Dick Allen

Ozzie's last name is supposed to be pronounced Gee-shen, and during his first couple of years playing Tony Kubek would pronounce it that way but it apparently bothered people. Ozzie has said he doesn't care how it was pronounced, just that it was spelled correctly on his paycheck.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 09:28 AM) yep, and stewarts is .188...though corky miller has had had a nice batting eye in his career in the minors...im still pretty disappointed KW didn't go after Blanco who would have been a perfect fit here IMO.... Yes he would have been, but perhaps he did go after him but playing time was an issue. He's probably going to play a lot more in SD.

QUOTE (BearSox @ Mar 8, 2009 -> 10:11 PM) I agree with JPN. Miller has the best chance to backup AJ. I thought he was just a body for camp as well, but so far he has shown he's somewhat competent with the bat, and from what I have read, he's suppossed to be really good defensively. But it will likely be one of Stewart and Miller, and the loser gets sent down to Charlotte with Armstrong. And speaking of Armstrong, my oh my does he look lost at bat. I'm not surprised that so far major league pitching (for the most part) has shut him down. I am surprised that he actually hit good at times in the minors and in the AFL however. But he and Stewart/Miller should provide Charlotte with a decent backstop. I agree that Lucy will be sent back down to AA. He's still recovering from that injury (if not physically, mentally), and just like a major leaguer in a similar situation, you start them low to get back to speed and go from there. Also, he should see plenty of time catching due to the fact Flowers doesn't look like much of a catcher anyway. Does Birmingham have the DH? If so, I could see Flowers spending some time there (with Allen at 1B). So far, all four of our affiliates look good. W-S and Kanny should benefit from our strong draft class from last year, and AA and AAA look pretty solid from what I can tell. I wish the White Sox had all their affiliates centered around Illinois and the midwest instead of down primarily in the south east. Despite what he did the first week of spring training, Corky Miller cannot hit. I think he has a .176 career batting average.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Mar 9, 2009 -> 01:39 AM) Yes, the Barons use the DH. I still think that Flowers will catch 4 out of 5 and Lucy will get the other game. Unless Tyler is just horrible, then I can see him DH'ing a lot. He could even DH when not catching. If they are both here like I think, I'm sure I'll see them talking catching frequently. I can't see them DHing Flowers much. He either needs to catch and try to improve or find a different position. You don't want someone his age to be strickly a DH. I think Flowers will catch everyday until they decide he just will never be able to do it, and then move him to another position to see if he can handle that. DH has to be the final option.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 8, 2009 -> 07:52 PM) The Twins also tried that s*** with Liriano last year, sticking with Livan Hernandez instead of calling Francisco up when there was no doubt he was ready and better than anyone else there. Liriano either did file a complaint or thought seriously about filing a complaint with the MLBPA. Anyway, the Sox aren't known for pulling that kind of crap. IIRC when both Anderson and Sweeney were highly regarded prospects, the Sox added them to the roster much earlier than they had to. Didn't both players first come up as injury replacements prior to the September roster expansions? The Sox could have easily made a small trade for a AAAA player or called up a AAAA player to use as a sub temporarily instead of getting them service time, but they went the prospect route instead. The Sox as a whole under JR don't cut a lot of corners. They like to play things pretty much by the book, i.e. no MLB contracts or record-breaking signing bonuses to draft picks, etc. Borchard and Viciedo are the recent exceptions as Alexei was at least considered ready to play as a UT guy. Also this year with OC was the first time I can remember them really taking a chance through the arbitration process looking for draft picks. Generally if there's any chance a player will accept, and if the Sox don't want that player to accept, they don't offer arb. I'm sure there are other examples too, but overall the Sox would be one of the last teams I'd ever expect to end up in hot water over holding a player back to gain another arb year. Agents and the MLBPA don't like that s***, and the players definitely know what is going on. I agree. Holding guys back because of arb clock considerations is a loser mentality. The White Sox don't do that.

QUOTE (thedoctor @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:47 PM) but it was a damn good hit. The problem with having him as a back up is if he's going to hit that poorly, AJ is eventually going to have to enter a lot of games when he's getting the day off. I think its best AJ gets some rest in 2009. He's getting to the age a lot of catchers hit a wall, and has had a pretty heavy workload the last several years. I think Miller would be a mistake. Stewart would be perfect if he continued to hit lefties like he did last year, but I don't know if that's reasonable.

QUOTE (Melissa1334 @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:42 PM) wow, u werent kidding lol corky's numbers Between 2004-2006 he was 1 for 55.

