End of the Line

Thank you Scott for providing us with this venue. Good, Bad, and Ugly.... We've seen it all in the past and certainly this year... I really thought we had a shot in game four, but we simply ran out of gas......

Next year is right around the corner and I know most of us will be back for another exciting run to greatness... In the meantime......

Have a wonderful offseason everybody. Stay happy and healthy and make your New Years Resolution to be at the Sox Celebration for the World Series Championship of 2009.... Go White Sox'09....j.k.

Thanks, Scott, for the blog, and your fun insights, and the chance to follow our team so closely. It was a roller coaster season, and I will cherish all the high points, particularly that play-in game against the Twins.

I think the blackout theme is terrific, and should survive this season. I think it should become a tradition at all Sox games. It seems to help the fans be even more into the game than usual. Brilliant idea!!!

Looking forward to the 2009 season!

Go Sox!!!
Peggy

Thanks Scott!
Tell the boys Thanks! We'll miss them! Keep in touch, let us know if anything big happens!
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I have to create my own blog - who am I going to talk to this winter? Who am I going to tell my crazy stories to? Who am I going to bitch at?
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I KNOW you guys are going to miss me!!

The Sox (and their fans) never give up and this year demonstrated it. Thanks for all the great games, edge of you seat excitement, great memories from 2008, and fantastic promise for the future!! Looking forward to 2009!

Go Sox!
Rich

Thanks for keeping us updated Scott! This is the first site I check everyday! I can't wait to hear from you again! GO SOX!!
Tim

Scott - thanks a WHOLE BUNCH for the information and fun you provided this season. You really make a great effort to keep the fans involved and there is a lot to be said for that. We unfortunately came up on the short end today but hey - given that pitching is the "main" ingredient to winning - Sox fans should be excited about our future. A job well done to you Scott and please pass my accolades on to everyone else "Inside the White Sox".

Chuck

Along with all the others Scott, I would like to express my gratitude for you hosting this site. It's the only website I check multiple times a day! I look forward to all your posts and reading everyone's comments. Even more than in the past years, we have really become a "community".

Well, I am really sad when baseball season ends (and it did for me tonight) because it is such an emotional let down. But, I am definitely not disappointed in this season one iota.

Pass along my congratulations to the team and the front office and I'm already looking forward to 2009. My birthday is in the beginning of April and I treat myself to opening day each year. Can't wait!!! Also, I'll be looking forward to exciting news in the off season. I'm sure KW will have some tricks up his sleeve.

Take care everyone and talk to you soon!

Marie

Well, I am disappointed that the Sox lost but it was a good year. I was very happy that the Sox beat the Twins and I didn't expect them to beat the Rays. I will be pulling for the Rays and I hope the Red Sox do not win the WS again.

First off some housekeeping duties:

1. Thanks to Scott for allowing me and all fans to engage in this. It is very worthwhile and much appreciated.

2. To everyone, even those that I have strongly disagreed with, I wish you and your families a happy and safe off season. Despite our differences, we are all Sox fans!

3. It's always hard to say goodbye to a season but considering the limitations of the club and what was expected of them back in March, it was a very good year.

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I have sent to another web site that I write for, a season review / look ahead. Normally I'd just attach a link but because it won't be going up until Sunday and because I know that fans are going to be closing the book on this blog in the next day or so, I ask your indulgence and have pasted a condensed version at the end of this note. I also crunched some numbers and have come up with some interesting trends and in one case in particular, it's not good.

I haven't seen this mentioned in the mainstream media nor at fan web sites...I think it's very important...I can't explain it, maybe someone else can...and it hurting badly the Sox chances. Again with your indulgence I paste it here for special consideration:

* For the 5th consecutive season, every year under Ozzie Guillen, the Sox failed to win more games in the last 81 games of the season then in the first 81 games. Despite Guillen resting players regularly and using his bench to help avoid injuries. In 2008 for the first 81 games, the Sox went 46-35 a .567 winning percentage. In the last 82 games (due to the one game playoff), they went 43-39 a .530

Here’s how they performed in previous seasons under Guillen:

2004: 43-38 .530 / 40-41 .493

2005: 55-26 .679 / 44-37 .543

2006: 53-28 .654 / 37-44 .456

2007: 36-45 .444 / 36-45 .444

This "trend" cost them a playoff spot in 2003 and 2006...it almost did that again in 2008. This trend MUST be stopped.

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Here is the condensed story specifically the three areas that must be examined closely before spring training begins in Arizona:

A Look Ahead

OFFENSIVE SHORTCOMINGS -

In 2008 the White Sox lost 15 games where the pitching staff held the opponent to three runs or less. In addition to that, they were shut out 11 times. They scored one run in a game 16 times, two runs in a game 14 times. That’s a total of 41 games scoring two runs or less.

Balance needs to be the key word this off season. Mainstream media reports say speed will be addressed this off season and that Kenny is going to try, again, to give Ozzie Guillen greater flexibility in his roster.

The names being mentioned highly are Chone Figgins and Orlando Hudson. Robinson Cano is reportedly also being considered.

What you’ve done by having balance, is to increase your chances of winning a game on a night in April when it’s 40 degrees out, when you are playing in Oakland where the foul territory is almost as large as the playing field or when you’re facing an off speed pitcher and he’s giving the sluggers fits. A game here, a game there, could make all the difference in the world between playing the first week in October or making golf reservations. The Sox know that fact multiple times this decade. In 2005 the Sox had balance and we saw what happened. We've also seen what's happened every other year this decade. Hitting 200, 215, 230 home runs, but nothing else, got the Sox exactly that...nothing.

IT’S THE PITCHING, STUPID!-

Pitching wins pennants, it is the single most important commodity in baseball and not only do you need it in quality, you need it in quantity.

In today’s game with the way pitchers are “babied” for lack of a better word, the law of averages shows that the chances of a pitching staff making it through a season all healthy and all without having a bad year are slim or none.

That means that you better have reliable insurance ready to go when these situations come up.

