Dick Allen

QUOTE(KevHead0881 @ Apr 10, 2005 -> 10:19 AM) I may be wrong, but hasn't IRod been criticized in recent years for his poor game calling ability? I swear that was the knock against him when he was a free agent before last season. That's correct. When there is a runner on first he usually calls for fastballs to give himself a better chance at throwing out runners.

Every win you get in April is one less you have to get in any other month. The games count just as much in the standings. Radke is just pissed because he is 0-2, and has no answers.

QUOTE(fathom @ Apr 9, 2005 -> 06:44 PM) I know there's few people on this threat tonight, but am I the only one not impressed with the Twins at all this year? I don't even care if I jinx the Sox tonight, I'm not impressed with the guys they've called up to replace their old starters. Bartlett looks like someone who you can jam whenever you want. Losing Silva will be a massive loss for them. I was thinking that. I also was thinking that the Sox caught a huge break or unbreak however you want to think about it, when Buerhle being out 6 weeks turned out to be a false alarm. Perhaps a sign of things to come.

While I think his analyst work has improved, the last inning showed that DJ has to be one of the worst play-by-play announcers of all-time.

Trevor Hoffman got lit up also a couple of days ago. Larry Bowa thinks its because closers don't get enough work in spring training. They don't get their arms stretched out and are missing their spots. He thinks everyone, including Shingo, will be fine after they get some more work.

Ozzie was quilty of overmanaging today with using his entire pen, when it really wasn't necessary. It's weird that he only allows pitchers to face 1 hitter, but leaves Shingo in to allow 3 home runs. He blew through his entire bullpen and Vizciano had to take one for the team. I'm not a fan of Ozzie as a manager, but I don't think he's dumb, and I'm sure he has learned something from this game. Taking 2 out of 3 is a positive first step.

QUOTE(tonyho7476 @ Apr 7, 2005 -> 12:25 PM) Ooo-EEEe-ooohhhh----Paulie-oooooo please

I love how he tried to make Garcia pitching 6 innings and giving up 2 runs a horrible performance. If the Sox have all these horrible performances but still win, what does that say?

Read Marriotti's column about Illinois' amazing comeback against Arizona, how they didn't panic, how much heart they had. Then read how the Sox amazing comeback is just luck. His personal vendetta against JR and now Hawk is making his columns even sillier than they were before. Could you imagine the negative spin he would put on it if the Sox ever won anything? The Sun-Times, if they had any credibility, would remove this joke immediately.

They've earned the right to make fun of the Sox. I thought the Us vs. Them ad the Sox had last year, making fun of the Cubs was pretty funny. I also thought the AM 1000 ad on a building outside of Wrigley Field several years ago which stated major league baseball was played 8.1 miles south was hysterical. It probably did go a little too far, and the White Sox ask AM 1000 to change it. So if you are upset about it, remember our team has used the same kind of thing.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ Apr 6, 2005 -> 02:12 PM) Cotts is wild. He just threw a ball 3 feet above Pierzynski's head but he made the grab. Gives the hitter something to think about. I think Cotts will be pretty good this season.

They did say the offense would be more consistent this season.

QUOTE(Jabroni @ Apr 6, 2005 -> 01:20 PM) And then he hits into a double play. Inning over. His nickname in Oakland was double play Dye.

I thought Billy's loss of velocity was due to mechanics?

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Apr 5, 2005 -> 08:10 PM) apparently you didnt actually read the whole thing.... he bought all the tickets for the kids b4 he was released and was pissed because of being released after only 4 relief appearances...... Would it be better if he told all the kids that they wont go to the game because he hates Toronto? And would you root for the team that just released you after just 4 short appearances. The Blue Jays drafted him and gave him a closer role. They are also paying him almost $1 million this year, and he couldn't get anyone out. He is still being paid by the Blue Jays. He doesn't want to hook up with another team because he wants Toronto to have to pay his entire salary. Or is it that no other team is interested in his services? Perhaps all the batting practice pitching positions are taken. Its ok, they don't pay that well anyway. Its decent of him to take the kids to the game, but if he's decked out in Tampa gear, its not only a shot at Toronto management, but also an insult to every player in their dugout. If the Sox released Koch last year, and he showed up in Tampa at a Sox/DRay game decked out in Tampa gear with a foam finger, you wouldn't think its so funny. What it is is pathetic. The guy needs to grow up. Its a lousy example for those kids.

