Balta1701

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 04:20 PM) Hearing about Colon's velocity, I too am annoyed that the Sox didn't end up signing him on a minor league deal. Worst situation is that Danks starts the season off in AAA. If Floyd doesn't start well, he could be released, and then you call up Danks, if Colon has shown that he can pitch ok. Uribe wasn't very good defensively last season. RZR of below .900, and Orlando Cabrera had something around .975 IIRC. Quite a difference. Just showed how lazy Juan was last season I guess. Richar he is beating out because Richar hasn't been healthy with his back and the visa issues, while Ramirez was always going to start in AAA because of his rustiness defensively. Just seems like Uribe may win 2nd base by default. I think another part of the story as to why no one else was signed was that the team probably does have some confidence in one out of Broadway, Sisco, Egbert, Masset, or Haeger being able to step in if one of the rotation guys goes down. People are pissed enough about the money being spent on Crede and Uribe, I can imagine how annoyed people would be if the team signed a pitcher for $3 million only to see him released mid-May because the guys we have are actually doing their job. But at some level, I do think that Uribe, Danks, and Floyd do have some similarities, because there is actually a line forming behind all of them. You don't necessarily know what you have in any of the guys in those lines yet, but there is some depth at each of those spots. If Richar had a good spring, he'd have deserved the 2nd base spot after his work last season. But he's been hurt, so Uribe gets put in the "Last chance" boat along with Floyd, probably Masset, maybe MMac, etc.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 03:48 PM) Well, it's possible that the slider doesn't exist/is being greatly exaggerated. Wouldn't be the first time we were...mistaken like with Masset's fastball. How were we mistaken? KW said he was just a step below Jenks in velocity, and I think that turned out completely correct. It may have been correct because of Bobby's dropping velocity, but that doesn't mean it was incorrect.

One could actually argue that being pulled for a PH earlier in games by an inning or so can actually be a good thing for a pitcher, as it helps keep his pitch count from piling up earlier in the season.

QUOTE(joesaiditstrue @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 02:42 PM) back to game topic: creeping back up on haren, 4 runs is great even though it is raining No it's not great. Dan Haren clearly sucks. How dare he give up 4 runs in a spring training game!

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 02:33 PM) But show me a 10 game winner with a 5.50 ERA, I will show you a lucky man. (this is not to say that Floyd's ERA is or will be 5.50). Players in MLB last year with 10+ wins and an ERA over 5: Jeremy Bonderman Jamie Moyer Paul Maholm Dave Bush Kevin Millwood Dontrelle Willis Claudio Vargas Mike Mussina Mark Hendrickson Kameron Loe Josh Towers Byung-Hyun Kim Adam Eaton.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 02:16 PM) Yes. A few good outings does not make you not suck. Although he can now join Brian Anderson in the STHOF. And a few bad outings, especially if it's in Spring Training, does not make you suck.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 02:15 PM) I'd rather have Masset start than Floyd. And if Gavin can't cut in in April, that's exactly what the first move will be.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 02:10 PM) Jesus, you all are pathetic. He's had a great spring entering this start and had a bad outing. Big freaking deal. Whaaa...whaaa.whaaaaa. Wake me up when the season starts. On this one I'll agree. A guy has a bad outing in the spring right around the time that Steve Stone keeps telling me every pitcher goes through some version of a dead arm period, and the sky is falling and we're all doomed.

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Mar 16, 2008 -> 01:33 PM) I just think its not accurate to call a candidate we dont know of high quality. Not to mention the Rezco stuff. Im not saying he is any worse than any other candidate. IMO theyre all criminals, but he is far from the saint he tries to come across as. On the Rezko thing...Obama did as well as he possibly could on Friday to deal with that. He appears to have sat down with both the Chicago Tribune and the Sun times for several hours, told them at the start of their interviews that he would answer any question they had on the Rezko matter, and both appear to have come out satisfied.

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 05:48 PM) I may be wrong, but for a brief time wasnt this guy going around with Obama and campaigning with him? Stuff like this is so touchy because youre damned if you do, damned if you dont. This might be a little too controversial of as point but can anyone imagine what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot and either Hillary or McCain was involved in something like this. I think the double standard for stuff like this needs to be checked at the door in such a high profile situation. So like if McCain was on a stage stating how he proudly accepted the endorsement of a guy who could easily be described as an anti-catholic bigot or referred to another guy who said that the main goal of the U.S. was to "Destroy Islam" as his spiritual adviser? McCain has the exact same deals going for him, it's just less of an issue because it's ok to hate on gays, catholics, and Muslims.

QUOTE(Whitewashed in '05 @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 05:34 PM) After all he went through the season, wouldn't it have been better just to get the shoulder surgery done and over with? I would have thought so too. But I have no idea what kind of advice he was given by his doctors or by the team doctors in terms of his rehab.

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 04:43 PM) He might not be as outspoken as this guy but you absolutely dont go to a church for 20 years if you disagree with what is preached there. Theres no way Obama is going to to publicly admit he agrees with it thought because that would be suicide during an election. The difference is...for about the last 10-15 years, as a politician on the south side of Chicago, it's been to his benefit to be seen as on the side of this preacher, because he is a popular figure on the south side who has been a good organizer, who has a strong connection with the people, there, etc. So, one could argue on one side that he had little choice but to be there because of the fact that he was a politician working in that preacher's area who couldn't afford to denoucne him. On the other hand, you could point out that the guy was a key figure in Obama's rise on the South Side, so it's more than just a religious connection, there are political connections there as well.

Thanks again for 05 Neal. Stone says Thome told him before the game that he was starting to feel it. I was thinking he might when he took that walk earlier. That settles that.

QUOTE(joemg311 @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 02:32 PM) I just realized I havn't seen or heard about Toby Hall Playing all spring. Is he Hurt or something? If so who whos going to be the back up cetcher. I though I did a pretty good job keeping up with the sox news... whats going on? Hall made his first start yesterday against the A's. They've been taking him as slowly as they can to allow him a chance to rebuild the strength in his shoulder.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 01:49 PM) Uribe looks like he put on some weight this off season ... again. "Wow Juan, have you gotten stronger? Well, I have been eating more."

Jason B. singles, Uribe scores, beating Fukudome's throw. 2-2-.

Uribe with a 1 out double over Fukudome's head.

Cubs take a 2-1 lead.

QUOTE(Controlled Chaos @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 01:33 PM) I didn't think he was that complimentary. Hawk said what a pleasnt surprise Brian's been. Ozzie said yeah, bout time. We been waiting a long time for this kid. but yeah he's matured and playing well...and something about him playing better when players start passing him up. He making ozzies job hard...or er easy if he keeps playing like this. he has good chance to make the club if he keeps this up. I don't know..I was hoping for a bit more of an endorsement. He doesn't deserve an endorsement yet. There's still 2+ weeks or so remaining in March. He has to keep it up. His endorsement comes if he's in CF on opening day.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 01:26 PM) Wow, Oz very complimentary of BA. Do tell?

Thanks to the plummetting dollar"]Thanks to the plummetting dollar, [/url]the Eurozone now has a higher GDP than the U.S.

Well, that's my first half inning listening to Stone/Farmer...and so far, I like what I hear.

Scott Kazmir will miss his opening day start due to elbow soreness. John Lackey will miss the opening of the season and is out 3-4 weeks.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Mar 15, 2008 -> 12:52 PM) Something like this: I know the kind of work you're referring to. I just also would add that personally, no matter how much work I did, I couldn't really add muscle or strengthen areas like that no matter how much weight training I did until I started approaching my mid 20's. Depending on how Sweeney develops he might be in the same boat.