Dick Allen

QUOTE(SinkingShip06 @ Dec 10, 2006 -> 10:19 PM) do any of you seriously remember that this team has tried the young guy as fifth starter many many times in recent years? failing horribly every time. they finally won something when they got 5 solid starters. obvilously no one on this board can read a post. i never compared mccarthy to danny wright. if you loved the rauch/munoz/wright/guy off the street years...more power to you. When the Sox won the WS, El Duque was in the rotation, and he was awfully shaky after a nice beginning. McCarthy actually had a couple of great starts for the World Champions when they were fading. He pitched a gem in Fenway Park. I think even with the 5 supposedly solid starters last year, there were a lot of question marks. Buerhle was basically BP the second half. The staff was 9th in ERA in the AL I believe. It seems like some have the idea that the White Sox had 5 Cy Young winners in the rotation.

Vazquez has over 200 decisions in the major leagues. He had a couple of great seasons in Montreal and a couple of poor ones. The Yankees couldn't fix him, neither could the D-Backs. Even Coop couldn't fix him and he fixes everyone. Expecting Vazquez to be anything more than a .500 pitcher is being overly optimistic IMO.

I'm sorry, what his childhood team was, really at this point , doesn't matter. Mark Buerhle, unlike any of us, makes his living as a major league baseball player. As I stated before the White Sox drafted him, gave him a bonus, paid to develop him, helped get him on a Wheaties Box, and thus far have given him about 18.5 million reasons with another 9+ million on the table for 2007 to switch his alliance totally to the 2005 World Champions. Its a different situation from any of us. Its also a situation that seems to pop up close to every off season. It doesn't make him a bad person. It doesn't mean that when he pitches for the White Sox he's not giving 100% effort, it just, IMO, is wrong. MLB players and personnel root for other teams all of the time. Even JR was rooting for the Cardinals to win the WS because of his relationship with LaRussa. Having your picture taken with a pretty worn out Cardinal hat on and having it posted on the internet, isn't wise. The story that went with the picture about the Buerhle's hope that the White Sox wouldn't pick up his option so he could sign with the Cardinals might have been total BS. With the guy posting the picture, it gives evidence that at least some of his story is correct, and that there is at least some chance his entire story for that night is true. I would bet anything that if it were Juan Uribe instead of Buerhle in that story, most of the people who don't have any problem with Buerhle's undying Cardinal love, would have a huge problem with it. As I've stated before, it really doesn't piss me off, I just find it wrong. The White Sox have done a heck of a lot for Mark and his family. Go to the game and cheer for the Cardinals, but find a different hat to wear.

I don't see how any team could hand him a closer's role initially. I wouldn't mind seeing him back. He set-up with the White Sox and was great. 2005, the Sox went through 3 closers. The Sun Times article a couple of days ago which said Jenks has lost weight and is down to 279 also stated he has a hip problem that the Sox believe to be weight related but aren't 100% positive. Foulke, if he could snap back, would be great insurance if something went haywire there. Any interest would be pending the results of an extensive physical.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 8, 2006 -> 09:19 AM) You must live a charmed life if this is the kind of stuff that upsets you. I envy you. It really doesn't upset me that much. I just find it wrong. I know it really pissed KW off. JR, I'm not sure if he's joking or not. I don't blame you for your envy.

QUOTE(YASNY @ Dec 8, 2006 -> 08:56 AM) Mark has performed as a comsumate professional for the Sox. He's shown the Sox and their fans nothing but respect. This is petty bulls***. I don't think being out of shape, which both he and his manager have pointed to as perhaps a reason for his freefall the 2nd half of 2006, is conducting business like a consummate professional. Wearing Cardinal gear to a MLB game and getting photographed wearing it, or declaring your desire to play for the Cardinals is not respectful to the team paying you. He has stated that the Cardinal crap would stop, but just about every offseason, it happens again. That is petty bulls***.

QUOTE(ChiSox9 @ Dec 8, 2006 -> 08:33 AM) I was unaware of the dress code for players outside the season. During the season Mark gets to the park every f***in day and puts on his WHITE SOX uniform (including a SOX hat) what the f*** does it matter what he wears when he is not at the stadium??????? If you all are so up tight about what a pitcher wears outside of the stadium you all got some serious issues. HELL, i could have sworn Ryan Howard of the Phillies was wearing a Cleveland Indians Replica jersey on Monday Night Football awhile back... it happend to be Jackie Robinson. Does that mean he should be immediately traded to Cleveland just because Robinson is an idol???? The White Sox have paid him more money than he will spend in a lifetime to play a game. They drafted him, they spent money developing him. The Cardinals had a lot of chances to draft Mark. They passed. If he wants to be a Cardinal fan, that's fine. But you should show some respect for your current employers. I don't think the CEO of McDonald's would wear a Burger King shirt out to the mall on a Saturday even if, as a kid, he was a huge fan of flame-broiled goodness. This Cardinals stuff has been going on for a while. You would think after the firestorm it always seems to start, Mark would have the common sense to put it away for a while. I think that during the period he still is collecting nice paychecks from the White Sox, at least publicly he should be a White Sox fan.

So far the offseason after the White Sox set franchise attendance records and have a nearly 100% season ticket renewal rate, we have heard our GM say that the 3rd baseman will be not be able to be signed and that the entire rotation will not be able to get extensions. I was hoping the White Sox were past this thought process. I do like the Garcia deal, and IF Hirsh was included in the Houston deal, it would have been OK for me, but that is assuming the money saved will be used somewhere else.

