Dick Allen

Everybody and their brother knows Frank is eventually going to be whining about something. I actually thought Frank's departure would be a lot uglier than it has turned out, even with KW popping off. I guess winning the WS and Frank being questionable at best physically tempered the reaction a little bit.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Feb 26, 2006 -> 08:40 PM) I truly believe things would be different had they sat Frank down and told them what their plans were. Maybe, but how are you going to sit Frank down and tell him what your plans are. Things were happening quickly. Frank was called but doesn't answer his phone or return messages, which is his perrogitive. Remember a couple of years ago during the offseason when KW called him repeatedly but Frank wouldn't return his calls? I wouldn't play the game either anymore if I were KW. Believe me, if Frank signed a contract for $1 million with the Sox like he said he would (I really doubt it BTW) he would be b****ing about the "disrespect" a "special" player like he is was getting with such a pact. The guy needs to quit crying, he was paid the ultimate respect. He threw out the first ball to a standing ovation in the playoffs, they handed him the WS trophy at the parade making him to be such a huge part of the equation to winning it which he really wasn't , and they paid him $17.5 million for 340 at bats the last 2 years. KW most likely regrets saying anything, but maybe his comments will finally shut the Big Mouth up.

99.9% of problems between teams and players has to do with contracts. Frank is claiming his problem isn't with a contract, although he does mention money several times in the article, but with a lack of a phone call, calls that he admits to getting by conceding both KW and JR left messages. I agree that KW should have not gone off, I'm sure he regrets it right now, but I do find this soap opera adding a little intrique to spring training.

KW probably shouldn't have mentioned JR loaned Frank money. Other than that, fire away I say. It will be interesting to see what Frank's response is. I really think this will not be a distraction to the team.

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2006 @ Feb 26, 2006 -> 04:55 PM) Outside of Durham and Jose, the whole team sucked. But he was the greatest player in team history. Nobody does anything on the baseball field that he doesn't do. Just listen to the mope. If he ever plays at USCF again, I'm not going to cheer or boo, but I will throw him a tissue.

QUOTE(fathom @ Feb 26, 2006 -> 02:58 PM) I'm actually happy Frank didn't play during the playoffs, or else I'm sure he'd be taking credit for that also. It is pretty funny Frank mentioned his 2000 season, but forgot how he came up empty in the playoffs. I guess he must be pretty frustrated considering he doesn't have a hit in the postseason since 1993. I love his b****ing about pay. He was paid $10 million in 2001 for 68 ABs. He was paid $6 million in 2004 for 240 ABs, and $8 million last year for 105 ABs plus a $3.5 million buyout. That's $27.5 million for a little more than 400 at bats. He just needs to shut the f*** up.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Feb 26, 2006 -> 02:29 PM) Another comment to fuel the controversy. :headshake This is Williams fault for failing to keep his views quiet. Say whatever you want to Guillen behind close doors, but not within range of journalists and photographers in a public venue. I wouldn't doubt he wanted that heard. He's been taking some shots from Frank. And what he said is true. Frank is acting like a total idiot. He contradicts himself several times in the Arvia article.

Why is it he remembers every season he played well as he was well underpaid, but doesn't seem to remember the checks he was cashing when he was sitting out hurt, or the couple years he didn't hit up to snuff? He still b****es about the diminished skills clause. He signed the contract. I was a fan and defender of Frank. I am glad he is gone.

He claims he's totally healthy and in his prime, but he only expects to play 130 games. That doesn't make much sense for someone in their "prime". KW is not innocent in all of this, not by a long shot, but for a guy who supposedly isn't bitter, Frank sure is complaining a lot.

He defected on Oct. 25,2002, which would make him about a month and a half shy of his supposed 31st birthday. If he's telling the truth in the article that makes him 35 right now. I don't know if anybody heard Cooper a month or so ago, but he had people tell him Contreras was older than Duque and was closer to 50 than 40.

Can you believe the Sox would spend all that money and give up players for Thome instead of relying on Frank?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 07:49 PM) I don't think he's completely done in the sense that he absolutely can't play again. I think he's done in the sense that he won't be able to play and be confident in his health ever again. If you're Oakland, it's probably worth the money to take a shot and see if you can get 200+ at bats out of him, but it's risky to count on getting that many. He still has a very outside shot at 500, but I don't think his body will hold up, and if he tries to push himself back into the game too early again....then it'll just make it harder for him once his foot fractures again. He's actually better than White Sox doctors thought when he re-injured himself last season. They didn't think he would be able to play again. It appears he may, but it won't be for long, and probably won't be very pretty.

