Dick Allen

Do they bone the bat right before filling it with cork?

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 05:52 PM) I saw this little tidbit on another board. I havent researched this to be true, but if it is, then what the hell are we doing . We have played 100 games so far. Our opening day lineup has played as a unit in 20 games. We are 17-3 in those games. I hate Sunday line-ups but when you're giving up 6,7 or more runs a game, you could have an All Star line-up and get beat. The problem with the White Sox, at least the only one that absolutely has to be fixed or they will be golfing during the playoffs, is the pitching. Of the 5 starters in the greatest rotation in history, only Contreras has been effective the entire year. The other 4 have been as horrible as can be for very long stretches this year. The Sox are almost lucky to be where they are in the standings right now with how the pitching staff has performed. Maybe the innings have finally taken a toll, maybe last season's luck has given out. It seems the opposition isn't missing any White Sox pitcher's meatballs this season. Last year they may pop up a meatball, hit a shot right at somebody or hit a hard grounder for a double play. This year those balls are into the gaps and over the fence.

How does everyone conclude McCarthy can only go a couple of innings? Didn't he make over 80 pitches in his one start? It wouldn't be long before he got that up to 100. I'd actually love to see Vazquez pulled after 80. Its like after midnight with him. Nothing good happens to Javier Vazquez after 80 pitches.

Anyone who thinks this team can catch Detroit is crazy. Maybe by the deadline the Sox will be 3 1/2 games out of the wildcard and KW will have a white flag trade or 2. I'm already prepared for when the Sox take on KC and the Royals put up "a big crooked number". Hawk will say, "Make no mistake about it, this is a good KC ballclub no matter what their record says". Pitching was the key to the White Sox success last year. The White Sox offense until recently had performed much higher than anyone's best case scenerio could have been, and they are now tied with a Minnesota team who was contemplating trading Torii Hunter as a salary dump not too long ago, and could be behind NY, a team playing without its 2 starting corner OFs. I don't see anyway they can improve the current rotation through trade right now, and Ozzie is too stubborn to give McCarthy a shot, so the Sox will continue to give up a ton of runs. The offense will bounce back a little, but its not going to be as consistent as it was in the first half, and it will be back to the drawing board for KW and crew. Hopefully a lesson will be learned. Since KW took over, his worst offensive team was the one which won the world championship. It also featured the best pitching of any team since he took over.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 03:59 PM) Tavares is just a bad baseball player, imagine Juan Pierre but with an even lower OBP. To think we actually had people on this board wanting KW to trade Contreras to Houston for Taveras and a middle reliever. And that was AFTER the World Series.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 04:11 PM) How about Mark Buehlre? He's TERRIBLE. It may be to a point where, unless he rebounds, we may have to reconsider his option for next year. Is it worth paying Buehrle 10 million if he's producing at his current rate? I'm sure he'll rebound -- it's impossible to remain this bad -- but if he's giving up 5ER every other outing it may be wise to consider another path. It's past the point where this is a slump. He's either been completely figured out or pitching through an injury. Don't worry, Coop will fix him.

QUOTE(GoSox05 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 04:07 PM) how long before attendence drops? Next April, and maybe the KC series. This team looks like toast. Buerhle was pitiful again today, and maybe all the innings have caught up to him. To give up 7 runs to a Twins team without Hunter or Mauer is pretty disheartening. Ozzie's managerial moves blew up in his face again today. For some reason, he likes to have the opponent's best hitter always have a chance to beat him.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 09:24 AM) Boras was just quoted as saying he doesn't believe there is enough time to be able to structure and agree to an extension before the deadline. "These things take too much time." Exactly. I see no way Zito signs a contract quickly with Boras running the show. He's has to be as near of lock as can be to be a free agent unless the Mets trade for him and give him an ungodly contract.

QUOTE(Steff @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 08:55 AM) Zito will help us now. FWIW, Boras was at 2 Boston/White Sox games. 1 in Unc's box. Perhaps they've mended the fence. I don't think Boras is ever going to change the way he does business, so I see no way that fence will ever be mended. They may have been discussing a contract for Crede. Either that, or maybe JR wasn't at the game Boras was in his box.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Jul 26, 2006 -> 08:41 AM) I'm guessing you did not read "Moneyball," or else you would know what I am talking about, Dick. I read Moneyball and the story for one thing was not as derrogatory towards KW that is was reported to be. Since the book came out, while they haven't done any more deals, they have discussed deals. If there was no discussion, did Olney just make this up then? And if they aren't going to trade with each other because of Moneyball, why did you make a thread about it?

