Pastime

I like the pickup as well. It's obvious that Olivo is our catcher for the next 6 years (unless he falls on his face - I doubt it), and now we have a young kid who ALSO could be ours for the next 6 years. In other words, our catching position could likely be set. We have enough worries on the roster as it is - having the position of catcher solidified is a good thing.

Oh no - I don't want to hear that. Rauch just CAN'T be another overrated Sox prospect that was thought of too highly by Kenny.

Hammonds will always be a disappointment, IMO. When he came up in 1994 or 1995, he had a .303 average with 5 HR, 5 SB, and like 17 RBI's in just 100 ab's with the Orioles. He was "major league ready." Then the injuries came .... and they came .... and they came. Now he's just bouncing around from team to team.

I can't find any info on Kris Honel or Jon Rauch. How long until these two are in the Sox rotation?

The thing that caught my eye was the 9-game stretch before the All Star Break - 3 against Tampa Bay, 3 against Detoilet, and 3 against Cleveland without Ellis Burks. WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE to go 7-2 at the WORST. I would love to see a 9-game sweep, but realistically, 8-1 or 7-2 is more "honest." If the Sox can just be 3-5 games over .500 before they face those 3 cupcakes - we might just have something. I refuse to give up yet - the Angels looked like garbage for the first two months of last season, and they got out of the funk. Mark Buehrle should just throw a shutout every start - but then again, he would probably leave in the 9th in a 0-0 game.

For the record, I'm all in favor of a youth movement. But it will be ugly for a year or two. We will have Buehrle (back to his usual self), Loaiza, Garland, and Wright for sure in the rotation. I will assume that Rauch will be the #5 guy. I wish we could keep Bartolo Colon (Carlos Castillo II), but he's our Trump card in a trade in a month, UNLESS THE SOX GO ON A WINNING STREAK.

My favorite player on the Sox is Magglio Ordonez. The best right-fielder in Chicago.

Soxrule, Worldcrossing is having the same problem Kenny is having - the upgrade is taking a lot longer than expected. .. Well, all the Frank detractors will be happy after this year, like I said earlier. And then next year we'll have Konerko hitting .250 at 1B, if he's lucky. Plus, we'll have Miles at 2B, Jimenez at SS, Crede at 3B, Borchard in CF, Olivo at C, and Rowand in LF, with C Lee as DH. If you thought we had trouble scoring runs THIS year, oh, just wait. And for the record, EVERY team has a malcontent who loves to stick his foot in his mouth. Ours is Frank. As long as he hits, I don't care if he says a stupid thing every hour. I seem to remember the A's and Yankees dealing with Reggie Jackson's big mouth, and I also seem to remember the Indians and WHITE SOX dealing with Albert Belle's miserable ass as well. We should trade for Mark Grace - that way between him and Kong, we'd have the nicest interviewed players in baseball history.

I agree that Frank brings crap on himself - he has the Spiro Agnew "Foot-In-Mouth Disease." And Frank leads the team in HR's and is in the top 3 in RBI's. You will get your wish about Frank Thomas leaving after this year - the White Sox are going to go on a Youth Movement.

It seems to me that last year, Paul Konerko looked at his stats and then looked at Frank's, and he came up with the notion that "It's MY team now. Out with the old, and in with the new." You don't hear much from Kong anymore, do you? SoxRule, You and I discussed this on another forum last year - players should keep things in house - you don't go to the media to b**** and whine. If Paulie was such a "team player," then he would have confronted Frank man-to-man and discussed his feelings instead of running to the lights like a moth.

Well, the next 5 weeks will decide the fate of the team. The schedule is as follows: At home for 10 games against S.F., S.D., and Boston Away for 6 games - vs. the Flubs at the World's Biggest Singles Bar, then on to Minnesota for 3. At home for 6 games against the Flubs and Twinkies. Away for 9 games against Tampa Bay, Detoilet, and Cleveland.

Is there ANY part of Ellis Burks that hasn't been surgically repaired? Geez.