For the White Sox that means you better have six starters available, not five…the starter who pitches the worst in spring training goes into the bullpen as the long relief man (which is the way baseball did it for years) Because of Contreras’ probable career ending injury that means the Sox need two starting pitchers to achieve this. The question is, with the cost of pitching today in baseball, will the Sox go out and get it or take the chance again of having to use the Clayton Richard’s of the world, in the middle of a stretch drive, in a pennant race. As Steve Rosenbloom said on one of his blog entries, “Children shouldn’t play in September when September means something.”

The Sox have a solid bullpen but the same insurance policy applies there too. You need protection from the almost inevitable injury or year long slump. The Sox appear to only be able to count on Bobby Jenks, Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink (who should be over his tendonitis by next April). Given how often Ozzie Guillen uses his bullpen, that’s simply not enough.

INJURIES-

Injuries are a part of the game but what the White Sox have to be wondering about is the fact that they have happened in two straight years. Does that mean something? Is this simply bad luck or a sign that this is an older club that may start being prone to breaking down? Is it time to reevaluate the Sox medical establishment? (as Kenny Williams did after the horrific 2000-2001 seasons)

Numerically the Sox have been among the best in baseball this decade at avoiding injuries and keeping their players healthy. Yet even with those facts, the Sox have had four seasons in the last eight impacted by guys who weren’t able to play. (2001, 2004, 2007 and 2008). Certainly one can say that in 2001 and 2004 injuries probably cost the Sox a legitimate shot at the post season.

The Sox need healthy players because the minor league system is still in flux, still trying to shake off the aftereffects of a desultory decade and still trying to reestablish itself under Buddy Bell. If injuries hit again in 2009, the minor league system probably won’t be of much help.

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Guess that's it. If anyone has any comments or questions I can always be reached here over the off season: mliptak1@msn.com

Again be safe everyone and have a great off season.

Mark Liptak

Thanks Scott for all you do and putting up with all our crap thruout the season! I miss the 'gang of friends' I've made on this blog thruout winter. Hopefully we can somehow manage to keep in touch with those that have further their contact with one another. It was a fun season, all and all much more than any of us expected. Ya'll (hi tc) be safe up north in the snow and ice this winter and Peg, JK and I will try and not rub it in when it's in the 70's around us!

Signing off from deepintheheartof - Kris

Thanks for all of your insight into my favorite professional organization. I stop by here at least once a day and always love your postings.

Sad to see the season end the way it did, but after the miserable 2007 season and predictions of a 3rd place finish the sometimes maddening 2008 campaign was ultimately a great success.

Can't wait to see the changes KW makes to the roster and a better 2009 to get started!

Had to go to the gym to collect the thoughts but want to get them down now.

First thanks to Scott for offering us this playground. Your insights are fantastic and the folks I've met here just as fantastic. Thanks for another great year!!

To quote one of my favortie movies to sum up the season/postseason..."I'm not even mad, that's amazing!" This team was picked to finish near the bottom, had 3 major injuries yet still managed to finish on top of the division. We lost our MVP and had to platoon left and center, lost our clutch all star third baseman, and one of our starting pitchers. Yet here we were playing in October....who would have thunk????

The tiebreaker game made my whole year. It wasn't pretty, but we got into the postseason and we didn't get swept out. I'll take it over the past two years--as nauseating as it was at times!!

It will be an interesting off season. Can't wait to see what Kenny has up his sleeve as I'm sure his mind is tinkering already. We have some needs I'm hoping he will fill.

To all my blogger pals, thanks for making me keep my eyes open, keeping me from throwing up on the drops along the way, and helping me hold my hands up and enjoy it. What a ride it's been!!! Another great year--hope to see you at BLOG IV!!!
Donna

Scott, thanks for the blog! It's great to know whats going on inside the organization, and has provided a place for our neat little "disfunctional family." Its awesome to find great people with such passion to talk to!

Lip, good overall analysis. This offseason will be a fun one! JK, I've started to adopt your signature slogan towards next year's campaign already. Jen, kris, scam, and anyone else who I haven't presumed to have an fbook, feel free to chat during the off season: shortstuff8812@aol for info (I'm not about to put my full name and email out in the same message)

At peace with Sox '08, bring on Sox '09!

ANOTHER SEASON IN THE BOOKS..WHAT'S GOOD FOR '09?!

Well gang, another season has just finished for us Sox fans. Although it hurts to watch another team celebrate on our own field, I feel good about what has been accomplished by the White Sox this season...We again won another division title when the "experts" have counted us out...Accpording to them, the tigers were the team to beat and we pretty much wiped the floor with them this season... we have also had the opportunity to see what 2009 will look like with our rising young talent.

With a young core of Floyd, Danks, Richard, Buhrle, Ramirez and Quinten...A solid bull pen of Thornton, Linbrink and Jenks, I do feel we are a few players away from building a solid ball club for years to come..

I do think Kenny will need to address our contact hitting situation, getting some speed on the bases, a speedy/lead off center fielder and creating the right balance of power and small ball during the off season...

Just curious to know what your thought are on this...

Hey you guys - I found hankie -
http://www.daylife.com/photo/07TPgLJcfM3vt/Chicago_White_Sox

Scott, many, many thanks. I am usually one who just lurks and doesn't post much, but the reading is always great. And I have enjoyed the Blog Nights a great deal. Even though I love fall, I always experience a let-down when the season is over. In the last 3 years, I experience not only the end of the season but the end of regular posts for awhile. Double let down! However, the blow is softened a bit when we get to the post-season..as we did this year. Alexi, Q, Gavin, John Danks, DWise all added some surprises this summer which I enjoyed a lot. It was not Paulie's year and I hope 2009 brings him better things. Jim Thome has cemented his place as one of my favorite Sox players ever just because of the guy that he is.....ALL CLASS. Swish didn't meet expectations on the field, but he kept me entertained and I imagine added some life to the clubhouse. I will miss Joe Crede as I hate to see our core 2005 guys go...but I support Kenny and the club's decision on Boras 100%. Get well to Jose and thanks for the contributions (Alexi being one of his greats). After Blog Night, I am even more exicted to hear Hawk and Stoney next year...Wishing everyone some down time and then rev-ing up for a great off season. Get us some speed, more pitching and keep things loose. Wishing you all well. Tracy

Thank you sox for agreat year . WE love you. You have the greatest fans.Even after all was said and done we still cheered you and always will. WE love our chicago white sox.

