elrockinMT

The inside stories seem to change from one writer to the next. Most of what I have seen is that the yankees are very much in the hunt for Schilling and in fact Schilling has agreed in principle to accept a trade to the Yankees if a deal can be worked out. The next thing you hear is the fact the Yankees are turning their attention to someone else. I don't know if any of these so called insider experts know anything for certain. Pettite may very well be the Yank focus now anyway.

There is an artiucle out there either on MLB or ESPN which says that Colon is projected to resign with the White Sox. I hope that happens.

The salary expectation for Garcia is disturbing and doesn't make a lot of sense. Especially when you conisder the free agent market is tight and I don't see high figures going to many, if any. Maybe what the players need to do now is go to arbitration rather than pursue FA and they will get more? I don't really have a lot of interest in Freddie Garcia anyway.

I would like to see Keith Foulke in Chicago, but wearing a Sox uniform again.

I read this article on Hankins and my first thoguht was how I wished more players had the drive to improve themselves and succede. He just might make it to the bigs with that attitude.

Magglio Ordonez is the one player we should keep. I don't pretend to know anything about the Sox ecomomics other than Resinsdorf appears to be a pretty tight fisted owner. Maybe what he needs is a course on how good public relations and customer service along with putting out a quality product will make you a success. You don't build a winner on the cheap. If you spend money putting the best baseball team possible on the field the fans will come and spend money. I like Magglio and listening to peoples comments about Magglio and other Sox players makes me wonder what's the matter with some people. I think emotions run things for some rather than anyone actually being a judge of talent. Another issue is the salary demand. I have never seen Maggs demand $15M a year, maybe he has or his agent has, I don't know, but I bet they would be open to negotiating a long term contract at a fair price. Of course thats just my guess. One thing I think for sure is the fact Jerry Reinsdorf should be looking to spend more on this team and make a winner. If you build it they will come...

Lee for O.Perez would be a steal for the Dodgers. The idea of Konerko for Perez is much more appealing.

Maggs is a better team player than Manny Ramirez. I would rather have Magglio Ordonez on my team then Ramirez. Saying that though I don't see very many players worth $15M a year. I think it is going to take awhile before the agents and their player clients realize that no one has that kind of money to spend anymore. You can use $15M to build a pretty good team that will compete rathe than give it to one player and fall short of the prize. I hope Maggs stays, but I think all the rumors, reports, insider info, etc, point to somebody and probbaly more than one of our high priced players getting traded this off season. It will be interesting to say the least.

He was a life-saver for the Sox. I enjoyed watching him pitch the few times I saw him on TV. I think he will continue to be the team ace.

I'm with you. I need info and bad. I thought it was a bit odd that since this was the organizational meeting and strategy is being planned that we would hear something from somebody and nothing happened.

I guess I am not really that excited about trading Konerko either. Paulie spiraled downward from mid 2002 till mid 2003 and then caught fire. Just like anyone else could have had Paulie had a bad year. However, if we are to improve the Sox we may need to trade somebody and the one's who come to mind are the likes of Koch, Paulie, Maggs and Lee. But, only if we get quality in return. I would rather see at least 3 out of the 4 stay with the team. I don't understand why these big dollar contracts don't include clauses that require the players to give back part of their multi-millions for non-production. Add clauses in the terms that allow them to get more the next year for a return to productivity. No wonder we have fans who complain when a player gets $8M for batting .200 and/or sits out the year with an injury.

The idea of trading both maggs and Cotts for Johnson and Soriano is bad enough, but when you consider throwing in Rausch besides then it is simply the Sox getting ripped again. It seems that every time a trade rumor or idea surfaces here the Sox are giving up a ton of talent and getting little more than even steven out of it if they are lucky. Now if you said Billy Koch or Paul Konerko for Johnson I might think that was ok, but not two great pitching prospects and a super star for Soriano and Johnson. I don't see the Maggs thing happening anyway.

