Williams admits Sox' income 'stretched'
Though there doesn't appear to be a correlation between the lack of packed houses at the Cell lately and the White Sox' ability to go after a big name for the stretch run, general manager Kenny Williams admitted it might not hurt to get a few more fannies in the stands.
"Whenever I've talked to Jerry (Reinsdorf), it's less about money, even though we are stretched right now," Williams said. "We are stretched and quite frankly looking at walkup (numbers) every day to see exactly what we're going to have available to us.
"But he certainly hasn't given me any reason to think there are any restrictions right now on dollars."
Even if there were, it doesn't mean there won't be another waiver deal for a player perhaps less obvious (and expensive) than Ramirez or someone like Trevor Hoffman.
"It's possible. It's possible. It's always possible," Williams said with a smile. "Sometimes the most obvious things are the most unrealistic things to accomplish, so you always have to be looking for what you actually can accomplish.
"And sometimes small, marginal growth is sometimes is just as effective as the more obvious bigger thing that you're not going to get."
Lovin' it ... kinda: All it took was one question to get White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen going Thursday afternoon.
The question: Are you enjoying yourself in this often-stressful season?
Among his answers:
• "I love this job, but it's like everybody's job. Sometimes I want to come here. Sometimes I don't want to come here. But no, I like it."
• "All those people out there that want to be a manager, be careful what you wish."
• "Every year is going to be the same, good or bad. We are in Chicago and I love it. I swear to God. If anyone out there don't believe it, yes."
• I was looking for a house this morning (in Chicago) and people think I'm lying."
Hot topic: Yankees manager Joe Girardi plans to visit briefly with the Chicago media before Friday's series opener - with topic No. 1 being the manager's vacancy on the North Side.
"I don't know what they're going to ask, but I'm going to do it on Friday and that will be it," Girardi told the New York Daily News.
"It's just another thing you have to deal with. I understand people want to know what you're thinking, but my responsibility is here."
City of champions: When the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in June, Chicago became the only city to win a title in each of the four major sports over the past 25 years. On Friday, all four trophies will be on display at U.S. Cellular Field during a special pregame ceremony featuring Richard Dent (Bears), Scottie Pippen (Bulls), Mark Buehrle (White Sox) and Hawks coach Joel Quenneville.