Dick Allen

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 09:28 AM) Some of the battles you fight are classic. Are you really going to argue that A.J. isn't one of the most hated players in all of baseball? Come on man, we all know A.J. is one of your favorite players, but that doesn't mean you can't be objective when discussing him. By all accounts he a douchebag and a s***ty teammate. What did Guillen famously say, "When he's on your team you hate him less". I think that sums of A.J. pretty nicely. Considering Ozzie and AJ talk all the time and still occassionally go out with each other for dinner, you again are the one who can't be objective. From mlbtraderumors: •The notion that A.J. Pierzynski is bad for a team is way off-base, according to one longtime teammate who said, “He may rub people the wrong way on other teams, but if he’s your teammate, he’s great. He’s tough, loyal, can call a game, and he can hit. I wish we had him back.”

QUOTE (IowaSoxFan @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 09:23 AM) AJ is not the type that would be OK riding the pine while you were experimenting with options to be the long term solution. It is better to bring in a solid backup and give the guys in house a larger sample size to determine if they can be long term solutions. If they both fail you can go outside of the organization and find another guy to try. AJ coming in would have prevented you from being able to do that or would have caused some major locker room issues if you sign him and don't play him enough. How much do you have to see to determine if a guy is a "long-term" solution? Does anyone really think Flowers or Phegley are legitimately full time catchers in the major leagues?

It is incredible how many Rule 5 and non-tender guys are popular around here. There usually is a reason these guys fall into that category.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 09:12 AM) By making sure that when we go into next offseason we have exactly the same problem as we have now, Phegley and Flowers who are too good for AAA but who haven't produced in long stints in the big leagues. Except Flowers is a year more expensive. I don't understand. Signing a guy like AJ shows the White Sox realize neither Phegley or Flowers are cut out to be regular catchers. At least their regular catchers. They probably realize this already. Signing Flowers was a formality. It is low cost, and they can waive him in spring training and pay him pennies to go away, or trade him for someone else's hot garbage if he hasn't shown improvement. He has proven in the past to be a capable back up. Chances are the Sox long-term catching question isn't going to be solved this offseason, and probably next offseason or the off season after that. Sometimes you just have to buy yourself some time.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 08:43 AM) The point is that you are looking for a long term solution. You are discussing semantics, which, ok, I guess. You would bring in AJ Pierzynski only to deal him at the deadline. For what he gave this franchise, I think that's a huge slap in the face. It would also take quite a time convincing him to come in using that pitch. More likely is that AJ never had any interest in re-signing with the Sox, regardless of their interest level (which was still probably nil) The point is, unless you already have him, you aren't going to acquire a guy who is going to be your catcher for 5 to 10 years. Playing guys that don't belong in the major leagues because they are in their 20s and theoretically can still be in the major leagues in 10 years just based on age is crazy. How many teams have had the same primary catcher the last 5 years? Stopgaps are used by just about everyone.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 08:15 AM) This is great news. No idea why you guys wanted to settle for a one year stopgap before the Winter Meetings even start. To me, that is the much "weirder" part of the fanbase. Weird is starting a thread about Lou Marson

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Dec 3, 2013 -> 08:19 AM) Yes. He was a fan favorite, but bringing him back would have been a move looking backwards. The Sox need to find a catcher that they can play for the next 5-10 years. Bringing back Pierzynski gives them, at the very most, 2 years, and you end up doing it 1 year at a time. It's just not smart business. I love AJ and have a deep appreciation for what he brought to the franchise for 8 years, but he was just not a viable solution looking forward. Not a lot of teams have a guy they can say with any confidence will be their catcher the next 5-10 years. You are lucky if you get a guy for 3 or 4.

No surprise. AJ is really good buddies with Big Papi from their Minnesota days. The myth that everyone hates AJ will continue.

QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 07:30 PM) JIM BOWDEN ‏@JimBowdenESPNxm 1h Nats trade Krol, Lombardozzi and minor leaguer for Doug Fister according to sources Unless the minor leaguer is a stud, I can't see why Detroit couldn't have received more somewhere else. They must need the money.

Fister to Washington

QUOTE (Jake @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 05:39 PM) I don't see any reason to think Arencibia will be anything but bad and the most frustrating kind of bad at that. At least when Phegley is the worst batter in baseball, you hardly notice him -- one swing and he's outta there He is one of those guys who inexplicably could put up some really good numbers some season, but I agree with the poster who basically said the Sox already have Tyler Flowers. They don't need his twin.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 02:33 PM) Arencibia to be non-tendered if not traded in the next 24 hours. http://games.espn.go.com/ffl/clubhouse?lea...p;seasonId=2013 He has about 8.5 hours to be tendered.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 01:51 PM) Maybe 30 years ago. Now he is just a mockery of his old self. Is he on anymore? It's been a while since I listened to it. I actually won a Tivo by answering some trivia back when they first came out. I think that was around when I lost touch with his show.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 01:42 PM) When they talk to professionals it is pretty good. That's why I always like Coppock on Sports.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 01:26 PM) Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan 5m Confirming @Ken_Rosenthal and @JonHeymanCBS reports of Scott Kazmir agreeing to two-year deal with A's. Money will be more than $16M total. That is insane.

