You Can Put It On The Board! YES!

2009-02-03T17:25:00.004-06:00

2009 MLB Free Agent Team

Here is my team for 2009 made up of players still available as free agents.

Starting Pitchers
-Ben Sheets
-Randy Wolf
-Odalis Perez
-Tom Glavine
-Paul Byrd

Bullpen
-Joe Beimel
-Juan Cruz
-Eric Gagne
-Tom Gordon
-Mike Timlin
-Eddie Guardado
-Brenden Donnelly

Catcher
-Paul Lo Duca

First Base
-Doug Mientkiewicz

Second Base
-Orlando Hudson

Third Base
-Joe Crede

Shortstop
-Orlando Cabrera

Left Field
-Adam Dunn

Center Field
-Kenny Lofton

Right Field
-Bobby Abreu

DH
-Ken Griffey Jr.

Bench
-Ivan Rodriguez (C)
-Mark Grudzielanek (INF)
-Alex Cintron (INF)
-Luis Gonzalez (OF)

2008-08-26T21:04:00.002-05:00

Upon Further Review.....

It was announced today that Major League Baseball will begin using instant replay starting on Thursday. For now, video will be used on so-called "boundary calls", such as determining whether fly balls went over the fence or whether potential home runs were fair or foul.

Videos will be collected at the office of Major League Baseball Advanced Media in New York. If the crew chief at a game decides replay needs to be checked, umpires will leave the field, technicians from MLBAM will show umpires the video and the crew chief will make the call.

The reason that this decision has been rushed in is because of a bunch of missed calls and controversial plays during a two-week period in May. And you know that there is no way baseball wants to enter October without this available.

MLB has been saying that replay will not be expanded. But that is my one worry. Just like a bunch of missed calls happened back in May, what if a bunch of other missed calls happens during the next two weeks? Line drives down the lines, close calls at the plate, people will be screaming for replay. If there is enough heat from fans or ownership groups, I think replay will be expanded. That is why I am against all of this replay business. It will only open the door to expanding this to a lot more other calls. I hope I am wrong and MLB keeps it to only home run calls, but it will be a very sad day if this ever is expanded to more calls.

Games are already taking a very long time. The average time of games are around two and a half hours. How long will replay reviews take? Yes, you want to get the call right on a home run, but you don't want games lasting over three hours.

Another problem I have is when the playoffs start and the extra umpires are added to the games. The two extra umpires are placed on the left and right field lines. What my problem is is that these extra umpires stand right behind the first and third base umpires. Why are they so close? MLB should let the first and third base umps call fair/foul calls down the lines. They should then move the two extra umpires to left center field and right center field. That way they can be out there to see if a ball is really caught. They would also be closer to the walls to see if a ball leaves the yard. It would be much smarter that way instead of having the second base ump dashing to the outfield to try to make the call. Let the two extra umps take care of that.

All in all, it should be interesting to see how things are handled by MLB. Just keep the replay shenanigans to only home run calls and hopefully all of this will work out for the best.

2008-08-13T23:00:00.002-05:00

Two Straight Shut-outs

Mark Buehrle pitched seven solids innings tonight to give the Sox their second consecutive shut-out against the Royals. Just when the bullpen had been depleted by pitching too many innings, Javy Vazquez and Mark Buehrle put in back to back solid games to give the bullpen some much needed rest. These two veterans need to start stepping it up for this club down the stretch and pitch some big balls games. The youngsters in Gavin Floyd and John Danks have been outstanding. But this team will only go as far as how well Vazquez and Buehrle pitch.

It was announced today that Lance Broadway will get the start for tomorrow's game against the Royals. Last year Broadway earned his first Major League win against these same Royals when he pitched six scoreless innings while striking out eight batters.

2008-08-10T12:50:00.001-05:00

A Quick Fix For Now

With the recent injury to Jose Contreras and the poor play of Boone Logan, the White Sox made two moves today. Contreras was placed on the 15-day DL and Logan was sent down to Triple-A Charlotte. Replacing these two players the Sox called up pitcher Lance Broadway and infielder Chris Getz both from Triple-A Charlotte. For right now, D.J. Carrasco will be placed into the starting rotation replacing Contreras. He is scheduled to start on Thursday.

