NorthSideSox72

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Jun 4, 2008 -> 08:08 AM) What are you basing that on? A quick look at the states that I believe are "in play", which ones aren't, and using one of those websites that allows you to come up with an electoral count by clicking states on the map. Its purely my opinions of course - the polls to date aren't necessarily helpful, until later. Just my current guesswork. By the way, the states I consider "in play" (not definite for one party or the other) for campaigning purposes this year: NV, WA, OR, MT, ID, CO, NM, KS, NE, MN, IA, MO, MS, FL, VA, OH, MI, PA, NH, NJ. That's a lot of states that are contestable, IMO. And by the way, that list may change, depending on VP picks. If, for example, Obama picks Edwards, then NC comes into play. If he picks Richardson, then I think NM goes solid blue.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 06:03 PM) well, I for one am a believer in the fact that this election is already over, and that Obama already has the presidency locked up (unless very incriminating video comes out). So, congrats Dems. I disagree. I think its going to be a close call, and if anything, I think its leaning a bit towards McCain at the moment. Lots of time between now and November though, so we'll see.

For all things Pro-McCain and/or anti-Obama, specifically...

New thread for Pro-Obama and/or anit-McCain specific stuff.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 4, 2008 -> 07:31 AM) Wouldn't that be redundant with Romans for that time period? QUOTE (kapkomet @ Jun 4, 2008 -> 07:32 AM) Latin, not latinO. Actually no, that's an incorrect use of the word. Latin was the LANGUAGE of the Romans, but was never a title for their culture. People from Latin America, are Latin, OR Latino. That's why I found it an odd statement.

QUOTE (TCQ @ Jun 4, 2008 -> 07:36 AM) I really hope this isnt serious. Cabrera is without a doubt a better shortsop than Uribe. Also you dont platoon a guy battin 240 on an upswing with a guy under 200. Also, there is absolutely no such thing as a sh**y rbi, and Uribe couldnt hit his way out of a paper bag. And the only way i could see uribe being cooler is from all the ice cream sandwiches im sure hes munchin on while on sittin on the bench. I assume you must mean as a total package, not just defensively. Because Uribe is definitely a better DEFENSIVE shortstop than O-Cab. Not much question in my mind.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 10:47 PM) There isn't a reference to the antichrist's nationality in Revelations, so that whole thing is a crock of crap, I've read the entire book of Revelation in three versions (and generally, read a lot of the Bible). The only thing the Bible implies is that the antichrist will probably be a white male with either dominant Roman, Greek, or perhaps generally Latin blood, none of which fit Obama as far as I know. The whole discussion is crazy though, Obama doesn't fit a single description of the Antichrist except he's a great speaker. By that logic, Ronald Reagan could have been the antichrist, he was a great speaker and fit the bloodlines better than Obama does actually. Latin blood? The bible mentions Aztecs and Incans?

Watched both speeches last night. Clinton's was awful. Seriously awful. And no, I don't think she was really going to fully concede last night - I get that. That's not what made it awful. What made it awful was her insistence (which is still incorrect) that she won the popular vote, her insistence that she was the better candidate, and her veiled threat about having "her" 18 million voices heard. What a classless, undermining, narcissistic and thunderously arrogant thing to do. She should be embarrassed. Truly, I saw a speech that tells me just one thing - she is trying to force her way to a VP slot, and in parallel, set up a 2012 run for herself. That speech was the grand finale of her scorched earth campaign. My only hope is, it was SO bad, that even her supporters start to realize how off her rocker she is. Obama's speech was pretty good. One of his better ones. And he was about as gracious towards Clinton as he could be. He sure did lay into McCain, though.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 05:05 PM) Curious to hear SS2K5's thoughts on this. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/39611.html I read a different article but on the same topic. These lawmakers aren't really getting it. Speculators in the market have to both open AND close their positions without taking delivery - so their presence has zero effect on supply and demand in the actual purchasing market. And if the theory they are going on here, is that the speculators drive up the prices then the actual buyers have to pay that increased price, then they are fairly ignorant of basic market dynamics. Think about this... let's say the market normally has 10 speculators and 10 hedgers. Now, with more speculators coming in, let's say its 20 speculators to 10 hedgers. One might think that the extra speculators and their cash would cause the price to go up, right? Except, that won't work, because those 20 speculators now have to sell to 10 hedgers. That will depress the price back down, since there is more supply than demand in the space. So, yet again, the only way to truly have a lasting rise in price is to have more actual delivery demand. Now, I will add one caveat here, or one wildcard - market regulation. There are some segments of derivatives trading, some involving energy products, where the CFTC just isn't regulating the markets. And what that COULD do is encourage some illegal, market maniuplating activities, which may artificially riase prices. Some have suggested the CFTC should have more coverage in these areas (and others), and I do actually agree with that. Of course, BushCo and Congress have been consistently cutting the CFTC budget, and CFTC is in a near hiring freeze, mostly because they don't really understand the CFTC. Now, suddenly, they need them to do something. But that's another story.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 03:10 PM) liberal groups always touted him as one of the greatest presidents of all time. Gore was criticized for distancing himself. Bill was always defended and revered. Hillary was also very popular in liberal circles. Now they are totally seen as villains in these same circles. I've never seen so much venom towards the Clintons, even from the right wing. Well, I agreed with your posts, until the last sentence. The amount of venom shot Bill's way in his last couple years dwarfs what Hillary is getting now. And IMO, Gore didn't lose because of distancing himself from Clinton. He lost because he decided to change his affect to fit what his advisors thought was "Presidential". If he had just been himself, as he was after, I think he would have won.

