Balta1701

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 02:03 PM) 75%, 69% whatever...that seems awfully fishy considering international groups were expected a close result. If you're going to rig an election, it's a dead giveaway when the final numbers look like that.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 10:13 AM) Supposedly they believe NK was prepping a third test and that is why CHina and Russia signed off at the UN level. They quite literally can't have much plutonium left if they test a 3rd.

What's your impression of Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams?

Didn't Letterman already apologize?

Show the NL Central they've got something to fear Clayton.

Back to the DL goes Bonderman.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 01:14 PM) I'm glad we have Cutler cause otherwise we'd see the Bears and Vick in the same sentence (from reporters, not necessarily that the Bears front office would go after him). Considering how much we've heard from people on the Bears about Plax

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 12:27 PM) The moral of the story is to boo Dewayne Wise. I'd bet you that the fact that one of Ozzie's guys is getting booed for sucking directly relates to why he made that statement about Beckham getting cheered.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 05:12 PM) The Mets have zero need at closer, they have Krod and than JJ Putz in the back of there pen. Cards have been getting good performance out of there closer as well, so I wouldn't put it as a need for them, although I don't really buy into there closer. They probably don't trade Rasmus cause they love him. You do realize Putz just went down for 2-3 months with elbow bone spurs right?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 10:14 AM) I'm a bit embarrassed to say I actually know something about this... that is not why she was ejected from her position, according to the people that manage these things. The Donald, who is that manager, said she had been missing engagements she had agreed to do, in order instead to make unapproved speeches about this whole gay marriage thing. He called her out publically, and gave her another chance, then she missed engagements again. According to Trump, that is why she was removed from that postiion. Think about the other side though...she's made her name already...she's gotten an enormous amount of publicity, and some implants, courtesy of the Miss America organization. Now that she's a runner up, she's essentially an indentured servant to them under contract for what, a year? She's made enough of a name that she can go out right now and make a fortune through speaking engagements, running ads, etc., on an issue that Trump's organization doesn't want to deal with in the slightest. So...there's actually a potentially large benefit to her to find a way to get them to fire her, because it frees her from her contractual obligations with Trump's organization.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) Interesting point. Unfortunately, great players in any sport need to be cocky imo. So trying to scare that out of them isn't a good thing imo. There's another problem with that attitude if it's actually real...the reason why beating the scaredy-ness out of Floyd and Garland worked is that it was teaching them to play over their mistakes, teaching them to step it up and be ready to bail other people out. That can be positive reinforcement. If Ozzie's beating a kid down for being cocky, what happens in the kid's head when he makes a mistake? Suddenly he's looking over his shoulder wondering if he's going to be benched...he's not just trying to play the game and work over his mistakes, he's afraid to make them in the first place.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 10:12 AM) Wow, I hadn't read that quote. That is downright awful. I don't know what the context is but the kid is a f***ing rookie. Making a statement like that does nothing good. Instead it tells the kid that he hasn't done s*** and that I'm not impressed. I certainly hope Ozzie has a different attitude behind closed doors. I have trouble buying Ozzie has a different behind-closed-doors attitude. You could take that quote and apply it to Anderson and it'd be exactly how he's treated him as well.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 10:05 AM) To me the most interesting part was when he talked about how guys, no matter how cocky they are, have doubts as to whether they belong when they are called up. That alone tells me that you as the manager need to make them feel as welcomed as possible. And I have on good record that Ozzie didn't always do a good job of that (*cough*Brandon McCarthy*cough*). However, I had hoped he had improved and I'm going to have to hope he has and if he hasn't I'm confident that Kenny would than make the right decision and find a manager that works better with young players. I can also point to pitchers that Ozzie has done a great job handling (Richard, Danks, Floyd, Garland) It really is bizarre though how different the treatment of that 4 you mention was compared to the treatment that Anderson/McCarthy got. Garland gets put out there and told to suck it up, work through your bad innings and see if you can become a good pitcher. Anderson in particular was on the bench in game 2 of the 2006 season and every time he was given a vote of confidence by anyone he was on the bench the next day. It's like whatever attitude a person has, Ozzie has to do the exact opposite. If a person is a little scared, Ozzie insists they get over their fears. If a person is cocky, Ozzie puts them on the bench and screws with them until they're no longer cocky.