Dick Allen

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 2, 2009 -> 11:35 AM) I am not being vias guys. It may seem that way for some of you. I have mentioned what happened and what I see. If Viciedo does not do good, then he needs to go to the minors. I have expressed these thoughts before. Let's rewind Viciedo's two AB. First AB: Swing an slider outside the strike zone. He missed a fastball around the middle of the plate. He fouled that pitch. Kuroda threw another slider outside to put him away and he did not bait. That was pitch recognition and making adjustments. He ran the count 2 and 2 or 1 and 2 before flying to short CF. Second AB vs Milton this time. Swang at a low ball for strike one and swang a slightly high fastball for strike three. Guillen said the pitchers do not know him. It goes both ways too. If Beckham will be move to second, why is he playing SS now. Are we going to bring him without playing significant time at 2B and hand him that position? So the Sox critized certain players for having a shaking defense and are willing to bring up a guy with very little experience at 2B. I am assuming this will happen. Viciedo had a bad game, maybe he should go to rookie ball. The point is everyone is going to have a bad game. Everyone is going to have several bad games. A veteran kicking a couple balls in an exibition game on March 1 is no reason to get your blood pressure at stroke levels. He's been a big leaguer for several years, he is obviously better than what he showed Sunday. Maybe its just me, but I have the feeling if Betimet was Cuban you wouldn't be jumping all over him. You seem to make excuses for Viciedo's failures but have no patience for anyone else's. Alexei Ramirez was hitting below .200 a month and a half into the 2008 season, was rookie ball the place for him? I've no problem with you being proud of your fellow Cubans, I'm glad you are, but I think you should be fair to the others.

Parking in an unmarked field and getting a ticket shouldn't be shocking. Unless there is something there that says you can park there, I don't know why you would assume it isn't private property. If you're driving around USCF and see a driveway wide open you wouldn't park your car there.

Its not only Toronto's pick the Sox would lose, but the supplemental as well. You would have to figure that's at least $2 million in signing bonuses. If they want OC bad enough either make them give up a guy like League (who I would rather have than pay the picks who chances are won't pan out) or make them give up their pick or let OC rot on the sidelines. He had his chance to accept arb and screwed up.

Considering all the bargains that were available in free agency, I can't see the Sox taking any of the Blue Jays high priced players. It would be absurd to take Rolen's contract and pass on guys like Hudson and Cruz even Furcal who probably makes less than Rolen. I think if the Sox make a trade with Toronto, they will go after a reliever or minor leaguers.

QUOTE (Heads22 @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 03:21 PM) He's your next Jon Garland. I don't think anyone will call him Judy.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 1, 2009 -> 03:15 PM) Utility players must caught the ball if they are in the Majors. These are not rockets guys. These connections are very catchable. I bet you that Betemit played in the Winter League. I have to check though. Its March 1. He's a veteran player. Rookie ball is a bit of an overreaction at this point. Quentin doesn't have a hit this spring. Should he join him?

Well it is March 1. 92 k in 67 IP with a .208 BAA in 2008. Yeah, he's really bad.

I'd imagine KW actually has money invested in this venture. Most celebrity bars have zero invested by the celebrity. Harry Caray had no money in his restaurant but he got paid to give it some pub and make appearances. Its funny 11 years after his death most of the Cubs still go there and all Harry had into it was hanging out there. McMahon had nothing in his place. Ditka had nothing in his first place, but actually does in his most recent. KW doesn't live in the area anymore so they couldn't have him make appearances, his name isn't on the bar, plus he's kind of busy with his job. So he's probably just an investor who they could throw a little bit higher of pct. of profit to compared to his investment by throwing his name out there. If I lived in the West Loop, I'd probably check it out. At least it isn't in Wrigleyville.

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Feb 28, 2009 -> 06:36 PM) Good move for the Royals. Wow, haven't said that in a long time. One of these years, the Royals are going to be pretty good. Maybe not Tampa good, but capable of winning 90 games or so. I still wonder if its possible they will be able to sustain it for any length of time.

Farnsworth got $9.5 million for 2 years. Cruz is only guaranteed to make $6 million total in 2 years. It shows how much the market changed from the WS until now. Farnsworth's agent should be agent of the year.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 26, 2009 -> 02:10 PM) He apparently had been in failing health. I had no idea, he has been in the studio with Kendall Gill most of the season, and even very recently, seeming to be fine. I was talking to a guy at work a couple of days ago and we were remarking about how Norm really hadn't been looking good lately.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Feb 26, 2009 -> 02:08 PM) Wow that's awful news, RIP. We can only hope Johnny Red isn't next, and that his health improves. I agree with you though kyyle, Norm should have been at Red's ceremony. Red and his family made the VIP list. It wasn't the Bulls snubbing the Dutchman. I heard Boers speaking about Krause not being invited. He said Red had nothing bad to say about anyone-except Krause.

