Dick Allen

Maybe Melky can get a hit but make it a full count to give Geo a better shot.

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 08:51 PM) Is there a promotion going on tonight? Why are so many people at this game? They sold more tickets than usual this winter. School is out. It is supposed to be warm. The crowds are going to be bigger.

Just showed Sale with a bunch of pine tar on his hand in the dugout. Oops.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 08:15 PM) The league office has no clue on that call. They overturn a bunch of them. They changed the interpretation late last year. It isn't the same as when the White Sox got screwed last year.

QUOTE (RaySox @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 08:13 PM) Robin is just as hard to watch as the players. How do you not challenge that? This team doesn't exactly have a top 5 offense to make up for that run You don't challenge that because there is zero chance of anything being overturned.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 02:45 PM) Everyone seems to know but you. The media insiders know it and this is the writer who finally says it. I think even Kenny as GM had little control when it came to firings. I have no doubt Kenny would have fired Ozzie but JR got in the way and none of that nonsense would have happened. So everyone but me knows everyone with the White Sox is the problem but Rick Hahn. Hahn was praised and praised and praised for the White Sox wheeling and dealing this past offseason, and when those players didn't perform, suddenly, he really had nothing to do with it. It was KW. It was JR. It's because Robin is managing. I don't mind Rick Hahn. I just don't understand assuming he is blameless here.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 01:54 PM) I reading an article on hitting coaches and the conclusion is most players don't listen. That's why George Brett quit. On some organizations when players don't listen they can be replaced. I would think handling veteran players would be the biggest challenge. They may have developed habits they've gotten away with and trying to change that must be hard for the coach and the player. That story about George Brett was interesting. Mike Schmidt wrote it after talking to George. Apparently the hitters didn't want to work with him because he had suggestions, but they had no problem with the assistant because he would tell them what they wanted to hear. So George quit.

Some inaccuracy. Laumann didn't preside over the 2001-2003 drafts. And the fact that Toews, Kane, Keith, and Seabrook were in the Hawks OrganIzation when all these changes happened. Would the Hawks have won 3 cups and been as popular without McDonough? I am going to say probably. They were putting the home games on TV. Bill Wirtz was gone so no matter who took over would have been thought of as an upgrade, and their talent level was improving. I also think McDonough played a huge role in Brian Campbell's contract, which at least has been partially blamed on the Hawks having to dump players, although they did dump his contract...on Tallon. Would they have won even 1 cup or the 3 they did win if they stuck with Tallon and Savard? It's easy to say no, and it's probably the correct answer, but again we will never know. To try to copy another teams' "model" especially from another sport, is kind of hard to do, and there are several ways teams go about being successful. I don't understand how he can say this guy is bad, that guy is bad, but Hahn....he just hasn't been able to do what he wants to do. How does he know that? And if that is the case, and Hahn is/was willing to be someone's puppet, why would he be the guy for the job anyway?

they are throwing out 60-65 million AS game ballots. I wonder how this will change the AL leaderboard.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 12:07 PM) again, blaming the "meathead" fans. If it isnt trolling with your "where are the fire steverson posts", or trolling with anything John Danks, are now trolling with "hey hawk fired Tony larussa same thing Amirite", you continue to blame the fans. That isn't what I'm doing but whatever. At no point did I blame the fans. If you want to think I'm trolling because my opinion is different than yours, fine. But I think your post here is definitely trolling me.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 12:03 PM) But on pace for a .423 winning percentage over a 3 year period with 2 of those being high-salary years, and arguably the weakest organization top to bottom we've seen in decades, that's pretty darn good reasoning. Get off the high salaried 2013. Dunn was crap. Konerko was a shell of himself. Peavy and Rios were traded. Be fair. If anything, the surprising success of the 2012 team probably set some things back a season.

