Welcome Back, Konerko

up ya nose with 60 million big ones

Soon comes spring

fun in the sun

A warm thought on this winter day:

Sorry, I meant to post this last week.

Sox spring training schedule.

Sunday Papers

Regular readers may have noticed that I rarely make mention of the mainstream media's coverage of the Sox. However, I wanted to point out a really good, albeit it short, artcile by Phil Rogers in today's Chicago Tribune under the headline "Sox Moving Top Prospects." Mainly, the article does a good job of discussing the recent departure of Gonzales and Haigwood.

Sox fans should give it a read, but here are some of the highlights:

"(Gonzales) fastball is in the high 80s and occassionally touches 90..."

"(Gonzales) is a three-pitch lefty.. his hard curveball is a plus pitch."

"(Gonzales) was bothered by back and shoulder strains, but none of the injuries was considered serious."

"Haigwood works fast, fields his poistion and holds runners on base. He gets reuslts that go beyond what his basic set of tools suggest."

"In dealing Gonzales and Haigwood, (Kenny) Williams is counting on a comeback from Tyler Lumsden, the Clemson left-hander who missed all of 2005 with elbow problems..."

The artcile goes on to mention other pitching prospects the Sox still have that they hold in high regard - Tracey, Liotta, Broadway and Haeger.

End of an era?

My iPod battery appears to be dying. At some point, I've come to the realization that it will have to be replaced. I dig the nano, but would rather hold out until the GB increases.

Now what?

I think now is as good of a time as any to take a look ahead at the Sox potential 2006 roster. Yes, 2005 is going to be a tough act to follow. KW will be a busy man again this winter.

In 2005, the Sox payroll stood at a modest $75 million - or 13th in the majors. Very middle of the road. If you haven't seen this table, it illustates the balance of power in MLB, and what the Sox are up against.

So what will the Sox payroll be in 2006? Let's look back a few years at the total payroll and percentage of increase from year-to-year (numbers prior to 2003 are kinda out of wack, so I'm only going to go back 2 years):

2003 ($51m) to 2004 ($65m) +27%
2004 ($65m) to 2005 ($75m) +15%

So...
2005 ($75m) to 2006 ($88m estimate) +17%

The 2005 post season appearance was sure to add some dollars to the Sox coffers for 2006. And expect a modest jump in season tickets, from 11,000 seats to probably about 15,000. A massive increase in merchandise sales will help the cause as well. So, based on that and the 17% increase, that's how I came up with the estimate that the Sox payroll should be about $88 million.

Great.

Now, let's look at the roster and the players who have a guaranteed portion of that $88 million:

Garcia $10m
Contreras $8 m
Thome $8 m
Buehrle $7.75 m
Dye $5 m
Hernandez $4.5 m
Garland $4 m (arbitration estimate)
Thomas $3.5 m (buyout)
Uribe $3.15 m
Hermanson $3m
AJ $3 m (arbitration estimate)
Iguchi $2.4 m
Marte $2.25 m
sPod $1.9 m
Crede $1.5 m (arbitration estimate)
Politte $1.2 m
Widger $650k
Ozuna $500k
Everett $500 K (buyout)
Harris $500 k (arbitration estimate)
Cotts $400K
Borchard $400k
Gload $400k
Jenks $330k
Anderson $330k
McCarthy $330 k

Total - about $73 million

Two guys I don't think the Sox will bring back:
Timo $1.20m (arbitration estimate)
Vizcaino $1.5 m (arbitration estimate)

Which leaves $15 m in 2006 to sign Konerko (probably part of a 3-4 year package worth about $45-65m guaranteed). Plenty!

Total 2006 Sox payroll estimate -
$88 million

Not an exact science, but the best I could do...

Next victim; Rowand

The Sox first really huge move of the off season has taken place, with Aaron Rowand, Daniel Haigwood and Gio Gonzales being sent to the Philadephia Phillies for Jim Thome.

After all I've read in the media, and what I know from personal observation, here are my thoughts:

Rowand is one of the best defensive centerfielders in baseball. He's also good on the basepaths. And as we've seen, championships can be won with speed and defense (and pitching. Just ask the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals.). That said, Rowand, a dead-ringer for Tom Cruise, struggled at the plate in 2005, looking more like Ron Cey at the plate. He's got a HUGE hole in his swing and seems to be missing that fundamental bat-ball connection. And this 2005 disappointment comes on the heels of a big new contract he signed early in the year (on the eve of SoxFest, if I'm not mistaken). Offensively, his numbers are easily replaced by Brian Anderson. As great as defense is, you need to hit. Just ask Jason Dallero. Losing Rowand's clubhouse presence is another matter entirely. You can't replace 'heart', something that Rowand has a lot of... Like a lot of Chicagoians, I'm sad to see him go, but still understand the trade, dollars and sensewise, and support KW's vision.

