Balta1701

Don't know if I've seen a change, but this is one fascinating story.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:20 PM) we'll see, I think Vaz is next to be dealt, also sounds like they'll still shop Dye... I know I'm going to get ripped apart, but if Dye goes I want the Sox to make a run at Dunn For that quality of defense, yes you're going to get Ripped. If Thome goes then I won't complain, but you don't sign Dunn to play the field. Not unless you're just suicidal.

QUOTE (Paint it Black @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:19 PM) Am I the only one who kind of likes this trade? Okay yes, it sucks dumping a guy after giving up prospects to the A's last year (although De Los Santos is really the only guy who could come back and bite them) but lets face it, Swish was a guy without a position on this team who's numbers had fallen off significantly. Kind of likes? Sure. Absolutely pumped? No, but I think many of us can go with "kind of likes". We add a potential 5th starter to compete with Richard, we add more depth to the infield and give us a better 2b/ss option if Nix/Getz struggle, we clear some salary, we clear some much needed room in the bloody crowded outfield, and we get rid of a guy who was just bad for us last year. Plenty of reason to be concerned or dislike this move also, but kind of likes...sure.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:18 PM) I heard a comparison to Carlos Silva. Not sure i like that. For a guy multiple years before arbitration when you already have 3 much better pitchers as your top 3 guys...a Carlos Silva isn't a bad thing. You don't spend $10 million a year on Carlos Silva if you're smart, but they're useful when you develop them.

So does Marquez have a chance to compete for the 5th starter spot in ST?

Best part of that article:

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:06 PM) Like someone seeing a particular playing doing blow off of a stripper's chest in the locker room after a minor league game? Are we still talking about Swisher?

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 02:01 PM) Thank you Sir Balta. I don't like these types of sweeping statements. If he gets hammered every night, it doesn't really matter... but the way that statement was written, as fact, without anything to back it up, was a joke. One of the benefits of a board like this one is that there are some people who have various connections to people around the league or around the team, so we can occasionally be privy to more rumors that may have a level of truth. It's however up to each person to decide how much they want to believe. If a person makes a statement like that, then they feel like it's information that other people might be interested in but they don't want/need to reveal their sources since it's just a bloody message board.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 01:59 PM) In all seriousness, would you like to back up this slanderous allegation? In writing it's Libel.

QUOTE (fathom @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 01:54 PM) Now that I know the trade is legit, I will say that PEDs was not the only issue Swisher had off the field. For his sake, I hope he cleans up his act. Yowza.

God, sometimes I just love that telescope. The Hubble has returned the first ever confirmed images of an extra-solar planet.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 01:43 PM) The Sox would need to make acquisitions at 3B and CF still in that scenario. Do not count out Brian Anderson yet. KW has traded to open room for him before, and that was before he learned how to hit the occasional major league baseball.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 11:37 AM) The problem with the vote is these 500 or so votes have come after 100% of precincts reporting. This happens in every election, since we have so many disjointed, independent, poorly regulated systems. It's typically just not noticed because the margins are usually much larger.

Hey is our Aussie still in Australia? Because I'm in the background behind a blonde Australian reporter today.

AIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 09:42 AM) Bulls signed Lindsey Hunter today Great! Our new center!

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 05:55 AM) You don't think his agent will want a major league contract with a waiver similar to what the Japanese players usually get that allows them out of that process? His agent isn't going to allow him to be under the control of a team for 6 years. He's 19. If he's under control for 6 years, he hits FA when hes' 25. In other words, you do a chunk of his development in AA and maybe AAA depending on how long he takes, and you're either trading him or letting him walk for nothing because you have to cut him and you don't even get draft picks. I haven't yet seen a 19 year old who's worth that. Maybe he is. But even the most highly, highly, highly touted 19 year olds wind up taking a couple years to grow in to their body and their "Potential". If someone's going to pay for his development and then let him walk for nothing, let that team take that gamble. It doesn't make sense for a team like the White Sox to spend 2-3 years developing a kid for a lot of money only to have him walk after they get barely a season out of him.

