NorthSideSox72

I'd suggest that the problem here lies more with the parties and their black-or-white perspective, than with Mr. Lieberman. He isn't my fave politician by a long shot, but, the reality is that in the current decade, being a moderate or having views that don't align perfectly with one party or the other tends to get you shot to bits. And that pisses me off.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 01:23 PM) Well...no. I don't know what you mean by his "current pace", unless you mean his current pace. If you mean his career pace, then I don't see why he'd be resigned. Even taking a little off his pace this year -- it's not gonna happen. A career .260/.300/.450 hitter is not going to hit .290/.350/.550. At least, it's damn unlikely. I don't think you can look at Crede's career averages en masse and get an accurate picture. I think going into this season, there were 2 big questions. One was, is he going to be healthy (and for now, the answer is yes, but that could change). The second question then was, which Joe Crede is the real Joe Crede? 2007 is pointless to even put into your stats analysis for Joe, he played only a short while and was injured. Looking at the rest of his career, you had two versions - the 2003 through early 2005 version, which is a .250/.300/.425 guy - mediocre offensively at best. Then there was his most recent 1.5 seasons, where he was more like a .280/.320/.500 guy - pretty good for a 3B offensively. And since they occurred in that order, I think the question was very much up for debate - did he improve and "figure it out", as many hitters do at some point? Or was late 2005 and 2006 a fluke? That question is still up for debate. But if he has numbers like the latter, then I think the verdict is in - he's matured into that player. In that case, I think looking to re-sign him to a reasonable deal after the season (if you can) is a very good idea - especially with his plus defense. If he walks, fine, Josh is waiting. If his numbers go back to 2003-2004 type numbers, then he gets traded or left to free agency, and that's fine with Fields in the wings. I simply do not think you can look at Joe's career averages in total and project his value. You need to look more closely at the history.

If you own a home, Angie's List is the shiznit. That is all.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 12:02 PM) I just want to clarify something -- I was talking about the separate thread that you created for post #23, not this thread that the new one was merged into. To the mods -- I know I'm not licensed to post in this forum, I just wanted to clarify a remark directed at me. I hope that's all right, but if not, please delete this post. You can post here all you want, as long as you agree to the rules in the MUST READ thread and post in there to acknowledge. We'd like to see you in here, in fact.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 11:09 AM) And this is the right path. If the team stays in contention, Crede stays healthy, and keeps performing at a reasonable rate, there's really nothing lost to this team to give Josh another year in the minors at 3rd base. The team should then make an effort to sign Joe to a reasonable deal this offseason, but shouldn't push it too much given Crede's injury concerns, and should take him back only at a number that works for the team. If Joe walks, then we've got Josh ready to step in, if somehow Joe signs for a reasonable deal, then we can deal or move Josh and be perfectly happy with a reasonably signed Crede. Agree.

QUOTE (the People's Champ @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:58 AM) Didn't the jersey selection used to be starting pitcher's preference?? I thought I heard that somewhere. anyway for the record: white pinstripe all black vest of any color GODAWFUL I'm glad they got retired You probably heard it two posts earlier.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:38 AM) This is getting farther off topic, but what about school vouchers? That way, those who couldn't afford private schools on their own still get public support and the system still invites competition. With the way schools are funded by property taxes now, doesn't our current system give the wealthy much better schools anyway? In many areas, private schools spend less per-child than their public counterparts with better results. Yeah we've gotten a bit off topic, so I'll be brief. I am not opposed to a voucher type system, but not if the rest of the system stays as is. That would result in two things - rich people getting a break on their kids' private school tuition, and poor people still going to the same crappy schools. It accomplishes nothing. The level of education coming from public schools needs to be raised for ALL schools. A school like a New Trier should not be the exception - it should be the model. Then, if people want to electively spend money and time to further educate their child, feel free.

