Balta1701

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Jan 22, 2008 -> 09:56 AM) cuz Aardsma doesn't cost as much at restaurants Because Aardsma has the potential to still have up-side behind him if he gets the right coach. You can still stick him in the minors for a minimum cost or put him as the 7th man out of a bullpen and try to develop him. Colon is going to cost more, is going to need time to start, is clearly on the downside of his career, and is clearly not healthy. Totally different situations. Teams don't want to waste roster spots and money on old guys who's arms are falling off. They're more than happy to waste roster spots on young, cheap guys with a small chance of turning around their careers.

QUOTE(knightni @ Jan 22, 2008 -> 09:41 AM) If he's DFA'd, someone might take his contract off of the Sox's hands through waivers. If no one claims him, he has the option of deciding whether he wants to go to AAA or not. Of couse, that all changes if he's removed from the 40 man roster. Any team out there that has room on the 40 man would be happy to have a guy with his arm. Any team with a hole at the back end of the bullpen will be happy to give him a tryout. He's yet another relief pitcher with a good shot at coming back to bite us in the arse.

I'd just like to point out one interesting thing. I think most everyone here seems to think that even GW doesn't have the cojones to try to hold onto power after his term is scheduled to end. And yet, on the other hand...that's exactly what Rudy tried to do in NYC after the attacks there. Weeks after them even.

Man that sucks. I guess now we can officially rip KW over that deal. That one really turned out horrible for both sides. And so ends the trail of people acquired in the white flag deal, I believe.

Link

Nader/Paul 08!

QUOTE(MHizzle85 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 08:01 PM) Is his contract done with at the end of the year? Yes.

QUOTE(Pods70Rowand33 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 07:46 PM) Yes, I'm watching it. Another show I like to watch on the History Channel is The Universe. I just bought the first season of it. A frightening number of faculty in my department keep showing up in that series...

QUOTE(Brian @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 07:34 PM) I'm not ready to give Carlos Quentin the starting LF spot. Fields and Crede can both start. The team has said firmly that Josh Fields will not be playing LF this season. Anyway, if the team wanted him to do so, he really needed to spend some offseason and winterball time out there, which he hasn't done...so it probably is too late to think of that any more. Either Crede is traded or Josh starts the season in AAA it appears.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 07:29 PM) Yup, I'm in total agreement. I'm getting excited cause I think we can be competitive but the rotation definitely scares the crap out of me. I for one think the rotation will be better than you think. Key to that evaluation is the fact that I think we have between 6 and 7 people who can take those 3 spots that we're so concerned about, and I think that I've seen enough from several of these guys to believe that more than 50% of them should be able to put together good seasons. I understand being concerned, but I'll fire back with an air of some confidence in these guys.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 07:23 PM) Why does Ramirez have to go on the 40-man? I assume some contract clause must require it. Otherwise I can't figure out who else would be the 40th person on the 40 man, because after checking 3 times and pasting the entire roster into Excel, I can only find 39 names on the 40 man without him, and the MLB.com article clearly states that Dotel would be 41.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 06:37 PM) Dotel would be #40...but that also doesn't count Ramirez, but who knows exactly what his status will be until opening day hits. We also have a couple guys (Aardsma, Masset) on that roster who are out of options. Actually, according to Merkin, I'm wrong, and the Sox will have to remove someone from the 40 man to sign Dotel, which is part of the holdup. But right now there's only 39 guys listed @ Whitesox.com on the 40 man, so the remaining person must be Ramirez unless I'm missing something badly.

Only reading, but it sounds from the commentary like Obama is taking a beating from both of them tonight and is on the defensive. He really needed a big win in this one tonight and it doesn't sound like he's going to get it. In other words, once again, it's over.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 06:28 PM) By my count we only have 39 now Dotel would be #40...but that also doesn't count Ramirez, but who knows exactly what his status will be until opening day hits. We also have a couple guys (Aardsma, Masset) on that roster who are out of options.

