Welcome... Alexei Ramirez!

Finally, we get something done about our second base woes.

Going in to 2008 it looked as tough our second baseman would either come from the minors, Danny Richar or some other major league team. Little did we know that he would be imported from Cuba of all places!

Mister Alexei Ramirez will, hopefully, be the starting second baseman come March 31st. According to mlb.com, Ramirez signed a 4-year 4.75 million contract (dirt cheap if you ask me) to play for the Sox.

The Cuban second baseman has hit 87 home runs over the past 7 years while compiling 391 RBI. Sounds like a pretty hot bat to me. If his speed is anything like Pods' was, we could have a serious import on our hands for practically no (baseball) money at all!

The one thing I am concerned about is... he comes from a country with Cub in it's name...

Team Grades - Starting Pitchers - Part One

I'm a tad bit late in my season-ending player rankings but as long as the stats are still up, I can do it whenever.

Jose Contreras - #52
His 10-17 record is a statistical eyesore. To go along with that, he lost 7 games in a row from June 24th to August 8th. He did come back later on as he won a season high 2 straight starts. This is mostly contributed to our outfield troubles and our infield problems after we traded Iguchi. He worked out of the bullpen for a short stint then was back to the rotation, thank goodness. My grade: C+

Mark Buehrle - #56
After being smacked in the elbow by a line drive in his first start of the year, Mark rebounded amazingly well. He didn't miss his next scheduled start but instead he decided to no-hit the Rangers. On the last out of the ball game Paul Konerko said he was afraid Joe Crede would make a bad throw and it would be called a hit. The only base runner Buehrle allowed in the game was a walk to pesky Sammy Sosa. Ending the season with a 10-9 record, once again over the .500 mark, I can't wait to see how he does next year. My grade: B

Jon Garland - #20
Now of the Los Angeles Angels I won't spend much time on good 'ol Jon. He went 10-13 for the first losing season in his past 4 years. He had a terribly high ERA of 4.23 and struck out only 98 batters over the course of 32 starts.
My Grade: C- (Traitor)


Javy Vazquez - #33
In 32 starts Vazquez struck out 213 batters. His highest single game total from last year was 13 on September 17th against the Royals. This is a sign of even better things to come. I have shown my dislike towards Vazquez in my posts over the past few months and I believe I'm starting to lean in the direction of liking him. His 15-8 record was the best on the team which adds to his career record that now stands at 115-113. My Grade: A

John Danks - #50
Our equivalent of the Cardinals' Al Reyes, Danks was a measly 6-13 with an ERA of 5.50. I never liked our trade of McCarthy to the Rangers because I knew Brandon's place in the bullpen and he knew it, and Ozzie knew it, and Kenny knew it, but apparently that wasn't enough as we had to trade him for three minor league pitchers, one of them happening to be a mister John William Danks. Maybe I'll grow to like him as I have with Vazquez. But then again... maybe not... My Grade: D

In Starting Pitchers - Part Two, I'll evaluate the seasons of Lance Broadway, Gavin Floyd and Nick Masset.

Showing My Emotion

I'm embarrassed that I have not yet mentioned the fact that we picked up releiver Scott Linebrink!

He signed a four year contract to be a part of our fantastic bullpen. I'd love to see him as a bridge to Jenks instead of Thornton. Linebrink has the kind of fire power that we need out of the bullpen. If we have him and Aardsma maybe as a one-two punch out of the 'pen I could see us holding teams for maybe two innings.

Linebrink's season last year was sub-par compared to his others but we should all hope that improves over time.

Carlos Quentin?

When did we get him?

I'm happy now! We may have a player to put into left field then play Fields at third! I never heard any of this on The Score and I just found it out now when I was looking at the Sox's roster on whitesox.com.

Where would we bat him if he were to start?

1. Jerry Owens
   
2. Orlando Cabrera
   
3. Jim Thome
   
4. Paul Konerko
5. Jermaine Dye
6. A.J. Pierzynski
7. Carlos Quentin
8. Josh Fields
9. Danny Richar

I guess that could work but it all depends on what Ozzie and Kenny plan to do with him. Whether they keep him in the majors our send him down to Charlotte or Birmingham will probably be decided after spring training.

And thats 85 days away (yes I'm counting)!

Bullpen

Now that our bullpen has been strengthened with the addition of Scott Linebrink what will we do with our rotation? Jon Garland is gone so that opens up a hole in the starting five.

Doc (which is pitching coach Don Cooper) has mentioned on 670 The Score this possible rotation...

1. Mark Buehrle
2. Jose Contreras
3. Javier Vazquez
4. John Danks
5. Gavin Floyd

As I mentioned a few posts ago I would love to see Lance Broadway somehow make it to the rotation for 2008. I know I'm planning ahead, yeah, but still.

Good Bye Pods...

Sadly, our main lead off man has left the Chicago White Sox organization. He was designated for assignment yesterday and is now off the team.

He was out most of the season and when he came back he only batted in the seventh slot. This could open up the lead off spot for either Orlando Cabrera or Jerry Owens (depending on the Torii Hunter deal).

Now that Pods is gone, who will fill out left field spot? If Owens moves to left that would open up center for Hunter. But then what about Fields? I don't see him taking the job from Crede unless something happens in Spring Training or over the rest of the off season.

I'll keep you posted...

Christmas Garland or Christmas Cabrera?

We have made our first "big" move of the off-season.

