Dick Allen

QUOTE (jamesdiego @ Oct 9, 2009 -> 05:51 PM) That was me, damn proud of it too. Sure, maybe my prediction that he'd "dominate the league" was over blown;) Even me, he's biggest fan, knew he should of never been in the leadoff hitter. He should of been buried in the 9 hole, without pressure, even though many here say that don't mean a damn. He will sign with someone, for sure. Away from Greg Walker, who knows what the black Ross Gload may accomplish. Walker ruined another one. Before Wise met Walker, he was a HOF type player.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Oct 8, 2009 -> 08:30 PM) He did his job, the game is over and the series tied if Matt Holliday makes a play that would have been easier for a high schooler. But instead, he turned the Cardinals stealing home field advantage into a potential sweep in one fell swoop. That play might not be remembered quite like the Bill Buckner play or Merkle's boner, but it should be. Kind of like Tony G letting a grounder roll through his legs and Iguchi going deep to give a certain team that was dominant most of that year until it sort of limped home until the final week a 2-0 lead in the ALDS. Maybe the Dodgers are the team of destiny this year.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Oct 8, 2009 -> 07:38 PM) Hopefully Ozzie's Venezualan connection could bring Abreu over here.This guy is exactly what KW and Ozzie are craving for offensively. And exactly what they are not craving financially and defensively. He makes the current version of JD look like a 25 year old Vlad Guerrero in RF.

QUOTE (G&T @ Oct 8, 2009 -> 07:58 AM) I want to try absinthe, but I have some block that makes me believe that something strange will happen. Anyone ever try it? They have it around but its not the original stuff. Even in Amsterdam its not the original. You have to go to Prague I believe to get it. I've heard its effects are overblown and I've heard you do really strange things hopped up on it.

What Rosenbloom says about Pods is pretty good IMO Scott Podsednik - What does it say when a guy who’s bad on defense and worse as a baserunner considering his speed is the best this team can do at leadoff? . . .

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Oct 8, 2009 -> 06:30 PM) It may not be an argument, but I don't care! Somebody is going to give Pods a fairly decent multi-year contract I believe. Probably by June they will wonder why.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 8, 2009 -> 06:23 PM) I'm glad they are leaving them the same, sort of figured they would after a disappointing season, in a bad economy, and after a big ticket price hike. Still on that fifty cents for a dollar thing though, huh? If they dropped it when they had higher attendance, more dates, more than likely a much higher renewal rate, and raised the price, what will they do now? Its going to go lower, I think that's pretty much assured. The question is how much lower, and for the record, you mentioned .50 vs $1, not me. The renewal rate is going to be interesting and maybe scary.

I think guys like Wise, Fields, Lillibridge were the Sox MVPs this year. Some guys played well, but what does that matter when you aren't even a .500 team? Wise et al, I think humbled KW. KW was humbled in 2007 and did something about it in 2008. Then his held swelled again and he thought garbage like the 3 mentioned actually were major league contributors let alone major league ballplayers. I think he's going to have a much better offseason and there should be some optimism on opening day. BTW, anyone catch the little blurb in the Sun Times written by Bill Zwecker saying KW and Marion Brooks are a couple? Nice job KW.

Just received an email from the Sox about renewal. (I did not opt for playoff tickets) Prices are remaining the same. That roadtrip from hell hurt the Sox more than just in the 2009 standings. They didn't have enough people locked in to jack prices up a couple of dollars a game. Since last year they had 3 extra games, all sellouts, and jacked up ticket prices and dropped payroll, I wonder how low it will go for 2010.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 6, 2009 -> 03:48 PM) Sox brass likes Chris Getz and the different set of skills he brings to the club at 2B and they also like Beckham at 3B. So in closing, they will not be messing with either of those positions and I'd be very surprised if they messed with Alexei at SS as he's cheap, very talented, and despite all the b****ing a better than average shortstop (who will get better next year). The Sox moves will be in the bullpen, outfield, DH, and 1B potentially. And you can bank on that. That's the thing about Ramirez, as much as he probably pisses the Sox off with his sometimes questionable approach, they aren't going to get that production or potential for the price they pay him anywhere. He's staying where he's at. I thought at one point the Sox may look to move him, but that contract is too good to move, especially if the budget is going to be tight.

The Sox could always use a guy playing the DL role.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 10:42 PM) I really wonder if we could have an O-Cab type deal. Where we offer Dye ARB, and highly suggest that he not take it. If JD or his agent agreed to that they would be dumb. It only would hurt his value, so it would make zero sense for him to go along with it and not accept. They were lucky Cabrera hated it in Chicago so much or they would have been stuck with him for $10 million and unless he was just brutal in spring training and they released him and still would have been on the hook for $2.5 million, if they released him they would have been challenged and it would have been ugly. Those days, I believe, are done and Dye isn't going to do the Sox any favors that hurt him but help the Sox.

