Chicago White Sox Hot Stove Tracker

UPDATED: November 1, 2006

SITE NOTE: To make sure you are always viewing the latest White Sox hot stove news, be sure to check this blog's homepage, or simply click here to view all Chicago White Sox Hot Stove Tracker reports.

This is the first in what will hopefully be a series of updates relating to Chicago White Sox roster moves and rumors in this offseason.

The player listing that follows was pulled from the White Sox 40 man roster as it appeared on White Sox.com on October 30, 2006. Transactions, rumors, and other assorted data is complied from the news sources attributed below.


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Pitchers
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56 Mark Buehrle
Chicago Tribune, 10/30/06: 2007 option picked up; Buehrle will make $9.5 million in 2007

52 Jose Contreras

46 Neal Cotts
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "MacDougal and Neal Cotts are in line for big raises..."

34 Freddy Garcia
20 Jon Garland
40 Charlie Haeger

32 Dustin Hermanson
Chicago Tribune, 10/30/06: $3.65 million option declined; contract bought out for $500,000

45 Bobby Jenks
57 Boone Logan

47 Mike MacDougal
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "MacDougal and Neal Cotts are in line for big raises..."

55 Brandon McCarthy
43 Jeff Nelson
61 Paulino Reynoso

54 David Riske
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "...the Sox are likely to seek a cheaper alternative to free agent David Riske, who made $1.8 million last season."

Edwardo Sierra
37 Matt Thornton
50 Sean Tracey

33 Javier Vazquez
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: Will earn $12.5 million in 2007

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Catchers
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26 Sandy Alomar
12 A.J. Pierzynski
39 Chris Stewart


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Infielders
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8 Alex Cintron

24 Joe Crede
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "Third baseman Joe Crede is the most expensive of the Sox's seven arbitration-eligible players, and whether he has minor back surgery could dictate whether he's offered a multiyear deal. Prospect Josh Fields is believed to be ready, but he's not Crede in the field."

27 Josh Fields
17 Ross Gload

15 Tadahito Iguchi
Chicago Tribune, 10/30/06: 2007 option picked up -- 2007 salary is $3.25 million

14 Paul Konerko
62 Pedro Lopez
38 Pablo Ozuna
63 Casey Rogowski
25 Jim Thome

5 Juan Uribe
Chicago Tribune, 10/30/06: "...the Sox remain hopeful that Uribe will be cleared of involvement in the Oct. 13 shooting of two men in the Dominican Republic as the case enters its third week."


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Outfielders
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44 Brian Anderson

23 Jermaine Dye
Chicago Tribune, 10/30/06: 2007 option picked up -- "The 2007 option on Dye is worth $6.75 million, but it increases to $7 million if he finishes among the top 10 in American League Most Valuable Player voting, which will be announced on Nov. 21. That's pretty much a foregone conclusion with Dye, 32, coming off a career-best season in which he batted .315 with 44 home runs and 120 RBIs. Dye was considered one of the front-runners for the MVP award before he tailed off slightly at the end of the season. Still, $7 million is a bargain for those numbers."

10 Rob Mackowiak
7 Jerry Owens

22 Scott Podsednik
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "...Podsednik could be non-tendered if he's not dealt before Dec. 12."

36 Ryan Sweeney


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Names in the News:
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Dave Roberts
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "With the nucleus intact, the pursuit of a leadoff batter will come under the most scrutiny after Scott Podsednik's disappointing season. The agent for Dave Roberts has described his client as a good fit for the Sox, and the Padres' free agent might not be as expensive as fellow free-agent leadoff batters Juan Pierre and Gary Matthews Jr. Roberts, 34, is dependable at the plate and can play center field as well as left."

