NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (BearSox @ May 18, 2009 -> 09:41 AM) I'm loving the reduced strikeout rate. You expand that to 600 AB's, he's on pace to K less than a 100 times, which shows huge improvement. His walk rate is about the same as last year though, but will hopefully increase. As for power numbers, he's on pace to hit 25 homers, which ain't too shabby in a pitchers park. I'm not sure about 2010 for Allen, but 2011, we could see him up on the southside as the full time DH by then (I've heard he's not much of a defender). I've only seen him play a little bit, and read a little more, but I think Allen is a pretty good 1B, and has surprising speed and quickness. I think Konerko's defense tends to be underrated, so if Allen does come up for that job, we may all suddenly realize how good PK was there overall. But at the very least, I'd think Allen has better range and athleticism.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ May 18, 2009 -> 09:35 AM) It looks like we're both right--"In god we trust" was first on money during the Civil War (1864), but it did not become our national motto until 1956. "under God" was added to the pledge during the Red Scare (godless commies!). But I do think you're correct on this topic. This isn't a Constitutional issue. Just a stupidity one. And we all know Rumsfeld had ample amounts of that. Rumsfeld is actually a very smart man. He's just also one of those very smart men who is willing to overanalyze (read: delude) himself into finding a logical reason for whatever he wants to see happen. That gives you a leader who manipulates their surroundings until everything appears to fit nicely into their model. Ironically, Rummy calls himself a realist, but this habit makes him the opposite - he is an idealogue.

Who will be the richer richie rich? Please win. Please. Dying here.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 18, 2009 -> 09:32 AM) Not really. Both parties are trying to use punishment through the tax code to try to get companies to behave how they want them to behave. It is more erosion of our economic freedoms. Not really? You don't see a difference between a business that is living off huge government funding, and one that is fine on its own? Come on now, if you can ignore than, then all you are doing is trying to make a partisan example.

QUOTE (SI1020 @ May 18, 2009 -> 09:05 AM) That's funny. Bush is dumb and Daley is smart? They are both pretty inarticulate. You can have Daley's Chicago. A city with two classes and neither one middle. Red light cameras everywhere, and you can get your car towed even if its legally parked. Everywhere you turn you're getting gouged and Chicago is one of the biggest Nanny State places to live. No, the city of Sandburg, Algren, Dreiser and even Mike Royko is no more. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss it, but there's very little chance I would ever go back. I often wonder what path the city would have taken if Adamowksi had been elected in 1963. New York could elect a John Lindsay and a Rudy Giuliani. In LA a Richard Riordan. In Chicago and Cook County it's the same Cro Magnan machine types recycled over and over. I've never said Bush was dumb, he was just a terrible President, and is entirely different than Daley, for good and bad. Daley is corrupt, and the city has its annoyances. But if you think the city is worse now than in the 60's or 70's, you really aren't paying attention. This city has undergone a renaissance not seen in many other cities int he country, from about the early 80's until recently. Only in the last few years has that progress really stalled. Hate on Daley all you want, there is a lot to hate. But he has gotten results.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 18, 2009 -> 08:41 AM) I'm not saying this is right at all. It was just a few short weeks ago that this was a GREAT idea when it involved punishing the banks. It amazing that both parties did a complete 180 on punative measures so damned quickly. They are completely different circumstances, as I said in my previous post.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 18, 2009 -> 08:04 AM) I really doubt these companies are getting zero government funding. I would bet they are being subsized in one form or another. If by "subsidized", we are saying they are getting some relatively small tax breaks here and there, then yes. But following that logic, that means we should be up in every company's business, and I'm not OK with that. Are you? If we are talking like GM/Chrysler or ML/B of A here, where they are being propped up by the government, then I'm sorry but they have given up some control.

It concerns me a little that Floyd says he feels great, and to ignore these games. He did improve in his approach, despite the showing for it, but he still isn't getting his breaking pitches over for strikes early in the count. His fastball is too flat for him to rely on it the way he is right now.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 18, 2009 -> 07:59 AM) Wait that sounds familiar... Didn't we just do this on banking bonuses? Except those were banks that were living off government funding, which to me makes it just fine. These companies (other than F) are just fine on their own, and we don't need to be interfering, and CERTAINLY don't need to be penalizing them for voluntarily joining a concern that will help the environment.

QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ May 18, 2009 -> 12:38 AM) I'm going to South Beach, Fl. next week for 5 days. It just kinda fell into my lap. Any 'must do' tips? The beach?

QUOTE (BobDylan @ May 17, 2009 -> 11:07 PM) Do you read SciFi? I need some book recommendations. I was at the book store the other day looking to pick one up, but I had very little idea what was good (outside of what I've already read) and most of the covers look too queer to be good literature. There is such a variety of scifi out there, and lots of good stuff. But I've noticed that readers of SciFi tend to love or hate certain authors, which makes it hard to make recommendations. Knowing what little I do, based on your posts, I'll give you three ideas... 1. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card 2. almost anything by Arthur C. Clarke, though I particularly liked Rendezvous with Rama and The Light of Other Days 3. Collection of short stories (there are a few of these) by Phillip K. Dick Somewhere in there, I think you will find something you like.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 18, 2009 -> 07:46 AM) I wish I had bookmarked it, but SS2k5 wrote a great post on just that topic albeit about Rwanda. We do tend to avoid brown on brown conflicts. Especially if they do not have any natural resources we need. OK, let's not blend two very, very different things here (which is how so many arguments in here get out of hand)... As a governmental body in actions of foreign policy, yes, we tend to avoid conflicts where we are not protecting our own interests. This is a complex discussion all to itself. What Duke said was that no one CARED about brown on brown wars, which is painting everyone in the room in an unflattering and, in at least some cases, inaccurate light.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ May 18, 2009 -> 01:18 AM) Here's yet some more poo. Yes, it's relevant to the thread. It really is. Did you turn into hi8is overnight?

