Well that didn't take long.  Jose Contreras went out on Sunday and looked like he was ready to go, but Bartolo Colon looks like he needs a little more work before he's ready to become a mortal lock in the White Sox 2009 pitching rotation.

Against the Royals in what turned out to be an 11-7 loss yesterday, the line on Colon was one and two thirds innings pitched, three hits, four runs, four earned, two walks and a strikeout. The positive is that he pitched without pain and most likely will get another tuneup soon.  He is coming off elbow surgery, so it may take him awhile to get his arm strength back.  Reports indicate he had a lot of movement on his pitches, but his location wasn't good (for anyone except the Royals hitters.)

Truthfully, I don't expect Colon to be ready for opening day.  Neither does Ozzie.

Colon wasn't the only one who struggled yesterday.  Mark Buehrle got roughed up for seven hits and four runs in a little over three innings pitched and Jack Egbert, who has an outside chance of going north as bullpen help, got slammed for three hits and two runs in two innings pitched.  In fact, the only White Sox pitcher who came out of it untouched was Adam Russell, who surrendered no runs in an inning pitched.

Lightning Round

• Does anyone besides me find it disconcerting that the White Sox have been pounded hard in their game against Cleveland and two games against Kansas City?  It's not like the NFL where you play a vanilla offense and defense in the pre-season. 
• Brent Lillibridge was 0-5 with three strikeouts yesterday and split time defensively at short and center field.  I wonder how that center field experiment is working out for him and if he makes the team as Pablo Ozuna or gets sent down to Charlotte to learn the position.  The more Lilibridge plays center field, the worse it looks for Jerry Owens.
• Josh Fields had two hits and has his spring average up to .423
• Is Jim Thome's back a cause for concern or do the Sox have enough firepower to deal with a prolonged absence if it continues? 
  
• Jim has some outstanding thoughts on why spring training attendance is down for the Sox even though they moved to a brand new facility in Phoenix, where the majority of teams are.  And once again "The Chairman" appears to be clueless. (Sox Machine)
• "The Chairman" says he regrets trading Harold Baines twice and may have played a part in Baines not being in the hall of fame. If the Sox were able to develop Sammy Sosa (who baines was traded for in 1989) would "The Chairman" still have such regrets? Me thinks not.