Rex Hudler

Just age and experience... He could make the jump witha huge spring, but as high as they are on him, and without an immediate need in Chicago, I don't see them pushing him. More likely, if he gets to Birmingham this year it will be at least halfway through. Of course, all that said, an injury or two at higher levels can cause all kinds of domino effects and change everything.

Barring some unforseen developments, Kris Honel will be in Winston-Salem to start the year.

Freaking RELAX people! Trading MJ allowed for them to bring back Alomar. Alomar was brought back to mentor Olivo and will do well in that role while still handling backup duties solidly. Alomar is EXACTLY what the Sox need to complement a player that the Sox are committing to. Olivo has earned it. He will be fine. But don't expet 20 HR or 20 SB from him and don't expect him to hit .300 his first year. No one here is saying Miguel will be an All-Star, but he has a very good chance at being a solid everyday player in the bigs and that is something that the Sox have not had at C in awhile. Who knows, he may even become an All-Star down the road, but that is not relevant this year.

Alomar was signed to be Olivo's backup. Paul will be in AAA or with someone else. Olivo will be fine. There is no need to panic here. Just don't expect All-Star numbers from him and he'll hold his own. Look for him to play about 4-5 days a week.

Rauch and Stewart will both be in AAA where they should be. Loaiza or Heredia will be the 5th starter. If whoever wins, pitches well into the season, then Rauch will stay in AAA until someone gets hurt or until September. If the winner falters, then Rauch will get his shot. There is no need to rush Rauch. The Sox rushed Wells and it hurt him. They rushed Garland and Wright and they are just now getting establised. They were patient with Crede and that move looks like it will work out well. There is no need for Rauch to learn at the Big League level if this team is fighting for the pennant. If Rauch wins the job by pitching outright, then fine. But why do the same thing to him that they did last year? The 5th starter won't get regular work in April and May. Use a veteran with experience in that slot and let Rauch develop at a more natural pace.

ChiSoxfn, when has Wunsch done his job since 2000? Do you remember him pitching in any games with meaning last year? Did they use him in late inning situations with the game on the line? No, he was a mop up guy, pitching in meaningless situations. Wunsch is roster filler and will not be a big part of a winning Sox team this year.

Ok, Hot, I got confused...... In your post about not understanding why everyone is down on Aaron, I was thinking Miles, hence my follow up post. I am not worried about Rowand. He'll be fine.

Never heard of him Hot. I sent you a message by the way.....

I think 2000 was Wunsch's career year. He will not duplicate it. I say no way Wunsch finishes the year in the Sox pen unless he is a 3rd lefty used in a mop up role only. I'm not convinced he will start the season with the Sox, but unless he implodes in ST, he'll probably get the nod.

Hot, I am not down on him at all, just being what I feel is realistic.. He had his first great year as a 25 yr old in his second go around at AA. If he is a late bloomer and deserves to be in the Majors, then he will prove it with a second big year in a row. I like Aaron and think he is a good player, but I look at the big picture, and Aaron hasn't consistently shown he belongs. If he does it, then fine, but the first 7 years of his career have to count for something. Sometimes good players make it and sometimes they don't. All I am saying is that this will be the year that will decide where he will fall.

Ace is a pretty sharp guy. He was Miguel's backup and may get a shot to play everyday in Birmingham this year. My guess is he is a career Minor-Leaguer that may end up as a coach someday. Very nice guy, just not in the same league talkent wise as Olivo.

Coach Brownlee thinks he can get more kids from the Chicago area to ISU (although he did well with them at UE) and that there will be more of a commitment to the program financially. There had been a lot of recent changes at Evansville, so it seemed like a good time to jump to his alma mater.

Hot, we've been on a roll together, but I have to disagree with you on this one... IF Miles is too get his chance, it will not be until 2004, assuming there will be no rash of injuries. There is a decent chance he won't even get to play full-time at AAA this year with Hummel and Nunez there. He needs to prove himself for another full season before he can be considered Major League material.

I know him and his son Tim (his Asst.) very well. He is a no BS kind of guy. He'll make them work hard and get on their ass. There will be days the players don't like him. But he will work his ass off and that is his alma mater. He wants to get to Omaha and even though he was very successful at UE, he felt he had a better shot at ISU. An interesting tidbit, Kris Honel's father was Coach Brownlee's assistant at UE for a year or two. Honel considered going to Evansville before choosing Arizona State and then ultimately signing with the Sox. Anything else you want to know, just ask.

