I've always been on the Ozzie Guillen bandwagon as far back as his playing days.  But this time, even Ozzie has gone too far.

Telling Jim Thome that you are not interested may not only be not only baseball suicide but career suicide.

It's clear what Ozzie is trying to accomplish.  He has often dreamed of a team with more speed and players who can play multiple positions so he has ultimate flexibility.  But when your DH choices include either players who are totally washed up or players who are better coming in the game in the eighth inning for defense, you are robbing your team of offense.  And in the American League, offense is king. 

In my opinion, there are several flaws in Ozzie's thinking.  The first is the assumption that  what he has available to DH is good enough.  The numbers tell us otherwise.  You are not going to coax thirty home runs out of Andruw Jones, Mark Kotsay, Omar Vizquel and Jayson Nix.  Jones can't run anymore, Vizquel requires use of a walker and Kotsay and Nix are more valuable with a glove then they are a bat.  Sure, you can factor in using Q and Paulie once in a while, but most of the time they will be in the field.  Besides, you are not only trying to replace Thome's numbers, you are also trying to replace Jermaine Dye as well.

Second, your competition is not going to do you any favors.  The Tigers and Twins are talking to Thome.  There are several players still available who can be effective DH's on teams that need them.  The other teams may not settle for mediocrity.  So, while the Sox try to replace the numbers of two of their best offensive players of the last few years, others in their division will have that run scoring ability.

Thirdly, Ozzie (and perhaps White Sox  GM Kenny) are dancing on the abyss of expectations.  They are counting on the cosmic tumblers being in total alignment.  They believe they will get good a solid year out of the pitching staff, that J.J. Putz and Scott Linebrink will be healthy contributors all season long and that somehow, Jones and Vizquel will return to all-star form one last time.  They are also counting on the health of Carlos Quentin, lots of steals from Juan Pierre, a revitalized Alex Rios, solid defense from Mark Teahen,  no sophomore slump from Gordon Beckham and continued growth from Alexi Ramirez. 

What if something goes horribly wrong?  At least with Thome, you can count on at least thirty bombs and seventy-five RBIs as well as a pretty stout on base percentage. 

Ozzie has the confidence (some call it arrogance)  that this group is going to return the Sox to the luster of 2005.  In Chicago we have a name for a team leader who is convinced that he can win on his own terms, damned the common sense.  We call him Lovie Smith.