South Side Sox: FanPosts

Do The Right Thing

2009-11-19T08:07:07Z

Growing up in small town Virginia has always made it difficult to be a baseball fan. With no team quite close enough to call your own, you search as a kid for someone or something to help guide your decision. Would it be those St. Louis Cardinals that my father called his own? No thanks. Could it be the geographically closest Baltimore Orioles and their squeaky clean Cal Ripken Jr. Not a chance. Then of course I would take the easy route and fall in love with those early 90's Braves who seemed to play on TBS every night. I couldn't stand them. So as a youngster growing up I was drawn to the overwhelming size, strength, and pure hitting talent that Frank Thomas brought to the table. He was enough to get me to pay attention, and once I started watching, I fell in love with the Chicago White Sox.

Despite almost NEVER getting to see actual games because WGN showed mainly Cubs games, I grew up loving the White Sox. Through the years it hasn't always been easy, hell more often than not it's been hard. However, I never lost faith because as I got older I knew that the one thing I could always count on was the Big Hurt hitting .300 and depositing at least 30 HR in the seats. Sure the latter years saw that average dip and the attitude spike, but he was my guy. Scratch that, he was the White Sox' guy. The face of a franchise that I was proud of and to this day am still proud of. I could sit here and ramble on and on about his Hall of Fame worth statistics, his monumental home runs, the countless memories growing up and just being in awe of the Hurt. I am forever thankful that Frank was around for 2005 despite being injured much of the year.

To me Frank Thomas is the face of the Sox organization bar none. There will always be older fans who will talk about Aparicio, Baines, or Shoeless Joe and they all will have their points. 2 MVP awards and 500 home runs speaks volumes for where he should stand in this city. This is why I feel like it's time for Kenny Williams to do the right thing. Thomas has yet to officially retire and something tells me he is going to give it one more go this spring. Unfortunately I believe his time has come. If this is officially going to be the end for Frank Thomas and no one signs him before the end of the spring then it is Kenny Williams place to make things right. Reinsdorf and Williams should swallow their pride, take back the barbs that were thrown by both sides during Frank's departure. The White Sox owe it to themselves, Frank, and most importantly fans like me to sign Thomas to a one day contract so that he can officially retire a member of my beloved White Sox. If not for the Big Hurt I would probably never have visited the Cell and more than likely would be a Braves fan writing about how great Javier Vazquez is.

This is probably old but whatevs, Twins get new uniforms

2009-11-19T05:07:57Z

Link (I hope I did this right, I'm new at computers)

Here are some pictures that I felt complemented this story nicely, I hope you agree (I'm just typing words to fulfill the 75 word minimum which I think is some marxist healthcare regulation horseshit)

Oh you look fabulous

Throwback jersey makes Denard a happy boy

I'm sure someone posted this stuff before it was even official and this news is old but whatever, go stick it

Poll

How does this make you feel

Beckham is not only good, but classy

2009-11-17T04:02:57Z

via multimedia.onlineathens.com

UGA honored Beckham after the first quarter at the UGA v. Auburn for his 2 Rookie of the Year awards.

The shirt Beckham is wearing is in support of Chance Veazey. He is a freshman at UGA, and was coming in expected to be a big time contributor to the UGA baseball team. He batted close to .450 in high school. A few weeks ago, Veazey was in an accident while leaving the student learning center. His scooter slid into the car that pulled out in front of him. He is now paralyzed from the waist down.

It is nice to see that Beckham is keeping up with his former team, and showing support like that. Where some players getting the kind of attention and money Beckham is would come back wearing some fancy designer suit, Beckham is not above sporting a t-shirt. The amount of support for Veazey has been incredible, and its nice to see the savior join in. If only he really could perform a miracle here.

oh, and please keep Veazey in your thoughts. He is strong and fighting hard to walk again, but he still needs any and all support he can get!

Three way deal for Gonzalez?

2009-11-16T20:53:08Z

The White Sox are interested in Adrian Gonzalez.

