Dick Allen

I wonder how the Miami writer is spinning his Rose is overrated and can't get good players to play with him even though the Bulls will be the #1 seed in the East.

QUOTE (TitoMB @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 10:51 PM) So, who wants to justify Ozzie not putting Thornton in there? Anyone? I will. The one advantage the visiting team has when a game goes extra innings is they can use their closer to close. The home team cannot. That's what he was waiting for. If he burned him up and Pena had to close and blew it, the argument would be why was Pena closing. After a loss, you could blame Ozzie a lot of ways. Why make Thornton the closer when he locked down the 8th inning? If he pitched the 8th tonight, perhaps the Sox win. I'm no Ozzie apologist, but I don't think he did anything wrong with his pitching choices tonight.

Sale screwed this game up and gave Lillibridge the chance to be a goat. What is scary, but its still really early, the Sox are playing the bottom feeders and have given up at least 7 runs in 3 of 4 games.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Apr 5, 2011 -> 10:38 PM) Vazquez trade along w/ Flowers and I believe Jon Gilmore. Although Vazquez had one good year in ATL, its turning into a garbage for garbage trade.

For all those that love Brent Lillibridge's "versitility". You're right, he's versitile. You'd be hard pressed to come up with another player in MLB history that is bad in as many areas as this minor leaguer. Get him off the roster and call up a pitcher.

QUOTE (Harry Chappas @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 02:03 PM) Because he is a six inning pitcher. Today is the prime example of why he is not an ace. He is a really good pitcher but not worth a contract of that magnitude. Sabatthia and Halladay each went 6 innings their first start. Danks was 26th in baseball in IP last year which included playoffs in which he did not participate.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 02:41 PM) The Heat have "Worked out" Eddy Curry and could sign him for the playoffs. Curry was going to be a train wreck from the get go. Fat and lazy in high school doesn't translate without some discipline in college. He actually dropped a ton of weight with the Bulls and was playing pretty well, although pound for pound, he's one of the worst rebounders in NBA history. That didn't last, and now he's a guy who's going to be in serious trouble. He couldn't pay his bills when he was making $11 million a year. What's going to happen in the next couple? I'm glad he doesn't owe me any money.

QUOTE (Elgin Slim @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:27 PM) Because he's a lefthanded pitcher and will get Sabathia/Lee money in 2012 if he has two seasons where he strikes out 200 because of his age. Then one more year of his services plus the draft picks will be a lot better than picking up guys like Matt LaPorta.

QUOTE (Elgin Slim @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:23 PM) If Danks strikes guys out like this all season we can kiss him goodbye in the offseason. He's under control for next year. Why to the Sox have to operate like a small market team?

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:21 PM) With all the debate about the bunt, Danks looking great. Yes he is. Good thing he wasn't traded for prospects.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:19 PM) You probably should have just said that the first time then. I did. Post #97 was my first on the subject.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:16 PM) It was bad, because it was in the air, but I didn't think it was terrible. A lot of times that bunt would get down, even with the 1 second of hangtime it had. I couldn't disagree more. Bunts aren't supposed to be caught and if they are, they are awful.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:15 PM) No, I implied that you thinking it would make sense to bunt with run producers coming up was backasswards thinking. I don't think either of us were in favor of bunting there, but it makes more sense to try and move runners to 2nd and 3rd with Omar and Pierre coming up since they are primarily singles hitters versus moving them along with run producers coming up who have a much bigger chance of hitting a ball deep in the gap. And it makes no sense to move players up to second and third when you have hitters who can drive home runners without having to get a hit? My point is, the guys who bunt should be the guys who know how to bunt. Alexei isn't one of those guys. Asking him to bunt is stupid.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:12 PM) So no one wants to say it was a great play by the 1B, but rather that it was a terrible bunt by Alexei? I mean, if it was a terrible bunt, then the fielder would not have to of dove and made a fantastic play to get it in the end of his mitt. A terrible bunt would have made for an easy out, not a spectacular play. Terrible baserunning, sure. Terrible bunt? Eh. It was a nice play. It appeared to be a bunt and run, but under no circumstance is a bunt anything but bad if its caught on the fly.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:11 PM) First of all, that's not the thinking, but secondly, they're not going to play Lilli instead of Alexei unless they have to. That's what you implied. You said they wanted Quentin to be able to score on a single so they had a guy who cannot bunt, bunt with nobody out. It wasn't a good idea.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:08 PM) I think that is why the bunt was put down...because Ozzie wanted them to be able to score on a single... If they don't think Alexei has any chance against Masterson, he should be on the bench, and there still would have been one out with the top of the order and Pierre, and non DP guy at the plate.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 01:04 PM) This. Because you know it won't be the last time we bunt in the early innings. I don't mind if Pierre or Vizquel bunt if there are run producers coming up behind them, but as was pointed out, even if Alexei gets it down successfully, and it sure seems he had little chance, you're putting ducks on the pond for Vizquel, not exactly a run machine. The OF would be shallow and with AJP on second base, so even if he gets a hit, its only one run. A sac fly is a longshot.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Apr 3, 2011 -> 12:48 PM) this is true but there were 2 other very close pitches which were right at the belt called high. they were very hittable. Frank Thomas received the same sort of criticism when he was at his peak. There were many who thought his taking pitches an inch or so off the plate should be changed and he would be a bigger monster. The Sox elected not to mess with him. If Dunn suddenly expands his zone a little bit, there's no telling how it actually might backfire. He is what he is. The numbers are pretty consistent. He's going to walk, strikeout, get on base and homer a lot. Its a huge upgrade.

I hate bunts, especially by guys who can't bunt.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 2, 2011 -> 07:51 PM) That's what I mean. I think the Fox noon games don't start until later in the season. Starting last season, the Fox games start at 3 Central Time. STL vs. SD was shown in Chicago and NY/Det elsewhere.The game was good to go today because of the early start.

A lot of guys got some action on Friday. I think he'll keep the line up relatively the same except maybe getting Vizquel some time.

Greg Walker's having a nice start this year.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2011 -> 03:23 AM) The last time he played for the Cubs, Darin Erstad was wearing a White Sox uniform. Pitchers change and improve. He's not Mariano, but as a 5th reliever, he's fine. Good strikeout rate, generally limits home runs I would say his career .208/.298/.348/.646 against lefties says he's capable. It's not exactly death on them, but it's still pretty damn good, and good enough that he can get them out. The .264/.360/.400 that he's thrown against righties is a little more worrisome, so yes, he absolutely needs to stay away from right handed hitters. He's been Wil Oh Man for a while. He's basically the mirror image of Scott Linebrink, one lefty on righty. You may get something out of him if you use him as a LOOGY. Expecting much else is trouble, but it appears the Sox aren't counting on him for a whole lot. Yesterday was garbage time so maybe he got some runs out of his system.

I'm a Quentin guy and think he'll have a good year, but reality is its only one game. We were very excited about the Sox after one game last year and then the wheels fell off for a while. Hopefully, they won't fall off this year. I think they can make a mockery of this division.

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Apr 1, 2011 -> 07:49 PM) Pavano looks terrible. Doesn't mean much though. It is only one game, but that contract is not going to be a bargain. Pavano is the blueprint for not giving some multiyear contracts. He seems like an obvious poster boy for bust of the year.