Dick Allen

QUOTE (iamshack @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 02:54 PM) Yeah, talk about your all-time backfires...of course, he wasn't the only one to do so this offseason... Just goes to show you how crazy the market can be in a relatively short span of time...on both ends of the spectrum. It was total ignorance on his and/or his agent's part. It was quite obvious what was going to happen. Hudson gets $3.4 million guaranteed and $4.6 million in incentives. Cabrera might be lucky to get what the Sox would have owed him if he took the arb and they released him.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 02:20 PM) The chairman is worried about that exact thing. http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/18/magazines/...seball.fortune/ He's sitting pretty with Dye, Thome and Dotel, MacDougal coming off the books. Also Vaciedo will be $4 million cheaper not paying his bonus. Well over $30 million right there.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 02:07 PM) And with that being said, the Arizona Republic is reporting that the Dodgers have come to terms with Orlando Hudson. Looks like any recent interest in Cabrera was just a ploy to lure O-Dog to LA. Every dog has its day. OC got used and abused by the Dodgers to entice Hudson to sign. I think that leaves Oakland and its $5 million offer, which is probably shrinking as I type. He supposedly is looking for $1 more than Renteria for 2009. He'll need to buy a lottery ticket.

QUOTE (DBAHO @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 03:23 PM) He's certainly not a good offensive player. All the Thunder will ask of him is to guard to opposition's best PG/SG/SF and let Westbrook and Durant concentrate on their offense. And he's an upgrade on Kyle Weaver, so for a late 1st rounder, I don't mind the deal at all for the Thunder. If they draft Griffin and can sign a good center to rotate with Kristic next season, they're a serious contender for the playoffs next season. If the Bulls use the draft pick to actually select a player, it will be nothing for nothing, but financial savings. I think they will either trade it on draft night when someone who a team has its eye on slips or throw it in as a trade kicker, whatever it is, its better than paying Thabo $2 million a year to do what he does especially since there really aren't any minutes for him anymore.

Getting anything for Thabo is an accomplishment. He can't play.

Marc Stein: Looks like we have a fairly significant three-way deal that has been submitted to the league just before the trade deadline. NBA front-office sources tell ESPN.com that Orlando is acquiring Rafer Alston from Houston to fill the void created at point guard by Jameer Nelson's shoulder injury. The Rockets will receive Memphis guard Kyle Lowry, Orlando forward Brian Cook and perhaps two other minimum-salaried players to make the finances work. The Grizzlies will receive a first-round pick from Orlando.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 02:07 PM) Plus they get another guy to take minutes away from Tyrus. I doubt Tim Thomas plays much if Tyrus can keep up with the improved play. Tyrus does get into foul trouble so its good to have another bigger guy around. With Rose, Gordon and Hinrich around and Thabo and Salmons playing a little 2 on the side, there is very little room for guards, so the roster is more balanced at the very least. Maybe a little better, but I hope they don't make the playoffs. I don't think it would serve a purpose.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 01:50 PM) I am guessing if they brought back Thomas, that was all about Scott Skiles. We all know the guy had issues with players, and especially ones he felt weren't working hard enough. Thomas also fits right into the rotation, as he can score a bit. Seems your right: I played with Tim for a couple years and had him in Phoenix. I didn't have any problem with him. I enjoyed playing with him," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "That was a long time ago. I'll sit down and talk to Tim, tell him what I expect from him, what his role is. I expect him to be professional and go do his job. He has the ability to help us." I'm fascinated they ate all that money because Skiles didn't like him.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 01:44 PM) I'm not sure it makes sense on its own either. Thomas is the Ugh we already know, I'm sure he's looking forwards to playing with the Bulls. James hasn't played since December and is out for the rest of the season with a Ruptured Achilles tendon, and I doubt he has a Contreras like work ethic to come back before next season starts. This move seems like rearranging parts that will never play for us unless it's tied to some other move that needed a smaller salary than Hughes. Maybe its just a trade to have some cold bodies on the bench in case of emergency. James will never play again supposedly. Thomas can stay home and be like Hughes. Roberson could be the extra body. I hope Pax makes another move today although I doubt it. I don't see the benefit of the Bulls squeaking into the playoffs this season except for the extra gate the team would like to have. Miss out and see if a miracle can happen again.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 01:41 PM) Took me a minute to do the subtraction and I posted it first at Talkbulls Cap implications: Both James and Thomas expire at the end of 2010. Hughes's contract has $13,655,268 on it for 2010. James has $6.2 million this year and $6.6 million on it next year, Thomas has $6 million this year and $6.45 on it next year. Roberson makes $797k this year and has an $850k team option next year. Bulls take on 220k in salary this year, take on $267k next year if they pick up Roberson's option, save $589k if they don't. That's assuming no one has a trade escalator clause in their contract. No change in 2010 unless someone is extended. James is done. Thomas, I can't see them playing, are they going to pay him to go home again? I want his job.