Some rumors that are circulating are possible trades that could be made by the White Sox to acquire a starting pitcher. Two names that have come up are Cleveland starter Paul Byrd and Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn. Paul Byrd has already cleared waivers. He has recently pitched great so it is kind of a surprise that he has not been moved yet. Jarrod Washburn is scheduled to clear waivers by Monday but has yet to be claimed. There is word that the Sox might put a claim in on Washburn.

2008-08-10T11:00:00.001-05:00

One Crazy Night

Jose Contreras returned to the Sox Saturday night after spending some time on the DL. But his return was very short and he also likely pitched for the last time this season. In the second inning, while running to cover first base, Contreras ruptured his left Achilles' tendon. The recovery time for this injury is nine to 12 months. Contreras was looking very sharp during the very short time he was out there. His velocity was back up and his split finger was looking very good. The Sox were looking for some big innings out of Contreras in this pennant race as he returned to action last night. But now they will have to go find another option to fill his spot in the rotation with.

D.J. Carrasco came in for Contreras and did a great job. He pitched 4 1/3 innings giving up only one run. But then in the seventh inning, Boone Logan came in and things got very ugly. Logan gave up four runs on four hits without recording one out.

In a move to improve the bullpen, the Sox traded for Kansas City reliever Horacio Ramirez right after the game on Saturday night. The Sox sent the Royals OF Paulo Orlando from their Single-A team. To make room for Ramirez, the Sox sent down 3B Josh Fields back to Triple-A Charlotte. There was no sense in keeping Fields up with the big club since he was not playing at all. Boone Logan was also told he would be demoted to Charlotte before Sunday's game, but no official announcement has been made yet.

So now the Sox must fill Logan's spot on the roster as well as Contreras' spot as he heads back to the DL. Newly acquired Horacio Ramirez will take over Logan's role, but do they now call up two more pitchers or just one pitcher and one position player to fill in on the bench with Josh Fields now back down in Charlotte. The main question is who is going to fill in Contreras' spot in the rotation. Do they stay inside the club bringing someone up or do they go outside and sign a free agent? The free agent crop right now is very thin. Some names that are out there would be Shawn Chacon, Matt Clement, Freddy Garcia, Byung-Hyun Kim, Russ Ortiz, John Patterson and David Wells. None of those options really stand out. Freddy Garcia did pitch the other day and about 12 teams were there to watch him. But his fastball has just disappeared as it is only reaching the low to mid 80's. Esteban Loaiza was supposed to be the option to fill in for this type of situation but he never worked out and was released back on July 25.

Some bad timing indeed for all of this to go down. But you know Kenny Williams is working very hard to do what is right for this team. It should be a very interesting final two months of the season.

2008-08-04T17:20:00.000-05:00

It's Finally Over!

This crazy 10 game road trip could not have ended soon enough. After a strong start in taking two of three in Detroit, the Sox finished very poorly. I guess you can't really complain after they went 4-6 during the trip, but with the way they played, it was very frustrating. With having leads in most of the games, they could have easily finished 7-3. The pitching was just awful during the trip as the starters and relievers did not give this team a chance to win. But having played this bad and to only be a half game out of first, I guess things could be worse. Now the Sox head home and will play 16 of their next 19 games at U.S. Comiskular including the next 10 straight. That can only be a good thing as the Sox have one of the best home records in baseball at 35-16. I personally would like to forget about this road trip and just focus on taking advantage of being home for 10 straight. The pitching needs to improve very quickly and return to the form it was in prior to the break. Clayton Richard is just not ready to be up here regularly but Jose Contreras is planning to be back for his next start. Richard is not the only problem though as no one is pitching good right now. Every day Scott Linebrink is out just shows how valuable he has been to this team this year. But I am one Sox fan who is not worried. With two months to go in the season, there is still plenty of time left to battle for the division crown. This race will definitely go down to the final weeks of the season. But for right now lets sit back, relax and enjoy some home cooking during the next week and a half.

10 Game Home Stand

August 5-7 vs

August 8-11 vs

August 12-14 vs

2008-07-31T12:00:00.001-05:00

Griffey Jr. Heads To The South Side

In a very unexpected move Thursday, GM Kenny Williams traded for future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. The White Sox sent pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar to the Cincinnati Reds. As of right now, the deal is still pending approval from the commissioner's office. Reports say that the Reds and White Sox will split the remainder of Griffey's contract including a $4 million buyout for 2009. Griffey is currently hitting .245 with 15 HR. He extended his hitting streak to 12 games last night as he hit his 15 HR of the season against the Houston Astros.

