Josh Fields Could Be Traded

Before the 2008 season began, there were plenty of White Sox fans who thought the team would be better off having Josh Fields as their third baseman and trading Joe Crede. Considering how close Crede was to being traded to the Giants and Dodgers last winter, it's pretty apparent that White Sox GM Kenny Williams was thinking the same way.

Then the season started and Crede was at third for the Sox while Josh Fields was manning the position down in Charlotte. Well, even though Crede's defense has suffered in 2008 (he's already committed a career-high 19 errors which is likely due to his back), he still made the All-Star team for the first time in his career...

Continue reading at FanHouse

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

Joe Crede Still Likes Chicago

While most of the talk surrounding Joe Crede, his back, and his impending free agency that dominated White Sox spring training seems to have died down a bit, it hasn't changed the fact that the White Sox still aren't sure what they'd like to do with their third baseman. Crede got off to a real hot start in April, and is hitting .270/.345/.500 to be one of the only consistently productive hitters in the Sox lineup (though all seven of his homers and 22 of his 25 RBI came in April).

HIs back has also stood up to the beating that comes with playing third base on a daily basis, so overall, it looks like the old Joe Crede is back. So what are the White Sox going to do...

Continue reading at FanHouse

White Sox Want More for Crede

There aren't many people around White Sox camp that thought Joe Crede would still be the team's opening day third baseman, but with every passing day, that scenario becomes more likely. The Sox have a few reasons to want to move Crede: to make room for Josh Fields, and because they don't think they'll re-sign him when he becomes a free agent after the season.

The problem is, even though they were hoping to move him before the season starts, that doesn't mean Kenny Williams and the organization don't hold the 2005 World Series hero in high regard. Unfortunately, the teams they're talking to don't feel the same way.

Continue reading at FanHouse

Would the Sox Trade Paulie?

While most of the trade talk in Chicago baseball revolves around the Cubs never ending pursuit of Baltimore's Brian Roberts, and the White Sox trying to get something out of San Francisco worthy enough of Joe Crede.

While I'm not sure what's holding up the Roberts deal, it's become pretty clear that the Crede deal hasn't gone through because the Giants just aren't offering the White Sox something they actually want back. More specifically, a starting pitcher.

With the way Barry Zito pitches last season, and his horrible start this spring, I'm sure the Giants wouldn't mind shedding that huge contract, but at the same time it's still too early to completely give up on him in San Francisco. Besides, the Sox don't want to take on that contract anyway.

They aren't going to give up Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum either, and Noah Lowry hasn't been impressive at all. That leaves Kevin Correia, but he really wouldn't be a marked improvement over what the team already has.

So it's looking like the Sox might be better served to wait on trading Crede. The problem with that is what would they do with Josh Fields? Kenny Williams has already said that Josh is playing third base this season, whether it's in Chicago or Charlotte. Well, Josh isn't going to get much out of another trip to the minors, so that move would be counter productive.

So what do they do? Fox's Ken Rosenthal has an idea.

If the Mets wanted to do something truly extravagant, they could make a run at White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, who remains quietly available, according to a major-league source.

Apparently the Mets are looking for some Carlos Delgado insurance, as Delgado struggled last season, and already has a hip problem this spring. To be honest though, I don't see the Mets willing to take on Konerko's $12 million contract just for insurance.

The idea to trade Konerko is somewhat interesting to me, though. More interesting than it has been in the past. Maybe it's just because I'll do anything to keep Joe Crede around as long as possible, or maybe because it actually might make sense for the team.

If the Sox were to trade Paulie, they'd have to do it now. In a few short months his "10 and 5" clause kicks in, and he'll have to approve of any trade the Sox try to make. Paulie is also a big enough bat to bring in a quality middle to upper rotation type of arm in return.

The Sox could then move Joe Crede to first base to help protect his back. Then, if the White Sox are out of the playoff hunt come deadline time, they can still move Crede and get more for him than they can now.

The problem is, who needs a first baseman right now?