Soxnet, a blog of chicagonow.com, is reporting talks between the White Sox, Angels, and Padres which would involve Paul Konerko and Adrian Gonzelez. The site claims that talks are in the preliminary stages, but mentions that the deal is centered around the White Sox sending Paul Konerko and prospects in return for Padres 1B Adrian Gonzalez. Some of the prospects that may be included may be Dayan Viciedo, Brent Morel, Dan Hudson, and Tyler Flowers.

White Sox Minor League Update: I just want to say one word to you - just one word.... 'prospects'.

2009-11-15T16:24:42Z

The Arizona Fall League is winding down. The Peoria Javelinas, for whom White Sox prospects play, have clinched their division so they'll be hosting the championship game on Saturday November 21. The game will be live on MLB network at 1:30 pm and also will be streamed on mlb.com.

If you're looking for an easy way to follow the stats of all the winter ballas, mlb.com has created a site for each team's players. Link to White Sox here. As previously discussed, there isn't much outside the AFL other than Clevelan Santeliz and Jon Link (and now Jhonny Nunez). But if you want to know how Phil Rogers favorite Stefan Gartrell or new acquisition Alejandro De Aza are doing in the Dominican Winter League, you won't be wasting a lot of time combing through various team sites.

Prospect list season is upon us. Kevin Goldstein at Baseball Prospectus will be publishing his this week.

Buerhle might wanna take a drive down Lake Shore Drive next slump

2009-11-14T02:18:13Z

I remember hearing about this during my impressionable years while playing in high school. I was never much of a pitcher, but I've had my moments. I get called to make my first start. Gave up 4 bombs in the second inning, and moved back to my position at second. Took a hot grounder to the nose and there was no bad hop...just straight in and out of my mitt and right up in the face. Who knows, things may have been different if I woulda dropped a hit of acid instead of smokin the Wednesday Weed before the game???

Will we all be disappointed this offseason

2009-11-11T05:23:48Z

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/11/figgins-too-expensive-for-white-sox-podsednik-talks-heat-up.html

Really frustrating knowing that a team that is right there on the verge of taking control of a division for a couple of years not going out and getting at least one big free agent signing. Kenny already said that hes going to wait until close to spring training to look at the DH position to get a bargain deal which was fine with me until I read this post on mlbtraderumors. Podsednik gave us a good year last year but still gave us headaches with his defense and awful base running.

If we trade Jenks I don't see how we couldnt afford Figgins. I don't mind Teahen in the outfield but putting him at 3rd is a bad idea. We could look at WAR and all that but getting Figgins gives us our leadoff hitter and a great defensive 3rd baseman. That's what the Sox are looking for right, leadoff hitter and becoming better defensively. Figgins, a bargain DH, and a relief pitcher isn't asking for to much. With the staring rotation we have, I mean look at the possible lineup:

3B- Figgins
2B- Beckham
RF- Quentin
DH- ?Thome...whoever (bargain price veteran)
1B- Konerko
C- Pierzynski
CF- Rios
LF- Teahen
SS- Ramirez

With rotation set and looking like one of the better one's in the league and with that lineup, if we could get a reliable bullpen arm maybe in a Jenks trade, we would be set. Just reading that they won't sign a big free agent really is disappointing. We have no expensive bench players, we trade Jenks, Linebrink is sadly our most expensive bullpen arm, Thorton is 2.25 million but thats a bargain. This roster would still be alot less then 2008 payroll, plus look at 2011, Konerko and AJ will probably be gone. We have AJ's replacement already in Flowers who we have under control for awhile and will be cheap and with Konerko we either resign for cheaper or put Viciedo or another option there. Plus this whole defensive idea, Pods in left, Teahen at 3rd is awful. Figgins at 3rd, Teahen in the outfield is much better.

Not happy about the way Kennys "talking" about this offseason so far, hopefully it is what it is, talk, we all know Ken loves suprising us good or bad. We'll see but right now it's frustrating.

Only point that finger at yourself, get it done Kenny

A letter from a Cuban fan inside Cuba

2009-11-09T19:20:27Z

Sunday, November 8, 2009

The ignorants who censor us

The Cuban Insider reporting inside Cuba

Every October reminds me of the phrase associated with this month. October stands for “World Series”. This article is for those like me who have fought agaisnt the censorship in order to keep alive the dream of watching MLB.

