Dick Allen

Considering how well Durant played while he was so weak, it will be interesting to see how much better he gets when a team gets him to hit the weights. I wonder how Larry Bird would have done on these drills. He was pretty good. You have to take Odon #1, but I think Durant is going to the HOF. The names of the players previously that have scored the highest on these drills haven't exactly become NBA stars. If Durant isn't picked #2 it will be an idiotic move that someone will be known for for a long while.

Fizer actually was playing pretty well before he got injured with the Bulls.

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 02:34 PM) I hear you. A healthy club is a winning club The Tigers have been able to overcome injury, and the alleged fatigue that comes from playing the previous postseason.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 01:09 PM) Will he go the Sweeney and Owens route of rocking for a while, until Greg Walker gets to pick his mind and get the crazy thought of pull pull pull stuck in his head? For the love of God, quit blaming Walker for everyone's approach. If he truely was preaching what everyone is saying, what a leader he must be if everyone is willing to listen to him, and give up millions in potential income and piss away their careers. Disregard Fields' strikeout totals in the minors. If he fans as much in the majors or even more, I'm sure it will be Walker's fault.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Jun 6, 2007 -> 11:50 AM) The Sox were 24-6 last year when Pods stole a base in a game. I don't know what it means, but we need more stats like that this year. I think what it means is KW should find the best lead off hitter he can find, and quit with the patchwork.

From the Tribune, "Ozzie told me don't come back until you're ready to steal a base," Podsednik said. "I'm most valuable when I'm on base. Without my ability to steal a base, I'm pretty much useless." At least he's realistic.

Crede's back is acting up. May go on DL.

QUOTE(JohnCangelosi @ Jun 5, 2007 -> 04:32 PM) I thought we had a 95 win caliber team because I figured the offense was going to show up like they have in previous years... :-) It looks like you should call yourself out.

They both showed why they belong in AAA very fast.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Jun 5, 2007 -> 11:17 AM) Theres not many things that Jones can do that MackoWack doesnt do for us. He may hit with a bit more power, but thats it. Murton would be really nice. Deep down I wish it was Big Z The only problem with Murton is if you have to put a glove on his left hand. He's as brutal an OF as there is. His bat is nice, and I think if he played regularly would even be nicer.

We who question anything are stooges obviously. KW is a genius. Of course he thought the team he put together for over $100 million had a great bullpen.

QUOTE(BearSox @ Jun 5, 2007 -> 01:00 PM) Is AGon still up here, and if so, why? He was on the bench last night. I really don't know what he does exactly.

The Cubs lost almost 100 games last year. If their players don't like Piniella why would upper management care? He needs to change the culture around there for them to have any chance.

Owens shouldn't be leading off.

If the starters can go 8, the Sox are in good shape. Garland was great tonight. There even were some hits.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 09:40 PM) Yeah, pretty much, that and rip on A-Rod for being a little b****. Sutcliffe mentioned something like 5 times that if he were Rodriguez he would have left the extra $100M from Texas on the table and accepted the $150M deal from the Mariners. Congrats to him really, I don't buy a f***ing word of it but he feels the need to mention it every f***ing inning. Sutcliffe is the same guy who b****ed and moaned himself out of LA and Cleveland crying about money, and is talking about someone taking the extra $100 million and saying its a mistake. He must be drunk again.

Isn't Schnurstein about 40 years old now?

