Dick Allen

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Apr 24, 2013 -> 10:07 AM) I've always been a defender of him in the 3 hole, but now that Manto/Baines have convinced Dunn to swing at bad pitches, I'd rather have him batting 9th than anything. The advanced data suggests he's not swinging at many bad pitches, which might be even more troubling.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 24, 2013 -> 08:43 AM) A good look at Conor http://www.southsidesox.com/2013/4/24/4259...conor-gillaspie Wow, only Rios, Gillaspie, and Konerkos swing at fewer pitches out of the strike zone thus far than Dunn. So the theory that Dunn was being too aggressive appears to be wrong as well. He's swinging at strikes, he's just not hitting them.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Apr 23, 2013 -> 10:55 PM) Thank goodness, I was hoping he couldn't be that clueless. Actually, you were hoping he could be that clueless. If you looked at the facts when it all happened, and I did lay them out for you, you could have easily seen what the truth was, but the ride on the White Sox manager knows less about baseball than a typical 4 year old bandwagon was going by and you couldn't help yourself but hop on.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 23, 2013 -> 06:14 PM) Yeah, they did the right thing even if they could have started at 9 or something. Looks like the Tigers/Royals are in a delay. I don't know why they're even trying. edit: they called it. 17 postponed games in the last 14 days. MLB has a record number of games postponed in April.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 23, 2013 -> 04:11 PM) I could be wrong, but by 8 tonight, we could be wondering why they didn't play. But I guess making more money later in the year is more important. I applaud the White Sox for calling the game early. It is a grwat swrvice to their fans, and considering make up games don't draw so well as far as walk ups, they aren't making more money later. Also considering the game tomorrow is in the afternoon, waiting out rain delays is probably the last thing either team wants to do. Also it being dog night, calling it early makes a lot of sense.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 23, 2013 -> 01:20 PM) I'd bat him eighth and be done with it the rest of the year. I think this is another "unwritten rule" of baseball, however. You can't embarrass the big slugger who traditionally hits fourth or fifth. I would bat him 7th or 8th until he showed he was worthy of moving back up in the order. He has hit a few balls well, something he did with even less frequency in 2011. If 2011 didn't happen, there is no way anyone would think he could possibly be this bad for an entire season. The Sox should keep playing him because their other options are no better. Just move him down and if he starts hitting, move him back.

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 23, 2013 -> 07:36 AM) Hire Greg Walker! POTW

SLOWING DOWN Starting pitchers whose average speed has decreased most compared to April 2012 Pitcher '12 velocity '13 velocity Diff. 1. Jered Weaver 88.6 85.5 -3.1 2. CC Sabathia 91.8 89.6 -2.2 T-3. Zack Greinke 92.7 90.8 -1.9 T-3. Justin Verlander 93.8 91.9 -1.9 T-3. Jonathon Niese 91.1 89.2 -1.9 6. Matt Moore 94 92.2 -1.8 7. Philip Humber 91.1 89.4 -1.7 T-8. Mat Latos 92.6 91.1 -1.5 T-8. Clayton Richard 90.7 89.2 -1.5 T-10. Chris Sale 92.6 91.3 -1.3 T-10. Gio Gonzalez 93 91.7 -1.3 T-10. James McDonald 91.3 90 -1.3 T-10. Max Scherzer 93.7 92.4 -1.3