Since I was born, there have been no transmision of any Major Leagues games in Cuba. The newspapers do not cover National League games. The TV play by play announcers have never called a home run in the American League. No Media outlet have published the stats for a MLB season. There have not been any reference anywhere in the Media about the World Series Champion in more than four decades. This has been going on for too long. It is an absurd aberration, but it is reality.

During the WBC I and II, the Cuban Media made sporadic and despective references about MLB. The Communist media uses the euphemism term “the so called Major Leagues” to refer to MLB. The Cuban authorities pretend to forge a doubt in Cuban people minds about the mere existence of MLB. They have been living in denial for all these years. However, their quest falls short. I am sure they even lose their sleep trying to block any news about MLB.

Every year, some Cuban fans manage to circumvent the censorship in order to watch our favorite MLB teams and players. We employ many unconventional methods and resources to watch a MLB games. Even the French philosopher, mathematician, physicist, and writer, René Descartes, could not match our inventions. Therefore, blocking access to blogs, web sites and emails is a lost cause for those who have the power and use it to censor.

Cubans were following MLB baseball anyway we could. A few friends are willing to share information among each other so we could be informed about the World Series. Baseball is our national pastime too.

I do not know if we are fighting another battle against our demons or simply against those who prohibit us the pleasure of watching Major League games. It is absurd in order to watch the Yankees in the 21st Century, Cubans have to make illegal satelite dishes anyway we can and avoid being caught. The World Series started in the last week in October. A few lucky Cubans like me are enjoying the World Series joyfully.

Greetings from one of the Old Habana City parks, Cuba
http://cubanballplayers.blogspot.com/2009/11/ignorants-who-censor-us.html

Why the nickname bacon sucks and why you should all stop using it.

2009-11-06T21:28:29Z

Q: Where the hell did this ridiculous nickname come from?

A: Mully and Hanley

Q: Why is Bacon not a funny nickname?

A: Mully and Hanley

Q: What the hell does Bacon have to do with Gordon Beckham?

A: ?

Bacon is really becoming an obnoxious nickname for many reasons. First off, some loudmouth moron and a stuttering buffoon on the score tagged our savior with this nickname. Secondly, this nickname has apparently caught steam... I have seen numerous SSS posters refer to Gordon as "bacon" to my dismay. Why? Bacon is a fatty protein used for many dishes. Beckham is a lean mean right center hitting machine. No correlation there.Lastly, I don't get it, stop using it. Peace.

Ozzie Joining FOX For World Series

2009-10-22T04:00:56Z

Fox Sports adds Guillen to booth

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/10/21/guillen.fox/index.html

Baseball fans, get ready for a bleeping interesting analyst. SI.com has learned that Ozzie Guillen, the colorful and occasionally profanity-laden manager of the White Sox, has been hired by Fox Sports to serve as a pre- and postgame analyst for the network's World Series coverage. He will debut alongside Chris Rose, Eric Karros and Mark Grace on Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Guillen will also file reports for Fox Sports Espanol.

Dear SSS, aka the ball busters who claim to be my biggest fans...

2009-10-19T14:45:59Z

Dear SSS-

I got your letter, and have to admit, I was totally taken by surprise. I mean, we had a lot of good times together, didnt we? I mean, the World Series, for christsakes? Doesn't that matter anything to you?

Yeah, I read you loud and clear- I am too proud to try and beg, but I want to point out a few things you may not have considered, in all your collective Baseball Wisdom:

1- You called me, remember? And what did I do for you, when you needed me? .304 BA, 2 errors... TWO! sure, I may have played some balls badly, but hey, who else were you going to get? You want to have Ramirez as your leadoff hitter? Puhleezee.... I have a 1.8 WAR, for crying out loud, while your precious Q had a -0.5 WAR.. You really think you are better off with him than me?

2- I told you I had figured the health thing out, and this season proved it: I know how to keep myself healthy,, and the beating I took on the basepaths is proof of that. All those late and miss-timed slides would have broken a lesser man (Hows Quentin doing, btw? You see JD throwing himself around like me? I dont think so...) I have gotten more gloves to the face than any other player in MLB (except Nick Punto, maybe), and it was all for you, SSS, all for you.

