NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 02:33 PM) Dude. We get it. He sucks. So far for the Sox he's has, with the bat. Doubtful that continues though.

Wild pitch works!

This is what this team and it's fans needed. One last win in the dome is now a possibility. I'd love it if we could actually climb back past MIN to end the season.

The eeyores in here are amazing.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 01:27 PM) His range to his right has improved a ton as has his throws to Paulie. He has adjusted in several different dp scenarios and has improved immensely in pick off plays and stolen base attempts. He's ALOT better than he was in April. His range, his throws, his attention to detail and his command of the infield are all improved since opening day. I just don't see that at all. Heck, just the last few games even, his throws have been all over the place. His range to his right I haven't seen change either, though that's of course a small sample size to evaluate. But the throws, the DP's and the bonehead mistakes just keep on rolling. Fortunately, since he's above average for a SS with the bat with room to spare, that makes up for it somewhat. But its frustrating to look at a guy who seems like he could be great there, but isn't mentally capable, from what I can see so far.

He has great range up the middle, but not great range to his right. He has a cannon arm, and can make some very difficult plays that many other SS's would have trouble with. He struggles with DP's when there is a chance of contact with the runner. And yeah, he makes boneheaded plays too often. Normally, for a guy in basically his first year at the position, you'd take that and be happy. Problem is though, I'll say again, he isn't improving. He's the same now as he was in April. So I have a hard time believing he'll improve in 2010. I hope I'm wrong.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:56 PM) He has an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of over 1.6 with the Padres. I'm not rooting for the guy to fail. In fact, I hope he does great, but he hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire over there. But why must we always create threads about people we trade away or constantly bring them up elsewhere every time after they have a good game? I think we should just have a former-player thread, for all this stuff. Seems silly to start new threads about it.

QUOTE (Tex @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:38 PM) 17 inning game forced Sergio Miranda to handle a little pitching duties, with predictable results http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...mp;ymd=20090901 He also went 2 for 7 at the plate while playing 3B. He's been playing all over the field. But I don't think pitching will be in his future. I still think he's got something that could turn him into a major league utility player. He plays all over the field, athletic with some speed, had a rep for good middle infield defense, hits for a high average, high contact rate (just 32 K in 254 AB)... just has no power. Still only 22 even though he's now 1.5 years in High A. Its a shame he basically walked out of the system for nothing.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 10:40 AM) Last job, before I was laid off, I found thru Craigslist. Right now, besides trolling the job boards...trying to find anyone that works at the place I'm applying to through LinkedIn or Facebook and then seeing how I might be connected to them. We'll see how this works...all they can do it get me in the door...after that, it's up to me. Having a connection at a company (friend, former co-worker, etc.) is far and away the best way to go, in terms of success rate. If that fails, next best is using recruiters/headhunters to find you a job. Sending in resumes blind should be the last choice, though sometimes you have no other choice.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:59 PM) Not very many. I worked with that company once and out of about 75 employees I saw the time working along side the company, all were all Indian. They are throwing a fit over a proposed bill that states they can't get any more H1b's until they use 50% US workers to work on projects in the US. If wipro hires Americans, it's few and far between. I know the CEO of HCL technologies openly stated he won't hire American graduates. That's a pretty bold, and stupid, statement to make at a technology conference. I don't know anything about HCL, but yeah, that is out and out dumb.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:08 PM) I think I agree with you. I would absolutely shocked if it went to Tokyo or Spain. But Tokyo in particular I feel has zero chance. They say they pick cities, not countries or regions, but the recent/forthcoming events in Europe/Asia will factor in to the voters' heads guaranteed. I think it could either way. The IOC wants to give it to Rio so badly. I think they are just afraid of the safety/crime factor and infrastructure there right now. Chicago is probably their number 2, but it will have been 20+ years since the US has hosted a Summer Olympics, plus the Barack Obama factor, I could easily see it coming stateside as well. It's 50/50, but like you, if I had to place a bet, I'd go with Rio. Agreed on most of the above. I've said since the beginning it was Rio and Chicago. But taking in all the Chicago factors you mention, plus the fact that Chicago has a criticism most easily changed (financial guarantees, which are being put together as we speak by the city council and the state legislature), says to me that they may eke it out. I give Chicago a 50% chance, Rio 45% (crime factor is just huge there right now, and the US market pays so much bigger and has gone 20 years), and the other 5% to the other two who have no real shot.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:36 PM) I usually like to listen to Phillips, but he is not an expert on the White Sox. I am certain there are several readers here who know more about the Sox than he does. So, he really didn't say anything profound in his article. His article took up space, that's all. He admitted he picked the sSox to win the division, so that disqualifies him as any kind of guru. In terms of personnel in April, how can you have picked the Sox with what they had at third, left, and center? This was a bad team from the get-go. There was no reason to pick them to win anything. Kenny has a lot of work to do, but at least he patched a couple of holes. LOL, someone picks the wrong team to win a division that everyone knew would be tight and hard to predict, and that makes then disqualified to speak on the topic?

