DBAHO

Steve's a Lepricorn!

From the Daily Herald, TEMPE, Ariz. - At the moment, White Sox general manager Kenny Williams doesn't feel like messing with a starting rotation that features Mark Buehrle, Esteban Loaiza, Jon Garland, Scott Schoeneweis and, most likely, Dan Wright. There's not a legitimate ace in the bunch, and only Buehrle has a somewhat proven track record. Loaiza, who came from out of nowhere last season to finish second in Cy Young Award voting with a 21-9 record, has been hit hard in his last two spring starts and is becoming more of a question mark than sure thing. But as the days before the April 5 regular-season opener at Kansas City continue to dwindle, it's not like Williams is lacking outside options. For months there have been rumors of a trade with the pitching-rich Dodgers, but Williams has been reluctant to send a power hitter like Frank Thomas or Paul Konerko to Los Angeles in exchange for a marginal starter like Odalis Perez. Before spring training opened, the typically covert Williams acknowledged talking trade with the Dodgers. "It's quite possible,'' he said. "I know they've been looking for a (hitter) for a long time and the market certainly has gotten very thin. It's possible.'' While the rumors linking the Sox with L.A. have cooled considerably, Williams just might have an even better trade partner with the Angels. Ironically, the White Sox played a Cactus League game against Anaheim on Tuesday and faced starting pitcher Bartolo Colon. After going 15-13 with a 3.87 ERA and 9 complete games for the Sox last season, Colon spurned a three-year, $36 million contract offer and wound up signing a four-year, $51 million deal with the Angels. Colon's departure left a gaping hole in the White Sox' rotation, but there is a chance an Anaheim starter could fill the void. "If Kenny thinks we need some help in the starting rotation, I'm sure he'll go out and get somebody,'' said Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. How does Jarrod Washburn sound? If the White Sox are willing to part with a quality minor-league prospect like Jeremy Reed, Joe Borchard or Jon Rauch, Washburn could be had, according to sources. The 29-year-old Washburn pitches a lot like Buehrle and had a big season (18-6, 3.15 ERA) in 2002 while helping the Angels win the World Series. Washburn tailed off last year, going 10-15 with a 4.43 ERA. The left-hander is slated to make $5.45 million this season. If Washburn doesn't appeal to the Sox, right-hander Ramon Ortiz is also available. Like Washburn, Ortiz was solid in 2002 (15-9, 3.77 ERA) before falling back to 16-13 with a 5.20 ERA in 32 starts last year. The 30-year-old Ortiz carries a $3.1 million salary this year. And if that's not enough, Anaheim is willing to part with 33-year-old Aaron Sele, a disappointing 7-11 (5.77 ERA) in 25 starts last season. Sele was a big winner with the Red Sox, Rangers and Mariners from 1997-2001, but the veteran right-hander is still trying to make a complete recovery from rotator cuff surgery he had following the '02 season. If the White Sox agreed to take a gamble on Sele in a trade, the Angels would have to pick up a significant chunk of his $8.5 million salary.

Andy Marte was rated #1, 2. Jeremy Reed, OF, White Sox, Age: 22 The ChiSox selected Reed, a Long Beach State product, with their second-round pick in 2002. That same year, he had a solid season in the Sally League, but in 2003 he went absolutely nuts with the lumber. He showed outstanding plate discipline and good gap power in the Carolina League for the first half of 2003, and then dropped a daisy cutter on the Southern League in the second half. Here are his eye-popping numbers at AA-Birmingham: .409 AVG/.474 OBP/.591 SLG. His walk rate slipped a bit, but the power numbers are unassailable. He's already proved he can handle the high minors, and his bat is a thing of beauty. Granted, batting average is a statistic that's somewhat prone to random fluctuation, but Reed is a proven raker. His glove will confine him to a corner position, but the bat will take him places. ETA: Late 2004.

Zack Greinke at 13? Edwin Jackson at 11? C'mon they are probably the 2 best pitching prospects in baseball.

So does every1 have the game on PS2 or PC?

Very tough break for farmers down here, first the drought and now this.

Gees, u guys are a bit late.

Philly will do all it can to deal AI. He's a cancer on that team rite now. Don't be so sure bout da Bulls takin Okafor either, his back mite be even worse than Chandler's and that's sayin sumthing.

I so hope da Boys will knock em out in the NFC Championship.

A posted that here a few days ago. Absolutely hilarious cartoon, although my fav's been da Oakland Raiders 1 with Al Davis.

Maybe Shingo and Shoe had too much to drink bf they started pitching. :headshake

That's what happens when u drink too much on St. Patty's Day.

Damn I know ppl round here are goin to dispute this. Jerry Manuel brought the best out of his players? Ha, if he did he'd still be managing becuase they would have won the AL Central last year. Every1 round here is glad JM is gone and retired down at Del Boque Vista, and to rant on Ozzie when he hasn't even managed a season game yet is just unfair.