3- My wife... you wont have her to Ogle anymore, ok? Keep your Damn eyes to yourself, Mister, and no more google image searches!!!

4- You want to get a Free Agent and replace me? good freaking luck- Worked out well for Milton Bradley and the Cubs... have fun with that process.

5- I get on YOUR nerves? Really? of all the crap things about this club this year, I am the person you single out to spurn? Really? Do I have to actually say the names, Linebrink, Colon, Contreras, Dye, Quentin? Hell, even Jenks let you down more than I did this year, and you say you are tired of me? Really.... well, you can take your precious savior and shove him up Jenks prodigious ass for all I care.

6- I'll go now... Back to Milwaukee where they dont crap all over their MVP.

Have a good 2010- Hope you choke on it. And next year, dont come crying to me, telling me you made a mistake, you were wrong... I am not even going to pick up the phone- I will just hit delete on the voicemail.

And, from now on, it is MR. Podsednik to you.

I Gotta Get Drunk (with da Cheat) And I Sure Do Regret It.

2009-10-13T22:20:23Z

So it seems the SSS post-season meet-up has tentatively been scheduled for this weekend in the southburbs, specifically Tinley Park. Cheat, feigning knowledge of the area, has passed the buck to me, or rather, us, down here living the dream since there seems to be several SSS'ers rocking the suburbs.

Im open to either night leaning slightly toward friday, but I think our starting point should probably be Holstein's due to its close proximity to the Rock Island Line that runs from the Windy City clear out to Joliet. If you get off at the first Tinley Park stop the bar is right across the tracks. Also in walking distance are Teehans and Durbins, and I guess Cuzins and the old Tinley Pub are within a mile as well. Durbins or Holsteins probably have the best tvs, and as I mentioned before theres free pizza at holsteins on fridays, but both places will likely have live music interrupting the baseball at some point. There are tons of other bars in the area however, and we should have enough cars to haul the train commuters(cheat, om) since skanch, kenwo, myself and dr. emily lizard are all relatively local. (The thought of this motley crew just put a smile on my face actually, and no kenwo, not that crue)

So answer the poll as to what day works best for everyone and lets start to figure out a head count. [Note by The Cheat, 10/13/09 6:47 PM CDT]: Removed the poll. It's Friday.

Off of the top of my head Im guessing about 10 will commit and myself plus two other people will show up.

One of those two could be you!

White Sox Minor League Update: Round Up the Usual Suspects

2009-10-11T22:10:39Z

No one bothered to post their own prospect list in response to mine. Perhaps it was neglect. Perhaps it was fear. Either way, you can participate in sister site Minor League Ball's community list for the White Sox here.

The Arizona Fall League starts Tuesday October 13. You can follow the league on Twitter here. We'll have daily updates on the White Sox players who are participating (roster here). Also we'll have infrequent updates on the other fall/winter leagues, along with the usual smattering random news and reports.

OC gets FIAL at being BO

2009-10-08T22:19:20Z

OCab gets a public shaming

Much deserved ripping by Dan Brown of Yahoo's Big League Stew. Much like Lloyd Benson once said..."I knew Bo Jackson sir, and you are No Bo Jackson!" To fill up the additional words required, I will share my favorite Bo moment- His going Back to Back to Back with Robin Ventura and Frank Thomas on an Easter Weekend homestand my wife and I attended. Shortly thereafter she got her hip replaced, having needed it done since childhood, saying "If he can hit a homer with a fake hip, I oughta be able to do ok..."

SSS Time Machine Tournament West Division Series Game 4

2009-10-05T21:45:49Z

1920 (The Wizard) vs. 1993 (Vince)

Results: 1920-5, 1993-4

WP: Eddie Cicotte (2-1), LP: Bobby Thigpen (0-1)

HR: Frank Thomas (2)

It took twelve innings and came a sac fly away from a thirteenth, but the 1920 squad held on to advance to the West Championship series. 1993 had it in the bag with a 2-1 lead in the ninth with one out when Roberto Hernandez coughed up a groundout that scored Shano Collins from third. Shano Collins wins PotG for driving in the winning two runs in the 12th. 1920 wins series 3-1 and advances to play 2000 in the West Championship Series.

