Dick Allen

He pulled the string on the shot. That's a choke job. If you're in the Indy area there will be plenty of tickets available for tomorrow's game with Indiana and Illinois out.

I believe the team that wins this game will win tomorrow. If that is the case and Indiana wins, who would have thought 2 weeks ago that the Hoosiers would have an automatic bid in the NCAA tournament?

If Iowa somehow wins this tournament in Indianapolis, won't it be a given that Steve Alford will be coaching the Hoosiers next season?

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:52 PM) I thought that he had an option for '07 and that was it? Apparently I was wrong. For those who think that we need another middle reliever RIGHT NOW, the Cintron signing seems to suggest that KW isn't done wheeling and dealing just yet. It may happen sooner than you think. I hope you're right. I'm 100% sure he's looking around.

Wasn't Timo Perez a star in Japan?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:48 PM) Just like any other population of players...you can find both success stories and failures. Anyone remember Hideki Irabu? That's actually who I was thinking of when I mention Kaz Matsui.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:44 PM) I'm not going to defend that move. The only rationale I can think of is that KW anticipates Crede leaving at the end of his contrace and wants a temporary solution at 3B. It's only March 11th - still plenty of time for KW to trade for an experienced middle reliever. Crede has this season and next under White Sox control I believe. I don't think there is a chance in hell KW acquired Cintron in anticipation of Crede's departure. Perhaps as insurance for his back, I'll give you that.

I just hope everyone who says the bullpen is fine as currently constructed, doesn't start complaining if it doesn't work out. I will be the first one to say I was wrong if the bullpen is strong this year.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:41 PM) But being a stud for many years in Japan certainly is. Japan and MLB are night and day. See Matsui, Kaz.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:38 PM) Like addressing our lineup's wretched OBP last year and re-signing our best hitter? Check, KW's already done that. Perhaps Kenny remebers paying a 35-year-old washed-up Japanese reliever $2.5 million last year to put up a 5.97 ERA in the closer role. Spending $2-$3 million/year on an "established" reliever doesn't always translate into production. A half a season as a closer is hardly "established".

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:35 PM) Hermanson has said more than once that his back is not a problem. Take it as you will. His back might not be a problem, but his 82 MPH fastball is.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:28 PM) If bullpen performances would fluxuate so much, why in the world would you want KW to throw that much money at bullpen guys who are not gaurenteed to get the job done? How does that make sense. Why don't you make improvements in other areas where they will be much more likely to make an impact. And you'll forgive me if I trust KW's opinion over yours. He is around the team a little bit more than you are. And considering he just won a world series, I think he has a good idea of what we need on this team. He is and I can't argue that, but I also was the one who said KW should trade Shingo last year before the season when his salary was going up, and chances of his repeat performance slim. I was blasted on this board. Pitching won the White Sox the WS. KW neglected the bullpen believing they could find an effective pitcher for the minimum, and believing the current members can repeat their performances. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not excited about the bullpen. KW's reason for 6 starters was if one or two need a break or have an injury then he would be covered. A crappy bullpen only will extend the starters, making injury and poorer performance by them more likely. I also think KW knows his bullpen needs help. He's not going to come out and say it.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:25 PM) A lot less than it would take to get any of those guys. This isn't fantasy baseball. Bullpen help is difficult to find and nobody likes to give it up. I know you'd like KW to just go and cherry pick anybody he wants from teams, but that's not the way it works. A guy like Taveras was a free agent and signed for a little more than $3 million a year. That's not that expensive. Although I'm not a big fan, Mike Myers signed with the Yankees for $1.2 million a year, not too expensive, and he's a far better option than any of the idiots they have vying for that position right now.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:17 PM) Exactly. And KW understands what is going on. I'm sure he'd love to go get a guy that is guarenteed to put up a 3.50 ERA in the bullpen, but this isn't fantasy baseball. You can't always get what you want. Nothing is guaranteed. But considering some of the money the White Sox have thrown around this off season, its pretty incredible to me no money was thrown at the bullpen. Bullpen performances have been known for their fluxuation from year to year. KW at Soxfest spoke about how strong he thought the bullpen would be. I hope he's right, but I disagree with him if he's going with what he's got.

