Dick Allen

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 13, 2009 -> 08:40 AM) Well who wouldn't be? We are all pissed off about how poorly they have played. That being said, I doubt JR is stupid enough to believe that simply because we got these two players that we were guaranteed anything. It certainly was a calculated risk that hasn't paid off thus far. However, to me, the blame shouldn't land on the guys we acquired, but on the guys we already had. Additionally, my guess is they were hoping a playoff appearance would offset the expense incurred this season by adding Peavy and Rios to the payroll. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out so far, and as a result, we may have to cut a bit more out of the payroll next season (for the first half, anyways), but this is how this franchise operates. JR definitely would be pissed at no additional revenue from playoff games. I also think JR is probably pissed the team was so awful on that roadtrip a huge amount of season ticketholders skipped buying playoff tickets, which considering the economy etc. will probably result in a lower renewal rate and probably preclude them from raising ticket prices much, if at all, next season.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 13, 2009 -> 07:55 AM) DA, what point are you trying to make? You're saying the same bs as usual. What the f*** do you want, a copy of the team's financials so you can account for every penny they spend? Your view of the financials is incredibly oversimplistic, as if the organization has a checking account where all credits and debits merely come in and go out, and that is the only source of funding available. Come on, man. Your own personal money situation is more complex than that. Why can't you recognize the fact that the organization's financial situation is fluid? They are able to move money around to adjust on the fly if impact players suddenly become available unexpectedly. Again, do you want to hold that against them? I'm not holding it against them. You are missing the point. They said they were broke. KW even mentioned (and I know he's was tongue in cheek) playing day games the last couple months to save on the electric bill. Then they pick up over $100 million in contracts, and he mentions the extra walk up, when they were offering $9 tickets as the catalyst in freeing up some money. They know how many tickets they have sold. They knew well in advance the measely numbers they would have for the Boston series. A 15k walk-up is very rare. When KW says something about possible acquisitions, etc. most everyone agrees not to believe everything he says, there's a method to his madness. I agree with that. What I don't understand is why, if a lot of his comments are a smoke screen or simply aren't true, when he talks about his lack of funds, that is gospel. I'll go back to Forbes. I will consider it fair since KW once used Forbes as a reference with Sox finances when there was a favorable report on net income vs. player payroll ratio. According to them, the White Sox have turned over a $70 million profit the past 3 seasons, thats after they have paid the players. Again, I dont have a problem with the White Sox turning a profit, but don't tell me you spend every dollar that comes in. Maybe this year with the economy and picking up 2 huge contracts in season, something I can't ever recall them doing, it turned out not to be true, but when I got on my bandwagon, they didn't have Peavy or Rios, so despite the criticizms from the guys who pray to KW when they wake up every morning, I apparently was correct.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 13, 2009 -> 12:08 AM) No, I'm not puzzled. It's one thing to sign players prior to the season starting. It's another to add players for 2 months based on your chances to compete for the division. I hate to admit it, Dick. But you're the precise type of fan that causes him to say the things he says. You immediately suspect that the organization is lying about their finances. You assume that they have a secret gold mine underneath US Cellular where they can call upon unlimited funds whenever they are needed. Don't you realize that the organization is basing its ability to pay the salaries of these guys purely on speculation? Don't you realize that KW and Jerry understand that if they stay away from bad contracts they will be able to remain flexible in the future. Meaning they can always trade out of some of these contracts if need be. But to say that they have this money in hand, or somehow budgeted for future seasons is not true. They are simply assuming the contracts won't be albatrosses, and that they will make them fit into the future payroll somehow. Unfortunately, KW has to deal with the likes of Jay Hineybird and every know-it-all fan who expects the White Sox to sign or trade for every high-priced player that becomes available, every year, over and over and over. To sit there and to try and explain to people like that is impossible. Which is why he has to be incredibly simple. You can't spend a dollar if you only have 50 cents. Get it? We aren't signing him. Next. Actually you are wrong. This is the first year I've ever criticized the White Sox about their payroll, and their ticket prices, its the 20th year I've had season tickets. I have criticized his quote before, because its ridiculous he continues to use it. As I stated in a post several months ago, JR should make it a team policy to never mention finances publicly. It really chapped my ass they raised ticket prices after all season ticketholders were committed and then lowered payroll. I felt,and I'm sure other season ticketholders felt, cheated on. They obviously had money in hand, and spent it on 2 guys. They are paying about $2 million for Rios this year and $4 million for Peavy after KW didn't have any money. He was "encouraged" by the 10,000 or so fans that bought $9 tickets, so he spent some money he claimed he didn't have. We've heard for years and years that every dime that comes in, goes back into the team. I always assumed it was probably very close to the truth, but the reality is JR's policy accourding to Brooks Boyer is he doesn't care if he makes any money, he is opposed to losing any money, and that's fine. He has been quoted before as saying he would bust the budget for a player(s) who can pretty much guarantee winning a championship. Spending $6 million alone for 2 months of Rios and Peavy (and I am on record as saying Peavy is KW greatest move) considering Rios is a waiver claim and there was no guarantee Peavy would pitch at all for the Sox this season, indicates these are players that are far from the types who when added, would guarantee a championship. If you really think the White Sox aren't budgeting for future years when picking up both of these contracts, basically calling me simple is pretty ironic. If the White Sox didn't have a bunch of money coming off the books, there is no way they pick both of these guys up.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 07:07 PM) Secondly, DA, this FREAKING OBSESSION you have with the $1/.50 line is incredibly ridiculous. It's like nails on the chalkboard at this point. Honestly, and I say this with all due respect, WHAT THE HELL DO THE WHITE SOX HAVE TO DO TO MAKE YOU STOP BRINGING THAT UP? I ask you that question almost every time you mention this nonsense, and you never answer. So before you bring it up in 2 weeks again in another thread, what do they have to do? Very simple. KW needs to quit saying it. He mentions it almost every season, and said it again a few times this year. Once he stops, I stop. I'm just pointing out what he's saying. Aren't you the least bit puzzled that KW had no money but suddenly found an extra $60 million +, that's more than he's given any other player, except for maybe Konerko, for Alex Rios? Then he calls the team underachievers. Why exactly was Alex Rios available for no players? Could it have been he's an underachiever? If he mentions it next year, considering the amount he spent on a decent but not outstanding player, I may set a record reminding people of the White Sox financial situation.

