Dick Allen

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 7, 2012 -> 06:31 AM) “And by no means is this a knock against [former manager] Ozzie [Guillen], [bench coach] Joey [Cora], [pitcher Mark] Buehrle, anybody, but it was an energetic dugout, a positive dugout with positive players. On the field, in the dugout, a lot of energy, playing until the last out. We simply got beat [Friday]. If we can maintain this over the summer, this should be a good, fun summer.’’ Then Danks added, “No excuses.’’ There it is. Forget “Appreciate the Game.’’ Sox baseball 2012 is about “No excuses.’’ No fingers to point, no distractions to blame, no Twitter accounts to “unfollow.’’ This is about the talent collected by general manager Ken Williams the last few seasons and if it is good enough to sprint with the best of the American League. By September, expect the answer to be a big, glaring no. Still too many free swingers, still not enough clutch hitters and still too many bobbled balls at the most inopportune times. Sox players will learn that they can escape blaming others, but they can’t escape the talent that stares back at them in the mirror. It’s a .500 ship with an iceberg awaiting it in Motown. Or maybe that’s just Prince Fielder taking a dip. “I wouldn’t make any predictions on, ‘Hey, if we’re going to do our thing, we’re going to measure up or make the playoffs,’ ” Paul Konerko said. “If we go out and do things the right way, with our talent, we’re going to be in the mix. Where that takes us, I don’t know, but we’re going to be there later in the season if we compete correctly and everyone is going about it the right way. I just don’t think it will be right to say anything more than that. “There are a lot of good teams out there, and you have to respect what they have done and what they have.’’ What the Sox had in the loss to the Rangers were seven men left on base and 13 strikeouts. They also had a new poster child for days gone wrong in third baseman Brent Morel. A bobbled ball that led to a run, an error and four strikeouts. That’s what happens when a team is forced to jam a bottom-of-the-order talent into the No. 2 hole. But again, that’s just an excuse. The Sox are all out of those. Today's Cowley column Does anyone notice that anytime anyone in the media or White Sox employee gives a complement to Ventura or his coaching staff, they always have to preface their comments with "This isn't a knock at Ozzie", why is everyone so scared? I guess Cowley feels he can write a White Sox column everytime they lose, which even in the best of years gives him 63 days of not having to actually work. The last Sun Times "writer" that basically wrote a White Sox obituary after one game, and he actually did it after a win, was Marriotti in 2005. I wonder when Cowley's bosses will demand something other than this repackaged KW slam. Joe, I don't like KW either, but enough is enough. Your recycled columns aren't going to run him out of town.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 05:00 PM) Well yea they may indeed continue to suck, but Lewis was dealing in that giant zone. That had to be tough on any young player. I give Morel a pass more than Beckham. Beckham's been around quite a bit now; time to figure it out dude. Really? Morel was swinging at pitches way out of the zone. Beckham was taking pitches that were obvious balls called strikes. He was called out on a pitch 5 inches inside and a pitch 5 inches outside.

If Nathan comes in, I think someone will take him deep.

1,2,3,,,,,,,,,looks like the Boy Wonder make the correct call.

QUOTE (sunofgold @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 03:00 PM) Hope Danks isn't injured or something? If Ventura yanked him early, that is a bad move. And I guess Reed isn't our closer. I doubt he's hurt. Ventura probably saw Kinsler coming up and thought he's down one with 6 outs. He can't get any farther down.

QUOTE (Cali @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 02:58 PM) So game ovah? Or do the Sox have a comeback in them? If down 1 run is game ova, there's really no reason to pay any attention to White Sox baseball. They are one swing away.

The golden sombrero. 12 strikeouts of White Sox hitters through 7.

That pitch was farther outside than the BS strike he called on Beckham inside. This umpire should be fined.

Great job by McEwing.

He likes to hit homers on opening day. He's now tied for most homers hit on opening day in MLB history.

How about just walking Kinsler next time up? He kills Danks.

Contreras is the trivia answer. I had no idea he told KW that if Alexei didn't work out, he'd pay his salary. It would never have happened, but the Count is a huge reason the Sox signed Ramirez.

The bad news is the offense looks horrid. The good news is that its early and Dunn looked pretty good at the plate.

Home plate ump is having a bad day. If Danks gets the same calls it will be OK, but there were 2 pitches clearly not strikes called strikes.

Beckham's first complaint was unwarranted, but the strike out pitch was clearly not a strike.

The Sox are going to have to start hitting to keep up with last season's pace. They scored 15 runs on 18 hits opening day last year.

Clearly the first 2 innings of this season are on Jeff Manto. 2 strikeouts and 3 pop ups.

QUOTE (Real @ Apr 6, 2012 -> 03:20 AM) This is one of the rare times where I'm not excited for baseball to start. Knowing this team is gonna be mediocre to awful doesn't help The Sox could be projected to lose 100 games and I could think they should lose 120, I still would be excited on opening day. As Lloyd Christmas knows, even if its one in a million, there's still a chance, and some of the Sox best seasons have come when they were projected not to do so well. Sit back, relax and strap it down.

The only reason this garbage was even published is Cowley needs this feud to continue for anyone to care about anything he writes. It must really make him cry at night to know Ozzie's book is being written not by Cowley but by Rick Morrissey.

What's scary is Ozzie is programmed by his sons and they are some dumb motherf***ers. When KW mentioned that text story, and there is little doubt in my mind he mentioned it to try to make himself look good and to try to prove he and Ozzie had moved on, his sons went on twitter and said it was total BS, Ozzie never responded. When they found out Ozzie did respond like an adult, they both had a fit and actually Oney ripped Ozzie. What's new about this recycled story? Ozzie won't work for the Sox as long as KW is there? I'm pretty sure KW AND JR won't have Ozzie as long as KW is there. Nothing new, just Joe trying to start trouble watching his career melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Apr 2, 2012 -> 07:15 PM) God how I hate A.J. batting 5th. There are really very few other options. Viciedo and Ramirez historically start out slowly. Rios has been crap since July 2010.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 2, 2012 -> 04:24 PM) Does a pitcher pointing up on pop-ups actually help the fielders? Sometimes. If you can't see the ball, anything may help.

Happy birthday. He is a great guy. Another great guy I am very worried about since he hasn't been seen, at least by me in over a year when it was reported he had cancer, is Moose Skowron.

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 31, 2012 -> 01:20 PM) And with that said, Nate Jones is probably the most likely to be sent down first. Probably, but if they get him to throw strikes like they got Thornton to throw strikes, he could be dominant for a while.

Charlotte fans will be happy. If he's awful, its no skin off the Sox back. Risk free. This guy used to be pretty good. What happened? Did he get hurt or did he stop taking vitamins?