Balta1701

QUOTE (smalls2598 @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 07:44 AM) No, but close. Fontenot just turned 29 last week, and Theriot will be 30 in December. Seriously? H. Christ, I didn't even know that. The Cubs traded Derosa to clear a lineup spot for a 28 year old and money for Milton Bradley? I figured he was around 25-26 if they were trying to work him in as a regular.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 08:50 AM) Marshall is already a stud. With some attitude problems.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 06:41 AM) File this under "things that would have been different for the worse if John McCain won": Frankly, I'm hoping that Senator McCain is just in "Oppose the President on everything he says, does, or touches" mode right now and wouldn't actually be stupid enough to have actually done that had he been in office. But yeah...just in case...there's one bullet dodged.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 16, 2009 -> 07:20 AM) I'll type this slow so no one misses is. I-L-L-E-G-A-L-S. Boy, that was a hard answer. Why bother? Nearly 1 million Californians go to Mexico for medical care every year. We don't need to bring them here for that, we're already going there.

You gave nothing but anecdotes in response to presented data saying that 66% of lawsuits were judged to be meritorious and the others almost always failed. You say that separating the real from the fake is necessary, and yet the data that I posted suggests that very few frivolous cases are paid and even some of the meritorious cases are beaten in the courts. When there are tens of thousands of cases and examples of actual mistakes in this country, finding the anecdotes for the fraudulent ones are going to be absolutely simple if there is a motivated industry or interest group interested in publicisizing them. I performed the same Google search you did. It's all anecdotes. The only data I'm seeing out there is the Harvard Study, a summary of which I linked. And then you threw out the McDonalds scalding a person with their ridiculously hot coffee as an example. I think my point is made.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 06:38 PM) I'm not talking about actual real malpractice claims...I'm talking about frivolous claims. I think there is a BIG difference between the two, to pretend otherwise is just meh, I have no other words for it. In that case, I'm going to respond with some briefly googled data, and I want to see your counter-evidence stating that they're common and a huge problem.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 06:25 PM) They is all of them -- all of them in charge, from the party holding office to the individuals in congress and the senate...that's they. I'm not a party guy, at all, and THEY all need to do things together, I'm so sick and tired of this split system of pokes and prods trying to slyly get at each other without looking like the bad guys...it's insane we have to put up with this type of thing. Furthermore, it's the judges accepting the cases, the lawyers involved in carrying out the cases and the type of people it takes to knowingly sue someone for nothing. All of the above are they "they" I speak of. It's not of course the fault of the people actually making errors.

They said D2: the mighty Danks was HBP yesterday, wonder if he's a bit bruised.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 05:40 PM) Milwaukee needs to trade for some pitching, and fast. Jeremy Jeffries and one of their possible catching prospects for Jose Contreras?

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 05:49 PM) Yeah, I'm sure the "joke" about Palin looking like a slutty flight attendant wasn't about her. I love how all the feminist groups have no problem with these jokes... shows how much they are about "equality" for women, it's just all politics with them and the groups like them. I'll even reply by quoting Fox News. See I fit right in!

QUOTE (beck72 @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 05:47 PM) Hunter, at the sox price, not the price the LAA signed him for, would have been an OK deal. His wouldn't have been the kind of deal that haunts a team like Zito's. If the Sox are already cutting salary this season...that could have really hurt us.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 04:59 PM) I'm not sure what can realistically happen, but we all witnessed what a dominant Contreras can do when he anchors the staff, 2005 World Champions and one of the best records in baseball for the 1st half of 06. Didn't he have a record during that stretch where he went 20-2? What pitcher in baseball matches that dominance? No one. When you have 30/1 odds to win it all when all things are even, you do not trade a possible FORCE that can will you to a title. Again, will he keep this up? Probably not. But I would rather put my stock in a player who has already put us on his back to win a ring, rather than receiving a player who might just be another Brent Lillibridge. By the way... The Last time Contreras started and allowed 0 runs in back to back starts was August,4th and August 9th 2005. My thinking on the matter is thus. Hypothesize that Contreras is fully recovered and continues this level of performance for a few more starts, say through the end of this month at least, wins 4 games in a row, looks like the Contreras of old. Do we trade him? Here's my answers. 1. If we're getting Carlos back soon, then I give it at least until mid-July to see where this team is. This offense is better than they've played so far; they prove that every time they go on the road, then they fall apart in a great hitter's park. It's bizarre. But if we can add in Quentin again and count on him to actually produce, then we might have a legit shot if Jose can pitch like this. If late July they're still struggling or Quentin is slumping, then it's time to open the markets. 2. In the case that we're not getting Carlos Quentin back to nearly 100% by the All Star Break, this lineup simply is not going to win a world series no matter what Jose does. I have no urge to move someone like Poreda for a rent-a-bat to replace him (Holliday) given our future potential cost constraints and the lineup that we have at AA right now to build on next year. Without knowing Carlos's medical reports I can't say for sure, but that leaves us with 2 options. a. If someone offers a very good return for Jose, yes, let him go. I'm not thinking anything crazy, but I'm not moving him at this point in the season without a very substantial return. I'm thinking like someone in the 20-60 range on this year's baseball america top 100 list. Think about last year; the Brewers gave up Matt Laporta, who was #23, along with a handful of other stuff for 2/3 of a season of C.C. Sabathia. If someone offers a legit return on that level, yes I'd let him go right now. b. If no one's offering that kind of return, then I hold until late July. In that case, weigh my options; if I'm trading Jose and he's still pitching to form, I want a guy who has a shot at being very good back. If no one offers that, then we eat his salary this season and let him pitch it out.

