NorthSideSox72

So, this is interesting. Charlotte is at Richmond, they are in rain delay (box), but the listed starter is... ESTEBAN LOAIZA. B-Ham is off - looks like the whole Southern League is off today. W-S @ Kinston, supposedly started at 6pm, but no box yet and no starter announced. Kanny, and the whole SAL, appear to be off.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 03:34 PM) Lol, when I saw the title, I clicked thinking I would sarcastically request Kenny Lofton be added to the list. Nuts. He's got 2 votes already.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 03:24 PM) Sorry, I must clarify, hitters that could start at the major league level. Getz doesnt play CF, Wise shouldnt start and Cook just got moved up to AAA. Good point, but I am not sure the player brought up will start. They may ride the bench, with Anderson starting, or with Ramirez doing some CF work and Uribe playing some 2B. Hopefully the latter doesn't happen, but, it might.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 03:19 PM) The only player on that list that is currently under our control, plays a position that will be vacated, and isnt the All-or-nothing hitter we have been struggling with is Jerry Owens, unfortunately. I wouldn't call Getz, Wise or Cook all-or-nothing hitters. I am not sure if Getz can play CF, but Anderson can, with any of those three on the bench. Cook and Wise can both play CF, though I don't know how good Wise is. Cook is supposed to be solid at all 3 OF positions. Did Wise play any CF while he was up, and if so, did anyone see him?

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:14 PM) i didnt research it. just thought it was funny she got busted twice. Reporters really need to find other things to worry about. Let me lay this out for you. Reporters work for news agencies or networks. News agencies and networks are businesses. Businesses need to make money. Media businesses make money by drawing viewers/readers/clicks. You viewed, you read, you clicked, you cited. YOU are why that sort of thing gets researched. Without you, and others who gobble up that sort of thing (which to me is little more than Celebrity Gossip - The Political Version), this sort of thing would flop on impact, and die a quick and appropriate death. Ugh.

Its an off day, so let's see how people are thinking on this one.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:10 PM) that's an interesting point. it is kind of scary that someone is RESEARCHING THIS! THere are more important things to worry about than cookies! You posted it!!!

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 01:59 PM) Cindy McCain caught plagiarizing AGAIN! They try to make her seem "down home", but forget she is worth over $100 million and probably never really cooks. Here is what I want know. Who in their right mind is so obsessed with trying to bring down John McCain that they spend time checking his wife's f***ing cookie recipes against various other recipe sites? I mean come on. Who the f*** cares?

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:47 PM) The redistribution of wealth sure sounds socialistic to me. QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:50 PM) Not to mention the class warfare rhetoric that has gone with it. The demonization of anyone who has been successful is embarassing to our system. As I think i've made clear here before, I am not exactly 100% sold on Obama, and I certainly am not a fan of some of his tax policy ideas. But, to say that his desire to move towards more progressive taxation is socialistic, or that he has somehow declared class warfare, is really over the top. let's have some perspective here. Even if he could implement every tax/government spending change he has suggested (which is not possible anyway), the country would still be less "socialistic" than its been at other times in recent history.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:35 PM) That's why it's in quotes, sir. But, the reality is, it's closer to socialism then capitalism on that spectrum and you can't deny that. Sure I can. The US is as capitalist as any country gets. Obama's policies would move it some miniscule percentage to the left, but would still undoubtedly leave it well to the capitalist side of just about everyone else. So, I definitely deny that its closer to socialism than capitalism.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 01:18 PM) I keep seeing the GWB 3 comparision made too, and it makes just as much sense to me. Obama is out there proposing lots of the samethings that failed during Carters time, and since that is the tone here, I figured why not. And you haven't seen me make that parallel, have you? McCain seems to have similar thinking to Bush on some things - where to go from this point with the Iraq War, how the tax code should be implemented (though its hard to tell where McCain really stand on that one)... but he is not the same as Bush. I just don't see it. The closest parallel I've seen to Obama, looking back at previous Presidents and candidates, is RFK. That includes Personality, Policy and leadership qualities. for McCain, I would go with Gerald Ford, though I think that's a slightly weaker parallel. And before anyone goes ballistic here, I am NOT talking about how successful they may turn out to be here. I am just pointing out how they profile, to me, going in.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 01:44 PM) I think ineffective and otherwise bad is about right. "Socialism" (read: redistribition of wealth) is just not something I'm too interested in, and that's pretty much all he's about. Socialism? LOL

