DBAHO

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 30, 2008 -> 09:41 AM) Is it just me or does their campaign focus on something completely different every other day? Ayers, ACORN, socialism, taxes, national security, the LA Times, etc. I've never seem such awful message discipline for a presidential campaign. He's trying to pull it back to the "national security" issue again. Just seems strange that he's finally focused on the economy, and he has made some inroads there, but then in the final week, instead of trying to keep building up the momentum there on what is definitely the main issue for this election, he goes off-track again.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 30, 2008 -> 12:32 AM) Reyes looks good to me. Still dominant against lefties and respectable against righties. He can pitch in the 7th for me any time, and he wouldn't even be asked to do that in Chicago. And you saw the impact of what having a good bullpen did to us earlier this season, and then when Linebrink got injured and Logan lost it, it all kind of went downhill from there. So it certainly needs another upgrade or 2 IMHO.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Oct 29, 2008 -> 03:01 PM) yuck Miller actually had a pretty decent season last year, with 13.4 points and 9.5 boards. Still Sacramento wouldn't want Hinrich's contract I would imagine, and they have Udrih and Martin in the backcourt already. But the Bulls aren't going to cut it in the East with Gooden, Noah, Gray and Thomas at the PF/C in the East against the Dwight Howard's, Kevin Garnett's etc.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Oct 29, 2008 -> 01:02 PM) Prince Fielder could be had, he is a better 1B that Swish. Then we could easily have the All-Star Buffet eating team of Uribe and Prince. Fielder's represented by Bora$$ though IIRC.

Probably if the Bulls were looking to trade Kirk, it'd be for a big anyways (someone like Brad Miller for instance).

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 29, 2008 -> 12:03 PM) The logic here would be pretty simple. Al Harrington has a 2010 expiring contract worth just under $10 million a season. If you can move either Preferably Hinrich or alternatively Nocioni in a deal for him, suddenly we're holding 2 different big 2010 expiring contracts worth $25 million or so, in addition to Gooden's this season worth $7 mil. Nocioni and Hinrich have deals that run a couple years longer. Move one of them for an expiring contract, and suddenly there's the space under the luxury tax to sign Gordon if that's how you want to spend the money...or alternatively you're $20 million or so under the salary cap after 2010 and you have the money available to make a max run at D-Wade. Yeah there's the logic there. And I think Wade would love to play next to Rose as well FWIW, so the Bulls would definitely have a good chance there. Harrington and Wright for Noah and Hinrich I think would be an overall win for the Bulls in terms of talent also. You'd have to try and dump Nocioni on someone though. I wonder if the Bulls offered Nocioni and Sefolosha for Hedo Turkoglu actually, if the Magic would do that. I don't think we're going to be able to sign Hedo long - term after his contract is up this season, and Sefolosha would give the Magic the size they sorely need in the backcourt. But there are big rumors that Hedo's headed to either Portland or Europe come the off-season.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 11:48 PM) Japanese pitchers, regardless of their Japanese track record, have always been pretty hit or miss. The best ones usually stick around but there have been quite a few stinkers recently and it's scary to give a multi-year guarantee to a pitcher who you have no idea how he will respond to MLB hitting. I think that's more relievers than starting pitchers though, or at least in recent times. Still if you looked at Kuroda though, his ERA and BAA did rise in the 2nd half of the season. But I think if you could trade Vazquez for young pitching, and then signed this Japanese starter on a 3 year deal, you're basically adding more assets to your team, and plus you don't have to give up any draft picks to sign him either.

I like the idea of Reyes FWIW. He's had 2 excellent seasons out of the last 3 with the Twins as a reliever, would be an upgrade over Logan, and would take something away from our biggest rival in the division. All depends on the price though. No chance Floyd or Danks are dealt either. KW should b looking to pickup more pitchers like them who haven't hit the majors yet FWIW.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 03:43 PM) And that doesn't sound like an awful lot of rookie pitchers to you? John Danks last year for example had that problem and he still had it this year to a lesser extent. I'm not saying Richard will end up a starter but to have confined him to a bullpen role based on what we've seen in 8 starts of his rookie year is absurd. I'd argue that Danks has better stuff than Richard though. I think Richard makes for a perfect swingman in 2008. Start him in the pen, and let him be the 1st option to replace somebody in case of bad form / injury. You can never have enough pitching.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 04:32 PM) They served VB on the plane from LA to Sydney, and I was amazed at how horrid it was. It took a good three Nelson's Bloods down in the Rocks the night I landed to get the taste of VB out of my mouth. There's a legend that an Australian Cricket Player once downed 57 cans of VB on a flight from Sydney to London and lived to tell the tale. But that beer really does give my home state a bad name.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 04:53 PM) If they have over 8 years of service in Japan and are now free agents then they're not being "posted" they're just free agents like any other player. There's a BIG difference between a posted player and a free agent. If a player is posted then you have to pay a fee (usually substantial if the player is any good) to his Japanese team just to receive exclusive rights to talk to the player with no real guarantee that he'll sign. A free agent is a free agent, no posting fee necessary. Yeah I just realized that also (that was with Ichiro and Matsuzuka back in the day). Basically the same sort of situation as when we signed Iguchi about 4 years. It's something KW should look at anyways.

