Balta1701

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 05:17 PM) Here's hoping Aaron Guiel goes to the NL next year. He owns us. Can he take Sweeney with him?

At least we got a hit... C'Mon Freddi-o, no first inning troubles today.

Well, the first hit comes about 5 innings before it did the last time we faced this guy.

QUOTE(Jeckle2000 @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 04:50 PM) AROW 3rd, Kong Cleanup... When we were at our hottest that was the freakin' lineup most of the time... I bet it was just a coincidence though... Actually, it seems like according to the numbers, it probably was a coincidence...or at least it had nothing to do with Arow hitting 3rd. In the 3 hole this year, ARow's numbers (Avg, Obp, slug, ops) are: .275 .319 .412 .731 In the 5 hole: .309 .381 .491 .872 Aaron has been significantly better in the 5 hole than in the 3 hole. So if we got hot when Aaron was hitting in the 3 hole, we did so more likely because of the performance of someone other than Aaron, who's numbers went down when he was hitting there.

1 more thing to think about in this poll...your game 1 starter is also almost certainly your game 5 starter, if it comes to that. So don't just think about who you want pitching game 1, think about who you want pitching game 5 at home with the series knotted up 2-2.

Can't I post a picture that I found amusing solely for the amusement of those around us?

Yeah, because The last thing we'd ever want in response to Katrina is an independent investigation. Now let's cover this really quickly...Senate Democrats vote unanimously in favor of an independent investigation where both sides would have subpoena power and where failures all around could be investigated. Republicans veto that in favor of a Congressional investigation, where only the majority party has any sort of subpoena power or ability to decide what is investigated. You tell me which side is trying to cover their arses.

Link to Original Photo (In case you can't read the note...the first part actually says "I think I may need a bathroom break")

QUOTE(LosMediasBlancas @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 01:27 PM) How is Ophelia doing? Hit land yet?

How did Texas get him?

QUOTE(knightni @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 01:08 PM) I can agree with that (even though you meant that as a slight slam). Hey, I'd love to see him prove me wrong, but I really doubt he's going to be able to do it...especially with the Bears Even if he stays healthy next year...it will basically be his rookie season. One thing I'm starting to catch onto is the fact that for a quarterback to really develop into a quality pro QB, it takes somewhere between 16-32 full games for him to adapt to the speed of the game, the defenses thrown at him, etc. Look up and down the list. Brees...took roughly 2 years. Peyton took at least 1 full year. Carson Palmer...he's in the middle of his 2nd year. Brett Favre? Several years. And so on and so on and so on. There's only so much that a QB can learn standing on the sidelines...and if the QB is hurt constantly, he's just not getting any game experience. I believe Grossman's contract is up next year...even if he does stay healthy, he'll basically be playing as a rookie, and possibly as a rookie in a QB controversy. Even if by some miracle he isn't hurt next year, I just don't see him putting up numbers that would drive the Bears to re-sign him.

QUOTE(Kid Gleason @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 01:09 PM) Do any of us think saying the words are actually harmful to your children? I am not an overly religious person, but until my kids can decide for themselves, I would rather them being taught religion than having them believe that God and the following of a religion is wrong. I think you do more damage to your kid by suing the school system for mentioning God. No matter how you go, you are deciding how the children should think, and I can think of many worse things for them to learn than the words of religion. Like, I don't know...the arrogance of man? I don't have kids, so I cannot perfectly answer this question, but if I were to attempt to put myself into the shoes of a person who did, and I was attempting to raise my children to follow the same beliefs I hold (something I probably wouldn't do)...then yes, I would consider those words to be actually harmful, in the sense that they would be exactly contrary to the beliefs that I was trying to instill in them. For an example, imagine if the pledge actually said "One Nation Under Vishnu"...how would a Christian Family respond to having their child have to recite a pledge running contrary to the belief system that they were trying to teach their child? On one hand you have the parents saying 1 thing about religion, and on the other hand you have the state encouraging a different religion. Also...by reciting the pledge, the Children are not learning the words of religion, they're reciting a chant expressing religion. They're not learning a thing. Learning the words of religion would entail actually reading a religious text in a class or studying the history of a particular religion, something that should be done with several religions in any quality education plan.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 01:07 PM) I think Ozzie trying to get El Duque on track is a good thing. No doubt he's scuffling. But this late in the yr, with the postseason right around the corner, why start a big uproar sticking El Duque in the pen behind a rookie. Everyone knows Orlando will be in the pen come the playoffs. As long as he can keep the sox in some games, and not get lit up each time out, throwing him out there isn't the worst thing in the world. [the flip side--the sox put bmac out there, he gets lit up and the pen gets used up] Ozzie has stuck with the veteran hitters during slumps. Sometimes veteran pitchers should be given some leeway as well. IMO, this is one of those times. Now, if the sox had a 2 game lead....that's different. Put the best guy out there regardless Personally, I think I still like the idea of a 6 man rotation right now...actively force the other starters to get some extra rest, especially since we just used up our last off day before the end of the season.

