Dick Allen

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Sep 19, 2008 -> 10:25 AM) Buehrle was a draft and follow guy. Teams can't do that anymore. Had Buehrle been drafted in the 38th round of the 2008 first year player draft he would have had to go back to school and then re-enter the draft if he wanted any playing time. Or he could have joined up with an independent league somewhere. Oney was brought in to fill a spot on the bench in the low minors. He wasn't brought in to play ahead of any actual prospects. The only reason people say anything is because of his last name. If the Sox had draft some guy named John Doe who sucked just as bad and stuck him at the end of the bench there wouldn't have even been a thread about it. And it's not like the Sox gave him some outrageous signing bonus either. I fail to see how drafting a sucky minor league bench player unrelated to a member of the Sox organization instead of drafting a sucky minor league bench player who is related to a member of the Sox organization makes us a better, more successful organization. He hit .122 as a 21 year old in Bristol with a ton of strikeouts and a ton of errors. It was obvious playing professional baseball wasn't his thing. How many 36th rounders with those same numbers don't get released? Yet he gets to screw around another season, albeit riding a lot of pine but still playing and gets a call up to Charlotte for one game. Maybe Charlotte just needed a guy for one game, but it wouldn't have been Oney if Guillen wasn't his last name. There have been plenty of players drafted in the 36th round and beyond who have been at least productive minor leaguers. Oney received opportunities based on his last name, and to me, that is wrong. I think he "retired" because he knew Buddy Bell wasn't going to go along with the game anymore and he would have finally been released. I suppose you would have no problem with Oney playing the lower levels until he was 40.

Al Reyes is available. I think the Sox should pick him up for a week.

I don't agree with pitching Dotel this game. I know blowouts are the only games you can really trust him in now, but I really think his problem is he's gassed. He's made more appearances this year than he has in a long time. He needs rest if anything in an attempt to regain his form.

QUOTE (BlackBetsy @ Sep 18, 2008 -> 08:44 PM) I challenge anyone to come up with anyone worse. It would be tough. There are some with worse numbers. Broadway is horrible, but he can shut teams down when its a blowout and they are just finishing out the game. When Ramirez comes in no matter what the circumstance, one thing is for certain, runs will be scored.

I think Horacio Ramirez might just be the worst pitcher in baseball right now.

Javy and pitching in a big game don't go together well.

QUOTE (quickman @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 03:41 PM) completely agree, Blake will come and play here next year with some kind of two year deal. Quite frankly I think its a good fit and nice stop gap, until Beckham is ready, and yes I think Beckham may play third if he can fill out. Again all hunches. Ironically, Blake has missed some time recently with back issues.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 08:46 PM) yeah because middle relievers are notoriously fickle.... Granted they overpaid. I was hoping he would have a huge season and KW would trade him, but I think he got a no trade. You do have to admit that without him the first half of the season, the White Sox would have no chance at the playoffs.

Linebrink-injured Dotel-gassed Jenks-struggling Logan-gascan Wasserman-blows Ramirez-blows even more Broadway-blows more than Ramirez MacDougal-strikes will always be a problem Thornton-doing OK but can't pitch every game This is the problem.

QUOTE (daa84 @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 08:36 PM) haha its a bad signing...even when he was dealing i said it was bad...you just dont give middle relievers 4 year deals for 20 mil for the very reasons we are seeing right now Without Linebrink before he got hurt, we would be seeing Jerry Owens and Josh Fields playing everyday. We would see Mike MacDougal and Erin Wasserman pitching almost every day, we would see Horacio Ramirez nightly because these games would be meaningless.................oh wait......................

QUOTE (Friend of Nordhagen @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 08:35 PM) Linebrink being seriously injured has been obvious for about 6 weeks now. The Sox treated hit like the Soviets treated whether Andropov or Chernenko were dead -- nah, nothing wrong here, but we just won't talk about it, and you won't see the guy for weeks, and everything's fine. Linebrink's looking like Josh Hamilton's high school coach at the home run derby.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 07:32 PM) Our starting pitching has been awesome for a week now. Unfortunately, if they can't go 8, they will be lucky to get a win.

Linebrink is toast. Come clean White Sox, tell us the truth. He needs surgery. To think KW said Linebrink didn't really need to be DL'd.............

Linebrink can't stop messing with his shoulder. I predict offseason surgery.

Fire Greg Walker

We can b**** about the Sox not hitting Chamberlain, but the reality is few do hit him.

Maybe Joba will put one in Thome's wheelhouse. Maybe not.

JD has no chance against this guy.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 07:17 PM) I have a bigger issue with AJP seemingly coasting during these games now. Of course, Hawk thinks AJP should play more, neglecting the fact that AJP seems to completely hit the wall as the season goes on. Ever since AJ got away with that interference BS, he's been awful. Maybe its karma.

Linebrink is hurt. I think its a lot more serious than they are letting on. Sunday, when he finally got in and gave up a bomb, he was trying to stretch out his shoulder the entire time he was on the mound.

Why is Hawk so surprised? Its Mike MacDougal. Its like being shocked Josh Fields strikes out.

According to baseball cube, Oney was signed by Dave Wilder. I wonder how much they had to fill his dufflebag .

QUOTE (scenario @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 08:57 AM) What "advancement" did Oney see? He had his butt parked on the bench for most of a season at Bristol last year. He played in 2 games at Great Falls in 2008 followed by 17 games on the bench at Kanny. Any players watching and concerning themselves with that type of "advancement", if you could call it that, need to look in the mirror and slap themselves. OK... he got one game at Charlotte. But there was logic behind that. The Knights needed a 2nd baseman for a meaningless end of season game. No way they were going to pull somebody up from Birmingham or W-S since both of those teams were preparing for their league playoffs. So, they had to bring someone up from Kannapolis. Was there any other low A-ball 2nd baseman who was passed over for 1 game callup to AAA.... somebody who did so well that they were worthy of that callup? No. Its nice to know you have no problem with one of the worst farm systems in baseball being a playground for relatives of others in the organization. So what he's a 36th round pick. Well, Buerhle was a 38th round pick. Good thing the White Sox didn't decide to draft JR's neighbor with 2 left feet instead that year, so maybe he could have a good time and be overmatched as a rookie. Oney, if his last name was Smith, would have at least been released after the 2007 season. If the guy's last name was anything but Guillen, he wouldn't have been drafted, and he wouldn't have received the opportunities he received, including playing one game in Charlotte. That is just wrong.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 09:27 AM) Im not an expert either, but when I worked in radio they made me sign a no-compete that lasted 3 months after termination date, whether it be by resignation, firing, or retiring. I have been told a few times that no-compete clauses are a little iffy to enforce, but who knows My wife is a labor/employment lawyer. She has said in the past most non competes are unenforceable.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Sep 17, 2008 -> 12:07 PM) $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ makes perfect sense, economically. Week day games are harder to sellout. Sox-Scrubbies will sellout regardless of when its played. Extra money in the pocket!!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Yeah, but that series is at Wrigley. They could play Lane Tech High School on a Wednesday in February and it would sellout as long as the beer vendors were coming.