--LHP Matt Thornton is just one of the Sox players speaking his mind on the steroid issue, and the fact that the latest news on Alex Rodriguez puts the sport back in the crosshairs. "This is a tough one," Thornton told the Sun-Times in a phone interview. "I'm in an era that any pitcher that has hit 100 (mph), 'Oh, you took steroids.' On the other hand, I can't worry about it because I dedicated my life to this. I worked hard and did it the right way. It's frustrating to be put in that whole group. What is it, 104 names out of 1,200 or so? A lot of us should be saying, 'We don't have anything to worry about, I was clean.' When you have your big-name players under this, though, I mean (Rodriguez) was the poster boy for so much. He goes down, that hurts everyone a bit."
--3B/OF Dayan Viciedo stories are taking on Paul Bunyan-like folklore, as scouts and Sox coaches have been drooling over what the 19-year-old can do in batting practice. But hitting 80 mph tosses down the middle is a little different than what major league pitching can do to a young man's psyche. All eyes, however, will be on the Cuban defector over the next seven weeks of camp, with manager Ozzie Guillen insisting he will give the prospect a fair look to make the team. --LHP Clayton Richard made eight starts last season, as the lefty went 2-5 with a 6.35 ERA. Not exactly Cy Young stuff from the rookie, but enough to earn praise from manager Ozzie Guillen, who at the end of the 2008 season said that he would have no problem handing Richard the ball every fifth day in '09. What might hurt the southpaw's chances of being a starter, however, is the Sox also feel he is versatile enough to be a lefty option out of the bullpen.
--OF Jerry Owens is considered the front-runner to win the starting job in center field, but he will definitely have to earn it this spring. The one positive in Owens' corner is that he won the starting leadoff job last spring until an injured groin forced the club to go with Carlos Quentin in left field. Not a bad Plan B. Out of options, Owens enters camp 100 percent healthy. If Owens doesn't win the starting job, the Sox could look to move him.
--RHP Jeff Marquez, who was acquired from the Yankees in the trade for OF/1B Nick Swisher, will have a slight edge in winning the No. 5 spot in the rotation, especially if general manager Ken Williams has any say in it. Williams continued to compare Marquez and his sinkerball to a younger version of Jon Garland. That remains to be seen, but Williams will give Marquez every chance to win a starting spot and be his next Gavin Floyd. It also helps that U.S. Cellular Field plays a lot easier for groundball pitchers.
BY THE NUMBERS: 50 -- Stolen bases Jerry Owens predicted he would have last season, before he injured his groin, costing him the starting leadoff spot.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's usually friends or family that give you a call, or players from another team. You just laugh about it and say, 'I'm the one that will let you know if I've been traded, because I'm going to be one of the first to know.' Until then it's just rumors." -- OF Jermaine Dye, on all of the trade rumors he's heard this offseason.
Play FOX Fantasy Baseball today