QUOTE (flavum @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 12:00 PM) It doesn't have to be on one guy. It's a system-wide failure. The thing is, Robin Ventura isn't special. Even if you think he's competent, he's completely replaceable. I mean, if they fired him, what are the chances it came back to bite them? I'll tell you...zero. You would have easily said the same thing about Tony LaRussa in 1986. Yet he still gets mentioned. Hawk still gets crap for firing him. Bobby Cox, Joe Torre, when they managed bad teams they had a bad record. If firing the manager or the hitting coach or the video guy or whatever made the White Sox win more games, fine. If it is just to appease meathead fans who won't go to games anyways, and the losing will continue so they will just move on to their next target, it makes no sense.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 11:55 AM) So the people who made the decisions to bring those players in made terrible ones and you agree they need replaced. I continue to be ok with that. Hell, if Robin could convince a replacement GM to keep him, I probably would be ok with that. Sports isn't like a regular job. If you fired a GM for misses, you would be forced to give them 2 month contracts.

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 11:43 AM) DA, you dont want to blame anyone except Soxtalk. Its never the players, managers, or coaches fault, just the people who are pissed off that this team looks and plays like s*** ? I am blaming the players. Look at every manager's record that has been around awhile. Sometimes they come in first, sometimes they come in last. Do they just get really smart one year, and stupid the next? Baseball isn't like the other sports where you install an offense and defense and call plays. The manager/coach doesn't play as big of an in game role. In fact, it isn't even close. If we saw guys not trying, I would agree something there needed to be done. I am amazed the offense is this bad. I think even the guys who thought this team may suck are amazed the offense is this bad. The defense, we all knew wouldn't be good. The baserunning has been bad. They brought in Vince Coleman for that. Seemed like a solid move, but guys are worse. If, in my mind, I thought there was a 1% chance the reason the White Sox suck this year and the past 2 was Robin and the coaching staff, I would be right on board with everyone else who wants them all gone. The talent level was short the last 2 years. This year, the players, almost all of them, haven't played up to expectation. It's easy to blame that on one person, but it wouldn't be correct. Melky Cabrera isn't hitting. Adam Eaton isn't hitting, running bases or defending. Jeff Samardzija isn't pitching like a 9 figure pitcher. How can that be on one guy and not the guy actually playing?

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 10:56 AM) White Sox struggles are first and foremost on the players and the team that put the roster together. In some cases, hands were tied and rebuilding was going on. I'd say Robin is the least of the perpetrators but he's also the easiest to get rid of. And I've consistently said, look at the roster he's been given, you are going to suck defensively no matter what. However, seeing Alexei and Eaton, who should still be avg. and above avg defenders, respectively, also stink, is a disturbing trend. But as Robin said, they practice it hundreds of times. There is no doubt that was Eaton's ball. Alexei shouldn't give the impression he is camping under it because, like most teams it will make the OF pull up. They shouldn't, but they do. It's still Eaton's fault all the way. People can blame Robin all they want. I just think that whichever other guy they want to have the job, if they were given the exact same circumstances, it's not like there would have been an extra 15-20 wins a year. IMO, firing Robin, and I don't think they will, isn't going to solve the problems. It will make some people happy, but they still won't go to games, and they will find someone else to blame when the same crap keeps happening. If Robin was fired today, and they continued to play like they have played, I am certain the fire Steverson threads would be popping up next.

So the White Sox struggles the past 3 seasons are all on Robin. If they would have hired Dave Martinez, there probably would have been playoff appearances and capacity crowds?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 10:18 AM) http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/06/...KhLJ/story.html Who gets the axe first, Ventura or Farrell? Eaton's coming close, but nothing like Sandoval...interestingly, the Boston problem is perceived to be the veterans, and it feels like it could equally apply to Cabrera, Samardzija or Bonifacio right nowin the Sox clubhouse. Everyone's kind of just going through the motions...but the season is just too long to go on like that without some blowups/frustration coming out. You can read it coming from Hahn and Ventura in the last 2-3 days as well. Who on the White Sox is just going through the motions?

