Dick Allen

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 09:10 PM) I could imagine a scenario where a team would do it if they were desperate. Something similar to the situation the Brewers were in when they traded for Linebrink last year. Your SS goes down and you're in a playoff hunt, you don't have a rookie ready, etc. I mean, say Jose Reyes went down for the Mets. Other than giving up that #1 guy they wouldn't give up for Johan, would you sacrifice a shot at the playoffs with Johan in your rotation in exchange for 3 decent prospects? When he was traded at the deadline in 2004 when he made a lot less money he netted Brendan Harris, Alex Gonzalez and Francis Beltran as part of a 4 team trade. Garbage. Now it would just be a salary dump. You might lose the draft picks but save half his salary. Hopefully its not even an issue.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 09:03 PM) People from Cleveland just wish they could get the hell out of Cleveland, and are jealous Thome did. That's really the only reasoning I have. I don't know how you could boo such a great person and player. They boo him because he followed the money. Whatever. When he gets finished counting his money at night, I'm sure he sleeps just fine.

QUOTE(Wanne @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 09:00 PM) Looking forward to tomorrow's lineup....and it better include BA, CQ and Pablo..... I think it would include at least 2 of them.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 08:58 PM) Another DP JT? Thome is a guy who surprisingly has not bounced into a lot of DPs in his career. Only 4 years did he do it in double figures. 10 two times, 11 one time and his career high is 13.

Swisher for a selective hitter has gone after some awful pitches tonight.

People can hate Uribe all they want and he did fan 3 times in the opener, but he's been seeing as many pitches per at bat as anyone else. I think he will have a good year.

QUOTE(DonnyDevito @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 08:46 PM) is anyone else tired of that cubbie blue all over the screen? If this was a bulls game, it would be red. instead of blue, it should be a light gray color. That thought crossed my mind as well. Maybe they could at least change the blue to green. At least they could change half of it this year, and the other half next season.

Don't worry about the umpires. Mike Port is looking into it.

QUOTE(almagest @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 10:26 AM) Hate to keep getting dragged into this, but why is it ok to smash into a player with your legs or body, but not okay to grab his leg? The point was made earlier in this thread that if Cabrera had been turned around, and ran into Peralta with his legs, nothing would've been called. And I'm still not sure how grabbing someone's leg(s) is going to hinder a throw. I also don't think anyone is arguing about Cabrera. I think the argument is that Thome had first base no matter what happened at second, and you can't hinder a non-existent play. This isn't the NFL. If interference is called, it has nothing to do with whether Thome would have been safe or not. Its not like the ball had to be catchable deal in football. If you smash him with your leg, there is still a little doubt whether it was intentional or not, even though umpires and everyone know its the runner's job to take the guy out. Grabbing him or flailing your arms give no doubt. If he didn't call it, Wedge would have been out arguing, just like if it was the other way around, Ozzie would have been out there arguing it should have been interference, Hawk too.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Apr 2, 2008 -> 09:00 AM) Yes. The 'phantom tag' at second base is an accepted part of the game. Everybody knows about it, is familiar with it and everyone does it. A 'phantom tag' at the other bases is not considered the same way. You can argue about what should be or shouldn't be, but we are talking about what actually 'is'. It was also "accepted in MLB for many years that if the ball beat the runner, the runner was out, pretty much no matter where the tag was. That has changed. The only problem I have with the 3 calls that went against the White Sox on Monday was the play at the plate, because the umpire made up his mind that Crede was out before the play occurred. It is not acceptable to grab an infielder when they are turning a DP. That's going to get called every time. Even Ozzie said it was the correct call. The play at first was tough for the umpire to see. It was hard to see with a better angle in slow motion. The argument that is used that Cabrera had the base, therefore no interference should be called is a weak one. If there was a pop up right over second and a runner was standing on second, he wouldn't be allowed to shove the fielder out of the way or grab him so he couldn't make the play.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 11:17 PM) I think second base is the force play that the most leeway is given on a regular basis. But saying that because those other plays were force-out situations, and thus, close is good enough, is ridiculous. I'm not saying close should be good enough. I personally get pissed when umpires give the leeway at 2B. What I'm saying is if you have no problem with it at second, you should have no problem with it at any other base.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 04:37 PM) Just out of curiosity, when is the last time this board, or really any board, got up in arms about a no call on an interference play at 2nd base? A similar one is the "Tagging 2nd on a double play turn" call. Probably could call that on half or more of double plays, but no one ever gets pissed when it's not called. There's been a lot of complaining everywhere about the non call yesterday. Anyone who has ever played above little league has had it beaten into their heads what their job is going into second on a potential DP ball. If you want to go by the rule book, just about every game there could be an interference call or 2, but the runner does have a right to slide or dive into the base. Cabrera grabbed the guy. That's going to get called every time. On the DPs, I've been in a couple of game threads were people were pretty pissed when it was blatantly obvious there was a phantom force out. If everyone just accepts that close is good enough, the play at first with AJ shouldn't have raised anyone's ire, because that was close, and the play with Crede shouldn't have pissed anyone off because it was close to a force, in fact, the umpire initially appeared to indicate Crede was out by a force out, and he did come within inches of tagging him.