Well, I was taking one last peek before heading off to bed, going to sleep all down in the dumps. But, there she is, our wacky Jen, giving me the best laugh of the night - finding hankie.

Jen, while at first you just made my head spin, I came to love your posts and your honesty and your pictures and videos. You added lots to this blog and I'm glad we got to know you through this blog.

That picture and your comment will send me off to bed with a smile.

See y'all!

Marie

The saddest thing for me about the end of the (Sox) baseball season is leaving this blog and all my "blog buddies" for the winter. But, if any of you decide to come out west, do get in touch with me, and maybe we can meet up in person.

Thanks to all the bloggers for your thoughts and emotions, and best wishes for a wonderful fall and winter!

Cheers,
Peggy

Well that wasn't how it was supposed to go. I thought we would be tied up going into Tampa tied at 2. The Rays are a tough team though and you have to hand it to them. As far as the sox go....I am a little nervous of this offseason. Personally I don't think there is much the Sox will be able to do. Chone Figgins, Orlando Hudson and Robinson Cano are not the answers. They aren't going to spend the big money on CC or Manny. I don't think they will make any trades from our main roster except for possibly Paulie. I don't want to get rid of Cabrera. It is sad to see Griffey leave us. Even if he wasn't as good as I had hoped...it was still awesome having one of the best players I have ever seen in our jersey. It should be interesting to say the least. The 08 season did bring a lot of joy. It was also a crazy ride. here is to hoping 09 can be that much better. Have a good offseason guys.

KenWo4LiFe

Quote of the Season:

"I've got to do probably a better job, of getting some players in here that can do some of the little things..." -- Kenny Williams to Comcast Sports Chicago.

Amen, Kenny...amen.

Speed and balance. No excuses.

Mark Liptak

Rip, Angels.....

RIP, Sox'08...

Go Tampa...

Go White Sox'09......j.k.

Night all....

It was a heck of a year. We exceeded all expectations, and in the process we discovered four great young players in Floyd, Danks, Ramirez, and Quentin.

The future looks bright Sox fans!

Thank you Scott for all of the information you have supplied, and thank you White Sox for a great year. I can't say I'm not disappointed that we lost tonight, but we all knew how tough the Rays were gonna be. I bet they go all the way!What an exciting end to the season it has been. We held 1st place for a majority of the year and we did NOT let those pesky Twinkies get away with stealing it in the last week! We did win the central division title! So White Sox, hold your heads up high cuz Chicago is proud of you. We'll all be back next year, hopefully. It's gonna be a long, cold and boring winter!

Thank you, Scott, for all your behind-the-scenes updates. My favorite was the Coop incident in which the team got him a scooter. I still laugh about that to this day. I rarely post, but I've been reading since the beginning. I appreciate how you reach out to fans.

I'll stand on my soap box for thirty seconds to say, in the end, I'm proud of our team. We literally limped into the playoffs (no CQ, no Jose, no JC) and for a few seconds last night I was angry. That all subsided and I realized what a great run it really was considering all the things we had to overcome this year.

I think we're just a few tweaks away from another WS. We need a little more speed and a little more small ball. Let's try and bring it home to Chicago again in '09.

It is the morning after..... it does hurt that White Sox baseball is done for 2008. I believe we could have beaten the Rays....but they were a little better than we were. I think knocking off the Twins will go a long way into the 2009 season.

Questions for 2009

It seems like they are being awfully quick to dismiss Orlando Cabrera. As much as he stunk to start the season, I believe he had a pretty good season. I don't know why he is being outcast before he even becomes a free agent. Sure you can move Alexei to short..... but that just creates a hole at second. I would take Orlando Cabrera over Chone Figgins, Orlando Hudson or Robinson Cano (the three guys Liptak said are being tossed around). It seems silly to at least not try to sign him.

3rd base-
Crede will be gone and I can't blame the Sox for that. His time has come. Uribe did pretty well for the most part filling in, but this is a position that could be upgraded. Again, I would take Uribe over Figgins because Figgins will get hurt again and be out for a good chunk of the year....but maybe you can get someone like Adrian Beltre here...assuming it won't cost the farm. Hank Blalock may become a free agent....he gets injured a lot as well but if he comes cheaply???? The rest of the third base free agents look very bleak.

CF-
Ken Griffey will not have his 16 million option picked up. You still have Brian Anderson and Nick Swisher....both of which didn't really impress Ozzie this year. Rocco Baldelli and Mike Cameron are the free agent prizes this year (assuming Cameron's option is not picked up)... I am pretty sure I would rather see Anderson than either of these guys. If you could get Cameron for one year maybe but he is getting older.

1B-
I suppose there isn't much of a question here....If Konerko goes, Swish is at first, if Swish goes, Konerko is at first.

SP
Buehrle, Floyd, Danks are a strong first 3. I like Javy but he may have worn out his welcome. Richard is probably first in line to get that 5th starter spot... it would be nice to nab CC Sabathia. That would be a power move and a move to show you are worthy of a world series. I don't think they will do it. The rest of the free agent class looks somewhat weak. Maybe there is a diamond in the rough like Freddy Garcia... maybe you throw some cash for Jon Garland to come back...maybe a low risk high reward to Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez. Again..I doubt it.

RP-
If they get in a groove the bullpen was fine. There is a lot of big time relievers on the market this year. It would be nice to nab one of them. KRod, Kerry Wood not likely....maybe a Brian Fuentes, Damaso Marte, Dennys Reyes???

Big name free agents
Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreau, Jason Giambi, Frank Thomas, Ken Griffey Jr, Raul Ibanez, Mark Teixera, Carlos Delgado (assuming his option is not picked up) Vlad Guerrero (assuming his option is not picked up).

If we could do something fancy by getting rid of both Konerko and Swisher...maybe Teixera is an option. He also would be a power move.

It would be nice to see the Big Hurt back....but thats in my world and probably not reality. The rest are not needed at this time and will require a heavy price tag.

I am not sure where we go from here. Orlando Hudson and Chone Figgins get hurt every year without fail. Robinson Cano will cost you a hefty price from the Yankees and he is not worth it.

