Dick Allen

QUOTE (Ranger @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 02:29 PM) Right. Like I said earlier, the "decline" is misleading. It's like saying Pujols was on the decline from 2003 to 2005 because his OBP went from 1.106 to 1.072 to 1.039. Technically, that's a decline. But, obviously, it's really not. Wouldn't a lot of people here like to have Curtis Granderson? Well, he's also been on an OPS "decline" the last 3 seasons (and actually, it's been a much more serious decline than what Rios has had) but I wouldn't consider him to be a player that's getting worse. I'd be glad to have him. Melky Cabrera had a similar 3-year downward trend, but that doesn't mean bigger picture issues. For somebody that just turned 29 three days ago, I consider 2009 to be anomalous, and the 3 years before that are not even a problem for me because they were still good years. What about what scouts say about his decline? I just received my BP yesterday. Here's their little write up on Rios: As surprising as the Jake Peavy trade was, Kenny Williams' claiming Rios in August wins the award for the most shocking transaction of 2009. With Williams hoping the talented outfielder simply needed a change of scenery to get things going again, Rios responded by not even getting his batting average above the Mendoza line, and the club is stuck with him for six more years at a cost of more than $80 million. (I believe they are off $20 million but it may be an option) Rios is young enought to figure things out again, but he most galling aspect of his performance might not be the stat line; it's the gaggle of scouts who see a player who just doesn't give a damn. I don't know if that really is true or not. Not the scouts feelings, I know that is true, but whether he really does give a damn. One other thing I heard on MLB Network about Rios with the White Sox in 2009, in 150+ plate appearances, he only hit 12 balls hard in play. Pecota has him at 34 2B 4 3B 20 homers .274 AVG. 339 OBP

QUOTE (flavum @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:48 PM) Freddie Bynum has been released. He's heading to Japan to play. That move sent shockwaves through the entire league.

If JD is offended teams only want to pay him $3 million to play baseball for 6 months, I'm sure he'll enjoy retirement. Funny how a lot of these guys who "retire" wind up back in someone's camp the next year on a minor league deal with a contract that will pay them a fraction of what they would have been paid had they not sat out. Someone needs to slap JD upside the head and tell him he's 36 years old, time is running out, they pay you a ton of money to play a game, get what you can and do what you love. He'll regret it if he doesn't.

QUOTE (fathom @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:42 PM) It's ironic, because the articles last season around this time were all about Fields' improvement, showing up in shape, etc. Exactly. He was a different player. He was going to outproduce Crede in his sleep. I could see some optimism for Jones if it was a one year spiral, or even 2 with an injury. But its 3 years. He'll be fun to watch, and if they pick his spots, he may still provide a little lift. Ron Washington was criicized last year for overexposing him. The Andruw Jones of 4 or 5 years ago is gone. I don't think he's coming back unless he gets himself some Flintstone vitamins.

I would be shocked if Andruw Jones can provide anything offensively Josh Fields can't except a few fewer strikeouts. The optimism for him is amazing. The guy has barely hit .200 the last 3 seasons combined.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 08:00 AM) The difference is much bigger for this year when you compare the 8 million dollars in 2010 to the 4.5 million that they Sox would have paid this year. I don't even think the Sox would have paid him that much this year. I think the total present day value was supposedly $4.5 million. The Tigers saved Boras yet again. Mr. Pizza Pizza can't be very popular with his fellow owners.

The Bulls are winning games they should win now, something they weren't doing before. The last 4 wins have been against teams a combined 75 games below .500. They have 3 more home games than road games left on their schedule, so the playoffs should be a relative lock. The new guys seem to fit in pretty well, but let's face it, they played Minnesota, 30 games under .500 and Philadelphia, 13 below at home. They probably look a little better than they really are. It will all come down to July 1. I just hope the Knicks don't win the lottery. I think its the only way Lebron goes there and probably takes someone with him.

