NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 02:31 PM) Really nothing you can do effectively to keep people out, unless you go to such extreme measures that its impossible for any of us to leave as well. Unless we starting executing people, the reward will always be greater than the risk. What makes you think the bolded is true?

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 02:39 PM) Thanks for the insight. Is there a specific trail or direction for the other sites? That sounds like the way to go. Well this is interesting - I just did some Googling on this myself, and it appears you can A) no longer do any backcountry camping in the park, and B) some of the further backcountry sites that are normally restricted can now only be accessed by Ranger-led groups. Yikes, things have changed there.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 02:39 PM) Thanks for the insight. Is there a specific trail or direction for the other sites? That sounds like the way to go. I don't remember trail names, it's been some years since I was there. But I am sure you can Google for information about backcountry trails in the park. There are probably whole books about hiking in and around Mesa Verde. Just bear in mind, those won't be wide, paved nature trails like you have going to The Palace (the biggest, most-visited dwelling). They will be narrow, steep trails on tough terrain. As long as you know that going in, and make sure you are well-packed for the hike (hydration, food, etc.), you'll enjoy it.

Headed for Eugene, Oregon for a wedding on 4th of July weekend. Any recommendations gladly accepted! QUOTE (ptatc @ Jun 19, 2014 -> 09:07 PM) Going to Denver in two weeks. Added a trip down to Mesa Verde and the cliff dwellings. This is new for us and should be excellent. Mesa Verde is great, but be prepared for the fact that you can no longer walk around in some of the bigger structures anymore because they were wearing down too quickly with all the abuse. Still can see them all, and walk in some. If you want the cooler experience with those, find a way to get off the heavily used trails. Get out further into the backcountry, where there are lots of other archaelogical sites left open for exploration. It just means you need to be able to walk a lot farther. Also, you can get a similar experience in Canyon De Chelly or Chaco Culture with a LOT fewer people, if you are willing to drive an extra couple hours.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 02:25 PM) Not sure that's really a fair way to look at it when they're not being told to keep people out, they're being told to look the other way. Nevertheless, border security has always been half-assed anyway. Can't really expect to control the border if you don't control the whole border. That's something I was going to get at. The spending isn't being done at a level that would truly close down the highways on the southern border. You'll never stop it entirely of course, people will find a way, but you can sure as heck dramatically slow it down.

Micah and Montas. Nice.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 01:16 PM) You realize that in the last 7 years we've spent more than $100 billion on immigration enforcement and border security? Like, literally 1000 times what you said the amount we don't have available has already been spent. Well first of all, I'd like to know more about exactly what we spend it on than I do. Second, at $15B per year or so (based on your information), that seems like a number too low to me as a percentage of our budget for something as key as immigration and border security. It also changes nothing of what I said. QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 01:21 PM) Come on. If they were just looking for a place to escape to, there are other countries they could go to. But they come here because they (1) will be accepted and probably won't be sent back and (2) will get benefits (medical, food, shelter) that they probably won't get elsewhere. The recent influx of people that started this thread are coming from central american countries, not just mexico. They could head south if they wanted to. But again, they don't, because of what's available here. Of course it is what is available here. It just isn't what you are thinking. People who leave a central american country to go to some other central or south american country are just going to another disaster. Here they are safer, there is more economic opportunity, and if they do go to jail it is a whole different world. Very few of these immigrants are getting welfare checks anyway. Not sure what makes you think they are. What's hilarious about all this is, I took something pretty close to the current GOP position on this topic... and I STILL have people trying to make these people out to be something cartoonishly evil with no basis in reality.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 12:48 PM) J.D. Bolick. I keep telling him "The professionals think the Sox system is between 21-27, and that Tim Anderson will likely be a top 100 prospect". And he keeps replying with "I am a professional. You like to talk s*** about my rankings, but then reference the rankings of other professionals. I am a professional just like them." Basically he thinks his opinion is just as important and respected as Jason Parks, Jim Callis, John Manuel, Keith Law, Dave Cameron, and the like. He's got a real ego on him I guess. By the way, I through out this comment before I saw the Jason Parks-Tim Anderson Top 50 thing, and he's been using this comment as a "You're just a giant homer, you know nothing about baseball, I am a professional, you should be learning from my wisdom, not fighting me on this." I was trying to convey to him how the 29th or 30th ranked farm system's don't have 2, 3, or even 5 top 100 ranked players. ......."Anderson will be somewhere around the 50-60 range. Micah will be near the 80-90 range. Then there is a chance that Frank Montas makes some lists, and maybe Courtney Hawkins if he keeps up his improved year." He's a fantasy sports writer. His books are about fantasy football, and baseball. He's not a prospect expert, he's a fantasy sports dude. In any case, I wouldn't get all worked up. I'll take the opinions of actual baseball experts first.

