Dick Allen

QUOTE (Scoots @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 12:57 PM) Neither team is liking this umpire right now He is in a slump.He will get hot again,

There it is.

That is a break and about the 3rd or 4th hustle hit for Eaton this year.

Nice hustle but he is out

QUOTE (SouthSideSale @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 12:36 PM) I'd put Melky 3rd I could see that. Eaton Jackson Melky Abreu Frazier Lawrie Garcia Navarro Saladino It wasn't more than a week ago people were complaining Melky was batting second. Now why is he out of the line up vs. A LHP and he should be batting 3rd.

Melky and Rollins getting the day off today. Eaton in LF, Avi in RF, Sands DH, Navarro C.

QUOTE (SCCWS @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 09:20 AM) I( am very happy w the 8-3. My biggest concern with this roster is the depth. If we get to June and need to add a SP or a left-handed bat, I am sure Hahn can find one. Not a #2-3 starter and not a stud lefty but acceptable upgrades. My bigger concern is a major injury. I am not convinced we have a ML ready player in Charlotte or on the bench that is blocked from playing because of talent. An injury to many of our starters would force Hahn to go out and trade/buy at a disadvantage. We saw the collision in Tampa Friday night and how easy it is to lose players. If, for example, one of our 3 outfielders gets hurt for a month, I think there is a major drop-off in talent. Same with 1st and 3rd. I hope we don't have to rely on a starter from Charlotte as well. I put all 5 in the same category as Danks. Hopefully Charlotte will develop a few players ready by late summer and maybe Fulmer blossoms, but let's hope we don't get any DL trips for a while. If one of Eaton, Abreu or Frazier go down, they most likely are screwed. Same with Sale, Q or Rodon. I just don't see any reason to panic offensively. One starter, Eaton, has an OPS greater than his career mark. Everyone else, including Melky, is below, many hundreds of points below. There is zero reason to think that will continue an entire season.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 08:36 AM) The offense is going to get better, but it still looks like it will be a problem. And even if the pitching staff doesn't regress, which is basically impossible, we're not going to stay this lucky. A winning record does not prevent you from acknowledging flaws with the team and if you're Rick Hahn you need to act on them as quickly as possible. Every team is flawed. Reading this board most of the team is flawed. They really would need a new roster, a new coaching staff, and a new manager. It is just not realistic to have the greatest pitching staff in baseball by far, the greatest offense in baseball by far, the greatest coaches, and the best manager all at the same time. That seems to be the requirement with some. Winning games hitting what they are hitting, to me is a positive. I don't think Rodon and Q and Sale are suddenly going to give up 5 runs a game because they are playing the Angels or Blue Jays. The offense has to find a way to consistently score 4 or 5 runs. If that happens, we won't have the Caulfield return with 10 or 20 doom and gloom posts after a loss. Before Lawrie got a couple of hits last night, the Sox had 2 regulars hitting over .250, yet were in first place. They only have 4 regulars with an OBP over .231. That is not sustainable no matter who you play.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 08:14 AM) I'm curious, what do project for the season totals from Frazier, Lawrie and Avi? Probably close to their career numbers. 2005 was a benchmark year. We have seen numerous posts about that offense being balanced etc. just remember that team won 15 games scoring 2 runs or less. So far this year, the team has 1 win scoring 2 runs or less. It just fascinates me people can't enjoy 8-3 in first place best start in 34 years , despite 9 of those games being on the road.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 07:52 AM) Wouldn't you love to know how management really feels about this team? They can't be naive enough to be optimistic and swayed by the early wins. Don't you suspect that Hahn knows this offense is not well enough constructed to be a serious contender? The question is, how in the world are they gong fix it, at this point? Hahn knows they are screwed. He knows White Sox fans are way too smart to buy tickets to see a team that wins. Why is it anything positive is always something that can't be sustained, and anything negative is just how things are no matter the sample size?

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Apr 17, 2016 -> 07:32 AM) I don't think it's people think we deserve a record better than 8-3, but just that when it comes to facing good teams we may not sustain and hold onto a lot of these 1 run, low-scoring wins we've had. If people really think Frazier is going to hit .178 their opinions aren't worth much. The fact is this team is winning games despite not hitting much. The bats will come around. It isn't the best offense in the league, but it isn't the worst. They have had limited production from almost everyone except Eaton and Melky and it was only a few days ago someone was pissed off Melky batted second. So far this season, Hawk's phrase don't tell me what you hit, tell me when you hit it has held true for this team. I will take the 8-3, knowing not only will the offense including Frazier improve, they will make an addition eventually.

Despite the team being 8-3 it is pretty obvious they are no more,than a 65-70 win team. Just from what I hav read here, there are a lot of problems. Eaton, Lawrie clubhouse cancers Avila, Fraizer, Cabrera, Rollins washed up The league has figured out Abreu Avi is one of the worst players in baseball Jerry Sands serves no purpose They have Danks in the rotation and Petricka, Duke, Putnam in the bullpen You know it is just a matter of time with Latos Even Chris Sale is too much of a hot head and should go away. Finally they are managed by a stooge. 8-3 with 9 games in the road is OK, but despite all these horrible players and manager and coaches, it clearly should be better. The fans deserve better.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 08:00 PM) Lawrie never quits. He is always going. I could see where that may wear on a few if they are losing, so the Sox need to win. He is fun to watch. Nothing is half assed.

