Balta1701

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 04:45 PM) I doubt it is coincidental that the two highest FCI's are also home to the two oldest ballparks in the game. Maintenance costs are a b****. Actually, I'd guess it's the lack of things like luxury boxes and the limited number of seats (especially at Fenway) that pushes ticket prices up there.

QUOTE (SoxFan1 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 04:46 PM) Thibodeau and Scott, who you didn't list, would be my top 2 options. Maybe Mark Jackson, but I'm still iffy. The Celtics should also be out of the playoffs pretty early this year so we don't have to wait until the Finals end for an interview.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 02:17 PM) I disagree strongly. They could do a lot worse. Look at the Detroit Pistons and John Kuester. They were infinitely worse this season and they have a roster that rivals ours for most of the season Really, you genuinely believe this? I looked at Detroit's roster before the season and thought they looked like a debacle in waiting. They had no size, everything was on the outside, they had zero depth in the frontcourt, and all their backcourt guys are only effective with the ball in their hands.

Avery Johnson Paul Silas Thom Thibodeau John Kuester Lester Conner Tim Grgurich Eddie Jordan Mark Jackson Jeff Van Gundy I prepared that list of high level, experienced assistant coaches and guys out of work last offseason.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 04:39 PM) Bush campaigned on stopping nation building and his biggest defense initiative was upgrading the missile shield before 9/11. Of course, this was also silly and a handout to defense contractors...and it still doesn't work 10 years later. Anyway...you've just made our point. What would have been more useful in 2000...preparation for wars like Vietnam, the Balkans, Somalia, etc., or spending tens of billions on Missile Defense? Replace the phrase missile defense with "F-22" and you've just unwittingly agreed with us.

Link

QUOTE (Palehosefan @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 04:20 PM) Yep, the HP Slate will be a IPad killer and the Microsoft Courier will blow it out of the water whenever it arrives. Yup. Just like all those iPhone killing phones. And how the Zune killed the iPod.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 04:21 PM) Remember 10 years ago wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were not part of the "foreseeable future", but things change rapidly and if you're ill-prepared to combat them you get stuck in quagmires or, even worse, lose. This statement only has meaning if you say specifically "Iraq and Afghanistan" and you use a ridiculous level of specificity. A lot of the details were things we were already dealing with. The idea that nation building was a very difficult task and something the U.S. should not be involved in was a major criticism of the Clinton Administration's foreign policy by then candidate Bush. Their examples at the time were Somalia and the campaigns in the Balkans, which as we all know bear striking resemblances to the type of low intensity, guerrilla conflicts we've gotten ourselves involved in. Throw in Lebanon and Panama in that pool as well from the previous decade. Furthermore, I still firmly believe that invading Iraq was on the table the moment Bush clinched the nomination, if not before...it was discussed as a way of securing oil supplies years before that. Somalia and Afghanistan had already been hit by U.S. missiles after terrorist attacks, and the Clinton administration was at least passively exploring ways of rolling back what was growing in Afghanistan. Hell, if you really want to talk about the U.S. getting involved in local conflicts, trying to shore up corrupt governments, and trying to deal with home-grown insurgencies...go back to Vietnam...it's the exact same story. The idea that the type of war that the Bush administration liked getting us involved in was something fundamentally new in military doctrine or history is just wrong.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 03:21 PM) Apparently the economy is absolutely BOOMING in the unions eyes. Well, if you go by what the article alleges they might have a point. Hypothetically, if you're a free agent, and you get called up by 6 teams and they all offer you a 1 year deal worth $4.205 million with a $755k bonus for making the all star team and a team option at $6.25 million or a $1.45 million buyout...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 03:12 PM) There is about a zero chance that Cleveland would trade him in their division. I still think the Cubs ought to make a play for him.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 01:35 PM) i thought I remember reading somewhere that he has Korean Army service time requirements that need to be fulfilled in the next few years Yup. Still nothing on how that will be settled.

We actually have a full forum for non-Sox posts, the Diamond Club, I'm going to move this thread there momentarily, just wanted you to know that's the place to put this. Welcome to the site!