Alex Rodriguez
Boston Herald, 10/29/06: "There is sincere interest in A-Rod from at least three clubs - the White Sox, Angels and Cubs - and the Yankees will be gauging all potential trades in the coming weeks."
Chicago Sun-Times, 10/24/06: " 'Every time you mention [Rodriguez's] name, it seems like our name also comes up,' Guillen said in a phone interview. 'This kid is one of the best in the game. I don't know the exact direction we're going at this point because we're not sure about the [Joe] Crede situation...' 'Obviously, [Williams] might shop for him,' Guillen said of A-Rod. 'If he's going to make this team better, we'll try and do it.' "


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Notes:
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2007 Payroll
Chicago Tribune, 10/29/06: "The Sox will have earmarked about $99 million to 12 players for 2007...Williams wouldn't divulge whether the payroll would go up, but these appear to be lucrative times for the Sox after the latest collective-bargaining agreement and the transformation of the press box into club seats that could bring in an additional $5 million."

Beyond 2007
Chicago Tribune, 10/30/06: "Sluggers Paul Konerko and Jim Thome, pitchers Jose Contreras and Jon Garland and catcher A.J. Pierzynski are the only Sox players with guaranteed contracts beyond 2007."


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Studio 60 Denied

I had a nice little evening planned. I was going to go to the store after work, come home, eat dinner, and then settle down in front of the TV for this week's episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

So I do all of this, plop down on my couch by 10/9 central, and what do I see? Friday Night Lights. Huh?!?

I know nobody is watching Friday Night Lights, but it doesn't sound like a ton of people are watching Studio 60 either. So what is the point? Is NBC just trying to kill both of these shows by tinkering with their times?

This "special night and time" rained on my evening. (And if the NBC marketing folks are reading this, no, I did not watch Friday Night Lights -- instead I changed the channel and watched my early local news).

Mercifully, NBC's Web site says Studio 60 will be back at its regular time next week.

Global Warming Could Wither Profits

Article from Canada's CTV.ca:

Global warming could devastate the world economy on a scale we haven't seen since the world wars and the Great Depression, a major report by a British economist says.

Sir Nicholas Stern, the report's author and a senior government economist, said unchecked global warming could shrink the global economy by 20 per cent -- and cost a whopping $7 trillion in lost output.

However, taking action now would cost just one per cent of global gross domestic product, Sterns says in his 700-page study.

...If no action is taken, says Stern, up to 200 million people could become refugees as their homes are hit by drought or flood from rising sea levels.

Further, up to 40 per cent of wildlife species could become extinct, and melting glaciers could cause water shortages for one sixth of the world's population, the report says.

...Despite the gloomy forecast, Stern said he is "optimistic" that if the world powers act "strongly and urgently," the effects can be minimized.

"Whilst there is much more we need to understand -- both in science and economics -- we know enough now to be clear about the magnitude of the risks, the timescale for action and how to act effectively," he said.

Stern said the world must shift to a "low-carbon global economy'' through measures including taxation, regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon trading.

...The "green" initiatives, he said, provide an opportunity "for new markets, for new jobs, new technologies, new exports where companies, universities and social enterprises in Britain can lead the world".

...Stern is a former chief economist of the World Bank.

As documented periodically on this blog, I think businesses are starting to wake up to the disastrous effect global warming could have on their profits, and are starting to show that they have the potential to provide leadership that is so sorely needed in this area. Let's hope Adam Smith's invisible hand is a strong hand of progress in this instance.

Wisdom from Business

Wisconsin State Journal editorial:

Milfred: Business will vote no on marriage amendment
Scott Milfred is editorial page editor for the Wisconsin State Journal

Business people hate government restrictions and pesky lawsuits.

So it makes perfect sense for Wisconsin business groups on Nov. 7 to oppose the divisive and distracting marriage amendment.

The measure is not just discriminatory and unfair, it's bad for Wisconsin's economy.

And if fair-minded people vote the amendment down, the boost to Wisconsin's image and business climate could be dramatic.

...More than half of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits. So do more than 100 Wisconsin companies, including many of the state's largest private employers.

They do so because they want to attract talented workers, including gay and lesbian people as well as straight people who despise discrimination.

GOP candidate for governor Mark Green keeps noting that Wisconsin is losing too many young people. Then he ought to join Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle and state business leaders in opposing the marriage amendment.

Wisconsin fails to lure and keep enough young, professional and creative people in part because of our rural reputation. We're America's Dairyland. We're farms and cows and Cheeseheads.

What many dynamic and smart young people want is a place to live and work in that's cool.