That is exactly why they can't tell him any more than go to AAA pitch your ass off and your time will come. You can't promise a guy something or even say you intend to do something specific like that. What if Rauch is 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in AAA? Do they feel pressured to bring him up at a certain point because of a "promise made"? Realistically, if Rauch goes to Charlotte, he could be in Chicago in May or not until September depending on what the 5th starter does and whether injuries occur. rex..wasnt that foulke's big complaint???...that jerry promised him as soon as he straightened himself out the closer roles was his..then jerry said i cant do it because osuna and marte were 22 out of 24 in saves... i doubt jerry learned from that he could very well tell rauch he will be sent to AAA then called up by such and such a date..then have something happen where he cant do it ...then rauch is pissed off Similar type situation yes.... Now sometimes what is said by one person and what is heard by the other have different interpretations. I don't know exactly what Manuel told Foulke, but that is why you have to be careful making promises.

I'm gonna toss out Heath Phillips. His record was deceving last year and the Hoover Met is a great pitcher's park. I don't think Mr. Bullard can come "out of nowhere" and become a surprise since he is well-known now. Unless of course Jim, you put it all together this year, pass up Malone, Stewart and company and make it to the Big Leagues this year. Beyond that, I think you have made it past the point of being labeled as a surprise. Success comes at a price, doesn't it. HeatherLee, my best wishes to the Redbird baseball program this year. I know your new coaches very well.

That is exactly why they can't tell him any more than go to AAA pitch your ass off and your time will come. You can't promise a guy something or even say you intend to do something specific like that. What if Rauch is 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in AAA? Do they feel pressured to bring him up at a certain point because of a "promise made"? Realistically, if Rauch goes to Charlotte, he could be in Chicago in May or not until September depending on what the 5th starter does and whether injuries occur.

dont duck hon i got your back........go get em........... You are a doll Hot........ Well I am outta here..... I have laundry, dishes and packing to do...... I am heading into the great white north for the weekend (ok, only Southern IN, but anywhere north in the winter time disagrees with me). Have a great night all.....

Chisoxfn, I could be starting a real fight here and I will apologize it it turns into a full scale message board brawl, but I think the Dodgers will be fine. I have nothing but confidence in Danny Evans and although KW finally has put together a nice looking club, I'd still take Evans as the Sox GM in a heartbeat. (starts ducking now)

I like the fact that the Sox aren't rushing there players anymore. Olivo is kind of getting rushed, but he has the defensive abilities to fall back on, plus he isn't in a high pressure spot. Plus, it isn't too difficult to out hit MJ. Chisxfn, keep in mind Olivo did two turns at AA, so he is not being as rushed as it first may seem. It is still a big jump, but he did get two full years of AB's in a pitcher's park and in a pitching dominated league.

LA won't pay him any money unless there is a new owner in charge. Fox is pretty much content on selling the team and if they can't sell them you'll see them continue to lower the payroll till it is around 70 million or so. Thats a big drop off from what it currently is. Ummm....... the Dodgers increased their payroll 10% this year. Nonetheless, if Frank breaks out and has a great year and decides to walk, he could get enough the $$ he wants, or at least better than his option with the Sox is for.

All I remember about Loaiza is he pitched on rehab last year in Birmingham and tossed 7.2 innings. Took him only 65 pitches to face 24 batters (that's one over the minimum for those of you scoring at home). Everytime we'd get a hit it took him about 2 pitches to get a DP ball. We hit into 3 or 4 if I recall. All of that and 50 cents will buy you a soda, coke, pop (not sure where everyone is from). I just think they would be better served starting Rauch in AAA and bringing him up when he is needed (or if) only if he is doing well. Why let a guy have growing pains in the Majors if you have another option and you are trying to win a pennant? Like I said, patience worked with Crede and probably would have worked better with Garland, Wright or even Kip Wells. Let's try something different and be patient with a pitcher this time. Esp. if you think Rauch will be a stud for the long haul.

I don't think it would be too far fetched to say that either Heredia or Loaiza is a better pitcher than Rauch at this point. Rauch's upside is far greater, but he has pitched a grand total of 8 games in the Majors. Loaiza, on the other hand, has started 32, 28, 15 (plus 15 appearance out of the pen), 31, 30 and 25 games in the six years. He hasn't been a great pitcher, but take his experience, our offense and project him against other 5th starters in the leagues. I think we would be in good shape. Heredia must have been hurt all last year, because I cannot find any numbers on him, including the Mexican League. He has made 128 career Major League starts with a 4.46 career ERA, so his experience is nothing to be laughed at either, especially if he is healthy. He has a couple of really nice years with Oakland. This is not a knock on Rauch, just shows the options we have. Rauch's time will come, but I am not convinced it will not be better served with at least another half year of AAA. Going slow with Crede seemed to work, Garland and Wright have had their growing pains, so why not be patient with Rauch if we have options?

Significantly better than Heredia or Loaiza. Keep in mind that the 5th starter is not needed regularly in April, hence my feeling they will want Rauch to get regular work. We saw last year what happened when they put him in the bullpen and only pitched him once every 10 days.

Hot, I am not sure why I thought you were married........ Were are your seats in Birmingham again?? LOL