I don't understand this trade at all unless Tim Thomas was a Scott Skiles problem and not a Bulls problem (I wouldn't see the team eating as much money as it did if it was) or they are going to move Thomas along somewhere else, or they are going to tell him to stay home again and are somehow saving some money. They were close to the luxury threshold. I don't know where they are now.

QUOTE (JorgeFabregas @ Feb 19, 2009 -> 01:14 PM) Got a link? That just seems to be one of the many rumors floating around out there--among other deals involving Hughes. Chad Ford had it in his chat. Marc Stein also has it. Says its awaiting league approval.

Just because Poreda could be used as a reliever, and most likely won't need the additional repetoire as a reliever doesn't mean on the side he can't work on other pitches. If he earns a starting role fine, if not and he's the best pitcher for a remaining spot, let him relieve. The goal is to win in 2009, not develop guys in Charlotte. There's a pretty good chance the Sox will need an additional starter or 3 at some point during the season. It wouldn't take too much to stretch him out.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 03:54 PM) In this market that's still a ton of money. Think about it...given their injury history the last few years, is Joe Crede worth the same amount as Bobby Abreu? These middle of the road guys screwed up waiting. Kyle Farnsworth got 2 years $9 million. Orlando Hudson will make the same money most likely in 2009.

QUOTE (scenario @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 12:29 PM) Just found this quote from a USA Today article... Q. What was the process that went into writing this book — because the season you're documenting was nearly seven years ago? A. My senior year in college, it looked like I was going to get drafted, so a lot of my friends and family said, "Document what this is like, it's going to be such an interesting experience for you." I think they were saying that because they realized it was going to be a short-lived experience for me. So I went out there keeping this journal. I kept a very detailed account of what was going on. And the season (at Provo) ended, I got cut and my career was over — and it wasn't until a couple of years passed and I realized what a special experience this had been for me. I watched to see what happened to the guys I played with — all kinds of things. And as the years passed, I started thinking about it, and it was actually when Bobby Jenks recorded the last out in 2005 World Series and he was the hero that I thought this is such an interesting situation. I wrote a manuscript and handed it to a friend of mine who writes for Sports Illustrated and he loved it, and things started rolling from there. Q. Are you worried about how people will respond to this? People have already started talking about it and some people say what you wrote isn't true. Bobby Jenks says he wouldn't be able to pick you out of a crowd. A. Guys like Bobby Jenks won't remember me. We spent in grand total less than a day together. Little blips of a half-an-hour here or an hour there. As I say in the book, for most of these Angels minor leaguers, I was just another name on a list of former teammates. For others, I'm sure they do remember me. I've stayed in touch with some of my former teammates. There's going to be a wide range of responses. ----------------------------------------- So... I'm still trying to figure out where they crossed paths. Jenks had some elbow issues maybe it was in an extended spring training situation, some place they sent this other idiot before he reported to Provo. He admits it was brief if it was anything, and all he really has is Jenks was hungover and tried to get out of conditioning drills. He doesn't look like a guy who particularly cares about conditioning and he admits his release was a wake-up call, so who really cares? Bobby Jenks like to drink 7 years ago. I don't see what that has to do with now. I doubt this guy sells many books. He admits he thought about the book the second Bobby Jenks became relevant.

QUOTE (scenario @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 11:27 AM) Don't start off by assuming that the story has any credibility. McCarthy pitched a career grand total of 26 innings in the Pioneer (rookie) League after being drafted in 2002. He was a late round draft pick who played 1/2 season in the minors... period... in Provo, Utah... before leaving baseball. Meanwhile, in 2002, Jenks spent half a season in California (high A-ball) and the other half in Arkansas (AA)... two places McCarthy never even got close to. Jenks' rookie league year was 2000. And he didn't even play rookie ball in the same city McCarthy did. So... different years... PLUS different cities. In other words, not only have they NEVER played together... it's unlikely that they ever even MET. This probably occurred in spring training, but it really is a non story. ARod 6 years ago, now Jenks 7 years ago when he admittedly was not what he was supposed to be. Mickey Mantle was admired for playing hungover.