QUOTE(WCSox @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:14 PM) If they're that easy to find, why not wait until we actually have a problem in the 'pen? Why spend more money or trade away a valuable player to address a problem that hasn't developed yet and may not ever develop? I agree that we could use another lefty in the 'pen, but I don't see why a deal needs to be made RIGHT THIS MINUTE. Why not wait until May? Because one or two games may make a difference between being in the playoffs and making sure you make your tee times.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 03:05 PM) But that's my point. KW did a cost effective analysis and decided that it was more important to improve the rotation (longterm as well) and the bench and the offense, and hope that the bullpen will just be close to last year's numbers. I sure he would have loved to add a stud bullpen guy, but he didn't have the resources. We aren't the Yanks. Our payroll improved by a hell of a lot. KW listens to Coop and Ozzie and they think that the bulllpen could at least get the job done for the most part this year. I'm sure KW would love to fill every little hole, but that just isn't realisitic. THat's not the way baseball works. Every team is going to have holes. Bullpen help costs A LOT, and then it isn't even guarenteed. If you want guarenteed bullpen help, you have to give up half your team. Bullpen help costs a heck of a lot less than a guy like Vazquez in terms of money and talent traded to get him.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 02:51 PM) Yes I realize that. I'm sure KW does as well. So he improved as much as he could this offseason. We improved the rotation, the offense, and the bench. I'd love him to replace Hermy with some gaurenteed stud too but he would have had to given up too much to get someone like him. KW did a good job, be he neglected the bullpen. Politte, Hermanson, Cotts all performed much better than could be reasonably expected last year, and are longshots to repeat that performance. Hermanson in particular mentioned he may have to retire during the playoffs. Jenks is a wildcard as well. He was great, has great stuff, but has had questionable behavior in the past. Middle relievers aren't that expensive. Bringing in a bunch of garbage like the dopes auditioning for the second left handed reliever role was puzzling. BMac looks like the real deal, but I don't think the White Sox want him making a ton of appearances in relief, and if a starter goes down, he's in the rotation. The reason the 2nd lefty and last member of the pitching staff is important, is the way Ozzie uses the bullpen. Its possible everyone will repeat or come close to their performance last year, its also possible, more possible IMO that the bullpen becomes as Donald Trump would say "a total disaster". I really think KW needs to add at least 1 reliable bullpen guy right now, and probably will need to add another during the course of the season.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 02:09 PM) How do you know who "real" bullpen help is? How do you know those people won't regress either? THat's just not the way you run a ballclub as I said in my other post. You can't run around trying to predict what will happen next year. You have to go with those that had GOOD years last year and hope that they can hang on. A GM's job IS trying to predict how someone will do in the future, not base everything on last season.

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Mar 11, 2006 -> 11:49 AM) For pete sake the guy has a 6.09 ERA in his major league career (171 games). Last year he was away from Coors and he was even worse with a 9.42 ERA in 29 games. This guy is HORRID. Kevin Walker is inifintely better than some of these bums that this team is giving a shot. I fear for this cause Ozzie tends to use guys in big situations, regardless of who they are, and these guys will BLOW games left and right. Exactly, and FWIW, Walker was lights out for 6 spring training appearances before being hit around. He only allowed 2 hits in his first 7+ innings last spring. Lopez sucks. If the White Sox have to rely on him getting key outs this season, Everett and Thomas will be right.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 07:31 PM) No, but they've said they do want him pitching 100+ innings. Toss in 200+ innings from Vazquez as opposed to the 128 from El Duque...and there's a lot fewer innings being tossed by those bullpen guys. That's taking into account all the starters stay healthy. Odds are one of the at the very least will miss a few starts, moving BMac to the rotation, and weaking the bullpen.

QUOTE(jphat007 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 07:15 PM) LOL. Don't count on KW trading for any BP help before the season starts. You don't go acquire a new bullpen when your bullpen dominated last year just because you THINK they might go back to the way they played in past seasons. We have Bmac if any of the one falter. Having BMac in the bullpen is nice, but I really don't think the White Sox want him making 60-70 appearances.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 06:40 PM) Good point, but if it happened last year too, what makes it so different, and a reason to get a couple of relievers? I do agree with this. I don't see Cliff repeating his 2006 performance, and I see him going back to a 3.60-4.00 ERA. Hermanson's condition and the quality of the left handed candidates make it important to obtain at least one more relief pitcher, especially if Politte can't repeat last season's performance, which is highly unlikely even if he was striking everyone out in spring training. Its not like he's facing a line-up of major leaguers right now, and just because he was brutal last spring and had a good year, doesn't mean he'll be great with a brutal spring this year. I think the White Sox should be at least a little concerned.

QUOTE(Felix @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 06:30 PM) As someone pointed out earlier in this thread, Politte got knocked around last spring training too. If you would have read my whole post, I mentioned that. The problem is Cliff has also been knocked around in the regular season before as well. The last time he pitched as much as he did last year, the next season his ERA was 5.66. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we are living on borrowed time with Cliff.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 05:57 PM) I didn't see the game but it sounds like he got roped. But didn't he get screwed over by an error by Josh Fields? Maybe we will end up trading Borchie for a reliever. KW may need a couple of relievers. Hermanson is throwing in the low to mid 80s, Politte is getting knocked around. The 7 or 8 bums they brought in to compete for the second lefty in the pen are showing why they were cheap and available. Politte wasn't very good last spring but turned it on during the regular season. I hope he can do it again, but if he reverts back to the 2004 version of himself, there will be huge pressure on BMac, Jenks and Cotts.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Mar 10, 2006 -> 10:38 AM) You'd have to think that a team that has maybe a thinner OF would take a flyer on Borchard. Washington, for example, has some injuries and some player disputes. Why not give Borchard a chance to play everyday. If he could hit around 260-275 with 30 bombs, he would be worth it IMO. If it was likely that he would put up those types of numbers, Joe would be playing CF for the White Sox. If he could hit .260-.275 with 30 homers he would have a spot on any major league team.