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QUOTE (Wanne @ Dec 24, 2008 -> 12:38 PM) I can tell you there's not crap done right now...nothing out there except cotton fields at 111th Ave north of Camelback. I'd venture to say it'll be a few years before that's all done. Westgate did pop up pretty quick by the football stadium though. It'll be nice when it's all completed. Between that new area, Westgate and Arrowhead they'll be plenty of places to stay and go do things this part of the Valley. Westside ST will include...Goodyear (Indians), Glendale (Sox-Dodgers), Peoria (Padres-Mariners) and Surprise (Rangers-Royals)...not too shabby. I don't count Maryvale (Brewers) since it's a s***hole area. I know there's a Comfort Suites the opened not too long ago that's within walking distance to the new park (623-271-9005). Here's a quick little synopsis I found: http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/...anch-hote-3563/ Here's another nugget in the above link that in regard to a previous question you had: Thanks for the tip. Not shure if White Sox employees would include the players since they have less than 100 rooms, but I put a room on reserve anyway. I scored 4 tickets in Section 3 (just past the Sox Dugout) Row 1 on the Aisle for all 15 games in Glendale, although I will only use the last 5 games, I'll dump the first 10 games on soxtalk or e-bay.

I'd like to see the Sox trade Dye or Paulie for Fred Lewis LF for the Giants. This would give a speedy lefty leadoff hitter. Has great tools, including speed and home-run power. Can play any of the three outfield positions. LF: Anderson CF: Lewis RF: Quentin

QUOTE ('Wanne' date='Dec 24 @ 2008 -> 01:42 AM' post='1815111') What hotel complex? The site is located at 111th Avenue, west of the Loop 101 between Camelback Road and Glendale Avenue, and reaches across both Glendale and Phoenix city borders. The two-team facility will be the new home to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, and in addition to state-of-the-art baseball facilities, the site will include, residential, restaurant and retail development, 4-Star hotel and 18-hole golf course, developed by Rightpath Limited Development Group

I think the WBC Finals are in LA and Team USA plays the Sox in Glendale on March 6th.

QUOTE (Wanne @ Dec 19, 2008 -> 11:23 AM) Just drove past it this morning...still A TON OF WORK left to do. Can't remember where I read this...maybe the AZ Rep...but they were supposed to have a tour by a few players and team personell earlier this week that was rained out. Seemed strange at the time to have something like that rained out...but after going by this am...it's still nothing but mud all the way around. Took my camera out there but couldn't even get close enough to take some pics. The practice fields on the south end (along Camelback...which I believe is Dodgers side) are done...but still...the stadium doesn't look close to being done nor the roads/lots into it. But they had a ton of people out there working... A rep from the Sox called me from Camelback today. He said it wont be complete til Feb. Does anyone know if the Hotel Complex is completed, and what the name of it is? Better yet does anyone know where the Team Hotel is ? I would'nt mind staying there hanging out with players. It would be like a mini Soxfest, without the crowd. Soxfest West.

Had a chance to meet the Hawks at the Cell this summer. They were all great guys. Every player signed an autograph for us. I'm so sick of the Jag-Bags on the Bulls and Bears, what a great change of pace.

I think Scott was responsible for getting us out of Tuscon and into Glendale. I bet that was fun going in front of the Pima County Board with 3 years left on our lease and telling them we have a new facility in Glendale.