Now the big question is where does Griffey fit in? All three outfield spots are set as well as DH with Jim Thome. Playing time will be limited. But with Konerko struggling, Swisher could be moved to first base opening up a spot for Griffey in the outfield. But his legs are not what they used to be. He is too slow to play center field but that will be the only spot open for him. Unless they keep Swisher in the outfield and play Griffey at first base. Is another move in place? Could Konerko be gone? His hand is still bothering him so maybe a trip to the DL could be happening very soon. But as of right now, there is no room for Griffey in the lineup.

As far as who the Sox gave up, I don't really have a problem with that. Nick Masset has been struggling out of the bullpen this year. He was out of options as far as being sent down, so his days were numbered. With Danny Richar, there really is no room for him on the big club. So by giving up on these two guys, the Sox really didn't have to sacrifice much to get Griffey. But there still is no room for him in the lineup. With three hours to go before the trade deadline, let's hope that Kenny Williams is working hard to get some much needed help for the bullpen and starting rotation.

2008-07-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

Let's All Relax

Last time I checked, there are 57 games left in the 2008 Major League Baseball season for the Chicago White Sox. But with the Sox on a current three game losing streak, with the last two losses courtesy of the Minnesota Twins, everyone seems to be panicking. Yes the Sox lead in the Central is only a half game, but with two months in the season remaining, let's all take a chill pill. The race for the AL Central crown is going to go down to the wire. And let's not forget that the Twins still have to go two long road trips. One is 10 games while the other is a very long 14 game road trip from August 21 to September 4. So let's all relax now.

The Sox are beat up a bit right now with Joe Crede, Jose Contreras and Scott Linebrink all on the DL. I don't think the Sox will make any moves before the deadline tomorrow, but with these three returning, it will seem like a trade as they are all very valuable to the White Sox's success. But the one man who needs to get his butt in gear in Paul Konerko. Konerko is hitting .213 with 9 HR and 35 RBI. That is just not going to cut it. Will time on the bench make things better? Moving him in the line-up? Or does Ozzie not do anything and just try to ride it out? I personally would rather see Nick Swisher playing first base with Brian Anderson in center field. Anderson needs more playing time and is the Sox best defensive outfielder. If Ozzie does bench Konerko, I believe that this would be the best solution with Swisher at first and Anderson controlling center. It's not time to panic, but it is time to do something a bit different.

2008-07-24T09:27:00.002-05:00

In case you didn't see it, here is a recap of yesterday's game showing Ramirez's great play and Quentin's go ahead HR.

2008-07-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

Quentin Leads Comeback

Carlos Quentin led the way for the Sox on Wednesday afternoon. His three run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning (his second HR of the game) finished off a five run inning to give the Sox a 10-8 victory of the Texas Rangers. The Sox finished their six game home stand with a 3-3 record.

Carlos Quentin has been unbelievable all year long. When the bats were struggling during the beginning of the year, he was carrying this team on his back the entire way. And he has not stopped. He now leads the American League with 26 HR and is second in RBI with 76.

Clayton Richard made his big league debut for the Sox today. He went four innings, giving up four earned runs, on seven hits, while striking out seven. He showed some very good stuff during his four innings of work today and should be a dependable arm in the very near future. He even works faster than Mark Buehrle.

If you were not able to see the game, I am sure you will see this replay. In the top of the seventh inning, Alexei Ramirez made the play of the year! A slow grounder towards first base, Ramirez charged the ball and flung it to first with his glove. It was unreal.

The real test now begins as the Sox go on a 10 game road trip. Three in Detroit, four in Minnesota and then three in Kansas City. This will be a very good opportunity for the Sox to increase their lead in the division. Hopefully the road woes will come to a halt very soon.

2008-07-13T00:01:00.003-05:00

White Sox 9 Rangers 7

That Was Close!

John Danks pitched another outstanding game Saturday night. Pitching his first ever start in his hometown in front of family and friends, Danks went 7 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, while striking out eight. At one point he had retired 14 straight batters. Pretty great numbers for pitching in a very hitter friendly park and also against one of the top offensive teams in baseball.