This Andruw Jones is really a stand up guy: "They wanted me to come and that's why I signed here right away," Jones said of the White Sox. "You can see around the league, a lot of guys that had great years, they don't have a job still. For them to come and tell me, 'Hey, get in shape and you'll get a chance to play every day,' that motivated me more to go out and work hard and get my body right so I can play every day." All that money the Dodgers paid him didn't motivate him to get his body right and work hard. I guess at least he is in shape now. We'll see if that means anything. Odds are he's one of the great spring stories that fizzles out rather quickly when the games become real.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Feb 21, 2010 -> 12:10 AM) For some reason I used to like checking the weather outside of the dome last season and so many times it was s***ty while inside of course it was perfect. I want to see how they do with rain delays and wet fields and wind and cold and soaring humidity, all of the elements that other AL central teams deal with consistently at home. And while the turf is notoriously rough on knees and backs, I wouldn't rule out more injuries as a result of the changing weather, in particular, the cold to start and end the season. On average, Minneapolis is drier during the summer months than most midwest cities. Its not like baseball outdoors is something new in Minneapolis. It also seems a lot of people think the Twins never win a game on the road. They had the best road record in the AL Central last year. In fact, their road record has been better than the White Sox road record in 3 of the past 4 years, with 2008 being the exception and the difference was game 163. They were 1/2 game worse on the road. Most teams win more at home, and its not necessarily 100% the park. There are tons of other factors. In fact, I read an article a few years ago when they were going to start testing for greenies, that players being off them, and its no secret a very high percentage of players used them, would lead to increases in home team wins due to travel, late nights, etc.

Before we start saying guys are done if they go 0 for 10 during spring training or give up 8 runs in an inning, or put them on the All Star team because they are 9 out of their last 14 or pitch a couple of scoreless innings with 5 ks lets all keep in mind these spring training facts from the Tribune: In 2005, White Sox pitchers a 5.59 spring ERA before proceeding to win the World Series. Brian Anderson batted .309 the next spring to win the starting center field job, only to lose it by midseason. And infielder Wilson Betemit led the Sox last spring with six home runs and 18 RBIs, only to be designated for assignment two months later.

Here's something interesting from the Tribune: Extra innings: The Sox reported their highest advanced ticket sales since 2006 -- the season after their World Series title

QUOTE (Quinarvy @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 05:34 PM) You know what? I'd go to JD and say "Look. I'll give you $3M to DH, since you can't play the field. Take it or leave it." Then, let him and Jones it out, and if they both suck, cut Jones, if they both hit, trade one midseason for prospects. If Jones hits and JD doesn't, DFA JD and trade for Crawford, and if JD hits and Jones doesn't...don't do anything. We know how competition for roster If he would accept the fact he's a DH, he'd probably be a good one. If he still fights it and thinks he should play in the field, he'll struggle. DHing isn't for everyone.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 05:29 PM) Officially put me in the concerned category, as this team will have to overachieve to win the AL Central. I don't think they'll have to overachieve A LOT, so I'm not indifferent or hopeless or anything because the overachievement necessary for this team to make the playoffs is reasonable. But I think this team has at bare minimum a 3/4 chance of finishing in the bottom 3 in the AL in runs, and it's just really hard to win that way in general, but especially in the AL and double especially playing in a bandbox. To win it all, the Sox are going to have to overachieve. PECOTA has them 80-82, CHONE 81-81, but just about every team that wins has to have more than a couple guys step up. All is not lost. They don't play in the AL East.

Although it didn't turn out as I had hoped, I'm glad this debacle is OVA.

QUOTE (gatnom @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 05:19 PM) My guess is that we stand pat. I agree, unless someone gets hurt in spring training, they will wait until it fails miserably, and go from there. One guy I would keep an eye on is Jeremy Hermida now with Boston. He's excess baggage for them now.

I wonder if Damon had any other agent but Boras if the Yankees wouldn't have just gone ahead and given him $20 million for 2 years. I know they had some hard feelings after the ARod fiasco.