Unless Sale and Rodon can each make about 70 starts, scoring 2 runs isn't going to win many games.offense has to get it in gear.

QUOTE (Soxfest @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 07:39 PM) Pen getting used heavy tonight Jennings can use the work.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 04:48 PM) I guess that I do tend to explore some pretty desperate alternatives, in my never ending quest for a left handed hitter. I'm the first to admit that. However, don't you agree that the Sox do in deed need a left handed bat? Right now, Melky is pretty much the only guy who can break up the string of Abreu, Frazier, Lawrie and Avi. Yes, you're right. I do obsess over that void, on the Sox roster. You will note that our offense has pretty much stunk, during these last few seasons, that I have been harping on this topic. If these guys were getting it done, all from the right side, it would be less of an issue. Rick Hahn has himself, similarly expressed the need for a left handed bat. His choice of LaRoche was a failure, and Kenny Williams' pick of Dunn, wasn't exactly a smashing success, when you consider the cost. So I guess my suggestions haven't been much worse, and would have cost a lot less. They're just lucky LaRoche bowed out of the remainder of his contract. I wish that this organization would finally address this need, and acquire a decent left handed, power bat. Then we could all stop speculating about these desperate possible solutions. Until then, the "quest" continues. Do you have any realistic candidates, whom you would like to suggest? I would think currently the only candidate I could think of that would definitely be available at a low price is Jay Bruce. He obviously would be a gamble. I just don't think middle of the order bats are available right now at a price that makes sense. Eventually they will be.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 07:24 PM) Agreed. Just weird. Almost as if he has the YIPS or something. His k rate was pretty low last year. I think he got too hung up on it. Spring training he struck out 11 in 9 innings and he has 4 in 2 innings so far. IMO he is trying to be too perfect trying to get the k instead of throwing his sinker and getting grounders.

QUOTE (SoxAce @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 07:16 PM) What's up with Petricka's control this year. He's already walked 5 guys this year. He only had 18 all of last season. Hawk was saying they were worried about it in spring training. I have always liked him, but if he isn't going to throw stirikes, give him a Knights uniform and call someone else up.

Looked like a swing to me.

Danks looks really skinny to me. He never was big, but looks like he lost a few pounds.

Missed a good one to hit.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 03:44 PM) To all of you who are complaining about having raised this idea again: I stated, shortly after posting it, that I agree that it's a bad idea, especially now that he appears to have a serious shoulder injury. My original interest was based upon the fact that his career numbers vs. RHP are pretty intriguing: .298 .352 .484 He is still only 29 and I was speculating that Boston might eat enough of his salary to make it palatable. I assume that the wise crack about Sizemore was yet another of the never ending references to my ill advised fascination with his potential "comeback". Will I never live that one down? LOL I still don't think that it was a foolish suggestion. That was a couple of years ago, when Sizemore was still only 31. He's the same age as Cano and Sin Chu Soo, who had both just signed huge free agent contracts. Back then, as now, the Sox needed a left handed bat, with Dunn retiring. Hey, he would have been a better gamble than signing La Roche. At least we wouldn't have had to commit to more than one year, and with almost no impact on the payroll. It would have saved us the whole disrupting fiasco over Adam and his son. Sizemore didn't make the comeback, on which I wanted to gamble. So what? What kind of a gamble did La Roche turn out to be? And he was 35 when the Sox signed him. What is getting old is in your quest for a middle of the order left handed bat, you suggest hitters who aren't middle of the order hitters anymore. Sizemore hadn't played in 3 seasons yet you thought he would make a fine clean up hitter, Panda sucked last year and really was no better than Conor Gillaspie the year before, that was before his got even heavier to the point he belt exploded on a swing and a miss the other day. Panda is eating his way out of baseball. If he wasn't owed the money he was owed, he probably would be stuffing his face right now somewhere as an ex ball player. He is a talented guy, it is a shame he either won't get the help he needs to put himself in a better position to perform, or he just can't do it. It isn't like he has to be all that well conditioned to play baseball. But he is off the charts now, and going the wrong way. It is one of those signings where you just knew what was going to happen. The guy has played well fat before, but he is getting older and fatter. I would think a professional athlete being paid what he is being paid would want to be in the physical condition he needed to be in to provide the most value. From some of his comments last year, it seems like he doesn't really give a s***. He is content getting paid .

But he put up a .658 OPS last year and can bat left handed. It is amazing how so many have attraction to other teams trash. Grady Sizemore is still available

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 02:29 PM) Man, some of you act like Danks gets lit up every start. Makes you wonder if they realize other teams don't have Cy Young contending 5th starters, but most of the punching bags were sent away. This one remained and they have 152 games to keep punching.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Apr 16, 2016 -> 11:01 AM) Prefer 5 years of Saladino to 2 months of a platoon hitter. If I'm right on Saladino, it would allow them to trade Anderson for a good hitter (not a platoon hitter) with perhaps some extra years, instead of wiping out everyone else in the farm, if they have to. We'll see what happens. Sox love to trade with Billy Beane. Interesting thing about Frazier is that he spent 4.5 years in the minors before he hit the majors...and that was as a college draftee. For every one of the guys who became legit core players for contending teams after sucking it up until they were 25 years old, there are hundreds, and probably thousands who did not. All your prospects on Oakland lead them to 68 wins last year and 4-7 this season. In another year they will become heroes playing for a s***ty team and will need to be traded for more mediocre prospects.