If this is true he's an ass. Billy can b**** all he wants about lack of opportunity, but Toronto is paying him almost $1 million to sit on his ass. The way he's pitched the last 2 seasons and in spring training this year, he should thank his lucky stars and offer to do the Blue Jays' laundry.

QUOTE(That funky motion @ Apr 5, 2005 -> 05:30 PM) Yes ,they did move in the fence for him,and also painted the center area black! Only the backdrop was painted black for Belle. He may have requested the fences be brought in, but they weren't. The fences were the same from the time the park opened until the first series of renovations which made the bullpen activity visible to most fans in 2001. There was always a moat area between the fence and the bleachers and lower reserved sections. The first renovation closed that moat significantly, adding seats to these sections. In fact, they put padding over it to cover it up. The padding was removed when people came running on to the field using that padding as a springboard to enter.

How many times did TS say " ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls"? It was driving me crazy. I thought I was back at Bozo's circus.

Thank God for Buerhle. Anyone else on the Sox staff pitching this game and its an L. Buerhle really relies on the catcher to call the game, he rarely shakes them off. I think AJ calling the game will do nothing but make Buerhle even more effective. The guy gives up 2 hits and walks 1, and coerces 2 DPs. Totally dominating. The offense was offensive, but maybe Westbrook had something to do with that. Any time you score 1 run and win it goes in the column of the other 42 games Hawk and DJ always talk about when you win 60 and lose 60, its how you do in the rest that determines your success. I still can't get over how great Buerhle was today. One of the better performances you will ever see.

QUOTE(sec159row2 @ Mar 31, 2005 -> 12:52 PM) baseball games NEVER sell out... cubs/sox/yankees/red sox you name it every ticket is NEVER sold... the teams always hold tix back... that's like saying a hotel was sold out... the last time every room was sold in a hotel Jesus was born.... I was in Ft. Lauderdale a month ago and our hotel, the Sheraton Yankee Trader, was sold out, as was its sister hotel, the Yankee Clipper, and every large hotel in its category and higher in a 30 mile radius. They oversold their rooms by 15. People were getting sent far away, and they were pissed. Either Jesus was born on President's day weekend, or your statement is erroneous.

This just goes to show that if KW didn't relent and sign AJ, the catching situation would have been brutal. AJ falling into KW's lap is one of the luckiest things that has happened this past off-season.

Looks like Dickey V had no idea what he was talking about when he said Pearl committed career suicide 16 years ago. Pearl is a far better coach than Buzz Peterson. The guy has been a success as a head coach everywhere he has been, and has a lot of support from his good friend, UT alumnus Ernie Grunfeld. He will have a much better chance to succeed there than the previous 3 or 4 coaches.

I think the defense seems overrated, the pitching looks problematic, and they seem like they may have problems scoring runs. Of course they really haven't played their everyday line-up consistently, and the Arizona air will play with pitchers. I have always felt this team is not as good as it was the last couple of years. There are too many question marks. I think everyone except Buerhle and maybe AJ is a question mark, and Buerhle was one for a couple of hours last week. The "switch" to speed from power is a misnomer. Iguchi will steal more than Willie but Willie is faster. Podsednik is the only other speed guy added who will play regularly. Hawk keeps harping on now the Sox will have a better chance beating good pitchers, because good pitchers don't give up 2 or 3 run homers, and that is what the Sox have been counting on. I don't buy it. I think Lee and Ordonez hit more singles and doubles than Podsednik and Dye and are far superior overall offensive players even taking away their homeruns. AJ, to me, is the only sure non pitching upgrade KW came up with this winter, although Iguchi is probably an upgrade, the jury is still out, and the team lost a lot of offense. Almost everyone of the pitchers has been absolutely awful or seriously injured at one point the last couple of years. A lot has to go right for this team to win, its possible it happens, but I'm not setting my heart on it. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see this team making much of a run this year.

Even though they got the steal, they can't let Arizona eat clock. They need to foul.