If i could make one move, I would open the coffers for 150 million and throw it at CC Sabathia. It may take more than that. To do that Konerko and Javy have to come off the books.

I would resign both OC and Uribe and possibly go after Hank Blalock or Adrian Beltre. Maybe you can work out a deal to get Beltre and Bedard from Seattle. All I know is Kenny has to be creative.

Thank you Scott for this wonder blog and thank you White Sox for a memorable year. I can't wait for the next 5 months to go by so we can start it all over again. And, at least we can say we lasted longer than the Cubs. :)

Josh from VA

Also....don't let people tell you we don't have enough in the farm system to trade. Clayton Richard's stock improved, Aaron Poreda or however you spell his name, Brian Anderson, John Shelby....There isn't a whole lot, but if we had to make a trade we could do it.

Maybe your best speed option is Jerry Owens. I do not believe that Swisher, Konerko and Thome can all be brought back. I would keep Thome for sure out of the 3....he is a lefty power hitter. He does his job.

KenWo4life. I don't know why or how my name got to be Kitty42....I didn't even change it. Anyhooters. Have a great day

Hey Scott,

Thanks again for the blog. I don't post much, if at all, but I read this constantly and I love it. Please keep it up.

The Blackouts were a blast. I was at the first one at the Tiebreaker game and it was amazing. Keep it up and develop new things like this!

Also, big props to the team...they showed a lot of heart and made it really exciting for us. I'm very proud. Tell them we'll miss them bunches during the rest of October and over the offseason. I can't wait for SoxFest 2009!

Also, a wishlist...if KW could get us two new starters, get rid of MacDougal, Logan, and Horatio Ramirez, put some more "small ball" players on the team, that would be great.

C

Like many of you I was upset at the team for a little bit last night. I really thought it was a no-brainer that we'd stomp Tampa and force a fifth game--from there, flip a coin. But our boys in many ways had their playoffs in the last weekend of the season/tiebreaker. Can't fault them for having no gas left in the tank. This is one year where just about every Sox fan can say the team exceeded our expectations by far. Of the four White Sox teams who have made but ultimately fell short in the playoffs in my lifetime, I'm by far the proudest of these guys.
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One thing I'm not sure has come up often is the reason why we can feel optimistic about 2009. When teams come out of nowhere to make the playoffs, too often there are "career years" to explain the success. So the next season, the players fall back down to expectations, and fans' hopes are crushed. Well this year, we have four White Sox who fit the definition of having career years: Quentin, Ramirez, Danks, Floyd. That tells me that we're not artificially buoyed with career years, and that with some creative improvements, we can repeat next year.
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While I'd flip Konerko for Figgins right now, Chone took a pretty big step back this past year. Cano isn't what we need. If there was some way to get Roberts, he truly could be the answer to our prayers. Can lead off, is extremely consistent, far and away the best table setter out there. I just don't think we can get him. But if Ken Williams can find a Roberts type even at the Triple-A level, I sure hope he grabs him. We need to fill in the 2B and/or 3B hole with a multi-tool table-setter. It could be all the offense needs, even if Konerko, Thome, and Swish are all back.

Great blog and a great season for the "Good Guys". I'm looking forward to 2009!.

"... And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain..."

How would you like to see the "board meetings" of the Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim(Azusa and Cuc.......................amonga... Thank you forever for that, Jack Benny and his writers and Mel Blanc, who "voiced" it...)

"Fellas, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?... Cubs, you guys led the NL in wins over the regular season... then you go up against the Dodgers and crap out in THREE STRAIGHT!!!... Angels, you guys had the most wins in ALL OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL--- then you go out and lose to the Red Sox... The dreams of the every day fan in TWO MARKETS... an EL series on the North and South Sides, or a Freeway Series in Orange and Los Angeles Counties... CRASHED AND BURNED!!!"

Now we take you to 35th Street and Shields Avenue on the South Side of the city of Chicago(I know it's Bill Veeck Memorial Drive... but to ME... The street will ALWAYS BE Shields Avenue... just like the park was ALWAYS "Old Comiskey", NOT "White Sox Park" (no thanks to the Allyn Bros.) or anything else...)

Boys, we are proud of the effort you put out this season... No one picked you to finish higher than third place... They thought that you would end the season against Cleveland at the Cell on the 28th of September...

Alexi WHO??? Carlos WHO???

The pitching was supposed to be led by Buehrle and the big Cuban horse and by Vazquez... NOT by Danks and Floyd...

As for the offense, it was going to be the old-fashioned, fence-busting, plodding way that has endeared itself to WS Universe since the Miracle on 35th Street in '05...

You SHOULD be proud of what you accomplished this year... The last week, plus, was some of the most intense, thrilling baseball that has been seen in a long time... games that will keep us warm over the long, cold winter when we think back at them...

Changes need to be made, and will be made, in order to make the 2009 White Sox (did I just type 2009???? YIKES!!!... that's gonna be season # 50 for the Old Man as a follower of the boys... Jimminy Crickets, kids... get the call ready to the Old Folks Home for me...)not just a "one season wonder" but a force in the AL...

Watch the games the rest of the way, gang... See if my prediction of Red Sox-Phillies comes true in the World Serious... or see if Manny Be Manny comes back to the Back Bay with the Dodgers... or if the pesky Rays break through to the Big Show in their initial outing...

As for me, as for now...

"Good night, Mrs Calabash... wherever you are..."

I cannot stress enough how proud I am to be a Lifelong White Sox Fan, to have witnessed this INCREDIBLE ROLLERCOASTER RIDE of a season and to be a part of this lil' "Dysfunctional Family we got going on here on this blog.
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I will miss you all soooooooo much this off season! I, for one, will still be checking this blog daily. I don't know why, habit, I guess.
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Jen, I laughed soo hard when you found Hankie! I always look forward to your posts and will really miss you so please email me from time to time.
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Kris, MariA, MariE, Peggy and Donna, please, please, please do the same! I will be sending you guys emails too.
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Amy (scotties) I don't have facebook or myspace, but my email is posted here so keep in touch girl and good luck in school!
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Kenwo, tc, klein and TQ you are all invited to email me too. I am tearing up as I am typing this because I don't want this season to end, but as they say, all good things must come to an end.
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To All: God Bless and Take Care! See you at The Cell in 2009.

