Balta1701

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 01:56 PM) Is it too unrealistic to have thought that patterson could have produced as well as, or even a little better than Jaque Jones next year? On the North side, yeah I think that's unrealistic. He may perform that well some year down the road, or even next year, but not where he was playing.

Why is it I can see Vick starting as QB for the Raiders in a year or two?

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 11:55 AM) This pretty much tells you that this is not about a claim to an area or their right to return. Because even after phase 1 happens, you know the Israel driven into the sea and the infadels run out of the middle east. We then move on to phase 2, which speaks volumes to what the real agenda of the terrorists are, to install Sharia everywhere in the world. Everything is Islamic or you die. So for all of the liberals who think that this is just about giving the terrorists a bit of land in Israel, or the right to return. They basically want the destruction of all things not muslim and will call for Jihad until the world is one big Islamic Fundamentalist state. I think the problem with this analysis is that it's just overly simplistic...it assumes that every Muslim is a follower of Bin Laden and they're willing to fight Israel to the death in order to push her back into the sea. In Iraq, we've chosen to try to believe, for right or wrong, that there are forces in that nation which actually want to be able to live in peace, and our stated goal has been to try to help those forces build a nation. I would contend there exists a large number of people in the Palestinian lands who, if given the choice between the mess now and a peaceful situation next to Israel, would choose the latter and go about their lives. I could be wrong of course, having never lived there. Are there those like Bin Laden, who's only goal is their insane "world under muslim leadership with everyone following me" philosophy? Of course. But the question is...should we base our policies on acknowledging those people, or should we try to build up the others, who may actually want better lives? Bin Laden is nothing if he doesn't have someone to fly the plane for him.

QUOTE(The Critic @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 01:22 PM) This is the problem. He's uncoachable. He insisted (stupidly) that NO Cub coach at ANY level talked to him about bunting or being a leadoff hitter. This is ridiculous. HE is ridiculous. The only chance the Orioles have to get anything from Patterson is to let him be the player he thinks he is. Let him flail crazily at anything and everything in the hopes of connecting, accept the 120 Ks per year and under NO circumstances ask him to do anything involving plate discipline or team play. Of course, the Orioles ARE in the position to allow him to play selfishly, since they are struggling to avoid last place in the AL East, so maybe "Corey with a K" can put up some meaningless numbers for them. Well, there's always the chance that the Cubs coaches really were too stupid to talk to him about bunting, taking walks, etc. Anywho, there's always 1 thing working in favor of the team in these sorts of scenarios...K-Orey Patterson is never going to be paid to be anything than a backup. However, if he actually sat down, listened, learned a little bit, and could at least make himself a serviceable starter somewhere, even if it took a few years, then the amount of money he could make would go through the roof. Not the best example but take AJ - coming out of San Fran, we signed him @ a bargain price. Why? Because in San Fran, he was labeled a "Cancer". Now, if you're in AJ's spot, are you going to do anything to piss off your next team? I certainly wouldn't. Not to insult AJ of course, since you have to like how he helped our team last year, but if you're in his shoes, wouldn't it occur to you that you're costing yourself a million or two dollars that year by pissing off Brett Tomko, and you should make damn sure you don't piss off your pitching staff next year? The same thing could work for Korey. He's not going to make a cent more than Timo as a FA if he doesn't get his game together. That could be some powerful motivation. But then again, he could just be an idiot.

QUOTE(KevHead0881 @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 01:12 PM) It doesn't take a Cub fan to see that he has some talent. Nobody is saying the guy has been anything but a bust as a major leaguer. But he has had some success (first half of '03) and has the tools that lead people to believe that if he were to figure some things out, he'd be a good player. I personally think the odds are against it, but with the right coaching, and a change of attitude from Patterson, I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to at least be decent. I agree with you on this one, this is a move that, at least from the O's side, is moderately smart, just because Patterson does have a very large upside, and the downside of picking him up is a couple million dollars. When you're a team like the White Sox and you've already done 95% of your building, those $3 million would be a poor decision, because they're the difference between offering Buehrle $12 million a year and $15 mil a year. But, if you're a team like the Orioles struggling to gain traction, then that $3 million is a decent gamble. If Patterson could even earn a position as a big leaguer next year, he could turn himself into a decent player, and if he doesn't, then they just had to give up cash and a couple guys who (if the O's are smart) will never get past AA Ball.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 12:58 PM) Dems can't really complain about John Robers, a moderate conservative who replaced Rhenquist (a very staunch conservative). Alito is obviously much more conservative than O'Connor, but it's not like Bush has gone out of his way to swing the Court way over to the right ideologically. I understnad what you're saying in that it's just 1 justice being replaced here, but when the court is basically sitting 4-4 with a notorious swing vote in the middle...replacing that swing vote with a person from either side could very well produce a massive ideological shift.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 12:56 PM) I thought the Cubs were getting another starting pitcher for Patterson Surely this move will demonstrate to Tejada the Orioles do have a commitment to winning... Anywho, at least this will put an end to all those crazy trade formulae that Cubs fans come up with involving Patterson.

Since they've already kicked him out of school, you think they'll be able to just kick him entirley out of the state of Virginia this time?

So what exactly does that 2nd bit tell me? American's aren't buying as many cars as they did during the 2 months when Ford, GM, and Chrysler were running those massive employee pricing programs over the summer?

