winninguglyin83

Maybe Harris just needed some guidance -- and somebody who believed in him. He got a pretty quick hook when he didn't hit for a few games in a row, although I'll admit he looked overmatched against some pitchers and refused to shorten his stroke. If the Sox don't resign Alomar, you have to believe second base is one spot where they will go cheap, saving their resources for a pitcher, shortstop or center fielder. They have two options at second -- Harris and Miles. Both are at the age that if you have any belief that they are big-league players, you have to find out if they can play. I don't think second base is a spot where you spend a s*** pot of money. Just good to debate Sox baseball instead of talking about other teams around the league, including You Know Who

i'm not convinced Robbie Alomar will be resigned, especially if he wants a two-year deal. And if he is resigned, I don't know how much he has left in the tank. he didn't do much in September, as I remember. Harris' best bet to play might be as a Tony Phillips kind of guy. Some second base. Some outfield. Needs to hit either second or eighth or ninth. He'll probably be better off in the National League where there is more shuffling of the lineup with pitching changes and double switches. But as I said earlier, he's the only speed we have, and I predict he gets a chance because the sox are going to try to get away from all the reliance on power, the problems with double plays and the station to station runners. Just my prediction.

both times JM tried to play Harris he struggled with the stick. and JM gave him the quick hook I think he needs to get a couple of months to show if he can hit in the bigs. guy was tearing up the International League in April. I think he at least deserves a long serious look in spring training. Last year he didn't get that because it was obvious management favored D'angelo.

Do it for Mike Sirotka boys. I NEVER EVER liked the Phat Boy and his Babe Ruth hat Sirotka did more for the Sox than Phat Boy ever did.

hey, the guy has some value because he can play several positions, is left-handed and can run. At some point Sox need to find out if he can play at all.

one thing in his favor is that Harris is really only the speed the white sox have. If Guillen becomes the manager, I would imagine Harris will get a major chance somewhere because he'll try to emulate what the Marlins do. Harris might work better as a number two hitter with Maggs or CLee hitting behind him. Just a thought. I, too, worry about his stick as a major league. Tough to shake that horrible at bat he had in the Boston series with the tying run at third.

Obviously the Yankees think they're so good they can win eight against nine.

just watching this guy hit left handed, drop all those bunts and steal bases, I'm wondering if Harris could become a top of the order hitter for the Sox like Pierre is for the Marlins. Harris got jacked around pretty good this season. He was great at Charlotte for the first month. I believe his OBP was close to .450. Struggled when he came up and then quickly was shuffled into no-man's land by Manuel. He was a man without a position or place in the lineup, not good for a guy who's 24. The things I wonder about Harris are: 1. What is his best position? Second base or center field? 2. Can he hit .280 or so at the big league level, take his walks, steal some bases and give the lineup juice at the top of the order? Just lookin for other opinions.

no way Schoeneweis is removed. He has been promised a chance to be the number five starter. If he fails, we need him in the pen. As a lefty, Sanders also sticks -- at least through spring training. If we don't want him, he should have some trade value. I agree that both Alomars, Daubach and Everett could be goners. If we need to clear other spots, I would imagine that Mike Rivera and Scott Sullivan could be off. Rivera because the Sox never looked at him all season. Sully because he has an option the Sox might not pick up.

First thing we need to do is settle our pitching staff. we've three starters locked in. Need to make/get a decision on Colon. Then we need to upgrade at Number Five starter. Who will close? Gordon is not under contract. If he leaves, it will be Damaso. Koch remains a ???? Job One is upgrade the pitching. As for our position players, we need to eliminate at least one lead-legged bopper and add somebody with some wheels who knows how to get on base. Easier said than done.

nice to know that they at least inquired.

the 40-man is on whitesox.com go to the main page. then click on The White Sox on the second line of the tool bar. that will give you the 25-man roster. Then click on 40-man roster on the right side of the page.

I hope the Cubs try to make it a whole season with K Lo next year we saw what he can do from April to September last season. If Patterson is healthy, Lofton will be lookin for work.

this is either going to be a curse-buster or a set-up for the Fish to stomp on the hearts of both losers in one season.

