Dick Allen

The answer is yes, Jerry Owens stinks.

He's batted 44 times this year. He has 3 less extra base hits and 2 less RBI than Richar and Owens combined.

QUOTE(Ozzie's Accent @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 08:42 AM) Not happy but at least there is no false sense of security from management's perspective. No way they can say "we were close, we just need a few minor changes." That is exactly what they are saying.

QUOTE(beautox @ Aug 19, 2007 -> 07:09 AM) Not a bad signing at all, just move him to LF and deal with Sweeney's growing pains in RF, even though hes been disappointing this season. I agree, i'd like to see the sox move Garland to the Dodgers in the Offseaon for Furcal and Abreu or Meloan. Hu is ready to step into SS for them and they need another starting pitching Furcal is having a down year on a sore ankel but hes a good bet to bounce back. Move Crede to the Giants or Padres. Feel out the rest of the season on Jose let him build up that trade value. Sign one of Rowand/Hunter/Jones/Fukodome, or trade for Crisp/Ellsburry. SS S Furcal 2B L Richar DH L Thome 1B R Konerko LF R Dye C L AJP CF R Rowand 3B R Fields RF L Sweeney If the right moves are made i could see us in contention next season; Bull Pens are so volatile in nature so if we get a semblance of one with our Starting pitching remaining constant or regressing a bit its defiantly possible. KW is going to have to up the payroll significantly. Basically bringing back the same team with minor tweaks such as replacing Uribe with Greene, which has been rumored, and giving them a "do over" is a mistake. I don't know how subtracting Garland and replacing his $ with Rowand or Hunter makes it much better either. The offense would be better, but the pitching takes another step back. Maybe they feel that's an easier sell on their fanbase. Try to get people to forget they actually have a worse record than the KC Royals right now.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 04:10 PM) Passing a physical is no guarantee that Joe's back will stay healthy over the wear and tear of a 162-game season. The Sox could get away with one FA to replace Pods and have Owens/Sweeney in CF next year (or a FA in CF with Sweeney in LF). It isn't the best-case scenario, but it may be worth it if KW doesn't want to give Rowand 4/40 or whatever he'll be commanding. Having veteran talent at every position doesn't necessarily translate into production at the plate (Tad, Uribe, Pods, Erstad, etc.) and KW shouldn't just go out and over-pay for two veteran FA outfielders if the market this off-season is below average. I'd rather he stand pat than pay a veteran salary to Pods, Part II. Paying Joe $5 million to sit on the DL for half of the season, moving Fields back to 3B, and having to trade for another outfielder at the deadline costs a lot as well. I'd love to see Joe back for one more year, but sentimentality shouldn't overshadow the fact that Joe will be a huge question mark next year and that the Sox need to spend money elsewhere (SS, bullpen, and C after next year). My hope is that ownership gives KW the financial freedom to bring Joe back AND address those other needs. We'll see what happens. There's no guarantee that anyone remains healthy. I wonder if Crede would be able to get $5 million in arbitration anyway. I would imagine he would have to show he was healthy. Sandy Alomar Jr. had the exact same procedure that Joe had, and while Sandy was often injured, his back was never a problem again. Of course, that's no guarantee that Joe will be the same, but its a one year deal at half of what you would have to pay a guy on the open market for the same production if Joe is healthy. Unless there is obvious signs the surgery, which remember the White Sox wanted him to have in the first place, was not successful, non tendering is not wise. If you don't want to pay him, if he's healthy you could always deal him. 3rd base is a problem area for a lot of teams.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 04:01 PM) Richar is oozing with talent and I'm perfectly comfortable with him at 2nd. I'm so glad people continue to right off players after 2-3 weeks in the majors. Fields/Richard are must haves in the 2008 lineup. The Sox need to start breaking in 2-3 young players every season (1-2 position guys, 1 or so pitchers) and do it consistently. That type of mentality (albeit you have to have talented young players) helped the Braves stay so damn good for such a long time as it allows you to always have a good mix of talent/vet presence/young affordable players. I'd like to see him hit a little better than Uribe before appointing him a star. I'm not writing him off, but on the other hand, it seems ridiculous to name this guy the starter when he has only 45 ABs in the major leagues and isn't even hitting .200. Uribe happens to be oozing with talent as well. It doesn't mean its all going to come together.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Aug 18, 2007 -> 03:57 PM) I am going to guess that this means the White Sox will not pursue Fukodome this off season. I kind thought maybe that was the name KW gave Buehrle in their super secret meeting. IF Dye rebounds from an off year and we are able to fill the other holes, I am not totally against this move. $11 mil is not a lot IF Dye stays healthy. I read in SI that he's going to get $15 million a year for 4 or 5 years. The Sox wouldn't have gone there, and I don't blame them.