While both ways it is intentional and subject to an interference call, if he goes in with his legs and feet, there still can be at least a little doubt about "intention". When you reach and grab a leg, there is no doubt. The umpire made the correct call. If it were the other way around and an Indian sliding and grabbing Cabrera and interference wasn't called, this board would have been as up in arms as Hawk would have been yesterday.

Cabrera appeared to try to grab the guy's leg. That was an easy call. I'm sorry if it was a Cleveland player doing it to Cabrera, Hawk and the rest of this board would say it was clearly interference. The shame of it was if Cabrera had done nothing, Thome would have beat it out anyway. The call at first was hard. I really have no problem with it. It wasn't like he was blatantly off the bag and the umpire really couldn't be in a great position to see it. The call at home was absolutely horrible. The umpire anticipated it. If you look, he first looked like he called the out on a force, then said it was the tag. Wrong on both accounts. That was totally inexcusable and was made before the play occurred. While I don't blame the umpires for the first 2, it would be nice to get a break and get at least one of them.

Thome is the first White Sox to homer twice on opening day since Sammy Sosa in 1991.

This is starting to look like last year's opening day. Masset getting loose.

QUOTE(SoxWS05 @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 02:16 PM) No he's not, these balls are getting hit hard off him. Hasn't he historically struggled against Cleveland? I do know he threw a gem opening day of 2005.

QUOTE(GoSox05 @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 02:01 PM) I know, but still. You think for all the good he did in cleveland. White Sox fans booed Frank Thomas while he still played for the White Sox. Right or wrong, they thought Thome left them for the money and didn't like it.

That's why you suck it up with Thome occassionally against guys he struggles against. If he makes contact, its runs.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Mar 31, 2008 -> 08:32 AM) MLB is so retarded. An entire series gets snowed out in Cleveland to start the year in 2007, now its supposed to poor rain all day there as well. You'd think they'd stick the first few weeks worth of games in warmer climate/domed areas. It's highly doubtful either Chicago team will get a game in today. I read an article with the Indians' groundskeeper last week. There were portions of the field still frozen last week. They needed a lot of sun to get the field playable. A lot of rain could wipe out the entire series. BTW, Miller Park is not being used today. Stupid.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Mar 30, 2008 -> 06:57 PM) Sigh... Baseball Tonight has become so pathetic. Steve Phillips just said that the Tigers will score 1000 runs and be the best offense in the history of baseball. Making things worse, tonights "analysts" are Eric Young and John Kruk. The former can't put a sentence together while the latter once admitted on radio that ESPN gives them controversial things to say on the air. Oh yeah, and he sucks too. How far has that show fallen. Ravich is terrible now, too, as he -- for some reason -- feels the need to interject his opinion. He's equally clueless and was much better when he was asked to 'drive' the discussions between Gammons and Reynolds. I agree. BTN has become horrible. Eric Young cannot speak, yet ESPN pays him hundreds of thousands a year to do just that. You used to get some information from that show. Not anymore.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Mar 30, 2008 -> 04:14 PM) Thats not my job, it's Williams and Guillen job, something they clearly screwed up on. Now wait a minute. You are hypocritical. You lambast anyone who says Floyd sucks even though they are the same age, with approximately the same career ERAs, the same spring training results, and Floyd has 4 times the innings. Lets put things into perspective here. They both suck, and suck really bad. At least Masset's innings will be garbage innings, pitching in games whether he gives up 0 runs or 10 the Sox will probably lose, because except for injury he's going in when the starter gets bombed. Floyd pitches every 5th day, and his numbers are the same. That's beyond scary.

QUOTE(Al Lopez's Ghost @ Mar 30, 2008 -> 11:59 AM) The Sox website says there are 3 new food items this year: a foot-long hotdog, being called the Super Comiskey; a cart for hot roasted peanuts; and a stand for barbeque pulled pork sandwiches, and beef brisket sandwiches. Personally, I would have named the foot-long hotdog the Harry Chappas, but that's just me. Rockstar Dogs named their footlong the Tommy Lee. I don't think many guys would order it.

For a team whose manager said winning spring training games was going to be emphasized this spring last September, the White Sox didn't fair too well. The worst spring training record for an AL team, and second worst to the woeful Giants in the Cactus league.

Thome needs to be rested at times during the season. Ideally they could rest him vs. certain left handers and his back would hold up the rest of the time. How realistic that is is a different matter. One thing Thome has that a lot don't is he might be horrible against a guy, ie Sabathia, but one swing is runs. I would probably start him opening day, but bat him down in the order a little bit.