QUOTE (SadChiSoxFanOptimist @ Mar 6, 2009 -> 01:09 PM) I recall reading in the Tribune that Nate Silver from BProspectus predicted that Jayson Nix would win the starting job. Well, I guess that ends this thread. Silver says these things but his book, BP, says something very different. I guess he's covered.

It will be interesting to see how all this changes in a couple of weeks when some of the guys really playing well struggle a little bit, and some of the guys who are struggling put it together. I really don't see how anyone can come to any conclusion based on what has happened so far. I'm sure nobody has been ruled out, but nobody with the positions in play, have been ruled in either. Corky Miller is on fire. The reality is, he hasn't hit better than a pitcher during the regular season in 6 years. Odds of him doing it in 2009 are slimmer than Jerry Owens hitting 20 homers.

Not that Clayton is Johann Santana Jr., but I'm surprised the voting is as close as it is.

Its way too early to make much of results, although it is better they do good than bad.

Broadway is not nearly as good as Richard right now and Richard can get better. Broadway peeked in college. If KW took offers on these 2, they would be a lot better for Richard.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 5, 2009 -> 10:58 AM) A leadoff hitter leads off once a game for sure, then the same % likelihood as everyone else. You don't dictate your roster by spot in the order. You get the best 9 guys you can, then put them in the order that makes the most sense. The leadoff hitter also bats in front of your best hitters and comes to the plate as much as anyone on your team. It should be a priority that that person is someone who gets on base more frequently, and probably in scoring position whether its hitting for extra bases or stealing, than most.

QUOTE (Cowch @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 03:26 PM) It reminds me of tall people getting into basketball even without talent. Apparently in baseball if you throw hard, you're in. MacDougal has a ton of talent, and he's been very good before. He was an All Star one year and even though you have to take 1 Royal, he was deserving. I think he had 25 saves at the All Star Break. His motion is messed up and he's a head case. Throwing strikes has been impossible for him for a couple of years unless he serves it on a platter. The feeling most with the White Sox have is he has no idea how good his stuff is. If he trusted it a little more, he could be elite. Chances are, it will never happen, but maybe he has an unbelievable year out of nowhere like Cliff Politte in 2005.

LeBrun (2:15 p.m. ET): Just a quick note on Martin Havlat. He's close to signing a multiyear deal, but it won't be completed today. But they're close enough where the Hawks are not going to move him today.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 12:10 PM) that was an interesting blurb about Viciedo: Have to keep in mind that he's still very young. They have correct it immediately. Apparently, the rap against him in Cuba was he became disinterested. If he's blowing things off the first week of his first spring training, it doesn't bode well moving on. I'm sure KW and Ozzie have made a point to him this morning.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 10:06 AM) You're thinking of the Kiss Demon from WCW wrestling, Dale Torborg. Regier was one of Wilder's guys who has since been reassigned to a scouting role. Considering one of the accusations against Wilder was providing PEDs to the overvalued prospects, and Regier was linked, maybe he wasn't mistaken.

QUOTE (103 mph screwball @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 09:59 AM) May the best player win. May the second best player be versatile enough to be the utility man. May the next best guy be ripping the cover off of the ball in Charlotte chomping at the bit to get a shot if someone stumbles. I'm no longer worried about second base. I'm more worried about Fields and the CF battle. So far, I think it will end up with Nix starting, Getz at utility, and Lillibridge heading to the minors. Beckham will get some time in the minors even if he has a great spring. If Ramirez is as good of SS defensively as the White Sox believe he is, Beckham is going to be the 2B eventually and maybe even very soon, unless the two 3B candidates totally flame out. Getz, I think, is the best bet to start the season at 2B if Beckham doesn't play his way on the team. He is the type of offensive player the Sox need. A guy who can handle the bat and get on base. Nix and Lillibridge, while better defensively, strikeout an awful lot. Lillibridge can run, but as they say, no one has figured out how to steal first base. We'll know more in a few weeks. Results now really mean little although if you're fighting for a job, its probably not good to feel that way.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 4, 2009 -> 07:45 AM) I'm actually hoping that he wins the position. Getz will always be around in Charlotte, and I like Lillibridge as the utilityman that can play CF, SS and 2B with Betemit at 3B and 1B. With Ramirez and Lillibridge, we have two more players that can fill in for CF, so there's no reason at all to keep Owens or Wise. I'm not sure we really need EITHER player, but it seems like we will end up keeping one or the other. That also provides you a nice balance of speed on the bench (with Lillibridge and/or Wise/Owens). I'm starting to think they really knew (once again) what they were doing with Nix, and also the rationale for signing him to a major league contract. This has happened time and time again when the White Sox identified something in a player that almost everyone else (scouts/GM's) missed. I don't think they expect Nix to make the team. Why would they not have claimed him on waivers if they saw so much potential?

