Chisoxfn

If you look at the higher camera angles I have started noticing that we have recievers downfield passed the line of scrimmage, but Miller loves going to Booker who is an underneath receiver.

Inovking the Clause is Cruel, but Logical By: Mario Scalise Earlier this week it was reported that the White Sox sent a letter to Frank Thomas notifying him that they plan on invoking the "diminished-skills" clause in his contract. The letter also stated that Thomas has 10 days to accept whatever deal the Sox have worked out for him, which can lower Thomas' annual salary to the league minimum till 2006, with the rest being deferred. Or Thomas can choose to test the free agent market for a 45-day period, and if no takers are found, return to the Sox. That right there has recieved mixed results with the media and fans. While some believe Thomas has worn out his stay in chi-town with his childish tactics, others believe this is another terrible display of loyalty and morals by White Sox owner/chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. After all, Reinsdorf has always been one to either claim broke or stir bad blood with fan favorites such as Robin Ventura, Carlton Fisk, Jack McDowell and Albert Belle. OK, not Albert Belle, but he is one of many players that departed the Sox because of money issues. It is a well-known fact Reinsdorf doesn't ante up to players unless there is a way out of it at a later point; hence the Thomas contract. It is also a known fact that Reinsdorf has done more bad than good in his reign. He is the one that threatened to move the team to Florida if a new ballpark wasn't funded. When he got his way he decided to build a park that has been mocked, ridiculed and rarely attended. He was one of the main backers and supporters for a strike in 1994 The strike happened and baseball literally became a past time till 1998. He is the one who released Carlton Fisk, perhaps the greatest catcher of all-time, one week after he broke the major league record for games caught (2,226) on June 22, 1993. At season's end, after the Sox clinched the AL West title, Fisk was prohibited from entering the White Sox clubhouse to congratulate the team. He is the one who waved the infamous "white flag" with the infamous "Anyone who thinks we can catch Cleveland is crazy" quote in 1997. The Sox were just 3 1/2 games behind the first place Indians at the time. So obviously you can understand why Sox fans are upset over the Thomas issue. How can Jerry Reinsdorf do this to the best Sox hitter that ever lived? Someone who managed to drive 92 runs and hit 28 homers despite coming off an injury-plagued 2001 season? Someone who will one day be enshrined in the Hall of Fame? Someone who signed a contract (6 YR/59.5 MIL) well below his worth (in baseball terms) in 1997? But you know what. As mean as it seems and as pitiful a history Reinsdorf has, this is one the better moves the Sox have made. By invoking the clause the Sox are in a win-win-win situation. Scenario #1 Thomas stays and reconfigures the contract to where the Sox will pay him 4-5 million dollars a season till 2006, deferring the rest. Result: Thomas gets a decent amount of money with the remainder coming later, and the Sox keep their powerful offense intact while freeing up 4-5 million and acqruiring a much needed starting pitcher. Scenario #2 Thomas opts for free agency and signs elsewhere. Result: Thomas and his $39,708,000 over four years is no longer around, thus clearing enough salary to sign an elite starting pitcher and wrap up Buehrle on a long term contract. The designated hitter role will then be rotated between Jeff Liefer, Carlos Lee and Paul Konerko. Scenario #3 Thomas returns to the Sox for the league minimum, with the rest being deferred. Result: The Sox get the best hitter $300,000 can buy and are once again capable of adding that front-line pitcher. So why all the upset faces? Sure Reinsdorf could be pulling our leg once again and stash that money in his vault, but will Thomas earning close to 10 million a season put the Sox any closer to the World Series? No. I bet that starter though, IF ACQUIRED, will land the Sox a playoff birth at the very least. And let us not forget that a deal is a deal, fair or not. Was Thomas not awake at the time he signed the contract? Did he honestly think he was going to put up great numbers every year? Did he honestly think he was going to be forever healthy and never get sidelined with an injury? Thomas must of been looking at the end result, which had him making close to 10 million a year and over 40 million in all. The goal for any Sox fan, or fan for that matter, is for their team to win the World Series or at least come close. It isn't to watch a player make millions and live happily. So as rotten as this deal sounds, there is some logic to it. Sorry Frank, but rules are rules. 20-year old Mario Scalise is the owner/webmaster of SoxNet.net. Mario was born and currently resides on the south side of Chicago, just blocks from Comiskey Park. He is currently attending Columbia College in Chicago as a Journalism major. E-mail all your comments and complaints to mario@soxnet.net