I'm old enough to actually remember Nancy working some Bulls games. She will be missed. At least we have a season to prepare ourselves and give her the proper send off. I read where Brooks Boyer hopes she still will make occassional appearances when she retires. Over 40 years of service, she truly is a gem.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 09:08 AM) The Padres had a proposal on the table IIRC, Hendry just didn't want to do it. I think it was something like 5 players for Peavy. I thought you have said the Cubs couldn't add to their payroll until the ownership issue was settled? Now its all on Hendry?

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 08:04 PM) I agree with you. My arguement has never been that Nix is a great player, just that he's better then Chris Getz. The fact is Nix looks like a guy who could hit you 20 or more home runs, and i find it bizzare that Ozzie wants him to play away from an obvious strength. Ozzie played him a lot against LHP. If he played every day this season, he might not have hit .200. He needs to change. I think Ozzie knows he's not a 30 homer guy. If his approach remains the same, he's not going to be a MLB player for long. As for Lillibridge, I think the Sox should just release him.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 08:00 PM) Yeah, Ozzie! Damn that Jayson Nix with his 30-bomb pace! You need to play to your limitations, not surpass them! God, Ozzie's a moron isn't he? His 30 HR pace slowed considerably. He can't hit RHP and hit .175 at USCF. I know you love him, but he has some issues.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 07:54 PM) He went 0/11 with a walk on Sunday in that series. If you're a Tigers fan, would you have a problem with that? Sure seems like it didn't help his performance at least. He was 0 for before the incident. I understand where you are coming from, but they won the last game and Saturday if he was 4 for 4 with 4 homers it probably wouldn't have mattered. If it was Ozzie or Freddy who got him hammerred, more power to them. You may be right, Cabrera might have a problem. I just don't think we can assume that based on the given information.

Ozzie was on comcast, some sort of exclusive interview. He expects Dye to be gone and told Lillibridge and Nix they are little guys and if they don't start trying to play like little guys they won't be White Sox for long.

Beckham probably won't win, but there is no rookie or any player drafted in the 2008 draft KW couldn't get straight up for him. I fully expect Gordon Beckham, if he doesn't get hurt, to be a Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest White Sox of all time.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 07:48 PM) Is is true that Dombrowski bailed him out? Because that's awesome. It is true and you have to be wondering what's going through the guy's mind after he has to get the guy he gave 9 figures to out of jail when they are playing for their playoff lives. That said, I would take Miguel Cabrera in a hearbeat, and I usually pass on questions about character. I don't think this is a big deal, and I pass on all wife beaters. I think its awesome Cabrera played with scratches on his face.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 05:07 PM) Ahh, well, I have a feeling a lot of young guys have these kind of problems in MLB. I have a feeling our own manager has these sorts of "problems," if you want to refer to them as that... I don't know if its a "problem". Boys will be boys. As long as they aren't driving or risking lives, I have no problem with guys going out and drinking their sacks off as long as it doesn't interfere with their performance. Its part of life. Who hasn't gone out and got hammered in college with an exam the next day? I know I did. Does that mean I had a problem or was just probably a little or may be more than a little immature?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 5, 2009 -> 04:43 PM) Even with that report...put it this way...do you want to be the guy buying more drinks for an alcoholic? I think its pretty presumptious to call the guy an alcoholic. As someone who was arrested and given a breathalyzer (I was not driving) but was 17 years old at the time and was peeing in some bushes when the bathroom was locked in Williams Bay, WI, I blew a .18. I had done a little drinking in HS, it was during the post prom I was busted, and can tell you at .18 which is more than double most states legally drunk rates, I was pretty much in control of my actions even with a pretty strong buzz and even with my limited drinking experience at that point, and while driving may have been a problem, I was not nor has Cabrera been accused of it. While I'm sure Cabrera was smashed, there is no way alcoholic can or should be used with the information given.

Tito's vodka. Make sure its chilled. If chilled is better than any other vodka IMO on the market. Pretty shocking since its made in Texas. I received a bottle as a gift once and have turned several people on to it. Its tremendous.

The Cubs fired their second hitting coach of the year. Obviously Derek Lee hasn't visited Sox talk because he would know a good hitting coach can increase your average 60 points and a good hitting coach can make Paul Konerko stop grounding into any DPs. "I hate to say it, but a hitting coach is overrated," Derrek Lee said. "It's more of a mental thing. Gerald was a great guy. He always had positive things to say -- and same with Von. They're always in your corner. But the bottom line is the best hitting coach is yourself. No one knows your swing like yourself. ... None of the blame should go to either of those two."

They are keeping AJ out so he hits .300. I wonder if they will sit Lillibridge after an AB or so so he stays at .150.