Balta1701

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 06:37 PM) This is nothing more than selling newspapers, books, and magazines. That really depends on their sources. They're not just using anonymous sources here, they're not telling us that Iraq had WMD's. They're citing specific testimony, specific documents, interviewees who are willing to go on the record. There is more here than just making up tales to sell books. Just based on the reports we've already seen that's the case. The book contains interviews with the people who sold them, cross-checking of as many of those interviews as possible with court documents, and so forth. At some point, when all the evidence points to something, you either have to give reasons why all of the evidence is wrong or accept it. You're arguing not that the evidence is wrong, but that we can't trust the people providing it. Yet you're giving no reason as to why we can't trust them other than "The book will make them money". That alone is not a reason to disbelieve something.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 06:18 PM) But then again he wants more money than Urlacher and his agent is Mr. "Next Question". So in other words, we should probably expect a holdout from him.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 06:34 PM) Im not arguing Bonds ever did steriods, I really could care less. Im just saying that this is hype, and the book wont unconver some great conspiracy or get anything done. All it will do is sell a million or so copies and not even provide as good of a reas as Canseco's book, which the media immediately discredited and called him a liar. And despite all the little factual errors in that book...who do you think wound up with the most credibility out of that one?

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 05:50 PM) Balta...I think the bullpen will be weaker because guys like Cotts and Politte won't be able to match their numbers from last year, even if they have a terrific season. They were two of the best set-up men in baseball. I don't think we can expect them to match their numbers. I'll be content if they're both in the 3.5 ERA range. Hermanson is a huge question mark right now, and I think it's safe to say that no one, not even the organization, knows what stuff he'll have this year. Even if that is the case...I think the upgrades that we have made to the pitching staff as a whole are enough to balance out any declines amongst those too, to the point that it will have virtually no gigantic effect on the team.

QUOTE(soxhawks @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 06:11 PM) But just Bonds acording to you not Sosa, Mcguire, Giambe, and others. Steroids were legal until just a couple of years ago in baseball. Last I checked throwing a world series and betting on baseball were clear rules. You cannot kick someone out of the league just because you hate him Steroids were NOT legal in baseball until a couple years ago. Some specific substances, like Andro, were legal until 2004. However, baseball banned steroids, including several of the ones Bonds is accused of having used, under commissioner Fay Vincent in 1991. The league however never came up with an appropriate testing regime to enforce that ban until recent years. In other words, they were still violating the stated rules of baseball...but they were doing so under the "it's not illegal unless we're caught" out clause.

$104 million cap. Things just got a lot less interesting for teams that are looking to add a lot.

D.C. has approved construction of a new stadium.

Puckett wanted his organs donated. Services sunday, one at the Metrodome.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 05:40 PM) There's very much reason to be concerned about our bullpen. Between guys being injured, tired from last year, or just inconsistent (no position is even close to having as inconsistent of numbers as the relief position is), our bullpen looks to be weaker than last season. However, other aspects of our team look to be stronger, which will hopefully offset any weaknesses. In reality, we're not the New York Yankees. KW doesn't have the payroll to have superstars at every position with amazing depth. With that in mind, given the bullpen depth issue, I still don't think Baj would have been an option. I never got the sense that Ozzie thought highly of him, in regards to pitching in the majors. I still don't think I agree with the statement "our bullpen will be weaker than last year." Run down the 2 "Start of the year" bullpens. 2005: Politte Hermanson Cotts Vizcaino Marte Takatsu 2006: Politte Hermanson Cotts McCarthy Lopez Jenks McCarthy as a long man sure looks like a massive upgrade over Vizcaino. If nothing else, he'll be able to pitch more than 2.1 innings during an outing, so when we hit those long 13-14 inning games, we can keep from using each and every one of our guys if we're smart about when we bring in Mac. Marte...well, its' hard to say he was anything to write home about last year. The other guys were so good that his ERA was artificially low, but for crying out loud, he threw a 1.72 WHIP last year. Takatsu versus Jenks...well, I think hitters are much more likely to catch up with an 89 mph fastball than a 99 mph fastball. Yes, we have injury concerns this year, but we also had injury concerns last year. 2 different guys on that bullpen list went down with injuries for significant amounts of time. We were able to work around it, despite having only gas cans as a replacement for Marte. The one difference I will grant you is that we don't have anyone else throwing 99 in AA that we can bring up if 1 of our guys completely falters, but on paper, we have at least held constant or upgraded each position in our pen. Edit: and 1 more thing...we've added a "200+ inning a year" guy to the starting lineup to replace the guy who wound up needing the bullpen the most last year in El Duque, which, combined with trying to get BMac 100+ innings from the bullpen, will probably knock down the innings for several of those guys.

