Balta1701

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 21, 2017 -> 03:25 PM) I know a lot of people that want him to fail. Why would anyone want that for a country they live in? What do I want him to succeed at? Banning Muslims from this country? Creating an army to round up illegal immigrants? Taking away health insurance from people like me and condemning them to death? Building a wall to keep out the brown people? Making himself a fortune? Helping the Russians open up oil drilling? Removing environmental regulations so that my asthma flares up?

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 03:40 PM) Agreed, their offense is pretty damn great. They can field 9 really good hitters in the same lineup. Pitching and D may be a little shaky, but they could probably mash their way to 88 wins without any pitching upgrades as we speak. And they seem pretty determined to get a pitcher eventually, whether it be Q or someone else. Altuve Bregman Correra Springer Reddick McCann Beltran Gurriell Gattis/Aoki I sure wouldn't want to have to face that lineup... After checking I found it extremely interesting that Seattle actually outscored them last year. Despite the ballpark differences and with a career year from Altuve. So did the Rangers, but that's less surprising. In WAR terms, the pitching was at or near the bottom of the league.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 02:16 PM) My friend posted a status asking if Barrack Obama was the greatest President or a great President. Need a couple more options there, fella as the answer is "neither". You realize this is an old Colbert Report joke, he'd ask that of Democratic guests about President Bush.

So, last night theRapist president signed executive orders with a couple parts. First it directs the government to find any excuse to avoid charging the fee associated with the individual mandate as possible. Basically, that on its own should, if followed by the IRS and associated agencies, make it easier for healthy people to avoid buying insurance without paying the penalty tax on the individual market. This of course has the potential to, on its own, raise prices for everyone else on the individual market because the group that must stay insured due to actually being sick is the most expensive group and the group that would leave and then only buy insurance if they get sick is the most profitable group. If that part of the EO is followed, there will be a grad student like me 7 years ago, somewhere in this country, who will wind up dead because of it within 2-3 years. The third part grants much more latitude to states to apply for work waiver requirements and things like that in order to qualify for the medicaid expansion. If this actually sets up an excuse for large states like Texas to expand medicaid coverage when they weren't going to do so on principle with that icky president, should medicaid coverage still exist, this would be a generally good thing.

QUOTE (Con te Giolito @ Jan 20, 2017 -> 01:27 AM) They're probably not, which is why they are searching desperately for another pitcher. If Oakland weren't in their division I think Beane would've sold them Gray by now, but even Gray doesn't hep them that much and Beane is going to up the pricetag on a division rival. I wouldn't say "They're probably not", but they'll have to fight probably someone in the AL East for it. Unless Buxton and Sano break out, with both the White Sox and the Twins being bottom dwellers in the AL Central the Tigers and Royals have a chance to fatten up with several extra wins and that to me sets up one wild card to come from the AL Central. Out in the West I'm not even sure Oakland is that bad, and that shapes up like a 4 team slugfest without them. Their lineup is probably the best of the group, which makes them a strong contender to even win the division, but I don't know who the favorite is out there right now. If Houston wants to be a favorite for that spot they're going to have to trade something they don't want to trade.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jan 19, 2017 -> 11:53 PM) Balta, Calling people names really wont phase them. If you dare even "imply" that they are intolerant, they will merely play the victim card. I truly believe in that most Americans are not that way, and I think that eventually the truth will come out. I always had a strange feeling about this election, but I really believed that despite our many differences, despite policy, big govt small govt, guns, abortion, whatever, that Americans could come together on seeing why Trump's "movement" is anti-Republican, anti-Democratic and anti-American. It serves no one but his own agenda, even his own cabinet has no idea on how to get on the same page as him. But its where we are. There would be a certain Orwellian justice if Trump supporters suffer due to Trump's plan. But I hope despite all odds that things go great for America in the next 4 years. And I hope that in 4 years Trump is voted out. We are still on team America, and sometimes you just have to be a team player, even when you disagree with the philosophy of the team. If I get sent to a work camp for teaching science and opposing actual Nazis...I'll somehow be able to laugh at that being the end of it for me.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 19, 2017 -> 07:36 PM) Jimmy Butler has been voted a starting guard for the Eastern Conference All Stars. Apparently he counts as a forward. that wasn't in the tweet and I just assumed he was a 2 guard. Dah well.

Christ Astros you're facing 3 teams in your division that should now be .500 or better and you have that rotation. I'm not even sure you're a 2nd wild card.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Jan 19, 2017 -> 10:59 PM) Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Roger stone are all under investigation for ties to Russia. Intercepted Russian Communications Part of Inquiry Into Trump Associates https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/po...t.co/ywRGxOQ7ID Dude come on, this is why we have a quote box. Congrats on your new president white supremacists and republicans. He has business transactions you haven't heard about with a foreign power.

Large outbreak of bomb threats aimed at Jewish Community Centers nationwide - at least 20 reported on Wednesday alone , and that follows up several large days with a number of them in the past month.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jan 19, 2017 -> 06:14 PM) If that's true, then impeach him. I'm all for getting rid of him if he has committed impeachable offenses. Otherwise, I can hope for an improved economy. I don't want to die homeless someday. I need $$ like we all do. As with you, the Republicans in Congress only care about corruption when they can throw that allegation at Hillary Clinton. The moment he puts his hand on the Bible and it bursts into flame, he will be in violation of the constitution by profiting from his office.

