The Major League Baseball Free Agency signing period is in its infancy stage and I'm already disgusted with the White Sox' offseason.

It doen't particularly aggrevate me (nor surprise me) that the White Sox declined to offer arbitration to four players yesterday.  Jermaine Dye, Scott Podsednik, Ramon Castro, and Octavio Dotel didn't quite fit into the Sox' plans for 2010, and I understand that.  If the White Sox do end up trading Bobby Jenks (as the rumor on the street says) and promoting Matt Thornton to closer, it will leave me wondering who the heck they plan on using as their primary setup man, and frankly I'd be left pining for Dotel's return in that situation, but that's another story for another day.

It's not necessarily the underwhelming signings of Omar Vizquel and Andruw Jones, or the trade for Mark Teahan that's got my panties in a bunch either.

No, no.  The ownership group of the White Sox has employed a bass ackwards strategy of player salary aquisition since Jerry Reinsdorf assumed majority ownership in the 1980's.  Reinsdorf doesn't spend money on players unless the team's attendance and ticket sales are on a pace to make up for the difference.  In other words, their motto is "We won't improve our product until our customer base gives us more money."

It doesn't fly with this Sox fan.  Could you imagine Coca Cola telling you, after you complained their drink doesn't taste good, that they won't improve their forumula unless they sell 20,000 more cases per month?  Or Federal Express refusing to improve the speed of their priority delivery until the number of priority deliveries increases 30% in the quarter?  Businesses just don't operate in this fashion. 

Businesses must first put a great product out and only then can they expect their customers to turn out in big numbers.  And White Sox fans have proven they are no exception, as evidenced by their breaking the White Sox all-time single season attendance record in 2006, the year after the Sox won the World Series. 

I'd be quite ecstatic about the Jones signing if only I knew that Jones would be primarily competing for a backup role in left and right field.  Instead, it is quite obvious Jones will be their starting designated hitter, probably starting more than 120 games barring injury.  And Vizquel is fine for what he is: a backup, utility infielder who can still flash the leather and occasional speed to make him a worthwhile player.  It's just that my expectations were so much higher, but they were only higher because the White Sox made them higher with two extraordinary pickups in July and August of 2009.

Jake Peavy and Alex Rios were brought in to help the Sox win the World Series.  There's no other way any baseball fan should look at those two pickups.  The two players combined will add roughly $30 million of payroll to their 2010 opening day roster.  It didn't work out in 2009, as the White Sox ultimately had more holes than two players could fill.  The holes on this team are not so big that $20 million more couldn't repair, but the White Sox seem content with spending minimal amounts of money and settling for second or third place in the AL Central.  And make no mistake about it, if the White Sox don't fix their problems, that's exactly where they're destined to finish in 2010.

Let's begin by stating their problems/holes.  They need better OF defense and range and more power.  They need to improve their on base skills and need a bona fide leadoff hitter.

Is Chone Figgins too much to ask for?  He's no spring chicken these days but I predict a 4-year, $46 million contract would be enough to suit up Figgins in South Side pinstripes next season.  If they're going to trade Bobby Jenks anyway, why not package him and a good pitching prospect like Daniel Hudson to the Nationals and bring in Adam Dunn?  I pictured the White Sox lineup looking something like this:

LF Chone Figgins
2B Gordon Beckham
DH Adam Dunn
RF Carlos Quentin
1B Paul Konerko
CF Alex Rios
C AJ Pierzynski
3B Mark Teahan
SS Alexis Ramirez

Add to that lineup arguably the best starting rotation in the American League (Peavy, Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Freddy Garcia) and that folks, is your American League Central Division champion squad right there!  It would add roughly $20 million to the payroll, a sum the Sox could quite easily recuperate from ticket and jersey sales from the buzz their new players would generate.  Due to departing free agents like Dye, Dotel, and Jim Thome, the Sox have already cleared enough salary to more than compensate for the new players.

But this fantasy lineup is but a pipe dream, as the Sox are destined to miss the playoffs and I know it. 

