Dick Allen

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 11:26 AM) They spent the money because they had the money to spend. That team hasn't ever lost money in the last 10 years. In fact they made almost $80 million in profit last year., which is why they were able to sign Jon Lester. In the four years before that, they had a combined $100 million profit. In 2015 they had $302 million in revenue. The White Sox had $227. The Cubs haven't pulled in that little revenue since 2008. It's amazing how Theo is great, Maddon is great, the Cubs, the Cubs, the Cubs... Theo was hired in December 2011. This is the first year since 2009 the Cubs have won as many games as the 2015 White Sox. Now, the future is promised. No chance of failure. They were 3rd in their division. Their lowest total attendance during this stretch would be top 5 all time for the White Sox.

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 11:11 AM) OP mentioned it. It wouldn't last a week even if they found some way to win 5 Stanley Cups a year, and it wouldn't have anything to do with JR and Rocky being attached at the hip. The JR/Rocky comment was basically to refute anyone thinking Rocky would ever leave JR high and dry. And you are right about a Blackhawks network. The Cubs, if they do it, will probably need a partner, and I really don't know who that would be. How can they come up with enough content on a Cubs channel? I guess the winter would be game replay after game replay.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 09:03 AM) Teams practice that (at least they should). Seven seconds is plenty of time to get the job done, but if you really want to be picky, probably should have called the TO with 8-10 seconds left. The chances of a botched snap where the holder actually is able to throw it away is pretty slim. Usually it's botched because the holder doesn't have control of it. If Oakland took that last kickoff to the house, there would be no sympathy for Fox calling TO with 7 seconds left. I wonder if he would have had a different strategy if the game was tied. Like if he went for 2 down 14-12.

QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 10:21 AM) Tigers are in the top 5 despite a 17% drop in ratings. They're in Detroit, had a worse record than the Sox and were a slowly developing catastrophe for the better part of the season. There was also a significant roster sell-off at the deadline. I don't think the Sox ratings and attendance can be blamed solely on the product they field. As terribly as the off-season acquisitions ended up working out for them, they still generated excitement coming in to the year. In 2012 they were in 1st for a better portion of the year, yet they pulled their lowest attendance since 2004. I know tv ratings were up for that year (I can't find the numbers, but I think they were at 1.6), but they weren't setting the world on fire. Also, the mere thought of the Blackhawks having their own network... The Blackhawks aren't going to have their own network, and JR and Rocky are attached at the hip.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 09:48 AM) Just in case anyone was wondering: here's a graph that shows that ranks the managers on challenging calls: http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-ou...ng-plays-100515 This would matter if every team had the exact same amount of bad calls go against them, in the exact same way. How many times do we see challenges denied that make you scratch your head? But it appears the author needed to praise Joe Maddon.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 09:41 AM) And that deal ends in 2029 and there is no chance anything close to that happens again. I'm not looking forward to that stadium fight. A lot happens in 14 years.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:17 AM) Not worried so much about a blocked kick as a botched snap. If there is a botched snap, the extra few seconds gives the holder enough time to get the ball, get up, and then throw an incomplete pass near the feet of one of the ends. Then you get to try again. Botched snap is another animal, but a lot of things would have to go right after the botched snap to have time to kick again, especially with a new holder. If he was really worried about that, he should have left more than 7 on the clock.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:48 AM) Honestly this kind of terrifies me. For all we talk about wanting Reinsdorf to step down, I think it's more likely we find an owner try to buy that wants to move us than one that brings in a great new baseball system. The White Sox have a long term sweetheart lease and have been one of the most profitable teams in baseball the last 25 years. THEY AREN'T GOING TO MOVE.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:42 AM) If the sox are ditching rongey and leaving him at the score, I'd highly doubt he'd be the tv replacement. No offense to Rongey or Garfien, but I would think they would be shooting a little higher on the TV side. I know they have broken in analysts on TV, and Farmer, and Hawk for that matter, got their PBP starts on radio and TV respectively with the Sox, but to me, it's highly unlikely this opening is filled by a rookie PBP guy. Maybe Stone does PBP and they bring in a color guy which to me seems like a Rowand type, but if it is a PBP guy, I think it will be someone with experience.

QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:23 AM) Why would anyone that has his family less than two hours away, choose to stay in a hotel room for 6 months out of the year? He could get a driver, it's just the daily commute that he's tired of taking. Plus, Chicago, while a nice city, is not an old person's city. It is still 2 hours in a car coming, and 2 hours in a car after the game. I'm sure if Hawk's daughter and grandkids were based in Lemont, he would be doing home games only, but as been pointed out, this should be a positive when finding another announcer, as I would think being based in Chicago in the summer is far more attractive than a job that is almost exclusively on the road.

