NorthSideSox72

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 03:18 PM) BTW - My voting record for Presidential candidates: 88: Bush 92: Perot 96: Dole 00: Bush 04: Kerry OMG, I have the same Presidential voting record as BS. I think I need a drink. Do you also tend to vote GOP for city council and state house/senate? I actually voted for the Green Party in the most recent Governer's election, because I couldn't stand to vote for Clueless or the Devil.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 03:04 PM) That's what I'm envisioning. It does us no good to have EPA enforcement of environmental laws ifd all the EPA prosecutors know they are supposed to take a dive when they take big business to court, and it will do us no good to say Blackwater is now subject to legal prosecution according to the laws of the nation of DOJ is going to be bullied out of any investigations they might pursue. You gotta hand it to the BushCo Cabal, they acan play the system like a harp from hell. I realize that no good judgement can be made just yet, but... at this point, I am having a hard time seeing how this President won't be looked at eventually as the worst in the past century. He really is that bad. I am not being intentionally hyperbolic here either - I am serious. He's one of the worst ever. And before people start screaming about GOP versus Dem, remember that I voted for this guy in 2000, I've voted for more Republicans than Democrats for the Presidency, and I often end up voting for Republicans locally because at that level they still often understand the concept of fiscal discipline. Its not that he's a Republican. Heck, I don't think he has done much good for the conservatives anyway, other than the Supremes nominations. He is just a flat-out awful President.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:47 PM) Well, that's what good old GWB signing statements are for. Won't work on this one. If the law as written brings these people under the force of US law, his signing statement (which only effects his execution of the laws, not the laws themselves) won't do anything to the law. The only problem that COULD be caused by his excellency, is if he were to instruct the DOJ to not ever pursue or investigate a case against Blackwater or other contractors. Then, of course, lawsuits could be brought against that, and around and around we go... Hopefully, I am wrong, and Bush signs the bill and lets it take effect. But if he fights it, directly or indirectly, one has to ask - why?!?!?! Why would you WANT to have a virtual army out there with zero legal accountability? it isn't helping his cause any - it just makes him look worse.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:42 PM) Do you think Art got reassigned due to his eyes, or do you think they are pinning some of the bullpen's problems on him? It looks here like Art is stepping out the role voluntarily - it might be health related, I don't know.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:40 PM) He was threatening to veto this? Not that I know of. But since the rules in place as they are, are a creation of some of his favorite people (Rummy, Condi and Dick all had hands in it), I'd assume he'll try to defend those rules till kingdom come like he does everything else, even in the face of it obviously being wrong. But I must admit, I am making an assumption here. He may actually sign it, or even applaud it. If he does, great, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Blackwater update. The House passed legislation to put these contractors under US prosecutorial jurisdiction, by a hhuge super-majority (389-30). I guess they finally realized it might not be so good that these folks were operating without any sort of oversight or legal limitations, because the administration (DOD and State mostly, you can thank Rummy and Condi for this one) structured their contracts in such a way that they slipped between the cracks. No military justice, no US legal justice. Senate to vote soon, and if they have a similar majority, then Bush's veto will be useless.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:24 PM) Wasn't Gibson in the same position in Detroit with Alan Trammell? The year after they dump all those guys, they go to the WS. I think Ozzie needs good players far more than a good bench coach. If Cora is a bad bench coach, he should be shown the door, as he has shown he's horrible in the 3rd base coaching box. Players definitely matter more, but I think its obvious that Ozzie needs some guidance with in-game tactics. Gibson just looks like a good example to me.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:26 PM) Bring back Rock Raines and Man So Lee Yes and yes! I wish those could happen.

QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:21 PM) So f***ing stupid. But what else should I expect out of this organization lately. They've made nothing but retarded decisions since the Buehrle signing. A couple bad ones yes, but "nothing but retarded decisions" is... retarded. Some good ones: --Dye re-signed --Ozzie re-signed --AJ extended --Removed 2 pieces of dead wood from the 40-man --Realigned things in the minors to better focus on LatAm --Hired some new scouts with MLB experience --Putting 6 or 7 key youngsters in the AFL, and a few more in various Caribbean and Mexican leagues for the fall/winter --Changing their spring training philosophy to be more game-focused, and using the big players more often What were the bad ones? I agree on Walker staying, and I sort of agree on Shines (though I really know very little about the guy). What am I missing? Some folks didn't like the Ozzie thing, I get that, though I disagree. AJ isn't ideal, but given the team's circumstances, it was definitely the right move. What are all these "retarded" decisions, other than Walker and maybe Razor?

QUOTE(Controlled Chaos @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:16 PM) Stick Cora back at third and hire a competent bench coach. No thanks on Cora, but you make a good point that has been brought up here before - Ozzie needs a good bench coach. I've been watching Kirk Gibson be a great foil for Bob Melvin, for example, and that works really well. A really solid baseball guy who understands game tactics is a real need for Ozzie.

OK so... why is Razor gone? Was he pulled elsewhere, or pushed out the door? And I really can't believe Walker still has a job. Not that he is the only one to blame by any stretch, but to have the sort of hitting talent this club has had, and have them be absolutely terrible for a season and a half, I'd think he pretty much has to lose his job.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 11:53 AM) The crazy thing is if he were to figure out how to bunt well, and hit for a tiny bit of power, the open market value for those numbers would be in that neighborhood. Look at what Juan Pierre got. Heck if Owens got into the .300 ba, .360 op%, and stole something like 70-80 bases, it is a realistic number. Will that really happen, probably not, but it isn't superfar fetched. If the kid learned how to get down a bunt, he would add 30 points to his average over night. His bunting has gotten better. He had a few good ones late in the season. But he needs to hit a few doubles and triples.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 11:50 AM) I was in D.C. for a protest last weekend. Ironic since I'm pro-war. But I wanted to see what it was all about. About 20,000 people there. Some guy was saying, "Reagan was oh-so-sooooooooo unpopular when he left office" and I said, "According to what polls?" "Chomsky." What does this have to do with Carter?

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 11:50 AM) That's a cute number. Where'd you get it? Dear GP- You've been asking a lot lately, why people seem to be upset by your posts. Here's a hint - this one I just quoted is the perfect illustration. If you can't see why, PM me and I'll let you know. Sincerely, NSS

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 11:32 AM) I don't give a s*** what he or his defenders called it. You send your troops, your planes, your spies into someone's sovereign land against their wishes, that is an invasion. Just for the record, by that definition, the United States is probably invading somewhere between 10 and 20 countries right now.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 10:08 AM) Is anyone here familiar with The Trumpet? Nope. But if they publish articles like this, I now know to avoid it.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 09:19 AM) He's not a centerfielder. Only because of his arm. Otherwise, he is already better out there than some starting CF's in this league.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 09:13 AM) Well, my caveat is, was this taken out of context? Because to me, this is a stupid issue. Again folks, for the love of Mary, please READ THE ARTICLE. Obama did NOT issue a statement. He also did NOT say he didn't want to be associated with the flag, or the symbol, at all. He said nothing of the sort. Someone asked him in an appearance why he wasn't wearing a flag pin that day, and he responded that he would rather let his words speak about his patriotism. Then, as again seen IN THE ARTICLE, the author puts statements around his quote to inflate the situation. This is really about nothing at all. In fact, I am 90% sure that if someone asked the question of Thompson, or any other candidate in either party, they'd probably have said something very similar - oh, I'm patriotic, listen to my words, see how I am a patriot, I don't need a pin to show that.