Gonzales, just 20 years old, went 5-3 with 84 strikeouts in just 57 and 2/3rd IP, at Low A Kannapolis in early 2005, and was then moved up in mid-June and was 8-3 in 13 starts at High A Winston-Salem. He struck out 79 in just 73 and 1/3rd IP, walking 25. Haigwood, age 22, began 2005 at Class High A W-S, was 8-2 in 15 starts, striking out 84 in 76 and 1/3rd IP, walking 33. In July, he made the jump to AA Birmingham, and went 6-1, sporting an impressive 1.74 ERA, with 76 Ks in 67 IP.

Haigwood and Gonzales have yet to be measured at the big league level. I'll side with Vince over at South Side Sox, who says this trade will ultimately be judged on how many big league wins Gonzales gets in a Phillies uniform versus if the Sox can make another title run with Thome-Konerko. I haven't seen either Haigwood or Gonzales pitch first hand. But I can tell you that, statswise, Gonzales appears to have the stuff. But, he could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Who the fuck knows?

I've been a fan of Thome's since his days as a Cleveland Indian back in the 1990s. His numbers were, uh 'off', last year... so off, in fact, that the only explaination is an injury. According to scouting reports coming out of Florida, Thome in his rehab is in the best shape of his life.

One thing to keep in mind, the Sox are not as deep in the outfield as the media, bloggers included, would have you believe. Dye seems to be in the twlight of a medicore career, and is, I'm sure, poised for a season-ending injury early in 2006. sPod is not nearly up to par defensively, and, despite the stats, is even LESS of a threat at the plate than Rowand (though more a threat on the basepaths). Despite the Rookie of the Year award in 2003, sPod is coming off two medicore seasons in 2004 and 2005. He just can't hit, just can't get ON base. He may have batted .297, but how much of that was infield singles and bunts? At some point, sPod is going to have to the face the music and learn how to hit. Yeah yeah, I know, the home run in game one. OK, even Duane Kuiper and Bucky Dent hit homers.. even a blind squirrel finds an occassional nut...

I'm not sure what this means for Big Frank Thomas. Probably, he's done with the Sox. though I said the same thing about Damiso Marte back in September, so what do I know?

I am also unsure what this means in regards to the re-signing of Paul Konerko. You'd think this would be positive, but I'm not so sure. I'm wondering if a Thome-Dye platoon at first base just buys time until Casey Rogowski is ready, likely, 2006 when Dye is let go and Thome moves to DH full time. By then, Anderson will established himself in the outfield and Chris Young should be knocking on the door.

KW might just be freeing up more cash for an even bigger deal. What, I dunno. But that's my angle, anyways...

Best case scenario, Thome helps the Sox to another World Series victory. Worst case scenario? None. The Sox already won a World Series in my lifetime.

Go SOX!!!

On a personal note, I'm happy to be done with Thanksgiving. I spent the day drinking this... and the evening, this.

And while the death of Mr. Miyagi is grabbing headlines in the world of showbiz, I'm sad to report that one of my favorite musicians, Chris Whitley, also passed away.

Going it alone

I know most don't care, but for me, its big deal. I can state with confidence this blog never realized its original idea. I've never even lived in Bridgeport. That's OK - the blog has evolved into something else, not better or worse, just different from the idea I envisioned.

If I continue, I'll re-consider how to tackle the topic of sex. I have some ideas of expanding in this area. And, no, that doesn't mean I'm 'bi-curious', though there's nothing wrong with that. I've received mixed feedback on my sex writing - few like it, others not. I've moved away from recounting my experiences here because, thru my own laziness, the rhetoric had devloved into high school locker room-style boasting. I've written (few) erotic-style postings here. The few I have written have been OK. Truth be told, unlike some bloggers, I don't it necessary to describe the minute details of every sexual encounter I have. While those experiences are always fun, not all are worth writing about.