At one point in the game, the Sox had an 8-2 lead. But a shaky bullpen of late did just enough to hold down a very powerful Ranger offense to escape with a 9-7 victory. Alexei Ramirez ended the game with a great play at second base and threw out Josh Hamilton by an eyelash at first. By the way, Josh Hamilton only has 95 RBI right now. He is a machine.

Some other highlights from tonights game:

Jim Thome - 2 for 4, HR, 4 RBI
Paul Konerko - 4 for 4, HR, 2 RBI
Carlos Quentin - 2 for 5, Double, 2 RBI

Some not so good news that came from this game happened in the top of the third inning. A.J. Pierzynski was hit by a pitch on his left foot. At the time he stayed in the game to run the bases and even caught the bottom of the third inning. But when his spot came up again in the top of the fourth, Toby Hall came in to replace him. The Sox reported that Pierzynski left with a lower left leg contusion (deep bruise). I am sure he will get the day off tomorrow to get an extra day off to go along with the All-Star break. Tonight Pierzynski caught his 1,000th career game.

2008-07-12T00:01:00.002-05:00

Rangers 7, White Sox 2

Ugly!

Gavin Floyd was just plain bad tonight. It was by far his worst outing of the year. Pitching only 2 2/3 innings, Floyd gave up six runs, on five hits, two home runs and seven walks. That's right, seven walks in just 2 2/3 innings. That will not get the job done against any team. Especially when you are facing the best offensive team in baseball, the Texas Rangers.

One bright spot was recently called up pitcher D.J. Carrasco. Carrasco came in to relieve Floyd and try to clean up the mess. He ended up pitching the rest of the game going 5 1/3 innings, giving up one run, on four hits, striking out five while walking one.

2008-07-11T17:50:00.000-05:00

Konerko's Error in 8th Leads to Royals Come Back

Paul Konerko dropped Alexei Ramirez's throw from second base that would have completed a double play in the bottom of the eighth inning Thursday night against the Royals. After Konerko's error, things just fell apart. Mike Aviles doubled to score DeJesus. Then Jose Guillen doubled to score Aviles to take the lead 2-1. Then Mark Teahen came up and ripped the ball to right-center field. The entire relay home just seemed to be in slow motion. Swisher lobbed the ball back in to Ramirez at second. Alexei then fumbled the ball and Teahen broke for home. Ramirez's throw was to the right of home. A.J. grabbed it and dove home to tag Teahen but was just a hair late. The play was very close. If Ramirez's throw was on target, Teahen would have been gone. But even if Teahen was tagged out, the Sox would have still been down 3-1.

Mark Buehrle pitched an outstanding game but received the loss. Buehrle went 7 1/3 innings giving up two runs, both unearned, six hits and had a season high eight strikeouts.

It was a definitely a tough one to swallow. The previous two games, Ozzie put in Brian Anderson late in the games to play defense in center field and then moving Swisher over to first base. He did not do that last night and it cost the Sox. Konerko can hold his ground over at first, but I would much rather have Swisher at first than in center field. And Brian Anderson is the Sox best defensive outfielder. Hopefully Ozzie goes back to that strategy the rest of the season.

2008-07-10T15:20:00.011-05:00

Jenks Placed on 15-day DL

Bobby Jenks (2-0, 1.95 ERA, 18 saves)

Closer Bobby Jenks was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with bursitis near his left shoulder. The move is retroactive to June 30. He last pitched on June 29 picking up a save against the Cubs completing the sweep on the South Side. It sounds like the injury is not too serious and Jenks should be ready to return right after the All-Star break.

With Jenks going down, the Sox purchased the contract of right-hander D.J. Carrasco from Triple-A Charlotte. Carrasco, 31, was 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA, one save and 23 strikeouts in seven games with Charlotte. He appeared in 101 games over three seasons with Kansas City from 2003-05, going 14-15 with a 4.81 ERA. Carrasco was one of the last guys cut during spring training.

With Jenks out until after the All-Star break, it seems that Ozzie is going with a closer by committee role. Two nights ago Guillen went with Scott Linebrink. Linebrink, who has been solid all year as Jenk's set-up man, struggled and gave up two runs that tied the game. Last night Octavio Dotel closed the game, striking out the side on only 10 pitches. Another option would be lefty Matt Thornton. I believe Ozzie will stick with Dotel until Jenks returns because of Dotel's experience as a closer during his career.

