Dick Allen

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 02:51 PM) Just like last year's was. No. More like the offseason between 2006 and 2007. Guys like Erstad, Prinz, Sisco, Aardsma. In a word, crap.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 01:38 PM) I agree with that observation. Pods is a great example and in 2005 he filled the role we needed and filled it very well. I would love to see the big splash made in signing a free agent, but in reality one player most likely isn't going to make a winner out of a team. You need 25 players all working together and filling their roles. If we sign or trade for anyone they must fill the need and not just be the big name. Pods cost Carlos Lee to acquire. Lee signed a $100 million contract. Its not like he was found on the scrap heap.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 01:44 PM) Pods was a pretty decent name back then, he was a fairly prominent lead off man. We arent even targeting THOSE guys. Considering the amount of money KW always claims he has to play with, I think he needs to have Fifty Cent throw out the first pitch Opening Day. He should be the new team mascot.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 11:59 AM) Bobby Abreu would be really, really rough for the Reds. That'd give them Bruce, Votto, and Abreu all coming up from the left hand side. Their only bat threats from the right hand side would be Phillips and Hernandez. That's the kind of team that you can destroy with an average LOOGY or two. They really need a guy like Dye to balance the 2 lefties. Abreu hits lefties pretty decently. He loses a little bit of power but has a nice average and OBP.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 14, 2009 -> 04:26 AM) WEDNESDAY: Bill Shaikin talked to Angels GM Tony Reagins, who shot down Cowley's Dye rumor. Reagins said, "No truth to that rumor." Reagins apparently hasn't talked to the White Sox for a while, though Shaikin's source indicated the Angels did express interest in Dye before they re-signed Juan Rivera. mlbtraderumors.com Which makes rotoworld's take on Cowley even more true: Cowley last week called MASN Online's Roch Kubatko's report of Brian Roberts talks between the Orioles and White Sox a case of "Internet madness," yet now he's going and running a full article on the words of one scout that he won't even quote or connect with either the White Sox or the Angels. Talk about flimsy. Still, the Angels and White Sox do have plenty of history. Dye does make sense for the Angels, and Chone Figgins has been mentioned as a possibility for the White Sox since practically the day he entered the league. Its not the first time the pot has called the kettle black. I'm sure it won't be his last either. Cowley is the epitome of a hack.

QUOTE (watchtower41 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 04:05 PM) So basically they cut attendance and doubled prices, yet somehow the fest is at it worst and it's not the Sox fault Was able to get more autos and into more seminars in 2005 and 2006 than I was last year with the VIP pass. The whole weekend has turned into a cash cow joke. The staff is so unorganized they have no idea when to starting handing out wristbands, where to form lines, where anything even is or god forbid what time it starts. Since the move to Palmer House, this is just turned into a big clusterf*ck. Stay up all night in the hotel lobby that you just paid $250 a night for to get mutliple wristbands (for the same times) otherwise show up at 9am when the doors open and they *might* have a wristband for you to meet Brian Anderson or Ron Kittle (if you buy a book) The last year at the Hyatt was a joke. I almost didn't feel safe. I do like the bigger venue better though. I don't think $ is the White Sox motivation. After they pay for the players' expenses for coming everything else goes to charity IIRC. I'm not an autograph guy. If you really need an autograph, spring training is the place to be. I think the small venue making it more exclusive wasn't the way to go. There are ways to avoid what happened at the Hyatt in Jan 06. They should go back there, maybe lower the price and give more fans an opportunity to attend and be comfortable. Since they limit the amount of autographs the players give, they should have them sign a bunch of photos before the event and pass those out to those who don't want to wait in line to have them sign specific items. It would be easy for the players. Lessen conjestion. I think people would enjoy the event more if they didn't spend the majority of their time in line for an autograph.

Rosenbloom calls him Vinny Del Needstogo and he's right. That was a horrible hire, not that anyone could get this current roster to win consistently, but the defensive effort, a sign of good coaching, is not just lacking, its not there. There are a ton of dogs on this team.