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:28 PM) I don't want the "heavy fist" to be wealded by the same people who currently mis-regulate everything under the sun. This are the same people who have ruined the financial industry because of their complete lack of knowledge of the financial markets with Sarbines Oxley, and yet we are supposed to trust them with the direction of our transportation industry? No thanks. I am not interested in seeing them screw up something else. Hell it is the governments pork barrel spending on the transportation system for cars that has put us into this situation in the first place. Instead of building more roads for the people back home, they should have been investing in rapid transit systems for the good of the country. If they decide this, we'll end up with the betamax of transit. I agree. There does not HAVE to be some single solution. The only "standards" that matter are inteface-related - in other words, how things plug into each other. As for what the energy source is, or how its then used, those can and should have some variability. That helps encourage modernization, and is less risky.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:09 PM) I don't want any President telling us what car to buy/build. The market needs to decide that, not the government. QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:11 PM) I'm mildly psyched about this. The actual news is basically meaningless since we don't have a fuel cell station network, but I imagine if everything keeps moving in this direction, it eventually will. I was reading from somewhere that hydrogen can be produced from solar power too? QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 02:12 PM) Yes it certainly can be produced from solar, wind, etc. It's just not a very efficient use of the energy generated by those sorts of plants right now. Great line of quotes here, follow it through. SS2K5 is right, the market needs to go with this in the right direction. Balta is also right, in that right now, hydrogen needs to be generated through a process that requires power like any other - and the current power grid is still mostly fossil fuels. But, I think that having cars run this way is still a strong possible future solution. And even though the President shouldn't be promoting a single solution, I think the Prez and Congress can and should invest in many different solutions, and even non-solution-specific programs, that create a bunch of new tech. The ultimate answer will probably be distributed over many systems anyway, and we get to see which ones have what advantages and disadvantages. So, I'm psyched too, because this is a step forward on one of many possible solutions.

QUOTE (DBAH0 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 12:25 PM) There needs to be plenty of those made over the next decade. Are American Motoring Companies starting to develop these type of vehicles also? Because, otherwise they'll be left in financial ruin. GM will supposedly put out a plug-in hybrid in 2010 (Chevy Volt). It can run battery-only for about 40 miles, then goes to a hybrid system much like many hybrids on the road today. Ford has a couple hybrid cars on the market. Nothing from Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep yet, that I have seen. Ford and GM are talking more hybrids, traditional, in the next year or two (new models). GM has the Saturn VUE Green Line v2 coming out later this year, which will be I believe their first true hybrid on the market. American companies are making inroads, but they are behind their Japanese counterparts thus far. The interesting thing to watch, IMO, is the differeing visions of what direction things will go. GM decided to go heavy on the Flex Fuel thing, but that is turning into a debacle. Ford is thinking gas-electric hybrids are the way. Honda and BMW are both full speed on hydrogen fuel cell cars, thinking that's the big target. Toyota will be first to Gen-2 gas-electric hybrids with big mileage. Nissan puts out its first gas-electric hybrid this year, an Altima, available only in certain states. Subaru in Japan and Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep in the US are the two big ones that seem to be sitting on the sidelines - I'm not sure what they're waiting for, or if they just don't have the capital to make it happen yet. ETA: Beyond the traditional car companies, Tesla puts out its first electric car this year (an expensive sports car), a sedan next year, and a cheaper one in 2 years. And there is some Chinese company looking to do an all-electric here soon as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 12:31 PM) Yep. Jimmy Carter the second is going to do it the way that it has always been done. I keep seeing this Carter parallel used. Makes no sense to me, beyond the fact that they are/were both crusaders for the poor, and want to see the tax code move more towards progressive. Beyond that, they are night and day.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 12:01 PM) Just like that guy at the top of the Democratic ticket who wasn't running Obama, Clinton and McCain all said they wouldn't run at one point or another.