Died today. No details as of yet.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Feb 25, 2009 -> 02:51 PM) I really wish Rooney would have stuck around to broadcast with Stoney. Hawk could be the Erin Andrews on the field. I liked Rooney a lot, but I'll never forget in 1987 when he said he would rather have Gary Redus than Rickey Henderson. That was ridiculous.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Feb 25, 2009 -> 01:12 AM) I agree with all this, but I still don't think the international playing field has really evened out or will even out so long as certain teams have higher budgets. The large market teams can always afford to spend more in any given area, and as we've seen so often in baseball unlike other sports, it is often quantity over quality. For example, we gave Dayan something like $10M I believe. That's great, and I hope he becomes the next Miguel Cabrera, but I'd feel much more confident in our ability to produce at least one superstar had we taken that $10M and signed 30 of the top 60 international prospects for $333K a piece. Obviously that is unrealistic, but the point I'm making is that even though the field has leveled to the extent of large and small market teams both becoming aware of certain players, and even though both types of teams may have the funds to offer large enough bonuses to sign a particular player, the large market teams always have the advantage. The large market teams can afford to spend, spend, spend in multiple areas regardless of whether or not they get their most desired player, whereas small market teams, should they splurge, are forced to make a decision between splurging on one top player or spreading the money around to many of the more under-the-radar players. But anyway, I think the large-market teams always need some advantage as well in order to keep them and baseball itself successful. A slotted draft would be a nice thing to see overall, but it would hurt the large market teams considerably, and you'd have to in return protect their interests through international free agency. I also agree with you about the teams that have had success with lesser budgets. These are the types of small- and middle-market teams baseball should be looking to reward through a slotted draft, not garbage like the Pirates. Because through a slotted draft, teams have the ability to manage the finances of their drafts knowing that they'll be able to get the best player available at any given slot, and they'll know how much the bonus amount would be. Look at the Twins taking Ben Revere when lots of people thought that was a bad or at least strange pick. Imagine what the Twins could have done had they been able to trade down, take Revere later, then pick up a second or third rounder in the process. Even though all teams have knowledge of all the best players, not all scouts are the same, and not all GM's are the same, and a team may easily view a guy projected to go 40-50 as a better bet to be a better player than some of the guys projected to go in the 21-30 range where they pick. Teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox can continue to throw money at players even if they make several mistakes. Don't think for a minute after Joe Borchard got the highest signing bonus in history for a while, and he didn't pan out, it didn't weigh heavily on the White Sox scouting department. There are probably 20-25 other teams who would be in the same boat. Its probably why guys like Broadway and McCullough were drafted. Ironic how Shaeffer went ultra conservative probably in an effort to save his job, and that thought pattern actually cost him his job.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 02:58 PM) This would be at the deadline though. There are no free agents to pit against each other. The only talent you have available is what teams are willing to trade you. If you are in the pennant race, it is harder to not make moves to improve your team, especially if you can get the guy who has hit the most HRs for a RF over the last 4 years. If you don't have the money now, chances are you won't have it in July. Unless the White Sox eat money, or the Yankees or Mets are desperate, the 3 old slow guys making 8 figures will be White Sox at least until Sept 1, with Konerko until Sept. 2010.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 02:10 PM) It would be $4M + $1M buyout. Hence the $5M If the White Sox eat nothing, unless its a team based in NY, I don't see Dye getting traded unless its the September 1 deadline.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 01:56 PM) Jermaine Dye will only cost a team ~$5M at the deadline, if the Sox are out of it, Dye is having a good year and there's a team out there in need of a right handed power bat (preferably as a DH) I'm sure they'd be willing to take a flier on Jermaine. It would be $5 million + $1 million buyout. Considering Abreu could only get $5 million for a full season, I really doubt teams would be willing to pay Dye that for half a season or less, unless its the Yankees. Even Boston is cutting back. I read John Henry has lost $60 % of his net worth the past several months.