QUOTE (beck72 @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 05:38 PM) Thank goodness KW has had the foresight to not get bogged down in some bad contracts [like Rowand, Fukudome,] when a lot of people were calling for him to open the checkbook. And some good fortune too (Torii Hunter)

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 05:15 PM) If they want to seriously make heath care more affordable without messing up the current system even more, put massive legislation and changes the laws when it comes to the COUNTLESS frivolous lawsuits brought up against doctors/surgeons on a daily basis, also, crack down on insurance fraud from people collecting benefits when they aren't really hurt/sick, as this is a RAMPANT problem in the insurance industry, yet the laws the government put fourth does almost nothing but helps these types. I heard a few things earlier today about making the lawsuits harder -- and the fact that they realize this is/has been going on yet have done nothing about it should show you how interested the government is in saving you money on free healthcare. Many states, for example, have done this. Their health care rates have only declined marginally, if at all. There's a number like 4% that we've thrown around already repeatedly in this thread that reflects the %age of health care costs attributable to malpractice. It's simply tiny. On the other hand...I'm more than willing to trade a full national reform of the lawsuit system for a public health care option with teeth. Just like I'm willing to trade drilling in ANWR for a real, legit, national renewable energy policy. In terms of policy, I'm more than willing to give up something that an interest group cares about in exchange for a policy that would dramatically improve this country.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 05:15 PM) I don't mean to sound like a jag when I talk about this, but there is a lot more too it than they're letting on. Here's my problem with your argument...there's nothing to back it up. It is an empty assertion that the government can never do anything right. I can point out how every other country in the western world with a national health care system produces equal or substantially better results than our system does and ALWAYS does so at a lower cost per patient, every single example, and you can just respond with that. I can point out how Medicare by even the most pessimistic of estimates works with vastly lower administrative and overhead costs than any private insurance company, and you can respond with that. I can point out how the health care system in this country with the highest rate of satisfaction and the lowest cost per person is the government runs Veterans Affairs System, and you can just respond with that. I can point out how the creation of Medicare in the 1960's corresponded with a dramatic long-term decline in the poverty rate amongst the elderly, and you can just respond with that. Here is the simple reality; our current health care system is killing this country. It makes us sicker. It costs us 1.5 to 2 times as much per person as every other developed country pays to provide its citizens with health care. It fails to cover a huge fraction of the country. It is a gigantic inefficiency in business. It is a huge impediment to economic growth and economic mobility. It drives jobs overseas or to Canada like crazy. And it gets more expensive and less effective every single day. We've tried decades of "market based" solutions. We've tried letting the "Free market" handle things; the prices have just gone up. We've tried HSA's, we've tried having private companies run medicare (it wound up costing a hell of a lot more per person than normal medicare). None of it has made a difference. The private system is crubling and the economic collapse is accelerating that. It's time to try what works for everyone else.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 04:44 PM) This all boils down to one thing : there would be no money in it. So why would anyone want those jobs? I know you probably have some odd cockamamy thinking in mind that will keep these very highly paid doctors working for 10$ an hour, but wake up and smell the coffee here...they won't, at least, not the ones you'd want working on you in an emergency. And yes, their high salaries would have to disappear along with the rest of the money that system has flowing in it to keep a system of this magnitude in place and affordable. It comes down to money, no matter what spin you try to put on it, to think a universal system can work in a country this large with the same level of care we currently have isn't just insane, it's f***ing stupid. None of that $150 billion a year I just talked about is going to doctors. Not a cent.

