Dick Allen

As long as we are going with what ifs, what if the Sox swept the Cubs at USCF instead of the other way around? The team that allegedly is WS bound and the team playing out the string would have the same record. I sure am glad those games don't mean anything.

Contreras is/was available for nothing except the balance of his contract. Nobody bit. The only way the Sox get rid of him is if they take on an equally unappealing contract or pick up most of whats left on Contreras' deal. If its the latter, they are much better off keeping him.

Ozzie said that everyone would be impressed with the names on KW's "list". He also hinted at difficulty getting the players. I just don't want to hear about the "crazy market". They should be prepared for it.

SS who can leadoff are few and far between and cost a lot of money and the clincher, most likely aren't available.

The bullpen is the key. Rip Uribe all you want. The only 2 SS in the AL with more RBI than him since the beginning of 2004 are Tejada and Jeter, and Uribe is solid defensively. I'm as frustrated as anyone by his lack of OBP, but its proven that the Sox can win with him at SS. Its also been proven that the Sox won when they had a great bullpen. The bullpen has to be strong, except if they play the Angels in the ALCS.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 08:02 PM) I get all the waivers rules and everything except for one thing, what prevents a team(we'll say in this case a weaker team) from just claiming every single player on waivers to prevent any trades working out? The problem is the possiblility of claiming someone with an undesirable contract and the his team says fine just take him. You would be on the hook for the balance of the contract. The White Sox claiming Tejada is because they wanted him. Not to block him.

QUOTE(South Side Fireworks Man @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 01:01 PM) Fields is talented but he is not a fundamentally sound baseball player, at least not yet. Could be a lack of baseball experience. When you play football in college, even if you are on the baseball team, you do miss out on a lot of playing.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 12:59 PM) It helps that they're winning, but this team is a helluva lot more enjoyable right now. My only hopes are that they're able to deal Podsednik for a live arm by the August 31st deadline (BP suggested they're going to do so), and a decent two-month stretch by Jerry Owens doesn't convince the Sox that he's anything more than a fourth OFer. Yikes -- Josh must be hungover. I agree. I now don't dread having tickets for the rest of the season.

As the trashing of ex-Sox continue. Hey Hawk why don't you say anything when the current roster jogs around the bases?

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 5, 2007 -> 01:57 AM) Can you think of anything funnier than you dismissing his not even full season of at bats and then admitting that they are a full view of what he will be. Yes. Implying that the second month being a little better than the first month of a guy's career means he will do nothing but improve. I'm not dismissing anything on Crede. It takes time. You think the Sox have one option, non tendering Crede, because of all Fields has shown in his 2 months. I'm saying he hasn't shown all that much to be a regular 3rd baseman on a championship calibur team. Crede's already done that. His $5 million or so arb figure isn't going to blow the budget. The Sox also had another ex football player player moved to thirdbase who was a very highly thought of prospect. He hit the scene and initially had better numbers offensively than either Fields or Crede. Then it just all fell apart. He is now the team's GM, although in all fairness the move to 3b may have helped bring down his career.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 07:42 PM) I wonder if Hawk realizes that there were more than the 7 or so baseball players that played during his era. Catfish Yaz Sam McDowell Frank Howard Rocky Calavito Luis Tiant Hawk I think 7 is correct.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 07:34 PM) Anyone else think Bonderman is way overrated? Even last season, his first season where he wasn't below the league average, he had a 1.30 WHIP. He's pretty good and he's still young. He was in the same draft Floyd went 4th, the Sox took Honel and Bonderman went later on to Oakland.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 07:33 PM) Someone needs to choke the opera guy hot dog salesman. He's not quite as annoying as the hot dog guy at USCF who yells "hot dogs" at the top of his lungs every 2 seconds.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 07:14 PM) Did you expect the doctor that preformed the surgery to say "We really f***ed this guy up. He won't even be able to play catch again"? There is a reason Boras tried everything he could before having Joe go under the knife. If there was a guarantee that Joe would be fine after the surgery, he would have had it after 2006, and had all of 2007 and 2008 to play at full health to get the biggest deal he could when that contract year comes up. Any time you cut into the back, it's a scary thing. In terms of brining Joe back, it all depends on how the payroll is going to shake out. If the Sox go out and spend the money to try and make this team competitive( I think they are going to) then you bring Joe back, give Fields every chance to learn LF, and see where you stand with Joe after 2008. However, if they are going into re-build more, you keep Josh at 3rd. Crede had the procedure done that the White Sox originally suggested he have done. From what I have read, as far as back surgeries go, its not all that risky, but of course anything can go wrong. I would be absolutely shocked if the White Sox non-tendered him.

As I have said before and being one of Ozzie's biggest critics, if he gets this team into the playoffs he should get a lifetime contract that guarantees he's the highest paid manager every season.

QUOTE(briguy27 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 07:15 PM) Sure, their pitching is bad. But now that Jose is out of the rotation, and Garland's bump in the road is hopefully over, we could go back to normal. Obviously, never will we be back to 2005-esque, but I want to make a run, and not give up. If we end 6 or 7 out, that would be nice, and we'd know they didn't just quit on us. I don't expect them to make it into 1st, and go all the way, but to not give up would be a plus. And I want Dye to hit like he has been if we are making a real shot at first. If not, then he should just stop trying. I want Sweeney in RF next year, anyways. Garland's last outing was maybe the worst of his career. Contreras was replaced by Gavin Floyd.

