Al Lopez Ghost (old)

Paulie has discovered it's impossible to walk into a double play.

Also, welcome back to the bigs for Joe Valentine, back with the Reds, and a belated welcome back for Tim Hummel. Hey maybe the Reds want Rauch!

Here's how the rotation shapes up through the fourth of July 6/1 Elo 6/2 Mark 6/3 off 6/4 Garland 6/5 Shoney 6/6 Elo 6/7 off 6/8 Mark 6/9 Garland 6/10 Shoney 6/11 Elo 6/12 FIFTH STARTER alert 6/13 Mark 6/14 off 6/15 Garland 6/16 Shoney 6/17 Elo 6/18 Mark 6/19 FSA 6/20 Garland 6/21 Shoney 6/22 Elo 6/23 Mark 6/24 FSA 6/25 Garland 6/26 Shoney 6/27 Elo 6/28 off 6/29 Mark 6/30 Garland 7/1 Shoney 7/2 Elo 7/3 FSA 7/4 Mark The fifth starter games are home against the Braves, at Montreal, home vs. Cleveland, and at Wrigley Field.

Just so everybody knows, the schedule says Wednesday is an afternoon game.

Trading for a 4th outfielder does not mean you gave up on the guy you traded away.

I just knew at the time they signed it, it was more than our payroll back then. Thanks for the info, SS2k4!

I got into an argument with a Yankee fan the other day - really a bad idea on my part - and we were talking about the money the Yanks get for their local TV and Radio rights. Does anyone remember what ungodly amount they're getting? Thanks if you do. Viva Ozzie!

Is Jose Paniagua available? I think it's gonna be a lower profile guy than the Glavines and Garcias. More like a Traschel, Paul Abbott, Brian Anderson, somebody second rate but still a veteran that can somehow improve on our illustrious 5th starter role over the last two years.

Is Nic Johnson healthy? I haven't seen him too much in their box scores.

IIRC Radke and Santana pitched the last two games of that series in U.S. Cellular last September. You know the guys who are going tonight and tomorrow. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Cmon Cottsy!

If Willie learns how to use his speed on the basepaths, namely getting from first to second, he could be a heck of a player. Not everybody learns this, however, so I have to stay off the bandwagon until I see more.

James Baldwin?

Hawk has said many times that Frank throws a terrific knuckleball.

Generally everyone wants to make trades that sound good only to our side, and those are a little hard to accomplish, so what do you say we just send down Adkins, who has pitched well enough but is really the 12th guy, and bring up Reed. He'd be able to break up the too righty lineup, and add an onbase guy to the top of the order. All agreed?

I read in the paper that they introduced each player individually as they ran on the field. I don't know which order they followed.

I read today that Randy Johnson has veto rights in his contract. My guess is he wouldn't want to come here.

August 1st, after the trading deadline. Somebody goes, for pitching, and here comes Jeremy Reed to stay.

It's a long season and you gotta trust it. Every team looks great when it's clicking and lousy when it's not. The key to the season will be how we play the Twins all year. Take 11 or 12 from them, and we're ok. Lose the same amount, and forget about it.

I hope they claim Dransfeldt.

When Koch saves a game (and "saves" doesn't exactly seem like the right word) he does something I've never seen any other reliever do. He makes the fans of the other team go away happy. It almost seems like their team won. "Hey, we loaded the bases, just one more hit and we'd have come all the way back." I fully expect us to lose every time he comes in. He's like a car you have to drive because you can't afford a new one, and you don't want anyone you know to see you in it. Viva Ozzie!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are absolutely right.

The problem with the closer by committee idea with our staff is that the committee would basically suck. Marte seems reluctant to throw his fastball to lefties, Shingo has the dreaded stuff-deficiency disease, Jackson I don't know, Politte has 9th inningitis. Koch is killing me too, but this is a tough bullpen to manage after the 7th inning. (Kudos to Cotts and generally to Adkins.) I think Ozzie is doing all a manager can with this assortment of not quite closers.

The voting really surprised me. I say you shop for what you don't have in the organization, and I think we have a 5th starter somewhere. Diaz seems to be the flavor of the month. But I have been watching our games closely,and I discern a weakness in the closer job. Maybe it's just me. You know how you sometimes say "the Orioles (or whoever) are down to their final strike"? I never say that with Billy K. There's always plenty of strikes and balls left against Koch. As the year progresses someone will have bullpen help on the market.

Everybody, save your time and effort on this one. It's a long season and somebody (my guess is Willie) is gonna falter. Overall I think we'll see what we saw at the start of the season, basically platooning Uribe and Harris, with Valentin sometimes sitting when Uribe fills in at short. Harris is gonna have to play better than he ever has in the bigs to keep up with Jose and Juan for playing time. But ( and I say this with a big but, as I do everything) if Willie puts up good numbers offensively, we gonna win a lot of games, pards.

Hey this is really nice! Thanks everyone, and the best birthday present a guy could ever get - a Sox win and a Cubs loss. Viva Ozzie!