Balta1701

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jun 6, 2005 -> 10:00 AM) Boston was shopping for a 1B, maybe we can get their SS prospect??? Boston is simply not going to trade Hanley Ramirez. They are totally adamant about it.

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Jun 6, 2005 -> 11:04 AM) What Ozzie needs to do is pitch Shingo every other dayish, when the Sox are up big or down big. Let him get rhythm and then ease him back into tough situations. This will work, but unfortunately the Sox haven't been up big or done big, so Ozzie has got to put him with a lead and hope for the best. There's 1 wee problem with your thinking. Can anyone around here tell me how often we've been up big or down big this season? Last time was Texas, I think, and that was over a week ago. Right now, Ozzie's basically been doing exactly that - bringing in Shingo when the game isn't on the line or isn't close. But with all of the close games we're in...that means he works like once every 10 days. Either he'll have to pitch when a game is close, or he will pitch every 10 days. It's basically that simple. A side note...does anyone else kind of think that Coors field isn't the kind of park that goes well with a struggling Shingo?

QUOTE(retro1983hat @ Jun 3, 2005 -> 05:49 AM) I hope so. I am scared that the Twins are going to be within a game of us or even overtake us by the All-Star break. That friggin team is relentless. They're also just about as banged up right now as we were coming out of Oakland. They're primed for a skid, like the one we've been on where we're playing barely above .500 ball. Of course...they are also playing the Yankees...fresh off a sweep by KC

QUOTE(tonyho7476 @ Jun 3, 2005 -> 06:48 AM) My thoughts exactly...I'm hoping Timo gets a shot at third tonight. I think tonight Timo can really get some good work in out of the bullpen.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jun 3, 2005 -> 06:31 AM) I can't believe anyone wastes 50 cents on the Sun Times, but that is just me That is why God invented the internet...

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 07:08 PM) I don't want to see Willie go down either. He deserves to be up here. He's really getting a good eye at the plate. The average is right around where what is expected of him. And I haven't heard any stories about him complaining recently either. I think he's accepted his role. Willie also supplies us with a lot more speed than Timo...hence he makes a much better pinch runner than Timo when Frank or Paulie get on base in the 8th inning and we're down by 1 run. Speed and defense means Willie stays. I hope.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 06:18 PM) Roger. So the move to bring up Gload will likely be made by the end of this weekend. We head to Colorado on Monday and we will need another 1st baseman by then. Hmph, I figure Colorado is the 1 place where I wouldn't care if we had another 1st baseman. That's the 1 park in the league where I want paulie to have a chance to hit. As much as humanly possible. It sure can't hurt a slumping offense to visit Coors field. The only 2 moves that make sense to me for this team are moving Willie or Moving Timo. Both of them have people who play their positions, and moving either of them would leave us still having backups at each spot in the lineup.

I hope it's Timo either being sent down/designated for assignment, but I just don't think it will be. I read one article today that strongly suggested it could be Ozuna, which really freaking scared me. It wouldn't even leave us a backup 3b aside from Widge. With Everett in the outfield as a 2nd order backup behind Ozuna, the only one that really makes sense is letting Timo go, because he's an outfielder, and Ozuna and Everett can both play his spots. I just don't know if it will happen.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 05:17 PM) Ramon Hernandez is the Padres' catcher (he used to be on the A's, they either traded for him or picked him up via free agency). The D-Backs also have Kelly Stinnett as their veteran catcher, I think. And I doubt they even have money to spend after what they did in the offseason. I don't think Kendall is going anywhere. The D-Backs do have that Stinnett guy, but he's got all of 1 at bat this season. Yeah, I agree Kendall not going anywhere unless someone gets hurt. Especially given how much he's been struggling to start the year.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 04:53 PM) He was asking what team would trade for Kendall. He wasn't sayin the Sox would. Right now, assuming Oakland doesn't want him in the division (Texas)...about the only contender I can see right now that could use an upgrade at catcher would probably be Arizona. That is barring a major injury to someone like Posada, Varitek, or Mauer. Almost everyone at the top of their division has a firm catcher who's either entrenched or hitting pretty well. Yankees - Posada BoSox - Varitek Orioles - Lopez (on DL) Braves - Estrada Marlins - LoDuca Twins - Mauer Angels - Molinas Us - A.J. Cardinals - Yadier Molina San Diego (I don't know the guy, but he's hitting .299 with 6 home runs) Texas - Rod Barajas and Sandy Alomar Jr. Arizona - A rookie named Snyder who's hitting about .220. I could also see the Dodgers making a shot at him, if they want to stay in the race in the NL West.