Didn't I already start an Alito thread here?

QUOTE(TheDudeAbides @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 05:39 PM) Didnt kenny say there would be a six-man rotation? If not, def. a spot starter or long relief Kenny has at least suggested it's a possible way to get some extra rest for the guys who pitch in the WBC. But as people (buehrle) start pulling out of that, it is starting to seem like less of a worry.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 10:06 PM) Los Angeles: we have Contreras waiting for you. I don't really think L.A. has too much of a need of him, they acquired Seo as a stopgap a few days ago, and they think Billingsly will be ready to come up before the end of this season.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 01:35 AM) He's not Johan Santana .... yet. Neither is BMac...yet

Torn ACL for Palmer. Surgery next. They hope he'll be ready for Training camp.

QUOTE(Soxbadger @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 12:49 PM) Im standing by my Vince Young will be drafted by the Houston Texans. For all we know the Texans are trying to get some one to trade up to take Bush so they can slide down and take Young. Id rather have Young than any other offensive player in the draft. Well, naturally we haven't seen all the workouts and everything yet, but at least yesterday, the line leaking out of Texas was that they were going to keep David Carr and go with Reggie Bush regardless of whether or not Young comes out. I'm not sure that's a bad decision either. Carr at least has talent, but he's never been paired with anything that can keep the pass rush off of him.

Well, since Alito sure looks like a more contentious nominee than Roberts (he has both a much longer paper trail and a much more contentious one), it does seem like there is at least going to be something of an interesting fight going on in the Senate this week. Starting, of course, tomorrow. And given that, well, here's a thread. I'll lead off this thread with this one. I don't know whether to be impressed that they're trying to be non-partisan or scared that they're able to do that. Anywho, here we go, this one will be interesting to watch. Can someone drop some holy oil on this thread? So that it is an interesting discussion?

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 03:11 PM) I'm guessing the Bengals won't make it that far. I agree. In fact, I've been sitting here today saying that this game is entirely to decide whether the Colts play the Pats next week or 2 weeks from now.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 03:08 PM) Ozzie is questioning Anderson's defense while KW raves about it. I think KW has seen more of it, and he thinks he's better defensively than Rowand. OF defense isn't all about errors. Rowand was very good defensively last season and phenomenal for a 2 or 3 week stretch in July and August, but Ozzie thought he was playing too deep in the playoffs, and he got some bad jumps. Also his throwing was pretty erratic last season. He made some great throws, but a lot of bad ones. Anderson should be more consistent in that area. Anderson supposedly has a significantly better arm than Rowand. Combined with better speed. He learns how to get jumps like ARow, and he does project as a damn good outfielder someday.

QUOTE(SoxPride56 @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 12:22 PM) Um... Abreu won a gold glove this past year, he has to be a good OF to win that award Torii Hunter won a gold glove last year, and he didn't catch a single fly ball in the last couple months of the season. Derek Jeter won a gold glove last year, when Uribe was VASTLY better. Abreu won a gold glove because he performed so well with his bat that people noticed him. I don't know if there are better defenders in NL outfields than him or not, since I don't watch enough NL Ball, but these days, a gold glove means FAR less than it used to.

Palmer's left knee did almost exactly what my right knee did a year ago on a field trip. My right knee still hurts from that one. Kitna could lead them to the super bowl and I don't think Palmer will be playing.

QUOTE(vandy125 @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 10:21 AM) Maybe they should just keep a database of all of the people that Bush has met. Then, they can cross-reference that with any names that come up in a scandle. That wouldn't be a waste of tax payer money... Are you kidding? I'm sure they have a dozen databases of everyone the President has met. Or at least they should. They have databases and photos of virtually everyone who has ever come out to protest an appearance by the President, so they better know who he's meeting and when. Hell, if they ain't doing background checks of those folks first, there's something horribly wrong. Otherwise we could wind up with, I dunno, sleazy homosexual male escorts in the White House press corps or something ridiculous like that.

QUOTE(farmteam @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 07:10 PM) Papelbon is still a rookie? He doesn't have enough innings to no longer qualify as a rookie, but he's exactly borderline on "Time on a big league roster." He was called up for 1 game in late July of last year, was sent back down, and recalled on August 15th. If you spend 45 days on a ML roster, you no longer qualify for the ROY award (or if you pitch 50 innings.) He only pitched 34 innings last year, but it seems to me like he spent 45+ days on a ML roster if he was called up on August 15th.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 07:34 PM) Was wrong. I was surprisingly excited when I passed him for most posts by a Soxtalk Rookie in 2005. About 4000 posts ago. And he's had some sweet Sig's too.

I wanted pitching prospects and up-the-middle prospects for Jose anyway, and this doesn't change that. Give me an A-Ball pitcher or 2 and a very solid up-the-middle guy and I'll be happy. This still doesn't change the fact that I don't want to lose Jose for nothing at the end of 06.

Now This is exceptionally disturbing. Every single person here...if you have a cell phone, anyone anywhere, for any reason, can buy your cell phone records for $110, according to the Sun-Times. You Republicans here...you better be worried, because my fiance has a job now, and some of you have been very naughty! Lots more detail @ the link above, including the specific concerns. Want to know who's been calling your congressman? It only takes $110! Want to know how many calls Delay made to Abramoff last month? have fun!