Lisa

Scott I too want to thank you for writing this blog. Your comments are always insightful and puts a smile on my face. I hope the blackout continues into next year. That night with all black including the black towels was absolutely awsome!

To the rest of you bloggers, I have thoroughly enjoyed your comments. Jen you are one in a million. Mark, your passion for the Sox is evident. JK you crack me up. The White Sox lady bloggers rule. I feel a connection to all of you and I don't even know you.

I look forward to seeing the players on the field in April 2009. Go Sox.
Mollie

THE DAY AFTER....

The thing I like best about this site is the passion that everyone exudes. And now that our season is over, we all are looking forward to next season and what it may bring.

There have been a lot of great ideas suggesting what or who is needed to fill this void or that spot. I must admit that even though I've been rooting the Sox on for a long time, I've never embraced the total sport of baseball well enough to be competant in suggesting any trade or any particular name...

Brett, Lip, Christy, Kitty (love that new name there big guy), you all have great thoughts and it would be exciting to see some of them pan out on the South Side next year. I will trust in Kenny and Ozzie to fulfill my and hopefully everyone elses dreams of future greatness...

I will however bring up ONE name.... If we could somehow get CC, every other move made would fall into the suplemental catagory....

Also, with all due respect to you Brett, What if these career years you speak of are just the tip of the iceberg, and Alexei, Q, JohnnyD and Gavin are just beginning GREAT careers? Or if only half of this quartette builds on what was started this year? Then we have a BETTER year than this one turned out, and who knows how far we might go?

Another great thing about Baseball in general in the off season is that we as fans can indulge in the "what ifs" of our favorite team without any rancor or belittling comments that sometime sift through during the regular season.

I agree, this was a special season, and without the troubling losses late in the season to key members of our team, we might still be playing. That too is what's great about baseball: we may be done (for this year), but we're just around the corner of another GREAT year to come... Go Chicago White Sox'09....j.k.

I'm with you on that one Klein. It is awfully tough to predict that Quentin, Ramirez, Danks and Floyd had their career years since all of them basically have no track record. Maybe this is just an average year. Maybe none of them will ever be as good as they were this year. You dont know. It would be different if Konerko hit 50 homers, Orlando batted 335, JD knocked in 135 and Buehrle went 20-4...then you could realistically say they had career years because they have a track record.

KenWo

You guys thought I would end the season w/out a video??
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Here you go boys and girls -
my Thank You Tribute
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ewi_5GofBI
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Jennifer

I guess I didn't put "career years" in the proper context. What I meant by career years, Kitty and Klein, was that these were the four guys who performed WELL ABOVE our expectations. Four guys on a roster of 25 is a very low percentage. Going in we would have hoped Alexei could hit .250 with some speed and defense; Q was good for 20 and 80 and a good OBP; Danks and Floyd, 20 wins between them and a 4.00 ERA. You're right, these could turn out to be average or below average years for these guys from here out. (My guess is Danks and Alexei have a lot of room to grow, Q could not have possibly done better for us this season, and Floyd, if he can give us 15 wins a year for the next four or five I'll be thrilled.)
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Anyway, what I'm saying that even if those four fell off next year (4.00 ERAs, higher opponent BA for Danks and Floyd, a .250 year for Alexei, 20 HRs for Q) the fact that we won 89 games without benefit of career years from much of the team is HUGE. Look at the rest of the team: Jenks, Buerhle, Dye, Thome, Uribe, and the bullpen generally performed to expectations. A.J., with his average and power, perhaps a touch over. Javy got the Ks but performed poorly as our "ace." Cabrera was good overall but his defense, leadership and OBP was not what we hoped for. Konerko and Swish performed much worse than expectations.
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In other words, with so few POTENTIAL career years on this 2008 team, we're in great shape for 2009. At worst you would figure on another 89-win season. At best, those four great young players maintain or improve on their 2008 production, we get a shot in the arm from a new infielder, a bounce-back year from Konerko or Swish, no terrible swoon from any other regulars, and we're in the low 90s for wins, without a single acquisition.
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By contrast, look across town and see Soto, Theriot, DeRosa, Wood, Marmol, Dempster, Lilly, Marquis, Edmonds, Johnson (all off the top of my head, don't pin me on my analysis of the Bumblers) performing beyond what could have been expected of them. That's a recipe for a falloff in 2009.
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CC would be a dream but we all not that's not going to happen. He's likely to stay in the NL is and due for a Zito-plus contract in terms of years and dollars. It will be a contract that does its best to break even in the first years, and will be a total albatross for his new team as he ages and his weight pushes past three bills on the back end.

For all you youngsters out there who think that the lefty with the crooked cap... a.k.a. CC Sabathia... can be lured here by money, money, money... think of this...

I do believe that he has expressed a desire, since he is from California, to escape the cold for the warmth (and even BIGGER bucks) of La-La Land... and the baseball "insiders" know that Frank Mc Court at Dodger Stadium and Artie Moreno in Anaheim both seem to have bottomless pits of money to offer to join them...

Besides, as "the author" (Mr Ballantini) suggests, he will eventually age and his weight will eventually balloon up, which will be a physical strain... he will also be noted for trying almost single handedly to getting the Brewers past the Fightin' Phils by pitching every third day... a revolutionary concept in this day and age, but common place back in the day...and that will wear him down faster, considering the velocity and ferocity of his pitches...

In other words... don't chance it...

Now then, I found some actual quotes, from actual people, that I think best sum up the appeal of this spot for the past three and a half seasons...

Let me know if you agree...

"YOU CAN COVINCE ANYONE OF ANYTHING IF YOU JUST PUSH IT AT THEM 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME."
Charles Manson

"GET YOUR FACTS FIRST, AND THEN YOU CAN DISTORT THEM AS MUCH AS YOU PLEASE."
Mark Twain

"AS A RULE WE DISBELIEVE ALL THE FACTS AND THOERIES FOR WHICH WE HAVE NO USE."
William James

"THE HUMBLE SUFFER WHEN THE MIGHTY DISAGREE."
Phaedrus

That first quote should be "YOU CAN CONVINCE ANYONE OF ANYTHING IF YOU JUST PUSH IT AT THEM 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME."

