Dick Allen

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Feb 21, 2012 -> 05:20 AM) I don't know how anybody could give the Sox a D- for the offseason they had. There were some questionable moves, but it's not as if this team is suddenly worse for this year and worse for the future because of the moves made during this offseason. When you are not good enough if you don't obviously improve your team for the present or don't obviously upgrade your future you get a low grade Castro was once highly thought of but AAA ERAs around 10.00 lower expectations. Molina could be good but less than 300 IP in his life and only 22 of those above A ball tempers expectations as well. V

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 03:55 PM) Bringing up Molina this year is the wrong answer. Bringing up Molina before the middle of next year is probably the wrong answer. But again, that requires admitting that we're not going all-in this year and that we have to look towards the future...including with the job status of the people in the front office. If he blows through AA with zero problem, a September call up could be in order, but I agree with you. This is a guy like Santos who was originally signed as a position player. His lack of experience on the mound isn't just with his lack of minor league innings. Calling him up too soon is setting him up for disaster. I will wish no ill will towards Sergio Santos, he seems like a great guy, but IMO, the best thing that could happen to Molina is for Santos to struggle. The one thing about Sergio is he was only a few pitches away from being an All Star quality closer. There are a lot of guys who can probably say that, but if somehow he figures out how to make those pitches and in June or July has great numbers, the spotlight and pressure on Molina to be something quickly just grows.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 02:53 PM) Maybe he doesn't lose the trade if Molina becomes a pretty good reliever, but Molina is being counted on to be much more than that by Williams in this rebuilding. Williams also said we will probably see Molina at some point in 2012 Which is scary. He has 22 IP above A ball and now the pressure is on to pitch in the majors leagues. Let the guy develop. He has 292 career IP.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 02:39 PM) Unless he becomes a pretty good reliever because other guys (Sale, Humber, Castro, Danks, Stewart, etc.) fill out the rotation to the point he's not needed...Molina becoming a pretty good reliever would be a major, major failure. That'd be a Hudson/Jackson level failure IMO...basically, you'd be getting exactly waht you already have in Santos, except you'd be delaying it by 2-3 years, and opening up a hole that doesn't need to be opened up now. I'd call that a fireable offense again. Molina needs to be starting in the bigs sometime around the start of 2014, and setbacks reflect directly onto the guy(s) who pulled the trigger. That deal only makes sense if you're getting a really good starting pitcher. I agree, but the more closely you look at Molina's "experience", the more you would think, its going to be a while before he could remain in a major league rotation for an entire season. It will be interesting to see how his workload last year affects him this season. I hope he's not Dexter Carter II, although he does seem to have a little better walk rate, but I don't know if its command or low level hitters.

We can nitpick Santos but the fact is Molina has 22 IP above A ball, and has less than 300 career innings under his belt. Being a regular in the White Sox rotation seems a ways away. Last year was the first time he topped 100 IP. To me this seems like the Elton Brand/Tyson Chandler trade only a smaller stake. Jerry Krause was hoping Chandler became a 20/10 guy. Brand was a 20/10 guy. Santos was a pretty good reliever. I'm thinking KW would take Molina becoming a pretty good releiver.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 10:58 AM) And that extension actually made him more tradeable. I would bet anything Toronto would have given KW Molina even if that extension was never in place.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 09:40 AM) Because it was incredibly team friendly. Not if they concluded he wasn't very good.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 08:03 AM) Or the White Sox have identified his flaws as a closer internally that they weren't aware of pre-2011. Maybe, but if true, it makes you wonder why they gave him an extension at the end of last season.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Feb 19, 2012 -> 12:52 AM) The board seems to be dominated by those who blamed Ozzie for most everything. I tend to agree with the experts that our offseason sucked! And Oz had nothing to do with the offseason. The trade of Sergio is confusing and infuriating at the same time. Bowden gave the Sox a D- but said their best move was making Ventura the manager. Obviously anthor "expert" that realized Ozzie wasn't the solution but part of the problem.

QUOTE (MexSoxFan#1 @ Feb 18, 2012 -> 04:27 PM) The Wade=Jordan comment was sheer madness, I have never heard a serious basketball analyst even attempt to make that case.Even with the closest player to MJ, Bryant, nobody really thinks he's on #23's level, the stats and accomplishments don't back it up. Hopefully he was on medication or something when he was posting. If not, someone needs to do a wellness check.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 18, 2012 -> 04:00 PM) The bulls don't need roster room, they have the spots. The actual issue is that they're very, very close to the luxury tax threshold. And the way the new cba works...hitting it htis year would make it much more painful to hit it in future seasons if we had to. According to Forbes, the Bulls average a $55 million profit each of the past 5 years. So the last 5 years, they have made $275 million in profit. If they are really worried about the luxury tax, that is pretty sad. http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/201...able-nba-teams/

