Dick Allen

QUOTE(Jordan4life_2007 @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:59 PM) I think I'm on the fire Greg Walker bandwagon now. It's not even that I think it's all his fault. But something has to happen. These guys need a change or a different voice. The pitching is fine. It's even better than I expected. But we're not going to win games with this kind of putrid offense. We simply cannot afford to fall too far back of the Indians and Tigers. Something needs to happen now! Look at the line-up. Their isn't a non-player change that could be made right now that would make it any more potent.

Buerhle should just get hammered now and get his ERA way up there so his price tag will go down.

QUOTE(Soxfest @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:53 PM) How many times can we have a guy on 2nd no outs and NOT f***ing score! Its almost as if getting a guy on second is victory enough.

Why not bunt?

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:36 PM) Erstad has been an offensive upgrade over Anderson. I imagine Hall healthy would be an offensive upgrade over Widger/Alomar. Pods was playing better this year than 2006. Uribe is better this year than 2006. So how is it KW's fault that Konerko, Dye, Iguchi and Crede aren't hitting? Was he supposed to trade all 4 of them and bring someone else in? Saying Erstad is an upgrade over Anderson isn't saying a whole lot. Lets face it, if Erstad wanted the average salary of a major league baseball player, he would probably be sitting at home now asking Chris Widger when the beer league starts. Should you really count on Dye repeating his 2006 numbers? Pods gets hurt every year, sorry if I don't find any sympathy for KW in his decision to give him $3 million. Thome has now been hurt 4 seasons in a row. There comes a time when you have to figure he will miss some time. The Sox struggled mightily against LHP last year, and KW's only answer was Toby Hall. I still think these guys will start to hit. I think Dye will look more like the 2005 version than 2006, but that was fine. Konerko will hit. If he's healthy, Thome will hit. Iguchi will be better, but I advocated trading him last year, because for some reason I think he's going to fall off a cliff ability wise, plus he seems to be a lot slower turning a DP than when he first hit the scene. Crede will get very hot for a month or so. BTW, lmao at Hawk complaining about the Angels moaning about the Sox soft hits yesterday. Pot meet kettle.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:09 PM) By that time, I don't think KW will still be here. This organization really needs a new direction after this year, when most of the veterans will be gone. There will be a lot of pretty good players available as free agents. If the White Sox lose all their guys and don't put much of an effort in landing a big name or 2, and this season is one which does not include playoffs, the residual effect of winning the World Series will be over and wasted.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ May 6, 2007 -> 03:03 PM) That makes me think about what happens when Dye and Thome are gone, because Konerko will be here long after both of them. Who will protect Paul then? Just look for guys that used to be pretty good, but have gone downhill or have been injured and will be available for a bargain basement rate. Unfortunately that is where KW still shops.

Buerhle better not give up more than 1 or 2 runs today. I don't see how anyone can blame Walker if this particular line-up doesn't score off Colon.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ May 6, 2007 -> 02:29 PM) What a whore. You're right. But if someone wanted to pay you that kind of money for a 4 or 5 month stint, you would have a hard time saying no.

I think the Rocket will get lit up in the AL at this point.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ May 5, 2007 -> 02:08 PM) so how was he going to make the Sox out of Spring Training? Not every single Sox minor leaguer can use the BA excuse. Speaking of BA, he has his AVG up to .333 after an 0 for 7 start. That's 100 points higher that Terrero was hitting.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ May 5, 2007 -> 07:35 AM) I think the biggest question marks are around Crede and Brian Anderson, but what is the offensive philosphy of Uribe, or Iguchi, for that matter? Mackowiak and Cintron? Thome and Konerko are not going to change, obviously, nor is Jermaine Dye. Maybe Tadahito is confused with all these line-up shifts and whether the Sox want him to hit for power or sacrifice himself for the team, like in 2005. Crede had a big year last year and was a key element to the championship. That was long after most of this board, myself included, gave up on him. Anderson is a question mark, but to blame Walker for his troubles would be ridiculous. Uribe is what he is. He's a guy who is going to swing hard. You can only hope he becomes more selective, but a gap to gap hitter is something he never will be no matter who you have as a hitting coach. Ozzie wanted to move Iguchi down in the order so he would hit more home runs. Mackowiak had the highest batting average of his career last year with Greg Walker the hitting coach. Cintron had a typical year for him last year. This year its a different story for both of them so far, but Mack is notoriously streaky and Cintron's surgery appears to have had a negative effect on his ability thus far.

