Balta1701

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 11:21 AM) While I think many of you are jumping the gun on Thompson, if he finished this season with a batting average of +.270 then we can start getting excited. Given that he hit .187 in April in his first month in AA, if he hits .270+ on the seaosn that means he hit ~.290+ from May 1 on.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 11:19 AM) Except Santos was locked up cheap and long term, and Reed isn't. So maybe only a little more. The reason we should get a lot more if we were to move Reed than we did when Santos was moved was that we didn't get nearly enough for Santos.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 12:40 PM) From talking to Dan Hayes, there is absolutely no imminent threat to Robin's job. For the foreseeable future, it is his so long as he wants it. We can fire some of his supporting staff, but I don't see any reason to do that. Wouldn't change a thing and just shows that we have a quick trigger with position coaches. Bah, he's not under contract for next season. Have everybody play out the year unless there's someone really causing a problem/negotiating with another team of something insanely disrespectful like that.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 10:00 AM) And I imagine Hahn's phone is ringing with folks asking about the likes of Peavy, Rios, and maybe a few bullpen arms. And right now, there's no reason to make a deal unless someone offers the moon. That's just how the game is played.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 09:58 AM) To be clear, I'm not against trading Reed. Relievers are more easily replaced than any other position. But given how young he is and how cheap he currently is, I'd demand a ransom for him from a team in contention right now. And I don't think any team will be willing to meet that price. If Baltimore comes to us in July and needs a closer and is willing to give up someone like Schoop then you pull the trigger. Otherwise you keep him around as part of the core of your rebuilding team. I'd say it might depend on what the org thinks of Daniel Webb. They've got a kid sitting at AA throwing triple digits. If they felt willing to be aggressive with him, they might well move Reed this year to give him a shot. For precedent on this setup, see: Sergio Santos being traded.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 09:35 AM) Never say never when it comes to relievers. Players get injured, teams get nervous, and they suddenly open the bank for any "proven" reliever. There have been plenty questionable trades in the past for bullpen guys. The trick with "Winning" a trade for a bullpen guy is to get a the team to give back a really talented piece, perhaps someone they've underestimated because they're a few years away. Multiple pieces from the low minors can be really effective. You can't win that kind of deal if you target a major-league ready prospect, because the team would rather just bring the prospect up than get the reliever.

Ok, I've figured out what this season is. It's the inverse of the 2010 season. They're hanging around right at .500, hit the end of may/beginning of June, and then go on a streak that determines the fate of the roster for that year and the fate of the managerial staff.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 08:29 AM) I look at this a completely different way. Wade might be done(might being the key word) and the Bulls and Pacers were missing sort of essential parts all season. LBJ is obviously insane but the rest of that team seems to be declining while the Bulls and Pacers should be getting better starting with next season. And the Heat will still find 2-3 veterans with stuff left in the tank to sign in the offseason so that they can get a ring.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 12:48 AM) I hope he really comes along the rest of the year and into next. We could really use him in Center field He just made the jump to AA and it took him 1 bad month before he put up a good month. That's a positive sign. But still...anything sooner than an opening day 2015 arrival is pushing it.

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 09:16 AM) It's hard for me to believe that a team in contention at the deadline would be willing to overpay enough for a young closer with zero playoff experience that the White Sox would deem him and his contract expendable. Other than maybe the Orioles, I can't think of a team that might be in contention and also be in need of an upgrade at closer. Hate to say it...but Detroit? Anyway...yeah, it's not likely a team would meet the price for Reed...but I'd be open to listening on him.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 10:25 PM) I guarantee that's going to be extended because of our upcoming schedule. "Let's wait until the end of June, after the favorable schedule, to see where this team is." You don't make trades on June 10th unless you have a really good deal on the table. But you definitely are listening.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 4, 2013 -> 09:05 AM) LOL. Where was this prediction at the start of the year or even 10 days ago? It's POSSIBLE they lose 90 games, but it's still not very likely. That said, it's also far from being a playoff-contending team or just a couple of moves away like last June/July. Marty predicts that every year.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 08:57 PM) Bosh is just flailing into him so far It worked all regular season and last year.

“@scottmerkin: Dunn gave the thumbs up on his back today. First time in a while felt this good”

QUOTE (South Side Fireworks Man @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 06:07 PM) The team has been a little too nice and too subdued because that's the kind of players the Sox have. What they need are some so-called "assholes" like AJ and Carl Everett. These were the true leaders on the field and in the clubhouse. Making a guy like Paul Konerko the Captain was a big mistake. First of all he never even wanted the title. Also he's not the type of guy that will get in a teammate's face when they are being lackadaisical or when they don't have their heads in the game. Maybe guys like AJ and Carl irritated their teammates from time to time but they provided the team with a little edge. Maybe Konerko was given the title of Captain just out of respect for the way he approached his job or maybe he was supposed to be a counter to the manic Ozzie. But with the subdued Ventura as manager and the lack of any on field leaders like AJ or Carl it's no surprise that the team lacks energy and focus. This team appeared lackadasical and out of it many, many times with AJ Pierzynski on the roster. (See: 2011, for example).