Whatever Freddy did to warm up today he needs to do for the entire year.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:49 PM) Thanks for pissing away another thread guys. We really needed eight more pages to know that RnW is a [gasp] Red Sox fan. Could you guys try one favor? Could you actually argue the content of his posts instead of pointing out that he is [cliffhanger] a bigger Red Sox fan than White? We get it, now what is the point of stalking every post he makes with that? It gets old. Thank you.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 03:37 PM) In addition, the idea that players are above US Law is ridiculous. Shoeless Joe was found guilty of no crime -- weren't they ALL acquitted by the Courts? -- but MLB decided it had been disgraced by the gamblers and that warranted banning. I think the same line of thinking shall take over here. (wikipedia). Whether or not there was a guilty plea, there were admissions. Also, even beyond the missing confessions (which couldn't be entered into evidence because they were missing)...the Jurors were asked to hold to a very strict standard in determining guilt.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:32 PM) Freddy sets 'em down 1-2-3 in the 2nd. Got 2 more K's, 3 total. Freddo gets through the first 2 innings unscathed = Freddo shuts out Italy for 60 pitches.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:11 PM) Something to do with Boston...I dunno.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 04:37 PM) The Skins should stick to their guns IMHO. Besides Culpepper and Brees, unless you go to the draft, there's not a lot of alternatives on the QB market. If I was a team like the Lions, Bills etc. I'd take a long look at Ramsey for a 3rd. The Lions i think makes sense, especially given Garcia's injury history...the Bills I don't think as much. Ramsey isn't going to make or break their season, and they're already so far over the cap they're cutting key defensive people.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 03:45 PM) The chances of Minnesota trading their probowl quarterback to a division rival are slim to none, and slim just left town. With none's wife and kids.

