When Shaving Cream Pie Attacks Go Wrong

The Chicago White Sox have a bit of a post game tradition. No matter the case, when a player is doing an interview on the sidelines after a victory, Toby Hall is going to get him with a shaving cream pie to the face. Toby's gotten them all this season, even team captain Paul Konerko (which Paulie didn't appreciate too much judging by the look on his face afterward).

Still, when you do something over and over again, eventually your teammates are going to figure it out...

Continue reading at FanHouse

OC and JD Are Not BFF

Well for the second straight night the White Sox were able to come back from an early deficit to beat the Royals. Thankfully, they did it in less than 13 innings on Wednesday. Javier Vazquez had another rough night, allowing six runs in 5.2 innings, but the White Sox bullpen didn't give up a run over the final 3.1 innings to allow the Sox offense to catch up.

Carlos Quentin hit two home runs (only because I benched him on my fantasy team yesterday) to supply most of the damage for the Sox, but it was Orlando Cabrera's smart base-running in the 8th inning that led to the him scoring the tying run on Jim Thome's single. Of course it was also OC's stolen base that led to the most interesting aspect of last night's game.

That would be the little dust up between Cabrera and Jermaine Dye in the dugout after Orlando scored. You see, when Orlando stole third, JD was at the plate with an 0-1 count. Apparently Jermaine was distracted by Orlando's dancing and subsequent take off from second on the next pitch, and swung at a fastball low and off the plate for strike two. JD would then strike out on a splitter on the next pitch.

Well, as Orlando came into the dugout after scoring, he was giving high fives and after he gave one to JD, Jermaine must have said something because Orlando immediately turned around and said something back. Orlando kept yelling at Dye and eventually had to be pushed away from him by Jose Contreras.

At least, that's what I think happened. Neither player was really willing to talk about what happened, but I'm about 99.999% sure it had something to do with that stolen base and JD's 0-for-4 night and two strikeouts. Whatever happened, Jermaine says it's all over with now.

"A little bit of a misunderstanding," Dye said. "When you're together for so long, things like that happen. When all was said and done, we came up and hugged and got over it. I'm not going into what it was about. It was just a little something."

Also, as you'd expect, Ozzie was just fine with the whole thing.

"When you're a man, you say what you feel," he said. "You agree to disagree and you move on. I don't want good guys. I want winners. Good guys finish last. I want guys who go out there and bust their tails and back each other up. This is a family, and when you live with a family so long, you fight. It was just a misunderstanding."

Of course, it's a lot easier to let bygones be bygones after a win than it is a loss. Either way, Jermaine should be apologizing to Orlando because he was in the wrong. How exactly Jermaine can get mad at a teammate for stealing third and getting in position to score the tying run with one out in the 8th inning, I'm not sure. So you struck out, who cares? It happens all the time.

What's more important is the fact that after you struck out OC scored the tying run and then Royals reliever Ramon Ramirez (say that five times fast) balked in what would turn out to be the winning run.

Oh, and the Twins got absolutely pasted by the Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon, so the Sox now have a nice 3.5 game cushion in the AL Central, which is nice.

All Star Grievances: American League Central

Note: Yeah, I probably could have just called this "All Star Grievances: Chicago White Sox Edition."

Grievance: Jermaine Dye not making the team. I swear in recent weeks I've become Jermaine Dye's publicist telling anybody who will listen that he is far and away the most undervalued outfielder in the game today. Still, I thought enough people knew about him to at least get him on to the All Star team. JD is hitting .308 and OPSing (not sure that's a word, but screw it, I'm angry) at .919 with 19 homers and 52 RBI. His only crime is that he plays in the American League where outfielders are raking this season, and that people still think the Yankees are good.

Grievance: Lack of White Sox pitchers and Joe Crede's selection. Now I'm probably going to come off as sounding like a bit of a homer here, but there just aren't enough White Sox on the team this season...

Continue reading at FanHouse

Cactus Chronicles 3-6-08

The Cactus Chronicles will be a daily feature at Foul Balls from now until Opening Day 2008.

White Sox 5 Rockies 2

The Good

There was a lot to be happy with as the White Sox won for the second day in a row. The Sox had only managed three home runs in their first eight games of the spring, but they had two on Wednesday. One off the bat of Jermaine Dye, who went 2-for-2 on the afternoon, and another one by Brian Anderson.

