Balta1701

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 11:49 AM) Texas and Ohio could end this mess now... Well, now = 2 weeks from last Tuesday.

I'm away from the desk for an hour at the gym, I come back, and I can tell that there's been an earthquake, most likely in the U.S., at least of magnitude 5, within the past couple hours based solely on the number of news trucks parked outside my department.

The New Republic has pushed out its story on the deliberations at the NYT over running the McCain story, which is supposedly the article that pushed the NYT to publish today.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 09:48 AM) Even if Floyd is out of options, he could always be sent to the 'pen for mop-up duty if he isn't ready for the #5 spot. And if Colon sucks in ST, he can either be cut or put on the DL with some sort of fake injury. If he hasn't found his velocity by the end of April, they can cut him. Of course...the other problem with that statement is that our pen is now pretty darn full. In fact, we have more pitchers out there than we have spots for. Jenks, Thornton, MMac, Dotel, Linebrink, Logan...Wasserman, and Masset. And for the icing on the cake...Masset is also out of options, and lord knows we're not going to want him walking for nothing either. So Wasserman is probably the odd man out as the righty with minor league options left, so I think he'll start the season in the minors. But if you want to stick Floyd out there...either you do so and wind up with only 1 lefty because you send Logan down as he's the only other guy with options remaining, or you cut Masset. In other words, thanks to the Dotel signing, the bullpen isn't an option for these guys either until rosters expand/someone hits the DL.

QUOTE(shipps @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 08:41 AM) That is impressive.I really thought they were going to miss and call the mission inconclusive. It stopped raining, so we were ok.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 09:25 PM) Richar having visa problems? Thats just gotta be stupidity because hes already been in the US. The U.S. government keeps changing the visa rules, and I'm pretty sure Richar isn't the only MLB regular currently having problems.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 09:24 AM) I see your point, but I don't see why that means that Danks would automatically be sent down. If Mark, Javy, Jose, and Bartolo can't be sent down, that still leaves the #5 spot open for Danks. Or is Floyd or somebody that I'm not aware of out of options? Yes, Gavin Floyd is out of options. And unless some team comes walking up to the Sox with some crazy deal for Floyd, as much time as they've invested in him, as much as they've tried to build him up, they're not dumping him.

QUOTE(shipps @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 08:15 AM) Exactly,if he is satisfied with a minor league contract he will go wherever the hell he wants.Most of the teams in the league would give him a minor league deal. If we give him a major league deal, we're guaranteeing that Danks will wind up in the minor leagues because we'd have to buy Colon's contract out right away to put him down in AAA for anything other than a short rehab stint. So, let's imagine this, fairly likely circumstance. Danks comes out and has an excellent spring. Works on his cutter, has success, looks better than next year. We pay Colon $4 million. Colon comes out throwing 85 and can't get anyone out. Oh, and Floyd and Contreras do fine also. If you give Bartolo a major league deal, then essentially the Sox have no choice but to put him on the major league roster right away and hope that he can work through his problems, otherwise the money was a waste. So Colon comes out and for April, and May, and part of June, goes like 1-12. Eventually we finally cut him, but we've basically destroyed our season and lost a year of arbitration eligibility for Danks in the process. Is this guaranteed? No. Colon could come out and still throw 95+ (although I think someone would have signed him if he had that left in him). But if you can't send him to the minor leagues, if you give him a major league deal with guaranteed money, you're guaranteeing him a rotation spot whether or not he earns it. It'd be just like Erstad/Anderson all over again. Danks could go the entire spring without giving up a hit or a walk and the Sox still would have to send him to the minors.

It's a left leaning blog, but I think this analysis of the McCain story and its initial impact is a good one. Key points...1. The Times still ran the story and made the affair with a lobbyist allegation in the first few paragraphs. They must believe they have something. 2. The reason it reads like such a bouncing around piece of trash is that the McCain camp's lawyers have been challenging the NYT to prevent publication for at least 2 months now. Which means that most of the claims were probably stronger, but the NYT knew that they could only push so far based on what they had. 3. Other publications were in the hunt on this story, which is why the NYT ran it now, to get it out first, even if they couldn't put out the strongest article possible because of the lawyering. 4. The McCain response, as I noted...is all bluster, but doesn't directly address the substance of the article at all, and this is worth noting. There is no "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" in the initial response from the McCain campaign. 5. This won't be the last we hear of this piece.

Kenny's face...wow...so much anger...