No longer will Jon Garland be on our pitching staff! He will be joining the staff of the Los Angeles Angels. Pitching alongside Bartolo Colon, Jered Weaver and Kelvim Escobar must be very tantalizing for Garland.

But, we got Orlando Cabrera in return! This coming just weeks after the Sox took Juan Uribe's option for the 2008 season. Where's Cabrera (nicknamed Cabby, by me) going to fit? He will either bat leadoff or second, but where will he go in the field. Uribe could back him up I suppose but that would cause a stir amongst Sox fans as to shy they picked up his option. I know Williams couldn't see into the future and know this deal was going to take place, but still it makes you wonder...

I, personally, would love to see "Cabby" there instead of Uribe. I know in the previous post I said he was a great player and all but I lied. He stinks.

Hopefully Cabrera will bring his gold gloves with him and win another next year.

Juan Uribe

The White Sox have a choice: do they test the free agent market or pick up Juan Uribe's option for 2008?

I would personally like it if we got rid of Uribe. He hit 20 home runs, yes, but his defense started to go downhill last season. Like I mentioned before, I would love it if the Sox somehow acquired Miguel Tejada (who they almost got last year) from Baltimore. He plays gold glove defense, he can drive in runs and hit homers!

Not that I have anything against Uribe, he's a great player, I just think his time in Chicago has been spent.

Next stop: Short stop.

Fifth Rotation Slot

Spring Training '08 will be a pitchers battle for the number five slot in the Sox's rotation. Some possible candidates for the spot include Lance Broadway, Gavin Floyd, Nick Masset and John Danks.

Personally, I would love to see Broadway climb into that spot. He showed great talent in his audition towards the end of this season. His record in 2007 for the White Sox was 1-1. He had a great ERA of 0.87, even though he only started one game. He struck out 14 and only walked 5.

There are other possibilities, but Broadway did the best out of all of our "starters" other than Buehrle this year! If he makes the rotation in the spring, I will be one happy Sox fan.

But, Broadway, like I said, isn't the only candidate! Gavin Floyd and Nick Masset are also in the running for Danks' number 5 spot.

Gavin Floyd showed some flashes of greatness in Freddy Garcia's #34! Though his 1-5 record doesn't show it, I think he did well last season. His sparkling 5.27 ERA has dazzled scouts and... oh wait...

I don't think the job will be going to Floyd. He was good in maybe 2 of his starts but the offenses just wasn't there to cushion him.

Here's a guy who looked great in Charlotte this year! Nick Masset (mister Gangster hat), baby! He is my second consideration for the fifth slot in the rotation. His record was only 2-3 with the Sox! Though his ERA at 7.09 wasn't all that great. If he could work out some of the kinks in his mechanics, I'm pretty sure Guillen and Kenny "I hate Frank Thomas" Williams would give him a good look for the starting rotation.


Still; not as good a chance as Broadway!

Off Season Hopes

So the seasons over now and some things need to be done. Jon Garland has done wonderful, but I think it's time for him to be traded. He's won 18 games the last couple years, but it's time for him to go. Jose Contreras is another guy who needs to pack his bags and leave town.

Heres who I want us to pick up...



Miguel Tejada, SS Baltimore Orioles -- Juan Uribe, who hit 20 homers this year, needs to go. And I've found a suitable replacement! If we could somehow pick up Tejada, that would be another 25 homers, 90 RBI and possibly 200 hits!


Johnny Damon, LF New York Yankees -- If A-Rod ops out of his contract in New York, that would leave the Yanks without a third baseman. We send over Crede for Damon, that way we could keep Fields at third and not have to worry about our left field situation.

Torii Hunter, CF Free Agent -- If we could somehow lock up this guy, then we shouldn't have to worry about Jerry Owens anymore. He's a great defensive center fielder and can also hit the long ball. He can drive in runs, score runs, and hit the ball. Hunter would be a great addition to a Sox team in need.

So there you have it! Thats what needs to get done in the off season, according to my standards.

Clearing the Dust...

What was once the most embarassing team in the MLB... is still the most embarassing team in the MLB. WIth the rumors floating in the air about getting rid of Gooch, Buehrle and Dye, I have yet to wonder of the possible outcome. Why would we trade Buehrle to the Brewers? Why would we accept Jim Hendry's (GM of the Cubs) offer of Jacque Jones for some prospects? Where in the world would Tadahito go? All of these will remain an inigma, as we sit, watch, and read what goes on in the sports world.

Lots of Work to do...

The Sox have to blow off all the remains of the past few weeks and start fresh. We've been losing (6 straight), we haven't been hitting AT ALL, our bullpen has collapsed and we have no arm power in the outfield!

I don't know what has happened, but I don't like it.

Our base coaches have been a bit too aggressive, allowing runners to get out a home, or stopping them from an obvious scoring chance! I like them, but still... open your eyes.

I'll post again later, or maybe not...

FINALLY!!!

I can rest easily tonight as I now know that the White Sox finally managed to pull off a victory and throw us out of our little skid.

I happend to miss the game on the radio because my batteries died... yeah... so I missed a great victory.

• Notes
• Jon Garland got his first win of the season.
• Erstad stole his 5th base off former teammate Jose Molina.
• Ryan Sweeney got his first double of the season.

Fianl score, Sox 6 -- Angels 3

You Know...

Another loss to the Chicago White Sox comes the way of a Kelvim Escobar gem, and a score of 5-1.

I don't even feel like writing because we're so bad, but I want to since I have so many things to write about.

