NorthSideSox72

Probably some of that is what Balta says, but not all. I'd be curious on numbers for that as well. Economy is showing some positive signs. Seems like its going to spend the rest of the year leveling, generally, but sectors are pacing differently (as is common). Housing seems to be stabilizing ahead of other areas. Financial firms already have been doing so for a while now. Equities generally ran up this past few months, and are now pausing for a bit. Manufacturing output increases, and productivity increases, are likely next. Unfortunately, employment is usually last in line. By the way, I think its very interesting the huge gap right now among "experts" in where the equities markets are going. I can never recall such a huge difference. I have seen or spoken with people who are truly experts, and I am hearing predictions ranging from dire (Dow 5000 in the next 6 months) to optimistic (Dow 15000 within a couple years), and everything in between. So, the markets are seemingly drifting between, wondering where to go.

I saw one that few people did, because it was during an untelevised Spring Training Game. Paul Konerko lost a ground ball in his jersey. I kid you not. Happened in, I think 2007. Maybe 2008.

I like the platoon. And in general, I agree with the idea that we don't know yet which will be a better player overall. I'd hash out all the individual game aspects and which is better at which, but, that's been done. I say continue to start Getz 2/3 of the time, Nix 1/3, and give Nix time also playing the other IF positions and occasionally corner OF, to get him more AB's. Let's see how the league adjust to them as the season continues. One thing I will throw in... Nix is reputed to give you plus-plus D in the middle infield. But he hasn't shown that lately. Its just a defensive slump probably, but, I'm seeing a lot of hyperbole as to Nix being SO much better than Getz defensively, when I don't think he is. I think he might be marginally better, at best.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 21, 2009 -> 08:50 AM) My only bone with this program (well besides the obvious miscalculations) was that they allowed this to be applied to any car company. This program should have been kept to the big 2 US automakers. I can't believe if we are going to giveaway money, that we wouldn't make sure it saved jobs that actually can support people. You do realize that most of the Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas, Subarus, heck even BMW's, are manufactured all or in part in the US, right? With US workers at US jobs?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 21, 2009 -> 08:35 AM) Bellamy was drafted this year but other than that you're right. Heh, I knew I'd get one wrong in there somewhere.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Aug 21, 2009 -> 06:21 AM) Why is it that Democrats most politicians think of Senate seats as property that can be handed down or transferred to a relative or political crony? Fixed for ya.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Aug 20, 2009 -> 10:24 PM) I'm not. That's because you are a Kappie (my new term for the groupies who love Kap's rantings).

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 20, 2009 -> 10:17 PM) AND THIS PROGRAM IS OVA!!! http://www.cnbc.com/id/32489561 So ends an interesting chapter in the Stimulus efforts of Congress. It was a roaring success in terms of gross result, but of course, poorly executed. I'm glad they did it though. I much prefer incentives of this sort, versus cash giveaways or plain old tax cuts.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Aug 20, 2009 -> 09:56 PM) http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/08/19/uk-a...to-be-involved/ Where there is a tax, or where there is financial gain to be made illegally, someone will always step in. Should we call these guys the new Green Mafia?

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 20, 2009 -> 10:48 PM) Winston-Salem is probably our least interesting minor league team. I mean i enjoy following Morel and Loman, but they don't really offer any other form of excitement. I'd say Birmingham is my favorite to follow with Brisol, being something of a dark horse, bringing up the rear. I've enjoyed watching Kanny this year. Lots of great pitching on that team's opening roster, though some have since been promoted or traded. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe their Opening Day roster included: Dan Hudson, Dexter Carter, Charlie Leesman, Stephen Sauer, Gregory Infante, Justin Edwards, Dan Remenowsky, Tyson Corley, Drew O'Neill, Charlis Burdie, Kyle Bellamy and Nathan Jones. I don't think any team in our system was in the ballpark as far as that much pitching talent.

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Outside my hometown of Chicago, in no particular order... New York Boston DC Memphis New Orleans (haven't been there post-Katrina, though) Santa Fe Denver/Boulder San Fran Also, some great small towns... Bentonsport, IA Eagle Grove, IA Manchester, IA LaCrosse, WI Madison, WI Ely, MN Mogollon, NM Los Gatos, CA Cities I haven't visited yet that I really want to: Portland, OR (haven't been to OR at all yet, looks fantastic) San Diego

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Aug 19, 2009 -> 07:23 PM) Floyd is a flyball pitcher pitching in a bandbox and has an ERA 3.00 a game lower at home than on the road. I remember reading an article on amphetimine usage in major league baseball. The article basically said usage was rampant and with it now being tested for, one of the effects could be better home records for teams as they will be sleeping in their own beds etc. and the road teams wouldn't be quite as alert. LOL, from the guy who continually finds reasons to doubt Floyd, now that he's proven you so very wrong, you come up with this? Travelling for work all the time sucks. It has an effect on people. Could also be what teams he has pitched against, or that maybe he pitched on bad hitting days at the Cell, who knows.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Aug 20, 2009 -> 08:51 AM) While we're at it we should ban all fast food restaurants, stop importing chocolate, make tobacco farmers grow alternate crops, re-institute prohibition, and institute the drug-trafficking policy of many SE Asian countries (death penalty). That'll fix us, and should alleviate much of the burden of costs on the health system. This is what I was getting at, you can't do these things. But I will continue to say that cigarettes are an exception, given that they have such a high risk to public health, and that we are essentially allowing people to buy an addicitve, killer drug.

