Batter up!

It's that great time of year. Winter is on it's last leg, Spring is trying to get a hold and opening day for baseball in Chicago is April 6th. Life is good.

Today we'll take a look at the only Chicago team to win a World Series in the last 100 years, the White Sox.

It's shaping up to be an interesting season. Kenny Williams cut the cord on some established veterans and basically said it's time for the younger guys to put up or shut up. Well the first guy to be shut up was centerfielder, Jerry Owens. Here's a guy who was given the position and the leadoff spot in the batting order by Ozzie Guillen to begin spring training.

Owens came out and hit a dismal .208 with three stolen bases. The man has the speed to steal 50 bases but his refusal to bunt, hit the ball on the ground to get on base, and take a walk forced the Sox to yell uncle and put him on waivers.

So journeyman Dewayne Wise, 31, gets the job with a solid spring hitting .285, 5hr, and six stolen bases. He'll be effective for the Sox both defensively and at the plate. I would prefer Juan Pierre of the Dodgers but his salary is no fit.

Williams also said goodbye to fan favorite and All-Star Joe Crede and said Josh Fields is at third. Fields has shown he can hit and will do just that. Can he catch the ball? He will not replace Crede's defense but they said that about Crede when he replaced Robin Ventura. Fields will make the plays he has to. The more confident he gets the better he'll be.

To me my biggest concern in the lineup will be Carlos Quentin. Wrist injuries are tricky. They feel and look ok the following year but something always seems amiss. He hasn't lit up spring training so I don't know. I think we'll know by May.

My lineup would be this: Wise, Alexei Ramirez, Quentin, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, AJ Pierszynski, Getz, and Fields.

Bill from Evergreen Park (hello) suggests: Wise, Ramirez, Dye, Quentin, Thome, Konerko, Fields, AJ, Getz

My brother Mark's idea: Wise, Ramirez, Quentin, Dye, Getz, Thome, Konerko, Fields, AJ

I think Quentin is a better 3 hitter and Dye to clean up the mess. I would like a speed threat in front of Thome and/or Konerko to get a distraction on the pitcher. Plus, they get more fastballs that way.

Pitching will go as Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon go. If they are solid after their injuries then they will only add to Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Mark Buerhle in the rotation.

The bullpen is solid and got a surprise as Mike MacDougal fought his way back on the team this spring with 19 K's in 12 innings. As long as he keeps his head I like it.

I see the AL Central as a five team race. KC is the weakest but much improved. Sox wins 80-86.

Welcome to Jock Strap Sorts

Welcome to the first installment of Jock Strap Sports. My goal is to cover sports from the amateurs to the pros. Hopefully you'll have strong opinions on the topics and share them with us. For today I have quick thoughts on different things.

NCAA Tournament:
How can Louisville and Oklahoma go from scoring machines to nothing with one day off? These two destroyed my chance of winning the pool I'm in. They were my championship game matchup. Within four hours they ruined it for me.

Tiger Woods:
I guess he needed a couple tournaments to test his knee. He's good. To be five shots down as he was Sunday in The Arnold Palmer Invitational and come back to win on the final hole. Amazing. I wonder if Arnie made the invitations on his computer.

High School stupidity:
Last week North Lawndale High School's boys basketball team was given a technical foul before their state semi-final game. Why? Because a stripe on their uniform was a 1/4 inch too wide. The school wore the uniform all season without incident.

Then right before their chance to qualify for the big game some IHSA official idiot, Kirk Gibson, demands the referee make the call. Champaign-Centennial made the technical. North Lawndale blew a ten point fourth quarter lead to lose, that's right, 66-65.

Unless a team is wearing something vulgar on their uniform it shouldn't matter what size stripes, circles, or squares they have. It's a game and some schools are lucky to even have uniforms. Mr. Gibson go back to your office and don't come out until the season is over. Let the kids play.

The next day for the third place game, North Lawndale in defiance wore the same uniform. Got a technical but went on to win and take third place.

Coming up in the next day or two my outlook on the upcoming season for the Cubs and White Sox. Until then, cinch 'em up.