Dick Allen

If the White Sox Cubans were a stock index, it would be approaching 0. Contreras, Ramirez and Viciedo have all been awful. Even Cubano is making himself scarce. I wonder if anyone will care that KW's Cuban pipeline is drying up.

I left after the 6th. Egbert got no help, but he's no major leaguer. I miss Uribe.

If someone thinks Byrd can sign on a Tuesday and be ready to pitch at the major league level in a few days, they are crazy.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Apr 24, 2009 -> 11:05 AM) Perhaps I should have phrased it better, but I'm alluding to having someone like Garland back there. Someone whose performance would later command a decent salary. Garland has had 2 good outings and one horrid one. His ERA is misleading.

QUOTE (SoxFan101 @ Apr 23, 2009 -> 09:49 PM) No, obvious for us on this board that it was KW's fault, for the avg fan they were booing Wise. You give people way too much credit. They were booing Wise when he was leading off, but when he moved down in the order the boos stopped.

Speaking of overreaction, Cowley in his latest blog is suggesting Nix may replace Ramirez. That guy gets paid to come up with crap like this.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 23, 2009 -> 08:19 PM) Time to armor up Q. I am shocked he doesn't wear something for his elbow. Obviously the hand is a different story.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Apr 23, 2009 -> 08:17 PM) f*** me....i hope like hell CQ is ok As much as he gets hit, he's always one pitch from being out for a while.

Does anyone think Brad Miller can dunk? I don't think he can.

Broadway getting lit up tonight, but Poreda 4 innings 7 k 0 BB and only 1 hit.

QUOTE (MEANS @ Apr 23, 2009 -> 06:19 PM) that's strange i have the 09 style guide and it shows names on the back of the road jerseys...did Majestic screw up again?? a la the "Natinals".... He probably saw pictures of the Jackie Robinson day game when names weren't on the back.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 23, 2009 -> 07:05 PM) IF only they'd outbid the $6 million the D-Backs spent on Jon Garland and his 5.71 ERA in the NL...that would have solved our problems. Misleading stats. 2-1 record. 2 good starts and 1 where he was horrible.

Josh Fields and Jim Thome each struck out both their ABs so far tonight. As long as we are replacing players, maybe we should find some for them. I really believe if some soxtalkers were the White Sox GM, the team would probably employ about 150 players every season, and the payroll would be about $250 million.

QUOTE (GreatScott82 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 08:54 PM) I'd like to see Contreras get those starts down in triple-a. He obviously needs more time to work out his kinks.... I'd like to see one of these guys up here getting some MLB experience: Charlotte (AAA) John Van Benchoten (1-1, 2.65 ERA, 17 IP, 13 SO) Wes Whisler (1-1, 2.20 ERA, 16.1 IP, 7 SO) Birmingham (AA) Kyle McCulloch (2-1, 2.37 ERA, 19 IP, 9 SO) Aaron Poreda (0-2, 3.00 ERA, 9 IP, 6 SO) 3 of 4 of those guys are pure GARBAGE. The only one worth anything is Poreda.