• Why in the world can Rob Mackowiak not get the job done with runners on?
• At this point, I could field better than Ryan Sweeney.
• I need Podsednik back.
• Erstad gets standing ovation in first AB back at the Big A.

That's really all I feel like writing. But on the flip side, Jose Contreras pitched well! When he dropped down sidearm he hit his spots, which is good. And I can tell A.J.'s defense behind the plate has vastly improved since last year. Joe Crede is still the #1 third baseman in the AL Central. He makes every play look easy and the only other contender would be Detroit's Brandon Inge.

I like the fact that our defense is playing well, but I would like to see more 'pen improvement. Other than that all I can say is

GO SOX!!!

Sox Lose!!! Sox Lose!!!

Why is it that thats all the real news we're getting now? All thanks to nobody getting on base for John Danks. It's the fact that we don't have a legit leadoff hitter that may be the problem. Darrin Erstad is good, now don't get me wrong, but after my last post you can see how much I enjoyed having Pods at the top of my lineup.

I'm thinking of starting a new little updater for after the games. Something like...

• Dye and Konerko both homer off of Mariners' righty, Batista
• Danks KO's 4 in loss

And stuff like that.

But anyways,

[Game Info]

Tomorrow the sox will take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, in LA. The game is set to start at 9:05 PM, so join Chris Rongey at 8:35 PM tomorrow night for the Sox pregame show. Then join Chris Singleton and Ed Farmer for the lineups, first pitch and the rest of the game starting at 9 eastern time on AM 670 The Score.

After Sox loss, Danks Going for Game 2

John Danks needs to win a game! He's 0-3 but has pitched well enough to get the win in all 4 of his starts. The offense just hasn't performed well enough to back him up and win him a game. Come on guys! Get Danks a win!

Apparently my lineup idea went unnoticed. Mainly because no one really reads this. But I can still post! Luis Terrero played left field last night and hit a homer in his first Sox at bat. Congrats, Luis!

I've been hearing on ESPN 1000, actual names will go "not named" so lets just call them... Silvy and Waddell, ok? Anyways. They think that Jermaine Dye may be getting too old and is falling off the map offense wise. He still has a great arm and can roam right field with the best of them, but the fact that he has 5 home runs and 14 RBI proves them wrong.

We haven't yet gotten Scott Podsednik back to our leadoff slot. As soon as he gets back into our lineup I can see some more wins for the Sox. More stolen bases are needed. We need to get some runners on second and third via the SB, and thats what Pods brought to us! Erstad has contributed with a few swipes, but just the left handed presence at the top of our order is what we need again.

What if we put Erstad first? Ozuna could bat 7th or 8th...

Oh well!

Today's pitching match up: John Danks 0-3 against Miguel Batista 2-2.

Lineup Idea

So, since everyone is freaking out on the Sox's lineup, I came up with an idea to fix it all.

Jim Thome is out with a leg injury. So what do we do with our DH spot? Heres what: We take Paulie and put him at DH, move Erstad (who has played at first in LA) to first base, then either call Anderson back up or put Ryan Sweeney in center! And there ya' go!

Erstad and Sweeney could switch time in center, and when Erstad is in center Paulie would be at first a Ryan (Sweeney) batting in DH.

Problems solved.

Sox fall to Angels, head to Seattle

Over the past few days I have neglected my ability to write on this blog. I will try my hardest to write as much as I can.

Today, the Sox took a hard loss to the Angels with Mark Buehrle on the mound for us. The Angels sent Kelvim Escobar to the bump to face one of his former teammates in Darin Erstad. He repaid them by slamming a two-run shot off of Escobar in the 3rd inning. What a way to tell your team, "You made a mistake letting go of me."

Mark Buehrle's second no-hitter in the past three starts was broken up by a Macier Izturis homer, followed by a Vladamir Guerrero shot to the outfield. Not too much to hang onto as the Sox finish the game with a loss 5-2 to the Angels. Francisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez locked up his 8th save of the season. What a gamer he is.

Not too much to report on except the next game is on Tuesday against the Mariners, with Javier Vazquez going for us against the Mariners' Jarrod Washburn.

Vazquez Gets the Call Against Twins

The pitcher I hate will take on the team I hate. We have a little streak going with one win in the end of the Indians series, we have one injury so far which is Mark Buehrle.

Vazquez needs to have a good game. You can never tell with Javy. He's an inconsistent starter who will strikeout a lot of hitters and win around 14 games a year. I don't really care for Vazquez and I would like it if Kenny could throw him into a trade so we can get a quality pitcher.

Our offense is doing great! We're getting hits from Crede, Iguchi, Pierzynski and Uribe. We're getting homers from Thome and Erstad, we're getting some stolen bases from Erstad and Pods. I like the way this team is shaping up. We may not do so well today against Carlos Silva depending on how our lineup looks.

I say if it's Pods, Erstad, Konerko, then Thome we may stand a chance in the first inning to put up some runs and come away with the victory if our bullpen holds up a lead.

[Game Info]

The game is going to be on AM 670 The Score, like always. But it will also be on FOX channel 32. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver probably for the Fox booth, but on the radio side we get Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton.

[Visiting The Central]

Minnesota - W-3, L-0

Cleveland - W-2, L-1

Kansas City W-2, L-2

Chicago ---- W-1, L-2

Detroit ---- W-1, L2

Ahh... what a surprise!

The Royals are in third, the World Series team is tied for last, and the Twinkies are in first playing 1.000 baseball! This is great. Early in the season and we're losing to the worst team in the league.

