Balta1701

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 11:07 AM) I expect a new top of the order next year, both at the top and in the 2nd spot. This isn't a knock on Guchi, rather its the fact that we need more speed if we are going to have Ozzie as our manager. I don't mind it because with some speed I think we will be far better. I still would like to see what Anderson could do in the 2 hole next year...especially if there's no dropoff in how he's been playing since June 1 before the end of the year.

QUOTE(JUSTgottaBELIEVE @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 11:05 AM) dye is quickly closing on big papi for AL MVP If Boston keeps falling behind and Ortiz doesn't have any more walk-offs, I think they'll give it to Jeter. They being ESPN.

That ball gone.

Rush Limbaugh decides to see how many racist stereotypes he can possibly fit into one segment, while analyzing the next season of "Survivor" (The Asians will be the smartest team, the African Americans can't swim, etc.)

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 09:44 AM) IIRC your family was from the Valpo area right? It didn't sound like they got it nearly as bad as we did. Basically if you took a line right down the Porter/Laporte county line, that sounds like the path of the storm. Portage, just south of Route 20.

QUOTE(Felix @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 09:56 AM) So instead of Mack in CF, we'd see Pablo there more. Seriously. Pablo is a righty. You can't platoon Anderson with a righty. And Anderson must never face righties. EVER. Jesus would strike down the White Sox if Anderson faced a righty.

CNN International (report hosted through Raw Story) reports on the unexploded Israeli cluster bombs, which are now turning up all over Lebanon and are injuring people, including children, as they gather up scrap metal to sell. The estimate currently is that there are tens of thousands of those bomblets scattered throughout southern lebanon.

Couple other noteworthy bits here: That organization donates some $50 million to charitable causes per year. It gave $45,000 to a gay rights project through the ACLU. Linky on that. So, she's 1 of 50 trustees, that's less than .1% of their total donations for that year, and the donation did not have anything specific to do with the case. Clearly, the ACLU owes her a hunting trip.

Update: the White House still says it isn't enough.

QUOTE(shawnhillegas @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 09:30 AM) I say we bring back Damaso!!! If I could undo that trade right now, I would. And I guarantee you we'd win more games. Not because I don't like Mack or because I want Marte back...but 100% solely because it would make it impossible for Mackowiak to start in CF.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 08:55 AM) My in-laws live a mile down the road in the Pines, and its a miracle their house is still there. There neighbors house got a big oak tree right through the middle of it. That area was just destroyed from the sounds of it. I am sure you remember all of the big old growth trees, that stuff just got tore up. HWY 12 has been impassible ever since the storm at 6 pm last night. Yeah, that whole area of 12 was really nicely surrounded by trees as soon as you get East of the mills all the way to Michigan City. I can imagine that taking a while to clean up. Wonder if Dad had the car outside. He never got the hail damage fixed from the last one of those about 5 years ago (he kept the insurance check).

Granderson, CF Monroe, LF Young, DH Ordonez, RF Guillen, SS Casey, 1b Perez, 2B (Yay!) Inge, 3B Wilson, C

So, published in today's issue of Nature there is a new development in stem cell research that may be of some significant importance politically. Researchers have managed to extract single cells from embryos that are roughly 10 cells in size, and have used those cells to successfully produce embryonic stem cells. The key of course is that this procedure does not kill the embryo. LA Times Summary. This technique is similar to one that has been applied several thousand times in fertility clinics to perform genetic testing on embryos before they're implanted/born. Thus far, the children born from those embryos have shown no real significant problems (although it's always possible some could develop later in life). This may give Mr. Bush a nice, easy way out of the idiotic place in which he's put the country, as he can now claim that the embryos are not being destroyed. It may also fail to settle every ethical question however, as those single cells may have the ability to grow into a full embryo/child if they were allowed to grow on their own (think about identical twins, same idea), and it's also possible that the procedure could reduce the chances of implantation. But if Mr. Bush were looking for a way out of the mess he's created in this country's research departments, this technique could provide one. Even if all he permitted was for the cells to be extracted from stored/frozen embryos, it would be enough, as it would give viable new lines without any killing...until the embryos are thrown away, of course.

QUOTE(My Dixie Normus @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 08:37 AM) I thought 'playing God' was deciding who lives or dies? Isn't that what the person having an abortion does? I have no problem with the morning after pill if it does prevent conception but from what I have read, it only prevents implantation of the fertilized egg into the uterine wall. That is a little different story. Actually, there's been a fair amount of debate as to actually how Plan B works...a bunch of different ideas have been presented...that it prevents release of the egg, that it prevents conception, that it prevents implantation, etc. I don't have a link right now, but IIRC, the most recent evidence has gone in the direction of suggesting that the main way it works is the first of those...preventing release of the egg. It may also do the others, and it's not a 100% case yet, but that seems to be the primary means. And, just to make another point...you say it's "a different story" that the egg doesn't implant. So what is your reaction to the fact that failure to implant is actually something that happens at least a non-trivial amount of times on its own?

