Balta1701

The WaPo has a disturbing, if unsurprising, bit this morning on the response of the Dems in Congress to the Administration's torture plans. Back in 2002, the Post says that Congressmen including Rockerfeller, Harman, and Pelosi were directly briefed on the Administration's plans for "Enhanced interrogations" of the sort that are seemingly so bad that the CIA makes videotapes of them disappear so that the people beating the Hell out of these detainees don't wind up going to prison themselves, and other than writing 1 complaint memo, the people in question did absolutely nothing in reply. They didn't object, they didn't hold hearings, they didn't blow the whistle, they didn't make any public statements exposing what the Administration was doing, they went completely along for the ride and just agreed with whatever the Administration said. Couple of reactions from the usual suspects here if you want more. Greenwald Digby One of the front page Daily Kos writers.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Dec 9, 2007 -> 02:45 PM) Jerry Owens had had 1 month in the major leagues with an OBP higher than .333. To say its reasoanble to expect a .350 OBP from him is unreasonable. Jerry Owens has had what, less than 3 full months in the big leagues, and in 1 of those 3 months he put up a .396 OBP and in another he put up that .333 OBP you mentioned? My point is pretty simple. Post All Star Break last year, he put up a .340 OBP in essentially his first continuous half season where he was starting most of the time. The jump from .340 to .350 is not huge and is something he should be expected to do just from learning the league better (indeed, his walk rate did in fact improve from July to Aug/September and it's visible in the stats). Is it possible he won't put that up? Of course. But even a cursory reading of his stats suggests that it is certainly reasonable that he would, and you would really, really have to be determined that he was bad to find a way to spin those numbers to suggest it's impossible.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 9, 2007 -> 02:45 PM) Well maybe they need to look at canning Randy Mueller instead. They've had years to fix the O-Line and never done it. They've got an aging defense, and I think they'll be down the bottom for the next couple of seasons as well. Maybe I just don't rate Cameron though. Hey, you're talking to an IU Alum from when he was there. That guy was a great coach for the offense. He just couldn't figure out anything about how to recruit or build a defense. The last 2 years where we had Randle El, we were probably 2-3 decent defensive players away from the Rose Bowl, but we never had jack on D. Anyway, I still think you have no choice but to give him a couple years. If you're hiring a guy, you really have no idea how he's going to be at key things like drafting and player development for a couple years down the road, esp. if he drafts a QB his first year.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Dec 9, 2007 -> 02:36 PM) Idonno how you can justify firing a first year coach. Especially when you trade 2 of your better recievers in an already depleted offense and have no legit QB, one of the worse O-Lines in the game, and your 1 star player(ronnie brown) is out for season. Well, the Raiders did it last year, but that's the Raiders, and they were re-hiring Art Shell. If you're hiring a 1st time head coach, I don't see how you can give him less than 4 years reasonably. It often takes that long just to draft, find, and develop a QB, let alone building a functioning system. Hell, people before the season were talking about canning Crennel in Cleveland, and he's had to deal with what, his 2 last top draft picks going down with injuries the last couple years?

QUOTE(joeynach @ Dec 9, 2007 -> 02:29 PM) Is owens a lock for a .280 AVG with a .350 OBP?? He's certainly not a lock for it. But those numbers are certainly within reason for what we can expect from him if he has a decent year. He could be better than that, he could be worse than that, that's baseball.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Dec 9, 2007 -> 01:59 PM) Is Jerry Owens ever going to be close to having a .397 OBP in a season as Willits had this year? I seriously doubt that. If JO managed to hit .330+, I could see him putting that up. But even as one of the guys who wants to see him starting this year, I'll say that's clearly beyond what we could expect from him. If he ever put up those numbers in a season, we should trade him immediately at the end of that season, because I really doubt he'd pull off those numbers more than once.