Interesting signing, and it could mean a Getz / Nix platoon at 2B possibly if the Sox want to go down that route. Gives them another option anyways. FWIW here is some more stuff on him; Sickels report from 04 -

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 03:37 PM) Yeah but it beats the hell out of that gawdawful Victoria's Bitter. I could go for a couple of Tooheys Olds right about now though. That's easily the worst beer I've ever seen. It's even worse than PBR, and that's saying something.

It's Koji Uehara;

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 03:19 PM) Why did you post the second one when it says he will not go to the MLB? Oops. I thought I saw on Rotoworld in a story today that 2 pitchers from Japan were going to hit FA. Lemme check that.

Australia - Fosters. Doubt you'll have many happy people around you, after they drink that though.

QUOTE (CryptviLL @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 03:06 PM) good. stupid trade from the beginging Well for what it cost, it was worth a shot, but I think you'll find that most fans on here disagreed with Ozzie's use of him in CF.

Firstly a bit about the SP; Considering the success that Kuroda had this season, the Sox could maybe decide to trade Vazquez for prospects or pre - arbitration players at the major league level, and make a run at Kawakami possibly?

Not that there was much doubt; If he plays again next season, I think he could end up in Tampa FWIW.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 12:21 PM) I'd really like to deal him for draft picks (or pick) and the get the salary off of their books so that they have more flexibility for the rest of the season. Rozner from the Daily Herald thought they may get in the Sundin hunt if they could trade Khabi. Problem is, there aren't that many team out there with around 8M in cap space.

I think Ottawa is going to be the team that is most likely to make a move for Khabby. New coach, and Gerber hasn't done well at all. Would like to have either Fisher or Vermette for Khabbi if the Hawks could pull that one off somehow.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 12:02 PM) You're right. Because no matter what Obama does, he will be a saint. It's very obvious that no matter what the guy says or does, he's "above it all". Read around for perfect examples. For me, the standard's set very high. For most, if it's "their guy", it's good enough for them. Whoever comes in, is argubly going to have the hardest job as president since WW2 IMHO, when you look at the economy, the oil issue, global warming, and the war on terror with Iraq and Afghanistan. So I just personally think, if the next president can get the economy back on track, can sort out what's happening in Iraq / Afghanistan better (personally I think way more troops need to be in the latter ASAP), and can help create a better solution to help keep gas prices down and stop Americans being so dependent on Oil, then yeah, I think he's done a pretty good job. A lot better than GWB anyways. I have to say I'm no fan of McCain and I am going for Obama, because I think he'll improve America's relations with the world back to the days Clinton was president, but I think McCain would do a better job in charge than Bush. Palin as his #2, just worries the hell out of me I have to say though.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 11:45 AM) It amazes me how bats*** crazy all of you are becoming to "pedal your guy". The tendencies have always been there, but now, it's relentless. They're all f***tards, and your loyalty is going to turn into disappointment. Well Kap, I'd say whoever gets the nod can't do as bad as the guy who's been in charge for the last 8 years, simple as that. So if you look at it from that point of view, then I don't think people are going to be disappointed.

Well Seattle should be one of the more attractive jobs out there for a GM anyways. The payroll is always around the 90-100M mark, attendance is usually good, and that team has got some good players and a decent system. Don't forget that the team won 88 games in 2007, so I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were back around .500 next season if Bedard stayed healthy and they find some more offense.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 28, 2008 -> 11:24 AM) You really wouldn't want to work in Chicago then either. Any ideas of where you would like to end up now after being here for a while? If it was America probably down in the Southwest somewhere such as Phoenix or San Diego, but I wouldn't be adept to staying in New York or Chicago, all would depend on the job / work I guess. Europe I think (probably England) is more likely from next year though.