Losses in May breed frustration among major league managers.

It’s too early to start trading players, but not too early to move your own players up and down the lineup looking for the right fit.

Just ask Art Howe and Jerry Manuel.The White Sox were blasted by the Angels Friday night 19-0, the worst loss in the 102 year history of the club.

The Sox are looking for pitching help. Their starters, other than Mark Buerhle and Todd Ritchie have not shown any consistency.

Since Manuel can’t make any pitchers appear, he changed the batting order in an effort to find more ways for one of baseball’s best hitting teams to score more runs.

Ray Durham, one of the Sox’ best trading chips, has been in an awful slump at the plate. Durham was removed from the second spot in the order, dropping all the way down to sixth, in favor of Jose (no glove) Valentin.

Durham will be traded this season, undoubtedly, for any live pitcher.

Now, it gets dicey.

Frank Thomas is surly and complaining again. When the season started he was happy, with a new attitude and called “mellow California Frank”. Those days are over.

Now called “the big skirt”, instead of “the big hurt” because of all his bellyaching, Thomas has been moved out of the key third spot in the batting order, normally reserved for the team’s best hitter, down to the fifth spot.

Thomas isn’t talking about it. Jerry Manuel’s reaction was that Frank is a big guy and can handle the demotion.

Don’t bet on it.

Magglio Ordonez replaced Thomas as the number three hitter. His promotion lasted one at bat last night before he left the game with a sore lower back.

Paul Konerko, off to a great start, now is the clean up hitter. With Ordonez hurting, it will be interesting to see who bats third for the Sox today against Angel lefty Jarrod Washburn.

The Sox need pitching. Jon Garland, who was almost traded to Anaheim this past winter for Darrin Erstad gave up five runs in the first inning Saturday night, dooming his teams chances.

Carlos Lee, one tough out, is lost in all the Chicago line up shuffling. Lee is on the block, and may be the first to go in search for new pitching.

The Angels, on the other hand, are 13-2 in their last 15 games, outscoring their opponents 119-43.

All this is good news for the A’s who are doing their own shuffling.

First, Anaheim’s surge gives hope that someone can help Oakalnd slow the Mariners down when division play begins again in the beginning of June.

Secondly, the disarray in the White Sox camp, gives the A’s further encouragement because the Sox figure to be in the wild card picture this summer.

Art Howe shifted Eric Chavez into the three hole in the order. Chavez responded by hitting a grand slam Saturday, sealing the 7-4 win in the third inning.

Chavez has awesome power, but has yet to show he can hit .300 and still hit the ball out of the park. A number three hitter, to be truly effective, must hit for average because that spot comes up frequently with runners on base, and strike outs just won’t get the job done over the long haul.

Tell that to Mickey Mantle who hit third for all those great Yankee teams in the 50’s.

What saved the Yankees was Mantle had help in the lineup from Yogi Berra, Roger Maris, Bill Skowron and others to bail him out if he whiffed too often.

The key to this change working for the A’s is steady, increased production from Jermaine Dye, Miguel Tejada, and Terrance Long. If they do their jobs, this move will be fine.

Chavez is a presence in the third spot and the pitchers have to be concerned when he comes up. The move is good and an improvement in the batting order.

It didn’t hurt that the change happened on a day when Justin Miller, an undisciplined pitcher threw for Toronto, thereby guaranteeing the success of just about any move the manager contemplated.

Let’s see what happens today against the Blue Jays best pitcher, Roy Hallady.

Manny Ramirez broke his finger last night sloding head first into Seattle catcher Dan Wilson’s shin guard in a play at the plate.

It is dumb to slide head first into a catcher wearing all that protective equipment.

Not trading back up outfielder Rickey Henderson this week may be the best move Boston made, on what is turning out to be a rocky west coast trip because Ramirez may be out for awhile.

Chan Ho Park comes of fthe DL today for Texas, starting against the Tigers. The 65 million dollar per year pitcher, who hasn’t pitched since opening night, refused to have at least one minor league rehab start before facing major league hitters agqin.

Nice “I’ll do anything to help the team attitude” from the overpaid Park.

Texas rallied from a 4-0 deficit against Steve Sparks by getting production from the bottom of its batting order. Herbert Perry, Mike Lamb, Gabe Kapler, Bill Hasselman, and Calvin Murray all got consecutive hits which was a remarkable feat in itself. This crowd had been hititng a combined .239 with 33 runs scored coming into the game. A Rod finished the second inning onslaught with a two run homer, thereby erasing the 4-0 mark and turning the score in favor of Texas 7-4.

The Rangers held on to win with another save for Hideki Irabu, who probably has saved Jerry Narron’s job singlehandedly.

Other news today:

Sidney Ponson looks like he is back throwing 8-9 innings per start for the Orioles.

Can Pedro stop the Boston mini slide against Seattle tonight?

Will James Baldwin have another poor start for Seattle?

Can the Giants win a series in Montreal?

Have a happy Mother’s Day.