Friday, April 30, 2004
Home run as alarm clock
The White Sox exploded for five runs in the sixth inning yesterday to pace their 6-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said the ballclub was "kind of flat" until Magglio Ordonez leadoff the sixth inning with a home run. Neal Cotts did a great job in two scoreless innings of relief and then gave way to Bill Koch in the ninth for the save. With two out and a man on first, Guillen went to the mound to tell Koch to forget about the runner and express his confidence in him. Esteban Loiaza wasn't at his best, but allowed four runs over six innings for the win. Tonight's rainout will be made up Saturday in a traditional doubleheader.
Interesting to note
Kelly Dransfeldt is getting an enticing cup of coffee that ultimately is going to be snatched out of his hands before he can finish drinking it. Dransfeldt will cross paths, figuratively, with Jose Valentin after Valentin finishes his rehabilitation stint at AAA Charlotte. Valentin is scheduled to rejoint the team in Baltimore Tuesday.
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen noted that Dransfeldt is one of several young players making a surprising contribution on the Sox this year. Juan Uribe has been white-hot at the plate and good defensively. Uribe's hot play could cost Willie Harris some playing time when Valentin returns. Hitting coach Greg Walker said Harris works as hard as any player on the team and is very close to taking his good swings from the batting cage to the plate during the game. Uribe also may play some in center field. Neal Cotts, Guillen said, is headed for stardom. Ross Gload does a nice job as a left-handed pinch hitter and occasional starter.
Shingo Takatsu's bullpen mates are impressed with his ability to change speeds. Takatsu has been pretty much lights out since he got his debut in New York under his belt.
The Sox are 7-1 in one-run games. That's a pace the club is not likely to keep up.
Although the Sox lead the American League with 33 home runs, Guillen said he expects them to score more runs -- they're only seventh in the league in runs. The Tigers and the Twins are 1-2.
A Sox fan takes early-leaving fans to task in the Daily Herald.
Frank Thomas has kept a vow of silence with the media for two weeks now.
Sox manager Ozzie Guillen noted that Dransfeldt is one of several young players making a surprising contribution on the Sox this year. Juan Uribe has been white-hot at the plate and good defensively. Uribe's hot play could cost Willie Harris some playing time when Valentin returns. Hitting coach Greg Walker said Harris works as hard as any player on the team and is very close to taking his good swings from the batting cage to the plate during the game. Uribe also may play some in center field. Neal Cotts, Guillen said, is headed for stardom. Ross Gload does a nice job as a left-handed pinch hitter and occasional starter.
Shingo Takatsu's bullpen mates are impressed with his ability to change speeds. Takatsu has been pretty much lights out since he got his debut in New York under his belt.
The Sox are 7-1 in one-run games. That's a pace the club is not likely to keep up.
Although the Sox lead the American League with 33 home runs, Guillen said he expects them to score more runs -- they're only seventh in the league in runs. The Tigers and the Twins are 1-2.
A Sox fan takes early-leaving fans to task in the Daily Herald.
Frank Thomas has kept a vow of silence with the media for two weeks now.
"I hope he doesn't talk to you guys and wins the MVP," Guillen said. "I don't care about Frank and what he does off the field. I'm worried about him on the field and in the clubhouse. He's a grown-up kid and he can do what he wants."
Good words about good guys
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner said the White Sox radio announcing team of John Rooney and Ed Farmer are "in spectacularly good form." Rooney said he was excited for this season to start because of the return to Ozzie Guillen to the team as manager. Rooney, as most of you know, does an interview with the manager that airs in the pregrame show, so he works particularly close with any Sox manager.
A little help, please
The Daily Southtown is asking readers for marketing suggestions for the White Sox and their new marketing director, Brooks Boyer.
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
It remains to be seen
Unbelievable. I was at today's game -- sitting one row and one seat over from where I sat Saturday, incidentally -- and it was really something. Basically, the White Sox should be on a five-game losing streak, and, if you add in the Yankees series, that would make seven losses in eight games on this homestand, the longest of the season.
I guess there's two ways to look at this.
The pessimistic way is that they're getting lucky. The flaws we've seen lately (the tendency of their hitters to get hot or ice cold at the same time, the unproven rotation, the reliance on young players at key positions such as second base and center field) are being masked by some incredible comebacks. The pessimistic view is that as soon as the luck runs out, the Sox will sink like a guy wearing cement "boots" in the Chicago River. The pessimistic view is that the pitching (20 runs allowed the last two days) is showing its true colors.
The optimistic view is that they've managed to win three of five games when they haven't played well because they're a team whose players are close to each other, a team that does enough to win. The optimist would point out that Scott Schoeneweis has a good chance to bounce back from today's start (which should have never extended into the sixth inning anyway; it took him 97 tough pitches to get through five innings, so Ozzie Guillen should have given Schoeneweis the rest of the day off), keeping in mind the way Esteban Loiaza tore it up for a month and then got absolutely shelled by the Mariners in his first start in May last year. This year, they won the game where the surprisingly steady starter (nice alliteration) had his first bad outing. The optimist also would point out that the hitters seem to be kicking it up again, as the team has scored 16 runs in two days against the Indians. And the bullpen bounced back from yesterday's tough game with 3-2/3 innings of scoreless relief today.
I know I prefer being an optimist. Maybe they have caught lightning in a bottle. Maybe they're a team that will be jumping up and down at home plate all season. Maybe. What a game. For today, that's enough for me.
I guess there's two ways to look at this.
The pessimistic way is that they're getting lucky. The flaws we've seen lately (the tendency of their hitters to get hot or ice cold at the same time, the unproven rotation, the reliance on young players at key positions such as second base and center field) are being masked by some incredible comebacks. The pessimistic view is that as soon as the luck runs out, the Sox will sink like a guy wearing cement "boots" in the Chicago River. The pessimistic view is that the pitching (20 runs allowed the last two days) is showing its true colors.
The optimistic view is that they've managed to win three of five games when they haven't played well because they're a team whose players are close to each other, a team that does enough to win. The optimist would point out that Scott Schoeneweis has a good chance to bounce back from today's start (which should have never extended into the sixth inning anyway; it took him 97 tough pitches to get through five innings, so Ozzie Guillen should have given Schoeneweis the rest of the day off), keeping in mind the way Esteban Loiaza tore it up for a month and then got absolutely shelled by the Mariners in his first start in May last year. This year, they won the game where the surprisingly steady starter (nice alliteration) had his first bad outing. The optimist also would point out that the hitters seem to be kicking it up again, as the team has scored 16 runs in two days against the Indians. And the bullpen bounced back from yesterday's tough game with 3-2/3 innings of scoreless relief today.
I know I prefer being an optimist. Maybe they have caught lightning in a bottle. Maybe they're a team that will be jumping up and down at home plate all season. Maybe. What a game. For today, that's enough for me.
A little much?
Major League Baseball handed down suspensions today to Kerry Wood, five games, and Dusty Baker, one game, for their behavior on consecutive days during the Cubs-Reds series in Chicago a week and a half ago. I'm a little surprised by the length of Wood's suspension. I understand that the only thing you can really do to a starting pitcher is give him five games. His actions that day did call for some reprimand. MLB can't allow a pitcher being removed from the game to accost an umpire like that. There has to be a penalty for it. I thought they might suspend him for two or three games, enough to hit him in the wallet, but still reserving some stronger penalty for a player who bumps an umpire. But I guess players who bump an ump are suspended for as much as 10 games -- for instance, Carl Everett in 2000. A five-game suspension for a starting pitcher is about commensurate with the penalties handed out in years past. Some of the players on this list did make contact, but it was incidental. Wood was just as threatening to the umpire as a player who gets in the face of an umpire and inadvertently bumps him. Everett got 10 games because he did it twice and with intent.
For Wood, essentially, it's a one-start suspension, which is equal to a position player or reliever sitting out a game. All it really means is that Wood will get an extra day between starts. Given the way that Baker leaves him in the game to throw upwards of 120 pitches, an extra day of rest would do him some good. I think Baker was smart to let Wood have an extra day last week between the Reds start that got him in trouble with MLB and his start against the Mets.
(Music to write by: The Rolling Stones, "Some Girls.")
For Wood, essentially, it's a one-start suspension, which is equal to a position player or reliever sitting out a game. All it really means is that Wood will get an extra day between starts. Given the way that Baker leaves him in the game to throw upwards of 120 pitches, an extra day of rest would do him some good. I think Baker was smart to let Wood have an extra day last week between the Reds start that got him in trouble with MLB and his start against the Mets.
(Music to write by: The Rolling Stones, "Some Girls.")
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Boy, was that ugly
That's the first bad outing of the year for Jon Adkins. Interestingly enough, Adkins and Koch both have the same ERA now, 5.40. All the Sox pitchers suffered from poor control -- eight walks and two hit batsmen. Neal Cotts allowed an inherited runner to score, but otherwise, he was the only member of the pen who didn't get touched tonight.
How quickly fortunes change
About 10 minutes ago, the crowd at the Cell was loudly booing Billy Koch. He deserved it. Just a few minutes later, they were cheering him as he got the last two outs of the inning on strikeouts. "He just pulled a rabbit out of the hat," John Rooney said after the third out was recorded. The great thing about Koch is I bet he says that the fans were justified. He's brutally honest about himself and has kept a positive demeanor for a guy who has struggled as much as he has with the Sox.
Assessing the new hire
This story in the Sun-Times tells new Sox marketing director: Don't bother. Lewis Lazare, the marketing and advertising columnist in the Sun-Times business section, is a little more constructive. There's marketing advice for the Sox from random people that the Tribune's Tempo section think are worth listening to. Barry Rozner in the Daily Herald says the Sox blew an opportunity to do something bold. He also chastised Ozzie Guillen for his remarks last week in defense of Frank Thomas, saying Guillen is falling into the "same sullen trap" of whining about the Cubs. I agree that Rozner's idea of a team president is a good idea, as I said a few days ago. But he's misinterpreting Guillen's remarks -- just like most of the columnists around town -- and his suggestion that the Sox should market that they love Cubs fans, well, Rozner doesn't get it. You can make the point that there are tickets still available on the South Side without alienating your fans. Mike Veeck has the right idea -- make a joke out of the Cubs mania to invite fans to the Cell. It would work.