QUOTE (Jillian Michaels' Abs @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 11:32 AM) Tyler Flowers minor league numbers: .275/.391/.484/.876 Carlos Perez isn't an every day major league catcher and will be terrible if the Sox expect him to produce better than, or even the same level as, Phegley or Flowers. So ya, let us just forget about this awful idea. I wouldn't say it's an awful idea, but counting on any Rule 5 guys to be anything other than guys offered back to the organizations they were drafted from is beyond a reach anymore. But, if he's available and the Sox scouts think he has a chance to stick, the worst case scenerio costs the Sox 25k, but they get a solid look. You never know with catchers. This guy is still only 23.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 10:30 AM) Yes, they had a 2 and 1 and a 3rd and 1, ran two times between the tackles, which the defense was expecting, and it didn't work. I guess what we're saying is that there are other plays that can be called which aren't necessarily risky plays, but aren't so vanilla that you can just throw 9 people in the box and shut them down, either. We as a team, and Forte in particular, are very good at running outside. We also have two huge receivers that are willing and able to go over the middle on quick slants, and also are good at preventing dbs from getting position on said slant plays, and are also good at batting balls down. Yes, he probably makes that kick 8 or 9 times out of 10, but this is the time he missed, and that's why you don't make that decision there. If you really think you and others on here know obvious plays that will no doubt work for yardage and Trestman doesn't, it's time for the Fire Trestman thread. Without a doubt if he called for one of these so called slants and the pass was tipped and picked off, the experts who now say that would have worked would have been saying, "they were in obvious FG range, why are they taking any chances? It's Monday morning. If whatever he called worked, he is a genius. If it didn't, it was foolish.

The only 2 FG attempts Robbie Gould has missed in Minnesota during his ENTIRE career, occurred yesterday, and one was a 66 yd attempt that was right on line. Looking back, kicking on 2nd down seems odd, but where is the guarantee they would have picked up yards. Didn't the Bears have 2nd and 1 late in regulation, where a first down would have probably iced it and they failed? I actually like Lovie a lot better than most. But I can't fault Trestman for kicking. I think most of us were shocked when it went wide.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 2, 2013 -> 09:40 AM) From 30-39 yards, Gould has made 90.5% of his career field goal tries. From 40-49 yards, Gould has made 72.2 % of his career field goal tries. That is a very significant difference and settling for such a long field goal on 2nd down was an awful decision. If it were outside with some wind, I would agree with you. But in a dome, it was just a bad kick. I guess you could figure Gould's entire day and guess he had to be close to out of gas, but again, teams usually kick it on 3rd down when they have a fairly straight forward FG in OT to win, so really you were looking at the next play to pick up significant yardage and the call would probably have been conservative. Plus, the amount of penalties the Bears have been racking up comes into play.

I don't think sending them out for a 47 yard fg attempt indoors with the 2nd most accurate kicker in NFL history doing the kicking is really that crazy even if it was 2nd down. They probably line up for a kick on 3rd down anyway in case of some sort of screw up, so the 2nd down play is probably going to be a very conservative call and a yard or 2 in perfect weather conditions at that distance doesn't make much of a difference.

I am not sold on Hughes and Nolasco making a huge difference, but Hughes should be helped immediately by moving out of the Bandbox known as Yankee Stadium. His career ERA is almost a run lower on the road and he gives up about half as many homers.

There is a Tribune column today and the author was on the Cubs season ticket waiting list. He checked his number in September and saw he was in the 18,000s. He got the call about availability the other day. The Cubs rep said the expect to go through over 20k on the waiting list this year. Even the CuBs fans get sick of losing. Theo better be right, and they better have a stable of studs or they just pissed away an almost unreal situation.

QUOTE (staxx @ Nov 30, 2013 -> 12:19 PM) they just clarified on-air that because it was in the first half, they can play next week I have never understood trying to punch someone with a helmet and a facemask. Seems to me you have a better chance of hurting yourself more than them.

Do these ejections carry over at all to the next game? It could hurt OSU for the Championship game.

QUOTE (staxx @ Nov 30, 2013 -> 11:29 AM) I was surprised by that too, thought for sure it would be sold out. There is no doubt it is. It is just a late arriving crowd or Michigan fans refusing to sell to OSU fans and would rather eat it.