The Sox sit at a mark 30 games over .500. Frank Thomas hit a game-winning 3-run HR, his 10th in under 70 AB's, last night. Scott Podsednik is doing the impossible, holding off 'the face of baseball' in 32nd man voting. Yet, despite all of that, the main story as of this very moment is who's getting the start at 1B tonight. JERMAINE DYE.
This is a move that I've quietly asked for. That's not to say that I want Dye out there right now, but I brought it up in another forum that I would send Jermaine to play winter ball somewhere, playing exclusively first base. One of Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas is probably going to be gone next season, and after last night's heroics who can argue to keep Pauly over Frank?
Brian Anderson (no this Brian Anderson) should be arriving in Chicago April of next season. The Sox have Podsednik, Aaron Rowand, and Dye all under contract for next year. Plus, they have an option on Carl Everett. They have an abundence of outfield options.
At first base next year the options are Konerko, Gload, and Casey Rogowski. We know what Gload can do, but that he's still in Charlotte, and Dye is getting the start at 1B tells me a lot. Rogowski is a nice prospect, but I don't think he's ever going to be an offensive powerhouse you'd like to have at 1B. Plus, I thik he's more than a year off. I also think Anderson will struggle in the first half next season. So... A platoon of Dye-Gload-Anderson in 1B/RF would be a decent option.
All of this assumes Jermaine can be an adequate defensive 1B. The last time he played 1B was 1998 in AAA. Let's hope he at least has a first basemen's mitt.
Oh yeah, Jose Contreras pitches for the Sox. Casey Fossum, who's most famous for being traded for Curt Schilling, on the mound for the D-Rays.