Meta-post:

I hate the fact that every time I restart this series, something happens. While typing this post up, i found out that my wrist surgery has been moved up to next Tuesday. Between now and then, I have 5 tests, a paper, and a project due. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the series is going to end any time soon. Sorry guys.

SSS Time Machine Tournament Central Division Series Game 4

2009-10-05T21:35:43Z

1983 (ryno/hoysstash) vs. 1994 (U-God)

Results: 1994- 12, 1983- 6

WP: Alex Fernandez (2-0), LP: Britt Burns (0-1), SV: Jose Deleon (1)

HR: Tom Paciorek (1), Vance Law (1), Ron Karkovice 2 (2)

The Strike Squad defeated the Winning Ugly team in a beat down to force a game 5. 1983 got off to an early lead with a 2-run shot by Wimpy. Unfortunately for them, 1994 would score twelve runs before 83 would get back on the board. Britt Burns was shelled in his 3.1 innings, giving up eight runs on three walks and nine hits. Alex Fernandez didn't fare much better going 5.2 while giving up six runs, one walk, and six hits. Jose Deleon came on in relief and didn't allow a single baserunner while striking out five over the final 3.1 frames. The PotG goes to Ron Karkovice for his 2-5 performance, which doesn't seem to impressive until you realize the two hits were both grandslams. Series is tied 2-2.

Closing Time, Revisited SemiSonic Style

2009-10-05T18:34:30Z

Closing time
Open all the lockers and let Bobby out into the world
Closing time
Turn off all of the lights on over US Cellular Field
Closing time
Ozzie put in Linestink so finish your whiskey or beer
Closing time
You don't have to go home but you can't stay here

I know who I want to be the DH
I know who I want to start in Center
I know who I want to Play Right Field

Closing time
Time for Kenny Williams to work the Winter Meetings
Closing time
This season is ovaah, and sadly Pods was your MVP
So gather up your jackets, move it from the bullpen
I hope you have found a leadoff man...

Closing time
Every new Latin Starter comes from some other Latin Starter's release.

I know who I want to play in center
I know who I want to be the DH
I know who I want to take me home
Mrs Podsednik and Kotsay...

Turning in the Grades

2009-10-05T06:01:28Z

With the 2009 season officially coming to a close, it is time for the annual report cards. Since I am the teacher, I will be the first to turn in my grades on the 2009 White Sox.

via www.midwestsportsfans.com

AJ Pierzynski: The backstop had an above average season. He is the first catcher to finish with a .300 average in Sox history. AJ only managed to crank 13 homers and drove in 49 runs. I would have liked to see more run production out of him, but he was one of the very few consistent hitters in the Sox lineup. Overall, he called good games, blocked bad pitches and struggled throwing runners out. Final Grade- B.

Paul Konerko: The captain had a much better season in 2009 than he did in 2008. He led the club with 28 homers, was surprisingly consistent for most of the year and finished with a .277/.353/.489. He played extremely good defense and totaled 59 extra base hits and threw in a rare stolen base for good measure. I don't think you could have expected him to do much more than he did under the best circumstances this season. Final Grade- B+

Gordon Beckham: The Savior came to us in June and after a rough start to his career ended up with a .270/.347/.460 line. 28 doubles, 14 homers and 63 RBI's later and He looks like a future star for many years to come. Throw in the fact that he learned 3rd base on the fly and improved by leaps and bounds, and the sky is the limit. The average dipped in the final month a bit, but you couldn't have expected much more from Beckham. Final Grade- A-

Alexei Ramirez- The Cuban Missile really struggled the first month and a half of the season, even being benched at one point for 3 games. He rallied late to end up at .277/.333/.389. His power numbers dipped a bit as he only managed 30 extra base hits and 68 RBI's. He threw in 14 SB's. In the field, Ramirez made some incredible plays and botched some very easy ones. He did come a long way from his terrible April/May so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Final Grade: C+