He's not the worst option, and not nearly as bad as some people here make him out to be. But he does have some serious flaws. Positives... --Owens had a .342 OBP during his callup since early July - already close to what Pods had in 2005 --Obviously Jerry is both fast, and a good basestealer (seems like he hovers around 80%, excellent for a rookie) --His overall defense in CF (arm excluded for now) was pretty decent, certainly better than most of us expected --He is getting good at bunting and situational hitting --His athleticism allows him to improve quickly in most areas Negatives... --He has virtually zero power. He might develop this over time, but as of now, he doesn't even hit enough doubles and triples yet --His arm is weak. Like, really weak. It may or may not be caused by an injury, but its still an issue in any case If I recall correctly, Owens is playing fall ball in Arizona. If he can start to develop at least some gap power and raise his doubles/triples numbers, and if that arm really will get better after healing in the offseason, then I think he is not the worst guy to start on a good team. That all said, he still (even if those two things get better) is not as good an option as a Hunter, Rowand or other players being talked about here (in which case Owens makes a nifty 4th OF). But if we cannot acquire a player at that level, and if we are able to seriously upgrade SS and maybe 2B, then I for one would be OK with Owens starting in 2008. I am in the small minority that believes that.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 08:53 AM) Being a politician, why would he NOT want to wear a flag pin? He wraps himself up in the right suits, why not add a pin? He doesn't have to start pointing to it and screaming about how patriotic he is, but why NOT wear it? What points can he be loking to score? Oh wait, he wants us to see his patriotism in his character. Sounds nice. But still doesn't answer the question of why not wear a pin? What can it hurt? Ask Fred.

I only got about a third of the way in, but already this author is off in space somewhere. He thinks there is no system to dictate the value of a dollar? Is he not familiar with FX markets? And yes of course confidence is key, but does any sane person think the US government is suddenly going to go under because it can't service its debt? We are all worried about the massive amounts of it, don't get me wrong, but its not as if it would make any sense for China or some other country to suddenly call all of the US debt they hold. That would hurt them as badly as us. And he thinks this wasn't about a housing bubble, or credit decisions made by banks and individuals in this country? Is he blind? This dude needs needs a tinfoil hat. Kap, do you have a spare you can lend him?

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Oct 4, 2007 -> 11:57 PM) Tex, think about his line there. He won't wear it beacuse it has come to stand for patriotism. WHY IS THAT BAD? Does he hate his country? Is he not a patriot? Is he ashamed of the flag, or looking to score points with the commie-fringe of the Dem party? You know, considering you are one of the people who harps on the supposed liberal media bias, I am amazed that you fell for this article hook, line and sinker. Obama did NOT say anything even like "I won't wear it because it stands for patriotism". Not even close. Read his ACTUAL QUOTE here: "I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest, instead I'm going to try to tell the American people what I believe will make this country great. Hopefully that will be a testimony to my patriotism". Notice that the article's title, as well as the words of the author, are used here to make it seem as if this is a big deal, when in reading his quote, its really not. This is a small town news outlet trying to make a big splash. Seriously, do me a favor and read that article including his actual quote. This can't be, can it? The media in Iowa, again, is criticizing and in fact inflating the truth to make a Democrat look bad? I am shocked. Shocked I tell you. This couldn't possibly be about making a big story on ANY big name, could it?

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 06:34 AM) state vs. nation = big difference in coverage. And actually, as I recall, wasn't this or some other state rep/senator in one of the Dakotas in the news right after Craig's initial info came out? I am also curious why a civil suit, and if a sexual battery really occurred, why not call the police and have criminal charges filed? And why did he say yes to staying in one bed with the guy? Something seems amiss there.

QUOTE(jasonxctf @ Oct 4, 2007 -> 05:58 PM) Iguchi did start his career in Japan playing shortstop. I'm just sayin..... I'd rather see Furcal, Renteria, Uribe, Eckstein, Bourgeois and pretty much every other name being bantered about at SS than to have Gooch out there. I would not, however, be upset if he ended up at 2B again, depending on the circumstances, salary, etc. Particularly if Richar was somehow able to help the team get something good in a trade and if Gooch could be had for a reasonable amount.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Oct 4, 2007 -> 05:07 PM) Mind you, that is 100% real. There are so many funny things in that image, I don't know which to start laughing at first.