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:33 PM) Outsourcing does not always mean overseas, that would be offshoring. Wipro ,Tata, ect openly refer to their services as outsourcing services even when the work is done in the US. The problem is the Indian companies do not hire locals for work. But you are correct, the visas are often used for the endgame of offshoring the work. maybe we should split the thread, don't want a H1b hijack of health care I think I said that - outsourcing means outside the company. With consultants and contractors, well, I guess that counts as outsourcing. Actually though, companies like Wipro DO hire Americans here in the States, believe it or not.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:27 PM) Actually the main users of the visas are outsourcing companies such as Infosys and Wipro. I think you are confused. Rank Company Headquarters Primary Employment Base H-1Bs received 2006 1 Infosys Bangalore, Karnataka, India India 4,108 2 Wipro Bangalore, Karnataka, India India 4,107 3 Microsoft Redmond, Washington US 3,517 4 Tata Consultancy Services Mumbai, Maharashtra, India India 3,046 5 Satyam Computer Services Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India India 2,880 6 Cognizant Teaneck, New Jersey[44] India 2,226 7 Patni Computer Systems Mumbai, Maharashtra, India India 1,391 8 IBM Armonk, New York US 1,130 9 Oracle Corporation Redwood Shores, California US 1,022 10 Larsen & Toubro Infotech Mumbai, Maharashtra, India India 947 OK, so then those aren't employees of US firms. You are talking about contractors, who I suppose you could call outsourced staff. But the contracting trend goes well beyond foreign visa workers - a lot of companies were getting big into that for a while. I think I see what you are saying now - you mean consultants and contractors doing work for US companies but ultimately working for foreign companies.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 12:12 PM) The H1b program was supposed to be used to fill positions which needed rare talents. It morphed into a program to generate visas used merely to outsource U.S. IT/accounting/engineering/legal work. The L1 program is even worse, we used it a lot at IBM and they are used 100% or the time to lower wages and outsource. The H1b was only used, in my estimation, about 90% of the time to lower wages and outsource. I would estimate around 10% of the H1b's actually had top notch skills that are hard to find; I completely support the visa programs to bring in doctors and top skills but not to replace US workers. Your friends have a legitimate complaint. I do know that the Dept of Labor has been denying a ton of H1b visas this year, over 20% of the visas were found to be fraudulent for a number of reasons. I know that Sen Durbin introduced a bill to address the H1b/L1 visa programs; it's bill S.887 I believe. It seems like a pretty good bill. You may want to read up on it if you are interested in reforming those programs. You are using a strange definition of outsourcing. Outsourcing, to me, means using resources outside the company, and more specifically, outside the area (often out of the country). H1B and L1 are not that at all - what they are is just cost-cutting moves, usually. Outsourcing means you don't give them visas, you leave them where they are.