Jermaine Dye- JD started out like a beast, sticking over .300 with 20 homers at the all star break. From then on, however, it was all down hill for the former World Series MVP. Dye finished the season on a terribly bad note and wound up sticking .250/.340/.453. He did total 27 homers and 81 RBI, each good for 2nd on the team. He made some good plays in the outfield when he could get to the ball, however, he can't get to too many anymore. I'd like to grade him higher, however I can't look past his horrendous finish. Final Grade: C-

Scott Podsednik- Scotty Pods was brought in on a minor league deal, and arrived in the bigs May 1st. He went on to lead the team with 163 hits, a .304 BA, 6 triples and 30 stolen bases. His base running was sometimes maddening, as was his outfield play, but if anyone would have told you in Spring Training that Scott Podsednik would lead the Sox in most offensive categories you would have shat yourself. For that, only one grade is possible. Final Grade: A

Carlos Quentin- Quentin was coming off of a self inflicted injury to his wrist, but did show power early in the season. Then his foot problems put him on the DL for quite awhile. Quentin managed to come back and play in 99 games this season. His average was in the .230's for most of the season, but he enjoyed a late surge the last week of 2009 to put his power numbers at 21 homers and 56 RBI's. His left field play was suspect at best and awful at worst. Final Grade- D+

Chris Getz- Getz had a decent rookie season in the big leagues, hitting .261 with 25 stolen bases. Numerous injuries,however, only put him on the field for 107 games. He played solid defense at Second Base, and at times looked very solid with the stick. As with Quentin, however, if you want good grades from KenWo, you better show up to class. Final Grade- C-

Alex Rios- Rios was acquired from the Blue Jays for nothing but 60 million dollars and played like he was worth .60 cents in his time with the Sox, hitting .197 with 3 homers in his 150 plate appearances. It was comforting to have an outfielder who could close the gap well, but coming to a club in contention and proceeding to take a dump will not earn you a passing grade. Final Grade- F

Jim Thome- Thome did what Thome does. Low average, good power, high on base percentage. He did what was expected of him and probably would have led the club in HR's and RBI had he stayed aboard. 2009 was nothing special for Mr. Incredible by any means, but he met expectations. Final Grade- B

Jayson Nix- The primary utility man for the Sox showed some signs of pop, hitting 12 homers in 255 AB's. He did strike out a whole bunch and wasn't as solid in the field as we all would have hoped. Final Grade- C

Ramon Castro- Caught Jose Contreras for a string of good starts and caught Mark Buehrle's Perfect Game. Other than that, he didn't bring much to the table. Final Grade- F

Mark Kotsay- After he was brought over for Brian Anderson, Kotsay batted .303 for the Sox, with 3 homers and 18 RBI in only 109 ABs. He played well at first base and in right field and contributed more to Chicago in 2 months than Anderson did in 4 seasons. He also has a hot wife. Final Grade- A

Dewayne Wise- Started the season as the starting CF, didn't last long, made historic catch and threw a bunch of runners out in limited time. Final Grade- D

Brent Lillibridge- Hit .158 with a late surge to get to 3 RBI's. Had cool theme music, but it isn't enough to pass him. Final Grade- F

Wilson Betemit- Played 3rd base like a bad little leaguer. Final Grade- F

Josh Fields- Was given the starting 3rd base job, and had it taken away by a guy who played another position and was less than a year into his professional career. Horrible defense, can't hit a fastball. Final Grade- F

Pitchers

Mark Buehrle- Mark had a great first half and threw one of the most memorable games in White Sox history. Struggled down the stretch when he was needed most, but still posted 13 W's, 3.84 ERA and 213 IP. Also smacked a homer. Final Grade- B

John Danks- Danks finished the season 13-11 and led the starters with a 3.77 ERA. He wasn't as consistent as he was in 2008, but did indeed put up another solid MLB season. He totaled 200.1 innings and 149 strikeouts. Final Grade- B

Gavin Floyd- Gavin wasn't as spectacular as he was in 2008. He struggled early on, then was dominant and then developed a hip issue which hindered his last handful of starts. Only walked 59 guys while striking out 163 in 193 innings while finishing 11-11. Final Grade- B

Freddy Garcia- Garcia started 9 games for the Sox after struggling with injuries the past few years. He came up and posted a 3-4 record with a 4.34 ERA, and really did pitch better than those numbers. While his velocity is still down, he found a way to get guys out. Final Grade- B+

