Dick Allen

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 02:34 PM) Luckily Rodon covered multiple innings last night or the pen might be in trouble. Everyone else should be available. Stupid Robin left him out there to die. Had him throw 60 pitches. He should be a starter.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 02:33 PM) 1 more inning max it looks like unfortunately. Who pitches the 6th? Petricka or Putnam I would guess.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 02:29 PM) If Davidson continues to hit and gets back to what made everyone excited we got him, I think he will be better then Conor and Beckham. Good luck with that. He is still a strikeout machine, and AAA isn't what it used to be. Look at the rest of the Charlotte Knights averages.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 02:24 PM) I know Beckham has played pretty well so far but we really can't rely on him to keep that up at all. We need someone though, hopefully Davidson continues to swing the ball well You can't rely on Beckham, but hopefully Davidson? If Matt Davidson is playing 3B for the White Sox, they are playing out the string.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 02:04 PM) Playing with fire The good news is Cleveland has been pathetic offensively. Probably worse than the White Sox.With Rayburn on the pine, that is another less worry for the White Sox.

I look at the gamecast, and most called strikes don't appear to be in the zone, and when they put it in the zone, they are called balls. I'm guessing it's a bit off. No umpire can miss this many.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 01:53 PM) Teams often request day games for get away games all season. I was thinking that, but they play in Detroit Friday. Maybe they will go back to Cleveland. Seems the better call would be to stay in Chicago another day.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 01:47 PM) On the subject of attendance, why the hell are there so many day games so far? Weather for the first three. I am guessing this one Cleveland requested be played in the day.Actually Cleveland is off tomorrow. It's probably weather related too.

QUOTE (DashFan @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 01:30 PM) What did Abreu say before the game? Just that they had to play more as a group etc. He is trying to be a leader.

Make some comments before the game, back it up with a blast. I guess the thought of his home run total dropping is a bit premature.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 01:07 PM) https://mobile.twitter.com/ESPNChiSox/statu...931903903096832 Sox are 29th in total attendance (lol 5 games) and 27th in average. The average is a bit scary because the 5 games should only greatly increase that due to one of those games being opening day. Yes but you are also using April games for the other 4, traditionally some of the least attended affairs. Sox attendance will be better than last even if they lose the rest of the games on the schedule.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 01:01 PM) Q was turned around, but unless something clicks for him again it's not looked for him this year. His 2 bad starts indicate to me he is done. Oh well.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 12:44 PM) Sarcasm. You just posted Paulo Orlando as a guy the Sox developed. You are so crazy about the Royals, and this guy's triples, you don't even realize he is a 30 year old rookie who is about to stumble.

QUOTE (Condor13 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 12:33 PM) BC they coddle pitchers. I am not saying it is, just something to ponder. The Sox have not developed any pitcher or position player worth note other then Sale. Why is that? If they have been so awful the last 10 years and don't seem to be doing anything to make themselves better, why do you continue to pay attention?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 21, 2015 -> 10:01 PM) Mike Moustakas is raking against everyone right now, righties and lefties...if he's anything like he was once hyped to be (see 2014 playoffs, along with Hosmer), that team just became even more dangerous. This time, all they had to do was get a single, insert Dyson as a pinch runner and let him and Orlando start the track meet around the bases....almost nothing the opponents can do to stop them. Herrera out? Simple, go to Frasor, Chris Young and Wade Davis to close it out. Can't wait for them to get back Hochevar and Medlen...yikes. Of course, it IS the Twins. Let's see if they can do the same against the Tigers in DET. Thanks Kap. Isn't there a Royals based site you could get all giddy with other Royals fans?

QUOTE (ptatc @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 11:50 AM) This is true to a point. You need to take into consideration that the player always thinks he did the correct thing. Look at football. How many times does a receiver insist he caught the ball and wants a replay, when to replay clearly shows the ball touched the ground. The only way to truly handle it is to have enough people reviewing the play so that the manager has enough information to challenge it. How many people would rip Lovie Smith's decisions to challenge play just because they were important play? His success rate was one of the worst in the league. Now, the difference between the two is Lovie cost his team timeouts with poor decisions which really effects the game later on, where Robin doesn't have this penalty. And when Eaton told Robin the ball hit him on the hand, the challenge didn't work. It might have, and probably did hit his hand. The fact is, no matter how much Alexei claims he tagged him, if the replay guys see the same thing the guy reviewing the play sees, if they see a miss, the challenge isn't going to work. The big fail IMO is the actual replays and that is on the league. Both teams should look at the exact same thing the guy reviewing the play would be looking at. Nothing more, nothing less.