Here is a summary of the Josh Fields surgery this offseason from an article by Scott Merkin. "There turned out to be a lot more cartilage damage then what was initially expected," said Fields, who added that the knee soreness came to a head through a handful of collisions at home plate and hard slides breaking up double plays for Triple-A Charlotte in 2008. "It turns out that this has been needed for a while. "For a couple of years, I actually felt tightness, but you go out and play through things," said Fields, who credited White Sox athletic trainer Herm Schneider and his staff and the Charlotte training staff for doing everything possible to avoid surgery. "The pain would come and go. I could have gone in and played late in the game like I was, but we were going to have to get at it to play every day." Fields mentioned how doctors were surprised by the strength he was able to maintain in his legs through the knee problem, with 2007 serving as a prime example. While Fields felt the pain most while running, it also was prevalent while hitting. Another by-product of the surgery is that Fields will have greater flexibility in the field. That flexibility should contribute to improved defense at third base, a weaker area of Fields' game targeted by manager Ozzie Guillen during the 2008 season, which led to Juan Uribe taking the starting reigns when Joe Crede went down with back issues. Back in August, Fields told MLB.com how he would put in the necessary offseason work to make sure these defensive shortcomings would not be held against him again. Going at the task completely healthy only will help his cause. "Knowing my flexibility will be almost 100 percent, I'll be back where I used to be when I got drafted," said Fields, the White Sox top pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft. "I felt better fielding out of college then where I've been lately. The best news they told me was that there will be a dramatic improvement in my flexibility."

Not so fast … Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune is reporting that the swap of Jermaine Dye for Homer Bailey isn’t true. Gonzales writes: A source familiar with the talks rejected a report in the Dayton Daily News quoting a “major-league source close to the situation” that a deal to send Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye to Cincinnati for pitcher Homer Bailey “was done and would be announced this week.”

CHICAGO – Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, other newspapers and the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, has hired financial advisers ahead of a possible filing for bankruptcy-court protection, according to reports on Sunday. The Chicago Tribune reported its parent hired investment bank Lazard Ltd. and law firm Sidley Austin as it considers its financial options. "It's an uncertain and difficult environment," Tribune Co. spokesman Gary Weitman said in a Chicago Tribune story published on the newspaper's Web site Sunday night. "We haven't made any decision. We're looking at all of our options." Standard & Poor's Ratings Services downgraded Tribune's debt further into junk territory last month, saying the credit crunch could delay the sale of assets — and limit the amount that the company could get for them — including the Cubs, Wrigley Field and its 25 percent interest in Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Chicago Cubs chairman Crane Kennedy said Friday that the Cubs are going over bids for the team and he expects the baseball franchise to be sold by spring training. This better not afect the Winter Classic !!!

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Dec 6, 2008 -> 11:51 AM) This would make a lot of sense. I'd have an interest in numerous members of the Brewers, including Prince Fielder (of course you'd have to move Paulie but it is a deal that I'd make). Wont happen this year.If new manager Ken Macha wrote out his lineup today, first baseman Prince Fielder would be his only everyday left-handed bat.

SS J.J. Hardy or Alcides Escobar: The Brewers have their best positional depth at shortstop, a position of need for a number of teams in baseball, so a trade could make some sense if it can net some pitching. Hardy has one of the National League's best shortstop arms and has hit 50 home runs over the past two seasons, but Escobar is even better defensively and batted .328 with 34 stolen bases at Double-A Huntsville in 2008. Hardy has only two seasons left before free agency. Given his youth and promise, it would be shocking to see Melvin trade Escobar. If the Brewers do not trade either player, Escobar could begin the year at Triple-A Nashville. Or, he could play shortstop in Milwaukee and Hardy could be asked to move to third base. Both are right-handed hitters, though.

JJ Hardy can play 2nd. He could hit 30 dingers at the cell. Great wheels too.

Oakland (probably my least favorite one to go to)is in Phoenix down by the zoo (59th St-Van Buren). Not the greatest location unless you're looking to head back towards downtown on Van Buren and pick up some skanky hookers. I've seen that part of town on the show The First 48. Southwest airlines has about the best fares. I booked the Hampton Inn in Gendale near the hockey stadium. Looks like a decent place by a mall, but I'm not shure how the neighborhood is. It better be sunny and 85 out.