I am wondering if the main difference is the fact APBA and Strat-o-Matic in particular are based on the last years stats? They also have player cards and ratings from past seasons. You basically are playing in 2004 for instance with teams from 2003. However, you can do fantasy drafts, your own trading, etc but you are still with a past years stats.

It is obvious there must be quite a few good baseball games out there either computer games or board games. The only games were the board type when I was playing them. I only knew of APBA and Strat-o-Matic board games. I need to ask you guys concerning the othe games that have been mentioned: are they based on statistics and the extras that Strat-o-Matic and APBA use? I might try a computer version of the games rather than the board game.

Reports coming out now that Mazilli is the man in Oriole land. Zimmer left, Maz is gone and I have to wonder who is next. If Torre does stay for another year I would think Randolph is in line for the job next, if someone else doesn't grab him up.

You remember watching TV when Ted Kluzewski hit a homerun in the 1959 Word Series.

I used to play the Strat-o-Matic game years ago and really loved it. Some guys in school and my brother and I got together a few times a week and played against each other. Of course I was always the White Sox and my buddies picked the Twins, Yankees and Dodgers. I was wondering how many out there play this game, or similar games (like APBA) and what they think of them. I am considering purchasing the CD-Rom version. I know you can get on-line and play against others too. Anyone do that?

Maybe Man Soo Lee could help us out. Koreans and Japanese don't really like each other much. A lot of cultural history there. I don't think the Sox will ever be a big player in the Asian baseball scene. Players from Cuba and the Orient hope to jump into the Major League scene for the big payoff. Steinbrenner pays out enormous dollars and never really hits the jacpot with a consistent and great return does he? Matsui may be his best chance yet, but others have shown flashes of promise and then crash with injuries. Contreras has possibilities, but you can't judge much on one year. Seattle is another place the Asian player covets and I am surprised you don't see the Giants and Dodgers doing more.The Giants pack Pac Bell every game and you would think they would be making money and could spend some, but maybe Bonds gets a cut, I don't know. The Sox just can't compete with the likes of the Mariners and Yankees in Asia.

Rex, I think it was KW who called Everett and said thanks, but we can't give you the kind of money your asking for. However, I must disagree with your idea that Everett and Colon are bye-bye for sure. If the market is soft we just might make a run at one or both before the off-season is said and done.

It was a good move in picking up Jose for another year. Maybe we can sign him for a second year as he mentioned.

If we trade Koch then I hope we try and sign Keith Foulke. The team would have to eat crow, but then again we want a winner in Soxdom and not another year of what might have been. We would still have Cotts to show for the trade.

We are seeing Ozzie at his best and that's with his motor mouth going. Frank Thomas wants to win as much as Ozzie of that I am certain. If you have a problem with someone, or a potential problem, you meet with that person face-to-face and talk it out. Don't be puffing out your chest to the media. Now, if Frank is told in a face-to-face meeting what's expected and doesn't like it that's too bad for Frank. However, I think the Big Hurt will do what he is supposed to do and that's play baseball like a star and maybe be the team leader. People are too quick to blame Frank Thomas for the Sox failure to win the pennant.

Your right on both accounts. It's a crazy idea and it won't happen. The reason that Texas would trade A-Rod is to free up their salary and I can't see them taking 3 of our high priced players. A-Rod and Texas are a prime example of how drowning a player in green backs doesn't necessarily equate to a winning ball club. But, your POST is well taken and it shows what off season baseball is all about and that's dreaming of next year.

We got to see why Ozzie will be supplying lots of fodder for the baseball media> Frank has not said a thing publicly yet and I hope he just vents his "anger and tantrums" on the baseball> How can anyone doubt Big Hurts desire to win? I love what Frank has done for the Sox and want him to stay here and be the superstar leader>

Let's take a look at this group of pitchers. I like Wilson Alvarez myself. Hope we still go after Colon once the hype is over.