Sox Get First Win of Season

CHICAGO -- With Mark Buehrle on the mound the Sox succeeded in doing something before the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. And that is: Win a game. Though Grady Sizemore lead off the game with a homer... again... Buehrle did well!

Until the second inning when Ryan Garko hit a liner that went straight towards Buehrle's pitching hand and nailed him. Mark then went hopping off the mound in pain as he left the game with a hand injury. More news to come.

We did, however, pull off a win in the most unusual way I have ever seen... or... heard.

The bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning after 3 straight walks by Roberto Hernandez of the Indians, with the score tied at 3 a piece. A.J. Pierzynski is batting and he gits hit by a pitch! A walk off HBP! I've never heard of that!

[Visiting The Central]

Minnesota - 3W, 0L

Cleveland -- 2W, 1L

Detroit ----- 1W, 1L

Chicago -- 1W, 2L

Kansas City 1W, 2L

Look at that! We're tied for last with Kansas City! The high school team!

We can still make a run for first in our upcoming series with the Twins, if we can pull off a sweep. Think it could happen?

Well lets put it this way: Johan Santana doesn't pitch until Sunday against Contreras. Francisco Liriano is injured so we don't have to worry about him. If Vazquez can get a win tomorrow against Silva, and by some miracle Contreras beats Santana we could be tied for first by Monday!

Buehrle to Make 1st Start of Season

Finally, in Chicago, Mark Buhrle will make his first start of the season! He didn't start opening day for the first tim since I've been a Sox fan, which is crazy. Though Jose Contreras did fine on opening day (yeah right...) I would've considered Buehrle to have been a better choice.

Jeremy Sowers will oppose Buehrle as we hope to come away with our first win of the season.

[Game Info]

The game will be on at 1:05 PM CST on AM 670 The Score, if you live in the Chicago area. Join pre and post game host Chris Rongey at 12:35 for the beginning of the pregame show, then immediatly following will be Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton from the lovely U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. Then after the game: the post game show with Rongey.

GO SOX!!!

Sox Lose Again

CHICAGO -- Jon Garland took the hill 0-0, yet left it 0-0. Jim Thome hit his first homerun of the year in the first inning off of Westbrook, and I'm glad he did! We need some help on the offensive side of the game. Though our pitching needs a little work with Cooper, we can still pull off a winning record in Week One.

I don't really like the fact that Buehrle didn't go on opening day. He's never good unless he's pitching on opening day. Now granted he hasn't pitched too well in the past anyway he does have a better record when he starts on opening day.

Now... back to the actual game! Thome also hit a double, along with Tadahito Iguchi. Speaking of Iguchi, Tadahito hit a home run today! More of this should be expected from Tadahito.

Our pitching did well! Garland KO'd 5, MacDougal struckout 3, and David Aardsma punched out 5.

Final Score: Indians 8 - Sox 7

Sox Hitter of the Game: Jim Thome (1)

Sox Pitcher of the Game: David Aardsma (1)

[Visiting The Central]

Detroit beat the Blue Jays 10-9. The Twins won 7-2 against the Orioles with Ramon Ortiz getting the win. The Royals right now are losing to the Red Sox... 6-1.

Garland on the Bump for Game 2

So now after our loss on Monday, Jon Garland will take the hill for us. We need a win from him and our offense needs to come through. Some good pitching from Garland and a great game from the bullpen, as well as some timely hitting from people who go without needing to be named, and we should have the win locked up.

Garland will be taking on the Indians' Jake Westbrook in today's game.

Contreras' loss on Monday was obviously a bad one, though we did find out that in 1917 Lefty Williams was taken out of his opening day start after giving up around 7 runs, then the Sox went on to win 100 games and beat the Giants in 6 games to win the World Series.

You know what that means: Another World Series victory is in the future for the Sox.

[Game Info]
The game, as always, will be broadcast on AM 670 The Score and will feature Chris Singleton, and returning from California: Ed Farmer. I think Steve Stone did a good job in the game on Monday and I'd like to have him as a 3rd broadcast man.

[Visiting the Central]
Another stop in the AL Central as this takes us to the land of game previews, standings, and division leaders.

Lets first take a look at the standings.
Minnesota - 2W -- 0L
Cleveland -- 1W -- 0L
Kansas City 1W -- 0L
Chicago -- 0W -- 1L
Detroit ---- 0W -- 1L

Kansas City surprised me in 3rd place. I thought we'd be there by now, but we're only 1 game into the season.

Todays Games: Orioles are in Minnesota to wrap up their series with Ramon Ortiz going for the Twins and Jaret Wright for the O's. Toronto and Detroit will also finish their series with Nate Robertson on the mound for the Tigers against A.J. Burnett for the Blue Jays. Josh Beckett will be pitching for the Red Sox as they take on Odalis Perez and the Royals in KC today.

And thus wraps up today's edition of:

-- Visiting the Central --

Sox Lose in Opening Day

CHICAGO -- Everything was smooth... until the second pitch of the game was thrown. That is when Cleveland centerfielder Grady Sizemore hit a home run off of Jose Contreras to make the score 1-0. Then everything fell apart in the first ending up in a 5-run inning.

But that wasnt the end of the Sox! In the bottom of the first Pablo Ozuna led off the inning with a double then was driven in on a Darin Erstad 2-run shot.

The Indians scored 4 more in the top of the second, followed by one for the Sox in the bottom.

