NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (J.Reedfan8 @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 10:45 PM) Flowers still isn't hitting in average but has 10 BBs in his last 6 games. Part of the reason Flowers is hitting for a low average but walking a lot might be that, at least lately, his lineup "protection" has been Josh Kroeger, who hasn't hit for s*** all year.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 03:27 PM) Batting average and that's about it. Write them off then - I wouldn't, not for 2011, not yet.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 03:34 PM) Drew O'Neil was released, Santos Rodriguez was activated off the DL. Wow, they cut O'Neill completely? 4th round pick just two years ago. I know his peripherals have been really disappointing, but I'm still shocked they would just give up that quickly on him.

QUOTE (MattZakrowski @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 02:39 PM) I don't think the issue of trading within the division is anything worth worrying about, considering the Royals can't seriously consider trying to contend this year or next. Though Dayton being Dayton... You know, they were within 7 games of .500 until a recent skid and have one of the best offenses in baseball this year by some measures. And there is some pitching talent there. I wouldn't be so quick to write them off for 2011 already, especially if they can make a few shrewd deadline trades this year. They aren't contending this year, but next year is another story. They have some serious talent that should hit the majors by next year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 01:19 PM) Speaking from TN, the tea party here is riled up over a similar evil effort to build a Mosque in a Nashville suburb. You're not going to agree with me but I'm going to say it anyway. The tea party is no different from any "Republican revival" we've seen in the last couple decades. They're 80% Republicans, the other 20% are Republicans in spirit who want to call themselves independents. They get mad when a Demycrat increases the budget deficit, but not when a Republican does it. They're fine with taking away anyone else's rights but their own (see: SB 1070). They're simply the activist portion of the Republican party. But they've had 8 years where their guy has been in power, so they're a new force in that it's ok if a Republican does those things. It's as if I started saying in 2003 that we needed to pay attention to this vibrant new anti-war movement and it must represent a totally new and unique strain of American politics. No it wasn't. It was the activist portion of the left doing what it would do if Obama started campaigning for a new war. Hell, I could make a case that the anti-war marches were vastly more cosmopolitan than the Tea Party (they had guys like Crazy Pat Buchanan and Jon Hostetler on their side, name a Demycrat teapartier). Well, I think what you describe is the popular wave that jumped on the bandwagon. And unfortunately, that has given the movement a whole bunch of rudders going different ways, which is kind of a shame. I agree its reality, but I don't agree its what got it started.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 12:55 PM) Really? All 10 amendments? Like, for example, you think they'd have no problem with freedom of religion for non-Christians? That's the kind of belief that I think needs to be refudiated. I said Tea Partiers, not Sarah Palin. Palin is in many ways the opposite of what the Tea Party activists have wanted, but she glommed on when she saw the media exposure it could buy her. She doesn't want individual freedoms, she wants some sort of retarded Stepford Wives nation. But of course, herein lies another issue that the Tea Party will have to deal with - no clear leadership, really just a groundswell of similarly minded people speaking out, which was then sort of taken over by the likes of Palin and Bachman for their own gain. They've been co-opted.

Tea Party doesn't necessarily cater to "moderates" - they cater to people who actually want protection of individual freedoms. Not just the kinds the GOP harps on, or just the kinds that the Dems harp on - but instead siding with individual freedom on all 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights. Now, unfortunately, because that movement will tend to oppose Obama and attract those angry with the present state of things, the party will ALSO attract some crazies, mostly of the right wing variety. That is the real problem that Tea Partiers will have to contend with.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 19, 2010 -> 08:04 AM) Once you're one of Ozzie's guys, it doesn't matter what you do, you keep your AB's. Unless you aren't on the roster anymore.

Steve broke multiple site rules, including attacking other posters. He is serving a suspension for those actions. Nobody is ever going to be suspended for being wrong with a prediction, that's just ridiculous.

*like button* I'll definitely watch the next one. Whenever it is.

Little early to indict Viciedo as "not a major league 3B", no? I'm a Morel fan, but no reason to bring him into the discussion before 2011 barring another injury.

Serafin not adjusting to High A too well, at least so far.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jul 17, 2010 -> 08:33 PM) That's honestly what bothers me about politics - whether or not you've figured out why I post the way I do in here... Anyway, the gays are all orgies and disgusting people crap, all the people need to be sent to Mexico if you voted for Obama (truthfully, he does hate America, or should I say, did, because he's "transforming" it into what he thinks it should be, ask Michelle, who pretty much admitted she hated America before her husband became president). People are misinformed, but they can't help it. There are some here that truly believe America needs to be more socialistic in its government policies. You got your wish, but don't b**** when that trap door bites you in the ass later. The biggest issue is ignorance. And the Republican Party is a bunch of weak minded asshats, but that's another story. How anyone can say with a straight face that they think Obama, or Bush for that matter, "hate America", is beyond me. There is just no way.

