Dick Allen

Garland agreed to a 1 year contract with an option. He is guaranteed somewhere between $6-8 million.

QUOTE (scenario @ Jan 28, 2009 -> 11:31 AM) Sure it can, if the result is a change in technique. The key to success after that is being able to consistently apply it without lapsing into bad habits. He has taken 2 weekends of groundballs. That's not even a week of spring training. While I'm hopeful he has improved, for anyone to say he's shockingly better is a stretch. We will see when the games count. We are at the time of the year where every player in the news is looking like they will be awesome in 2009 or be out for a while.

Hopefully, he improves. I've seen him make some great plays. I've seen him blow a lot of easy ones. Those are the ones he really needs to clean up. Having a little more range will help the pitchers.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 28, 2009 -> 08:31 AM) i don't see I-Rod as an option. If AJ has anything it's an ego and I don't think the Sox want to upset him by bringing in a guy who would split time with him. His been good and behaving so far, why mess it up. I don't see it either, but maybe they think they could use him as a RH DH a few times and maybe even play him at 2b, something that had been discussed with other teams before. I think he's about done now though. Watching him hit would be sadder than watching how much Griffey has slid.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:38 PM) Then he'll sign another one-year deal... You think the guy is going to sign some 5-year $25 million deal? Yeah right. When did I say a 5 year deal? 2 years makes a lot of sense because it will probably be just as bad next year.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:38 PM) Then he'll sign another one-year deal... You think the guy is going to sign some 5-year $25 million deal? Yeah right. It looks like Garland is looking at 2 years for $13-14 million total.

They are finally replacing the out of town scoreboard. Maybe that is it.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 04:17 PM) Random question... who is the best FA left available who can play CF at least competently? There has been a lot of talk about Orlando Hudson as a CF. Steve Stone mentioned it months ago. I've seen him linked to the Yankees as a CF as well. I would prefer someone who has spent time out there though.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 04:02 PM) If he gets to the nagging leg injury point then I'll totally agree with you. I can't speak to that. But I think he'll certainly better Pods's 2004 batting number except for the HR category if you give him the whole season and he does stay healthy. On the latter part, no idea. On Aug. 31,2007, Jerry Owens was hitting .239 with a .296 OBP with zero power. He then shined, like Juan Uribe shined in Sept. 07. He isn't very good.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:33 PM) I think if he were to sign a deal like that it would be a one-year deal. These guys who get lowballed aren't going to sign multi-year deals...they'll sign one-year deals and wait it out until the economy betters itself... Chances are, next year it will be worse.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:24 PM) In 2004, the year before we traded for him, his 2nd full big league season, Scott Podsednik hit .244 with a .313 OBP. He had great steal #'s, stole 70, but only had an OPS+ of 75. If he's not injured, Jerry Owens ought to be able to put up equal (SB) or better (OBP, BA) numbers in most categories other than the couple HR's Podsednik hit that year. Pods had a great 2003 but as a "Proven leadoff hitter" or whatever we're looking for, he was brutal in 2004. As much as I really didn't like Pods, Owens won't match Pods bad 2004. First off, he may be entering the period where he gets nagging leg injuries. He hits with no power. He will never steal 70 bases. He's below average in CF and his numbers in 2007 are based on a .340 BA in September of that year, and even then hit .267 with a .324 OBP. Juan Uribe hit .309 that same month with a .358 OBP and an .884 OBP.

QUOTE (Ozzie Ball @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:17 PM) I've always thought speed was overrated and no way see it as being essential in any spot in the lineup, I'd take a player with a high OBP and no speed over a player with a low OBP and lots of speed any day. Lineup construction is interesting to think about though and just recently I finished reading Tom Tango (and others') The Book and there's a chapter devoted to lineup construction, from their research they came to the conclusion that the optimal lineup would be set out as follows: 1. Your best three hitters hit in the 1, 2 and 4 holes with your best hitter batting 4th, second best hitter batting 2nd and third best hitter (or a hitter with high OBP) batting 1st. 2. Your fourth and fifth best hitter bat 3rd and 5th, with the fourth best hitter batting 5th and the fifth best hitter batting 3rd. 3. The rest of your hitters bat, in order from best to worst, in the 6-9 holes. So based on that our optimal lineup last season would have been: 1. Konerko 2. Thome 3. Alexei 4. Quentin 5. Dye 6. Crede (when healthy) 7. Swisher 8. A.J. 9. Cabrera 9b. Uribe (when Crede wasn't healthy, moving everyone else up one spot). Obviously this lineup would go against all conventional thinking and I'm not saying this is how I would construct my lineup but it is interesting to think about. I think SB are overrated and speed is underrated although not at the expense of BA and OBP. As we have seen the last couple of years not being able to advance an extra base on a hit or a flyball has cost the White Sox a lot of runs and probably several wins.