I used to bike through Beverly Shores a lot...really nice campground across route 12.

Clearing out the Hill Sphere as a definition, haven't heard that one before, I like it. Good stuff.

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 04:07 PM) Tom was so much more interesting when he was reclusive and mysterious. Lately he's been running his mouth and we all realized he's a total zero. But since when has being stupid kept people off the big screen? When it starts costing money, that's when.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 07:30 PM) Even Kenny said he thinks the Young trade will be one that bites him in the rear. I think he's right. That will be more because of Vazquez than because of Chris Young, IMO.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Aug 24, 2006 -> 07:07 AM) Bring on the G-Load, Ozzie. Mack LF (OK, so it will be Pods really, but a man can dream) Iguchi 2B Dye RF PK 1B AJ C Gload DH Crede 3B Anderson CF Uribe SS I think that will do just fine for a few days, until Thome returns. I think we know Ozzie well enough to know that if Thome is sitting for a full game, Gload will play 1b and Konerko will DH most of the time...it gives Gload extra time in the field (which is usually not a bad thing) but more importantly it lets Konerko rest up his legs, which is a very good thing for him.

Here's the counterpoint to the "we can't afford to miss someone from our bullpen" argument. 1. If we had Matt Thornton in the starting rotation and he was succeeding at it, that gives us 2 starting pitchers to trade this offseason instead of one. Considering I can think of 3 who could possibly be moved, all of which except Javy should have considerable value to a trading partner, that would almost certainly allow us to pick up some pitching. 2. BOOOOOOOOOOONE. Seriously, if the kid could come around and show in the big leagues what he's done in AAA this year, he'd be our #2 Loogy right now. I liked what he showed when he was up in the spring in terms of "Stuff", he just didn't have the confidence to throw stuff for strikes and actually go after the hitters (thus getting behind on people, walking folks, and being forced to throw the fastball). Here's my feeling on this whole question...if we're coming off of 2 straight world series wins, then I don't think you shake up the rotation at all. You don't risk a rookie LOOGY in the bullpen alongside a guy who's had a terrible year this year, you don't sell off veteran starters for young talent. But if we get tossed out in the division series or we miss the playoffs this year, then I think it's time to look at serious changes, and if we get serious offers for Buehrle, Garcia, or Vazquez, offers which include more young pitching and/or young talent and/or help fill the 2 big holes we have in our lineup (LF and SS), then we have to be open to it. Thornton in the rotation, Boone in the bullpen, and a studly young LF or SS may very well win us more games next year than Garcia/Vaz in the rotation, Uribe/Podsednik in the field, and Thornton in the bullpen. And it would certainly cost less.

QUOTE(cgaudin @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 03:36 PM) No, He ain't playing, but he's sure watching. Hopefully he's a Sox fan. We have trouble with changeups, not curve balls. QUOTE(Chisoxrd5 @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 03:35 PM) Are you mad at me or at the lineup? I'm asking because I care The lineup Iguchi is hitting .233 this season against lefties and .333 against righties. Cintron hits .286 against lefties and .276 against righties. So naturally, Iguchi plays against the lefty yesterday and Cintron plays against the righty today. (Cintron's #s probably have a bit of a sample size effect, but Iguchi..that's a year-long trend.) And then of course, Rob Mackowiak in CF. I literally want to hurt Mr. Mackowiak, just so Ozzie can no longer put him in Center.

Actually, on 2nd thought, this would be a great idea, solely because if Mackowiak was playing Left Field, he would not be playing Center Field. He could hit .220 out of the leadoff spot, and not having him in CF would give us a better chance to win games.

QUOTE(Chisoxrd5 @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 03:32 PM) Mack back in center, Pods in left, Cintron at 2nd. Well I won't be watching the game tonight... Jesus F***ing Christ.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 02:29 PM) Touche. I should have clarified that I was never criticizing KW for making the move, just that losing Rowand probably hurt more than we initially realized. I loved the move, and still do. However, Thome's philosophy offensively is to hit the ball as hard as you can, and to try and hit homers. The rest of the offense has taken on this mindset, and thus you do not see grinderball or smallball anymore, with the exception of Podsednik occasionally trying to steal a base, and getting picked off of first base like an assclown. We are very 1-dimensional offensively. I don't think that's as much Thome's fault as it is the fault of guys like Podsednik. Last year, we had the impression of a moving team, because we had a guy with 60 stolen bases at the top of the order. Now, the guy who used to cause the most havoc on the basepaths is a joke on the basepaths. On top of that, the bottom of the order was weaker for quite some time than any of us expected, which also hurt.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Aug 23, 2006 -> 01:44 PM) I think he is. KW, before the 2004 season, wanted to go get some "grinders." Grinders were guys who didn't put up good stats, but hustled, busted their ass, and wanted to win. We shipped the original grinder out of town for the offense you are looking at now. Does Jim Thome hustle, bust his ass, and want to win?