After yesterday's 3-0 defeat to the crosstown Cubs and being swept out of their own ballpark by the team from the north side, White Sox GM Kenny Williams is about to roll up his sleeves and unload the ball club...for a handful of magic beans.

The once robust White Sox minor league system has fallen on hard times.  The stock is low and what is there has not performed at a level that gives anybody any hope for the future.  While the Tigers, Twins and Indians have stock piled their minor league system, the White Sox have either traded away top prospects (Chris Young) or have not scouted and developed them.  Hence, the departure of one director of scouting Duane Schafer on Friday.

The fact that the cupboard was bare led Kenny to do the deal for Brandon McCarthy where he took an under performing young player and traded him for prospects with a higher ceiling.  The same for Freddie Garcia. And very soon, you can most likely add the names of Mark Buehrle, Jermain Dye, Tad Iguchi and possibly Paul Konerko to those that will be used as chattel to acquire younger, faster and potentially star players.

I'm sure that this development is no surprise to Kenny Williams.  But with winning the title in 2005 and the potential of adding the payroll in 2006 by acquiring Jim Thome, Williams either thought he had enough time to develop his prospects or that he simply ignored the red flags of an older club.  In addition, while plug in players that he has acquired in the past have had good years for the Sox (Timo Perez, Jermaine Dye, Bobby Jenks, Carl Everett, Cliff Politte, Ross Gload, Damaso Marte, et. al) the current crop (Mike MacDougal, Andrew Sisco, Luis Terrero, Alex Cintron, David Ardesma) have not and have probably under performed. 

The Sox minor league system has almost no middle infielders.  There is no stud shortstop.  There is no slick fielding second baseman that can hit .300 and steal 40 bases. There is no power hitting first baseman.  The outfielders can't hit at the major league level.  Their defensive instincts are weak. There is no stud catcher.  The starting pitching is woefully weak, and some of the better guys are guys who were acquired from outside the organization.  There is no dominant closer or relief pitchers. While Schafer took the bullet, Williams gets the blame because he hung on to Schafer a long time due to Schafer's loyalty to the organization.  2005 just extended Schafer's life because while the celebrations were taking place on the South side, no one was watching the gate.

The fact that this is only coming to light now is an indication of how well the Sox organization has covered itself.  Going into this season, most people (including me) picked the Sox for a third or fourth place finish based on the age of their club and the blossoming of both Detroit and Cleveland.  But most people, including myself had them duking it out with the Twins, not treading water barely above the Royals.  And with half of the season left, Kenny Williams is reminded night after night after night that he has gone from Chicago's greatest sports victory to nuclear winter in the blink of an eye.

Sox fans are now faced with at least a two to three year rebuilding program.  The core of the new Sox team will be built around players like Josh Fields, Ryan Sweeney, Jerry Owens (maybe) and some of the young guns like Nick Masset, John Danks, Gio Gonzales, Gavin  Floyd  and Lance  (I hear the neon lights are bright on) Broadway. Gone for now are any hopes for division dominance, multiple world championships and being the envy of the league.

For Kenny, it's taking his herd of cattle to the market and obtaining the magic beans that can help seed the organization back to competition.  But as we all know, seeds take time and it will be a long time before the Sox are back to where fans would like them to be.

Sox and D-Rays tonight.  Oh, by the way,Tampa Bay has a better record.

Lightning Round

• Sad, sad news about former major league closer Rod Beck.  I enjoyed watching him play for the same reasons I enjoy watching Bobby Jenks.  Rod Beck looked like a guy who was sitting in the last row of the upper deck enjoying a frosty beverage when someone walked up to him and said "Can you pitch."  Beck would say "Yeah, I suppose."  So they rushed him down to the clubhouse, poured him in a uniform and put him in the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with the bases loaded and he blew everybody away.  Rod Beck wasn't a slick, polished, good looking, buff professional athlete,  he was the personification of all of us that wish we could be a closer in the major leagues.  He had great talent, don't get me wrong, but he just looked like the guy who just came to deliver your new refrigerator than he did a closer.   It will be most likely a sad day when the tox screen comes back.  Thirty-eight is much to young to leave the party, Shooter.
  
• "I love you, Johnny"  "I love you too, Larry!"  Hug.
• Juan Pablo Montoya did a better job making left (and right) turns yesterday at Sonoma.  The most impressive thing about the race was Jeff Gordon, finishing 7th after having to start at the back of the line after a failed inspection.  No doubt, it's Gordon's year.
• If you look a little further at Akim Aliu, the Nigerian born, Ukraine raised center forward drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the second round, you'll discover that the reason he was still available is that he's got head case potential written all over him.
• San Francisco has outlawed bottled water for purchase by the city, including water coolers. City employees will now have to drink tap water while on the job.  Hope their tap water is a lot better than here.
• If Fred Thompson gets elected look for him to share his thoughts as President with you on-line.
• Paris Hilton apparently likes to play softball.
• Crocs are now the hottest thing in summer footwear, rivaling flip flops.  The coolest thing about this article is the picture of the Decider wearing socks with his Crocs.  The secret service should have fell on him or stuffed him into a car.
• Our friends at Bugs & Cranks have compiled a list of baseball players who have many stickers on their luggage.