Dick Allen

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 8, 2013 -> 01:08 PM) Part of the Blue Jays motivation to do that though was that they were having to cut salary due to the enormous extension they gave to Vernon Wells and the fact that any other GM in the league would have to be a complete idiot to ever take that contract on. Obviously the Sox don't have to get rid of him, but regardless, it isn't likely they will be able to get a significant prospect for him now. They eventually did find the complete idiot, and he is no longer a GM.

When Rios came to the Sox, he was basically having the same year in Toronto that he is having now, and all the Blue Jays got for him was salary relief. The question will be do the Sox want to pay him to play here the rest of this year or next, because the return probably isn't going to be a highly rated prospect.

The role is playing very infrequently. While Wise isn't a regular player, chances ar Tekotte isn't developing into anything useful. Wise could be useful as a respected veteran helping the younger guys. He seems to be highly thought of by his teammates.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jul 8, 2013 -> 09:20 AM) Always be willing to eat salary if it gets you better talent in return. You aren't adding to your payroll at all in 2013 and probably not very much in 2014 so there's not much point in saving money for those two years. Now if somebody is interested in Danks or Ramirez then I'm a little more hesitant to eat any of their money in 2015-16. Being willing to eat salary also brings more teams into the bidding. It depends on the talent. It makes no sense to eat $5-10 million for a guy who is not a surefire starter. It is still a business and every penny you don't spend now can be spent later. Maybe a guy like Castro will eventually work out, but acquiring 10-15 similar guys for all the Sox veterans would set this franchise back many years.

Phegley looks good. Of course 3 or 4 games into this season, Flowers looked like an all star. Hopefully, Phegley can keep Flowers glued to the bench.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 8, 2013 -> 06:43 AM) Setting a tone Sveum: A. Ventura: D. With his trademark stubble and steel worker's eyes, Sveum sometimes looks like the dirtiest guy in the dugout. Ventura cleaned up well as a player and still does, which isn't great when his team is going down in flames and he seems headed to a cookout on his cul-de-sac. There was no visible sense of urgency during the 8-23 slide that took the White Sox from 24-24 and third place in the AL Central to oblivion, and that rests as much on the shoulders of the laid-back manager as the clubhouse missing its sandpaper guy, A.J. Pierzynski. Ventura missed a chance to make an example of Dayan Viciedo after a game last weekend when he threw to the wrong base and twice failed to hustle running the bases. This was in the first game of the doubleheader against the Indians. Viciedo didn't start the second game, but when quizzed by reporters Ventura explained that it was more about matchup numbers than punishment. Nobody yells in baseball anymore, and sometimes it's a shame. Sveum did a remarkable job by keeping the overmatched Cubs playing hard all last season, even after pitchers Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm were traded away at the deadline. That will be tougher this time around, with Jeff Samardzija's comments after the Scott Feldman trade an example. COMMITMENT Sveum: A. Ventura: D. You know Sveum is in it for the long haul, working to hang on to his job until the better teams are built. Ventura turned down a one-year contract extension last winter, saying he wanted to serve out this three-year contract before deciding if this is the life he wants for the long haul. "I wonder if Robin is motivated to be a part of a complete rebuild,'' an MLB executive said. "Maybe that's why he did not take the extension. They'll be bad for an extended period. He's such a winner, this might not be something he wants to endure'' Given the job demands that require 12-hour work days and the relentless nature of a 162-game schedule, it would be easy to understand if Ventura walked away. But White Sox GM Rick Hahn needs to resolve this question as soon as possible, not after the 2014 season. If the manager is taking a wait-and-see approach, it's easy for fans to follow that example. Final grade Sveum: B. Ventura: C. That's a high B for Sveum and a low C for Ventura, who probably didn't get too many of those while attending Oklahoma State. progers@tribune.com http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...3.column?page=3 Judging managers mostly based on Pythagorean is SILLY and outdated, Phil. You've been doing it for more than a decade now. The other thing is the quote by the executive. The Sox weren't in rebuilding mode when the extension was rejected, and an extention being rejected doesn't always mean someone doesn't want to be there. No one reported the terms being offered etc. also Viciedo did sit out the game Rogers wanted him to sit out, and while Robin told the press it was match ups, how does Phil know that it isn't Robin keeping team business in house? Maybe he did bench him for his transgressions, let him know that but didn't sell him up the river to the press. And if Phil has a problem with how Robin handles Viciedo why doesn't he have a problem with how Sveum handles Castro?

