Dick Allen

I don't get too excited good or bad about spring training stats. Especially the first week. But good stats sure beat bad ones. It would be nice if everything went right for a change.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Mar 10, 2016 -> 09:12 PM) So last year they were really a 121-win team??? Put me down for 86-76 Did you ever read the gamethreads? It was a 140 win team.

I was going to put down 90, but then I remembered to subtract 15, since Robin is still the manager, subtract another 15 because KW is calling the shots, and finally, subtract another 15 because Jerry Reinsdorf owns this team. So 45-117.

QUOTE (VAfan @ Mar 10, 2016 -> 08:32 AM) I agree that Bruce to the Sox is not likely to happen, but I'm not sure I agree that it would be bad for the Sox. We are relying on a bounce back from LaRoche, who couldn't go 2 days and came up with back spasms. Bruce could take his spot, with LaRoche put on the DL. Or Shucks spot. He is an adequate RF. Eaton could go to left. Melky to DH. Avi would platoon with Bruce like he would with LaRoche. Sox would only be on the hook for a year, but if he rebounded he would easily be worth the $13m optuon for 2017. So, Bruce solves the LaRoche issue pretty well. Question is cost, in money and players. If the Reds pay some money, they get a better prospect. Seems like the Sox could afford a lower level pitcher or 2. What they gave up for Lawrie, for example. If LaRoche also hits, then Jackson gets fewer at bats against righties. That was going to be Shucks job anyway. Taking some of Jackson's starts against right handers. I don't understand why a guy who has been awful 2 years straight solves the problem of the guy who was awful just 1 year.

QUOTE (kevo880 @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 03:10 PM) 95% of Broncos fans absolutely dispise Cutler. No way are they trading for him. It's starting to look like at least 95% of Broncos fans are going to despise whoever lines up behind center for them in 2016.

QUOTE (Charlie Haeger's Knuckles @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 02:05 PM) Never trust a man with two first names. Sox should take a hard pass on Jay Bruce. EDIT: wait.... Frank Thomas. Nevermind. There used to be a Loyola basketball player with 3 first names in his first name Alfredrick Hughes. That was a guy you had to be careful around.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Mar 9, 2016 -> 02:16 PM) Good thing Forte's not going to GB. He'd really excel in that Packers offense. Moon Mullin was on last week and he said there was virtually no chance Forte would go to GB. He basically said GB would be his last option.

Where you guys at spring training last year? Did you speak to anyone there?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 8, 2016 -> 08:40 AM) Not really. I could see a minor league for "cash" or future considerations deal, but that is it. We will literally get nothing for Olt at this point. If teams didn't have to give Olt a 40 man spot and potentially remove someone from their roster, there is no question he would have been claimed. If and when the Sox release him, he will have no problem finding a minor league contract with another team. I do agree, they won't get anything of substance for him, but I am sure a team wouldn't mind him stashed away in AAA just in case he figures something out. He can hit the ball a mile.

QUOTE (ChiSoxFanMike @ Mar 8, 2016 -> 08:20 AM) Since Olt already went through waivers, any team would have been able to claim him for free. With that in mind, I highly doubt any team would want to trade for him. They also would have had to give him a spot on the 40 man roster. Huge difference. See what he does this spring. A team may have an injury, his value may rise. It was only 3 years ago the guy was a top 25 prospect.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 05:47 PM) Yes but they also play away games so they will be playing in parks that aren't that homer friendly. Got to be able to score runs all around Most parks are band boxes. So pincer the Sox moved into their current home, I think they had one year they didn't hit a lot of home runs and were reasonably successful. Getting away from power would be a mistake.

Butler has a swollen knee and stiff back. He will not play tonight.

QUOTE (Tannerfan @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 02:39 PM) 2 innings, 2 guys caught stealing. After last year I wish Ventura would understand we are not a running team. It's spring training. Not even a week into games.

