NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 11:47 AM) No, I don't want to live in a world where we expect prosecutors to zealously pursue indictments when a crime was clearly not committed. The bolded has no basis in reality. There is nothing "clear" about this, no matter your opinion. So again, let's all get away from trying to make it seem as if ANY of us know what happened on that street. Besides, that has nothing to do with what Illini said. What he pointed out - and which is based on actual facts - is that the prosecutor's office handled the GJ well outside normal parameters and actions, which is just asking for problems, if not flat out forcing an outcome. As a result, we will never have a truly good picture of whether or not a crime was committed. We may or may not have gotten that from a trial, but it at least there would be a chance.

Let's get past this whole "arrested for jaywalking" thing, because everyone knows that is not at all accurate. First of all, there was plenty of reasonable suspicion (which is the bar for addressing someone - not talking arrest yet) that one of the two people (if not both) were involved in a recent crime. Second, as soon as a physical altercation began (no matter what you think happened in said altercation), the jaywalking aspect becomes irrelevant to following actions. QUOTE (illinilaw08 @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 11:37 AM) Prosecutors and judges golfing together on the weekends could be a pretty big ethical issue for both sides. And if them golfing together is swaying the way the judge hears a case, and is creating a bias, we absolutely should get new judges. The problem, as I see it, here is that the prosecutor handled this differently than he would a usual grand jury for any number of reasons. The prosecutor, by handling it that way, made it more likely that he would not get an indictment. With a community that apparently already feels that the police aren't serving their needs, finding that the prosecutor acted in a way that made an indictment less likely is... not going to help things. I'm not taking sides on Wilson's actions here... but if you can't see why the above is potentially problematic, I don't know what to tell you. Well said, and I agree with all of that. As I've said, I think the prosecuting office failed pretty miserably on this whole effort.

QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 09:58 AM) Evidence dump http://apps.stlpublicradio.org/ferguson-pr...t/evidence.html Eyewitness testimony confirms that Mike Brown was charging/walking towards/stopped/kneeling/facing away from Wilson with his hands up/down/to the side/in motion/in his wasteband. Welcome to eye witness testimony. QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 09:58 AM) You mean, the truth? Oh come on now, you don't know that, nor does anyone else.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 09:25 AM) I totally disagree with this. I think he got exactly the result he wanted, which was not having to make a public case against a local police officer, and he handled the case in a way to make that happen. No incompetence at all, did it exactly the way he wanted to get that result. I'm open to that being possible. So I'll say incompetent and/or corrupt.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 09:21 AM) Go to a school. "Those kids are acting like animals" is probably a daily occurrence. Furthermore, just as an example, I have many times heard frat boys, especially at parties, referred to as animals. Um... Animal House? And sometimes it is pretty accurate. Other times maybe not. Just pointing out another scenario where the term comes up often. Sometimes sarcastcally or even as a compliment, other times as an insult.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 25, 2014 -> 09:18 AM) I love how this is an argument against a jury trial system existing at all. I personally hate the jury trial system and wish it would go away. But I also don't think this case really shows any reason to keep or get rid of it. One thing that upsets me here, as I read about it, is the way the prosecutor handled the GJ. The fact that it was done so dramatically differently (basically turning it into a trial), and then delivering a bizarre, nearly impossible to understand final instruction set to the jury that made it sounds like they needed to find absolute proof to indict... that is a major failure here. I don't pretend to know what happened on that street, but I am pretty darn sure of these things: 1. There is some awful silliness in this thread on both sides 2. The prosecutor's office who handled the GJ was incompetent 3. NONE of us actually know what happened on that street