1) A White Sox starter will win 20 games (might as well leave it the same ) Fact. We just have too many guys who can. And we have improved the offense enough to do it. 2) Joe Borchard will get the last roster spot Fact. Makes by far the most sense out of every option I see. I wouldn't be surprised if he lasts more than 1 year with the team though. 3) Lopez will be the 2nd left handed reliever Fact. With Munoz gone, there's no one else even close. 4) Thome will hit more than 35 homers Fact. Just think about the ballpark. He could play 120 games for us and still maybe hit 35 in that park. 5) Uribe will still be hitting 2nd at the All-star break Fact. This is one decision that makes sense to me. 6) Javier Vazquez will win 15 games I really want to say fact, but I worry about him too much. Too much moving around, too much money, too many fly balls in the Cell. 7) Brian Anderson will hit over .260 Fiction. He is going to be in Crede mode for most of this year...power, but lots of outs, maybe streaky. 8) Jon Garland and Jose Contreras will have ERA's under 4 (please elaborate if not) Factamundo. 9) Scott Podsednik will steal more than 45 bases Factamundo. 10) Bobby Jenks will save more than 35 games If he doesn't get hurt, fact. 11) Tadahito Iguchi will hit over .280 Tad's really scaring me a lot lately. I'm worried about moving him down in the lineup, maybe more than I am about moving Uribe up. But I still have to say fact. 12) Jermaine Dye will play more than 145 games Fiction. Too many other outfielders. Too many spiders. No room for him at DH. Ozzie liking to play his backups. And a nasty injury history. Hell, he only played 145 last year, with TIMO as the backup. 13) Joe Crede will hit over .260 Fact. He has to one of these years. 14) Paul Konerko will hit over 40 homeruns and drive in more than 100 again Absolute fact. 15) The Sox will improve their team ERA (3.61) Fact. The lowest ERA's on our team last year were, in order: David Sanders, Kevin Walker, Jon Adkins, Jeff Bajenaru, Shingo Takatsu, Orlando Hernandez, Brandon McCarthy, Freddy Garcia, Damaso Marte, Luis Vizcaino. All of them were above our average. Only 2 are still here, and one of them was a rookie. Simply replacing El Duque with Vazquez will knock it down. 16) The Sox will make a trade for a major league player at the deadline Fiction. There just isn't an obvious need. 17) The Sox will finish in the top 5 in the AL in runs scored We were ninth last year without Thome. We only need to score a little over 50 runs to move in the top 5. Problem is...there are lots of teams in that same boat, and there are a few guaranteed teams up there. (Boston, Texas, NYY, Cleveland). I just have to say fiction, no matter how much I think we can do it. Everything would have to go right with the bats for that to happen. 18) Jermaine Dye will drive in 90 runs Fiction. Even with Thome there...I think he'll take a step back. 19) The Sox will win the AL Central (this one better be fact ) Fact. There simply isn't another team nearly as balanced as we are. 20) The Sox will return to the World Series Fact. I'll take our pitching staff against anyone's in the playoffs.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 12:33 PM) Ah! I've been a Sox fan too long to say that "no way" that happens. I've been a Sox fan for too long to say we're going to win the world series in 2005.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 03:31 PM) I just thought that went without saying. Given that in this country we've had a bit of a problem with that step...no it doesn't go without saying.

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 11:04 AM) I agree wholeheartedly Irish. Just to me order of importance is Defrock and Excommunicate, Replenish. Priests who use their position to molest anyone, child or adult, are guilty of one of the worst crimes ever. It's like stealing their spiritual life from them. Shouldn't "Inform police" fit in there at some point?

QUOTE(Rex Kickass @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 03:17 PM) Wow. And they're sticking it in a defense appropriations bill on an election year. They're either putting a parallel one up for vote without the amendment, or the amendment won't make the Senate version of the bill. That way in committee to consolidate versions, the amendment can be safely scrapped - everyone supported the troops and Congressmen did something to stop this deal from going through even though they actually did nothing at all. Frist is already trying to delay a similar amendment in the Senate, on the grounds of waiting for the 45 day "investigation" to conclude. But I don't think he'll be able to hold. This is just an issue sitting there that the Dems can use this fall just as easily as the Republicans used the DHS in 2002, whether or not it's right to do so.

QUOTE(AddisonStSox @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 03:02 PM) Cut from the same cloth, we are, Rock. Wait, so how exactly do you make a cloth out of rock? Asbestos fibers? Cause if that's the case, you both are in trouble.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Mar 8, 2006 -> 03:10 PM) The White Sox troublespot is their bullpen. That Baj's area. If the White Sox had even the slimmest hope Baj could be effective, this trade would not have been made. Cintron is a luxury. They had a good bench before this move, now it has to be considered one of the best. Considering the dopes the Sox had last year riding pine, its a huge improvement. KW still needs to work on the bullpen. I'm really not sure "Troublespot" defines our bullpen, especially given how much work we expect the starters to get this year. If the Sox have a "troublespot" it's the bullpen, but I can think of probably 28-29 teams that would like to have a troublespot like the one we have.

Step 1: the House appropriations committee has voted to block this deal. Man is there gonna be a lot of pressure on Frist when this passes the House.