I actually think that a big part of why this team is 6 or so under .500, instead of 6 or so over, hasn't been discussed yet. We all get upset about the team not hitting in the clutch. But even with the recent slide, the Sox are still 10th among the 30 MLB teams in AVG w/ RISP. So what does that mean? To me, it means they aren't making productive outs. Even if you are good at hitting with RISP, you are lucky to be .280, so the other .720 is outs. I think the Sox have been horrible this year in making those outs productive. Part of that may be bad luck, but I suspect its mostly two other things. One, players going for broke - not hitting situationally, but instead trying to make the killer blow. This would explain the relatively high average but much fewer productive outs. The other thing I think is, the team was too tight. Guys seemed like they were pressing, like they felt the pressure was on THEM in those situations, when really it is on the pitcher. Anyway, that's my theory.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 08:14 AM) It probably has something to do with constantly being told that what you believe in somehow makes you less of a person. Plus it isn't like we don't always here the screaming stories about depletion and extinctions being generated. Heck I could even mention all of similiar times people take one story about one, or even a few, religious people who do something wrong, and that is used to indict entire faiths and dogmas. In other words it happens here all of the time. That was more or less the point I was making (taking out the actual issue at hand).

QUOTE (Tex @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 08:25 AM) I remember sitting in on a golf course committee which was discussing the new fleet of golf carts being purchased. Somene mentioned they were happy we were going to "non polluting" electric carts. I had to mention there was still pollution happening, it was just shifted from the course to wherever the electricity was being generated. A couple people actually believed that electricity just spontaneously appears at each outlet. They had no concept of generating electricity and using fuels to do it. And that is yet another example of the two sided issue. Pollution doesn't stop - it shifts - but to a much more efficient generation method. so there is improvement, but not absolute improvement.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 08:27 AM) Glad to see him on the way up. I wonder if he or Torres is getting the starts? Trib said they confirmed Torres is starting at Wrigley on Thursday.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 10:04 PM) My dad went to high school with Pete Cetera (Chicago bassist and singer prior to launching his crappy solo career) at Mendel That's interesting. Pete Cetera started his high school career at Quigley South, the seminary high school - in MY father's class - before leaving for another high school (never knew which one until now).

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 05:54 PM) Well #2 is where you miss the whole point. Jim Thome gained 12 games in the standings last night. He went from a team that's 6 games out of the playoffs to a team that's 6 up. He has a much better chance of getting his ring with the Dodgers than he did the Sox. The trade was made as a favor to Thome, the class act that he is. This also changes nothing in terms of 2010, Thome will be a free agent at year's end free to sign with the Sox if the 2 sides see fit. avy what?

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 05:03 PM) You need to try Fat Sandwiches before you go. didn't work out. They supplied lunch for us, and for dinner I was back near the hotel on south Neil street, so I needed something nearby (no car, I took the train here). I'll make sure to stop by there on the next trip down here. Monical's was pretty decent thin crust pizza.

QUOTE (bighurt4life @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 07:00 PM) what's wrong with protecting his arm??? maybe this will give him a chance to pitch in a big league game this season. There is of course nothing wrong with it. They brought Shirek down too, for apparently the same reason. These arms they see as having a big future, especially in those cases where they were promoted and seeing harder competition, there is no reason to cause them issues.

Thanks for the bat, Jim. You provided a much needed power boost from the left side. Thanks for the HR chase, Jim - gave us things to cheer for when the team didn't give us that. And thanks for being a class act.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 04:30 PM) With Getz, Wise, Flowers, Fields & Torres going up to Chicago and Kroeger, Negron, Armstrong, Wassermann & Harrell joining their respective Baseball World Cup teams, Charlotte needed players to fill out their roster. With Bristol's season ending today, Charlotte received Brent DeFoor, Miguel Gonzalez, Jose Fulgencio and Brady Shoemaker from Bristol. They also received Lee Fischer from Kannapolis, Kent Gerst and Ryan Rote from Winston-Salem as well as adding Brandon Hynick. Justin Fuller was assigned to Winston-Salem, but is not active yet. The Barons received pitcher Jacob Marceaux as a free agent. He was a former first round pick of the Marlins and had not pitched in affiliate ball this year, nor in the indy leagues as far as I know. I doubt he'll be eligible for the postseason. Gerst and Rote should be returning to Winston-Salem for the playoffs after Charlotte's season ends next Monday, as well as Fischer likely returning to Kannapolis for their playoffs. As all three are eligible to play in the playoffs for the Dash and the Intimidators. What the heck is a baseball world cup? Also, Ehren Wassermann is from Alabama. Did they secede and become another country?