Rex Hudler

Agreed...... he has LH setup guy written all over him.

The sacrifice is villified in Billy Beane/Sabermetric circles as well.

You can score more with less. Wally Backman proved it the last two years in Birmingham. Get the right mix of players (speed, power, average) and runs can be scored without hitting 220 HR's. I'd much rather see the Sox pitching be their strong point. Hitting can generally be fixed easier through trades during the season.

Keep in mind that the NY Post is considered more of a tabloid type paper and is the 3rd wheel of NY newspapers behind the Times and the Daily News. I wouldn't bank on much that the NY Post breaks first.

I have no doubt Halladay will win. There is no shame in finishing 2nd or 3rd, however.

Just don't ever let it happen again!

I remember Pete Yorn being someone he recommended several years ago and that turned out to be solid. Also, I believe he mentioned John Mayer in his budding days as well, but not sure on that one.

Jason, there is only one set of GM Meetings. The other, in December are the Winter Meetings, which is where there is the most activity. The current GM Meetings have been specifically structured so as not to become a free agent frenzy. No more than two personnel from any Major League team are allowed to stay in the main hotel. Any others that have to stay at a different hotel, not made public (although I am sure word gets out). This is, in part to help keep the media at bay and make it more difficult for agents to roam the halls looking for "business".

Wrigley is a nice piece of nostalgia, but USCF is a FAR better place to watch a baseball game. It is better in every aspect - PARKING LOTS, for one. Also better food, better sight lines, NO sitting behind posts, better scoreboard, better fans, tailgating ( see parking lots ), and so on. The ONLY thing the Decaying Confines have over USCF is that the place looks more like a ballpark, and the Sox are working on that. USCF will never dislodge Real Comiskey from the #1 spot in my heart ( it is, after all, where I saw my first game, and I'll never forget walking up to the place and smelling the cigar smoke from the guys in front of me ), but it is a DAMN nice place to see a game, and as it stands right now it's a HUNDRED TIMES better than the Decaying Confines, and only getting better. Until more people think like you, I'm afraid you will be in the minority. The masses do not seem to feel the way you do.

I am somehow jumping in the middle on this one, so I may have missed something. forkit, are you suggesting that this would be a viable business move that would bring in more revenue/profit? Or were you being facetious?

You trying to say that it is not a sure thing, forkit?

I'll add that I am in total agreement, forkit.

Gammons is big into music..... he has always thrown in some musical references in colums for a long time.... He is usually right, for what it is worth.

Dellaero was released by the Sox at his request about a month into the season when he was at Extended ST. He was picked up by KC, but failed a physical and was immediately released (same injury that had in Ext. ST). He was then picked up by the Reds and finished the year in Chattanooga, their AA affiliate. I believe he is a six-year free agent at this point, but am not positive. Sadly, as bad as the guy was with the stick, he was as good with the glove. He could really pick it at SS.

No need to overreact Capn. All the article said is that the Mets would approach the Sox about this. Nowhere does it say that KW is doing anything more than laughing at the very thought. Going back to a conversation I had with a little birdie in NY.... He said that Koch is not high on the Mets list right now and that Foulke and Gordon are their most likely targets. If they can dump Cedeno, sure they will take Koch. That is a no- brainer. I also think that it is a no-brainer for KW to laugh at that offer, but then again, you never know with KW.

The other half is baserunning and hitting.

Any body else want to buy me a beer? LOL

Past, I have to disagree with you there. Baseball in the present has always been a business. When remembered in past tense, it has always been a game.

I think there are many things that threaten today's game and even cheapen it somewhat. But my point was some of the problems people b**** about today, they have always b****ed about. They just tend to be forgotten about as the years pass. Players making more money than they are worth, owners being tightfisted or greedy, the players playing mainly for themselves, competitive imbalance, etc. are complaints fans have made almost since the beginning of the game. They are not new problems. One difference in today's game is that agents are involved and the player's have the upper hand now. In the past, it was the opposite. My point was not to romanticize the game, state that the game is better than ever, etc., it was merely to point out to some of the younger guys that some things in this game never change and have always existed.

Past.... Your opinions of USCF are fair and accurate. I happen to like the place, however, I really like Wrigley too. Not having the hatred for the Cubs that many Sox fans do, it allows me to enjoy both ballparks. I do think however, that you are in the minority and that the numbers will tell you people still like Wrigley Field better. There are many reasons for that, but that is not the topic here. I am looking forward to seeing the renovations to USCF. I have never sat in the upper deck there (and don't plan to lol), but I think the ballpark has gotten a bad rap. I am more of a Vienna guy, rather than Best (they serve Best at both Wrigley and USCF, don't they?) so I get a hot dog outside Wrigley before the game. Sometimes I get a dog at USCF, sometimes not. The good news is that magically about a month or two ago, they started selling Vienna Beef Dogs in groceries down here in Bama. So now I have great dogs and great Chicago pizza down here. What else am I missing? LOL Past, if I make it back to Chitown next summer, I'd happily let you but me a beer. I just wish the schedule makers would make it easier to see games at both places without having to have a day off in between. Couple years ago I was able to catch a day game at Wrigley and a night game at Comiskey. That doesn't happen too often.

Hindsight is 20/20 forkit. The contract they gave Konerko didn't seem to be a problem at the time. In reality, Paulie, had two bad halves.... the second half of 2002 and the first of 2003. He hit well in the second half of this past year, however he did struggle some late. I think Paulie will be fine, but I do agree that we are heavy as a RH hitting team and slow, so if he could be moved to improve that situation or to give us more payroll flexibility so we can acquire pitching, I would not be against it. I do think he will bounce back, however.

Winter Meetings are Dec. 11-15 in New Orleans.... The GM Meetings in Phoenix are different and a little more lowkey, generally.

Duh! That's what the naming rights sponsorship was for. The ballpark has been criticized from day 1 and now you are complaining they are trying to make it better? Obviously, lots of people disagree with you there on that. I am sure some seats will be replaced, but there is no compelling reason to have all those seats that are empty 95% of the time. Until the demand approaches supply, there is no reason to have excess supply. I submit to you that less seats will increase revenues in the long run.

I don't think so. The steroid thing, if it is allowed to come out is going to be the worst thing since 1919. I also do not agree with the original post. This is not the Golden Age of anything. Where does it say anywhere that this is the Golden Age??

The easiest way to put summarize things with the Maggs talk is this. The Sox have $49 million tied up in 7 players right now. Thomas is staying. Koch and Konerko are not easily tradeable because of performance/contract issues. The main two possibilities that could be traded to give the Sox enough playoff flexibility are Carlos Lee and Maggs. Maggs is due to make $14 million this year, likley around 20% of the Sox payroll, give or take a few %. He is also a free agent after this season. Based on that, it seems likely that, if traded to the right team, he could bring the most in terms of a combination of players in return and cash freed up to obtain additional players. It is all mere speculation at this point. KW has said nothing more than he may have to be creative this offseason to put together a competitive team. He has not said anything specific about Maggs being traded. But the Sox are looking at a season of paying a guy $14 million in what seems to be a declining market, who may walk next year leaving the Sox with no more than draft picks for compensation. So the end result could be a winner for the Sox to trade him, get talent and cash in return.