Then there is the other part of this blog - baseball. I love baseball. Its a love affair I've had for 30 years and some of my fondest, and earliest, childhood memories are assicoated with the game. I love playing it, I love watching it, I love talking about it. I enjoy reading about it, analying the stats and scouting reports. I always have and likely always will. There was a brief period of my life, back in the 1990s, when I was on the other side of the game. Working in the sports media, of all sudden, baseball wasn't fun anymore - it was an around-the-clock annoynance. Not many people are cut out for that type of broadcasting - its not as fun as it seems. But I was cut out for it. I was good at what I did. People thought I was nuts to leave such a 'dream job.' But it wasn't so perfect - the ridicilously low pay, the long hours, dealing with the 'personalities' - it wore me out. So 'sayanara' (it doesn't mean goodbye!).

And just a few short weeks after I said goodbye, the strike of '94 hit. By that point, I'd had enough of the millionaire babies and their game... Personally, and professionally, I was in another place. A self-imposed exile followed.

Graduallity, I've warmed back up to baseball, and the 2005 season has been the pinnacle of my baseball fandom.

For now, I'm leaving the decision open. I'll continue to update in the offseason as the Hot Stove League warms up. Come spring, well, we'll see...

Bye Bye Blum

In a completely unsurprising move, the Sox have let G-off Blum go, he signed a contract with the San Diego Padres. This is good news, as Blum, a journeyman utility infileder, was set to make upwards of $750,000 this year (he made $650,000 in 2005) for a role that is, dubious, at best.

While Blum will always be remembered for his dramatic home run that sent the Sox to a crucial victory in Game 3 of the World Series - the longest game in post season histroy -- his regular season stats are, uh, less than impressive:

31 games, 95 AB, .232/.274./.200, 1 homer , 3 RBIs, 15 K, 4 BB. 0 SB, 3 errors (all at 3B) in just 12 games, for a dismal .917 FPCT (at 3B, at least).

Blum came over in a trade that sent LHP Ryan Meaux to San Diego. Even if Meaux goes on to glory, the trade was worth it for the Sox, if only for the victory in game 3. I was certain that, along with Carl Everett, Blum would be one guy that definately would not be back with the Sox in 2006 - he's just too expensive. There are plenty of guys out there who can hit .200 for less than half of Blum salary.

Best of luck to G-off. and thanks!

Good News

Good News #1 - I've heard unconfimred reports that the Sox have resigned Pablo Ozuna! Ozuna was vital off the bench. I also feel kinda bad, because if he was with another team, he'd play every day. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled he's back, because if Uribe or Iguchi go down with an injury, Ozuna is more than a capable replacement. Here's to #38!

Good news #2 - I'm not much for reality TV, but here's one show I'd like to be a part of. What can I say, I'm a sucker for bookish good looks.

Good news #3 - I found some cheap Sox swag for Xmas gifts. Thanks to the bootleg vendors in the Loop.

Good news #4 - Thanks to the extremely cold weather in Chicago, I got to wear my new scarf. I'm probably the only bloke in Chicago with one of these. Go Bombers!

Good news #5 - wednesday was a big night of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. Outside of the African group, no real huge surprises other than Australia, who beat Uruguay. Check the teams qualified here.

Arizona Fall League Wrap Up

Fun in the sun

The Arizona Fall League has finished up their short season. The Sox affiliate, the Peoria Saguaros finished dead last.

Here are how the Sox farmhands performed:

Josh Fields - 23 games, .317/.489/.256 (OBP, SLG, AVG), 5 HRs, 16 RBIs, 44 TB in 90 at-bats
Chris Young - 24 games, .326/.410/.253, 34 TB in 83 at-bats
Corwin Malone - 1-3, 8.27 ERA is 20 2/3rds I, 20 Ks, 15 walks
Paulino Reynoso - 1-0, 8.47 ERA in 17 IP, 14 Ks, 16 walks
Sean Tracey - 1-1, 7.16 ERA in 16 and 1/3rd IP, 11 Ks, 7 walks

I know those ERAs look high, but keep in mind the lowest ERA on the team was 4.05. Most guys were well above 5...

and...
Robert Valido - 13 games, .317/.383/.283 in 60 at-bats. Valido must have left the league early.. not sure why.

update from the tropics to follow...

***EDIT**

I almost forgot Pedro Lopez. In just 6 gamesin the AFL, he collected 9 hits in 24 at-bats, 3 of them doubles, and he drove in 3 runs.

Also, a big congratulations to my old pal, Ned Colletti, who was named GM of the LA Dodgers today, replacing Paul "Moneyball" DePodesta. I worked with Ned a bit back in the early 1990s and he was always a real nice, classy guy. Its good to see one of the good guys get a gig like that. Go Dodgers!

