Dick Allen

Except for the pitcher and Thome DHing, that looks like it probably is the opening day line-up.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 08:23 PM) Not for quite some time. Here is the problem with this venture. Even though it sounds like a "unique" idea, they don't hold any piece of the market that is untouched. This is strictly internet radio. ESPN and The Score are both streaming online at all times. Obviously, you can't get the internet station in your car, so they already behind the ball. On top of it, the programming lineup isn't going to scare either station. Chet and Boom appeal to the 55 and over crowd. How many 55 year olds are going to stream internet radio every day? While Hood is a good guy and has talent, he couldn't make it on either station in town. I don't know why anyone should expect him being able to steal listeners from the two big boys. It just isn't going to work. Supposedly, their website will be leap years ahead of anyone else's, which is fine as long as you aren't driving. I think if they could keep their advertising mostly to their website and keep minimal commercials on the broadcasts, they would have a chance. People listening, at least where I live, if at home, would much rather listen to a web based transmission than AM which comes in horribley. Also, I'm not sure of this, but isn't the Scores website broadcast delayed a bit? I'm not a fan of the Score, I think most of their "talent" doesn't have much, and the commercials are ridiculous, plus I am probably one of the few who really enjoy Coppock. His show when it was on nightly on WMAQ AM with Dan McNeil as his go-fer was the best sports radio talk show ever.

QUOTE (Athomeboy_2000 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 03:09 PM) I was under the impression Hood did not like North. Guess I was wrong. Supposedly North's partner is the money guy in this venture, and is throwing good money at these guys. I don't know if he likes North or not, but money talks, and although it may not work at the present time, this venture is pretty interesting. Kind of like the White Sox with their original PPV. They were just ahead of their time, which could happen with this as cars getting this programming seems to be a ways away. Eventually, there will be a ton of internet based stations.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 03:41 PM) Looking at their numbers in the minors, both Lucy and Armstrong do very well at throwing runners out. I'm not sure the sample size in spring is enough to take anything from it, for either. I don't know Stewart's numbers. Sox catchers have zero chance when Floyd and Contreras are pitching.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 03:10 PM) Good start for Dweezy. His 6th K of the spring puts his BB/K at 0/6 and his OBP at .290. Yet he's having a "great spring" and going to lead off with bad defense in CF. I'm hoping the Sox are just kidding. KW has to have something up his sleeve.

QUOTE (SoxFan562004 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 03:01 PM) No word on what his next step is or reasons. Mods, if you think this should be merged with another thread please do He's going to Mike North's web-based sports station with Offman and Coppock and Huebner.....

QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 01:26 PM) Gonzales also reporting Kelvin Jimenez was added to the cut list. I think Jimenez, German and JVB, have probably been sent out of a major league camp for the last time.

QUOTE (scenario @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 01:00 PM) Geezus... this is exactly how ridiculous rumors get started. As of today, he has the same number of at-bats as Fields and has played in the same number of games as Alexei. The reason he hasn't been playing lately is because he developed shin splints, not because of a double-secret probation rules violation. The guy was front page news for weeks, and after this happened, and only Cowley had it, and I stated it may not have even been a big deal, he hasn't been playing as much. Perhaps it is shin splints as the reason, but he has played in B games.

QUOTE (Hawkfan @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 12:57 PM) Viciedo must had some huge problems to send him down after 25 at bats, while at the same time hitting homeruns over 400 feet to opposite field. I'm interested in seeing how he does down at the lower levels, hopefully this will piss him off enough to get his s*** together, even though I know he is still young. I think he was going down unless Fields got hurt or hit .100 and Viciedo hit .700, anyway. I do think his "punishment" is being sent to minor league camp early, but that also could be to give him time to adjust to that as well. Anyway, I think it would have been a mistake to have him play in the majors right away, and fully expect him to start out slowly in AAA, but I'm sure he'll be with the White Sox at some point in 2009, unless he gets hurt.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 18, 2009 -> 12:52 PM) Missed a training session? I didn't catch anything about that. I think its just clear that Viciedo needs some refinement. Cowley had it a week or so ago. He was scheduled to go work out, but he went home. It could have been a misunderstanding, but ever since then, he went from being constantly talked about and hyped, to close to MIA.

I would have thought they would have kept Viciedo around a little longer. It seems ever since he missed that training session, his name has been kept out of the newspapers and for the most part, line-ups.