The Yankees don't ever seem to mind adding bats to their lineup, and could use an upgrade at first base, but they've made it clear in the Johan Santana sweepstakes that they're not giving up their young arms. They might be able to get Melky Cabrera, which would solve the center field situation, but I'd rather have a pitcher for Paulie.

The Sox and Angels have never been able to work out a deal for Konerko, but maybe the Sox could look on the other side of Los Angeles for a partner. The Dodgers are looking for a little more thump in their lineup, and probably wouldn't mind Paulie next to Andruw Jones in the middle of their order.

Maybe the Sox could pry Chad Billingsley and a prospect or two out of them. I'd start by asking for Derek Lowe, though, and working my way down to Billingsley. Maybe they could even fool the Dodgers into giving up Billingsley and James Loney.

Of course, they could always fall back on the oft-rumored trade with the Angels, but if neither side has agreed on anything up until this point, there's no reason to think they would before the season starts.

Other than those teams, there really isn't anybody else out there that could use Paulie, at least not a team that could offer anything in return. So while the notion to trade Konerko before the season starts is a little appealing, I just don't see any scenario right now that would make sense.

Cactus Chronicles 3-7-08

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

Rangers 6 White Sox 1

The Good

Ummm.....uhhhhh......well......not much. Bobby Jenks didn't give up a hit in an inning of work but he did walk two. Mike MacDougal managed to have a perfect inning, which is quite the rarity, and other than that not much went well for the Sox.

Brian Anderson threw a runner out at the plate, which kept the Sox from losing by more.

The Bad

Where to start? The Sox brought their big guns to the park on Thursday, using a starting lineup that will closely resemble the one we see on opening day. Nick Swisher, Orlando Cabrera, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede, and Juan Uribe all played, and went a combined 1-for-20.

Though the Sox only finished with three hits total, so it's not like anybody else did anything either.

Charlie Haeger gave up three runs in three innings, but he wasn't expecting to start, and was a replacement for Gavin Floyd who sat out with the flu. Boone Logan gave up another home run as well.

The Random

It doesn't appear that either Joe Crede or Josh Fields want the 3rd base job this season. So far this spring the two have combined to hit .154 (4-for-26)






Athletics 2 Cubs 1

The Good

Maybe Jason Marquis won't have to worry about being traded anymore, after working three strong shutout innings on Thursday. Hell, every Cubs pitcher performed well except for Jose Ceda who allowed both Oakland runs.

Kerry Wood, Bob Howry, Shingo Takatsu (Shingo!), Juan Mateo, and Jose Ascanio all combined for 4.2 innings of shutout relief.

On offense, not much went well for the Cubs, though Geovany Soto went 2-for-2 to raise his spring average to .500.

The Bad

The Cubs were only able to manage the one run and five hits against the A's.

The Random

Alex Cintron got another hit, and his performance this spring may make the Cubs more comfortable about using Ronny Cedeno in any trades they might want to make before the season starts. Say like one for Brian Roberts.

Crede's Back (So is Panger)

As any Balls regular knows (Tom, Silvio), I've been MIA from here for awhile. When I knew the writers' strike was imminent, I took an actual [deep breath] job to tide me over. But the project's coming to an end and I told Fornelli to expect some Panger bylines here again soon.

So it shouldn't have been a shock to get an email last night from the Foul Fuhrer himself asking me to write a small piece for today.

The problem wasn't the request. It was me. It's only been a few months but I was nervous. I emailed back: "Can't even remember how to write this stuff."

Fornelli's response:

"Intro
Quote
Opinion
Dick Joke

It really is a classic formula."

With that elegantly simple template, how can I possibly screw it up? So, here we go....

CREDE'S BACK?

Fans of Joe Crede are breathing a little easier today. It won't be made official until this morning but the Chicago White Sox third baseman has agreed Thursday to a one-year, $5.1 million contract.

Crede, who played only 47 games last season before back surgery, was Chicago's last remaining arbitration-eligible player. He batted .216 with four homers and 22 RBIs last season.

