Dick Allen

QUOTE (bmags @ Aug 27, 2016 -> 08:02 AM) Why are we so concerned about the return here? I'd have happily DFAd Navarro. Worst case scenario would be sending down narvaes I agree. But it's a guy who will show up next spring who we probably never will remember, or maybe he turns into one of those lefties that makes it to the big leagues, has one decent season or stretch and parlays that into a 5 or 6 year career being a gas can for about 8 teams.

QUOTE (Blackout Friday @ Aug 26, 2016 -> 08:52 PM) I said from the one scouting report I read, which is this one: http://www.bluejaysfromaway.com/lansing-le...outing-reports/ Don't really see why the attitude is necessary. If you've seen something different, post it. We're all going on speculation. That "try again" stuff is just childish. http://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2016/5/11/11...undown-may-9-10 Here from this year it says his fastball sits low 90s and can tick up to mid. Same type of source as the one you brought up. Of course this guy isn't a real good prospect, it is for one month of a back up catcher having a horrible season, but I have to ask you a couple things. Why were you so concerned he is rule 5 eligible? If he is decent enough a team would take him there, it makes this trade look even better. And the Sox should have plenty of room on their 40. It also appears your Blue Jays source who has never seen him hit 90 may have not seen him pitch anytime recently. Chances are the guy suck and we never here about him again.

The idiots from last night are really smart. https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160826/br...ield-on-500-bet

Dioner seems like a good guy and good teammate. However, anyone doubting pitch framing needs to check out footage of him behind the plate. More strikes were called balls when he was catching this year than I have ever seen.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Aug 26, 2016 -> 03:14 PM) Doc: I agree with your last statement completely. Excellent summary. At this point it is a long shot they can even post consecutive winning seasons anymore let alone dream about consecutive playoff appearances. Mark Yep. Very doubtful they ever have consecutive winning seasons again.

Yes, there is something really bad there or he wouldn't be in AAA.

QUOTE (Y2JImmy0 @ Aug 26, 2016 -> 08:30 AM) Sounds like at least a moderate rebuild to me. I don't think they trade Sale and Quintana but I bet one of them goes along with Melky, DRob, etc. It's kind of weird. To know with the first or second move seems like he would have to have something almost in place. How can he anticipate the price tag will be met with anyone. He could sign some free agent which would indicate going for it again. There seems to be too much of it's possible we step back, and questioning their current strategy, for their not to be some sort of pullback. Maybe they trade some guys, get some minor and major league players back, and sort of do both. With trading Sale or Q, you probably could do that with the return they would bring.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Aug 26, 2016 -> 08:13 AM) I'm confused, was Berlin actually a Sox fan growing up or did he become a token one when became a limited partner? Don't know, but it does suggest Bernstein was making things up again. If the Sox were for sale, I assume he would have some interest, but apparently he doesn't think they will be for sale any time soon.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 26, 2016 -> 08:20 AM) I think you have been watching too many blue movies...besides, you are the one who keeps on praising them for attendance/support compared to Sox and Indians' fans. Once again you make things up. I didn't praise anyone. I just stated facts. The Cubs had consecutive seasons of 75, 71, 61 ,66, and 73 wins. During those 5 seasons of what you would call unacceptable embarrassment by any team, they averaged almost 2.9 million fans a season, paying prices White Sox fans would not like. It allows your front office to do things the White Sox cannot. But you already knew that because you have been talking doom and gloom of White Sox finances for several years now. Of course, if it doesn't fit what you currently are complaining about, you forget you ever posted it. But please become a Cubs fan today.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 26, 2016 -> 06:35 AM) That's what happens when you have the #1 farm system in baseball. Fans, even civilians like Andrew Berlin, get super-motivated to jump on board. Meanwhile, the Sox ship is foundering on the rocks because JR was unwilling to sell to someone willing to put 5X as much effort into running things. We hear from JR once a year, if lucky. With Berlin, he's super hands on and gives instantaneous feedback to his customers in South Bend. Some of that would change as a big league owner, but not the vision and commitment. It's also yet another reason Cubs' prospects are excelling while we're seemingly treading water at best. Near-sighted. Jump on the Cubs bangwagon, assuming you are a civilian. I don't think anyone will miss you.

