Dick Allen

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 11:01 PM) I love how everyone demands excellence & championships, yet disregards 2005 as a lucky fluke and won't give OG/KW any credit. If you wanna argue that 2005 was 6 years ago and they have underacheived since then, that is fine, I completely understand and your arguments are warranted. But they did make all the right moves to win a title back in the day, and don't take that credit away just cause you hate them now. Read the first sentence of what you are replying to, then pop off. I said they have every right to hang their hat on the championship.

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 11:04 PM) career .248 hitter. saying he ever 'hit' is a stretch. he's got 3 1/2 years to turn it around. No rush. Batting average isn't his game. Homers and walks are what he does.

QUOTE (kapzk @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 11:05 PM) any chances of placing Rios on waivers in July and a team claiming? The being placed on waivers is a given, the claim, there's no chance. Zero. Even if he showed some signs of life the next few weeks. He's trash and every other team knows it.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 10:57 PM) Have a GM and/or manager ever gotten so much mileage out of a WS appearance/win? Ozzie mentioned the WS win in his rant a week or so ago. He believes he deserves a lifetime pass.

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 11:00 PM) Guy ain't in shape, saw his on-base percentage go down 42 points last year and can't play in the field Reds fans haven't stopped laughing since the day the Sox signed him. He's no more out of shape than he has been the last 6 or 7 years. He just hasn't hit.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 10:58 PM) That Anthopoulos is a wizard. Yes he is. The owner should give him a lifetime contract for getting Rios and Wells off the books.

How much longer to we have to watch Alex Rios? He is total garbage.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jun 17, 2011 -> 03:44 PM) They know the expectations and what they are capable of. There are rewards for A's and less so for B's. But like was stated before there are times in life when excellence is expected and other where it's fun. Excelling in school (or not) is a life changer. Whether the Sox have a good team and miss the playoffs is not. Isn't part of being a parent knowing what your child is capable of? For some, Bs are dissappointments, and could show a lack of effort and/or concentration. For some other kids, getting B's is actually quite an accomplishment. Not everyone's intellect is equal. I think looking at the Sox, we have been looking for As and B pluses but most of the time get Bs or B minuses or Cs. You are correct, whether the Sox win 100 or lose 100, its not really going to change anyone's life too much, but as fans which is short for fanatics, winning is important or we probably wouldn't be paying attention or posting on message boards. KW and Ozzie need more As. They have been given the means to accomplish it, and don't get it done too often.

The White Sox have had the fortune of playing KC, Cleveland, and for the most part Detroit 18 times a year the past 10 seasons or so. 84 wins should not be acceptable. Except for 2005 and a couple of other years, the pattern seems to hold true. You think they have a good team. They fall flat on their face, play crappy ball for 3 or 4 months, rally to get back in it and fall apart at the end. They win 83 or 84 games and 5 years later the year is called a success because in the 70s the Sox really sucked. I call BS. Win the division. Make the playoffs. You have had a big advantage over your division foes for years and have squandered it far too often. 2005 is something they will always be able to hang their hat on and rightfully so, but if a couple of crazy things didn't happen against Boston, like a ball going through Graffinino's legs and El Duque, a guy KW didn't even want on the postseason roster not pitching out of a jam, they might still be looking for their first postseason series win in 94 years, and I'm sure Ozzie and KW would have very little support from anyone on this website.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 09:26 PM) Yes. What's the link? The tweets were about someone who died in Venezuela.

QUOTE (bmags @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 04:35 PM) Good. The company is a good company, imo, but was clearly selling too high. Part of the problem is people thinking they'll take advantage of a bubble. The good news is this is not staying so over inflated. How do they make their money?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 08:25 PM) I don't think the rays were mad that the mets didn't tell them. Otherwise, teams do give guys physicals before they approve deals. If a team trades a guy knowing he has some drug issue and doesn't disclose it to the other team, let's just say that doesn't fly. Perhaps they mentioned they have heard the rumors, maybe they even suspect it, etc. They could point to his drug test, or maybe the story just isn't that true. I'm sure if you made everyone on a MLB roster who has ever smoked pot take a week off, you would have a week without enough players to play a game.