His bonuses under the new deal include $50,000 each for reaching 400, 425, 450, 475, 500 and 525 plate appearances.

Don't get too excited, this really doesn't mean much for those of us praying he'll stay in Chicago. While no team is going to touch Crede until they see what he can do in spring training, if he performs well and it looks like he's fully recovered, chances are we still won't be seeing Joe in black and silver on Opening Day.

Joe Crede's dick is so big, Steven Hawking has a theory about it.

Damn You, Charlie Weis

I may have already said a little bit about the Irish's loss to Navy last Saturday in yesterday's post, but that doesn't mean I'm finished talking about it. The one thing I didn't mention yesterday was how incredibly pissed off I am at Charlie Weis right now.

Last week at FanHouse, I wrote a post about the world ending because Notre Dame was actually favored last weekend. At the end of the post, I wrote this:

All of which makes me wonder if this isn't the year that Notre Dame finally loses to Navy. You would think that the Irish should win this game on talent alone, and also for the fact that they had an extra week to prepare after having last Saturday off, but I remind you: Notre Dame really, really sucks this year.

If the Irish do somehow manage to find a way to blow this one, I'm thinking Charlie Weis needs to be fired on Sunday.

So do I still think Weis needs to be fired?

Well when I wrote that, I don't think I actually believed Notre Dame could lose on Saturday. I thought if there was ever a chance for it, this year was probably Navy's best chance, but I still never fully believed it would happen.

But it did.

And yes, as of Saturday evening I have completely removed myself from the Charlie Weis fan club. Not that I was ever really an avid member. While certain contributors around here hate the man, I've kind of always been on the fence.

I'm off it now, and in fact I'm rounding up some pitchforks and kerosene.

I don't want rid of Weis solely for the fact that this team is 1-8. I'm a Notre Dame fan, but I'm not the type of blind homer that there are so many of when it comes to this school. I didn't expect this team to be very good this season. Did I think they'd be 1-8 and lose to Navy? No, but I wasn't looking for much more than five wins this season.

So I'm not mad at Weis for this team's performance. They did lose a lot of talent from last year's team, and the Irish aren't the type of program these days that just reloads. They aren't Ohio State, where Jim Tressel's program is so well run and mind numbingly consistent, that we're somehow surprised when the Buckeyes start every season 10-0.

That's where Weis is supposed to get the Irish, but after watching Saturday's game, I don't think Weis is the man to do it. Maybe the man can recruit, to be honest I don't know. He gets the talent in, but nothing he's done has proven to me he knows how to turn that into a winning football team.

In other words, Weis is what Ron Zook was supposed to be.

I just don't think Weis is a head football coach. The final straw happened on Saturday evening.

With the game tied in late in regulation, the Irish faced a 4th and 8 from the Navy 25-yard line. They were set up for a 41-yard field goal that would have won the game.

What did Charlie do?

He went for it. He passed up a field goal attempt that would have won the game.

His logic afterwards was that he wasn't sure his kicker, Brandon Walker, could make the kick. I can't blame him for that opinion seeing as how Walker is 1/4 from beyond 40 yards this season.

The problem is that the Irish had nothing to lose. If Walker did miss the field goal, do you know what would have happened? The game would have gone to overtime, which it ended up doing after Evan Sharpley was sacked on the fourth down play.

Charlie's "genius" got the best of him I guess. It's just another decision in what's an ever growing list of things Weis has done that I can only speculate are products of his own arrogance.

Whether it's the way he looks at players who are leaving his program for other schools, or just his all around demeanor, Weis thinks he's untouchable. He's bought into his own hype.

Just read this quote from him after the loss when asked about his job security.

"I'm going to be here for a long time," Weis said. "I'm going to be judged by what happens when I leave, so let's see where I am when I walk out the door."

This is all the school's fault mind you, they're the ones who gave Weis the ten year contract before he'd ever done anything. Now we're all going to have to pay for it.

The more I see Weis coach this team, the more I realize he's an excellent coordinator but not much of a head coach. And to be honest, can we be sure how great of an offensive coordinator Weis is? Was he ever considered an offensive genius before Tom Brady came along in New England?

