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No, but I think I'd rather have Uribe there than Omar. Omar's stats don't dazzle at all. In fact, they are closer to Clayton-like than Nomar-like. If that's what Omar gives, give me Uribe.

Are we actually happy we haven't dominated our division like the Twinks? How can you explain that gutsy Twinks team that everybody says plays baseball the way it's meant to be played and has some dominant pitching AGAIN got flicked away in the playoffs? Are we glad we didn't even make the playoffs since we would have had the same fate as the Twinks the past 3 seasons? That was a damn good Twink team and it went NOWHERE. Nobody remembers division champs.

Great recap. That day I had to go to a bad small college football game with gf's parents and gf. I had a radio and listened to the Sox-O's game. I was so into the baseball game, not cheering, just listening. When Dybber made that blunder I could have cried because I immediately envisioned what was going to happen. We were going to lose and Hoyt wouldn't get the chance to win the finale. So sad. p.s. great great post and check of Burns' pitch count. That is sad if that led to his demise.

Vizquel batted .291 with seven homers and 59 RBIs this season. He also scored 82 runs, stole 19 bases and did not commit an error over the last 55 games. --Oh boy, seven home runs, just 23 less than our starter last year. 59 RBIs. Wow, what production.

Glad to see your psychic now... Not psychic, I just don't see why the guy would start hitting when he's never hit afore.

I still want to kick Jerry Dybzinski in the ass to this day over that. He didn't get picked off...he flat out made one of the worst baserunning blunders of all time IMO. GOD I WAS PISSED. And if I recall it was between 2nd and 3rd. Even though the Sox bats went dead that game...and I try not to blame him...Christ sakes almighty!!! (Can I say that?!?...oh wait...this isn't the Interactive Nazis)! --I hate recalling that series against the O's. That series might have been the low point in Sox history. Like you said, we had Dotson and Bannister ready for the World Series. We could not score a run in nine innings for Britt f***ing Burns who pitched the game of his life. LaMarr Hoyt would have won on Sunday night and Chicago would have been in a frenzy about Sox baseball forever. Instead we were left to look at a series where we scored something like two or three runs the last 27 innings.

I love Oz's quotes. He cuts right to the chase. He sees these guys every day and I liked what he said about Crede, etc. He said Crede might have produced about all he's ever gonna produce in a season. Liked what he said about Valentin, too. Really all his player comments were great. Oz has a clue. KW, however. Williams on Davis: "Came in and gave us everything we thought he would on the defensive front, as well as learning the pitchers. We're very pleased with the way he called games and fit in the clubhouse. The bat's going to come around." Give me a break, the bat is not going to come around. Ben Davis can't hit.

Only the white sox would consider trading their best players. Konerko finishes second in the league in hrs, so trade him. Of course, trade him. No reason to keep a guy like that. Dysfunctional team. Good teams trade 3 horses*** prospects for good players and sign free agents who can play. Sell the team, Mr. Reinsdork so we can sign some free agents and keep our good players.

No green ink needed. You think any team is going to sign a guy to a Beltran like deal when he's had 2 surgeries on a knee — one of the surgeries in Europe? I say no team is that stupid. He'll get a one-year contract maybe loaded with incentives.

I sat there questioning why the first month we were playing like a whole new team, running,bunting, hitting in the clutch.............. but as the season progressed we reverted back to our slugging self. Good point. That was perplexing, except with this season there's always the thing you almost have to have when discussing anything: What woulda happened had we had Maggs n Frank?

Great grades. I agree with most and don't violently disagree with any. My amendments: Uribe B, not an A. Shingo B-plus, not an A. Burke B, not an A. I would agree C for Willie, maybe Cplus. I'd agree with C on Valentin. 29 homers isn't half bad. Contreras a C or maybe even C-plus. He wasn't D worthy I don't think. Garland I'd give a C, not D. Ozzie- B. Kenny W - D (when we were good early, we still were missing 5th starter and his trade of Reed and Olivo was ill advised when he coulda signed Freddie in offseason anyway because of the nice offer combined with Ozzie/Fred relationship. Bonehead trade of century. Reinsdork - Dminus. Sox MVP: Konerko. Flop of year: Crede.