QUOTE (PlaySumFnJurny @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 10:12 AM) Whitman should hire Tom Thibodeau next. My brother is a U of I alum and I jokingly mentioned this to him. Thibs obviously is all about the NBA, but if they wait a year or 2, Hoiberg may be available.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 11:02 AM) That would be retarded. I'm basis that off the last 3 years of Danks combined with Tuners pedigree and a belief that a healthy young turner is going to be more productive and add more balance to the rotation. I hope you're right, but a 6.13 ERA in 2014, and 9 total innings pitched in AA on 2015 seems to say longshot.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 10:00 AM) I also hope that Danks starts the year in the pen - with Turner and Latos getting the 4/5 slots. Are you basing this on Turner and Danks' 2 first week of spring training innings?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 7, 2016 -> 09:25 AM) It is more of a Cub love than anything else. The Cubs press release of the Maddon hiring shows Kap (who I happen to like) is a little full of it today: Rick deserved to come back for another season as Cubs manager, and we said as much when we announced that he would be returning in 2015. We met with Rick two weeks ago for a long end-of-season evaluation and discussed plans for next season. We praised Rick to the media and to our season ticket holders. These actions were made in good faith. Last Thursday, we learned that Joe Maddon—who may be as well suited as anyone in the industry to manage the challenges that lie ahead of us—had become a free agent. We confirmed the news with Major League Baseball, and it became public knowledge the next day. We saw it as a unique opportunity and faced a clear dilemma: be loyal to Rick or be loyal to the organization. In this business of trying to win a world championship for the first time in 107 years, the organization has priority over any one individual. We decided to pursue Joe. While there was no clear playbook for how to handle this type of situation, we knew we had to be transparent with Rick before engaging with Joe. Jed flew to San Diego last Friday and told Rick in person of our intention to talk to Joe about the managerial job. Subsequently, Jed and I provided updates to Rick via telephone and today informed him that we will indeed make a change. We offered Rick a choice of other positions with the Cubs, but he is of course free to leave the organization and pursue opportunities elsewhere. Armed with the experience of a successful season and all the qualities that made him our choice a year ago, Rick will no doubt make an excellent major league manager when given his next chance.

I agree with the above. Pretty amazing how he was able to stretch a buck, get a middle of the order guy in Frazier, and fill holes, with minimal impact on the pitching front. Montas may come back to bite him one day, but if Frazier is as good as advertised and the team wins, that's more than OK. Not trading Q was huge. The team still could use some more power, but if LaRoche could somehow be what they thought he would be, they could be OK there as well.

QUOTE (WhiteSoxLifer @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 06:27 PM) Thats a hoping he puts up 20+ homers not a guarantee I have a feeling HR are going to be up league wide this season. I think they are going to be using balls wound a little tighter. They already use jacked up balls for the HR derby.

So most of us thought the Sox would exercise the $10 million option on Alexei. Hahn basically traded that for Rollins, Latos, and Jackson for the option plus the $1 million buyout. It still wouldn't surprise me if they traded Avi and/or a reliever befor the season started.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 05:50 PM) Seeing Rollins over Saladino still makes me roll my eyes... I mean, I know that's what will probably happen, but I think Saladino will have a much better year It is a spring training battle. I really don't think Rollins is the Opening Day SS ISO Saladino outplays him.

So JR stretched the budget. Will people finally realize when the Sox cry poor they are about to spend some money?

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 04:33 PM) Lakers givin' it to the Warriors. Biggest regular season upset in history? It probably would be. It is the first time a team with a winning pct. over .900 has played a team with a winning pct. under .200 this late in the season.

QUOTE (raBBit @ Mar 6, 2016 -> 11:22 AM) I have no idea on who the target is. I was told the Levine report was bull and they were trying to add an OFer but nothing else. Unless it is a signing that is going to be announced that day, most of Levines info seems to be his speculation rather than actual information he has received.

It would depend on how involved he was willing to become. His players seemed to love him. I think Illinois recruiting would,only get better.