In the third inning is when things started to look up for the Sox when Paul Konerko blasted his first homer of the year to make the score 9-3.

The scoring stopped until the top of the eighth inning when the Indians scored one, the bottom of the 9th resulted in 2 more Sox runs, then the end of the game and the score came out to: 12-5, Indians.

Winning Pitcher: C.C. Sabathia, 1-0.
Losing Pitcher: Jose Contreras, 0-1.
Sox Player of the Game: Darin Erstad. 1/4, 2 RBI, HR. .250 AVG.

Todays Sox Lineup

Please get your pencils and scorecards ready, here is the correct lineup for todays ballgame.

38 -- Pablo Ozuna ---- LF
17 -- Darin Erstad ---- CF
25 -- Jim Thome ----- DH
14 -- Paul Konerko ---- 1B
23 -- Jermaine Dye -- -RF
24 -- Joe Crede ------- 3B
15 -- Tadahito Iguchi - 2B
12 -- A.J. Pierzynski -- C
5 --- Juan Uribe ------ SS

And pitching
52 -- Jose Contreras -- RHP

Contreras to go Opening Day

For the first time since I've been an official Sox fan, Mark Buehrle isn't starting opening day! I've always seen Mark start but now its Jose Contreras, who had 17 straight wins between '05-'06. I think this is a good move on Ozzie's part and I like the fact that our 2nd best pitcher is going on one of the most important days of the year. Our 1st best pitcher being Garland.

I'm thinkin the Indians, who we play today, will really do good this year, except their first three games, if you know what I mean (wink, wink. Nudge, nudge).

According to The Score Pablo Ozuna will be leading off in todays game and will be playing Left Field.

Game lineups will come later, and the pitching matchup will be later, also.

[Game Info]

Starting at 12 o'clock, on AM 670 The Score, with the pregame show is Chris "The Ranger" Rongey. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM but I say it'll be around 1:08. With the first pitch, and the whole game, is Steve Stone, who is filling in for Ed Farmer because Ed's daughter had a little accident involving a car, and Chris Singleton!

[Pitching Matchup]

For us: Jose Contreras. For them: Captain Cupcakes Sabathia. Or C.C. if you live in Ohio.

[Visiting the Central]

In my first Visiting the Central I will look around the league at what other central division teams are doing! So lets get started... Detroit is playing Toronto with Bonderman going for the Tigers and Halladay for the Jays. Cleveland is playing the White Sox, our White Sox. Minnesota is playing Baltimore and we all know who's going for the Twinkies (ahem, Johan Santana). And last, and I mean last, The Kansas City Royals High School Baseball Team will play the Boston Red Sox. Meche vs. Schilling, but hey; who cares?

Breaking News!

Our fifth starter has been announced, finally! John Danks, who I love, is our "official" fifth starter! So now we have a complete pitching rotation that may look like this:

1. Mark Buehrle, LHP
2. Jose Contreras, RHP
3. Jon Garland, RHP
4. Javier Vazquez, RHP
5. John Danks, LHP

Does that not look good?

Infielder Reviews

# 8 Alex Cintron. We locked him up in the off-season and he can play anywhere in the infield except first base. He came through in the clutch against Pittsburgh last year and he should do the same this year. He's a switch hitter so we can use him against any pitcher if any of our infielders need a day off. A-

# 24 Joe Crede. Our third baseman and one of the best defensively in the league. He goes all out in the field and can make some Spider-man like catches. He can hit, too! 30 homers and 94 RBI for a defensive third baseman? Sounds pretty offensive to me... A

# 15 Tadahito Iguchi. TADAHITO (clap, clap, clap clap clap)!!! This guy makes the best plays at second base yet they don't even count for fantasy! If they did though... you'd be winning leagues like crazy! Anyways. I like the way he hits and he can bang some homers as well. Dude's only 5'-10" and he can play ball with the best of 'em. A

# 14 Paul Konerko. If I say anything bad about Paulie I may jinx him... So I'm going to just say that he can hit homeruns and drive in runs... anything yet? Good... he can play first base really well... Paulie also made the final outs for each of our playoff series' in '05 A+

# 38 Pablo Ozuna. The ultimate utility player! He can play first, second, short, third, and all of the outfield! I love Pabs! .328 average last year and he only played in 79 games! What a trooper. I love his style though he needs to improve in the outfield. A little touching up in that catagorie and you have one of the best utility players in the game. B-

# 5 Juan Uribe. The best shortstop EVER!!! Ok maybe not that good but he can play. He was part of the final out of the 2005 World Series (along with Paulie and Jenks *see pitching reviews*). He can hit, too, but not so much power as just getting on base. B+

Catcher Review

Pitchers are done so the Catchers, naturally, should be next!