Sox Go For Sweep Against Royals

Mark Buehrle
(6-7, 3.91 ERA)

VS

Zack Greinke
(7-5, 3,62 ERA)

The White Sox will go for the sweep tonight against the Royals as they try to run their winning streak to five games. So far in the series the offense has been picking up the shaky starting pitching. The Sox have come from behind to win each of the first two games of the three game series.

2008-07-09T00:00:00.002-05:00

8
7 Final - 13 Innings

Alexei Ramirez led the way in the White Sox victory Tuesday night. He went 4-6 with two runs scored. He did something that I have never seen before and that was scoring on a sacrifice fly from second base. Then in the top of the 13th, on a hit and run play, Orlando Cabrera hit a double to right center field allowing Ramirez to score from first. Jim Thome also had a big night going 4-5 with two doubles and three runs scored. Paul Konerko returned from the DL tonight going 1-3 with an RBI. Nick Masset pitched the final two innings to pick up his first victory of the year.

2008-07-08T15:25:00.004-05:00

Konerko Returns From DL; Ozuna Designated For Assignment

Paul Konerko returns tonight from his first stint on the DL in his career. Konerko was put on the DL on June 17 with a strain of his left oblique muscle. He spent four games with Triple-A Charlotte to rehab and he went 6-11 (.545) with two doubles, three RBI, three runs scored and six walks.

To make room for Konerko on the roster, the White Sox designated infielder Pablo Ozuna for assignment. That leaves Juan Uribe as the only backup to play the infield. Many people expected Dewayne Wise to be sent back down to Charlotte when Konerko returned. But Wise has played very well since being called up for the second time this season. Wise has played in 18 games going 14-40 (.350) at the plate with two HR, five RBI, eight runs scored and four stolen bases. With a lineup filled with station to station players, Wise adds some much needed speed in the outfield and is also great as a pinch runner.

With the return of Konerko, Nick Swisher will be moved back to center field. Swisher played some great baseball while filling in at first base during Konerko's absence. Swisher not only became very hot at the plate, but he also played great defense. He is a much better fit over at first, but for now will return to the outfield. With the season half over and the second half stretch just upon us, Ozzie Guillen has stated that he would like to platoon first base to give his big guns some rest. The one he would like to rest up the most is DH Jim Thome. With Thome getting some rest, Konerko would move to DH while Swisher would be put back at first base. Many options available now that Konerko is back. Let's just hope the injury bug stays away the rest of the year.

2008-07-07T14:34:00.012-05:00

All Star Snubs?

Yesterday the All Star teams were announced and as usual, there were plenty of guys left off the team that should have made it. But is it really a bad thing?

Here in Chicago, the Central leading White Sox only had two All Stars: Third baseman Joe Crede and left fielder Carlos Quentin, both making it for the first time. Both guys are well deserving. But then we can make a case for many other guys. Jermaine Dye is having a monster year hitting .309 with 19 HR and 52 RBI. Dye is at least part of the group of five players involved in the final vote-in that ends Thursday. But he should have easily been on the team. Another worthy player is A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. is hitting .296 with 7 HR and 33 RBI. But instead of A.J. going to New York, Jason Varitek of the Red Sox was voted in by the players instead. Varitek is hitting .218 with 7 HR and 27 RBI. Obviously the players voted in Varitek because of his leadership and being captain of a team leading them to two Championships. But it should be based on skill and A.J. is having a much better year than Varitek. There is also a good chance that Varitek is much more liked around the league than A.J.

It doesn't end there. The White Sox have the best ERA in baseball, yet no pitchers are going to be in New York next week to represent the White Sox. John Danks (6-4, 2.52 ERA) and Gavin Floyd (10-4, 3.22 ERA) have both proven to be All Star talent. Without these two young guns, the Sox would not be where they are at this point.

But is this really a bad thing? I personally am not too upset about this. Yes it would be nice to have this great talent on the White Sox be recognized. But I would much rather have them be noticed in October than in July. Instead of heading to New York next week, the entire pitching staff will get a very nice rest. Pierzynski has played in 73 out of 88 games. Taking next week off can only be a good thing. So while the majority is upset about many White Sox players being snubbed from the All Star Game, let's look at the big picture and realize that our key players will be getting a nice break preparing themselves for the second half grind of this very long season.