Maybe I'm misinterpreting Rozner a bit. Maybe he's thinking of a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign that says something like, "Don't have an extra kidney to sell to get seats on the other side of town? The White Sox welcome all baseball fans to U.S. Cellular Field. Call (866) SOX-GAME for tickets." They could have a whole series of them:
"Don't have a rich uncle to buy you seats on the other side of town?"
"Does working all day keep you from attending games on the other side of town?"
The Sox are free to use these. I guess I was just reacting to the idea of the Sox showing Cubs fans some love. The Sox can market to them without making their true fans sick to our stomachs.
Maybe I'm misinterpreting Rozner a bit. Maybe he's thinking of a tongue-in-cheek ad campaign that says something like, "Don't have an extra kidney to sell to get seats on the other side of town? The White Sox welcome all baseball fans to U.S. Cellular Field. Call (866) SOX-GAME for tickets." They could have a whole series of them:
"Don't have a rich uncle to buy you seats on the other side of town?"
"Does working all day keep you from attending games on the other side of town?"
The Sox are free to use these. I guess I was just reacting to the idea of the Sox showing Cubs fans some love. The Sox can market to them without making their true fans sick to our stomachs.
Is this a coincidence?
Both the Tribune and the Daily Herald had features today about the improvement of Miguel Olivo. I agree that he's much improved. He's got a much better approach at the plate than he did last year. But both of them on the same day? I also know that you have to have a feature story when the team has a day off like Monday. I just find it funny that they both did this story on the same day.
The Daily Southtown has a nothing story quoting Ken Williams about how the team's positive attitude, courtesy Ozzie Guillen, is helping the team make strides.
The Sun-Times had a good story about how effective of the Sox bullpen has been this season. The White Sox have the third-best bullpen ERA in the American League. They aren't striking out a lot of batters -- they're 12th in that department -- but they're first in double plays. That's been saving them. (Of course, I wrote this before Cliff Politte and, to a much lesser extent, Damaso Marte gave up a two-run lead in the eighth tonight. And, of course, Billy Koch has loaded the base in the ninth inning on a hit batsman and two walks. Sheesh.)
"Quit trying to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring, and besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. They're more democractic." -- Crash Davis.
The Daily Southtown has a nothing story quoting Ken Williams about how the team's positive attitude, courtesy Ozzie Guillen, is helping the team make strides.
The Sun-Times had a good story about how effective of the Sox bullpen has been this season. The White Sox have the third-best bullpen ERA in the American League. They aren't striking out a lot of batters -- they're 12th in that department -- but they're first in double plays. That's been saving them. (Of course, I wrote this before Cliff Politte and, to a much lesser extent, Damaso Marte gave up a two-run lead in the eighth tonight. And, of course, Billy Koch has loaded the base in the ninth inning on a hit batsman and two walks. Sheesh.)
"Quit trying to strike everybody out. Strikeouts are boring, and besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls. They're more democractic." -- Crash Davis.
Interesting to note
Another mystery man. Does anyone have any idea who Ken Williams is pointing the finger at this time? In the first item in this Trib notes column, Williams said if someone is unhappy, he doesn't want the guy around, but there are no clues to identify the player or players the GM is talking about. Is Kelly Wunsch grumbling about being stuck in the minors? It would make sense, but there's nothing to indicate that's the case.
Kelly Dransfeldt, Sunday's hero and a native of Morris, Ill., said the intensity of the crowd at the Cell helps the team.
Kelly Dransfeldt, Sunday's hero and a native of Morris, Ill., said the intensity of the crowd at the Cell helps the team.
Monday, April 26, 2004
My thoughts exactly
I was glad to read that Ozzie Guillen was letting his players know that he wasn't pleased with their play just because the Sox beat the Devil Rays 6-5 Sunday with a three-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Basically, it was like Christmas in April -- both teams were in a giving mood. The Rays were just more generous. The Sox were handing out goodies, too. Carlos Lee getting picked off first base for the first out in the ninth inning was inexcusable. I thought it was the backbreaker. Mark Buehrle made a horrible 0-2 mistake on the pitch that Toby Hall hit out in the seventh. And in the eighth, Aaron Rowand has got to make that play on the ball Julio Lugo (Julio Freakin' Lugo almost beat the Sox twice in two days, after handing them the game Friday night) hit off Cliff Politte in the eighth. Rowand was able to get back in time, but the ball hit the wall to his right. He's got to make that catch. All of these mistakes should have cost the Sox the game. Buehrle said that maybe the Sox are carrying around the horseshoe this year. If they don't start hitting and playing smarter baseball, they'll need it.
Just like I told you
Ozzie Guillen said that he was defending Frank Thomas, not trying to pick a fight with the Cubs, with his remarks the other day. That's exactly how I read them, too. That better be the same message that Ken Williams delivered when he stopped by Wrigley Field Sunday to see Dusty Baker. Guillen also said, again, that this is the happiest he's ever seen Thomas and said how much he appreciates Thomas's attitude on the field, in the dugout and in the clubhouse. Jay Mariotti, on the other hand, thinks he's being the responsible party in taking Guillen to task in today's Sun-Times. You can accuse Guillen of exaggerating for effect, but how about Mariotti saying that "Prior's injuries conceivably could alter baseball history." Not Cubs history. Baseball history. Sheesh.
When Guillen said Thomas is "way better than Prior," it was clear from the full quote that Guillen simply meant that Thomas has had 15 mostly spectacular seasons in the big leagues, while Prior has had exactly one spectacular season and one pretty darn good partial season his rookie year as a May callup. Guillen made clear in his comments that he respects the talents of Prior; it's just that the Sox manager still thinks you have to count 15 years and two MVPs for more than two seasons in the majors. When Baker kisses Sammy Sosa's butt, Mariotti calls it smart managing for the sake of a harmonious clubhouse.
And Mariotti again misinterprets Guillen's comments about how the Cubs have the pressure on them: "They lose a game, and everybody is panicking. We lose a game, and nobody knows about it. I like that." Obviously, Guillen is talking about fans and media, not Cubs players or coaches, panicking. Just look at the parallel construction of the two sentences. He can't be talking about the teams in the second part of either sentence. I know English is Guillen's second language, but I can't believe he was trying to say that the Sox don't know if they lose.
Best of all, from a guy who wasn't so concerned about baseball peace to pick on the still-unknown Steve Bartman in his column right after Game 6, Mariotti makes it sound like Guillen's comments will start riots during the Cubs-Sox series in June and July. Mariotti feeds the stereotypes -- that Sox fans are somehow more dangerous, more prone to violence than Cubs fans. Tell that to Chad Kreuter.
When Guillen said Thomas is "way better than Prior," it was clear from the full quote that Guillen simply meant that Thomas has had 15 mostly spectacular seasons in the big leagues, while Prior has had exactly one spectacular season and one pretty darn good partial season his rookie year as a May callup. Guillen made clear in his comments that he respects the talents of Prior; it's just that the Sox manager still thinks you have to count 15 years and two MVPs for more than two seasons in the majors. When Baker kisses Sammy Sosa's butt, Mariotti calls it smart managing for the sake of a harmonious clubhouse.
And Mariotti again misinterprets Guillen's comments about how the Cubs have the pressure on them: "They lose a game, and everybody is panicking. We lose a game, and nobody knows about it. I like that." Obviously, Guillen is talking about fans and media, not Cubs players or coaches, panicking. Just look at the parallel construction of the two sentences. He can't be talking about the teams in the second part of either sentence. I know English is Guillen's second language, but I can't believe he was trying to say that the Sox don't know if they lose.
Best of all, from a guy who wasn't so concerned about baseball peace to pick on the still-unknown Steve Bartman in his column right after Game 6, Mariotti makes it sound like Guillen's comments will start riots during the Cubs-Sox series in June and July. Mariotti feeds the stereotypes -- that Sox fans are somehow more dangerous, more prone to violence than Cubs fans. Tell that to Chad Kreuter.
See, it's not just us
Here's a look at what my neighbors think of us Sox fans. (It has audio and video, so careful watching at work; nothing dirty, however.) I can laugh at this, even though it's really just one cheap shot after another. I just can't stand hearing that it's just Sox fans stirring up the animosity. Right.
I guess Mike Veeck didn't get an interview
Wow. That didn't take long. The White Sox hired Brooks Boyer a Bulls marketing executive, to replace Rob Gallas as marketing director. Boyer was in charge of corporate sponsorships. I hope he knows more than how to come up with another variation on the pizza, frog and airplane races on the scoreboard. Boyer also oversaw ticket sales for the Bulls who, if you haven't noticed, have managed to stay near the top of the NBA in average attendance despite the little matter of having stunk up the court for six years. Maybe Boyer is a super salesman. I'm being optimistic.
Interesting to note
The Devil Rays' leadoff hitter and left fielder, Carl Crawford, impressed the hell out of me, too. Ken Williams said the Sox leadoff man, Willie Harris, has to pick it up, which is fast becoming a catch-phrase for Williams. He also said that Harris is taking too many pitches early in the count. I beg to differ. He's a leadoff hitter. He should be taking pitches. He's one of the few guys the team has who makes pitchers work. And if he listens to Williams, he'll lose his plate discipline and hit even worse. I know Williams played in the big leagues and I didn't, but I think he's wrong.
Ozzie Guillen said he ran out to the mound in Saturday's game to ask Dan Wright if he hit Crawford on purpose. Wright said no. I'd point out that the Rays hit three Sox batters on Friday -- Paul Konerko twice and Magglio Ordonez. Besides, the last thing Wright wanted to do was put Crawford on with two outs in the inning.
