Dick Allen

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 26, 2007 -> 06:50 PM) What do you think about Erstad batting in the 9th and busting his ass down the line? I've got no problem with it as long as he's not nursing some sort of tweak in his legs. It would be nice if all the White Sox got used to busting their ass down the line. If Erstad gets hurt hustling to first base, I don't know how anyone could say he would be able to be a good player and remain healthy for an entire season.

It was a fluke play. He dove for a ball A LOT of guys would have dove for it and maybe or maybe not got hurt. What if it was Konerko? Then the Sox would be screwed. It had NOTHING to do with his inexperience, except for maybe he would have realized the game doesn't count so he wouldn't have dove. I seem to remember a guy who has played several games at first base do almost exactly the same thing and tore his tricep or bicep in Frank Thomas. After all, NONE of the games in Arizona mean anything, so why should anyone play? They might get hurt. Having a guy like Thome run the bases in the 8th inning of a game that's already decided and he comes up lame, that would be idiotic and stupid. Having Toby Hall play a few innings at first base and tearing his labrum is just bad luck.

How come nobody mentioned the craziness when Ozzie put Dye at first base for a few innings in 2005?

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Mar 26, 2007 -> 05:19 PM) And haven't the Brewers said plenty of times that they want to hold on to Damian? They would dump him in a heartbeat. The problem is he exercised his player option after last season and is making pretty big coin.

QUOTE(HeGone33 @ Mar 26, 2007 -> 02:51 PM) Just imagine if something happened to AJ now. that's the one scenerio that would make this injury a real big loss. AJ has suddenly become the Sox most unreplaceable position player, just as he was the past 2 seasons.

I was all for trading for Ivan Rodriquez, but then I looked. He was a combined 2-16 against Sabbathia and Santana last season. Its the back-uup catcher back away from the ledge.

If Toby Hall is the most significant injury to the White Sox this season, it will be a great year health-wise.

I'm not an Ozzie guy, but I'm not going to blame him for Hall's injury. Guys actually play first to avoid injury. It was a fluke. At least it happened to the back-up catcher. Personally, I don't think Hall was going to make the huge difference against guys like Sabbathia and Santana. Everyone seems to struggle against them. It is a blow, but not as huge as it would have been if it were a regular or Contreras.

QUOTE(Wedge @ Mar 26, 2007 -> 10:58 AM) Based on Danks' performance, this will probably be a great trade for us. Now factor in that Masset could be quite solid out of the pen this season and a future starter... and I think the Sox are clear winners given their players can stay healthy. I know Danks should start working on his HOF induction speech, but everyone is basing their giddiness on 16 sspring training innings. McCarthy was even more impressive in the spring of 2005. We all may want to keep that in mind.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the games actually count. It will be interesting to see what happens when the games actually count.

QUOTE(LVSoxFan @ Mar 25, 2007 -> 07:36 PM) I watched the whole game and never saw Buehrle top 86 but that could have been the gun. Granted, I've never seen him top 88 at the Cell so maybe it's not that big a deal. I saw a couple of 87s and 88s in the first inning. Like I've said before, I was in Tucson last year and he was topping out at 80 the game I was at. So he's a little better, but he is giving up a lot of hits.

QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Mar 25, 2007 -> 08:41 PM) Yes, but several of the bullpen guys pitch high 90's. Supposedly. I think that's pretty overrated though, the different look. These guys are pretty much geared up for the gas anyway. Seeing a knuckleballer 15 or 20 minutes earlier isn't going to mean much IMO. I wish Haeger was on the team because at least if you don't want him as the fifth starter, which I feel he is the one with the best chance of succeeding in 2007, he has to be a better option in the bullpen than Floyd. I guess you have to have someone on the roster that you got for one of your starters after telling everyone how wrong they were that said player was a bust.

The key to 2005 was the White Sox total domination of their division. The division appears to be pretty good this year, and the pitchers have shown me nothing to indicate they will be any better this year than last. 82-85 wins.

QUOTE(WSoxMatt @ Mar 25, 2007 -> 08:20 PM) He definitely didnt deserve a spot out of camp! Nor does the majority of the pitching staff.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Mar 25, 2007 -> 03:55 PM) I'm surprised they haven't talked about the Bmac/Danks deal at all? You would think they would try to sell the public on it, especially with McCarthy's stats this spring. The only problem with that is they would have to ignore most of the White Sox pitching staff's stats.

