Balta1701

Padre Reliever Trevor Hoffman and his changeup are now 1 save behind Lee Smith for the all-time saves record. Link.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Sep 22, 2006 -> 06:47 AM) Iran/Iraq was just another proxy war between the Soviets and ourselves. We propped up Hussein and the Soviets propped up Iran. Last thing the Soviets wanted, however, was another crazy Muslim nation on their border with nukes, which is why I can't understand their intransigence about imposing sanctions on Iran today. It's actually pretty simple...who do you think the country is that's selling so much of this nuclear technology to Iran?

QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Sep 22, 2006 -> 08:32 AM) So who goes then? Buehrle? Contreras? Whoever we get the best offer for. Unless we can't extend Buehrle. If we can't extend Buehrle's contract before Feb., then he has to be moved. He's too valuable a trading chip even off of this down year to wind up only getting draft picks for him.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Sep 22, 2006 -> 08:03 AM) The increase hasn't been huge at all there, and Vaz has shown in the 2nd half what he's capable of. 5.5 good innings per game.

First of all...Center Field is the least of our problems. The only reason Center Field is a problem is that Ozzie insists on playing a Left Fielder out there every time there's a righty on the mound. Left Field, SS, Starting pitching, bullpen are all much, much higher on the list than CF. Secondly, Gary Matthews Jr. is coming off a career year in a contract year. I'd say there's a very good chance someone will overpay for him, and get less production than they pay for.

QUOTE(Felix @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 05:52 PM) That doesn't matter. You said I wouldn't be able to find someone who agreed that Uribe was the best defensive SS in the league, I found someone. I don't understand the stats they're actually showing me...but if I'm reading that right, the same guy also says that Podsednik is the #3 defensive left fielder in the AL this year.

QUOTE(SoxHawk1980 @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 05:40 PM) I defy you to find one human being who isn't a Sox fan who agrees that Juan Uribe is the best defensive SS in baseball. I don't think you'll find one. Based on the development he showed at the position last year, he damn well should have been this year. But, like so many other things this season...'twas not to be.

So what did Uribe do this time?

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 05:11 PM) What separates him from the army of soft tossing prospects we've produced in the past is his command (K/BB) and success in the minors, as well as two legitimate pitches to offset a 90mph fastball. Without the changeup working, he is another sucky White Sox pitching prospect. His bullpen stinct this year suggests as much. I'm still not sure what entirely to make of McCarthy this year. Last year, if the changeup wasn't working, yeah he was toast. Ditto that in the bullpen this year. But this year in the bullpen, his curve ball also doesn't look nearly as sharp. It doesn't have the big, start out in the right handed batters box and end up on the outside corner bend that we saw last year...it looks more like the janging javy curve ball we sometimes see. And even more than that, BMac was supposedly trying to add in a 2 seamer, and given how few innings he's thrown this year, I'm really not certain if we've seen it much. He might be able to pitch around having a few pitches not working when next year rolls around, if he works the offseason right. Of course, there's also the possibility that Ozzie has permanently screwed him up this season, and he won't be anything mroe than a 7th starter for us, and a 4th-5th starter when we trade him.

QUOTE(NUKE_CLEVELAND @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 03:00 PM) Way I see it, Medicare and SS should both be blown up and redone. In their present forms they burn through more and more money every year and the value of their services declines at the same rate. Can't complain on Medicare...if nothing else, the drug benefit still should have been able to negotiate lower prices with drug companies.

So, someone want to tell me why Medicare is forbidden from doing this?

