Dick Allen

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 10, 2006 -> 07:33 PM) There are at least a couple others on our team that have used roids, but weren't caught. Does it make them better they weren't caught? That's an ignorant comment by you, so congrats!! Anyways, complete vulture style win for Montero, 3 pitches and 1 out, but congrats anyways. I like you better than Polittle, by a lot, already. . He got busted by MLB using steroids, something Bonds, Sosa and McGwire never did, yet its fine to rip them. He cheated, and he sucks. I don't want him around. If anyone on the Sox ever gets caught, no matter who they are, I will feel the same way.

How many more wins does he need to become the winningest pitcher post steroid suspension? Screw steroid boy Montero.

Poor Jon. He signs a 3 year $29 million contract, and the fans expect him to produce. I'm crying for him.

I'd like to see AJ catch Buerhle today. I know Mark threw 8 shutout innings against Cleveland last year on opening day, and the Sox won with AJ catching Buerhle against Cleve. this year's opening night. With the problems Buerhle has had in head to head match-ups with Sabbathia, I'd like Ozzie to switch catchers to see if it helps. It looks like it should clear by gametime, but the weather in downtown Chicago is brutal right now. Its so cold and raining heavily.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 06:46 PM) Cameron actually has a hit more value to SD than you think. Because Petco's such a spacious park, he's real important out there in CF defensively. So having him patrol CF is going to help their defense and pitching a lot. Plus wasn't there always bad blood when we traded him, and he said he never really wanted to come back here or something? I wouldn't worry about bad blood when he was traded. Back in those days, and even now, with a couple exceptions, most players have left the Sox with a sour taste in their mouth. Guys like Ozzie and Cora, and Kittle, and Melton all are associated with the team, and they all left on horrible terms. Besides, I don't think Cameron can block a trade. I don't think SD would trade him though, unless the Sox gave them something useful this season.

Anderson showed tonight why defense is so important in CF. He can't continue to be an automatic out, however. But please don't send him down unless you have a guy who can play CF well. The only way I see that is through a trade.

Pablo is playing 3rd tonight and batting second, as Iguchi gets moved down in the order. Ozzie Jr. isn't going to be happy. He ripped his dad on his radio show for attempting to move Iguchi out of the 2 hole. His view was if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

Bernstein is correct IMO. If Montero is going to see the mound in crucial situations, there's trouble ahead. If Mackowiak is going to be your primary CF, there's trouble ahead. If Anderson can't hit his weight, there is trouble ahead. The Sox have a good record, but while everyone was talking about the weakness of schedule Detroit had, they failed to notice the Sox schedule was actually weaker. Not many changes have to be made, but some do. The bullpen needs another arm or 2, maybe 3 if Garland continues his awful performance and BMac goes into the rotation. CF needs to be ironed out. Either Anderson starts hitting or a CF must be acquired. The starting pitching also has to do a little better IMO. Get a CF, and 2 relievers and the Sox should be fine.

QUOTE(Damen @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 02:05 PM) I can't believe people are piling on Garland after last night. The fact is, he pitched pretty damn well but again was a victim of Ozzie giving him a s*** defense. How many times have Garland's blowup innings been aided by Pablo Ozuna or Rob Mackowiak flailing around like idiots in the outfield. Garland relies on defense as much as anyone on our staff, yet for reasons unknown, he continually goes out there with the Ozzie lineup. If Mackowiak wasn't in center last night, people would be praising Garland for starting to turn it around, and putting us back in first place. If Anderson was in CF Rodriquez most likely never would have even attempted to go to second base. On the shot to CF, the horrific throw would not have been made because Rodriguez would not have been trying to score. On the one where Paulie looked a little stunned Guillen was trying to score, Guillen would have been at 1st base not second, so trying to score wouldn't have been an option. The defense was bad, and if Garland got out of the inning before giving up yet another bomb, Mack would have been a goat. Unfortunately Garland did give up another bomb. No additional outs were needed because of the bad defense in that inning. Garland was getting hit hard again. 6.19 ERA 19 homers allowed. You can put whatever spin you want on it, he has been horrible. Since the All Star break last season, he is 9-9 with an ERA in the middle 4's. He's a guy who has been around a long time and has been consistently mediocre his entire career, except for a few month stretch last season.

Leyritz also said he was hungover and Mattingly told him he was playing for him that day. According to the box score the game Leyritz hit 2 homers against the Sox, Mattingly was playing 1st base. Sounds like a little fabricating a la David Wells and his alledged hangover when he pitched a perfect game to me. I have no doubt Leyritz used greenies, but I do doubt the first time he used them he was hungover sleeping in the clubhouse, took a couple and hit 2 home runs.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 12:22 PM) Well, he went 7 innings and gave up 6 earned runs. But if you account for the poor defense, only about 3 of those runs were his fault. I don't think defense cost him anything. If Mack makes the correct plays, Konerko's snoozing doesn't come into play at all, and there would have been no additional outs recorded. Rodriquez wouldn't have tagged up. Guillen wouldn't have been in postion to try and score. I was at the game, and Garland got hit hard again last night. He struck a few guys out for a change, but he was very fortunate not to give up 6 or 7 homers.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Jun 9, 2006 -> 11:58 AM) I wish I were like that. Before last year, I always said that I'd be so numb after a World Series victory, that I'd be completely fine with an 0-162 season the following year. I lied. I want another one bad. I was in the same boat. I thought if they just won once, I wouldn't care if they lost 100 games a year for the next 10 years. Maybe its because they won, something I probably never thought could happen in my lifetime, so now I see it is possible, and the little mistakes seem to irritate me even more than before. I see sellouts against the Detroit Tigers in the middle of the week while school is still going on for many, and I still don't know if reality has set in with me. Of course, my wife will tell you reality has never set in with me about anything.