Alexei went in like a p****.

QUOTE (bobryansson @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 04:06 PM) I'm at the game. Looked out at first. What did replay show? tie

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 03:58 PM) Not too often you see an inside-the-park homerun look that easy. BTW... on the replay it looked like the ball bounced off of Abreu's head. Were my eyes playing tricks on me or did it? It looked like it, but when I slowed it up, it actually bounced off his right hand.

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) INSIDE THE PARK HOMER FOR PODS And he was dogging it the first 100 ft.

Anyone still want Bobby Abreu in RF for the Sox next year?

QUOTE (Nokona @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 03:50 PM) AJ Bench He's been throwing guys out like crazy lately. I don't know if the pitchers are holding them better or the baserunners(and I remember this from my fantasy baseball days as stolen bases seemed to really decrease the second half)are taking a little longer getting to second base.

How many players in baseball, considering age and contracts would you trade Gordon Beckham straight up ?

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 03:00 PM) I still think Rios needs to get acclimated, and I don't think he'll be his old self till next season. Isn't this the first time he was traded while up at the major league level? It might take getting used to. For now, though, even though his bat is useless, I think he makes up for it with his defense, which I think is better than even Anderson. There's no question he's a better player than what he has shown. Of course, Timo Perez is a better player than what Rios has shown.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 02:51 PM) Let's say this...if KW didn't realize that if he put a waiver claim on Rios, there was a very good shot Torotno would let him go, then he screwed up big time because everyone here realized it the moment we read that a claim had been placed on Rios. There were several baseball executives that didn't think Toronto would do it, although it seemed obvious they should. If KW had been pursuing Rios before, he probably had a pretty good handle on the situation, but if your team is bleeding money and you can get out of a $60 million committment, ownership will make a non baseball decision. It also seemed obvious Orlando Cabrera should have accepted arbitration last year, but he didn't so sometimes obvious always doesn't pan out.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 02:36 PM) So do you think they were making up wanting Rios in the past? Plus knowing the way the Sox do budgets and contracts, there is no way they put out a waiver claim on a guy with $60 million outstanding unless they wanted him long term. This isn't the Yankees we are talking about. The Sox are about as conservative as they come. Heck this would have rated as the biggest free agent signing in team history if it had been done that way. What I am saying is they certainly expected Rios to contribute THIS season and I'm saying if he were a free agent after this year, I don't think there's a chance in hell he would get the contract the White Sox were obligated to assume. I am also saying I'm not so sure KW really wanted to take on the entire contract. They may have wanted him before, but perhaps they wanted Toronto to eat some money or take back a contract like a Linebrink that had some money left. KW said he only had $.50, and Rios cost a lot more than $1.Don't you think its at least slightly possible he didn't think Toronto would give him up for nothing and put a claim in to block him from a team like Detroit? It would have made a lot of sense for Detroit to claim him as they would have saved some money the first year. As I stated before, Rios isn't a bad player and will be much better when he gets out of this funk, but he's not a $60 million guy, and regardless of all the money coming off the books, its still $60 million that is now committed and I feel they could get a bigger bang for their buck than Alex Rios. I also stated this at the time of the claim.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 01:07 PM) Main problems on team of late (during period we fell out of contention) 1.) Bullpen. 2.) Dye/Rios being automatic outs in lineup. 3.) As hyped as our starting pitching is, still inconsistent. Am I forgetting something more obvious? The sad thing is the White Sox lead at least the AL in quality starts.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 11:54 AM) Do you really believe for a second that anyone in the White Sox management group would come out and say, yeah we suck. This is totally for next year, with something like 50-60 games left in the season and us a couple of games out of first place? Do you really believe the Sox would take on a $60 million + contract when they are 3 games out with 2 months to play and think its for next year and not this, especially considering their CF situation, and expect Rios to be as horrible as he's been? Its not like the guy is a rookie who needs a few months of seasoning. The waiver claim, at least for this year, blew up in KW's face, and as I stated earlier, I'm not so convinced he really wanted Rios, he may have been blocking him, but that's another thing I do not think he would ever admit.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 11:08 AM) He has a contract for years... He had better of been thinking of the next few years at least. His quote was when he acquired Peavy and Rios that the Sox were now ready to compete with the big boys, so while he had to have the future in mind considering the contract, and who knows if he really wanted the contract or wanted to block a team like Detroit, who could have picked him up and waived Magglio, actually saving them some money in the short term, from getting him, he definitely was considering 2009 and Rios hasn't performed anywhere near what KW could have possibly expected.

