Dick Allen

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 02:20 PM) No thanks on Cora, but you make a good point that has been brought up here before - Ozzie needs a good bench coach. I've been watching Kirk Gibson be a great foil for Bob Melvin, for example, and that works really well. A really solid baseball guy who understands game tactics is a real need for Ozzie. Wasn't Gibson in the same position in Detroit with Alan Trammell? The year after they dump all those guys, they go to the WS. I think Ozzie needs good players far more than a good bench coach. If Cora is a bad bench coach, he should be shown the door, as he has shown he's horrible in the 3rd base coaching box.

Walker wasn't going anywhere unless he quit. JR came out and said about a month ago that anyone who blamed Walker for the offensive problems "didn't have a brain". Its too bad about Razor, I really liked him. I hope he catches on somewhere else. I wonder how much of him not being a coaching staff insider, ie. not playing with Ozzie or not being around the big league guys much contributed to his ouster. It would have been nice to have enough guys rounding third to really evaluate what kind of 3rd base coach he was.

QUOTE(kevo880 @ Oct 5, 2007 -> 11:53 AM) yeah but his batting average and basically every other number has declined drastically over the last few seasons 2005 .252 16 HR 71 RBI .301 OBP 2006 .235 21 HR 71 RBI .257 OBP 2007 .234 20 HR 68 RBI .284 OBP The last 3 seasons, he's been pretty consistent. Great for a SS in HR and RBI, everything else, pretty bad. The problem with his good numbers is that they are accumulated in very few games. He does have the ability to be a very good offensive player. I am of the belief he will have an outstanding year some year. $5 million is a lot, but he will be playing for a contract, so his "laziness" may not be in existence in 2008. I would only upgrade if the upgrade was obvious, not an Eckstein-like in other words, and certainly not Lopez. Furcal, ARod, Tejada, would all be acceptable. It will be interesting to see what the payroll will be. I think KW had more to play with this year, but chose not to use it, perhaps to keep from having his hands tied coming into this offseason. The fact that they claimed Tejada and risked assuming the contract, (although it was a very slight risk Baltimore would have just let him go) indicates to me KW may actually be able to shoot for the moon.

Owens hit .340 in September. Ozzie said don't believe what you see in September if the team is out of contention.

The money it would take to bring Bonds here would be significant. The Sox already have the DH position pretty well covered with their top power guy and on base guy. As injured as Thome has been, he has played more games than Bonds in each of the last 2 years. Bonds being 44 isn't going to help that number. The circus it would cause, I just don't know if the Sox would really want that. He has a few more legal problems than just the steroids. At his age, why would he want to come to a team that is coming off a 90 loss season? I think if the Sox have the money available to sign him, they should use it plugging a few holes instead of trying to make one of the team's biggest strengths (DH) a little better. Thome, who has lost his power, homered once every 12.35 AB in 2007. Bonds once every 12.15. I know Bonds gets on base a significantly more, but he'll be at least double the price the Sox are paying Thome. Is it really worth gambling that much, not only in money but all the other baggage that goes along with the new home run king, on a 44 year old entering a new league for really a fairly small upgrade?

For one night at least, I was very happy KW traded Chris Young to Arizona.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 05:44 PM) I can appreciate a homer announcer but not Hawk, with his "Crede > A-Rah" and "Stretch!" and "DADGUMMIT!" which is frankly the worst call I've ever heard from an announcer. I love when Hawk talks about restrints. You know, those places you go for a meal.

Boras is a magician at getting guys contracts you wouldn't think possible. JD Drew ? Tom Hicks, a known Boras sucker is looking for a CF. If ARod opts out, Mr. Hicks doesn't have to pay the Yankees any more of ARods salary, and from what I understand its close to or over $10 mill a year. Boras saves him $10 mill. a year there and in exchange he gives another one of his clients a very nice contract. Its just a thought.

QUOTE(whitesox1976 @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 05:41 PM) I thing I like about Hawk is his style of being a homer announcer. He adds fun the game. Given time I think Big Hurt would be a good announcer. Hawk was known to be pretty outspoken when he was an announcer with the Red Sox. Homer wasn't a word associated with him back then. I love the Hawk, but he does piss me off occassionally. I get personally offended when he tries to sell crappy players as guys full of potential. He's just doing his job though.

Even Steve Stone was panned when he started out on ABC.

QUOTE(Gregory Pratt @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 05:14 PM) Yeah. After all these years, Hawk Harrelson still hasn't learned. One guy I thought would be really good and was horrible was Dan Hampton. He lasted 1 season as a network color guy.

I read somewhere where he wants to get into broadcasting. He might be pretty good at it, but it does take time.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 04:49 PM) Nope. its just a poorly designed ballpark. The only thing it has going for it is that its old, thats it. The walls are an awkward distance from home plate, the baskets are stupid, the indentations on each foul line are terrible, not to mention there is zero foul territory unless you want to break your leg running up a poorly constructed bullpen mound. The views are obstructed in a great percentage of the lower level, the concourse offers you no view of the field, and you cannot go from the infield to the outfield and vice versa. Its just not that great of a park. Not to mention it has notoriously the worst infield in baseball and an outfield that looks like there was a truck rally on it. I've been on Wrigley Field, I've played on a lot of park district and high school fields that were on par. Another thing about the infield is the slope in foul territory . Guys going after pop fouls towards the stands are running downhill and the incline is a lot steeper than it looks.