2008-07-06T23:25:00.002-05:00

It's Back!

After a very long layoff, it's time to get this blog off and running again!

Things on the South Side of Chicago are looking very good now days. The White Sox are in first place half way through the season but those pesky Twins just wont go away. Only one game back, Minnesota is surprising a lot of people considering they lost many key players. But once again they reload through their great minor league system and they are right there in the thick of things.

But the 2008 Chicago White Sox have one thing better than anyone else and that is pitching. From the starting five to the bullpen, they have shown to be one of the best. Two big surprises have been starters Gavin Floyd and John Danks. Through Sunday, Floyd is 10-4 with a 3.22 ERA, while Danks is 6-4 with a 2.52 ERA which ranks fifth in all of baseball. Danks' record should be a lot better than what it is but he has received minimal run support for most of the season.

While the pitching is the main reason for being in first place, it is the hitting that has been shaky for the most part of the season. Once again relying on the home run, the White Sox lead the American League in home runs with 120 and are second in all of baseball behind only the Florida Marlins who have 126. This could be a problem going into the second half of the season. Not manufacturing runs and just sitting back waiting for big home runs will eventually hurt them.

So far so good though on the South Side. Not a lot of people thought the White Sox would be playing this well. Half way through the year and holding onto first place. Let's hope they come flying out of the gate to start the second half of the season and take control of the Central Division.

2006-09-10T22:27:00.000-05:00

Let's Not Panic

With 19 games left in the season, the Sox find themselves 3.5 back in the division and 1.5 back in the wild card. Let's not hit the panic button please. We must wait until a week from today to decide if we need to hit it or not. The Sox go on a crucial six game road trip out West. Three against the Angels and then three against the A's. Of course we still have a home series left with Detroit and then end the season in Minnesota. But if the Sox don't take care of business this week, the season will be over. I am just hoping that the West Coast struggles will not be on the plane with the Sox on the trip out there. They cannot afford one small losing streak. They have to win out every series the rest of the year. That is asking a lot but it has to be done. The Twins look unstoppable at the moment and Detroit is sliding big time. Lets just hope that Detroit continues the down slide and the Sox can squeak into the post-season. I don't care how the Sox get in the playoffs. Just get in and then anything can happen.

2006-04-07T21:34:00.000-05:00

New White Sox Faces

Even after winning the 2005 World Series, Kenny Williams was not satisfied with just one and made some great off season moves to bring in new players to make this team even better. The team is now more rounded and a lot more versatile than last years team. Let's meet the new members of your 2006 Chicago White Sox.

Alex Cintron

A great role player who can play 2B, 3B and SS. He can be a solid bat off the bench that makes a lot of contact and he is also a switch hitter.

Boone Logan

The 21 year old lefty came out of no where in spring training and earned himself a spot on the roster. He not only adds depth to the bullpen but he is also very tough on lefties. He should be used during late inning situations VS left handed hitters.

Rob Mackowiak

Kenny Williams admitted that he had been trying to acquire Mackowiak for years now and now we finally have him. Rob will be such a key player on this team this year. He plays every position except pitcher and catcher and he will be used a lot by Ozzie to give certain guys days off throughout the long 162 game season.

Jim Thome

Everyone knows who this big guy is and we are all expecting big things from Thome this year. He looks very healthy and primed to have a great year. You know Thome is not satisfied with how he performed last year and he is very hungry to win after seeing what we did last year.

Matt Thornton

Thornton was acquired from Seattle in the Joe Borchard deal. Matt Thornton is a stud! He is a 6'6" lefty that throws 95 MPH with ease. He will be another key ingredient in the bullpen to provide much needed depth in the late innings.

Javier Vazquez

One of the biggest deals in all of baseball during the off season brought Javier Vazquez to the White Sox from the Diamondbacks. This deal put the White Sox starting rotation way above the rest and they now easily have the best starting five in baseball. With Vazquez now in the rotation, all five Sox starters pitched over 200 innings during the 2005 season. No team has had five starters do that since the 1980 Oakland Athletics.

So six new faces added to the 2006 White Sox sure does improve this team in all aspects of the game. Look for all the new comers to make an immediate impact in helping the Sox charge for another championship run.