I wonder if they'd move to St. Louis if the Cards and up moving into Illinois.

I loved Albert Belle when he was a white Sox and you are right, it was Thomas who was struggling and then Ventura had that gruesome injury. Plus the fact our pitching staff all of a sudden just blew, named Bere.

Well In spring training two years ago I talked to Thomas for about ten minutes and he seemed like a real cool guy. Then again I talked to Albert too and he seemed cool as well.

He's overpaid and I like Brown a lot more then him, plus I like Boone and Traylor as well as Washington more then him in the middle. 4 mill for a bum, dump him.

Good grief, dump him. I hope this opens some weird out in his clause and we can cut him.

This is great news because we finally get to see what he can do. After this week, or at least two weeks, we'll know whose the better of the two quarterbacks for the Bears.

Thank ya Mario; You got to be careful when you read quotes cause they are always used to help the writers context. I know that cause when I write columns and take quotes(Something I rarely do, cause why quote someone when I think I'm the true genius and come up with my own stuff, lol) then you do it so it proves your point. Frank don't like the media and I don't think he'll talk to them until he announces his attentions or maybe not even until he signs a new contract here or elsewhere. I think he's gotten to the point where he'll just let the media write what it wants and ignore it.

No, I'm pretty indifferent on the idea of Frank. Some days I want him back, others I don't. I'm not inndifferent on the fact we need another pitcher, if that guy happens to be Paul Byrd, then I'll be happy, especially if he can duplicate or even grow on what he did this season.

I changed it on this post Mike and will change it on your article when I get home from the office. Mike the article was really good though. You really went in depth on the players and I can tell you spent a lot of time researching everything. Excellent work as always!!!!

This is an interesting idea, but also a stupid one. How do you expect any fan base to grow when a team is playing all over the place all season long. First off, it really sucks for the players unless they arrange it in a way that they can save travel time. Like when they are out on the West Coast, after that trip they have a home trip in Oregon, and then when they are down near Florida or Texas they then go down to Puerto Rico. Of course that would also be like never giving the players home field advantage, even if they don't draw. Its got to suck for the players, I'd be begging to get out of Montreal. If I were a player I'd at least want to know I could spend half of my time at one place and they don't even know that. At least most of their guys are young, but it sucks for the older players who have wives and kids.

If we sign one good starter, I guarantee playoffs as long as something horrible doesn't happen. If we land Maddux or Glavine we will be set. Buerhle and the other gives us two #1's and then Garland and Wright are both solid and we have plenty of guys to be our #5.

Ya, but the key was for Belle to get us to the World Series and that my friend, never happened.

Thomas hasn't talked to the media so they are just coming up with a bunch of crap.

No they didn't, it was the Jacksonville Suns if I think right.

Yep, the Hawks got some good youngsters. I like Calder and Bell quite a bit. I remember watching Bell last year and he was real good, he's only going to get better. Think of what happens when they had Ruutu to the mix next season(I hope they sign him) and he'll be just 19 then.

Their must be. I just tend to think that owners must be getting smarter after all the stupid mistakes they've made the past 5-7 years. Theirs JR with Belle and Navarro Dodgers with Dreifort and Brown and many others Cubs with Alou, Rojas, etc. Just about every owner has royally went out and overpaid for players that just aren't worth it.

Why would anyone pay Maddux more then Glavine. Look how good Glavine has pitched and then look at the fact that Maddux is having back troubles and other injuries with Tommy just keeps on rolling.