QUOTE (lord chas @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 07:59 PM) can anyone enlighten me why viciedo is not being called up? is it to do with options or his contract? It has to do with Ozzie's refusal to bench Pierre and/or Rios. You could have Lillibridge play for Rios and Viciedo play for Pierre. The team is already improved. Pierre is about the only veteran White Sox I have never seen dog it once. He's supposed to be a great guy and a great teammate. The problem is he just either can't play anymore or just isn't doing the job. Its time to be a great influence and help Viciedo out and become a part time player. Put Lillibridge in CF until reality comes crashing in on him and let Rios sit down and try to figure things out while not killing the team.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 07:26 PM) Sox shut out. Wet the bed against the Twins again. Pierre 0/4. Tank time ! Its been Tank time for about a month. I understand being patient and believing veterans will come back to their norms, but the Pierre and Rios experience has gone on long enough. Pierre can't do anything. Rios may even be worse. In his last 500 AB he has hit .233 with 10 homers and is 14-23 stealing bases. Look at Brian Anderson in 2008. He was a little better and not nearly good enough, and also made about $11.5 million less per year. Bring up Viciedo and play Lillibridge. Tell Pierre and Rios to stand by because if those guys start sucking like the two of them have for far too long, they will get another shot.

If the Rays or Mets knew that Kazmir was a stoner and didn't disclose that when trading him, there is a huge issue there. I think there may be some truth to this story, just not all true.

QUOTE (Stan Bahnsen @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 07:06 PM) Saw that, but I wonder how much longer they can ignore the obvious. Tank 2-2 tonight, HR & 2B, 2RBI. Every day he's not with the big club now is a wasted opportunity. Yeah, I don't understand Ozzie's quote. He's afraid putting guys who have shown they might perform better than the guys in the line up will lose the teams' confidence in the manager? Let's just forget how much confidence they have in him now and the team's record. I thought Brent Lillibridge should open up a Chik Fil A, but he's clearly outperforming Rios and Pierre. Viciedo has done nothing but hit for over a month. The only reason Pierre and Rios are playing is the amount of money they are being paid. Play the guys that give you the best chance to win Ozzie. The team will have confidence in you if that is done.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 11, 2011 -> 02:08 PM) And they're not giving up on Rios or Dunn. Especially now that Rios has overhauled his hand position and is suddenly hitting tons of balls up the middle. If someone would take the contract, they would dump Rios in a heartbeat.

QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Jun 11, 2011 -> 01:13 PM) There's a huge ramification to clubhouse and Santos' morale when you don't go out there and pull him: LOSING. If these guys' morale and ego are so fragile don't we want to spare them the shame and humility of blowing a game big time? While the White Sox are in pursuit of 1st place maybe doing WHATEVER it takes to win should take priority to the feelings of any particular players. Besides, doesn't winning do wonders for clubhouse morale? Look at the way Oakland reacted to breaking their losing streak. I'm sure their clubhouse morale is on a high today. Crain had pitched 3 out of the last 4 days, so he probably wasn't available. Thornton was spent. If Ozzie brings in Harrell or Ohman and they blow the game, people who think they should have pulled Santos would be complaining about the Sox pulling their closer. I have no trouble with Ozzie leaving him in there. He cruised threw the first 2 hitters easily. Sizemore had a big hit. Looking at the back of his baseball card, odds are usually against that.

