Dick Allen

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2008 -> 02:33 PM) Again, no it isn't. Ozzie still uses his bullpen less than any other team in the league, regardless of whether or not his starters are good or suck, whether or not his bullpen is good or sucks, etc. Ozzie does not have a quick hook for any of his starters. He will put a guy out there for 5-6 innings and let people whack at them if he has to. The numbers say that, my eyes say that, and even the positive things we've heard about him (like how he'd let Garland work through his troubles) say the same that. Increasing the Bullpen's innings last year by 25% would still leave us in the bottom half of the league in innings pitched out of the bullpen. BS. He's not going to leave those guys out there to get killed. See Danks the second half. If that continues and Floyd can't match Garland's innings, and there's no reason to think he can at this point, the bullpen, which you correctly stated hasn't been overused the past few seasons, and still was miserable the last 2, will be overworked. And if they suck when they aren't overworked, being overworked is only going to make it uglier. They need more pitching, whether it is in the rotation or the bullpen.

The White Sox were above .500 vs. the ALC in 2007. They still came close to the worst record in baseball. Floyd and Danks taking up 40% of the rotation is going to put a lot of stress on the bullpen.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Jan 11, 2008 -> 01:48 PM) Swisher's that bad in CF? Carl Everett part 2? And we're to believe KW hasn't talk to LAA about Konerko...? Ha. He's better in CF than Everett. Of course, I'm better in CF than Everett.

If he wanted to sign for real cheap with a lot of incentives, I'd take him. He was throwing 92-94 in September. I think his real low readings right now may be because he's not turning it loose yet. I don't necessarily think its because his arm is shot.

QUOTE(sircaffey @ Jan 6, 2008 -> 07:02 PM) Can someone point me to an example of where a player switch off a position to 1B, and performed well at 1B immediately? I know Konerko didn't. There must be some basis to your assumptions. Erstad

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 6, 2008 -> 06:16 PM) Not just on this board, Sweeney has basically made the rounds of several MiLB scouting reports as being Mr. 5 o'clock, a guy who hits in BP but cant hit like that in games. I always like Sweeney's swing and his hitting approach. I think he will still end up being a nice MLB player some day if he hits like he can, if not, hes a 4th OF'er bumping around the league. You read too much Keith Law.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 6, 2008 -> 06:08 PM) I didnt know Linebrink was a 27 year old middle of the order hitter that is just entering his prime and is signed until 2012? But if you would like to keep comparing this situation to something else totally irrelevant, thats cool. I wouldnt mind seeing the reactions from when Reed was traded. I know you wouldn't have seen a complaint from me. They were 2 very different situations. A team with a legit chance picking up pitching vs. a team that with the current roster is a longshot, giving up pitching. Young, cheap pitching. You can talk about the White Sox OBP all you want. The difference from the 2005 OBP and 2007 OBP for the team was .004. The 2006 team has an OBP .020 higher than the championship team. Pitching is what wins.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 6, 2008 -> 02:43 PM) bringin the old "INAA" out of the closet. LOL. I hear that Sweeney has the livest swing in the whole wide world. Series It seems ripping Sweeney is the thing to do now. I really don't understand. The guy has a beautiful swing and has been hurt. Granted his numbers were dissappointing in 2007, but he's only 22. Josh Fields gets so much love on this board, when he was 22 he hit .250 with 16 homers in AA.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jan 6, 2008 -> 06:04 PM) I WISH WE HAD THOSE PROSPECTS!!!!! I NEED PROSPECTS!!!!!! WHO CARES THAT WE GOT A YOUNG SLUGGER FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS, I WANT MY DAMN PROSPECTS!!!!!! So you would have been all for trading Josh Fields in 2006 for Linebrink considering the bullpen was terrible and Fields was just a prospect.

The "rumor" is BS. Per Dave Van Dyke White Sox general manager Ken Williams spent Saturday flatly denying a fast-spreading story that Paul Konerko was being traded to the Angels for infielder Howie Kendrick and pitcher Ervin Santana. "I haven't spoken to [Angels GM] Tony Reagins or anyone with the Angels since the winter meetings [in early December]," Williams said.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jan 5, 2008 -> 06:50 PM) What are you talking about? That post was probably the first time I mentioned ZIPS at all. I've never mentioned one word about its credibility, just that it had a pretty optimistic prediction about a guy who was in AA last year. There was a post the other day not from you but wa stating ZIPS projections for the 2008 White Sox. It was pretty ugly. I wasn't going after you, but the board in general takes projections with a grain of salt if they are bad, but gospel if they are good.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ Jan 5, 2008 -> 06:10 PM) John Sickels and ZIPS have high opinions of Egbert, and I'm guessing KW does too. Doesn't ZIPS also have a very low opinion of the 2008 White Sox even with Swisher? Are we supposed to think they are accurate when positively predicting a White Sox player, and a bunch of crap when their projection is less than we hope? I hope some of these minor league pitchers can do something on the major league level because pitchers get hurt and some are ineffective. When the White Sox won it all, they needed 3 closers. With the price of pitching today, either KW is going for it for 1 year and then holding a massive firesale for prospects, or he thinks none of his pitchers will ever get hurt, or be ineffective, or he plans on having a few drafts of the century.

