Dick Allen

The ball doen't carry there at night. By May 15th Frank will be sitting with 4 homers, and will say he lost 25 because of the heavy night air. Do you think he'll go there? I know Evans was interested in him, but there has been a lot of speculation that Evans won't survive the off season. I see him staying, I'm not totally opposed, although we have so many like him, and that money would be better spent elsewhere. I think Magglio is probably playing his last week in a White Sox uniform, unless we can figure a way to get rid of Paulie, and either Botch or Frank.

Frank likes money, the $6 million player option he has he probably will exercise. No one else is going to give him that kind of money. Also, if he opts out, doesn't he have to pay something like $2 million to JR? If he is foolish enough not to exercise his option, I hope he finds a team who has a hitting background to his liking.

I can't argue with you about your points. I would say this, I don't think Backman would do half the BS JM does. I think he's earned a shot. I'm someone who also is sick of the White Sox being the training ground for managers and GMs, but everyone has to start somewhere. I'd love to get Leyland, I think you have a better chance of finding Fisk and JR sharing a cabin on a gay cruise than that happening. Tom Kelly would be interesting, he is nowhere near as old as he looks. I just think Backman is different from LaMont, who btw I liked, Bevington, and JM in that he has significant managerial experience, albeit in AA. He has been successful, and knows the organization well. We need a guy who the players know will not tolerate getting thrown out at 3rd with less than 2 out, not advancing baserunners, throwing to the wrong base, not running out ground balls, which almost to a man the White Sox don't do. You want smallball? Wally knows smallball.

before he got to the Yankees, his career record was 107 games below .500

If Joe Torre isn't managing the Yankees, he won't be managing. You can book that. And remember what Torre did with teams without a $150 million payroll, it wasn't pretty. He is a perfect manager for the Yankees, for the White Sox, I think it would be a different story.

Other teams haven't had much of a problem hitting there, check the Twins pitchers ERA. Frank needs to quit making excuses when he comes up empty in big games. Remember the 2000 playoffs when all he did was pop up to 2nd all the time? That was at Comiskey, they didn't change the hitting backdrop between the regular season and playoffs. He needs to take his failure like a man and be done with it.

why is Bell a factor in this conversation? He was never our manager. As for Backman, I very much disagree with you. Cw, the reason I say Bell is because I am reading Bell and Backman are top 2 to replace JM. I have never heard the name of Bell mentioned as a candidate except by you today where have you heard that elsewhere? Bell would be, IMHO, a bad choice I watched him manage in Detroit and I was not impressed at all in any way even though I thought originally he'd make a good manager - but his actual managing showed that is not the case, as I saw it There was a report in one of the papers. He used to work in the White Sox minor leagues, and evidently JR is a big fan. I think Backman would come cheaper, and would be better.

Everyone's got to start somewhere. Backman would be a great choice.

That or a copy of "Baseball for Dummies" written by Joe Morgan, as a parting gift. lol what no steak knives????? i think those would be better serve in his case.. Maybe some Lee press on nails. What he really could use is some No Doz. That would be a very practical gift. oh hell i guess you missed the connection with the steak knives huh..........im slippin here if i have to spell it out.....lol..... i figured with the way he f***ed up this mess this year he would just go slit his wrists and be done with it.......ok bad joke never mind........next.............. No, I got it. I just think he wants to get canned. He'll be much happier watching the paint dry in Sacramento.

That or a copy of "Baseball for Dummies" written by Joe Morgan, as a parting gift. lol what no steak knives????? i think those would be better serve in his case.. Maybe some Lee press on nails. What he really could use is some No Doz. That would be a very practical gift.

That or a copy of "Baseball for Dummies" written by Joe Morgan, as a parting gift.

Ed Farmer looks like Herman Munster. He can't be on TV.

Yes, but not this year.

thats a funny story.. one thing though.. the sox usually go through midway....... They could have called from Midway. He just said he was at the airport and I just assumed it was O'Hare. But now that you mention it, it was a trip through Harrah's who usually use National Airlines out of Midway. National Airlines is out of business. The Sox use a charter, Signature, I believe.

Tell us more,please

PK has been keeping quite a low profile this season, I would doubt its him.

There has been a lot of speculation that Eckstein and Guzman both may be non tendered. Jimmy Rollins may be available. None of these guys ar perfect, but I would just hate to get locked in with this automatic out.

Mr. Leader, Valentin?

Most fans don't realize how lucky they are that JR owns the White Sox. Contrary to popular opinion, he is not in it to make a lot of money, he made his money elsewhere, but he is also not in it to lose all the money he and his investors ever made. If the ownership in this town were reversed and JR owned the Cubs with their revenue, they would be a perrenial contender. If the Tribune Company owned the White Sox, a company who is in it for the money, we'd be looking at a team that annually resembled this year's Tigers, with the lack of interest on the South Side.

While Backman has a lot more life than Manuel, he isn't exactly the second coming of Larry Bowa. The man has paid his dues, done a great job, and deserves the job. If current White Sox players don't like it, to me that would be all the more reason to bring him in. Change is what is needed.

I have believed all along that what was reported here by you, HSC, and Steff, happened. I thought KW may have be given some sort of reprieve, because, you have to admit, how this was handled, is beyond bizaar. I would always see him up in JR's box, not exactly a place you would expect to find a guy who had been let go or reassigned. His dealings with the media actually increased. Hawk, who I'm sure knows what's going on, kept praising the job he was doing. Of course, this may have been a smokescreen, used to hide what was really going on. I do know that what happen after that incident was far different from what had been going on the past several years. The White Sox management finally became aggressive. Hopefully this can continue, but its going to have to with a new cast of characters.

The funny thing is, what is he supposed to say? Of course he wants to manage in the major leagues. He said if the opportunity presented itself, to me there's nothing wrong with it. I hope management doesn't let the inmates run the asylum.

You know something happened between KW and Eddie Einhorn earlier in the season. While what was reported here alledgedly did not happen, maybe it actually did, and maybe KW may not have been making the decisions after all. Phil Rogers column yesterday hinted KW may call it quits, which would definitely be in line with what NCORG and HSC have been saying all along.

Bruce Levineline is reporting the White Sox are discussing a 2 year extension with Valentin. Please let this not be true.

After watching these guys sleepwalk through 3 of the biggest games most of them have played in their lives, a change is needed. The player who had that comment is a pussy, someone who is used to getting away with little effort. If you do your job, play hard and play smart, Backman will have no reason to get into your face. He certainly wouldn't stand for the continuing clueless brand of baseball that is now being played, and has become JM managed team's trademark. A White Sox player actually calling someone self serving, that is priceless.