NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 01:02 PM) Why the Democrats in Congress don't like this deal in 1 graph: In case you can't read the caption; the balls represent the size of the tax cut given to each income level; low incomes at the top, high incomes at the bottom. The 3 columns are: Democratic plan, Republican plan, Obama compromise. The Obama compromise is actually a bigger tax break to everyone below 200k than either of the others. But above that, its actually just a bloated version of the GOP plan.

Sort of nowhere to go with this. If people are watching Fox News thinking they are getting anything other than commentary, then they are a lost cause. If they already know what Fox News is, then this isn't news to them.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 01:56 PM) Why do you think they are overrated? Any time you can put yourself in a better position to score is a very good thing. The argument isn't even about SB's, as I think anyone will tell you they are valuable - in a vacuum. The issue is effectiveness, which comes from rate. A guy who steals 18 in 20 attempts is more valuable than a guy who steals 50 but gets caught 30. The negative value of a CS is more than the positive value of a SB.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 11:27 AM) Yeah I've never gotten this. People would rather blame our org than the player. Especially with a player having such spotty history as Flowers (failed drug test, unclear MLB position) I think we have to look directly at the player as responsible. Flowers has improved a lot defensively, he's not unclear on position at this point. He's definitely a catcher, at least for the short term. Its been noted that Flowers got some hitting advice going into 2010 that conflicted with there the org had him going before that, and its screwed him up. I have every reason to believe he's going to hit again in 2011 like he did in 2009. He's not some throw-in, he has a lot of value with that bat and playing catcher even if only somewhat well defensively.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 10:55 AM) It is? Flowers and Teahen both suck at this sport. Viciedo would be the only loss. and he's the biggest one to lose. Viciedo by himself I wouldn't trade for a reliever unless it was a truly top line closer, even then I'm not sure. But then I tend to think of most relievers as crap shoots, and I like Viciedo a lot. Flowers going now is selling low, I'd bet he rakes in AAA this year.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 10:53 AM) We definitely have a need for pitching. We could use a 5th starter and we can definitely use bullpen help. I've assumed for a while we could contemplate going after a young arm that is cost controlled at some point in time that the organization likes. Viciedo and Flowers are pretty good options as guys to move at this point in time. I'd be disappointed if all we netted for those two was one relief pitcher.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 10:50 AM) Seems a bit steep... I agree, I think that package is more than I'd be willing to trade for any reliever.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Dec 9, 2010 -> 10:42 AM) Posting from my phone. Could be a rumor but I hear the Sox are deep in talks that involve some of our top prospects for pitching. Maybe we are also trading someone from our rotation? Interesting. I know you have a good source, I'm hoping that's where this came from. I had thought it was likely we'd trade Floyd or Danks for a position upgrade, but hadn't figured we'd acquire more pitching that way. Doesn't seem like we'd need to trade a starter for relief help. Weird.

Closed the AAP threads for Mollenhauer, Rasner and Brooks.

If you have any AAP's, the offseason is a good time to dust them off and update their 2010 seasons in there.

Rasner taken via Rule V, he's no longer with the Sox organization. Closing AAP.

Brooks taken from the Sox via Rule V yesterday. Closing AAP.

Mollenhauer left the Sox via the Rule V draft yesterday, going to Baltimore's system. Closing AAP.

I thought this was interesting. A group of the uber-rich - 57 of them for now including Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Mark Zuckerberg - have pledged to give away at least half their wealth before or upon their deaths. That's downright cool.

Jobless claims 2nd lowest this year at 421k, beating expectations and making it 2 out of last 3 weeks that the number has been below the faux-magical 425k line. Yesterday it was announced that the number of job openings was the highest in 2 years, and that the ratio of seekers to jobs has dropped in the past year or so from 6-7 per to about 4 per. Still ugly, but far better.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 08:51 PM) He was the only one I saw report that the Chairman had joined the negotiations last night. What?! Everyone and their brother have reported that JR has been involved on this deal.