Ian, if anyone pays Clemens 12 million a year then they are absolute fools. He gets 6 in my opinion. As far as Glavine and Maddux, ya, they'll make bank. I'm think Glavine makes 12-14 over 3 yrs with Maddux getting 20 mill over 2 years.

I did'nt hear about it either. Puckett alwasy seemed like a class guy so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt until he is convicted. Typically these type of cases are the women or whoever else is trying to get money to file complaints under false pretenses because they want his money. Of course they are exceptions and if he did do this then he can go to hell.

I don't want to spend a lot on him, but the fact is he still has a good fastball and other pitches and has pitched sucessfully and flat out wins. Ya, he isn't a cy young award pitcher anymore, but the guys in great shape and I think he can go another year or two. Is he the best option, probably not, Maddux or Glavine is, but hey, if we can't land one of those I'd have Clemens then the likes of Person, Moyer, and Reynolds right behind.

I have been thinking for a long time Paint it Black should be the song the Sox come out to, well that or back in black.

Birmingham: A Season In Review By: Mike Doyle Well, one of the Sox affiliates did well this year, aided by great players, but more importantly a great manager. Wally Backman was named coach of the year for leading the AA Barons to the Southern League Title. A Sox fan can only dream of a good manager (calling Mr. LaRussa!). OK, let's stop dreaming, and jump back into reality. Record: 79-61, won Southern League Championship over Jacksonville Suns Position Players to look out for: Aaron Miles (2B), Miguel Olivio ©, Danny Sandoval (Util), Chad Durham (OF), Juan Piniella (OF) Birmingham was not blessed with a great lineup this year. Still, the Barons managed to scratch and claw against other teams, beating them in every way imaginable. Leading off the prospects list is Aaron Miles. Aaron was relatively unknown up until this year due to his retched hitting last year at Birmingham. Those memories were instantly shattered as Aaron lit up the entire Southern League, raking up an impressive .322 batting average. Aaron showed good plate discipline and hit for power. Aaron only hit 9 home runs but managed to hit 39 doubles and had a whopping 239 total bases. Aaron also showed good speed on the base paths by stealing 25 bases, but was thrown out 16 times. He may look like a great prospect, but one thing is against him - his age. At 26 years old and second year AA ballplayer, one cannot gauge his prospect status on this year alone. His telltale year will be next year where he will start in AAA Charlotte. The next name will be etched in your mind for the next decade or so: Miguel Olivio. Miguel joined the Sox completeing a trade which sent Chad Bradford to the Oakland A's for a player to be named later. This trade is finally beginning to look like a gem for Kenny Williams. Miguel is naturally blessed with all five tools, but one stands out by far: arm strength. Miguel has an absolute cannon for an arm, much better than Pudge's. Yes, you heard right. I firmly believe that Miguel has a better arm than Pudge, EASILY. Miguel still needs to quicken his release of the ball from home to second, but it is truly amazing what power he posseses. I can distinctly remember watching Luis Rivas get an absolutely monster jump off of Jon Rauch in Minnesota, and was almost cut down by Miguel. I could go on for pages, but I must move on to his other strengths. Miguel has a very unlikely tool that you almost never find in a catcher: speed. Miguel had 10 triples and 29 SBs this year. You just don't see that out of a catcher. Miguel also hit .306 for Birmingham, and maybe, just maybe, he can oust Josh Paul from this organization. Next, we have an unknown, Danny Sandoval. To me this guy looks like a future Tony Graffanino with more speed. Danny played every position but catcher and pitcher for Birmingham, and put up fairly good numbers. Danny is very patience, and puts the ball in play. The one glaring thing that appeared to me was that he was caught stealing 24 times 63 attempts. I believe if Danny can improve on his baserunning ability, he can