People have to get off the misconception that Greg Walker has his players swinging for the fences. Besides AJ, who swings for the fences that really had not until getting with Walker? AJ is 240 pounds. As guys like that get older they tend to become guys who will swing for the fences more, besides you get paid at a much better rate when you put the ball into the seats. Bringing in another hitting coach is not going to make the White Sox predominantly gap hitters. If the personnel doesn't change the offense and its approach will stay the same. The offense will not remain this weak the entire season. You can only hope they don't put themselves in a hole they cannot get out of before they breakout. The White Sox offense was terrible until the end of May in 1983 but then they picked it up. Carlton Fisk was hitting worse than Konerko is right now and he almost was the MVP that season.

The White Sox led major league baseball in batting average with RISP last year. Well over .300. Not bad considering Walker was the hitting coach. Watching last night's game, the players seem less than enthused to be out on the field. I know Grinderstad was supposed to bring that extra intesity, but I really don't see it. Maybe they are resigned to the fact that they aren't very good right now, but they must keep battling. To be fair, if Walker must be fired, so should Cooper and so should Ozzie. Joey Cora too.

QUOTE(fathom @ May 4, 2007 -> 11:25 PM) Isn't this KW's philosophy? Jenks

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ May 4, 2007 -> 11:18 PM) I'm not buying all of that because there was only one source for Wright, and that was Gammons. You should also remember that Wright failed his first physical so it's no sure bet that the Sox would've still signed him. I recall Kendall rumors in 2004 after Olivo was gone, but nothing concrete before 2005. Just fantasy talk along with Mulder's and Hudson's name being attached to it. I wanted Vizquel, and there's no telling how this offense would have been with Vizquel instead of Iguchi. I imagine a big dip in power, but Omar is a better number 2 hitter and he would've been great behind the 2005 Podsednik. That Kaz Matsui comparison is a stretch as there wasn't much of a market for Iguchi. He should be lucky with Dye? How do you know Jermaine wouldn't have given the Sox a chance to match the offer like Buehrle is claiming for this year? IS KW Lucky that JD felt that the White Sox were "the team most likely to go to the World Series of the teams showing interest in him?" I have it on good authority with Wright and Kendall. And you are right, KW wanted Hudson and Mulder. Hudson especially. Vizquel would have been interesting as Uribe would have probably played the majority of 2B. Kaz Matsui's struggles most definitely suppressed the market for Iguchi. If KW was in a postition to match with Dye, couldn't he have thrown a few more dollars at him at the time anyway? The White Sox budget was stretched anyway. If Dye got the extra cash, there wouldn't have been any left over for Iguchi anyway.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ May 4, 2007 -> 11:10 PM) ...and his major league stint was comparable to Anderson's. If you are a GM of an opposing team, would you trade an effective pitcher who is signed to a fair deal over the next 2.5 years for only a Brian Anderson with wrist problems and crappier clubhouse attitude? I didn't think so either. I agree. As shaky as Contreras has been, he's kept the Sox in most games save for opening day. Trading him may not be a bad idea, however, he's worth more than a question mark.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ May 4, 2007 -> 11:07 PM) Its funny they are worried about Hall being about to throw down to second with his arm. What does it matter. AJ has a non-injured arm and cant throw anyone out and our pitchers dont hold people on. As long as he can deliver the ball back to the pitcher bring him on. At least he can hit lefties, and hopefully allow AJ to rest. It seems that Molina is here only to be an emergency catcher. I saw Hall throwing last Sunday. You don't understand. Someone probably could steal when he starts to throw the ball back to the pitcher. He's going to have to improve a lot to be able to catch. Right now, I doubt he would be able to throw out Konerko on a pitchout.