I don't know if you all have noticed (and I know you have), but Konerko hasn't done JACK since he was basically told to "shut up" last year. I can only assume that he was trying to be a team leader by calling Frank out last year, but all I can say is - who the hell is Paul Konerko to call anyone out? When he wins 2 MVP awards, hits .320 lifetime, hits .357 in a year, or drives in 100 runs for a 7 year period - then and only then can he open his mouth. If Frank Thomas wanted to take the low road, he could rip Paulie a new asscrack for how crappy HE'S performing this year. Konerko and Buehrle are neck-in-neck in the race for "The 2003 White Sox Biggest Disappointment of the Year."

Look carefully at Biddle's save situations - most are when the Expos are up by 2 or 3 runs - in other words, he's just Joe Borowski Lite. I don't miss him, and I certainly don't miss LiefBot - who was cut recently, by the way. I guess his upper-cut, strikeout-having, piss-poor selfish attitude didn't go over any better in Canada than it did here. I'll bet Liefbot would lick Kenny's toe fungus for a job now, wouldn't he? Jeff Liefer = LOSER

When I started following the Sox, I was a very young kid. I remember Wilbur Wood, Jerry Hairston, Bucky Dent, Ken Kravec, Brian Downing, Jorge Orta, Bill Melton, Chet Lemon, Claudell "Loser Ass" Washington, and I remember Harry Caray doing the games on what was it? Channel 44? Needless to say, the 1977 White Sox were the "South Side Hit Men." As of now, this 2003 team will be known as "The South Side s*** Men."

I agree that Borchard isn't ready. But then again, neither is Harris or Rowand. I keep hearing how fast Harris is - yes, he's fast as diarrhea coming from a stomach patient. However, you can't steal 1st base. If we're going to struggle in CF with an underperforming loser who can't hit the Medoza Line - I'd rather it be with our "hot prospect" instead of two minor-league borderline players. However, read on. Actually, if I had my total druthers, I wouldn't play any of those three losers on the parent club - I would find a cheap-ass CF like Tom Goodwin to just fill in the spot until one of the 3 young losers gets a clue and decides that a bat is for hitting a ball - not just a customary part of the uniform when you go to the plate.

The Sox HAVE to go 5-1 in the next 6 .... 4-2 Worst case scenario. Otherwise, they've made no progress and have just stayed at the line of mediocrity. There's no reason why they can't sweep the Padres - that team is the Detroit Tigers West. And look at the Giants - besides Bonds and Aurillia - who scares you in that lineup? Santiago and his Geritol bat? Jose Cruz - the two-month-a-year wonder? Ray Durham? LMAO!!! Let's all get a laugh at that one. I hope that Garland dusts Durham in his first plate appearance. But if Durham hits the dirt, he won't hit it well to his right ......

I think that Rowand not playing WAS a sign - a sign that the team wanted some production from that position for a change.

I'm the most upset by the glaring omission of Scott Ruffcorn. Those morons.

I can simply sum up Frank's "resurgence" since moving to 1st base: 1.) When he's at DH, he goes down into the locker room and studies his last at bat - in other words, he thinks about it too much. At 1B, he can't do that since he's playing the field. 2.) When he's playing 1st base, he has to worry about his defense first and foremost - since even he knows he's s***ty defensively - and his hitting is his "second concern." When his hitting is his second concern, he just lets his NATURAL ability take over - he's a NATURAL hitter, and he just does what comes to him easily without thinking about it. In other words, Frank should do whatever it takes to get it done ... I hope Konerko gets an asscheek infection from being poked by bench splinters the rest of the season. 8 million dollars for CRAP.

Needless to say, I'm not jumping for joy about this move - I'm not even letting out a burp to it. What's the big deal? We're replacing a guy who hit .185 in the majors and .220 in the minors this year with a guy who hit .180 in the majors and .230 in the minors this year. In other words, it's like trading a smashed up Chevette for a rusted out Yugo. YAWN. If we're going to have an underperforming CF - it seems to me that it should be our "stud" or our "hot prospect" - which is Borchard. As long as I never have to see Willie Harris do anything else but pinch-run, ala Ced Landrum, I'll be happy. Willie Harris = Triple AAA All-Star and Major League Bench Warmer. He's an "AAAA" player if I've ever seen one. Maybe Kenny can call Chico Walker to play center.