NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (G&T @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:54 PM) This is from a faculty blog from a professor at Northwestern in response to same question asked in this thread: Linky. It's in the comments. So even this Kellogg faculty prof doesn't have a good answer. Still seems fishy to me, though the numbers are small. I wouldn't expect them to be huge though, even if it is a bogus money laundering scheme, because it would draw too much attention.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) Nix, SS Getz, 2B Dye, RF Thome, DH Konerko, 1B Fields, 3B Miller, C Podsednik, LF Lillibridge, CF This is a disgusting line-up. 3 out of 9 don't have career avg. above .200. Yeah but one of this is Nix, who I think has looked good this year and in ST. Miller and Lillibridge need to go. Lilli back to AAA when Anderson returns, Miller released and replaced with Lucy. Lucy won't hit a lot better, but at least he can run and is cheap, and has some upside.

QUOTE (Reddy @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:48 PM) Alrighty - well I'm starting week 1 of my new workout plan. I modeled it off of a program called Body for Life. I'm probably of the ectomorph variety too - and a short motherf***er. 5' 7" 135/40 (don't actually own a scale so that's as of December). Looking to add muscle mass, bulk up. The hardest part for me is the eating - simply because to increase my intake to 3000 calories a day is bloody expensive. But my training regimen is as such: Weights 3 days a week, Run a 20 minute, Intensity-based program on the 3 days in between. It's not about distance because of the reasons previously mentioned in this thread. the last day i do jack s*** and love it. Ok so i gonna be focusing on all my muscle groups, but i was wondering if you guys have any good back workouts? i've always sort of ignored this in the past. Depends on what parts of your back you want to work. For lower back, non-weight stuff like planks, supermans, and that thing where you lean against a pad and arch over with your bodyweight are great. For weights for lower back, do an upright row - the one with the close grip on a cable. For upper back, I like lat pull-downs (with biceps too), but make sure you don't lean back so much. Also don't do behind the neck on that one - it works well but can damage your shoulders. various reverse row type machines work well for mid and upper back, and rear of the shoulder. Trap raises for traps.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:37 PM) Matt Inouye was released from Kanny, Zack Larson & Brandon Short were promoted to Kanny from extended spring training. Now, let's see who takes the open roster spots in Charlotte and W-S. Who are Zack Larson and Brandon Short? I figured if they released Inouye, they'd bring up Dubler. Too bad on Inouye - looked for a while like he might make a nice utility guy down the line.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:29 PM) Per Cowley, Quentin is a scratch. por qua?

QUOTE (RME JICO @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:07 PM) Was Sean Tracey fined? They probably felt too sorry for him to bother.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 12, 2009 -> 03:10 PM) What does promoting Danks have to do with Beckham. They play other positions so I'd imagine long term the Barons will be moving Cook up to AAA. Danks will be getting the AB's and barring a failure will be sticking in AA for the rest of the season (or a collasal success which has him promoted to Chicago, but I'd be hard pressed to see him doing anything but spend all season in Bham). They have nothing to do with each other - just happens to be that Beckham hits the DL the same day that Danks is promoted, which prompted the discussion of the now crowded OF in B-Ham.

They probably spent more money than that in salary-time investigating it than the actual fine amount. Why bother?

If you have an AAP or 2 or 3 on the board, we'd all be appreciative for some updates. With the season going for a little over a month now, the forum buzzing more than in recent years, and the big team struggling, its nice to see how our prospects are progressing. I try to update my guys monthly, but hey, whatever time you can put in is great. So look through the AAP forum, find your guy(s), and do a little update, when you get a chance. Thanks!

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ May 11, 2009 -> 06:01 PM) Wait, I thought Swisher's contract was a deal for such a young player who put up a 120 OPS+ in a pitcher's park. The fact is we could've receieved a lot more for Swisher and would've still benefited if he was still on the team. LOL @ the bolded. I love statements like that. You cannot possibly know that for a "fact", and in any case it is highly unlikely. Why on earth would KW intentionally try to get less for him? Makes zero sense.

QUOTE (G&T @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:19 AM) Here's my issue: if I'm a seller in a possibly illegal transaction, I want the money moved quickly rather than waiting for my money to slowly come in. The problem is if the buyer isn't gaining anything on the deal and becomes unhappy, he could simply stop payments and the seller would have no recourse because the underlying contract was illegal. And even if the seller claims that the buyer did not make proper installment payments on the protection, this will bring the books to the attention of the court which will eventually find that something is amiss. As a result, the deals must be for low prices which can be covered by the low interest rate. I guess the question is, how much money is actually being swapped and would it be worth it to make such illegal deals. The other option is to hold the up front payment somewhere and slowly wash it over a period of years, but again, the longer it takes to clean the money, the higher the chance of getting caught. I'm not a finance person, so I'm trying to apply practical principles. I think there are too many "ifs" in all this. Unless we see the transaction nothing can be certain. Those are very good points, especially about the trickle of cash flows. But, again... no one seems to be able to give me a financially meaningful reason for doing it. I don't just mean here - I mean, no one I've talked to, even in finance, can do it.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:14 AM) The treasury reserves the right on some bonds issued before 1985 to stop paying interest before the bonds mature. These were at a very high interest rate, think double digit interest. If they do call those, and stop paying the interest, could that be considered a "default". And it has been happening annually for a few years. That's not a default, that is a variable rate instrument. Its a known outcome - nothing to insure.

