NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 03:30 PM) Our best leadoff hitter is in Birmingham. As soon as KW becomes conditioned to the idea....which will be after 15-20 games of Getz trying to do too much and getting out of his game....then we might have to bring up Beckham for lack of any other logical options within the organization. Frank Thomas started his career on August 2nd of the year after he was drafted...Ventura had to wait until September. Beckham won't be better than Thomas and probably won't be better than Ventura either (and Ventura was one of the most acclaimed college baseball players in history at OSU), but we have a tremendous need for him this season if we want to win the AL Central. You simply can't say that yet. Bringing up Beckham now and leading off with him has a 90% chance of him stunting his development and flopping at the job. He's had less than a month of professional baseball experience - this is a bad idea.

I don't know if we need a seperate thread, but, what the heck. One of the major initiatives people have pushed for this decade is improving rail transit in the US; intercity as well as urban. With intercity/regional/national rail, the benefits of a better infrastructure are many - less use of fossil fuels, less pollution, faster trips and more efficiency of people's time, etc. Obama today was talking about the $13B+ in stimulus money specifically set aside for high speed rail improvements. One of the big candidates for a big chunk of the money is the network of intercity rail lines radiating from Chicago: east to Detroit and Cleveland, southwest to St. Louis, northwest to Milwaukee, Madison and Minneapolis. The idea is to improve infrastructure on those lines to improve speed and reduce entanglements with freight traffic, so that the travel times by train to those cities would be shorter than driving (without the headaches of driving), and even faster than flying when you account for the B.S. of the airports on both ends. I for one think this is a fantastic "green" infrastructure initiative. Lower energy use and pollution, travel by train so you can read or work or sleep instead of driving, reduce traffic on the roads, reduce road maintenance, increase business travel efficiency, increase regional tourism... just great all around. Thoughts?

Hopefully Getz is back, leading off. Put the CF of the day 9th, no matter who it is.

Getz won the leadoff job but got hurt, in case we all forgot. Give that kid a month and I think we'll find he's plenty good enough in that role. Certainly better than any of the CF's we have. Any CF we play does NOT have to be a leadoff hitter.

QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 03:05 PM) I've been to Maine once and Vermont many times. In Maine, we went to Bar Harbor, which is the island where Acadia National Park is located. As far as national parks go, it's nothing great, but does have its allure. However, the town is nice with great food. If you are looking for real Maine wilderness (read: moose), then you will have to go to northern Maine. But if you are looking for the best lobster you've ever eaten, then Bar Harbor is the place to be. Just don't expect to see whales on the whale tours. We saw one, but that was very lucky. I'll have to look up the B&B we stayed at. I can't think if it right now, but it was good. The best deals will likely be at B&B's. As for Vermont, our favorite town is Stowe, which is northern Vermont, about an hour from Burlington. The scenery is great, and the food is great as well. In the summer, you can hike the mountains. The Whip at the Green Mountain Inn is our favorite restaurant there, although there are other more expensive places that may or may not be better. Woodstock is also a nice little town I've only driven through so I can't really comment on that. By the way, Wisconsin on steroids does not describe New England. New England is WAY nicer in every way. Thanks. I think the reference of WI on steroids was about the backcountry in Maine and the small towns therein, specifically, not New England as a whole.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 03:04 PM) Its been pretty well demonstrated that it is going to take a huge new infrastructure to support our new energy grid. Are you really trying to tell me that you think compeletely rebuilding our entire energy system is going to be cheaper than the existing system? That is crazy. We are talking about trillions of dollars from the conservative estimates. Plus I have never said NONE of the negatives would happen under fossil fuel. The arguement was that there will be MORE costs with a completely new system. Those are two very different arguements. Your arguement would actually create a double impact. It would cause the instant end of all fossil fuel exploration, expansion and maintenance. There would be zero reason to continue it. Who is going to pay to improve or maintain those system when they know that by the time their major capital project is done, it will be worthless. Plus we still have to pay for a new system. I will guarentee you that the "green" transistion will cost more than staying on the system we have. This is why the move to alternative/renewable energies can't be done in one shot - it needs to be done over time.

MY PROTEST WAS BIGGER THAN YOURZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thinking of going to New England in July as an anniversary trip - first trip away from the kid for the two of us. Neither of us has been to any of the three states in the sibject header, but Maine in particular is appealing. I've been told its like Wisconsin on steroids. Anyone been up there who has ideas of what to do, what to see, where to stay, etc.?

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 12:34 PM) i think Obama's 'green collar' jobs plan is crap Why, exactly? Just curious.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 12:29 PM) That's what I got out of the link he posted. Most of the arguements centered around, yeah it hurts now, but things will be better in the long run. Its the samething that is being used to justify all of the bailouts, universal health plans, carbon taxes, massive spending plans, etc. OK, I didn't read those responses. I am not of the belief that just any added cost is OK, that way. I'd need to see the details of any sort of cost balancing or cost crutch system before I could say whether or not it looks like a good use of upfront costs for later term gain, or not.