(Music to write by: Allman Brothers Band, "Brothers and Sisters," and Garbage, "Version 2.0.")
Ozzie Guillen said he ran out to the mound in Saturday's game to ask Dan Wright if he hit Crawford on purpose. Wright said no. I'd point out that the Rays hit three Sox batters on Friday -- Paul Konerko twice and Magglio Ordonez. Besides, the last thing Wright wanted to do was put Crawford on with two outs in the inning.
(Music to write by: Allman Brothers Band, "Brothers and Sisters," and Garbage, "Version 2.0.")
Sunday, April 25, 2004
Dreary as the weather
I went to Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Devil Rays. A little cooler than I would have liked, but overall a decent April day in Chicago. The White Sox offense was even cooler, however. I also was a little surprised at the lineup. John Rooney noted on the radio broadcast that it was a little like spring training with the lineup: Kelly Dransfeldt at short, Timo Perez in center and Ross Gload in right field. During the pregame interview, which I listened to while eating my first steak pita of the season while sitting on the revamped Fan Deck for the first time, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said that he wanted to give Magglio Ordonez a day off before Ordonez needed to ask for one. Guillen also said he wanted to give Dransfeldt, who was called up from AAA Charlotte when Jose Valentin went on the 15-day disabled list, a chance to start a game. Juan Uribe moved over to second to keep his bat in the lineup, knocking Willie Harris out of the lineup and the lead-off spot. I suppose that prompted the starting of Perez in center, to some extend.
As Dave Wills pointed out after the game, it's tough to sit Ordonez when Carlos Lee, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede are all struggling, although even Ordonez has cooled considerably from his AL Player of the Week start. Frank Thomas, with home runs on consecutive days, is the only Sox hitter who looks comfortable at the plate right now. Maybe Guillen wanted to get the bench players in the game against Doug Waechter, a guy who got drilled by the Columbus (Ohio) Clippers in his last start, instead of Sunday's D-Rays starter, Jeremi Gonzalez, who at least has major-league credentials. Well, more or less: he's pitched for the Cubs and the D-Rays.
The Rays came out to win this game. They ran hard on the Sox and forced the issue, while the Sox looked a little lifeless. Dransfeldt did make a great relay throw in the fourth inning to nail Tino Martinez at the plate, although Martinez is running about as fast as Sid Bream these days. The Sox got away with playing poorly Friday against the Rays, but not yesterday. Dan Wright was decent -- 3 runs in 5-1/3 innings. I'll take that most days. I hope they give Mark Buehrle some runs to work with today.
As Dave Wills pointed out after the game, it's tough to sit Ordonez when Carlos Lee, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede are all struggling, although even Ordonez has cooled considerably from his AL Player of the Week start. Frank Thomas, with home runs on consecutive days, is the only Sox hitter who looks comfortable at the plate right now. Maybe Guillen wanted to get the bench players in the game against Doug Waechter, a guy who got drilled by the Columbus (Ohio) Clippers in his last start, instead of Sunday's D-Rays starter, Jeremi Gonzalez, who at least has major-league credentials. Well, more or less: he's pitched for the Cubs and the D-Rays.
The Rays came out to win this game. They ran hard on the Sox and forced the issue, while the Sox looked a little lifeless. Dransfeldt did make a great relay throw in the fourth inning to nail Tino Martinez at the plate, although Martinez is running about as fast as Sid Bream these days. The Sox got away with playing poorly Friday against the Rays, but not yesterday. Dan Wright was decent -- 3 runs in 5-1/3 innings. I'll take that most days. I hope they give Mark Buehrle some runs to work with today.
The anti-Uecker seats
Even though my ticket to yesterday's game read "Section 158, Row 8, Seat 4," I was actually in the front row, with the Sox bullpen directly in front of me. I haven't sat in the front row of a section since I don't remember when. (I know in my first Sox game, in 1978, I did sit in the front row, just past the Sox dugout on the third-base line.) Not only was the view of the game good, but it was interesting to watch the dynamics of the bullpen, how the guys watch the game and prepare to enter.
Billy Koch has had his struggles with the Sox, but he is without a doubt the cool kid of the bullpen. He watched the first five innings as the center of attention of younger relievers Neal Cotts, Jon Adkins and Cliff Politte. They seemed to hang on Koch's words as he animatedly told jokes. Koch also gave Ross Gload the salaam motion (I don't mean fumbling or smoking something funny, a la Rashaan Salaam) after Gload made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the first inning.
Bullpen coach Art Kusnyer and bullpen catcher Man-Soo Lee also sat on folding chairs next to the four pitchers up on the raised platform that is the business part of the bullpen. Mike Jackson, Shingo Takatsu and Damaso Marte stayed down in the covered area. I didn't see Marte the entire day, come to think of it. Adkins, Politte, Jackson and Cotts all signed autographs just before the game. Lee seemed to have a friendly rapport with the fans who regularly sit in the first row in Sections 157 and 158. He was shaking hands like a politician, being introduced to friends who were joining the regulars for the game.
Around the fifth inning, Koch remained on his folding chair, but Politte disappeared and Adkins and Cotts began stretching. While the Sox were batting in the fifth, Jackson became the first pitcher to get up and throw.
I was struck by the loud popping of the catcher's mitt no matter who was throwing. Even Takatsu, who throws his fastball 86 mph tops, got a nice sound out of the mitt. Jackson and Saturday's starter Dan Wright really had "loud" stuff. Then it struck me that this was, by far, the closest that I've ever been to major-league pitching.
I recommend the experience of sitting there if you can. I especially liked watching the starter warm up. The starter warming in the pen is kind of a microcosm of spring training. All the possibilities are ahead, everyone is optimistic. At one point, pitching coach Don Cooper stood on the mound next to Wright's to demonstrate something. Lee and Sandy Alomar took turns warming up Wright, starting with Lee throwing long toss with Wright in the outfield. Alomar took some throws from behind the plate with Lee standing in an imaginary left-handed batters box, then Alomar left and Lee took his place. I don't know if this is a thing just Wright likes to do or if all the Sox starters do this, but when Wright was done warming up, he walked to the far end of the pen and shook hands with Lee. I liked that. As he made his way out, Wright fist-bumped Adkins, Politte, Koch and Cotts.
Billy Koch has had his struggles with the Sox, but he is without a doubt the cool kid of the bullpen. He watched the first five innings as the center of attention of younger relievers Neal Cotts, Jon Adkins and Cliff Politte. They seemed to hang on Koch's words as he animatedly told jokes. Koch also gave Ross Gload the salaam motion (I don't mean fumbling or smoking something funny, a la Rashaan Salaam) after Gload made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the first inning.
Bullpen coach Art Kusnyer and bullpen catcher Man-Soo Lee also sat on folding chairs next to the four pitchers up on the raised platform that is the business part of the bullpen. Mike Jackson, Shingo Takatsu and Damaso Marte stayed down in the covered area. I didn't see Marte the entire day, come to think of it. Adkins, Politte, Jackson and Cotts all signed autographs just before the game. Lee seemed to have a friendly rapport with the fans who regularly sit in the first row in Sections 157 and 158. He was shaking hands like a politician, being introduced to friends who were joining the regulars for the game.
Around the fifth inning, Koch remained on his folding chair, but Politte disappeared and Adkins and Cotts began stretching. While the Sox were batting in the fifth, Jackson became the first pitcher to get up and throw.
I was struck by the loud popping of the catcher's mitt no matter who was throwing. Even Takatsu, who throws his fastball 86 mph tops, got a nice sound out of the mitt. Jackson and Saturday's starter Dan Wright really had "loud" stuff. Then it struck me that this was, by far, the closest that I've ever been to major-league pitching.
I recommend the experience of sitting there if you can. I especially liked watching the starter warm up. The starter warming in the pen is kind of a microcosm of spring training. All the possibilities are ahead, everyone is optimistic. At one point, pitching coach Don Cooper stood on the mound next to Wright's to demonstrate something. Lee and Sandy Alomar took turns warming up Wright, starting with Lee throwing long toss with Wright in the outfield. Alomar took some throws from behind the plate with Lee standing in an imaginary left-handed batters box, then Alomar left and Lee took his place. I don't know if this is a thing just Wright likes to do or if all the Sox starters do this, but when Wright was done warming up, he walked to the far end of the pen and shook hands with Lee. I liked that. As he made his way out, Wright fist-bumped Adkins, Politte, Koch and Cotts.
Running bull(pen)
My attention was on Thomas, not the pen, when he was plunked in the sixth inning and expressed his displeasure with Rays starter Doug Waechter. I didn't really see how they reacted till they were in left field. As they jogged toward the infield alongside Rays leftfielder Carl Crawford, I thought, Boy, they could just take him down and do some damage. I can't remember seeing that in any brawls. Maybe it's an unwritten rule that bullpen guys can't brawl until they get to the infield. That would be a good rule.
I can't blame Thomas for being angry. After he hit the home run in the fourth, he saw several pitches inside before he got hit. My guess is that Waechter knew Rays manager Lou Pinella wanted the ball inside, and he wasn't going to miss over the inside half of the plate; if he was going to miss, it was going to be off the plate inside. Too bad he didn't miss over the plate. I might have caught a ball or happily watched it sail over my head. Thomas's fourth-inning home run was no more than 20 feet to my left, maybe a couple rows farther back than I was sitting.
I can't blame Thomas for being angry. After he hit the home run in the fourth, he saw several pitches inside before he got hit. My guess is that Waechter knew Rays manager Lou Pinella wanted the ball inside, and he wasn't going to miss over the inside half of the plate; if he was going to miss, it was going to be off the plate inside. Too bad he didn't miss over the plate. I might have caught a ball or happily watched it sail over my head. Thomas's fourth-inning home run was no more than 20 feet to my left, maybe a couple rows farther back than I was sitting.