Speaking of Anderson, the problem with Brian has never been his defense, and he showed off his arm in the 2nd inning when he threw out a Rockie trying to stretch a single into a double from deep left field.

Danny Richar also went 2-3 to bump his average up to .400 this spring, but he didn't gain much ground on Alexei Ramirez who continues to hit the hell out of the ball, going 2-for-4 on Wednesday.

On the mound, Mark Buehrle pitched 4 innings and allowed only one hit. Mark is yet to allow a run this spring. Ehren Wasserman worked a perfect 7th inning as he continues to battle for the 7th spot in the Sox bullpen.

The Bad

The Sox may have had a power surge on Wednesday, but Nick Swisher, Jim Thome, A.J. Pierzynski, and Josh Fields all combined to go 0-for-12 against the Rockies.

Also, Octavio Dotel finally showed he's mortal, allowing a run and two hits in the 5th inning.

The Random

The starting outfield isn't getting any clearer as Carlos Quentin continues to come back slowly from shoulder problems, and Jerry Owens continues to experience pain in his upper leg/groin area. All of which could be fantastic news for Brian Anderson if he keeps hitting.



Diamondbacks 5 Cubs 4

The Good

Carlos Zambrano seems to be in mid-season form, as he pitched three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Oh, and he was one of three Cubs to homer on the day. Micah Hoffpauir and Luis Figueroa had the other two.

Felix Pie had a nice diving catch in the 2nd inning, and then doubled the runner off at second base.

The Bad

The Cubs pitching staff only gave up 4 hits on the day, but they walked 6 batters, with Rich Hill allowing three free passes on his own.

Some guys named Campusano and Lahey allowed 4 runs in the 8th inning, but fortunately, they never had a shot at making the team anyway.

The Random

Mayor Daley on relaxing Wrigley Field's landmark status: "I'm not going to be the mayor saying, 'OK, we're going to relax on the historic aspect of Wrigley Field. Mayor Daley says it'll be torn down.' That'll be a great headline for the Sun-Times. I'm not going to do that. You're not going to get that from me. . . . I'm a White Sox fan. I'm not going to say, 'We're going to change Wrigley Field.' That would be the end of me," Daley said.

Jermaine Dye Staying With the White Sox

For at least two years, anyway.

FOXSports.com reports that Sox and Dye came to a $22 million deal, with a mutual option for a third season.

Dye, 33, would be the second potential free agent to remain with the White Sox at a below-market rate, joining left-hander Mark Buerhle, who agreed to a four-year, $56 million extension at the All-Star break.

This sounds like the offer that was floating around a few weeks ago and reportedly rejected by the 2005 World Series MVP.

While it was somewhat surprising to see Dye still around after the trade deadline, he's still a powerhouse. And if he can keep hitting like he has still since the All-Star break, probably a good deal for everyone concerned.

The Day The Cubs Stood Still

Now that the non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone, it's time to figure out what it all means for our Chicago teams.

As far as the White Sox are concerned, the trades mean nothing. The Sox have been out of the race for months now, and will be out of the race for the next few months.

See, I know that's the kind of hard-hitting analysis you turn to me for.

On the other side of town, Jim Hendry and the Cubs remained quiet. For whatever reason, be it the Trib not wanting to take on new money, or Hendry being afraid to part with young talent, the Cubs appear to think that they can contend for a World Series with what they have now.

I, on the other hand, do not. Can the Cubs win the NL Central with their current roster? Yes, but is that all we're really gunning for here? The White Sox may suck right now, but they did just win a World Series two seasons ago, and the Cubs have to answer. Also, just because things are going well right now, doesn't mean that there aren't problems to fix.

I know there wasn't exactly a surplus of starting pitching available this season, but I wish the Cubs had added somebody, if for nothing more than insurance. I'm just not quite convinced that Rich Hill, Sean Marshall, Jason Marquis, and Ted Lilly can help bring the Cubs a World Series. Lilly was looking great before he lost his control on Monday night, but the other three pitchers in the rotation have been maddeningly inconsistent. Couldn't the Cubs have used Felix Pie to try and lure a starter from some team out of the race? The Athletics were close to dealing Joe Blanton to the Yankees, I see no reason they wouldn't have listened to the Cubs offer.

