Dick Allen

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ May 15, 2013 -> 03:17 PM) lol this board is so bipolar. That is a good way to put it.

The Astros are horrid. 2 BB and a HBP to load the bases.

QUOTE (bbilek1 @ May 15, 2013 -> 02:51 PM) Arguable. He was going away and getting singles all of the 2nd half last year but had no power whatsoever. He also was playing with a wrist that required surgery.

Tank has always been really streaky. You might as well ride him when he's hot. Konerko will start hitting again.

QUOTE (pittshoganerkoff @ May 15, 2013 -> 01:34 PM) Keppinger's performance (or lack thereof) will probably make for an easy decision when Beckham comes back. Gillaspie deserves to see the bulk of starts at 3B. I'm sure Keppinger is going to the bench, unless of course there is yet another injury or he starts to hit. But he can't be this bad.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ May 15, 2013 -> 01:32 PM) I enjoy him when I get a chance to listen to him. Yes, but he doesn't explain why the team with guys he can't understand why the team signed and with pitchers who have nothing to get you out, happen to be winning the game.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 15, 2013 -> 01:27 PM) Best opposite field power since Roberto Clemente/Miguel Cabrera. Waiting for Harrelson commentary about how the ball just jumps off his bat, lol. But yeah, whoever said Rios is our only above-average hitter, okay... "They signed this guy (Keppinger) to a three-year deal, and I just don't get it." Twins' announcers Bert Blyleven tells it like it is, at least regarding Twins opponents.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ May 15, 2013 -> 01:27 PM) Anyone else nervous that Tanks agent is Bor-ASS come contract extension time? Still a few years away from that making much of a difference. Hopefully Tank learns to stay off high fastballs. He'd be a monster.

I think it's very telling Hawk has made zero excuses for Keppinger. I think he is silently questioning his effort.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 15, 2013 -> 01:15 PM) Three balls past Keppinger. Didn't dive once. Twins' announcers questioning his effort. Definitely questioning his range. It has been my observation his effort has been lacking all season. I could be prejudice due to his results, but it seems many times he's just not into the game. He seems like he's either somewhere else or would like to be.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ May 15, 2013 -> 01:05 PM) We'll see. His batting average is currently lower and not worth what he's paid, but he is better than his 2011 version. In the end if he doesn't get hurt, he will be around 40 homers.

QUOTE (pettie4sox @ May 15, 2013 -> 12:54 PM) Escobar is batting over 300. He is far from an average hitter. Ultimately he's an average to below average hitter, but I don't understand how anyone can really knock White Sox pitching so far this season.

I am always amazed Axelrod limits the damage most of the time he pitches. I think his stuff is very limited, but he must know what he's doing. Batting against him and not crushing him is probably very frustrating.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ May 15, 2013 -> 12:44 PM) No. Anything is better than trotting out the worst player in MLB. Yes. Are you saying there are people who don't? Let's all laugh at them. I was sitting right behind first base Saturday night. The throw Greene made on his error, TV did not give justice. There have been many plays I have watched on TV and wondered why the firstbaseman didn't at least stop the ball. This replay would have suggested that, however, the throw was so far wide and bad, if Dunn were a foot taller and as athletic as Michael Jordan, he had zero chance.

QUOTE (Jake @ May 15, 2013 -> 12:42 PM) I'm on board with playing Kepp for now, but he's toast as soon as Gordon is back. You still have to find spots to start him against lefties and an occasional righty, but the opportunities will dwindle if he doesn't pick it up. I agree, and if he starts to hit, he gets to play. He's the Mark Buehrle of hitters right now. As Farmer used to say about Buehrle but using it for Keppinger,"he bats like he has his car double parked on 35th Street".

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ May 15, 2013 -> 12:39 PM) Why do we continue to play Keppinger? Because it's probably better to see if he can get it going than watch Tyler Greene try to play MLB.

When they were 17-21 last year, they were in 3rd place 4 1/2 out.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 15, 2013 -> 11:03 AM) This is where someone will say the defending World Series champions also hired a manager with little to no experience in Matheny. Or someone will say Bochy has managed 8 teams that finished under .500 and 5 that have lost 90 plus games. The facts are, the better players you have, the better manager you are perceived to be. Even the Giants had 4 consecutive under .500 years, and then they were signing free agents. Not exactly a gut rebuild, and obviously they had players in their system who could play. Who do the White Sox have in their system were anyone could confidently say that by 2016 they will be a better than average hitter in the major leagues? They may be there, but there is going to have to be a big jump. The approach they are using is best moving forward. Why get rid of your best players? Why stop trying to win? They aren't that far off. If they could hit right now, they would be really good.

QUOTE (TaylorStSox @ May 15, 2013 -> 10:36 AM) It was a loaded question. I was waiting for somebody to say Beckham so I could get a good laugh in before work. He is probably the best in house option. If he would make you laugh, the others would make you cry.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 15, 2013 -> 10:29 AM) The Nationals have. But yeah, that's pretty rare in baseball. They also had 7 consecutive years of below .500 baseball.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 15, 2013 -> 10:13 AM) The Rockies, perhaps. They have the huge advantage in crowds (from a sheer numbers perspective), but we charge a lot more for tickets, parking, concessions...and, as a major market team, much less of our revenue is attendance-dependent. Atlanta Braves, would be another one...going from a long playoff cycle and into a new stadium, peaking, falling off for awhile and then coming back. The post new-stadium Brewers. The Rockies? When have they won anything? Clearly not "sustained success". Besides, since 2005, where the Sox results have been unacceptable, they still have won a lot more games than the Rockies. The Braves have never done a gut rebuild and have not had 2 consecutive seasons under .500 in 23 years. The Brewers results certainly don't qualify as sustained success either and they have the same record as the White Sox this season. People want the Sox to be the Rays, who btw, haven't won any titles themselves. That took a very long time and a lot of losing to accomplish. This isn't the NBA. You can't totally transform your team in 2 years with a couple of high lottery picks.

The question remains, if you have money and are willing to spend it, why do a gut rebuild? Why get rid of your good players for guys like Simon Castro and Nestor Molina? If you aren't supposed to compare them to other teams who did gut rebuilds, who should you compare them to? What team gets rid of all its good players and is back with this "sustained success" 2 or 3 years later?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 15, 2013 -> 10:09 AM) Are you ready for the Jeff Keppinger or Tyler Greene era? I know one poster who is. He's salivating just at the thought of 100 loss seasons.

I will never understand the hatred for Wise. He's been pretty solid all around as a back up OF, and his teammates love him. Who cares what he did 5 years ago. That doesn't matter. We are talking about a 4th OF. He's hit homers, he can field, he can pinch run. If he were a .350 OBP guy, he'd be a starter making millions. I'm sure Jordan Danks is a good guy too, but he's most likely not a difference maker on a major league team. This team has too many other issues other than back up OFs. This debate is going on and on over every White Sox message board. I just don't understand it. If Jordan Danks is going to be the star some think he is, is he better off playing once a week in Chicago or every day in Charlotte? And what did Dewayne Wise do to get the potshots he gets? There is a reason guys are bench players. They aren't good enough to be regulars. Wise does a good job filling in when needed.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ May 15, 2013 -> 06:21 AM) [/b] I'm not sure if two of those are actually true. Exactly. Wise's OBP in the minors since 2008, when Danks debuted, is about .380.