almagest

QUOTE(BearSox @ Feb 29, 2008 -> 11:24 PM) I was watching a video for MLB 2k8 on gamespot, and it does not look good at all. Doesn't seem fluid one bit. Looks almost the same as last year. Still, 2k8 looks a lot more polished than what I've seen of 2008, and I'm a fan of Sony's game.

QUOTE(daa84 @ Feb 29, 2008 -> 04:25 PM) im not gonna make any excuses for macdougal, but i guarantee you his problem is not a STRAGHT fastball....its his inability to locate his fastball that still has nice tail (in fact ill bet that his fastball has more movement than just about everyone in our pen except wasserman), and his inability to throw a breaking ball....i remember when this guy first came up with KC and his slider was just absolutely filthy...just one of those breaking balls that opposing hitters just had no shot on when he located it...of course that was always his problem with it, location...he got in trouble cuz he could never get it over Exactly. MacDougal has filthy, filthy stuff. He used to throw close to 100 with his straight fastball, IIRC, but he apparently was told to rely more on his 2-seamer, which is a fantastic pitch (94+ with movement) -- WHEN he gets it over. He still has a good slider, but again, WHEN he gets it over. If he's not throwing strikes often, he gets hit hard. I've often wondered why these guys have such problems throwing strikes consistently, when they know (at least, I hope so) it's the key to success. Is it a mental block, or is it mechanics?

QUOTE(BaseballNick @ Feb 29, 2008 -> 12:37 PM) We need more intelligent and insightful thoughts like this on SoxTalk. Man's got a point, though. You can hypothesize almost anything. The evidence points to Fields being the better bet to be successful at this point, though, given his recent performance, health, contract status, and age, when compared to Crede.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 11:32 AM) I'm gonna go in the way back machine, because I never got a GameCube and the family still doesn't have a Wii, though we will eventually. Anyways, for historical purposes, how much different was Fox from the N64 version to the GameCube version to the current version? Cuz I definitely dominated everyone with Fox on the 64. Fox is top-top tier in Smash Melee. He and Marth pretty much dominate the game. Captain Falcon is up there, too. Fox is still good in Brawl, though not nearly as good as he was in Melee. At least, that seems to be the consensus now. The ranking of characters fluctuates a lot during the initial year after a game is released, though.

Mlb.com shows no gameday audio for this game, dammit.

QUOTE(ChiSox_Sonix @ Feb 27, 2008 -> 09:37 AM) Thanks. I wonder i fthe quality would be enhanced if i watched it through my PS3/TV No, the video is pre-set at either 400kb/s or 700. The quality of the video is limited on their side, not yours. That being said, the 400k option is tolerable in a decent-sized window, and the 700k is at least standard tv broadcast quality.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 10:55 PM) Crede is a great third baseman. Sorry that's what I believe. Why do you believe he is? What evidence is there that points to Crede being on the level of, say, Scott Rolen in his prime?

QUOTE(ptatc @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 07:40 PM) 1.5 good years and 3 mediocre years vs. 2 putrid years. (2007 doesn't count he only played about 1/4 of the season). That sounds decent to me which is what I said he was. I disagree. Good and putrid essentially cancel out. Mediocre != good, and mediocre != decent. Mediocre == "well, at least he's not Timo Perez."

QUOTE(Haarold @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 04:05 PM) This organization had no problem trying to put him in LF last year. How hard would it be to start working him in at first. And who said anything about putting Crede at first? The organization also has no plans to play Fields in left field this year. That's either a knock against his defense there (which isn't a good sign since LF is considered one of the easier positions to play), or yet another sign that Crede's gone. Also, my original point was that if defense is such a major consideration, why play Fields at first? He's a third baseman, and undoubtedly will be worse defensively at first than Konerko, at least for a little while. He'll also most likely not put up the same offensive numbers. QUOTE(ptatc @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 04:53 PM) I think I'm probably one of Crede's biggest fans because of his defense and decent hitting. Myth. Crede has had exactly 1.5 (2002 and 2006) seasons where he's produced at or slightly above the expected level for a MLB third baseman offensively. Every other year, he's been mediocre ('00, '03, '05) to putrid ('01, '04, '07).

QUOTE(Haarold @ Feb 26, 2008 -> 01:58 PM) Paulie's trade value is high right now and could go along way to fortify our minor league system. Who do you acquire for him? What teams are possible suitors? And who do we put at first then, if not Paulie "stretchless" Konerko? Neither Fields nor Crede have played first, and if defense is so important, why put them there?

QUOTE(Felix @ Feb 25, 2008 -> 02:30 PM) But could he beat up Fields' dad? Thats the real question. Searching Google for "Josh Fields' dad" gave me a picture of Ray Liotta. Point to the Fields side.

QUOTE(Vance Law @ Feb 25, 2008 -> 02:15 PM) Nice. Nice. For "evidence" of their relative quality of overall play and value as baseball players, you might also have mentioned Crede's hair and, I don't know, how strong his dad is. Let's settle this once and for all -- Crede's dad vs. Fields' in a no-holds-barred television free-for-all! "My Dad is Better Than Your Dad", Mondays at 9/8 C on NBC.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Feb 25, 2008 -> 02:14 PM) You have your choice of Alex Rodriguez, Joe Crede and David Wright, who do you take? Did A-Rod or David Wright hit a home run off David Riske in 2005 that provoked numerous orgasms from Hawk whilst shouting the name of Brooks Robinson II: Electric Bugaloo? I don't think so. Crede 4 Prez. Seriously, though, I take David Wright because he hit a home run through a TV in that MLB 2006 or 2007 commercial (forget which) for PS3. Takes some serious talent to make matter cross the boundaries of reality like that.