story by Jerry Crasnick from ESPN.com on managerial search. Mostly pro-Guillen. But note the jab from a scout deep the story. Scout said he loved Manuel but said the Sox played with no fire this season. No s***. Scout musta caught Jerry's boys in Comerica Park Tuesday, October 14, 2003 By Jerry Crasnick ESPN Insider White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, no proponent of the theory that any publicity is good publicity, is conducting the team's search for a new manager under a code of silence. Now the good news: With the cross-town Cubs closing in on their first World Series appearance in 58 years, the reaction beyond a 12-block radius on Chicago's South Side is, "Manager search? What manager search?" Despite Williams' best efforts, though, details keep trickling out, and the hiring process is taking shape. The Wally Backman bandwagon is in the shop for repairs. Terry Francona, Buddy Bell and Cito Gaston are all lined up for second or third cracks at running a club. And a source told Baseball Insider the White Sox will also interview former Phillies manager Nick Leyva, now a minor-league infield instructor with Chicago. But Williams' most intriguing candidate still has baseball business ahead of him. Ozzie Guillen, a fan favorite in 13 seasons as White Sox shortstop, has at least one game left this season in his job as third-base coach with the Florida Marlins. Then he'll interview with the White Sox. Guillen Does Guillen have a shot? It certainly appears so. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf is a fan, and Guillen has some cachet in the city where he picked and grinned for 13 seasons. Not the cachet that, say, Eddie Murray has in Baltimore. But Guillen has it all over Murray in the social skills department. He's also the only candidate endorsed by the South Florida chapter of the AARP. Marlins manager Jack McKeon, Guillen's boss, raved about him in an interview with the Chicago Tribune's Teddy Greenstein. "He communicates well," McKeon said. "He's good with the Latin players. He's a very knowledgeable baseball man. He's colorful, a fun-loving guy. He keeps everybody loose. Sometimes you need to put a muzzle on him, but that's his nature. He's a very talkative, hyper guy." Ozzie Guillen might play the clown prince, but one scout says he doesn't miss a thing. Although coach Perry Hill deserves credit for his work with the Florida infielders, people around the team say Guillen has had a noticeable impact on shortstop Alex Gonzalez's disposition. Gonzalez used to pout and take bad days at the plate into the field with him. Now he's a more focused player, and it shows in the numbers. Gonzalez made only 16 errors this season after averaging 24 in his last three full seasons. Guillen doesn't mind playing the clown prince of baseball, but that's just surface stuff. In the words of one scout who knows Guillen, he doesn't take any "crap" from players and knows the game inside and out. "Ozzie's real sharp," the scout said. "He doesn't miss a thing. He's not just some happy-go-lucky guy." Williams will choose his next manager from a smorgasbord of personality types. Gaston won two world championships with Toronto in the early 1990s, but he's basically Jerry Manuel without the charisma. Francona's positive attitude wears well, but he had a rap in Philadelphia of being too easy on players. While Bell is respected throughout the game as an old-school ball guy, his managing stints in Detroit and Colorado ended badly, right down to the strained relations with general managers. “ I love Jerry Manuel. But I watched those guys a lot this year. And starting from spring training, they just rolled the balls out there. They had no enthusiasm. ” — A National League scout, on the 2003 White Sox. Comparisons between Guillen and Kansas City's Tony Peña are inevitable because: a) they're Latin-American; and B) they both have a zest for the game that's infectious. The difference is that Peña spent three years managing Triple-A ball before Allard Baird hired him in May 2002. Guillen has no managerial experience. Peña is also in perpetual "up" mode and has a flair for diplomacy. Guillen, in contrast, has no shut-off valve when it comes to candor. Everything that pops into his head tends to come out of his mouth. The White Sox, of course, aren't the Royals. They failed to make the playoffs this year with a veteran club and high expectations, and their fan base is likely to be crankier than ever in light of the Cubs' success this season. "I love Jerry Manuel," said a National League scout. "But I watched those guys a lot this year. And starting from spring training, they just rolled the balls out there. They had no enthusiasm." It's time for an attitude adjustment at U.S. Cellular Field. Whether Mr. Fix-it is a fresh face (Guillen) or an experienced candidate (Francona, Gaston or Bell) depends on just how much of a risk Kenny Williams is willing to take.

out of character for Torre to do a Jerry Manuel-tinkering job, especially with the World Series and endless hostility from Boss on the line.

Best thing about the Cubs season Dusty overworked Wood and Prior. The toll will catch up to both of them at some point next season. Book it, Dan-no.

now an error by Enrique Wilson allows another run as Aaron Boone, the third baseman Boss HAD TO HAVE, is sitting this one out. Torre might get his ear drums blistered too.

Either yount or Guillen would be fine with me more interested in how we shape our pitching staff.

sick of the Yankees Thank you Trot Nixon As Hawk would say, Carmines take a 2-0 lead. Hope to see Boss blow his stack. Giambi, the $17 million seventh place hitter? Clemens getting blown up. Waited a long time to see the Yankees get their heads handed to them. Do it BoSox. Pour it on

The way Cabrera has performed gives me hope that Jeremy Reed can help the Sox next year. Maybe not from the get-go, but maybe by mid-season

And let's not forget that the guy can play third, left and right. He's a bad boy. Fish will keep him for a few years -- and then he'll pick up the rest of his career in the Bronx, after they're done with whatever free agent they cherry pick this year.

probably Nick Leyva. long time cardinal coach in the days of the White Rat and Ozzie Smith believe he was also coach with Blue Jays He's 50 won only 44 percent of his games in 2 seasons and 13 games with the Phillies fregosi replaced him in Philly and eventually took the team to the Series. he's been in the Sox farm system for a few years. Was at Charlotte for a bit, then dropped down to manage Bristol in the Appy League the last two years. We can do better.

If Miguel Cabrera was the best hitter in the Southern League, Jeremy Reed wasn't far behind. Yesterday Reed went 2 for 5 with a double, run, RBI and sacrifice while batting leadoff for Team USA. And Ryan Hankins, trying to become a catcher, continues to sting the ball. Hankins went 3 for 4 with a run and 4 RBIS. His home run was his third of the AFL season.

Trib had that last week -- then the Sox told Francona to clam up. the reports are all over the board today. Trib sez Backman will get an interview. Daily Southtown claims that isn't true. Trib had glowing story about Guillen in which he talked a bunch about his relationship with Reinsdorf. I saw another story that hinted the leading candidate was actually Buddy Bell. Bottom Line: Nobody knows what is really going on except for KW and JR and they ain't talkin.