Wisconsin offers plenty of outdoor fun and beauty, lively cities and other attributes. But when a state goes out of its way to bash gay and lesbian people, that's not only wrong -- it's lame.

It suggests to this important demographic of future business leaders -- whether gay or straight -- that the state is filled with uptight people bent on telling others how to live their lives.

It's a real buzz kill.

This article gets it right. Wisconsin needs to figure out if it is a state for the future or a remnant of a sheltered, less tolerant time. This isn't a Republican/Democrat issue. It is about taking a stand against a flawed proposal that seeks to limit people's rights simply because they are "different" than you.

If you're a Republican you should oppose this because government has no place in people's private lives. If you're a Democrat you should oppose this because makes a select group of citizens lesser than others, excluding them rights enjoyed by the majority.

Vote "no" on November 7.

Bush on Civil Unions

A hat tip to Time Magazine's Andrew Sullivan for pointing this one out. An interesting video considering that this topic is on the ballot in some states.

Let the Trade Rumors Begin

Baseball hasn't had a new champion for 24 hours yet, but I'm ready for the hot stove season.

The great thing about the White Sox right now is that in the course of just a few short years we've gone from not even being considered to being involved in seemingly every trade rumor out there. Credit that to the keen moves of GM Ken Williams.

The Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes:

But Williams has no problem with the rumors circulating around his team.

''I've grown used to us being a part of every deal and every rumor,'' Williams said. ''Some are truer than others. It means I have to answer more phone calls than what the norm is because everyone wants to know.

''I guess it's gotten to the point that there's so much thrown against the wall with our involvement that I don't get concerned with what's out there. I don't think people know what the hell we're doing, so that itself gives us a sort of a smokescreen.

''People now kind of figure that if there are impact players out there, we are somehow involved.''

It is good to be respected.

The Only Good Thing About Your Team Not Winning the World Series

The only good thing about your team not winning the World Series is that you will have no emotional desire to buy this hat. Man is this thing brutal -- and you can't even see the extra gray swooshie-thing that wraps around the back of the cap in this photo.

Wow.

Not good, not good at all.

This type of ugliness is typically reserved for the world of NASCAR. I'll sadly admit that the White Sox's World Series hat was fairly NASCAR itself (and that didn't stop it from making my Christmas list) but this hat takes that to a whole new level. Plus, gray and black for the St. Louis Cardinals?!? C'mon!

Let me be the first to suggest that if the world champion hats continue to get uglier the players should make this a topic in their next labor agreement. Someone has to put a stop to this.

(Of course, style is a matter of taste and if you'd like to dedicate $29.99 of your disposable income on this design, MLB.com is taking orders).

And don't worry -- they'll sell TONS of these things. Why? Because if it was my team I'd want one. After all, it says "World Series Champions," and it isn't everyday that your team's logo is placed directly above those glorious words.

NBA Contracts

The Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith reveals contract "logic" in the NBA:

Money matters

The absurdity that is NBA contract discussions is playing out with the Clippers now. They offered Chris Kaman an extension worth $50 million over five years, which doesn't seem unfair for their fourth-best starter. But Kaman, using a logic that amazingly worked for Tyson Chandler, said he's better than Chandler and Samuel Dalembert, who signed for $63 million and $64 million, respectively. So if the Bulls and 76ers made mistakes, the Clippers have to also? Pro sports is the only place that argument actually works.

Cologne Ads

What is the point of a cologne ad in a magazine that doesn't have one of those scent sample strips? Am I supposed to like the motorcycle and leather jacket in the picture so much that I'll scurry out to Macy's to sample the heretofore unknown product's scent? What a waste of page space....

Australia Brings Money to Global Warming Fight

From the Irish Examiner:

Australia pledges €300m to fight global warming

With Australia in the grip of its worst drought in a century, the government is set to announce an AUS$500m (€300m) [blog editor: $378.8 million U.S. dollars] package aimed at preventing global warming.

Australia, already one of the world's driest continents, has been suffering from below-average rainfall for the past several years, crippling farm production and raising concerns about the possibility of irreversible climate change.

