Dick Allen

QUOTE (SoxPride18 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:30 PM) So with the stunt Rios pulled tonight? How much does this affect his trade value? Optimistic, he's still a very good player. And honestly, we know a lot of hitters dog it to first. Pessimistic, Hahn will get low ball offers still, we'll be with him for another season. It certainly didn't help his value, and I don't mean the benching, I mean the loafing, but he is one guy where the reports are the offers are weak, so for them to improve, he is going to have to be really good the next 10 days. Maybe he realizes he let his teammates down tonight with his lack of effort and comes out tomorrow on fire.

QUOTE (Jake @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:32 PM) Who knows what other conversations and consequences have gone on behind closed doors that led to this. Viciedo was sat down for some curious play. To not sit Rios when it was so blatant, in a tie game, I don't think Ventura even had a choice.

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:17 PM) Yep. Any other organization could get a decent, grade B prospect for him, but not our pathetic front office. What did Toronto get for him?

Anyone complaining about Rios being pulled who ever complains about accountability ever again is totally full of s***. This isn't just about Rios, it sends a message to the other 24 players.

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:14 PM) He picked a helluva time to make a point. Great managing. So let me get this straight, the scouts in attendance didn't see him loaf, and had he remained in the game, the one AB he missed would have been so spectacular teams that really had little imterest would have started offering Hahn his choice of their prospects for Alex's services.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:17 PM) Yeah now someone may finally notice that Rios doesn't try hard 100% of the time. A lot of players dog it down the line, but that was way too blatant to let slide.

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:10 PM) If he's benched, it's a dumb move when you are trying to build a player's value. It's not that complicated. I've never had the "no one is held accountable" stance. This is a bad team. It's a talent problem, not a motivation problem. How does playing an unmotivated player build his trade value? I guarantee you, if the reports that no team was offering much for him up until now are true, his dogging it again hurt his trade value. The Sox would have been better off sitting him the entire game. Who wants a guy that costs your team a run in a tie game because he didn't try?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:11 PM) Here's a tweet from a guy named Ken Laird: "MLB Network talking about Alex Rios, analyst mentions Ozzie Guillen pulled him from multiple games in past for not running hard to 1st" I did not know that. I know he did at least once, and that is when Rios and KW almost came to blows. Ozzie benching Rios was tough because they are good buddies. It could be because KW was a common enemy.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:00 PM) I can't believe ventura would bench rios right now. Yeesh. It may get him to play harder. The BS move not running is a lot more hurtful to his tradeability than some think. Anyone that trades for him needs him to hit the ground running, not acting all disinterested and costing your team at least one run by not even half assing it.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 10:00 PM) Why you say that? Pottsburgh beat writers say no Rios to the Pirates.

Maybe getting pulled will get him to play a little harder.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 09:56 PM) I see good on base percentage. What is so great bout him, though? A 5-foot-11 shortstop? Not blasting him. Stats don't indicate special-ness. Greg your guy Ozzie was a tiny, skinny SS.

If he was traded, it wasn't to Pittsburgh.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 09:40 PM) Like 50% of players? Tie game runners on the corners, groundball to SS its bobbled yet Rios is out at first by 2 steps for the DP.He was loafing, and is most likely not playing right now because of it.

I would think if he was traded something would have come out by now.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 09:37 PM) I didn't see the play, but if people are claiming he dogged it, I'll just assume he was playing hard. People really just love to make s*** up about him. Steve Stone mentioned he didn't run.

QUOTE (Andy the Clown @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 09:32 PM) If that is true, it's about the dumbest thing Ventura could possibly do. Particularly with all the scouts in the audience. Yeah because the scouts missed him loafing. GMAFB. All year people say "no one is held accountable". Rios loafs down the line and costs the Sox a run, and if Ventura pulls him, people b****. Further proof White Sox fans will complain about everything.

If they did trade him, Hahn probably saw him loaf down the line and realized his value wasn't going to go higher.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 05:49 PM) I really hope that significant money being sent over is in consideration if it sweetens the return to a large degree. The Sox desperately need to strengthen the farm But paying $10 million for an upgrade to a B prospect doesn't make sense. The player probably won't perform as well as the guys you gave up, and you are still out significant money.

I think the Sox should ride him like they have been, then maybe in September give him a break or 2 or shut him down a little early.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 03:22 PM) Making more contact =! trying to hit for contact I think he's seeing the ball better and he's hitting the ball better, but I don't think he's trying to hit for a higher average by any stretch of the imagination. Dude, he was hitting around .160. There is no question he was trying to hit for a higher average. He's using LF a ton more than he ever has, at least as a White Sox.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 03:10 PM) I don't believe this to be true at all. If Adam Dunn started swinging for more contact, he'd still end up striking out at about a 28-30% clip and he would only hit 20 to 30 homers. If it were as simple as him trying to hit for average to cut back on his strikeouts, he would have done it a long time ago because it would make him a better player. He doesn't have good enough bat control nor speed to be able to fight pitches off like many guys do. He does have enough bat speed and strength to hit the ball 500 feet. I disagree. He has made more contact the last month and a half and everything is better across the board. April/May 195 PA 69 K 19 BB 11 IB 4 2B 12 HR June/July 165 PA 39 K 27 BB 22 1B 5 2B 12 HR The more contact Dunn makes, the more balls he will hit over the wall.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 02:57 PM) I'm not saying it will happen, but if you look at the Pirates needs and who they are up against in the NL Central, I am confident that they would have a lot of interest in possibly acquiring both Rios and Ramirez. It really doesn't matter what other teams want or value the players as, it is what the Pirates need. And Ramirez and Rios would be light years better than what they have gotten out of RF and SS thus far, most likely. Things could get especially interesting if the Pirates don't start off hot after the break and fall to 4 or 5 behind the Cards a couple days away from the deadline. Huntington might be even more willing to make a deal to since the Pirates did fall off in the second half two years in a row as well. I will believe the Pirates acquire that kind of money with 2 guys who really give you iffy production when it happens. If it were a team like the Dodgers(I know they have no spot for Rios) who are known for not being afraid to take on some cash, IMO it would be more plausible. The amount of money the White Sox would have to pay to acquire a decent prospect seems to make little sense.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Jul 19, 2013 -> 02:26 PM) So then we'd see curveballs that break 4 feet. That sounds even better, allow the pitchers to throw even more unhittable pitches. It's at least thinking outside the box, but we'd see guys striking out 300+ again. Too much break doesn't do them any good either. His reasoning was less torque on the arm to get the same break, more like the college ball results in more innings pitched, fewer DL stints, a lot of money saved.

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