Dick Allen

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 8, 2014 -> 08:39 AM) I was going to say that too. You won't get any though. It's like the strange "defense" of Greg Walker. No one ever actually defended him or thought he was good, just people like to argue and talk in circles. Same with RV. Players like playing for him. Sale,Abreu, Eaton, Beckham all on the DL this year. Johnson and Paulino train wrecks, and a team a lot of the Ventura haters said had no chance at the playoffs with a full roster, still have a shot. The fact that you are still pissed off they are losing and not the "good fans" we are supposed to be not caring if they lose so their draft pick is higher, shows he is doing a job. There is a fight in this team.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 8, 2014 -> 08:25 AM) I actually don't remember a lot of hemming and hawing about that decision. After the game he was a total idiot.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 8, 2014 -> 08:19 AM) Had Ventura brought in a reliever and Trout took him deep, this board would have melted down. "How dare you take out the best pitcher in the league! " You don't have to go back very far to see that. Robin was an idiot to bring his closer into a 3-0 game in the 9th with John Danks pitching. An absolute idiot.

So Sale was at 108 pitches when he faced Trout who had not had much success against him, so he should have been yanked. Is there any doubt Ventura would have been considered an idiot if he had yanked Sale and Petricka gave up the HR?

QUOTE (scs787 @ Jun 8, 2014 -> 12:57 AM) Flip Saunders not exactly saying the right things to keep Love around. "He has no right to be frustrated"....Not something I'd publicly say if you're trying to keep your star player around. Love is out of there. I heard yesterday, probably by the end of draft night.

Morales is one guy to keep an eye on. With Paulie and Dunn leaving after this season, he could be a nice replacement. The guy didn't exactly choose a hitter's paradise to come back to play in, so that could cost him some money in the offseason. But he has to show something, obviously.

Albert said he tipped it so the umps said OK. Then he ks. Cheater's proof.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 03:21 PM) Oh man. It didn't help one guy. No one should ever practice again. You get to a point of no return. Garcia has been playing the OF for at least 7 professional seasons. If he hasn't improved at all by now, chances are he isn't going to ever be much more than average which was the original point.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 03:11 PM) FYI, they typically include a clause in these contracts that the team would pay for their college education if they don't pan out. That is true, although they rarely pay it. Shawon Dunston had to sue the Cubs to get his tuition money.

Getting more reps hasn't helped Alejandro De Aza.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:58 PM) I'm trying to think if I was Spencer Adams if I would take the payday, spend 3 great years of my life in buses across the minor leagues, or if I would go to college with the potential of getting a 5 million payday by waiting. Tough call. You can always go back to college. If in 3 or 4 years it doesn't work out, he won't be creepy old for the ladies and he should have some of that signing bonus left. And if he is going to be a guy who would be a top 3 or 4 pick in 3 years, he should then develop nicely in the minor leagues and be a lot further along on his way to a really big pay day.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:25 PM) Jose Abreu is my response. Specifically, for the first couple weeks of the season, Abreu's footwork at 1b was on the verge of getting his ankle broken every time he received a throw. IIRC it led to an error/run scoring in Colorado or something like that. Jose Abreu is 26 and has been playing 1b longer than Garcia has played by several years, but in all that time, no one had ever coached him how to correctly plant his feet while taking throws at 1b. After that error, suddenly the next couple days he was doing it correctly. He got coaching and suddenly improved. That's a great example of a raw player who has played baseball all his life and still makes simple mistakes. And how is a coach going to help Avi get a better jump, or judge balls off the bat? Footwork at 1B and what Avi struggles with in the OF are quite different.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:24 PM) Avi has the tools to be a plus outfielder but his instincts are atrocious. He'll never be more than average at best. This is how I feel. I don't know of any coach who can really improve what Avi lacks. He does have tools which can make him average, but like you said, his instincts are so bad, average is about what we can reasonably hope for.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 02:17 PM) Avi has good speed but should also be regarded as extremely raw/inexperienced on defense. He has the tools to be a plus defender but he needs a lot of experience and coaching before he ever pulls that off. That is one big reason why him losing this entire season is such a downer. Why should he be considered raw/inexperienced on defense? He's been playing baseball all his life. There are plenty of players who have played even fewer games than he has who fared far better defensively.

With the numbers crunch on big league rosters now, considering how many pitcher/hitters there are in HS and college, I'm kind of surprised there really isn't anyone doing both at least in the minors. I think there is time to get your work in doing both, and there are defintiely guys that have the talent to do it.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 01:00 PM) So not only do they go under slut but they get a guy who has handled Rodon's balls, my god what a pick. Hahn is KILLING IT. Hahn's killing it is paling in comparison to your killing it. You're on a roll. Keep up the fine work.

QUOTE (The Ultimate Champion @ Jun 6, 2014 -> 12:45 PM) Fry sounds like a lefty specialist prospect with the upside of a setup man. Will ditch the curve, develop the slider, focus on the change in the Sox system. Hopefully he will sign well under slut. I like the pick in that it looks like a useful player, but I'd have rather punted the ball 4th down instead of 3rd. Oh well, Sox understand the demands of their top 2 more than any of us do, and if they feel they will need the $$$ then good move, do whatever you have to do to get Rodon & Adams signed. Most of these college and HS guys will go under slut any chance they get. I know I did at that age.

Just to keep things in perspective, since 2001, prior to today, 4 of the White Sox 14 3rd round picks made it to the major leagues, and they have a combined WAR of 1.2. 1.1 of that is Addison Reed. So really, we are looking at lottery tickets from here on out.

I don't know how a 2nd round pick that hasn't pitched above HS can possibly be on a top 10 list at this time. That is either crazy, or the Sox current prospects are even worse than we thought.

He is Cuban. The Sox had to take him.

I just blew goo

This is about as perfect as i could have hoped. Rodon please Mr. Hahn.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 06:13 PM) Aiken would have given Davidson a real go in the hair department. He'd probably fan him 4 times too.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 5, 2014 -> 05:31 PM) If they truly believe Rodon is a future ace, then I'm fine with them risking most of their draft on him. I read a review of the Cubs draft a few years ago with Baez, and they missed on almost all of their picks after him. If he ends up a perennial all-star, then I would say they had a good draft. When the Sox selected McDowell, Ventura and Thomas the rest of those drafts were basically nothing.if the Sox draft Rodon and he turns into a star, they had a great draft.

Word is Kolek is up to 270 lbs.