Dick Allen

QUOTE (bmags @ May 6, 2015 -> 09:00 AM) I don't understand the point of a position if there is no accountability for it. Are you likely to find an amazing hitting coach that always gets the best out of your offense for years? Maybe not. In a slumping offense is it possible a new voice can make a change? I think so. But, yes, I appreciate those peddling an orthodoxy that if someone does not control everything they control nothing and thus can never be held accountable for performance of their team. Because that's the way everything else beside baseball is run. Accountablility would be holding the people resposible accountable. Accountability should be a 2 way street. If you are going to blame someone if something doesn't go right, then you should give them credit when it does. The White Sox have fired plenty of people. The easiest, cheapest thing to do is fire someone if it truly made your 9-14 team 14-9. But, if the people on the inside, who really know what is going on, deem that not to be the case, firing them isn't showing accountability, it is naming a scapegoat. There is no way the White Sox current problems are on one guy. There is no way when Andy Gonzalez and Darin Erstad and Corky Miller are in a major league line up, that the Sox not scoring many runs is because the hitting coach is bad at his job. I wish I still had an article a friend of mine sent me a couple years ago. It was a guy who was some sort of club soccer coach. Parents would spend tons of money getting their kids the "top of the line" coach, expecting college scholarships and perhaps professional paydays. His message was, no matter how much money you spend, no matter what reputation a coach has, the overwhelming chances are your kid is average, and will never be anything more than average. Save your money. The fact is, Vince Coleman isn't going to make Adam Eaton a guy that steals 70 bases. No hitting coach is going to make Tyler Flowers a second coming of Mike Piazza. Don Cooper can't make John Danks throw 95. No one said there is no accountability, but really, from the outside, not having access to their daily interactions, any fire someone for accountability issue makes little sense.

QUOTE (Tex @ May 6, 2015 -> 08:53 AM) Dick I agree with everything you wrote, then I look at the conclusion we could make, that coaching and managing doesn't matter at all. Which doesn't have much face validity. IIRC the discussion about Walker also centered around the system's approach to hitting. How the farm system was not growing many hitters. Maybe that is an area we should look at You still need talent, and I don't know how you can pin minor league offensive failure on the major leauge hitting coach who cannot work with them. Perhaps a organizational hitting approach is needed. I don't know, everyone is different. If everyone just watched the Tom Emanski videos and did everything exactly the same, they, as a whole would probably be easy to pitch to, as their weaknesses would probably all be the same. But if you want an overall organizational philosophy, that would be up to people higher than the hitting coach. I know they mentioned something like this when the hired Steverson, but it still requires talent and execution, and of course, more importantly, better hitters. Steve Stone said on the air a couple weeks ago how he would love to be Mike Trout's hitting coach. All you have to do is shut up.

You want a good offense, you better have good hitters. If you expect a hitting coach to make mediocre or bad hitters good major league hitters at this point, there isn't a person in the world who can make that happen. Walker was the hitting coach when the team had a really good offense, and a really poor offense. He was never a genius when they were good but a fool when Andy Gonzalez couldn't hit. As I stated many times before, it wasn't like hitters leaving the White Sox went on to bigger and better offensive things. Swisher did, but he didn't work with Walker. The exact same thing is going on with Robin. The Sox are 4-12 in SB. That, is all his fault. If the were 30-30, guess who wouldn't be getting any credit? It would be a Vince Coleman lovefest. Last night, Robin sent Gillaspie on a 3-2 count with Alexei up to actually try to stay out of a DP. It is a manuever every manager uses. Of course, Alexei fans and it's a easy DP. Robin is a fool. It's a clown show on the basepaths. Coaches and managers matter, but they don't make a 90 win team a 65 win team, and dont' make a 65 win team a 90 win team.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ May 6, 2015 -> 08:29 AM) No, it doesn't. A series win is just fine. It's May 6th, the Sox dont need to make up for that 5 game skid all at once. Just win these series' and they'll be right in the thick of it a month and a half from now. Exactly. A large part of the problem with the Sox play is it appears they are trying to make 3 games up in the standings almost every night. This is beyond a marathon. Every team will go into a funk, unfortunately, all we have seen from the White Sox is a funk, so many have just assumed that is what they are.

The White Sox aren't trading Robertson. BTW, the World Series bound Cubs are now just as far out of 1st place as the White Sox.

The Cubs have blown 5,4,and 3 run leads in just the last 2 games. #maddonball

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 5, 2015 -> 10:12 PM) We were also pretty unfortunate that Greene has turned into hot garbage after starting the year so well....20 ER in his last 8 IP or something like that. The first couple of innings were really shaky, we ended up with 3 official errors and made a number of other mental mistakes which could/would/should cost you the ballgame against a David Price when the margin of error is much thinner. Micah really needs to tighten things up defensively, or they need to start replacing him late in games (with a lead) with Beckham. Finally, solid start from Samardjiza after struggling early in the game. In some of his bad starts, he really fought his slider command and got behind in counts, which allowed the opposition to key in on his FB. Good bounceback win for him after the weird BALT start in front of 0 fans. Unfortunate Greene has turned into hot garbage? Your true colors show once again.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ May 5, 2015 -> 09:59 PM) He's got a pretty good and accurate arm unlike when ever Big Frank threw I'd cringe. 5-4 throw it to 2B. 5-2, just get the out. Anything goes wrong there and the tying run is at the plate. Outs are what's important. Whether the run to cut the lead to 2 is at first or second doesn't matter.

