Balta1701

So today, Clear Channel Entertainment, #3 on my list of world's most evil monopolies, was purchased out by a consortium of Thomas H. Lee Partners LP and Bain Capital Partners LLC for about $19 billion. Link. Why is this in the Dems only thread? Because the interesting part of this story is that "Bain Capital Partners LLC" was founded by 3 men in 1984, one of whom, and I believe the key one, happens to be Mitt Romney, current Governor of Massachusetts and presumptive 2008 Candidate for the Republican Presidential Nomination. I guess that's one way to make sure you get good press coverage...buy Clearchannel.

QUOTE(ptatc @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 11:46 AM) Lefties hit Aardamaa at a .196 clip last year. Maybe he is our option against lefties????? Dude, Ozzie Guillen is still our manager. Lefties could hit .600 off of a lefty pitcher and righties could hit .050 off of him, and Ozzie would still still use that pitcher as a LOOGY.

Wonder if they'll wind up DFAing Shelton.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 11:24 AM) Cubs fans also think that Cotts+Cedeno will bring them Westbrook from the tribe. You know, with Cleveland's bullpen...drop Cedeno and stick in another reliever and they might be open to it.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:58 AM) According to my source, this Vasquez guy isn't a prospect at all. So um, what exactly is he? Cyborg?

Why does that response make me think of Mayor Quimby's response to an issue where his method of placating a mob is to appoint a "blue ribbon" committee? (Blue ribbon? Why that's the best you can get!)

QUOTE(BHAMBARONS @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:10 AM) I would like to increase our current benefits for family and early retirement. The money would come from the cuts made in excessive pork barrel legislation. This simply doesn't work. The total amount spent in all earmarks in 2005 was $47 billion dollars, and that includes all of them, including I believe many projects that are actually worthy of funding. While this money would be useful if it were saved in the lockbox where it should be, it is no where near enough to significantly increase funding for Social Security. It's not even close to enough money just to pay for the White House's proposed Social Security private accounts plan. So the question deserves to be asked again...more specifically than just saying "cutting pork", give us examples of where you're going to cut spending, and how those spending cuts are enough to offset the price tag, which would certainly be in the $100's of billions per year, of lowering the retirement age or increasing benefits.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:16 AM) I have no reason to think Williams didn't try and find the best possible deal for Cotts, and this is what he found. This is a deal swapping two back end of the bullpen guys. I dont think this tells us where this off-season is going, at all. I think it's a decently strong suggestion that KW isn't that interested in playing the Free Agent market at the prices people are getting. There were probably better options as a righty reliever than Aardsma, but they were going to cost a lot more.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:16 AM) Logan's offspeed stuff is twice as good as Neal's was. I think that Logan can be much more effective vs LHP than Cotts was. Funky motions also work damn well, if a.) you throw strikes, and b.) you have no one else in your bullpen like that guy. Logan and Haeger fit in pretty well with a group of 4 fireballers just as a change of pace...the key is for them to throw strikes.

QUOTE(fathom @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:14 AM) No, not at all. I was one of the first on this site during the season last year that said he would be gone. I just thought that we'd use him as a bigger piece of a trade, and I thought we'd be more active in the FA market than it seems we are. At least so far, the Free Agent market appears to be insanely through the roof, to the point that it's going to be damn hard to find anything that would qualify as a fair deal. That does help this make a bit of sense...if KW decided it was going to be too expensive to find that 2nd righty as a free agent, then you have to make a deal, and with 3 Lefty relievers, one of them seems like a good candidate to move.