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 01:42 PM) It's absolutely stupid to assume there's a greater possibility he went on his own/missed a sign than being told to steal. Of course it's stupid to send him there, doesn't mean he didn't do it. We actually have to assume he was sent until we hear otherwise, as the manager makes the call on those things. Great move there, Dick. RV knows more about baseball! OK, can't question anything ever. Let's close down the message board. Here's the problem, that doesn't mean because you played the game you make the right move every time. He proved that last year on numerous occasions. Also, wasn't he runner on first yesterday Konerko? No s*** he didn't run, he would have been thrown out lefthanded. Use your head before you talk about the runner on first not moving. Just use your head. Both runners would have been moving if a steal was called, unless Konerko missed the sign. Konerko could have got a huge lead and jump. If there ever was a time he could have easily made it to second, that would be the time, and with a LH hitter up, the throw will almost always go to 3rd. The odds greatly favor Rios either misreading a sign or making the attempt on his own. But you want to complain about the manager, so you ignore logic.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 01:37 PM) So after the rebuild they were extremely profitable. What course of action do you recommend the Sox currently take? The approach they are taking now. They need to draft better obviously, and make better decisions signing Latin players. Paulie is off the books next year, then Dunn the next. They can sign some hitters. I see no reason to blow everything up and start at square one. Of course, I'm not a guy looking to complain about everything, so I may have a different view than others. I'd rather be sick of winning 85 games a year than be sick of winning 70. There is no way anyone can convince me the current White Sox crew is the crew you want directing you in a total rebuild anyway, and the current crew isn't going anywhere for a while. I don't understand how people complain about the Sox lack of talent in the lower levels, yet want the Sox to rebuild through the minor leagues. They haven't produced minor leaguers that could win 75 games in almost 20 years. Why would that suddenly change? If the Sox had done one thing differently, drafted Mike Trout instead of Mitchell, would the rebuilders still be crying about a rebuild?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 01:22 PM) Average teams that are veteran filled, underachieving, that almost nobody in the fanbase believes in 100%, with no interesting players or superstars and on the cusp of losing its last "franchise" player in Konerko... That's not a recipe for just a bad team, that's a recipe or formula for a team NOBODY cares about...and apathy is the worst possible result for management. If you're going to be average or below average, at least make the summer interesting SOMEHOW. The last time the White Sox totally rebuilt was after a woeful 1986 season. Please expand on how interesting baseball-wise the summers of 1987,1988 and 1989 were for Sox fans. They did finish the attendance race in the AL those years in 12th, 13th and 14th place out of 14 teams. It's also the last time members of the ownership group were issued cash calls.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 12:16 PM) False. To get back to 100% he needs to play in games, and he's refusing to do that even though he's cleared to play - not only cleared, it's recommended as the next step in the process by doctors. Everyone will remember this no matter what. You can't say "oh he's 100% now, good thing he took last year off." Makes no difference. Could have won something this year, but also would be closer to 100% next year had he played this year. Start the process. I agree with the process you are laying out, but if he plays some games over the summer and is 100% after some exhibition games, he's not going to get any flak. I agree he deserves a lot. He needs to finish his rehab, and he's refusing to do so.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 11:53 AM) Why would Rios run on his own, he knows who is up, he knows his teammates, he knows who is behind the plate (yes I know its Doumit not Mauer now). I would take Robin Ventura's baseball acumen over Alex Rios'. You want to blame Ventura, but again, the runner on first base did not run. Rios either went on his own or missed a sign.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 12:13 PM) It's possible, but to say it's more likely that's what happened than Ventura sending him is completely stupid. Even if it was just a green light for Rios to go if he felt it, that would be stupid enough. No it's not completely stupid. Robin Ventura knows more about baseball than you or me. To think he would send Rios in that situation is the stupid thing. The runner on first didn't move. I don't know, maybe they have a signal for the 3rd base coach that says, runner on 2nd, you steal, runner on first, hold your ground.

Rose still sitting at this point makes most a little perplexed, but let's face it, if he comes back next season at 100%, all will be forgiven, and everyone will say he did the right thing, the team wasn't going anywhere anyway, blah, blah blah....

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 11:09 AM) If you have a bad veteran team, you trade the veterans to get prospects and free the salary to sign new players or put it into the farm system. It doesn't matter what market you play in. That's what you do. Nobody is going to the games anyway. At some point, they're going to be forced to take their medicine and take a step back in order to move forward. Right now, the Sox are stuck in the mud. They can't move. If you have a bad veteran team making a lot of money, other teams don't trade anything decent for that player or assume their contracts. If the Sox want to unload guys, really good prospects aren't coming back and they will have to pay some of the contract anyway. They have been bad for 2 weeks. The freaking out is absurd.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 11:12 AM) Is Robin Ventura the manager? So it is beyond the realm of possibility that Rios missed a sign or was running on his own. The fact is, it is far more likely than Robin having him steal.

