B Richard

Agreed on both counts. If he can avoid tweaking something I think he will have a solid performance. The fans here are certainly excited about him

I'm not sure how he is doing personally, but I know he had the procedure done around late July/ early August. It'll be awhile before he sees live action Wimmers undergoes Tommy John surgery | twinsbaseball.com: News

I like Parmelee a lot and I'm also optimistic about Hicks. My favorite WAG though has gotta be Amy Ashby

I feel like this gets overlooked far too often, my brother

Running a shrewd business demands staying as emotionally neutral as possible. Everyone has their price.

I really appreciate the reference there- funniest thing I've read all day

I assumed I was missing something, though I do wonder how many Australians actually traversed the antebellum South

I liked it a lot. I prefer pulp fiction and reservoir dogs but this was a solid showing from tarantino. I thought taratino's standard cameo was a little off (his accent sounded australian.. it felt weird and out of place) and not as good as past performances. I just learned actually that leo actually cut his hand open but kept acting in the scene where he slams his hand on the dinner table.. pretty impressive not to break character. I have a huge man crush on him

Regardless of how you or anyone else read that comment, I assure you it was not my intention to imply that anyone here was engaging in such folly. I'll try to use less extreme wording moving forward- why would I want to insult people I seek to convince of something? Ironically the same line of thinking applies to the very issue we are discussing. How much are homophobes really empowered through the reasoned dismissal of their beliefs? I hesitate to say that we are giving them more of a "voice" than they already have under the Constitution. More generally, I've seen numerous people respond to homophobia in such terms. I'm not making subtle implications about you or anyone else on this website. Again, it would be more difficult for me to convince you of anything if I personally insulted you. I will say it took me quite some time to understand that finer point. I agree here in part. Some people are too far buried in their own hate to see alternative viewpoints. A great example would be the Westboro Baptist church. I consciously chose to not capitalize "church." Interestingly enough, the so-called "church" is actually independent, and in my opinion, not representative of mainstream religiously-motivated dissent towards homosexuality. I apologize for my use of anecdotal evidence, but I do know people who have changed their views on homosexuality by tailoring their faith to reflect growing concerns about the importance of equality for homosexuals. On a different note, I still have trouble believing that we normalize bigoted thinking by refuting it with reasoned argument rather than empty statements. We do disempower bigots when we show the world that their thinking is warped and unreasonable.

None of what I've advocated insinuates that LGBT rights have come "far enough" or that where our culture stands now is in the right. My point is that we are headed forwards, not backwards. In this light, it's possible to continue shifting our cultural interpretation of gay rights through reasoned argument rather than intellectually stagnant prattling. A better understanding of why homophobia is detestable and utterly unacceptable. Our culture, which has been long burdened by misconceptions of homosexuals and their right to equal treatment, would be better served through popularizing the rationale behind why the LGBT community deserves equal treatment rather than brutishly shouting down homophobia without substantive reason. I used to tutor adolescents in physics. I found that the root of many of their problems (math puns unintended) came from not understanding the reasoning behind the greater concepts. They tried to simply memorize formulas, but ultimately failed in applying them because they lacked a proper understanding of why things are the way they are.

The guy raked in '95

Already king? Your comment shows a lack of knowledge regarding the LGBT community and its recent advances. The tide is rising for gay rights, not going back out to sea. I would urge you to utilize google and educate yourself. As a country, we've come a long way in the fight for equality. There's still ground to be gained, but let's not pretend this is 1950. The way to continue gaining ground is to properly address bigotry with reasoned arguments instead of shouting it down. I personally would never equate "blind" opposition against bigotry to what it seeks to eliminate. Don't be ridiculous. I've merely argued that the most effective way to eliminate bigotry is through argument rather than command. Don't jump to conclusions. No one here would invoke "obscure legalese" in order to let bigotry control the masses. It's easy for you and many others to forget that we are all on the same side of this larger battle for equality- don't. Perhaps it's just that our respective educations have taught us different respects for the power of argument.

Sorry if I offended or insulted you, but there is a debate to be had about everything. Wherever two varying opinions exist, there is, by definition, a debate to be had. Should we have to have a debate about the LGBT community deserving equal rights? Christ, no. I think it's incredibly obvious that people of all races and creeds deserve equal treatment under the law. Sadly, some don't agree with me. How is it best to change their minds and the culture? Through repetition of "You're wrong," or through saying "you're wrong, because"? I find it hard to believe the latter is not more effective than the former in shaping culture. I am more than capable of having a level-headed discussion with someone whom I believe is absolutely nuts. As a side remark, let me remind you that the LGBT community has come a long way in recent years to change certain cultural understandings of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. I shouldn't have to cite the recent election and Obama's victory speech as evidence, but I will. In sum, I think we are getting quite close to a time where people of the LGBT community can receive equal treatment under the law. I really do- and I also believe in the mean time we ought to educate those who disagree, not blindly yell at them.