What's amazing is everyone has a problem with Uribe at SS but seems sold on Richar as a regular secondbaseman. Am I missing something here? If Richar and Owens and Andy Gonzalez get regular playing time next year, things probably won't change much.

Its great that all these guys are signing for less than market value. The reality is though, this team, with all of them, is tied for last place right now. KW has a lot of work left for the White Sox to legitimately call themselves contenders.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7133450

Per Ken Rosenthal

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 10:14 PM) Holy cow, Richar is trying his best to keep me unimpressed. Looks like a weak, slap hitter right now. There actually are people very impressed by him. I don't see it yet. Jerry Owens has 7 RBI in over 200 AB. That's hard to do.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 10:05 PM) We didn't trade for Floyd to be in the bullpen. If he's there, I want Williams to own up and admit he drastically overrated Floyd. Someone has to be held accountable when people fail at evaluating players. He doesn't have to admit it. Floyd reminds everyone about it everytime he toes the rubber.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 09:45 PM) Haven't people been saying for awhile now that Garland is as good as gone in the offseason? I honestly don't see Kenny trading him unless he gets a great deal. Garland goes up to $12 million next year, and for 2 seasons now has complained about a knot in his shoulder. He most likely won't be re-signed and KW had him traded before. If they could get rid of Contreras' contract, I think that's the only way he stays.

QUOTE(ottawa_sox @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 09:56 PM) It seemed more like a Suzuki issue than an intensity issue. Probably, but if Jerry Owens played 3rd base and Konerko hit a routine grounder to him, his arm would make it interesting. He makes the One Dog look like he has a cannon.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 09:54 PM) We lead the world in AAAA players, it seems. If KW wants OBP players so much, can we try Thome at leadoff? He's certainly not hitting like a #4 hitter anymore, so why not try something new? Did you see that Matt Stairs led off for Toronto the other day.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 09:51 PM) Wow....quite pathetic to see a shallow fly ball to CF be almost a no-throw situation. I wonder if Dye will come out and say again how this team lacks intensity on a lot of nights. They don't lack intensity. Ozzie would never let that happen. It only happens with bad managers like Jerry Manuel. Just ask Hawk. The Sox have the best manager and GM in the game, the best players, but they just haven't found their rhythm.

QUOTE(fathom @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 09:50 PM) Interesting stat about Contreras allowing the most unearned runs in the AL this year. When you combine that with his 6.24 ERA coming into the game.....you have yourself someone who shouldn't be in the rotation. But KW's 15 deep pitching depth can only come up with a replacement who is actually worse.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 09:24 PM) That's probably because the interest in Contreras hightened after several successfull outings. Hopefully someone will bite on the velocity increase. However, if he's still here by September 1st his ass should be in the bullpen. Floyd's success or failure is more important to the ballclub entering 2008. Even with five starts, we should generally know about Floyd with several consecutive starts. I think we are beyond the point that even if Floyd had some success, which I doubt, that there still wouldn't be a lot of doubt about him. I really think Ozzie has no use for him, but he's KW's baby. I think KW would like him in the rotation and Ozzie would like him anywhere but the White Sox roster. The bullpen seems to be a compromise. I think the bullpen may be a spot best suited for him anyway.