As I understand it, the uniform is up to the starting pitcher that day. Or so I thought.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:57 AM) Anybody with the arm and athleticism to play 3B and the ability to play LF at a reasonable level can play RF. I think that's a bit of a leap. He may, or may not, be able to do that. Perfect example: Pablo Ozuna. He plays a reasonably good 3B, and 2B for that matter. But he's a pretty bad outfielder. Fields has a better arm than Pablo of course, but as far as manning the position goes, the translation cannot be automatically assumed to be successful.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:56 AM) Anderson. If you're talking about actually giving a guy some pt, you pick the guy with a higher upside at the plate who's a better fielder. That advantage over 200-300 abs plus the better innings in cf is a much bigger difference-maker than the occasional pinch running opportunity, especially when you have Ozuna and Ramirez anyway. You keep going back to the PR role, but that's minimal and not the primary reason why you keep a guy on the roster. Its just a nice bonus. As I said, you should play your 4th OF (whether Anderson or Owens) a couple days a week as a general guideline, so the value equation isn't about PR versus OF - its about OF versus OF. Anderson is the better defender hands down of course. But Owens has a history of higher OBP, plus the speed is a nice added bonus. Anderson is said to have a higher ceiling, but that has yet to manifest itself. So I think its a pretty close draw between the 2 for that slot. At the moment, since the team is doing well as-is and Anderson has been just fine in a minimal role, my tendency is to keep things as they are. But if Anderson struggles, I think its a good idea to replace him with JO.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:41 AM) How "occasionally"? I'd be pissed if Owens comes up and gets 2 or 3 starts per week, cutting into the pt of a much better player in Swisher or Quentin. (And if he actually got enough time to rack up 50 steals...) But if he barely ever plays, his value is just that of a pinch runner. Either way, I don't see any point in bringing him up. I wouldn't be pissed if either Owens OR Anderson got 2 or 3 starts a week. That means relieving Quentin in LF once and Swisher in CF once each week, with Quentin or Swisher sometimes playing RF or 1B/DH (respectively) on those days anyway. In fact, I think its a good idea to do just that. The question is, should it be Anderson or Owens who does that?

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 09:32 AM) Lets take a ride on the crazy train. Hi I am Joan Dahlberg, Humane Society President. And I have no concept of reality. While getting killed by a mountain lion is not a worry for most. To categorize these animals as anything but predators is a bit myopic and silly. This lady is a wack job. In fact Lions have been known to take a chomp out of a person or two. That is just laughable (Ms Dahlberg I mean, not you SSI). First, while rare, mountain lions most definitely have attacked people. Second, in THAT circumstance, the chances of it doing so are probably heightened. Third, "prepared"? Is she seriously suggesting that every cop on the beat should carry a tranq gun with a wide variety of differenet loads to always be ready for any animal? Should the armament include an elephant gun? Ridiculous. I am sad that the story ended the way it did, but under the circumstances, I fail to see how the police can be blamed here.

QUOTE (jackie hayes @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:15 AM) A marginal improvement over Ozuna/Ramirez in the pinch running department isn't worth the loss of a player who's better in every other aspect of the game. True. However, having a lefty bat who can play LF and CF occasionally off the bench, AND pinch hit and pinch run, does have some value. I'm sort of torn on the Anderson/Owens question.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 09:14 AM) Yea, he's a bell weather. He has no spine. I don't think that means what you think it means. A bellweather is an indicator of the state of things generally in a certain environment, so, you are saying he's indicative of the Dems right now? I think you mean he's a windsock, or a flip-flopper, or something along those lines.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 09:11 AM) My fear is Clinton will TRY to go scorched earth this evening. Bring up Resko or that terrorist guy. She'll do anything and a NATIONAL TV debate is a great forum. Well of course she will do those things (although, I don't know what you mean by 'terrorist guy'). But that will only help Obama in this case, more than likely. Clinton's attacks work in the normal course of things. But if you look at the debates, the ones where she employed those tactics, it backfired. The debates are different than run of the mill media barrage. A person hears rumors and attacks from multiple sources over time, and they start to believe them. On the other hand, when you see an individual on TV throwing around insults, people tend to not like it as much.

QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 09:08 AM) If only this country let private schools pop-up like Wal-mart (heavily regulated of course), this country's educational system would sky-rocket instead of being pulled down by inept bureaucracy. Such a system would further worsen the difference in education between rich and poor. That would undoubtedly cause a large widening on the income gap, and we'd start to see a diminution of the American Dream and the chance at success. Poor would stay poor, rich would stay rich. That system you suggest would help only the very well-off.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 10:06 AM) For what it's worth: Post "Bitter-Gate", Obama now has a 3 point LEAD in PA. Yes it is not Survey USA, but it is interesting. PPP is trash. Their polls have been all over the map. The polls in PA seem all over the place, but the general impression I get is that a once 20 point lead for Clinton is probably more like high single digits right now. The debate tonight might push it one way or the other - either put Clinton back in charge, or make it a dead even race.

