Dear Santa Kenny:

I know you are busy at the winter meetings in Indianapolis.  The best thing about having the meetings there is that Indianapolis is Schaumburg in the middle of a corn field and there isn't much to do there.  Please don't go out after eight at night or you may get injured when the sidewalks roll up.The good news is it gives you plenty of time to talk to the other GMs about my present.

I've been good this year.  I didn't declare the White Sox legally dead until late August and I still watched all the games in September.  I was even positive when others weren't.  I wore my Sox gear on opening day and my Sox hat and shirts all year long even though many would have been embarrassed to by late in the season.

I've got a short list this year, Santa Kenny.  You've already given me so much this year already.  You finally dumped Mike MacUseless, Jerry Owens, Jose Contreras and Josh Fields.  You even went out and got the Sox an anchor for the rotation for the next several years.  You even got a true center fielder. 

There's just one item on my list I hope you send me during the winter meetings: A left fielder who can hit leadoff.  I know it won't be Chone Figgins and I'm okay with that because I'm not a big fan of his anyway.  But somebody that could come in, hit leadoff and play a decent outfield (not named Podsednik) would be awesome.  My personal wish is for Carl Crawford, but I know you would have to give up a lot to get him.  Not that you haven't done that before (see Peavy, comma Jake) but with the farm system probably at low stock, gving up four more prospects probably would be bad for the future.  I'd happily take a free agent or one of your retread projects.

Just please Santa Kenny.  Bring me a left fielder that hits lead off.  I'm not even asking you to try to unload Scott Linebrink (although if you stuffed that in my stocking, I wouldn't complain.) That's all I want for Christmas.  I already have my two front teeth.

Love,

Lil' Chippy