# 44 Toby Hall. I like his style plus he adds a right-handed veteran bat to put in against all the tough lefties we usually face. He and Vazquez seem to wrok well togther but that's just what I think. Can't wait for the regular season on him. B+

# 12 A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. is a grinder and has been since we got him! I love how, when he got punched by Barrett last year, he didn't punch back and get ejected. Though that would've been good to of seen some life out of the Sox and know they're alive I like the way A.J. reacted. Pure all-star last year even though he didn't get to play in the game. A

White Sox Pitching Review

OK, so the team is about to go into their 107th season in the Majors. My team review begins now:

# 54 David Aardsma. Acquired from the Cubs for Neal Cotts, this fire throwing right-hander has come out of nowhere to be one of our best bullpen arms. He can throw in the mid 90's, usually. A good addition to our already good bullpen. B

# 56 Mark Buehrle. Our "ace" since Loaiza left the team. He has one of the best pick off moves I've ever seen and can pitch a game in under 2 hours. A great left handed starter and we have him! He did go 12-13 last year with a 4.99 ERA but he should improve on that this year. B+

# 52 Jose Contreras. A consistent starter since 2005 when he was a crucial key to our championship run. I need to see more wins out of him yet he gets 'em when we need 'em. The other thing is that he baffles hitters with his 3 arm angles. You never know where hes coming from! B

# 34 Gavin Floyd. He is an OK pitcher, young and vulnerable, but OK. He does get cocky at times and misses his spots A TON! Yet he does show signs of being good and can impove on everything with Dr. Cooper, AJ, and Toby. He's in the running for our 5th starter spot. D

# 20 Jon Garland. One of the winningest pitchers on the Sox in the past 3 years. He went 18-7 last year with a 4.51 ERA. He's in serious contention for a Cy Young award(if Johan Santana suddenly dies...). A

# 40 Charlie Haeger. I saw him pitch in his first game against the Angels last year and he walked like 7 guys in 2 innings. He is a knuckleballer so that could've been some of the problem. I do like his stuff though and he could be a potential set up man in our bullpen. Wouldn't think of him as a starter just yet. B-

# 45 Bobby Jenks. One of the best closers in the league. 40+ saves a year and he was on the mound for the last out of the World Series in '05, which we should all forget. When he's on and focused you can expect a 100 MPH fastball which is awesome for a closer. A

# 57 Boone Logan. I don't know too much about Boone but he does have some control issues from what I've heard. Too early for me to make a comment. ???

# 47 Mike MacDougal. If Jenks goes down, which I hope he doesn't, Mike would be our closer. He can also throw around 100 MPH and has wicked poise on the mound. I like his stuff and he should be our go-to guy in the bullpen. Next to Jenks, of course. B+

# 46 Nick Masset. Picked him up in the Brandon McCarthy trade so I don't know much about him either. I heard he can hit 98 MPH on his fastball, but I have no idea yet. Too early for him, too. ???

# 51 Andrew Sisco. Also acquired in the McCarthy deal. And I also know nothing about him! ???

# 37 Matt Thornton. Great arm in the bullpen for anytime to have, but last time I checked: We do. I like the way he pitches and he shows great confidence on the mound. He can throw mid 90's like Aardsma. I like him! Another person to consider for the closer spot if, and I mean if, Jenks goes down. A-

# 33 Javier Vazquez. I didn't like him before but now I'm starting to have second thoughts. He's a strike out monster and can win ballgames. Needs to improve on his ERA a smidge but other than that he may become a favorite in my mind! B+

Sox Fall to Padres

Another game today resulted in another crushing, bruising, defeat by Ozzie & Da' Sox. Despite Thome Knockin' Our Sox Off twice we still managed a loss to the low-rised Padres... that makes me embarassed as a Sox fan...

I'm going to stop posting for now... Until the Sox actually start...

Say It Aint So Joe

Third baseman Joe Crede hit a homer in todays game against the Rockies. Yes the Rockies. Again.

7-4 was the final score, even with Crede's home run. He went 2-3 with a homer (how many times can I post that?). He is the first recipient of my "Knockin Our Sox Off" home run game. Its an "award" to who hits the longest home run. So Joe, congrats on Knockin Our Sox Off!

Thats really all I want to type about this game.

Sox Lock Up Vazquez Through 2010

You all know how much I dislike this pitcher. Sure he strikes out a ton of hitters and wins some games, but I just don't like his style of pitching! The Sox signed him through 2010 which makes me as happy as a butterfly in the rain. Yes... I just said that.

With my projected rotation shaping up like this:

• Mark Buehrle
• Jon Garland
• Jose Contreras
• Gavin Floyd
• Javier Vazquez

You can tell Vazquez is out numbered by good pitchers. Although I have yet to see Floyd throw a pitch I'm confident in his ability and control on the mound.

Sox Obliterate Cubs, 13-2

Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye were two major components to the White Sox's beating up of the North Side Scum.

Jon Garland started the game, pitched 3 innings striking out 1 and only allowing 2 hits. No Runs.
Then came Charlie Haegar in the 4th inning he struck out one also, but only went 2 innings. But enough of the pitching, lets get to the killer offense!

Brian Anderson and Robert Valido's first at bats resulted in strikeouts. Then up came Paul Konerko to face Rich Hill (who pitched awesome... yes I said that...) and crush a 3-2 fastball 400 feet out of the park. Followed by a Jermaine Dye fly out to second. The second inning comes up with a K for Josh Fields, and a double play. In the erd inning things didn't go much better. But the Sox lit up in the 4th. The inning started out with a walk to Valido, and a walk to Paulie. Up cam Jermaine Dye with 2 on, no out, smashed some 2-1 high cheese for a 3-run bomb. Wait, it gets better. No, really!

Fields grounded out, then came a first-pitch jack from Rob Mackowiak (the "official" Cubs killer of the team). Nothing happend after that until the 5th inning when Paulie crushed another home run! I love this guy!

The damage quieted down for awhile. Until the 8th inning when Rob Mackowiak hit a single, moved to second base on a Wiki Gonzalez strike out, then was driven in on a Gustavo Molina (no relation to Jose, Bengie and Yadier) home run. I dont know who he is either!