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 03:56 PM) Gil Meche would be one, although he didn't want to rehab yet another injury and stay on the DL for an entire season collecting salary when he knew he wanted to walk away. It's certainly worth wondering whether Dunn counts as healthy at this point. That'd be a reasonable excuse for his performance under this contract, if he just had 1+ nagging injuries that wouldn't go away. When the Sox visited the Nats, their announcers did talk to him, ask him what happened, and he did say something about "finally being healthy again" although it wasn't clear what he needed to recover from.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 03:13 PM) Assuming Beckham doesn't lead us to the WS, how about Jordan Danks? I know it's been trendy to be down on him since he didn't blossom at age 23 or whatever, and I had kinda written him off as well, but the dude quietly tore up AAA the last two years. Well "tore up" is subjective but he's added a tool to his game he never possessed- plate discipline and walking. His slugging isn't ideal but CF is one place we need to shore up the defense and where his light slugging can play. Dude has seriously put in his time and earned a look. Let De Aza and Kepp take DH til we see what we have. Can't do any of this s*** with Dunn around though. It's "trendy" to be down on him because he's shown no sign that he's been able to control the strikeouts. That said...eh, why not give him some more at bats.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 03:01 PM) Dunn has a .633 OPS and is signed through 2014. Konerko has a .661 OPS and is signed through 2013. If you're going to release/trade anybody, Konerko is the first one to go, but like others have said, the Sox don't have any significant talent in the minors that is going to make the Sox better in 2014-16 by getting more playing time in 2013. If you really have an outfielder you want to look at, stick him in LF, let Viciedo DH, and make Konerko/Dunn a 1B platoon. None of the White Sox young OF's are anywhere close to deserving of a look as a starter right now.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 02:46 PM) How did this Dunn thread turn into a bash fest of my favorite Sox player and skipper of all time, Ozzie Guillen? I'll try to get it back on track by saying ... please White Sox, just release Adam Dunn. I bet if you offered to pay the $23 million he's still owed the Sox would happily oblige.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 12:46 PM) I expect a coach to be fired soon if things don't turn around. I'd like to see some roster moves, but what would said moves consist of? Trades, demotions, DFAs? Unfortunately there's not a lot of roster moves that obviously make this team better immediately. Phegley might be the only one with a chance of doing that, and that could also screw him up by bringing him up before he's ready. Personally, if there was something I wanted to see...it'd be a daily repeat of Robin's extra hour of fielding practice. Just non stop until they finally do some of the basics right.

Just wondering to myself how this thread will look if the NBA, which relies much more heavily on ratings for its playoffs and championship series as a source of revenue, winds up with a Spurs/Pacers finals.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 01:09 PM) I wish we could also stop rehashing the past about this. Eventually we will, but the decisions made before the 2011 season are still hurting us right now.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 01:03 PM) Agree with this. JR is constantly referred to as such a great & loyal owner over and over, but the downside of that is falling in love with personnel who aren't doing their jobs. He doesn't want to can someone he'd consider a personal friend if it isn't absolutely necessary, and I'm sure the KW-Ozzie squabbles were hard on him, he's not a bad guy, but in the end yuou need to be able to make those tough decisions, and you need to make them on time. JR made the right call but far too late4. JR never really made a call to fire either of them, honestly. The writing was on the wall, but Guillen had already left of his own accord to sign a rich contract that he was negotiating while still managing the White Sox.

QUOTE (balfanman @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 10:03 AM) I agree with this. Now that Beckham is back middle infield should be better. I think the time has come to play your best centerfielder on a consistant basis. Put Jordan Danks in center everyday and see what he can do. It's not like you're going to lose much offensively the way DeAza & Viciedo have been playing. DeAza can play left while Viciedo splits time with DeAza (lf) & Dunn (dh) until one of them gets hot or proves that they need to play everyday somewhere. I think that this could relax our pitchers a bit as well because they wouldn't have to feel they need to strike everyone out and pitch more to contact knowing that they have a defense that can help them out. I don't feel like Jordan Danks's defense has distinguished him positively either.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jun 3, 2013 -> 09:39 AM) I agree with that, but it's not like it's been a huge difference. The problem is up the middle the Sox have been pretty bad. De Aza, I don't know what happened to him, and again, it really began last year. No Beckham has made 2B an awful postion defensively for the Sox and whoever plays there, the ball seems to find. And Flowers has been terrible, he has reverted to the defensive model he had when he was acquired. Having Dunn use a glove more often hasn't helped either. I could probably tolerate guys like Flowers and Keppinger booting the ball more often if they just could get the basics down. Hit the cutoff man. We know they can do it, they did it beautifully last season. Handle a rundown appropriately. They did it correctly, 1 or maximum 2 throws, seemingly the entire season last year. I think it was Saturday's game...rundown between 1st and 2nd, 4 throws. Harrelson was doing the "god that was pathetic" laugh. They just act like they didn't practice a single thing all year.