Happy Holidays
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Happy Holidays
To one and all. Here’s wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season. Our offices "close" (a relative term, remember that Christmas Eve trade for Tim Raines many years ago) tomorrow and the baseball industry shuts down until January 3.
I will be flying to Connecticut to join my family on Saturday and plan to only post over the break if we have news to announce. We’re driving back to Chicago after Christmas, so wish me luck (thank God for DVDs, Ipods and books on tape).
To get everyone in the holiday spirit, we asked fans to send us their favorite Christmas stories. You’ll find them on whitesox.com, but since I’ve recently learned to link, you also click here to read them. Thanks to everyone who submitted a story.
Harold, Harold
With January comes the annual Hall of Fame announcement from Cooperstown. I came across this interesting blog on Harold and his credentials for the Hall. Thought you might be interested in reading this blog on the subject.
AJ
That warm, kind side of AJ will show up Thursday after Christmas when he joins Johnny Damon, Dale Torborg and others in visiting children at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children near AJ’s home in Orlando. Nothing like spreading cheer for kids who, sadly, needed to be hospitalized at Christmas.
Party On
Ozzie Guillen held his annual holiday party for kids battling cancer and other illnesses last week in Venezuela. We are trying to get photos of the event, which I believe was in Caracas.
Thome
Plans are underway for Jim, his dad, and his newborn son to visit the Hall of Fame in early February to hand over the baseball from his 500th home run. Stay tuned for details.
Clay
I stopped by the Rotblatt-Amrany Art Studio in Highwood this morning to check out progress on a few of the sculptures that will be unveiled as part of our Champions Plaza at Gate 4. It looks very, very good. We hope our fans love the tribute.
Welcome
To Steve Stone, who will join our radio team for all home Friday broadcasts.
Merry Christmas to All
Peace on earth.
Inside the White Sox 
Scott…
Thanks for the love. It’s always good to see the Hall of Very Good being picked up by some reputable blog sites. I did write about former SOX Tim Raines and Goose Gossage…so be sure to explore more of the site!
All the best.
JM
I,too, would like to leave my furvent wish to White Sox Universe…ALL OF YOU…even the misguided…and to all the people at 35th Street and the Ryan for a happy, healthy,blessed and PEACEFUL holiday…Let’s let all of the rumors, wishes, etcetera lie still until the end of this year…
THEN when the new year comes in…all bets are off…
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, Scott, and all the bloggers. Love Stoney, glad he’ll at least make it for 13 games, and here’s to more at a future date. And here’s a toast to hearing of future improvements in the near future.
Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope everyone is safe, healthy, and happy.
Kris
Story and photos of Ozzie’s holiday party for kids are on LosWhiteSox.com
http://mlb.mlb.com/es/index.jsp?c_id=cws
To Scott and all my blogging buddies out there have a wonderful, safe holiday!
Donna
Scott –
I’d like to see the Sox put together a low-key P.R. campaign to get Harold Baines into the Hall of Fame. I think it’s needed since so many voters seem so clueless about his credentials. The campaign could be as simple as sending out a “resume” to media outlets and eligible voters. Baines was not only one of the best hitters of his time, but one of the best clutch hitters of all time. That needs to emphasized, as does just how fine of a right fielder he was before his knee surgeries relegated him to DH duty. How many voters who write him off simply because they remember him as only a DH know that he actually played some center field early in his career?
I would just add that it shouldn’t be too hard to get quotes in support of Baines. You can start with Hawk, who repeatedly has called him one of the top three clutch hitters he ever saw. I’m sure you could also get great quotes from Carlton Fisk, Tom Seaver and Tony LaRussa for starters…
The white sox have signed alexei ramirez to a 4 year deal. he has played second, short, and center before, so we’ll see how this turns out, maybe he’ll be good.
Alexia is good enough to be in the majors, but he’s very unlikely to be an all-star or even a starter. He’s being compared to Omar Infante with a little less power. Regardless, its not a bad signing anyways, it can’t hurt us, just gives us more options in ’08.
He has a good arm, pretty good speed, bad power, below average hitting, poor infield fielding, slightly better outfield fielding.
Ramirez is listed at 26. That makes him at least 33.
Merry Christmas Scott and all the other WS Bloggers. I wish you all a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!
