Balta1701

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Oct 27, 2006 -> 09:52 PM) They could have turned Chicago into a hub if they used Gary. Even with airlines, everything doesn't happen instanteneously.

I won a 2Gb Ipod in a contest about 3 weeks ago. Thus far, the only things I've used it on are field trips and at the Gym. I have a portable CD player which also provides a much larger variety of MP3 play capability, and my car's CD player plays Mp3's, so even without the Ipod I'd be fine everywhere except for those 2 spots. I would not have paid more than like $30 for an Ipod of this size had I not won one, just because I don't think they're worth the cost.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Oct 27, 2006 -> 06:43 PM) Why the hell would the Royals trade DeJesus? He's one of the few bright spots they have on offense and defense as well. They're not going to hurt their team just to help the Sox. Right now the Royals have a ton of bright spots on offense. Shealy, Sweeney, Teahen, Dejesus, and a few others I'm forgetting. Their problem is their pitching staff...they look to have assembled some real talent on offense, and that may well cost us some wins next year.

Note to Ozzie.. Next year...when facing the Tigers...BUNT. I don't care who's hitting. Have Thome bunt. Make their pitchers field. Their starters will be out by inning 2.

Katie Couric interviews Michael J. Fox. She pushes him repeatedly on the whole Limbaugh issue. He sits there shuddering the whole time. Amongst many noteworthy lines..."At this point, if I didn't take my medication, I wouldn't be able to speak".

A few days ago, one of the liberal geniuses at ABC did a report on how the political ads were "getting ugly" because of that RNC ad with all the pictures of the terrorists they haven't caught threatening America. When asked to name a similarly negative ad from the other side, all that the guy could come up with was it was only a matter of time before the left would "unleash its garbage as well" (without, of course, being able to give any supporting evidence). Finally, someone actually writes the story on how much more vicious the ads from the Republican side have been. Not talking about Fox or anything like that, at least that sort of focuses on substance. Here's some of the WaPo's selections (from both sides). I like how the most vicious things they had they could hit the Dems with were ads attacking a Congressman for choking his mistress.

IOWA (Governor, open) Rasmussen. 10/19. Likely voters. MoE 4.5% (10/5 results) Culver (D) 47 (42) Nussle ® 44 (42)

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Oct 27, 2006 -> 03:13 PM) Barring some big moves their season is going to hinge on Liriano being healthy, and that's not going to happen. Honestly, I don't think it does. It'd be a big bonus to them if it happened, but I think they can get by without it. I think their performance will wind up hanging on Garza & Bonser, & Silva to some extent if he's still there. Garza & Bonser are the 2 question marks though...we know what Santana will give them, we know what their bullpen will give them, we know their offense is just going to keep getting better as long as Mauer and Morneau stay healthy and they don't start the season with Tony Batista...the question is going to be those middle-of-the-rotation starters. If those guys put up average numbers, then the Twins can be really good. If they struggle in their 2nd years, then the Twins basically have Santana.

By the way, I'd like to add that I don't have a problem at all with MB winding up at a Cardinals world series game wearing a Cards hat, no matter who he's under contract with. I know that's only a part of the story, but I figured someone ought to say that.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Oct 27, 2006 -> 11:10 AM) he slipped. you can't fault him for slipping. The one thing you don't want to do if you slip though is the flip-over that Granderson did. It took his eye off the ball, and held him on the ground for longer than he should have. If he fell straight down, he might have had a chance to get back up and get moving again, but that flip threw him all out of whack.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 01:07 PM) However, take a look at Detroit. Yes they have some young arms but Robertson and Rogers both pitched over there heads (Rogers gets another year older and Robertson is not near as good as he showed during the season). Yes, they have Rodney and Zumaya and both are rock solid but Todd Jones isn't going to keep being sucessful. The Twins lose Liriano and played ridiculously over there heads (so many career years out of guys like Tyner). The Tribe should be improved (surprised Wedge is still the mgr) and depending on the moves they make, they may become the 2nd best team in the division. The Sox still are bar none in the best shape of any team in the division and I wouldn't trade our roster with any other team in our division. Yes, there are still some reasons to think that Detroit and Minny could take steps back next year. Yes, Rogers will regress now that every manager will be watching his hands, and yes it will hurt the Twins to not have Liriano. But the reason this division is so tough is the other parts of those teams...the things that could make them even better. Detroit...Rogers & Robertson take steps back. Ok, so what happens then? Well, they have Andrew Miller and Zach Miner who both already got big-league experience this year waiting in the winds, and they were without Mike Maroth for 2/3 of the season. There's 2 lefties and another righty who can fill in for any pitcher who does struggle. Offensively, Granderson gets another year to grow up as well, as does Shelton if he can ever find his bat again, and they have this offseason to try to address their need for a high OPS type guy, which they may well do with their playoff green. Minny, Yes, they lost Liriano. But Mauer and Morneau get another year under their belts, and may just keep getting better (Esp. if Mauer hits a few more HR). They won't start the season with Tony Batista, which has to be worth a few wins right there. And their other pitchers, Bonser and Garza, already have big-league experience under their belts as well. And they still have that bullpen. And Cleveland looks like they may have a better lineup than any other team in baseball next year if the kids develop. Martinez, Garko, Hafner, Sizemore, Marte, Choo..ouch. The only thing they're missing is a bullpen, which who knows how long before they fix that. This whole division is on the way up. It's just going to be a question of which team gets its act together the best...all 4 of them can win it with ease. I'm not sure I'd trade our roster for any other teams, but I'm not sure I wouldn't either.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Oct 27, 2006 -> 08:29 AM) If he is as bad at that job as Cora was, then yes he will get a lot of richly deserved criticism. It's going to be really hard for that to happen. Seriously, all you have to do is realize that Konerko, AJ, and Thome are slow, and should not be rounding third as the outfielder picks up the ball. No matter how bad the throw is, they're still out. If the OF still has a few steps to go before he gets to the ball, or it's anyone else running, I don't mind it as much depending on the situation (i.e. don't get thrown out at home with JD on deck). Be a little more conservative with the slow guys, that's all we really want.

