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Merkin has lineups for Saturday's split squad games. http://twitter.com/scottmerkin

Lineup vs. Dodgers: Mitchell CF, Vizquel SS, Quentin RF, Konerko 1b, Rios DH, Botts LF, Nix 3B, Lillibridge 2b, Lucy C. Buehrle for 2 inn This game is free on whitesox.com...I think.

http://twitter.com/ESPY_TEAHEN/status/10027011859

Farmio needs to learn the player's names. He's brutal. Tie game final.

Blackout lifted for tomorrow's game on the MLB Network. http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towert...ing-opener.html

Beckham was the highest paid of the 16. $445,000.

I don't think we'll see Beckham, Ramirez, and Pierzynski DHing. Not at all. I'd add Rios and Teahen to that, as well. If they're off the field, it's for a day off. I do think that if Andruw Jones is playing great, we'll see him in the field a lot, and there will be a rotation of DHs with Pierre, Quentin, Jones, and Konerko. I think Kotsay will probably start at 1B once a week, and may start in left field and DH a handful of times.

QUOTE (justBLAZE @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 03:42 PM) From Scott Merkin: I always take what Scott Merkin has to say with a grain of salt. He just writes fluff pieces and never gives a concrete opinion.

QUOTE (striker @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 11:41 AM) If you are arguing that he did fix them then tell me how he fixed them. Fill in this blank. Coop fixed Jenks by _______. Cracky!

I'm prepared for that Thursday game to be blacked out by MLB Network even though it's tape delayed.

QUOTE (scenario @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 12:47 PM) Keep in mind that the Score is just as much in the business of making news as it is reporting it. There's a difference between what the hosts talk about and what they report at the top and bottom of each hour. Someone may hear Dan McNeil talk about a trade rumor, and will take that as him "reporting" that the Sox and Padres are in talks, when that's not accurate at all.

Add Justin Upton to the list of young players getting locked up. http://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/statuses/9884571381

QUOTE (ChiSox_Sonix @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 12:27 PM) Who started for the Dodgers? Eric Stults, I believe.

Tweets coming in on the game. Exciting stuff... http://twitter.com/cst_sox http://twitter.com/MDGonzales

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I'm sorry, but this is funny. http://twitter.com/cst_sox/status/9881930964

QUOTE (The Beast @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:14 AM) Danny Mac is even saying that the Sox are high off their ass to trade a guy like Gordon Beckham. I would certainly agree and don't see any value in trading Beckham for this guy from San Diego. Do we really need an upgrade? I must not be hearing him the same way. Sounds like he'd rather have Gonzalez because he's done it for four years. I still say this is a non-story and the Sox have no intention of trading Beckham, and the Padres have no intention of trading Gonzalez until at least June. By that time, Beckham will have shut up all of the people wanting the trade now.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 10:05 AM) I am being texted by a friend in Chicago that the Score is reporting the Sox are in "serious talks" with the Padres about a Beckham for AGon swap. You guys hearing this? Not true.

If they were going to do radical realignment, I would probably do 5 divisions of six teams: Pacific- LA, LAA, SF, Oak, SD, Sea Southwest- Arz, Col, KC, Stl, Hou, Tex Central- Chi, Chi, Mil, Min, Cle, Det Southeast- Fla, TB, Atl, Cin, Pit, Tor Northeast- NY, NY, Bos, Phi, Was, Bal I would probably have some type of plan where you rotate out the Southeast teams in the Northeast division so Washington and Baltimore wouldn't always be in the same division with the New York teams and Boston. Play the teams in the division 18 games=90 Play 12 teams outside your divison x 6 games=72 5 division winners seeded 1-5 by record. 3 wildcard teams (top 3 second place teams) seeded 6-8 by record. 1 vs 8; 2 vs 7; 3 vs 6; 4 vs 5 in the first round. Not a straight bracket. The best seed remaining plays the lowest seed remaining in the semi-finals. All rounds best-of-seven. If you do this, any matchup can happen in any round. It would be possible the Sox and Cubs could play in the first round or the World Series in any given year.

QUOTE (hogan873 @ Mar 2, 2010 -> 09:16 AM) After reading some stuff on the ideas being floated on MLB realignment, I wondered what everyone here on ST thinks. What would be your ideas in realigning the teams? Have fun with it. My plan would take three years to implement. For the first year, the Twins are moved to the AL West, and the Brewers are moved to the AL Central. Now each league has 30 teams. For the second year, the Rays are moved from Tampa to another city (in my future it's Las Vegas). They move to the AL West. The third year is the radical realignment. Both leagues adopt the DH since several teams would be switching leagues. In the end, it looks like this: AL North - Twins, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Tigers, Mariners AL Atlantic - Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Orioles, Nationals AL Pacific - Padres, Giants, A's, Dodgers, Angels NL Central - Pirates, Cardinals, Royals, Las Vegas (Rays), Rockies NL South - Astros, Rangers, D-Backs, Braves, Marlins NL Great Lakes - White Sox, Cubs, Brewers, Indians, Reds Red Sox and Mariners in the same division. Have fun trying to sell that one.

QUOTE (bmags @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 08:19 PM) I thought maggs came up in 98 not 96...that would have put him at his 6 in 2004 and kenny came in at 2000 Magglio came up in 1997. Kenny took over after the 2000 season.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 06:09 PM) I hope there is at least a live box score for this game, but I doubt it. Probably will have to follow tweets and then wait for an article following the game to see what happened. There won't be a live box for a B game. They usually play those at 10am, or something. I'm sure the beat writers will be watching and tweeting.

QUOTE (JoeCoolMan24 @ Mar 1, 2010 -> 03:39 PM) When was the last time Kenny signed a young star to a massive contract? Wasn't Konerko's 5 year deal the longest contract he had ever offered? As far as young players under 25 that would get a real long contract, Kenny Williams really hasn't had that opportunity with position players. Ordonez was under Schueler for the first 4 years. Carlos Lee could have been that guy, but he wasn't. Then it's been pile of suck with the likes of Borchard, Fields, and Anderson. Beckham is a special case, and since players like Longoria and Braun are getting locked up early, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets the same treatment after this season.

Here's Ryan Braun's contract. Pretty similar. Signing bonus 2.3 2008 0.455 2009 0.745 2010 1.0 2011 4.0 2012 6.0 2013 8.5 2014 10.0 2015 12.0 8 yrs/ 45 mil Locked up until he's 32.

In protest to all of this Adrian Gonzalez talk, I want to talk about Gordon Beckham as a long-term White Sox player. I was taking a look at Evan Longoria's contract, and truthfully, I would offer Beckham the same thing. This is Longoria's: 2008 0.5 2009 0.55 2010 0.95 2011 2.0 2012 4.5 2013 6.0 2014 7.5 opt 2015 11.5 opt 2016 11.5 opt 9 yrs/45 mil Locked up until he's 31 yrs old. This looks like a contract that Longoria will regret signing someday, but if Beckham would sign, I'd do it today.