Nope.

Has Tom Brady struggled since Weis left?

Well the Patriots are 9-0 and Brady has 35 touchdowns and 4 interceptions this season as he's on pace to shatter Peyton Manning's single season touchdown mark. So no, he's not really struggling without Charlie.

So unless Weis can figure out a way to get Tom Brady four more years of college eligibility, and line him up under center, I think it's time the Irish moved on. Let Weis finish the year so his legacy can be a 2-10 record (I'm holding out hope we can beat Duke).

Unfortunately, it won't happen. Yes, Bob Davie and Ty Willingham were fired with similar records to Weis, but there's one big difference between Weis and those two. He's an alum. If Gerry Faust got five years, who knows what they'll give Charlie.

Of course, Faust never finished a season with only two wins.

Foul Balls

NBC Isn't Interested In The Bears - The Bears have already played on NBC's Sunday Night Football twice this season, and though they were scheduled for three games, NBC has decided they've seen enough of the Bears this season. So they've kindly bumped the Bears from the schedule.

NBC and the NFL decided against placing the Bears-Seattle game on prime time on Sunday, Nov. 18. Instead, it will air on WFLD-Ch. 32 at 3:15 p.m.

NBC selected the New England-Buffalo game for that Sunday night. An opportunity to air the 9-0 Patriots was a no-brainer for the network.

Thank you, NBC. Thank you for not spreading our shame across the country for one night. Don't worry though, Bears fans. We'll have another opportunity to embarass ourselves on Monday Night Football against Adrian Peterson and the Vikings in December.

Will Joe Crede Replace A-Rod? - The GM meetings got under way in Orlando yesterday, and though trades aren't generally made until the winter meetings, a lot of the ground work for those deals is done. One of those trades involves the White Sox sending Joe Crede to the Yankees for Johnny Damon.

Ken Williams, entering his eighth year as the White Sox's GM, came to Florida believing he might be able to make a significant trade early in the winter. If he does anything quickly, it could be to trade Joe Crede to the Yankees for Damon. That rumor came out of New York and was not knocked down Monday.

I'm not sure how I feel about this deal. Of course I don't want Joe Crede to be traded, he is my favorite player after all, but it would help the Sox clear the current logjam at third. Josh Fields proved he has the bat to be an everyday player, and with time his defense will improve.

I don't think he'll ever be Crede with the glove, but he'll be good enough. What I'm not sure about is Johnny Damon. On the surface Damon answers the centerfield question, and the lead-off question, plus he'd be cheaper than Torii Hunter. The problem is that Damon had his lowest average since 2001, hitting .270 this season. His power numbers also dropped dramatically, going from 24 in 2006 to only 12 this season.

There's also the fact that a lot of Damon's game is based on his speed, and players don't get faster after they turn 34, which Johnny just did yesterday.

The Revolution Will Be Televised - The Blackhawks announced seven home dates that will be televised this season. Here they are:

November 11, 6:00 p.m. vs. Detroit
November 30, 7:30 p.m. vs. Phoenix
December 9, 6:00 p.m. vs. Calgary
December 26, 7:30 p.m. vs. Nashville
January 6, 6:00 p.m. vs. Detroit
March 7, 7:30 p.m. vs. San Jose
March 23, 2:00 p.m. vs. St. Louis

Clear your schedules now!

Seriously though, this is a great move by the Hawks. A long overdue move, but a great one none the less. It may only be seven games this season, but it paves the way for the Hawks to televise all their games next season. Which could only help the team become relevant again.

Rocky Wirtz may save the family name after all.

The Injured Corner

Both Chicago baseball teams are dealing without their third basemen right now. Aramis Ramirez and Joe Crede are on the disabled list, but one will be there a lot longer.

Aramis Ramirez was placed on the DL yesterday with left patellar tendinitis. It was originally thought that Ramirez would miss a few days, but the injury is proving to be worse than the Cubs thought.