Bullpen brands
Cotts, Koch and Politte wear cleats by addidas. Jackson and Lee wear Nike shoes (cleats for Jackson, turf shoes for Lee). Takatsu, appropriately enough for Mr. Zero of Japan, wears Mizuno cleats and uses a Mizuno glove. Adkins wears Reebok cleats (I think that's what those were) and uses a Rawlings glove. Lee wears Wilson catcher's gear and uses a Wilson mitt. Someone -- Adkins, I think -- wore Franklin batting gloves to warm his hands. Politte chews Red Man. I didn't get a good look at the tin of dip tobacco that Koch had, but it might have been Copenhagen. It had a shiny bottom like Copenhagen tins have, but he slipped it into his left back pocket before I could tell for sure. I can say that he packs the tin with his right hand, as I would expect for a right-handed pitcher. Just about everyone drank AquaFina bottled water.
This wasn't in the bullpen, but in the men's room on the left-field concourse, I noticed little cards for Scores "gentlemen's club" near O'Hare Airport. There was no way in hell that I was going to actually touch something that's been sitting in a men's room like that, but I believe the cards entitled the holder to free or reduced admission.
This wasn't in the bullpen, but in the men's room on the left-field concourse, I noticed little cards for Scores "gentlemen's club" near O'Hare Airport. There was no way in hell that I was going to actually touch something that's been sitting in a men's room like that, but I believe the cards entitled the holder to free or reduced admission.
Interesting to note
Ozzie Guillen said he's determined to make the Sox a family, and he believes it's easier to bring Latin players into the team these days because of their greater numbers among players, managers and coaches. He said it's important for Latin players to learn English nonetheless, and he joked that his English is broken because his best friend as a young player, Harold Baines, didn't speak enough to teach Guillen to speak better.
Cubs beat writers asked Dusty Baker about Guillen's comments regarding Cubs hype. Baker said he watches the Sox and wishes them well, and he doesn't understand why the Sox talk about the Cubs so much. Guillen wasn't talking about the Cubs as a team or organization, mind you, just the media and fan reaction to them. No one expects the Cubs players and coaches to care about the Sox. I'm going to assume that Baker didn't actually read what Guillen said. If Baker had, I'm sure he'd recognize that Guillen was trying to show his support for Frank Thomas, a talent that Baker is rightfully credited with. Baker also offered up his latest loony theory -- that the Cubs are more popular because the Cubs began playing in Chicago first. I hope that was tongue-in-cheek, but it wasn't written that way, and Baker even talked about the Yankees predating the Mets (valid, I think) and the Dodgers predating the Angels in Los Angeles (more of a stretch; being there first by a few years helped the Dodgers, but the fact that they were an established, storied team, not an expansion team like the Angels, probably had more to do with it). But Baker thinks starting in 1876 versus 1901 makes a difference in 2004? Come on.
The reporters must ask Guillen about this after every time Wright starts. Guillen said Wright will continue to be the fifth starter. Cotts allowed his first run of the season yesterday.
Cubs beat writers asked Dusty Baker about Guillen's comments regarding Cubs hype. Baker said he watches the Sox and wishes them well, and he doesn't understand why the Sox talk about the Cubs so much. Guillen wasn't talking about the Cubs as a team or organization, mind you, just the media and fan reaction to them. No one expects the Cubs players and coaches to care about the Sox. I'm going to assume that Baker didn't actually read what Guillen said. If Baker had, I'm sure he'd recognize that Guillen was trying to show his support for Frank Thomas, a talent that Baker is rightfully credited with. Baker also offered up his latest loony theory -- that the Cubs are more popular because the Cubs began playing in Chicago first. I hope that was tongue-in-cheek, but it wasn't written that way, and Baker even talked about the Yankees predating the Mets (valid, I think) and the Dodgers predating the Angels in Los Angeles (more of a stretch; being there first by a few years helped the Dodgers, but the fact that they were an established, storied team, not an expansion team like the Angels, probably had more to do with it). But Baker thinks starting in 1876 versus 1901 makes a difference in 2004? Come on.
The reporters must ask Guillen about this after every time Wright starts. Guillen said Wright will continue to be the fifth starter. Cotts allowed his first run of the season yesterday.
Remember, he works for the Sox, not the station
WMVP, AM-1000, had a problem on its hands Saturday: the Sox were playing a game during the heart of the first day of the NFL draft. I'm sure they didn't want to completely cede the silly infatuation with the draft to the Score. They broke into the broadcast to play the tape -- or maybe it was even live, they didn't introduce it -- of NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announcing that the Bears selected Oklahoma defensive tackle Tommie Harris with the 14th pick of the first round. Fine. They mentioned the Harris pick again everytime they did a sports headline update during the broadcast (which must be an indication of how long the first round takes -- enough to play a baseball game). About the third or fourth time, Ed Farmer said something along the lines of, hey, it's baseball season. I'm a Bears fan, he said, but get back to me in six or seven months. Farmio said something else that cracked me up yesterday, but I can't remember it. Wish I'd written it down.
It's not mission impossible
Jay Mariotti didn't have anything better to do Thursday night, so he decided that more of the same-old, same-old would be good for his Friday column. First, he takes aim at the Charles Comiskey statue, saying that it should be in front of the ballpark, not out in right-centerfield. I think the White Sox should be saving the front of the ballpark for the Frank Thomas statue that will go up when Thomas makes the Hall of Fame. Mariotti also makes a big deal, again, about selling the naming rights to the park. I'm glad the park doesn't have "Comiskey" in its name anymore. Comiskey Park was born in 1910 and died in 1990. They tore it down. The new park is fine, but it is not the park where I first watched the Sox. So I'm glad there's none of this "new Comiskey" and "old Comiskey" stuff anymore. There's just Comiskey and the Cell. He also said that there's basically no hope for the Sox -- it doesn't matter who they hire as marketing director -- unless they build a new park closer to downtown in some version of Wrigleyville South. It may be excruciating for us Sox fans to wait this long, but the neighborhood near the park is changing, particularly east of the Dan Ryan Expressway, and the Sox are in good position to benefit from that in their current location.
He does make a good point that the Sox lost their fans with the 1994 strike. It came up at the absolute worst time, with the team peaking. Jerry Reinsdorf was a prime mover behind the strike. I will say this: The season the team was having gave Reinsdorf some credibility with his fellow owners. And, disapponted as I remain to this day that the season wasn't played out, I guess you have to give some credit to Reinsdorf for sticking to what he believed was best for the owners as a whole, not just for him personally. Like I said, I hate what happened. It was terrible for the game and awful for Sox fans like me. But a balance needed to be established between players and owners, and the strike went a ways toward establishing a balance for the first time, really. The owners had their way for a century, then the players ruled for two decades. The division of power between the two might be closer to balance now than it has ever been.
Barry Rozner in the Daily Herald has a different idea. What the Sox need, he contends, is not just someone with some marketing genius but also someone who can be the public face of the team. Rozner writes that Sox fans see too many team executives who have bad news to deliver and a demeanor to match. What they need is a team president who can speak for the team with a more positive attitude, an outsider who hasn't been beaten down by the problems the team has had since the 1994 strike. Rozner suggests John McDonough of the Cubs. I still like the idea of unleashing Mike Veeck on the marketing plan. Hiring McDonough would make it difficult for Veeck to play off the Cubs mania in town, since McDonough might rightly feel that he deserves credit (I would say blame) for that mania. But in general, I like the idea of a team president who represents the club to the public. Reinsdorf, thankfully, keeps the background most of the time now, but his reclusiveness also means that there isn't someone at the ownership level representing the club, speaking to the media and communicating with fans. Others outside the club -- think talk radio, then sports columnists -- are left to fill the void, and that is not good for the club.
He does make a good point that the Sox lost their fans with the 1994 strike. It came up at the absolute worst time, with the team peaking. Jerry Reinsdorf was a prime mover behind the strike. I will say this: The season the team was having gave Reinsdorf some credibility with his fellow owners. And, disapponted as I remain to this day that the season wasn't played out, I guess you have to give some credit to Reinsdorf for sticking to what he believed was best for the owners as a whole, not just for him personally. Like I said, I hate what happened. It was terrible for the game and awful for Sox fans like me. But a balance needed to be established between players and owners, and the strike went a ways toward establishing a balance for the first time, really. The owners had their way for a century, then the players ruled for two decades. The division of power between the two might be closer to balance now than it has ever been.
Barry Rozner in the Daily Herald has a different idea. What the Sox need, he contends, is not just someone with some marketing genius but also someone who can be the public face of the team. Rozner writes that Sox fans see too many team executives who have bad news to deliver and a demeanor to match. What they need is a team president who can speak for the team with a more positive attitude, an outsider who hasn't been beaten down by the problems the team has had since the 1994 strike. Rozner suggests John McDonough of the Cubs. I still like the idea of unleashing Mike Veeck on the marketing plan. Hiring McDonough would make it difficult for Veeck to play off the Cubs mania in town, since McDonough might rightly feel that he deserves credit (I would say blame) for that mania. But in general, I like the idea of a team president who represents the club to the public. Reinsdorf, thankfully, keeps the background most of the time now, but his reclusiveness also means that there isn't someone at the ownership level representing the club, speaking to the media and communicating with fans. Others outside the club -- think talk radio, then sports columnists -- are left to fill the void, and that is not good for the club.
A cool piece of history
It was appropriate for me to be at an American League baseball game Saturday, as it was the anniversary of the first-ever AL game, right here in Chicago on April 24, 1901. The White Sox beat the Cleveland Blues, 8-2. Saturday was also the first chance I had to see the Charles Comiskey statue that was unveiled this week. It's on the outfield concourse, just to the right-field side of the Fan Deck. It's worth checking out, although I realize now that I was so eager to eat my steak pita that I never read the plaque next to the statue. I did take some pictures of the statue.