QUOTE (rangercal @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 03:10 PM) I honestly thought for a moment that they were not there. Did not realize they were attending. But honestly, what's there to complain about? 8/10 of the top players on the roster will be there. I guess you must be b****ing about former players not really attending. Out of all the years I attended I never noticed too many former players. This years roster seems as good as most years. It's the organization of the even I'm worried about. The Twins had every member of their 40 man roster attend their fest. It could be a nice thing for players guaranteed to make millions in this economy to make an effort and take a weekend and devote it to the fans. AJP won't be there because he's too busy going to the Super Bowl. I like AJ, but that is BS.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 02:39 PM) Can you define who a "real leadoff" hitter would be? And how does Kenny go about acquiring this "real leadoff" hitter? A real leadoff hitter is a guy like Roberts, or not that I'm advocating it, a guy like Pods when he was in Milwaukee. Someone who has spent time leading off in the major leagues and has been successful. He goes about it by either paying them some money if a free agent or trading players, supposedly he is now loaded with talent both major league and minor league according to this board. Not some guy like Swisher or Cabrera or Erstad. Guys who either have never led off, or really aren't equipped to do so, or are way past the time they would have be effective in that role. Not a guy like Getz. Jerry Owens is a fake leadoff man, and unfortunately it looks like I will be shocked and he will be leading off opening day. I hope Hudson is still being considered.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:38 AM) this is also where I think speed is essential. Even if a guy gets on base at a good rate, will it take 3 consecutive hits to score him? This is a problem that results in "lack of hitting in the clutch." If this same player can score from first on a double, this team will have a more diverse and effective offense. It doesn't need to be the leadoff hitter but one of the players in the 1 or 2 position needs to have speed, because once it's JD, Thome and Konerko come up, it will take a HR or three hits to score them. Exactly. The more often guys are in scoring position for those 3, the more runs the White Sox are going to score, especially if they can run a little bit.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jan 27, 2009 -> 10:02 AM) There are 9 (or more) innings where you need table setters, and after the first one, its all a crapshoot as to who leads off. You are talking about a single event in any given game, then its just as likely as all other combinations after that. Yes, you should structure your lineup to get the first inning set in a good way, and also set your lineup to get high numbers of at bats for your best hitters. But its such a small thing (who leads off int he first inning), that I think if you try to dictate your talent search based on that, and trying to fit them into a position on the field as well, you end up causing yourself problems. Now, once in a while, you have the opportunity to pick up someone for a position you need filled AND one that isn't a table-clearing position AND that person is an ideal leadoff hitter (high OBP, some speed). That certainly has value. But if you look at the Sox now, the only leadoff-like hitter available to them is Jerry Owens. Do you choose Owens over a better player because Owens has speed? That's the constraints you are working under. So no, a leadoff hitter isn't important enough to effect your talent search in a big way. Its a nice-to-have. While I agree a leadoff hitter is only guaranteed to leadoff once a game, you want guys who have a tendancy to get on base more than average hitting in front of your better hitters who can drive them in, and they usually are in the middle of the line-up. I will still be in shock if KW doesn't acquire a real leadoff hitter.

QUOTE (watchtower41 @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 04:56 PM) I think what you said here is even more evident with reading this article than the way he conducted his show. He was always meant to be the cocky one, but somewhat reserved. In the article however, it sounds like he would have quit if he would not have been fired.... sorry Mac, I don't buy it. He wouldn't have quit because he would have stopped getting paid. Getting paid to do nothing is pretty nice, especially if its for about 6 months and will net you $300k.

Looks like interest isn't waning. From the Tribune: White Sox representatives say a small number of hotel packages and three-day (with hotel reservations) and two-day passes are available for SoxFest this weekend. Friday night is exclusive for Palmer House Hilton guests. Single-day passes for Saturday and Sunday are sold out. Hotel rooms can be booked online through Tuesday. The White Sox say the number of hotel rooms and weekend passes has been increased and they expect to at least match 2008's attendance.

From Gammons: Essentially Randy Wolf, Jon Garland and Braden Looper are getting similar offers in the range of $5 million per year (plus options and incentives). As of Friday, Wolf was not close to reaching a deal with any team.

Mayo Salad dressing of any kind. I just like pepper on my salad. I eat a lot of salad and its not too dry to me. Sour cream guaccomole wine

Tom and Jerry cartoons Nerds candy 3 Stooges Strat-o-matic baseball and football

QUOTE (klaus kinski @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 03:28 PM) yeah, we hear this AFTER the last ticket payment All Winter I think about the Kosher Dog-drowned in Onions with mustard. Now its gone-poo This has been known for quite some time.

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jan 23, 2009 -> 03:16 PM) He's giving a news conference right now. This guy is perhaps the most bizarre politican I have ever seen, and that's REALLY saying something with all of the loonies in that line of work. He's lost his mind. Supposedly when they were arresting him initially and talking to him, he was alternating running in place and laying down in the fetal position.

Onions Rush-The band Juan Uribe Jose Contreras Mayor Daley

Crane Kennedy was talking about the food being bad. What was keeping the Tribune Company from improving it?