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 03:10 PM) Pretty damn smart move, them picking up Thome for dirt cheap. It won't solve their pitching problems though. Would have been the smart move for us too.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 02:42 PM) Pierre -- LF Ramirez -- SS Rios -- CF Konerko -- 1B Quentin -- DH AJ -- C Jones -- RF Viciedo -- 3B Beckham -- 2B Floyd -- RHP Whoever was guessing, nailed it. Not sure why, but when I first glanced at that, the way you posted it, I thought it was position followed by player. I was looking forward to Andruw Jones catching, Paul Koernko in CF and Gavin Floyd playing 2B.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 01:27 PM) ACH is by far the best funding option if you can get it done. Money moves very quickly between your bank account and your brokerage account that way. I'd try going to a branch, but take all of your info for both accounts so that you can be sure to be able to get it done easily. Agreed, ACH is definitely both fastest and easiest.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 01:28 PM) market down big today We'd gone up 7% in the past couple weeks, on basically nothing more than buying an oversold market. The market was due to come back a bit.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 12:32 PM) It is also worth mentioning that no where near the cost of the railroads is being paid by tickets to ride them. I know that well over 50% of the money that the passenger railroad based in Michigan City comes from state and federal governments. About a third of their budget comes from tickets being bought. Oh definitely. Metra is the best peforming agency in the Midwest financially, and even they can just barely break even for normal operations with ticket money. All capital improvements and infrastructure work comes from tax money.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 12:00 PM) I am not against public transportation. anyways this is just false. you totally ignore gasoline tax and licensing fees. that was my point. everyone else seems to be telling you the same thing. but yes, roads do cost money and requiring additional funding. everyone knows this. How is it false? Subsidized means using tax dollars against cost. That is exactly where 99%+ of the road funding comes from. I suppose I should have said your roads are 99% subsidized, not 100%. SOME of that money comes from TARGETED taxation - gas tax, etc., as you mention. Its still tax money. Except for those very few toll roads in the US, you don't pay for use. Virtually any train ride you take, you pay to ride. I am not against either being true, by the way. Having all roads be pay-for-use is completely impractical. All I'm saying is, people want to know why tax dollars should go to mass transit at all (not you, I was addressing some who truly do say this), and those are the people who don't get it (in my view). The federal and state governments (and localities as well) build and maintain roads, and to an extent rails and other transportation infrastructure. Its accepted by most everyone that this is a function best left to the government to manage. That being the case, it behooves that same government to attempt to allocate transportation infrastructure spending in a way that maximizes efficiency. That doesn't mean everything is on rails - but there have been umpteen studies I've seen that make it clear that a relatively small (compared to the total transportation budget) bump in rail transit funding would pay huge dividends not only for riders, but for drivers and flyers, as well as taxpayers. That function isn't infinite of course, rail has its limits. I'm just saying, there is every reason to believe that the balance of the equation should be a little more towards rail and mass transit than it currently is, if we want the most bang for our taxpayer buck.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 10:45 AM) Very strange thing happened this morning: A high school sophomore (Maybe Jr?) that volunteers for the church I work for work up this morning completely disoriented. He has all his long term memory, but has no memory of the last week and didnt know what day it was. Very very weird. I hope he went to the doctor. Most things that come to mind which might cause that are not good.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 10:29 AM) they actually do. tolls bring in a lot of money as do all the license fees, sticker fees, gas tax, ect. % of rail lines that generate revenue: near 100% % of roads that have tolls: ??? I'm sure its very small, single digits certainly. I was just pointing out that people seem to be in a bit of a fugue state about road versus rail funding.

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 10:21 AM) I'd like to think the HoF would lower the standards since the 300 game winner is near done (oddly enough, Buehrle probably has the best chance of all pitchers active to get it still, because he's not a power pitcher and a workhorse. If only he didn't think of hanging it up) and Buehrle would get in with 2 or 3 more All-Star games. I think he and Paulie will both retire Sox and have numbers retired and statues. If MB pitches another decade or so at this pace (or until he's 40-ish), gets another few trophies of one kind or another (GG, WS, All Star), he's got a good shot. If he adds a Cy Young somewhere in there, he's probably going to make it. But anything less than that, he's a long shot at best.

Just do it yourself. Its really easy, unless you have an all-electric car or something. Even on a hybrid its easy, though you need to be careful about what order you do things in, in that case (see your manual). Its scary if you haven't done it before, but if you follow the manual, you will be safe and save yourself some money.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jul 16, 2010 -> 09:59 AM) i directly pay for it with the outrageous taxes I pay, the fees i pay , and when i pay tolls. That's actually the point I was making. Roads get hundreds of times over the amount of tax dollars that rail does, rail actually generates some revenue on its own while the roads don't... yet, when the very suggestion of putting more money in rail out of the transportation dollars pool comes up, some people's reaction is that we shouldn't be subsidizing rail. Um, your roads are already 100% subsidized, dude.

I don't see anything in the Trib or MLB.com articles about it, and missed the 2nd inning. What happened in the outfield that Hawk was going on and on about, that resulted in the big inning for the Twins? Who screwed up, and what happened?