A team with this record of draft picks and people around here want the Sox to go on a total rebuild. LMAO.

QUOTE (joeynach @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 10:18 AM) Even when Dunn is normal he would be the last person you would roll a hit and run with. Does RV now know he is one the league highest Swing and miss % guys, one of the league's highest amount of strikeouts along with lowest contact rate. Did RV not realize Dunn revitalized the three true outcome player discussion on a national stage thanks to fan graphs, walk, K, or HR. So if all that is set in stone reality, why on earth would you put on a hit and run with two strikes and 1 out, and with the leagues best catcher back there. If Dunn does make contact it goes over the fence, if he doesn't its an easy double play b/c he swings and misses a ton. Where is the recognition of these types of things by RV? It's clear Robin knows far less about managing a MLB than about 95% of this board. I find it quite ironic that you are calling Ventura clueless and on the other hand saying he called for a hit and run in that situation. Konerko wasn't running at first. I would imagine Rios missed a sign or was running on his own.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 10:12 AM) It's possible to evaluate a manager whether the team is good, bad, or somewhere in the middle. Yesterday's Rios steal is a great example. That isn't on Dunn for sucking. Are you sure he called for Rios to steal?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 09:19 AM) Especially because no one can actually document where this has happened in a short period of time. We are talking about the better part of a decade here, in all likelihood. If people aren't going now, they sure as hell aren't going when we are starting a team that should be in Birmingham. They are going back to the White Sox of 1990, but that was also luck. They wanted Mike Harkey but the Cubs took him so they settled for McDowell, they wanted Jeff Jackson but the Phillies took him so they took Thomas, the Cubs had needed a 3rd baseman for years, but passed on Ventura so the Sox landed him, and then they got Fernandez who was drafted previously by Milwaukee but didn't sign. A couple of those things go the other way, and the new park could have been as empty as the new Marlins stadium.

QUOTE (IlliniKrush @ Apr 22, 2013 -> 09:39 AM) You can debate about how to do a rebuild all you want, the point is that you have to get a winning ballclub out there. If that results in a few down years, but you have a plan in place that will work, you do it. Simply trying to tread water and be afraid to do something that in your office you believe will result in winning a world series is the wrong approach. There are plenty of Cubs fans not going to games right now, which is fine, when the Cubs are competing they'll all be back and they'll make up for that revenue anyway. There are plenty of Sox fans who already aren't going, and it will just continue to decline each time they miss the playoffs. The fans they "lose for good" will be back once they are in the playoffs or world series, we all know that. Or they are a first place team that for whatever reason, the fans believe in and can finish the job. Since when was it necessary the Cubs field a winning club? To think the formula for the Cubs and White Sox is the same is crazy.

The White Sox are not going to have a total rebuild anytime soon, and considering how they have judged HS and college talent lately, it's a pretty good thing. It's not like they have the next Frank Thomas or Paul Konerko, or Robin Ventura or Magglio Ordonez in the pipeline. It is amazing to me some people think a total rebuild can happen in a few years. If everything went perfectly perhaps. But things don't go perfectly most of the time. The whiners would actually have something to whine about for years. At least this board isn't as bad as WSI who moan about fireworks being too quiet, stripes on pants, ushers not smiling at them, scoreboards being too small...They are playing poorly right now, but they will get better, and it's not like they are 10 games out.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Apr 21, 2013 -> 07:04 PM) If they lose 90 games this year and keep the same cast of characters next year do you really foresee ticket sales remaining the same? Instead about worrying about them trading guys for middle of the road at best prospects, if you are into rbuilding, you should hope they have all of their ducks in a row for the draft. Soxtalk had a lot of wishes to come true....AJ is gone, Beckham isn't playing, and your biggest wish Viciedo is out. It hasn't translated to more runs and better results thus far. And if they did lose 90, there is about as much chance they come back with the same team as there is Ozzie coming back. Zero.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Apr 21, 2013 -> 05:38 PM) Do the posters on this board want the Sox to win a World Series or maximize profit? Frankly, there are more than a couple people here who would far rather b**** about the White Sox than watch them win a World Series. As Frank Thomas would say, no doubt about it.