Gonzo reported an NL scout questioned Rios' effort Saturday when he again jogged down the line. He hasn't hit a homer in a month either. His stock certainly is falling.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 7, 2013 -> 10:56 AM) Maybe you are right. That team should not be getting money back in deals though. I'd like to see the offers from San Francisco and the other teams involved. I agree they are nasically going to be pocketing money they will necer spend, but it is what they have always done with the exception of last season. I would like the Sox to make a play for Logan Morrison. He seems like a douchbag, but I still think he can be a good hitter.

Maddon bunting with no outs in the first inning.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 7, 2013 -> 10:37 AM) With the payroll that Miami has, they should have paid the rest of the salary in order to get better prospects. It's a joke. I doubt they had that option. I think a GM would be risking his livelihood if he gave up a significant prospect for a couple of months of Nolasco.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Jul 7, 2013 -> 10:17 AM) Obviously everyone knows this already but that Miami franchise is a joke. I am all for selling off talent but they got a pile of crap in return. Dodgers picked up the salary, traded 3 less than mediocre prospects, and received international bonus money. What a joke of a franchise. What do you think he would bring back? They save big money not having him around the second half, they weren't bringing him back, and he wasn't going to be offered anything so they could get a draft pick. It is exactly what the Sox would get back for most of the names mentioned to be headed elsewhere. I have no problem the White Sox picking up lottery tickets for the guys that won't be coming back, but for those who could, they better get something useful, not something that could be useful, or the only thing that is accomplished trading them is padding JR and Friends' bank accounts.

Hernandez's issues in college were well known. There were several teams that wouldn't have taken him under any circumstance. Meyer spoke up for him with NE which got him drafted, and for the most part he and the Patriots were good at hiding the trouble he was still causing until this. While Meyer probably didn't do enough in retrospect, he did about as much as any coach does with troubled players that help them win games. Putting any blame on Meyer for Hernandez's behavior is silly. Florida could have trumped Meyer and done something. The Patriots could have done something, but would that have stopped him from ultimately doing what he did? There may have been a different victim or victims, but they still would have existed.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 6, 2013 -> 07:43 AM) http://blogs.seattletimes.com/hotstoneleag...syndication=rss A cautionary tale from the Mariners and Jack Z about what not to do at the trade deadline over the last 4 seasons. Amazing he still has a job. That said, the White Sox will be somewhere in between the M's approach this off-season (adding Morales/Morse/Bay/Ibanez) and that of the Indians (adding Bourne, Swisher and Reynolds, although they're still short in their starting rotation). If Phegley turns out, that will be one less FA they have to go after. It certainly doesn't look that bad. He traded expiring contracts for prospects that didn't pan out. Something that is exactly what the majority of this board wants Hahn to do except they think these things usually work out. The fact is dumping soon to be free agents for minor leaguers turns into a virtual salary dump the vast majority of the time. Even the good prospects fail.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jul 5, 2013 -> 08:27 PM) His debut for the Sox but has spent time in the bigs . Nothing since 2011 though. I didn't know that. Take everything I posted back. He is a bum.

