Dick Allen

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Sep 25, 2015 -> 09:40 AM) No contradiction. He's a "keeper" in the sense that he's a decent baseball player. I hope the Sox trade him because he's not as good as his numbers, he'd return value and you can't build a team trading prospects only. Trayce Thompson is a building block and should be our CF next year. But Robbie boy keeps wheeling out Melky, Alexei and Eaton day after day after day. Wow. Trayce Thompson has played the last 23 games he was healthy enough to play. But let's b**** about Robin and disregard any and all facts.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 09:43 PM) Dick: And it's a fact McDowell and Fernandez were tipping their pitches according to Cito Gaston. They lost all four games in 93. Those guys were to good for that to happen without some help. And the Sox brain trust apparently never picked up on it. And also just to clue you in, Jack was just as hard on himself for his failures as he was to blame others. And to be clear one final time Dick, I rip loyalty when it impacts and interferes with the ultimate goal...winning baseball games, winning championships. A blind man can see that loyalty is so highly regarding by this organization that it's handicapping the franchise badly. Why do you think Ventura's returning? Because he's a great manager? LOL. But feel free to think otherwise, in five years time the Sox will be selling 'hope' to the masses because that's the only excuse they'll have left. Mark LMAO. You quote a guy saying the team doesn't win because everyone sucks, and that guy gets clobbered twice in a 4 game series, and there is an excuse, he was tipping his pitches. He must have been tipping them his other 2 playoff appearances with the Yankees as well. I wonder why he was tipping during the regular season. Don't quote Jack McDowell blaming everyone else for lack of playoff success. He is a guy who needs to look in the mirror. And you already have written off the next 5 years. Brilliant. It must be miserable at your house.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 07:42 PM) I very very much disagree that this is what I said "doesn't work". The Jose Abreu signing was high risk but it was potentially high reward. There was a solid chance Abreu could massively overperform his deal. He was at a discount relative to "potential performance" due to not being an experienced U.S. big leaguer. He still might underperform that deal in the long run with injury, btw. Compare that to Adam LaRoche, David Robertson, and Melky Cabrera though, there was nothing in their records that said "this guy could solidly overperform their deals". Melky Cabrera put up 2.5 fWAR last year and outside of steroids you'd think that's about as well as he could do - he was paid for about 2 fWAR, so virtually no upside. David Robertson is paid a premium as a closer - he might match that deal but it's almost impossible for a closer to outperform a $10 million/year deal. Adam LaRoche has 1 career season where he was worth >2.2 fWAR and that was while playing 1b, not DH, making him need to hit 50 home runs or something insane like that as a DH to substantially outperform his deal. Throw in Duke for money as a reliever and Samardzija for 4 big-league-caliber players and you've got the exact same mistakes. Jose Abreu had potential substantial value above his deal. Not one of those guys was likely to overperform their deals by much. If they put up their numbers from their best seasons you'd say they were a tiny sliver underpaid. I'm willing to gamble if there's a chance to win. I'm not willing to gamble if the best I can do is break even. Until we figure out that lesson, we should continue being ready for our free agent signings to underperform, because we're paying a big premium price for them. That is funny. You don't think signing a guy to one of the biggest contracts in team history who has never played a major league game isn't a huge risk, but Players with track records are. Hindsight is a beautiful thing.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 06:20 PM) They signed a guy that was exempt from the international signing bonus penalties due to 5+ years of playing in a professional league. A bold free agent signing. A guy who had never played in the major leagues. The exact kind of signing you said doesn't work.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 05:54 PM) Not at all, they should blow their funds on Martinez.....but probably won't. It's that simple. The opposite would be to outbid a highly sought after talent and go over our budget which (as the linked I posted above suggests) they don't do. How did they get Abreu?

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 04:14 PM) True, Rodon will be an outstanding pitcher. One who can make an impact every five days. My original statement stands, where is the Sox Kris Bryant an everyday player with that kind of impact ready to come up from the minor leagues? Mark He was the 2nd pick and not available for any team other than Houston and the Cubs. The Sox had the ROY last year. Abreu is their Bryant. Everyone could have had him.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 05:44 PM) I actually meant it in exactly the context I posted with, the White Sox are not actively drafting internationally compared to the league. The move we expect is for them to NOT be the highest bidder for this player. http://www.baseballamerica.com/internation...al-prospects-2/ You also said the White Sox should blow their bonus funds on Martinez, and they have worked him out several times. So the opposite would be no interest. Sort of contradict yourself there.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 04:34 PM) I get why people are unhappy with many of the decisions ownership and the FO have made, but the way a few posters here act like the White Sox never do anything right (or even rarely) is pretty ridiculous. Not only that but every other team is stacked beyond belief. Olt was the Cubs best option behind Bryant, that apparently is irrelevant, but who is playing if Bryant struggle to gets hurt? A guy many people on here are upset takes AB s away from Saladino.

