greg775

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 04:10 AM) If he's benched, it's a dumb move when you are trying to build a player's value. It's not that complicated. I've never had the "no one is held accountable" stance. This is a bad team. It's a talent problem, not a motivation problem. Andy, I beg to differ. Because of what Robin did tonight, he has won me over as a fan. I now am in Ventura's corner through thick and thin. It takes a lot of guts to pull a player like Rios after he dogs it and hurts the team greatly. Scouts are not dumb. They know Rios loafed. What the hell is Robin supposed to do? He is a leader. Arguably his best player slapped Robin in the face by not hustling. Had he hustled, Sox woulda been leading 3-2. It's Robin's job to win games. KUDOS TO ROBIN. This is one fan who now respects Robin Ventura a lot more than before the game. I now realize Robin has a total clue of what he's doing as a LEADER.

Here's a tweet from a guy named Ken Laird: "MLB Network talking about Alex Rios, analyst mentions Ozzie Guillen pulled him from multiple games in past for not running hard to 1st" I did not know that.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 04:03 AM) Obviously google is broke in Kansas. 5'11 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Guillén Then Hanson does pass the eye test. Go Hanson!

Not to pile on our poor White Sox, but ... these things can be depressing. There's probably no worse scenario (aside from injuries) than what happened tonite. In a nutshell ... After a nice week off where the White Sox players and coaches could get rejuvenated, one of their best players, if not their best player, loafs on a double play grounder that could have given the Sox the lead (I think it was 2-2 at the time with runner on third) and they go on to lose after veteran "leader" is benched for the deed. Yes, this season from hell continues.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:59 AM) Greg your guy Ozzie was a tiny, skinny SS. Good point, Dick. Wasn't Ozzeroo over 6-feet though?

I see good on base percentage. What is so great bout him, though? A 5-foot-11 shortstop? Not blasting him. Stats don't indicate special-ness.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:53 AM) Does google not work in Kansas. I'll google him promptly. I am curious.

For those of us who don't follow the minor leagues, tell me bout Hanson? Is he good? Is he another Ron Hansen? Tell me all.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:21 AM) Sounds good to me. Btw its going to suck to see Rios go. One of my favorite players on this team. Wow. Baron. I respect you for liking whomever you want, but Rios? I respect you because I was a big fan of Wise and Pierre. People couldn't understand me for that. QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:32 AM) If that is true, it's about the dumbest thing Ventura could possibly do. Particularly with all the scouts in the audience. On the contrary. I wish it was true cause I'd worship Robin FOREVER. Worship is probably the wrong word. Respect him and back him though. QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:36 AM) Yeah because the scouts missed him loafing. GMAFB. All year people say "no one is held accountable". Rios loafs down the line and costs the Sox a run, and if Ventura pulls him, people b****. Further proof White Sox fans will complain about everything. Not me. I LOVE Robin if he benched him, but I agree it looks instead like he was traded. QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:37 AM) I didn't see the play, but if people are claiming he dogged it, I'll just assume he was playing hard. People really just love to make s*** up about him. Stoney said he didn't hustle. Stoney tells da truth.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 02:57 AM) Robin just needs to go away. I'd hope Robin took Rios out for loafing. If so I forever LOVE Robin Ventura. You will not hear me criticize Robin again if this is the case. Seriously. However, like some of you said it might be coincidence and he might be traded. QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 03:12 AM) Greg, let's trade Rios for Buehrle Good one!

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 20, 2013 -> 02:23 AM) Nice hustle Rios...yikes! No excuse for that to be going on, and you have to like the TV focusing on Ventura heading to break. Gotta love Steve Stone for calling out Rios for loafing. Guess he's not being paid enough to try to beat the double play. At least Dunn hustles on his grounder. To those who call the Sox announcers "homers," I contend not many would mention Rios' obvious laziness. Kudos to Stone! And good luck to any team that wants Rios. Folks, you either want it or you don't. My OPINION is there is evidence Mr. Rios does not want it. Don't fry me. It's my opinion.

QUOTE (Big Hurtin @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:08 PM) Maybe because it's the situation that the Sox are in, but it seems overly quiet this year. Is it that the GMs are asking for too much? Too many teams think they're still in it? Lack of financial flexibility? I realize no one here knows for sure, but what do you guys think? Garza deal must start the parade of trades. Sox face big challenges in trying to move guys who make a lot of money and have skill sets that can be debated.

