Balta1701

QUOTE(iamshack @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 04:25 PM) As much as everyone here wants to talk about the mashers we had in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 that we didn't win with, the failure was not their fault. The failure was that we never developed any great pitching. Now I understand many of you think Brandon is the first time we have done that, he hasn't shown us that he can be a great young pitcher on any consistent basis. Remember in 2000 and 2001, when we had a top farm system that was stacked with arms? How many of them panned out? What happened to all of them? Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland are wearing nice, shiny rings.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 01:19 PM) Vince Young = Steve McNair II He needs what, 1 more yard?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 01:50 PM) What the heck is that a statue of? It looks like an alien coal miner. I assume it's a gigantic platinum statue of something commissioned with city money that was supposed to be used for 9/11 recovery under Rudy. But then again, as corrupt as those folks turned out to be...what isn't?

QUOTE(SoxnGiants @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 01:39 PM) I know it's a broken record with Sox fans... but Crawford is the guy we should target. He's exactly what we need. Wells is great but will be really expensive while Crawford is signed long term to a reasonable contract. Yes his contract is reasonable, but that doesn't mean the price is reasonable. A team with 3/4 of its players 2 years or less from Free Agency can simply not empty its minor leagues entirely for 1 guy. If KW learns hypnosis, then it's a smart move. Otherwise...

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 12:21 PM) But does Anderson really have the skills that Crede did, even when he struggled? Yes. If not more. It took Crede some time to develop into the defensive monster we have now, Anderson already is that. Anderson's numbers in the minors are quite comparable to Crede's in his first stops at each level, and I would say BA is a better athlete in general.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 11:20 AM) This is what I was getting at. I remember reading a Time or Newsweek article on him a while back. Basically it said that he was upsetting people and cited a meeting where everyone was arguing over something trivial and he basically yelled 'why are we wasting our time with this.' I think he shocked the culture that was there and people didn't like that. About 2 weeks ago, a group of Carribbean nations wanted the U.N. to say something to recognize the 200th anniversary of the ending of the Slave Trade. Simple commemorative resolution, the sort of thing that every Parliamentary body does all the time. Guess who created the hangup. John Bolton. Why? As far as I can tell from the copy of the letter he sent, he insisted that the word emphasizing needed to be changed to the emphasis. And for some reason, he decided this was so worthy of a fight that he stopped the whole thing until a bunch of people from the Congress noticed what he was doing and basically told him to stop being a moron.

The Reds are closing in on a 2 year deal with 37 year old reliever David Weathers. Also,The Reds are going to file a grievance over the Gary Majewski trade, claiming that he was already hurt when the Nats traded him. Tanyon Sturtze signed a 1 year deal with the Braves. Kevin Millar, 1 more year with the Orioles. Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Fultz to the Indians. Texas offers arbitration to Padilla.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 10:24 AM) What if we get back the 2004 version of Rowand? Why shouldn't we think he can accomplish those numbers again? There are three things I like about Rowand more than Anderson: - Ability to hit LHP - Leadership - Ozzie's confidence in Rowand compared to Anderson Rowand's numbers last year vs. LHP: .222 .304 .444 .748, 5 home runs. He hit about half his home runs against lefties, but it was either home run or he gawn.

I think Aaron Rowand has become the White Sox fan's version of cocaine. Yeah, getting rid of him brought a guy who hit 40+ home runs and should hit 500 next year, yeah he spent half last year on the DL, and yeah, his offensive numbers simply aren't good, but PEOPLE JUST CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT HIM AND WILL GIVE UP ANYTHING TO GET MORE OF HIM.

Tom Daschle will not run. Evan Bayh will form an exploratory committee to start raising funds, and will announce his final decision (=yes) in January. Michael Bloomberg is also seriously considering a run as an independent. John Kerry has significantly delayed making a decision about running in 2008, in no small part because of the fallout from his botched joke.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:55 AM) Sure. I guess I just like Rollins too much, because I think he gives us a better lead off hitter and a long term SS who isnt so frustrating to watch hit. Maybe its just me. I agree Rollins would be a nice fit given what we have...but I am not interested in just giving away these pitchers, nor do I want Rowand back that much at all, and I want to give Anderson away when his value is almost at its lowest even less.