Ramirez's left patellar tendinitis may prevent him from being able to accelerate for quite some time after he returns. Ramirez suffered the injury after jogging out of the box on June 6 in Milwaukee and then running hard after shortstop J.J. Hardy bobbled his grounder. He landed hard on first base while trying to beat the throw.

"We're going to miss Ramirez's bat, no doubt about it," manager Lou Piniella said. "But we're fortunate that Mark [DeRosa] can move over there and hold that position until Ramirez is ready."

Ramirez should be back for the Cubs/White Sox series on June 22nd, but he won't have Joe Crede to kick around when he does come back.

That's because Joe Crede has finally decided to have surgery on his back, and he's going to be out at least two months.

White Sox third baseman Joe Crede will undergo surgery on his lower back Tuesday, but the length of rehabilitation won't be known until after the extent of damage is determined.

Renowned back specialist Robert Watkins will perform the operation in Southern California.

The Sox wouldn't reveal the type of surgery, but Crede spoke last week of a procedure in which fluid that is irritating the sciatic nerves would be drained. He said that it would take at least two months to recover.

That means that we're all going to get to watch Josh Fields and his .143 batting average for at least two more months.

It's also possible that Crede may miss the rest of the season, depending on how his back is in two months. It may take him a lot longer to rehab it, because when it comes to back surgeries, there's really no way to know.

So what that means is it's entirely possible we've all seen Joey Clutch play his last game as a White Sox. With next season being his free agent year, if Josh Fields can prove that he can play over the next few months, the Sox may deal Crede in the offseason.

I'm not sure what they'll get for him considering he's just off of back surgery, but it's possible.

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go cry.

Joe Crede Is Probably Going To The DL

I've been wondering to myself all season if Joe Crede's back problems have been hindering him more than he's let on. After all, how can my favorite player be hitting only .216 with four homers and 22 RBI? It's unpossible!

Well, after he finally admitted to Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams on Monday that his back has indeed been bothering him, Joey Clutch sat out last night's loss and now there are rumors he's headed for the disabled list.

"If it feels the same, I don't mind," said Guillen, who added he wished Crede had told him sooner that his back was bothering him. "I'd rather lose him for 15 days than three or four months."

The Sox had considered calling up third base prospect Josh Fields and moving him to the outfield but recently backed off because of Crede's recurring pain. Fields wasn't in the lineup Tuesday for Triple-A Charlotte, leading to speculation he will be called up. Crede elected not to have off-season surgery to repair two herniated discs. He missed the Oakland series May 21-23 because of stiffness.

If Crede does end up on the disabled list, I hope he realizes that he really should just have surgery on it to fix the problem. He can try to "rehab" the herniated discs all he wants, but over the course of a 162-game schedule those things are going to flare up.

The only question should be whether or not Joe has the surgery now, or whether he waits until the offseason.

UPDATE: Crede has officially been placed on the disabled list.

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.

And Now For Fantasy Baseball, Panger-Style

Joe Crede makes a phone call.

Brian Anderson: "Hell, I'm straight, and even I wanna do Crede."

Why's this here?

Because I love Joe Crede, dammit, and I run this place on the weekends. That's why.

Joe Crede Is Staying

In news that is sure to give Panger "a woody," Joe Crede and the White Sox have avoided arbitration.

The two sides agreed to a one-year deal worth $4.94 million.

Seeing as how Joe is our favorite player on the White Sox, this comes as very good news for us. Crede set a whole bunch of career highs last season, batting .283 with 30 home runs, and 94 RBI. He also won his first Silver Slugger award as the American League's best hitting third baseman.

Of course, he's also the best fielding third baseman in the American League, but he didn't get the Gold Glove.

What really matters, though, is that the Curse of Fornelli may be losing it's touch. With the White Sox it always seems that whenever we get anything related to a player, be it a shirt or jersey, that player is as good as gone.

It happened with Magglio Ordonez, and Aaron Rowand. So when we bought ourselves a Joe Crede jersey last season, we knew the risk. Thankfully, Joey Clutch will still be here.

For one more season at least.