There are no KW/Billy Beane issues that would ever prevent them dealing with each other. Despite being called a liar by a soxtalk "insider" a couple years ago when I reported KW's main target was Tim Hudson, KW later came out and said no one had called Beane more on any of his "big 3". Whether Olney's report is true or not, and whether if it is true there is much of a chance of it happening is another thing.

Speaking of Pods, it looks to me he's swinging for the fences lately. I wonder if the trade rumors are bothering him.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 10:33 PM) Flash Gordon is horrific right now. I was reading a Yankees report on Hernandez and they think he would get killed in the AL. This is a team that signed Ponson. I like Gordon and think he will regain his effectiveness. I don't think the Sox will trade for him now, especially with his contract, but his recent struggles probably brought his price tag down significantly.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 10:31 PM) Adding another reliever isn't the answer to our problems right now. This team needs another outfielder badly. A real outfielder may have caught Bartlett's homer tonight, although it would have been a circus catch. Pablo should never see the OF on this team. It boggles my mind why the Sox don't have a right handed hitting outfielder in Gload's roster spot.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 10:22 PM) Roberto Hernandez or S. Torres, come on down. I hope not. But I guess they would take Gload's spot so they really couldn't hurt. I do think KW is aiming higher though. He may have to settle.

The offense was due to slow down, and this team doesn't win when it scores 3 or fewer runs. So you either have to strengthen the pitching where it will give up 3 or less runs, or get more offense so it will score more than 3. I don't think Soriano is coming to the Sox, but I do believe KW will add to this roster.

The next big game Javy Vazquez wins will be the first in his major league career. This guy made his reputation pitching in front of 200 of his closest friends in Montreal. Ever since then, he's been below average. Coop will fix him has outlived its shelf-life. I was on another board a few days ago, and they had threads from a Yankee board 2 years ago. You could have changed the dates and the name of the teams, and you'd wouldn't know the difference between this year and 2004 with the Yankees. When Ozzie first approached Vazquez on the possibility of the Sox acquiring him, Javy was less than enthusiastic, wondering how he would do against the AL. That was the red flag. He has almost 200 decisions in the major leagues. What you see is what you get.

QUOTE(CWSOX45 @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 02:43 PM) Heath Phillips and Chuck Haeger maybe, what about Jeff Farnsworth? They did lose Majewski earlier this season in a trade with the Reds. I don't think Farnsworth makes Bowden excited. They don't want middle of the road journeyman type prospects who have only a slight chance of making contributions to a major league team. If they keep Soriano they get 2 decent draft picks.

QUOTE(Jake @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 12:49 PM) For the record -- Scott Podsednik under no circumstances will ever start in CF over Brian Anderson. You're talking about an organization that put Carl Everett in CF in 2003. If the Sox get Soriano, and if Pods is not involved in the deal, I have no doubt he will see some time in CF, but I still think Anderson gets the majority of the time there. Mackowiak's days in CF may be numbered. Lots of ifs there, I think its a longshot it gets done. Bowden is a guy who asks for the moon for players, sometimes, like when he traded with Cincinatti, he gets it.

Won/loss record will never get Ozzie fired. He said last year he would quit if the Sox won the WS. I think he will walk away sooner than anyone thinks. The only way he gets fired is if he does something so stupid the Sox have no choice. I don't think he's lost the team, but these little tirades will eventually lead to that IMO.

I can't believe Brantley still has a job. If they fire him, I'll know ESPN is being serious.

I think the Sox have won only 5 games this season scoring 3 runs or less. Santana is going to be tough to beat.

Considering Bowden worked at ESPN, he probably has someone leaking them information. Whether the information Bowden is allowing being leaked is real or not is anyone's guess, but I'm positive he's responsible for a lot of the information we are getting.

Vazquez had been doing a good job keeping the ball in the ballpark until recently. Now he's starting to give up bombs, and he generally gives up a lot of those. I wish he was on a different team.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jul 24, 2006 -> 11:25 PM) so he signed with Florida knowing he would be dealt after the first year? Im not really following the logic. They gave him a huge backloaded contract, or at least the first year was a discount 2005 $4 mill 2006 $13.5 mill 2007 $14.5 mill 2008 $16 mill 2009 $12 mill team option, with $4 mill buyout. They sold him on the promise of a new stadium and then they would be able to afford him. Remember the Marlins couldn't afford Derrick Lee. When the stadium fell through again, he was a goner.