Someday, I'm going to learn how to type with more than just two fingers... and I will immediately become a serious threat...

I hear ya TQ - I can now use 4 fingers!
(That just sounds nasty - I have a dirty mind)

Kitty! I love your new name kenwo!

MariE,,,, Thank you for those "inspiring" photos you e-mailed me. I especially like the one with the Dodger batter with the broom...... Thanks again and enjoy the offseason...

I give up TQ. You MUST be older than me because I don't remember that quote from Phaedrus....Who is Phaedrus anyway? And what position did he play?....

You all are probably right about CC, but it doesn't hurt to dream....later all..... j.k.

P.S. Jen, Nothing nasty about four fingers.... They simply give you a place to store your four black olives.... j.k.

Yes, marie, thanks for the email and pics! I have a few friends that would just LOVE to get them too! ; ) muhaha!

j.k.: You don't remember Phaedrus?... He was a right hander with the Orioles back with Jim Palmer and Mike Cuellar....

What a minute... my mistake...

That was PHOEBUS... Tom Phoebus... HE was the pitcher...

I'm gonna have to get on to Wikipedia to find out about good ole' Phaedrus...

Wikipedia describes Phaedrus (c. 15BC-c Ad 50) as "...a Roman fabulist... the 1st to Latinize books of fables, using prose of the Aesop tales..."

In other words, he was a fables writer... like Aesop...

Today, he would be considered as a beat writer...

That timeline should have read (c. 15 BC - c. AD 50)...

I DO like to be accurate... even when we're talking old Romans... and NOT Charles Comiskey the First...

See, sooner or later, we get back to the White Sox, don't we?

Very nice segue there TQ. As you said, "It all comes back to baseball and the White Sox"....

It seems weird not to be posting "important" stuff or commenting on same every day. Chalk that up to the success we had this year I guess....

No golf today, only bowling. Wait, today is only Thursday, I must be losing it. Maybe I've already lost it! Now what do I say? Maybe I'll start a Fable.... Once upon a time.... I'll get back to you on that later...... MUCH later..... j.k.

It's been a very exciting year for the White Sox, and very rocky at the same time. I am positive that they will do a lot better next year, and Carlos Quentin will be back.

Folks:

Last week after the Sox were eliminated, I posted some thoughts on areas that have to be examined closely for next season.

The complete story is now up along with numbers and factoids.

If interested you can read it here:

http://www.whitesoxinteractive.com/rwas/index.php?category=2&id=3722

Any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me.

Mark Liptak

It is tough to question the sox lineup when they were over .500 in one run games and over .500 in extra inning games. I would have thought they had a terrible record in those situations.

Like I have said before I think that speed is not really necessary for this team despite popular opinion. There isn't a Kenny Lofton circa 1995 available. The "speed" guys available are not very good. If you cannot trade for Brian Roberts or Ichiro you will not get speed that is worth anything. The Juan Pierre's, Willy Tavaras of the world aren't going to help. You may as well play Jerry Owens in center.

I would much rather acquire a good hitting/fielding 3rd baseman like Adrian Beltre and a starter like Erik Bedard, who is coming off an injury but is dominant when healthy.

1. Jerry Owens CF
2. Alexei Ramirez SS
3. Carlos Quentin LF
4. Jim Thome DH
5. Jermaine Dye RF
6. Adrian Beltre 3B
7. Nick Swisher 1B
8. AJ Pierzynski C
9. Juan Uribe/Chris Getz 2B

Rotation
1. Mark Buehrle
2. John Danks
3. Gavin Floyd
4. Erik Bedard
5. Matt Cain

Pen
1. Bobby Jenks
2. Octavio Dotel
3. Matt Thornton
4. Scott Linebrink
5. Damaso Marte
6. Adam Russell
7 DJ Carrasco

Bench
1. Toby Hall
2. Brian Anderson
3. Dewayne Wise
4. Chris Getz/Juan Uribe

Cain is acquired for Konerko and cash.... Beltre and Bedard come for Josh Fields and Clayton Richard (throw in one more like Jon Link if necessary). Javy Vazquez can be used for either a reliever or top level prospects. Uribe is resigned. Toby Hall is resigned I suppose for lack of better options. Damaso Marte is given a deal if the Yanks decline his option. ( I know he isn't popular but Marte at his absolute worst still is 199 times better than Boone Logan or Horatio Ramirez). When Contreras comes back....and he will come back... he goes into the pen in Russell or Carrasco's spot and is also insurance for the rotation. This team will compete for the division title and the World series title. This is my current plan. If somehow you can get Brian Roberts or Ichiro.... then I will adjust accordingly. I don't see it happening though.

Kitty:

Three comments.

1. Just my opinion but I don't think the Giants will be dumb enough to move Matt Cain just for Paul Konerko. (despite what Phil Rodgers says...LOL)

2. Eric Bedard is injured and owed money. This isn't happening unless Seattle picks up the bulk of his remaining salary.

3. Jose Contreras is done. Finished...stick a fork in him because even if he does come back from the injury, he's how old again? And has been nothing but injured and shaky (at best) since his first lower back injury in May 2006.

Mark Liptak

Liptak

If the sox eat some money on Konerko's deal maybe the Giants will do it.

Bedard is up for arbitration this year and 2010 is his free agent season. He is on pace to be healthy for opening day. If you trade for him you are only on the books for one season if he proves he can't pitch. His 2008 salary was 7 million which is next to nothing for a stud when he's healthy

Contreras WILL be back. He still had life on his fastball and was pretty good for most of this season. I am not counting on him to fill a rotation spot. When he does come back mid-season he will occupy a bullpen slot and be an insurance policy. Nowhere has he hinted he is going to retire..so stop beating a dead horse. The Cuban Titan will be back at some point in 2009 and I am happy about that.

If my moves are made we will win the division hands down. If your moves of Chone Figgins and Orlando Hudson or Robinson Cano are made we will finish in 3rd place.