Now what?

We're No# 1.. for now, anyways...

For 2006, anything short of a World Series title will be a disappointment for this man and his team. However, win or lose, the 2005 Sox and KW will be remember as the team that brought Chicago its first World Series title since 1917. That's more than any of us could ever have hoped for or dared to dream of in our lifetimes.

Oswaldo was named AL Manager of the Year. I don't put much stock in these types of arbitratry awards. I think the World Series MVP proves that.

I just got "Eight Men Out" from Netflix. I plan on watching it this weekend in a whole different mind frame than what I would've just 2 short months ago....

Stay tuned... an update on Sox prospects in the Winter Leagues is coming soon!

Read All About It

all the news that's fit to print

The Wall Street Journal had a good article in monday's edition about the resignation of Boston Red Sox GM wunderkind Theo Epstein and the firing of LA Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta. Both of those stories have been all over the baseball news the past few days, so I won't rehash it here. But the article paints a good picture of these new school style young GMs who are held up to be the new breed of baseball front office man - Ivy League educated, scant experience, and focused on stats -- versus the old tobacco-chewing scout, career baseball man with a high school diploma and lots of experience. Some think the job just isn't worth the dough. I know what they mean. It must be tough for Epstein, just 31, to turn down a multi-million dollar dream job with his hometown team. I wonder what's up? The Red Sox players seem to have some repsect for him. I saw David Ortiz quoted as saying that Theo was "da man". So, an endorsement like that is good enough for me...

I find it even more interesting that both Epstein and DePodesta both play notable roles in Michael Lewis' Moneyball, while Kenny Williams appears as the butt of their jokes. Laugh all you want, I see no World Series ring on the fingers of Billy Beane...

Speaking of reading... I'm still working my way thru my summer reading list. Almost done with the Studs Lonigan Trilogy. But I've also started in on The Worldly Philosphers and have spent the last week learning a bit about ol' Adam Smith. I finally gave up on my main man Carl Sandburg for this autumn. Good Morning, America was just too much for me to handle in one sitting - I'm just not in the right frame of mind. I feel like maybe some linguistics. Can anyone recommend some Chomsky?

I'll close like a freight train with some Sandberg:

SUNSETS

There are sunsets who whisper a good-by,

It is a short dusk and a way for stars.

Prairie and sea rim they go level and even

And the sleep is easy

There are sunsets who dance good-by,

They fling scarves half to the arc,

To the arc then and over the arc.

Ribbons at the ears, sashes at the hips,

Dancing, dancing good-by. And here sleep

Tosses a little with dreams.

Politics of the 2006 World Series

Viva Guillen!

One angle on the now-completed 2006 World Series that I enjoyed is the political one. To me, the Houston Astros represent bad things - indoor baseball, big Texas oil money and all that goes with it - the whole Ernon mess and Bush, Inc. That image is totally opposite the Sox and their multi-ethnic, salt-of-the-earth, Daley-fueled Democratic machine image. I'm sure the players and front office people don't care, but that's one thing I saw...

Even better, Ozzie meets with Hugo Chavez this week... I don't think that trophy will be making a trip to Washington DC anytime soon... now that it currently resides in a Caribeen Communist Paradise!

I found some good pictures of Ozzie's trip to show off the World Series trophy to his old team, the La Guaira Sharks.

2006 Schedule

The Sox have now published their complete 2006 schedule. Here are some notable dates:

--season opener at home April 3 vs Cleveland.
--Twins come to town in April, July and August. It will be refreshing not to see them at home in September for once.
--The non-Cub inter-league home games are good ones, St. Louis and Houston, back-to-back in late June.
--The Cubs come to the Southside the weekend of May 19. Earlier than usual.
--the non-Cub inter-league away games are Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Good road trip potential.
--Yankess make a mid-week visit in August
--Red Sox are in town the weekend of July 7
--Oakland's lone trip out is May 22-24. The LA Angels May 9-11.

Hot Stove

The Aunt Jemima treatment

Well under way...

First, the Sox agree to a one-year deal with back-up backstop Chris Widger. A smart move, he was solid off the bench all year.