2006-04-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

Ring 'Em Up!

Another great day on the South Side Tuesday as the Championship Rings were passed out to the team. The rings were designed by Jerry Reinsdorf's wife, Martyl, who also designed five of the six championship rings for the Chicago Bulls. The rings are made of a 14-karat yellow gold with a 14-karat white gold insert. Each one contains 95 diamonds of various sizes. In all, 432 rings were made for the team's players, staff and employees. That's right, 432 rings! Also getting rings were Hall of Famers Luis Aparicio and Carlton Fisk and families of past team owners, including Charles Comiskey, Mary Frances Veeck and John Allyn.

Former players Aaron Rowand, Orlando Hernandez, Willie Harris and Timo Perez were all on hand to receive their rings. Frank Thomas and Geoff Blum were the only two that could not make the event.

2006-04-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

Sweet Beginning

It sure didn't take long for the Sox to continue their winning ways. After a 2 hour 57 minute rain delay, the Sox came out charging and clobbered the Indians 10-4 to begin the 2006 season. The highlight of the night was of course the unveiling of the Championship banners in the outfield. It was such a great moment. But as the banners were uncovered, you could tell the players were watching it but wanted to have no part of it. To them that is all in the past and 2006 is a totally different season. That's what I love about this team. They enjoyed the off-season but now that means nothing to them as they are all charged to go on another championship run. All the new faces on the team are hungry to experience what the Sox did last year and that makes everyone even more hungry to do it all over again. It definitely was a sweet start to the 2006 season.

That is by far the sweetest picture I have seen in a while. Jim Thome looks like a mad man right after he crushed a 430 ft home run to right field for his first homer in a Sox jersey.

Brian Anderson went almost unnoticed during last night's game. He was the most solid player out there. He went 2-for-3 with 2 runs, 2 RBI, a walk and a double. Not bad for the rookie's first game.

Brandon McCarthy cleaned up the mess after the rain delay pitching three perfect innings to pick up the victory.

The best intro of the night had to go to Boone Logan who was greeted with "Booooone" from the fans as if the 21 year old has been playing on the Sox for years.

2006-04-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Prediction Time

It is the best time of the year! Opening Day is here and it is time to make my predictions for the 2006 season. Let's get to it!

AL EAST
1.
2. Toronto Blue Jays
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

AL CENTRAL
1.
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Detroit Tigers
5. Kansas City Royals

AL WEST
1.
2. Los Angeles Angels
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners

AL WILD CARD

NL EAST
1.
2. New York Mets
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Washington Nationals
5. Florida Marlins

NL CENTRAL
1.
2. Houston Astros
3. Milwaukee Brewers
4. Chicago Cubs
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Cincinnati Reds

NL WEST
1.
2. San Diego Padres
3. Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies

NL WILD CARD

WORLD SERIES
over

White Sox News and Notes

On Saturday, the White Sox and Jose Contreras agreed to a three year contract extension worth $29 million. Right now Contreras is in the final year of his contract that will pay him $8 million this year. He will then get $9 million in 2007 and $10 million in both 2008 and 2009. A no-trade clause is also in the deal but only for the 2007 season.

Scott Podsednik is set to go after some shoulder problems and is scheduled to be in the lineup for the season opener on Sunday night against Cleveland.

Tonight is going to be one awesome night! Lets raise that banner and get this thing started!

2006-02-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Let The Countdown Begin

We are only two weeks away from one of the most exciting days of the year. That's right, pitchers and catchers are to report to spring training on February 17. The optimism for every team is so high and we all believe that our favorite team has what it takes to make it an unforgettable year. But for our beloved White Sox, we enter spring training as the defending World Champs! It sure feels great.

But for every team out there, there are a few things to look out for during February and March as teams prepare for the 2006 season. So here is what I am concerned/interested about during the upcoming spring training.

Brandon McCarthy's Role
Ozzie has already hinted that he does not want McCarthy part of the starting rotation when the season starts. He plans to use him out of the bullpen or a possible spot starter for an injured pitcher. Remember, both Freddy Garcia and Javier Vazquez are pitching in the World Baseball Classic, so who knows how their arms will be when the season starts. I like McCarthy out of the pen. I personally don't think he is better than any of the other five, so keep him on the roster and add him to our already deadly pitching staff.