Marie
I don’t get it…The North Siders sign Fukudome, and everyone and his brother think he’s the greatest thing to come out of Japan since I don’t know who…It gets front page coverage in the papers and on the airwaves…
The White Sox sign Ramirez…and the deal gets BURIED in the next to last page of the Some-Times(which figures)sports section, and is “below the fold”(newspaper talk)in the World’s Greatest Newspaper…
and,for purposes of introduction,mgrothendick, I believe that he was third best in hitting on the Cuban National Team in that World Baseball Circus that took place a couple of years ago during Spring Training…If that is below average hitting,I’ll take it…
And kris…I don’t think that EVERY ballplayer that comes out of Cuba has the system for figuring out age that Contreras or El Duque has…which, as we all know, is to cut them open at the waist and count the rings…like you do with a tree…
A .332 batting average over the past seven seasons,with nearly 400 RBI…that sounds pretty doggone good to me…and last season’s home run leader in Cuba…not exactly chopped sugar cane…and the versatility factor means that others(read Uribe)can be put into a package to other teams for additional ammunition…
Right?
Besides,there are enough sluggers on this team…a player that can hit for a high average, with equally high on base percentages is more important…
Right?
One question / point about this signing.
Can someone come up with a list of Cuban hitters who have come to the major leagues? I’d be curious to see how they did…Cuban pitchers have had at least some track record of success but I can’t recall any hitters. Maybe I’m just missing someone.
Second, and this could be VERY important. In Cuba they normally use a metal bat I think. There is an adjustment period to wooden bats and some folks are never able to do it.
Mark Liptak
Lip…Off the top of my pointed head,how’s about Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva for starters…I think both of them were from Cuba…and I also think we all know what kind of success they had…
Lip…Here is your source for the information you are looking for…
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/birthplace.php?loc=Cuba-66k
Some other names I found on that list were two of the “bad boys” from the Mitchell papers…Jose Canseco and Rafael Palmiero…
You can take it from there…
Just for jollies,I went back and read the posts from October of ’05, during the run to the Series title…
My Gawd,that seems like it was two DECADES ago, not two YEARS ago…
Unbelievable…
Folks:
I apologize. I should have been more specific. I meant to say Cuban hitters who have come to the major leagues since the Cuban Baseball Federation began using metal bats.
The names given to me were from the days when they used wooden bats and in the case of Canseco and Palmeiro they came to the U.S. at a young age and got used to playing with a wooden bat.
I can’t think of any of the Cuban National Team hitters say in the past ten years coming to MLB to play.
Mark Liptak
Ramirez looked great in the world baseball classic, seems like they used wooden bats in that series. In fact Ramirez looked a lot like soriano without the strike outs. It was a short series and maybe he was just hot but he looked major league ready to me.
If this guy is major league ready how in the world is he only getting $4.75mil over 4 years when teams like the Cubs and Yankees were looking at him also. They would have made the Sox offer look like peanuts if their brass thought this guy could contribute. I hope I get to eat my words later, but he looks like he will play the not-so-super-sub position.
At this point it looks like we may see Pablo at 2nd which I would be ok with considering I have already accepted that fact that this team will lose 90+ in 2008.
Good news is my family’s ticket package got a whole lot better now that the bandwagon fans jumped off. I’m sure next year they will improve even more.
Yuniesky Betancourt is the best who is currently in the MLB.
Well, best wishes to Baines getting the vote coming up here.
Far as Ramirez, we’ll see… surprised doesn’t describe my reaction to that contract, there’s just so many ways to read it. I hope we got ourselves a steal, I’d prefer to see it that way right about now.
Anyways, happy holidays to all of you.
Fields sounds like a character….. He didn’t mention a Christmas Story though. I was shocked when I found out it was filmed in Cleveland instead of Gary IN.
First, a slightly belated, but nonetheless warm and joyous holiday season to you all! Hope everyone is happy and healthy, and has a prosperous and pleasant new year. Geuseppi and I were sitting around yesterday and turned on Comcast SportsNet. They were replaying a Sox/Angels game from last year. This was the come from behind win which featured Thome’s 500th HR..also a walk off homer, for good measure. Seeing it happen again, and watching the reaction of the team, and Jim’s family was heart-warming, and perfect for the mood of the day. Anxiously awaiting the beginning of a new season, with new opportunities…-Dawn
DECEMBER 25TH: MERRY CHRISTMAS!
GIFT TO GILBERT: A CONTRACT
1984: The White Sox signed free agent outfielder Mark Gilbert in what is believed to be the only transaction in franchise history on Christmas Day. The Florida State product played in just seven games for the 1985 Sox, hitting .273 with a double and three RBIs. That action was the only time Gilbert would see in the Major Leagues.
THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY BONUS: A CHRISTMAS STORY
The only player in Major League history with the last name Christmas played 12 of his 24 big league games with the 1986 White Sox. Catcher Steve Christmas hit .364 with a double, a clutch home run and four RBIs in his time with the White Sox.
The Sox “Christmas Story” began on Nov. 21, 1983 when the left-handed hitter was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for infield prospect Fran Mullins. Christmas, who hit .059 in nine games with 1983 Reds, was a non-roster invitee to spring training in Sarasota, Fla., but began 1984 at the White Sox Triple-A affiliate at Denver where his teammates included Jerry Manuel, Ron Karkovice, Tim Hulett, Daryl Boston, Joel Skinner and Larry Rothschild.
Christmas’ first stint with the Sox came from June 12 to June 22. The native of Orlando, Fla., was brought to Chicago when Carlton Fisk went on the disabled list. Christmas didn’t see any time behind the plate as the Sox went with the highly-touted Skinner in Fisk’s absence. Christmas’ first action with the Sox finally came on June 14 when he grounded out as a pinch-hitter for Jerry Dybzinski. Two days later, Christmas delivered a pinch-RBI single in the ninth inning of a 6-4 loss at Oakland. Christmas was hitting for Scott Fletcher and got his hit off of Oakland closer Bill Caudill. In his next appearance, Christmas came through again, this time notching a one-out pinch-double off future Sox “gas can” Mike Stanton in the ninth inning of an 8-2 loss at Seattle June 19.
Christmas was returned to Denver after the White Sox 8-6 win over the Twins June 22 in Minnesota. Christmas finished the season at Denver where he helped the Bears earn a spot in the American Association playoffs. Denver upset the Cubs’ Iowa affiliate in five games in the semifinal round before bowing to Louisville in five games in the championship series. Christmas, who shared time behind the plate with Skinner, Karkovice and Jamie Quirk, hit .278 with four homers and 29 RBIs during the regular season for Denver.
He returned to the White Sox for the rest of the season in early September. Christmas made his Comiskey Park debut in a 5-4 loss to Oakland on Sept. 5, 1984 when he was retired for the second out pinch-hitting for Vance Law in the ninth. After another unsuccessful pinch-hitting appearance Sept. 8, 1984 against the Angels at Comiskey Park, Christmas made his lone defensive appearance with the Sox. On Sept. 16, 1984 in Anaheim, Christmas entered the game in the eighth inning at catcher. He played one inning in the 4-2 setback, catching Richard Dotson and could not throw out Gary Pettis trying to steal.
The next time Christmas took the field he made things merry for the Sox.
On Sept. 19, 1984, Christmas, pinch-hitting for Marc “The Booter” Hill, launched a three-run pinch-homer in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie in a 7-3 win at Minnesota. The blast, which victimized the team that drafted and signed Christmas, came off Mike Smithson with Greg Walker and Dybzinski on base as the defending American League West champs barely stayed alive in the division race (nine games back with 11 to play).
The next day, Christmas posted what turned out to be his final hit with the Sox. He led off the 13th with a single off Ron Davis batting for Hill and was then lifted for pinch-runner Rudy Law. The Sox couldn’t parlay Christmas’ last gift to the Sox into a run and wound up losing 5-4 to the Twins in the next inning.
That hit peaked Christmas’ average and on-base percentage at a ******** .571 and placed his slugging percentage at a more-than-robust 1.143.
From there, Christmas went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts to close out his Sox career.
Christmas first time ended for the Sox on Dec. 10 when they released him. A little more than a month later, it was Christmastime again for the Sox as they signed him with a free agent. Christmas received another non-roster invitee to spring training but he did not make the club nor did he appear with the Sox during the 1985 season. Christmas spent 1985 at the Sox Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo where he manned third base and appeared some at designated hitter. Playing for John Boles, who would later manage the Flordia Marlins, Christmas finished fourth in the American Association with a .298 average while finishing second on the Bisons to Joe DeSa (17) with 16 home runs.
Following the season, Christmas was granted free agency and signed with the Cubs thus closing the book on the Sox “Christmas Story.”
DECEMBER 26TH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUDGE!
1947: Carlton Fisk was born in Bellow Falls, Vermont. “Pudge” would go on to have a Hall of Fame career as one of the great catchers in big league history for both the Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971-1980) and the White Sox (1981-1993). Upon signing as a free agent in March of 1981, Fisk became one of the most popular players in White Sox history and still is to this day. Fisk’s spot in franchise history was cemented in 1997 when his No. 72 was retired, an honor bestowed upon by Sox management despite his frequent battles with them. Three years later, Fisk deservedly took his spot among the game’s immortals when he was voted into the Hall Fame.