Second, the Sox bought out Frank Thomas' contract for $3.5 million. No surprise. Thomas, for all practical purposes, now becomes a free agent. Its doubtful he'll sign with any other club. For one thing, he's a DH only, so that eliminates half the teams in MLB right there. Second, Frank doesn't want to leave Chicago. He's been here 15 years, has put down roots, and, so I'm told, is getting married to a local gal here this month... The Sox will keep an eye on his health, invite him to spring training, and give him a deal worth $500,000-$1.5 million that is chock full of incentives. I'd like to see FT back in a Sox uni - I think if he's healthly, he has 2-3 good years left in him. This season, his services, including the buyout, will cost the Sox between $4-6 million.

Commitment

all the way

Word is that Paul Konerko is seeking a long term deal. The guy over at South Side Sox has a story from Rotoworld regarding this issue. Apparently, according to Paulie's agent, Konerko may be looking for a 6-7 year deal.

I'm against giving ANYONE more than a 3-year deal. Long term, big money deals always wind up to be bad for the team (but, of course, great for the player). A lot can happen in 4, 5, 6 years. Guys get injured. They turn into Steve Sax. The team gets stuck with the bill and the fans suffer. And as the Sox proved this year, and like the A's nearly prove every year, there are guys out there who can play without having huge money contracts behind them.

If I'm KW, I offer Konerko $50 million guaranteed for 3 years. That's it, take it or leave it. I know Konerko is a leader in the clubhouse, but his 40 homers and 100 RBIs can be replaced. He's in his prime, so its tough situation. But, c'mon, how much money does he really need? Does he really think he'll be $10 million happier under the glare of the NY media? $50 million is plenty to make sure his grandchildren live well on the Gold Coast for many years to come.

Take the shorter term deal with the Sox, Paulie. Chicago wants you back.

35th street. Sox Park last saturday afternoon. Still hard to believe that it actually happened!

Sox Parade #4 - LaSalle and Monroe. I could see nuthin. Wait - hey, isn't that Pablo Ozuna!

Parade picture #3 - Van go Sox!

Parade picture #2 - as you can see, the crowd on Jackson St was much thinner than the one on LaSalle

Sox parade picture #1 - a lot of the folks selling sketcy apparel were ticketed.

As of thursday morning, these shirts are still being sold outside Union Station.. at the low low price of $5 each.

Sinking in

One team dog

"In the evening there is a sunset sonata comes to the cities
There is a march of little armies to the dwindling of drums
The skyscrapers throw their tall lengths of walls into black bastions on the red west
The skyscrapers fasten their perpendicular alphabets far across the changing sliver triangles of stars and streets"

--Carl Sandburg

I've been meaning to post the below entry for a few days...

I took the day off on friday and joined the throng of humanity in the Loop for the Sox parade and rally. I thought the 'neighborhood' parade idea was a good one, and I've enjoyed the pictures I've seen from Bronzeville, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Chinatown and Greektown. I saw the tail end of that portion, watching from an uncrowded perch on Union Station near Jackson and Canal. I was able to actually see tha players and even screamed out Pablo Ozuna's name. After the buses passed, I hightailed it over to LaSalle. A lot of people watching on Jackson had the same idea. In fact, take a look at the Sox parade pictures from the Looper photo blog - it looks like Devyn and I were almost right across the street from each other.

I wound up on the north side of LaSalle, on Monroe. I got there just as the buses started going by and the crowd, even at that mid-point of the parade, was at least 30 deep. So, I was glad I got to see at least something back on Jackson.

After the parade passed, I crossed at Jackson and played in the ticker tape. I marveled at the sheer numbers of Sox fans. Bandwagon jumpers or not, it was great to see so many fans. Speaking as someone who attend a few of the fireworks at Taste back in the early 1990s, I think the "1.75 million" figure might be just a bit inflated, but so what- it was still a lot of peop0le, a lot more than I think anyone expected.

I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere near the stage, so I took the time to do something I've been meaning to do for a few years now - see Millienium Park. It was refreshingly uncrowded.

Some time later, after the parade and rally were long over, I walked across Michigan Ave and was heading west on Randolph, when I saw about a dozen Sox fans running down the middle of the street (it wasn't one of the streets that was closed, either). I turned to watch as they headed towards Michigan and realized what they were running towards - the Sox buses were on Michigan, heading south - rapidly - returning the Sox contingent to the southside. I raced down Randolph, and got about 20 yards from Michigan when the last bus drove by, with one of the Sox players - couldn't say for sure, but I think it was Konerko - holding the championship trophy, high above his head and pumping it and down against the backdrop of a cloudless October sky.

That's when it finally sunk in.

White Sox - Champions!