Its all negotiating. There will be at least a few debates. Bush and Kerry did, what, four or so? I'd bet these two do around that many. If Obama truly avoids them entirely, or only does one, then I'll be disappointed too. But I doubt that happens.

Honda has begun mainline production of the FCX Clarity, its hydrogen fuel cell car, and the first production car rolled off the line today. This first run will be very limited, and only a few hundred will be produced in the first few years. Only California has fueling stations for it, in three cities. But the car itself is getting rave reviews, and has a 270 mile tank range. It gets the equivalent of 74 mpg (hydrogen), and is a zero emission vehicle. I'm not sure how much a gallon of hydro costs, though. The lease price includes maintenance and collison coverage, at $600/month. They received 50,000 applications from people wanting to buy it, but only accepted some of those that were near the three current fueling stations. Small step, but still a step. Trib article.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 10:36 AM) Sample size is a tad small in AAA. .500 in 8 ABs against lefties. .222 in 9 ABs against righties. He has 7 strikeouts in 17 ABs. Yeah, that's why I said he was just promoted to AAA. Look at his AA numbers this year - he had a 1.044 OPS. About the same last year, split between High A and AA. And that AA park is no hitter's dream, its pretty big. Also, he's had a history of walking more than striking out. I wouldn't look at 17 at-bats just after being promoted to show you much - that average is way high, and his strikeouts are too. Both will settle down. I'd be very curious to see his splits from AA, when he had a fair number of at bats. But I can't find those.

QUOTE (29andPoplar @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 09:13 AM) Another good point. Possibly he's an option. If they think he is, he'll be here. Pretty sure Cook hits right handed though doesn't he? yeah, I'm not sure why I said he was lefty. I think I meant righty. Yes, he hits righty. If lefthandedness is key, then I suppose Owens has to be it. But I am not aware of Cook's splits, so, I can't say if his righthandedness is important, hitting-wise.

QUOTE (29andPoplar @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 08:56 AM) Actually you bring up a really good point. If Williams decides to go in house for a solution, he is settling. Settling for something that doesn't really fit. Sort of. There actually is a guy at Charlotte right now who would, profile wise, seem to be an ideal fit. A lefty hitting outfielder with a record of high OBP and high power numbers, who can play all three outfield positions. David Cook. The only issue with him is, since he was just promoted to AAA... is he ready?

QUOTE (DBAH0 @ Jun 16, 2008 -> 09:20 AM) Probably headed there over the weekend. Does anyone have any recommendations on places to see, bars to go to etc.? Boston is a fun town, one of my faves. As far as daylight activities go, you can follow the historical "trail" through town. The "trail" is a painted yellow line that runs through downtown and up the Charleston, stopping at all sorts of nifty historical spots on the way. Great way to learn the town. You can get a pamphlet on everything on the walk, available at places all over town, hotels. etc. Lots of great restaurants. You really can't go wrong. Pricey though. For good eats cheap, go to the Italian part of town (north of downtown, as I recall), and just wander into a cafe. For nighttime stuff, I don't really know any specific bars, but walk around any Irish neighborhood and just wander into one. Also, if its your thing (wasn't mine, but, long story), you can hop on a ghost tour that is actually kind of fun. Also, you should see a game at Fenway if you can.

Between Eldred or Owens, I have to go with Eldred. Strike outs will be bad, but, fact is, he'll still likely outproduce Jerry. That said, I'll throw another name out there... David Cook.

Matt Inouye is on fire. Hitting .474 in his last 10 games, and now up to .353 on the season. He has a .918 OPS. He's been playing primarily catcher, but can also play multiple other positions. So don't be surprised it he's in W-S soon, especially since he's now 24 at Low A ball (he was drafted at age 22, so he started older).