Dick Allen

QUOTE (Soxfest @ May 13, 2009 -> 02:06 PM) Shutout again .............Walker has to go ! I fully suspect Brent Lillibridge will be among the league leading hitters when they finally come to their senses and get rid of Walker.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ May 13, 2009 -> 02:03 PM) Greg Maddux spent 36 starts around 5.00 era, then never looked back after that. Randy Johnson took about 40 starts to straighten himself out. You're talking about 33 total starts for Halladay, including his 13 start 10+ era meltdown. I'm talking about 69 starts with a 5.20 career ERA. 69 starts is a lot longer than those guys. Yeah, we'll those guys didn't have Coop to fix 'em. Gavin is going to Cooperstown.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ May 13, 2009 -> 01:19 PM) And that's what I'm advocating - we need to have a plan B and C for what's happening with this. I'm not saying ditch him outright in May of the first year of his contract, but we'd better damn well know what else we have to work with if we're stuck with this f***ing contract for four years. It's all about options. I just don't know what you do with him if he pitches the entire season abominably badly. Also, to be fair, Gavin Floyd strung together just 4 good months in 2008, from April through July. Those were exceptionally good months, to be fair, but over his last 13 starts in August September and October, he had a 4.84 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. I'm no Gavin Floyd fan, in fact I'm far more surprised by his year last year than his struggles this season, and agree his contract extension was pre-mature, but, as evidenced last night, the Sox have no better options. Floyd won't have a 7.00 ERA when the season is done. It very well could be over 5.00, but there is no replacement. We just have to hope he's as good as others think he is, because if he's not, its going to be a long, boring season.

Somehow this shutout will be all Greg Walker's fault.

Clearly, getting his knee cleaned out and lazer eye surgery was all Josh Fields needed. As Hawk says, "he's a different player". He really is. Oh, the mediocre defense, low avg., low OBP and strikeouts are still there, now he homers as often as Ryan Sweeney.

After KW unloaded Swisher and Vazquez he said he was moving on to the outfield. He didn't do anything. I don't think this particular line-up is what he had in mind.

This is a lesson on how not to keep your poise.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2009 -> 12:32 PM) 431 OPS for Lillibridge, and falling. KW said he would steal 40 bases this season, the only thing he's stealing is $402,000.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 13, 2009 -> 12:04 PM) If we go through our usual lineup...where are our defensive weaknesses? Fields isn't going to win a GG this year, but he's been better than most of us expected. Alexei isn't the tops at SS but he's made some decent plays. Would you call him average or below average? Getz has been called as good of a player moving to his right as we've had since Durham. Konerko doesn't have range but he's solid at picking the ball. Quentin is covering more ground this year and is making better throws. Anderson has as good of range in CF as anyone. Dye: admitted weakness. Still does make some solid plays. Pierzynski...can't throw worth crap, very good at blocking the ball. We're not holding many GG winners right now unless Nix becomes a regular, but who do you consider really bad other than JD? There is very little range. Fields is below average, Anorexei is very flashy but average overall defensively IMO, Getz is average no range, Paulie no range, Quentin is not very good in LF, BA rarely has played and everyone else, including Wise who did make a great play when he got hurt although most CF would have made that play without hitting the ground and Upton would have looked like he was loafing, Dye no range. There is no one except Ramirez who can be considered a regular (I'm not considering BA a regular) who doesn't have below average range except for Getz who is probably average but below to his right. Without a pitching staff that strikes people out, its not a good mix.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2009 -> 11:59 AM) The White Sox are actually 7th in the AL in pitching, and somehow KC is still first after last night's 12-3 pasting by that offensive powerhouse, the Oakland A's. Wonder where Stone got the idea we were 2nd from the bottom? Hitting and defense, well, that's obvious. We have guys playing out of position every game these days...Nix at SS and RF, Lillibridge in CF, Pods in RF, etc. This was a bad defensive team when everyone is in their usual positions, and you're right, move them into other ones makes it worse.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2009 -> 11:54 AM) Buehrle 9-12 lifetime against CLE, but not good at all there. Garko around 350 with 7 HR's and 31 RBI's career against us. I don't think Lillibridge will equal those 7 or 31 in his entire career. Could we give them back Alexei's bunt single and see if we can get no-hit to make this game more interesting and put more heat (somewhat deservedly) on Walker?? Yeah Walker deserves all the heat if this line-up doesn't score.

QUOTE (hogan873 @ May 13, 2009 -> 11:52 AM) You're right. I wouldn't be surprised if a 82-80 record takes the central. That's why its imperative KW doesn't let this season get away from him like 2007. A couple slight upgrades or one big one can get you to the playoffs and then anything can happen.