Speaking of Pie, I really think Hendry should have moved him. The simple fact is, Pie is not ready for the major leagues right now, and we don't know that he ever will be. The Cubs, meanwhile, have to think about right now, not next year. When you have a chance to strike and take home a World Series, your first one in 100 years mind you, you have to make a move. You can't just think about the future because nothing is guaranteed.

Just ask the last two World Series champions.

You have to wonder about how good Pie can really be when you see what Lou Piniella has done this season. If Lou has shown us anything it's that he's not afraid to use young players and play the hot hand. So when Piniella calls Pie up to the big club twice, and sends him back to the minors both times, that tells me Lou isn't exactly sure Pie is as "can't miss" as Jim Hendry seems to think.

Of course, I know there wasn't much pitching available, but damn if I don't think Eric Gagne would have looked good in a Cubs uniform.

The Cubs wouldn't make such a move, of course, because they're certain that Kerry Wood is going to come back from the dead throwing 105MPH fastballs, and 95MPH curves that break 30 feet. He will, too. For like eight pitches before his arm falls off or one of the seagulls around Wrigley pecks out his eyes. Both are probabilities given Kerry's history.

I also heard a rumor floating around town yesterday that the Cubs were thinking of sending Felix Pie to the White Sox for Jermaine Dye. I would have jumped at this deal if I were either team. The Sox would be getting a highly touted prospect and young outfielder with speed they desperately need, and the Cubs would have gotten a very large bat to stick in the middle of their lineup. If you're a pitcher do you want to go through Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Jermaine Dye? An already potent offense would get that much scarier, and provide a little relief for the pitching staff.

So no, if I'm a Cubs fan I'm not pleased with the events that did not transpire on Tuesday afternoon. I would be unhappy Jim Hendry decided not to be aggressive and go after a player that could help bring a World Series title to the North Side.

Instead, he's chosen to focus on a future that was old 100 years ago.

I am a White Sox fan, though, so what do I know? With that in mind I decided to do a highly scientific study of a couple Cubs fans to get their thoughts. So I texted a couple of friends. Here's what they had to say.

PostmanE of We Are The Postmen and FanHouse,

"No reason to worry! No one else in the division made a move to improve, and the Cubs made it clear who the team to fear is. I feel good."

E is a rapper now as well. Silvio had this to say,

"There is still time. Someone could go through waivers. Umm, and yeah, they are hoping Wood comes back to help the bullpen. Wonder if they think Mark Prior might be able to throw too..."

And finally, Billy Boy.

"I think they should have at least gone after a defensive corner outfielder to shore up that, at best, porous defense."

I can smell the fear.

Should Dye Stay Or Should Dye Go Now?

I have no idea what to think about the White Sox right now. Going into the season it was known that if the team was out of it-though nobody thought they'd be this out of it-Mark Buehrle and Jermaine Dye were the two players likely to be traded.

Tadahito Iguchi's name came up too as a free agent, but there was never any real talk about an Iguchi trade. (Well, okay, I talked.) So now we sit here on July 31st and Mark Buehrle is signed for another five years, Tadahito Iguchi is hitting home runs against the Cubs for the Phillies, and now maybe Jermaine Dye is about to sign a contract extension.

What the hell is going on?

Jermaine Dye remains a member of the White Sox, and the possibility exists that he could stay in Chicago despite strong interest from Boston.

The White Sox, according to an industry source, have made overtures about giving Dye an extension that wouldn't mortgage their long-term future. Dye can become a free agent after this season and seek a long-term extension elsewhere, even though he indicated last week that he wouldn't settle for a one-year contract.

From what I'm hearing, the Sox are offering a two-year deal, but Dye would like it to be longer. While I wouldn't be that upset if the Sox kept Dye, I still don't think it's the right move to make. As I've said before, Dye is the only valuable trade chip the Sox can afford to lose right now. It's a lot easier to replace corner outfielders than it is starters like Jon Garland and Javier Vazquez.

The White Sox were close to sending Jermaine to Boston yesterday for Wily Mo Pena and a couple of prospects, but the Red Sox aren't sure they want to hand over the prospects that Kenny Williams wants. The latest talk I hear is Pena and one prospect for Dye.

I think Kenny's just going to sit around and wait on this as long as possible in hopes that the Red Sox will relent and accept the trade. Williams is probably also fielding phone calls from the Angels who lost out on Mark Teixeira yesterday and might be a little more willing to part with young talent for Dye's proven bat. Even if it does leave a logjam in the outfield.

