Dick Allen

The White Sox like to have rookies come out of the bullpen, because that way Ozzie can determine their match-ups instead of the other manager. Its an easier way to break in. I'm sure Freddy will be back as long as he doesn't get hurt. Assuming Peavy, Buehrle, Danks and Floyd are all still with the White Sox next year and healthy, the only way Hudson beats out Freddy is if he has a huge edge in spring training.

When he's working quickly and throwing strikes, he's still a pretty good pitcher. Unfortunately he hasn't been able to do that for long stretches.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Sep 5, 2009 -> 04:40 PM) seems like we've been winning consistently since we traded Thome... Also an easy win without Beckham. Maybe KW should trade him as well.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 5, 2009 -> 09:55 AM) I'd be more than happy to bring Thome back for one more year at DH. That said, we're ultimately going to need a DH who can play 1B, RF, or some other position once a week. Somebody like Adam Dunn would be a good long-term solution. Eventually it will be guys like Viciedo and Flowers. They will get away from the DH only guy, but as long as Thome can put up numbers and will play for peanuts, I don't see why they wouldn't want him around.

QUOTE (knightni @ Sep 5, 2009 -> 09:10 AM) I'd rather have table setters and guys who get extra base hits than a guy who whacks a homer a few times a week but also strikes out 10 times a week or can't score from 2nd on a base hit. In other words, you would rather have guys who are more dependent on someone else driving them in, than guys who drive people in, included themselves? You mentioned Pods as a DH. Why? He hasn't had more than 36 extra base hits in a season in 5 years. He's hitting out of his mind now, there is little chance that will carry over. He will cost more money, and his work on the basepaths is getting more horrendous by the day. He may be the worst baserunner with over 200 career steals in the history of baseball.

QUOTE (knightni @ Sep 5, 2009 -> 08:16 AM) He's saying that an older player who lacks foot speed shouldn't always be the main guy that the Sox hire to be the DH. Someone like Pods would be an excellent example of who the Sox should look at for 2010. He hits for contact, has speed, but can't play the OF in tough situations. He could be the DH, or someone else who isn't a slug on the bases. The Sox need to get away from guys who get long singles on balls hit off of the wall and who can only play station-to-station out there on the base paths. It slows run production. This is why Dye and Konerko should be the next guys sent away. With the way USCF is, the Sox don't need mashers who are slow in their lineup in order to succeed in run production. And how many more runs has Pods produced than Jim Thome? White Sox DH's have been a lot better than most over the years. Pods over Thome is ridiculous. Run production? How many players have had better run production than Frank Thomas and Jim Thome and Harold Baines?

QUOTE (dmbjeff @ Sep 5, 2009 -> 12:35 AM) I completely agree. This organizations philosophy regarding the DH positiong the past 15 years or so has been to stick a bad fielding hitter in the spot. I'm tired of having Thome/Baines/Thomas type guys in the spot when we can use the spot better like the Yankees and Angels tend to do and give guys more rest. Yeah, Thomas, Baines, Thome DHing. They would have been far better off with a .230 hitting, slick fielder DHing. A poor fielder DHing is not a problem. The problem the White Sox have had over the years has been DHs playing in the field.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Sep 4, 2009 -> 08:23 PM) This is not a criticism of Hawk or Stoney, but sometimes the other team's announcers report differently. I'm watching the Boston telecast, and they pointed out that Rios has trouble with outside pitches and Quentin runs like his right foot is still troubling him. Not that this is newsworthy, but Chicago announcers don't seem st say stuff like that. ? Hawk and Stone have mention many times how Rios is pulling off the ball and he has no chance with pitches on the outside corner. As to Quentin, they aren't going to beat a dead horse. He's not 100% but isn't running much below normal. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the Boston crew got most of their White Sox info from Hawk and Stone. BTW, when the Sox go to Boston, occassionally Hawk will be on sports radio out there. He's still somewhat of a cult hero out there. Anyway, when he talks about the White Sox to the people out there, the rose colored glasses are off and he shoots straight. People might be shocked to know Hawk was thought to be too critical of the Red Sox when he broadcast there. He was supposedly a little like a sane Jimmy Piersall.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Sep 4, 2009 -> 05:47 PM) Honestly, Nix has been brutal defensively over the past month. Not sure if that is a fair sample size, but he hasn't looked like the guy he was in the first half of the season defensively. Secondly, Nix very well may hit you 25 home runs a year, but he'll hit them almost all against lefties, whom he has a stunning .951 OPS against. You really aren't losing much at all by sitting him against righties entirely. Meanwhile, Getz has stolen 21 of 23 bases this year, plays a solid second base, and provides better offense against righties. Why not take that chance to play him? I agree. While Nix turns a DP nicely, he's made several errors and screwed up several plays where he didn't get errors and cost the Sox runs, yet his backers can't get the Carny Lansford quote about his defense out of their heads. He hasn't been all that great defensively. Also, there is very little chance he can continue his home run pace. I like Getz. He brings you some things the Sox have been lacking in recent seasons.

Win one for the Hawkeroo on his birthday.