In 2004, CBS rejected an attempt by Move-on.org to put up an ad during the Super Bowl. Moveon complained, but CBS held its ground and the ad moved to CNN. In 2006, NBC rejected another ad from Moveon. Each time, the networks said that they would reject issue-related ads on from controversial groups or on controversial topics. Also in 2006, all of the networks rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ. Whether or not you agree with their policy, it at least seems that they were sticking to the policy. If a group was controversial or their message was controversial at all, then the networks were rejecting them. Well, at least if it was a left-leaning group that is.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 9, 2007 -> 08:58 AM) This guy's almost assuredly going to be prosecuted, and most likely convicted. The only question mark, I think, is if the jury gets loaded with types like him. Its possible he could get off with some sort of hung jury. This is the type of case that jurors sometimes use to grasp onto a societal "point". This would be one of those cases where the prosecutor would do well to try to make sure he has a jury that has no concept of Juror nullification.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Dec 8, 2007 -> 02:08 PM) Just got back from The Golden Compass (I see about a movie a week at minimum, so there really wasn't much else to see). Wasn't bad. Along the same lines as the Chronicles of Narnia, but I liked it more probably because it wasn't as long. I guess this movie will be another trilogy or something. Supposedly it could be if things work out at the box office. It might be interesting to see how they could possibly do that though. IIRC from what I've read about that film, the books were originally strongly anti-religious, and IIRC anti-christian, but they tried hard to edit those parts out of the movie to try to keep from pissing off the religious folk. But the 3rd one I think literally takes place in Hell and God is revealed to be a fraud in that one. That's some hard editing work.

QUOTE(Chet Lemon @ Dec 8, 2007 -> 07:38 AM) predictably, more stuff thrown at Huckabee from his past: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politic...hi_tab01_layout Well, one does have to think that if the press literally has only a month between a guy appearing as one of the "top tier" candidates and the nomination being decided, one of two things is going to happen. There's either going to be a surge in oppo research hitting the wires about him right before the nomination as people look for things to derail him, or there's going to be a bunch of stuff hanging around that will make easy attack ads from 527 groups when the general election hits. Honestly, if the situation were reversed and I was a Rep voter, even one leaning to Huckabee, I'd rather see this stuff coming out before the caucuses rather than after.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Dec 8, 2007 -> 02:52 AM) he is going nowhere quickly He's a free agent at the end of 2008.

Well, it would give Anderson or Owens a chance to earn the job, since he's suspended for 1/3 of the season for Amphetamines. And they might get to keep the job permanently when he tests positive again.

QUOTE(G&T @ Dec 8, 2007 -> 08:15 AM) I'm not saying that Roberts wasn't (or isn't) using roids but 8 of the 18 hr's in 2005 were in April. Those numbers look a bit more consistent if you take out that month. I'm sure teams are skeptical though, especially at the price the Orioles will most likely ask for. Part of me thinks this is exactly what baseball deserves...having every person who has a power surge accused of steroid abuse. I will say this, I wouldn't want to pick him up before the Mitchell report comes out, but I'd say that about almost anyone.

QUOTE(toasty @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:21 PM) I wish people would quit saying that trading Konerko is an option. Unless he is injured and production tanks, Konerko is here till he either A ) he dies B ) he retires, or C ) refuses to sign a new contract when current one is up. He's the captain, folks. like it or not. Honestly, with another 60 win disaster shaping up come June, I could certainly see KW being daring enough to trade his captain if a real offer came along. I just don't think that right now anyone is going to give up what we'd want in return for him because no one would be convinced that we'd be mailing this season in for prospects.

QUOTE(scenario @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:11 PM) He's NOT going to jail before the end of the 2008 season... if he goes at all. His trial isn't even likely to begin until after the 2008 season... even if there is a trial... which there may not be. IMO, the only way there isn't a trial is if Bonds reaches a plea deal. Which I think he's too arrogant to do.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:07 PM) Also: the LF production for as "little" as Bonds will make will be phenomenal. IFF...he stays healthy and doesn't wind up in jail And if his production stayed the same if pitchers actually pitched to him and tried to get him out rather than pitching around him to get to the nobody behind him in S.F.'s lineup.

