Dick Allen

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:40 PM) In fairness to Vazquez's salary, we're not paying all of it, and that money was given to him by the Yankees. We all know how they evaluate talent and determine how much money he should get. Rogers, Bonderman,Verlander and Robertson make less money combined than Vazquez does. The Sox are getting a slight break on the entire salary.

Part of pitching a good game and earning your $12 million a year is making a good pitch with the bases loaded and your team leading by a run. Vazquez didn't do it.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:34 PM) The Cincy blow out. Last time he got an extra base hit, May 29th He's due.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:31 PM) He cares too much, Jas. He gets too down on himself when he makes one bad pitch(in this case the pudge rolling curve is what got it going) and that just leads to a big inning. It's happened a ton this season. Hawk and DJ constantly praise the competitiveness of Vazquez, although neither of them seem to care for how he approaches hitters.

QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:28 PM) Funny, no one mentions that when it comes to Widger's game calling. Just an FYI. Widger has been beyond brutal. Game calling is only part of his weakness.

AJ may be calling the wrong pitches, but its Vazquez's game, and he can always shake him off.

QUOTE(Melissa1334 @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:20 PM) why is it that kenny is reluctant to trade javy?i dont care if pitching is very valuable,etc. he plain and simple sux. u have to trade this guy. shoot, i dont care if it were to a team that we could face in the playoffs or something. i would love it if the sox faced this guy... KW is probably very reluctant to trade him because he's only been around 3 months and they have invested heavily in him in terms of what he is paid, and the talent they had to surrender to get him. I don't think moving Vazquez is a thought in KW's mind right now unless somebody calls with an outrageously generous offer which, after his performance the past 2 1/2 seasons and his contract, is not likely.

QUOTE(DonkeyKongerko @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:15 PM) Scooter said it was a slider. It was a hanging slider.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 08:12 PM) Yes, Bonderman is right handed with good stuff. That's it, no good reason. Its about time Ozzie gets it through his skull that everytime he puts Mack in CF there is a play that isn't made that costs the Sox runs. Its amazing. You would think there would be a fair share of games with nothing but routine plays for the CF.

Vazquez is just not a winner. He teases you, but in the end you are dissappointed. If Young turns out to be anywhere near as good as a lot of people think, that trade will KW's worst.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 05:47 PM) When you say "mediocrity" you have to keep in mind what else is available right now. The only really solid pitcher that has been rumored to be available at all is Zito, and I doubt that at this point since Harden is down and Loaiza has been bad. The Mets have a comfortable lead in the East. They will probably win the East, barring some huge run by the Braves. I don't know about you, but from what I understand, New Yorkers don't strike me as the type to be satisfied with postseason "appearances." I'm not advocating Minyana do anything ridiculously stupid. With this, he keeps Milledge and Pelfrey, and acquires a pitcher who has won big games before and seemingly would not shrivel under the NY spotlight. He has a 6-2 postseason record with a 3.31 ERA. Livan has a postseason record of 6-2 with a 3.99 ERA, but all the good results came 97' and 2000'. In 2002, he was horrible. Trachsel has no postseason experience. Before last season, most of the White Sox staff had very little to no post season experience. Good pitchers, especially power pitchers do well in the postseason. Freddy is not a very good pitcher right now, and no way you can say he's a power pitcher at this point. You are saying Hernandez was good in 97 and 2000 but horrible in 2002. Freddy was good in the 2005 post season, but easily could be horrible in 2006. I would love for the Sox to trade Freddy, I just don't think they could get the package a lot here seem to think. I really doubt Minaya would weaken his bullpen too much to acquire a guy who is not that big of upgrade, and may not even be an upgrade.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 04:17 PM) Look more closely at Trachsel's numbers and tell me if you expect him to continue winning.... If you are all going to rip on Freddy with his numbers, check out Trachsel's in a pitcher's park in the national league. He's doing it with smoke and mirrors right now. You want to put HIM up against the White Sox, Yankees, Red Sox, or Tigers? We've seen Freddy against the Red Sox and Yankees. I wouldn't mind seeing him against the White Sox. I think its not a lock that Freddy outperforms Trachsel, so I see absolutely no reason Minaya would want to overpay for mediocrity.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Jul 19, 2006 -> 03:53 PM) Well, We have been very good... But honestly, it isn't that much of a stretch. Omar, if he doesn't want to pitch Steve Trachsel as his third pitcher in the postseason, has to go get someone. The options may very well only be Garcia, Livan Hernandez, Rodrigo Lopez, or Mark Redman. Livan is probably the only other guy of those you might trust in the postseason and he is having an even worse year than Freddy. Additionally, Bowden is said to be demanding Pelphrey or Milledge for him. Faced with that decision, dealing Heilman and Humber seems to be the better alternative. Not saying it would happen. Just saying I think it could. Trachsel has won his last 7 starts. Why would Minaya overpay for a guy not pitching nearly as well to bump him back in their playoff rotation?

I think its pretty safe to assume Carl Crawford will not be in a White Sox uniform in 2006, and most likely not ever.

Ironic that a 3rd base coach ran a stop sign.

I read one of the NY papers and they were saying the Yankees had no interest in Roberto Hernandez. Their scouts think he would be lit up in the AL. This from a team who signed Sidney Ponson. Makes you think twice about Bert.