As a poster stated earlier, cross Andrew Berlin off the list. Converting his kids,from Sox fans to Cubs fans? That should bring DCFS into the picture. http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...824-column.html

Nice comeback win.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 10:14 PM) Well, I'm sure if your favorite team just gotten to the World Series for the first time in a decade (after patiently waiting through a 3-5 year rebuilding period), only to see Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Peralta and Victor Martinez depart in quick order, you would be none too pleased. Making things up again? You know nothing about what Dolan has done to destroy that fanbase. These were THE BEST fans in baseball for a generation, they don't just give up on the franchise overnight. So try googling "Dolan hate Indians fans frustrated" and see what comes up. So they alienated fans by trading a free agent to be Sabatthia in 2008 when they were 13.5 games out in July and got Brantley, traded a free agent to be Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez in 2009 when they lost 97 games and got Carassco and Materson. and traded Jhonny Peralta in 2010 when they lost 93 games and he was going to be a free agent. I guess then he idea of trading Sale or Quintana would only alienate the fan base, so I am sure you are against it. Or pretty much trading anyone of substance even if they have 2 months left on their contract. What is bizarre is after 2007 their attendance dropped when every baseball fan knows you get a bump the year after. It continued to drop until 2011 when all those guys were gone and it rose almost 500k. A generation? It was 7 years of having a stacked team.as soon as that team sprung a leak, they fled. That isn't a trait of the best fans. Do you make up as much garbage in real life and assume people are so stupid they will buy it? You make things up and when called on it, instead of just admitting you are busted, you make up even more. It is really fascinating. Start using facts, not stuff you just make up.

These people must be embarrassed about the new stadium name

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 07:55 PM) Mariners...new tv contract paying them $118 million per year, added hitting stars such as Cruz and Cano, uptick in attendance, much more competitive and have a good chance at the AL Wild Card if one of the AL East teams falters late Padres...well document, won the offseason of 2014-15 along with the White Sox, but are now in a committed rebuilding period, including dumping James Shields off on the White Sox, fans have been buying into that plan and blaming owner more than GM Marlins...worst owner in all of professional sports now that Sterling is gone (I suppose Daniel Snyder would get some votes, too), well document tear downs of numerous teams dating back to Huizenga after 1997 and 2003, and then Loria's "leadership," which included a GM being demoted to field manager in Dan Jennings. They do have Jose Fernandez, Giancarlo Stanton and a decent chance at the wild card spot. Beautiful new baseball stadium. So these are the only three organizations who have done worse at making the playoffs. All of them are sitting in better positions than the White Sox, both presently and for the future, with the exception possibly of Miami, Arizona, TB and Oakland. We're 25th in attendance, and you can argue quite logically we're the 26th best franchise in baseball, looking at current in-season results and minor league talent depth/prospect rankings. Cleveland is another situation, much like the Marlins, where the ownership group set the fanbase on fire by completely tearing down two mini-dynasties, especially alienating the fans after the 2007 season. But, at least, they hired one of the most respected managers in baseball and paid him as such. Everyone knows the Indians and Rockies routinely dueled over attendance trophies and Jacobs/Progressive set the record at the time for consecutive sell-outs (over a long, multi-year period). Again the year the White Sox won the World Series and were in first place every day of said season, they were in the bottom half of the league in attendance. Below the AL average. It will be they have to make the playoffs 2 years in a row, then 3. How did the Imdians alienate fans after the 2007 season? Was it trading CC when they were 37-51 and 13.5 games out in July? Or are you making things up again?

QUOTE (The Mighty Mite @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 07:51 PM) At the old park IIRC there were days that that had walk ups well over 10,000. Yes half priced Monday's and Tuesday"s half price with a Pepsi can.

