Balta1701

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 7, 2009 -> 05:09 AM) Well, no matter how we "spin" it, as Viciedo/Marquez for Swisher, it's going to be remembered for how Swisher and Marquez to respectfully...and perhaps for continued CF problems in Chicago as well. You're saying that we didn't have CF problems WHILE Nick Swisher was here?

I don't have an opinion on this yet, but this is some food for thought. The Obama team's ban on lobbyists is making it fairly hard for the Obama campaign to find good people. Especially in the Treasury Department, which is a little busy right now for some reason and is very much understaffed.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 07:04 PM) But why do they have to be federally funded? If this is such a promising field, why isn't there more private money going there? There certainly already is a lot of money going in to that research. it's fairly easy to find examples of it on the google. What's important to understand though is how the dividing line between what public spending and what private spending does in these sorts of research projects. The reality is though that applications of embryonic stem cell research are still fairly far off, the processes for creating them and using them are still poorly developed, etc. There's still good amounts of money put in, but private funding just doesn't do the basic research that allows you to understand things like what causes a stem cell to assume a certain function. The government tends to pick up the funding for that research because it's not directly going to go towards a profitable treatment in the near future, but long-term it could lead to dozens of uses if its developed.

QUOTE (striker62704 @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 06:51 PM) I've never heard of Kroeger but he had solid AAA numbers. It's hard to know what to make of Kroeger's minor league numbers. He was a high school draftee who raced up through the D-Backs system, but then he hit the big leagues for a brief stint as a 21 year old and then completely fell apart in AAA the next 2 years before he wound up a free agent signing with the Cubs. So what the real version of him is, it's just hard to say.

To change the subject a little bit, there's something of an insider-leak movement that is starting to step up against Michael Steele after his performances over the last month or so. His former foes in the RNC race have come out publicly with statements against him, and the insiders are leaking more detailed statements and talking about replacing him.

Stewart again on Letterman last night.

I've driven by this development a couple times, even before the drug war broke out, and even though the beach was nice, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why someone would want to actually live in a luxury development in this area.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:48 PM) There's absolutely nothing wrong with using a teleprompter, notes, script whatever. But, isnt it kind of ironic then how he praised as this 'great orator' if he truly NEEDS a teleprompter to speak well? To me, it doesnt add up. Regardless, this is so insignificant. It's just fishing for a reason to b**** IMO Did Lincoln wing it on the Gettysburg address or did he have pre-written copies?

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:41 PM) The game I saw on Sunday would make me disagree. He was swinging at everything. Any reports on Quentin's health so far this year? Oh, and seeing Beckham, Ramirez, Quentin, and Viciedo bat in an inning is definitely boner-inducing. Quentin has said he's fine for months and we haven't heard anything negative about him rehabbing or complaining about hurt. His timing just looks to be off to me.

This pitcher has a lot of break working on his curve ball

Viciedo coming up for Thome!

There's the Alexei I remember.

Beckham could use another 10 lb on his frame I'd say.

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:21 PM) Something no one talks about with Fields last year is the human aspect of it. He had an extremely promising 2007 campaign, and then he gets sent back to the minors. We know he's a very spiritual, emotional guy, and that couldn't have been easy on him. Then he hurts his knee/leg, and he's having to play on one leg. When they interviewed him during an Okl St football game this season, he said people had no idea how injured he was. I got the impression from press reports he hasn't been fully healthy since 2006.

Anderson doesn't look nearly as balanced in his swing this spring as he did last spring.

Come on Brian, another hit here from you...

QUOTE (fathom @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:11 PM) Exhibit A for why it's not a bad thing to lose a lot of games once your season is over, from a competitive standpoint. Would you rather us have lost a couple more games and be holding Tim Beckham?

Joshua Fields Forever

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:12 PM) Beckham is a MLB ready hitter right now, Im sure of it. How much can you judge based on people's performance this early in ST?

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:08 PM) I in no way agree with him but Murph dubbed it the best Chicago trade of the last 10 years. Jose Contreras then ran up to him and kicked him. Repeatedly. Then he insisted his ankle was still fine and ran away.

Beckham in an RBI slot...

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:06 PM) Yes, but that is a part of making a trade. You could also say that Kenny wouldn't have gotten Gavin Floyd if his head was clear. For whatever reason he was out there, Marquez was available. Ok, in terms of "Raw overall value to the rest of the league at the time of the deal" KW gave up more to get Swisher than he got back. But if Marquez keeps up pitching the way he currently is, then if you view the trade "In hindsight" I'll give us the win given DLS's injury problems and Swisher's, um, issues.

THAT'S BETTER BRIAN.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 12:43 PM) The question really becomes, do you believe the package we sent to Oakland is better than the package we got from the Yankees? In terms of "total trade value now" if you offered up the exact same package, Gio + Sweeney would probably outweight Betemit + Nunez + Marquez. But, Marquez was only available because of injury. In a couple weeks, if Marquez is performing like he currently is...that will switch around rapidly.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 11:15 AM) I think the pen shakes out to be: Jenks Linebrink Dotel Thornton Richard Carrasco Marquez Wassermann, Russell and German to AAA. At this point there's a number of guys still in the running I'm sure. Nunez has to be on the list. Perhaps German as well. Still not enough innings amongst some of these guys to even wager a guess on my part. They may well want Marquez stretched out in the event that Colon or Contreras can't go one week, where he can step right in without having to eat up the pen.