Kenwo4life

I've got no real thoughts about this off season. Whatever happens will be good for the Sox. In Kenny I trust!.

The weather must be brutal already in Idaho and Chicago for the hot stove to be fired up already. As for me, even though it only hit 75 today, we will be back in the 90's by the weekend. Much too nice to sit around a stove and discuss what if's. I'll wait till it cools down here to do that.... Maybe sometime in December or January.....

Go Lip, go kitty kenwo, (didn't you use to be on the what's my line tv show?.... )... Go Sox'09...j.k.

Actually, jk, its been really nice here recently. Sunday it was a beautiful 82 degrees, and today it was in the 70s i believe. They're just getting stir crazy already, i guess...

Also, did you and tq get the email invite i sent you about 2 weeks ago? Its nothing special, but lets just say...we miss you.

That was a very non-commital entry on our home page about what Kenny will be doing this upcoming offseason. But I guess that's to be expected at this stage of the game.
Only time will tell.

Amy, thank you for your invite to your yahoo blog. I choose not to join, not because there will be "girly" stuff going on. (after all I do have a wife and three daughters, so I'm pretty used to that kind of talk). I have found that I don't respond well to those formats though, so I will stay on Scotts blog and post occasionally here. Good luck on your blog site. Have a wonderful fall and winter and I hope to see some of you out here in the spring..... probably up in Glendale though... Go Sox'09....j.k.

Kitty:

The Cuban Titan is eligible for social security and has been a bad pitcher since the lower back / nerve injury suffered in May 2006. How he continues to get chances can be explained by one thing and one thing only.

He's owed money on a contract. If not for that he would have been released a long time ago.

Ozzie himself said it was going to be very, very hard for him to come back given his age and the injury. I guess I don't understand where the "man-love" for Jose is coming from.

Maybe I missed all those wins and the sterling ERA over the past two seasons?

And regarding speed and balance, don't take my word for it:

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081011&content_id=3611372&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

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Stat of the Day:

The Sox record in games when they scored two runs or less in 2008 was:

5-41

The Sox record in games when they scored two runs or less in 2005 was:

15-34

In 2005 the Sox had BALANCE... the ability to win games in different ways....a stolen base...a three run home run...a sacrifice fly.

Big BIG difference from 2008. This is what Kenny desperately needs to correct for 2009.

Mark Liptak

Dude, jk, totally understandable. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was going on and that we weren't leaving you out.

I agree that the story was a "hold me over" article, for those of us who still check the site everyday hoping for some news...

Contreras was 7-6 with a 4.54 ERA. More than acceptable as a 4th or 5th starter in any rotation. Those numbers were even spiked up from his injuries. He was good April-June. When he comes back in June or July he will be pretty rested and ready to go for the final few months. He will provide a nice boost for the pitching staff. To say he wasn't good at any point last year is ridiculous and you as a journalist should do better research. He was one of the Sox best pitchers the first couple months. I can't wait til the Titan makes his re-debut sometime next summer and drops that nasty fork ball on some unsuspecting hitter.

Kenwo

Tell me about 2007....Kitty.

The man has had a few outstanding years with the White Sox, but his time has come because those seasons haven't happened since the All Star Break in 2006 and he is probably older then dirt.

I'd give him (and you) the benefit of the doubt if he wasn't 63 years old.

Time to look elsewhere.

Mark Liptak

RIP, Dodgers....

Go White Sox'09.... j.k.

What an improbable finish to that game last night. If Balfour had pitched the way he did last night, WE'D still be playing ball.... j.k.

Hi Klein! I totally agree with that assessment of last night's game. What a comeback by the Carmines! They don't want this thing to end, huh? I did pick Tampa and Phillies for the World Series on Sox Bloggers. I think Tampa will win. Who did you pick?

Hi Everyone,

I watched the game last night (on and off between Grey's Anatomy and ER) and was really surprised the Bosox came back. And we know they do like to come from behind. I hope the Rays can pull off one more win. I'd like to see them in the World Series. They remind me a little of the '05 White Sox.

JK, I'm sure you saw the article on whitesox.com, but I guess the move to Phoenix is official. I'm bummed for you!

MariE

Yeah, it kinda feels like I got kicked in the teeth by my best friend. I don't see the Sox NOT moving, and with them there goes all spring training in Tucson. The good news: it's only a two hour drive up I-10 for a game. I'd rather fly to Chicago!

I was all set last night to write RIP Red Sox, but I guess that will have to wait a little while longer. Later all...j.k.

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays! What a great series against Boston. That's why we all love baseball. Sans the White Sox, I'll root for the Rays. Something tells me though that Philly will have their number. We will see.

RIP Red Sox Nation..... Then there were two.... j.k.

Hello Fellow Sox Fans,

My dog, Rio is a finalist to be on the 100th Anniversary Milkbone box, but I need your help! Rio and myself are
die hard White Sox fans. If you look at the picture that I submitted, I am wearing my 2005 White Sox World Series Champions Shirt. I normally wouldn't post something like this on here, but this a one in a lifetime shot at winning.

Please goto to this link to vote.

http://milkbone.icmodus.com/?id=362

Please vote daily. The voting ends on November 18th.
 
Let's make Rio the face of Milk bones.

Please forward this link on to anyone that you would think that can help. Thank you in advance for your support.
Tony

Just read where the sox signed Jayson Nix, formerly of the Rockies. He plays second base, won the job in Colorado and struggled...got demoted. He seems to be a pretty good emergency plan for second base though. Good signing I think.

Thanks for the post kenwo / kitty. I've been wanting to come on here myself, but since i've got NOTHING to say, I wanted to wait for another post first. It took one week. So, is this Nix guy going to Charlotte? or up to the Sox next year as a reserve?.... Later all.... j.k.

http://www.southsidesox.com/2008/10/28/648590/white-sox-sign-jayson-nix

http://www.southsidesox.com/2008/10/28/648590/white-sox-sign-jayson-nix

Here's another move apparently:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3669977

Lip

Hi everyone,
Wanted to say Hi to everyone, wondering if anyone else is counting the minutes until March?