QUOTE(Whitewashed in '05 @ Oct 3, 2007 -> 03:06 PM) I'll take Uribe because of his defense. Eckstein might be a great clubhouse guy, but I'd take Uribe's defense over him. Not only that, but Uribe might get his head straight since he'll be playing for a contract. They really do need to brink Hriniak back for Uribe though. Another thing, I think the clubhouse thing can be overrated a bit. You can have a team full of Eckstein's and Erstad's, but they will never win anything. KW needs to bring in people that can play not just to cheerlead. Actually, Uribe is a very popular guy in the clubhouse.

For one thing, you would only be committed to Uribe for 1 year and $5 million. Eckstein would be muliple years and more money. Uribe was good enough in 2005. He's hasn't been that great since, but its not like his performance has fallen off the table. Considering he definitely will be playing for a contract, I like the chances of him outperforming a lot of SS next year, even SS named Eckstein. I hope his offseason can remain incident free, and would take my chances with him unless KW can come up with an obvious upgrade.

He is one of the worst defensive SS in the major leagues. His additional .020 points in OBP will be offset by all the extra outs he causes. He cannot throw at all.

QUOTE(greg775 @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 12:31 AM) I thought we all agreed Ozzie ball was a myth. We've been a home run or nothing team for a while now. Except of course the WS year when Pods did steal a s***load of bases. Even with all his steals in 2005, Pods only scored 80 runs. The White Sox hit 200 homers in 2005. They hit a few more than that in 2006. When they hit their 200th in 2006, they had scored almost exactly the same amount of runs they had scored in 2005. It was either right on or within 2 or 3. Ozzieball was a myth really, although they were able to execute occassionally. One thing about the 2005 team, when that team had the lead in the 5th or 6th inning the game was over. That hasn't been the case since.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 04:11 PM) Wow. Boras asking $20 mill per over 7? That's crazy. Still, that didn't say anything about arbitration, and Boras clients have done this before, with Millwood coming to mind initially. He was coming off a solid year with Philly, wanted to test the market and get a long-term deal, didn't find anything, and came back at $11 mill. He stunk, no arb from Philly, won the ERA crown with Cleveland, and then struck it rich. And if Atlanta doesn't offer him arbitration, I'd be surprised (though it would be understandable as to why they wouldn't). I can't see them not offering arbitration either. He most likely won't accept.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Oct 2, 2007 -> 12:01 PM) Sometimes I think you just woke up from a coma or were born yesterday or just moved back to Chicago after exploring the Arctic for 50 years. I suppose you find it odd that the Bears cannot seem to find a good quarterback either. I understand that Kenny should not get a lifetime pass or anything here, but he brought us the only WS in the last 90 years, as you pointed out. And yet, you are calling for his dismissal 2 seasons removed from that. I just don't understand that. I always thought you should try and reward success, especially after it has been absent for so long... He's made the playoffs 1 out of 7 years. A lot of teams have done that. I know you will say but most of those teams didn't win, but the playoffs are a crapshoot. You make it, you can win. The GMs job is to get his team into a position to win. Is Walt Jockety a genius because he put together an 83 win team that won in the playoffs, but Terry Ryan or Billy Bean stupid because their teams make the playoffs constantly but don't do anything in them? If you say yes, I disagree. Was it Jim Hendry's doing that the Cubs choked away a WS berth a couple of years ago? Was it KW's will that made a ball go right through Tony G's legs? KW has the most to play with in the AL Central division. He had a golden opportunity to capitalize on it, and make it grow even more, but his stubborness has made the team plummet to depths not seen since Larry Himes was hired to rebuild a broken franchise. BTW, I don't think I'm the only one who finds it odd the Bears cannot find a good QB. In fact, I would bet most people who watch football find it odd that this franchise lines up the crap it lines up behind center every damn week, every damn year.

Lopez can't turn a DP. He is awful defensively.

He's always been fraud. Never as innocent as he's looked through the years. You read some of the testimony and wonder why a team willing to throw millions at players that play about as well as I do, wouldn't just quietly settle this out of court to avoid even more embarrassment. I guess that's why they're the Knicks.

QUOTE(gosox41 @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:42 PM) I don't mean the $300 million spent this past off season. I mean the Cubs model since the mid-90's. Overpaying decent to below average talent, neglecting the farm system, and the worst part having a sucky team. Bob They did just enough to keep the alcoholics buying their beer. When the Sox won, the drunks suddenly demanded a little more than a couple of big names and a loss.

What I don't understand is why 2007 is a fluke year. The White Sox have won the WS exactly 1 time the last 90 years. Is it possible that was the fluke season?

QUOTE(gosox41 @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:35 PM) So we will be following the Cubs model. Bob They had the money and they knew they weren't going to have to win 95 games. It was a no brainer.

QUOTE(Markbilliards @ Oct 1, 2007 -> 10:35 PM) probably at least half the white sox have used steroids at some point in their baseball careers. Especially Razor Shines who you can see the effects of him getting off them. Razor looks like he lost about 40 lbs. this season.