He was a fun to watch. I never knew they traded Phil Esposito to get him. WoW. Anyway I hope the Hawks honor him on Wendsday. RIP Pit !!

former hockey player Hubert Pit Martin is reported missing according to what RDS.ca has learned. Around 11 a.m. Sunday morning, M.Martin followed another motoneigist (snowmobile) on the lake Kanasuta when the ice yielded between the two before disappearing under the ice. Pit Martin played 1101 matches in the National league with Detroit Red Wings , Bruins of Boston, Blackhawks of Chicago as well as Canucks of Vancouver. He piled up 809 points.

Here is the 2009 Spring Training Shedule (Cactus League,not complete yet). Master Schedule: Cactus League * = night game February 25 LAD at CHC SF at CLE OAK at MIL SEA at SD February 26 MIL at CHC AZ at CLE OAK at LAA SEA at SD LAD at SF February 27 SD at CLE LAA at OAK LAD at SEA KC at SF CHC at TEX February 28 CWS at CHC LAD at COL CLE at OAK SF at SEA March 1 OAK at AZ COL at CLE MIL at LAD CWS at SF SEA at TEX March 2 TEX at CLE SEA at CWS SF at KC March 3 OAK at CHC CLE at KC LAD at SD AZ at SF March 4 CHC at CLE SF at LAD CWS at OAK WBC at SEA* March 5 WBC at OAK CWS at LAD LAA at SEA OAK at SF March 6 LAD at CHC WBC at CLE TEX at KC SF at LAA SEA at OAK March 7 LAA at AZ KC at CLE SEA at LAD CHC at MIL OAK at SD COL at SF March 8 TEX at CHC LAD at CWS MIL at KC SF at LAA CLE at OAK AZ at SEA OAK at SF March 9 KC at CHC CLE at CWS LAA at OAK LAD at TEX March 10 OAK at COL CLE at LAA AZ at LAD CHC at SEA SF at TEX March 11 SEA at KC CLE at LAD CHC at SF March 12 SD at KC WBC at LAD AZ at OAK TEX at SEA March 13 SEA at AZ SEA at CHC OAK at CLE TEX at KC TEX at LAD SF at OAK March 14 LAA at CHC SEA at COL AZ at KC LAD at MIL SF at OAK CLE at SD SD at SF March 15 MIL at CLE OAK at LAA COL at LAD CWS at SEA KC at SF March 16 SEA at CLE CHC at MIL LAD at OAK LAD at SEA LAA at SF March 17 CHC at LAD AZ at OAK MIL at SF CLE at TEX March 18 SF at CHC SEA at KC* COL at LAD March 19 CLE at MIL CHC at SEA SD at SEA* CWS at SF OAK at TEX March 20 OAK at CLE SF at CWS LAD at KC CHC at SD MIL at SEA March 21 KC at AZ LAD at CLE CHC at CWS MIL at LAA SF at OAK OAK at SEA SD at SF March 22 SEA at CHC CLE at COL LAA at KC TEX at LAD SF at MIL CWS at OAK CHC at SEA March 23 LAD at LAA CHC at OAK SEA at SF March 24 SF at AZ CWS at CLE OAK at KC SEA at LAD* TEX at SEA March 25 OAK at CWS LAD at MIL CLE at SD March 26 LAA at CLE LAD at COL KC at SEA CHC at SF March 27 LAA at AZ CHC at CWS KC at LAD SD at OAK* COL at SEA* CLE at SF March 28 CLE at AZ CHC at COL LAD at CWS TEX at KC SEA at LAA OAK at MIL SF at SD SD at SEA March 29 CLE at CHC SD at MIL COL at OAK KC at SEA MIL at SF LAA at TEX March 30 SD at CLE CHC at KC OAK at LAD MIL at SEA TEX at SF March 31 LAD at AZ SEA at CLE KC at OAK SF at TEX April 1 CHC at OAK CLE at SEA LAD at SF April 2 CLE at CHC LAA at LAD* (Dodger Stadium) SEA at SD OAK at SF April 3 CLE at HOU MIL at LAD* (Dodger Stadium) April 4 CLE at HOU MIL at LAD* (Dodger Stadium) April 5 LAD at SF (AT&T Park)