OK, since it appears that Obama will have this thing truly in hand within the next couple days... I'll be revamping the threads in here a bit at that time. There will be a Probama thread (aka anti-McCain), a ProCain thread (aka anti-Obama), and a general election thread. No specific thread for polls. Also, for the Dems ONLY and GOP ONLY threads, let's all try to keep from getting into partisan s*** in there, if you can. If a topic is worthy of its own thread, just start one, and feel free to copy in the post from the partisan thread. If any Clinton news comes up that isn't really about Obama (i.e. Clinton on Obama's cabinet), just put it in Dems ONLY, or the catch-all, or a new thread. Cool?

Looking at the radar, it seems like the big colorful blob of rain is exiting the area, with clear air behind it. The field may be wet, but it is starting to look like the game will be played.

For the first time in a while, I'll actually be watching the political coverage on TV this evening. I think the two speeches that will be made should be very interesting.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 11:07 AM) yeah of course not. I imagine she hopes McCain beats Obama and then she can trash him for the next 4 years so she looks good in 2012 Any idea on what Obama would do if he loses to McCain? Would he stay in the Senate or would he try for gov of Il? I imagine Blago doesn't have another run in him According to Obama himself, the run for President was a one-time bargain with his wife. Supposedly. After that, he said, not again. Of course, we've heard that sort of line before, and they sometimes come back anyway. Or, like with Colin Powell, maybe Obama really means it. Hard to say.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 10:12 AM) Yeah, Quentin was so highly-regarded by the D-backs that they dealt him for a lesser prospect. He'll be 26 in August and his two years in Arizona were plagued with injuries and a general failure to live up to expectations. Ozzie didn't even expect him to make the roster back in ST. So, yeah, I'd say that Quentin's career wasn't going very well this past winter and that he was under some pressure to produce at the ML level. I agree with some of your post, but the above is just way off base. If you want to know why Quentin was traded, look at Arizona's outfield - it was already incredibly crowded with very, very good players, who were already established. ARI needed something other than outfielders. So, they went out and traded for a very good position prospect at a position where they actually had a need. I have never read anything indicating that Quentin was failing to live up to expectations. Look at his performance over the years - he was a huge hitter at every level, until he got hurt, and played a quarter of a season of at bats for ARZ. While hurt. Ozzie didn't expect him to start because he thought he needed more time for the shoulder to recover - this was reporter all over the place. So no, I don't think you can by any definition say his career was tanking or wasn't going well.

