Balta1701

QUOTE(KipWellsFan @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 03:26 PM) It's hilarious to see Bush say that no one will be fired unless they are convicted of a crime. There is almost no chance that Rove will be convicted now or any time in the near future. Tell that to Fitzgerald. Somehow, I just can't believe that the guy would spend huge amounts of taxpayer dollars doing research, fighting in the courts, go all the way to the Supreme Court to rule 2 reporters in contempt, and then send 1 of them to jail if he didn't think something criminal had happened. If he had any future political aspirations at all, he'd know that this investigation is a great way to advance them if he does things right. He's a Republican, but he's investigating a Republican, so that makes him appear bipartisan, which has to look good on a resume. But if he were to foul it up or have it just suddenly go away, once the price tag got out, it would look absolutely awful for his career.

Here's hoping Gload gets called up pretty darn soon.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 02:40 PM) Who'da tyhunk back in April that we'd be selling out a Mondey night game against the Tigers?!? That's after Ordonez signed with the Tigers, so I think a lot of people might have predicted it.

Yes, you're right on the artificial selection point. I'll attribute it to the fact that it was roughly 11:30 when I posted that. This one, btw, is absolutely beautiful.

QUOTE(Greg Hibbard @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 12:13 PM) I hope you guys are right, because I think they are one good starter away from being scary with that lineup and that bullpen. As far as I'm concerned, their bullpen is still 1 guy. Yeah, they have Sturtz and Gordon, but both of them wore down at the end of last year. Their starting pitching is certainly not scary either aside from basically Johnson. Mussina's getting older and older, Brown hasn't been good at all, we may never hear from Jaret Wright again, and Pavano has merely been what he was his whole career before last year; tolerable. Keep this in mind, aside right now from Al Leiter, they have 4 guys on that team with ERA's under 4: Rivera, Gordon, Sturtz, and Wang. Wang and Sturtz are also barely under 4.00.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 12:11 PM) Why would this happen - unless Brown initiated it. This would happen because of health reasons...if Dumars isn't convinced that Brown can coach the full year next year, he would try to buy the contract out. This could also happen if Brown wanted to keep his options open...reportedly Detroit was quite insistent that the management was (deservedly) sick of hearing that Brown was flirting with the Cavs or the T Wolves or the Lakers or the Knicks or whomever else, and they wanted him to give them a firm committment that the Brown moving talk would end. Either or both of those could have done it.

QUOTE(Greg Hibbard @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 12:07 PM) When has a depleted farm system ever prevented the Yankees from getting anyone they wanted midseason? Last year when Freddie Garcia went to the White Sox.

QUOTE(Greg Hibbard @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 12:05 PM) They will go out and get people like Burnett and Schmidt, you know. No they won't. Why? Because they don't have anything to give up to get those guys that won't murder them this year. They won't give up Cano, because they'd have no one else to play 2b with how bad Womack has been. They won't give up Wang, because he's the only starter they have who's been consistent at all for them. That guy they're trying in center field clearly isn't Major-league ready, and the fact that he's looked so bad is probably going to drop his trade value. They won't be able to outbid anyone for either of those 2 names. All they can do is try to buy them, and in almost every case, a quality prospect is worth more than cash.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 12:02 PM) wow, Buehrle is really getting it done! Hmph, now that's very odd...I actually fixed the Buehrle/Contreras error before I added in the "Now THAT is scary", but it seems you saw only the 2nd fix and not the first.

He's in real trouble in that case if they really push the class A Misdemeanor...there's more than enough evidence to convict in that video alone. Rogers will plea bargain probably down to some sort of moderate sized fine and probation.

QUOTE(Greg Hibbard @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:57 AM) It's not that Leiter and co. scare the hell out of me. It's that lineup that I'm a little intimidated by. I'm intimidated by it too...but on the other hand, Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddie Garcia, and a Cuban in a row is pretty damn intimidating on its own. Seriously, think about Cleveland last week...They got beat in the first 2 games by Contreras and Garcia, and they were sitting there looking at trying to salvage a split of the series at home, and standing in their way were Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland, the guys who may very well end up 1-2 in the AL Cy Young voting if Rogers's suspension isn't shortened and Halladay takes any time at all coming back. Now THAT is scary.

Oakland. Gotta be.