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 01:00 PM) do think a potential voter should be able to show any ID, proof of residence or social security number to register? IMO, allowing someone to just give a name and then be registered to vote is almost asking for fraud. i support any reasonable solution to curbing both Rublican and Democratic voting fraud. I think there may well be reason to require people to show ID, proof of residence, or something in order to vote. But first of all, there's no reason why it should be done nationally, because certain areas are going to have specific problems. Areas with a lot of homeless people will have a much bigger problem and much bigger cost associated with providing those sorts of ID's than areas with very limited homeless populations, and so on. The reality we have to face is this; if you require people to show some form of ID, whatever form of ID it is or however easy it is to get them, it is going to mean that some people will be denied the legitimate right to vote. This is why I keep harping on this point. If you are in an area where there is absolutely no evidence that you have any problems with voter fraud due to non-resident voting, then there is equally no reason to spend the money and the time to and cost some number of legitimate voters the ability to vote by instituting one of these sorts of ID systems. However, if there is an area where there is strong evidence that this has happened, then there may well be reason to be concerned. Either way, you are going to run into a finite margin of error. If you toss out anyone who has an ID, you will toss out legitimate voters. If you don't have an ID, you leave the system open to the possibilty of people voting who shouldn't be. The question you have to ask yourself is...which way will give us the most accurate system?

I think that the odds say Mark and Jon will bounce back next year. Javy? I don't know...this is basically where he's been for the last several years. Freddy? All depends on his fastball. Jose? I don't know how healthy he is. The odds say that they all won't have terrible seasons again next year...but the odds also say that you won't get dominant seasons from all 5 either.

SI

QUOTE(redandwhite @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 11:06 AM) Surprise, surprise... I still can't believe you guys hate the Red Sox more than you hate this team. Disgusting, disgraceful. Don't generalize.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 11:18 AM) It's kind of like dissing a family member - you might not totally get along with them, but you'd support them through it all. Fast forward 25+ years, and no one is really condemning it, and I think it's a rather sad testament to our times. That was more my point. I thought you guys had Drudge constantly open.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 10:43 AM) Touche. Look, for once I'll do some research... and post what has been said and compare it to Chavez. It'll probably be the weekend, though before I can. The rhetoric is much the same, though. And that's my point. But see, there's no reason at all to do that. The fact that Chavez says something or advocates some policy or believes in helping the poor does not mean that every policy chavez advocates is a terrible thing. If Ahmadinejad proposed giving tax cuts to the highest earners in Iran, would that mean that the U.S. should immediately raise taxes on the highest wage earners in this country? If Chavez says that the U.S. is evil, does that mean that anyone who calls another country or leader evil is immediately like Chavez?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 10:22 AM) From the sounds of the rhetoric of the last two President election cycles, apparently voter fraud is rampant. I'll grant that...but this only deals with one specific type of voter fraud. Is there actually evidence that this type is a major problem? I mean, if one of your big problems is that voting machines don't work right and poll workers aren't trained well, you fix the voting machines and train the poll workers better. You don't go find something else to do that actually makes the poll workers' jobs harder while ignoring the bigger problems. If someone can show me conclusively that this is a problem, and it's a problem on a bigger scale than the disenfranchisement it will cause, then I'd be happy to support it.

QUOTE(samclemens @ Sep 20, 2006 -> 08:25 PM) northside, you would not have an objection if cards were subsidized for people who cannot afford it, right? showing ID to vote isnt so unreasonable, I for one support it just so that we dont have non-citizens voting and to prevent double and triple dips, as we all know happens. So a quick question...and it can be answered by anyone who has knowledge... Is there actually evidence that people voting who aren't actually U.S. citizens is a real problem? Is it such a severe problem that it is worth disenfranchising actual U.S. voters who don't get the message about needing a photo ID or how to get one free?

QUOTE(Big Hurtin @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 09:33 AM) fixed. Number 1 is in, but 2 (Red Sox), 3 (Angels), and 4 (White Sox ) are not. At least as far as payroll goes. Which team has the most money in the AL? Which team has the most money in the NL?

QUOTE(The Ginger Kid @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 08:40 AM) Yeah, it really hurt the Yankees in 98. And in 99. And in 2000. And in 2001. What about 97?