THIS DATE IN SOX HISTORY BONUS: FISK’S GREATEST HITS:
April 10, 1981: In his White Sox debut and in the stadium he called home for the previous 10 season, Fisk launched a dramatic three-run homer in the eighth inning that gave the Sox the lead for good in a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day at Fenway Park.
April 14, 1981: In his White Sox home debut, Fisk thrilled an Opening Day crowd of 51,560 with a grand slam in a 9-3 triumph of the Milwaukee Brewers.
June 15, 1983: A fifth-inning RBI triple fronted the Sox for good in a 5-2 win at Anaheim. The hit came with Fisk starting in the No. 2 spot and ignited a streak which would see him hit .329 the rest of way in leading the White Sox to the A.L. West title.
May 16, 1984: First inning double, second inning single, fourth inning home run and a seventh inning triple made Fisk just the third White Sox player to hit for the cycle and the first to do it at Comiskey Park. Despite the history, the Sox lost to the Royals 7-6.
Aug. 2, 1985: Fisk tagged out both Bobby Meacham and Dale Berra on the same play at the plate in the seventh inning of the White Sox 5-3 win at Yankee Stadium.
Sept. 25, 1985: Fisk tied **** Allen’s 1972 franchise record with his 37th home run of the season. The solo shot came off Ron Romanick in a 7-4 loss at California. The home run was also Fisk’s 33rd while playing catcher, breaking Lance Parrish’s 1982 league record for roundtrippers at the position.
Aug. 19, 1988: Fisk caught his 1,807th American League game, setting the record in that category. He celebrated the occasion with his first career five-hit game.
June 21, 1989: Fisk cracked his 307th home run as a catcher, passing the Yankees’ Yogi Berra as the American League’s all-time leader in that department. Fisk accomplished the feat in a 7-3 win at Yankee Stadium.
July 17, 1989: Fisk collected his 2,000th hit – a 28 bouncer up the middle – before an appreciative crowd at Comiskey Park. The milestone came off the Yankees’ Andy Hawkins, the same pitcher he hit his record homer off of about a month earlier in the Bronx.
May 22, 1990: Fisk scolded and lectured the Yankees’ Deion Sanders on Yankee Pride at homeplate during the Sox 5-2 loss to New York. Fisk’s lecture was apparently over Sanders’ lack of hustle and his lackadaisical demeanor on baseball’s hallowed ground and prompted both benches to clear but no punches were thrown.
Aug. 17, 1990: With one swing of the bat, Fisk became the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in big league history and the White Sox all-time home run leader. Fisk’s second-inning homer off Charlie Hough in Texas gave him 328 as a catcher and 187 with the White Sox. He eclipsed Johnny Bench’s mark for catchers and Harold Baines’ White Sox record. The historic homer came in the White Sox 4-2 win.
Sept. 3, 1990: Fisk hit the last of his 87 home runs at the original Comiskey Park in a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals before 25,236 on the Southside. Fisk finished tied for second all-time in Old Comiskey Park home runs with Harold Baines, one behind leader Bill Melton. Twenty-seven days later, Fisk would start the final game at the old park behind the plate and go 0-for-4.
July 9, 1991: Fisk made his fourth and final All-Star team as a member of the White Sox and his 11th and last overall. … Joined Yogi Berra and Johnny Bench as the only catchers to play in at least 10 All-Star Games (Fisk did not play in the 1974 game because of an injury). … Replaced Sandy Alomar Jr. at catcher in the fifth inning to become the oldest White Sox player, the third-oldest player overall player and the oldest American League position player to play in an All-Star Game … Finished the game behind the plate. … Went 1-for-2. … Singled off Pete Harnisch to center with two out in the sixth to become the oldest player (43 years, seven months, 13 days) to hit safely in an All-Star Game. … Struck out by Mike Morgan in the eighth in what turned out to be his final All-Star at bat. … Handled five chances (all putouts) without an error. … Caught teammate Jack McDowell in the fifth and sixth inning to form the third All-White Sox battery in All-Star history and the first since Duane Josephson caught Tommy John in the 1968 game in Houston. … Tagged out a sliding Will Clark at home for the second out in a scoreless sixth.
Aug. 6, 1991: Fisk hit his 200th home run in a White Sox uniform. The dinger came off the Yankees’ Wade Taylor in a 14-5 win at “new” Comiskey Park.
