NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 15, 2010 -> 11:05 AM) I watched the latest Indiana Jones movie last night. I never got around to it because it got some bad reviews, but I enjoyed it. However, aliens? Really? I thought that movie was a disaster - horrible writing, just bad overall. QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 10:14 AM) Watch those ones first. I'd add Book of Eli, which I thought was a lot better than the popular reviews made it out to be.

Jobless claims fell again, by 3k to 420k. Still below the magic 425k line, both in recent and the moving average. Housing starts rose modestly but are still very low - that's actually a good thing. FedEx, who is a good barometer of consumer and business spending, raised their 2011 earnings projections.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Dec 15, 2010 -> 02:13 PM) Tom Harkin: 'Shot At Filibuster Reform Coming Jan. 5 Probably doomed, but rooting for it to happen.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 10:29 AM) Sounds like they have 61 votes. Wow, this may actually pass? Good, the country needs to move on and the bigots need to get out of the way.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 09:13 AM) have you heard an update since the Dunn and PK resigning or is that still the case? I talked with my rep, she said there was a definite and noticeable uptick in season tickets lately. Not sure where they are at in the grand scheme though.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 07:53 AM) I gotta disagree. If I look at that exact bullpen you just wrote...I see 1 situational lefty, Sale. If Thornty is closing, he's not available if Mauer, Morneau, and Thome come up with a runner on in the 7th inning. Ozzie has as far as I can remember always had 2 situational lefties. Even if Sale stays in the bullpen for the full year, there's no 2nd situational lefty. I think Sale starts some during the year, which makes that issue even worse. And I don't think they are going to use their prize young pitcher, who went all the way from draft to MLB the same year, as a LOOGY. So, they are looking for an actual situational lefty. QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 16, 2010 -> 07:55 AM) First, I think Pena is the long man. Second, you are making a lot of assumptions. -You are assuming that Infante is going to be on the MLB roster on Opening Day...the Sox may like him and his arm, but saving a year on his service time may be worth more to them, and if they call him up in July, should someone falter, then they save that year. With regards to this, I don't think it is far fetched to believe that either Sale or Thornton could be the closer, and considering Ozzie had Sale closing at the end of the year, I think it could very well be him. -You are assuming this means they need to cut payroll. But, if they are interested in Byrdak, as was mentioned very early in the offseason, that may be a move that only costs $1-2 mill. I think trading a starting pitcher based on the arrival of Tim Byrdak, or the arrival of Tim Byrdak and Jesse Crain, is a bit irresponsible. -You are assuming that they want Sale starting in the majors. It is entirely possible that they do want Sale starting, but it's very, very possible that it is in AAA where he can further develop his arsenal as opposed to the potential rookie problems. And, as I have mentioned earlier, that also leaves open the possibility of him being a bullpen arm come August. I think what you are suggesting is highly plausible, but that we need to let the details come in before such a statement is made. You'd think Pena would be back as the long man, but KW has been quoted saying Pena is going to be in the back of the pen now. Unless he's traded, I'd be shocked if Infante, who was in the majors last September, wasn't on the opening day bullpen. My assumption isn't so much about cutting payroll, though I do believe that's a factor - its about trying do something in the way of trading Quentin and still getting something good in RF. Much as I'd rather, in an ideal world, see Sale in AAA starting, the way the org is talking, he's almost assuredly going to be in the Sox come April.

QUOTE (J.Reedfan8 @ Dec 15, 2010 -> 06:37 AM) Quentin is not the same defensive stud that he was in Zona or even in Stanford (that I loved to see play back then) since he f***ed up his shoulder and had surgery on it. I just don't get how that can result in so many bad reads and routes though. There has to be more to it than his injury.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 15, 2010 -> 10:00 PM) I believe we'll see big performance drops from Buehrle and Konerko next year. My biggest concern is I don't see the top of the Sox rotation being able to compensate for Buehrle and the 5th spot. Looking at MB's career, there seems a high likelihood he improves, not drops, let a long a big drop. You are probably right on PK though. And right now, the 5th spot is Edwin Jackson or Chris Sale (if Peavy isn't ready Opening Day). You are saying an 88 win team, who really had only one player put up numbers well above his career averages (PK), and lost their best SP to injury... and has since then replaced Kotsay with Dunn, bolstered the bullpen has this Chris Sale guy now... is going to regress to 85 wins? Anything is possible, but I'd call that very, very unlikely, barring major injury issues.

The Gonzalez article mentioned the Sox are looking for a left reliever as well. Got me thinking, if the pen is currently this: Thonton Crain Sale Santos Pena Infante ?? long man And if they are looking for a lefty... that tells me they don't want Sale in the pen. They want him starting. And that tells me they are going to trade an SP, most likely.