QUOTE(scenario @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 08:06 PM) Beane is counting on lots of San Fran fans driving across the bridge to see Barry rather than going to watch the pathetic Giants. And they probably will. And a lot of other people, like me if I were up there, would stay the Hell away from A's games because of that chemistry experiment.

QUOTE(Vance Law @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 07:38 PM) At what point do players need to be protected on the 40-man roster? After a certain number of years? At what point can one be taken in the AAA draft? Major League draft? Via the Wikipedia:

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 05:31 PM) That's moneyball, baby. Jack Cust at $500k >>>>> Barry Bonds at $5,000,000 or $10,000,000, whatever he's asking for, if you're playing moneyball, baby.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 07:01 PM) It's .277/.338/.451 to be exact. And as much as I'd like to see that from Richar, I definitely wouldn't bet on it. That would be my optimistic prediction. I found so many of James' offensive projections to be that way. Richar has a career minor league ISO of .149 with over 1500 ABs in two of the most notorious hitter-friendly leagues (CAL and PCL). He's going to increase that ISO by almost 30 points in his first full major league season? If it makes you feel any better, here are Danny's numbers for last September (as he is ungodly raw coming up, having really started playing MLB baseball at age 18 when the D-Backs signed him, his numbers might be expected to improve fairly dramatically with playing time: Sept: .260 .294 .458 .752 Aug: .195 .290 .366 .656 I certainly wouldn't rule out that nearly .800 OPS that James puts up, based on his numbers this Sept. He is a notorious streak hitter in the minors. He struggled in August when he came up, which even those of us who really liked that trade predicted, because he was really raw. In early Sept., he got really, really hot for 2 weeks, put up a >900 OPS for about 2 weeks, then tailed off. There's nothing stopping Danny from putting up those September numbers, or better for a full year. If he can break his bad streaks, he can easily put up a >.850 OPS for a full year. He's raw enough that he's hard to project. Hopefully, his September numbers will be what we look at as the baseline for the rest of his career.

I want the Colbert Report back.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 04:00 PM) I can't believe anyone would want the team to spend $$$$ on a CFer when Brian Anderson is there for so much less. Screw these $18 mil players, we need Brian Anderson and his livable contract. What a bargain! Tex, when's the last time I told you how much I despise you?

QUOTE(G&T @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 01:02 PM) Score is reporting that the Cubs are ready to outspend everyone for Fukudome. No numbers given, but now I'm curious to see what they spend on him. Offer him 4/52 and see if the Cubs beat it.

QUOTE(max power @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 12:48 PM) My problem with that is it doesn't make owens seem like a better choice unless he somehow got a competant arm. It remains my contention that yes, BA has a clearly higher ceiling than JO. However, I also contend that the best way for BA to reach that ceiling, if he ever does, is to start off this season getting regular at bats. He missed so much time last year, he'll need that just to get re-adapted to facing live pitching. He has 2 different tasks; learn to fix his swing issues, and learn how to hit against live pitching again. I think his best chance to do that is to start off playing every day at AAA. He comes out and finds that AAA level form we saw in 05, then maybe we work him in during the season and see if he can't succeed on this attempt. But there's no reason to throw him into the fire yet.

QUOTE(heirdog @ Dec 7, 2007 -> 09:59 AM) So it would take Fields, Gio, Danks, DLS, Sweeney and Anderson to get Bedard? If we can pull Gio out or get Markakis added, then I might still be fine with that. But from Angelos' history, our package would probably be laughed at as he would want even more. If they are asking for Kershaw, I really don't think there's anything we have that would be a match. Even DLS isn't considered at that level yet. A dominant year at AA next year would push him upwards, but Kershaw is a nearly MLB ready left hander and is considered by many the best pitching prospect in the minors. If that's their price, we really don't have anything to talk about.