I don't understand the point of bringing in Peavy and Rios if Sox' management isn't going to allow GM Kenny Williams  the resources he needs to finish the job.  Furthermore, I despise that the White Sox pretend to be a small market team when most of their fans are smart enough to realize they are far from it.

Both of Chicago's baseball teams and its much balleyhooed football team have acquired quality players but have misused them recently.  Here are the players and ways they are being missused.

The Chicago Cubs have missused Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley

First and foremost, both players were signed to massive contracts, both in years and dollars, unneccessarily.  The Cubs reportedly outbid the second highest team for Soriano by $40 million, and Bradley was given a 3-year contract despite playing on 7 teams in 9 seasons.  Both of these are inexcusible errors on the part of GM Jim Hendry.  In addition, manager Lou Piniella waited far too long to pull Soriano out of the leadoff spot.  Piniella and Soriano were indeed the only Chicago residents heading into 2009 who believed Soriano was the best canididate for leading off for the Cubs.  When the calender turned June and Soriano's On-Base Percentage had yet to turn into anything close to respectable, why was he still there? 

The Chicago Bears have missussed Devin Hester

First, I fully endorse the idea of using Hester as a wide reciever.  A player that fast and talented is too good to not have the ball in his hands.  However, expecting Hester to learn the WR position at this stage of his career requires patience, and frankly, Hester clearly lacks the, umm intelect, to make this work.  But that's even the worst of the Bear's crimes.  They have now decided to put Danieal Manning back as the kick returner full time!  Hester, through his first two seasons, was almost inarguably on pace to become the greatest kick returner of all times.  The Bears are asking Hester to stop doing something he was great at, and putting him in a position where he's barely mediocre!  What's next, Tom Brady on the punt block team?  It was obvious last season that Hester was having trouble handling both duties when for the first time in his career he failed to score a touchdown on a kick or punt return.  Hester should be a part time WR, learning a maximum of 10 or so routes and a couple "gadget plays."  The rest of his time should be spent practicing what he's actually good at.

The Chicago White Sox have missused Alexis Rios

I love the Sox's acquistion of Alex Rios, a supreme defender in CF and bona fide threat for power and speed.  He's a tremendous upgrade over what the White Sox had previously used in CF this season: DeWane Wise, Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens, and Scott Podsednik.  So why has Rios sat on the bench 3 times in the last week while Podsednik continues to play?  It's rather bizarre.  Rios, RF Jermaine Dye, and LF Carlos Quentin are all better baseball players than Scott Podsednik, a decent leadoff man who is a liability in the field and on the basepaths (despite his plus speed, Podsednik is notorious for baserunning blunders).  It makes no sense to set a better baseball player on the bench just because Podsednik is an experienced leadoff hitter.  By putting Rios in CF and in the leadoff spot every day, the White Sox add more power, speed, better defense, and smarter play to the lineup, keep Dye's and Quentin's power bats in the lineup.  Podsednik should be used to give the other three OFs a periodical rest, not the other way around.

First, I'll give credit to Kenny Williams, perhaps the best General Manager in Chicago sports history, and surely the best in Chicago's baseball history.  Williams, in his short tenure as GM of the Chicago White Sox, has made bold trades, acquiring pitchers Jose Contreras, John Denks, David Wells, Bartolo Colon (the first time, in 2003) and Gavin Floyd, in addition to hitters Scott Podsednik, Jim Thome, and Carlos Quentin.  He's been successful in the international market, nabbing Tadahito Iguchi and Alexei Ramirez, along with 19 year old Cuban sensation Dayan Viciedo.  His "under the radar" free agent signings have been superb, inking Jermaine Dye, Bobby Jenks, Esteban Loaiza, and A.J. Pierzynski.  His recent drafts look promising, drafting Aaron Poreda and Gordon Beckham in the two most recent first rounds.  And, to boot, he's hired quality coaches.  Oh yeah, and he's won two division titles and a World Freakin' Series, too. 