It sounds like Frank wants no part of reality. The guy doesn't think he's injury-prone yet 4 seasons 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2005 ended prematurely with injuries. He re-injured his ankle 8 or 9 months ago, hasn't been cleared to run, yet still talks like he will be ready opening day. It sounds like 2005 all over again. If I were a betting man, I would bet Frank is pretty much done.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 03:42 PM) ESPN1000 played a sound byte from Pax talking about how they stood pat because they didn't wanna mess with the draft picks and cap space. Sounds familiar. I hope Pax doesn't have Benny the Bull greeting free agents at the airport. It does make a lot of sense though. The only guy who has been mentioned in trade rumors who could get them anywhere near title contention is Garnett, other than that, they would have a good team not good enough to win it all.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 23, 2006 -> 02:55 PM) I'd still take Randy on our staff, at least for this year (who knows how many he has left). Most people think he had an off year last year, and he still finished 17-8 with a 3.79 ERA, 211 strikeouts, and a WHIP around 1.12. I know the record is a bit inflated, but that's still pretty solid for about 98% of the pitchers in the league. But yeah, the rest of the staff is pretty brutal. I'm not sure how you think you're going to win when your #2 is Mussina and you don't know who your #3 is because they are all pretty bad. Chacon has always been highly thought of, and getting out of Colorado seemed to do him wonders. Small was 10-0 last year. He'll probably drop off a lot. I am not a fan of Pavano, but with that offense, an ERA below 5.00 could get you a decent record.

Its nice to be confident. I don't think players should be in the habit of critiquing other teams. It seems to usually backfire. White Sox players should just worry and/or talk about the White Sox, unless you are just handing out complements.

Why can't George say his team is going to win? The guy has a payroll over $200 million. Say what you want about the guy, but for that type of cash, he shouldn't be waiting 6 years for another championship.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 06:09 PM) How long did it take Isiah to bankrupt the CBA? I know it wasnt long. I'm not sure, but I think it was less than 3 years. He has to be the laughingstock of the NBA right now.

Larry Brown said Francis can assist in their young players development. The Knicks medical staff must give him very strong prescriptions.

There has to be another trade for the Knicks, there just has to be? Doesn't there? I really think Isiah is so desperate not to finish with a record that gives the Bulls the #1 pick he is trying anything that could help him win a couple more games this year, and possibly decreasing that chance. Francis, Marbury, Rose, Crawford, Curry, Taylor with Larry Brown coaching? You couldn't put together a bigger mismatch if you tried. Isiah is going to destroy the Knicks worse than he destroyed the CBA.

QUOTE(Drew @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 01:20 PM) The main difference I see in the "Let's do it again!" Sox of '84 vs. the 2006 Sox is that the '84 team was built based on plug-and-play formulas and lateral moves with a GM that largely stood pat in the off-season. They brought pretty much everyone back, and they didn't even have a winning season. Rarely if ever are teams good enough to fool the rest of baseball two years in a row with the same mix of players. Even when you look at a team like Boston between '04 and '05 that was kept largely intact with Pedro Martinez being one of the only exceptions, they could not sustain the success of the year before and they had a team full of All-Stars. A lot of people picked them to go all the way again. Offensively, the Sox should be far better off in 2006 than they were in 1984. Luzinski was done. Kittle really fell off, Rudy Law wasn't the same ignitor. Fisk hit .231. But who would have thought Hoyt would go 13-18? Bannister wasn't as sharp, Burns was horrible. Dotson's record wasn't as good, but his stats were very similar to 1983. I've heard Roland Hemond talk about the loss of Jerry Koosman from the 1983 team as a reason for the meltdown. He supposedly was very influential in the clubhouse. It could happen to this team. Its nice they have a guy like McCarthy waiting in the wings if someone gets hurt or falters. As long as the pitching holds up, they will be in contention.

I don't think the Sox would bring him in unless there was a significant injury to Dye or Konerko or Thome or maybe Crede.

QUOTE(Jenks Heat @ Feb 22, 2006 -> 08:15 AM) Compare Bob James to Politte not Jenks. Bob James was a one hit wonder and a junk baller set-up man to Thigpen. He did help in getting Raines. Health and head are the only things keeping Jenks from being among the all-time greats, talent is off the charts. The guy performed as a rookie on the biggest stage and won. Except for the Ortiz bomb most hits were dinks and misplays by the defense. As he matures and gains more faith in his curve and slider and god forbid finds a change-up he will be unhittable. He has 4 major league pitchers. 90% of all relievers have one and most starters have two. The real good ones have three and location. He can be wild but I think this will settle down with experience. The head........well so far so good. You are thinking about Barry Jones. Bob James was a closer from 85-87. The guy sweat more than any human I have ever seen.

His elbow is the main concern. His stuff is good enough that as long as he possesses it, he will never be "figured out". I would like to see him lose a little weight. I know the reports said he lost a little from last year, but the pictures indicate otherwise. He reminds me of Bob James, former White Sox mammoth reliever, who was very good for a little while but just flamed out. Jenks throws a little harder than James and is a little bigger. James had a big year with the Sox in 1985 when he was 26. He struggled the next 2 seasons and was selling cars by the time he was 28. If he took a little better care of himself, maybe he would have lasted a little longer.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 21, 2006 -> 03:37 PM) It's a good thing the Sox have games on TV during ST. It might allow Hawk to get all the "I told you so." out of his system. It's not likely, but it might help. I love Hawk, but he's going to be insane this year, since the epitome of his homerism has happened. Hawk will never get anything out of his system. He jabbed Manuel again at Soxfest. I love Hawk, though.