QUOTE (shipps @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 10:57 AM) Read my mind. I would guess he might say it is even a little wreckless. He's posted on this subject and seems to be of the opinion if he's healed, he's healed.

Wingstop is pretty sweet, although the wings are pretty small.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 07:03 AM) Dick, if you do not see the performance difference between amphetamines and steroids, you will never understand the speeding analogy. If they truly are equivelent in how they enhanced performance players would not have switched. It is clear to everyone, especially the athletes, that steroids were of a much bigger benefit with much less risk to getting caught. Again, just because people got away with stuff in the past does not give everyone in the future a free pass to cheat. At some point society changes the rules based on current attitudes. Use that argument in court when you receive a DUI at .09; That blood alcohol level was legal a couple years ago and thirty years ago you could be .15 and the cop would just make certain someone came to get you. So finally standing up and saying enough is enough, we will not take this anymore is common in our society. As we gain new knowledge, society must make new decisions. The argument that "hey we didn't know about it, and this is just another form of something we allowed, albeit worse" just is not valid. First off, I never said anyone gets a free pass to cheat. ARods test was taken under the presumption it was annonymous or he had no responsibility to even take it. MLB has changed the rules. When ARod was positive there was no penalty. You can't go back and charge all the guys who blew a .15 40 years ago with drunk driving. Its time to move on. I just don't understand your thinking that amphetimines were nothing. Its common knowledge they were in every clubhouse. Amphetimines were illegal,no? Good for you if you went to look for something in your garage and found a bag of amphetimines and proceed to pat your son on the back and say, at least they weren't steroids.(This is just a hypothetical, I don't know even if you have a son and I'm not implying this would occur) Why do you think amphetimine use is OK? Just because it wasn't universally considered that DUI wasn't that big of a deal 30-40 years ago by a lot of society, didn't make it right. Hence, the laws were change. It also wasn't frowned upon for a pregnant woman to smoke and get wasted, now it is. Amphetimines were PEDs. They were cheating. If 30 years ago, the players thought it was no big deal, so what. The players today have the same attitude toward steroids. If you can go back 6 years for ARod's test, when there were no penalties, why can't you go back 40 and if you found out Willie Mays was hopped up on amphetimines, for which there now is a test, shouldn't his HOF status be reconsidered?

KW's take from mlb.com: "There are guys in previous generations who are really outspoken on it, and there's a certain hypocrisy in it," he said. "Let's say you are talking the (19)70s and the '80s, then you are talking there was a lot of amphetamines usage as a performance enhancer. "So, if you are one of those guys, and I've heard guys that I know did that type of thing, criticizing the guys doing the state-of-the-art thing in the mid-'80s into the '90s and (next decade), OK, well, it's a little hypocritical." This is the point I've been trying to make. Many of the players we all cherish and take for granted as "clean" were doing things that were, at least at the time, just as bad IMO. What's the difference between taking amphetimines and steroids as far as the 5 mph over the limit vs. 45 mph over the limit? If steroids were known to enhance performance, and for many years, lifting weights was discouraged, I'm sure the "steroid era" would have began a lot sooner.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 17, 2009 -> 07:14 PM) Right now, still quite a bit. Per minute, Noah rebounds about the same as him, but he shoots a significantly higher %age than Noah on the offensive end. Noah also picks up just about as many fouls in 20 minutes as Chandler does in 30. And I'd add that currently, Noah just can't slow down Centers who are stronger than him. But then again, Noah is in his 2nd year and turns 24 this month, while Chandler is in his 8th season and turns 27 later this year. Noah needs to add some mass (Chandler outweighs him by about 15 pounds) and get the foul trouble under control. Then we can talk. Chandler fouled a lot when he played for the Bulls. He certainly isn't $9 million a year better than Noah, which is the difference between their total paychecks. I think if Noah added 15-20 pounds of muscle, he could average a double double. He just is not strong enough right now.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Feb 17, 2009 -> 06:58 PM) I have a really hard time judging ARod. Yes he admitted it but (and I hope I have my facts straight) many of the tests back then were taken to establish weather MLB actually had a steroid problem. There wasn't a list of banned substances or penalties for taking any of this stuff in baseball at the time ARod is admitting to taking steroids . So basically he wasn't doing anything forbidden. If I'm wrong someone give me dates of when MLB instituted a policy against steroids and when they started making lists of what substances were banned . I do believe he was guilty of trying to keep pace with his peers and did little wrong according to the rules established at that time. If he was injecting himself in the USA he most likely was breaking the law. I'm an ARod guy, and I don't buy his story that he really had no idea what he was taking, but I'm with you, these tests were supposed to be anonymous. I don't know who screwed up, whether it was the union or the league or whoever, but they did the game a great disservice letting this get out. Having press conferences to explain 6 year old steroid tests does nobody any good, and ARod shouldn't have had to answer questions. There was absolutely nothing he could have said today, short of "I have been doing steroids my whole career and will retire because I am a fraud, and give back every dime I have been paid", that would have satisfied most.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Feb 17, 2009 -> 04:26 PM) Trouble is, his numbers have already dropped off dramatically this season. That's part of the reason why this trade is happening...if the Hornets hadn't had the injury bug all year and people had played to expectations and they hadn't wasted money stupidly on a guy like Posey, they'd be right back up challenging for the top spot, and much more willing to go in to tax territory if needbe. Chandler is pulling down 8.3 rebounds per game this year. That's his worst # since the 2003-2004 season with the Bulls when he was playing 22 minutes per game and played only 35 games. His scoring has dropped from 11.8 to 8.8 ppg this year, and his FG %age has dropped from 62% each of the last 2 years to 56% this year. He's going to score even less without Paul giving him points, but to be fair to him, he has been injured a lot this season. I think he's played hurt, but really, how much better than Noah is this guy?