QUOTE (shipps @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 08:47 AM) My dad went to yesterdays game and had the scout seats behind home plate.He said they were great and it is a must do.Are those seats season ticket only or can you buy them at the box office? They are season only. But, look on Stub Hub, or even in the ticket exchange on this site, and you can sometimes get lucky.

QUOTE (rowandrules83 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 08:31 AM) Ok thanks, I posted in that thread Cool, thank you.

QUOTE (rowandrules83 @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 09:08 AM) I was specifically referring to stories I read about Hawkins and Baker saying there were specific racist things both said and written to Hawkins specifically. I think some fans used the frustration with Hawkins' crappiness and expressed it in a terrible way. While I don't recall ever hearing a story about Manuel and any racism toward him, you do raise a valid point. One can't help but wonder what would happen if Ozzie, KW, or Dye completely started to suck at their job, how mature the reaction would be. Would it stick to the fact that they just sucked, or would it cross an ignorant line? While I'd like to think we would be more mature than that, there would likely be a few morons who would resort to that. Here's the link to the story about hate mail: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...SPGC8D128O1.DTL rowandrules83- Please read and reply to the MUST READ thread at the top of this forum. This is required before posting in the Buster. Note: you haven't done anything wrong - this is just a requirement for everyone who posts here.

QUOTE (Controlled Chaos @ Apr 16, 2008 -> 07:40 AM) "Hopefully, especially, on Jackie Robinson Day, Baker was booed for the quality of his managing and not the color of his skin." Man I don't know where to put this...I oringially had it in the Cubs thread, cause it's Cubs related and hardly anyone comes in the Buster anymore, but it would prolly get moved here anyway. I don't want to stir up a whole race discussion and get everyone's panties in a bunch. I just think the comment was uncalled for. I have a few friends that are Cub fans and God knows the man has plenty to be booed on. I have never heard anyone mention the color of his skin except for him. It was all In Dusty We Trusty when he was hired. The hire was loved by every Cub fan I know. Yeah things went bad and the Cubs have plenty of reasons to boo him, but they didn't all become racists all of a sudden. Article Reading it in context, I agree. It was an awkward, pointless statement that could only serve to create problems that don't seem to exist. Seriously, Baker was cheered or booed for the same reasons every other manager is cheered or booed - winning and losing.

There is just no way that the team can keep Crede and Fields both at 3B long term. One will be traded, or Crede will leave in free agency, or one of them will be moved to a different position (least likely). That said, isn't it nice to be in a position where you have TWO talented guys to choose from to help the team, instead of scraping the bottom hoping to find just one? Depth is a nice thing, for the team. Not so nice for Josh Fields right now though.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Apr 15, 2008 -> 07:37 PM) totally for it. is that part of Obama's plan? it's the best way to lower cost. I'd suggest that preventative care is the best way to lower health care costs.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Apr 15, 2008 -> 02:29 PM) Pfft, that's nothing. When I was 7 or 8 I had a wolf try to eat a donut out of my hand! There's a guy at the end of Farrell road in Lockport who has a couple of wolves, some coyotes, a peacock (those things make some interesting noises) and a 700 lb. bear. He's got all the necessary licenses to do so and was there long before any of the developments/ subdivisions came in. When my parents built their house back in '91/'92, they were one of the first in the area. The guy used to walk his wolves on a leash while on horseback. I was on a walk with my dad and we ran into him. He had the wolves off at a safe distance, but I wandered by them a little too close. If my dad didn't pull me back right away I'm sure it would have taken my donut and maybe part of my hand. Here's an article on his ranch. His house is right next door to a subdivision, and his backyard butts up against it. I'm surprised there's that many people that would want to live that close to those animals. http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldn...WOLF_S1.article Ugh. I really dislike it when people keep animals like that as pets.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Apr 15, 2008 -> 01:51 PM) For what it's worth, there are cougars in Iowa. I have family near Iowa City and there was a cougar spotted there 2 years ago. They've been in Minnesota for a long time, so that's not outside the realm of possibility. But I'm betting that was aberrant - I doubt there is a significant population in Iowa.