Podsednik wouldn't have even been close enough to that ball to dive and have it hit his glove.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 05:57 PM) 39>34>25 Edit: If you add the two you highlighted, then the point changes but that 39% is still too large of a number. Of course this sample size was just over a 1000 people, so I don't put too much stock in it. In regards to the patriot act, isn't that more of infringing on our current civil liberties opposed to "restricting" people's civil liberties? Maybe it's just the way I read it. 1000+ people is a pretty representative sample size if the sample is selected randomly.

QUOTE(Steff @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 05:33 PM) Too much medicine screws him up, not enough screws him up... wow. Some deck he ended up getting. Yea, that's how bad that disease is.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 04:41 PM) Razor is known for a very agressive style so don't think we aren't going to see plenty of guys get thrown out. I just hope we won't see Paulie sent during ridiculous circumstances. That said Joey is a pretty rock solid 3rd base coach, problem was he was too agressive with his slower runners. In 05 we were all applauding the guy for being top notch. That said I'd be the first to say he had a lot of serious faults last year, but he's still a solid coach and very well respected in all of baseball. Aggressive baserunning at 3rd is often not a bad thing. What Cora was doing with guys like Konerko and Thome was not just aggressive baserunning, ti was foolish.

QUOTE(Soxy @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 12:48 PM) And I don't disagree with your earlier point, it is sad that diseases need a famous name to get some cash thrown their way. Which is of course the whole reason for writing, and for posting, that Onion piece.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 12:26 PM) Just out of curiosity, what did you think about Christopher Reeve showing up in front of Congress (on multiple occasions I think) trying to champion research? I think there is a grey area there, as to how far is OK to go. I personally am OK with Reeve, and also Fox's actions. Linkity.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 12:21 PM) I'm not picking sides here, I'm very much pro-stem cell research. I'm against sh*tty ads that make us pick politicians for the wrong reasons (emotion versus intelligence). According to Balta's find above, the sh*tty ad worked. Instead of people looking at the issues surrounding stem cell research, they got moved by a guy shaking uncontrollably on the TV. Of course...if people actually looked at the issue in its entirety using only logic anyway...there wouldn't be any debate about Embryonic stem cell research...the only point for debate would be whether or not to ban fertility clinics.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 12:13 PM) I like Pinella as a manager, I just think that he needs to inherit a specific type of team to win. So you're saying we should have fired Ozzie and hired Pinella?

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 09:49 AM) Plus a sinkerballer like Huddy would look real good. I don't know if the Braves would move him though, considering his 06 and 07 salaries are incredibly attractive. I think it's pretty clear that his contract was constructed in such a way that he could be moved right around now if the Braves were willing to save money...its entirely back loaded, so that if they do want to move him, they can do so either now maybe without having to send along cash or before 08 while sending along some cash. It looks somewhat like what the Marlins did with Delgado.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 11:28 AM) There are some people in fandom, and on this site, who are 100% about performance. I'm not one of them. I don't expect everyone to be angels, but... I just can't feel any great respect for someone who is given an incredible gift, is paid millions to live their dream, and then s***s all over the people who put him on that pedestal. Sheffield, Moss, Bonds and their ilk can take a flyer. They will never have my respect, and I never want to see them on any of the teams I root for. I'm sure they're heart-broken to hear that. I'll tolerate being an ass in exchange for performance...if, and you'll note the 2 names in bold, the guy being the asshole is also clean. Neither one of those 2 are. Be a b*tch all you want if you do your job...just do it legally. The one thing that does blur the line a bit though is that with some guys, their being a b*tch can hurt the team's performance as well, and Moss is a prime example of that.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 11:12 AM) These guys won 90 games, Buerhle being Buerhle puts them in the playoffs. The team doesn't need a major overhaul, just slightly better years from a few guys. Problem with that of course is it assumes nothign else would go wrong next year. Dye won't fall back to 30 home runs and 90 RBi instead of 40 and 120, Thome won't get hurt, Crede's back won't interfere too much, the Tigers, Twins, Indians, and Royals won't all be significantly better next year, etc. This team is going to need more htan "Slightly" better years from a few guys if we want to keep pace with the other teams in our own division. We need significantly better years from several guys (mostly the pitching staff), and for quite a few other guys to not drop off.

Link.

QUOTE(kane0730 @ Oct 26, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) I'll probably get slammed for saying this, but I'd role the dice and trade 2 (anyone but Garland/Mac) of our starting pitchers. Then insert Haeger into the rotation. You could always skip him in the rotation on off days, which would somewhat limit his starts. Get bullpen help/prospects, turn around and trade a package of prospects for Crawford. I understand where you're coming from, but I would add the caveat that you should only do that if what you can get back for the 2 starters is really, really worth it. Either way it would save us an extra $10 million next year which could be put to good use...but you've got to admit it's risky to just throw a knuckleballer into your 5th starter spot. At least if he struggles we have Broadway at the AAA level as well, but hopefully if we're dealing 2 starters we'd be getting something back in the mold of a young starter as well. And the 2004 season convinced me that skipping pitchers on off-days more than once or twice in a season is just a terrible idea.