QUOTE(AbeFroman @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:13 AM) I have no idea what where getting in return. On that issue, I guess I'll just trust Kenny. I'm quite certain he's earned it. Hopefully, there's at least 1 other man helping KW pick out bullpen decisions. Because the last time he did, it seemed to work damn well.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:10 AM) Oh yeah -- what does this mean for the Sox bullpen? It could be one of... a.) Haeger doesn't have a lock on that sixth bullpen spot like everybody thinks. b.) The Sox will give their "David Riske" roll to someone within the organization, such as Oneli Perez or Aardsma. Meaning the Sox won't be going after Speier. c.) The Sox go to to a seven man bullpen even though they haven't done this the past two years (I hate this option). I sure think it looks like B. The only way this trade makes sense is to fill that Riske "3rd short relief righty" role well before the season starts. Haeger still fits pretty darn well into that bullpen, because I don't see anyone else whou could be a long man.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:11 AM) Boone, lol, don't get me started. As of right now, I think it's time to get started with that, because he's our 2nd lefty until other things drop. And it's not like he was bad at AAA last year either. QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:11 AM) On the other hand... Vasquez was suspended for roiding. So there's that... Oh great, another pitcher I am obligated to dislike.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:09 AM) What I find troubling is that we give up on a young guy after one bad season. I guess KW thinks the league figured him out and he won't/can't return to 2005 form. I tend to disagree and believe that Cotts will really be solid out of the pen again very soon. Well, the other question you have to ask yourself is whether or not it was time to give up on Cotts, as there was another lefty waiting in the winds in Boone.

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 10:03 AM) Who cares if Aardsma throws hard, is it really a plus having four guys in the bullpen whose out pitch is bringing heat? The fact of the matter is the White Sox, had they been patient, could have gotten more for Cotts than they got here. I never thought I'd see the day, but regardless of the outcome here, it seems like the Cubs got the better of the deal. Ugh. Out of the bullpen, yes, fire is damn useful. We saw that repeatedly last year. Having people who can come out and just get strikeouts is maybe the best thing you can have in your bullpen. Well, I guess this is a strong suggestion, although not a certainty, that Logan will be getting his shot for real next year. Throw some f***ing strikes Booney. Hopefully this Aardsma was another guy that Cooper asked for as well. But yeah, it's again hard to believe we couldn't get more for Cotts.

QUOTE(BHAMBARONS @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 09:34 AM) I think this is a state issue. I would like to see the states set up a committee (for all area's of study for that matter) that ensure public school curriculum, textbooks and statewide tests represent the state of the art in science education. It is something like we have here in Arizona. I would like the independent commission to Inform and empower students, parents, educators and other concerned citizens to participate effectively in administrative, legislative and regulatory processes to improve science education in the state. So, history has shown us that when education is left to the states, the funding for education and most of the control over education has fallen to local districts. This has had the fortunate/unfortunate side effect, however you choose to view it, of concentrating the good schools and good teachers into the districts with the highest amounts of income, as they can afford to pay better salaries and afford better equipment, while the schools for the lowest-income areas tend to be much worse funded and much more poorly maintained. Do you consider this to be an adequate situation, and if not, what would you do to address it?

QUOTE(Soxy @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 09:09 AM) Breaking news on the NYT site is saying Hoyer was backed by the house democrats. Correct. Guess Hoyer's campaign of leaking against Murtha worked. Dah well, didn't like either of them, and it's Nancy's job to find a way to keep them all in line.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 09:54 AM) I also helped a Mr. Mike Gresham set the stage for a future successful run at School Board in Michigan City by consulting his campaign from afar. Although, his success is entirely his own doing. I just had the honor of giving him advice now and again. (Quickly notes down 2k5's last name...begins plotting...)

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 08:58 AM) So... Balta, are you going to run? I'd hope so. Soxy? Kap? YASNY? I was leaning towards it, but there's a question of actually having time to sit down and fill out a platform, etc. Have a ton of experimental work I'm trying to slam out right now.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 08:50 AM) A drug czar that totally uses, that's a concept. And what a concept...wow man...whoooooaaaa

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 08:37 AM) Its not about hitting, its about a new CF. Um, isn't the only reason why we'd actually need a new CF the hitting? As far as I could tell based on last year, the only thing we'd do defensively in CF is going to be to downgrade compared to our supposed starter.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 08:46 AM) Ahh, the I'll use them so nobody else has to strategy . . . Use what with the who now?

QUOTE(Texsox @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 08:42 AM) I also need a "Drug Czar". Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude....

I'll give you the question that both Dick Cheney and John Edwards totally ducked in 2004. What will you do to deal with the rise of AIDS in the African American community in America?

QUOTE(CanOfCorn @ Nov 16, 2006 -> 07:33 AM) Is Speier still on the market? Yes, but I think the whole point of a jamie Walker is to be a lefty. Anyway...we still have 3 lefties at the AAAA+ level. The odds of at least 2 of them having good seasons are in our favor.