Kanny wins in 10 on a Gilmore walk followed by a Phegley double. Nice to see Phegley figuring it out a bit.Remenowsky with the win, his 10th inning looked like this: Jeff Hulett strikes out swinging. Christopher Jackson strikes out swinging. Albert Cartwright called out on strikes. Also of note, Remenowsky has gone 2+ innings both his last outings. Given he doesn't have prototypical closer stuff and was a starter in college, I wonder if they might start stretching him out and try him as a starter.

QUOTE (jasonxctf @ Aug 19, 2009 -> 02:59 PM) well i think before requirements, you'd need to make a public plea. (similar to some other requested sacrifices we've made in history) before? Other than smoking, which is more dangerous than many things already illegal, I don't think you should regulate those health things at all. For lots of reasons. In fact, I find the idea abhorrent, and so would most of the country.

I just noticed that Justin Greene is sporting a .555 OPS in High A, in 104 AB. 28 K versus 8 BB. Yuck.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Aug 19, 2009 -> 04:26 PM) BTW the USSS's public comments on that situation are just putting a positive spin on an uncomfortable situation - you're crazy if you think they're happy about it. I'd say, sort of. I think they'd prefer not, but I also think they're pretty confident these guys, outside a secured perimeter, introduce very little risk aside from causing chaos that could hold up the motorcade. But also, yes, I am sure they want to keep things as understated as possible. They won't raise a public red flag, like, ever, for any reason.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Aug 19, 2009 -> 04:19 PM) Seemed that every time Haliburton got any type of contract, regardless of how qualified they were for it, screams erupted from the left about favoritism, etc. So, you don't see the issue with assloads of cash going to firms with strong ties to those high up in the Obama admin? Some of us have issues with both. *raises hand*

Winston-Salem has zero offense. Serafin with another nice start - he may be legit.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Aug 18, 2009 -> 04:32 PM) The Trib would be doing just fine if it was still a publicly traded company. It's the massive debt they have from the sale that caused them to go bankrupt. Uh... no. They weren't just fine before Zell came along. It isn't just that debt load that is causing them problems. The steady drop in subscriptions, the bad economy resulting in lower ad revenue, the increase in cost of paper (which has been massive), the increase in cost of rail transportation for supplies (paper and ink), then increased cost of gasoline for distribution, their own inability to adapt to electronic media quickly enough, the ease of finding news (even local news) faster in other internet locales, the load of unexpected federally litigated tax debt carried by the LA Times after acquisition... and the list goes on. All those things had already put immense pressure on the Trib. The act of being Zelled only added to the problems.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Aug 18, 2009 -> 11:27 PM) Saying we don't have a free market system currently is the same as sayign we don't have free speech because you can't yell fire in a theater, or that you don't have freedom of religion because a principal is going to jail for praying in school. Ridiculous. The current system in health care provision is nowhere within sniffing distance of competitive capitalism. The intervening presence of insurance providers and the labrynthine provider system allow for no real level of choice at all, other than, basically, insurance or no insurance. The current "solution" provided by Congress may suck donkey balls, but let's not get ridiculous about the current system being so great.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 18, 2009 -> 03:17 PM) Marrero nearly killed the Montgomery pitcher last night. Hit a double off the pitcher's skull. "August 18, 2009 Tampa Bay Rays minor-leaguer in ICU with fractured skull after being hit by line drive UPDATE, 3:13: The Rays issued a statement saying Downs remains hospitalized in "serious, but stable" position. DEVELOPING: Darin Downs, a pitcher for the Rays' Double-A Montgomery (Ala.) team, is in the intensive care unit of a Birmingham, Ala., hospital with a fractured skull after being hit by a line drive in Monday's game, the Montgomery (Ala.) Advertiser's Stacy Long reported. Downs is alert and conscious, with doctors monitoring cranial bleeing and swelling, Biscuits spokesman Jon Laaser told the paper. Downs, a 24-year-old lefty, was hit on the head during the fifth inning by a line drive by Christian Marrero, with the ball deflecting into the Barons' dugout for a ground-rule double. Downs never lost consciousness and was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent's Hospital in downtown Birmingham. Downs was 12-4, 2.00 at Class A Charlotte before being promoted to the Biscuits, and was making his second Double-A start. Also, new White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy will make a rehab start for Charlotte today against Triple-A Durham. "http://blogs.tampabay.com/rays/2009/08/tampa-bay-rays-minorleaguer-in-icu-with-fractured-skull-after-being-hit-by-line-drive.html" Weird Peavy shout-out at the end. Wow. I certainly hope he pulls through OK. Hit his head so hard it went into the dugout? Sheesh. Marrero must feel terrible as well (I realize of course its not his fault at all, but thinking if I was him, I'd still feel badly).

Eveyone worries about sweaty Freddy tonight.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Aug 18, 2009 -> 12:36 PM) New York Post- The Trib was already struggling and already looking down the barrel of some tough times. But boy, having Zell come in, leverage a buyout with huge debt, run the company through bankruptcy, manage it like a man who knows nothing about the business... and now he's just going to walk away? I hope, for his safety, after he leaves the company he ran into the ground, that he doesn't run into too many current or former Trib employees.