QUOTE(Jenksismyb**** @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:48 AM) "His style rubs people the wrong way. He envisions the UN as a functional organization and manages towards that end. He should know the UN is designed only to pass meaningless resolutions with no balls to enforce them." But when you go in with that belief as your primary outlook, then that prevents you from being able to squeeze any good out of what there actually is in that organization, and it makes it easier for everyone else to demonize you. You don't get people to enforce resolutions by walking into a room, yelling out "You all have no balls to enforce resolutions", and then asking people to join you in doing things. Some people may not like it, and to the "with us or against us at all costs" crowd such nuance is sickening, but that doesn't mean that no good can come from it, and that doesn't mean that doing the opposite won't make things worse.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:46 AM) Garcia+Anderson for Rowand and Rollins Terrible move for the White Sox. Would they throw in Hamels?

QUOTE(Sox It To Em @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:38 AM) These next four days are going to be fun. Not if people keep bringing up Rowand rumors. It sours my mood every time.

The Cubune also threw this one in this morning, probably what sparked the 1000 people: Of course, Rowand wouldn't necessarily be either of those, but hey, that same company just paid $140 million for Soriano.

QUOTE(ChiSox9 @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:28 AM) Just a thought but, I dont think Garcia/Crede would work straight up for A-Rod and Melky. Yanks are also looking for a 1st basemen... I think: Garcia/Crede/Gload would be able to pry both A-Rod and Melky away. Ross Gload doesn't make enough money for the Yankees to be interested in him.

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:08 AM) I'm sorry, you want to trade Buehrle for a young starting pitcher? Isn't Buehrle a young starting pitcher? He going to be 28 at the beginning of the 2007 season. We better get a HUGE package for Buehrle if we trade him...A-Rod and maybe Proctor or that other young pitcher...is it Hensley? Yes, we better get a huge package if we trade Buehrle...but if Buehrle can't be signed, we better consider trading him. Because the package we could get for him is much, much more valuable than the pair of draft picks we could get for him.

QUOTE(bschmaranz @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 09:17 AM) Take it for what it's worth but a buddy of mine that lives in LA just emailed me and said that one of the sports radio shows mentioned a possible swap between the Sox and Yankees with us getting ARod and Melky while the Evil Empire receives Joe Crede and either Garcia, Garland or McCarthy. Again, take that with a grain of salt. There's a huge difference in the value of those 3 pitchers. They want BMac, they send back Hughes as well.

I like the Thumbs up. He would fit well as a new Taiwanese Friend.

The Economist

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 06:58 PM) And yet they lost. How did "best game managing qb in the NFL" Brad Johnson do on that field today? Take a quick look at some of the recent teams to win a superbowl, and who was the QB. How about the Champs who had GREAT defenses like the bears do? Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Big Ben. They have a chance to not only make the superbowl, but win it as well. Apparently you havent taken a look at the NFC teams in the playoffs and how mediocre all of their QB's are. But the other side of the token is...what is the one thing that always, always seems to kill teams in the playoffs? Turnovers. I still think the Bears can win in the playoffs with Grossman at QB, but they can't if he keeps playing like this. You can't turn the ball over 2+ times every game and expect to win in the playoffs. You just can't.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 06:22 PM) Do you or anyone else know exactly what the status is down there? There have been a wide variety of reports put out monitoring the status of the levee repairs down there throughout the year, many of which I'll bet played a key role in this company's decision. CBS WaPo AP PBS Interview, levee repairs may be inadequate. Fox Etc.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 06:19 PM) Can you blame them? Not in the least. Which, given the fact that the people reconstructing the levees were given a full free year with no hurricane threats by El Nino, is absolutely pathetic.

QUOTE(Brian @ Dec 3, 2006 -> 05:52 PM) I think an easy thing to do for the first step, is you take 4 teams. Say they play in the Rose and Orange Bowl on Jan 1st, than the winners play on Jan 8th in the title game. I've been thinking that's the best stopgap solution for years. Hell, the Rose Bowl has already received permission from the City of Pasadena to run a 2nd game in that stadium a week after new years. The people running the bloody stadium saw the writing on the wall a year ago.

So, if the multitude of reports coming out about the inexcusably poor state of the repair of the Levees around New Orleans didn't get enough people's attention, maybe this will. Citing the state of the levee repairs, the largest insurer in Louisiana will, starting next year, stop offering property insurance of any sort to the city of New Orleans. To those who saw Katrina and said that it's time to abandon New Orleans, this may be the first sign of that actually happening. The government simply has not been remotely up to the task of rebuilding that levee system in terms of money, leadership, or resources. We caught a monster break in terms of having this be an El Nino year, which dramatically reduced the risk to New Orleans by preventing most of the hurricane-forming conditions from existing over the Atlantic. The odds though are that next year, the weather patterns will go right back to the 04-05 state, and that city will be right back in the crosshairs, and it will have virtually wasted a free year of preparation time. This is merely a symptom.