QUOTE(MHizzle85 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 05:38 PM) I wouldn't take Kwame Brown unless I know the Bulls would be able to move him, immediately. If I replaced the name "Kwame Brown" with the name "Kwame Brown's expiring contract" would you feel better?

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 04:11 PM) I'm sure you're not the only one that hears it, but the only one that will comment on it. Honestly, it's not worth a serious response. After 23 posts, someone had to say it.

Why am I the only one who hears a suggestion that we should think about Jeff Weaver who thinks "You know, I'm not sure, but I really don't think that I'd give any money for a veteran pitcher who last year went 7-13, put up a 1.53 WHIP, and a 6.20 ERA, at least until one of our pitcher's arms falls off. And that's assuming some sort of terrorist attack on our minor league affiliates. I'd rather have one of our young guys put up those numbers instead of Jeff Weaver. At least they'd have a chance at getting better if they were getting experience, and they'd cost $400k this year.

My day would be made significantly more difficult without the use of the Google. No Soxtalk option?

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 03:47 PM) I think that's a harsh generalization. It depends a lot upon the regional markets and what you're buying. I would say this is true with large, new homes more universally than older homes in established neighborhoods. Yes, it is clearly a generalization. But in general right now, there is a reasonable chance to expect that most housing markets in this country could see price declines in the next 12 months of 10% or more, depending on how bad things get. Clearly, you should evaluate the local conditions, and I can't speak to that there. For my area, out here in CA, there's a really good shot of gargantuan price drops in the next 12 months, and I think you'd have to be crazy to be looking to buy out here right now until you get some semblance of where the bottom is. If the area he's in is anywhere near where mine is, where there could be significant price drops, then you certainly have to keep that in mind. If I had bought an average place out here for $650,000 a year ago, and tried to sell it now, I might well be looking at a top selling price of $550,000, and it could well be lower by another 10% or more 12 months from now. Furthermore, another thing to keep in mind is that right now the Federal Reserve is starting a program of aggressively slashing interest rates to try to push some life back into this market. In other words, a few months down the road, it's possible that mortgage rates could be dropping by a significant amount also, which would be another reason to consider waiting a bit in my book.

QUOTE(Be Good @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 03:42 PM) Buy. With renting your money is getting thrown away. The only way I would say to rent is with the option to buy. I wouldn't plan on renting long-term, but if you expect a house you buy tomorrow to lose 10-20% of its value this year, then that's even more money being thrown away.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 03:27 PM) Our market is down 3% this morning. Dropped from 6800 in late October/November to 5450 now. I think we've officially hit a Bear Market. Predictions of hitting 5000 are coming in. They don't translate directly to the stock market, but it's probably worth noting that the futures market for the DJIA here in the U.S. is currently off by something like 500 points, suggesting a DEEP drop when things open tomorrow.

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 03:07 PM) I have to work at church tonight and then go grocery shopping, but I am recording it and plan on watching it either late tonight or sometime tomorrow morning. It would be really helpful if Hillary could slip up tonight. Like just start swearing at the Jews or something like that.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 02:27 PM) Jim Courier was on morning radio down here (he's commentating for the Aussie Open) and said even though he'll usually vote democrat, he thought Romney was the best qualified for the position because of his previous work as a C.E.O, and he also said he probably wouldn't get the job because of his religion, and he said that religion and politics shouldn't mix, but then he brought up how Bush uses god in his speeches etc. Thoughts? George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. An MBA and a CEO. Or am I the only one who remembers that slogan from 2000?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 02:26 PM) Thompson, he had a chance. ^

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jan 21, 2008 -> 02:13 PM) Sam Smith suggested Ben Wallace to L.A for Kwame Brown and Radmanovic. Would Bulls fans be interested in that? Could then offer Brown + Noc + Gordon for Gasol and Navarro maybe? Not a big fan of Radmanovic, but if it allowed us to move Wallace's contract and more importantly freed up his 30 minutes a game for the young big guys we have who are already as effective if not more so, I could put up with it.