Dick Allen

QUOTE (Chet Kincaid @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 12:40 PM) DUNN AT CLEANUP!!!! Konerko should walk 4 times today. With 1 or 2 outs and nobody on or first base open, I don't know why anyone would even bother pitching to Konerko until Dunn shows he can hit better than Minnie Minoso when he was 60.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 02:35 PM) I love the way Dunn said "second half." It's like everybody is just writing off the Minnesota series as 4 more losses, then we'll get to business the second half. These losses add up. It's going to be very tough to go from fourth to first the second half. Exactly. If its so easy to turn it on, why not turn it on immediately?

With all the HOFers that have played in NY, its amazing Jeter is the first with 3000 hits. He never had the greatest range in the world, but if you ever needed a big hit or a big play made, he seemingly came through as much as anyone on the hugest of stages. Truly a great ballplayer.

QUOTE (nitetrain8601 @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 01:49 PM) Gammons has serious credibility and is well respected in any sport as a writer and reporter. There's a reason why he made the writer's HOF. He's with MLBtv and they paid him a pretty penny because of it. He's like the Adam Schefter of the MLB. You just don't know if he has actual information or its just his opinion. You would think something would have to happen somewhere with this organization. They have wasted a lot of time being "patient".

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 11:38 AM) I agree with you. I think if you are going to get rid of Ozzie, you have to go outside of the current staff for his replacement. Feel the opposite with Kenny, because Hahn is much different. I do know Gammons said a couple of months ago the Sox had some interest in Ken Macha. I don't know if that was as a possible manager or minor league guy or what. I think ultimately, even the people like me who think Ozzie's time is up are going to be dissappointed with the replacement.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 11:34 AM) I would be stunned if Ozzie was fired. But fully supportive. Would it make sense to fire Ozzie and than turn the reigns over to Cora? Or if you fire Ozzie do you bring in an outside replacement, who isn't so connected to Ozzie, as the mgr. I've always thought that if the replacement was Cora, you might as well leave Ozzie in place. What doesn't make sense to me about Gammons comment is if they are going to fire him in 2 days, why not pull the plug now? These are huge games.

QUOTE (Baron @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 11:27 AM) do you have a link? Whats the radio show called? I saw it on another message board from a credible poster. Its WEEI.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 01:15 AM) And you still haven't addressed my point about Cooper. And who the hell is balming it *all* on Walker? Do you really have to be so dramatic to try to make a point? ALL of you people defending Walker keep preaching about a hitting coach apparently makes NOOOOOOO difference at all and has no effect on how guys hit, right? So then why are you guys so adamant about NOT firing Walker? This is entirely irrational. If it makes no difference, fire him and hire someone else. Something to potentially gain but NOTHING to lose. Also, by your claims, no coach matters at all and Cooper should get ZERO credit for ANYTHING in terms of our pitching staff. Correct? I feel I have to repeat this since you ignored it earlier. In any case, a hitting coach DOES make a difference. Personalities matter. People saying coaches make no difference at all is a gigantic "derp." Cool, then you'd have NO problem with firing Walker, as would anyone else using this (assumption-based) logic. The defense is as always: ignorance, cop-outs and excuses, OH MY! Hey, mods... is "obtuse" a word I can get away with or is that considered flaming/insult? Actually I never said a hitting coach makes no diffierence, and my deal with Cooper is everyone gives him credit for the good, but no criticism whatsoever for the bad, which is exactly the opposite how the same fans view Greg Walker. They blame him if the player isn't doing well but give him no credit when they are performing exceptionally. I personally think Walker is in the upper half of hitting coaches. You can make a change just to make a change but thats pretty silly and it could backfire. Notice Paul Konerko before Walker took over in 2003. I would imagine Paulie could fix himself a little more competiently now, but you can't be sure. If you really want the offense to improve, you will need better hitters. If the White Sox don't hit, Greg Walker needs to go. If they don't pitch, its because the pitchers screwed up. To me that's not right and until the blame is placed where it should be placed and something is done to change it, the results will remain the same.

FWIW, Peter Gammons was on a Boston radio show this morning and said he expects Ozzie to be fired during the ASB. He said he may be managing the Marlins in a week and also mentioned KW knows his ass is on the line as well.

QUOTE (C_LEE45 @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 10:38 AM) wait a minute about 75 % of people love the moves kennys makes the time the deals are done BUT if they dont pan out KW is an idiot,which there are some moves that backfired(gio,hudson.C young) but ALOMST everybody loved it when the sox got DUNN,Peavy,Rios so i really dont know of a perfect GM but i do know KW shouldnt be blamed for player not DOING THERE JOBS........ Rios was questionable at best. If he really was so great, he wouldn't have been let go for nothing. I loved the Peavy trade personally and it still may work out OK. Its not like Clayton Richard is going to the HOF. As for Dunn, no one could possibly see a drop of this magnitude. There were some warning signs there, but still........anyway, had KW overruled OG and said you know what, Mark Kotsay DHing isn't really a good idea, and re signed Jim Thome for peanuts, a couple of things may have happened. Maybe the Sox win with Thome and Twins without him. If he had the year he had, maybe he brings him back for 600 and doesn't go after Dunn. The bottom line is KW gets paid a ton of money to make the decisions, fans don't get squat. KW has a bloated payroll and a team that just doesn't click. Ultimately fans will love the trades and signings that work out and will not like the ones that do not, even if they thought at the time it was the right thing to do. That's life. I think its time KW and OG move on. This entire circus needs to be closed.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jul 8, 2011 -> 11:43 AM) If we look at Detroit's record against the Sox from 2006-2008, we see a team with a .538 average winning percentage over those three seasons (87 win average) go 20-35 (.364) against the White Sox. What happened to their manager over those three years? Hasn't Detroit beaten the White Sox in 13 of the last 15 or something like that? The bottom line, whether its the manager's, players', owner's, GM's, fans' fault is if you can't beat your division opponents, you aren't going to have a successful year.