You can't just put Sale's arm on ice until Sox get good again. it might be a long long time. We pitch him and try to build a team quickly around this better than average starting rotation.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:18 PM) You want Ventura gone after one season where the players haven't played very well, especially on defense, but you were just fine with Ozzie allowing that kind of s*** for the last 3 years of his tenure. Gotcha. Anyways, no, if the Sox were to trade Rios and Ramirez and added no money, they wouldn't bring back a big return. The Sox don't necessarily need to free up payroll for any number of reasons, so they may kick in half of the money for the contracts or so to bring back better prospects, thus their value would be approximately $24 million, which is worth quite a bit. Good post on the Rios/Ramirez situation. I wouldn't mind Robin getting the boot in response to this joke of a season, but I am OK with him staying on during the rebuild. He's a nice guy and I am not violently against him.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 09:14 PM) Matt Kemp before this season was one of the best hitters in baseball. Just 2 years ago he was a HR shy of being a 40-40 guy with a .324/.399/.586 stat line. He was worth every penny when he signed. The Dodger couldn't foresee injury issues from a player who had no injury history. I'll stop now. I can't get my point across. My final statement in regard to your post: I am saying NO PLAYER should get that kind of money. That owners should ASSUME the injury issues will happen or something will happen. I was trying to make the point that teams CONSTANTLY are trying to dump players almost immediately after signing them to huge contracts. My solution: DON'T SIGN THEM TO BIG CONTRACTS TO BEGIN WITH. Since I can't get my point across, I'll stop.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 08:58 PM) Greg, for the love of god please stop trolling. First suggesting Baines as manager and now Rios & Ramirez have NO value? I wish people didn't believe you were a real person, because then you'd be forced to stop this nonsense. Now I know what players say about "taking it out of context" regarding their statements. I said Robin deserves to get the boot over this mess of a defense and boneheaded mistakes and the fact a .500 team is 17 under .500. I said it's Baines' turn and let him manage the REST OF THIS SEASON. If Robin is fired somebody would have to manage the rest of the season. By saying "no value" I messed up there. I meant no signfiicant value to anybody when coupled with how much money they are making. Like Dick Allen said it makes little sense to pay a ton of cash to a team just for taking one of your players.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 08:43 PM) So you would be happier if Travis Ishikawa was hitting about .160 & Casper Wells was loafing after fly balls, because they only make $500,000? That be a better experience for a fan? No, I'm saying baseball inflation and insanity pays Kemp 22 million a year. I happen to think he should be paid about 7-8 million a year in today's prices.

Read this if you have time. It's time to pay the fricking players some money or split away from the NCAA!!! Give the football players some f***ing spending money. They are the ones doing all the real work!! Nice nice article. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/s...-host-of-issues

QUOTE (kev211 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 08:50 PM) You literally have no idea how business works. Teams don't even make the majority of their money off ticket sales, so even if the white sox had a 20 mill payroll you'd be paying what you are now. That would be obscene price gouging. So they'd charge 60 bucks for a halfway decent seat with a 20 million payroll? And 10 bucks for beer and 5 for a hot dog? Nice.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 08:45 PM) Ramirez is in the top 5 in both hits and stolen bases over the last month....We all know he heats up with the weather...He has value. That article said they both combined are worth $4 million. That's scary bad in this economy. That's Francouer-like. I don't mind having Alexei on the Sox. I'd dump Rios for whatever we can get and force the future to begin in right field.

Just what Dick Allen is saying. It doesn't make much sense to move these two guys if the Sox have to pay that kind of money to get rid of them. Like that analysis said, they have no value.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 07:44 PM) That's not how economics work, Greg. The owners don't set prices based on what it takes to pay their players. They set prices at the maximum level people will pay (maximize revenue), and then they invest the required money in players to keep their fans interested (minimize cost) and remain profitable. You say, 'then they invest the required money in players to keep their fans interested.' I'm saying fans would be more interested if they JUST SAY NO to mega, multi-year contracts for guys who fail miserably shortly after signing the contracts. When Adam Dunn is hitting about .160 and Rios is loafing after fly balls you start to wonder how much better life would be as a fan if they were not making all that money. Maybe I could park for 5 bucks and not spend 30 bucks on three beers in a nine-inning game.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 03:17 PM) Of the 45 MLB contracts $100 million and over, in at least 38 or 39 cases, the team handing out the contract most likely regrets it. I don't know why Greg is getting ripped. He happens to be right. I just want to keep repeating it over and over and over until somebody notices! QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 03:48 PM) I don't think anyone disagrees that you'd rather not give players huge money, long-term contracts because of all the risk involved. That said, individual teams don;t get to set the market -- this is simply the price of admission. These contracts get signed where supply meets demand. But I'm saying there should NOT be the demand. I keep reading about guys who are "untradeable." These guys are the ones fans and owners were drooling over shortly before they became untradeable. JUST SAY NO. Don't sign guys to long-term deals and maybe I can go sit in a box seat for 20 f***ing dollars and not have to pay 20 bucks to park!!!! And not pay 15 bucks for an All American hot dog and beer! Baseball was not invented as an elitist game, folks.

Crazy? Two guys we are desperate to get rid of? I don't understand reasoning sometimes. Why should they be dying to get Alex Rios and Alexei Ramirez? The Pirates are doing OK without both and both are not all-star caliber players.

Glad to see the AL win again after a few years on the losing end. NL didn't do squat this year. Nice job, AL.