The Sox's signing bonuses to players in the top 10 rounds ranked 26th among the 30 major league teams. Baltimore led all major league teams by spending $7,672,500 That's per Gonzalez in the Tribune. I don't think Flash will be a happy camper.

QUOTE(joesaiditstrue @ Aug 16, 2007 -> 10:57 PM) 1. compare thome's first half last year, to his second half. I only ragged on him last year during the second half first half JT = .298 .414 .651 1.065 (30HR 77RBI) second half JT = .274 .420 .522 .942 (12HR 32RBI) basically, when we finally started closing the gap between us and the twins/tigers towards the end of the season, thome was nowhere to be found 2. if fields put up the #'s thome has since the ASB, he'd be just as terrible as thome is right now Post ASB Thome: .226 / .364 / .396 (OPS: .760) (4 HR 15 RBI) Fields : .261 / .312 / .504 (OPS: .816) (8HR 23 RBI) add in the fact that Fields is making the league minimum, is healthy, and is more productive on the base paths, AND CAN HIT LEFT HANDED PITCHERS, the comparisons are finished, Fields has been the superior hitter since the middle of the season this isn't an attempt to hate on JT, as I said he's one of my favorite players on this team, but as it stands right now: he isn't helping and it's probably due to some nagging injury (he's been hurt and on the DL this year AND last year, so you can sure as hell expect him on the DL next year too, you better hope it isn't as long of a stint as it was this year) He's streaky and he's been in a prolonged slump. You look at his numbers now and you can twist them to make it look real bad. Twist them when he gets hot. Konerko was brutal for a while, that didn't mean Uribe was a better hitter than him. Thome will be fine. He will miss games here and there. Just be careful what you wish for. In fact up until 2 weeks ago, Thome was second in the AL in OBP. Sounds washed up to me.

QUOTE(29andPoplar @ Aug 17, 2007 -> 11:10 AM) Completely incorrect. He has spoken many times to the press this year about the need for better at bats, there have been lots of articles in the papers and on the White Sox site. Further, I have heard him personally in Tucson, dozens and dozens of times, talk about being selective at the plate. I really don't know where these misconceptions come from. Its coming from the same people who actually believe Greg Walker tells the hitters to close your eyes and swing as hard as you can.

Up until his recent slump, Zambrano was unhittable without Barrett catching him. Jake Peavy was having the same problem. At one point Zambrano's ERA was under 2.00 with a WHIP under 1.00 with anyone else but Barrett catching him and an ERA over 7.00 with Barrett catching him. Peavy had some of the same ridiculous numbers. 5 years and $90 million would be kind of difficult to turn down.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 16, 2007 -> 10:10 PM) Like I said, his numbers were almost guaranteed to be bad when he came up. There was just no way around it. He simply hasn't played enough baseball in his lifetime to be ready for what the big league pitching staffs were going to throw at him. The hope is that the learning curve will be very steep and will go a long way, and I think he's shown some evidence of that. I think you may be stretching it a little bit. He's 24 and has over 2000 ABs in the minor leagues. He has 800 more ABs in the minors than Josh Fields. BA coming into 2006 had about 1500 less minor league ABs than Richar had when he made his debut, and he got no slack.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 16, 2007 -> 10:01 PM) Richar is doing exactly what we should have hoped he'd do when he came up; looking like he has promise. The kid's been bloody raw at every level, he bounced around in the D-Backs lower levels for several years basically just learning the game but hung on on sheer talent, and finally started to move up in the last few years. He was bound to struggle when he first came up, but at least he's having some decent at bats and hopefully learning a few things. Actually, I was hoping for a little higher than .171 avg. and a little better than .244 slugging pct. Its still early though.