QUOTE (CanOfCorn @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 11:42 AM) Well, for those of you who knew him in the mid-late '80's...this is a sad day. He certainly isn't what he used to be, but when all ya'll are 73 years old, you better hope you can do a job you love like he did. So, suck it, clowns...this is a sad day. My reaction as well. I haven't watched a lot of football the last few years, like I used to. But as a fan growing up with him, Madden was fantastic. I think the only one I liked more back then was Hub Arkesh (sp?)

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 12:24 PM) So essentially the simple version is "yes it is going to cost a lot for people, but deal with it because it makes things better." That is kinda what I expected. Its the same defense of every other program lately. What? That isn't what I said, and I don't think it is what Balta said.

I may be the only person on earth who owns both Ross Gload and Ehren Wassermann t-shirts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 12:16 PM) Not yet we don't. But we are heading down that path with Cap and Trade and carbon tax discussions. The current administration is leading us down an "either, or" path. Sure, and that would definitely change the math, again.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 11:56 AM) I just came across this... I don't know if there is a rebuttal to it, but it is interesting. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=new...id=a2PHwqAs7BS0 Look at the second graf: That is not the situation here, we don't force people to buy green energy and pay more for it that way. Our math isn't the same, so the situation is vastly different.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 10:57 AM) It all depends on what the Giants want to do with Rowand. If they regret that contract and can get rid of about half of it (with them picking up the other half) it might be a good move on there part, especially if they get a guy like Poreda or better out of it. His 08 numbers weren't great, but he's clearly a significant upgrade over what the club currently has. He'd also slide in nicely to the 2nd spot in the lineup, imo. My thoughts as well. Payroll aside, I'd consider Rowand a pretty big upgrade. He can hit 2nd, behind Getz. But for it to be a good deal for the Sox, the Giants need to eat a lot of his salary, and any prospects/players traded wille effect the equation. But for the right deal, I'd be pretty happy.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 10:43 AM) Brandon Allen needs to be promoted to Charlotte. He will be, but let's not go do something like that a week into the season.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 08:08 AM) Well, that hasn't stopped people from commenting on Viciedo's defense at 3B, or Flowers at catcher. I'm not saying not to comment - I'm saying don't move them away from their positions based on a few games.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Apr 15, 2009 -> 08:52 PM) Troy Renck from the Denver Post was on the radio this morning and he had a few interesting things to say I suppose. 1.) Scott Podsednik no longer profiles as a starting CF (shocking, I know). Teams weren't all that interested in him (he's been sitting at home for 2 weeks) because he's pretty much a full time LF at this point in his career. 2.) He really struggled with his pinch hitting duties in Colorado. I looked it up and he's right. 9 for 50 w/ 6:12 BB:K, .180/.281/.220/.501 3.) Injuries weren't an issue for him at all in Colorado. He changed his workout routine and got down to something like 1% body fat (I doubt it) and managed to stay healthy for the whole season. He only got 181 PA and 25 starts over the course of the season, not much of a chance to injure himself. In other words: not much of note. 1% body fat is a trip to the hospital, the body isn't meant to function that way. Even the people I've seen/known who were insane about being fit were in the 4-5% range. He was clearly exaggerating for effect.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Apr 16, 2009 -> 07:41 AM) They havent even visited Rio yet and are only on day 2 of their visit to Tokyo Seriously. And Rio is a lightweight bid with crime problems that make Chicago's look like nothing. Tokyo bids every damn cycle, Japan had the winter olympics just a few years ago and the summer olympics were just completed in that region. Everything I have seen and heard tells me that Chicago is the far and away leader in this thing, right now. Chicago does have the special problem of needing to obtain a lot more private financing, because we are the only country that doesn't directly fund the bids - but I think those will continue flowing in enough to make it work.

Beckham is in his 6th game this year, and played what, a dozen last year? You cannot possibly have an idea of his defensive abilities at SS yet. Let's talk about it in August. Man, I agree with others, that lineup in B-Ham is something special. That B-Ham team is going to be really good.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2009 -> 04:09 PM) I know, sounds ridiculously hot doesn't it. Best if the water is used just before it boils over though. I fear we have taken this conversation too far.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2009 -> 04:07 PM) Black tea, green tea, or white tea? Green tea bagging?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 15, 2009 -> 04:05 PM) Do you know something about Ryan Sweeney's personal life that we don't? He likes tea bagging?

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Apr 15, 2009 -> 04:00 PM) I wonder if Bearsox actually went to one of the 'tea party' protests Only if Ryan Sweeney was there.