Balta1701

Basically, he's arguing that we'll be screwed by having less salary flexibility over the next few years. Fine, I can accept that point, but the counter-point is our list of cheap, pre-arb and arb guys for the length of his contract: D1, D2, Floyd, Flowers, Becks, TCQ, Viciedo, Getz, Ramirez, Hudson, hopefully something good comes of Fields, and then the variety of other guys like Gartrell, Morel who could step up and take a spot too. If our system was where it was early in 2007, then he'd be right. We'd be looking at a Cubs-like future; a couple big contracts taking up a lot of room, a lot of holes in our lineup, and no money to spend to fix them. We're not.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 10:01 AM) BS. Keep reading that propoganda. ANY plan that leaves the option of "government insurance" is crap. Medicare is so broken it obviously doesn't work like it needs to yet we want the whole country to be on a "medicare like" plan? No. No. And no. Fix that first, and MAYBE we can consider it after that. You want to "cut costs" (I mean ration) the government needs to get out of the way. Wait. tsk tsk - EVIL PROFITS - tsk tsk - should never be allowed in any industry because that means they are evil-ly taking money away from someone else by definition. Sorry... utopia for all - I need to get that brainwashed through my head. B.S. Medicare's costs have gone up less quickly than private insurance for years. Medicare does so with lower overhead than private insurance. Medicare has significantly higher satisfaction ratings than private insurance. Medicare covers everyone above a certain age, and thus, people over that age actually tend to not die because they don't get health coverage for things they need. So many of those great statistics about our health care system that 2k5 used to brag about it happen because medicare exists that you keep making our point. So, you're in with the group that wants to end Medicare? I really hope your party actively starts taking that option up.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 08:58 AM) Everyone has health care available to them. It's a choice whether or not you choose to use it. Yup. It's either that or rent. Seriously, that's the silliest, most heartless, most incomprehensible argument out there. Yes, everyone can go to the ER after the sickness they haven't treated for 6 months finally becomes critical. They then file bankruptcy and the government foots the bill. This is more expensive for; the person, the government, the taxpayer, and the people doing the treatment. It's a disaster all around. That's the whole bloody point. By some estimates, this method of health care kills 20,000 people every year. It is an economic disaster. It's 10x more expensive than actually getting treatment by a regular physician. There is no logic at all to that response.

There's actually been worthwhile discussion on one of those points, and let's at least highlight it; implied in there is the idea that if the U.S. installs a public option and creates more competition, it will decrease medical innovation. As far as we on the left can tell, no one has ever been able to successfully back this up. The Hoover institute cites medical research innovations, nobel prizes, etc., but doesn't take in to account how that comes about...like the fact that a number of those medical nobel prizes come from places like government funded research institutions or the NIH. Or the fact that a good chunk of that medical innovation is related to drug companies altering their formulas to get around/extend patents. There's really no evidence out there that I've seen that makes a solid case that somehow even if we switched to a single payer system the U.S. would suddenly stop leading the world in medical innovation. It could easily actually increase if we take the dollars that currently go to maneuvering around patents and finding alternatives to other companies treatments that are similarly effective and put them towards actually developing new treatments. Can someone back that up?

At this point...long-term I still like Alexei as a 2 hole hitter and Beckham as a 3 hitter, but yeah, Becks belongs in the 2 slot right now.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 08:52 AM) Getz's success this year really crept up on me. I no idea his average had gotten this high He had a great April, a Godawful May, a decent June and a great July.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 06:41 AM) Liberal: "none of these matter if you can't pay for it". My answer: It's a CHOICE. You have access to all of this, TODAY. If you are sick or need treatment, you'll get it today. But most of the people in support of this want "something for nothing". No, the answer is "None of those are true any more if you count the 15% of the population that doesn't undergo any treatment at all because they can't afford it" and "many of those are that way because of Medicare, and I'll be damned if the government is going to take away my Medicare and replace it with some government-run program".

The Red Sox fired 2 staffers last summer in a steroid-related investigation of some sort. Details sketchy.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Aug 3, 2009 -> 08:12 AM) also, in baseball extra games, especially 5, mean either more games without off days or double headers. Doubleheaders are hard to sweep, ignore how easy the Sox made it for the Tigers last week, and many games in a row can kill a bullpen, especially one that's been up and down like the Cubs. Esp. with guys like Lilly, Zambrano, and Dempster randomly showing health related issues.