QUOTE (staxx @ May 5, 2015 -> 03:15 PM) Wouldn't surprise me if we snatched him up. It would shock me. Hahn likes catchers pitchers like to throw to. Salty isn't one of those.

The only team that sees less pitches per AB than the White Sox is KC.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ May 5, 2015 -> 02:50 PM) Am I the only one who doesn't see it as an adventure when the ball is hit towards Micah? I think he has been doing just fine at 2B (granted I wasn't able to watch this weekend) but I don't think he is the issue on defense. Gillaspie, Flowers, Avi, and Abreu are worse, IMO. I must be one of the only ones who have been happy with the play of Micah so far. I think if the other guys (vets) were hitting better, Micah would be hitting better as well. He also hasn't had a lot of AB's so far, he will only get better. He's only had one error, but he got away with a couple more. And as much as people hate Beckham, I think they even see a few that were DPs when he was playing 2B, that aren't DPs anymore. I think he will improve but he is shaky with the glove. But I don't understand the call to replace him. Rookies go through things. It would be one thing to replace him with someone who has had success at the major league level, but another rookie.......Micah hasn't played anywhere near poorly enough for that.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 5, 2015 -> 02:34 PM) IMO you don't have to be a great fielder to not make mental mistakes. You don't have to be a great fielder to do things like hit the cutoff man, perform a rundown properly, not throw the ball past your infielders all the time a-la what Danks is doing right now. I understand if a guy doesn't have great range he's not going to be a great fielder, I'm ok with that. There's a difference between "these guys are lousy defenders" and "these guys are clowns". Right now our team is clowns. For the most part, they have been hitting cut off men. Eaton airmailed one, but OFs throwing the ball home usually have no shot if you try to hit the cutoff man, unless the 3B coach is sending a guy just to send him. If it is going to be close, throwing it at the cutoff man is a concession. So airmailing it really isn't as bad as it looks as long as the chance is legit. It is bad if there is really not a legit chance of throwing out the runner. Rundowns.........every single team has trouble with rundowns. They also have been really unlucky with some short hops. Gillaspie has booted balls, Abreu, Micah, Avi, it is always going to be an adventure when it is hit towards these guys.

I still don't understand White Sox fans' fascination with trying to be the first to declare the White Sox season dead. It's not even warm yet. There is so much excitement and so much overblown when someone gets 2 hits the first week of spring training, but now the team has a horrific week in more ways than one, and that's that. Season is over. Everyone must be fired. They were 0-5 last week. If they were 2-3, they would be 10-12 and while not very good, not season is over material. So that is 2 freaking games, and there are 140 left to play.

QUOTE (flavum @ May 5, 2015 -> 02:09 PM) The 5/27 game in Toronto has been changed to 11:37am because the White Sox are traveling to Baltimore after the game. Not sure if that's a scheduling rule, or if the Jays are being cool. Either way, that's a good thing for the Sox. Canadians are known to be polite.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:45 PM) I think Carlos Sanchez is probably a 1 to 1.5 WAR player. I don't think he's any great shakes. What I do know is that he will catch the ball and occasionally save a run with his glove. Sounds pretty damn good to me after this s*** show defense the past few years. He's booted the ball around in Charlotte, but I would agree he is better defensively than Micah, at least now. But the guy has a .507 BABIP, and that is what is causing the cries for his call up. Micah will adjust and get better. The problem with most rookies is they struggle at times. His ceiling is much higher than Sanchez's, which I am sure is why he is here and Carlos is in Charlotte. If Sanchez was up and the same Sanchez we saw last September, and Micah was in Charlotte with a .507 BABIP, you and everyone else who wants Sanchez starting, would want Micah starting. There would be nothing about how much he has played above A ball. Sanchez's offensive numbers are out of whack and not sustainable. He is, by almost every evaluation out there, a future utility infielder.