Garland has given up a Shingo-esque 19 homers this year. His ERA is over 6.00. He has been terrible. Why are so many defending him?

QUOTE(SoxFan1 @ Jun 8, 2006 -> 11:11 PM) Because he drifts to it instead of running there and getting underneath it. It's quite annoying. Exactly. If he would have not drifted and caught the ball how he should have, Rodriquez wouldn't have even tried to get to second. Even with Mack's 2 horrible plays in CF, Garland faced as many hitters as he would have if Mack had played them correctly. If Garland doesn't give up the homer, then Mack would be the goat. It just shows Mack should not be in CF, at least not very often. It seems almost every game he's out there lately, his defensive deficiencies get put on display. You would think there would be a game once in a while when that wouldn't happen.

QUOTE(fathom @ Jun 8, 2006 -> 10:35 PM) Well, some people were trying to say that Garland didn't get hard tonight. From about the 3rd inning on, it seemed like every other batter hit the ball 340 feet or longer. Garland really sucks right now. 2 more gopher balls, and he's really lucky it wasn't 7 or 8. Ozzie left him out there for over 120 pitches. There was a least 3 or 4 balls just skyed to the warning track. Another 3 or 4 that had close to homerun distance but were foul. And then the big inning. Mackowiak showed once again he's not a CF, but it didn't cost the White Sox any outs. Rodriquez never would have tagged up and gone to second if Mack even made a gesture to get into some kind of position to throw the ball to second, and Guillen didn't take second until the ball went sailing to homeplate the next batter. Then an infield hit, and you know what's coming next, Garland had gone 3 or 4 innings without allowing a homer, he was due.

At least Tracey looks like he can mop up. Politte couldn't even do that. Like someone said above, it will be interesting to see how he does in a situation not as comfortable as a 4 run deficit, but he definitely looked pretty good. He's been starting in Charlotte. Put him in Garland's spot.

QUOTE(My Dixie Normus @ Jun 8, 2006 -> 10:27 PM) When BA makes an out at the plate, he screws up his own head. When Mackowiak blows a cut-off or a catch, an inning goes on for the pitcher. It screws with his (the Pitcher's) head. And for as good as our pitchers are, save Contreras, none of them shake off mistakes like that very well. Garland, Garcia and Buehrle get rattled by unearned earned runs, if you know what I mean. These plays that should be made, need to be made. These three starters even seem to get stronger after a big defensive play saves them from one of their own mistakes. BAs defense adds more than his lack of offense subracts. He needs to be in the line-up. Crazy idea. Move him up in the line up. Put him after Dye or even at #2 for a game or two. Let him see some pitches. Right now he get crap but he chases it. If you put him in a position where they have to pitch to him, he might get his stroke back. I know #2 is not going to happen but splitting him a Uribe up might be a good idea. The other thing is, Mack really is not much more of an offensive threat than Anderson against lefties.

I just got back from the game, and today's game showed once again why Mackowiak cannot play CF on a regular or even semi-regular basis. On Maggs' flyball, he didn't get in position to throw to second allowing the runner to advance. Guillen then singles and Mack throws over everyone to home where he had no chance allowing another runner into scoring position, who eventually scored from second on the infield hit. It really didn't matter because Garland was on the mound and a homer is always around the corner for him. About Garland. I went to Tucson on March20. I saw Garland pitch one of the games I saw down there, and he got lit up. I've been to every home game except 2 or 3 this year and have watched just about all of Garland's starts home and away. The thing that's alarming to me is the amount of hard hit balls against him. At least half of the outs he records are hit pretty well. This is about as bad as I have seen him pitch since he put on a White Sox uniform.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 8, 2006 -> 12:21 PM) Interested to see what Loaiza does tonight. He's twirled a gem through 6.

Assuming the White Sox stay healthy, Cleveland can't fall too much far behind. They have a good team, but its very doubtful they could come up with a streak like last season. Detroit has a solid team, and to me is in the same boat as Cleveland last year, except maybe a little better. If the Indians could have beat the White Sox head to head last year, the season probably would have been a different story. If Detroit was able to beat the White Sox this year, they would be running away with the division. If the Sox fix their bullpen, and health isn't an issue, they should win. If either fails, they could easily come in 3rd.

As bad as Anderson has been, the bigger problem with the White Sox is it now appears as if Montero is going to see the mound in crucial situations. He escaped yesterday with a hit and a near homer in 2/3 of an inning. McCarthy will be the primary set-up guy, but I heard Ozzie last night, and he doesn't want to use him too much.

From Ozzie's comments, it appears the White Sox have inquired about Hunter.

For his efforts, Nelson will receive approx. $350,000 (pro-rated $500,000 salary), he had a nice room at the Westin for a couple of weeks, and now probably goes back to the broadcasting in Seattle. Not bad at all for him. This exit still has me shaking my head. I still think there is more to the story than elbow damage.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 7, 2006 -> 11:39 PM) Not surprising at all....and after hearing his comments today on Grimsley, I'm glad he won't be playing in our uniform anymore. Ozzie thinks the same way as Nelson on this topic. Should he move along as well?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jun 7, 2006 -> 03:06 PM) Last year in April, Cotts had a 3.86 ERA, and a 3.00 ERA in May. This year, Cotts was at 3.27 in April and 2.53 in May. Clearly he's been terrible. He hasn't pitched as well as last year. He has pitched a lot more. He has Marte's role. Look at Marte last April and May, and you will see numbers that were better than Neal's. Neal's strikeout rate is way down, and he's already allowed 4 times as many homers as he did all year. He hasn't been terrible, but he hasn't been very sharp. As I have stated numerous times, it would be crazy to think he could duplicate last year's numbers.