Jake Peavy- Peavy was immaculate in his 3 starts, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA. He struck out 18 in 20 innings and gave the Sox faithful reason to be joyous for 2010. However, he blocked an earlier trade which would have sent him to the Sox and then got injured. By the time the Sox did acquire him, he needed a lot of rehab time (even more so after taking a liner off the arm). One can only wonder how this season would have turned out if he accepted the trade in May. However, I can only grade him on the time he spent here. Final Grade- A

Jose Contreras- Contreras came back from a major injury to secure a spot in the rotation. He went on to prove he wasn't quite ready as he couldn't control his splitter. He came back from the minors and had a nice run, before a series of self-induced collapses led him to be dealt to the Rockies. Finished 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA. Final Grade- D-

Bartolo Colon- Colon was 3-6 with a 4.19 ERA, but injuries and a lack of commitment to the organization lead to his demise. Final Grade- F

DJ Carrasco- This guy saved the pitching staff numerous times this season. Finished 5-1 with a 3.76 ERA and kept the Sox in many games they would have otherwise been blown out in. Pitched 93 innings out of the bullpen and was there any time he was needed. DJ did a remarkable job in 2009. Final Grade- A

Matt Thornton- Thornton has become the premier left handed set up man in all of baseball. He finished 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA and 87 K's in 72.1 innings. Showed late in the season he may be ready to close in 2010. Final Grade- A

Bobby Jenks- Jenks finished 3-4 with a 3.71 ERA while Saving 29 games at an 82.8 percent clip. His strike out to walk ratio was good at 16:49 in 53.1 innings, yet he had a tough time staying healthy. Jenks was passable when available, but wasn't very reliable in 2009. Final Grade- B-

Scott Linebrink- Linebrink was pretty terrible in 2009. He posted a 3-7 record with a 4.66 ERA (I can't believe it was that low). It seemed like he only could throw his fastball for strikes. Hopefully he finds it next year because with his contract, he will be back despite the Final Grade- F

Octavio Dotel- Octavio would sometimes blow up, but for the most part posted a good season in 2009. He finished 3-3 with a 3.32 ERA and struck out 75 over 62.1 innings. I'm not so sure why the Sox are throwing him out the door. He wasn't spectacular but wasn't bad either. Final Grade- C+

Tony Pena- Pena came aboard midseason and went on to appear in 35 games for the Sox. He had some good moments, but most will remember him for giving up a few walk off hits. He finished 1-2 with a 3.75 ERA while wearing silver and black. Final Grade- C

Randy Williams- Williams pitched in 25 games for the Sox and did a credible job when he was put in his situation of getting out lefties. Troube came about when he was asked to do more than that leading to an 0-1 record with a 4.58 ERA. Struck out 22 over 17.2 innings and looks like a decent LOOGY option. Final Grade- C

Clayton Richard- Richard was a roller coaster. Sometimes he looked unbelievable and others he looked awful. He wasn't very good coming out of the bullpen early on and can't throw to first on a grounder, but he did net us Peavy with some solid performances midseason. Final Grade- C

Dan Hudson- Hudson pitched 18.2 late season innings capping off his rise from the A level. He looked like a very viable option for the near future. Very limited sample size, but Final Grade- A.

Management

Ozzie Guillen (and staff)- Ozzie had what I believe to be his best season as manager in 2008. In 2009, it was the exact opposite. He was late on making changes to the lineup, very bad on utilizing his bullpen and ranted way too often for anyone other than Bobby Knights liking. He mishandled the Rios acquisition and for the most part was a move behind all season long. Final Grade- D

Kenny Williams- We came into the season with no legit CF, 2 injury prone starting pitchers and a failure waiting to happen at 3rd base. He provided no replacements for Nick Swisher (FNS) and Javier Vazquez. He did pick up Podsednik, who turned out to be gold, and did bring in Peavy and Rios for not only 2009 but many years to come. His move of Brandon Allen for Tony Pena will be questioned like it was Gio Gonzalez. He did acquire a nice bench player in Mark Kotsay for Brian Anderson. Final Grade- C-.... with a chance to improve with solid years to come from Rios/Peavy.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX- FINAL GRADE- C This team was almost the definition of average. They finished 79-83, didn't go on too many long losing streaks or winning streaks, just kind of pissed the season away.