If Rick Hahn found another GM as high on Carlos Sanchez as a few here, he would be insane not to trade him.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:21 PM) The difference is that Sanchez put up, in a full AAA season, a 111 wRC+ -- as one of the youngest players in the league. Micah Johnson, at 2 full year years ahead of Micah in age, struggled majorly in AAA at the dish. This doesn't even mention the huge defensive upgrade that Sanchez brings over Micah. Sanchez is two years younger than Micah. I'm really not sure why that hardly ever gets mentioned. It's a clear point in Sanchez' favor. I will ask this question: would any other org other than the Sox have promoted Micah this spring over Sanchez? I imagine the Royals wouldn't even have had a decision to make. The Sox don't value defense and they over value raw speed. It's been obvious for almost a decade. The White Sox have overvalued raw speed for almost a decade? Now that is funny.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:15 PM) Combine that with errors / runs added and how much does that change our record. I said it all off-season, the lil things were going to play a significant factor in the outcome of this season and thus far, the Sox have stunk up the joint in those areas. Most of us knew, and you obviously mentioned it, defense was going to be a problem. I think most of us bought the Vince Coleman kool aid and figured the baserunning would be better, but it's been a bad decision after another bad decision, by baserunners and 3rd base coaches. Hopefully, it is because they were struggling and it was an ill-fated attempt to make things happen, and when things get more normalized and 2 runs a game isn't standard, they can relax a bit and make better decisions. There is no question this team is wound tight, and people can put that on Robin, but there is only so much you can do. They know the record. They see their stats on the board at games. Adam Eaton seems to try to hit the ball 600 feet at times. Hopefully a couple of decent games in a row can end all of that.

QUOTE (Lillian @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:17 PM) As I said; Sanchez is not going to be the savior. The point is that there should be an open competition for that job, and Carlos has done all he can to win it. Of course, one of the two is going to be disappointed. That's tough. Get over it. Micah can spend some time in AAA, where he has not yet had a full season, and reward Carlos for his outstanding effort. It shouldn't be that hard for Micah to appreciate that his teammate has earned a shot. Here is another thing to consider. Johnson's role is to bat 9TH and try to get on and steal some bases. He isn't getting on base often enough to be the difference maker, that he will hopefully become. Sanchez can play a much important role, as the number 2 hitter, where he has been most of the time. There, his switch hitting, offensive production can make more of an impact than a 9TH place hitter. He has demonstrated his ability to put the bat on the ball, from both sides of the plate. And, to reiterate, it would afford the Sox an opportunity to try to get more run production out of Melky. That is something that they sorely need. Carlos Sanchez, like Jake Elmore, is not going to be the White Sox #2 hitter.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:14 PM) The cherries you pick are so sweet. 120 PA at above average median age for the league (23) How about a much larger sample in "never been farther away from MLB" AAA: 275 .314 .370 / .684, .968 fielding percentage. Which also means AAA has never been closer to AA. And when someone says he hasn't done jack s*** above A ball, then points out Sanchez this season who has less plate appearances Micah had in what you erroneously termed cherry picking, it is easy to see why your posts can only be laughed at.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:04 PM) Dan Hirsch ‏@DanHirsch 5m5 minutes ago #White Sox have also made 14 outs on the bases (2nd most in MLB). @fangraphs has them at -4.1 runs via Ultimate Base Running Most of them are stupid, but at least a couple have probably been the result of trying to score against the odds because you really can't count on another hit. The one encouraging sign is the White Sox seem to be starting to get hits. Driving in runs is the next issue they need to tackle.

QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ May 5, 2015 -> 01:01 PM) Micah Johnson is below replacement and made a critical error in the last ball game. He certainly isn't part of the solution. You have an above average defensive 2B that has done nothing but earn a spot on this 25 man roster and instead they handed it to a guy that hasn't done jack s*** above A ball. And they wonder why guys always under perform. Maybe make them prove something in AAA first. Oh wait, Sanchez is doing just that and can't get a roster spot. s*** is f***ed up and bulls*** man. .317/.393/.830 in AA. I guess that is either jack s*** production or your knowledge is what you described his production above A ball.

It is funny the Sox are constantly criticized for rushing players, but a young guy whose OBP and OPS last year in a September call up was actually lower than Micah's ,needs to be called up, and be a difference maker.

Last night was the first time a LeBron James team never led a home playoff game.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ May 5, 2015 -> 11:18 AM) It's not this way as much anymore. Kenny Williams wanted to draft high upside athletes and Jerry Reinsdorf didn't want to spend $$ in the draft. What ends up happening is drafting the Jared Mitchell's and Keenyn Walker's of the world. The White Sox never maximized their opportunities via the draft in the mid to late 2000's and their system paid for it. But hey, they always had the cash laying around to sign guys like Juan Pierre. The White Sox gave Joe Borchard at the time, the biggest bonus in baseball history. He put up big numbers in the minors, was at one time I believe a top 15 prospect, but had as hard of a time making contact as many of the White Sox recent and current minor leaguers, and thus busted. Frankly, I have a real problem with these guys they draft or trade for that strikeout so freaking much. It's one thing to fan 100 times, but these guys are fanning against many pitchers who will never sniff the major leagues at ridiculous rates. I really think guys with 35% k rates against minor league pitching are basically telling you the future. There are exceptions, but IMO very rare. That's the reason I personally feel Hawkins and Davidson have little chance of actually ever helping the White Sox win games.