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 09:06 PM) I hope it is an injury. This organization for some reason really seems to be right on pitching prospects. The entire planet had given up on guys like Jose Contreras, Gavin Floyd, Esteban Loiaza, and DJ Carrasco. But somehow we turned them into studs. When they started talking up Marquez, I listened, based on their history. Well, he's definitely hurt, he's on the DL with bone spurs in his elbow. I can't say how that would affect his pitching if he tried to pitch through it, although for comparison, JJ Putz has struggled all year and was just put on the DL for surgery to remove elbow bone spurs, and he's expected to be out 8-12 weeks. I put the update on Marquez's DL stint in his AAP page a week or two ago.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 06:57 AM) AMA opposes government-sponsored health care plan. After that article was printed yesterday, the chair of the National Physicians Alliance immediately issued a letter of resignation from the AMA. The AMA gets a speech from Obama himself on Monday, and the AMA realized that they were in trouble rapidly enough that they issued this statement later in the day walking back their opposition. Note...the big reason why they'd love a co-op plan is that no one organization would be big enough to actually negotiate competitively the prices that medical providers can charge for services. That's the big weakness of that idea compared to a true public plan...the public plan is strength and efficiency in numbers.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 12, 2009 -> 08:43 AM) From the bottom of that article: Huh! Must have been a problem with the cell network. Ahmadinejad would never think to rig an election.... Maybe they could have just instituted a more stringent ID requirement.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 08:19 PM) Jeff Marquez. Where is he? I want to see some kind of return on giving up a player putting up a .900 OPS while our team struggles for runs. Jeff Marquez hasn't pitched in a month and a half...he's suffering from bone spurs in his pitching elbow. I have no idea on a timetable for his return, but I'd imagine he's been struggling with that injury for a while now and it probably related to how he performed early in the year (his last outing was the last couple days of April). Frankly, when I heard what he was on the DL with I was somewhat surprised they hadn't opted for surgery, although I don't know much about his case.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 08:29 PM) Speaking of Marquez... whatever happened to Betemit? Did we outright release him? He was designated for assignment, which means that he had a 10 day clock to have someone else claim him or work out a trade. It's possible he might end up in Charlotte still if he wants to go down but it's more likely that he'll be a FA in a couple days.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 08:26 PM) You know what I mean. This thread is a ghost town. Why would you root against a dream match up if you are a true NBA fan? Because I'm not at home to watch it, duh. I'd rather have a crappy matchup this year and an excellent matchup next year when I'm not trying to slam out the last elements of a Ph.D. thesis.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 07:35 PM) I find it funny that most people in this thread were rooting against CLE-LA finals, yet no one seems to be watching the Finals,at least that's what I interpret from the low activity in this thread since the Finals started. I question fans like that. Are you really a basketball fan? You root against a dream match up, but where are you when it does not happen? Where is everyone? Because I guarantee there would be floods of posts if it were LA-CLE. Personally, I root against STALE match ups (SA-Det, SA-NJ) . BTW, I am still watching. Go Magic I haven't "Watched" a game on a weeknight the entire playoffs. Forgive me, I'm still at work. I do have the NBA audio league pass.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 06:45 PM) Theocratic Iran is far-left? Anyone bad = far left. The guy who shot up the Holocaust museum yesterday? Far lefty. Far lefty who really hates the Jews.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 07:00 PM) It was ownership. Apparently, Dan Gilbert is paying the luxury tax all out of his pocket as the other investor's have been having problems. So even though they're selling out, Gilbert was losing money fast. He didn't want to add another year at more money for a declining Shaq when it is not known if he and others will have to sell their stake on the team. BTW, Brown is a horrible coach. Kind of like Sam Mitchell. Wouldn't have had to be Shaq.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 03:00 PM) El Duque was signed by the Rangers. Don't tell me he's taking McCarthy's spot...

It's like Robin Ventura with the bases loaded. When Geoff Blum comes up after inning 13, just walk him.

QUOTE (Ron @ Jun 11, 2009 -> 04:56 PM) Mike Brown may not be the best coach in the NBA, but he got all that he could out of that Cavs' team. It'd be pretty crazy of them to fire him now, unless LeBron is the one ordering the change. If anyone, Danny Ferry is the one that deserves to be on the hot seat. Add some more firepower, maybe Charlie Villanueva, who recently expressed interest in teaming with LeBron. IF it was Ferry who made the call on not dealing Wally Szerbiak's contract at the deadline, sure. If ownership made that call...