April 7, 1993: On his first swing of the season, Fisk socked what turned out to be the final home run of his Hall of Fame career. The blast, the 376th of Fisk’s career, came off Jim Deshaies in the third inning of the Sox 6-1 loss at Minnesota.
June 19, 1993: Fisk notched the 2,356th and last hit of his career – a fifth inning single off Mark Langston in a 5-4 loss at California.
June 22, 1993: Fisk became the all-time leader by catching his 2,226th game in the Sox 3-2 win over Texas before 36,757 at Comiskey Park. Prior to the game, the White Sox presented Fisk with several gifts, including a special-edition Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a $25,000 donation to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Fisk helped give the Sox the lead with a sacrifice in the fifth that led to a run. After Texas tied the game in the sixth, Lance Johnson drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the ninth. Six days later, the Sox released Fisk.
DECEMBER 27TH
JULIO ON THE GO
1994: Julio Franco’s tenure with the White Sox officially came to an end when the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League announced that they had signed him as well as fellow former big leaguers Pete Incaviglia and Eric Hillman. Franco spent one wildly but strike-shortened season with the White Sox in 1994. The native of Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic hit .319 with 20 home runs and 98 RBIs in just 112 games as the White Sox designated hitter. At 35, Franco also posted a .406 on-base percentage and a .510 slugging percentage as the Sox went 67-46 and were atop the American League Central when the players walked off the job in August. Instead of waiting for the work stoppage (which promised to go on for a long time) to end, Franco went to Japan where he spent 1995 and hit .306 for Chiba Lotte. His absence would leave a whole in the Sox lineup around Frank Thomas they would never really consistently replace until Albert Belle arrived in 1997.
DECEMBER 28TH
COMISKEY … CARDINALS … CROWN
1947: Comiskey Park hosted its only National Football League Championship game as the Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 before 30,759 fans. This was the only NFL title game held at Comiskey Park, which the Cardinals called home from 1922 to 1925 and from 1929 to 1958.
CAPTAIN KIRK LANDS
1991: The White Sox signed pitcher Kirk McCaskill. The Sox brought the right-hander on to round out their rotation but really found his niche in the bullpen midway through the A.L. West Division championship season of 1993. The highlight of McCaskill’s tenure with the Sox came on Sept. 30, 1993 when he was on the mound for the division-clinching victory at “new” Comiskey Park.
D.J. ON THE WAY
1993: A little more than a month after losing Ellis Burks, the White Sox signed Darrin Jackson to play right field. Burks hit .275 with 17 homers as the starting right fielder for the A.L. West champs but went the free agent, big money and big years route to Colorado. In Jackson, the Sox got one of the best glove men in the game, who – like Burks before him – was coming off an injury-riddled time in his career. Like Burks, Jackson took full advantage of the everyday opportunity afford to him by the Sox. In 104 games in the strike-shortened campaign, “D.J.” hit .312 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs for the A.L. Central champion Sox. Following the season, Jackson, like his Sox teammate Julio Franco, headed for Japan. He wouldn’t play again in the U.S. until resurfacing with Minnesota in 1997. Two years later, he finished out his playing career with the Sox.
RAINES SENT AWAY
1995: The White Sox dealt outfielder Tim Raines to the New York Yankees for a player to be named later. Raines spent the previous five seasons with the Sox, serving mostly as the left fielder and DH. With the Yankees, Raines went to the postseason in each of his three years with the team and played in four of six games as the “Bronx Bombers” won the 1996 World Series. The deal was completed when the Sox received minor leaguer Blaise Kozeniewski on Feb. 6, 1996. Kozeniewski never played in the bigs.
JON STAYS ON
2005: The White Sox and pitcher Jon Garland agreed to terms on a three-year contract.
It’s time to close the book on 2007–thank goodness! I wish all my fellow bloggers a very happy, healthy, HOPEFUL new year. I also send my condolences to the family,friends,and fans of fellow White Sox fan Terry Armour. Terry was a huge Sox fan who will be missed. Maybe he’ll whisper in the big guy’s ear and get us a winning 2008! Happy New Year everyone!!
Welcome to LF Nick Swisher.
I like the deal. Best thing williams has done
Great deal. Poor Gio, he is like a hooker Kenny is passing around. We got a cheap switch hitter who can play the corners and 1B. Great arm, outstanding OBP and pitches per plate appearance, and decent power. You could fit about 5 of his contracts in either Hunter or Rowands.