I think people will realize Crede is a little better than they think once he is gone, if he is healthy.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 5, 2008 -> 01:38 AM) Hey, I don't really think the Angels are an ideal partner anymore, but any deal that involves Santana and one of Kendrick/Figgins is fine with me. I'd prefer Kendrick over Figgins because of age and the pure ability. The one key is whether Matthews JR would actually be considered a negative trade chip (from the Angels perspective) in the sense that the Angels would give up more just to be rid of Sarge Jr. Plus if the Sox dealt Konerko and got Matthews Jr, leadoff hitter (Willits or Figgins or Kendrick), Santana (or Saunders), and cash (depending on who the guys are the Sox got, they would possibly need cash) I would be happy. I know Matthews Jr. has a horrid contract and it is a major risk, but I think it would be worth it to get the extra pitcher and a legit top of the order bat. I would obviously ask for either Kendrick or Saunders (if I didn't get Kendrick than I'd take Santana, but if I didn't get Kendrick and instead got Willits I'd try to pry Saunders because he is further away from FA). Defensively I would like an outfield with Quentin/Matthews JR/Dye (in fact flip flop Dye and Quentin with Dye in LF and that is a damn good defensive outfield). Swisher at 1B and Figgins plays 2B. Again I'm not saying it happens but who knows, maybe the Sox deal Crede in the package as well to get rid of his contract. Again, without the Sox getting one of the Angels big money outfielders I don't see a deal going down. But I'd love it if a couple of those names came the Sox way that is for sure. Why would the Sox take GM Jr.'s contract? He is owed more money than Konerko.

QUOTE(Rex Kicka** @ Jan 4, 2008 -> 09:00 PM) I kinda feel bad for her. Horrible family, bad marriage, crazy divorce, bipolar. Having a psychotic break in front of the whole world? This all went from funny to just sad a long time ago. I agree. A lot of people are laughing, but this is sad. I was never a fan of hers, but watching someone's life unravel like we've been subject to is pretty hard to watch. I watched some show and the paparazzi was following her every move when she walked into a Starbucks. It would drive me crazy. She probably has more than enough money right now to live the rest of her life very comfortably. I just hope someone can get through to her so she has a life to live, and her kids have a mother who is competent. Who cares about the career.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 08:55 PM) Does he really believe that this is a championship level team? He must be drinking out of the same bottle as Isiah Thomas. KW needs to get some more pitching and he will have a decent ballclub.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 06:15 PM) Another factor in considering the trade is the sox showing improvement in their drafting [and scouting in Latin America, ala DLS]. The farm system can improve pretty quickly. KW has done well in years past trading young minor leaguers who haven't amounted to much, overall. And has gotten solid major league talent in return. If the draft system improves and gives the sox REAL talent, I'm not worried. With the state of sox farm system the last decade, it can't help but improve. They are really going to need some cheap pitchers pretty soon.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 06:58 PM) Kenny also had a vested interest in inflating Gio's value as high as he possibly could. Regardless of how true or false his statement was, I don't believe a damn thing that Kenny says publicly. Believe me, no GM is going to inflate the value of White Sox prospects based on what comes out of KW's mouth. Just like KW really doesn't care what other GMs have to say about their prospects. Gio probably wonders what he's going to have to do to make it through a winter without getting traded.

Swisher will be fun to watch play, but I do caution everyone about how he is signed cheaply. If the pitchers the White Sox give up actually turn out to be decent, remember KW called Gio one of the 2 best lefthanded prospects in baseball and had him penciled as a front of the rotation starter, if Gio actually reaches that, the cost to replace that considering the Carlos Silvas of the world get $45-50 million is going to be large. So while when actually evaluating the Pods/CLee trade you take the money savings into consideration, you also have to consider the cost down the road of replacing these guys. That is of course, if they pan out. In the end pitching is what wins, but for 2008 and maybe even 2009 KW probably gets the best of this deal IMO. I'm a little concerned with Swisher in CF. He's not Carl Everett bad out there, but he isn't going to be helping the pitchers a lot.

For some reason the lights are on at USCF right now.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 3, 2008 -> 01:05 PM) It is official.....Gio/DSL/Sweeney for Nick Swisher So let me get this straight. The very same people that applauded KW for not "draining the farm system to get MCabrera, now are thrilled the White Sox get Nick Swisher for these 3? I thought Quentin was the second coming in LF?

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Dec 31, 2007 -> 04:56 PM) Richar was a much more raw player, Marte was supposed to being very ready for the bigs at a younger age. I haven't seen Marte much, but if you look at his minor league numbers they really weren't eye popping. Either he's taking a longer time to develop than what a lot of people thought, or he really was never all that good.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Dec 31, 2007 -> 04:39 PM) It most likely will. With the current state of our team, it'd be absolutely retarded to not start Richar at 2nd. Let him play and see if we can develop a nice player at 2nd base. Richar has the talent to be successful in this league, let him prove it. Isn't it funny Marte in Cleveland is now being written off as a bust by their fans and White Sox fans are clinging to hope Richar develops into something good, when Richar is actually the older player of the 2? I do agree, unless KW improves the roster by a great amount before the season starts, you might as well see what Richar can do playing full time during the heart of the season.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 05:54 PM) Improvement is there - the potential of the newer players is pretty clearly higher than who they replaced, in my view. But you never know what they will actually do. I never said otherwise. You can't write any of it in pen anyway - its all guesswork. You would also have to take into consideration the possible "improvement" of teams they will face 19 times. Detroit, Cleveland, KC, and perhaps even Minnesota could say they have also "improved."

QUOTE(palehose23 @ Dec 30, 2007 -> 12:52 PM) Per Rotoworld Danny Richar - 2B White Sox .224/.265/.254, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 17/3 K/BB, 2 SB in 67 AB Richar hardly embarrassed himself with a .230/.289/.406 line in 187 at-bats for the White Sox, but neither did he do a lot to solidify his status as a regular. The team needs to invest in a legitimate alternative. Thats Avg/OBP/SLUG for the stats impaired- Looks Good!!!! This is Soxtalk. The only poor winter league stats that matter are Brian Anderson's. BTW, BA's average and OBP in 2006 are virtually identical to Richar's in 2007 at the major league level.