Javier Vazquez
I still can't believe the starting rotation that we have. By adding Vasquez to the rotation, we now have five starters that pitched over 200 innings during the 2005 season. No team has fielded a staff with all five starters pitching over 200 innings since the Oakland A's did in 1980. But what can we expect from Vazquez this year? The guy has great stuff and can be a dominating pitcher at times, but yet he has not won more than 14 games in a year. Of course he was on a bad Montreal team for six years and he under achieved with all that pressure on him in New York. We also have to remember that he will be pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, so watch for some possible arm issues. But I believe that Vazquez will have a solid year for the Sox. He will have no pressure on him at all being the fifth starter and there is no better person out there to keep you relaxed in Ozzie Guillen as your manager. I don't see why he can't win 15 games for us this year. Lets just hope I am right.

Center Field

The million dollar question during spring training is who will be the starting center fielder for the 2006 season. I don't understand one bit why everyone keeps saying that Brian Anderson is the clear favorite for the job. He only played in a whopping 13 games last year and had a .190 average going 4 for 21. He did nothing special to show that he is the right man for the job. There is one guy out there that no one is talking about that I think has nothing to lose going into spring training. That guy is Joe Borchard. Joe is out of Minor League options for the 2006 season so he needs to make the team out of spring training or he is done here. But Joe had a great year in Charlotte last year and hopefully he can carry that over to this up coming season. He did hit 29 HR and had a team record 130 hits. He does have major league power but the consistency just hasn't been there. I think it will be a two horse race between Anderson and Borchard during spring training and I have no problem with either of them starting in the outfield for the Sox in 2006. Also look out for Jerry Owens to possibly challenge for the job as well.

Lefty In The Pen
As of right now, Neal Cotts is the only left hander out in the bullpen. Many people seem concerned about this but I am not worried at all. The Sox do have some lefty prospects that will challenge to make the roster, but I would be ok with Cotts being the only lefty in relief to start the year. He showed last year that he is capable of getting righties and lefties out. He isn't the type of lefty that only comes in to face one guy and is done. He has the stuff to get anyone out and also has the ability to go a couple of innings if need be. Last year he went 4-0 with a 1.94 ERA, striking out 58 guys in 60.1 IP. So lets all relax that we only have one lefty reliever. Neal will do just fine for us.

# 2 Hitter

Ozzie is looking to move Iguchi down in the order this year so he can take advantage of his power. The man that Ozzie is looking to replace Iguchi is Juan Uribe. I think this would be a good move if Uribe shows that he can handle it. If not, don't try to fix something if it is not broken. If leaving Iguchi in the two hole is the best option then so be it. But it would be nice to see him unleash his power instead of moving Podsednik over all the time.

Well, all in all I think things could be much worse. The problems that the Sox have going into spring training are good problems to have. It will make it a very competitive spring with some young guns trying to make the squad. The start of the title defense starts in just two weeks! Do it to it fellas!

2006-01-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

So Long My Friend

It is definitely going to be very tough to see the face of the Chicago White Sox organization for the past 16 years to be wearing a different jersey in 2006. But I guess life goes on. Frank Thomas was officially announced by the Oakland A's on Thursday as he agreed to a one year deal filled with incentives. It was a rough day for me to watch one of my favorite players of all time join a different organization. But the time is definitely right. We will all shed a tear for a day and then realize that we are about to embark on something very special. The 2006 season will begin with the White Sox as the favorites to repeat as World Champs! How many times has a season begun like that? I believe not many. Seeing Big Frank leave does hurt, but at the end of the day Sox fans realize how great this team is and that it has gone in a different direction. If the Sox were fielding a second or third place team for the 2006 season, then I believe Frank would have been back. But Kenny Williams is never satisfied which is why I think he the best GM in baseball. He went out and brought guys in here that are hungry to win and to push the guys that are already here. Kenny decided that Jim Thome would be a better fit than Frank Thomas. He could be right and he could be wrong. But you have to tip your hat to him for not being satisfied with just one World Series Championship. Big Frank just didn't fit into the plans for 2006 and I am just glad that we will only face him six times in the up coming season. So as we all shed a tear for the big man leaving town, smiles will be on our faces tomorrow as we know that great things lie ahead for the 2006 Chicago White Sox.