hogan873

Since the Yankees are close to signing Pavano, does that mean they have given up on acquiring Johnson? I assume that if they could get RJ, they will most likely still go after him, but I wonder if this move (Pavano) makes it more likely that the Sox could get RJ.

I thought about Direct TV, but Dish offers the dual tuner DVR.

Thanks for the feedback. Now I don't have to switch back to cable and pay out the rear.

I'm a Dish Network customer and was dismayed to see that they are dropping Fox Sports Net and replacing it with Comcast Sports Net. This concerns me being as many Sox games are broadcast on FSN. I don't suppose that any will be broadcast on Comcast Sports Net. Anyone have any info?

It's hard to really imagine what moves the Sox may make. However, realistically, I see the adding of a good starter, someone like Ortiz or Clement, the addition of a decent bullpen guy, maybe Farnsworth, and a middle infielder...Renteria or Walker at best. The team probably won't look much different than last year, but that doesn't mean bad news. If they concentrate on the little things and solid pitching, things may be okay. But, unless we find a way to beat the Twins, it's a moot point.

I was hoping the Sox would have gone after Walker last year. I would rather see him at second than the inconsistent Harris. As far as Renteria, that would be awesome. Let's just hope that KW makes a decent push for him.

I just heard Bruce Levine say, in a recording, that the Sox may approach the Cubs about the availability of Kyle Farnsworth. What does anybody think about this? I don't think it's necessarily exciting, but if the Sox don't give up much, i.e. almost nothing, it might not be a bad deal. Let's just hope that, if a deal does go down, that he can remain healthy and throw the ball in the upper 90's like he's capable.

I like this trade. I haven't been too excited about Loaiza this year. Besides, Contreras has two more years on his contract. Loaiza would have been a free agent, and I believe he was going to be looking for around $8 million a year. He's not worth that...at least not as a risk. I hope Jose pitches well in his debut. That will be a major boost for the Sox.

More than likely, anyone we pick up now would be a lease until next year. So, Beltran would be great. But we'd probably have to give up too much. I think Finley or Hillebrand would be our best option.

As much as "renting a player" doesn't do anything for the future, it would fill the gaping hole left by Frank. I'd say go for Beltran. Of course, Jason Kendall would look good in a Sox uniform for the next few years. Talk about a good lead-off man!

"We gave up Jeremy Reed for Garcia, that's how it happened. And you think that makes Kenny a genius?" I know we gave up some talent for Garcia. But as far as Reed is concerned, it was potential talent. Look at Joe Borchard. Will he ever be ready for the majors? Joe Crede, too. He's mediocre at best, at least offensively. I'm tired of hearing about all the talent in the minors. Who has been a success as of late coming up? Borchard...no. Diaz...no. Rauch...no. KW is trying to put together a team to win this year, not in three or four or 30.

Hey, a lot of guys would look good in a Sox uniform, but I was mentioning Berkman because he's going to be a free agent. Wouldn't it be nice to be the Yankees and buy whatever you want? Except Freddy Garcia, that is. How did KW do that without the Yankees stepping in?

I thought I saw somewhere that Lance Berkman would be a free agent next year. I can't imagine the Astros willing to part with him, but wouldn't he look good in a Sox uniform?

Okay, okay. I just watched Schoeneweis pretty much put the game out of reach for the Sox. So now we're looking at a possible (probable?) five game losing streak. What do the Sox need to ensure the American League Central crown? For sure, one more quality starter. Randy Johnson would be great. Hell, I'd take Kris Benson right now. Maggs needs to be back. This needs to happen soon. 'Nuff said. Some more bullpen help. I know that there's the rumor involving Guardado from Seattle. That would be huge. Willie Harris needs to either start hitting again and start running, or he needs to be shipped off for someone who will. We need a lead-off man who can lead off the majority of the time and actually get on base and aggrivate the opposing pitcher. A more stable lineup. It seems now that Ozzie may be picking his lineup out of a hat. If nothing else, maybe the Twins will be contracted sometime after the All Star break.

Having Randy Johnson in a Sox uniform would be awesome. Imagine that rotation! The Sox would have a much better chance to get to the playoffs, and then to advance.

I clicked yes almost immediately. I liked the sound of it when I read it on espn.com. I really don't think that the Sox can re-sign Maggs. So, why not deal him and Jon "The Big Deserter" Rauch for Jones and Ortiz. Andruw Jones would be the center fielder the Sox have been looking for, and Russ Ortiz would solidify the rotation...making the rotation one of the best in baseball.

My apologizes for starting another thread. :banghead

Take a look at the stats of some of our White Sox. Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko, Juan Uribe, and Carlos Lee have potential All Star stats. I suppose we should expect good numbers from Thomas and Konerko and even Lee, but Uribe has been a great surprise. Not only is he getting on base, he has power, and he can play three positions well. But guess what? Konerko and Uribe are not even on the ballot. Konerko is not because Thomas is on there for 1st base. Uribe isn't on there because he's not a starter at any one position. I know, I know, we can write them in, but that's not going to get them enough votes. Thomas and Lee won't get enough votes, either. They're on the ballot, but we can't vote enough times to get them there. This is frustrating because it's the fans that vote. I guess that I agree the fans should have a say in who goes to the mid-summer classic, but some of those selected boggle the mind. I saw today on ESPN that Sammy Sosa is one of the highest vote getters for OF for the NL. Sosa hasn't played in weeks. And I can imagine that Garciaparra will be getting plenty of votes (maybe not enough to get in), and he just played his first game! When the strting lineups are announced in Houston, I can already see 3 or 4 Yankees and no White Sox. I can see Sosa there, but the multi-talented Craig Wilson of the Pirates will be watching from home. I guess we can be thankful that the managers can pick the pitchers. Maybe we'll get lucky with Buehrle and maybe Takatsu making it.