At this point I'd say it's 60/40 that Dye will be traded within the next two hours.

Will Dye Move Across Town?

It's pretty much a formality at this point that Jermaine Dye only has a week left on the south side of Chicago. Kenny Williams and the Sox are determined to move him rather than lose him for nothing but a draft pick after the season.

There are a lot of teams that have shown interest in Dye, ranging from the Red Sox to the Dodgers and Angels.

Turns out that if Jermaine is traded, he might not have to travel too far. Only about eight miles.

General manager Jim Hendry said he'd have no problem making a deal with the White Sox before Tuesday's non-waiver trading deadline if a trade made sense. He and Sox general manager Kenny Williams are on good terms, and they completed a trade in the offseason, the Sox sending Neal Cotts to the Cubs for David Aardsma in a swap of relievers.

Tampering rules prevent Hendry from discussing specific players, but the Daily Herald has speculated the Cubs were looking at Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye.

"Kenny and I have always had good dialogue," Hendry said, "and I don't think there would be any way he would shy away from us if he felt he could help his club."

I think that the only way this could happen would be if the Sox agreed to take on Jacque Jones. I wouldn't want them to do it, but Ken Williams and Ozzie are fans of Jacque's from his days in Minnesota.

The stumbling block would be what the Cubs would do with Dye. The Sox have already assured JD that they won't trade him to a team that doesn't plan on starting him. So if the Cubs were to take Dye on, they'd be left without a centerfielder.

You can argue that Felix Pie is that centerfielder, but the way the Cubs kept sending him back to Iowa makes you wonder if they're as sure. There's also the question of what the Cubs would do with Cliff Floyd.

Would it be a platoon situation with Dye in right field and would Dye agree to it?

There are just too many questions to answer to make me think this deal could actually happen.

Kenny Williams Has Noticed Jermaine Dye

The White Sox players aren't the only members of the team that have noticed Jermaine Dye distancing himself from the team. Kenny Williams has noticed as well, and he understands what Jermaine is going through.

"I've spoken to Jermaine on a couple of occasions this year,'' Williams said Tuesday. ''While I'm extremely disappointed in how he may feel, I respect what he's done for us and I respect the man that he is.

''He's frustrated, and I've got news: We're all a little frustrated around here right now because we're all better than this, and he's better than he's showing this year, too. We're all in this together.

''I know because of where we are there are some guys in there focusing on themselves rather than the team, and that's kind of a by-product of being in the position we're in. That's not totally unexpected, and I've seen it before. Nothing he can say, nothing you guys can write, nothing that can happen -- or I thought until [Monday night's bullpen meltdown] -- is going to surprise me.''

Dye hasn't exactly been shy about his feelings towards Williams lately. He's upset that Kenny was willing to work out a deal with Mark Buehrle, even though he said at the start of the season that he wouldn't talk contract during the season. When Dye saw Buehrle get a deal, he thought Williams would be willing to talk to him about one, and the Sox just aren't interested.

They need to make a trade to get some youth onto this ballclub, and Jermaine Dye remains one of their best options to do that with. Jermaine has been hitting pretty well since the All-Star Game, which works out for both parties. One, it will make him more attractive to other teams interested in him via a trade, and if it continues it will help JD pick up a decent contract in the offseason.

Brian Anderson is Having a Bad Year

Though if you look at Brian Anderson's .225 average from last season, you can't say that was a good one either.

This season has been worse, though. At least he was in the Majors in '06.

Anderson started the season in Chicago, but was sent down to Charlotte when he still couldn't hit. While down there, he's has continued to struggle, and has had to deal with rotator cuff tendinitis and a concussion.

Now he'll be out three more weeks.

A rough season for center fielder Brian Anderson took another dip when the Sox's No. 1 pick in 2003 suffered a tendon injury to his left wrist. He will be placed in a cast for at least three weeks at Triple-A Charlotte.

This is very bad timing for Brian, because with a trade of Jermaine Dye a very real possibility, Anderson might have been given another chance with the White Sox. Now this injury will all but assure that the open position goes to Ryan Sweeney.

Rumors Swirling Around Dye

Last season Jermaine Dye was putting up MVP type numbers. This season the only talk you hear about Jermaine Dye is where he could possibly be traded.

Dye is scheduled to be a free agent at season's end, and the Sox aren't very happy with him after some comments he made to the Sun-Times last week.

