Balta1701

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 10:02 AM) He's got a better environmental record than the rest of them. He's more clearly and definitely anti-torture. He's been willing to write bills with and work with members of the other party in the Senate. He's against a constitutional ban on gay marriage. He's more moderate on immigration. He made an attempt, albeit a failed one, to reform campaign finance. Those are some of the big ones. I'd just like to point out...how in the world did we get to an era where being anti-torture was a position held by 1 party and not the other? Sorry to interject, just had to.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:57 AM) Again, McCain has accepted public financing. He's limited in what he can spend. At least according to this Kos post, which I think sums up McCain's financial situation pretty well but is from a partisan blog and which therefore may still have an error or two, he still hasn't accepted any matching funds due to a shortfall in funds in the matching fund system until this year's tax returns get processed...and therefore, he can still opt out of that system.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:57 AM) In the lasy few months, I've probably been more critical of GWB than you have. The f***er scares me. I mentioned a few days ago that I wouldn't be shocked to see him pull some s*** to try and stay in power. I'd almost be willing to bet that a major offensive action against Iran occurs before he leaves office. With Senator McCain on the ticket...I think the worry of that is lessened. That'll be part of McCain's first 100 days.

God our drafting sucks. Our guys only filled up 4 of Billy Beane's top 10 spots! Sure, you may argue that he only has 5 of our guys, but still, I want guys we draft to fill all 10 of those spots on the A's!

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:53 AM) If Obama wins the nomination, maybe. And yes, I'm including, but not limiting this to the race card. But Hillary sends the moderates to McCain. In 2004, Kerry won the independent/moderate vote by quite a bit IIRC, but it wound up being Rove's base turnout strategy that won the day.

FWIW: BTW, I can think of one thing Trippi's wrong about. In this race there's 1 endorsement that would be more coveted than Edwards.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:50 AM) I'd love to see more guys like Lieberman who have the freedom and courage to support either party at times. Imagine if more did cross the aisles based on issues, not labels. I'm dreaming, I know. So Tex, do you feel that Mr. Lieberman and Mr. McCain are right about the Iraq war and the Iran war they'd like, that Mr. Bush's problem is that he hasn't been militaristic enough? I'm not sure how much value I place in the willingness to reach across party lines like you describe...but I do think it's worth while to judge people based on which issues they reach across party lines on. And Joe Lieberman reaches across party lines in that he wants to invade people like a Republican. Do you think that's a positive trait, wanting to invade Iran right now?

QUOTE(almagest @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:43 AM) Now you're going in the exact opposite direction, and evaluating defense as more important than offense. Swisher would have to be absolutely terrible defensively in CF to make up for the offensive difference between him and Anderson, unless Anderson miraculously turns it all around. Since we haven't seen Swisher out there, it is honestly entirely possible he could be that bad. In 06, Mackowiak basically seemed to cost us 1+ runs per game when in CF, whether the stats show it or not. Every time he was out there a ball went over his head and a run scored, or he misplayed a ball and a run scored. If Swisher's at that level, then he needs to move back to 1b or a corner position somehow, and we'll need a glove out there. It would really be nice if BA could turn things around with the bat and be that glove, but God only knows at this point. I think the fact is, we won't really know until we see how Swisher performs in CF to start the year, how Quentin performs in LF while we're at it, and how BA performs with the bat in ST and at AAA when that season starts.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:36 AM) 100% absolutely correct! Wow, Freaky, I just got Yas to agree with Feingold.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:38 AM) In other words, McCain would be the lesser of two evils. But here's the one other thing to keep in mind. In 2004, against an admittedly weak Democratic candidate who it seemed no one in the party really was fired up to vote for (he wasn't Bush and that was his best trait) Karl Rove still had to turn out an extra 1 million or so evangelical voters just to eek out a victory against Mr. Kerry. Since then, the Democrats have seemingly become much, much more motivated (Hell, they had a record primary turnout last night in Florida with no one really campaigning there!) and it seems that at least a good chunk of the party is excited by the 2 remaining candidates. If the extra voters who appeared in 04 to help push Bush over the top aren't as motivated this time around, then that could doom McCain from the start.