Wish I could have said it this well
Larry Mahnken is, unfortunately, a Yankees fan, but he made an excellent point about Barry Bonds in this column on the Hardball Times web site. The point? Enjoy Bonds while he's still playing. We may never know if he used steriods or other performance-enhancing drugs. Don't turn away from watching the greatest player of our generation just because of the rumors. If they turn out to be true later, that's no reason to feel badly about watching Bonds now.
I attended one of the games when the Giants visited the Cell last year, the one started by Bartolo Colon. The first three at-bats, Colon challenges Bonds and strikes him out each time. It was a riveting matchup. The park had the electricity of a Sox-Cubs game, or the Sox-Indians matchups of the early 1990s. Around the sixth inning, with the Sox up 4-1, if I recall correctly, I turned to the friend I attended the game with and said, "I hope the Sox score a few more runs. That way, I can root for Barry to hit one nine miles in his next at-bat. I want to be able to tell my grandkids that I saw the great Barry Bonds hit a home run." Well, as you may remember, I got the second half of my wish. Bonds hit a home run alright, tying the game in the ninth with a two-run shot off Colon. Jerry Manuel, who had no one warming up, had to let Colon keep pitching. He loads the bases. Manuel brings on Damaso Marte, who proceeds to allow a grand slam to Rich Aurilia. 8-4 is your final, Sox fans.
An interesting coincidence: The game recap I linked to above mentions that the last time Bonds had struck out three times in a game was June 13, 2001, nearly two years to the day that Colon whiffed him three times. The pitcher in that 2001 game was none other than Scott Schoeneweis, then with the Angels and now in the Sox rotation. Colon, of course, has made the reverse trip.
(Music to write by: Eric Clapton, "Journeyman," Derek and the Dominos, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs," from the "Crossroads" boxed set and from the "The Layla Sessions" boxed set and The Strokes, "Room on Fire," "New York City Cops" single and "Is This It?")
I attended one of the games when the Giants visited the Cell last year, the one started by Bartolo Colon. The first three at-bats, Colon challenges Bonds and strikes him out each time. It was a riveting matchup. The park had the electricity of a Sox-Cubs game, or the Sox-Indians matchups of the early 1990s. Around the sixth inning, with the Sox up 4-1, if I recall correctly, I turned to the friend I attended the game with and said, "I hope the Sox score a few more runs. That way, I can root for Barry to hit one nine miles in his next at-bat. I want to be able to tell my grandkids that I saw the great Barry Bonds hit a home run." Well, as you may remember, I got the second half of my wish. Bonds hit a home run alright, tying the game in the ninth with a two-run shot off Colon. Jerry Manuel, who had no one warming up, had to let Colon keep pitching. He loads the bases. Manuel brings on Damaso Marte, who proceeds to allow a grand slam to Rich Aurilia. 8-4 is your final, Sox fans.
An interesting coincidence: The game recap I linked to above mentions that the last time Bonds had struck out three times in a game was June 13, 2001, nearly two years to the day that Colon whiffed him three times. The pitcher in that 2001 game was none other than Scott Schoeneweis, then with the Angels and now in the Sox rotation. Colon, of course, has made the reverse trip.
(Music to write by: Eric Clapton, "Journeyman," Derek and the Dominos, "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs," from the "Crossroads" boxed set and from the "The Layla Sessions" boxed set and The Strokes, "Room on Fire," "New York City Cops" single and "Is This It?")
Saturday, April 24, 2004
Why Ozzie matters so much
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen took time before yesterday's 3-2, 10-inning win over the Devil Rays to give Frank Thomas some love. Guillen defended Thomas, who is not speaking to print media (hallalujah for that; see post No. 1 commenting on the Daily Southtown story that started Thomas's little contract tempest for media advice he should follow):
As for the game itself, the Rays did all they could to hand the game to the Sox, who didn't seem willing to take it most of the night. For the second game in a row, Joe Crede came up with the big at-bat, as his sacrifice fly in the 10th brought Magglio Ordonez home with the winning run. Crede said the team is starting to gel as it has won two one-run games in a row. The Sox let several good scoring opportunities get away.
"When you walk that many times (1,402) and you hit .340 and you hit 40 home runs … a lot of people don't give Frank the credit he should get," Guillen said. "A lot of people forgot quick in this town that he was the MVP two times (1993 and '94). A lot of people talk about (Cubs outfielder) Moises Alou more than Frank. You know, Moises is over here for two days. Now (Mark) Prior … they talk about Kerry Wood.There's perfectly good reasons of journalism to have a "Prior Watch" and not a "Thomas Watch." Thomas's injury was mild and predictable, where Prior's has been on 10 different timetables and is harder to get a handle on. And I wouldn't put any player in any sport on the same level as Michael Jordan. But I love hearing Guillen stick up for Thomas. It's the manager's way of saying, OK, we're not talking about your contract status anymore, and as long as you're clear on that, I've got your back. Guillen also said that Thomas should be considered Mr. Sox, perhaps thinking of the way Jeff Conine is called Mr. Marlin. He calls his former teammate a lock for the Hall of Fame, too. As usual with Guillen, he delivered the defense with a little tweak, too, saying that Thomas's attitude over the years explains some of the lack of respect. But the overall message is, you're my guy and, as long as you continue to put the team first, I'll always back you. I doubt Thomas felt that way for even a day during Jerry Manuel's six-year tenure.
"They don't talk about Thomas. Frank Thomas is Michael Jordan … because Sammy (Sosa) was here after [Thomas] was. I was looking in the paper this morning and saw the 'Prior Watch.' You know, it's nothing against the kid, but come on. …"
When he was hurt for [three] days, they did not have the 'Frank Thomas Watch' in the paper," Guillen said. "Frank Thomas is way better than Prior (who is on the disabled list with a sore Achilles' and tender elbow). Frank has done more things for this town than Prior. I give all the respect to Mark, don't take me wrong. But, my God …"
As for the game itself, the Rays did all they could to hand the game to the Sox, who didn't seem willing to take it most of the night. For the second game in a row, Joe Crede came up with the big at-bat, as his sacrifice fly in the 10th brought Magglio Ordonez home with the winning run. Crede said the team is starting to gel as it has won two one-run games in a row. The Sox let several good scoring opportunities get away.
Interesting to note
Reporters want Ozzie Guillen to say he has a closer by committee, but Guillen won't give them the satisfaction. It was very encouraging last night to see Shingo Takatsu strike out lefty Aubrey Huff looking. Takatsu struggled with left-handed batters in spring training and in his first regular-season outing against the Yankees (beginning the new Yankee legend of outfielder Bubba Crosby in the process), but he has looked much better in his two appearances since then. I'd like to see him get more work. Neal Cotts has yet to allow a run. Billy Koch looked solid in his one inning and got the win.
Although Guillen would like to see Frank Thomas get his due, he doesn't mind having all the focus and pressure on the Cubs right now. He thinks obscurity helped the Marlins last year.
Willie Harris is in a 1-for-16 slump. I think he needs to be a little more patient at the plate (big shock, I think a player needs to take more pitches). He seems to be a little less selective right now.
Esteban Loiaza wasn't as sharp as he was against the Rays last Sunday, but not too many pitchers are going to be that good two starts in a row. The Rays actually knocked him around quite a bit -- 8 hits allowed in 7 innings -- but Loiaza only walked two batters and induced a double play on a comebacker. Catcher Miguel Olivo also helped Loiaza by throwing out Rey Sanchez trying to steal second on a strike out and picking Rays catcher Toby Hall (I almost called him Toby Harrah) off first base. I'm a little concerned about Loiaza throwing 122 pitches after throwing 112 in his last start. I wouldn't mind seeing him get an extra day off before his next start, especially since the Sox have Monday off. He doesn't have a history of arm trouble, however, and, at age 32, he's not a young pitcher whose arm hasn't fully developed, two factors often considered when looking at pitch counts. Loiaza also has a smooth, easy throwing motion, rather than the violent, torque-full delivery of a power pitcher such as Kerry Wood. Still, I don't want him to be gassed later in the season.
Although Guillen would like to see Frank Thomas get his due, he doesn't mind having all the focus and pressure on the Cubs right now. He thinks obscurity helped the Marlins last year.
Willie Harris is in a 1-for-16 slump. I think he needs to be a little more patient at the plate (big shock, I think a player needs to take more pitches). He seems to be a little less selective right now.
Esteban Loiaza wasn't as sharp as he was against the Rays last Sunday, but not too many pitchers are going to be that good two starts in a row. The Rays actually knocked him around quite a bit -- 8 hits allowed in 7 innings -- but Loiaza only walked two batters and induced a double play on a comebacker. Catcher Miguel Olivo also helped Loiaza by throwing out Rey Sanchez trying to steal second on a strike out and picking Rays catcher Toby Hall (I almost called him Toby Harrah) off first base. I'm a little concerned about Loiaza throwing 122 pitches after throwing 112 in his last start. I wouldn't mind seeing him get an extra day off before his next start, especially since the Sox have Monday off. He doesn't have a history of arm trouble, however, and, at age 32, he's not a young pitcher whose arm hasn't fully developed, two factors often considered when looking at pitch counts. Loiaza also has a smooth, easy throwing motion, rather than the violent, torque-full delivery of a power pitcher such as Kerry Wood. Still, I don't want him to be gassed later in the season.
This is why we hate Cubs fans
OK, if you still don't understand why Cubs fans drive me up the wall, look no further than this little encomium. "Cubthumping" is what this Cubs fan calls the team's recent outbreak of runs scored -- 82 runs in 10 games before Friday. What does he call three runs against the Mets on Friday? Look, go ahead and root for your team and feel good when they play well. Fine. I have no problem with that. It's just that "Cubthumping" is the usual too-cute-and-smug-to-stomach kind of thing that Cubs fans say and do. I swear, last year, I started to expect to hear Cubs fans refer to the franchise as "Marky Prior" so he could fit in with all the other cutesy names, like "Kerry" and "Corey" and "Sammy" and "Kenny." I'm surprised Jim Hendry didn't make it an off-season priority to get more players with names ending in "y."