QUOTE (bucket-of-suck @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 03:48 PM) --- LAKELAND, Fla. -- According to White Sox general manger Kenny Williams, the Tigers have made a higher bid for the free-agent outfielder Johnny Damon than their divisional rivals from the South Side of Chicago. In an e-mail to the Free Press today, Williams explained why he is bowing out of the Damon bidding. “I pulled the offer because it’s clear I can’t match the Detroit offer, much less the requested terms,” Williams wrote. Williams thus indicates that Damon continues to seek more than the Tigers are offering. Although no figures have been confirmed, it’s been widely speculated that the Tigers are offering Damon something around $7 million on a one-year deal and that the White Sox one-year offer didn’t top $6 million. It would also make sense if the Tigers want to defer part of Damon’s salary. Remember, the Tigers are trying to cut some payroll this season. Damon would in effect take the payroll spot of the traded Curtis Granderson, who makes $5.5 million this season on a long-term deal. The Tigers could sign Damon for more than that, but still save money in 2010, if they defer at least a few million dollars of Damon’s salary. Williams suggested Friday he’s leaving the door open a bit for Damon. Today, Williams told the Free Press he made that comment “only because it’s dangerous to completely close the door on anything. It’s kind of like never saying never.” Williams, who’s had a much-acclaimed tenure as the White Sox’s G.M., is a former Tigers outfielder. Is Damon a future one? -- Again, this is Kenny saying I can't go above $6M (which is what Boras is demanding) and the $6M I have is partially deferred (which Boras won't accept) and I won't go more than one year (which Boras insists upon), so the money and the terms are both beyond what the Sox can offer. Add a deadline like Kenny has and this thing looks dead to me. It does appear dead, but as I stated before, if Damon had Boras call KW next Thursday and tell him he would take their last offer, is there any chance KW says no, he missed the deadline?

QUOTE (WCSox @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 02:00 PM) If the "true" market value for Damon is $6M and Boras was going to pump it up to at least $7M via a bidding war with DET, then I agree. Also agree on "the money is there" point. Yeah, they can reach back and go into short-term debt if they want (or borrow it from a bank). But after four years of high spending and inconsistent and mostly-disappointing results, I don't fault them at all for having tighter fists this year. If I'm Kenny and I'm going to put my job on the line, it's not going to be for somebody like AGon, not Damon. How is it you know the budget? Do you work for the Sox? JR and Brooks Boyer said the money is there for an "impact" bat. I assume it means not going into the red as JR has been quoted as saying he will not lose money to win games. Their fists aren't tighter this year. Payroll is up. Seasonticket sales are down, the prices for most season ticket packages was the same. If anything, they are digging a little deeper into their pockets. Gonzalez would be great to have, but remember, he would be a White Sox for 2 seasons and cost the Sox probably all of their good prospects if they could get him at all. Damon just costs money that they have available, and its short term. It wouldn't preclude the White Sox from going after Gonzalez since they would only be adding about $2.3 million to the payroll if the got him at the deadline.

QUOTE (Real @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 10:47 AM) updated my post, he says it'll be made official on Monday so we might not hear anything for a few days It looks like he's made predictions before that were a bit off, although this one really isn't going out on a limb.

