Dick Allen

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 16, 2012 -> 07:54 AM) Every team in the AL Central is legitimately back in the race now. In 2003, the Royals were 6 1/2 and 7 games ahead of the White Sox and Twins, and that was at the All-Star break. They let everyone back in because the ONE thing the White Sox did better than any other team was win on the road in interleague play. Before the Cardinals series started, we were 23-7 in our last 30 road interleague games. 1-3 and 5-5 overall in interleague isn't going to get it done, and the next 8 games all present tough pitching match-ups for the Sox. This year, the only logical way the Sox can win the AL Central is to beat the Royals and Twins consistently. The point is they were never out of the race. To thing the Sox are going to continue a nearly .800 pace during interleague play is insane. The only way the White Sox will win the divison is by beating their rivals in the AL Central. That is really nothing new. It was just last week you proclaimed 4 or 5 games out of first is nowhere near first place. Now you have changed. Who would have figured? Maybe Dan McNeil was right.

The Sox lost facing Kershaw. This season is ova. I see Mitt's(caulfied) pendulum is starting to swing the other way again. "Let" other teams back in the "race". That's rich. Like 4 or 5 out with 100 to play is out of it in the AL Central. The Sox are flawed. KW would probably even admit that. So is every other team in the division. If they pitch, they win. Anyone who really thinks KW would consider trading Viciedo for a 3 month rental has not been paying attention.

Floyd has had difficulty from the stretch his entire career, whether he was paying attention to baserunners or not, but the way his fastball is getting crushed, maybe he's tipping his pitches. Its amazing how bad hitters have been looking vs. his curve the last couple of games, but he winds up giving up a lot of runs.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 09:47 PM) Please tell me Chris Sale is already in LA. I'd be shocked if he's not, although it shouldn't be too late when they get there.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 09:45 PM) How about Alexei does something this inning for once? You would think he'd have it going by now. This far into the season and total garbage offensively is cause for concern. Not only isn't he hitting, his walk rate is at an all time low.

At least Rios won't hit into a DP here.

He should have crushed that pitch.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 09:04 PM) AR drilled. I wouldn't exactly call it drilled.

Adam Dunn's face looks 10 lbs. lighter.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 08:56 PM) What's wrong with him now? I think Wanne would say, "he's got a foot, he'll be fine."

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 08:53 PM) whooa now, wasn't even thinking he was loafing. just sloooow Not yours, but there have been posts the last couple days saying he was loafing.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 08:51 PM) If that was possible he'd be standing still What I'm getting at is he isn't loafing like some have posted the past several days. He's definitely hurting.

QUOTE (Cerbaho-WG @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 08:50 PM) Hoping that we didn't have to burn Ohman because Floyd was due up second next inning. Getting Ohman in and out of the game without any further damage is a victory.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 08:49 PM) I like it when Paulie grounds out and when the camera pans to first with the throw, Paulie isn't even in the picture He is slow and I think he has a "lower body" injury making him even slower.

I hate when Pat Quinn talks baseball, but apparently he's good luck. Don't stop now boys.

Rose was no more than 80% this year. If he comes back in February or March and is 75%, the Bulls have a chance because he's going to be a lot more fresh than the rest of the league, or as Hubie Brown says, lig. Not unlike MJ when he lit up the Celtics.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jun 14, 2012 -> 09:39 AM) Alexei seemed like he didn't give two s***s about it...and he's from Cuba. He probably knows Ozzie well and just considered the source.

Maybe the votes against Ozzie were misunderstood. Heath Bell means no disrespect. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,3301758.story

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 07:41 PM) I could be wrong, but I don't think Rule 5 draft picks have to pass through waivers before being offered back to their original team. I don't think so either, but the fact is if any other team thought much about Doyle, if KW didn't want him, he could have traded him.

Anorexei still in a fog.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 06:33 PM) I see Peavy hitting at least a double tonight. Peavy runs like the ankle he had messed up before KW acquired him has never healed.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 08:48 AM) Who knew this kid would come up here and dazzle and delight Sox fans through four starts? Can he keep it up? Do we have a guy we can depend on for the next 5 years? I think yes. In Quintana I trust. I wouldn't go that far. He looks pretty good, but once some of these guys get multiple looks at him, his ERA is bound to go up. I'm hopeful he can fill the Humber role in the rotation this year and grow . Nothing too spectacular, if he becomes a solid #5 or #4 for several seasons, we should all be thrilled.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 03:44 AM) "He's proving he can pitch up here," Ventura said. "Again, his maturity is one of those things that shows up first for us. He has great stuff, and when he does what he's doing right now, he's making a strong case for staying around." First baseman Paul Konerko, who hit three singles, echoed Ventura. "He's one of those left-handers who can really bury the ball in on righties," Konerko said. "There's not a ton of those guys out there. "He goes right after people and throws on the inside part of the plate to righties, and there were a couple of guys who were ready for it and hit it. But you know there can be a lot of ground balls to the left side and he's not a comfortable (at-bat). He's not a soft throwing left-hander. It's not like he's throwing 95 or 100 mph, either, but his ball is heavy and it's cutting in and so you really have to have, as a hitter, your ducks in a row when a guy is doing that. "It's tough to lay off. There are a lot of balls he throws inside that are right there on the edge of the strike zone. You really have to make good decisions and he just keeps pounding it in there. He has had great results. Good for him." Konerko was impressed with the confidence Quintana showed in his defense, as evidenced by the two double plays. "I knew they were a good hitting team," Quintana said. "So I was focusing on trying to be in the inside to middle of the plate. One of my biggest concentrations was giving them the cutter. I was trying to throw that cutter, especially deep in the count." If Quintana continues to pitch well, the Sox could move Philip Humber to the bullpen unless they opt for a six-man rotation — an alignment they went with for about 21/2 months last year. "I'm just doing my job," Quintana said. "When they give me the ball, I'm just going to pitch. So the other stuff, I'm not concentrating on. I know I pitch Sunday, so I'm going to concentrate on that." http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...0,1046891.story Wasn't it less than a month ago you thought the Sox wouldn't be able to produce a 5th starter type pitcher for years?

QUOTE (balfanman @ Jun 13, 2012 -> 08:23 AM) I was under the impression that he had other minor league experience there. So does Viciedo and Carlos Lee. He'd be a very very bad 3B, couple that with the fact he hasn't hit higher than .200 in the major leagues in 5 years, I'd say it would be a last option.

Theo in the Tribune. This is a MLB executive's thoughts. I think some people have to ratchet down what they think the influence of a hitting coach is on professional hitters. They don't make .220 hitters with a .600 OPS, .330 hitters with a .900 OPS. Epstein knows this, of course. He knows that if you want selective hitters you probably have to acquire them because it's almost impossible to re-train them once they have had some success with one style. Epstein acknowledged that a patient approach to hitting "is probably more of a hard-wired trait,'' and said Little League coaches can have more influence than someone like Jaramillo, whom the Cubs have been paying $800,000 a year. IMO, the Cubs realized paying 800k a year for a hitting coach is madness, Rudy was gone after this year and they knew it was a sunk cost . They want to see if this interm guy is worth keeping, so they made the move now.