Dick Allen

QUOTE (iamshack @ May 13, 2009 -> 09:27 PM) Ricciardi actually participates in a fan call-in show on Toronto radio, as alluded to by Kyle here, and ARGUES with the fans! You want to talk about a guy with an ego? KW gets fired up at fans at Soxfest Q &As. At least he used to. I haven't gone the past couple of years.

Ozzie has been telling Lillibridge he needs to cut his swing down for weeks. He hasn't done it. Maybe when they show Walker the door, Ozzie should be right behind. I'm being sarcastic, but I think way too many people here think the correct hitting coach can make everyone a .330 hitter.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2009 -> 08:05 PM) Kicked my dog? GMAB back. I've been one of the bigger defenders and cheerleaders of KW through the last 2-3 seasons. Yes, I think there are better ones out there, but there are many more that are worse. Name me another GM whose quotes are in the papers more often about silly things like Frank Thomas and "pitching inside" to opposing players? He's a smart guy, but he can't get out of his own way sometimes...but I'll wait for your list of the GM's with bigger egos. I'll give you Billy Beane and Theo Epstein, who else? I just saw something on rain delay television the other day, KW was bragging about the the minor leagues being ranked #1 when he was in charge. He didn't mention they were vastly overrated though. He's pompous without a doubt. He has the false modestly thing going. At least he used to be aggressive. I don't know if JR neutered him or not, but he's turning into Ron Schueler now.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 13, 2009 -> 10:12 AM) Not so fast. WHITE SOX TEAM ERA on the Road (the best independent variable we can use to compare the offense and pitching) 2008 5th in AL, 13th in MLB 2007 7th in AL, 15th in MLB 2006 8th in AL, 18th in MLB 2005 1st in AL, 1st in MLB 2004 7th in AL, 19th in MLB AVERAGE ranks for White Sox pitching on the road, 5.6/14 in AL, 13.2/30 IN MLB Runs Scored Per Game on the Road 2008 12th in AL, 23rd in MLB 2007 14th in AL, 29th in MLB 2006 4th in AL, 8th in MLB 2005 8th in AL, 11th in MLB 2004 7th in AL, 13th in MLB Average ranks for White Sox RSPG on the road, 9th/14th in the AL, 17/30 in MLB 2008 Buerhle ERA home 2.65 away 5.05 Contreras ERA home3.25 away 5.85 Floyd ERA home 3.55 away 4.18 Vazquez ERA home4.25 away 5.10 Danks ERA home3.66 away 2.92 From 2004-2008 there is less than 0.10 difference between the collective home and road White Sox ERA.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 13, 2009 -> 07:08 PM) And even with that, if we can get a little luckier and get Quentin, Alexei, and Floyd out of their current slumps, the only thing that will stop us from making another run this year is someone really taking off. This team is just going to be deadly the next few years...we reloaded on talent like the Pirates or Rays do out of the draft, but we did so with only 1 losing season. Before you break KW's back patting it so much, Beckham, Danks and Viciedo are 3 guys 99 % of Soxtalk could have come up with. I give him credit for getting Tyler Flowers although he is a PED guy. I also applaud him for ridding himself of Nick Swisher. The economy argument is BS. The economy is so bad and professional sports is such a bad business to be in, 72 year old JR is contemplating adding a bankrupt NHL team to his portfolio. The Blackhawks, Bulls, Bears and Cubs have shown that putting a winning team together will draw fans in this particular economy. They talk about lost advertising. Comcast, which the team owns 20% of, has had its ratings more than double which will increase ad revenue. There were plenty of players available to help this season at discount prices that KW passed on. He claims to be the gunslinger like what's been stated above, but what he did this offseason is act like a turtle going back into his shell. There is absolutely no reason Brent Lillibridge should be with the team right now. The team has potential in the future, but pitching is everything. If they don't develop a few, they may be a fun team to watch, but probably won't win anything.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ May 13, 2009 -> 02:26 PM) How many times Sox been shutout in 6 weeks or scored 1 run! It is not just about today! Look at the line-up. Tell me who the Sox can bring right now that will make a line-up like that vs. a Cy Young award winner score the 5 runs necessary to win. Not Gary Ward. He was run out of town.

QUOTE (Baines3 @ May 13, 2009 -> 02:19 PM) When a team gets shut out as many times as we do, that points to the hitting coach to me. We have guys who can hit on this team, Konerko, Thome, Dye and others. That tells me that Walker has to go. The team now has been shutout as many times this year as they have allowed 8+ runs. What about the pitching coach? Sox starters minus Buerhle, have a collective ERA over 6.00. It didn't take a genius to know today was going to be a very tough day to score runs. I suppose you can blame Walker for JD taking strike 3 with the bases loaded and then getting kicked out of the game, or blamed him for Quentin flying out with the bases loaded. Of course, that would just be silly.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ May 13, 2009 -> 02:13 PM) Let's pretend for a second that I agree with you (I don't). Who exactly are we replacing Gavin with if the White Sox were to somehow adopt your doom_and_gloom scenario? You do realize that this team has ZERO depth. I mean NONE. And this is mostly on Kenny and our scouting department. We have no viable options (and this has already been proven) waiting in the wings in the event of injury/poor performance. I agree with him about Gavin and agree with you about a replacement. The Sox can't upgrade an 0-5 8+ ERA Contreras. What is the next guy in line going to do?

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.