QUOTE(gettysburg32 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 04:47 PM) OK, good call. If the choice was Crede or Chavez, I'm all for Chavez, but not if McCarthy's gone too. The suggestions of Anderson/Sweeney/etc I'd go along with. McCarthy's my real sticking point. On that point, I wholeheartedly agree. We're gonna need that kid before the end of this year.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 04:46 PM) Unless AJ breaks his neck... NOT A CHANCE. And Widger does too.

QUOTE(gettysburg32 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 04:32 PM) Offensively, no doubt Chavez is a better player, even given this year's abysmal early stats for Chavez. But on defense, laugh all you want, but in the last 2 years + 50ish games, Crede's made fewer errors in more games at 3B than Chavez, and no one in MLB makes the number of tough plays that Crede does. I fully said Chavez is better, but not so much so to sacrifice McCarthy. There's a statistical reason for why Chavez has more errors than Crede: he covers a larger range than Crede. Chavez had 1 more error than Crede in 03 and they had the same number in 04. However, both years, Chavez had a higher fielding percentage than Crede? Why? Well, either their pitching staff is such that Chavez is getting more ground balls hit to him overall, or he covers more ground. For that, we can look at the range factor, where Chavez clearly wins 2003 2004 Chavez 3.16 3.10 Crede 2.56 2.43 Chavez clearly has more errors because he covers more range, and therefore has more chances to field the ball.

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 05:25 AM) Tim Kurkjian My only questions is this; can Texas afford to pick up the $12 million tab to get Clemens for half the season? (Clemens' contract is for $17 mil, and he receives a $3 million bonus if he's traded).

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jun 1, 2005 -> 10:41 PM) They got Paul LoDuca and Mota at the end of it right? LoDuca and Mota came from the Dodgers in exchange for Brad Penny and Hee Sop Choi. Lee originally came to the Cubs in exchange for Choi and a player to be named (i have no idea who that was)

QUOTE(Wedge @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:56 PM) Morneau, Punto, and Mauer all got hurt and probably won't play against the Yankees this weekend. Well, if the Royals can do this to the Yankees with their team, maybe it's better for the Twins that they're down a few players. Maybe the worse the team is, the worse the Yankees play against them.?

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:45 PM) You can tell right away what kind of night its going to be for Cotts. If he has some control he's very effective. If not, they should yank him after 2 pitches. It'd be hard to yank him after 2 pitches if he became a starter.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 11:51 AM) I can't answer the NRA question, because I cannot find their charter. In their stated mission to protect the 2nd ammendment the best way tehy see fit, however, I don't see anything that would suggest they are at least nominally anything but party-neutral. In reality, since there's not a whole lot of gun control activity originating from the right, it can be assumed that is the direction most of the membership leans. The NRA currently is organized under U.S. Law as the NRA Foundation, a tax-exempt 501 © organization. There are very specific limits on what political actions can be undertaken by 501 c groups. They are allowed to be advocacy groups, and their members are allowed to advocate positions and encourage others within the group to support certain positions. However, the group itself is not allowed to spend a significant amount of its funds or effort specifically on lobbying efforts. From the IRS Site: I believe Amnesty International is also registered in the U.S. as sa 501c organization, and hence is subject to the exact same lobbying and fundraising rules as the NRA.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 11:30 AM) That's twice you have sighted the NRA now. My question is does the NRA has nuetrality in its charter anywhere? If you as an individual believe in something enough, that you are willing to donate money to it, are you really nuetral enough to not let it influence your treatment of the opposite? Take the Supreme Court. Do you feel comfortable with the ability of Souder to stay nuetral while hanging out with Dick Cheney on the side in his private life? I think it crosses an ethical line, and it makes anything that they publish a lot more suspect. If they were a liberal or conservative organization in their charter and gave to those organizations that is one thing, but when your leadership has stock in one group over another, yet is trying to tell me they aren't against or supporting any government, it rings hollow with me. I think you mean Cheney's hunting buddy Scalia, not Souder.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:30 PM) You would hope it was Garland, Buerhle, and Garcia's turn to pitch. Or maybe the Count. He's pitched pretty damn good this season, and go to a 4 man rotation. In other words...if we traded BMac and someone did get hurt...we're in real deep dog doo. Anyone want to play the last month and a half of the season with a 4 man rotation? That strikes me as a sure fire way to drop out of the playoff hunt real fast.