According to Cowley, Viciedo left early yesterday: Viciedo — The bat is as good as advertised, maybe even better. Defensively, Viciedo has a lot of work to do. Leaving the facility Monday, when he was scheduled for extra work in the weight room, didn’t help. The kid can be a star in the next few years, but don’t be surprised if it happens at left field or first base. I'm sure it will be addressed. Unless he really has a desire to spend a lot of time in Birmingham or Charlotte, he probably wants to stay out of Ozzie's doghouse.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 3, 2009 -> 02:29 PM) Playing half of his games in that ballpark will hurt his offensive numbers, even if he stays healthy and even with consideration to the fact they have the fans blowing out when Minnesota bats. It wasn't that long ago when the Metrodome was known as a bandbox. It just goes to show how all the new parks are small.

QUOTE (Pumpkin Escobar @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 12:31 PM) Haven't gone through the whole thread but I saw this a couple minutes on the internet of Toronto getting involved in O.Cab. I don't think they'll deal a top prospect, although it should be what we require noting Cabrera's type-a status. I'd assume they'd bite on a pretty good player depending on how we play this, if we kick in something, if Oakland raises their stakes. This idea of Wells isn't a bad one. I know he is dramatically overpaid since he never quite repeated his big season(s) where he was given the money. The Jays do have an overstock in the OF. With Lind, Snider, Rios (another overrated player IMO) and Wells, you'd hope one of them could be had. I'd say the Cabrera deal and something decent from our end. If it is to be Wells, they'd have to eat it but I doubt we'll get him. I'd like to get Cecil, but with the loss of Burnett/health concerns with other arms/and Halladay most likely out the door, I don't see them dealing young, cheap arms. Our ceiling may be a guy like Luis Perez and another quality young arm. If I were Kenny though, I don't help O.Cab out unless I am getting a nice haul for him. Problem is, Kenny hasn't exactly been landing hauls for our players lately. I can't believe I'm defending KW, but,Carlos Quentin was a pretty good haul for a A ball firstbaseman. Freddy Garcia's haul was better than keeping Freddy. Even though I'm not very high on the minor leaguers, the "haul" for Swisher wasn't bad. Now teams are leary of assuming his contract. If Flowers and Lillibridge are half as good as KW says the "haul" for Vazquez, a guy who in reality is no more than an overpaid 4th or 5th starter, is a pretty good one. The White Sox get a first rounder and a supplemental if OC signs with Toronto. You can bet KW won't settle for scraps instead of those picks especially if he will be picking up some payroll.

Considering how much he gets slammed on this board, the new Contreras love is interesting.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 12:37 PM) I modified my post before you posted yours. I am well aware of all those things you mentioned. It seems that you are the one making excuses for other Major Leaguers bad plays. I have mentioned what have happened so far. It was painfull to watch Betemit yesterday. This type of play should not happen in MLB even in ST. Veteran players should have free pass even they look sorry in the field. Let's make excuses for them. Players usually do not change much. You are who you are. If Betemit can not catch in SS in ST, he won't be good there in July. Alexei may struggle for the first two month though he has a year playing in cold weather. Errors happen. Even the greatest fielders of all time screw up plays. Obviously Betimet should have made a couple of more plays yesterday, but these games do not count. I am not worried. He's never been known as a Gold Glove type fielder, but he's certainly not as bad as what he appeared yesterday. Its one game on March 1st.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 11:55 AM) Haven't I critized Viciedo's AB? Haven't I mentioned his swings out of the strike zone? Alexei hitted below 200 for two month as a part time player and during cold weather. Guillen panicked with him. Its going to cold again the first 2 months this season, should Alexei go to rookie ball until it warms up? As for Viciedo, you make every excuse in the book. He doesn't know the pitchers. Its spring training, the pitchers don't have their best stuff yet either. These games, while entertaining, mean very little. There are tons of players who hit .400 in spring training and then stink when the season starts. There are also tons who can't do anything right in spring training and once the games count are pretty good. To put much weight in results this early during spring training, good or bad, especially for veteran players is nuts.