Dick Allen

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 14, 2017 -> 12:52 PM) This is a good post. There's no doubt ESPN would have fired any announcer who blasted Obama on Twitter. Case closed. She called Trump a white supremist and also had some additional tweets saying the only reason he won was white privilege. She should have been disciplined the same way as the others. All Linda Cohn did was bash her own company for huge mistakes. The president of the company supposedly is really overmatched. I do like what ESPN does, though. They make their decision, issue a statement saying Jemele knows she made a mistake, then crickets. They know the story only has legs for 48 hours or so. Ride it out. However if they suspended Jamele, think about it. The story would have legs forever. All the groups in America would have gone NUTS had Jamele been suspended. Picketing at ESPN, maybe even riots. ESPN made the right call here in terms of America 2017, but the wrong call as a company because they've set the precedent in firing/suspending others for controversial statements. See where I'm going? If ESPN had suspended Hill, wow. The protests would have been out of control, again, maybe even violence. Oh really? “Obama is the worst president we’ve ever had,” the former Chicago Bears coach said in a radio interview

QUOTE (raBBit @ Sep 14, 2017 -> 12:28 PM) I agree it doesn't make sense that the media has a war on the marketplace of ideas but that's how it is. ESPN fired a tennis announcer for using the term "guerilla warfare" during a Venus Williams match. ESPN fired Curt Schilling after he said he disagreed with the transgender bathroom ruling in North Carolina on his personal Facebook page. ESPN fired Mike Ditka after he said Obama was a bad president and hed be voting for Trump. ESPN suspended Linda Cohn for saying ESPN has gotten too political. Hill makes some generalization about the POTUS and his administration and insults the people who voted for him and they do nothing. She's in line with the groupthink. She represents what Bob Iger and Disney prefer politically so she gets held to a different standard. ESPN has taken sports, something we love in and use as an escape, and jammed their political garbage in it. Their business is being swallowed as a result. Viewers are leaving as if their content was transmitted on DVDs. They're a horrible business and they will suffer as a result. I hope their employees find new jobs before ESPN's leadership lops another group of employees. I think that's a bit dramatic. Of all the things mentioned, only one of them happened during an ESPN telecast. There is no political talk during the games. There is no political talk during NFL countdown or the baseball pregame show. I never watched much of ESPN except for games or Sportscenter, and Sportscenter you don't need anymore with all the other media available. I think it's a reach to say ESPN's demise is because of politics. To me, it's cord cutting mainly, and being able to get the news faster elsewhere. When Keith Olbermann, perhaps the most political ESPN personality in history was there, politics weren't an issuer. Every ESPN personality could tweet Trump insults, and if the NASCAR race is on ESPN, all his fans will still be tuning in. I have seen you use groupthink around here hundreds of times. I would be interested to know, do you think Fox News is a group think outfit?

Detroit is going to overtake the Sox in draft position. They have IMO the worst team in baseball right now, with really little shot of winning games. A definite threat at the top pick.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Sep 14, 2017 -> 08:33 AM) Right, everyone's been saying that since the moment the new CBA info was released, but he insists he's coming anyway so it's a moot point. I think when push comes to shove, he will come to his senses.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 07:50 PM) Well that is pretty much what everyone is saying. Otani says it's not about the money just playing against the best which is why every team is pretty equal in the chance to get him theoretically since he probably has his own ideas about who he would rather play for. I don't think every team is equal. The money might be the same, but people in Chicago don't watch the White Sox, it is hard to imagine this kid in Japan who was 11 the last time the Sox were an international story on the field has his eyes on the White Sox. . I would think this kid has a couple of favorite teams. It is hard seeing the White Sox or the Brewers or Pirates, or many other teams, on top of that list, so all things being equal, they more than likely have no shot. Being able to offer him more money would be that shot.

Then he is insane to come over. He can wait 2 years and get 9 figures.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 07:27 PM) When every one of those guys signed a deal with an opt out they were major league free agents. Otani is not. I can't recall a situation where a player who was signed as an amateur received an opt out deal where the opt out was before their 6 years of service was up. All players that have received that option were international players who were not in the lower age bracket for international free agents, they were all considered both professionally experienced AND old enough to sign a major league deal initially. They still had zero service time in MLB. I don't see why it isn't negotiable, Otani is in his 5th season.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 07:07 PM) Is he allowed to do a 3 year opt out and skip the standard 6 year service time? I thought that wasn't allowed. Cespedes did.

I think his only choice is something like an opt out after 3 years. He is taking a big chance financially, but if he can become a free agent after 3 seasons, and is any good, he may be one of the few who opt out that teams didn't regret re-signing. The opt out IMO is at least some sort of advantage for teams. Most big money guys, you give them a contract the last couple of years you want no part of. The opt out eliminates that, if the team can walk away. They get the worth it seasons, and in most cases are given a gift. When the player wants more money.See Belle, Albert, Rodriquez, Alex, Sabattiia, Captain Cheeseburger. The White Sox were happy to let Albert go, the Yankees wish they let their guys go.This guy might be one of the exceptions.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 06:03 PM) I thought only dictatorships demand people get fired for criticism. He is a wannabe.

Grabbing them by the p****.... just words. Calling Teump a white supremacist...fireable offense.