News from ESPN.com If true, I'd say this rapidly throws the Eastern conference up in the air. Indiana, Detroit, Miami, Cleveland, Chicago, and maybe Washington will all have a good shot without Brown in there. Miami instantly becomes the favorite.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:23 AM) Have we invaded any countries in Africa lately? Have we stopped genocide in countries that have huge oil reserves to go along with huge diamond mines? The whole oil thing makes a great tagline on the 6pm news, in reality, there are a lot of other places in the world we could have invaded if it were purely on a capital good basis. How many of the countries involved in genocide actually have large oil reserves or large kimberlite pipes? The answer is not many. And on top of that...normally the U.S. interest in African nations goes like this; if the oil keeps flowing, we're happy. Case in point Nigeria has received literally tens of billions of dollars in aid over the last few decades and has lost most of it due to corruption (report on that country just came out), but there has never really been any punishment for it. Why? My guess is that one of the reasons is that the oil keeps flowing. In fact, there is some evidence that Chevron and other U.S. oil companies have even collaborated with the Nigerians in politically motivated killings in that country in order to keep the civilians in line and not protesting (Chevron owned helicopters moving Nigerian forces to oil platforms where they opened fire on protestors asking for better working conditions, etc.)

QUOTE(Southside hitmen @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:41 AM) What time does this trade have to go down to put Hernandez on the active roster Jenks can go donw no matter what to put El Duque on the roster. I'm more questionning when something has to happen to figure out what to do with Gload, who's rehab assignment ends today.

Baltimore is a team that actually needs to consider panicking; they've fallen back into 3rd place after an extremely solid start. They get 1 pitcher back today (I think) in Bedard who can make a difference, but if they want to fight the Yankees/BoSox, they are the team that needs to do something like this. We're in first place and blowing up everyone else. Right now, we don't need to do a panic, dismantle half the team style move. The Orioles do. Maybe they can convince the Marlins to take Sosa as well.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:12 AM) The one that Sizemore caught in RCF, or the HR? He hit the ball HARD both times. The HR...it was just a monster. I know he hit the other one hard, but Lordy...the ball he hit out of there was waaay out of there.

Please note...those last 2 points would also apply to anyone who tried to sign/trade for Burnett.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 11:06 AM) Gooch is starting to struggle? WTF... People keep saying that he's struggling because every time he racks up another productive out and moves Pods over, his average goes down. Btw, did you guys see that shot he hit yesterday? WOW. He absolutely tattooed that ball.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 10:50 AM) This coming of course from the same guy who last week suggested that his pending SCOTUS nominees need not be judges... or even lawyers (hell, maybe I should apply). Presidential hubris attains new heights. Damn that John Kerry, he's somehow projected his flip-floppyness on our wonderful, straight-talking honorable God-fearing administration! This has to be his fault...no one else but him ever flip-flops on a policy position!

QUOTE(Adam G @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 10:27 AM) Arent we pretty much on pace to hit as many homers this year as we had last year? No, we tied for the league lead with about 240 last year, and we're on pace this year to hit just over 200, which in itself isn't bad at all. Of course, some of that is due to the fact that we didn't have Thomas for the first half of the year, so whatever number we're "On pace" to hit may have changed a bit since he returned. The other big decreases: Aaron Rowand is on pace for about 1/2 as many as he hit last year, and Carlos Lee isn't htere.

QUOTE(Ozzie Montana @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 10:45 AM) Im sure Iguchi would be upset especially since he came to Chicago to play with Shingo. I believe Iguchi came here far more because there was only 1 team in the big leagues really expressing interest in him at a reasonable price; us. After the Mets's disaster with Kaz Matsui, people weren't really looking for Japanese infielders. KW did his homework and came up with a price that we were willing to pay for Iguchi...Tad at first said no, then he looked around, found no one willing to offer even close to what we were offering, then he came back to us a few weeks later and we worked it out.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 10:47 AM) Ster-oids!!! Ster-oids!!!! At least I wasn't the one who had to say it this time.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 10:35 AM) Then the Marlins can keep Burnett, imho. I've been saying that the whole time.

QUOTE(Princess Dye @ Jul 18, 2005 -> 10:38 AM) finally someone is with me. Um...that was supposed to be an argument against your point.