

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ May 19, 2010 -> 11:53 AM) Good for them Turns out the L.A. DWP actually owns those plants. For Arizona to do anything, they'd have to seize those plants by force.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 20, 2010 -> 12:51 AM) He's going to get the max. No question about it. And some team is going to seriously regret that down the road. I just hope the Bulls aren't the stupid ones. If the Bulls get rid of Deng's contract and wind up bringing Amare in the deal, then I probably wouldn't mind. Otherwise, yeah, I still don't like his game.

The Rays have the best run differential at this point in the season of any team since the 84 Tigers.

Jorge Posada to the DL for at least a month, going to have surgery to correct a hairline fracture in his foot. The Yankees can officially be added to the list of teams that could use a catcher.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ May 20, 2010 -> 01:14 AM) Next time, the focus needs to be on the "sure" thing. This organization is in a very dire place. Like Beckham, our can't miss prospect?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ May 19, 2010 -> 07:49 PM) With him playing an extremely good CF, I'd have to say the contract is looking good. He's 3 for his last 22.

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:46 PM) It's not a straw man argument. You and others are advocating a theory or model which is impliedly better than the one we are utilizing currently. I am simply looking for some past history of success that this model has. Show it to me. With the ferocity with which many are arguing for a rebuild, one would think the examples are everywhere, just waiting to be plucked out of the annals of history for all to see. Some examples from this year of a rapid, successful retooling based on a couple intelligent moves appear to be the Tigers, who rebuilt their bullpen and rotation and freed up salary that they used to sign Damon by trading away Granderson and Jackson, the Padres who are now competitive in the West after dumping Peavy's salary, and perhaps the Blue Jays who dumped Halladay and Rios and look better this season than last at this point. You can argue "Yeah, those are extenuating circumstances" in every case...each team has gotten production from guys not acquired in those deals in helping them step up, but it's a workable formula. Another one I should have thought of before editing this post was the Rockies, who dumped Holliday and rode that deal to the Wild Card last year.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:36 PM) We finished 7.5 games back the year after making the playoffs in spectacular fashion. It was bad, really bad. Furthermore, the best parts of last year Buehrle perfecto, Floyd's continued progression, and Beckhams rise have been (somewhat) mitigated early this year by poor performances. So in other words, last year wasn't really awful, it only looks really awful because the bright spots of last year have winked out.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:23 PM) we're heading for 3 out of 4 absolutely awful seasons. You counted last year as "Absolutely awful"? We hung pretty close to .500 most of the year despite hundreds of at bats trying to develop Fields, Getz, Anderson, etc., and we might well have had a shot at the division had Quentin's foot not gone out.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:16 PM) He basically told everyone that if they had questions or concerns about the fate of the team, his door was always open. Where is this door and how do we get through it?

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:14 PM) And two weeks from now, they will be asking for him to be sent back to the minors. Dude, it is the National League. Carlos Silva is pitching well in that league.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:11 PM) Baseball is indeed an odd sport. 2 years ago, the only OF in all of baseball that you could make a legitimate case for being better than Sizemore was Ryan Braun. Really? 2 years ago, 2008, Ryan Braun put up the 9th best OPS in baseball among OF's, Sizemore the 13th. Ahead of them were guys like Manny, Bradley, Ludwick" Holliday, Quentin, Josh Hamilton, Markakis. Ethier, Dye, and Hawpe fit in-between them. Braun isn't exactly what I'd call a defensive legend, do you think of him as that? Now, maybe you could say "Yeah, Hamilton and Quentin are just going to get hurt, Manny is old, Ludwick is a fluke" but that's a lot of guys putting up better numbers than either of them by a lot.

QUOTE (BaseballNick @ May 19, 2010 -> 06:08 PM) Revival by Rios Here's an encouraging article about Alex Rios and his fine start to the 2010 season. Matt Klaassen writes that Rios' production has reverted back to the mean, and that contract (once looking like an albatross) may not be so bad after all. Interesting to my eyes though is that the odds of Rios being a "Bargain" after this season start dropping dramatically.