QUOTE (Soxbadger @ Sep 12, 2009 -> 11:13 AM) Rios most likely would get a very similar contract this off season. He was never a FA, so his contract actually may be below market value. Gary Matthews Jr is being paid about $10mil, because he had one good season. Buster Olney polled some GMs a month or so ago and the consensus was he'd be lucky to get half of what he is signed for. Of course, they could be full of it, because when push comes to shove, some incredibly high contracts get signed. The days of GM Jr. type one year wonders getting all that money, although its less than what Rios is owed, is over for a while IMO. Rios has had a couple of solid years, but has slid backwards. Hopefully its not permanent and he can play up to his talent level. He's extremely athletic.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Sep 11, 2009 -> 10:34 PM) 23 games in, 5 years left on his contract. Are we really having this thread already? He hasn't been good since the trade, but he isn't this bad, we have 5 and a half seasons worth of data to prove that and since he's only 28 there's no reason to think he's in decline. Maybe he'll never be an .850+ OPS player again but there's no reason to think he won't chip in a few .800+ OPS years with great defense. As I asked when he was acquired, if Rios was a FA after this year would he get a 5 year $60 million contract?. I didn't think so, but a lot of people think he would even get more. Who knows. I do know he's better than he's played, and will be better than all of the junk KW has trotted into CF in the KW era, included, most likely, Aaron Rowand. But considering how often we hear the I can't spend $1 if all I have is $.50,talk, $60 million for Alex Rios is extremely expensive. I know the Sox have money coming off the books, but that is still $60 million that can be spent in other ways.

The grounds crew painted the C in the middle of the field in the wrong spot for that last exibition game. Its time for Field Turf or for the Park District to farm out management of the field.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 10, 2009 -> 07:28 PM) It's not a question of accepting anything. It's a question of being realistic. We can all clamor for one of the top 5 leadoff men in the game, but given our starting rotation, some of our expensive players, it's unrealistic and naive to demand we get one of those guys. KW is one of the most proactive GM's (if the not most proactive) in the game. He hasn't been able to fix this problem for years. Don't you think there is a reason for that? I can sit here and demand a brand new 5000 sq foot house on a golf course too, but that doesn't mean it's in the cards. Sometimes you have to be realistic and do the best you can. For the money, Scottie is probably the best we can do. If its a question of being realistic, wouldn't being realistic mean thinking Scott Podsednik can match his output of this season next season, a pipedream? Considering Abreu received $5 million, Hudson was only guaranteed $3 million this past offseason, guaranteeing Pods anything near that for next year is crazy.

QUOTE (knightni @ Sep 10, 2009 -> 06:51 PM) Certainly Torres isn't ready...for the majors. Be weary of almost 27 year olds mowing down AAA hitters. He's not a starter, maybe a guy to be used in garbage time. At least he pitched well against the Cubs with the wind blowing in just like Nick Masset.

What is it about Randy Williams that makes me want to grab a bat?

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Sep 8, 2009 -> 09:07 PM) Maybe its just that the good teams that play us also struggle against bad teams. touche

QUOTE (chisoxt @ Sep 8, 2009 -> 09:04 PM) True, but I don't want to count on him next year..Needs more seasoning... Starting him off in the bullpen would be a great idea. Let him get some experience. There's a reason why its not a good idea to give a 16 year old an expensive sports car right when they get their license. Its pretty much the same idea with how the Sox usually break in their young pitchers.