If Maggs had surgery overseas, it's obvious we aren't going to take a chance and sign him. Some team is going to get lucky and get him on a one-year contract for cheap as he proves he's healthy. Because of all the ill will with Kenny, that team won't be ours. Tough break for Maggs but he's going to get a one-year deal somewhere for about 2-3 million. Hell, nobody's going to pay for a possible player who is on the DL all year.

1.) I remember our quick start and thinking Oz was the answer and we were going to win consistently all year. It looked like Manuel had indeed been the problem and we were going to win, win, win. I was wrong. Was it the injuries that cost us a title in Oz's first season here? We'll never know that answer. 2.) Crede's walk off home run after which I thought we were gonna win it all even w/out Maggs and Hurt. Little did I know that game would signal the start of a long losing streak the next day and really the end of our season. It was perplexing to say the least. 3.) Willie and Uribe looking good early and me thinking I was wrong and they would be studs all year. Glad Uribe battled back late in the year to prove he belongs. 4.) Koch sucking early and ruining any momentum we'd build. 5.) Mark B's excellence. Ben Davis' little hot streak after we got him. Shingo's saves, the injuries ruining our season, and our continued inability to beat anybody in our division except the Royals, also Paulie's many homers and Crede coming through in the ninth a lot.

--If you asked me, I wouldn't say his swing is that slow. He gets around on some very quick fastballs. I agree with Jim. Hey Jim, do you think Crede ever will hit to all fields? Is that his main problem, not taking the pitch to rf? That homer he hit to right recently on TV shows he has some pop if he'd go with the pitch.

Well folks, today is the worst day of the year. The end of baseball season. It's time to mourn. Winter is ahead with wind chills and ice and BlackHawks and Bears and Bulls misery. Somebody cheer me up when we get close to the day pitchers and catchers report. That is a good day, but the best day of the year is Opening Day. No more snow and month after month of sun and warm weather and baseball. And yes, Easter beats Christmas and T-giving as a holiday. Good bye until Opening Day.

We probably could get Randa cheap. Who's better Joe Crede or Randa. I'd prefer Crede and like everybody says next year is it for Joe. He either emerges or he's outta here.

I thought after next year he'd be 26. My bad if he'll only be 25.

Good points by everybody. I still have hope for Jon, but he doesn't deserve to be congratulated for anything. .500 isn't going to cut it. He has one more year to emerge or he's a No. 5 starter forever.

Has the last month proven one thing once and for all? Burke can hit big league pitching and has a future with our Sox. Ben cannot and should be let go. Poor Ben Davis cannot hit.

Next year is it for Jon. If he's a .500 pitcher at best again, he's done. He had a decent season. Next year he excels or count him as another bust. He's 26 next year, right? It's time to go 18-11 or bye bye.

I say keep Joe Crede and stress to him he needs to hit the fricking ball where it's pitched. When he rocks to right field he's OK.

Poor Joe is no good.

I'll say one thing about this horrific trade ... Ben Davis better not be part of our team next year. Poor Ben cannot hit. It's Burke and whomever ... no more Ben please.

I'd rather see KW tinker and keep the big four of Lee, Paul, Maggs n Frank. Why, so we can have an inconsistant offense that chokes down the stretch again? --No, here is why I want us to tinker. If we keep the big four, it means our offense will be OK no matter what we do. If we keep our current starters, it means we have pitching that will keep us in the race. Now, we upgrade at ss, we let Burke catch most of the games, we make our normal moves trying to upgrade the bullpen (we should have resigned Gordon) and maybe add one starting pitcher or closer we could win it all. If we trade Paulie, Lee there is the chance we could SUCK. Why? Do you trust KW to make good trades???? He consistently overpays and can I remind you of ALOMAR and EVERETT? I would rather tinker with our 80-win team and see if lightning can strike and we finally win this s*** division. If we trade Lee and Paulie we COULD SUCK. I do not trust Ken Williams.

Nice post! Great season, Mark B. He truly is a stud. p.s. If we could ever win this division we might have something going in the playoffs, considering our starters are dominating this late in the season. Mark B and Jon going 9 innings of late. Our pitchers seem to do better the last month.