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:49 PM) Based on the two stories I've read so far, what I imagine happened is that the kid got spooked by these police with guns pointed at him and wanted to show them that it was just a toy. As soon as he went to grab it out of his waistband, they shot him. Probably. Just a terribly sad end one way or another. Also BTW, not sure how big this kid was, but he may not have looked like a "little kid" at all. I don't know one way or another. But we're not talking about a 6 year old here.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:46 PM) We know what Wilson supposedly told investigators. And I don't know that that's ever really been questioned. Why would Wilson attack Brown if he's in the squad car? Why would the gun go off? If you were just attacked by a cop and you got away, why would you suddenly surrender? None of that really adds up. What does add up is that the kid just robbed a store, he's stopped by a cop and decides he's not going to be taken to jail and tries to obtain the upper hand from the cop but fails. Yeah see this is the biggest problem for me with this theory. Basically Wilson has to be a calculated, cold blooded killer. He had to refrain from shooting Brown as he's running away from the car, wait until Brown finally surrenders, and THEN shoot him. I find that incredibly hard to believe. Or he panicked a little. That happens in police work. When you are very tense, sometimes it doesn't take a lot for that 8 pounds of pressure to be applied. Not saying that is what happened, just pointing out a possibility.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:40 PM) I mean more like reading a pitchers pick off move... where you focus in on something that tips it off. Again, I don't know if that even exists. To do that reliably, you'd have to have a mental catalog of every real gun currently in circulation, and it's profile from every possible angle. That's just not practically possible.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:36 PM) Here's an Airsoft AR-15 right below a real AR-15. Paint that orange tip black and it's indistinguishable. Again, that is frightening. Ideally no child should have such a thing. And if they do, they need to be taught to basically handle it as if it was real, when around other people in any scenario.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:31 PM) The law is grey. He needs to be in imminent danger of death or serious injury. If I were on the jury and if Brown was 30 feet away and moving towards him by an inch, I'm not convicting him. I'll say again: the dude attacked a cop and tried to take his gun. He's capable of anything. I'm not prescribing some BS proximity rule before he can shoot. Btw, wasn't there a shot at the top of his head with facial abrasions? How is that possible unless he's barreling towards the guy? The general guideline for law enforcement in a lethal force situation, where the cop has a gun and the offender doesn't, is 21 feet. That isn't a hard and fast rule, it is a general number. Basically, inside 21 feet, if a suspect rushes you, they'll be on you before you can draw, aim and fire a gun. But the other thing is, there are multiple reasons why that distance has flexibility. Not the least of which being that in such a situation, most people can't easily tell the difference in an instant between say 20 feet and 30 feet.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:32 PM) I have zero police experience to know if there is a way to see the difference that I don't know about, but I wouldn't have a damned clue. There is no magic "police vision". You see that gun, in someone's hand or waist or whatever, and it looks real enough. Cops are robots with x-ray vision.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:28 PM) that looks remarkably like the toy gun I took the orange tip off of when I was little. Which is frightening. I used to have cap guns as a kid, but they looked nothing like a real gun. Well not nothing like, but certainly not anything as close as the one in the picture. Actually I remember as a kid, I sawed off the plastic barrell of a cap gun, exposing the short metal chamber inside. If you put a jumping jack or bottle rocket into the barrell, which was a loose fit, and fire the cap gun, it would ignite the firework. Instant rocket launcher! I'm kind of surprised I still have all my fingers. Also happy I never tried to make them look like a real gun.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:24 PM) So, without knowing, real or fake? More importantly. From a distance and moving around, how would you know it was fake? I can't see how anyone could come to that conclusion with any assuredness. You therefore have to use felony stop procedures and assume it is real, until proven otherwise.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 04:21 PM) A picture of the toy gun is at the link http://wgntv.com/2014/11/24/cleveland-poli...a-real-firearm/ Looks real enough that I would have to assume it was real.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 10:49 AM) I don't actually see anyone expressing sympathy for the parents or the dead child in this thread, though. Instead, I see them being called stupid. edit: except ssi71, who did call it a tragedy. It goes without saying. A 12 year old kid, even if he did do a series of stupid things, dying like this is awful. It is abundantly clear, and all I'm sure would agree, that is the biggest tragedy here. My response was to the flippant view some take on the cop's side of things. It bothers me, a lot.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 10:56 PM) And let's not forget the Eddy Alvarez signing, who is at least intriguing at this point. What do you think of him, BTW? Also this is a good opportunity to add, you can read more about him in our interview with Eddy.