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Congrats to the Phillies (I wanted them to win)
-
Yesterday, while driving the kids to school, it hit me that my Jo Jo might not be on the WS next year (even though I was so very disappointed after meeting him, he's still my Joe) I all of a sudden got really sad, he has been with the WS for a long time, I am really gonna miss him! I'm sorry, but Josh Fields doesn't cut it for me. Josh, you can never replace Joe! You know I will have to do a Tribute/Goodbye Video for my man!
-
Jennifer

You all can forget about us trying to get CC -
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8734330/Brewers-set-to-throw-$100-million-at-CC

I just read the piece about the "youth movement". I hate youth movements. Especially when the youth in the movement is from our farm system. Looks like 2009 will be a long year with Jerry Owens, Josh Fields, Clayton Richard, Chris Getz and Brian Anderson.

If i had my way they would all be traded.

The dust hasn't even settled from the '08 season and already, kenwo is moaning about next year. Some things never change. No trust in Kenny. No trust in the Sox farm system. No trust in the Sox in general. Exactly why are you still a Sox fan?..... j.k.

Folks:

Since when has kenny told the media what he was going to do ahead of time?

Don't read to much into that "youth movement" garbage....all smoke and mirrors, Kenny isn't telling anybody what his real intentions are.

Now this story in the Sun-Times, if true, IS very interesting:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/1252225,CST-SPT-sox31.article

Mark Liptak

Here's another good story -
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-31-white-sox-chicagooct31,0,4417740.story

I would rather have Uribe over Fields - so what, Fields had a good year in '07 - Big Deal, beginners luck! Trade Josh to someone who needs a power hitter - defensively I would not count on him, unless we're talking football.

I cheer for the Logo. I do not have faith in the front office of the White Sox. No matter what team they field in 2009, I will be at the game a few times a homestand- I will watch every game I am not at- I will post on this site basically every day....... Why should I be excited to see them on the day after the world series talk about a youth movement. It is depressing. It is an excuse they can give for not going after anyone of substance. I watched Josh Fields play- I don't like him. I watched Brian Anderson play- I don't like him. I watched Jerry Owens play- for the most part I don't like him either. Chris Getz? No confidence in him. I do not want more than 1 of these guys starting in 2009. For once I would like to hear that Williams is planning on offering up 100 million dollar contract (to someone more deserving than Torri Hunter for goodness sake). Maybe it will still happen, but those words were not very encouraging. Why on earth should I have confidence in the white sox farm system? Every player they bring up is a disappointment. Now they are talking about playing 3 of them? Oh my...if that happens it will be a long longggggg year.

Isn't it time for spring training yet? It is gonna be a long, cold, boring winter! I agree with you Kitty about the youth movement, but I think for different reasons. The young guys are all unfamiliar to me. Same reason I just couldn't really watch a strange team. I don't know the players. Brian Anderson is not Aaron Rowand, although he has grown on me! It was a BIG mistake getting rid of Rowand! Poor Josh Fields, I will NEVER like him just because he is not Joe Crede. I am a Crede nut! Although, in always looking for the positive, Crede not being on third has been a growth experience for me. I never sat anywhere other than by third base before. Without Joe there, I have tried sitting in other sections of the park and found I really liked them. Hopefully, if in fact there turns out to be a lot of young players out there in 2009, they will add a little fire back in the team. Maybe with some youthful energy, our Sox won't be so tired by September. I certainly don't know enough to second guess Williams, so I will just have to hope for the best.

Well, now, let's see... what has been going on since last we spoke about three weeks ago?

Oh, yes... the World Series that FOX didn't want occured...
Unfortunately for Madden and the young Rays, they blew their wad eliminating the BoSox... while the Fightin Phils found their second wind after dismissing Manny and the Dodgers...

And as if it wasn't bad enough that Tampa and Philadelphia were the cities involved(not that glamorous or sexy enough for you, eh, FOX?), there had to be a cameo played by Mother Nature in the form of the suspended Game Five...

Well, as has been said many times by this correspondent...If you stick around the game of baseball long enough, you will see something that you have never seen before, and will never see again... Such was the case last week in South Philadelphia...

Let me add, though... If the forces that be knew that the weather was not going to be good, they shouldn't have started the game in the first place... there have been games rained out before in the Series, one more wouldn't have been anything...

But Bud and the "usual gang of idiots" at MLB had a schedule to keep... and they were determined to keep it...even if Citizens Bank Ballpark became a moat with bases, and the temperatures dropped below the Mendoza Line...

Anyway, it all worked out the best for all concerned... The Phils won the title, Fox made a slight profit out of their investment, and Bud doesn't have anything to worry about until the GM's get together to talk shop... or whatever comes before that...

I have been in contact with my kiddo, Kristine, DEEPINAHEARTATEXAS... and I trust that the rest of you are all behaving yourselves, and are in general good health...which is more than I can say for yours truly...Two years in a row, when the weather has started to change, my sinuses and my bronchial asthma begin to act up... joy bells and whoop-dee-doo...

As to the boys since the Series ended... no surprise that they told KG Jr "thanks for a fun September, and the best of luck to you in finding a new employer." Let's face it, the sands of time are quickly running through the hour glass for him... unless he wants to become the latest over priced DH... and as to Toby Hall... If they have a catcher in the system that can throw runners out and can hit decently...Mr Hall will not be missed, either...

Cleaning things up... Hey, tc... what about those Pitt Panthers last Saturday in South Bend? Wanny doing the job he didn't do enough here in the pros against Charlie the Bartender and the Irish?... The overall college game I've been seeing this year so far is much more entertaining than watching the NFL... the overall enthusiasm is contagious...

Anyway, as I hack away like Pena and Longoria did during the Fall (less than) Classic, I remain...

Your obedient servant...

(70 years since "The War of the Worlds" broadcast?...Good grief... If you never heard it, you should... withe the lights on...)

Sox make a ton of minor league moves and gang some of these are very, very good.

Chambliss is one of the smartest guys around and I'll take anybody out of the Angels system given the way they produce talent and how they play the game....not all or nothing but a superior blend of things that produce good teams.

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_hardball/2008/11/sweeping-change.html

Mark Liptak