Dick Allen

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 02:07 PM) So you are in the stick to the plan and maybe year 6 with these two will be the year boat? I just don't get how anybody could possibly want to keep doing this. Maybe they learned their lesson they can really totally shop at Walmart. I just don't understand how anyone can think these guys could be better at projecting minor leaguers than major leaguers. That's harder for anyone. If you think the guys they want to throw millions at can't play, why would guys they get for Sale or Quintana be able to play? Why wouldn't they be Avi or Leury Garcia? Or Jon Adkins, the guy they got for Ray Durham, or Matt Davidson? It's not like they have struck it rich when they did trade for prospects.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 01:43 PM) What makes him a "great" coach? He has 2 conference titles, the last one 12 years ago and has a somewhat pedestrian coaching record. Is he just "good enough"? It's freaking Iowa. I don't think many coaches would do nearly as good as he does if most of their recruits come out of West Des Moines. Iowa isn't exactly a hot bed of football talent. Many places still play 7 on 7. He gets 2 and 3 star recruits a shot in the NFL as well as any coach in America. I have no idea how his style might work somewhere else, probably not as good as it does for others, but I don't think many people would have the success he has had in Iowa City. And those that perhaps would, are getting paid as well. His teams have finished the season ranked in the top 10 five times. When that happens at a place similar, like Minnesota, give me a call. It's a well deserved extension. He is a class act. From the Hayden Fry, Bill Belichick tree. If they could hire someone better, they wouldn't stay like he has. Iowa fans take him for granted. Whether he coaches another 10 years, I tend to doubt it.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 01:07 PM) I mean has he been flirting with other programs behind the scenes or something? Whats the point to pay him and keep extending him? Because he is a great coach. Who else is going to do what he does at Iowa?

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 12:56 PM) They did do a good job at the rebuild both times they did it during the times you referenced, and to use Reinsdorf speak, they got from Point A to Point B. Where they came up short was getting to Point C, but that's not what we are talking about here. We are not at Point B right now, so what I'd personally like to see is the effort to do the Point A to Point B exercise again, and then deal with getting to Point C when the time comes. Right now, I really don't know at what point this team is at all. Seems stuck somewhere in the middle, quite honestly. So hopefully they can totally rebuild and in 4 or 5 years have guys like Sale, and Quintana, and Rodon, Anderson, Collins and Eaton. And then they can add free agents. They have a talented but small core. If they hit on a few additions they would be right there. There is no juggernaut in the AL Central, and won't be anytime soon. They just have to make the correct additions.

I disagree. There is a ceiling on the return. I think if Sale has 2 years left vs. 3 or 1.5 instead of 2, makes very little difference.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 12:20 PM) Any other possible outcomes other than these couple of cherry picked bad trades from over the years you are reminding us of? I could list busted prospects all day long, with every team. The White Sox rebuilt in 1986, they rebuilt in 1997. According to you, the only "exciting" season they have had was 2005, which wasn't a rebuilding year. Although I don't think you are like others here who really want the White Sox to fail because they would rather moan and point out how much smarter they are, I do think you want them to win. So, they rebuild, and did a pretty good job of it twice, yet it didn't meet your criteria. Why would you give up possibly getting lucky vs. a guaranteed 4 or 5 years of being awful and then if everything goes right it still may not work out to your requirements?

Sorry for your loss. I lost my mom several years ago. It is really hard now, but it will get better.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 11:30 AM) Newspapers today reporting Sox are considering shutting Shields down for the rest of the season. Supposedly because of a back issue. That certainly could be a part of it as is the possibility that if they keep pitching him he could lose 20 games this year. Mark Chris Archer might lose 20 games and lead the league in strikeouts. If he had 19 losses would they shut him down? As for Shields, it would be nice if he could have a start or 2 and look decent before the winter. But shutting him down makes sense too, as he is just embarrassing himself at this point.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Sep 6, 2016 -> 11:38 AM) The irony here is that you are willing to trust this front office with a job that they have a poor established track record on, i.e., retooling, but are unwilling to trust them with a job like rebuilding for which we actually don't know how good they'd do at such a thing. Because when you have Sale and Quintana, there is always a chance you might hit on someone and you still have Sale and Quintana. Trading them could result in the Jesus Monteros, Logan Morrisons of the world. You, and the rest of us would be even more unhappy then. If you don't think these dopes can project players with MLB experience, it is kind of crazy to think they would be good at doing something even harder. Projecting players with no MLB experience. Although I once worked at a place that if you really wanted a promotion, failing at your job was the quickest path. They even once laid a woman off and found her a better paying job.