As for Thome, posters used to complain back in the day when Ozzie started him vs. LHP.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 11:11 AM) To the last few replies: Hey, just because I was wrong in suggesting someone else, does not invalidate my point. My ability to identify the right guy has nothing to do with this issue. I'm not the GM. I'm glad that Robin is batting La Roche further down, vs. left handed starters. However, vs right handed starters, the same dilemma will occur late in games. I don't understand the logic. You are going from extreme to extreme and now think you shouldn't bat a guy clean up because he may not be able to hit a loogy that comes in during the 7th or 8th inning very well? There are relievers on every team that give most hitters trouble. You couldn't construct a line up based on 8th or 9th inning match ups.

QUOTE (KG#1 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 10:55 AM) Well of course Rodon isn't complaining to the media, he might complain to family/friends, but he isn't going to openly say something like that. And the plan is a good one, just one he may have to adjust to. And my defense was not that Below is good... I just know that a pitcher who used to being a starter was turned into a reliever and didn't like it. I'm sure he adjusted but at first he didn't like it. And you are right, he should be happy to get into the majors again and he probably wouldn't care how he got there. I doubt he is complaining to family and friends. He has an innings issue, and this is a way to address it. He also knows major league jobs are precious, and would rather be in a major league bullpen than starting in Charlotte.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 10:49 AM) Adam La Roche is 35 years old. This isn't likely to improve. Here is what he hit vs. LHP last year, and the year before: AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS 137 13 28 3 0 5 16 0 0 15 43 .204 .284 .336 .620 131 11 26 6 0 3 12 1 0 9 38 .198 .254 .313 .566 81 strike outs in 268 at bats (33%) and an OBP well under .300. I'm sorry, but you simply can't have a clean up hitter hitting that poorly, vs. LHP. The opposing manager will go to the pen, for a LOOGY, every time he comes up, with men on base, in a close game, after the 6TH inning. Let them go to a LOOGY every time. Avi is either going to get that LOOGY, or they are going to be running out of pitchers quickly. The White Sox did what you wanted. They went out and got a middle of the order LH hitter. One who actually hits lefties far better than the LH hitter you were clamouring for, yet, you are complaining.

QUOTE (KG#1 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 10:37 AM) Alright, I didn't bother to look up the stats, just wanted to point out the Bryant situation that you pointed out and that Condor mentioned were completely different things. So Rodon has experience, but maybe its just a situation he isn't comfortable with. A buddy of mine is friends with Duane Below (former Tiger player), he said Below absolutely hated pitching in relief because he was used to being a starter. Just something Rodon needs to get used to until they make him a starter. Rodon isn't complaining about relieving. Neither is his agent. In fact, Boras complimented the White Sox on their plan. Of course Carlos Rodon is no Duane Below. Duane Below should be happy to get into a major league game any way the team wants.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 10:11 AM) The small sample size, this early in the season, should give us confidence that most of these players will eventually hit close to their career norms. La Roche however, has not been productive vs. LHP, for a few years now. At his age, and given his recent history, it would seem unrealistic to expect him to suddenly start hitting lefties. Of course, a lot of teams have hitters who struggle vs. lefties, or vice versa. The point is that we are talking about our clean up hitter. Moreover, we were hoping that this was going to be more than just an average team. This was supposed to be a well constructed team, that would compete. "Not so much". So we should have confidence most will hit near their career norms except LaRoche. The good news is if you don't think LaRoche will ever hit lefties is that there are only about 1 in 5 pitchers who are lefties. VS. LHP .222/.308/.675 .239/.297/.716 The top guy is the guy you posted over and over about how the Sox needed to sign him because they needed a LH hitter so badly, and you plugged him into the 4 spot. The guy on the bottom you have already written off after 13 games saying he can't hit clean up because he can't hit lefties. I know the losses suck, and some people go way overboard, but you usually do not. Until now.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 10:12 AM) What a beautiful day for baseball I was on the bus to work, and suddenly it looked like a blizzard outside. It only lasted a minute or so, but it was crazy.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 09:48 AM) http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/han...tric/order/true Markakis, Snider, Aoki, Ike Davis, Adam Lind, Kendrys Morales and Ben Zobrist., Dexter Fowler..those are the only realistic names here. We werent in a position to go after Heyward. The White Sox had the second best offer for Heyward. He hits lefties worse than LaRoche. Abreu has been equally as bad vs. LH as LaRoche this season. I'm guessing that won't continue, but it is funny how much crap LaRoche gets, and Jose, zero.

QUOTE (DashFan @ Apr 22, 2015 -> 09:04 AM) That would've meant putting Carlos in a situation he was familiar with. I'm sure Bryant has hit in the middle of the order most of his career. Carlos starting a game would've been a lot of pressure, but at least a good familiar situation for him to get his start in the majors. Bringing Carlos into a high leverage situation when he has never worked out of the 'pen is not like having Bryant hit fourth. Rodon has pitched with men on base before. Again, he started the next inning when the game wasn't really on the line anymore and gave up 2 runs. It kind of ruins the theory that the men on base was the thing that bothered him.