I'm kind of shocked that KW would annoint Fields a major league all star before he has ever played 1 major league game. I'm also shocked a GM of a team looking to add young players does't want to trade with the White Sox because they are champions. I think you go for the best deal to help your organization regardless of who the trading partner is. If KW is not going to trade Fields, he should move him to the outfield immediately. If he's going to be the LF next season, don't make it doubley hard on him by having him be a rookie learning a new position.

QUOTE(hi8is @ Jul 18, 2006 -> 06:06 PM) i guess we didnt watch the same baseball games or the same team or the same player. Then explain to me how he only scored 80 runs last year if all he did was get into pitcher's minds? He's going to score alot more than 80 this season, and you say he's not getting in their minds. I'll take this year's version. He gets more extra base hits and drives home more runs as well. Defensively he's a joke. I never liked him except for October 23,2006. He has slipped defensively, although he was extremely average last year. I am kind of shock about how many have turned on him, considering all the numbers. QUOTE(Frankensteiner @ Jul 18, 2006 -> 06:07 PM) I think Carl Everett hitting 3rd and Paul Konerko's .246 average with RISP had something to do with Pods only scoring 80 runs. You can't steal home. But then you would prove false the theory that he was in pitcher's mind.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Jul 18, 2006 -> 06:02 PM) I dont like WCIU broadcasts. They always seem to have audio problems I know. I have to turn the volume almost to full blast, and I always forget so I shock myself between innings when I change channels.

QUOTE(hi8is @ Jul 18, 2006 -> 05:20 PM) did you watch any games last season? pods did do a lot to mess with pitchers last year... meat balls, wild pitches, pitchers walking people.... its not about BA as much as it is him getting in the head of the other team... he did it more often last season but has done it a little this year. Pods was so overrated during the regular season last year it wasn't even funny. He scored 80 runs. Surely if he messed with pitcher's minds as much as advertised he would have scored a very average 80 runs for a leadoff guy with almost 60 steals. He actually is a better offensive player this year.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jul 17, 2006 -> 06:40 PM) Noticed he was a relatively high draft pick-- 9th overall in 2005. No use beginning my routine of suggesting, "where's our Pelfrey?" From browsing looking through their system, and noticing what they've recently produced, it appears Mets have done FAR better then we have at producing major league talent. Reading an article on Baseball Prospectus it mentions several interesting points I wish Williams would adopt: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/featu...op10s/mets.html Why haven't we shown this type of dedication to producing Latin American talent? Yeah, a measly baseball school in Venezuela, that's about it. I wish an article could be written in which someone could infer Williams as "intent on making his club a dominant force" concerning Latin prospects. Whore our World Championship and Guillen's popularity for more than a baseball school. There should be a large collection of Latin American scouts shown a pink slip after the pitiful results they've shown over the past decade. No one can even debate me on this issue. It should improve. The Sox recently opened an academy in Venezuela. Hopefully it will pay off. I think White Sox amatuer scouts have been lacking the past several years.

I can't see a first place team making that trade for a 3rd baseman with zero major league ABs. I am a fan of dealing Fields however. I think its far more likely he turns out like Joe Borchard than Joe Crede.

They are in first place. To trade those 2 for minor leaguers is definitely not going to happen.,

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jul 17, 2006 -> 10:57 AM) Here's the question we're all answering without actually saying so: We've been willing to take chances on guys with rumored behavior issues before. Is there a line we're not willing to cross in terms of bad behavior? I think there is a line. What that is, I don't know. For instance, I doubt the Sox would be interested in someone convicted of a hate crime. I just think this incident is over the top ugly and out of line. Wife-beating should not be tolerated or brushed aside just because a guy has an ability to throw a baseball others can't hit very well.

Brett Myers was arrested in Boston last night for allegedly striking his wife. The couple were walking back to their hotel from a bar when a dispute broke out just blocks from Fenway Park. The incident occurred just after midnight and appears pretty gruesome. Here are the details from the Boston Globe: Myers' wife, told police she believed her husband hit her twice in the face with a closed fist. Witnesses told police Myers dragged his wife by the hair and slapped her across the face. Procopio said it is unclear if Myers punched his wife or slapped her, but he did strike her in the face. Courtney Knight, 26, who witnessed the alleged attack, said in an interview today that Myers was out of control. "It was disgusting," Knight said. "He was dragging her by the hair and slapping her across the face. She was yelling, 'I'm not going to let you do this to me anymore.' " Knight said the 6-foot-4 ballplayer dwarfs his wife, who she estimated to be 5 foot 2 and 100 pounds. "She's a real small girl," Knight said. "It was awful." Myers allegedly told Knight and her friends to leave and resisted when they tried to pull him off of his wife, prompting Knight to call police. She said Myers was undeterred by the presence of her group of friends. "He had her on the ground. He was trying to get her to go, and she was resisting," Knight said. "She curled up and sat on the ground. He was pulling her, her shirt up was around her neck....He could have cared less that we were there." Knight said the player appeared to be fighting with his wife because he wanted to return to their hotel and she did not. This is not a guy any team should want on his roster. I don't care if he throws the ball 150 MPH.