Dick Allen

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 15, 2006 -> 05:35 PM) Nice...1st down and we are around the 25 of the Panthers A TD here would be huge.

I'm also not a big fan of the Moose.

I hate Peanut.

It's nice that's she's back.

QUOTE(knightni @ Jan 12, 2006 -> 12:36 PM) I guess Tommy John wanted real money as payment as opposed to used batting practice baseballs like Singleton likes. As opposed to the millions he was making broadcasting the Charlotte Knights? C'mon, the reason its Singleton not John is not about money. They have these guys do simulated games and Singleton was probably just better. I have heard Tommy John, and he's not exactly broadcasting hall of fame material.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I've never heard him do color for a game, and he might be pretty good. He apparently is better than Tommy John. One interesting note would be that Singelton is or at least was very close with DJ. A lot of White Sox people thought Singleton's slippage as a player from 1999 to 2000 was the fact DJ was no longer in the clubhouse.

Abreu is not going to be playing for the White Sox. He is owed $31 million the next 2 years with an $18 million option for 2008 that he wants picked up to waive his no-trade clause. The Phillies aren't going to eat any of that money, and the White Sox aren't going to be writing Abreu those huge checks.

The bullpen is the biggest question mark for the 2006 White Sox. Will Hermanson's back hold up the entire season? Will Cliff Politte be the 2005 version or the 2004 version of himself? Will Bobby Jenks elbow hold up? If he's in the bullpen, will BMac be able to adapt to that role? Will any of the journeymen left handers be able to be a decent MLB player? Will Munoz and/or Tracey be able to thrive in a big league bullpen? Cotts is the only one I don't worry about. KW has some work to do, I believe, with this bullpen. Trading Contreras doesn't necessarily solve the issues because BMac, one of smaller question marks then moves into the rotation.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2006 -> 06:48 PM) My real worry about Boras isn't as much the FA Market, I think the Yankees screw that up more than anyone, including Boras. My concern is the draft. Over the last few years, the only way to really build a successful team without being the Yankees and buying everyone you could dream of has been to draft well. Once you do that, you can move drafted pieces to fill holes, or to further build your farm system. But, the last few years, we've seen more and more young guys signing with Boras before they're even drafted, and when a guy signs with Boras, he tends to drop precipitously in the draft until you get to one of the 4-5 teams who can afford Boras's signing bonus. In other words, just because of Boras, the richer teams are able to afford better drafts - they get top 10 pick talent in the 30's, for example. Yeah, there's always going to be standouts, like our starting pitchers from the 17th and 38th rounds, but at some level you can't build a team entirely off of lightning striking, and that's my real worry. If teams like K.C., Oakland, Minny, etc., can't build through the draft because they can't afford a player's signing bonus, then the only teams building through the draft on a regular basis will be the ones with big money, and then we might as well just toss the league out the window. This is another reason I don't know why the players and owners didn't slot the draft, moneywise. It would free up money for established players, while keeping bonuses given to players who haven't done anything reasonable. Also, trading draft picks should be allowed. It is horrible that bad teams have to draft lesser players because of signability. Its the only major sport with this problem, and its the only major sport with perhaps the exception of hockey, where your draft picks aren't going to be ready to contribute on the major league level for a few years.

QUOTE(whitesoxfan101 @ Jan 9, 2006 -> 06:20 PM) I can't wait to see the surprises Zook has up his sleeve between now and signing day on February 1st. I also can't wait to see just how many guys we sign, probably a number in the 30's... Firing Mallory as DC was as big as any recruit he may land.

He isn't very good, but he's better than Timo and can play several positions. He's supposed to be an excellent bunter. Unfortunately the White Sox can't have a superstar taking up their 25th spot on the roster. If they signed him, I think that would mean they were going with 12 pitchers.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Jan 10, 2006 -> 07:21 AM) Unless KW swings a trade for a lefty, one of the following guys is probably going to be in our bullpen... Chad Bentz Javier Lopez Arnie Munoz Stephen Randolph Paulino Reynoso David Sanders various other non-roster invitee lefties Unfortunately, you should probably get used to the idea. The Sox aren't just signing all of these guys for Charlotte. A few of them will probably be released. They are hoping the catch lightening in a bottle, if not send them to Charlotte or send them home. Of that list Munoz seems the best, and that's not saying much.

QUOTE(SSH2005 @ Jan 10, 2006 -> 06:46 AM) Haha, what do ya know... http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/030318lopez.html KW probably really wanted Mike Myers so after he missed out on him he went and got a poor-man's version of him. I think this guy will end up winning the LOOGY job after a good ST. That article was written in March of 2003, so after the 2002 minor league season. He was decent for Col in 2003 and has been brutal ever since. Nothing should be expected of this guy except maybe to help the Sox get losses out of their system by the time the regular season rolls around.

KW should have picked up Patterson and turned him over to Don Cooper.

QUOTE(Reddy @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 02:12 PM) aaron was arguably the best CF in the game last year, only making 3 errors all year. no way anderson matches or comes close to that. Ozzie is questioning Anderson's defense while KW raves about it. I think KW has seen more of it, and he thinks he's better defensively than Rowand. OF defense isn't all about errors. Rowand was very good defensively last season and phenomenal for a 2 or 3 week stretch in July and August, but Ozzie thought he was playing too deep in the playoffs, and he got some bad jumps. Also his throwing was pretty erratic last season. He made some great throws, but a lot of bad ones. Anderson should be more consistent in that area.