QUOTE(GreatScott82 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:23 PM) If El-duque goes back on the DL and McCarthy is an Athletic. Then I can see KW making a move to acquire another starting pitcher. There is NO WAY we will go through that black-hole 5th spot again. Other insurance policies could be Cotts. He has been pitching pretty solid lately. Cotts as a starter? You've just got to be kidding me. Our bullpen has had enough difficulties lately, the last thing I want to do is rob it of 1 of its lefthanders. Would we bring Walker back up to take Cotts's spot in the pen? (shuddering). The fact is this...there is no one who could take over McCarthy's position as a backup to the Cubans (or anyone else who gets hurt) in our organization right now. This means that if anyone does get hurt and we've already traded BMac, either our chance at a title ends right there or we have to go and pay an even higher price for a pitcher. What happens if BMac is traded and on August 15th Contreras or El Duque go down with season ending injuries? You're past the trading deadline then without a backup plan. And Oh yeah, you're starting a 3 game set with the Twins.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:19 PM) McCarthy did well against the Cubs but was shellacked by the Rangers. We lost both games. If we lost El Duque for the rest of the season, we would be in big trouble. Regardless, I'm not so sure McCarthy could save the team this season if that happened anyways. He wouldn't be asked to save the team. He would be being asked to not be a black hole every week. 1 good start out of every 2 something I wouldn't put past the kid, especially after how he looked in the spring. It might even come down to how the wind is blowing where the game is being played, becasue at least to me his problem thus far has seemed to be the long ball more than anything else. I can't name another pitcher in our organization who I'd expect to be anything other than a 5th day loss if 1 of the Cubans went down. If we bring up Adkins or someone, and he gives up 10 runs, its not like we're going to be a team that can outslug the other team 12-10.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:06 PM) McCarthy got one loss and a ND? He was on the hook for both of the runners on base when Dubois hit the homerun. Sox lost both games Gimme a break on this one, he had 1 good game and 1 bad game. He was pulled early in the Cubs game and Viz gave up the long ball, losing the lead for him. As far as I'm concerned, that's all I want from a rookie 6th starter. 1 good game to b alance out the bad games. But that's a lot better than having a guy like Diaz come up and do what he did last year...bad games almost every time.

QUOTE(sox-r-us @ Jun 2, 2005 -> 03:03 PM) Give them Anderson instead for Chavez. OFs are easy to find in FA. Hell, if Dye turns it around, with Pods and Rowand bound to be around, we are set for next year too, after which Sweeney could replace Dead Anderson + Crede (and maybe + 1 other pitcher not named McCarthy or Gonzalez) for Chavez I could live with. The other thing to remember in terms of contracts is that if we were to absorb Chavez's contract, it would really help us to have some cheap people at other positions. Cheap means young. Young means guys like McCarthy and Gio and Sweeney and Fields. Some of these guys would have to stay around in order for us to afford Chavez's contract. Otherwise, we'd be coming to the park with big holes to fill again. Like in our starting rotation last year.

Given that we have the 2 Cubans in our rotation and we expect them to get hurt, I'm still not comfortable giving up our best backup pitching option at this point. We're going to need the 6th starter to make this run. And even if he ends up going .500, just like he did against the Cubs and Rangers, that'll be a lot better than what we saw last year from our 5th starter spot. I'll agree Chavez is an upgrade from Crede, and I'm willing to accept that he'll probably turn his season around. But I'm not willing to remove that "Untouchable" label from McCarthy. That's the only line I won't cross.