The Sox scored 2 more runs in the 9th for a final score of:

Sox 13 - Cubs 2 (ha ha ha!)

Another Game, Another Loss

I did not listen to the game because it wasn't on the radio... or TV...

Jose Contreras started the game, pitched 2 innings allowed 4 hits, 2 runs and 3 walks. This is the guy who won 17 straight games from 05-06. Can you believe that? I know this is spring training (emphasis on the word: training) and the guys are just practicing. And I know that the games don't really matter. But to us fans, they really, really, really do.

On the offensive side mlb.com has Josh Fields (pictured above) driving in 2 runs. Paul Konerko driving in 1 and Ryan Sweeney driving in 1. Yet they have the final score listed 10-3. According to my 7th grade math the total RBI should add up to 4. Am I right? But according to my sister "They're so bad that when they score runs they don't even count." and she's a big a Sox fan as I am! So either it was a) a typo b) somebody didn't listen in math class or c) they don't even care.

Our relivers did a good job combining for a total of 3 K's out of 5 pitchers! Dewon Day got another look today. I liked what I heard when he pitched on Wednesday, and he equaled that in todays "outing". I wonder what he'll be like in the regular season. Maybe he'll be our next Neal Cotts. Or maybe he'll end up like Cliff Politte... think happy thoughts...

Sox Fall to D-Backs 8-5

Another game lost and a hard lesson learned. And that is, you ask? Don't send all the good players to the easy game! Today all we had against the Diamondbacks were Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome and Josh Fields! But we did manage to score more runs than we did yesterday!

The good thing is that we got a look at Andrew Sisco and David Aardsma. Both members of the Rubber Maid's. Sisco hurled 1 inning and gave up 2 walks, while Aardsma went an inning and gave up 2 runs. Lance Broadway pitched and gave up a homer to Carlos Quintin. Oh and I didnt even mention Vazquez. 2 and 1/3 innings with 5 earned runs, 2 walks and an ERA of 19.29. Ouch.

On our offensive side, Thome drove in a run. So did Josh Fields, Casey Rogowski, Robert Valido and new catcher Toby Hall.

The offense did as well as they could. It was our pitching that bothered me. Thats all the games for now.

Well, there will be more games they just wont be on The Score.

[Next Game Info]
The next game is on Sunday against the Cubs! That game will be on The Score (AM 670) and the Cubs' side WGN (AM 720). I'm going to be listening to The Score because I'm a Sox fan. The game, of course, will be hosted by Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton. Oh and it's at 2:05 PM CT.

Lineup for 3/1

Get your pencils and scorecards ready, here are the correct lineups for todays ballgame.

Owens, CF
Valido, SS
Jimmy, DH
J.D., RF
Mackowiak, LF
Fields, 3B (Still my favorite)
TobyH, C
Rogowski, 1B
P-Lo, 2B

And on the mound:
Javy Vazquez, SP

Sox lose 12-4 in Spring Opener

There should be a Street & Smith curse. You know... like how they have the Madden Curse? Yeah well Street & Smith magazine chose the Sox to finish 2nd in the division behind the Tigers. Based on how today went they may be competing with the Indians for #4.

Mark Buehrle started the game (which I missed the first 6 batters of) for the Sox and pitched quite well actually. He went 2 innings gave up 6 hits and allowed 4 runs. But thats not all! Jon Garland came in in relief for Mark in the 4th inning went 2 innings allowed 8 hits and 7 RUNS! What're you thinking, Jon? He told Farmer and Singleton that he threw nothing but fastballs except when he tossed in one changeup. Then after Garland's little "stint" came Bobby Jenks. He faced 2 batters, walked one hit the other, then had to leave due to shoulder stiffness. Ouch.

Mike MacDougal came in and he was the first decent pitcher we had since the first pitch Buehrle threw. He faced 2 batters, made one ground into a double play, and stuck out the other. Then came my (relief) guy, Matt Thornton! He threw 1 inning faced 5 batters and struck out 2 of 'em. I really like Thronton and I have since he came from the Mariners. Then was John Danks! Yeah! HE KO'ed 2 batters in his first ever appearance in a Sox uni. I like him! And don't forget he's one of the 5 "Rubber Maid's" as I call them. Dewon Day finished out the game with an inning pitched, a K and 3 hits.

Then on the offensive side, Brian Anderson was the only guy who came close to hitting a homer. Well... never mind I lied. I just forgot who else came close. Iguchi was the only guy who did 1/2 a good job today. He had a double, a ground out, and a K. Juan Uribe stole a base! And so did Darin Erstad (SB #1 of my Erstad count).

Again final score:

White Sox - 4 Rockies - 12.

Tomorrows Lineups

The lineup was announced and here it is

Erstad, LF

Gooch, 2B
Jimmy, DH
Paulie, 1B
J.D., RF
A.J., C
Crede, 3B
Anderson, CF
Uribe, SS

So Brain Anderson gets the start in center field. Pods isn't starting in left, so we get to see Darin Erstad for the first time! And that is him in the picture diving up the wall clearly robbing a homer from Milton Bradley. Uribe batting last surprises me.

So there ya' go!

GO WHITE SOX!!!

Buehrle to open Spring Training

The starters for tomorrow's game were announced! For the Sox (as the title says) will be my guy Mark Buehrle. Even though whitesox.com has Contreras listed as their first starter they have opted to go with Mark Buehrle, which in my mind is a smart move. I like the way he pitches even if he looses 13 games.