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ May 4, 2007 -> 10:44 PM) The only real signing that KW made that he didn't want to do was sign AJ, and that was AFTER he contacted "his people" about AJ's character. Was he lucky that JR opened up his wallet a little more to sign Iguchi? Possibily. There was no luck in picking up Jenks for nothing or signing a crappy starter who had a good run as a closer (happens all the time.) Do you actually think Ozzie managed the 2006 and is managing the 2007 team like the 2005 team? He wanted Jaret Wright, but the Yankees came in at the last minute and trumped his offer. He wanted to trade for Jason Kendall but Billy Beane gave Pittsburgh something they wanted more. He wanted Vizquel which definitely would have meant no Iguchi. Vizquel still could play so it would have been interesting to see how that worked out. He was lucky Kaz Matsui was a bust or Iguchi would not have been signable. As you stated he didn't want AJ but Hawk et al talked him into it. And he's lucky Dye is a guy of his word and didn't bolt for the better offer he received before actually signing the contract, and he's lucky the other team didn't make the offer just a little sooner or he would have been SOL with JD. He was lucky, but on the other hand any team that wins a championship is lucky. Maybe its a case where KW's plan C or D is actually a lot better than plan A, but now with revenues being a little higher plan A has a better chance of being executed.

QUOTE(RockRaines @ May 4, 2007 -> 12:52 PM) Funny how some of the rebuilding has really helped this ballclub though. Trading for Danks looks like the best thing that could have happened with the decline of FG and the horrendous starts by BMAC. If their performances continue like they have been, you're absolutely right. However, considering the White Sox have yet to win a game Danks has started it really hasn't matter. 10-2 losses are the same in the standings as 3-2 losses. Danks could be real good. He does have to keep the ball in the park. His ERA calculated using runs scored not via longball must be under 1.00.

QUOTE(StrangeSox @ May 4, 2007 -> 11:49 AM) What do you base that on? Their month of ineptness? I base it on their track record. They all have a history of being able to hit a baseball. You look at it, and it would seem they won't be able to get much offense going this weekend with some good pitchers going up against them. I'm thinking they may shock the world and actually start hitting them. If not this weekend though, it will be very soon.

Personally I don't think Konerko, Dye, Crede, AJP, Iguchi , Mackowiak, have really forgotten how to hit, and I really don't think bringing someone in not familiar with them at all is really going to make an immediate impact. The team will start hitting. Maybe even this weekend.

QUOTE(caulfield12 @ May 4, 2007 -> 11:13 AM) Tailgunner Joe Cowley argues for keeping Walker...some good points. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-joe04.article He's right. Its funny all the Walker has to go people didn't have much to say about Cooper when the best rotation ever assembled stunk up the place last season, and the defending world champs finished 3rd in the division. Way too much blame is being put on Walker. What do you expect an offense to be like when your leadoff man is a below average OBP guy. When AJP is batting 3rd or 4th. When you use Alex Cintron and Brian Anderson as a DH? The offense's lack of production is just as much KW and Ozzie's fault as anyone elses. How often do the Sox hit and run when they have someone on first, rather than try and put 2 runs on the board?

QUOTE(RockRaines @ May 4, 2007 -> 09:59 AM) Regardless of what the hitting coach actually does, its a change that needs to be made. When the offense sputters like this for month on end, you fire the hitting coach. Its the way of the world. Well the team has sputtered for quite a while now. Is it time to fire the GM and manager?

Gload hardly played. Its enjoyable watching Sisco sprint in from the bullpen. If he ever learns to throw strikes, he will be a steal.