QUOTE(EvilJester99 @ Dec 7, 2006 -> 09:54 AM) WTF is KW doing? Taveras and Bucholtz?? How the hell does this make the Sox better?? It frees up A LOT of cash. Something else huge would follow.

QUOTE(Sox It To Em @ Dec 7, 2006 -> 09:21 AM) According to the guys at WSI, Bruce Levine is reporting that the Sox are very close to another big trade (sorry if already been posted). Is it Omar Vizquel?

QUOTE(quickman @ Dec 7, 2006 -> 08:42 AM) actually its the whole thinking process that is changing. We are acting like we don't have money again. I think that will backfire with fans. That's the part I don't like. JR should fire anyone who mentions money publicly. The fans have stepped up, whether they are bandwagon or not. They supposedly have an incredible renewal rate with season tickets even with a 3rd place finish. You can't cry about the soaring contracts. You are going to eventually have to pay up or be the Pirates or Marlins. Other than that, I think this is a good deal. It will affect how KW operates the rest of the way because of the financial savings, which is sort of like the Pods/Lee trade and if Floyd and Gio develop, it will turn into a steal.

QUOTE(Capn12 @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:59 PM) No Fathom, I'm pretty sure that I was vocal in EVERY start he made...at least we get 5 innings of non-craptastic effort from Javy when HE pitches...I'm a huge Garcia opponent, so I don't mind us ridding ourselves of him I don't mind the trade either. Its the apparent philosophy Rogers is reporting that is troubling me.

The White Sox crying about the cost of pitching is ironic. If Javier Vazquez goes 15-10 next season, he would be a career .500 pitcher, and in line to get $14million to $15 million in arbitration. That's as crazy as just about any contract handed out this offseason. Look at what he's done for the last 3 years and got paid $35 million or so.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:53 PM) I think the Cardinals, by missing out on Schmidt, will now have the big dough to spend on Buehrle next offseason. Let me assure you if the Cardinals sign Buerhle, all the love that Buerhle has shown the Cardinals while playing for the White Sox that not a lot of people seem to care about, the White Sox will care about, and they will file a tampering charge.

QUOTE(fathom @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:34 PM) Well, this article is downright scary. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-home-headlines If KW isn't bluffing, things are about to get very ugly. So much for extending the deals on our starters. Its so sad that after the White Sox win the WS and the fans pick it up and sell out season tickets and they draw nearly 3 million, that money is still the issue. It always will be. Someone has a quote from KW in their signature, I believe its ss2k6 about mindset. It appears its all a bunch of BS.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Dec 6, 2006 -> 11:30 PM) I just have seen too many people overrating Garcia. And, i'm somewhat banking on the 10 mil/prospects being used to do something else. Even if they aren't used to do that at all, replacing Garcia in McCarthy isn't a big deal IMO. Maybe Garcia pitches a season in Philadelphia and if Buerhle bolts or they decide Vazquez isn't worth his arbitration figure, they sign him again. I don't know what else was out there, but there are a few red flags with Freddy. His positive marijuana test, while really not that huge of a deal, he knew he'd be tested. His loss of velocity, maybe it comes back, but who really knows for sure. And his being out of shape. Ozzie can blame the conditioning guy for it all he wants, but Freddy's supposed to be a professional. Showing up his teammates a few times really grated on me too. Floyd at one time was a top of the line prospect. I don't put any credence in the "Coop can fix him" thinking, but he's still very young, maybe he can put it together. Gio has a lot of potential as well. Maybe he takes Cotts' role in 2007.

Bobby Jenks has "slimmed down" to 279 pounds. It was in the Sun-Times. They also said that the White Sox were concerned about his hip, but they think it is weight related, and his dropping a few may clear that up. Good to see he is working out. The White Sox need him badly.

If Ozzie sticks with this, its nothing but positive. The White Sox will benefit by having a CF would can play CF. 2003 Carl Everett in CF cost the Sox just as much as Mackowiak defensively. Ozzie wasn't around to see that. If he was, Mack might not have seen CF after a couple of his gaffes. I don't think of Ozzie as a great manager, but I do like the fact that he does seem to learn from his mistakes, even if it takes a while.

Maybe they are talking about a guy like Haeger or Phillips for some bullpen help, although I don't know who I would want from the Yankee bullpen. Sanchez would be sweet, although you would probably have to give up one of the starters to get him.

DeLeon was the Vazquez of his day. Nice talent, mediocre results. He did net the Sox the One Dog who played a big part on some very good teams.

QUOTE(spiderman @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 10:28 PM) Chicago Tribune Story I'm going to guess that this is probably just the Tribune fishing for a story here..... Vernon Wells is great, but if the White Sox get him, its for 1 season. He'll be in Boston or LA or NY or with the Cubs or Texas in 2008.

QUOTE(Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 10:13 PM) Zito should be getting about 100 mil a year based on this. Zito supposedly is going to get $17 million a year for 5 or 6 years.

There's a reason why McCarthy is the White Sox most popular pitcher with other teams, and its not just that he doesn't get paid as much. As long as the others would fetch more than they are worth, keep the young, cheap one. Some of the numbers he would be replacing look very replaceable.

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Dec 4, 2006 -> 03:02 PM) I was at Disney World last month and stayed at the Dolphin hotel. Really, really nice place and a great location. You can walk to EPCOT or Disney Studios from there. Plus it's on the Boardwalk resot area which has the ESPN club and various bars and restaurants. No wonder it's been slow. They're in Disney and partying with the Mouse!! I thought they were in Naples.

The exact same things that are being now said about Anderson were said about Crede as recently as August 2005. Now half the board would rather have Crede than the best player in baseball, ARod.