Wow. I have not seen the Sox go this nuts in the offseason since... well, since I can remember. Very curious to hear the $ involved. Pen now Thornton/Crain/Sale/Santos/Pena/Infante/??-long man.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 14, 2010 -> 06:12 PM) $27.5? WTF? lol. Man f*** Cliff Lee. And this is another reason I will NEVER get married. Apparently his wife was a major factor in his decision to go back to Philly. b**** STFU and realize you're pretty worthless and just happen to be married to a professional athlete. So some dumbass Yankee fans were mean to you once. Not saying I wanted him to go to NY. But GMAB. Stay classy.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 14, 2010 -> 05:58 PM) Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not. But +1 if this is a serious post. Nostalgia means nothing in pro sports. No, Nostalgia means nothing TO YOU. It means something to most fans, and for some it means a lot. I agree that Rasmus is far more valuable that MB, but the idea that MB is "declining" is just silly unless he gets worse next year. His numbers over time say he's not declining.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Dec 14, 2010 -> 11:24 AM) Acela is part of a line, only travels high speed part of way. Reading Gartman letter this morning, he mentions a high speed rail line linking VA. Beach to Norfolk. BTW, he lives in VA. The proposed cost five years ago was $300 million, current incomplete rail line cost is 1.7 billion and rising with in his opinion few people likelt to use it. So you're saying that the only high speed rail actually functioning right now in the US makes money, but some other projects to create new ones are experiencing cost overruns. Right? Those are two different issues. That's like saying expressways don't work because some of them cost multiple times over their original estimates, which happens all the time. The fact is that the Acela is the only real high speed rail working in the US right now, and it makes money.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 11:37 PM) Boehner needs to take notes on how Newt Gingrich went down in flames and ended up punching himself out before he starts trying to sound like he's not going to stop until he has everything his way. Gingrich actually managed to work with a Dem White House and get some things done, before he imploded. Right now, that would be a victory, if Boehner could do the same.

QUOTE (Rex Kicka** @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 06:56 PM) Actually, this is where we disagree. The state of NJ was on the hook for 3 billion over 10 years. This 3 billion would create about 6000 jobs directly over ten years. Construction had started, they'd already spent a couple hundred million. By killing the program a year in, NJ ends up on the hook for another 300 million. For 0 gain. So rather than have the possibility of cost overruns 10 years from now, he took a 600 million dollar hit today. I'm actually not saying I agree or disagree with the NJ situation - I am saying that in that situation, the math is more complicated, and I can understand opposing viewpoints. Wisconsin, really, made zero sense.

Batch of morning reports... November retail sales rose more than expected; 0.8% versus 0.5% expected. October revised up from 1.2% gain to 1.7% gain. Survey of CEO's indicates confidence in increased hiring in 2011 on increased sales. Markets rallying on news.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Dec 14, 2010 -> 08:17 AM) I don't think that Buehrle would accept a trade to the Yankees either, but I do have to disagree on the bolded statement. I don't know how you define "caliber", and for the record I don't know how I would define it either, but I think that Buehrle is at least in the same ballpark as Lee as a pitcher. Lee may have better stuff, I'm not real sure about that as I haven't watched Lee all that much, Buehrle has a much longer tract record, and both are a little risky for various reasons already discussed. At the moment it is very possible that Lee is a better overall pitcher, just not head and shoulders above Buehrle in my opinion. I look at it this way; If the White Sox (Buehrle starting} were playing Lees' team (Lee starting}, I would give the Sox a very good chance of winning with Buehrle outpitching Lee that day. If they played a 100 times, I would give the Sox a very good chance at winning at least 50 of them. No. Just no. Buehrle is better at some things - defending his position, pickoffs. MB is also a very baseball smart guy. But pretty much everything else, Lee is far above and beyond him. Its really no contest.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 11:42 AM) Leaders & Legends. That quite possibly might be the stupidest thing I have ever heard. LOL seriously? That's like the names that 8th graders would give their recess football teams.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 03:33 PM) I wish they would just hire him as a coach. I think that's where this is headed, unless Donny can catch lightning in a bottle. If some other org comes along to give him a chance to start in AAA and be their 3rd catcher, I'm sure he'd take it. But barring that, I'd bet he does this another year or two, then "retires" and gets retained as the roving catching instructor or something similar.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 03:06 PM) I think there's a difference. I agree there is a difference. However, I really think Boehner here was trying to play to both sides - saying he wants to find a middle ground, but also won't budge much. It will be interesting to see how things actually play out.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 02:34 PM) Who knows. It's a tough team to read. All I know is this team is INFINITELY more fun to watch. The current stretch of 4 seasons without an NCAA tourney berth is the longest that ISU has had since the early 80's (1981-1984 to be exact). If Hoiberg can pull that rabbit out of his hat, or even just get an NIT berth, I think that's a big step in the right direction that will help his recruiting to get the program back on track.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 02:06 PM) Roads to have a tax that is supposed to be funding them. Just like the rail subsidies, except rail actually earns some of that cost back, so its contributing more than the roads are in that regard.

QUOTE (Cknolls @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 02:07 PM) Name me a high speed rail line that is profitable? Not a portion of a line . An entire high speed rail line. Well this is easy - there is only one high speed rail line in the entire US as I understand it, its the Acela, and it is profitable and keeps Amtrak afloat. So I am not sure what you are getting at here. Also, you guys are missing the point - I am not saying this specific rail project made financial sense (because I don't know the data), I am saying the situation the WI governor was in was really quite simple, and he made a stupid decision to make a point.

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 01:46 PM) Sox signed Brian Bruney and they're bringing back Donny Lucy. Both minor league deals. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/12/whit...ian-bruney.html Bruney sounds like MacDougal. Lucy's role, I'd imagine, is to back up and help Tyler Flowers with the defensive and pitcher handling aspects in Charlotte.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Dec 13, 2010 -> 12:39 PM) I don't see us winning more than 4 in conference. I'm betting 6-10 in conference. 5 games they should win on paper, let's say they drop one, that's 4. Add two upsets of the remaining 11 games, which is typical, that's 6 wins. Anything more is a bonus.