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:09 AM) lol I literally thought this at one point yesterday. I have yet to see any quote from Buehrle that says he is retiring. I wouldn't be surprised if he pitches one more year with the Sox or Cardinals. If Bruce Levine is reporting he's retiring, Buehrle has no choice. One thing I noticed watching the "highlights" of his last start, he certainly hasn't missed too many meals lately. Buehrle is getting really big. It has to end sometime. The contract he signed with Miami, he wound up earning every penny, and then some, which has to be a bit surprising. I hope the Sox don't sign him. I have a feeling he's done, and would hate to watch it firsthand.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Oct 6, 2015 -> 08:01 AM) Like that punt last week that clearly bounced off a Seattle player's leg and was recovered by the Bears. That one was a little hard to believe, but the Bears could have played 12 quarters, they weren't going to score.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:55 PM) See below. I highlighted the important parts for you. Full disclosure: this is from the NFL's 2012 Case Book. They haven't published one online since that year. However, I reviewed the 2013-2015 rule changes and none of them had to do with this scenario. I'm a referee, so I'll help break this down. A.R.'s ("approved ruling") can be confusing to people who aren't familiar with them: A = Kicking team B = Defending/Receiving team B10 = Defending team's 10 yard line (spot of ball) B17 = Defending team's 17 yard line (spot of the holder) A4 = Player on Kicking team B19 = Defending team's 19 yard line If the kick is blocked they aren't going to get another attempt. He called his final timeout with 7 seconds left. So 7 seconds on the snap, even if your scenario is correct, which it isn't, with no timeouts left, how in the world would they have time to attempt another FG? It was dumb. A very slim chance they score on the kickoff, but they should not have had the chance, and calling TO with 7 seconds left guaranteed that. Make sure after the kick you can walk off the field.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 03:35 PM) Yes, I understand a blocked kick is touched by the receiving team. The rule states that the ball cannot be touched by the receiving team "beyond the line" of scrimmage. 99% of the time, that block is going to occur at or behind the line of scrimmage, whether it's penetration from up the middle or around the corner. So yes, a blocked kick can be recovered by the kicking team and they'll keep possession. You are incorrect.

QUOTE (dasox24 @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 12:12 PM) That's not true. Rule 9.3.1 of the NFL Rulebook states otherwise: I totally nerded out to look that up, but it took me about 2 minutes to find that info. I think it's important to know the rules before criticizing a coach. Either way, it's a moot point. We won. You do understand a block kick is touched by the receiving team. Besides, there are 7 seconds left and no timeouts. Even a bad snap the extra second isn't going to help you. It was dumb of Fox. In OT teams kick on first down all the time. They don't get 4 chances to make them. They get 1. Now a bad snap and they recover, then you're right, but 7 seconds and zero timeouts throws that out the window.

If Stone is negotiating, he obviously will have a say. Maybe Chip Caray can be like he grandpa and work both sides of town.

It was Levine reporting he was retiring.

81 games of Beltin' Bill Melton would be the best comedy on TV.

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 12:53 PM) Just Google. Well, you may have to buy some books, come to think of it. There was a big sabermetric push into understanding the effect of managers the mid-2000's, much of which was published in anthologies like Baseball Between the Numbers and The Book. I saw a study that showed an incredibly strong correlation in Manager of the Year Voting -- it's essentially always the manager of the team that exceeded expectations the most, no matter what, indicating that we have no real criteria other than assuming something magical must have happened. Joe Torre was awful for much longer than he was legendary. So was Tony La Russa. So was (is?) Terry Francona. Joe Maddon is great when his top prospects turn into stars, but very bad when his top prospects bust -- and they've done both under him, suggesting that he just may not be the cause. Studies have shown that "good team" is an excellent predictor of "good manager," but "good manager" is not a statistically significant way to predict a "good team." The gels nicely with the fact that one of those quoted phrases can be measured objectively, but the other cannot. Anyway, I don't have a reading list to link to, sorry Just look at Jim Leyland's career. His first 4 years were very similar to Robin's. Then his players developed, they were great for a few year, became free agents, Leyland starts losing. Goes to the Marlins, they have good players they win 92 games, they sell everyone off, the next year they lose 108. Goes to Colorado, they lose 90, goes to Detroit, and he's good again.

QUOTE (Jose Abreu @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 12:22 PM) I wish we hired the Red Sox announcer who is now joining the Padres broadcasting team. I have a feeling the Sox will hire a guy like Eric Collins. Cancel that. He is the Hornets new PBP guy. I just hope it isn't a rotation.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 12:13 PM) In my post you quoted I said why doesn't he just get a place to stay in the city for home games. You are avoiding the time zone issues and aren't forced to eat out all the time. If it was me, that's what I would do, but it may be a good thing this is what he decided. I would imagine you could attract a better part timer if they were just based in Chicago, and not doing road games only. What I don't understand is why he's doing the 2 Cubs games. Maybe with the 4 game series 2/2 that's when he gets a hotel in the city.

QUOTE (Dunt @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:59 AM) Are the 5 months (6 if you're the Sox) he has off a year not enough to be around his grandkids? He spends the winter in Orlando. Golfing with Arnie.

QUOTE (captain54 @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:58 AM) Two teams. #1. Nationals. #2 white Sox Teams #1 and #2 played below expectations. Team #1 decimated by injuries, but finishes above .500. Team #2 healthy all year, finishes below .500 #1 and #2 played crappy defense Team #1 fires their manager. #2 retains their manager I'm not saying RV should or shouldn't have been let go. However, the organization loses all credibility when there is no standard for accountability vs performance. The notion that they are trying to do the best they can to put a winner on the field, holds no water If the White Sox ship a bunch of players out, they are showing more accountability than firing a guy who makes out a line up card. Hahn has already said, the roster is on him. Accountability. If they don't make changes, you have a point, but I find that highly unlikely.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:56 AM) Glad everyone else thought it was weird that road games were easier. Couldn't he just get a hotel in Chicago for a home series? Same...kinda thing right? He hangs out in the hotel and takes the team bus to the game. Much better than driving 4 hours a day. If anything, keeping a 74 year old off the road 4 hours a day is probably a positive for anyone else on the road.

QUOTE (bmags @ Oct 5, 2015 -> 11:51 AM) Well, sorry Trayce. You aren't going to start next year because if you fail I may to say that you shouldn't be starting, which is very bad because the worst thing in the world is to re-align your views based off more information! Yeah, that is exactly what I wrote.