QUOTE (29andPoplar @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 10:08 AM) Maybe I'm missing something here. But let me take your 2nd point first. Lately pitchers have been throwing "right there" first pitch fastballs to guys like Swisher, Konerko especially. The hitters need to adjust and the hitting coach needs to tell them that's the tendancy. There is a fallacy that every at bat needs to be lengthy. Sometimes in the 5th and 6th inning if you've seen a pitcher 1-2 times, it's best to hack at a good first pitch fastball. These are the hitters we have and good or bad they need to play to their strengths. Our hitters like fastballs and they've shown in the past they hit fastballs. If the best one you're gonna get is 1st pitch, hack at it. Your first point, if I look at the starters, let's see here ... Konerko: has been with the Sox forever, so I wouldn't say he's regressed under this hitting coach. Thome: bad first two months no doubt, but were his '06 and '07 numbers a significant regression? Not sure. Ramirez: too new, doesn't count. Cabrera: your point is well taken on him, if we are to judge after two months. Crede: see Konerko. Quentin: he's doing well, so he wouldn't apply. Swisher: your point is well taken on him too. He had a good 1st couple of weeks then has slumped. Let's not forget that Swisher is a career .251 hitter and he has been up and down average wise in his career. Not defending anyone, just saying. Dye: I don't really think the point you made fits here. Pierzynski: Your point may apply in terms of average, but frankly I think Pierzynski changed his approach, particularly in 2007. It's no secret he was told by Guillen and Williams they wanted the guy who'd spray the ball to LF like he used to do in Minnesota. Pierzynski responded by losing weight which may help him. We'll see how it plays out. Let's add Uribe. Uribe is a dumb hitter plain and simple. Uribe does what Uribe wants to do at the plate, which is why you see him playing on a one year contract despite his excellent defensive skills. I won't add Brian Anderson here because the topic of Brian Anderson has been beaten to death. So I don't know if I'd agree that many have regressed and only a few have improved. I agree on most of those, with a few exceptions. I think Crede has become too much of a dead pull hitter with the Sox, which hurts him. AJP got here and became a worse hitter, and really only improved for this year, working with Baines. And yeah, I wouldn't blame any hitting coach for Uribe. He seems to me to be pretty much uncoachable. So really, the only hitter who improved with the Sox is Dye. Konerko and Crede were brought up within the system, so, its hard to judge. Others have gotten worse. Finally, while I agree that O-Cab has gotten a lot of first-ball fastballs, the trend of low pitch counts per at bat has been true for a number of years now, and I do think its relevant and indicative of a poor approach. Not every at bat needs to be long, and against some pitchers, you should swing early. But when you average it out, comparing to other teams, and you consistently see fewer pitches... that, to me, screams bad approach.

CNN update on McAuliffe's denial. You have to read beyond the bluster, and see some key words there - that Obama doesn't have the numbers, YET. So of course he is saying this. When he does have the numbers, tonight or tomorrow, you'll see Clinton do some sort of concession. Unfortunately, it will probably be half-ass and petty, like everything else in her campaign has been. She won't endorse.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 09:47 AM) posted this in the Obama thread, but cnn.com has a story from Clinton's camp saying it's not true and she intends to continue If you read the details, it is true, but also not true. She will concede that he has the delegates and has clinched the win - because he will, so she has to. Heck, McAuliffe even acknowledged it. But, also, she will continue to campaign, for reasons that (IMO) can only be construed as her furthering her 2012 campaign chances.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 10:30 AM) Notice that many of the veterans who aren't hitting (Thome, Paulie, Crede, Cabrera) are 30 or older. That doesn't necessarily mean that their skills have diminished to the point where they're not effective anymore (except maybe in Thome's case), but nagging injuries tend to become more of a problem on the wrong side of 30 (Paulie this year, and Thome/Dye/Crede last year). As bad as Swisher and Fields have looked at the plate at times, I'd be more comfortable with those guys two years down the road than Konerko or Crede. If Walker is the problem, how did the Sox hit well in '03, '04, and (most of) '06? And how did they go from very solid situational hitters in '05 to a crew that pops up three straight times with a runner on 3rd and no outs? And how is it that Quentin, who doesn't have a $20+ million contract and began this season desperately trying to salvage his ML career, has thrived under Walker? It seems to me that many of the veterans are just showing up to work to collect a paycheck. They looked like they gave up at this point last year and are making incredibly stupid mental mistakes at the plate this year. This is not an old team - and just over 30 isn't old by hitting standards. Thome is getting old by baseball standards, but the rest of the lineup is still relatively young. Quentin trying to salvage a career? Was that sarcasm? He's been a stud prospect at every level. His longest MLB season was like 150 at bats, and he was injured. And by the way, I am not saying the players don't bear responsibility. Of course they do. But when you have a long list of players that get worse under a certain coach, and only a few who get better, the coach is ALSO responsible. Another trend to look at - the Sox, under Walker, have consistently been among the league basement dwellers in terms of pitches seen per at bat. This is not age, or decline - this is a bad hitting approach.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 09:33 AM) I'd be curious to really see what it is like on the ground there. I really doubt there is much love for America there. I also really doubt its a nation full of people who hate the west. I'd have to guess that there is a lot of both, probably the younger generation being more open to what Western culture brings them, and the older generations more anti-American.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 10:09 AM) The question becomes, will she have a shot in 4 or 8 years? In many ways she is paralleling McCain. In 2000 it appeared that McCain has his chance, and it was over. Who knows, she may still have another run in her. I am starting to agree with those who are saying she's setting herself up for a 2012 run. She has been all but done for weeks, and yet has kept on beating on Obama, until the last few days. Her scorched earth campaign style has been detrimental to her party and the presumptive nominee. And even though she will concede the race today or tomorrow (when she is mathematically eliminated), she won't actually endorse Obama. She wants McCain to win this year, so she can run against him in 2012, under the banner of "See - I would have been the better choice in 2008".