However, Australia is one of only two industrialised nations worldwide, along with the United States, that have refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol on global warming which calls for dramatic cuts in carbon dioxide output, also known as greenhouse gas emissions.

Site Update: Labels

Loyal Spaulding readers and the 99 percent of you who arrive here from Blogger's "next blog" button, will be pleased to know that this blog now features labels. Labels are fun little keywords at the bottom of each blog entry that link to other Spaulding posts about that topic.

Wanna try it? Click on the White Sox tag below. Ooooh, ahhhh!!! Yes, you're guaranteed to like and/or ignore this feature, and you'll be happy to know that the entirety of Spaulding's archive has been labeled. Why? Because we had some time to kill.

Happy blogging!

It's Over

Well, I guess the ride is finally over.

A visit to whitesox.com today revealed that the "2005 World Series Champions" graphics have been removed in advance of tonight's Game 1 of the who-gives-a-damn-except-some-folks-in-Detroit-and-St. Louis Series. I'm assuming that Major League Baseball told the White Sox it was time to pull the plug on the celebrating. Man it was good while it lasted...

What's on TV? The White Sox

Looks like another regular season win for the White Sox over the Cubs.

The Chicago Tribune's Ed Sherman reports:

On the television side, Sox games on WGN-Ch. 9 and WCIU-Ch. 26 did a 5.1 rating, up 21 percent, while the Cubs dropped to a 4.5, down 22 percent.

One local ratings point is worth more than 34,000 homes. On Comcast SportsNet, the Sox pulled a 3.1 rating, while the Cubs did a 2.9.

Piniella Hiring

Only in Cubdom does doing the obvious earn you kudos.

Phil Rogers in the Chicago Tribue writes:

Jim Hendry, a gambler by nature who has been stuck too long at a table where the guys rolling the dice were ice cold, is making perhaps the boldest move ever by a Cubs executive in hiring Piniella. It was the obvious play for Hendry to make, but that doesn't change the audacity or the execution especially given that he has a new boss who seemed to be leading him in the direction of the easy choice, Joe Girardi.

Rogers continues on to lay out, in another well written article, the behind the scenes maneuvering Hendry made to get Piniella -- but still, isn't it odd that the Cubs with their steady, strong revenue stream are patted on the back for picking up a guy like Piniella? Plaudits for doing what you are supposed to be doing and making moves consistent with your team's market size shows just how hard of times the Cubs have fallen upon.

Did He Just Say That?

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith commenting after the Bears' come from behind win over Arizona:

“Sometimes, when you’re a team of destiny, things like that happen.”

Ooooh-kay, guess we know Lovie isn't afraid of jinxing himself.

School Safety Rationalism from Mr. Stephen Colbert

iPod's Fifth Birthday

As anyone who has been in a major (or even not-so-major) city lately can attest, iPods and Razr phones are ubiquitous.

What a lot of the late arrivals to the iPod phenomenon don't realize is that the iPod as a product line is now five years old.

Yep, that streamlined, super bright screen, holds all your music, photos, TV shows and movies wonder pod had a slightly more humble beginning as a 5 GB, black-and-white screened music device.

Sure, the original iPod is nowhere near as insanely great as its current generation siblings, but speaking as someone whose only iPod is the original iPod, it is still a remarkable device. All of the basic controls and industry leading software integration was there from the start, and in that way, the iPod has changed very, very little (and that's a good thing).

So, in honor of the iPod's fifth birthday, here the introduction video of the iPod from its launch in October 2001.

If the oldest iPod you can picture is the iPod mini, watch the video and take a trip through history. (And remember when you are watching the video that when the iPod came out the only MP3 players anyone had ever heard of were small 512 MB units with miniature buttons and clunky interfaces that required patience, determination and luck to operate).

Sure the original is a little bit more festively plump than today's version, but it is still an icon.

Happy Birthday iPod!



(Oh, and another thing that hasn't changed since 2001 -- Smash Mouth's "All Star" was overplayed even way back then too).

UPDATE: Kevin Maney points out that Wired has the story of the iPod's origin on their site.