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Jun 19, 2015 -> 10:07 AM) I'm sure Jose would be an improvement. I'd still like to hire Dave Martinez though. Why do people like Dave Martinez so much? What has he ever done except stand next to Joe Maddon during games ? Seriously, this guy has been interviewed countless times and never landed a job. I remember when the pitchforks were out for Greg Walker, and the guy here who convinced a few posters that Walker had a "lift and pull" philosophy, wanted the Sox to hire Rudy Jaramillo's "assistant". If he knew what he was talking about, Rudy Jaramillo was the hitting coach with a "lift and pull" philosophy. Just because a guy coaches under Maddon, doesn't mean he's just like Maddon. And really, the Rays sucked last year and finished under .500. Maddon flees, they are devastated by injury, and are in first place. Maybe his genius is overstated.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:46 PM) Why is Eaton swimging at the first pitch I wish hitters vs Samardjiza didn't swing at the first pitch. They said earlier they are hitting .580 .

QUOTE (Lemon_44 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:43 PM) I know you don't think any coach could do any better than what RV has been doing and are perfectly happy with how he is handling things. That's fine if that's your opinion. That doesn't make mine, or anyone else's opinion less valid. What does Gentry's record as HC have to do with anything? Having been a HC for many years, he can offer insight to Kerr. I don't see how it's that tough to see where experience can help out. And nowhere did I say the won because of Gentry, just that he was part of a very successful year one staff that won it all with almost the same roster. Coaching staffs can and do make a difference. As for OG, there are examples to offset any explanations. Nothing is 100% and I think an experienced bench coach would have been good for RV. Basketball and baseball are 2 very different things. Running a basketball, hockey or football game is far more complex than running a baseball game.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:43 PM) I get that but why not still throw to 2nd? He Bobbled the ball. It was his only out.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:20 PM) Farmer and DJ disagree with you. But they have an anti-Alexei agenda, I guess. It is the CF's ball Eaton needs to quit being polite and be a ball hog. Alexei did act like he was going to make a play on it, but it still is Eaton's job to call him off. I suspect simce Alexei sort of showed him up, that won't be an issue anymore.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 09:10 PM) Keystone Cops. Those are supposedly our two best defenders. That one is 100% on Ramirez...you can't act like you're going to make the play and then back off at the very last second when it's too late. I know pilimg on Alexei is fun, but anyone who has ever played even little league knows that was Eaton's play. He can't assume Alexei is goimg to make the play. Run to it and call everyome off.

QUOTE (Lemon_44 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 08:33 PM) I think a major flaw in the Sox coaching staff is that there isn't anyone on the staff that has/had previous MLB managerial experience. I guess you can say Cooper managed a couple games but many times a first time manager will have an experienced former manager, like a Gene Lamont or Don Zimmer, to act as a sounding board as their bench coach. I think having a veteran that has been in charge through the rigors of major league season and show RV the ropes until he got his feet wet, would be nothing but a good thing to have on the staff. The team has been poorly coached from day 1. Maybe an experienced manager could have helped RV establish a better baseline and then improve and develop over the years. Right now, it's pretty much a dumpster fire out there and there doesn't seem to be much promise in the offing. If you don't think a coach or staff makes a difference just look at Golden State. Mark Jackson was a 1st time HC that had a staff full less experienced guys that were never HC's and didn't threaten his authority. Thus, the team played below expectation. First time HC Steve Kerr was the right guy to lead but he also brought in a veteran staff that included former HC Alvin Gentry and they win it all. So because Alvin Gentry he of the 2 winning seasons as a HC and well below .500 was on the staff, they won? Who other than Ozzie's 1 year had managerial experience on the 2005 staff?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 18, 2015 -> 07:43 PM) The point is that it IS POSSIBLE for other teams to help their players improve defensively once they've reached the major league level. Instead, most of the White Sox players have been getting worse, by defensive ratings and/or the eye test. Explain what has been done by the staff to address that. Explain how you know nothing is done. It is really a ridiculous assumption. I thought you said you interned for a baseball team.