QUOTE(knightni @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 12:57 PM) I don't know if I would consider Grossman with McNown, Salaam and Enis quite yet. Yeah, we need to wait until he gets hurt next year to call him a complete bust.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 12:54 PM) I could think of two reasons--El duque and bmac. So in other words, you can think of 1 reason.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 12:47 PM) This is the second time around with a short break in between. The Sox will get to Howell this time. They always look much better against a pitcher in this situation. Could you give me a couple examples of times this season where we've faced a pitcher 2 times within a couple weeks, done poorly the first time, and better the second time? Not trying to be difficult, I just want to know whether there's really good data to back this up.

QUOTE(Wong & Owens @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 12:23 PM) Well, if I had kids going to PUBLIC school, I wouldn't want them to recite any pledge including a mention of god either. IIRC, the pledge didn't even include the words "under god" until Eisenhower had them put in. Or something like that...... While it wasn't put in specifically by Ike...he did sign the bill into law. It happened because of a mixture of the anti-communist movements of the early 50's and an associated religious revival (motivated in part by the desire to be unlike those "Godless" communists). This Piece at least gives some of the backstory.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 12:31 PM) 16 days??? That's insane, but very awesome. That's so cool that they're finding people alive. Not only that, but had the California National Guard (the people who found him) followed the orders from FEMA...the guy would never have been found. OC Register...Registration Required.

Just basically an update...ESPN.

Well, now we can start to see if this group of Kids can Play. You know, aside from the lack of Pods, I wouldn't mind seeing this be pretty close to our lineup next year (if Borchard could ever get his head out of his arse and hit .280).

Well, I'd say it was bound to happen again. The last time this happened, the ruling was made by a Federal Appeals court, and it made it all the way to the Supreme Court, who promptly punted on making a decision on the issue itself - they chose instead to rule that the parent bringing the case did not in fact have legal standing to bring the case, and issued no decision on the pledge. Hopefully the people bringing this case actually do have the legal standing to bring it, so that we can make the Supreme Court actually rule on it and be done with it. If I were deciding the law, I'd think it was very simple - a school should be able to set aside time in class for students to say the pledge, but it should not be able to force anyone to do so given the reference to God...students should be able to excuse themselves either by their own decision or if their parents request it.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 10:08 AM) I hate shaving. I use to grow a beard every winter. Now, no winter = no beard. You see how much damage global warming can do?

So here's the real question...how many blades can you get into a razor before you can no longer use the razor on your face? Gillette is up to 5 now.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 14, 2005 -> 09:33 AM) I saw the same quote, and didn't exactly seem like he appreciated being the "scapegoat" for the offense. As long as he takes that fact and turns it into motivation to get his swing right, I couldn't care less how much he appreciates it. Fact is he needs to perform better and he should know it. Go Get em Freddi-o...we need to parlay K.C. into another winning streak, and you're pitching on the road again.

He would have said the exact same thing...these 2 teams have been basically mirror images of one another all season. We're a bit ahead, because we have a deeper bullpen and that's helped us come out of more games on top, but the offenses are virtually identical in terms of runs scored (and OBP I believe), and our starters ERA has been right with theres most of the year too. We hit more home runs than they do, but that's about it.