I suppose we should have all seen this coming. Having Maggs agree to a long-term deal without some haggle is a pipe dream. The question is, however, do the Sox have a legitimate shot at signing him before he "tests the FA waters?" Because, guess what? The Sox will not be able to compete with some of the big dogs out there. Some team will offer him more than the Sox can match. So, do the Sox continue to haggle with Maggs and risk losing him (and getting nothing at the end of the year), or do they trade him before July 31 and pick up a stud pitcher? I'm personally leaning towards a trade. Only because I really don't think the Sox can retain Maggs after the season. So, who needs a big bat in the outfield and has some pitching we would like? I know that many teams would like a Maggs-type player, but is there a match out there for the Sox to gather a #1 or #2 starter for him?

Look for Frank to post awesome number this season. I see a repeat of last year with a higher average. Hey, he's due to earn $11.5 million next year. He'll want to make the Sox pick up that option without blinking an eye.

I have a good feeling about Scott's chances this year. I think he will be solid...maybe more so than Garland was at #4 last year. I can see him getting 12 to 14 wins with a decent ERA. Like someone noted earlier, if he can get to the 6th or 7th inning consistently, he's got a good shot at wins in the teens. The bullpen looks good...the best in years, in my opinion. Speaking of the bullpen, the key to its success is to remain steady. That means Koch needs to be the Koch of old so that he can be THE closer. Koch will close and Takatsu, Pollitte, and Marte will be set up guys. Not that three set up guys will be needed, but all three can do the job. I don't know much about Pollitte, but he might be good for two-inning relief when a starter has to exit in the 5th or 6th. All that being said, I think the Sox's chances are good this year. I'm optimistic, I think. Let's just hope Frank comes to play with a BIG bat.

Okay, now that Robert Person blew his achilles out, who's going to be our fifth starter? I had originally thought that Person could have made a run for the spot...now he can't run at all. Let's go one step further. Who is confident in Schoenweis's chances as the #4 starter? I'm certainly willing to give him a chance, and I hope he does well. But, there certainly is a twinge of doubt. Can he give us 10 or 12 wins? I don't know. So, considering Buehrle, Loaiza, and Garland are set, what will the rotation look like? Here's my humble approach at a guess: 1. Buehrle 2. Loaiza 3. Garland 4. Schoenweis 5. Rauch I'm not sold on Rauch, but he probably has as good a chance as anyone else. If he use his size to his advantage, he could be a good pitcher. With the lackluster appearance of the rotation as a whole, getting 8 to 10 wins out of the 5th spot would be good. I want to be surprised. I want to see Garland win 17 games. I want to see Schoenweis win 13. And I want our mystery 5th starter to come through.

Not re-signing Maggs would be a huge loss. Not just because he's a great player with a bright future. If the Sox don't offer him a multi-year deal worth at least $12 million a year, there's no way to retain him. I just don't want to see him go somewhere else and the Sox getting nothing in return. Let's hope.

For the first time in 46 days, the temperature will reach 40 in Chicago. This signifies several things. One, this pesky snow will start melting. Two, winter is winding down. And three, baseball is almost here! Spring training is right around the corner. We'll get our first look at the 2004 White Sox. Maybe after a couple weeks, we'll have a better idea of what to expect from our team. Provided the Frank/Ozzie situation is resolved one way or another, this season could be pretty good. I think the Sox will do well...better than we think (I hope anyway). It would be great to see them run away with the division from the get go, but it will probably be a nail biter of a season. Hey, I'll take a nail biter over the lackluster finish of last season. Oh, I'm sure Chicago will see more snow before the first pitch of the regular season...snow may still fall during the season. But, as we watch the snow float out of a gray sky, and as we crawl along the expressways trying to get home, we can look forward to sunshine, the crack of the bat, and "He Gone!"

Is it just me or does it seem like the New York Yankees are ruining the game of baseball? A $200 million payroll? The Red Sox are a distant second in payroll with $130 million. How can small and mid-market teams compete anymore? If you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, and the like, you know your team has no chance. Now if you're not a New York Yankee fan, you're throwing your hands in the air and saying, "Why bother getting excited?" Okay, granted the Yankees don't have an overwhelming pitching staff. But do they need it? With a field of all-stars who can potentially score ten runs a game, they don't need five aces. So I think we're all thinking the White Sox at least have a chance at the central division. I personally think they're going to do quite well...at least I think they'll surprise us. But what happens after that? Can the Sox beat the Yankees...regular or post season? I certainly hope so, but it's a scary thought. The worst part about all of this is that if the Yankees need more help during the season, they'll just go out and get it. For them, it's like going to the supermarket. Except instead of buying cereal, milk, and eggs, they buy sluggers, third basemen, and pitchers. :puke Baseball needs a salary cap. Baseball needs to put a stop to what's happening. Baseball needs to get its act together. Thank you for letting me rant.