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:37 AM) In 2006 Brian Anderson saved at least one game that really mattered against the Indians with this glove. If he is in center and Swisher in left we will be a good team. If Owens or Swisher are in center we will be average. The affect on pitching as a result of bad defense is never really discussed. Aaron Rowand and Scott Podsednik cost Bobby Jenks a save in the World Series thus allowing a walk-off that never should happened. This is only true if Anderson can be adequate with the bat. If Swisher is at Mackowiak's level defensively, then Anderson's D out there could be useful. If Swisher is sort of average out there, maybe at the level of say Erstad last year, then Anderson would need to be pretty darn good with the bat to make up the difference. I hated Mack in CF in 06 as much as anyone, but there were 2 parts to that; Mack wasn't that great with the bat, and he was that bad defensively. And on Owens and Swisher in CF...well, last year Owens showed he was at least adequate out there. CF in Chicago is not the hardest position in the world to play, there's no crazy wind, there's not a lot of space, no crazy ivy or crazy corners or crazy bounces off the wall or anything like that. If Mr. Swisher can be average out there, then his bat is darn useful. THat's one thing to certainly keep an eye on in training camp and for the first month of the season.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:26 AM) And it better be on a "New" fashioned Bible. Just like Romney's Bible is toooo big, Lieberman's Bible is too small to pacify the Religious Right. Hopefully he still gets the SecDef job under President McCain, and at least we can get a decent Senator up in that state.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:19 AM) McCain needs a good old fashioned bible thumper to be his running mate. He needs someone to pacify the religious right who hate him. Huckabee fits that mold...but here's the thing to remember. McCain's 72 years old and he's been running a highly stressful set of jobs (i.e. 2 presidential campaigns and the Senate) for the last 9 years. There's a real good shot that whoever he picks as his VP is going to wind up running the country for a while.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 09:12 AM) I'm actually glad we didn't sign hunter. It would have been nice to still have Gio and DLS in our organization, but given the contract and his age, the big league squad is certainly better off with Swisher for the next 4 years.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jan 30, 2008 -> 08:51 AM) Well we had a poster on this site say they would rather have Buerhle than Johan. If you were constrained by salary, you could certainly make an argument that MB at $13 million a year is more valuable to a team than Johan at $25 million a year. For a team like the Mets clearly they take the better pitcher because they can afford him. The more the salary impinges upon you though, the more you have to worry. Here's one way to think about that. Who wins you more games, Johan Santana plus a $1 million 1st baseman (Ross Gload, Doug Mientkiewicz or someone of that ilk) or Mark Buehrle + Paul Konerko? If you have the salary available to go for Santana and Delgado fine, but if you don't, then it probably makes more sense to spread it around. Unless you have a sh*tload of young guys.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 29, 2008 -> 10:36 PM) I don't think Lieberman is that stupid. Regardless of what happens on the Presidential level, odds are a stronger Dem majority in the Senate. That kind of betrayal would wind up with a Lieberman stripped of all seniority. Sometimes I don't even think the citation is necessary.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 29, 2008 -> 08:25 PM) McCain As Joe Scarborough said it tonight....less jobs and more wars.

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Jan 29, 2008 -> 07:35 PM) Where can I find info on where Bloomburg stands on the issues? You really can't. He's the golden boy of a certain segment of the media who thinks that everything would be great if we'd just listen to someone in the center, but he really hasn't put out anything remotely concrete in terms of national policy.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 29, 2008 -> 07:44 PM) I am thinking a Fred Thompson endorsement for McCain isn't too far behind either. It's still nap time. He had to campaign for a few hours a day for like 6 months. That takes a lot out of a guy.

Is there anyone here who is either actually: excited about voting for Hillary or even just planning to vote for Hillary at all in November?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jan 29, 2008 -> 07:12 PM) I hate her sooooo much. Its all about what benefits them in the moment. She would stab her mother if it meant getting into the Oval Office. I am really not looking forwards to 8 months of Hillary vs. McCain.

Edwards is overhauling his schedule to give a major speech of some sort in New Orleans tomorrow, supposedly focusing on poverty and trying to bring it back as an issue since it wasn't featured heavily in the SOTU speech. Just an odd move for the guy...canceling events and switching locations is the kind of thing you do when you're about to drop out.

Allow me to be the first to congratulate the Republicans on having Joe Lieberman as an honored guest at your convention this fall.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jan 29, 2008 -> 06:54 PM) While you don't like Crisp with a .330 OBP, are you advocating having Orlando Cabrera and his lifetime .321 OBP leading off? Quentin appears to be a guy who could be good, but at this stage in his major league career, his offense has been a lot like Brian Anderson's, a guy half this board would give away. For what stretch in the big leagues did Anderson put up an .870 OPS and 9 home runs?