Good things tend to happen after that

:)

#WhiteSox add OF Stefan Gartrell, RHPs Brandon Hynick, Brian Omogrosso, Sergio Santos and Santo Luis to roster.

http://twitter.com/InsideTheSox/status/5894892477

 Omar Vizquel is done catching massive snakes. Next up, he wants to become a matador.

The Texas Rangers infielder, who last winter searched for anacondas, plans to try bullfighting when he goes home to Venezuela this winter.

“Just go and learn the basics and stuff,” Vizquel said. “It’s one of my things on the to-do list. There’s a lot of things still to do.”

There are few players who can match Vizquel’s offseason pursuits. Among the other adventures he hopes for: parachuting, flying in an F-16 jet and attending all three Triple Crown horse races.
Snip:
 grand tour to see the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes might have to wait because the 42-year-old Vizquel, already the oldest position player in the major leagues, intends to come back next year for a 22nd season.

“When I retire and have some free time, I want to do the three races,” he said.

Vizquel said Sunday that he is planning to play another season because he feels pretty good and “better take advantage of it” while he feels that way.

“It’s highly unusual. But you look at him, he stays in great shape, he still moves well,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.

“I don’t see why not, the guy’s probably in as good or better shape than anybody in this clubhouse,” Texas pitcher Kevin Millwood said. “He can still play the game. I don’t see why he shouldn’t.”

Vizquel has started 43 games for Texas — 21 at shortstop, 14 at second and eight at third — and has 202 fielding chances without an error, the most among any player at those positions in the major leagues. In 60 games overall, he is hitting .266. He knew when he came to Texas for $1 million last spring that he would be a part-time player and mentor to rookie shortstop Elvis Andrus, a kid half his age from Venezuela.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/news/story?id=4512813

http://www.azsnakepit.com/2009/11/19/1165406/what-kind-of-minor-league-related

What would we want in return?

Excuse me, I have something in my eye

Vizquel is referenced in an episode of The Simpsons entitled “Bart’s Friend Falls in Love”. In the episode, Bart takes a distracted Milhouse’s Carl Yastrzemski baseball card in exchange for one of Vizquel with the head cut out.

and not the butcher that some are predicting

Guillen did confirm on Friday that both he and the club have spoken to Vizquel about him joining the team, but the manager didn’t know how far those talks have progressed.
“I hear they are talking,‘’ Guillen said in a phone interview. "I’ve talked to Vizquel in the past, but they aren’t telling me anything. I just got back from Venezuela, and I guess Kenny and Rick didn’t want me running my mouth down there.
“I’ll tell you what, though, if this kid is on the team there’s no way in hell he’s wearing No. 13.‘’
Guillen has worn 13 his whole career, so sorry Omar.
On the same day that the Sox took a step in adding a veteran presence like Vizquel, however, talks with free agent Scott Podsednik have taken two steps back. According to a source, enough so that Williams is looking elsewhere for a leadoff hitter right now.
“Do we need Pods, yes,’’ Guillen said of the situation. "Do we want him? Yes. But we have to make the best deal for this organization. That’s not my problem right now. That’s on Kenny, Rick and [board chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] to decide.’’
…

According to pitching coach Don Cooper, for the first time in his tenure, the club will have a pitching summit in January for a group of major and minor-league pitchers in the organization to come together in Chicago, making sure they are practicing what the club is preaching from their hurlers.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/whitesox/2009/11/vizquel_to_the_sox_ozzie_has_s.html

We’ll have the youngest, fastest, best defensive team in the MLB!

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/jim-thome