QUOTE (Scoots @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 03:19 PM) Jose has cooled off quite a bit Yeah, 2 whole games.

The little kid in front of me caught a Buster Posey bat on Saturday night. It's better than catching a ball. I told him to sell it when Buster makes the HOF.

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 02:03 PM) Dude, you need to think along with the game more often. Yeah I like Engel's progress so far. After seeing Thompson fall back to earth last year, I have no expectations from Engel. If he solidifies himself as the starting CF that's great but if he doesn't it's no big deal since I wasn't expecting him to become a starting CF'r anyway. I'm just sitting back and enjoying the show, for however long it lasts. Besides being a White Sox, you have to pull for him. He plays hard. He even runs out to his position hard.

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 01:59 PM) Ah, there's a name that was scrubbed from my memory until just reading it. Sept. 2007 .340/.396/.371 with 10 steals Career .262/.319/.305 with 36 steals

QUOTE (BlackSox13 @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 01:52 PM) No Trayce Thompson? Trayce as well. I am hoping it's real with Engel, but I'm not buying it, yet and still his OPS is under .600. It could help his confidence. Hasn't he usually been a real streaky hitter? It's kind of bizarre, I was at a game he turned around a Matt Bush 100 MPH fastball right up the middle, and I have seen him blown away by fastballs nowhere near that.

Engel bringing back memories of Jerry Owens, Josh Fields, Brent Morel, and Septembers past.

Rodon said the MRI was the same as the first one. I never read where it said it was inconclusive, but if it were horrible, he wouldn't have pitched at all this year, and wouldn't have been throwing 98. He also said he would be pitching next year. If the White Sox were freaking out, it probably would have leaked. I think it's debatable whether or not he actually had an MRI the second time. Maybe Hahn called Boras and said maybe Carlos isn't feeling quite right and could use the rest of the season off. We can look at some prospects and maybe lose a few more games bettering the team for Carlos when he pitches and it matters. Boras gives Carlos a call, and he isn't quite feeling right. 2 days prior, his arm felt great.

I don't know how much you would have to scout him if he was clearly worth all you could offer him. That said, he isn't coming to the White Sox, and wouldn't be coming to the White Sox had they not signed Robert.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Sep 13, 2017 -> 12:25 PM) Nah at this point I'm just convinced he slept with your girlfriend or something. No way he has a girlfriend. . Elle McPherson in her prime would be below average to him.

Every 3 years they will play the Cubs 6 times. It's when they play the NLC.

QUOTE (Tony @ Sep 12, 2017 -> 02:32 PM) @CSNHayes 54s Correction: Carlos Rodon had a second opinion done Monday. Nothing new was discovered. He remains out w/ inflammation. #WhiteSox This just feels like they know something is wrong, but can't figure it out. To me, they just wanted to shut him down and were playing playoff teams. They didn't want anything to look untoward. I have a feeling he would be pitching if there was something to pitch for. I think this was a very minor thing where they had no reason to do anything other than shut him down. Hahn said something about why Holland got released at the meeting I went with him. He said the reason was because there where others who would be more interesting to see what they could do. This Rodon thing happened either the next day or the day after, and I think it is more of the same thing. Rodon isn't going to show you anything you need to see the remainder of the season. I don't doubt he had some stiffness, but it was a good excuse to sit him down the rest of the year, watch Covey and Fulmer, and not hurt their draft position.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 12, 2017 -> 01:05 PM) Except I want to say the Sox were still playing about .500 ball during that stretch. They got almost caught because Cleveland went nuts. The Dodgers are actually collapsing. The upcoming schedule with a healthy dose of the Phillies, Giants and Padres will get the Dodgers back to over 100 wins.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Sep 12, 2017 -> 01:16 PM) When did the Lakers tank? They traded Vlade for Kobe. They never tanked or had any top pick. They signed Shaq with free agent money, traded for Kobe, and then traded for Pau (for Marc Gasol). When did Miami tank? They drafted Wade @ 5 (and did not do any form of tanking to get there). They already had Zo on the roster (and obviously he had some health issues). Spurs were a very good team who lost its best player, David Robinson (who statistically was worth 20 wins on his own) and then had Vinny Del Negro and Avery Johnson (who were both quality players the year before) royally suck. Even then they had the 3rd worst record in the league at the time and won the lottery. They are the closest you can call to "tanking" of the teams on the list. The Warriors were just a bad team. They weren't tanking. Tanking is intentionally being bad / trying to be the worse in the leauge. The warriors were just a bad team for a long time and even then, it wasn't with super high picks that they excelled, it was with good picks, but nothing legendary. They drafted well and I think everyone on this board would say the Bulls failed at "tanking" if they ended up with a 7th and 11th overall pick in this year / next year's draft (which is what the Warriors did with Curry / Klay). Good teams get better because they drafted well...not because they just crazily tanked. The exception to this is the Cavs, who maybe tanked, but they also royally sucked and obviously won LBJ. Miami and the Lakers did get Shaq. As long as the money is anywhere near equal, you can cross off at least 20 NBA teams that would ever be able to land a free agent that big. Something does need to be done to make teams at least a little less motivated to be so horrendous. Being as bad as possible shouldn't be automatically rewarded. Unfortunately, it is.

Must be a stiff breeze. The ball usually carries a lot better during the day in KC than at night.