And really, I always thought "cubthumping" is what happens when Cubs fans mistake Jimbo's for Murphy's. Sorry, Jon. At least you can gush over the first win for the prodigal this season.
(Music to write by: Led Zeppelin, "III," Pink Floyd, "Dark Side of the Moon," and R.E.M., "Green.")
And really, I always thought "cubthumping" is what happens when Cubs fans mistake Jimbo's for Murphy's. Sorry, Jon. At least you can gush over the first win for the prodigal this season.
(Music to write by: Led Zeppelin, "III," Pink Floyd, "Dark Side of the Moon," and R.E.M., "Green.")
Thursday, April 22, 2004
Doing just enough to win
Watching the replay of the game-ending double play, there wasn't a split-second to spare on the turn that Willie Harris made to get the throw to first base. The ninth inning is going to be an adventure for the forseeable future. Timo Perez's diving catch off a short fly hit by Alex Rodriguez was a Web Gem on ESPN's Baseball Tonight. Another good start for Scott Schoeneweis (6-2/3, 4 H, 3 R, 3 W, 1 K, and 66 strikes in 107 pitches) and a real nice outing tonight by Cliff Politte (1-1/3, 1 H, 0 R, 0 W, 0 K, 15 strikes in 24 pitches). A 4-3 win over the Yankees to put the Sox at 9-6 after 15 games. Not bad, not bad.
No middle relievers needed
I guess the problem was, they just couldn't get Javier Vazquez out of the game yesterday. Jon Garland had his second good outing against the Yankees this season, but he just couldn't match Vazquez. All of the runs in the 3-1 Yankees victory scored on home runs -- solo shots for Carlos Lee and Alex Rodriguez and a two-run, game-winning home run by Jorge Posada in the seventh inning. "We'll see him again in the (bleeping) playoffs," Guillen said in the locker room. Love that attitude. As good as Vazquez was, Guillen said, the Sox had their chances early in the game.
Interesting to note
I'm becoming more and more convinced that Kelly Wunsch was the player that GM Ken Williams was talking about when he said, in the latter stages of spring training, that someone needed to "step it up" or he's not going to make the team. Manager Ozzie Guillen said that Wunsch won't return unless there's an injury to a reliever. I was kind of wondering where they were going to put Wunsch when he was healthy. I guess it's Charlotte.
Guillen is a lot more happy with Jon Adkins and Neal Cotts. He likes the resiliency of Adkins' arm and says he and Cotts could both be starting pitchers some day. I'm not as sure about Adkins, but I definitely see Cotts in the starting rotation, perhaps even this season if Dan Wright continues to struggle. Guillen has nicknamed Adkins Fat Boy. Adkins said he hasn't forgotten the negative comments that greeted him when the Sox acquired him from the A's in return for free-agent-to-be Ray Durham.
Guillen said one of his sons, a college student, told him that there's a pool on when Guillen will earn his first ejection as manager: "I asked him what he picked. I told him, 'At least you should win.' "
Scot Gregor suggests in the Daily Herald that it might not be a coincidence that the Sox had two hamstring injuries over the weekend. With the team trying to force the issue on the basepaths, Gregor wrote, maybe the players need to focus more on pre-game stretching.
Guillen is a lot more happy with Jon Adkins and Neal Cotts. He likes the resiliency of Adkins' arm and says he and Cotts could both be starting pitchers some day. I'm not as sure about Adkins, but I definitely see Cotts in the starting rotation, perhaps even this season if Dan Wright continues to struggle. Guillen has nicknamed Adkins Fat Boy. Adkins said he hasn't forgotten the negative comments that greeted him when the Sox acquired him from the A's in return for free-agent-to-be Ray Durham.
Guillen said one of his sons, a college student, told him that there's a pool on when Guillen will earn his first ejection as manager: "I asked him what he picked. I told him, 'At least you should win.' "
Scot Gregor suggests in the Daily Herald that it might not be a coincidence that the Sox had two hamstring injuries over the weekend. With the team trying to force the issue on the basepaths, Gregor wrote, maybe the players need to focus more on pre-game stretching.
Thankfully, disco is really dead this time
Greg Couch in the Sun-Times wrote today that the White Sox should hire Mike Veeck, son of Bill Veeck, to replace Rob Gallas as marketing director. Can anyone, Couch asked Veeck, get fans to come to the Cell?
Would Jerry Reinsdorf do it? Well, he's been suspected of doing things just to spite people (like sign Albert Belle to tick off his fellow owners). Maybe we could get Jay Mariotti to say it would be a terrible idea.
In all seriousness, I guess the question is, Would hiring Mike Veeck make the Sox a laughingstock? That will be the argument against him, that he's too much of a clown. The critics will bring up the game the Sox forfeited to the Tigers because of his Disco Demolition Night promotion in 1979. One man's laughingstock is another man's innovator. Hire him.
"Absolutely,'' Veeck said. "It's cool to be a Cubs fan now, but White Sox fans are still some of the best in the world. And it's always an advantage to be David to someone else's Goliath. You never heard anybody in the Coliseum going, 'Come on, Goliath, crunch that little bum.' The Cubs are in one of those zones where they can do no wrong. So you position yourself against them and have some fun with it. It's all there waiting to be nurtured and then harvested.''Veeck's idea is to use gags that play off the Cubs position.
"If I were the Sox, I'd have a Scalpers Night,'' Mike said. "You invite the scalpers from the North Side who aren't working because they've already sold their tickets. Put an ad in the paper: 'Scalpers wanted.'''I sure like that last part.
This is a not-so-subtle stick in the eye of the Cubs, who made national news last year by running a scalping scam on their fans. They're still running it, by the way.
"You know, I've still never set foot in Wrigley Field,'' Veeck said. "Never.''
Would Jerry Reinsdorf do it? Well, he's been suspected of doing things just to spite people (like sign Albert Belle to tick off his fellow owners). Maybe we could get Jay Mariotti to say it would be a terrible idea.
In all seriousness, I guess the question is, Would hiring Mike Veeck make the Sox a laughingstock? That will be the argument against him, that he's too much of a clown. The critics will bring up the game the Sox forfeited to the Tigers because of his Disco Demolition Night promotion in 1979. One man's laughingstock is another man's innovator. Hire him.
Ripe for a fall?
I think Veeck is definitely on to something with his idea to mock the success and excess of the Cubs. First, it would definitely be popular with Sox fans. There's no team's fans that we love to mock more. Second, despite how beloved the Cubs and their fans are right now, I think they're both candidates for a backlash. As Carol Slezak of the Sun-Times points out, it's just April, yet the atmosphere around the park is nothing short of delirium. Slezak also writes that there is a proposal to replace many of the cops who work on game days with traffic aides.
As someone who lives about a mile from Wrigley Field, I think I can say with some authority that that is a very bad idea. I remember walking around on Clark Street during Game 3 of the NLDS against Atlanta. It was bedlam. The cops were doing everything they could just to keep the crowds from filling the streets. There was a block-long line to get into a packed Cubby Bear. (My friends and I skipped the Bear, where we were supposed to meet up with some out-of-towners, and went to Taco-Burrito Express instead. They opened on Clark just before the playoffs. The line for the Cubby Bear would extend south right past the brand-new burrito joint. Perfect timing for my favorite burrito entrepreneur, Rosario.) The beer cups strewn on the field in consecutive games last week were one thing, but an incident outside the park will provoke a serious backlash. Keep in mind that the groups aligned against night baseball are seriously vigilant about what happens in the neighborhood when the Cubs play. If it happens, it will be publicized.
I also remember a ride home on the Red Line from Streeterville after the Cubs won Game 5 of the NLDS. There was a problem with the train, because we waited nearly a half hour at the Chicago station. As a result, the train was packed. When we got to Fullerton, where a young woman and I tried to disembark, there was a rowdy crowd of mostly Cubs fans on the platform. I thought we were going to be knocked over by the obnoxious jerks who wouldn't let us off the train before they tried to crowd on. I'm not saying that Sox fans follow Miss Manners, but I've found the crowds entering the Red Line at 35th Street to be pretty reasonable. But I've seen this kind of euphoric, mob behavior by Cubs fans over and over. It will cost them at some point.
As someone who lives about a mile from Wrigley Field, I think I can say with some authority that that is a very bad idea. I remember walking around on Clark Street during Game 3 of the NLDS against Atlanta. It was bedlam. The cops were doing everything they could just to keep the crowds from filling the streets. There was a block-long line to get into a packed Cubby Bear. (My friends and I skipped the Bear, where we were supposed to meet up with some out-of-towners, and went to Taco-Burrito Express instead. They opened on Clark just before the playoffs. The line for the Cubby Bear would extend south right past the brand-new burrito joint. Perfect timing for my favorite burrito entrepreneur, Rosario.) The beer cups strewn on the field in consecutive games last week were one thing, but an incident outside the park will provoke a serious backlash. Keep in mind that the groups aligned against night baseball are seriously vigilant about what happens in the neighborhood when the Cubs play. If it happens, it will be publicized.
I also remember a ride home on the Red Line from Streeterville after the Cubs won Game 5 of the NLDS. There was a problem with the train, because we waited nearly a half hour at the Chicago station. As a result, the train was packed. When we got to Fullerton, where a young woman and I tried to disembark, there was a rowdy crowd of mostly Cubs fans on the platform. I thought we were going to be knocked over by the obnoxious jerks who wouldn't let us off the train before they tried to crowd on. I'm not saying that Sox fans follow Miss Manners, but I've found the crowds entering the Red Line at 35th Street to be pretty reasonable. But I've seen this kind of euphoric, mob behavior by Cubs fans over and over. It will cost them at some point.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
All tuckered out
One thing the Sox may have accomplished with their comeback yesterday, besides improving their demeanor, was tiring the most important parts of the Yankee bullpen, as Paul Quantrill, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera were forced to pitch yesterday in a game that appeared to be locked up early. Quantrill, who threw two innings Tuesday, also threw 2-2/3 innings Sunday and got an out Friday. Gordon was pitching for the third day in a row on Tuesday night. Rivera should be available, as he had last pitched Sunday and didn't otherwise pitch in the Red Sox series.