Nothing compares to me.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:59 PM) I realize that, and I've pitched in the cold and hot many times, but knowing that you will probably have a better game doesn't make it any easier or more enjoyable for a pitcher. I knew I'd pitch well in the cold, unless I lost my control, but that didn't make me want to pray for cold weather every time out on the mound. Besides, in the cold, it's much easier to lose your control because you can't get as loose. It's the Contreras symptom. Contreras had 2 starts the first couple weeks of the season against the Indians. He got shelled on opening day which was about 65 degrees. His next start against them was about 35 degrees and he shut them down. Hitting in the cold is very difficult. You tend to grip the bat very tightly to try and avoid getting "bees" if you don't hit it solidly and that really slows the bat down, but the loss of carry with the ball. Whether or weather you believe it or not, a very cold day is "pitcher's" conditions.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:50 PM) Are you kidding me? I have not seen or talked to 1 pitcher in my entire life that enjoys pitching in the cold. The wind has a lot more to do with it than the temperature. It's common sense to say the ball will go out when it's blowing out or it will stay in if it's blowing in, whether its 90 degrees or 30. You're getting ridiculous now. The ball doesn't travel as well in the cold for one thing. Pitchers may not enjoy pitching in the cold, but they know it should be good for their stats.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:44 PM) Pitching in the cold isn't any easier than hitting in the cold. BS. Pitching in the cold with the wind blowing in is a pitcher's dream. I'll give you an example. Boone Logan gives up a grand slam to Derrick Lee. If the weather was 45 and the wind blowing in like the next day when Masset pitched, it was a little pop up to RF. QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:47 PM) You really can't argue Jenks. He has been good ever since he came up. See second half 2006. But even if you want to take the year as a whole as decent, I'll give you that, but he's still very young, very fat , has a screw in his elbow, and a past that can reimerge at any time.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:39 PM) So, the "projected performances" of the Sox lineup's ability to score runs are KW's fault as well? What about the "projected performances" of Buehrle and Garcia last year? At least there is some history to go by with Buerhle and Garcia and the White Sox offense. Sisco, Aardsma, MacDougal, Logan, Thornton, Jenks, Masset, even Gavin Floyd, how many good full seasons do they have in the major leagues COMBINED? KW looked at the radar and thought he had one of the best bullpens in baseball. BP was laughed at when they said Ozzie would go crazy at the number of balls this bullpen would throw.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:35 PM) So what about when the bullpen was on fire in April? What were your thoughts then? If they ever bring back the search function you will always see, I always said worry about the pitching. I was as shocked as anyone about the ineptness of the offense, but I think weather had something to do with it to a certain extent. It also helped the White Sox pitchers.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:24 PM) That's pretty much the point of a minor league deal. I don't see how you can blame him for the one's that failed. And Widger was one of those 2005 minor league guys who turned out OK. The majority of guys he does sign to minor league deals contribute, so you really can't hold that against him. It makes no sense not to give him credit for all the low-risk/high reward deals. If Craig Wilson comes up and just lights it up, will you hold it against him because it was a minor league deal? And I disagree with you as far as gambles go. Wells, Colon, Thome, and especially the McCarthy deals are all gambles that paid off. The Garcia deal turned out to be a really good one, so thats another point for KW. I'm with iamshak, he's put the talent on the field, on paper, this is one helluva team with one helluva lineup, they are just sucking it up right now. Is that his fault? No. Colon wasn't a gamble, he didn't give anyone decent up. The Wells trade was basically for Sirotka, anyone would have done it. Thome maybe to a certain extent, but he needed Thome to keep Konerko, the verdict is still out on McCarthy. I won't hold anything against him if Wilson lights it up. I have no problems with minor league deals, but if you're trying to become #1 in a town you've been the redheaded stepchild in for so long, if you're going to have far and away the highest payroll in the division, you need to make bolder moves than Augustin Montero. Sign Montero, but sign a real pitcher too. It really shouldn't be surprising the Sox bullpen is horrible. Having a $109 payroll and having the bullpen stocked with ex-Royals and ex-Cubs whose former teams did cartwheels when they got rid of him is akin to giving a 16 year old who just got his license a shiney new Bentley. Even with the bad offense, if the bullpen was as good as KW projected, the White Sox would be right in the thick of it right now. But his projected performances are way off. That's part of his job.

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:07 PM) The positives of KW moves far far far far far far far outweigh any bad move he made. Most GM's make 3 bad moves for every 1 good one. KW is the polar opposite. Matt Thornton for Joe Borchard Bartolo Colon for Rocky Biddle, Orlando Hernandez, and Jeff Liefer Orlando Hernandez signed cheap Signing AJ Pierzynski Re-Signing Paul Konerko Jim Thome for Aaron Rowand, Gio Gonzalez, and Daniel Haigwood John Danks, Nick Masset, and Jacob Rasner for Brandon McCarthy Tadahito Iguchi signed for cheap Juan Uribe and Pablo Ozuna off the scrapheap Cliff Politte signed for cheap Dustin Hermanson signed for cheap Bobby Jenks off waivers Shingo Takatsu signed cheap Jermaine Dye replacing Ordonez Carl Everett for Gary Majewski and Jon Rauch Esteban Loaiza off the scrapheap Freddy Garcia for Miguel Olivo, Jeremy Reed, and Mike Morse David Wells for for Kevin Beirne, Brian Simmons, Mike Sirotka, and Mike Williams All these guys contributed something positive for the Sox, most of which helped us win a World Series, and if not, the Sox ended up winning the trade anyway. They were good moves, but it shows you that wheeler dealer Williams is more of a myth than the truth. He rarely takes gambles. The Garcia move was bold, but he had Ozzie around so he knew Freddy would sign, other than that all the above moves would have been made by 99% of this board if they were presented with them and had the authority to execute them. Signing guys cheap is only going to get you a good move if it works out at all, or a doesn't matter if it blows up in his face. Nobody mentions the minor league free agents he signed in the 2005 offseason to compete for a job. They all sucked, but it doesn't get marked a bad move because he risked nothing. The bullpen then sucked so it was a horrible move not to get someone who could get outs. Bottom line is KW is responsible for the roster. If the roster is lacking in talent or isn't playing up to par then its on him. He basked in the glory of the WS title, now he should be ready to take heat for what looks like total failure. QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 4, 2007 -> 05:15 PM) Weren't they looking to dump Durham's salary at that point? Kenny paid Oakland all of Durham's remaining salary at that point minus the pro-rated minimum. Much like Gavin Floyd, he disagreed with everyone else and thought Adkins was a stud.