That's too bad- I feel for you. The use of dialectic is a beautiful thing- you don't need Socrates or an ivy leaguer to tell you that. I guess cooler heads don't always prevail

You start a dangerous precedent if you allow certain opinions (however wrong they may be) to be stomped out by sheer volume rather than reasoned discussion.

It's currently happening in the US. Lawmakers have discussed itheavily actually. There's not much subtlety to the current debate in our country.

Disagree. The response is "let's discuss this like intellectuals in order to eradicate closed-minded idiocy" rather than shouting it down with a mere reflection of itself. Blindly opposing that viewpoint, in my opinion, is not the most effective way to eliminate it. The power of reasoning is harder to ignore than mere words without backbone. We have to initially acknowledge bigotry as an argument before we can effectively refute it. It's hard to do, and I understand that, but in the end it is the best measure.

No. A discussion of ideas, among reasonable people, would lead to the conclusion that homophobia is unjustified and wrong. It would hopefully lead those who hold such beliefs to understand their misconceptions. Obama has taken numerous steps to support gay rights and many states have also taken independent measures. This country is not severely endangered by a minority of dissenters whose dissent is largely interpreted as folly. Such discussions should not only be allowed but encouraged for intellectual advancement if nothing else

A truly stand-up gentleman- it saddens me to think about his death, but I'm glad we honor him for being the hero he was. Rest in peace

See my post above. It's not as far-fetched and outrageous as you would make it seem.

It's funny- many people would say, "young people are immature, rash and arrogant." In this case, I am proud to be a part of a generation of tolerance. However, as a libertarian, I find it shocking that many don't take 1st Amendment rights more seriously. It goes without saying that Torii's opinion here is ugly, wrong and offensive to many outside of the LGBT community. Nonetheless, I think Torii's comments provide an excellent educational moment. Diversity of opinion is an invaluable tool. My younger brother (13) asked me today what Torii's comments were about. I explained to him that while we are all God's children and should accept everyone regardless of race or creed, some think that homosexuality is wrong. I explained how these people were wrong, and how we should fight for equality for the LGBT community. Torii's comments gave me a chance to have a sincere conversation about gay rights, God and why equality is important. I had never touched on the topic of gay rights with my brother before, but I'm glad I had the chance. People with bigoted opinions like Torii give us all a valuable chance to strengthen and spread our own tolerant views. I shouldn't have to cite John Locke's "On Liberty" or Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr's dissent in Abrams v. US to make this point, but for the more intellectual audience on this website- it might suit you well to crack a book. Finally -and this is something I've run into all across this website- stop acting so damn belligerent and hostile towards each other. It sullies otherwise valuable discussion and is just generally ugly. Take a hard look at yourselves and your insecurities and grow up. Throughout history people have been able to have these discussions without resorting to ad-hominem ​attacks.

@darin As I understand it, each team has 2.9M in bonus money to allocate as they please to international signings. After July 2013, the amount adjusts based on winning percentage. My guess is this would give the Twins more room to sign players. I'm not sure what the rules are, or if there are any, for salary totals outside the bonus rule. Here's a link explaining the bonus rule: International Signing Bonus Pool | The Cub Reporter (TCR) | A Chicago Cubs Blog

Tigers keeping it classy. Looking forward to another nyc dust-up involving a despicable Tigers outfielder

Agreed. It's tough to see our db's get manhandled.. Sherels looked out of place in the second half, though obviously I love his ability as a return man. I miss Winfield, Hopefully he can play next week

This is laughable. What makes you think pitchers would actually want to come to MN right now besides a pitcher-friendly park? GG-caliber defense? Tons of run support? A recent trend of winning? The guys we've gotten this offseason have come out of necessity- guys coming off major surgeries who need a year to rebuild their value before their big payday, which will likely come elsewhere mind you. Not to mention Correia, who came only because his rotation spot is virtually guaranteed- something he couldn't have gotten elsewhere. It's safe to say most SP's of at least average quality did not want to sign here because they wanted to win. It would take a comparatively exorbitant amount of money (an amount the Twins would never shell out, and perhaps rightly so) to keep these guys from signing with contenders. That's why we have not landed the pitchers that many have wanted this offseason. Leaving money on the table to play for a winning team is not a new concept at all. It's not entirely irrational either. I specifically remember both Haren and Greinke citing their reason for signing was that they wanted to win, not earn. Though neither one really signed for a bargain, of course. It's not terribly difficult to extend this reasoning to guys like McCarthy, who signed with a team that was at least competitive the past couple years. I'd imagine Anibal Sanchez chose detroit over chicago because he wanted to win as well. The Twins would have to blow a SP (away with an offer) to get them to sign. The Twins aren't in the business of making that kind of offer. SP's aren't willing to sign here unless they are paid significantly above what they'd be earning elsewhere, barring a major surgery or just sucking in general. So yeah, the Twins can't improve because no SP of quality will sign here