So, the 2 supposed "go here if you're ever in Philly and want a cheesesteak" places are Geno's and Pats.

I know the Padres aren't exactly strong at 2b either, but I wonder if picking up Escobar would immediately put Greene on the market to get someone to take the salary off their hands.

If you have a few minutes (Californians can read it while ducking and covering!) I highly recommend this moderate length tale of how badly the banking industry f***ed this entire country over.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Nov 13, 2008 -> 09:10 AM) My mother-in-law (born and raised in Iowa) HATES Vilsack. Said he was a horrible Gov. FWIW, I don't hate the guy personally...but I really don't want to see yet another "Corn subsidies" guy running that department.

Good work Congress. I'm sure we can totally trust this administration to administer the money effectively. Why, they haven't made a single mistake in 8 years, just ask them.

I think I've said a couple times in this thread, this event they're simulating is not a "Worst case scenario" type event. They're estimating 5 buildings coming down, they're estimating 6 months or more with no running water, a month or two with no electricity, a thousand fires, and, assuming everyone gets medical attention rapidly, 1800 deaths. Now, how is this not a worst case scenario? Well, let me count the ways. First and foremost, they're assuming medical attention arrives rapidly. Between the roads being impassible and hospitals being overwhelmed, this is unlikely on its surface. But even worse...the U.S. medical care system is already a shambles. Give you an example. There are 3 emergency care facilities in the Coachella valley near Palm Springs, where the epicenter of this event is located. They operate at basically 100% capacity on a normal day. They simply do not have added capacity, beds, or doctors to call up if an event like this one hits. And frankly, the inhabitants of the Palm Springs area, which is one of the hardest hit areas, tend to be a little more elderly than your average population, and might be at elevated risk because of it. Secondly...this is not the worst possible set of events you could get on the San Andreas. It turns out that the direction the earthquake propagates affects how much energy gets dumped in to the L.A. basin. If the rupture starts in the north by chance, and propagates south, it has the ability to do a lot more damage than this. Double up everything, from bridge collapses to building collapses to potentially even casualties. Finally...probably the worst case scenario imaginable would be for the event to actually happen today. They're assuming for this practice run that there is no Santa Ana wind condition arising after the quake strikes. Tomorrow, there's possibility for 60 mph winds, less than 10% humidity, and temperatures over 90 degrees. The quake itself, through gas line ruptures, electric line breaks, car accidents, etc., sets off something in the area of 1000+ individual fires. If you take those conditions and add an intense Santa Ana wind to them....for all practical purposes, the Los Angeles Basin burns itself to the ground. There aren't firefighters to stop the blaze, there's no water to put it out, and it just jumps from structure to structure. Even without the added difficulties, when this fault goes, it's likely to be the worst disaster in U.S. history by every method of counting. The best way to make sure you're not a statistic is to make sure you're prepared. Stockpile water, please. Have some canned goods stored somewhere. Make sure you know where your families will be in the event that it goes. And get yourself underneath the heaviest desk you can find. In about an hour, I'm going to be carrying practice bodies across campus. I'm told the governor may be paying us a visit today, along with some other officials from FEMA. Should be a fascinating morning.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Nov 12, 2008 -> 07:17 PM) The same thing as a Jesus fish, someone's expression of what they believe. Just like a Jesus fish, a dawrin fish doesn't try to convert people. Interesting. I asked that question to see if you followed the same line of thinking and you did. I like the consistency. I'm going to go slap my Darwin fish back on my Civic.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Nov 12, 2008 -> 07:13 PM) Putting a jesus fish on the back of your car is completely different than putting out ads on buses telling people pretty much that there is no need for god. Man, those two things aren't even comparable. If anything, a jesus fish is an expression of someone's belief in god while this stupid bus ad is trying to convert people to atheism. What do you consider a Darwin fish to be?