I do agree you see A LOT more of KW when the Sox are going well. I guess he just isn't Chicago tough when the losing begins.

QUOTE (Pale Sox @ Jul 9, 2011 -> 03:46 AM) I think anybody that has ever had a job realizes the importance of management's attitude. I remember when I first started as an intern with the Blue Jays. Ricciardi (who was always nothing but super friendly to everybody in my experiences) had basically accepted defeat, both publicly and internally. I was essentially a fly on the wall, but it felt as though the entire office was spinning their wheels. Ricciardi got fired. My boy Anthopoulos took his spot. At his first quarterly union address he challenged the entire company to erase the self defeatist attitude. He argued the Blue Jays had once led MLB in attendance/payroll and could do so again. He argued that through proper management the Blue Jays could prosper once again. Almost immediately the mood of the office changed. I remained a fly on the wall, but the change in attitude was tangible. My point is...the attitude of leadership absolutely matters in the big scheme of things. Sometimes a change of voice makes all the difference. It seems like it was a nice speech, however, thel Blue Jays still don't draw very well. I will say this, I do agree with his premise. I've been saying for years if the White Sox spent as much time trying to figure out how to kick Minnesota's ass as they do kissing it, they wouldn't be in the quandry they are currently in. They just seem to accept the Twins are better than them, no matter what the standings or the line ups say.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 8, 2011 -> 08:55 PM) No, there's not. It was supposed to be Chris Rongey's future predicted response in the post-game to complaints Ozzie made the wrong moves with Floyd and the bullpen. Guess I did a good job. You did. Its exactly how Rongey would respond, although I can't really say I can blame him. I'm sure he likes employment.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Jul 8, 2011 -> 08:45 PM) Wish there was a webcam on Kenny on that one... He's out getting JR's dry cleaning. He'll probably run into Cowley picking up Oney's.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 09:43 PM) Not with Alex Rios leading off. From what I've heard, Reinsdorf is really pissed off about Rios. Obviously at the way he's playing and the logic in taking on the contract. Signing Dunn is one thing, while his second half last season may have suggested a drop off, not to the extreme its been, but Rios.....................The scouting reports all were he didn't seem to care, and that's exactly how he's been playing for about a year now.

QUOTE (fathom @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 07:44 PM) Wait, WTF...we moved Rios up to 5th in the order? Dunn 4th, Rios 5th. If the Sox score 3 runs or less, is it really Greg Walker's fault?

QUOTE (Cerbaho-WG @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 07:41 PM) Hawk needs to shut the f*** up about the Twins having our number. Hawk's incessant b****ing and moaning about it plays into the psyche of the fans saying it. The entire organization does what Hawk does, and has for years. If the attitude or mindset as Hawk likes to say doesn't change, neither will the results. The Sox have lost most of the games they have lost to Minnesota the past 4 or 5 years before the first pitch.

No need for the postgame press conference. I give you the jist of it now. [code] TIP YOUR CAP[/code]

Listening to Hawk, you would think the Twins are nearly undefeated this season. I guess they are at the games Hawk has attended.

If Pierre wants to tap Pavano's ass, he should wait until after the game.

With the bases empty and 2 out, I'd put Konerko on everytime until Dunn shows he can hit better than me.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 10:34 AM) The Walker defense is laughable. Who cares if he isnt "the cause", you arent going to change the entire lineup, therefore you HAVE to change something and thats the voice they hear on a daily basis. If you want the same results keep things the exact same. As it is, this team is not going to make the playoffs. What is the harm in changing a hitting coach? If they get worse, so what. if they get better, good. What's laughable is blaming Rios, Dunn and Beckham all on nothing but Walker. Everyone else from a hitting standpoint is doing about what you would expect or better. So if you're not going to change the line up, the most laughable thing would be expecting different results. See Einstein's definition of crazy or look at the Cubs. They changed hitting coaches a couple of times, finally hiring the great Jaramillo. The changed managers. They were stuck with the same core of players. The results are the same.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jul 7, 2011 -> 06:20 PM) My girlfriend said yesterday, "Why don't the players just retire? Why don't they find better players? Why don't you like a better team?" This was after I had explained to her why I kept following a team that loses more often than winning....and how there were still 3 full months of games (and potential suffering) to come. It would be a very different game if the highest paid guys were making $3 million a year.

I read where Alex Rios is 1 for 28 with a runner on 3rd base and he's 0-17 with a runner on 3rd base with less than 2 out.