5 years/$26.75M (2007-11), plus 2012 club option. 07:$0.7M, 08:$3.5M, 09:$5.3M, 10:$6.75M, 11:$9M, 12:$10.25M club option ($1M buyout)
Mr moneyball give up his prized stud. Next thing you know he will trade Jeremy Brown!
Real good deal. about time something like that got done! i always have liked swisher and in 06 he was a key part of that a’s team with big frank. he has a great attitude. the only way i would have been happier is if the deal was for alex rios-but swisher will be more than enough.
Nothing against Swisher, he’s a good and solid player, but for the life of me I do not understand what Kenny is doing here. Trading away the future once again for a glimpse at…what? What exactly is this move accomplishing Kenny? What instead of 4th place will finish in 3rd? Awesome.
How many more times does Gio need to be traded away before you realize that is one player you’d do good to keep? It really pisses me off because the last couple offseasons we’ve been hearing about how weak and depleted our farm system is. How we can’t grow any talent. How we can’t trade for any bonafide studs because we don’t have any young players in return. And there goes Kenny shipping out a great young arm for this instant gratification that, while a nice addition, doesn’t amount to **** in the long run.
This kid (like Chris Young) is the truth and is going to be a good pitcher. If you’re parting with that caliber of a pitcher you’d better get something really heavy in return. Forgive me for being underwhelmed by Swisher. We gave up more than we should have…once again.
palehoses you are a dope. kenny traded the future once again? who did he trade that has turned out to be great and forgive me for being underwhelmed by chris youngs 230 average. gio gonzalez is garbage until he proves otherwise. prospects 95 percent of the time ******- and usually the ones the sox think are good turn out to ****. i think this is a wonderful move. all of you ****** wanted hunter for 90 million and swisher is just as good for 27 million. rowand got 60 million and swisher is a lot better than he is. it is about time kenny stood up and did something worth while. now hopefully he does something else.
I agree that giving up three good prospects for Swisher may be a little higher price that I would like.
But I disagree that trading for Swisher is just a move for the present and represents trading away the future. Yes, the Sox let go of three prospects but Swisher is a)only 27, b)signed for the long term and c)an established team player that knows how to win and has played for a playoff team.
This guy has killed the Sox in the past. At least Sox pitchers won’t have to face him except in intrasquad games.
I’m sure more moves are in the offing and that future moves will bring some young arms back to the Sox to help replace Gonzalez and de los Santos in the system.
I would have to say this was an OK move. I like Swisher, but as a .251 career hitter he will fit right in. He is a guy like Rowand though who plays hard and may inspire some of the slugs on this team.
As for giving up Gio Gonzalez, he has yet to make it past AA. If he is as untouchable as some fans think he would have made the jump to AAA or the Sox this past season. Were we not begging for pitchers for the last 5 months of the season? Untouchables are guys who move up the ranks quick. As for Gio, he is only a prospect, and prospects are only suspects until they prove themselves.
If I would be concerend about a player traded in this deal it would be Sweeney. You know the Sox would have tried to move Brian Anderson in this slot. This may mean that he has no trade value at this point. Sweeney would be much more valuable to this team as the 4th outfielder than Anderson.
I would expect one more move soon to free up a spot for Fields. Bruce Levine mentioned this past weekend that the Sox and Angles have been in talks about Konerko and Crede for Ervin Santana, Howie Kendrick and Casey Kotchman. Losing guys like Konerko and Crede would be tough, but it would make this team better 2-3 years from now when this division is winable again.
Those dreaded Angles, everybody has an angle. Just like Bing said in White Christmas to Rosemary, and it got him in all kinds of trouble for picking on her kid sister.
Coming from you kenwo I’ll take that as a compliment….Now get back to them re-runs of Saved By the Bell (and give my regards to Tiffany Amber Thiesan).
I like Swisher just fine, but it’s been a couple of days and I still have yet to feel the earth shift beneath my feet. Bottom line, I like that we got Swisher, I believe we gave up entirely too much to get him, and I don’t think it’s going to matter much anyhow. We’re still a deeply flawed ballclub.
As far as Hunter goes I didn’t want that peice of ****, especially with that price tag. Or Rowand for that matter. I’m glad we missed out on both.
And as far as that Angels deal goes jimd, I will drive Paul to the airport myself. **** I’ll carry a suitcase in both my hands and let him jump on my scrawny shoulders and I’ll piggy-back him to Anaheim because that’s the type of trade I’d like to see from Kenny.