Allen down to .220 and has struck out every game he has had at least 2 AB. It might be best not to think of him as a guy who will be all All Star someday just yet.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 4, 2009 -> 01:52 PM) Byrd seems to either own us, or we kick his butt, there really isn't an in between... And in the area of tempting fate, the Sox didn't commit an error in Minnesota, nor against the Cubs. He's the only guy to beat the 2005 White Sox in the playoffs.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Sep 4, 2009 -> 04:53 PM) Also an important fact IMO. Apparently on this board strikeout kings are heroes. Yea Jim Thome is great. I love how a left handed pitcher will get him out almost every at bat too. That makes him extra valuable in pressure-packed late inning situations when a lefty specialist is brought in. An automatic out is always acceptable because he's a nice guy. Let's have him play with us til he's 45, where the defensive shift will actually be just a line of guys down the right field line. Sign me up for another decade of pull-happy, captain strikeout, can't go from 1st to 3rd unless it's a triple Thome. You probably love not using facts when spewing garbage in your posts. Considering his .764 career OPS against LHP, his .767 OPS against LHP this year and his .858 OPS against LHP in 2008, its amazing a LHP will get him out almost every AB. Automatic out? If he wants to DH for cheap next year, I don't see why KW wouldn't want him around. 314 AB and 74 RBI.

QUOTE (Drew @ Sep 4, 2009 -> 02:21 AM) There's a reason Kenny could acquire Rios for what he did. The guy is having a bad year, just like pretty much everyone else in the White Sox clubhouse. It happens. But that doesn't mean he should acquire him. I'll be the first to admit Rios is a far better player than what he has shown. He's definitely pressing and wants to hit the ball 800 feet every time up to show his worth. However, $60 million is more than they gave Buerhle, its the same amount they gave Konerko after he helped deliver a WS to the Sox. Considering the we can't spend $1 if all we have is $.50 we hear every year, taking on Rios' contract is questionable at best. KW called out the team for being underachievers. The reason Rios was available was because he was an underachiever.

The only way you could trade Linebrink is if you took a bad contract back or paid most of his. If he was a douchebag, I'd say do that, but he's a decent guy with a lot of pride. Its not inconceivable he can find it again and be very useful. Keep him.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Sep 3, 2009 -> 03:59 PM) "That's what happens when you play a DH in left field" I hope Stone announces here 20 years. His honesty is ridiculously ideal. And i'm glad he takes the home team to task too. Think Stone is still bitter about his Cubs break up? The Cubs fan sitting next to me was talking about Soriano. I said the best the Sox could do to match that is Rios. One thing I noticed watching Prancer get hung up between 2nd and 3rd in the first inning. Is there a worse baserunner who has stole 70 bases in a season in major league history than Scott Podsednik?

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 3, 2009 -> 11:47 AM) So, are you arguing that Kenny shouldn't have signed Konerko, Dye, or Contreras to extensions back in 2005, 2007, and 2006, respectively? Because, you know, they were probably going to peter out in 2009? Should Kenny have taken a pass on Linebrink and Dotel after 2007, and given the heap of dung that comprised the 2007 bullpen a chance to develop and shine in 2009? You can complain all you want in hindsight, but any team built around veterans on the other side of 30 will decline at some point. By acquiring these guys, the Sox had a window of opportunity from '06-'08, and it's apparently shut now. But at least this team had a chance, and actually played well for two of those four years. I'll take that approach over the Ron "The Kids Can Play" Schueler approach any day. I agree that this team needs to get younger. But you're going to have down years when your veterans reach their mid-30's after giving you that window of opportunity to win. Since MLB contracts are guaranteed, it's literally impossible to put an optimal team on the field every year. All I'm saying is this year's record should not surprise anyone. There were many publications that thought it would be even worse. Its not that great of a team. Isn't it KW's responsibilty to field the best team possible? Didn't he think he had a WS contender? If he did, he was pretty wrong, wouldn't you agree?

There are more than a few scouts who don't think Brandon Allen is an everyday firstbaseman on the major league level. I guess people are willing to live with 15 k in 37 AB when a guy leaves the White Sox. If he were here, the consensus would be he sucked, but since the Sox traded him, he's can't miss. Most of the can't missed KW has traded, have missed. Badly. One thing the Sox should be good at after years of experience, is identifying busts.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Sep 3, 2009 -> 03:50 AM) The black Ryan Sweeney also has 15 K's in 37 at-bats. Reading some of the posts, I'm shocked he's not hitting near .500 with 15 HR in 37 AB.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 10:13 PM) Quentin, Dye, Linebrink, and Dotel played up to reasonable expectations? Not really. The middle of the Sox lineup didn't hit at all during August. Is that an example of playing up to expectations? As I pointed out, Quentin was hurt, something that shouldn't shock anyone. Dye probably should have been an all star but faded. Guess who faded last year as well? Linebrink was horrid after his injury last year. What do you expect this year? How has Dotel not pitched to expectations? What exactly were you expecting? The game is getting younger. I read somewhere where only 4 non DHs 36 years old or older will have enough AB to qualify for a batting title. Until a week ago, the White Sox were scoring more than 5 runs a game in August. When the team is constructed as it is, and we have seen it for years now, it is prone to long stretches of little scoring. Why should anyone be surprised? We have seen it for many, many years including 2005. Beckham struggling killed this team. I'm not trying to single him out, he's been great and he's a rookie so he will have more struggles than he will in the future. He's one guy as good as he is, who will only get better. Unlike so many White Sox supposed phemons, he knows how to play baseball. He's the one guy who can keep them out of something as prolonged. Once the heart of the order runs its course and is replaced with younger, swifter, players, and it doesn't always take at least 3 hits to score some of them from first, while it might not be as potent when everything is clicking, the offense will be more consistent.