QUOTE (Markbilliards @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 03:00 PM) My guess would be that if we will be trading for any pitcher this season who is not a prospect, it would be a very well defined starter that could take either ace or #2 status in a rotation. I don't see the Sox taking on a project this year since we already have a mix of Richard/Colon/Contreras who we're really not sure if they're gonna work or not. Why add another unsure, yet potentially good starter. Yeah, here's the way to think about it...we can have Richard/Poreda in our rotation for virtually nothing, or we can have Zito in our rotation for some combination of a prospect and a good amount of money...and presumably there's a link between the quality of the prospect we send out and the amount of money San Francisco would pay. Basically, as a rebuilding project, although he's been decent this season....there's absolutely no reason to give up anything of value to get him while at the same time taking on his contract; you can either develop people from the minors or find them on the scrap heap for cheaper. The only way I'd take Zito's contract on is if the Giants also included someone else I wanted. Like Zito + Posey + Cash for Richard, or something like that. You can laugh at that all you want, but that's what I'd require before thinking about paying a chunk of his contract.

Without a 1st rounder I can't see what the Bears have to give up that would remotely interest Denver.

Former Senator Coleman decided to make sure his feelings on the matter are abundantly clear. Video @ link.

QUOTE (robinventura23 @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 01:09 PM) To the people who booed him at the park, you know who you are. Shame on you. Can Wise pull this type of turn-around too?

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 08:16 AM) It's so hard to stop this beast once it gets started. If it comes out that Khamenei's guy only won with 51% of the vote, it looks rigged and the protests continue. If it comes out that there were "no irregularities," protests continue. This kind of genie is damn hard to put back in the bottle once it's let out - and any member of the Iranian revolution of 1979 knows this to be true - because they were the genie back then. Khamenei just lost his gamble here - he's losing control of his own country, and I'd wager the only way he thinks to save it is to put Mousavi and Ahmadenijad in a runoff election.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 11:31 AM) AJ's OBP is just not good enough in the 2-hole, as well as his speed. AJ has shown he is much better lower in the order. As for your observations on on Alexei not hitting it to the right side, it seems a little subjective to me, is that really the only thing you judge a good 2-hole hitter on? AJ's at his best when he's not hitting the ball to the right side.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 11:06 AM) Marquez Activated from DL BY John Morris (aka JPN) He told some of the former Yankee minor league people that he was on the DL with bone spurs in his elbow.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 09:40 AM) It wasn't Perry's fault that the Cubs have a bunch of injured and s***ty hitters. Just screams "making a move for the sake of making a move." Maybe now with a new hitting coach (a year removed from having one of the best offenses in baseball) the Cubs' hitters will become healthy and non-s***ty. The question is...are the numbers of Soriano and Lee due to them getting old or is it due to their technique? Are Soto's numbers due to, um, hell I'm not even going to say it, or is it due to technique? Aside from Soto, there's not a whole heck of a ton of prime-aged talent in that lineup right now. Aramis Ramirez yes, but he's hurt. Theriot and Fontenot are their young guys and while they can be solid pieces and occasionally get hot, it's silly to expect them to carry an offense. Their problem is that their big money, big pop guys aren't producing. But 2 of their big money, big pop guys are approaching their mid 30's.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 15, 2009 -> 09:18 AM) IMO, better efficiency is a bigger priority than providing coverage for everyone. The first kills many birds with one stone. The second just increases the amount of money we need to spend. Efficiency = providing coverage for everyone. Think about this...how much time and money is spent in this country figuring out whether or not a person is covered at all or is covered for a specific treatment? Or how much is spent by insurance companies figuring out creative ways to not pay for treatments? Administrative costs, especially for private insurance, are through the roof, even compared to Medicare (Which is why a public system is such a necessity). One of the biggest advantages to a public system, and to a universal system is; everyone is covered. There's no profit to be made spending large sums of money on finding ways to deny treatment. There's no profit to be made spending large sums of money trying to make sure that you don't cover anyone who is actually sick. There's no time wasted filling out forms to determine if a treatment is covered. There's no money spent on the thousands of people who's job it is to find reasons for you to deny coverage. There's only profit to be made by being more efficient overall than the next provider. There's only profit to be made by providing better care. There is enough money being spent right now on finding administrative ways to deny coverage to people to pay for covering our entire population of uninsured.