MLB has thrown out the possibility of re-alignment. Both leagues would have 15 teams, so at least one interleague match up always. The one proposal that seems to have the most support is one with no divisions. Top 5 teams make the playoffs.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 11, 2011 -> 10:49 AM) The craziest thing was Pierzynski looking over to the dugout after ball 1 to Sizemore, basically imploring Guillen to immediately pull Santos for literally anyone (at least that's how I read it) and then trotting out to the mound hoping Ozzie would follow. 99% of people watching this game could see that Santos just didn't have it tonight, but Ozzie was going to let him lose this game anyway. Hell, I put in Buehrle on one day's rest to get this last out after watching everything. ANYONE. That's the kind of creative thinking that won a world series, not passively letting someone who had NOTHING bury your team all by himself. We needed one out. he walked three and hit one, and Ozzie didn't even move towards the mound. Your closer just doesn't have it tonight. PULL HIM. In instances where he's not had it in other nights, he gives up more than 1 run. Losing this game was the most ludicrous loss I've seen in a long time. The bench probably told AJ to go out to talk to him. There was no one warming up until the horses were out of the barn. One other thing I noticed yesterday, Coco Crisp cannot throw at all right now. He makes Juan Pierre look like Roberto Clemente. I know he's always had a weak arm, but something is wrong with him. On fly balls with no one on, he's basically rolling them back in to the cutoff man. I seriously believe any White Sox with at least average speed should try for a double on anything hit to him. Its that bad.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 11, 2011 -> 12:47 PM) It's not like Santos has been pitching his entire life...he's one of the five least experienced pitchers in baseball, if not #1 in that category. I think letting him absorb HUGE defeats and numbers of pitches thrown in the 3 bad outings that Sergio has had this year has been more deflating for his confidence than if Ozzie would have had the earlier hook. It's one thing if Santos had been the closer for 2-3 seasons, it's only been 4-5 weeks though, in this case. When you just have that feeling in the pit of your stomach that the guy's just has ZERO confidence out there...well, obviously the opposing batters sensed the momentum of that entire inning and it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. Especially when you're down to the last batter (in the LAD game) or strike, you have to sense the other team is going to start feeding on the blood in the water when any life is breathed into them. You have to cut off the arm or leg to save the body in that situation. We'll see what happens, but personally I feel even less confident now in Santos because of the way Ozzie has handled him since he became the closer. I think its his inexperience that got him last night. He was fine for 2 hitters and 2 strikes. These are growing pains most pitchers go through. The Sox really need a bonafide closer. Santos may be a good one someday, maybe even great, but right now he needs some experience. The success he's had with how little he has pitched is incredible.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 10, 2011 -> 10:58 PM) I don't have to do that. I KNOW you do that. The search function hasn't worked in years and I'm not googling whatever just to make a point. You always do that and you know it. If we get angry or upset about something we're on the verge of suicide and we should start reading the bible. You do that s*** all the time and you know it. Pitching wise, Santos is probably the least experienced full time pitcher in the major leagues. He has very little to fall back on, so when he falls apart, he's really going to fall apart. He probably will be a pretty good closer at some point, but if the Sox are "all in" he's really a crapshoot as opposed to an almost sure thing. Making him the closer is kind of like giving a 16 year old who just got his license a Ferari. It may work out fine, but probably not. Of course finding a closer isn't easy, and bringing back Jenks even with the struggles the Sox have had in the 9th inning, wasn't a good choice either. Supposedly Heath Bell is going to get traded fairly soon. The Sox need him, but so do a lot of teams. They would have to probably give up Viciedo at least to get him, and I don't think that's very smart. Maybe Santos learns something tonight. Learning on the job trying to win a divison is very tough. Blowing leads in the 9th inning has to stop. If the Sox won all the games they lead in the 9th, they would probably be in first place or very close right now.

QUOTE (danman31 @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 12:00 AM) It's also possible that Ozney is viewed as unsignable. Ozney said he would sign unless the offer was ridiculous. They turned down 50k last year. I can't see a 30 + round draft pick getting 50k this year. Ozzie and Oney believe Ozney will be a star and should get preferential treatment because of his last name.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Jun 8, 2011 -> 12:21 AM) KW jr pick just burns my ass total bulls*** the 4th OF on his own team gets picked that high. It was the second time the Sox drafted KW Jr. He went very low out of HS and didn't sign. Ozney just isn't that good. No homers and he projects as a corner infielder.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Jun 6, 2011 -> 09:03 PM) Nice catch, Adam. Not only can you not hit, but now this run that will score is on you, too! He's actually been far better defensively this year than his reputation. This play was pretty awful