QUOTE(chimpy2121 @ Feb 23, 2008 -> 07:07 PM) Anyone got a DS? I'm debating on whether or not I should get one. I really want to get the Final Fantasy game and the newest Zelda. Any advice for other games? Most definitely. Well worth getting one.

My company is renewing their contract with Verizon, and we're getting all new phones. Reviews are showing the Samsung SCH-i760 as the best phone they offer, so that's what we're going with. If any other service providers offer it, you might want to consider it as well.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 11:56 PM) F*** Pecota :fthecubs......... Play the games! Why are people so negative when it comes to the statistical analysis of baseball? Of COURSE they're still going to play the games. All the PECOTA win projection shows is what we already know -- the Sox are going to have to have quite a few players step up to compete in the AL this year.

QUOTE(Iwritecode @ Feb 18, 2008 -> 02:31 PM) Tell me about it. Overworked and underpaid. It's the story of my life. I was in contact with a head-hunter during a job search once and when I told her what I made she laughed... I do mostly mainframe stuff. Programming languages that are older than I am. I messed up by getting my 2-year degree just before the web programming stuff really took off. Back in 97-98. I really need to go back to school (which I can't afford) or become self-taugh in the newer programming languages. I'm willing to commute. I already drive 40 miles (about 1 hour) one-way. I can't imagine it would be that much different taking 90 into the western burbs. Relocation is a slim possibilty but not something I'd rule out right away. The kids are getting a little older so after-school care isn't as much of a concern as it used to be. Craigslist is your friend. Also, pick a language you'd like to learn, and get certified in it. It's not as good as a degree, but it's cheaper, takes less time, and since you have dev experience it's a foot in the door. I'd suggest going for SCJP (Java) or MCSD (C#/.Net). If you have C/C++ experience, they'll be easy to learn, and are pretty popular languages right now.

This is about right, if everyone performs as projected. If our young pitching steps up, we'll be much better.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Feb 16, 2008 -> 12:52 PM) For the 360, is there are actual advantage to laying it flat or standing it up? No. Mine stood for a while, now it's resting flat. I've noticed no difference. Just make sure to keep it well-ventilated to avoid "The Red Ring of Death" for as long as possible.

QUOTE(Steff @ Feb 16, 2008 -> 07:21 AM) He lives in Rockford so I don't think our area would be a feesable employment option. True, but he already said he drives quite a distance to work, so perhaps a bit further for more money wouldn't be a bad idea. Also, the areas I've mentioned seem to be the best bets in the state for tech jobs. At some point he may consider moving, so I thought it worth mention.

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Feb 16, 2008 -> 11:06 AM) No, I think Uribe reported 25 lbs heavier every year Maybe Massett is serious about turning things around. I hope he is. He does have pretty good stuff. If he could harness a bit of control (maybe regain that extra 4 mph on his fastball he mysteriously lost, too), I think he could be a solid 4th starter. QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Feb 16, 2008 -> 11:06 AM) Uribe and his feet haven't made sight of each other in a few years so I dont know if he fits the 25 pounds down comment. take a look at his pics when he was with the rockies, and take a look at him now. Its like comparing the Panther's head to Sosa and his gigantic head. Heh. I could've sworn I've seen a few articles about him coming to camp a slimmer, more svelte Juan Uribe in the past few years. Perhaps I'm wrong.

Seems like someone reports 25 lbs lighter to camp every year. Didn't Uribe already do this like 5 times?

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 16, 2008 -> 12:09 AM) I hear Metaknight, even though he has by far the best comboing ability, has terrible smashes so I don't know how much you'd see of him on the competitive scene. That said, the focus of the game certainly has less emphasis on actual smashing in comparison to Melee. I've heard Fox is still maybe the best, and that Diddy of all characters might be his biggest competetion for top tier(Toon Link too). Agreed on the stages all look so awesome. I'm a Marth-main, so it's great to see that he looks even better than he was in Melee. His Final Smash almost wants me to leave items on. It's so much harder to kill someone via a smash in this game, and so much easier to recover, so I'd rather have the high damage ability of Metaknight. Get someone over 150+ damage and you'll kill them with most any smash or strong hit anyway. Like I said, Fox has been seriously nerfed, from what I've seen/heard. Could be wrong though. I'll know for sure once it's out here. Marth is my favorite character in the game. Pit is rising pretty quickly, though. Not sure how tournament-worthy this game is, at least compared to Melee. Initially seems it's not.

I use the following: Federal - http://www.freetaxusa.com/ State - http://tax.illinois.gov/

I'd like Gap jeans if they didn't fall apart in a few months. I like Levi's because they last forever, and I have a pair of Guess jeans that held up well. I'd like to buy the better brands, but I just can't justify spending more than ~$50 for a pair of pants. I should probably start checking Marshalls again.