QUOTE (bmags @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 04:22 PM) I think Bulls see higher turnover in their season tickets than the other major tickets in town (probably better than the sox though I tried to get them in 2011 and could have right away. Can't do that with Bears/Hawks They haven't contacted me in 15 years. I had tickets through the Jordan era and that one awful season. That was it. I am on the Bears waiting list and picked up about 1500 spots last year. I am 2 or 3 years away from pay dirt, just about the time they should be good again. You can still get Bears tickets on Ticketmaster on Fridays. Usually low rows in the 300 and 400 level close to midfield. Bulls tickets will set you back a ton.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 04:23 PM) We're devoid of impact offensive players, if it meant blowing through our alloted money for one player who's a physical specimen......I'd do it in an instant. Just ask yourself what would the White Sox do.....and think the opposite. It'll be the correct move I would love to have the Abreu money back. Signing Q and Sale to extensions, laughable. Drafting Rodon... You are right just do the opposite they will be so much better.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 04:02 PM) Omar: I agree with you... the problem is going back to the 50's the Sox are always "close" but never get it done. Something always jumps up and bites them in the ass. Again I can only restate history, they are the only one of the original 16 pre expansion franchises to have never made the playoffs in consecutive seasons. We're talking 115 years. Even the clownish Cubs have been able to pull that one off. What does that say about the Sox? Or do you (not necessarily you personally) start believing in "curses..." LOL. Like Jack McDowell told me once the Sox haven't won more often because they've had "bad players, bad managers and bad general managers." Hard to argue with his remarks. And it also says something when the brain-dead Marlins have won more World Series in their history than the Sox got to the World Series between 1919 and 2005. Mark Maybe if Black Jack would have showed up in the playoffs things would have been different. It is funny how you rip loyalty but are loyal to any White Sox employee who speaks to you, and you totally disregard their failures. 1993 playoffs 0-2 10.00 ERA. Yeah Jack not your fault. Also when the Cubs made it to 2 in a row earlier this decade, the White Soc actually won more playoff games these years.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 04:10 PM) No? Then explain the league's worst offense, near-worst defense, the mediocre at-best pitching (overall), the horrific baserunning, etc. That takes more than just "clunkers" and "holes" here and there to accomplish that. I mean, c'mon - don't put lipstick on this pig! There are a few bright spots on this team, to be sure, but the fact of the matter is, the talent level isn't as good as you suggest. Not at the moment it's not. Why aren't they on a pace to lose 100 games. Give up your fandom like you threatened earlier in the year. Go to the Cubbies. Enjoy.

QUOTE (The Gooch @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 03:21 PM) I can use the Bears to prove this statement wrong. They went to the Super Bowl with Grossman/Orton. While they did lose to a franchise QB, you can't say they weren't contenders. And that was Peyton Manning's only Super Bowl victory, the greatest quarterback of all time from a statistical perspective. A couple of mediocre QBs have won Super Bowls, including McMahon, but the defense has no margin for error.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 03:19 PM) I'd say the opposite. He may it about as clear as muddy water ..... the only thing he's made clear is that he wanted to test the FA market... “You go out and step in the outfield to shag, or pitching, or whatever you’re doing outside, you take a deep breath and it smells like I’m on the Valparaiso High School field playing. “There is just a comfort level to being in this area. I always have to show up well because I have a lot of people in the stands that are here expecting a lot of me. Yeah, that is absolutely something that is on my list; I love it here,” Samardzija said Even this quote.. he was talking about how he wanted to try free agency but basically wanted to stay on the Sox if they could match the numbers ... Sometimes you have to do that in a month. It's important for me to be able to be on this team all year and really get to know all the players and what the future holds is exciting. I've been pretty adamant about being a free agent. It's really something you shoot for. You are so close to it and you really want to experience it, but like I said before, when the situation is right, it's right. When the numbers are right, the numbers are right." The proof is in the pudding. Sale signed one of the most team friendly extensions in baseball, Samardzija didn't negotiate.

Exactly. People are so focused on LaRoche vs. LHP, they completely ignore how horrible Abreu was vs. LHP. LaRoche is supposed to be bad, Abreu not. The team was just horrible at the start and it snowballed. Any time it seemed they might turn the corner, another clunker. It was a bad year. The Sox talent level isn't as bad as it is made out to be. Every team has holes. Mike Olt was the Cubs starting 3B on Opening Day.

They need to get Swisher on the team. Even if he sucks, the first year, the team makes the playoffs. Awful with the Sox...playoffs. Good with the Yankees...playoffs. Awful with Cleveland....playoffs.

Apparently Bulls fans are getting sick of not advancing in the playoffs, and seem to think the Mayor isn't going to change things. I have been contacted each of the last 3 days trying to interest me in season tickets. Kind of shocking to me. They had really great attendance when they were the most awful team in NBA history. I guess the sticker price is getting a bit ridiculous.