Williams' bravado is something to marvel at.  In 2008 he quipped that the Tigers' trade for star IF Miguel Cabrera would only "put the Tigers in a better position to compete with the White Sox."  This came after a season in which the White Sox won a paltry 72 games and the Tigers netted 88 wins.  Amazingly, Chicago won the division while Detroit struggled and finished last place.  

Williams does not know how to give up, and it could be to his own fault.  I was of the opinion that in the midst of that dismal 2007 72-win season, Williams would be wise to trade Mark Buehrle, whose contract was set to expire at the end of the season.  Williams could have acquired a top prospect for Buehrle, as well as Jermaine Dye, who also had an expiring deal.  To the surprise of many, Williams instead signed both to contract extensions.  Although the team ended up winning the division the following season, making Williams look again like a genius, they failed to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.  Now, Williams has an aging, one dimensional team that can't win a ballgame unless it hits plenty of home runs.  The White Sox have older, injury prone, slow footed sluggers.  Their pitching is barely mediocre, despite having a stellar bullpen. 

The White Sox desperately need to rebuild.  Or at least reshuffled the proverbial deck.

They need some youth injected into their lineup, and they need players who are more prone to higher on base percentages.  They need more pitching depth, and they need more speed.

The White Sox need younger, better players.  Yet, it was recently made public that Kenny Williams nearly pulled off what would have been the most surprising trade in all of baseball.  Jake Peavy, the San Diego Padre Ace and former Cy Young Award winner, nixed a trade that would have brought him to Chicago last week.  The deal reportedly had young pitchers Poreda and Clayton Richard going to San Diego.  This baffled me. 


It's difficult to doubt such a successful executive,
but trading for Jake Peavy would be a mistake.

In a season where it couldn't be more obvious to me that trading veteran players for prospects would make the most sense, Williams attempted to go the opposite direction.  He almost mortgaged the future for another injury prone star (several baseball scouts agree that Peavy has awful pitching mechanics).  He almost acquired a fly-ball pitcher to throw in home run friendly US Cellular Field.  He almost made a huge mistake.

Whatifsports.com, a website specializing in hypothetical sports scenarios, recently ran a simulation in which the remainder of the White Sox season was simulated on a computer 10,000 times.  The conclusion was that they would likely finish 14-10 as opposed to 10-14 in Peavy's spot in the rotation.  Whatifsports.com estimates the chances of the White Sox making the playoffs goes from 6.9% to 11.4% with Jake Peavy in the rotation.  That is completely unacceptable. 

It was only a few short months ago when Williams considered Poreda untouchable.  It was noted in local newspapers that when teams called the White Sox to talk trade, Williams promptly hung up the phone whenever Poreda's name came up.  Poreda has struck out 49 hitters in 46 1/3 innings thus far in AA, yielding a 2.33 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.  Not even Jake Peavy should be enough to change Williams' mind.

The White Sox 2009 season is a lost cause.  They won't make the playoffs with or without another pitcher of Jake Peavy's caliber (one rumor is that Williams recently inquired about Arizona's Brandon Webb).  They won't win anything of any significance this season and they shouldn't worry about giving up young talent to improve by a few games. 


Top Prospects Tyler Flowers (C, left) Brandon Flowers (1B,
right) are two reasons the White Sox have a bright future. 

Despite the Sox' struggles this year, the glass is half full for the upcoming future.  Williams has some young talent to work with, like Beckham, Denks, Floyd, Poreda, Viciedo, Ramirez, Quentin, and Jenks.  He has two first round picks this year and two second round picks.  He's likely to have another high pick next season if they don't finish the season strong in 2009.  By trading some veterans like Dye, Thome, and Octavio Dotel at the deadline, Williams can only add to the mix. 

The White Sox will be a better team in 2011 without Jake Peavy, and since they likely won't make the playoffs in 2009 anyway, it's for the better.  For once in Kenny William's career, I hope he plays the conservative card.

With recent talk surrounding the possibility of former number one overall pick Michael Vick returning to the NFL in 2009 after his prison sentence is up, I have heard speculation from various sources on many different teams and situations that might present themselves to Vick.  Will the Raiders come calling?  Will it be the Cowboys?  Would Denver, after blowing it with the Jay Cutler situation, take a gamble?  How about the Vikings, who are so desperate for a quarterback they would consider making Brett Favre an offer to come out of retirement-after he just had shoulder surgery. 