QUOTE (scenario @ May 12, 2009 -> 12:48 PM) I saw a quip last night that suggested Anderson will spend a couple of days in Charlotte... probably this week... and couple be back with the big club by Friday. Good news! Anyone know the roster rules? Does he take up a roster spot during that time for Charlotte? Also, when Wise comes back, seems likely he stays in AAA (unless Pods goes away). That would also be a roster spot. With Ward on the DL, who are the Charlotte starting OF's right now? Kroeger, Restovich and Negron? I'd bet Cook rotates with those guys between OF and DH. Not sure what would happen when Wise returns though.

This team, despite its issues, is better than they've played. Its not the 2007 team, its a lot more like the 2008 team. Time to start playing like it.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ May 12, 2009 -> 12:25 PM) Daryle Ward was put on the DL in Charlotte, so they have an open spot for David Cook. Plus, playing time wise, Cook won't see much time with Danks in B'ham. That pretty much seals it, IMO. Ward to DL, Cook to Charlotte. Question, though... if Anderson or Wise do their rehab in Charlotte, do they take up a roster spot down there?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:56 AM) I'd rather Gartrell get some time in AAA since I think he has more a future than Cook. But as I said in the other thread, I think they like keeping the band together in AA. Cook is looked at less as part of that band, and at 27 or 28 or whatever he is, he needs to be in AAA.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:57 AM) I can't imagine they'd promote an actual prospect and then just send him back down. Someone's going to be moving up to Charlotte when Beckham is ready to go again. Cook makes the most sense. They want Gartrell, Shelby and Danks to get time out there, Cook has been in Charlotte before, he's old and needs to move up to have even a slight chance in the majors, and Cook is not looked at as part of this elite "class" we are building in AA.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:43 AM) Remember, minor league Dl is just 7 days as opposed to the 15 day DL that the major leagues is. Then why promote Danks? For just 7 days? Seems like a weird move. I think we see Cook, or possibly Gartrell, sent to Charlotte.

QUOTE (flavum @ May 12, 2009 -> 11:25 AM) So now what with Gordon Beckham on the DL, and Jordan Danks moved to Birmingham? Might David Cook go to AAA? Danks moved to B-Ham??? I didn't see that. Not sure about Cook to AAA, it makes sense, but who loses out in Charlotte?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ May 12, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) I really wish Allen would get a shot to at least check out some at-bats for the big club. He will, but it doesn't make much sense right now. Unless one of the Konerko/Thome/Betemit/Dye club gets hurt or traded, there is really nowhere for him to play. He'll get his shot soon enough. I love that whole damn B-Ham lineup. I don't see a player in there who isn't high potential to be a major league contributor.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 12, 2009 -> 10:25 AM) Unless we see the terms of the insurance, are we certain any of those scenarios would not be covered? I am thinking your car does not need to be totaled, for insurance to kick in. By calling the bonds, are they not making the obligated coupon payments? First part - nothing is certain. One could insure the interest payments only I suppose. But think about that for a second. Unless the Treasury instrument was intended to be variable in any fashion as to coupon payments (i.e. TIPS), then if they can't make payments, they are in default anyway. Second part - I don't see where you are going there.

QUOTE (G&T @ May 12, 2009 -> 10:21 AM) 2 questions: What is the normal interest rate on such transactions and over what period of time? Do companies usually make these agreement only to one form of debt in each contract, or to multiple debts in the same contract? There really is no "normal" rate, it is dictated by market forces. The swap cash flows are generally made in the same periodicity as the underlying debt instrument, but not necessarily (as, again, there are typical structures, but each swap is a different contract that can have nuances). The debt that is swapped is a "package". It could be a single large bond, like a corporate bond. Or it could be a securitized bundle of debts, like a collection of car loans, for example. If it is a single debt instrument, the option to put the bond on the protection seller is a simple question of whether or not that instrument went into default. If it is a bundle of debts, then it can be more complex - there may be a threshold in the contract for how much of the par went into default, or other scenarios. For T-Bonds, you would swap a given par amount of Bonds. So it acts like a single instrument.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 12, 2009 -> 10:11 AM) Then shall we explore a type of "default" similar to that in the 1930s when Bonds were no longer guaranteed in gold? Perhaps this is insurance that the US T will not make fundamental changes in the terms like increasing the time to yield? Am I sounding like an idiot yet? I am such a small time investor, and this is clearly big time issues. If the US Treasury changed the underlying bond guarantee structure, its still not a default. Its a default if they cannot make obligated coupon payments and/or they cannot pay back the principle.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 12, 2009 -> 09:49 AM) I'm not one of the finance guys around here but, IIRC, bonds issued prior to 1985 could be called without the treasury paying the full interest. Perhaps this applies to those bonds? CDS swaps only insure the par value of the bond, not the interest coupons - at least the ones I am familiar with. Swaps are one-off contracts, so I suppose one could write stipulations into it regarding coupon non-payment.

QUOTE (shipps @ May 12, 2009 -> 09:37 AM) Whats the word on Link? I skimmed through Future Sox board and didnt see anything on him. Would he be a better option than Broadway? Link is a closer, at least for now. He has an AAP page in Future Sox, but it hasn't been updated recently. He's in Charlotte right now as their closer, where so far he has a 2.70 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 21 K in 16.2 IP. Last year in AA B-Ham his ERA wasn't quite as good at 3.02, but he did have 66 K in 56.2 IP, and 35 saves, which led all pitchers in the minor leagues. He just turned 25, and was acquired in the Rob Mackowiak trade. Pads drafted him in the 25th in 2005. Has a sinking FB but velo is only in the 90-92 range, but also has an above average slider, and can throw both and his change-up consistently for strikes. He's NOT Bobby Jenks. Different model. Closer to Keith Foulke, if even that.