Al Lopez Ghost (old)

Because 40 home runs are better than 27 GIDPs?

Sox Fever - Catch It!

Sorry, I should have said "Baseball players".

Wednesday's Southtown: "All of a sudden, Frank Thomas' impending contract decision might not be so clear-cut....A source close to the situation said Thomas heard Tuesday morning the Dodgers, who struggled offensively in 2003, covet the slugger as a potential free agent. "The problem is, with the Dodgers organization in the midst of changing ownership, no one can be certain whether teh members of the organization interested in Thomas will have jobs under the new regime. "There's also the detail of Thomas being an everyday first baseman in the National League, which doesn't use a dh - a role the Big Hurt has grown comfortable with during his 14 seasons on the South Side. "Phone calls to Dodger officials were not returned." There's still hope.

Players don't restructure their contracts to help management avoid spending money they have. Why would they? loyalty? Loyalty doesn't pay the bills. If a pitcher blows out his arm in his option year, will management reward his loyalty with a long term contract? No. Just ask Lieber or Sirotka or all the others. This is a business and Magglio will be advised, correctly, by his people to play out his option if the Sox don't pay market value. And market value is one dollar more than he's making right now, until someone comes in with a two dollar raise. And why would he want to stay here? The weather? The owner? Please.

The only time JR has ever spent suprising money was on Albert Belle, and that was because he was pissed at the other owners. He's always said he'll spend if we come out, but he has never kept his end of the bargain. Even last year, if that's what you're talking about, he was spending the Mets money and the Rangers money, not his own. Yesterday's paper said our budget will be in the 55 million dollar to 60 million dollar range. So it's adios to Maggs either now or next July. If we keep Maggs through the winter, we have no room for any substantial pitching improvements. Everyone who says we're screwed until we get new ownership, you got that right.

He rents them.

Give me the 242 innings pitched, please.

Soriano only hit 15 homers in Yankee stadium last year. He'd probably do far better than that at U.S. Cellular. Straight up for Mags? Pull the trigger.

I think you actually have to attend the first class before you can't change your mind and sign with a major league club. That's what I remember in a few cases when it went down to the last minute. Enrolling in college keeps your options open a little longer, I think.

With us or to us?

Today's Tribune says "Williams and Reinsdorf huddled Monday to discuss the team's budget. After spending $52 milllion on last year's team, the 2004 payroll will likely increase to the $55 million to $60 million range." Also, today's Southtown said the Frank is telling friends he will exercise his $6 million option.

It's a little known fact, but Jerry Manuel's middle name is dumbf***.

Robbie and whoever they can get in a trade for Magglio.

Cito - KW gets his choice. This time.

It's not certain if Mags will be here to bat anywhere in the lineup. If he is here, he hits into so many double plays, I don't know if I want him in the three hole.

There are stories on page 5 of today's Sun Times and in the sports section of todays Daily Southtown. The SunTimes says in part "Since they are not actually lowering the upper deck, nor adjusting the incline, is it all an optical illusion? "It's perception" Sox spokesman Scott Reifert said Thursday...After the top 20 feet of the stadium's bowl are lopped off - 215 tons of steel and 3500 tons of concrete - a new canopy will be put on that will more closely resemble the roof on old Comiskey park... The concourse on the 2nd level also will be more enclosed and amenities added. Using last year's ticket pricing system, the trim eliminates 6600 upper deck reserved seats, or more than 1/2 of the most affordable seats priced at 14 dollars. Reifert said team officials are having conversations now about how [pricing will be] structured once the renovation is done. What's going to happen for next year, it's too soon to say." The Southtown also reports that they are considering moving Sunday start times back to 2:00. By the way, if you are looking for anything about this in the Tribune, good luck. I couldn't find it in there. Maybe it wasn't as newsworthy as the 5 stories last Friday about how the Cubs still hadn't won this year's pennant, or the 2 editorials on Friday and Monday about how being a Cub fan is really important. f***ers.

I saw it, and they said they actually are going to lower the upper deck, which I would have thought was impossible. Pretty neat. Also, the sox website shows 10 pictures of the construction project, but there was no press release, which is pretty stupid.

This just doesn't happen. If he improves, or keeps farting along, it will have nothing to do with his paycheck.

We may have to worry about who's our number 4, if Colon is adios.

The Sox always start the season on the road. That is a request by JR and it has been honored every year since he first made it. Do you know what the reasoning is behing his request? I know where I live, I've usually been wearing shorts for a month or so before opening day. Y'all have been wearing parkas leading up to opening day. And for weeks afterwards too.

I agree 100%. And wouldn't the Yankees be the team to hire Willie Randolph as manager some day?

I wouldn't sign him because I think he's very limited as a player. As a person, he's great. A Sox fan friend of mine, who had pancreatic cancer and had 4 months to live, was taken to the park one day in 1999. The Sox had been told about my friend's condition, and they treated him like a king. They had him on the field during bp, and for a few minutes Manuel and Singleton met with him on the bench and they prayed together. It was very moving and meant a lot to all of us. So, as a player, no. As a person, pretty special.

Yas, I haven't read the Jose Cruz thread yet, but you just wrote a mouthful. I hope you're right, but in 2003 Cruz went 26-1-20, 90 runs, 68 RBI, 366 obp, 414 slugging. His splits were interesting too, hitting over 300 against lefties, 234 against righties, but his power was 7 hr vs lefties and 13 vs righties. I think we could find room for Jose Cruz, but after I read the thread maybe I'll change my mind. If Aaron can top these numbers, terrific.

They've done a fabulous job in renovating since the park opened. One suggestion though: if we are going to have a home run porch in right field, could we maybe think about having some lefty home run hitters on the club? Just a thought.