NorthSideSox72

The Sox, with Thome hurting, have literally 1 bench position player available for the entire field - Gonzalez. If things get ugly, we could see a pitcher hit, or even worse, a pitcher playing the field.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:30 PM) The question is...does he have it in him to walk Uribe? backwards K. Can't say Juan didn't try for it.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:30 PM) The question is...does he have it in him to walk Uribe? 3-2 now...

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:29 PM) Beckett has s*** control today. He just walked in a run - 3 straight walks. And Gameday shows Uribe hitting 7th, 8th and 9th. ETA: and playing left field.

Wow, Beckett with sudden control problems? 2 walks in a row, now 3-0 to Dye???

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:26 PM) Gamecast is wrong that was AJ. Yeah I just noticed that - it said Thome doubled, then somehow he mysteriously became AJ.

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:18 PM) Thome out with a stiff neck. QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:22 PM) Yeah, his days of playing every day or near every day are over. His body can't handle it. um... he just hit a double. But, in principle this is a good point - he needs more rest. Dye should DH a bit more, and we need more out of our backup OF's.

QUOTE(rowandrules83 @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 01:04 PM) Jesus, that's like a mile from my house. Was there any serious damage from that tornado? According to what I've read today, there was no tornado. There were funnel clouds reported in Geneva/Elburn, and around Bolingbrook. But no other mention of any actual tornadoes. Most of the damage, apparently, was just really strong straight-line winds.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 12:37 PM) Michael Vick is snitchin' and might just get some time off because of it. He could end up serving a large portion of his jail time (which could end up being only 1 year or less total) under House arrest. Source? Or speculation? Either fine, just curious.

QUOTE(StrangeSox @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 12:37 PM) I was watching it hit buildings in Oak Brook on 355 the same way. My eyes started to hurt because there were so many flashes, and I could see several "ghost images" of lightning strikes if I closed my eyes. You were closing your eyes and seeing ghost images while driving on 355 in a storm?! Glad I wasn't on that highway.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 12:40 PM) Umm, I didn't compare him to Floyd at all. I was addressing Balta about how he always posts the most positive but unrealistic hypotheticals such as when he said blank or blank. But that aside, Owens will not steal 58 in a full season I don't care what total he's at now. And I don't he'll keep his current OBP forever or improve it even marginally. That's my prediction. You may turn out to be right. But his history suggests otherwise. He had a .365 OBP in A+, then a .393 in AA... got to AAA and had a .328 in 2006 (his first real struggle), but in his second year at AAA, it was up to .361. And note he made those moves up in 4 seasons, so its not like he spent 8 years getting there. Clearly, he has show he can meet new levels of picthing and improve. That's why my opinion is that given a full season, he will likely go more like .340 or .350, and then probably improve from there.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 11:49 AM) You do that a lot. "If Gavin Floyd turned into a good pitcher," "If Owens could steal 70 bases," "If Owens develops the good eye he had in the [terrible] International League," "If" and "If" and "If" but they're all unlikely hypotheticals except for Fields + Richar stealing 10-20. Owens can't steal seventy, he won't even be on base enough to steal seventy bases. S'not gonna happen. Since his callup, Owens has 16 SB's (16 of 19, or 84%), through 44 games. Projected to a full season, that is about 58 steals. And, he seems to be getting better at stealing. So he is ALREADY stealing at a close to a 70-per-season rate, even though he has just started learning to hit major league pitching. Therefore, your comparison to Floyd (who has proven virtually nothing yet) is bogus. Owens MAY not turn out to be anything. But if he can steal 58 bases at his current OBP, and he is at all capable of improving his OBP even marginally, then he could very well steal 70 bases. And besides, even 50 is a big number.

QUOTE(mreye @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 11:48 AM) They've backed off Noted yesterday, earlier in this thread. But thanks - it doesn't hurt to hear good news twice!

