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My question is how can a one day draft next June affect your thinking on games played the last 2 months of this season? Everybody has pointed out the draft is a crapshoot. There are busts all the time in the draft. One pick -- and no way that pick will sign until the deadline day if at all -- is not worth all this in my opinion.

I'm just pointing out that you guys have the radical position on this issue, not me.

I'd rather have Cole, but that's not the point. The point is win as many games as possible as use the draft as one of the ways to improve your team. You can improve your team via trade and free agency and signing foreign players which is the way we must go I believe. I will not waste a day of the precious baseball season wanting my team to lose. The winter is too long as it is.

But win a game in the respect category.

Thome has proven to me he's not finished. I was concerned about Thome's production possibly declining. I just hope he can keep his back healthy next season. This order should return us to the top of the division ... Renteria Hunter Thome Dye Paulie Crede AJP Fields Richar Don't you agree?

Is it all mental with Contreras? How in the f*** could he pitch a complete game tonight? Great win, White Sox. p.s. To those of you who think I am an idiot for wanting the Sox to win ... I challenge you to call a talk show and tell the host how you have been rooting for the team to lose every game to get the No. 1 pick. Be honest and tell me how the host laughs you off the show. I have asked dozens of fans about your position and they all laugh and say the baseball draft is the biggest crapshoot of all. Test it on a talk show, fellas and report back to me honestly at how the host laughs you away. Do you honestly believe the people in the stands at games at the Cell the past 5 weeks want this team to lose? Win baby, just win!

How do you know we wouldn't have gotten Frank a pick or two later? Or if we didn't get Frank we got somebody else? Where was Mark Buehrle drafted? Have fun following the contract negotiations of our No. 1 draft pick next year. I prefer watching the current team and hoping it wins every game including games against one of the worst teams (besides the Sox) in baseball.

I didn't know he was hitting better than Fields. I hope he's the answer. I hope the infield of Crede, new ss, Richar and Konerko is productive next year. And the outfield of Fields, Hunter and Dye produces as well as AJP/Hall at catcher. We obviously need some pop in the lineup.

A "good" loss? An "ideal" loss? Glad you don't mind seeing your team get embarrassed again by the worst franchise in baseball. A draft pick? Yeah that pick is really going to help this team on the field next year.

Hope you are right. He's not hitting much more than his weight, is he? There are way too many automatic outs in the lineup which means long losing streaks and lots of games like tonight. 4 hits? What an embarrassment.

Pathetic hitting again tonight. No way this team is going anywhere next year without drastic lineup improvements. I'm surprised Oz would want to stick around for what should be a mess again next year barring major major changes. Embarrassing to lose and finish behind a minor league team in the Royals.

I can't see the Sox contending next year w/out major changes to the everyday lineup. Again tonight, just four hits thru eight innings. We will actually need players at ss, 2B, LF, CF who can actually get on base. I'm assuming Crede will be at 3B and Fields in left which will be a start. The bullpen remains a potential disaster. Unless we acquire new ss, new 2B, new CF, and of course need bounceback years from Konerko, AJP. Can't see it all coming together so quickly after this disasterous season. Remember the starting pitching was pretty good this year the first half and we still sucked.

Not meant to pile on, but Jose Contreras was worth it. I'll take a World Series and he was instrumental. Watching some of the 2005 highlight things on youtube reminds me how great that Series title was. We may not see another WS title in our lifetimes and we don't get it w/out Jose probably. So I'd say he was worth the money.

That's scary that Liefer put up those kind of numbers. He sucked. Hopefully Josh will be a Sox lifer not a Liefer.

When is the last time a Sox rookie has put up those kind of home run numbers? Wouldn't he look good as Sox DH the next 20 years? Trade Thome who is showing he still has some pop in his bat for some studs and let Fields DH? Just a thought.

Good points sayitaintso, but are you excited about Fields? Do you think he's a star in waiting?

I'm officially excited about Josh Fields. The guy has 20 home runs. Should he be rookie of the year over his elder Dice K? Is he gonna be better than KC's Gordon? Fields is blasting homer after homer in the year of the dead ball. If they liven up the ball again, is this guy going to whack 50 a year? Are you all convinced he is a certain star? Strawberry Fields forever!

Maybe. 126 strike outs in 503 at bats. Not good. 14 stolen bases ... pretty good. 14 hrs, 57 ribbies, good for a rookie. Yeah he might be a future all star.

Amen, brotha. Nobody could have said it better. Utter disgrace.

Congrats Thome. The walk-off homer for No 500 is proof nice guys do not have to finish last. Amazing. I read he's the only player whose 500th actually won a game. Hopefully he'll be one of the veterans to spark the team to a remarkable turnaround in the standings next season. Hope he gets some good pub in USA Today tomorrow. Oh wait ... the Yankees and Bosox are playing ... again.

Good point about college guys. Gordon did wind up having a decent year out here but he did hit below .100 most of April and May which would have probably got him sent down with a suppsed contender like the Sox. The Royals stuck with him and he's battle back to .250 or so and hit some dingers. Verdict is still out though on that top five pick. I still think the draft is a crapshoot. If we could take the best available player on a current big league roster by finishing with the worst record I'd recommend tanking and root for losing, but not a draft pick. I prefer winning.

Tizzle and Pratt have a pretty crazy inside joke going on. Care to let us in on it? Go Sox!

No I do not understand. a.) Wins may not do anything for the franchise "at the moment" as you say. They can help young players' confidence for the future and please the fans who pay top dollar to see the team WIN, not lose to get some draft pick who the team might be too cheap to sign anyway and will be four seasons from even making the big league club. b.) You say "losses could." Could is the key word. Since there's no guarantee, I prefer WINS. So NO I do not understand. Can you try again? GO SOX!

Thanks I love 'em. Hopefully you can make one for the postseason as well. Thanks again.

Bad loss. Once again pathetic offense. Sox have a lot of fixin' to do if they hope to avoid this embarrassment again next year. Too bad the coveted No. 1 pick won't be ready for 4 seasons if indeed KW signs the franchise saver.