Yeah along with Josh Rupe who I remember Jason said we would really regret in giving up. Also there was 1 other minor - league pitcher included in the deal too I think.

Gives us sumthin we can deal from as well. We can easily trade a Borchard say for a Hanarran type of pitching prospect, or as part of a bigger deal. The Sox will go afta a lot of pitching in this year's draft, and prob draft sum infielders, and mayb even a catcher in the early rounds. Don't forget Clint King too, he was our 3rd round pick in last year's draft. And imagine if we still had Anthony Webster.

That was probably the big difference in the election. To every1 it was a big suprise that the old Prime Minister didn't get re-elected.

Now with the new Spanish Prime Minister being elected, he's threatened to pull out all spanish troops if the U.N don't intervene. Bush just lost a real big allie to his war against terrorism.

In 1993, Jamie Burke was drafted by the Angels. The California Angels. They represent Anaheim now, but Burke is still trying to make a name for himself. The 32-year-old Burke has been bouncing around the minor leagues for the past 11 seasons. Other than a brief appearance with the Angels in 2001 and playing in six games with the White Sox last year, his professional career has been chock full of injuries, disappointment and plenty of long bus rides. It's a journey Burke would take again. "I never thought of giving it up,'' Burke said. "There are bumps in the road I've had to take, but they've only made me stronger. And the last few years, I've become a smarter player.'' Burke has been getting very high marks from White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen this spring and is on the verge of locking up a job on the 25-roster. Primarily a catcher the past eight seasons, Burke has been playing some third base in the Cactus League this spring. That's Joe Crede's position, but the White Sox need a dependable reserve and Burke has shown he can do the job. "I came up with the Angels as a third baseman,'' Burke said. "I knew they wanted me to work at third base this spring and it's a position I'm still comfortable playing. Obviously, being able to play two positions, it's kind of a bonus. It puts me in a good situation.'' Juan Uribe is the Sox' primary utility infielder, but he's most comfortable at shortstop and second base. Burke didn't hesitate when the White Sox asked him to play third. "Jamie Burke is a bulldog,'' Guillen said. "I love that kid. He goes out every day and does his job. He does whatever I tell him to do. Hopefully, everything will go well for him and he'll have a chance to make the team.'' Burke thought he'd be breaking camp with the Angels in 2002, but his name was included in the last round of cuts. In 1999, Burke was batting .336 at Class AAA Edmonton when he received a call from Anaheim. But in his final game before heading to the major leagues, Burke was hit by a pitch on the left elbow and missed the rest of the season with a fracture. "That was pretty tough to take,'' Burke said. "I was having a career year and I was supposed to go up the next day. You can say, 'This isn't fair' and start looking around for something else to do. But I never thought that way. I've always had fun coming to the ballpark and I still do. That's why I've kept playing.'' From Cedar Rapids to Vancouver to Charlotte, Burke has played in 946 minor-league games while dreaming of finally establishing himself at baseball's highest level. When the Sox head to Kansas City for the April 5 season opener, Burke finally should get his chance. "I don't want to look too far ahead because I know how things can happen,'' he said. "But I know I can play, and I've gotten better the last few years. I haven't let anything get me down and that's going to help me in the future.''

Here's some of the article, The Orioles have made it known since December that they would make right fielder Jay Gibbons available for the right trade, and they may have found a willing partner in the Los Angeles Dodgers -- who are seeking to trade a starting pitcher for a hitter. Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Jim Beattie acknowledged the Orioles' desire to add a proven starting pitcher but declined to address specifics. The Dodgers have had a scout following the Orioles regularly this spring, and according to a league source, they have targeted left fielder Larry Bigbie, offering a starting pitcher such as left-handers Odalis Perez or Kaz Ishii in return. However, the Orioles are believed to be unwilling to part with Bigbie, preferring to send Gibbons, 27, to the Dodgers. According to an Orioles source, the Dodgers have not shown a willingness to give up 20-year-old right-hander Edwin Jackson, ranked by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in baseball. If Gibbons is in fact on the block, it is because the Orioles are facing difficult decisions in the outfield. The team would like to carry both B.J. Surhoff and Jack Cust -- both of whom, like Gibbons, are left-handed-hitting corner outfielders -- but may be forced to let one go unless an opening develops. Cust, a 25-year-old with enormous power potential, is out of major league options, meaning he would have to be passed through waivers to send to the minors. Team officials believe firmly Cust would be claimed if exposed to the waiver wire. In addition, the Orioles on Monday started infielder Jose Bautista, a Rule 5 draftee whom they must keep on their roster all season or lose him, in left field for the first time this spring -- another indication they may be looking for additional options in the outfield if Gibbons is traded. "We want to see him out there," Mazzilli said of Bautista. "You have to keep your options open." In terms of long-term strategy for their outfield, the Orioles, with some $18 million in salary room coming available after this season, may target free agent outfielders Carlos Beltran and, or, Magglio Ordoñez after this season.