I doubt we'll see either Quantrill or Gordon tonight, and that could be key in the six, seventh and eighth innings. The recent workload might make Yankees manager Joe Torre decide that it's not worth bringing either of them tonight, for their long-term good. So if the Sox can get Javier Vazquez out of the game, they might be able to attack the rest of the Yankees' bullpen.
I doubt we'll see either Quantrill or Gordon tonight, and that could be key in the six, seventh and eighth innings. The recent workload might make Yankees manager Joe Torre decide that it's not worth bringing either of them tonight, for their long-term good. So if the Sox can get Javier Vazquez out of the game, they might be able to attack the rest of the Yankees' bullpen.
A report from last night's game
I mentioned yesterday that my friend and former coworker Chris attended Tuesday night's game. Here, with his permission, is the e-mail he sent me this morning.
There's nothing like getting your friends to do your job for you.
What an ugly night for baseball. But the Sox and the fans hung in there. I would say that after the first rain delay, almost all of the crowd remained in the ballpark. And they saw a hell of an offensive show. I place the blame for last night's loss squarely on the shoulders of Mark Buehrle, and not because he gave up hard-hit balls, but because he showed no hustle. If he gets his ass off the mound and gets Jeter out in the first inning, that seven-run Yankees explosion never happens. Maybe they score two or three. I give Jeter credit, though. He hustled. The difference in last night's game was all in the first inning, and it was the difference between a confident team on a two-game winning streak and a struggling group of All-Stars coming off two embarrassing losses to its biggest rival. The Sox should have known the Yankees would be swinging freely and running hard from the first pitch.After I complained about Lee and his lack of plate discipline, Chris had this to add:
A number of fans in Section 160 thought that sending Maggs in the sixth inning, when he got picked off with one out, was a mistake, considering Konerko was due up after Lee (who subsequently struck out). I disagree. It fits with the strategy of running the bases aggressively and forcing other teams into situations in which they can make mistakes. Of course, Posada isn't generally someone who makes a lot of mistakes, but it was a wild night, and it just worked out that Quantrill threw a perfect pitch and Posada made a perfect throw.
I will say that the home plate umpire consistently called low strikes and did not call strikes that were up in the zone. The Sox never adjusted. It seems to me that it's Alomar's responsibility to tell pitchers, "Look, the ump isn't calling high strikes. Keep it low." It's my belief the Yankees don't score any runs in the six, seventh or eighth innings if either a) the ump has a reasonable strike zone or b) Sox pitchers realize the zone is low and pitch accordingly.
No question the first inning was a disaster, and one of the things that did not help in that regard was when Miguel Cairo smoked that double to left. Lee ambled over like he thought it would be foul. Again, it's hustle vs. complacency. The Yankees were running - no, sprinting - on contact, and Lee seemed content to let the ball drift foul, which from our vantage point (which was essentially Lee's vantage point, but 10 feet higher) it looked like it would. In fact, when the ball landed, I looked at the umpire, who hesitated for just a second before signaling it was fair. Nobody could believe it. But the wind was blowing from left to right field, so anything hit down the left field line, or even slightly foul, would most certainly get blown back in play. Isn't it Lee's job to know that?Yeah, it is.
There's nothing like getting your friends to do your job for you.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Ugly, sloppy, but they battled
The first inning was brutal. It was reminicent of the way the Sox played behind Mark Buehrle during his losing streak last year. As for Buehrle, as Ed Farmer pointed out, he had no trouble getting two strikes on hitters, but he couldn't put them away. Farmer suggested at the end of the game that Buehrle may have been doing something different with two strikes to tip his pitches.
I liked the way the hitters battled, even if they did most of the damage off the Columbus (Ohio) Clippers, not the Yankees pitchers. Farmer also had the line of the night. With two outs and no one on in the ninth, down by three runs with Mariano Rivera on the mound, he said, "If they come back in this one, start handing out the loaves and fishes."
That was a nice crowd at the park tonight (including my good friend and former coworker, Chris). They gave the team standing ovations after the bottom of the fourth and the bottom of fifth for narrowing the Yankees' lead. I know it was half-price with a Pepsi night, but I hope they can keep up similar-sized crowds Wednesday and Thursday nights, just with better results.
I liked the way the hitters battled, even if they did most of the damage off the Columbus (Ohio) Clippers, not the Yankees pitchers. Farmer also had the line of the night. With two outs and no one on in the ninth, down by three runs with Mariano Rivera on the mound, he said, "If they come back in this one, start handing out the loaves and fishes."
That was a nice crowd at the park tonight (including my good friend and former coworker, Chris). They gave the team standing ovations after the bottom of the fourth and the bottom of fifth for narrowing the Yankees' lead. I know it was half-price with a Pepsi night, but I hope they can keep up similar-sized crowds Wednesday and Thursday nights, just with better results.
Walker in 'dream job'
Greg Walker says he has patterned himself after the hitting coach who made his career, Charlie Lau. I didn't read his most famous book, The Art of Hitting .300, but I did read The Winning Hitter: How to Play Championship Baseball, the one that has Ron Kittle on the cover. (It's out of print; I still have my copy.) Kittle's completing that big swing of his -- top hand off the bat, as Lau is famous for teaching -- in that funny-looking, but glorious uniform from 1983. That book taught me a valuable lesson about the game: With a runner on first, a single to right field is worth more than a single to left, because the baserunner has a much better chance to reach third base. It was a revelation for a 12-year-old.
Walker doesn't seem to push the pure Lau theories, such as releasing the top hand to improve extension on the follow through and not trying to pull the ball so much.
Walker doesn't seem to push the pure Lau theories, such as releasing the top hand to improve extension on the follow through and not trying to pull the ball so much.
A good guy leaves
Rob Gallas, White Sox senior vice president, marketing and broadcasting, has resigned after 15 years. In a statement, White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf credited Gallas with promotions including Elvis Night, Dog Day and, my personal favorite, the 1990 Turn Back the Clock Day. I was at that game -- July 11. It was a wild afternoon. The park was packed. Unfortunately, the Sox blew a late lead and lost 12-9 in 13 innings to the Milwaukee Brewers.
Easy punching bag
It's hard to believe that Frank Thomas didn't realize that he was opening himself up to so much criticism. And for what? Reinsdorf does not renegotiate contracts. Thomas has joked in the past that the author of this column, Teddy Greenstein of the Tribune, was his "bad luck charm," since Greenstein covered the team in 1999, when Thomas battled an ankle injury and had his worst season to that point in his career.
The importance of the Bombers
Jay Mariotti wrote today that the Yankee pressure cooker is stewing Alex Rodriguez, whose struggles are being analyzed everywhere. He also uses the Yankees' only trip to Chicago this year to say that attendance is the "big litmus test," suggesting that if the Sox don't draw in the 30,000s each night, the upper deck renovations were for nothing. I'm sure he's already half-written a column that if the Sox don't win at least two out of three, they've missed a huge opportunity to be relevant in a city that is in love with all things Cub, blah, blah, blah. I swear, that's not a quote from an old column. I've just read it so much that I can anticipate his Friday column if the series doesn't work out in the favor of the Sox. I don't think the Sox are going to let him write it that way.
Props for Williams, Olivo
Scot Gregor in the Daily Herald writes today that perhaps some of Kenny Williams's critics owe him an apology. Maybe I should apologize myself. By the end of spring training, I had a good feeling about the team, but I was pretty critical with the lack of off-season moves in February. I was wrong. I was just frustrated hearing about what the Cubs were doing and not having anything to come back with to defend the Sox.
Meanwhile, Joe Cowley writes in the Daily Southtown that Miguel Olivo is putting it all together so far this season. He also writes about the mentoring relationship Olivo has with veteran Sandy Alomar Jr., who says he's doing the same things for Olivo that Tony Pena did for him when he was a kid. Alomar also benefits because his career is being extended as a part-time catcher.
Meanwhile, Joe Cowley writes in the Daily Southtown that Miguel Olivo is putting it all together so far this season. He also writes about the mentoring relationship Olivo has with veteran Sandy Alomar Jr., who says he's doing the same things for Olivo that Tony Pena did for him when he was a kid. Alomar also benefits because his career is being extended as a part-time catcher.
Salary updates
The Associated Press has published their annual review of major league salaries. Now that I've got the whole list of White Sox salaries, I can note for you that Timo Perez is making $850,000 and Mike Jackson is making $500,000. I've added them to the chart from Sunday. Everyone else is making $350,000 or less.
Monday, April 19, 2004
I really shouldn't do this...
Peter Gammons admits it, "it" being that he and most of the national baseball commentators vastly underestimated the talent that remains on the White Sox and the difference that Ozzie Guillen would make on how that talent performs. Gammons acknowledges a similar underestimation of the Marlins as the lead of this column. He might want to talk about his pick of the Braves as no better than third (I think he picked them fourth in those team-by-team previews he and Harold Reynolds did on SportsCenter last month, but I can't find anything to document that and I don't completely trust my memory) after their impressive sweep of the Marlins.
As with everything else at this point in the season, we have to be careful. It could all fall apart. I don't want to be prematurely giddy -- that's so Cubs fan -- but it's hard not to have a good feeling about Guillen and the obvious change in the way this team is playing.
Gammons also mentions, further down in the column, that outfield prospect Jeremy Reed is hitting better than .400 at AAA Charlotte and that Garrett Anderson's four-year, $48 million deal will have an impact on negotiations between Magglio Ordonez and the White Sox. I hope it has the effect that Gammons thinks -- that it makes a signing more likely -- but as I wrote before, I would be using the overpaying of Anderson to justify big bucks for Ordonez if he were my client. Still, I like the close proximity of these two items. Sign Maggs to an extension. Trade Carlos Lee. Promote Reed.