contribute to the Sox in the future. Danny could stay in AA if Tim Hummel does not make the team out of Spring Training. Hey, look who it is, Ray-Ray's brother! Chad isn't really a frontline prospect, but should eventually get a cup of coffee this or next year on his last name alone. This Durham plays centerfield and is an actual leadoff hitter. Chad has absolutely no power whatsoever, and is mainly a singles hitter, which is why he relies so much on his speed. Chad stole a respectable 39 bases, but will have to cut down on his strikeouts if he ever wants to be a bench player in the bigs. Oh well, at least he can mooch money off of his older brother wherever the hell he goes. Chad should start the year back at Birmingham. Juan Piniella. I'm going to be completely honest, I have no freaking clue who this guy is. He was in the Texas organization before being picked up by the Sox as a free agent. He put up decent stats, I'd keep an eye on him. Pitchers to watch: Jim Bullard (LHP), Felix Diaz (RHP), Clay Eason (RHP), Delvis Lantigua (RHP), Gary Majewski (RHP), Corwin Malone (LHP), Arnaldo Munoz (LHP), Dave Sanders (LHP), Josh Stewart (LHP), Dennis Ulacia (LHP), Joe Valentine (RHP), Brian West (RHP) If there is any reason why Birmingham won the Southern League Championship, it was because of their pitching. Wally Backman was blessed with most of the organization's top prospects, and it showed in the end. Now, I could ramble on about every single pitcher, but I'll divvy them up between starters and relievers. Starters: Jim Bullard (LHP)- Jim spent the majority of the year in high A Winston Salem compiling a 3.32 ERA. Bullard fits the mold of Heath Phillips and Mark Buehrle by not overpowering the hitter. Instead of trying to overthrow the ball Jim uses his mind, using all parts of the plate at anytime. Jim was one of the lucky pitchers who got to play in the Hall of Fame game in Cooperstown. He did fairly well with the exception of a three run homer to Colorado's Greg Norton. Jim will start 2003 in AA. Felix Diaz (RHP)- While Kenny Williams may have been fleeced by Billy Beane for the trade of Ray Durham, he pulled off a marvelous trade to receive Felix Diaz and Ryan Meaux. Diaz fits the mold of a future Pedro Martinez. Diaz has jaw dropping stuff and great command of his pitches to go along with it. Diaz can throw four pitches: a fastball with great movement at 95-96 MPH, a hard slider, decent curve, and amazing changeup. Felix was rated as the #5 prospect in the Giant organization by Baseball America ahead of guys like Jesse Foppert and Erick Threets. Felix is only 21-years old so expect him to start off in AA, possibly moving to Charlotte late in the season. Felix has had arm troubles in the past, hopefully those days are behind him, because he has stud written all over him. Delvis Lantigua (RHP)- The Sox looks like they might have found themselves a steal. Released by the Dodgers in 1999, the Sox jumped all over Lantigua, signing him immediatly. Delvis is a three-pitch pitcher with nasty stuff. The White Sox worked on developing a great changeup to accompany his fastball and slider, and it has showed. Delvis pitched 85 innings this season, compiling a 3.50 ERA while only giving up 67 hits. Expect him to be shuttling to Charlotte in 2003. Corwin Malone (LHP)- What happened? After dominating all of A and AA ball, Corwin Malone regressed heavily. During the middle of the year the Birmingham staff found that Corwin had injured his shoulder. No, it's not a torn labrum, and yes, this may be what caused Corwin so many problems. Corwin just couldn't find the strike zone this year, he walked 89 batters in 124 inning pitched. Corwin will have to do alot of improvement if he wants to see the south side, but I believe he can turn it around if Don Cooper is allowed to coach him more. Josh Stewart (LHP)- Who? Last year the fans only heard about Rauch, Malone, Ulacia. Josh who? Hell, I didn't even know until this year when Stewart became a definitive Top 15 prospect. It seems that Stewart fits the mold of Buehrle and Phillips, relying on smarts rather than stuff. Stewart should start off the year in AAA, and could get a cup of coffee at September callups. Dennis Ulacia (LHP)- After being