What does the team gain by releasing him now and not seeing what he has in spring training?

The White Sox have too many pitchers who have a hard time throwing strikes. I guess that is what makes them minor leaguers.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Sep 5, 2016 -> 07:56 PM) A couple of thoughts. What are you trading to get a C or CF because you are not getting them out of free agency?? We saw last season that Jackson was the best this FO was willing to spend on. We also saw what they got for C. Then, if they are struggling next July, it probably means that some of the pieces you would unload are worth less than they were this trade deadline or off-season. I think your idea works only if you are getting rid of Williams and Hahn. Then it would make sense to let the new GM decide what direction he wants to go w the current roster. I say Williams and Hahn but the first person that needs to go is the scout that suggested they trade for Shields. So why would these guys be the guys to tear it all down and start over? Seems that is a bigger disaster waiting to happen than adding middling players hoping it all works out. At least they have Sale and Quintana. Quintana is going on the White Sox cruise in November, so it doesn't appear the Sox think they will trade him. I am going to a season ticket holder event with Hahn tomorrow. I will report if he gives us anything.

Sales usage was fine. Besides the White Sox have to play these games like they are in contention. If they were, people would have moaned if he was pulled.

QUOTE (Insp @ Sep 5, 2016 -> 05:56 PM) So what you're saying is that lack of plate discipline is a good thing at least with Avila? Taking good pitches to hit is not good plate discipline. He is a huge swing ad miss guy. Giving himself one pitch to hit did not work.

Ever since Avila stopped taking at least 2 strikes and became willing to hit it the other way he has been very good offensively.

QUOTE (oldsox @ Sep 5, 2016 -> 06:53 AM) Padres released Alexie. There's one Hahn got right.

QUOTE (SpankyEaton @ Sep 5, 2016 -> 12:01 PM) Can someone explain the outrage over releasing Gould and how the meatballs are upset by the direction Pace has taken? It's a complete rebuild that isn't done yet - I doubt Cutler, Jeffery, Houston and Royal are in the future plans. I don't think there is much outrage. I think people are questioning why Gould had no competition in training camp, and the answer there might be simple. Kickers are going to go to a team they think they can make. Gould has been entrenched. Maybe they wanted to bring Barth in earlier but he thought he had a better shot in NO. Gould has had some injuries, but did his slide start with the injuries or Mannelley retiring? The snapper can make a huge difference. Anyways, Barth isn't too shabby, and he is pretty much automatic inside 40.

QUOTE (Deadpool @ Sep 4, 2016 -> 08:57 PM) Stupid question, but I rarely think about special teams. Are kickers particularly difficult to find? I think if they were easy to find, they never would have paid him what they paid him. But it does seem as a whole, kickers are a lot more reliable than they used to be. Robbie has slipped without a doubt. Hopefully they find someone as reliable as he has been over the years.

QUOTE (Tony @ Sep 4, 2016 -> 08:16 PM) Adios, Robbie. There was a tweet that releasing Gould was in essence releasing their entire offense. He has been in decline, and this pre season wasn't so hot. I wonder who the replacement is.

QUOTE (harkness @ Sep 4, 2016 -> 06:08 PM) Actually has 7 now... like 14-15 in the past two seasons. The most in MLB. Roberston's fastball just isn't that great... and he lacks the mental fortitude. He just always looks scared to me out there. His fastball is fine. It is what it always has been. He is having a tough time throwing strikes.

Kahnle with a save.

Sox win

Atta boy. Does Kanle ever not get to ball 3 on anybody?

Make sure you get to at least ball 3 Tommy

Why is it when the teams sucks, the manager gets blamed, the hitting coach gets blamed, and when it's good, they really don't get much credit. Yet, with Cooper it is exactly the opposite. He gets credit for all their success, no no blame for their failure.