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 18, 2012 -> 10:02 AM) Is someone seriously arguing that 23 was weak on "Athleticism"? Seriously, the next time the 1991 championship series is on ESPN classic, just watch. Jordan's lightning. It's like watching Rose except taller and better. I really don't think that was the argument, although it was implied that Jordan wouldn't be very unique today. There really were 2 MJs. Pre-baseball and post-baseball. The former he was as athletic as anyone who ever played, the latter, he wasn't quite as athletic (although still extremely so), but still was the most dominant player. It was a ridiculous statement from an obvious Jordan hater. SS2K5 was singing the praises of Hakeem a little while back and righfully so, but if he were consistent with his MJ thought, he would think Hakeem in his prime is really no better than Joakim Noah which is also ridiculous.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 17, 2012 -> 03:04 PM) I watched all of those guys growing up. Trust me. Throwing out the MJ crush, it is a different game. I think if you just picked up 1990 MJ and move him into today's game unchanged, he would be a decent, but not great player. This post is pure comedy. Maybe someday it will change, but an in his prime MJ is still the best player of any era. He was as athletic and competitive as anyone in the game today and he was a basketball player. Too many people get caught up in athleticism as the end all. If it was, Tyrus Thomas would be considered far better than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson for that matter.

QUOTE (StatManDu @ Feb 16, 2012 -> 12:58 PM) Happy 60th to Jerry Hairston, the greatest pinch-hitter in White Sox history. Jerry Jr. was on MLB Network last night giving Joe Maddon some crap about his hair. Its dyed brown. Jr has the same hairline his dad had, except he has something he put on his head with some Soul Glo caked on it. He's not the guy who should be giving anyone crap about their hair.

QUOTE (LVSoxFan @ Feb 16, 2012 -> 01:48 PM) You guys just mirrored what my Cub fan co-worker said: video screen = put it on one of the rooftops. Seriously though: who the hell needs a video screen at a baseball game? Football, I can see that--wanting to see the replays etc. But when do we ever look at the jumbotron at The Cell except for the opening montage? They don't replay controversial plays. So that leaves, what? The pizza races? Great plays are nice to watch again.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Feb 15, 2012 -> 08:50 AM) i would hate to be a MLB schedule maker if this happened. Accomodating both the Sox and Cubs schedules so they dont cross would have a big ripple effect on the entire league schedule It wouldn't require much. They rarely are both home at the same time. It wouldn't require much tweaking. I do think a day/night, where they are playing other opponents is out of the question though. Logiistically it would be rough with batting practice and the clubhouse situations. I don't think it could happen.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 14, 2012 -> 10:51 AM) CST_soxvan Daryl Van Schouwen Kosuke can catch the ball. The sox need outfielders who can catch the ball. Even if he's primarily a defensive replacement, its hard to argue he'll be overpaid.

Not a Fukudome guy, but this is a great signing.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 02:16 PM) Tough to argue with 4/36. He only needs to be league average to be worth it. $9 million a year is league average?

I know its a different era, but in their collective 46 seasons in MLB, Carlton Fisk and Harold Baines COMBINED made $36 million. This guy will get that as long as he passes a physical and doesn't have visa issues.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 11:54 AM) And if he ends up being a good hitter, he will be a Yankee or Red Sox in two and a half years because of the opt out. I don't see how Beane wins this deal with Cespedes able to leave after four years. If he can turn him into a boatload of prospects, maybe that works.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 11:46 AM) Sounds like Sox and Marlins did not like him as much as reported or he would of have a higher bid. Its a ton of money for a guy who may turn out not be any better than Joe Borchard.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 11:45 AM) http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?s=...t&p=2532139 Just sayin... The fact that he becomes a FA in 4 seasons adds to the total. If they had regular control like the Sox had for Ramirez and Viciedo, the $ figure probably shoots up to what was being estimated. If this guy has to spend any time in the minors or isn't very good for a couple of years then becomes good, the $50 million estimate assuming 6 year control once someone hits the majors is correct. This is a crazy contract, but apparently something the A's have to make. Someone on twitter said Oakland couldn't afford big bats so they had to do this. I think the big bats don't want to go there, that's why they did this. We will see. I don't think there will be any in betweens with this signing. Beane is either going to be a genius or a fool.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 11:31 AM) That isn't what is being reported. Dude gets an opt out after 4. TBrownYahoo Tim Brown The Cespedes contract is $9 million a year, four years. He then can become a free agent. That's huge. If he's any good it adds a lot of money to the equation.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Feb 13, 2012 -> 11:18 AM) Wish we would have matched that. That's nothing. Its about the same amount of money left on Rios' deal. Its a lot more than nothing especially for a guy who is a huge question mark.