ranked #9 by Baseball America for the organization's prospect list, Ulacia regressed heavily. He didn't maintain his previous K/IP ratio, and was hit around more than Jon Adkins at an AFL game. Ulacia had the same success as Corwin Malone last year, but imploded with him as well. He has the talent to be a solid starter in the bigs, he just needs to harness it like he did last year. Ulacia has two plus pitches, a curveball and low 90's fastball, as well as a mediocre changeup. Ulacia needs to work hard in the offseason to develop his changeup fully in order to dominate hitters again. Expect Ulacia to start out in AA, but ride the shuttle bus back and forth from Charlotte to Birmingham. Brian West (RHP)- What is with Birmingham pitchers and falling apart? West showed great promise last year in Winston Salem, compiling great numbers, but something happened. West only throws one way: hard. With a 92 MPH fastball, and three other solid pitches, you'd think West would be destined to the south side for years to come. Eh, not so fast! West walks alot of people, and has walked at least 70 batters in a full year (150 IP +), but usually strikes out a good amount as well. That didn't happen this year, as his K/BB ratio was only 91/70. I wouldn't worry much about West compared to Ulacia or Malone, this kid will get it back together very soon. Expect to see West between Birmingham and Charlotte in 2003. Relievers: Clay Eason (RHP)- Who says the Independent Leagues don't produce good players? After being named the Independent League's player of the year by Baseball America, Clay was instantly gobbled up by the Sox. Clay originally started the 2002 campaign in Charlotte posting so-so numbers before getting demoted to the Southern League, where he took off. Eason compiled a 2.00 ERA in 67 2/3 IP, while having a WHIP close to 1. I don't know what Clay throws or how hard he can throw, but this looks to be a smart pickup by the Sox. Clay is 27-years old, so expect him to move quickly, and don't be surprised if he makes the staff this Spring if the bullpen is dismantled. Should be a part of a great bullpen for the Sox throughout the next several years. Arnaldo Munoz (LHP)- Arnaldo was originally thought to be the savior of the Sox bullpen this season, being mentioned to be the second LHP out of the pen behind Kelly Wunsch. Arnaldo is only 20-years old and possesses a truly evil curveball. Baseball America even compared his curve to Barry Zito's. Yes, Zito's. If Arnaldo keeps up his torrid pace, Kelly Wunsch will be out of a job fairly soon. Expect Arnaldo to start out in AAA and get called up near the All-Star break. He should eventually round out a pen which will easily be the league's best within two or three years (Ring, Meaux, Eason, Valentine, Almonte, Munoz, Marte, Foulke, Sanders: Pick your poison). Dave Sanders (LHP)- Another one of the Sox' heralded bullpen arms, Sanders was relatively unknown a la Josh Stewart. I haven't seen any scouting reports on Sanders saying what he throws, but his stats are impressive. Sanders may become traid-bait with the stockpiling of left handed bullpen pitchers deep throughout the organization (Munoz, Ring, Meaux, Munoz, Valentine). Sanders will start out in AAA, adding to an already deep bullpen. Joe Valentine (LHP)- Thank you Detroit Tigers and Montreal Expos! Montreal selected Joe in the Rule 5 Draft and sold his rights to Detroit. Detroit did not keep him on the 40 man roster, so Joe was delivered back to Birmingham. And boy, are we lucky. Valentine came out throwing pure butane, annihilating hitters and setting the single season save record with 48. Valentine can get a bit wild with his command, but when he is on you might as well try using a wiffle bat. Expect Joe to dominate AAA or join the team out of spring training with Edwin Almonte. That boys and girls is it. Several days, many websites and one book. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any questions over any prospect, please, give me an email at res0swsO@verizon.net I'll see everyone at Soxfest!

I forgot about JRich, that guy is their best player right now, imo. THey will be a fun team to watch. Everyone yaps about the Clips, but I tell ya, watch out for Golden State.