Sox update

There is some Sox news these days on Chicago's cold and gray southside.

Single game tickets for the 2005 season go on sale friday at 10 am at the usual locations.

SoxFest is this weekend at the Hyatt on Wacker. I'm not going, but I think it might be cool to meet some of the other Sox bloggers. Maybe another time.

The Sox have acquired Travis Hinton (1B) from Milwaukee to complete the Lee-Pods trade. According to the official Sox press release:

"Hinton, 24, led Class A High Desert (California League) in virtually every offensive category in 2004, batting .302 (162-536) with 36 doubles, 22 home runs, 88 RBI and 80 runs scored in 137 games.

Hinton, a 6-foot-1, 200-pounder who bats and throws left-handed, ranked third in the CL in hits and fourth in home runs. He represented High Desert at the Carolina League/California League All-Star Game, where he won the Home Run Derby before going 3-4 with two RBI to win Star of the Game honors.

In four minor-league seasons, all in the Brewers system, Hinton has batted .270 (381-1,412) with 42 home runs and 210 RBI in 385 games."

Looks like the guy can hit, though the California League is known for inflated numbers. He's got a poor glove, is slow, has a bad eye at the plate, and strikes out... a lot. At 24, he's already got 4 seasons of minor league ball under his belt. Its possible he'll start the 2005 season at Birmingham (AA). And the 2006 season at Arbys.