This was simply a politically stupid move, one which Bush should have stopped as soon as he saw it. It just adds fuel to the fire, as was pointed out earlier, and accomplishes zero. What's actually more disturbing than the printing of the document, is that Rumsfeld seemed to see the war in those terms. So forget just adding fuel to the fire of perception in the Middle East that we were on a crusade... this tells me that Rummy may in fact have BEEN on one.

QUOTE (DukeNukeEm @ May 17, 2009 -> 10:07 PM) I know nobody cares about wars between brown people and brown people, but this might be the end of the most prolific terrorist organization in the world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/1...ender-sri-lanka Way to paint everyone in here as inferior to you. Anyway, good that this is ending, at least for now. I still wouldn't say its over, but, hopefully it is.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ May 18, 2009 -> 03:21 AM) B. Allen's improvment. 08' in Birmingham - GP-41 AB-153 H-42 2B-6 3B-2 HR-14 RBI-31 BB-19 SO-41 AVG-.275 OBP-.358 SLG-.614 OPS-.973 09' in Birmingham - GP-36 AB-140 H-42 2B-7 3B-3 HR-6 RBI-26 BB-15 SO-23 AVG-.300 OBP-.369 SLG-.521 OPS-.891 The man has come a looooongz way since being drafted though his power last year is still sick to look at. He has really become a stellar prospect. You highlighted the power drop-off, but look at what has improved - OBP and AVG up significantly, and his K rate is nearly halved. And 6 HR in 140 AB is still pretty darn good, in a park known for being difficult to hit them in.

QUOTE (BobDylan @ May 17, 2009 -> 04:54 PM) Aliens the size of Jupiter would be cool - the humpback whales of the Universe, traversing around and swallowing Earth-like planets like they're brunch. Sounds like something they would have in an old Star Trek episode.

Fields looked lost at the plate yesterday, but I actually prefer that in the short term to him looking confident and missing. He's obviously still trying to adjust, but he needs some regular playing time to keep that up. Way too early to give up on him.

Saw Star Trek last night. Enjoyed it, good movie. Not quite great maybe. I feel like they should have done more with the antagonist character - he just wasn't interesting. When you have an actor of that caliber, and its a space opera like this, you need to do more with that. Nicholas Meyer did this the right way in his two Trek films (II Wrath of Khan, and VI Undiscovered Country). Other than that though, I thought it was very well done. Definite thumbs up.

QUOTE (SI1020 @ May 17, 2009 -> 09:19 AM) So is the mayor. No, the mayor is corrupt but also intelligent and relatively effective. Stroger appears to be none of those things. They aren't in the same league.

Garrett has been placed on the 7 Day DL, and hasn't pitched since 5/1. No information as to the reason for the DL stint yet, or how long it might last.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 16, 2009 -> 07:41 AM) Because it insults my intelligence. If all Josh Fields needed was one session to correct his problems, why did he wait until May 14th for that session? I'm Greg Walker's biggest booster on this site, but even I know the guy can't "fix" a career long problem in a half an hour. He's had a couple days during his struggles to get his head straight. One session? Where does this illusion come from that if a hitter recognizes they have an issue, they can just instantly adjust anything in their approach/swing/stance and move on? When you hit one way for years, it takes some time to make a major adjustment. No one, not even that article, has said that this one session was the entire thing, like he went from broken to fixed. It just may have been a nice light bulb moment. This article shows us something we should all be happy about. The only insult to anyone's attention is to think that because we see some flaw in a hitter, that means they should be able to adjust instantly and fix it. Ever wonder why that doesn't happen?

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 16, 2009 -> 07:19 AM) Fields is fixed, per the Tribune: Fields believes he might have resolved his problems after an early hitting session with hitting coach Greg Walker. "Hopefully that will be it," Fields said. "They're giving me a day to regroup and think about what's going on." I really don't understand how the White Sox could be benching Fields for of all things, strikeouts. A 4 year old could have told them he would be striking out at an alarming rate. He always has. But I am glad Josh got fixed after an early hitting session. I'm sure he'll be next to impossible to fan now. Instead of being Eeyore about this, maybe you should take it for what it is - Fields is struggling, needs a day off to get his head straight, works with the hitting coach to adjust, and will now try that adjustment. This is what we should all WANT to happen, and I'm happy to see it. Hopefully it gets him on the right track.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 16, 2009 -> 05:01 AM) It's nice, though, that you think that statistical analysis is the way to go here...I remember people in the mutual fund services fields hyping these "quant" programs too about 8-10 years ago...programs that could find statistical anomalies faster than human research analysts and identify undervalued corporations. You know what happened? Almost 99% of these funds are buried under a simple index fund. I know this is off topic - huge surprise BTW - but your supposition that quant or black box trading was a failure is entirely false. Its all over the place now, just not in the open-ended fund spaces that you could see them. Its been a huge success for a lot of firms. Carry on.

QUOTE (SnB @ May 15, 2009 -> 08:28 PM) I will be living in wicker park come july, anyone living/lived around there? what are some local dives? I live in Bucktown, the next neighborhood north. Lots of good bars and restaurants in the area, too many to list. Just start walking Damen from North ave/Milwaukee going north. There is even a Sox bar - Lemmings, which is around the 1800 block of Damen on the west side of the street. My particular favorite restaurants - Club Lucky, Cafe De Luca, Silver Cloud.