QUOTE(elrockinMT @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 11:27 AM) Not being a spoiled sport or anything, or disrspectful to other posters, but I note on many similar type reports how we tend to lay things at the feet, or on the shoulders of Cooper. You have to have something to work with first before believing Mr. Cooper can make them the next star. I know nothing about Bentz, but if we compare him ability and recordwise to Munoz or Walker then we ain't go much, but someone to pitch at AAA. Exactly. It doesn't hurt to bring this guy into spring training, but he has to be a long shot to do anything. He hasn't pitched much in the major leagues, but when he has he hasn't been good.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 07:05 AM) He always says it has never been discussed or some crap like that..... He may say he has no interest, or something isn't going to happen, and then it does. Its all part of negotiation. To say something has never been discussed is a whole other matter. KW may not show all his chips, but he doesn't outright lie.

QUOTE(SoxFan101 @ Jan 8, 2006 -> 06:58 AM) When did KW ever start being honest about his trades...... He always says he never talked about something and than all of a sudden the next day the trade happens.... He would never say its never been discussed. He might say we discussed some things but don't have any interest, or we don't have a fit, or something like that.

According to KW in today's Sun-Times, the White Sox acquiring Willy Taveras "has never been discussed." He once again expressed his utmost confidence in Brian Anderson. Turns out mlbrumors.com got this one completely wrong again. If its never been discussed how did they come up with this rumor unless it was totally made up?

QUOTE(TLAK @ Jan 7, 2006 -> 09:49 AM) Joey Cora was a guest of Bryan Dolgin and Bruce Levine on BaseBall 365 this morning and boy, is he mad at Jerry Owens and Charles Haeger. He mentioned how great Owens played for him, he was leading the league, but then he said he quit on the team. Said he could only see him making the White Sox if somebody gets hurt. Then they asked about Charles Haeger and he says he was leading the league but quit on the team too. Said sometimes when a player gets on the 40-man roster and his agent gets involved they think they have it made. I don’t know if Joey was speaking for the White Sox or just as disappointed manager who’s team fell short of the playoffs after his two stars left. I can't remember Joey Cora saying anything negative about a player before, so he must be mighty upset. There is an article on them on Sox.Com that notes between the minors and winter ball Owens had 775 plate appearances last year, and Haeger pitched 210 combined innings, his previous high was 88 2/3. I’d be surprised if the White Sox development guys want any of their players to log more time than these two. The Owens situation could get interesting around cut down time. If Cora is mad enough to say what he said in public, and Owens plays well enough to make the team, can the two coexist? I highly doubt they will let a guy who played an entire minor league system and had 180 ab's in winter ball decision to call it a year before the winter ball season was over, affect their decision whether or not he makes the White Sox. If its in the White Sox best interests to have Jerry Owens on the roster, he will be there.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jan 6, 2006 -> 09:26 PM) Did you ever consider trying out for the Warren Commission? Why can't you guys accept that some people have more of an inside track, and that rumors get reported as just that, rumors, and rumors don't always come true? This site is almost as bad as WSI in terms of holding rumors' sites feet to the fire. For God's sake they are rumors sites, they report things as nothing more than rumors/discussions. I get a big kick out of people here keeping a scorecard of how many rumors come true. If you knew the baseball business you'd know there are tons of things talked about between GM's/agents every week. Oops I forgot ... the influential people on this board say this guy gets all his info from other message boards ... so he must be a BS'er. Sorry for my contribution to this thread. The fact is this guy had a rumor of Carl Crawford for Josh Fields earlier. Is that not BS? If it isn't KW should be shot for not accepting it. If he didn't get the Tejada rumor off this site, than he reported on this site. First he tells you his "rock-solid" source, his words, has details of players names being thrown out, and then KW has his comments, and all of a sudden his "rock solid" source is on the financial side of things and really won't know about players anymore. If that isn't BS, I've never seen BS. I agree things are talked about that would probably surprise everyone, but this guy is either AndytheClown1 or he got his info from his posts.

QUOTE(JimH @ Jan 6, 2006 -> 05:40 PM) Because this is SoxTalk. It is easier for the posting community to take pot shots at people vs. building relationships and finding out legit information for themselves. Rock, you are a nice guy but they haven't posted your three team charade. I wonder why he didn't? I think he smells BS better than anyone here. Or that he reads this board, and saw it was going to be done. If he didn't say he was going to do it, and there was an 18 page thread on it, it would eventually show up there.

QUOTE(Punch and Judy Garland @ Jan 6, 2006 -> 05:34 PM) Abreu will rake in Wrigley but I wouldn't trade Prior under pretty much any circumstances if I were a gm on a team with him Do you think they may be getting Abreu in order to move him for Tejada?

I thought the Cubs were out of their minds to trade Prior in a package to get Tejada. If this trade goes down, either Hendry is very very stupid, or Prior's elbow is a big problem.

Big Ben signed a minor league contract with the Yankees and gets a non-roster invite to spring training in Tampa.