This thread has to be a joke. Like, a thread titled "let's give props to Kotsay for his 2010 performance" level joke. Cowley has been the least accurate, most all over the board guy we've seen quoted in all of this.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 05:38 PM) LOL, I love the far-right's response of cheerleading tax cuts for incomes over $250k and estate tax cuts but lambasting extension of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans out of work. It's amazing that the Democrats still manage to lose the messaging battle when this is what they're facing. It will swing back in time, just a question of when.

Ugh, again with the leadoff hitter thing. You do not build a team by selecting players for lineup slots. You build the team with the best offensively players you can (fitting your general plan, ballpark, etc.), and THEN make the lineup you think will work best. No, Pierre is not Ricky Henderson. No, he won't get on base at a .400 clip. But given the players the Sox have, no one else really makes any better sense right now. You do not go out and acquire a "leadoff hitter".

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 03:10 PM) I hate to be the one to derail the thread, but I have to. This reminds me a ton of the classic "Obama should have focused more on the economy and not on health care" line that we kept hearing before the election. What else should he have done instead? I can give you procedural quibbles with how it happened, but what else could he have gotten done instead? Getting more "stimulus" out of Congress certainly seems to me to have been darn near impossible. Leaving the health care system as-is was a horrible move. I don't disagree that the health care system needed help - I just contend that the economy needed other measures more AND that the health care system could have been fixed better for far less money.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 01:36 PM) What I don't understand is why he caved in here. I'm against 90% of what Obama wants to do, but there's a point where this Republican party is just retarded. Case in point is the idea that rich people paying a slightly higher tax is going to make things worse. That's a joke. They can afford a little more. He had all the cards in this fight. Worst case nothing gets done. Unemployment benefits end and the tax cuts end too. You know who people get mad at? The GOP. 95% of the voting public just got their taxes increased because the Republicans were protecting a small minority. Benefits got lost because of the GOP. The people who are hurt by that move aren't the rich. Even for the moronic democratic party, this would have been an EASY message to communicate. Best case, Obama gets what he wants - unemployment benefits remain and tax cuts are extended for everyone not making a middle class living. The government doesn't take another deficit hit. Win-win-win. Instead, he's a coward with no principles he's willing to stick with. This is my biggest issue with Obama. I'd have more respect for the guy if he told the idiots in Washington (both sides) to shove it. The best leaders don't care who they piss off, they do what they think is right. And yeah, that video is nice to show that he can say it, but let's actually see him DO it. I sort of agree, but it should be noted, he's doing a bit of what you are asking for by compromising - he's going against the right AND left, to try to get something, anything, done. I think a substantial part of the problems his administration has had thus far has been Congress, not him. Same can be said to a certain extent of Bush as well. Congress is the common problem here. What he said in the video is pretty much exactly what he's done and is doing. As far as Obama's own self-made mistakes, there are plenty of course. The biggest so far, IMO, are three things: deciding this economy was the time to re-vamp health care, targeting the stimulus far too short term (only partially him), and not following up TARP with massive executive changes to regulatory agencies.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 11:57 AM) First full season of his big league career, first season playing full time RF since 2007 and he played nothing but from that year on back, he just took at 2 year break with the White Sox. I think it's a tremendous loss of athleticism due to injury that's killing his defense more than anything. I don't know, I tend to agree with people who pointed out he really seemed to get a lot of bad reads out there. I saw it a whole bunch of times. That's not athleticism or injury. Not that those don't play a part, but I don't think its the whole picture either.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 11:53 AM) This is also where Teahen will be in the mix although they need soemone who can play CF. He's a given barring a trade. Castro ©, Vizquel (3B, SS, 2B), Teahen (1B, RF, 3B), and then a 4th OF would be the bench.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 12:00 PM) So that's how they'll get it through. I was really hoping for a line in the sand on this one. Such a f***ing waste of money.

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Dec 8, 2010 -> 11:08 AM) The Sox won't be able to re sign Andruw Jones, will they? So who is going to be the back up outfielder? Who'll step in if Rios or Pierre goes down? Teahen can't do that. As things stand now, the battle for 4th OF is Lillibridge, De Aza and Gartrell.