A little more detail, from the Trib: Interesting that I don't see anything there about an endorsement. She really is more interested in her own political career than anything else.

QUOTE (letsgoarow @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 08:41 AM) Hitting Coaches dont hit....they are a scapegoat for slumps. A slump doesn't last 2 years. If we were talking about just this season, I'd agree - moving the hitting coach is too rash. But we are talking about a team that, offensively, has been below expectations for a couple years now. Even in 2005, they weren't great - just good enough. The only time the team really looked good offensively was the first half of 2006. This isn't a slump. Its a consistent track record of hitters getting worse on arriving in Chicago, or being here and then getting worse with Walker arrived, or just plain hitting below expectations. The success stories of hitters improving under his tuteledge are very few, and the disappointments many. At some point, being the hitting coach, that responsibility has to land on his doorstep. IMO, now is that time.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Jun 2, 2008 -> 11:25 PM) Seriously, when does Cook go up to AAA? With his age, we need to start to advance him as much as possible. We can't baby him and bring him up at age 29, it won't do much good. He needs to be in AAA soon, with a September call-up, and a chance for a roster spot next spring. QUOTE (bighurt4life @ Jun 3, 2008 -> 02:16 AM) i've been saying the same thing for a while now, maybe the White Sox brass doesn't think that he's a prospect but at least give him a chance, there's nothing more that he can prove at AA I'm in the camp that says Cook is still a prospect, so I agree he needs new challenges. But, keep a few things in mind... One, as discussed in another thread recently, the Birmingham Barons are in the heat of a run at the playoffs. They are about to clinch their division. And while the needs of the Barons certainly don't get priority over the needs of the organization as a whole, we are only talking about a few weeks here - let Cook and the Barons win the crown in mid-June, and then Cook is free to go. A few weeks won't kill him. Two, Charlotte is still pretty crowded right now with rehab assignments. Uribe just left though, Richar is healthy, and now Wise was DFA'd. So, don't be surprised if Cook comes up to AAA shortly after B-Ham's first half is over. Three, you have to find a place for Cook to play in Charlotte. So, if Cook is a starter, then who do you bench or release or demote? Eldred is leading the world in homeruns, Bourgeois isn't going anywhere either. Collaro was just promoted recently, so he seems an unlikely choice for the boot. The only realistic possibility I see is Eldred playing first and Ryan Huffman being benched or released.

B-Ham beat Mississippi, 6-5. Highlights... Mercedes: 4-5, 2 2B, RBI, R (now hitting .291, won the league's player of the week award last week) Cook: 2-4, 2B, BB, R Noah Hall: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI (Hall is a backup OF) Armstrong: 1-4, 3-run HR Cassel (W, 4-3): 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K Link (S, 16): 1 IP and a bunch of zeros Myrtle Beach beat Winston-Salem, 10-7. Not so high lights... Orlando: 2-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R Sanchez: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI Retherford: 1-4, 2B, R Paiml: 1-4, 2B, R Davis, in his first start ever, ND: 3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K Albritton, just promoted from Kanny, was next: 4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K Chirino, check out this line as he takes the loss: 0.1 IP, 5 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K (ouch!) Rote closed out, going 0.2 IP, 2 walks, nothing else (ERA now 1.07) Greensboro beat up on Kanny, 7-1. Details... Marrero: 2-4 Gallagher: 1-4, RBI Skogley (L, 0-1): 5 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K Mabee: 1 IP, 1 H and nothing else (ERA now 1.17) --- Seems like one thing the system has right now is some solid closers - Link, Mabee, Rote/Teixeira... all seem to be kicking ass.