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 10:42 AM) Supposed to go to the night game tonight, but with rain in the forecast, I hope it just starts pouring now so that I don't have to take the journey to the Cell, only to have to turn around when it's called. +1. I am looking forward to going, but not if it will be delayed 2 hours and then not played. I think we'll know more this afternoon. The day game could also screw up the night game.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 09:15 AM) And making the local law enforcement look like idiots. Whatever floats their boat. But as I said, this was not their first opportunity to nab her. "local" law enforcement, in this case Chicago PD, wasn't going to arrest her. Daley hasn't let the dogs loose on illegal immigrants, that's not the way he wants the department run. So I'd suspect that CPD has been told specifically NOT to arrest her. Let the Feds handle it.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 09:14 AM) Actually, many crimes committed by a group that the government calls "organized" can be slapped with RICO charges. They have changed the parameters a lot since it's inception in the mob days. Interesting. I have never been overly familiar with RICO, except as it applies to business practices (it didn't come up much at a local level in law enforcement). The organized crime stuff I guess is what is biting Vick here.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 08:50 AM) Many according to the federal indictment. Specifically the racketeering and gambling activities. Yeah, I knew about the gambling, but I haven't read into racketeering charges. I guess I tuned out after the stuff with the dogs.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 09:02 AM) Umm.. they let her leave the church. Arrive at the airport. Wait in line. Fly to California. Claim her luggage. Then they approached her. I can see why they didn't go after her at the church while her son was around - and even that's debatable since her son made a few trips to DC to meet the prez over this. But for them to say they couldn't get her before this is complete bulls***. From a law enforcement perspective, I can see why they would wait for her to leave Chicago. The local press has been following the case quite avidly, whereas in LA, there would probably be a lot fewer cameras.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 08:42 AM) But that's just my opinion. Yes. Yes it is.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 08:39 AM) It really is. It reminds me of the travesties in Darfur. Just because there are worse travesties in the world, that doesn't mean that any others should be ignored.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 08:16 AM) I believe they can pull the plea deal since he's trying to alter it. Hopefully they can, and do, and then the state files on their charges. Also, I hope someone reminds the Feds about the RICO charges. I must have missed something... what crime did he commit under RICO?

QUOTE(beck72 @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 08:20 AM) Owens just does not strike me as a starter on a team that wants to make the playoffs, let alone win the world series. Seeing him swing through mediocre 90 mph fastballs down the middle isn't going to cut it in the bigs as a leadoff man. At best, IMO, he should be a platoon player in 2008 [provided the sox got a better option at leadoff]. At worst, Owens could be a 4th OFer who can play LF and Cf and steal some bases. He'd probably fit well in that 4th OF role. Having him and Ozuna as backup OF's seems pretty good right now. I am torn on him starting - I still think he might end up doing well.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Aug 23, 2007 -> 08:19 PM) Considering he's made some nice catches of late and has some good games, the question remains, is he a starter next year or not? You can make a sort of checklist of what you'd want out of a non-power hitting CF (in order of importance)... --Good or better OBP (forget AVG) --At least solid CF defense, preferably plus --Basepath skills (stealing, taking extras, speed) --Extras (bunting, situational hitting, flexible to other positions, etc.) He seems to be getting pretty good defensively, other than his arm. Given more time to develop, it seems like he could be an overall average defensive CF in a year or two (lower than average arm, better than average in other areas). So check that partially - needs more development. He certainly has skillz on the basepaths aplenty. Check that. Extras: bunting is OK, needs some work. Can play the corner OF positions, can pinch run. Check. That leaves the big question as the most important area - OBP. if he can get on base at a .340+ clip... I'd be happy with him in the OF in 2008. .350 would be better, but for a rookie, .340 is not bad. So the million dollar question is... who thinks he could put up an OBP of .340+ given a full season in 2008? What do you think he CAN do? I for one think that he could do .340-ish, considering that he's already at .328 on this callup. If he plays winter ball and gets a lot of playing time next year, I am starting to think he may actually have what it takes.

Well, even with various crews working all night, things are still screwed up. North side of the city is still pretty messy, still some stoplights out too, which will make for a fun morning commute (glad I left at 6). Still lights out here in the northbrook area too, and trees down ALL over the place. Sounds like the north shore got it really bad - talked to a guy who drove down Sheridan Road last night through Winnetka and Wilmette, and said there were hundreds of big old trees just completely uprooted. Traffic was driving on people's lawns.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Aug 24, 2007 -> 07:11 AM) Regardless of whatever other crime is going on, when someone thumbs their nose at the law and basically dares you to arrest her, you pretty much have to to just that or else it really sends the wrong message. Yes, there are more serious crimes going on that police could tend to, but if they would have allowed her to remain 'free' after she fled that church, that would have looked really bad. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^