Dick Allen

QUOTE(Greg Hibbard @ May 30, 2006 -> 07:27 PM) is Hawk crazy? "Our bullpen is not near where it was at this point last year..." No, Hawk, we don't have Vizcaino giving up games once a week, we don't have Marte's unpredictable outings.... I think people forget that our bullpen was a bit of a mess in May last year... Hermanson, Cotts, and Politte were automatic at this time last year. Jenks is getting close to automatic right now, everyone else has an issue or 2, although Thornton has pitched well of late.

QUOTE(Ndgt10 @ May 30, 2006 -> 07:23 PM) You have to be insane to think that a pitcher doesn't know who he is pitching against. When he faces Sabathia, he realizes that he has to pitch a very good game and it puts pressure on him. That pressure can effect the way he pitches. Didn't Buerhle beat Cleveland 1-0 on opening day last year? How can you praise Garland 64-61 lifetime coming into this season with a 4.42 career ERA, and knock Buerhle 85-53 3.63. They both broke in the same season, 2000,.

QUOTE(Ndgt10 @ May 30, 2006 -> 07:21 PM) He got the W in his last start. That's all that matters. If the game was closer he would have definitely focused more and hit the corners. But when you are pitching with the lead, you let the other team hit. That is what he did and it worked out for him. Garland knows how to pitch. He is a fierce competitor and I would want him out there for game 1 of the world series. A fierce competitor that can't go more than 6 innings. I know you're BSing now.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 30, 2006 -> 07:19 PM) When was he in the bullpen? Pretty sure he pitched a CG against the Angels? Yep, he did. His turn was skipped. My mistake. He was the #4 starter in the Boston series, so he wasn't used, and then was skipped for Contreras and Buerhle against the Angels. Maybe Ozzie didn't want to use his best at the start.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ May 30, 2006 -> 07:17 PM) If the playoffs were to start today, he'd in the bullpen. I guess if you want to call that being the man, then he's the man. He was in the bullpen last year during his breakout season. Now he's just batting practice. But he only gave up 3 homers and 5 runs in 6 innings last start. He's fine now.

What is Widger's reputation for calling a game? Since Buerhle doesn't ever shake of a catcher, I wonder what his numbers are with AJ catching him vs. Widger, although I do agree AJ probably should be forced to hit off CC.

QUOTE(Ndgt10 @ May 30, 2006 -> 07:10 PM) Buehrle gives up the lead in one inning, but it's okay. Garland doesn't give up lead for 5 innings, everybody is ready to ship him out. Garland > Buerhle What are their career numbers? You really couldn't be foolish enough really to believe Garland with his 6.25 ERA is better than Buerhle can you?

The White Sox are just asking for trouble if they think the answer to their bullpen woes is on the Charlotte Knights right now.

I wonder what his wife makes of this.

This isn't 2006 White Sox, but White Sox related. I saw a little bit of the 5 reasons you can't blame someone show on ESPN and they had it about Babe Ruth being sold to the Yankees. What they said was Ruth wasn't going to play for Boston anymore and the Red Sox had 2 choices, either sell Ruth to the Yankees, or the other deal on the table was to trade him to the White Sox for Shoeless Joe Jackson. This was months before there was any knowledge of any Jackson involvement with the Black Sox scandal. How different White Sox history would have been. I wonder what number Harold Baines would have been.

Only 8 of his 20 have been solos. That's pretty impressive.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ May 29, 2006 -> 05:06 PM) The field ahead of Thome. How high can you see him going? Rank Player HR 1. H Aaron 755 2. B Bonds* 715 3. B Ruth 714 4. W Mays 660 5. S Sosa 588 6. F Robinson 586 7. M McGwire 583 8. H Killebrew 573 9. R Palmeiro 569 10. R Jackson 563 11. M Schmidt 548 12. K Griffey* 542 13. M Mantle 536 14. J Foxx 534 15. W McCovey 521 15. T Williams 521 17. E Banks 512 17. E Mathews 512 19. M Ott 511 20. E Murray 504 21. L Gehrig 493 21. F McGriff 493 23. S Musial 475 23. W Stargell 475 25. D Winfield 465 26. J Canseco 462 27. F Thomas* 457 28. G Sheffield* 453 29. C Yastrzemski 452 30. J Thome* 450 *=active I think he'll have more than Palmiero, without the Viagra or something.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ May 29, 2006 -> 09:58 AM) After getting bashed over and over the last year and a half, Carlos Beltran... .277 AVG, 14 HR, .391 OPB, .622 SLG, 1.013 OPS, 7-8 in SB He's pretty damn good. Too bad he's not available.