QUOTE (captain54 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 01:28 PM) Since the Sox fade down the stretch in 2012, (where they went 4-11, from 9-19 till the end of the season).. a terrible offensive slump and starters ERA in the 5's was their doom.. Combined record to date over the course of roughly three seasons: 212-279…87 games under .500 Understood that the win pct. has gone up since the end of 2012, but comparing 2014 to 2015, we are only taking about 3 wins… the nightmarish 2013 record will skew this, but we have an average seasonal record over 3 seasons of roughly 70-92 Now I challenge anyone to name me one organization that puts this type of product on the field, and makes NO major changes concerning the powers that be that have engineered this mess over three seasons…. Underperforming players? (By the way, Rongey's favorite catch phrase).. Somepne in authority has put these under performers on the roster, on a consistent basis for a while now.. yet.. no responsibility.. no accountability.. Counting the record the last few years would be like holding John Fox responsible if the Bears start out 0-3. They ran out of gas in 2012, it was all they could do. Youk was cashed, Sale was cashed. In 2013 Paulie was hurt, the people's choice at that time behind the plate showed why he was a back up. The Sox traded away pieces at the deadline. Last year was a rebuilding year. No need to get depressed about that record. This year, yeah, it was disappointed, but they are closer than they were a couple of years ago, and plan to get closer in the winter. The difference between good and bad can be a rather slim line. Take the Cubs, what if Houston drafted Bryant? What if Samardzija accepted the extension? What if Arrietta was the same pitcher or slightly better than he was in Baltimore?

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 01:29 PM) Not totally, the advice I was given by some about certain individuals appears to be right on the money. I wrote this piece about my feelings towards the Sox on August 25th, my 60th birthday for Sox Net. If you missed it, you may want to read it: http://www.chicagonow.com/soxnet/2015/08/l...rthday-to-mark/ I stand by my comments and my feelings towards anyone including you. Mark I find this to be a personal attack, but that's OK, it's from someone who thinks Dye, Iguchi, Pods, AJ, Loaisa, Contreras, Garcia, Quentin, Abreu, Eaton, all became horrible after they put on a White Sox uniform, and it has to have something to do with Kenny Williams or Buddy Bell.

At least you admit there is no logic to your statements today. A rather large amount of inaccuracies.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 01:08 PM) Logically thought out post and brings up some good points in my opinion. Mark If Jeff Samardzija was Jake Arreitta, and Jake Areitta, Jeff Samardzija, Theo, who offered Shark $85 million, wouldn't be a genius, and Rick Hahn would be a boy wonder, and KW would have had nothing to do with the treade.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 12:34 PM) When Sale signed that deal as I recall he said he did it because he wanted some security for himself and eventually his family. Also when Sale signed that deal a few years ago the Sox weren't in as bad a shape as they are right now in most areas save for financially. Things change don't they? I find it hard to imagine that Sale has to be happy about the overall state of the team the past few years and again I go back to his competitiveness and how that flares up from time to time. No athlete with that kind of fire wants to spend a career and not get the chance to showcase his talent on the biggest stage and I've been around pro athletes for almost 40 years so I do know a little something about it. Mark He signed it in March of 2013. They lost 99, then 89, and this year it should be fewer than that. Trending up. It really amazes me how many people have their favorite thing to do is to complain about something you have no control over. If it depresses you that much, I am sure professionals would tell you that you should probably spend your time doing something else. In the end, it's just a game.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 12:27 PM) Sorry my post offended you. JR was not mentioned at all in it, nor was it my intention to include him in the discussion. I was referring more towards Kenny Williams and Buddy Bell myself. Since you brought it up however he certainly is a factor in this decline which assuming the Sox go on to have a losing season again you have to go all the way back to the time period from 1968-1976 to find such a sustained stretch of bad baseball. At least in that time period the Sox 'excuse' was they didn't have any money...I can't find an excuse for this past nine years period that's comparable especially in this era of parity. Mark What about 84-89? Roland Hemond left the team so barren, even drafting perfectly after he was fired, it was another 10 years until playoff baseball. Why am I not surprised you missed that.?KW>RH.

QUOTE (OmarComing25 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 12:04 PM) Outside of last offseason and Dunn, when did we pay full price in free agency in the last decade? I'm not seeing the trend here. Yes, and when talking 2005, Garcia was full price. Scotty Pods was as well. They got Iguchi cheap but were the high bidders. Hawk talked them into AJ. Dye was a rehab project. It all depends on your budget. Andrew Friedman operates the Dodgers a lot differently than he operated TB. And we all know if it was clear the Sox were pocketing money like Loria because they didn't want to pay full price, that would be just as criticized.

QUOTE (Lip Man 1 @ Sep 24, 2015 -> 10:48 AM) When discussing possible Sale trades everyone seems to leave out something. Namely what does Sale want? I've never heard or seen anything indicating he wants out...yet. But keep in mind when the season ends in two weeks he'll have five and a half years of service in the big leagues...and still won't have ever pitched in a post season game. That has got to be bothering a guy as competitive as he is. Sooner or later (probably sooner) if the Sox continue to look like buffoons on a baseball diamond Sale (or his agent) are going to cross a line and say "I'm leaving when my deal is up so trade me for what you can and get me out of here." Mark If Sale didn't want to be a White Sox, he wouldn't have signed the ridiculously team friendly contract he signed. I know doom and gloom is in. The funny thing is, players as a rule, seem to really enjoy playing for the White Sox. Why do you ignore that?