Extend Walker. Pods with an rbi

Maybe Theo is wondering why he wouldn't move off Craig Hansen right now.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 06:17 PM) That is a very, very bold statement, and very possibly not true.... According to the doctor, he should be better than ever. Its a one year contract not a lot of money baseball wise that we are talking about. Non tender should not happen.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 06:15 PM) Gotta love the comparison between Crede's second full season in the bigs to Fields' first 200 at-bats as a major leaguer. That's a definite apples-to-apples comp right there... I do agree with you about Crede, though. Non-tendering him would be selling very very low on a pretty decent player (when healthy). I don't want Crede here long-term, but non-tendering him seems really pointless. Where can the Sox spend $5 million better anyways? Fields can play LF or RF for the first couple months of next season -- I don't think it will be a huge adjustment for him especially because he seems to be a pretty good athlete. Then compare Crede's first 200 AB. If Fields can be projected an All Star, Crede would be a first ballot HOFer. I just picked out Crede's worst statistical season because prior to September 2005 he was thought of a little less than Brian Anderson on this board. Fields puts up similar numbers with a little less defensively and a lot more Ks and he's projected to be an All Star. I don't understand.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 02:52 PM) Since when is striking out the worst thing that a player ever did? With a little more seasoning Josh will be a walk machine, and his OBP will show that. And showing Crede's worst year as something that wasnt that bad is really showing how much you ignore certain numbers. How bout his paltry .717 OPS that year? Basically Fields has shown that he can produce at the same rate right now in his first season for ALOT less money. In july Fields improved his OBP, SLG BA and his walk rate. Crede is a slow, injured, soon to be expensive player. We need his salary to pick up a piece that we are really missing, at least before his back goes out again and that only option IS non-tendering him. You're right about not looking at all the numbers. Joe's "paultry" .717 OPS in his worst season is really blown away by Fields current .723. I don't know how you can be so certain Fields will be a walk machine, and since he only played a couple of months and did improve a little in July, does that mean he will improve every month? Crede's back will be fine, and non-tendering him would be dumb. They could always trade him, or even if he gets $5 million next year, the idea of a guy coming off a lost season playing for a payday sounds pretty good to me. While Fields is not a horrible 3rd baseman, he has made some great plays, he still is not in Crede's class defensively. Maybe someday. Put Fields at 2B if you can"t bring the O-dog to town. And since you use June to July to peg improvement with Fields, if you use the exact same logic, isn't paying Crede $5 million a steal if he is healthy with his improvement every season?

QUOTE(max power @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 01:47 PM) Field is also on pace to walk quite a bit more than crede, so you don't have to hate him necessarily, if your gripe is with OBP. Comparing numbers at this point is kind stupid if you ask me. People are happy that he has shown he can be a major leaguer in a possible hole, they aren't boasting about his numbers. They make him out to be an All Star. They are saying a guy who before his back started bothering him in 2006 hit 30 homers and was hitting over .300 needs to be tossed away, because Josh Fields homers almost as often. BTW Fields OBP is only about .010 higher than Brian Anderson's last year. Non tendering Crede is a ridiculous thought. Believe me, they are boasting about his homeruns, because offensively that's basically all he provides now. Of course any one else swinging for the fences they have problems with. Fields has already fanned more than Crede did in 2006.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 09:40 AM) So, the Sox should give Crede $5 million next year while their bullpen is in shambles and they have holes to fill at SS, RF, CF, and LF? Oh, and we have no idea how Joe's back will respond to the surgery he just had. That doesn't sound like a good strategy to me. I'd love to have Joe around for another year with Fields in LF, but I'm not sure that the Sox are going to have a choice. If they don't they are fools. I can't wait to see all the guys who complain about the White Sox swinging for the fences all the time and not worrying about getting on base who think Fields is an All Star, b**** and moan about him next season. Crede's worst average as a regular player, not counting this season is .239 and as BearSox said this isn't the first time there wasn't posts on this board saying he must go. Fields is hitting .241 and is on pace to set a world record striking out if he played a full season. If you don't like Crede, you have to hate Fields. If anything Fields should get some time at 2B.

QUOTE(beck72 @ Aug 4, 2007 -> 07:27 AM) Fields has shown he can play in the majors--both in the field and hitting wise. The question for 2008 is where will he play with Crede at 3B [it would be inexcusable for the sox to non-tender Joe, or trade him now for less than they would get for the draft picks if he leaves as a free agent, as he is very valuable and should be able to put up numbers near his 2006 season and still play gold glove caliber defense]. With the sox likely to work out a deal with Dye, Fields should be given a shot in LF. With Owens likely being a 4th OFer [and Fields and Richar already in the lineup] an experienced CFer who can hit in the leadoff spot should be acquired for 2008. Or at minimum, a stellar defensive CFer should be acquired if the sox can get a SS who can hit in the leadoff spot. My preference would be for the sox to get a SS and a CFer who can both hit leadoff in case one goes down. That's easier said than done. How many leadoff CF or SS are there in the major leagues, and are they realistically available? Fields is going to have to cut down on his strikeouts. If he doesn't, he's Ron Kittle II.

Fields with his 2 hits last night has the average up to .241, and dumping Crede is the subject of the day. For as bad as Crede supposedly was before last season, if he batting more than 50 times his worst season was .239 with 21 homers and GG quality defense. Non tender Joe Crede? Ridiculous. These White Sox "prospects" are a lot like back up quarterbacks. So many people love them until they really have to count on them. When I heard Hawk say the Sox really have something special in Andy Gonzalez yesterday, I questioned why Duane Shaffer got the pink slip. WOW