"Blame it on Rio." Or "How I learned to stop worrying and love the Olympics for 72 hours."

2009-10-03T20:47:33Z

Every story must begin with a relatable anecdote: I worked at WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee for 5 years. It is the flagship station of the Green Bay Packers radio network. This happened to be during Favre's glory years, so playoff appearances were pretty much a guarantee.

Every year, fan expectations followed a predictable pattern. They were cautiously optimistic on Monday morning. "We're facing a formidable opponent, we shouldn't take (team) for granted," they would say. By Friday, they were yelling "SUPER BOWL!!! TITLETOWN!!!! LOMBARDI!!!! WOOOOOO!!!" The Packers would then lose on Sunday, and the same people who were cautiously optimistic just seven days before came into work looking like their dog died.

Which brings us to Friday.

The Picasso wore a "medal." Turns out it said "participant" on the other side. I heard there were 20 thousand people in Daley Plaza for the Olympic announcement.

I'm willing to bet most of them were ambivalent about the Olympic bid...until the hype machine cranked up this week.

It wasn't too hard to get caught up in the craziness. Every news story leading up to the Friday's IOC meeting was a sign Chicago had it in the bag.

Oprah was going to Copenhagen! Obama was going to give a speech! The national media will be here to cover the announcement!

Even Charlie Gibson was flying to Chicago to anchor ABC's World News. They must have some inside info!

The rally itself was a combination of screaming Olympians and a halfway-decent cover band. Swimmer Rowdy Gaines was the master of ceremonies. Scottie Pippen pumped up the crowd. The lead singer of the cover band flawlessly copied the vocal styles of Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, and Robert Plant. Cubs fans brought their "It's Gonna Happen!" signs. Ronnie Woo Woo got kicked out of the press area.

The IOC opened the vote at 10:12. It began with each bid city getting assigned a random number. Chicago got 4, and everyone cheered. The vote closed five minutes later. IOC President Jacque Rogge then said Chicago got the fewest votes, and was out. The four year effort to land the 2016 games was over in two seconds. People at Daley Plaza had no idea what to do next.

I had to do a live shot on WGN, and it wasn't that good. I had no clue what to say. I had to resist the temptation to say "we gone!"

The people who brought the "It's Gonna Happen!" signs took markers and wrote in "It's NOT Gonna Happen!" The signs remained pristine through TWO consecutive playoff three and outs, but the fans break out the markers for a failed Olympic bid?

I didn't see anyone crying. Most said "screw it" and went back to work. Those who did stick around cheered when the IOC picked Rio. Classy.

Rio's Olympic rally was a huge event on Copacabana beach. Made the Daley Plaza rally look like the dog and pony show it really was.

In the end, I got to interview Scottie Pippen (asked him if the IOC members' memories of the original Dream Team could help the Chicago bid), and I have another credential to add to my hall of failure:

There will be a lot of blame to go around in the coming days and weeks. I think it's unfair to pin this on Obama. Daley, of course, will have to wear it.

I, on the other hand, blame Mark Buehrle. We haven't been awarded a single Olympics since his perfect game.

No backpacks allowed - will MLB follow suit?

2009-09-29T23:04:30Z

Backpacks not allowed here

NFL issues new stadium 'bag policy'? Does this just affect the Bears? What's the deal?

NOT ALLOWED:

Any size backpack
Fanny packs
Duffel bags
Shoulder purses
Non-fitting, over-sized camera cases
All other types of bags, regardless of size

ALLOWED AFTER INSPECTION:

Small handheld 'clutch' purses
Diaper bags (with related items)
Medical bags
Clear zip-lock bags for personal food
Clear Bears Pro Shop bags with merchandise from stadium stores
Cameras (6" lens max.) & binoculars with fit-to-size cases
Above items must fit into 12" x 12" template box at gates

Will the MLB follow suit - if so, that will drastically reduce the games I go to, how about you?