Dick Allen

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2014 -> 04:06 PM) Paulino is a lottery ticket. He won't be around for the next run. The idea is to try to hit it rich with him. If he does well, and we aren't having a good season, he goes to get us more top notch depth in the minors. If he doesn't, he cost a million dollars more than the rookie who would have been on the roster instead. In no way, shape, or form is what Paulino does anywhere relevant to a full dollar, long term contracted, starting pitcher on the free agent market. This is a page out of the Theo and Billy handbook. It is a no risk signing. It is nothing like throwing a multi-year, eight figure per season, contract at someone. Any comparisons like that are false equivalencies and non sequitors. I understand the concept, what I don't understand is if you think a guy like Jimenez is only going to regress because he is over 30, how you can possibly believe a guy a year older than him who has pitched 37 innings the last 2 seasons, is suddenly going to be better and healthier than he ever has been.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 24, 2014 -> 03:26 PM) Assuming health though, you'd expect better than 5 innings a start. 150 innings over 32 starts is less than 5 innings a start It would really be doubtful he makes 32 starts.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 24, 2014 -> 03:14 PM) Johnson threw 169 innings last year between the minors and the big leagues. Unless he gets hurt, the team should absolutely aim to throw hi for 175+ to condition his arm so that he's ready to go 200+ innings next year on a competitive team. Better hitters, more stressful pitching, probably means shorter outings. While he may be capable of pitching a lot of innings physically, it doesn't mean it is going to happen.

Why is signing over 30 year old pitchers a bad idea, yet so many expect an over 30 pitcher who has pitched a combined 37 innings the last 2 years to suddenly set a career high in IP?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2014 -> 01:04 PM) From my understanding they're currently safe if they don't spend any additional money beyond 10-days. They can sign people to 10-day contracts but not for the full season. They could have more room if Gibson and Noah don't earn bonuses in their contracts, but both guys seem on their way to doing so. KC said eventually they will be able to sign someone for the remainder of the season. He didn't, however, say when that would be.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 23, 2014 -> 08:58 AM) Stone gives sabermetric stats their due when he can. He doesn't dismiss them, make up his own unquantifiable statistic and then go on MLB Network to argue with a sabermetric friendly analyst about it. Really? I have never heard him site one. I have heard him rip them on outlets other than White Sox telecasts as well, and when he is talking about starting pitchers, he does emphasize wins.

For all the grief given to Hawk about advanced metrics, Stone has a pretty similar view. I cannot recall he being dissed by it.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 02:14 PM) I think that's smart. Avoid the unified chorus of boos day 1; can't have a sold out park with everybody over the age of 8 booing in unison and setting the tone for the year. Our FO is really smart and sometimes I'm amazed at some of our instances of forethought. If the White Sox are afraid to play Dunn because he will get booed, Marty and TUC are right, they should just release him. He is going to be booed on opening day whether he plays or not.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 02:53 PM) Deliberate? Like the butcher who backed into a meat grinder and got a little behind in his work?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 12:46 PM) I don't think it's far-fetched to assume that major shifts in workout, routine, and conditioning would have a detrimental impact to the health of a pitcher's arm. He made it through 2012 and 2013 and now is on the same routine. I think it would be very far-fetched to say if he had been a starter in 2010-2011 he wouldn't have been injured if he goes down at this point. If you want to say his relieving contributed to his discomfort in 2012, that could make some sense, but most pitchers do go through a lot of pain and dead arm periods throughout every season, even if they have been starters their entire lives. Sale is always going to be an injury concern. It probably is the only reason he is even a White Sox. But you never know when. It could be 10 years from now, it could be tomorrow. Even guys with classic deliveries go down.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 12:18 PM) He then struggled with arm soreness and tiredness through his entire 2012 campaign and, when he first complained about arm soreness in early May, the management immediately, publicly said he was going to take over the closer's role permanently and stay there. He then repeatedly that season dealt with "tired arm" issues and velocity drops and I'm just continuing to hope there's no long-term damage. Are you saying that in your opinion he definitely wouldn't have had these issues had he not relieved? I think it would be far fetched to think any injury from here on out had to do with his being in the bullpen in 2010-2011.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 12:08 PM) And in my opinion, the White Sox came within inches of completely ruining Chris Sale entirely by putting him in the bullpen. The only reason they didn't was that he refused to go back to the pen. His first 79 appearances in a White Sox uniform were from the bullpen. There is no basis for your argument.