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 17, 2009 -> 04:35 PM) Dick, are you suggesting that cheating is cheating and since some got away with it, or it was laughed off, that all cheating should be treated the same and laughed off? Would you enforce any rules? Of course not. I'm all for penalties, but they should not include not getting into the HOF. And cheating from past eras should be examined as well. Maybe make baseball like golf. If you're out and the umpire calls you safe, tell him you were out and go back to the dugout. ARod not in the HOF? That's ridiculous. As I said, he's also facing juiced up pitchers. I'm saying cheating has always been laughed at. What a player could get away with has always been sort of admired. I don't admire anyone taking steroids, but if there were no penalties when this cheating occurred, what can you do about it? Guys with a HOF vote try to use their power to keep guys out of the HOF, when, most likely, guys they do elect, at least a few of them, used, and either weren't caught, or it wasn't obvious. Sammy Sosa won't get in the HOF and he's never tested positive as far as I know. Is that fair? He got bigger. He played 15 years and gained 50 pounds of muscle. It looks very suspicious, but its not impossible to be done without cheating.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 17, 2009 -> 04:17 PM) Again, when Sammy was caught with the corked bat, he was punished. When guys were caught scuffing the ball, throwing spitters, they were punished. Sure, they were laughed at. So let's also laigh at Bonds and the rest happy? So some kids go out and try to scuff a ball or cork a bat, they learn a bit about physics and don't hurt themselves. Now look at steroids No way to catch them on the field. It damages their bodies, when kids emulate them, it damages their bodies. They are cheating 100% of the time. Using your logic, we would never enforce any rules or laws. Why do w ignore someone who is speeding 5 mph over the limit and arrest someone speeding 50 mph over the limit? Why do we call a kids mom when he is caught stealing a candy bar and call the police when he grabs $$$$ out of the register? You can keep pretending to not see the difference, but realize you are in a very small minority of people who cannot understand the difference. Saying some forms of cheating are OK and some are not doesn't make sense to me. If I ever was caught stealing a candy bar I know my punishment at home would have made me want to be in jail. I think what I'm saying is the other trangressions were cheating as well. People laughed. Gaylord Perry is a HOFer, he cheated. So did Phil Niekro, and many, many others. How many players do you think used greenies the past 30-40 years? When ARod tested positive, there were no penalties in place in MLB for this type of cheating. None. Now there are. I never said look the other way, but keeping guys out of the HOF, because of one or two positive tests seems ludicrious. How many times did Steve Howe test positive for cocaine? Tim Raines was a cokehead, but a lot of people here think he's a HOF. Did kids snort lines because Tim Raines did? Its sad ARod made the choice he made. Its even sadder a most predictable press conference occurs. Its time to move on. The testing is in place. I still think many are using and are ahead of the tests. The only reason steroids are an issue is the home run records. When Sosa and McGwire were hitting everything out of the park in 1998 nobody blinked an eye. If they hit 50-55 each and everyone stayed around there, I believe there still would be no issue. Just remember, the guys pitching the ball were also users.