December 15, 200421 yr Didn't see this posted anywhere. Lee bids farewell to White Sox 12/15/2004 5:15 PM ET By Scott Merkin / MLB.com The severing of ties between the White Sox and Magglio Ordonez in the days prior to the Winter Meetings could be described as acrimonious, at best, where the personal feelings expressed by the All-Star right fielder were concerned. But Carlos Lee, Ordonez's close friend and teammate for the past six years in Chicago, didn't show one hint of that same bitterness toward his former employers as he exited for Milwaukee and his first stint in the National League. During a Wednesday conference call in which Lee spoke from his farm in Aguadulce, Panama, the 28-year-old thanked the White Sox for their support and harbored absolutely no ill will toward the team that shipped him to the Brewers in exchange for outfielder Scott Podsednik, reliever Luis Vizcaino and a player to be named later. Lee's jovial and laid-back demeanor could be attributed to a strong inkling at the end of the 2004 season that he would be playing somewhere else in 2005. "I knew it was coming," Lee said of the trade that closed out the Winter Meetings on Monday in Anaheim. "Before the season was over, they were talking about cutting some payroll and building the team from power to defense and speed. I was expecting it." While general manager Ken Williams steadfastly would dispute Lee's "cutting payroll" assessment as even an underlying reason for the move, it's clear that either Lee's $8 million deal or Paul Konerko's $8.75 million salary would need to be dealt away for the White Sox to make the significant pitching upgrade the team still desires. Williams intends to use close to $6 million in savings to add a frontline starter, such as free agent Matt Clement, or keep it in the coffers to make improvements later in the 2005 season. Lee termed Williams' move as "part of the business." He also had just one basic question when first informed of the transaction Monday evening. "When they told me, I said, 'What team?'" Lee said. "They said Milwaukee, and I said OK. "They were great to me, and I have no complaints. There was always good communication and everything was going good from the time I was in Chicago." The 6-foot-2, 255-pound left fielder seems to be on the verge of stardom. Lee fell one RBI short of his second straight 30-home run, 100-runs scored, and 100-RBI season, but produced his highest career average at .305. Called upon to take on more of the offensive load with both Ordonez and Frank Thomas out for most of the season with injuries, Lee responded in a way that included a franchise-record 28-game hitting streak and 13 home runs in July. Yet, a commentary in the Wednesday edition of the Daily Southtown singled out Lee for going into a selfish mode far too often. He would sulk when falling into offensive funks and would adopt a "me-first" approach to get out of that slump at the expense of the team, according to stories from some of Lee's teammates brought up to the writer. It became a big enough distraction that Williams had to step in and talk to Lee, the article pointed out. Just as Lee chose to look at the positives of his time in Chicago during the conference call, he also opted against firing off an angry defense of his desire and passion for baseball. Lee espoused hard work as a baseball rule to live by, pointing to his defensive development over the years as an example. "I might not be a Gold Glove winner," said Lee, who came up through the White Sox system as a third baseman. "But I'm a pretty solid outfielder. "Every game, every day, I go out and play because I love the game," Lee added. "I always was trying to do the best I could to win games." One piece of good news for Lee is the chance to play more baseball next season in Wrigley Field, where he has a career .352 average with six home runs and 18 RBIs against the Cubs. Lee doesn't figure the adjustment to the National League pitchers will be overly difficult, especially if he continues to stay away from first-pitch hitting and gets himself into good 2-1 and 3-1 hitter's counts. The remaking of the White Sox began in earnest during the current offseason. Even with that emphasis on speed, defense and pitching, Lee didn't necessarily want to leave. But he understood as early as last August or September that his No. 45 jersey could feature different colors in the very near future. "It was going to be me or Konerko, and they chose me," Lee said. "Everyone is looking out for the best interest of the team. They decided to make a change, and that's what they did. Like I said, it's all part of the business." This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
December 15, 200421 yr "When they told me, I said, 'What team?'" Lee said. "They said Milwaukee, and I said OK. You think these were his exact words? Because I can tell you right now that's not what I would say if I got traded to Milwaukee. I like Carlos a lot...I'm gonna miss him. Hope he rips the hell out of the ball against the Cubbies too. :fthecubs
December 15, 200421 yr You think these were his exact words? Because I can tell you right now that's not what I would say if I got traded to Milwaukee. I like Carlos a lot...I'm gonna miss him. Hope he rips the hell out of the ball against the Cubbies too. :fthecubs good luck carlos sad to see you leave, beat the hell out of the ball next year please ill still be watching and now have a reason to watch the brew crew.
December 15, 200421 yr Author You think these were his exact words? Because I can tell you right now that's not what I would say if I got traded to Milwaukee. I like Carlos a lot...I'm gonna miss him. Hope he rips the hell out of the ball against the Cubbies too. :fthecubs Yah. Milwaukee...whoopie!!! Actually, there are some nice bars up there, so there is something for Carlos to look forward too.
December 16, 200421 yr Kenny: Carlos, you've been traded. CLee: Ok boss, to what team? Kenny: The Milwaukee Brewers. CLee: f***. I imagine it went something like that.
December 16, 200421 yr I applaud Scott Merkin for quickly writing a rebuttal to address Cowley's article. Damage control is working more effecient than ever for the White Sox. Here's to Lee's good fortunes in Milwaukee. :fthecubs
December 16, 200421 yr My two favorite sox players leaving in one offseason... damn that hurts, I need a new name. Wish you the best in Milwaukee Caballo
December 16, 200421 yr You think these were his exact words? Because I can tell you right now that's not what I would say if I got traded to Milwaukee. My first word would be "O" but the second word would either be "s***!", "NO!" or "f***!"
December 16, 200421 yr My two favorite sox players leaving in one offseason... damn that hurts, I need a new name. Wish you the best in Milwaukee Caballo My 4 favorites are still here: Shingo Marte Buerhle Konerko
December 16, 200421 yr Good luck Carlos. That Cowley story was wild. Cowley has been around the team a lot. It must be true. Our Sox hated El Caballo?? Amazing.
December 16, 200421 yr My two favorite sox players leaving in one offseason... damn that hurts, I need a new name. Wish you the best in Milwaukee Caballo May I suggest El Azno?
December 16, 200421 yr I'll miss you caballo, he was always a blast to watch........especially if you were sitting around LF and carlos was bored, he loved messing w/ the fans.
December 16, 200421 yr He sure scared the hell out of me all the time in the OF, but I enjoyed watching him rake it last year during the huge hitting streak... Best of luck Caballo, you will be missed!
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