Pitching for the Rockies will be their new ace (him and Jeff Francis) Aaron Cook. He's an ok pitcher but not that good. Cant wait for Dye, Thome, and Paulie to beat up on him.

If the lineups are announced before the game like... today... I'll post 'em and you know I will. Pierzynski will get the start behind the plate, I know that much.

[Game Info]

Ahh, the first time I've typed that out of many this year. So the game will be on WSCR AM 670 The Score with my guys Chris "The Ranger" Rongey, Ed Farmer and Chris Singleton. The game is slated for 2:05 CT. And remember, Cook vs. Buehrle!

1st Spring Training Game

Ahh... I can smell the spring grass already. Sure its covered with snow but not in Arizona!



The Sox are playing a split-squad game (where half the team plays one team and half the team plays another) and the game thats going to be on WSCR is the game against Cleveland. That means we get to hear Travis Hafner play for 3 innings, while Grady Sizemore gets to go all the way. And we get to C.C. Sabathia pitch against the Sox, then get nailed in the but by a Gooch line drive and be out the whole season.



Cant wait to see Sweeney again. Cant wait to watch Dye, Thome, Paulie, and Crede crush over 30 homers again. Oh boy... and Contreras win 17 straight again? Maybe? Ok fine...



What about Guillen blowing up in an umps face (pic to the right)?

Boy Guillen is a piece of work. But he's our piece of work, 'ya know?

Spring Has Finally Arrived!

OK, I am back for yet another Chicago White Sox season. And this year they have a slogan entitled "Back to the Grind". I know kind of corny but thats we we need to do is get back to the grind this year and build towards another championship year. Most of the building blocks have been set, and we have plenty of prospects waiting in the minors if we need them.

Ryan Sweeney is a guy I am looking into putting in center field, as well as Brian Anderson (2nd half Brian Anderson that is) and possibly Darin Erstad. Oh... I didn't mention that? Yeah, well in the off-season one of our moves was signing Darin Erstad to fill in in center field if we need him to and he can also fill in for Paulie at 1st if he needs a day off. Its a win/win situation having Erstad there. But back to Sweeney. He is a good looking prospect with an OK arm and he can hit. Last year for the Sox he played in 18 games and had 8 hits. They don't have his minor league stats up but I will find them... Ah Ha! Found 'em! Last year he had 13 homers and 70 RBI in 118 games. 133 hits is average for a minor leaguer, although he had 449 at bats so he had major league hits numbers for a rookie, 'ya know?

Our bullpen has 5 fire-armed rocket throwers. 5 of our relievers can throw 95+ MPH. Bobby Jenks who can hit 100. Mike MacDougal who can throw around 97-98. David Aardsma who can reach 97 but stays around 94-95. Andrew Sisco, who we picked up in the Riske - McCarthy trade to KC, can hit 98. Matt Thornton who is an awesome pitcher late in the game can hit 97. This group of throwers whom I have nicknamed "The Rubbermaid's" can be brutal to face late in the ballgame.

Toby Hall and A.J. Pierzynski have been working with the pitchers for about a week now and I like the idea of having Hall catch on some days, but Pierzynski getting the majority behind the plate.

The starting rotation is a big one. Even with the loss of Freddy Garcia we should do quite well with this rotation:

• Jose Contreras
• Mark Buehrle
• Jon Garland
• Javier Vazquez
• Gavin Floyd

I'm not quite sure about Contreras going opening day but I guess if that's what Ozzie & Kenny like then we should go along with it for awhile. Buehrle is always a good pitcher even if he loses 13 games. Garland is an 18 game winner every year. Vazquez won 6 straight last year, and Floyd was on the mound when Rowand broke his nose! How much better can you get?

Uribe Gone In 2007?

Shortstop Juan Uribe may have to sit out the entire 2007 season. Due to a run-in with a shooting he has been acused of killing the man. He is set to appear in court twice a month in this year which may force him to sit out.

"Very simply, if it turns out he is in more trouble than we originally thought, decides not to report, or is distracted and can't play at a championship level, Alex will take his job," Williams said via e-mail Saturday night.

Of course, the Alex referred to in Williams' text is Alex Cintron, recently signed to a one-year, $1.9 million deal that avoided arbitration with the Sox. Cintron played in 91 games last year and started 64, but his multi-positional ability was his true value. The switch-hitter made 35 starts at shortstop, 23 at second base and six behind Joe Crede at third base. For his career, Cintron has started 286 games at shortstop, 74 at second base and 39 at third base

This means, Alex Cintron may get to play a little shortstop this year, if the case of Uribe really does turn out worse.

Will Thome Make The 500 Club?

DH Jim Thome has the chance to make it to an exclusive club consisting of over 20 players. This year, 2007, he could make the elusive 500 club.

Going into the season he will have 472 career home runs. He will only need 28 home runs to get to the club. Last year he hit 42 round trippers so he should easily have 507 (35 homers) by the end of the season.

When Big Jim was in Philadelphia he played first base and was frequently injured. Before the Phillies "Slugger Jim" played for the Cleveland Indians. He was also a first baseman there, but did play some DH.

In those times he was injured so much that he couldn't even get to 450 home runs. In 05 for the Phillies he only had 3 due to extensive injuries.

Lets pre-welcome Jim "Big Jim, Jimmy, Slugger Jim, Bopper, Big Stuff, (The) Thominator, Mr. Incredible" Thome to the 500 club