Hasn't Buerhle historically struggled against Cleveland? I know he's pitched a couple of gems, but I think they usually light him up.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2009 -> 11:46 AM) Only one ball out of the infield so far through 12 batters. Ummm....can't believe we're starting Richard again when it's pretty obvious he has only one pitch and gets crushed the 2nd time through the line-up. Try Carrasco or Omogrosso next time. He's only given up 1 run through 4 IP today and has an ERA under 2.00. If he fails, it's not a huge deal, because he's expected to end up as a reliever anyway. The consequences aren't the same in terms of development with Poreda getting flattened three outings in a row and going back to the minors. I'd give him one more shot. He hadn't started since October. Its not like anyone else is likely to do much better. If the same thing happens, move him back to the bullpen.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ May 13, 2009 -> 11:38 AM) It is very possible that Jordan could hit a major league fastball better than Lillibridge. It's not like it's some trick pitch he's never seen. Can we set up some sort of Hitting challenge between the two, simply to humiliate the Bridge. There are a lot of guys in AA and AAA and in A ball and rookie ball who can hit a major league fastball better than Lillibridge who will never get a sniff of the big leagues.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 13, 2009 -> 11:40 AM) We have a 33 year old with slightly above average speed and a .250 OBP in the 2 hole. Yet its fire Greg Walker. How many runs can anyone expect some of these line-ups to score? Wise, Lillibridge leading off. Lillibridge batting second? Lillibridge being asked over and over again to execute a hit and run so Ozzie can empty the bases. The lack of scoring is on KW and JR mostly and on Ozzie partially for some of the line-ups he's assembled.

QUOTE (everafan @ May 13, 2009 -> 10:33 AM) Lillibridge is in the lineup because TCQ, Anderson and Wise are injured. It's not like he is a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice. Why was he in there yesterday? There have been other options.

Just for Lillibridge to equal his performance in Atlanta last year which earned him a trip back to the minors, he'll have to go 6 for 21 with 4 doubles and triple and a homer and drive in 8. He's very bad.

Why is it Ozzie says "give me good at bats, you'll be in the line-up" and we have to look at Brent Lillibridge day after day after day........................................ I have as many RBI as he does in 63 less AB.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:35 AM) As for his FIP; it's a very good sign that he's going to improve as the year goes on. He's not walking a ton of hitters, not allowing a lot of homeruns and still striking out a good amount of hitters so He's 2nd in the AL in walks.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:30 AM) OK, add Cooper to the list. Not certain where you picked up the ZERO RESULTS from? The Walker bashing is ridiculous. The results speak for themselves. Everyone bashes every White Sox player as they are done but when they don't go 4 for 4 its the hitting coach's fault. Its BS. Look at the line-ups and tell me how someone is going to get more out of what is out there? And if Walker must go, no one has come up with a name of a replacement to date. There have been a couple of "get the Texas coach's assistant" from a few. First off, does he even have an assistant? I'm not for firing Cooper. I just think the Walker bashing is beyond old and beyond ridiculous, and just wanted to point out that the offense generally outperforms the pitching staff during Walker's reign and the pitchers generally do better at home than on the road so USCF isn't the reason.

QUOTE (Texsox @ May 13, 2009 -> 08:50 AM) The two biggest enigmas in Chicago sports are Mr. Walker and Mr. Pulford. No one has milked jobs longer, on less results, than those two. Well maybe Shipps, but at least he entertains us. Yeah, the Sox were only 5th in the AL in runs scored last year. WALKER HAS SKATED BY WITH ZERO RESULTS. Don't let the facts get in the way of a good bashing. Walker has been the hitting coach since the middle of 2003. In his 5 full seasons of being the coach the offense in rank of runs scored 2004-3rd 2005-9th 2006-3rd 2007-14th 2008-5th During the same timeframe, Don Cooper, who walks on water and the team ERA ranking 2004-12th 2005-tied for 1 2006-10th 2007-12th 2008-6th One is bowed down to and the other is slammed mercilessly. If you look at the results, things may appear like they should be a little different. Please don't blame USCF as the reason as White Sox pitchers generally have better splits at home.

QUOTE (santo=dorf @ May 12, 2009 -> 08:22 PM) "newcomer Brent Lillibridge, whom general manager Ken Williams said has the ability to steal 40 bases in a season" lol He does if he's used as a pinch runner. Having him in the line-up, he'll never get on base enough.

QUOTE (scenario @ May 12, 2009 -> 08:11 PM) Please... you and I couldn't make Andy Gonzalez look like a major leaguer. Gonzalez .188 avg. .549 ops Lillibridge .187 avg. .532 ops They are basically the same when they step into the box.

Would anyone be upset if they heard after the game the Sox just released Lillibridge? Seriously, this guy is making Andy Gonzalez look like a major leaguer.