Carlton Fisk in 1983 had a pathetic average into late May. It was so bad, a lot of people thought he was done. On May 29th he was hitting .179 with 3 homers and 11 RBI. I think he finished 2nd or 3rd in the MVP vote that season. Anderson isn't going to get that hot, but he will improve. Unless KW can get a guy who can play great defense in CF, its really silly to have Mackowiak, who Ozzie said it wasn't fair to have him start against Lee or Sabathia, as your full-time CF, and even scarier, who would be backing him up?

The previous 3 games the Sox scored in double figures, they followed it with a loss. Buerhle is on fire, so he may be the perfect guy to stop that streak, although C.C. is tough, and I don't think the Sox are going to get many off him.

Cleveland is burying itself in the same kind of hole it did last year. You would think its highly unlikely they could put together the same kind of streak this time around, but I still find them dangerous.

QUOTE(YASNY @ May 29, 2006 -> 04:24 PM) How about 11-7? Is that overly optimistic? That's about what I expect out of Garland. Maybe 16-10 over the course of a full season. 16-10 would be great. 11-7 is pretty good as well. The 11-7 isn't $10 million or $12 million a year good, but in today's game $7 million good. 16-10 is worth the last couple year's of his contract. He's a tease, that's why KW probably would have no problem finding someone to take him and his money in the offseason.

QUOTE(YASNY @ May 29, 2006 -> 04:08 PM) Sorry guys. I've been around this game enough to know that some pitchers know how to win, regardless of the other stats. Again, it's all about winning. That's all that matters. I totally agree, wins are the most important stat. 300 wins guarantees you a HOF plaque, a sweet ERA or WHIP do not. That said, since the end of July last season, Garland is 7-8, which is more in line with his career numbers, while pitching for a team that wins often. I think its really being overly optimistic that he really is the guy who was 15-4 at one point last season. I don't think its a fluke that he was 15-4 last year, he's capable, but he's not a guy that will consistently give you the quality to actually expect something like that year in and year out.

Its time for a dominating performance from Vazquez against somebody not named the Kansas City Royals.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 29, 2006 -> 12:30 PM) But I mean, did he finish his career in Cleveland as the DH like Frank did for us? His last year in Cleveland he DH'd 18 times and played 128 games at first.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ May 29, 2006 -> 12:28 PM) Did Thome play 1st base for all of his career in Cleveland? Or was he like Frank? He played third for several seasons until he moved to first. He's a better firstbaseman than Frank ever was, although not exactly gold glove material.

I hate that drum.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ May 29, 2006 -> 07:54 AM) KW has to weigh up whether it's worth trading Garcia in the off-season and possibly getting more back in return, or trading Garland while his value is low, so that B-Mac can move into the rotation. Will be an interesting off-season again on that regard. I agree with the quandry, but Ozzie is going to have a big say in it. If he doesn't like Garland's attitude or where his head is at-------------------he gone.

QUOTE(Heads22 @ May 28, 2006 -> 10:21 PM) True. I wish Brian would drop the appeal now while Rob is hot and is going to get the starts. I think the suspension is the very reason BA is supposedly a candidate for Charlotte. While he serves his suspension, the Sox will be a player short. They don't want to be a player short against Cleveland. The appeal is apparently going to be heard this week. If it is reduced to 3 games which he could take against Texas, the Sox would be short at least 1 or 2 games against Detroit.

I don't think last season was a fluke. Someone pointed out his stats for the last calendar year, and it looked like a typical Garland season, a .500 record and an ERA around 4.50. He's been especially bad this year, but he has ability and will always be capable of a hot streak, just like he will be capable of throwing a great game from time to time, just like he has every season. He's a .500 pitcher, maybe a little better on a great team like the White Sox, and he's a #4 or #5 starter. Ozzie hates the fact that Garland has admitted to a lack of confidence, so if its possible for someone to take his remaining contract at the end of this season, I expect him to be shown the door.