QUOTE (The Mighty Mite @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 07:25 PM) For some reason the Walk Up factor has gone by the wayside in recent years, why? I don't know but the Sox especially at old Comiskey if they had a good year they would do really well with the walk ups. I guess it's all about the season ticket and advance sales these days. A lot has been made about the loss of our fan base, if you compare it to the days at old Comiskey it has grown quite substantially but if you compare it to most of the other teams in MLB in this day and age, it stinks. What I find amazing is how attendance has grown in all sports with ticket prices that are astronomical. A lot of teams are selling out all their games in many towns. When I was a kid the benchmark in MLB was 1 million, if you drew that many fans you were doing quite well, now 1 miliion is Tampa Bay bad. Most buy their tickets on line and through secondary sites looking for deals. They also plan in advanced more than in the past. Maybe HDTVs have something to do with it as well. I read a couple years ago the Sox had something like a walk up of 1500 and at that point it was the largest of the season.

Paulie even said he always thought Sox fans would come out when they are winning, but 2012 shocked him. People didn't show. It is going on in Cleveland now.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 06:48 PM) Yes, and that 2007 team was terrible...not to mention the last 70 games of 2006 when they were 8 games below .500. That wiped out most of the bloom from winning the World Series. Every baseball fan knows the true attendance bump comes the following season after a playoff appearance. Not during, so much. So 2009 was lower than 2008.making the playoffs didn't help theSox, but I am sure there is another unique excuse. The fact is Most fans of teams look for reasons to go to games, Sox fans do the opposite, look for reasons not to go to games, such as your suggestion of Guaranteed Rate Field being on the ticket, and ruining a scrapbook opportunity. The horror. Hopefully the higher fee being paid will cover the loss of attendees due to a name on a ticket. And if attendance is so cut and dried, why do you make so many doom and gloom attendance posts every year?

QUOTE (The Mighty Mite @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 06:40 PM) I'm not sure what years you are talking about with the 2 years winning 90 game and dropping in attendance. In 2005 when we won it all we drew 2.4 million , in 2006 it was 2.9 million actually 43,000 short of 3 million. Those 2 were 90 win seasons. In 2007, attendances dropped. Mad the playoffs in 2008, attendance down again and continued to drop every year including 2012 when the team was in first place most of the season, until last year.

When the White Sox won the WS, they were 17th in attendance. In 2012 when they were in first place most of the season they were in 24th. Winning helps but not a lot.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 03:25 PM) They offered Cespedes 5/$150 and he turned it down for less money per year and fewer years? If they offered Cespedes that contract and he signed it, you would have ripped the signing. You have to be realistic.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 03:13 PM) Upgrades from very bad to...just bad? Again, addressing your earlier point about the team is "trying not to be mediocre". If these are the "upgrades" they chose to make, when better upgrades were available, then I don't see how you can stand behind this mediocre statement you made. What were the better upgrades available, and don't say Cespedes because they tried.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 03:09 PM) Loyalty is a two way street of course and as we discussed my opinion is that sports fans are under no obligation to support a bad product. No different from any other type of business and sports today is now a billion dollar business. You disagree with that and have made that clear consistently. Again I disagree with you but I respect your consistency. If the Sox want an average of say 2.5 million fans a year...fine, win 90 games three seasons in a row and they'll get that. Not have a winning season at least in six out of nine years...well that's a tough sell for anybody. Mark They did win 90 2 years in a row including a World Series the next year, attendance dropped. They made the playoffs the next year, the attendance dropped, 3 years later, spent most of the season in first place, the attendance dropped. There is no rhyme or reason here. We can move the bar for what will make White Sox fans show up to games like Bears, Cubs, Bulls fans do no matter what the state of their team. It will be interesting to see what happens to the Blackhawks once their run ends and they are just a meddling mediocre team for a while. I would imagine they have built up enough good faith that attendance won't change much. But the White Sox are the only major professional sports team in Chicago who wouldn't draw big in first place. That's fine, but there are consequences. The thought of some billionaire coming in on his white horse to buy the team from JR and starting to spend crazily thus setting attendance records is fantasy. Sox fans won't go until they win 90 games 3 years in a row? It will probably be a long time until they win 90 games 3 years in a row.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Aug 25, 2016 -> 02:52 PM) That said, the reason we tell that to our kids is, it is hard to actually have success without effort. Effort does not guarantee success, but it certainly is one key ingredient to it. I agree, and I would imagine everyone wants their children to give max effort because it should translate in their best result. The problem is Hahn and KW best effort hasn't been good enough recently. Either that has to change or the guys making the effort has to change.