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 08:24 AM) Ah but you are missing one very key and easy step... Buying the bomb materials from someone like AQ Kahn or North Korea, and erasing a big chunk of those 10 years pretty quickly. Iran has been actively pursuing a nuclear program since at least the 1960's or 70's, and I don't know about you, but there is not a chance that I believe them when they say it is for "peaceful, civilian purposes" and it is their own actions that belie that to me. If they JUST wanted civilian power, Russia offered to give it to them. Iran, under no uncertian circumstances, refused. But basically the idea that they could buy the actual bomb parts from North Korea has almost no impact on whether or not we should talk to them without them shutting down all of their enrichment programs first. If North Korea were to sell them the tens of thousands of centrifuges that they need in order to operate an enrichment cascade, it is still going to take them years to set them up and produce enough material for a bomb. The only thing North Korea could do right now to get Iran a bomb within the Bush Administration is to actually sell Iran a nuclear weapon. If they were to do that, then the "We won't talk to you unless you stop your U235 program" demand is pretty darn pointless, because they'd have gotten the bomb another way.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 08:08 AM) Which I don't have a problem with at all. The entire world has tried a million different ways to fix this situation, and the only solution Iran would have is the one thing that pretty much no one else wants, and that is for Iran to be producing nuclear materials. Russia even offered to ship them the materials, let them utilize it for power purposes, and then to take it back after it had been depleted. This would solve the problem of Iran's supposed needing more power capability, and it would also satisfy those who are worried about nuclear West hating clerics. Of course this proposal went no where, which raised all kinds of red flags for me personally. I understand your concern with that completely, but I think it's probably also worth noting that according to the non-proliferation treaty, Iran is fully within its rights in developing a nuclear enrichment program for energy purposes, as long as they are open to the IAEA. Now, their openness can and certainly should be called into question, as should the existence of the program itself. However, I think it is worth noting that the U.S. is insisting as a precondition for talks Iran give up something that they have a full right to do under all international treaties. What Iran does not have a right to do is hide things from the IAEA (which they have done in the past) or enrich uranium beyond the couple percent 235 that is needed for energy generation. Thus far, there is still no evidence at all that they've done the 2nd step (And of course, even if they were to start taking the 2nd step, it would take them about 10 years to build the bomb).

QUOTE(pcullotta @ Sep 21, 2006 -> 07:14 AM) I agree, Ozzie does play the Righty/Lefty matchup game wrong a lot of the time (Especially with Iguchi). I was just wondering whether or not BA would have done as well as he did in the second half if he had to face all the pitchers he was spared from. Direct quote from Ozzie - "Right now, Mackowiak is going to be in against tough righties until we see Brian start swinging the bat better." From the Tribune - White Sox OF Rob Mackowiak may play more against right-handed pitchers due to the struggles of rookie OF Brian N. Anderson in center field. I'm not saying BA didn't face tough pitchers. Every Major League player does. I am saying Ozzie did try to protect him from pitchers he didn't think BA could handle. I looked at those numbers before putting up my second half guess about Anderson's numbers. And I also believe that had Anderson been facing right handers, he would have had even better numbers. It wasn't just "Tough" right handers Ozzie wouldn't let BA face. It was anyone who threw from the right hand side. And when a relief pitcher who threw right handed would come in, B.A. would just as often get hits as he would if he was starting. Had he been in those extra 80 at bats or so, he would have faced some tough righties, but he'd also have faced plenty of easy righties. Paul Byrd. Kyle Snyder. Runelvys Hernandez. Brad Radke (while hurt). Zach Miner. Radke again. Adam Bernero. Bruce Chen. Carlos Silva. Vicente Padilla. Josh Beckett. Daniel Cabrera. All of those guys started games just since July 1 that Ozzie held Anderson out of because they were righties. And then there's a few other good pitchers we lit up, like Zambrano, that he also never faced because Ozzie held him out of those games too.

Ah, the world of baseball is as it should be again...the teams with the most money are in the playoffs.