UPDATE #2: Playlist's iPod blog has a great selection of quotes/reaction from the original iPod's unveiling. Some favorites:

One of the “Top Five Worst Tech Gifts” to get for Christmas in 2001—TechTarget

“I think the iPod will be another one of Apple’s failures just like the Newton. It’s only for the Mac; not a lot of the MP3 world uses Macs, compared with PCs. It costs $400; you can get so many other players that work well for much less. Apple could have done more-innovative things with an MP3 player than just make it look cool and give it some fast features.”—Letter to the editor, April 2002 issue of Macworld

“If Apple ever lowers the iPod’s price and develops Windows software for it, watch out: the invasion of the iPod people will surely begin in earnest.”—David Pogue, New York Times

Don't look now, but I'm pretty sure we're living in the world envisioned by Pogue.

Americans Are Finally Getting It

In the latest of a series of positive signs, Americans appear to be waking up to the need for energy independence.

Thomas Friedman of the New York Times writes:

JAMES Carville, the legendary Clinton campaign adviser who coined the slogan, "It's the economy, stupid," knows a gut issue when he sees one. So when Carville contacted me the other day to tell me about the newest gut issue his polling was turning up for candidates in the 2006 elections, I was all ears.

"Energy independence," he said. "It's now the No. 1 national security issue. It's become kind of a joke with us, because no matter how we ask the question, that's what comes up."

So, for instance, the Democracy Corps, a Democratic strategy group spearheaded by Carville and the former Clinton pollster Stan Greenberg, asked the following question in an Aug. 27 survey of likely voters: "Which of the following would you say should be the two most important national security priorities for the administration and Congress over the next few years?"

Coming in at No. 1, with 42 percent, was "reducing dependence on foreign oil." Coming in a distant second at 26 percent was "combating terrorism." Coming in third at 25 percent was "the war in Iraq," and tied at 21 percent were "securing our ports, nuclear plants and chemical factories" and "addressing dangerous countries like Iran and North Korea."

"Strengthening America's military" drew 12 percent.

Carville also noted that because their polls are of "likely voters," they have a slight Republican bias - i.e., they aren't just polling a bunch of liberal greens.

"When we lay out different plans for how to deal with Iraq, any plan that also includes energy independence tops any other plan that doesn't," said Greenberg, who added that people are not expressing this view because they are worried about price, but because they are starting to understand that our oil dependence is fueling a host of really bad national security problems. "There is frustration that leaders have not taken it up," he added. "There is a sense that the public is ahead of the leaders, and there is actually a sense of relief when anyone talks about with any seriousness."

...The best way for a party that is often viewed as weak on national security to overcome that deficit is to be for energy independence, he noted. Indeed, nothing would be more potent for Democrats now than to capture energy security and all the issues that surround it - from improving our trade deficit by not importing more oil to improving the climate to improving U.S. competitiveness by making us leaders in alternative fuels.

When You Absolutely, Positively Have to See That 19th Century Asian Vase Again

Spaulding, Get Your Foot Off the Boat! is a huge fan of iTunes and its TV show download service. Spaulding's editor has been with iTunes from the beginning -- downloading music from the iTunes Store the first day it was available via a dial-up connection. Furthermore, iTunes is the only way Spaulding has kept up with Project Runway this season, and it was the medium of choice for Spaulding when purchasing The Office, Season One. So Spaulding is no stranger to the store, or why it is such a great way to purchase and consume media.

All that said, this one doesn't seem to make much sense: full episodes of PBS' Antiques Roadshow are now available from the iTunes Store.

Huh? Unless you were personally on the show getting your Paul Revere silverware quoted, why would you need/want to download these for $2?

But what does Spaulding know? There are already six positive comments on iTunes celebrating the show's arrival.

Quote of the Week

Regarding the White Sox's partnership with 7-Eleven stores that will result in home games starting at 7:11 p.m. next season, Bob Verdi of the Chicago Tribune writes:

The only surprise is that the Cubs didn't think of this because, like your neighborhood 7-Eleven, they check out quickly and never seem to close.

Giving Bloggers $100 More Reasons to Not Move Out of the Basement

Isn't this what we all want to do, get paid for giving our opinion?