At least KW bit the bullet with Floyd. I am not enamoured with the thought of Danks being in 2007s rotation, but I do hope he does well obviously. I would be shocked if he didn't suffer some growing pains during the season, and also believe he will most likely be a resident of Charlotte, NC at some point this summer. One thing about him is even if he does get his brains beat in and he isn't ready, he doesn't appear to be the type that will let ruin any chance of success later on. It will be interesting to see how he and McCarthy compare this season. I do like the fact that Danks throws strikes. Ozzie also said earlier that he wanted Logan to be the long man. I guess this would mean that Sisco will be on the team as a reliever. QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Mar 24, 2007 -> 07:36 PM) No doubt he pitched the best, so he deserves it. I like how he is a fighter and will pitch in the strike zone. He's got good enough stuff where when he pitches in the zone, he won't get lit up. I think Danks will be a top-rookie of the year candidate. As the fifth starter, he should be going up against other teams s*** starters and I like Danks' chances to have a 4.5 ish ERA or maybe lower and with our offense, being in the fifth spot, 14 wins is not out of the question. Considering he won 9 games combined in AA and AAA last year, and is making a pretty big leap, 14 wins is a little unrealistic.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Mar 24, 2007 -> 12:07 AM) He'd never come back to the Big 10, and it has nothing to do with how Illinois fans feel about him. Actually, Pearl has kept in touch with many of his Iowa City ties. If the offer is big enough, he would take the job in a heartbeat. That said, I don't know if the university wants to have the Pearl/Thomas/Illini story go on and on an on, as it most assuredly would if he came back. He's a great coach. Alford leaving is going to be good for Iowa basketball and good for Alford IMO.

QUOTE(fathom @ Mar 23, 2007 -> 10:14 PM) Tracey has a 91/92 mph fastball with no control. He won't be making any major league team. Tracey's stuff isn't on the same planet as that of Thornton. That would be like comparing Buehrle's stuff to Santana's stuff. He's sort of like the present version of Bobby Jenks. I'm a little higher on Tracey than you are, but he if he is to be successful, chances are it wouldn't be with a team run by Ozzie Guillen. He gets to go work with Mazzone, he may find some sort of success.

If the Phillies didn't examine Freddy, I would be willing to bet the White Sox didn't examine Gio or Floyd. Maybe if they did, they would have found out Floyd had no balls, and moved on.

Does this mean that Ozzie is in the wrong for worrying about Jenks even though its just spring training and he "always" throws in the low 90s in spring training and struggles?

I think Alford is avoiding being fired. I heard the hot name for the Iowa job if,and it appears to almost be a given at this point, Alford leaves is Lon Kruger. Illini fans have to almost be relieved though, as now they probably can say they have officially bottomed out. With all the off the court problems, the injuries during the season, Gunther wigging out at the tournament, Self, Kruger and Pearl all still alive in the tournament, and Alford leaving Iowa. An Illini fan's nightmare. I am an Iowa alum, and this is good news. I just hope they bring in someone who has had success and can recruit. Kruger is a good coach, but there are questions about his recruiting IIRC. There is no reason the Hawkeyes shouldn't be in the tournament yearly and win games in the tournament yearly.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Mar 21, 2007 -> 11:40 PM) Are you suggesting compensation from the White Sox if Garcia requires surgery? If that's what you mean, Philadelphia can whine all they want -- they're not receiving s***. Physicals are done for a reason. This isn't like an apparently healthy Gary Majewski magically developing arm troubles following a deal from the Nationals. Garcia's velocity has been rather stagnant for over a year. Believe me, if there's something wrong that's going to keep him down, and they feel he came over as damaged goods, they will inquire. I don't think the White Sox would be obligated. I saw him last year and figured something had to be wrong. I would imagine they examined him. If they did, they missed it, tough luck. If they didn't they were fools, tough luck again.

QUOTE(hitlesswonder @ Mar 21, 2007 -> 11:32 PM) The Sox could send Gavin Floyd back.... Seriously though, if Toronto didn't get compensated for Mike Sirotka I can't see the Phillies getting it here. Actually taking Floyd off their hands should be compensation enough.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Mar 21, 2007 -> 09:43 PM) "Velocity concerns since Spring Training began?" LOL, try velocity concerns since last season. Guys just don't drop that much velocity and then pick it right back up again. The White Sox sold his velocity drop on the extra workload in the playoffs and the World Baseball Classic. A lot of people bought it. There had to be something wrong. Then Freddy says he had some problems last year in his introductory press conference in Philadelphia. It wouldn't surprise me that if something is wrong that requires surgery, the Phillies ask for compensation. It would be ridiculous if they got it.

It may make the trade look better, I have often said I think Garcia will be bad in 2007, but we will never know what KW could have gotten elsewhere if he just waited a couple months. I always liked the Garcia trade, until they dealt McCarthy and left what I believe is a hole in their rotation.