Jimmy Butler has been voted a starting guard for the Eastern Conference All Stars.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 19, 2017 -> 06:03 PM) I bet all of Greg's houses that Avi doesn't have a break out year. At this point I wont even say that I hope I'm wrong because Avi isn't having a break out year, ever. Generally I would agree with this, but either way we're eventually going to need an RBI producer or two, so if he isn't one then we're gonna have to create one somehow.

QUOTE (beautox @ Jan 19, 2017 -> 04:37 PM) I hope he does, then I hope Hahn turns around and moves him ala Kris Davis as his personal window doesn't match up with the future core even with his age. I hope he does, then we move to extend him for 5 years because a late 20s hitter with 30+ HR/season power at a corner OF spot would be an absolutely ideal piece to have hitting 5th with guys like Moncada, Anderson, Collins, and Meadows in the top 4 in the lineup. Put the dynamic guys on base and then there's a guy to drive them in right at his peak production years.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 10:11 PM) Yeah so apparently Rick Perry accepted the Secretary of Energy job without knowing that it didn't deal with Oil and Gas. Like anyone didn't expect that. For full disclosure, a number of outsiders are calling out the NYT on the sourcing on this one as there is only one named source in the article and he disputes the Times's characterization. However, they have replied that they have multiple sources who said the same thing and stand by the story. In the article itself they did not clearly credit the claim of him thinking it would focus on oil and gas to anyone, including the typical statement that anonymous sources stated it, it was just put out in the first 2 paragraphs, so some confusion due to the way it was written is absolutely justified.

There are way too many positions in an administration that require senate confirmation. This goes back to the 9/11 commission - they strongly suggested that there needed to be fewer positions requiring confirmation because the time it takes for the Senate to confirm deputies to undersecretaries makes it difficult for the government to conduct ordinary business - things like compiling intelligence related to large terrorist attacks. The Congress refused to give up that power despite that recommendation. Anyway...yeah we won't have a functioning government next Monday. Hopefully no major attacks are being planned in the next couple months. Bloomberg

Yeah so apparently Rick Perry accepted the Secretary of Energy job without knowing that it didn't deal with Oil and Gas. Like anyone didn't expect that.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 09:55 PM) In terms of Andruw, what is the "ya know" part. He was one of the elite players in the game for a decent size stretch of his career, especially when you factor in his defensive value. He put up a 63 WAR in 17 seasons vs. Tim Raines 69 WAR in 23 seasons. 5 seasons of WARS > 6 and 3 above 8. 10 gold gloves (and deserved gold gloves); 5 ASG's and finished as high as 2nd in the MVP. It seems like his peak he was good elite enough. First ballot, maybe not, but I have a hard time arguing that Andruw Jones shouldn't be in the hall. I also view Vizquel as a HOFer because he is one of the best defensive shortstops I've ever seen (even if his bat was light). The list of defensive shortstops who were better (and had that long of a career) is few and far between. I will admit I did not live to see Willy Mays play. But out of my lifetime, the exact same sentence you just wrote about Omar Vizquel applies equally to Andruw Jones with the word shortstops replaced by center fielders. Hell, quicky stat comparison - defensive value above average via Fangraphs for the total career, position adjusted and so on, Jones has a higher value than Vizquel, 281-263.

I totally mimicked this move today and nailed a piece of trash into the trashcan from halfway across a room.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 09:19 AM) I dont think i can recall seeing a candidate as unprepared as DeVos was yesterday. Not knowing the difference between proficiency and growth? Unaware of a federal law applying to the department she is nominated for? Refused to answer any questions directly, when she did provide answers, she wasnt answering what was asked. Good grief Well, I learned something last night. I learned that Grizzly Bears only are present in 5 US States. So she taught me something, at least indirectly. Thankfully no one here at this male-dominated message board now composed largely of people in their 20s-40s has any kids in public school, so she can do whatever she wants.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 09:15 AM) Not sure I understand what you're getting at here. Rick Hahn doesn't need to be in a rush right now and can hold out for 2-3 weeks to see if someone gives up the player that is currently untouchable.

I remember the halcyon days of late 2013 when it became clear the White Sox would get the #3 pick and not the #1 pick and how badly they screwed up by costing themselves the chance at the clear #1 pick, Carlos Rodon.

QUOTE (peavy44 @ Jan 18, 2017 -> 08:06 AM) So does he come to Rick Hahn and offer something good but Rick Hahn wants Bregman doesn't he. For the next 3 weeks, Rick Hahn has just as little pressure to get this done as the teams out there have to make the deal. How exactly are these teams going to fall out of the market for Q? The Astros are going to find someone better? They're going to get Sonny Gray and tell themselves that solves the problem of their rotation being inconsistent?

QUOTE (Reddy @ Jan 17, 2017 -> 07:12 PM) you're literally, 100% ignoring my words. Being white puts you ahead of the pack inherently. What you do with that advantage is up to you, but that doesn't mean you don't have the advantage. The problem is he's following your words and there is a disconnect. The specific phrase he's going after is "sit back and enjoy life". You're not even defending that yourself in the 2nd part of this. What you just said is fundamentally different from "sit back and enjoy life".

5 days ago.