Statement from McCain camp. Is it worth noting that there is no explicit denial that he had an affair with the woman in that statement?

Flashback to Drudge rumor-mongering on this story 2 months ago.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 06:11 PM) That's Swish. Noooooo! Thome and swish sharing needles! But, the rules! AIEEEEEE! (If you look closely, Thome does not actually have a needle in his hand. It just looks like he's about to stab Swish's arm with something)

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 05:17 PM) And man, this isn't even a well done hatchet job. This one's pretty shoddy all around. It's the kind of stuff that really pisses me off when the WaPo throws it at Democrats. Like, in the first paragraph, they flash the word "Sex!!!" really loudly by mentioning this 40 year old female lobbyist, and then go, "now that I've got your attention, here's a rambling essay on McCain's variable relationships with lobbyists and whether or not it conflicts with his campaign finance reform schtick." The more I read this article, the more I have to think that the editors at the NYT just wouldn't have approved this article at all if they didn't honestly believe there was an actual "relationship" between McCain and that lobbyist. There must be more than they're writing here. Thehy're putting themselves in Drudge's attempted smear on Kerry territory otherwise, and they'd have to know that.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 05:08 PM) meh, just another NY times hatchet job. Who cares. Looks as if Jayson Blair working as a news content consultant. And man, this isn't even a well done hatchet job. This one's pretty shoddy all around. It's the kind of stuff that really pisses me off when the WaPo throws it at Democrats. Like, in the first paragraph, they flash the word "Sex!!!" really loudly by mentioning this 40 year old female lobbyist, and then go, "now that I've got your attention, here's a rambling essay on McCain's variable relationships with lobbyists and whether or not it conflicts with his campaign finance reform schtick."

Why is Thome sticking a needle in someone's arm? Oh No!

QUOTE(lostfan @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 04:30 PM) I wish Jerry Owens would do steroids. I'm joking but only a little. Warning track power! Btw, Steroids don't just provide power. Guys like Alex Sanchez don't use it for the power. They use them for the recovery benefits.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 04:49 PM) Kurt Thomas dealt to Spurs for Elon, Barry, and a 2nd. Nice answer by SA, Thomas can rebound and defend next to Duncan. Ouch, now the Suns have to face a guy they dealt for salary cap space.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 04:14 PM) just to add on, the ST is also quoted as saying that Jerry added 10 lbs of muscle in the off season. Why does this make me think about Willie Mays Hays, but from Major League 2?

A minor league deal and nothing more.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 02:21 PM) I'll bet you they can shoot those things in any weather if need be. Hmm, I seem to remember liberals screaming "It's completely IMPOSSIBLE to shoot a missle with a missle !" years ago. so now it's "THEY'LL NEVER GET ONE OFF IN THE RAIN!!!" I never actually thought it was impossible. I just think that it was idiotic to move the system to deployment more than a decade before it was ready. Remember, there are 3 criteria for whether or not a missile defense system is worth the money it takes to deploy it. 1. It must be highly effective under all scenarios - if an enemy thinks they can beat the system by launching when the system is inoperative, then it's useless. 2. It must be cost effective compared with the cost of an ICBM. If it costs $1 billion an interceptor and $20 million an ICBM, then all your enemy has to do is build more ICBM's and your defense system is rendered useless because you will run out of money before them. 3. It must be able to overcome countermeasures. A common technique, for example, would be to wrap the actual warhead in a mylar bubble, and place several other decoy bubbles in the same warhead, so that the interceptor loses the ability to distinguish between the real bomb and an empty bubble using visual detection. At the time of deployment, and it seems still...the current system, which we've spent tens of billions of dollars deploying, seems like it can't do any of those. A missile defense shield is a fine idea in principle. The current system is not up to the task it's been given. It should still be in the research phase.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 12:47 PM) BTW, you know, Bob Dole did the noble thing when he ran for president, he retired from the Senate. Do you think any of these three assbags would do that? Just sayin'. McCain may very well do so. He's 72 years old, and his state's law requires the governor to appoint a person from his party in the event of a vacancy IIRC.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 12:45 PM) I thought Bill lost a reelection in Arkansas And she will be around for a very long time. She may be a Teddy Kennedy-esque player, but she will be a fixture for the next couple decades. Honestly, she's an excellent candidate for Senate Majority Leader whenever Reid gives up his spot.

Blatent has progressed to be spelled "Blatant"

Sweet. Our missile defense system still can't work in the rain.