QUOTE (MO2005 @ Jan 13, 2009 -> 03:06 PM) Mark my words...Jermaine Dye will be the starting right fielder for the Whitesox in 2009! How many hours until JD gets traded after this post?

Isn't Figgins known to be a little difficult in the clubhouse? I think if it meant Abreu takes JD's place then do the deal. If not, it would be silly IMO. Figgins could be OC II, just counting the days until free agency.

FOXSPORTS.COM has it.

QUOTE (MEANS @ Jan 12, 2009 -> 12:52 PM) so the GF and I were thinking of coming up from Indy for this, is it worth it? what exactly goes on? Last year was the first time I didn't go. If you are an autograph collector, it may be worth your while if you like to wait in line. I just like the seminars. When they did away with half priced season ticketholder tickets and jacked up the prices for individual days, I didn't see spending $50 for information I would get a few hours later was worth it for me, but you can ask questions and they seem to be pretty sincere with their answers. Its also a little comical when KW gets a little annoyed. He's one guy who can't hide it. The vendors used to have good deals, but even they have been squeezed by the smaller venue. You should go if you haven't gone before and try it at least for a day. At the very least it will make you forget about the weather for a few hours.

Will Jeff Marquez be there?

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 12, 2009 -> 09:12 AM) I was saying Freddy in particular. They had a chance to bring him in last year and didnt. That was a little different. They knew he would need rehab time and most likely couldn't help them win. He only had a couple of starts with Detroit. He obviously has to at least convince them there is a decent chance he can help them at some point during the season, but I don't think he has to show them he's ready to pitch 175 innings.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 12, 2009 -> 08:43 AM) Yes, but you're extending that contract until age 38 or 39 when he's already shown signs of decline over the last three years...which is perfectly normal in the newly-discovered reality baseball world where players peak between 27-30 and decline in their 30's. He did play with a broken finger for 2 months last year. He's still a good player. I don't know if he's as good of player as his future contract suggests.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Jan 12, 2009 -> 08:56 AM) One thing is for sure (which was proved last season) KW and Ozzie wont bring him in if he isnt 100 percent healthy. I hope they bring him in too, but I disagree about him having to be 100% healthy if the contract is more than the minimum guaranteed. They brought in Loaisa last year and he was far from 100%.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 11, 2009 -> 09:53 AM) So you are arguing collusion, seriously? So what would you argue about the offseason of 2000? Of just a few years ago? I think it's just economic reality...I'm curious to see what these owners lost in the market between October and now... I don't think there's any question the player's association is going to argue collusion. I would think there probably is some to some extent but they won't be able to prove it and because so many people are hurting, their cries will never go anywhere. They can talk about Broadway shows closing, but how many tickets have already been sold for MLB in 2009? Its not like their multi-year contracts with networks are going away anytime soon. The Club level at USCF found a new sponsor for 2009. I think owners are taking advantage of the situation and at least enough of them are being smart enough where the others don't have to bid against themselves. Anytime Kyle Farnsworth can get a 2 year $9 million contract, I will question if funds really are drying up.

I think the Sox will eventually sign Garcia and Garland. I also think Crede will wind up in Texas. 1. Nice and hot. Easier to keep his back loose. 2.Can really pad his stats if he's healthy. Then he goes out next year and makes a little bit of money if his back holds up, which I now doubt.

A real 4th and/or 5th starter would be a better prize. Maybe a real leadoff hitter could be the consolation gift. That way you could reward all Sox fans.

1 year $1.5 million with incentives.Probably a waste of money.