''I've been around long enough to know that it's just a business,'' Dye said. "You're paid to work for a team for whatever period of time, give 100 percent to that club, and if you get dealt away, give 100 percent to the next club.''

Combine that with the fact the White Sox keep losing, and you get a lot of trade rumors. One of those rumors involves the San Francisco Giants, who had scouts at Sox games all weekend in Toronto.

The Giants are looking for another bat in their lineup to give Barry Bonds some protection. Did you realize Ray Durham is batting cleanup for them? Yes, that Ray Durham that used to play second base for the White Sox.

The biggest rumor appears to involve the same team the Sox are starting a four-game series with tonight at the Cell, the New York Yankees.

A rumor that surfaced less than two weeks ago, which had the Sox exploring a deal that would send Dye to the Yankees for struggling outfielder Bobby Abreu, has started to take on some life, according to one Sox source close to the situation.

Not only because Abreu is a good friend of Guillen's -- which worked out well when right-hander Freddy Garcia came over -- but also because the Sox believe Abreu is a slow starter and his best baseball this season is ahead of him.

At this point I'm not even sure how I feel about trading Jermaine Dye. I just don't think Dye is the problem, nor do I think trading him will solve anything. At the same time, I realize he'll be a free agent at season's end, so it's better to get something for him if you're not going to keep him around anyway.

So with that in mind, I'd prefer the Abreu deal. I'm just not sure what the Giants could offer the White Sox that could help them this season. I know that the Sox are struggling, but it's only June 4th, and they're only 5 games behind Detroit for the wild card.

Of course, unless the Sox get an entire bullpen in return for Dye, the trade won't mean anything anyway.

Morning Wood - Thome Headed to 14-Day DL?

There's been no formal announcement yet but it's pretty certain White Sox power hitter Jim Thome is going to be on the bench for the next couple weeks.

Thome, who missed two games this week with a bruised rib, thought he was ready to return to the lineup last night.

It just took one swing for his body to tell him it had other plans.

Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said he's delaying the decision:

"I always worry about that injury more than any other. That part of the body is sensitive when you swing. We're going to wait for a day or two to see what decision we make. We won't call up somebody to play two innings. Everybody has got to step it up a notch."

Darin Erstad took the challenge in last night's win over the Los Angeles Angels, 7-3, driving in the winning run in his first game against his old teammates.

And Jermaine Dye, coming back from injury, notched two homers to help starter Jose Contreras, who made it through 6 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and just three walks, and leaving with a 4-3 lead.

Ozzie Has Figured Out Vazquez

Wow. Javier Vazquez has had two starts in a row where he hasn't self-detonated.

Some of the credit has to go to Vazquez, who really does seem to have a new mindset on the mound this season. He doesn't seem to be as bothered by the umpires as he was last year.

It still gets to him, mind you. In last night's game you could see him become visibly upset with some calls, but he was able to move on.

Still, the biggest reason Vazquez hasn't had the huge inning yet has nothing to do with Vazquez.

It's Ozzie.

Ozzie has started taking Vazquez out the minute he shows any sign of trouble from the fifth inning on. On Friday Javier started the sixth inning with a walk and Ozzie practically sprinted to the mound to get him out of there.

If Ozzie keeps doing that, and the bullpen holds their end of the bargain, the way Vazquez pitches before the 5th inning he might end up with 20 wins this season. They'll be the cheapest 20 wins in history, but they'll still count in the standings.

Juan Uribe provided the Sox with all the offense they would need. He had a sac-fly in the second inning, and followed it up with a three-run blast in the fourth. Jermaine Dye also added a two-run shot in the fifth that sealed the deal.

Uribe has been terrific so far this season. He's hitting .321 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI. He's always had the home run and RBI production, but if he can keep his average from dipping too far below .300--say .290 or so--the White Sox are going to win a lot more games this season. Their offense was scary enough last season, and that was only with four guys producing on a regular basis. Now the top and bottom of the order are hitting again. Combine that with the pitching we've had thus far, and maybe the Tigers won't be so tough to catch after all.

Chicago Baseball Preview: The White Sox

Did you honestly think that you weren’t going to have to deal with my nonsensical ramblings about the White Sox before the season started?

Did you think that those unlucky few who stumbled upon my South Side musings at the Fanhouse would be the only ones?

Well, you were wrong.