I don't know if Purcey is much of a prospect, but you have to think he is very nervous making his debut.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jul 5, 2013 -> 04:56 PM) I'd call it a 2013 thing. Funny thing is that happened about a week after Gonzo tweeted a photo of Daryl Boston holding a pre game baserunning seminar for the team.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 5, 2013 -> 10:08 AM) This exact strategy is about to get Jack Z fired this offseason. No one is buying tickets now because the team sucks. Jason Bay isn't going to bring them back. The Sox need to get good as soon as possible to bring ticket sales back. Giving at bats to old, bad players instead of developing young, high-upside players will only slow this process down. No one will come see a 65 win team just like no one will come see a 70 win team just like no one will come see a 75 win team. BS. Jack failed with Smoak and Montero and Ackley. Bay was a guy who he brought in for close to the minimum. The guy had to make the team in spring training. The other old guy he brought in this year, Ibanez is doing better than any of them. Will the article put an end to the erroneous speculation on Soxtalk that Ventura doesn't want to manage because he doesn't have a fit when things go wrong?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 3, 2013 -> 04:01 PM) Larry Anderson for Jeff Bagwell says hello, Brian Giles for Ricardo Rincon, Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz, etc. 1990, 1998 and 1987 called and said they were bad trades. MLB traderumors has a list of prospects that were moved last deadline. One guy is making an impact and that was for Greinke, a guy who would at least net the other team a draft pick which Crain won't. The great return was when Baltimore got Davis and Hunter. But they weren't for a 2 month rental, and let's face it, No one saw this current performance as a possibility for Davis, although he had been highly touted.

Geddy Lee is front row behind the Sox dugout.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jul 3, 2013 -> 05:12 PM) I thought he was the next head coach for the Hoosiers as it was his dream job. He still may be the next head coach of the Hoosiers. The Celtics are probably going to be bad for a while. I think the odds are good Stevens winds up back in college at some point.

It is bad luck but anyone who really thinks 2 months of Jesse Crain is going to get you a huge piece of your future is in la la land. If these players were as valuable as some believe, there is no way the Sox would be in last place.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Jul 1, 2013 -> 07:45 PM) +1000 to this Rios has had a reputation among scouts for being "indifferent". A month of "indifferent" play isn't going to help Rick Hahn. I was act the game Saturday when he jogged down the first base line, as were the scouts from the teams mentiomed in this thread.

I have been to 10-15 games. It isn't a perfect experience everytime, but nothing like they make it out to be. If it is so awful, stay home. I would say if I had to b**** about what is wrong with gameday experiences at USCF 95% would be directed at other fans who think people don't mind they stand in the aisle during the games talking to someone or taking pictures. As far as concession stands, they do close them early, but from what I have read, that isn't the Sox call.

QUOTE (Paulstar @ Jul 1, 2013 -> 05:39 PM) If clutch was a myth, Joe Crede would not be one of the most celebrated members of that 2005 White Sox team. Yogi Berra wouldn't be a hall of famer and one of the most beloved Yankees of all time if it wasn't for his clutch hitting. I understand you are sabr guy and all into stats, so it would be easy for you to be shocked by me not viewing an .800 OPS as good. But for you to completely deny the idea of clutch hitting? Who's the one saying stupid things now? And by the way, I don't really care about OPS, or mainly OBP, when it comes to 3-4-5 hitters. To me, I look at AVG, SLG, extra base hits, RBIs, and their stats with runners in scoring position and late/close situations. You don't need your number 3 hitter up looking to walk like Dunn does so much, you need him up there driving in runs. Dunn is 9th in the AL in RBI. So if driving in runs is what he needs to be doing, there are only 8 guys in the AL driving in more. He isn't worth what he is being paid, but he has been pretty decent lately, and he has produced runs both last year and this. Also, Dunn isn't hitting 3rd. You must have hated Frank Thomas batting third walking more than Dunn.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 1, 2013 -> 05:32 PM) Define gut....Ramirez, Rios and Peavy gone? Or also the likes of Beckham and Viciedo, to the point where the entire starting line-up is different for 2013? If Ramirez Rios and Peavy are gone with Crain, Thornton, Konerko, there is a good chance the Sox are going to be bad for quite a while unless somehow they do spectacularly well on the return. What is left and what is coming up? Who in the world is going to play SS? I have never been a vpbig Ramirez fan, but he is all the Sox have, and SS aren't easy to find unless they are bad. The Sox would be one Chris Sale elbow blowout from being a 100+ loss team.