Harold was a good hitter, but how do you put someone in the HOF who just hit for the majority of his career and has a lower OPS than Mark Grace? I doubt there is anyone here who considers Grace a HOFer.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2009 -> 01:03 PM) Not my first sentence. From mlbtraderumors.com. I don't think that the interest is as much in Swisher as it is in Nady. I will be shocked if he is traded that the return comes close to what KW got, especially if Nunez or Marquez make a significant contribution this year. (I know we're counting on Marquez already, but Nunez is dark horse, like Santos (LHP) in the Vazquez deal). The Mets have Castillo (for now), and the Yankees have Cano...so unless one of those guys is traded, I think the market will challenge the O-Dog a bit too now...Cabrera/Eckstein will be struggling to find offers one would think. The weird part is the money that Punto and Felipe Lopez got, or that Adam Everett found a taker. Even Renteria. Isn't Marquez BA's #14 White Sox prospect currently? Its not like KW broke the bank ridding himself of Swisher, but he did well to get something and not have to eat any money. Giambi who had an OBP of .375 last year with 32 hr and 96 rbi, is getting a 1 year $5.25 million contract from Oakland.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 6, 2009 -> 11:03 AM) Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady are drawing "significant interest." Rosenthal speculates that the Giants, Braves, or Pirates would make sense. Perhaps because of the cool market for his services, Orlando Cabrera is willing to play second base. The Yankees did not have interest. That Gavin Floyd for Brian Roberts rumor "seemingly arose from internal discussions among Orioles officials." from mlbtraderumors.com It will be very interesting to see if Swisher is traded again and I'm sure the package will be significantly less than what KW got from the Yankees the first time around...especially if the numbers that Giambi will eventually get from the A's are accurate, not to mention the Burrell deal. Dunn, Griffey, Jr., Garret Anderson and a couple of other guys are still out on the market, too. Anyone concerned that Cabrera hasn't found a taker yet? It would be ironic if his Type A compensation status ended up preventing another team from signing him...although Garland's Type B, so we wouldn't have gained anything by keeping him, either. Not to mention Uribe, Crede, Griffey and Garland have yet to find homes, among others. And then there's Cabrera, of course. The Yankees don't even seem to want or need Swisher, so the only player we lost that anyone really "coveted" was Vazquez. Your first sentence says Swisher is drawing significant interest. Your last says the only player the White Sox traded that anyone wanted was Vazquez. It doesn't make much sense. Trading Swisher was a Exec of the Year move for KW. His contract, especially considering his performance is far from the bargain many thought it was less than a year ago. If any of the players acquired for him contribute to winning, its total gravy.

QUOTE (BainesHOF @ Jan 5, 2009 -> 11:06 PM) Not sure why there's so much negativity toward the thought of Baines as a Hall of Famer. While a decent debate could be made for either case, I'm wondering if some of you saw Baines play much. For starters, Baines was not your typical good-hit, no-field DH. He was an excellent right fielder before knee injuries and surgeries related him to the DH role. His head was always in the game and he got great jumps on the ball, often tracking down balls in the gap or down the line that you would have thought a faster player would be needed to get to. He had a great arm. While a few players had stronger arms, Baines was particularly accurate with his. Teams seldom ran on him, yet he still finished with double digit assists in a few years early in his career. Did you know that he also played some center field early in his major-league career? Now how many DHs can say that? Baines' offensive stats can be looked up, but anyone who saw him play will tell you they only tell part of the story. He was a tremendous clutch hitter. Hawks puts Baines in the top three of the best clutch hitters he ever saw with Yaz and Brett. He was that good. I'm not saying Baines belongs in the same breath as Ruth, Gehrig, Mays, Mantle, DiMaggio and Williams. But I believe he was better than some others already in the Hall of Fame. He was one of the best clutch hitters ever to play the game. That combined with his impressive career totals make him a Hall of Famers in my book. If you need a tiebreaker in a close call, Baines has always been a class act. While he was a good OF when he played, he won 0 Gold Gloves and the fact is even if it is because of injuries, he spent the majority of his time not playing the field. People want to compare him to others of a different era. Eras that don't include the DH. If he played before the mid 70's his career would have been half as long. He would have been either a pinch hitter or selling insurance.

Milton Bradley is Carl Everett except a little better hitter and fielder. He goes through teams like Ozzie goes through sunflower seeds, so its pretty obvious Hendry will be looking to dump the contract eventually with the new owner of the Cubs paying him a decent amount to play on another team.

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