Dick Allen

QUOTE (chw42 @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 10:51 AM) I never like seeing ex-White Sox players in Twins uniforms, especially one that helped us win it all back in 05. I honestly don't see Crede being real healthy on that turf of theirs. Maybe Minnesota will get the fever the White Sox had about acquiring Cleveland Indians players past their prime, except with ex-White Sox. I still think Crede can be a very good player if his back is alright. As far as the turf, its not the hard astroturf of years gone by.

Joe Crede helped the White Sox win the WS. He also was great in 2006 until September when his back gave out on him. 2007 was a lost season. 2008, he helped the White Sox win several games in April, just losing one may have meant no playoffs as it turned out, he tried to play hurt and couldn't go on anymore. If he is healthy, and the back is not causing him problems, he will be a big asset for the Twins. It was time for him to move on. He wasn't awesome as a White Sox. He wasn't a bum either. He was a better than average thirdbaseman overall who came up huge when the White Sox really needed him.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 18, 2009 -> 09:01 PM) It's just not that easy to forge documents anymore so I'd think that the proper age is on there. Jose Contreras is officially barely 37. Anything is possible.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Feb 20, 2009 -> 11:34 PM) Which might have been nothing...of course, Cabrera could file a grievance, but it's arguable that he would win (like the Todd Walker situation I think in SD?) The fact that nobody really has come up with a realistic (at least from his POV) contract proposal would seem to offer pretty strong evidence that it wouldn't be obvious he would make the team (over Alexei Ramirez as the starting SS). If you were KW, it would be easy to make the argument that Ramirez's OPS, power, speed (Cabrera is declining in that area, Ramirez is in his prime), etc., would make him the obvious pick, despite the overhype about Cabrera's Gold Glove (supposedly) caliber defense. The only way Cabrera could make an argument through the union would be if he contended he had been offered a shot at the starting 2B position, and Getz/Lillibridge/Nix were selected over him, but even that's tenuous with so many teams going with youth/affordability over veterans. Of course, useless speculation...but I am glad the Twins didn't pick him up, I think he would have been a real thorn in our side as leader of that infield. Luckily, it's just Punto. Cabrera theoretically could have come back, but it would have virtually assured the trade of either Dye, Jenks or Konerko. Viciedo is/was essentially a replacement for Swisher's money in the 2009 budget, although he will be infinitely cheaper in 2010/11/12 than Nick. Swisher's contract has gone from a "bargain" to albatross in a short period of time. It will be interesting to see if the Braves go over Swisher, Nady or possibly Garret Anderson/Edmonds (or a the full-blown youth movement). Of all the players, Garland, Wolf, Hudson, Abreu, Cabrera and Varitek were the ones (along with Juan Cruz) who ended up suffering the most...with Raul Ibanez coming out smelling like a rose, along w/ the Yankees' triumvirate. If the White Sox released him, they still would have had to pay him either 20% or 25% of his contract, which would have been $2 million minimum. I can't remember which. Walker got released after winning arbitration. He did file a grievance that went nowhere due to the fact he hit about .100 in spring training, and signed a minor league contract with Oakland after he was released. Its pretty much a lock if OC accepted arbitration and played poorly enough the White Sox released him before the season started, he would easily get a major league contract with someone, probably, and ironically, Oakland. A grievance would have been filed, and I think, especially if OC had a similar season to 2008, he would have had an excellent chance to re-coup most, if not all of the money lost due to the release. Bottom line is if he is about the money, he screwed up. I still don't understand the entire concept of sitting out until after the draft. I can't see how that is going to open purse strings unless the Yankees need a SS or 2B. He should sign with Oakland before their offer goes to minimum. OC has supposedly dropped his price to $5.5 million. Still, no takers.

QUOTE (joesaiditstrue @ Feb 21, 2009 -> 02:11 AM) Jermaine was interviewed in the locker room yesterday Says he wants to finish his career in Chicago I hope we can sign him to DH next year, he's my favorite player on the team and he seems to be very emotionally attached to the white sox organization Hopefully we can work out a deal in the 2009-2010 offseason but I'm not holding my breath Withe the market what it is now, I'm 100% certain JD's mutual option will be passed on by the White Sox.He will get his $1 million buyout. Depending on how these guys perform, its not out of the realm of possibility he and/or Thome come back in 2010 at a very reduced rate.

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.