The White Sox will not be escaping Foul Balls. I mean, really, did you expect me to write about the Cubs? I’m a lot of things, but masochistic isn’t one of them. (Well, if she’s hot…)

Anyway, it’s time to tackle the impossible task that is the season preview. Everybody writes one of these things, but when you get down to it, just what the hell is the point exactly? It’s all really nothing more than personal catharsis for the writer.

Well too bad, it's my blog and I'll do whatever the hell I want with it. Bitch.

A lot of things have changed for me when it comes to my White Sox since last year at this time. Twelve months ago I was prepared for the White Sox to rampage through the American League on their way to a second consecutive World Series title. I mean, how could it not happen? They had all the key components from 2005 back, and they added Jim Thome.

Baseball didn’t stand a chance.

Then the party crasher we know as reality kicked the door down and reminded me how things really worked.

Needless to say, my expectations for this year’s team are somewhat lower. The reality - there’s that word again - is that the Sox are still in one of baseball’s toughest divisions, and they didn’t exactly do anything to improve in the offseason.

While I have to admit I’m nowhere near as angry with Ken Williams now as I was in December, I’m still not convinced.

Yes, both of the big deals he made this winter that had me ready to rip his head off seem to be working out just fine for us. John Danks came over in the McCarthy trade, and he’s surprised everybody by pitching his way into the fifth spot of the rotation. He could be 2006’s answer to Justin Verlander.

Don’t think I haven’t noticed the arm problems Freddy Garcia is having in Philadelphia , either. Sure, Gavin Floyd sucks just as bad now as I thought he did the day we got him, but at least he can throw right now.

I’m not ready to write these trades off as a success just yet. I still want to see how Danks fares when the games start.

There’s also that problem about the other four starters getting their asses handed to them this spring. Buehrle’s getting rocked, Garland ’s getting rocked, and Javier Vazquez is getting paid even more money this year to get rocked. Jose Contreras isn’t worrying me as much, but he’s not exactly pleasing me either.

Honestly, I’m not as worried about Bobby Jenks as some others seem to be. While it’s not exactly comforting to know the fat man has a sore shoulder, it could just be that he hasn’t gotten it loosened up yet. Besides, worst-case scenario we replace Bobby with Mike MacDougal or Matt Thornton. There’s a backup plan in the bullpen, and I’m actually pretty confident that the problems the Sox faced last season in the pen will not carry into ’07.

At least, it better not, the way the starters have been.

On offense, I’m not worried at all. I’m pretty sure I could knock out 15-20 home runs a season at US Cellular Field, so with the lineup this team has, runs shouldn’t be a problem.

Konerko will hit his 30+ home runs and knock in about 100 again.

Jim Thome will reach the 500 home run mark.

And two words for Jermaine Dye: contract year.

Not that I’m implying Dye hasn’t given it his all since he came to the Sox, just he might try even harder this year, and that can only be a good thing for the player who was the saving grace of last year's team.

I still think of that home run he hit off of Joe Nathan late last year to tie up a game in the ninth inning. I also can’t forget how the Sox still ended up blowing that game, and in effect, the season. Oh, and the heart attack Hawk Harrelson had afterwards sticks out too.

Then there’s the man that I comfortably have uncomfortable feelings for, Joe Crede. I’m actually afraid to start writing about Crede right now for fear that I may never stop. I love the man, and I have no problems letting the world know it.

I love you, Joe Crede even if you do have the worst nickname ever thanks to Darrin Jackson. Joe Joe The Late Inning Hero? What the fuck is that? If nothing else, this season I plan to spread the name Joey Clutch throughout this blogosphere.

How about the bane of my, and countless other Sox fans', existence last season? Yes, I’m talking about the one and only Mr. Dergan himself, Scott Podsednik. I’m actually somewhat optimistic about Pods this season. Have you followed his MLB career? He broke on the scene in Milwaukee in 2003, and was pretty damn awesome. In 2004, he sucked. Then he came to the White Sox in 2005 and was a spark plug on the way to a World Series, making Brad Lidge seriously considers suicide while he was at it. So if history has taught us anything, it’s that Pods is good in odd numbered year, and even though I haven’t been in a math class for years, I’m pretty sure seven is an odd number!! Score!!