Best wishes to Brando for his loss, sounds like him and his grandmother were very, very close.

The Sox optioned pitcher Gary Majewski to Triple-A Charlotte and reassigned catchers Jonathan Acevas and Carlos Maldonado, pitcher Josh Stewart, infielder Mike Bell and outfielder Mario Valenzuela to minor-league camp.

I've got no doubts, if he doesn't have any injuries he'll be in Birmingham by the end of the season, and I think he'll be playin with the White Sox by 2006.

My bad, I didn't see it was already up, one of da mods can delete or merge it.

From Phil "I want Griffey" Rogers, TEMPE, Ariz. -- Ryan Sweeney dug into the batter's box, his 6 feet 4 inches in a powerful, upright stance. The first fastball he saw from Bartolo Colon was a good one, barely missing the strike zone. Sweeney took it for ball one. The next one came in on the inside part of the plate, seemingly destined to break Sweeney's bat if he swung. He not only made good contact but also somehow pulled the ball toward the right-field corner. It one-hopped the Tempe Diablo Stadium, allowing him to cruise into second base with a double. Two pitches, two bases. Pretty impressive for any major leaguer facing an intimidator like Colon for the first time. But this wasn't any hitter. It was a 19-year-old who at this time a year ago was attending Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This was no fluke either. "I'd just as soon see him come up against a right-handed pitcher as anybody we have," White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker said before Tuesday's 9-7 loss to Anaheim. Sweeney, who was the 52nd pick overall in last year's draft, is baseball's newest phenom. Roland Hemond, the Sox's resident sage, practically gets misty-eyed talking about Sweeney's sweet swing from the left side of the plate. He laments that if his sister had not passed away in December then he could show off Sweeney for her like he once did another young Sox slugger. That would be Harold Baines, he of 2,866 career hits. "I probably shouldn't put that on the kid but it's true," Hemond said. "I'm getting goose bumps just talking about him. It was the same way with Harold." Because the Sox brought only seven outfielders to camp, then lost Joe Borchard to a strained quadriceps and released Marvin Benard, Sweeney is getting an unexpected opportunity. He has responded in a way rarely seen by someone with so little experience, hitting .333 with three doubles in 21 at-bats. It's almost as if no one told him these are big leaguers pitching. In Sweeney's first game, he had a single, stole a base and from right field threw out a runner who was trying to go first to third. His confidence has seemed to grow. Against Kansas City, he worked left-hander Jeremy Affeldt for a walk, fouling off several two-strike pitches, and then got a hit. He looked so good at the plate in a game against San Diego that Bruce Bochy pulled Brian Lawrence and brought in a lefty reliever to face him. Playing the Cubs last Saturday, and knowing full well that friends and family would be watching the telecast on WGN, he collected hits off Carlos Zambrano and LaTroy Hawkins. "My parents were watching on TV and they said it was wild," Sweeney said. "The phone was ringing off the hook. Guys I played with in high school were calling and saying they couldn't believe it." Even though he has seen Sweeney for a few weeks, Walker sounds as if he's having a hard time believing it. "Where do you want me to start?" he said. "He's a physically talented guy, a mechanically sound guy and he has ice water in his veins." Jeremy Reed came to Arizona as the White Sox's outfield prospect on the fast track. He is 22, had been a star player at Long Beach State and hit .373 in his first full season as a pro. Some expected him to challenge for a job this spring, which would be his first in a big-league camp. But Sweeney has outplayed Reed, who is hitting .130, as well as Brian Anderson, the power-hitting University of Arizona center fielder who was the Sox's first-round pick last June. Walker says Reed isn't quite 100 percent physically (he hurt his wrist playing for Team USA in December) and may have put too much pressure on himself. He says Anderson has been impressive, as was Borchard before trainers decided to be careful with his minor injury. But it's Sweeney who is stealing the show. A two-way star in Iowa—his left-handed fastball clocked around 90 m.p.h.—he was disappointed to slide into the second round in the draft. He had committed to play for Tony Gwynn at San Diego State but took $785,000 to sign with the Sox. Sweeney knows his days with the varsity are numbered. He's going to head to the minor-league camp soon. He's on the roster with low-A Kannapolis but some in the organization fear he'll be pitched around too much there. They believe he could hold his own, even at Double-A Birmingham. So, it seems, does this kid, only one year removed from his prom. "I don't think I've surprised myself," Sweeney said. "I worked hard in the off-season. I wanted to come here ready." Mission accomplished.

Dunno, but I know Roy Williams will.