USA Today's Kevin Maney blog:

Blogsultants? Consulgers?

Talked to Mike Masnick, who runs the blog Techdirt, which this week launched an intriguing concept that could allow the best bloggers to double as ad hoc consultants. It's called Insight Community.

"Increasingly, there are a lot of smart and insightful bloggers offering up analysis and opinion" in their specialties, Masnick says. Why not give them a way to make extra money by answering specific questions posed by a company, and at the same time give companies some input that would cost less than hiring an analyst or consulting firm?

Bloggers who want to do this essentially nominate themselves on the Insight Community site. Their blogs become their resume and application. Techdirt first approves each blogger it allows into the system.

...Masnick says bloggers will make about $50 to $100 for each response they write. The responses would be about blog post length.

Given this news, Spaulding, Get Your Foot Off the Boat! will now take the next two weeks off of work in order to beef up this blog -- thereby clearing the way to make money while eating Cheetos on the couch.

Insurance Industry Leadership

Good news in the fight against global warming -- the private sector, motivated by the almighty dollar -- are waking up to the problems and financial opportunities presented by climate change.

Via USA Today:

New combatant against global warming: insurance industry

Updated 10/13/2006 11:46 AM ET
By Ron Scherer, The Christian Science Monitor

NEW YORK — Insurance companies, who like to stay out of the limelight, are becoming leading business protagonists in the assault on global warming.

•Next week, Travelers, the giant insurance firm, will offer owners of hybrid cars in California a 10% discount. It already offers the discount in 41 other states and has cornered a large share of the market.

•This fall, Fireman's Fund will cut premiums for "green" buildings that save energy and emit fewer greenhouse gases. When it pays off claims, it will direct customers to environmentally friendly products to replace roofs, windows, and water heaters.

•In January, Marsh, the largest insurance broker in the U.S., will offer a program with Yale University to teach corporate board members about their fiduciary responsibility to manage exposure to climate change.

The insurance industry's clout is sizable. It's the second-largest industry in the world in terms of assets, and has a direct link to most homeowners and businesses. It insures coal-fired power plants as well as wind farms, so it can influence the power industry's cost structure. With its financial muscle, the industry could help advance the use of new financial instruments designed to allow companies to trade greenhouse-gas emissions in the same way that commodities are bought and sold.

...One reason for this massive change in coverage is an ongoing shift in the way insurance companies view risk. Insurers are starting to change their risk-assessment models to reflect future climate-change scenarios instead of past weather patterns.

...In fact, the industry is not driven just by an attempt to help the environment: It also wants to make money. In Travelers' case, the impetus to give a policy discount on hybrid cars came when Greg Toczydlowski, a senior vice president of product management, was gassing up his wife's Ford Excursion.

"A hybrid zipped in and out while I was still pumping, and it occurred to me it takes so little gasoline and runs so much longer on a tank," says Mr. Toczydlowski. "I came back and did research on how many hybrids are out there and what's the profile of the customer. We discovered it was a preferred customer — middle-aged, very responsible, and stable financially."

Now hybrid owners, besides saving on their fuel bills, can save money on their auto insurance — about $100 a year, according to Travelers.

More Lasorda

No guy that has been in a tree since the Cubs were eliminated from the postseason is this fat.

Not in the Postseason Blues

Sometimes you just need Tommy Lasorda to jolt you out of your my-team-didn't-make-the-postseason depression. Thankfully he's up to the task.



Tommy's right -- now is the time to root against the teams that prevented you from getting to the post season. Ah, America's game. Isn't it great?

Cubs Set to Name New Manager

Continuing their Extreme Makeover: Ballclub Edition, the Chicago Cubs are set to announce that interim president John McDonough will also serve as the manager of the club for the 2007 season.

A source familiar with the team said the move was not completely unexpected.

"They figured why the heck not. It doesn't matter who manages so long as Kerry Wood and Mark Prior are being held together by bubble gum, twine and some of Dusty's old toothpicks."

According to industry experts, barring an Old Style drought or some sort of ivy disease striking the hallowed outfield walls, the move is projected to have no impact on the team's attendance.

Spaulding will have more as this story develops...