This is on my bulletin board to this day.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 06:22 PM) All while playing gold glove defense. I don't think I'd give him that type of deal but if he hits the open market he'll get it or something close to it, imo. If you could convince me he could stay at C the whole time, and I had our current pitching staff, and a bunch of young guys sitting there to fill every other spot on our roster, I'd give him that type of deal. I'm just not sure you do that for a 1b.

It may finally have clicked for DV in July. Here's his numbers for the month: AVG 0.303 G 24 AB 89 R 13 H 27 2B 3 3B 0 HR 4 RBI 9 BB 4 SO 12 OBP 0.354 SLG 0.472 OPS 0.826 Pretty much everything there is the best of the season except for the still too low walk totals. But his numbers since the AS game are through the roof. 4 HR, .364/.397/.636/1.033.

The Cubs have actually played 5 fewer games than the Cardinals? Man, how is that possible?

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 04:22 PM) Yea, I was referring more to what it was at the time of the deal. Minny traded a 4ish ERA pitcher with some unfulfilled promise (he had started to fulfill finally at that point)......for a guy who was very highly regarded as a prospect that just hadnt delivered on his power promise and hasnt There was more to that trade than that though...it was really also a case of Tampa counting players and saying "We have 5 guys in our OF and maybe 4 starting pitchers until Price is ready" while the Twins counted and said "We have big holes in the OF and 6+ young starting pitchers".

Season-ending surgery for Brandon Webb.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 03:37 PM) A few years back the Angels traded Mo Vaughn to the Mets for Kevin Appier. Appier had a big contract as did big fat Mo but the teams just were swapping bad contracts. It happens, maybe not as much as it does in basketball, but that is because you don't have a cap, imo. Also, the fact that baseball has the ability for teams to include money helps too. Think about the Red Sox selling off their SS's. They got actual people back because they paid most of their contracts.

The only rookies who are anywhere close to him are the pitchers.

QUOTE (chisoxfan09 @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 02:23 PM) I only brought it up because of the possible fact that AJ will not be our backstop past next year possibly and Flowers is getting good looks but is still learning the trade. But yes with the injuries Mauer has had maybe being a long term catcher is not wise and DHíng or 1B is better suited for him. If Mauer can last as a catcher with no major injuries through the end of 2010, then someone will pay him as a catcher. His bat at 1b or DH is nice but no where near what he could get as a catcher. He's a 5/$100 or better player at catcher. He's a 4/$48 DH/1b, give or take. If you don't think he can last at C, then stay the hell away from him.

QUOTE (Special K @ Aug 2, 2009 -> 01:52 PM) Never said you were a scrub bud. All I was saying is that is how Scrub (Cub) fans talk... and I believe Sox fans are more sensical. Either way, it is certainly a nice idea, just don't think it's very plausible, b/c every team in the ML will want him. A lot of teams may still be trying to hold their ground or shedding salary at that point, the job market isn't likely to really turn around until then, so attendance could be still under pressure the next 2 years. That combined with the number of bad deals out there (See: Chicago, NL) will knock out 1/2 the teams. Then there will be the teams that have a C. The Yankees and Red Sox will be in there. But the Yankees do have at least 1 young catcher on his way up right? It's a winnable bid if you're determined to get him...the question is...does it make sense for the team to lock up that kind of salary in a catcher who might not stay there? IMO, it only does if you have immense flexibility overall due to a number of young guys succeeding.

Great read in the LAT about how the Peavy deal went down.

If Hudson, Viciedo, Beckham, D2, Nunez, Getz, and Ramirez are all up and actually hitting, thus we have a ridiculous amount of salary flexibility, and Flowers and Phegley are showing no promise, then it would make sense for us to get in on that.

And the Marlins try to give it right back.

link

Didn't Nix also have a couple errors today?

QUOTE (ObamaKnowsBest @ Aug 1, 2009 -> 05:16 PM) I'm really interested to hear what Peavy thinks after watching today's game. Don't know if he'll get interviewed or not about it. In the 8th when Thornton was blowing away guys FOX showed a quick shot of Gavin and Peavy smiling and I thought that Peavy looked real comfortable. Probably think's we're all world after seeing today's game haha The Padres have not scored 14 runs in a game since August 2008.