You Can Put It On The Board! YES!

The Off-Season Has Officially Begun!

Kenny Williams is once again doing everything he can to improve this White Sox team. It hurts to see fan favorite Aaron Rowand leave town, but to add Jim Thome to the lineup and not losing any pitching in the deal is a huge advantage. A left handed power hitter is just what we need. From 2001-04, Thome averaged 47.5 HR and 121 RBI per season. That's not a bad thing to add to your team at all. Yes everybody loved Rowand, but how much better could he have gotten. His numbers went down this year from last year and he's not the type of player that was born gifted to play baseball. He has had to work very hard to get where he is and I think he has peaked as a player. I hope he does great in Philly but by adding Jim Thome to this team makes this line-up very dangerous (pending Paul Konerko). Thome got his wish as well after telling the Philadelphia Inquirer that he wanted to be traded to a Midwest team in the American League so he could play 1B and DH. Now the Peoria native gets to play close to his family and home, and he also gets to play for the defending World Series Champions. He is also a great club house leader which Kenny and Ozzie look highly upon.

This now opens a spot in the outfield and it looks as if Brian Anderson is the leading candidate to take over left or center field depending on where they want to play Podsednik.

Thome has already said he will do whatever it takes to persuade Konerko to resign with the Sox. There was even a story out there that said he might go to Scottsdale, AZ and visit Pauly at his home. To me, the only thing that could keep Pauly from resigning is if he wants more money. He is the captain of this team, he has Thome protecting him in the lineup, and the best pitching staff in baseball is here as well. What more could he want?

If Konerko does resign, that means the Frank Thomas era would come to an end. He has been my favorite player ever since I saw him in his rookie year so this is going to be tough to not see him playing at all or to see him wearing a different uniform. I just hope he recovers from his injury first and then something works out for the big fella.