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 12:04 PM) A worldwide draft is more fair, but I don't think it would work out all that well. Would Daisuke Matsuzaka leave baseball in Japan to go play for the Pirates, because the posting system would be gone? And not only that, but it hurts teams like us with our Cuban connections, Seattle with their Japanese connections, New York with their Dominican connections, etc. I kind of like the international FA system as it is simply because it's a free market, and I think it would be a great balance to a rigid slotting system in the draft. If you slot the draft, then the best talent is still going to get overpaid, it's just that now the s***ty teams are going to get all those guys and they won't fall lower. I personally don't feel you should punish teams like the Yanks and Red Sox for doing the scouting, spending lots but spending wisely, and winning, while rewarding teams like Pittsburgh who run their organizations like utter s*** with the best players in the draft. Keeping international FA like it is would still allow the big market, bottom-first round teams to get high level first round talent elsewhere. Of course there's the argument that such-and-such team is winning, and such-and-such spends more money, so they can live without that type of talent falling to them, but realistically, teams like the Yankees and Red Sox need that talent, because they need to win, because half of baseball depends on them through revenue sharing. Make no mistake, if the Yankees don't win and draw, then the Pirates contract, simple as that. Players are out of jobs and parity in baseball is gone. Also, you have to consider that teams that frequent the top of the draft usually suck because they suck as an organization. Why have the Twins and A's specifically done so well over the years despite smaller payrolls? Why do the Cubs spend like the Cubs and still end up the Cubs, meanwhile St. Louis will spend just as much or less and come away the better team? The Cubs won their divisions the last two years, but it hasn't always been like that. And look at Tampa. They had the best picks for a long time but the only reason any of it is paying off now is because as an organization they are run much better. Sure BJ Upton is a stud, but it was the JP Howell, Edwin Jackson, Andy Sonnanstine, Akinori Iwamura, Grant Balfour, Dioner Navarro, Gabe Gross, take-a-chance-on-Carlos Pena, dump-Elijah Dukes-for-nothing, type of complimentary/unheralded picks and moves that made them AL Champions last year. Also, if you slot the first round in such a way that 20-30 overall picks are getting something like $2-3M in bonuses - because you know the MLBPA would want large bonuses all the way through the first round in exchange for doing away with the later round, high-bonus picks - then you end up hurting teams like the Twins, who rely on their scouting and generally spend cheaply on the draft. And of course the late round, high-bonus players couldn't work anymore. I think if the draft were to be slotted, you'd have to keep international FA the way it is, plus bring back the draft-and-follow system, plus allow for the trading of draft picks (so the #1 team doesn't have to spend $7M on a draft pick if they can't afford it, and can opt to trade down for say a #20, a #27, and a #50 instead). On top of that, you also have to come up with rules about MLB contracts, like either eliminate MLB contracts entirely or make it a rule for the first five or so picks. Because otherwise, if say you wanted to take a high school player within the first few picks but didn't want to give him an MLB contract because you're unsure if he'd be ready in four years, then either you'd be forced to trade down and take him after the MLB contract slots were gone, or select another player. I'd rather eliminate the MLB contracts because it would ensure almost every single top-5 or so pick is a college player, but this would be an issue for the MLBPA as well. And furthermore, you couldn't slot the draft without coming up with a legit FA compensation system. You'd have to know what pick and therefore what amount of money your compensation-eligible player is worth so you could then decide what he's worth to you. For this, I think the Elias system is a great start, but what I would do it take the 30 best FA's according to Elias, put each of their names into a plastic ball, and then hold a lottery. Eliminate the supplemental first round, then have a slotted second round with equal bonuses throughout (say $750K) work solely as a compensation round. You do your lottery, and however it lines up, each departing player nets his former team that pick. You don't charge the signing team with a draft pick and you don't deal in Type A/Type B designations. You make a list of all players, and the top 30 that are offered and deny arbitration and sign with new MLB teams are the ones worth picks. Teams may have several picks in this round or none. I think a system like that would work well also because it would help facilitate more deadline deals as Type A players would be worth a lot less on the open market, being worth only one pick instead of two. That was a long post. But I hope some of it made sense. I think teams like the Red Sox and Yankees can get away with spending less on scouting and have weaker scouts because of the system now. Its pretty common knowledge who are the top players in the draft. You can determine them fairly cheaply. The Yankees can just wait for them to fall because they won't sign for X amount of $. Another thing I would like to see is the ability to trade draft picks. No matter what, the system now sucks. There is no way signability should be an issue in a draft in the first round, unless its a kid who is deciding between college and starting his pro career. Maybe even make players declare for the draft.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Feb 24, 2009 -> 09:56 AM) What I'm wondering is this; Is all the attention because they treat the Scouts like royalty and line their pockets? Seems like Scouts are mining for gold in more than one way, and if this gets cleaned up, we may just see a more normal distribution. Remember, the edge is these players are not under the restrictions of the amateur draft, baseball could clean this up with one rule change. And if they would slot the draft, it would take the agents out of it, and take the draft back to what it was intended for. It also would free up a little cash for major league players.

Unless the Yankees want those guys, or the White Sox are willing to eat a large chunk of their contracts, Dye, Konerko and/or Thome will be White Sox until their contracts expire.

QUOTE (bschmaranz @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 04:27 PM) Anyone win the lottery to get tickets for the Milwaukee series? I didn't You're better off getting them on ebay or stubhub. They really jacked up the prices of the tickets for that series to non season ticketholders. Infield boxes are $80. They had some for $60 on stubhub I grabbed for Sunday and Friday. Saturday appears to be a problem but prices normally come down as gametime approaches.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Feb 23, 2009 -> 07:37 PM) No matter how convincing some blurb from Cheat's blog may be I'll just go with common sense which tells me that players signed to minor league deals don't go on the 40 man roster, that's sort of the whole point of signing someone to a minor league contract; they don't take up a roster spot. And now after looking at Rotoworld I see that they confirmed 2 days after the Sox signed Nix that it was a major league deal. http://rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/p...=MLB&id=488 I'm wondering why they just didn't claim him on waivers.

Wasn't the investigation started after Wilder was caught going through customs with a bag with $40k inside? He's a scumbag's scumbag that is for sure. I'm sure KW felt like a fool for trusting him. I haven't read the articles, but was he doing this all along, or just when he started having money troubles with his club?

Chances are he will be a mediocre defensive C at best. If he hits like they hope he'll hit, it makes a lot of sense to change positions. Piazza may still be raking if he was a 1B.