They run out the entire team during intros on Opening Day. I really doubt Paulie gets a token start, but as mentioned, it wouldn't be a big deal if he did.

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 10:31 AM) The Cardinals interest has me scratching my head a little. They just signed Peralta, traded Freese so that they could get Wong in the lineup, and now they are looking at this guy? I think he ends up in the AL East with the Yanks or Jays with the Phillies being a sleeper. I just wonder if this guy is any good. His OPS in the Cuban League dropped off about 100 points from around 800 to 700, and he led the league in errors. He has generated interest from a lot of teams, but I doubt he signs for much. He has Betancourt Jr. at best written all over him.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 10:31 AM) We are likely facing a righty though. Then Paulie will be riding pine assuming everyone is healthy.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 09:12 AM) I think he played a couple games in LF last year, too. He wasn't brutal if I remember correctly. But, it seems silly to state that he's going to get time in the outfield because there's a logjam at 1st when there's a logjam in the outfield, too. Unless Viciedo or De Aza is traded, those guys should be patrolling that corner over Dunn. Dunn should be DHing and playing the very occasional 1st base...primarily against righties. But it doesn't add to the logjam. It just creates another possibility. It isn't like Dunn is going to be out there an extended time. If he's going well, it's another place to put him. I also think the roster will be different by opening day.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 20, 2014 -> 09:51 PM) Abreu will start. Konerko unfortunately will too because White Sox. Yeah, it would be so White Sox to have Konerko and his .900 + OPS start against LHP, relegating Dunn to the bench against the lefties he doesn't hit. The horror.

Dunn has played the OF for the White Sox in 2011 and 2012.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 21, 2014 -> 08:03 AM) And, as you can probably expect, I totally, fundamentally disagree with this concept. I think its the exact opposite of how you should break a starting pitcher into the big leagues, I think it hurts more guys than it helps, and I think it's only a special player who can do that without serious problems. The White Sox most successful homegrown starters broke in as bullpen arms. Buehrle and Sale. Facing major league hitters, able to pick their spots is an advantage. Rienzo isn't in their class. He most likely is a bullpen arm, and most likely not an 8th or 9th inning guy. In the minors, let him start until he wears out. At the major league level, I think it's a little different. You have to be realistic. If Rienzo was a stud prospect, sure start him. He's not a stud prospect.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 20, 2014 -> 03:03 PM) Turner is trash but anything is better than Granger. Going to be fun when he's bought out and goes to Miami. Just wait until Gar/Pax pick him up for next season.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Feb 20, 2014 -> 02:10 PM) Is this the one you're thinking of? Justin Maxwell from the Astros. http://m.mlb.com/video/v22185601/ That was it. Pretty impressive for a game.

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Feb 20, 2014 -> 01:41 PM) I think it was Garfein that tweeted that Garcia hit the front of the fundamentals deck last year in BP. I don't think that's ever been done in a game as the only two guys we've had that kind of power have been left handed (Thome, Dunn). Frank certainly would have hit it a couple times had it been there during his prime. That takes big time power. Garcia, Abreu and Viciedo have that kind of power but like you said, Garcia just doesn't get the ball in the air enough and Tank seems to hit either ropes that just get over the fence or insanely high fly ball homeruns. I was at a game either last season or the season before where someone, I think on the Royals, hit one into the last section of the club level down the LF line. Supposedly in BP, Barry Bonds hit one down the RF line in the upper deck that went into the last exit. Even roided up, that is quite a poke.

Supposedly in BP Garcia hits the ball as far as Dunn. His problem is during games he hits groundballs at the same rate as slap hitters, and doesn't get on base via anything but a hit very often. If he can get the ball in the air, he could be a huge power guy, but that is easier said than done.

They put a huge amount of toppings on their slices. I wonder if the ballpark version will be a little skimpier.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 20, 2014 -> 11:44 AM) Timo Perez is wearing a White Sox World Series ring. I don't understand your point. That, because he won a World Series, his $300 million contract is suddenly justified? That's absolutely ridiculous logic. You are the worst. I *NEVER* said people are done at 30. I implied that players in the early to mid 30s tend to be more injury prone. Are you going to disagree with that? I'm not going to bother responding to anything else before you respond to that. If you disagree that players in the early to mid 30s are more injury prone, then you are doing nothing but trolling at this point, which is a suspendable offense. That is a personal attack. You should be suspended. I would like a moderator to explain why it is not a personal attack if you are not.