Seeing this issue through the lense of a single 8 year old kid at your doorstep lends humanity, but it doesn't change the larger picture whatsoever. Fact is, you cannot just open the borders if you expect this country to continue to thrive. It pains me that we feel the need to send military assets all over the globe, often for causes only loosely (if at all) connected to protecting American interests... but we cannot secure the plumbing of our own southern border. We spent over a TRILLION dollars on the Iraq debacle, but we cannot find $100M to set up the infrastructure we need on the border, and cannot put our military to it's most important use - protecting our nation from direct incursion. There are two ways to secure the border - real walls or virtual walls. You really need a combination, most often the latter because it is cheaper and has fewer nasty side effects. It will cost lots of money, but nothing compared to some of these foreign engagements. Securing the border has to be one of the three pillars of any policy. Second pillar, make any changes necessary to the legal immigration system that is focused on economy and jobs. Break down people at skill levels coming in, determine level of job needs by industry, and set up quotas. Randomize source countries - no specific lists for specific other countries. That then determines how many people at what skill levels and areas can come in, and you have a lottery or a waiting list. Third, you have to deal with who is already here that arrived illegally. Shipping them back to Mexico or wherever they came from illegally is impractical, that can only be reserved for those committing serious crimes. The rest, you need to set up a temporary visa program, with steps in it to eventually - after a very long time - gain citizenship. Lots of things you can do to make this work well, via military or government work and private industry together. Some call this amnesty - I call it reality. The fourth item isn't really a core policy piece, but needs to be addressed - what do you do with the kids who are already here illegally with no one to care for them? This one is very sticky, but I think you need to not think of a single solution, but instead many. For countries of origin where they can be ascertained, you send them back - this is a much smaller group, so it is practical to do so. For countries who refuse American ships and planes and buses with these kids, or where countries cannot be determined, you work with as many private social services entities you can, and place as many as you can. By the time you do all the above, you should be down to a small number to go into state systems. None of this is changed by the presence of these kids, except to further emphasize the same exact needs we already had. I hurt for these kids, and I fully disagree with some peoples' characterization that they are just trying to get that awesome welfare money. Preposterous. They are escaping hell, hoping for something better, and the ones old enough to work will work for it (most of them anyway - just like most already-Americans). But again, nothing changes the needs that already existed.

QUOTE (ChiSoxJon @ Jun 24, 2014 -> 09:46 AM) And sure enough on 6/24/14 he's worth every penny of it and Barnum is a mediocre high A 1B Worth every damn penny? Over the life of his contract? I'm not so sure about that. It is also hindsight.

Recap posted, sorry for the delay.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 07:42 PM) Apparently the Sox system is worse. And I'm just a homer for thinking otherwise. Who is this dude you were arguing with? What is his actual name (if he has a published book, he must have mentioned a name)?

By the way, file this under "probably nothing but caught my eye"... Josh Phegley was taken out after the 6th inning last night. Skinner doesn't normally pinch-hit for guys, and it certainly is unusual with a catcher unless there was an injury. But when Set Lakso asked Skinner about it, Skinner said he's perfectly healthy, no injury, he's fine. Hm.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 08:22 PM) Is it weird that I'm still pissed the Sox didn't call up Tom Collaro in 2007 when everything went to s***? Sure he would have struck out in 80% of his AB's but it would have been FUUUUUNNNNNN. Micah Schnurstein.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 10:37 PM) But it's the smallest jump he could possibly make from HS right? Yes.

QUOTE (chisoxfan310 @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 06:51 PM) Barnum was our compensation pick for Buehrle. At the time I even said trade Danks for whatever you could get since he was pretty mediocre at the time of the extension (KW wanted like 3-4 great prospects for him) and just signed Buehrle instead. That doesn't mean they traded Buehrle for Barnum. They gave up Buehrle, got back Barnum AND ABOUT $50M. Kind of a key element there. Every indication was that Mark wasn't worth that kind of money anymore.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 03:19 PM) This is all about Boras being BOR-ASS as usual playing his little games. By playing his little games, what you mean is trying to get more money for his clients. People get mad about Boras' tactics, I get that. But this idea that he's doing it for fun or to piss people off makes zero sense. There is no foundation in reality for it. It does Boras no good to do what people seem to think he's doing.

Snodgress has been quietly improving. Still not striking out a ton of guys, but in 9 starts prior to this one, he had 38 K in 54 IP, vs 18 BB. Getting better.

Now we've got a little more variety - Sleeper Picks from Jeff, Dan and Matt from the draft, and we all picked different ones.

I'm a professed Smith fan, I think he's definitely worth keeping in mind. IF it weren't for Phegley sitting in Charlotte, Smith would probably be headed there soon. He's hit at every level, has some power, his defense has improved... and his age/level issue was sort of a "we know" thing, as he was taken slowly due to rawness out of college. Plus he's a catcher, and they tend to go slower anyway. I'm on board.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 10:27 AM) Jim Callis ‏@jimcallisMLB Jun 20 Micah Johnson. @wooding_charlie: @WhiteSox Second Best Prospect assuming Rodon 1. Interesting. I still put him at 3 or 4 right now, behind Rodon, Anderson, possibly Hawkins. I think people are forgetting about Johnson's defensive woes.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 09:42 AM) I thought this was happening "any day now" like 2 weeks ago, what happened? The only person who said any day now was Rock. All other indications I've seen point to this taking a while, but there has been very little information available. If you read into what Hahn and Bell have said, they seem pretty resigned to this taking a while, and they are trying to prod him into getting it done faster.

I have to be honest, and this is going to sound odd, but... I am not sure there is much value in trying to land 1 or 2 $1M+ guys anyway, and it might be better to get 5 or 6 guys in the 250k-500k range. These are 16 year olds we are talking about here, and this is a HUGE gamble, much more so than the draft. Spreading your bets seems like the smart move to me. Spending more overall is good, but I am not going to be upset if they don't get any of the top 5 guys.

QUOTE (southside hitman @ Jun 23, 2014 -> 08:54 AM) http://www.chicagonow.com/future-sox/2014/...ift-kannapolis/ Recap posted. Does anyone know why Nolan Earley missed the first part of the season? He was in extended ST, but I think he was playing, so not an injury. I think he just lost out in the competition for Kanny's OF slots in April.

I know I'm late to the game on this one, but I really enjoyed Edge of Tomorrow (now that I got to see all of it). I'd describe it as a good popcorn movie - plus. It had that fun summer action movie thing down, but added a little more in the way of character study (but not too much), some nice humor, and a couple slightly unusual story line angles. The combo worked well, and it was deeper and better than I expected it to be. Loved Bill Paxton's character.