hogan873

Okay, now that Robert Person blew his achilles out, who's going to be our fifth starter? I had originally thought that Person could have made a run for the spot...now he can't run at all. Let's go one step further. Who is confident in Schoenweis's chances as the #4 starter? I'm certainly willing to give him a chance, and I hope he does well. But, there certainly is a twinge of doubt. Can he give us 10 or 12 wins? I don't know. So, considering Buehrle, Loaiza, and Garland are set, what will the rotation look like? Here's my humble approach at a guess: 1. Buehrle 2. Loaiza 3. Garland 4. Schoenweis 5. Rauch I'm not sold on Rauch, but he probably has as good a chance as anyone else. If he use his size to his advantage, he could be a good pitcher. With the lackluster appearance of the rotation as a whole, getting 8 to 10 wins out of the 5th spot would be good. I want to be surprised. I want to see Garland win 17 games. I want to see Schoenweis win 13. And I want our mystery 5th starter to come through.

Not re-signing Maggs would be a huge loss. Not just because he's a great player with a bright future. If the Sox don't offer him a multi-year deal worth at least $12 million a year, there's no way to retain him. I just don't want to see him go somewhere else and the Sox getting nothing in return. Let's hope.

For the first time in 46 days, the temperature will reach 40 in Chicago. This signifies several things. One, this pesky snow will start melting. Two, winter is winding down. And three, baseball is almost here! Spring training is right around the corner. We'll get our first look at the 2004 White Sox. Maybe after a couple weeks, we'll have a better idea of what to expect from our team. Provided the Frank/Ozzie situation is resolved one way or another, this season could be pretty good. I think the Sox will do well...better than we think (I hope anyway). It would be great to see them run away with the division from the get go, but it will probably be a nail biter of a season. Hey, I'll take a nail biter over the lackluster finish of last season. Oh, I'm sure Chicago will see more snow before the first pitch of the regular season...snow may still fall during the season. But, as we watch the snow float out of a gray sky, and as we crawl along the expressways trying to get home, we can look forward to sunshine, the crack of the bat, and "He Gone!"

Is it just me or does it seem like the New York Yankees are ruining the game of baseball? A $200 million payroll? The Red Sox are a distant second in payroll with $130 million. How can small and mid-market teams compete anymore? If you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, and the like, you know your team has no chance. Now if you're not a New York Yankee fan, you're throwing your hands in the air and saying, "Why bother getting excited?" Okay, granted the Yankees don't have an overwhelming pitching staff. But do they need it? With a field of all-stars who can potentially score ten runs a game, they don't need five aces. So I think we're all thinking the White Sox at least have a chance at the central division. I personally think they're going to do quite well...at least I think they'll surprise us. But what happens after that? Can the Sox beat the Yankees...regular or post season? I certainly hope so, but it's a scary thought. The worst part about all of this is that if the Yankees need more help during the season, they'll just go out and get it. For them, it's like going to the supermarket. Except instead of buying cereal, milk, and eggs, they buy sluggers, third basemen, and pitchers. :puke Baseball needs a salary cap. Baseball needs to put a stop to what's happening. Baseball needs to get its act together. Thank you for letting me rant.

Provided this is accurate, does anyone think KW will do anything to fill this potential hole? I say potential because who knows if Person would have even made the team let alone the rotation. There's not much in the way of free agents out there, but what about John Burkett or Garrett Stephenson? Neither are long term solutions...probably no more than a season or two, but Person is in that same boat. This off-season has been very frustrating. Even though I think the Sox have a chance at the division, KW's moves (or lack thereof) have been less than exciting. I was actually pleased by the Person signing. I figured he could have added somthing to the team. No that he's blown out his achilles (supposedly), it is just another disappointment.

I know it's way too early to actually foresee how many games each SP will win, but in order for the Sox to do well this year, the pitchers are going to have to step up. Our offense is pretty good...we will score some runs. It's keeping the other team from scoring more that's key. So, figuring a trigger is not pulled and we do not acquire another SP, how do we think each pitcher will do...win-wise at least? Better yet, how many games do they need to win? Here's my thought: Loaiza - 16 Buehrle - 18 Garland - 15 (he really needs to show he can pitch this year) Schoeneweis - 13 Person (my guess as the #5) - 11 Will this happen? I don't know. It sure would be nice to see those double digit wins for each pitcher, but it may be wishful thinking. In reality, I do see Loaiza and Buehrle winning upper teens each. As far as Garland, he shows flashes of being a great pitcher. He needs to do that all year! The #4 and #5 slots are a crap shoot...like every other year. Let's hope for the best.

Thank you!

It seems like most of us have the same idea for the rotation and lineup, with only small differences here and there. The bullpen and bench have a few more variations. So, here's my unoriginal guess: Rotation Loaiza Buehrle Garland Schoeneweis Person Bullpen Koch (closer) Marte Takatsu Politte Wunsch Wright Santiago Lineup 2B - Harris LF - Lee RF - Ordonez DH - Thomas 1B - Konerko 3B - Crede SS - Valentin CF - Rowand C - Olivo Bench Uribe Alomar Benard Of course this could all get tossed out if any trades happen, but who really thinks a trade will happen? Especially involving another SP?