I have heard the rumblings about whether or not Vick, a convicted felon, should be allowed into the NFL.  And believe me, PETA has let their viewpoints be loud and clear. 

But, there is one fact I have yet to hear discussed concerning Vick's (possible) return. 

Michael Vick is a bad football player.

I think I could make a forthcoming argument that Vick is the greatest individual athlete in pro football history.  The guy can throw a perfect spiral 70+ yards-with EITHER hand (it's true.  I can't find the source for this but I remember seeing an ESPN clip where he threw fly patterns to Peerless Price with both his left and right hand).  In addition, Vick reportedly ran a 4.25 second 40-yard dash at the NFL rookie scouting combine.  Make no bones about it:  Vick is a World Class athlete. 

It must be something in his head, or something in his decision making process.  We know he has the arm strength, but his career 53% completion percentage is nary an impressive thing.  His career best was 20 touchdown passes in 2006-well below the average of your typical "franchise quarterback."  In spite of his blazing speed, he's been sacked just shy of 10% of his career dropbacks.  Bernie Kosar was sacked in only 7.5% of his career dropbacks.


For some reason I cannot explain, Vick's
physical tools have not translated to the
football field.

I could see a team taking a flyer on him as publicity stunt (big name player, former number one overall pick), but with that comes the drama of hiring a convicted felon, and having PETA protest all your games.  Maybe a team is desperate for a backup QB, but surely there are better players (and people) available.  The thing is; I wouldn't want Vick on my football team, and it's not because he killed dogs.  He's just not good at playing football.

A recent USA Today article created the NBA's All-Kurt Rambis Team, a team of current NBA players who contribute something to the game that doesn't appear in the box score.  Rambis, a power forward known for his geeky glasses, also made a name for himself simply by becoming "an over-achieving underdog and  ultimate team player" according to his Wikipedia page. 


Superman was a hussle machine

Inspired by the article, here is MLB's version of the Rambis Team:

OF:  Aaron Rowand, Giants.  Some White Sox fans believe his absense is the reason the team hasn't been the same since winning the World Series in 2005.  He endeared himself to Phillies fans in 2006 when he broke his nose diving for a ball against the fence.  He made the catch.

OF: Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks.  When I think of hussling baseball players, the first guy who comes to mind is Byrnes.  He only has one gear; it's called "Balls Out."

OF:  Darin Erstad, Astros.  His fire shows in his play, even at this stage of his career.  He's a former college football player, and he exhibits the same kind of play on the diamond as well.

3B:  Scott Rolen, Blue Jays.  His work ethic coming back from injuries shows in his game.  He plays younger than his age.

SS:  Orlando Cabrera, A's.  Since 2004, Cabrera has played on three different teams and all three of them have won their division.  He's missed the playoffs only once since then.

2B:  David Eckstein, Padres.  Eckstein was called "the definition of 'clutch'" by his former manager, Tony LaRussa.  Nicknamed "The X Factor," he's as gritty a ballplayer as they come.

1B:  Todd Helton, Rockies.  The ultimate quiet leader, Helton's "business approach" to his job leads by example.

C:  Jason Varitek, Red Sox.  The captain on this team is another coach on the field. 

SP:  Carlos Zambrano, Cubs.  One thing's for sure; Zambrano always exhibits passion on the mound.  However, there is a mixture of opinion on whether his attitude helps or hurts him.

SP:  Matt Garza, Devil Rays.  Garza's mound presense exudes confidence.  A good word to describe him:  Gamer.

RP:  Todd Coffey, Brewers.  His trademark sprint from the bullpen to the mound before every appearance is inspiring to fans and teammates alike. 

RP:  Julian Tavarez, Nationals.  On the mound, Tavarez looks like a warrior.  His demeanor and "effectively wild" game appear to make opposing hitters nervous.