In consecutive years the White Sox have traded away Swisher (for Betemit) and traded for Juan Pierre and most of his salary.

[0] Smiley Face!

[1] And yet they with a bit more luck, they might have won their divisional last year, and because of their rotation (Peavy-Buerhle-Danks could be very, very good) might be the favorites this year.

They don't do things the way I'd do things, but they manage to do just fine. I think Pierre is an OK deal for them, especially because the Dodgers are picking up a chunk of his salary (~$4M/year IIRC).

[3] The OKness of the Juan Pierre deal bound up in how one values Juan Pierre. I think that he is approximately worthless. So unless you get him for free (they will pay about 10 million over two years), he is a bad deal. In fact, getting him for free is possibly a bad deal, since he will still cost a roster spot.

[4] In the abstract, sure Pierre is approximately worthless. And of the Yanks he'd definitely be. But I think in the White Sox's context, he has some use. He's not great with the glove, but he's OK, and I seem to recall many of their pitchers being flyball pitchers . . . Similarly, he doesn't get on base enough to lead off for, say, the Yanks or the Red Sox - but for the White Sox, he certainly does.

He's certainly better than anyone else they ran out in CF last year!

[4], [5]

Scott Posednik, Brian Anderson, DeWayne Wise and Junior Griffey resemble that remark

[0]

I'm ashamed to admit I only knew of the "U Got What I Need" song from that stupid commercial with them singing in the cab.

Dee! That's a diss. This is the song that was sampled by Biz Markie in his signature mainstream tune "Just a Friend," his VH-1 One Hit Wonder Jam. It's a hip hop classic, and that is the song from the commerical.

[8]

I knew of the Biz Markie sample. What I meant was I didn't know what it was sampled FROM.