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 01:11 PM) This is the best argument for batting Rios 5th. Agreed that going with three lefties in a row is an odd way to go, but taking opportunities away from PK sounds like an even worse option. My solution to this would be to give Jones more reps at DH, and have PK, AJP, Jones, Teahen in the middle of the lineup. His BA splits aren't overwhelmingly unfavorable against RHP. Going Kotsay/AJP/Teahen twice a week doesn't sound like the worst thing in the world to me. The problem is...you're picking your poison here. Either you go Kotsay a couple times a week in the 5 spot, which is a weakness, or you're going 5 righties followed by 3 lefties, Alexei, then Pierre, which is a weak lineup late in games that could wind up causing Ozzie to use a lot of pinch hitters. I don't think it would take that much convincing in fact to insist to me that your method would be better in total runs scored, but might be worse in wins-losses, because the starting pitchers would have to face a better overall lineup, but any time a game got into the late innings close, that's where the disadvantage would be most strongly expressed. Maybe your way is slightly better than Kotsay in the 5th hole, Maybe it's not. You can make a legitimate argument for either of them. Either way, there's a significant lineup flaw.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 12:46 PM) Everyone close to the team indicates that Del Negro is gone once the season ends and I'm sure that is what will happen. I just don't know who they will hire. Quite simply...they can't do worse than last time. It's fundamentally impossible. Even with how important this offseason is...even if they screw up the coaching search, it can't wind up worse than last time.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 12:48 PM) If you don't like Kotsay, fine, but please people, don't act like Jones is a good option. Kotsay's as good as Jones. We're talking about Jones, here, who like Kotsay, isn't a good option anymore. It's possible that this will be true, but I'd say there's at least a reasonably good chance that Jones will prove you strongly incorrect.

The union is considering filing a claim against the owners for collusion, again.

QUOTE (knightni @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 12:07 PM) Isn't Danks pitching against Cleveland tomorrow? Masterson vs. Floyd on Thursday, ESPN says.

JFP.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 08:51 AM) Not surprised. Pissed off. Vinny should of been canned around Christmas when he was supposed to be As long as he is canned...and soon...I don't know there would have been much benefit to doing it at X-mas. Weren't going to find a better coach for these 4 months at christmas time. We'd more likely have been stuck with another Jim Boylan fiasco.

The argument there of course is..."bookkeeping shenangoats should not be an acceptable way to avoid paying taxes, just because you happen to have better lobbyists than me"

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 08:30 PM) Peace, man. *SUCKS AIR IN* Seriously, you don't get that? You don't get weapon programs, especially air force weapon programs? Considering, you've got China, Russia, and others developing more technology as we speak? It's ok, though, I see ya'lls point. Nothing will ever happen, and the world is a safe, beautiful place. Dismantle it all and stop the spending. It's unnecessary. We need all that money for social programs so that the redistribution of wealth can continue from the private sector... i.e. the government decides where to put money. Defense spending included, of course. As I've said many times,...the deficit is awful and needs to be cut or we're going bankrupt...but defense spending doesn't count, so you're not allowed to cut it. Anyway...Seriously...the Chinese and Russian air forces shouldn't scare you technology-wise. We're literally 30+ years ahead of either of them before the F-22 even comes out. The only thing that the Chinese or Russians could do to stop our air force is the classic "overwhelm" technique...they throw out 30 fighters for every 1 of ours, and even though they lose 29, they come out on top because they take out our fighter and their planes cost 1/100th as much. This goes for the last generation of fighter planes as well. The F-22 of course is particularly vulnerable to this problem...since it costs so bloody much.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 07:45 PM) Wow, the Barons really are "barren." Oh well, I'm definitely excited to see how Morel does this year. But jeez, the infield is so weak... Regardless, I'm going to catch a game or two (baring an unforeseen circumstance) when the Barons come to Knoxville in late April, so hopefully I'll have some good stuff to report. I'm in the first row behind the home team dugout for Sunday's game.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Apr 6, 2010 -> 08:08 PM) Don't worry about it, the Patriot Act has already made sure of noting the IP that came from. I'm a democrat. They stopped recording my posts on Jan 20, 2009. All of yours are now in a giant database. You guys shouldn't have used the "quote" option...now they think that's you.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 07:18 AM) Also, if Kotsay puts up a .292/.349/.434 line in say 250 AB's for the Sox (that was his line from 113 AB's with the Sox last season); 1 - Would you be happy with that from the DH platoon split? 2 - Is that line good enough to stop the Sox from acquiring a Lance Berkman at the deadline? That's a .783 OPS. If he's getting most of those at bats at DH, then he's still a liability there, he's still a below average DH. If...however, he's splitting time between DH and corner OF/1b, allowing Konerko to get some extra rest (and honestly, no matter how much Ozzie may like his grindiness, having a backup 1b is the #1 reason he's on the roster), then that would be acceptable. BUT...if the deal can be done without giving up Hudson...there's no reason for the Sox to not consider significant upgrades at the deadline, unless Jones is putting up an .865 OPS or something like that.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Apr 7, 2010 -> 07:40 AM) And if anything should get Vinny fired, the last minute of the game last night should. 7.3 seconds left, and you have Brad Miller drive to the hoop when you are down 3 points? And whats with all the embarrassing defensive switching done during the game? Noah guarding Salmons? Taj closing out on 3 point shooters? They deserved to lose. You sound surprised by this.