Greg, it all comes down to this: in current day American society, you see someone with a gun, unless you somehow know for a FACT it is fake, you have to assume it is real. The situation progressed from there, sadly. It's sad all around, but I have a hard time blaming the cop in this case, if the facts are as being reported. QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 10:11 AM) You've really nailed the downside of this shooting. The police officer feels terrible and people are saying silly things. How awful for those who have to endure this true suffering. The heck is wrong with you? A 12 year old kid was shot because he and/or his parents were stupid. A cop now has to live with said shooting the rest of his life, as to the kids parents and family, the witnesses, and everyone else. It's all pretty flippin sad for everyone involved. But by all means, make it seem like someone, anyone, is trying to say all our sympathy should be with the cop and no one else. And while you're at it, continue with your Hollywood-inspired falsehood of thinking a cop shooting a kid is just "feels terrible" about people saying silly things. Clearly the cop deserves no sympathy here, right? F that.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 08:19 AM) pretty sure that was just a fan trailer. At this point Jurassic Park is what it is for me. They decided to continue the story and keep all of the movies as canon. Thats fine, i would have preferred a total reboot and try and keep the movie close to the original book, but whatever. I kind of like that the Park is up and running exactly like they wanted it to originally, and things are advanced beyond an island with a bunch of mysterious dinosaurs in the woods. The trailer was shown in theaters. I don't think it was a fan trailer. Also the dialogue was clearly about the material at hand. Definitely not a fan thing. I think you and I talked about this a long time ago - it may have been a studio idea-float type thing. It's odd, looking at stories, it appears they put the trailer out as a potential JP addition... then later changed it to be hunting something not a dinosaur as a seperate movie called The Hunter. The trailer still exists here.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 07:06 AM) Any word yet on who is getting booted from the 40 to make room for LaRoche? Not that I've seen, but I'd have to think it is Wilkins, given the role LaRoche plays. Even if you set Wilkins loose, you will have Ravelo in AAA next year, plus a guy like Black or Marrero, so there will be plenty of insurance in Charlotte.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 06:46 AM) A trailer for Star Wars:The Force Awakens is supposedly coming with the final Hobbit movie, and a trailer for Jurassic World will be played Thursday around the football games I just looked at the description for Jurassic World. Way, way different than that surprising teaser from a couple years ago with Sam Neill and Willem Defoe. This one has Chris Pratt, and the plot line looks... less than exciting.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 10:56 PM) And let's not forget the Eddy Alvarez signing, who is at least intriguing at this point. What do you think of him, BTW? I normally don't like the idea of reading a ton into stats for a player's first year in the system. However in Alvarez' case, you can't ignore that he had one of the best overall offensive seasons in the entire systems, while having gone three years without picking up a bat. And did part of that in A ball. He also had only one year of college ball, and that was JuCo. The fact that his contact rate was good and he drew plenty of walks are encouraging as well. Add to that the obvious athleticism, and valuable experiences in very high level sports competition, and I think he's a guy very much worth watching. The fact that he was 23 in A ball is a factor, but due to his unusual progression, his effective age is much younger. When we come around to ranking time in January, he's going to be a guy I'd consider for the back end of the T25/T30. Not fully sure he'll make it, but he'll at least be in the discussion. His defense is a little raw, but they will take some time next spring to see where he may be best to play, and then he can get regular play there. He does have natural speed (duh), but he's been away from the game too long to be an effective base stealer just yet. There is serious potential there though.

QUOTE (MDWhiteSoxFan @ Nov 22, 2014 -> 09:48 PM) I'm confused if we sign him to a contract say 5/50 mil for the sake of easy math. I get we'd have to pay the 50 mil dollar fine and not being able to sign international talent for 2 years for more than 300k. But what would the actual hit on this years cap be? 10 mil or what? If it's just the small hit I don't see why it's even a question to sign him. If he is as good as advertised you aren't going to get a chance at a guy like him every year so they probably wouldn't miss much for 2 seasons. I don't know I could be completely lost on how the international signing work. But to me he is worth the 2 years of not signing international talent. Again I have no idea how the cap hit will affect the ability to sign players from the free agency pool. There can be no "5/50". He is an amateur. That means the entire amount you spend is a bonus, which means it is paid in year one, all of it. So you'd pay him $50M, and MLB $50M, for a total of $100M, all in bonus. The good news is, he is then on the typical minor league plan - minors regular pay, majors 3 years per-arb, 3 years arb (give or take a year).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 21, 2014 -> 04:29 PM) The players I can live with or without. My big thing is this means we blow our entire spending budget this winter on a 19 year old who probably won't help us this year. Is that worth it? if it means just losing the Intl Amateur dollars alone? Then a 19 year old Moncada is a better gamble than a handful of 16 year olds at high 6 or low 7 figures, IMO. Going beyond that? Some is OK. Blowing all the money for filling major league holes for 2015? Then maybe not so much.

There is an existing Moncada thread this was in, but I elected to split it off. This is a great write-up from Jeff, and worth the read for everyone.