Dick Allen

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ May 4, 2009 -> 09:54 AM) The Reds rotation is deeper than the White Sox. He couldn't beat out Micah Owings. If he were a White Sox, people would be calling for him to pull a Rick Ankiel at this stage.

QUOTE (RME JICO @ May 4, 2009 -> 08:53 AM) He has a 4.61 ERA in AAA. Doesn't look too promising. Obviously, if he couldn't make the Reds, chances are he wouldn't have made the White Sox. The big change is that Abreu would most likely be in RF. He had been having a decent year offensively last time I check, stealing a lot of bases.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ May 4, 2009 -> 07:43 AM) 4.37 if Contreras had an ERA of around 5.50, and SIXTH in the AL. However, even at 6th in the AL, we have one of the worst offenses (currently) in baseball. Yes, that will turn around and come back to at least league-average (barring any more injuries, or Quentin/Thome/Dye/Konerko missing extended time), but that won't be good enough. Assuming (a big one) that Contreras had 3 quality starts in a row, then you're also going to expect Buerhle and Colon to continue pitching so well? That Colon won't miss a start for most of the season? It looks like Floyd will be inconsistent and around .500, and that Danks is starting to press a little bit because of the lack of offensive support. It will be VERY interesting to see how this team responds psychologically to the challenge of facing Greinke and Davies (Sox killer since 08) on the road. KC's back in first place by 1/2 game, along with the Tigers. Will we get any clutch hits or continue to struggle? The offense should get better. Getz should calm the leadoff discussion. Anorexei should start hitting. Thome will do better. They won't be the 1927 Yankees, but should be good enough. Its all going to come down to pitching. I hope Linebrink and Dotel can hold up all season, because the reinforcements don't appear too promising at least to help this year.

Obviously pitching is the key to winning. If Contreras had an ERA of 5.50 vs. what it is now, how would the ERA rank? I expect him to be better. I think everyone knows if Floyd's ERA hovers around 5 the White Sox are in trouble. Its still way too early, but if Corky Miller is batting 6th, chances are the offense isn't going to put too many runs on the board. The fact that they are .500 is encouraging. If they can stay there they will have a chance. If not, its drop the payroll even more, raise ticket prices even more and flashback to 1999.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:34 PM) Pods with even one ball hit remotely well this weekend. He is done, finished, washed up, etc. Trotting him out to the field is the most embarrassing thing to happen during KW's tenure. I think Jerry Owens getting called up last week was a lot worse.

What's worse, Joe Morgan or Michael Huff?

I don't know who Texas is going to trot to the mound in the 9th, but Danks would have had to pitch a shutout to get a win tonight.

QUOTE (scenario @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:29 PM) LOL. Exactly what I was thinking while watching him 'jump'. If Stacey King saw that last play he would have said Lillibridge can't jump over a dollar bill.

Phillips is making a great point. If $2 million is nothing to pay a mediocre players, why is it too much to pay for top of the line coaches? If Texas' hitting coach makes as much difference as been talked about, wouldn't giving him $2 million be a bargain?

Lillibridge isn't stellar in CF.

QUOTE (knightni @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:21 PM) Why not start Contreras every 5 days, pull him after 3, and have Richard pitch 4 then? Because Richard would only be able to pitch when Contreras pitched. Contreras may just work his way out of it. I believe he will. If he doesn't plan B will not bring better results.

QUOTE (qwerty @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:20 PM) This is stretching. Pitchers are historically the most effective the first time around the order. Yes, but we are talking about a guy with a long layoff from throwing, and after the extra layoff, a shortened spring training. At the very least, he's an option to be a pretty effective bullpen guy vs. a release.

QUOTE (knightni @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:16 PM) You can ride with him, but I'd rather not. Richard would be worse. Contreras has an ERA of only 3.00 if you use the first 3 innings of each start. So there still is something there.

They are talking about this guy pitching with another player's uniform on. When Larry Doby managed the Sox, he protested a game against Minnesota because one of the September callups didn't have his name on the back of his jersey. The protest was denied.

QUOTE (knightni @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:12 PM) Probably Clayton Richard. It's only the #5 spot in the rotation. How much better has Richard looked than Contreras? Who is going to take Richard's place in the bullpen? If its "only" the #5 spot, why not let Contreras ride this out for a while?

QUOTE (knightni @ May 3, 2009 -> 08:08 PM) They'll be paying him that money before October no matter when he leaves. Why not just pay him now to go on his way and stop the bleeding? Who takes his spot?

If Fields isn't going to hit homers, I don't know exactly what he brings to the table.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 3, 2009 -> 07:55 PM) Alexei with 2 hits tonight including that double. I love down by 5 bases empty doubles after striking out with ducks on the pond.

QUOTE (whitesoxbrian @ May 3, 2009 -> 07:50 PM) And that's the sad part. Give me a new pitcher that won't walk the world every outing, and finally when he doesn't, his strikes are lit up. He lost 30 pounds? Oh great, that's really having an affect out there. Pride? GMAFB. Time to move on. Thanks for 2005 and thanks for busting your ass to get back here Jose, but it's time to go. He is supposed to still be rehabbing now and was originally scheduled to be a bullpen guy when he came back in August. He wasn't able to throw during the winter or get regular physical work in. He's had a half of spring training. He'll be fine. Much better than any other alternative KW has, especially considering he won't spend money.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ May 3, 2009 -> 07:45 PM) anybody else feel like this one is about to blown wide open? It was blown wide open when Kinsler led off the bottom of the first with a homer.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ May 3, 2009 -> 07:42 PM) I am in the midst of a a family party looked at he score and the first thing I thought of is the Rangers starters who suck have shut the Sox out for all three games almostas bad as Toronto last year. Sorry time to can Greg walker. Look at the line-up and the back of their baseball cards. How many runs would you expect this line-up to score?

I think Anorexei isn't accounting for the fast infield.

Corky Miller hasn't thrown anyone out this year. Maybe it isn't all AJP.

QUOTE (SnB @ May 3, 2009 -> 07:36 PM) this team is BORING even when they win. Reinsdorf said they were boring last year, so he cut payroll, raised prices and brought in Brent Lillibridge.

QUOTE (Capn12 @ May 3, 2009 -> 07:34 PM) Oh Sire Corky Miller, thine hitting magic hast disappeared. Considering his first appearance this year was his first multi-hit game in the majors since 2003, you had to figure the pixie dust was going to wear off pretty quickly.