Balta1701

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:47 AM) I think we are all jumping the gun a bit here...there are definitely varying degrees of PED abuse, in my mind. There is quite a difference between a guy just flat-out roiding and a guy using some silly banned supplement that is questionable in the effects it even has. I'm not going to throw out the player Manny has been for the last 15 years because of this quite yet. My problem with your argument is that it's nothing we haven't heard before. Manny needs to come out and establish beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what he was taking, why he was taking it, and get the league/union to confirm it before I'd even consider that option. For all we know, he's telling the truth, but at the same time he was loading up on some real juice and at the same time taking something on a doctor's orders so that if he ever tested positive he'd have an excuse.

I believe I can clearly recall about 10 years or so of the right wing saying "it's not going to matter if we regulate CO2 emissions, places like China are never going to do it and that'll swamp our numbers" followed by the left saying "China's never going to do anything unless we do something first, that's what comes with being a leader".

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:41 AM) I agree, the teams are stronger, but I stil think the Dodgers can weather this and be the favorites when he comes back. Not disagreeing given the talent in their lineup and the fact that they have an extra OF anyway, but this is going to put a lot more pressure on a weak starting rotation. They'll probably have to do something to shore up the back end of it.

QUOTE (chw42 @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:40 AM) Didn't expect this, especially not from Manny. First big name player to be suspended, that's got a real bad ring to it. Palmeiro? He'd have been a for sure HOF had he not taken it.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:38 AM) wow, that sucks. The Dodgers catch a huge break that they're in that terrible NL West, they can tread water and wait for him to get back The NL West isn't as bad as it was a year ago.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:36 AM) And as a baseball fan, not just a Sox fan, it saddens me that a team that has a chance to be pretty f***ing good is going to be severely hurt because of a cheater. This will make it enormously more difficult to cheer for the Dodgers to beat the Cubs's tails if they both make the playoffs again.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:26 AM) What the f***. Why was this not on ESPN thsi morning? The timestamp on the LAT article posting is 34 minutes before I send this post in.

QUOTE (G&T @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:23 AM) Did Jose Canseco say he was? I honestly don't remember. Read through the actual LA Times article.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ May 6, 2009 -> 04:52 PM) Specter is smart. If he supports EFCA, there is no real primary, because labor will back Specter hardcore. And that shuts the door on Tom Ridge. Tom Ridge still may have a shot at him in the general.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 7, 2009 -> 01:50 AM) If we do away with ethanol, what do we replace the current blends with? It seems like a much better octane booster than MTBE or lead. Doing away with the government subsidy ≠ doing away with ethanol.

An actual Footnote in Justice Stevens's dissent on the recent Court/FCC ruling stating that networks could be fined for random expletives broadcast over their channels:

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:19 AM) Ramirez is expected to attribute the test results to medication received from a doctor for a personal medical issue, according to a source familiar with matter but not authorized to speak publicly. Which of course is something we've never heard before and is totally believable. Next we'll hear that he got a B-12 shot from someone else in the locker room.

With the rules having changed to cut down on the contact that the Knicks and Pistons used to use to beat up MJ, his numbers would be absolutely legendary. And forgetting about offense for a moment...one thing that Mike never gets appropriate credit for is...he was perhaps the best one on one defender against anyone other than a PF/C that the game had for 10 years. You put him up against Reggie Miller, Gary Payton, Kevin Johnson, etc., and the other guy was having an awful day/series.

The Hall of Fame keeps getting emptier.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 6, 2009 -> 11:46 PM) The only other trade pieces we have are Shelby OR Jordan Danks (eventually, one or the other), Poreda (but they don't want to deal a lefty with that kind of stuff and end up like the Mets with the Kazmir move, so they almost have to see if he can be effective as a starter at the big league level) and whoever's left out from the Fields/Ramirez/Getz group, but you would be "selling low" on any of those three and not getting much of a return. If they're playing well, no need to trade them, obviously. Beckham for Halladay.

Your opinions are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

When I am king you will be first against the wall.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ May 6, 2009 -> 03:17 PM) I'd say Dye and Thome are likley goners worst case scenario. Dotel's contract is decent enough to have around, and i can't imagine anyone taking Contreras off our hands. Dotel's contract ends after this year, that's why he'd be a goner. Jose...well, if we're looking to simply shed salary at that point, if he's managed to push his ERA down to 5 or below then he's worth at least a little, if we perhaps chip in some fraction of the money.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ May 6, 2009 -> 03:11 PM) I don't think the Sox trade Dye for an outfielder, unless he is a secondary part. If KW trades Dye, it's for a starting pitching prospect. Depends on how aggressive Kenny winds up being. If things go really bad, Dye, Thome, Dotel, Contreras are all potential "try to move them to save money" options for this year alone.

QUOTE (ROC Sox Fan @ May 6, 2009 -> 03:09 PM) Anyone else here that LT guy talking about how Thome should lay down a bunt? Entertaining radio. Really, if there's no one on base, the shift is on, and he thinks he can run it out, why not put one down the third base line? It's a 2.000 OPS play if he gets it past the pitcher. I think I saw Ortiz do it a couple years ago.

QUOTE (TitoMB345 @ May 6, 2009 -> 03:06 PM) I wish I knew what time these posts were made at. Whats the latest? 8:21 PM CST. Rain.

This doesn't look like it's changed at all from 2 hours ago.

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ May 6, 2009 -> 02:26 PM) Which you than have to look at the Redsox and Braves. But to be fair, besides the Kenny Williams jr, pick I really thought the Whitesox did an outstanding job in last years draft, so lets just hope that it wasnt a fluke and we have 2 good drafts in a row. Even the Braves though have had some down years over the last couple...and to be frank, when you don't have to worry about having to draft a #1, 2, or 3 starting pitcher for 10 years, that helps also.

Someone is getting the message.

Maine has made it official with a signature from the state's Governor. Interestingly, I believe ME is now the first state to legalize it without having any impetus to do so come from a court.