QUOTE (WCSox @ Sep 2, 2009 -> 02:54 PM) So if the vast majority of the players played relatively well, why are you trashing Kenny for putting a bad product on the field? That makes no sense. I hate to break this to you, but you can't have All-Stars at every position. The Sox were below-average at CF and 2B for the vast majority of this season. Oh, and they had below-average #4 and #5 pitchers. Big freaking deal - EVERY team has holes. The rest of the lineup was far from bad on paper. If the vast majority of your players play up to reaonable expectations and your team is still below average in a terrible division, the guy putting the team together who claims he has a WS contender deserves some grief. No? KW did say Lillibridge would steal 40 bases. His evaluations were off a bit.

Anorexei could be a real good SS, but probably will always be leaving you wanting more. If he could get it through his head to just make the plays and not try for oohs and aahhhs, and not take routine plays off, he would be outstanding. I remember going to a game earlier this year where he leaped for a ball caught in and did a little flash with his glove. It looked like one of the greatest catches of all time. Then they showed it on the board. It was a liner hit almost right at him about 7 feet in the air. He could have just stuck his glove out and caught it. I think its one reason why you hardly ever see him go a game without making Paulie scoop one in the dirt on a routine play. He's too caught up in the glitz. I don't know if its something he will overcome, but if he ever decides to just make the plays, he will be a lot better than average. I do think he's on thin ice though as the Sox really want their captain of the defense to be the SS. I don't know if Anorexei really has that capability and Beckham certainly does. Although I do agree Ramirez will most likely be at SS next year, I really think eventually Beckham will be there.

They did Thome a favor and saved $1 million. Now if the impossible happens and the Sox go on a roll and make the playoffs and play the WS vs. the Dodgers and Thome DH's against the Sox and helps the Dodgers win, KW will never be able to live it down. However, odds are pretty long that scenerio plays out.

QUOTE (elgonzo4sox @ Sep 1, 2009 -> 10:15 PM) Ground ball through the infield + ground ball through the infield + blooper over the infield and the Twins get their winning run. This perfectly illustrates the primary reason why we lose in the Metrodome. It's not a baseball stadium - it's a track meet. Visualize a track circling the field, with the fastest team winning. Speed is what counts in the Metrodome, not how hard you hit the ball. Almost any ball hit further than 200 feet that doesn't clear the outfield wall will be caught by the other team, if they have speedy outfielders. The way you score runs is to get runners on base by infield hits, ground balls through the infield, and bloopers over the infield, and an occasional home run. The Twins know this, and have shaped their roster and lineup accordingly. The Sox in the past have been way too slow to win in the Metrodome. Tonight's lineup was faster than most that we've put out their in recent years, and we came close, but still the Twins got their cheap hits and run to win. The good news is that when the Twins move to Target next year, and have to play on a cold, wet real grass field for much of the year, it will negate their speed, and their power deficiencies will become very evident. The batting averages of all their speedsters will drop by 20 to 40 points, and some of them (hopefully Gomez) will get cut. The Twins are going to have to seriously revamp their roster, or they won't be competitive at all in 2010. They will look as bad as they do when they come to US Cellular or play on the road, where they have a poor record. Meanwhile, thankfully, there's just one more game for us there, and we get them for three more games on real grass, as God intended. They have an advantage at home but not a 15-2 which is what they are vs. the White Sox the last 17 games there advantage. The entire White Sox organization has been resigned to losing there for a long time. If you think you are going to lose, you will probably lose. Most of these losses haven't been because they are playing in a dome, but because the White Sox screw up basic baseball or the Twins execute. The Twins aren't very good on the road, but they have a better road record than the White Sox. KW has a lot of work to do if he's serious about another World Series.

Well I got a laugh at the email the Sox sent me today: September 1, 2009 POSTSEASON INVOICE DEADLINE TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 2 White Sox Fans, If you haven't already done so, we wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the last day to purchase tickets for any potential postseason games. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE A PAYMENT ONLINE OR BY FAX, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS MESSAGE. To make a payment, please log into "My White Sox Account" or fax your postseason invoice to 312-674-5140 or 312-674-5449. If you must submit your payment by fax, please remember to include both sides of the invoice so we have your intentions for 2010 on file. How to Pay Online Access My White Sox Account Manager Enter your Account Number and Password where prompted. In the Account Settings box, click the "View/Pay Invoices" link, and then follow the instructions. The White Sox truly value you as a loyal season ticket holder. Thank you, and please know that your loyalty and passion for White Sox Baseball is greatly appreciated on every level of the organization.