I don't think he's the 40-50 homer guy some have him pegged as, but more like the same type of home run totals Crede had.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 02:40 PM) Okay. Brian Anderson is 3 for 13 with 6 K's when he starts out with an 0-1 count. He's 3 for 10 with 6 walks when he starts out with a 1-0 count. In those situations...he's getting a ball 43.5% of the time. That ratio (first pitch balls to strikes) will even out eventually. No quality big league pitchers throw anywhere close to 45% first pitch balls, especially to #9 hitters in the order. And he's 3 for 4 with 6 walks after 2-0. So its not like every AB he's 2-0. If it were, no one would have a BA complaint right now. If he's that good at 2-0 it behooves him to try to get to that count. His swing is long right now. No one knows it more than him. When and if he's able to adjust things will be very different and all the complaining about a young guy who hasn't had consistent playing time in 3 years will come to an end. Its not easy playing infrequently, especially for a young guy learning his way.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 02:31 PM) That's my point...they were SO far out of the zone, not even Anderson, Ramirez or Vladmir Guerrero would have swung at them. That won't continue...looking at his at-bats, you would think opposing pitchers were seeing Pujols or Hanley Ramirez at the plate. You're really reaching.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 02:22 PM) That's not what I said at all. I never said he should swing at balls out of the strike zone. He does enough of that without my advising him to do so. What I said was that he was seeing a disproportionate number of balls on the first pitch...or even the second pitch, and that this would turn around and eventually he would have to hit his way on base. Logical?? It's a statistical anomaly. If you look at the pitch pattern to BA in every game he's started, probably 75-80% of his first two pitches are balls. That's not going to hold up. Look, I would be glad to be "proven wrong" about BA, but I've watched baseball my entire life...and I just don't see it happening with him as a starting/regular major league CFer. He has all the tools, but there were many prospects you could have said the same thing about. Kenny Williams, in fact, was a much better prospect and had even better overall tools than BA when he reached the majors. We can wish and blindly hope all we want for someone to succeed...I just don't see it happening. Any player that gets thrown strikes the first 2 pitches instead of balls will have his strikeout rate increase. Its an encouraging sign BA wasn't swinging at those pitches, rather than the dire fate you have predicted.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 02:06 PM) We won of our first two games and people were harder (much harder) on DeWayne Wise. I think your quote could actually be attributable moreso to the feeling/s people had about what would happen if Wise weren't in the line-up. As soon as Brian Anderson rips a fastball with no movement that's right over the middle of the plate, then I might give him the benefit of the doubt for 2-3 more games, which, once again, is more lenience than Wise got. Not to mention the bigger fact that we don't have any pitchers to replace Contreras with, so we have to get more offense on those nights when he starts. Everyone was bad, and in a game or two, there will be threads dedicated to "what's wrong with Josh Fields???" too. You have ripped BA for not swinging at balls. It is crazy. Your "logic" is as soon as pitchers see he's not swinging at the first couple of pitches, they will throw strikes and his strikeout rate will skyrocket". That made zero sense. He's supposed to swing at pitches out of the strike zone in order to strike out less? Give the BA bashing a rest. While maybe he deserves a little ball busting, you have taken it to another level and are ruining your reputation as a good poster. The Sox somehow won 3 out of 4 in TB with BA in CF, and would have swept if the bullpen held. It must be a miracle. Maybe the Sox should have soxtalk favorite Josh Kroeger come up and see what he can do in CF. He's got his average up to .179 in Charlotte.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 22, 2009 -> 01:52 PM) Because Anderson, at the least...should learn how to hit the ball to the right side of the infield if he's not going to be able to get a hit in those critical situations. Had he done that, Josh Fields' flyball to RF would have been and 2nd RBI of the inning. Yes, it was a team loss...but I am looking for some signs of positive progression in BA with RISP, that's it. That's at least 2 Sox losses where they lost by at least 7 runs this season we can pin on BA. When the Sox get rid of him they may never lose.

Carlton Fisk was hitting .202 on June 1, 1983. He wound up 2nd or 3rd in MVP voting. I don't understand the need to bash Contreras right now. He most likely was going to struggle just as Colon will probably get knocked around a little bit. They are both coming off injuries, are a little older, and had a less than full spring training. Patience. Its not like the Sox have better options. Egbert gets brought up with an ERA over 6.00 and he promptly now has an ERA of 18.00. Richard has been hot and cold. I think its best to give these guys another month and if either is struggling then make some sort of adjustment. Hopefully someone, somewhere in the organization will have shown they can get the job done by then.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Apr 21, 2009 -> 12:07 AM) I'm as harsh a critic of Brian as can be, and yet if he wants to keep taking walks and slapping singles... while bringing that CF defense, great. I dont need more extra base power on the team. Lillibridge I just want as utility for right now. What I do fear though is that BA's getting an abnormal amount of first pitch balls for some reason, and when the league adjusts his OBP will revert. Very much hope that fear does not come to be. What will happen if he starts swinging at pitcher's pitches the first pitch is everyone complaining that he takes pitches out of the strike zone now will start complaining that he swings at everything. That's pretty much guaranteed. He has a long swing right now, there's no question. Supposedly its really short in BP but he hasn't been able to bring it to the game. Once that happens, if that happens, the term "BA fanboy" will go away.

BA has a real long swing right now.

Hawk said you can't pitch around everybody. If Jerry Manuel pitched to Markakis and the same thing happened, 6 years later we would be hearing about it.