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune....ng-viciedo.html

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 06:37 PM) Yeah, that was mentioned in the news clip above. I interviewed with IB a couple of years back, and got to see the insides of it. There is a beautiful courtyard/atrium in the middle, and all of the innerwindows look in on it. It also has a stairwell that goes through it. I think Interactive Brokers is in the Rookery Building which was across the street from the fire.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 03:14 PM) maybe with that crazy K rate, some team desperate for bullpen help picks him up for nothing Considering what real players are signing for, I don't think anyone wants a project as big as MacDougal for $2.5 million.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 03:10 PM) He's a wild and crazy guy. He has a ton of talent. If he ever learned how to throw strikes, he would be amazing. At this point, its probably not going to happen.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 10:49 AM) I'd put more faith in the potential of Nix than that, he may actually turn out to be of some value. But I agree on Raines 2, he's AAA filler. Just remember, Nix compiled his numbers in Colorado Springs in his 3rd year of AAA. I think the team batting average was higher than his. I wouldn't expect much.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Mar 17, 2009 -> 09:03 AM) He's also been putting up ok numbers in the PCL. He's prob just AAA fodder for life. Like Jayson Nix. These are guys that will help the win totals in Charlotte, but if they are playing in Chicago, its garbage time.

I really don't know what everyone was expecting from Lillibridge this spring. He hit .220 in AAA and .200 in the NL last year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 13, 2009 -> 10:07 PM) This data is from 2005 so slightly out of date but it's illustrative. It does not take in to account cost of living or the amount paid by the federal government (i.e. you kind of expect CA to have a higher tax burden than some other states because simply running a school out here costs more, and places like MI get more tax dollars back from the Feds than us) but it is illustrative. The %age given is an attempt to average out over everything, not just income taxes but income, sales, property, hotel, fuel, etc. Ah, here's the new data. In 2008 Illinois was still 30th. Instead of the state average, I wonder where Chicago ranks. It seems everytime you buy from a store, its like Ticketmaster is being used at the register.

Signs for 1 year $1.5 million. Toby Hall 2008 money.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Mar 16, 2009 -> 10:38 AM) I suppose this is a very good point, but there isn't much alternative for our leadoff/#2 spot. If it's not Alexei batting #2, then I'd have to say stick AJ in there. The issue is we don't have great personal for traditional #1 and #2 hitters, so we have to deal with what we have. The other problem is if you have Alexei bat second he will most likely try to be the best #2 hitter in the world and may try hitting behind guys, taking more pitches, etc.......and that really isn't his game. It could really screw him up. For some guys its a good thing, for a hacker, I'm not so sure. Its similar to when Frank Thomas was young except exact opposite adjustments. There were a lot of baseball people who thought Frank should swing at more pitches, they thought he would hit even more homers and drive in more runs, but the White Sox, and I believe they were correct, didn't want to mess with a good thing, and didn't mind him taking a pitch a half an inch out of the zone.

I don't think Ramirez should hit second. His OBP is fairly low. He really doesn't work counts, and since the White Sox probably won't have a guy ahead of him who will get into scoring position by himself very often, he would be forced to give himself up too much. Keep him lower in the line-up and let him rip.

QUOTE (Soxpranos @ Mar 15, 2009 -> 02:49 PM) Ok his defense is good, but again people don't realize he gives those outs back when he cant execute a simple bunt or move runners over with less than 1 out. If he is so spectacular there should not be 3 guys fighting for the job . Wise and Owens each have a lot of flaws offensively. The other problem is if one of them is in the line-up they are almost guaranteed to hit first. Having one of your weaker offensive players batting first makes zero sense. No chance Ozzie would lead off Anderson. I hope BA can put it together and become the player KW envisioned when he sent Rowand away. The White Sox thought he would be a far superior player to Rowand. He still may be, but he cannot if he's not given an opportunity. I think if the Sox sent him elsewhere to a place he would play everyday, he would be a very nice player.

I don't know how anyone could say BA cannot hit major league pitching. He's been given one chance to do it, really. In 2006, playing on a defending World Champion he was thrown into the role. He didn't hit, but a lot of guys don't hit initially. He started to hit a little bit that year. He hit about .300 in July/August, and then KW made one of his worst moves in stunting his growth in bringing in a washed up Erstad. Since then, BA hasn't been given consistent time. 2007, with the team as bad as it was, would have been a great opportunity to get him consistent major league ABs, but for some reason Erstad had to play as did Owens and Pods, who was certainly on the way out. BA has a ton of talent. With the other options being Wise and Owens, giving him a legitimate shot at playing everyday, now that he has adjusted his attitude a bit should be a no brainer IMO. Unless KW goes outside the organization for a CF or moves Ramirez to CF and plays Beckham at SS, BA behind Wise and/or Owens is just dumb.

QUOTE (Cubano @ Mar 14, 2009 -> 06:33 PM) The only thing pushing Contreras this season is $$$$$$ free agency. That is silly. He's never been one to give anything but max effort.