QUOTE (Real @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 10:06 AM) More Damon Contract info (from a guy who's brother works for the Dodgers, take with a grain of salt) Says Damon has signed with the Tigers, will be made official today A big grain of salt, although you would think with the date, his signing would be relatively soon. I just don't understand how a guy who works for the Dodgers a team with apparently no interest in the player would have the scoop, but I'm sure its possible.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 09:37 AM) You've been arguing this for some time now and I just don't know how one can argue it was "obviously" a claim to block. The Organization has a very good history at bringing in players down on their luck and turning them around through coaching and opportunity. And despite the fact that the contract looks like an albatross when Rios plays at his absolute worst, he is very capable of returning his performance to a level where not only is the contract acceptable, but where it becomes club-friendly, especially considering the value his defense alone brings. I don't find it hard to believe under these circumstances that Kenny put in the claim because he actually wanted the player. That isn't to say that he didn't think Toronto would throw in some cash in exchange for some minor league talent, but you're making it seem as if KW was completely unprepared to take on the player and the contract, which simply does not gel with his past history or that of the Organization. It goes totally against anything the organization has stood for. Its the biggest contract in terms of cash owed in team history for a guy that was doing so well, the team that developed him, let him go for nothing. If he was willing to eat the entire contract, Toronto was willing to give him up for nothing. He obviously wanted Toronto to eat some of the contract or take some money back. If he was willing to eat the contract, why wouldn't he have done it sooner and not risked a team below the White Sox claiming him thus killing any chance of Rios being a White Sox? I agree he wanted Rios, but not be on the hook for the entire contract. He didn't want to eat the entire thing. If Detroit would have claimed Rios, even if they ate the entire contract, they would have had a legit claim to sit Maggs and not have the $18 million vest. If KW claimed him and Toronto didn't give him up, KW knew Detroit would in a bind.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 09:10 AM) Besides Borchard and the failure of all the first round drift picks (and yes, Borchard did net us Thornton even)...the biggest "in your face" condemnation of the minor league system has to be the "forced" acquisition of Alex Rios. If KW didn't think Brian Anderson was the answer in CF, he wouldn't have traded away Rowand and Chris B. Young, not to mention Jeremy Reed and Anthony Webster. When you look at the payroll inflexibility, it begins and ends with Rios and Konerko. Konerko's understandable. Peavy has a huge contract, but he's emminently tradeable if we had to dump salary (barring injury), Rios is a much more difficult proposition if he doesn't return to form. Danks, Floyd, Beckham, Quentin and Alexei are the five prime examples of why this team has a shot to win it all. Jenks used to be in this group as well, until 2009/2010, in terms of cost/benefit analysis. You could also make an argument that if Dayan Viciedo had come along with the bat quickly enough, he could have been able to take over for Konerko at 1B this year and that would have ended up providing the flexibility to spend an extra $14-16 million instead of just $4 million, which is currently leaving us $2-3 million short on Damon. Or the Linebrink contract, that's another hole in the budget, so hopefully we can get something out of him again this year. KW obviously had been negotiating with Toronto about acquiring Rios, and it had to include Toronto eating some salary and the Sox sending viable players back, because if KW really wanted him and was willing to pay him the entire salary, why would he have risked Toronto placing him on waivers and having another team claim him? He obviously put the claim in to block. I'm sure he liked Rios as a player and probably coveted him, but not that contract. I'm pretty sure KW was as surprised as anyone his claim was successful or unsuccessful depending upon how you look at it. The contract is burden especially if Rios continues to play as he has. As for Konerko, it was widely thought the White Sox probably went at least a year too long with their contract, but that was after a WS win and Paulie was a hero. Losing him after that would have hurt some of the momentum they had built. Even with the 20/20 hindsight, and as much as I like to rip some of their mistakes, you can't give them a hard time about that contract.

Its ironic that on the same message board there is such hatred for DH only type "base cloggers" but also a thread of admiration for Frank Thomas. Should the Sox have dumped Frank when it became very apparent his glove needed to be thrown in the garbage? The Sox need a hitter. Its not a requirement that he be a good defender. With the White Sox it hasn't been a requirement the guys out in the field be good defenders. It would be like a strip club requiring graduate degrees to be a stripper. If MLB baseball ever abolishes the DH, then and only then should the DH-only player be totally ignored. If a guy can help your team score runs and you have an opening at a hitter-only position, he should absolutely be considered. I hope Damon signs, but if he doesn't, I hope it doesn't take the White Sox as long as it took them with the Wises, and Lillibridges and Owens of 2009 to determine they have made a mistake. Every game counts. The longer they wait to fix it, the harder it will be to overcome.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Feb 20, 2010 -> 03:26 AM) Perhaps he does indeed want 2 years, but do he and his wife want 2 years in Detroit? I think people are putting way too much in downtown Detroit as a dump in swaying Damon. Some of the close-in suburbs are very nice. They have 4 kids, 2 are in school, so Damon's family probably doesn't join him at least full-time until June and probably goes back to Orlando by the end of August. So its 3 months at the most per year, plus its six weeks extra he gets to stay at home vs. signing with the White Sox as the Tigers train not far from his home. I think his only reason for taking less cash is he thinks the White Sox are the superior team. I'm sure everyone on this board would probably live in downtown Detroit for a year for $1 million.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Feb 19, 2010 -> 08:26 PM) Antawn Jamison puttin up a nice ol goose egg in his 1st performance as a Cav, 0-12 from the field, 0 points. And the Cavs are about to go down to the Bobcats. He nailed both of his free throws.