And if Pods does end up sucking, he can just be replaced with Darin Erstad. The Erstad signing was another of the Sox’ offseason moves I’m not sure about. If he has to bat leadoff, it’s horrible. If Pods performs and we can keep Erstad in the 2 hole (hee hee….two hole) than it could work out nicely. Besides, with the former University of Nebraska punter in the fold, the Sox are bound to win the battle of field position as his punts routinely place the opposition inside their own 20-yard line.

So how is this team going to finish?

The AL Central was really strong last season, but truth be told, I don’t see it being the same this year.

Math and common sense say that the Tigers will not be able to continue the torrid pace they set. Remember, before picking things up again in the playoffs, they lost 31 of their last 50 games.

The Twins cannot be better after losing Francisco Liriano to Tommy John, and Brad Radke to retirement. Plus the latest injury scare to Joe Mauer cannot be helping Twins fans sleep well at night.

The Royals... well, the Royals will suck. Bet that won't stop them from beating the Sox at least seven times this season.

Then there are the Indians. People are talking this team up as if they're the favorites in the Central, but I don’t see it. They said the same thing about the Indians last season, and they finished in fourth place, a ways behind everybody else. What exactly did the Indians do in the offseason to fix their problems? Nothing that I noticed.

So when the season is over, I think the Tigers will once again claim the Central Division crown, and the Sox will finish in second place. Maybe they’ll be able to squeeze out a wild card berth, but it’s not likely. The Sox will have to contend with the Twins and Indians all year, while the loser of the Yankees/Red Sox battle gets to feast on the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Devil Rays.

So no, I’m sorry, as much as I want to I just don’t see the White Sox getting to the postseason this year.

Of course, I’ve been wrong before.

Ken Williams is Brutally Honest

The last few years have taught me to just trust Kenny Williams. He made some questionable decisions in 2005, and the White Sox ended up winning the World Series.

There's just one problem with that theory.

Back in 2003, after making some brilliant deadline deals that got the Cubs to within five outs of reaching the World Series, Cubs fans felt the same way about Jim Hendry.

We all know how they feel about him now.

So, excuse me if I'm a little concerned about the state of the White Sox right now, particularly after a peculiar offseason. Dealing Freddy Garcia for minor-leaguers to open a spot for Brandon McCarthy, and then dealing McCarthy for more minor-leaguers left me scratching my head.

Williams' reasoning is that the money pitchers command these days is ridiculous (it is, no argument there), and that the White Sox need to stockpile young arms.

The problem is, now Williams seems to be of the opinion that he can let anybody he wants go and just replace them.

Take, for instance, his stance on Tadahito Iguchi, Mark Buehrle, and Jermaine Dye, three free-agents-to-be at season's end:

The White Sox' general manager continued to be brutally honest about the futures of free agents-to-be Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye and Tadahito Iguchi, reiterating what he told the Sun-Times on Saturday about letting the three walk into free agency.

''You never say never, but I don't foresee it, no,'' Williams responded when asked if he thought a deal could be struck during the season with any of the three. ''There comes a point where you have to take a step back before taking two steps forward, and we're at that point with all of these contracts.''

Williams said the only reason it is still a hot topic in camp is because he's still being asked about it. While that likely won't stop, Williams did say he plans on giving out the same rehearsed answer very soon.

''You try answering [the media] questions as openly and honestly as possible and give the people the most accurate information,'' Williams said. ''I hope the questions stop, but as long as people continue to ask, I'll continue to answer.

''At this point, it's probably going to be the same answer from here on out, where we'll continue to take a long look at it. If the agents of the respective players want to bring something to the table for us to look at, we'll do that. But in our assessment, it seems everyone has agreed to look at this in the offseason and make the best determination on where we're going to go then. The smartest thing to do for both the player and the club is to wait until the end of the season.''

I think it's pretty obvious that Buehrle is gone at season's end. After a sub-par season in 2006, and then popping up on the internet in his Cardinals gear during the World Series, he's done little to endear himself to Williams and the White Sox brass lately.

This season is kind of a no-win situation for Buehrle and the White Sox. If he has another bad season, the Sox won't want to re-sign him. If he returns to the All-Star form of 2005, he'll command too much money on the free-agent market, and the Sox won't re-sign him.

As far as Dye, I'm not sure what's going to happen. If Dye has another season like 2006 (.315 44HR 120RBI) he'll probably price himself out of the range the Sox are willing to go for an outfielder that will turn 34 in 2008.