As with everything else at this point in the season, we have to be careful. It could all fall apart. I don't want to be prematurely giddy -- that's so Cubs fan -- but it's hard not to have a good feeling about Guillen and the obvious change in the way this team is playing.
Gammons also mentions, further down in the column, that outfield prospect Jeremy Reed is hitting better than .400 at AAA Charlotte and that Garrett Anderson's four-year, $48 million deal will have an impact on negotiations between Magglio Ordonez and the White Sox. I hope it has the effect that Gammons thinks -- that it makes a signing more likely -- but as I wrote before, I would be using the overpaying of Anderson to justify big bucks for Ordonez if he were my client. Still, I like the close proximity of these two items. Sign Maggs to an extension. Trade Carlos Lee. Promote Reed.
Easing my doubts
Yep, Esteban Loiaza definitely fixed that arm angle problem yesterday against the Rays. Sox pitching allowed only one run -- unearned -- in the last 24 innings of the series. Sox catcher Miguel Olivo said Loiaza threw the ball the way he did last year, for the first time this season. Pitching coach Don Cooper said Loiaza's earlier struggles are "in the rearview mirror."
"I just want him to attack now," Cooper said. "Stop thinking too much: 'Is this right, is that right, is my left big toe in the right direction, what about my ear lobe?' No, just do what he did most of last year — compete and attack."Winning the last two games of the series with great pitching is a nice way to lead into the longest homestand of the season, 12 games starting Tuesday with the Yankees. Let's hope they stay in their funk for three more games.
Interesting to note
It may be warm in the Tampa area right now, but it's cold inside Sominex/Tropicana Field. A stadium worker says the deep freeze will end as soon as the club gets a load of the electricity bill. Let's hope that the hamstrings of Frank Thomas and Jose Valentin are not seriously hurt. Valentin is the one left-handed hitter with power in the lineup. Thomas is a serious presence even when he struggles, and he was just starting to look better in this series. Valentin remembers struggling with a hamstring injury for most of 2001, and he said he'd rather sit now for a couple of games than have it bother him for a month or more.
I bet Willie Harris won't hesitate to steal a base the next time Ozzie Guillen gives him the green light. Guillen wouldn't accept as an excuse that Harris couldn't get a good read off the pitcher. Good. So far, Guillen said, baserunning has been the team's only glaring weakness, more so on trying to take extra bases than on steals -- they've been thrown out six times trying to take the extra base.
The Sox are already thinking about Sandy Alomar Jr. as a potential minor league manager but Alomar, hitting .353, said he still loves playing. Ken Williams gave Tony Pena his first managerial job, in the Dominican Republic, after the club traded Pena in 1997 to the Houston Astros.
I bet Willie Harris won't hesitate to steal a base the next time Ozzie Guillen gives him the green light. Guillen wouldn't accept as an excuse that Harris couldn't get a good read off the pitcher. Good. So far, Guillen said, baserunning has been the team's only glaring weakness, more so on trying to take extra bases than on steals -- they've been thrown out six times trying to take the extra base.
The Sox are already thinking about Sandy Alomar Jr. as a potential minor league manager but Alomar, hitting .353, said he still loves playing. Ken Williams gave Tony Pena his first managerial job, in the Dominican Republic, after the club traded Pena in 1997 to the Houston Astros.
Just waiting for the Guillen punchline
Frank Thomas told the Daily Southtown that commentators and fans seem to be focusing only on the negative comments he made last week about his contract and not his positive statements about his commitment to the team. Thomas should know better by now that those positive statements will sound hollow when he, of all people, is complaining about his contract.
(Music to write by: The Replacements, "Putting on the Ritz."(live))
(Music to write by: The Replacements, "Putting on the Ritz."(live))
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Control, movement and velocity
I know it's just one game, but Esteban Loiaza was really outstanding today. I was a little nervous when manager Ozzie Guillen sent him out for the ninth. Not because I was worried about Loiaza blowing the lead, but because I was worried that Loiaza might be throwing too many pitches. I shouldn't have worried. Loiaza, according to the box score, threw just 110 pitches, 72 of them for strikes. I don't know enough about pitching mechanics to say for sure, but I think Loiaza must have implemented the changes to his motion that he and pitching coach Don Cooper talked about after his less-than-stellar Opening Day start. Loiaza looked like he did last year, not only having consistent velocity in the low 90s, but just the way he kept the Rays hitters from really squaring the ball on the bat. That's indicative of a lot of movement on the ball. After those first two starts for Loiaza, this excellent performance is a relief. And if his offense won him his first two starts, well, they owe him for the two times they got shutout in his starts against the Tigers last year.
The payroll situation
With all the talk recently about new contracts for Magglio Ordonez and Frank Thomas, I thought it would make sense to take a look at the salary commitments the White Sox have for the next four seasons. I've left out the players who either haven't got enough service time to reach arbitration or were non-roster invitees (such as Mike Jackson) and, as a result, have salaries at or near the $300,000 major league minimum.
Sources: Chicago White Sox news releases, MLB Player Contracts, Slam Sports, and the Transaction Guy.
Underlined figures represent option years. The figures on the "Totals" line include money from option years, with the option-year money listed below.
I didn't underline Frank Thomas's salaries for 2005 and 2006 because I am assuming that he will be smart enough to exercise those options. He was a free agent after the 2002 season, and he knows that there isn't much interest in him out there. You can eliminate the National League altogether, since Thomas has been primarily a DH since 1998.
One problem is the White Sox have nearly $32 million committed next year to five players: Konerko, Lee, Thomas, Buehrle and Marte. But they will lose the salaries of Koch and Valentin. Loiaza is not signed for 2005, but I hope he has a good enough season this year to warrant a raise. Ditto for Garland. I think, again, that there could be a trade market for Carlos Lee, even at $8.5 million (his 2005 salary plus the $500,000 buyout for 2006). If they can patch whatever hole they need for next year by trading Lee for a similar salary or salaries, then, yes, I think they can afford to resign Magglio Ordonez to a good-sized contract. If the Sox were able to trade Lee, that would leave $20 million in committed salaries in 2006 for Buehrle, Marte and Thomas.
As an aside, I wish Ken Williams would have considered trading Carlos Lee when the Dodgers were reportedly interested in acquiring him this winter. With Paul DePodesta now filling the GM's chair in Chavez Ravine, there's no way in hell that the Dodgers trade for a guy with a career on-base percentage of .337.
I say this even though there's a lot I like about Lee. I just think he has more value in a trade than he will playing for the Sox. He clearly has worked hard to become a decent left-fielder. He was atrocious when he came up in 1999. And I like his enthusiasm, which extends to the fans. For instance, I was at Wrigley last year for the first game of the crosstown series. With the Sox up about 10-0 in the fifth, Lee missed the cut-off man on a ball hit toward the line, allowing the batter to reach second base as the run scored anyway. A group of Sox fans, including me, got all over Lee for failing to hit the cut-off man. Next batter also hit one down the line, Lee fielded and threw a perfect strike to the cut-off man. As he made his way back to his position, he looked over at us and smiled. That was cool.
(Minor editing done at 8:17 p.m. CDT, 4/18; two salaries added 4/20)
| Player | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 |
| Ordonez, Magglio | 14.00 | ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Konerko, Paul | 8.00 | 8.75 | |||
| Lee, Carlos | 6.50 | 8.00 | 8.50 | ||
| Koch, Billy | 6.38 | ||||
| Thomas, Frank | 6.00 | 8.00 | 10.00 | ||
| Valentin, Jose | 5.00 | ||||
| Loiaza, Esteban | 4.00 | ||||
| Buehrle, Mark | 3.50 | 5.75 | 7.75 | 9.50 | |
| Garland, Jon | 2.30 | ||||
| Schoeneweis, S. | 1.73 | ||||
| Perez, Timo | 0.85 | ||||
| Wunsch, Kelly | 0.80 | ||||
| Politte, Cliff | 0.80 | 1.30 | |||
| Takatsu, Shingo | 0.75 | 2.50 | |||
| Alomar Jr., Sandy | 0.75 | ||||
| Jackson, Mike | 0.50 | ||||
| Marte, Damaso | 0.50 | 1.25 | 2.25 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| ______ | _____ | _____ | _____ | _____ | |
| Totals | 62.36 | 35.55 | 28.50 | 12.50 | 3.0 |
| Optional money | 0 | 3.80 | 8.50 | 12.50 | 3.0 |
Sources: Chicago White Sox news releases, MLB Player Contracts, Slam Sports, and the Transaction Guy.
Underlined figures represent option years. The figures on the "Totals" line include money from option years, with the option-year money listed below.
I didn't underline Frank Thomas's salaries for 2005 and 2006 because I am assuming that he will be smart enough to exercise those options. He was a free agent after the 2002 season, and he knows that there isn't much interest in him out there. You can eliminate the National League altogether, since Thomas has been primarily a DH since 1998.
One problem is the White Sox have nearly $32 million committed next year to five players: Konerko, Lee, Thomas, Buehrle and Marte. But they will lose the salaries of Koch and Valentin. Loiaza is not signed for 2005, but I hope he has a good enough season this year to warrant a raise. Ditto for Garland. I think, again, that there could be a trade market for Carlos Lee, even at $8.5 million (his 2005 salary plus the $500,000 buyout for 2006). If they can patch whatever hole they need for next year by trading Lee for a similar salary or salaries, then, yes, I think they can afford to resign Magglio Ordonez to a good-sized contract. If the Sox were able to trade Lee, that would leave $20 million in committed salaries in 2006 for Buehrle, Marte and Thomas.
As an aside, I wish Ken Williams would have considered trading Carlos Lee when the Dodgers were reportedly interested in acquiring him this winter. With Paul DePodesta now filling the GM's chair in Chavez Ravine, there's no way in hell that the Dodgers trade for a guy with a career on-base percentage of .337.
I say this even though there's a lot I like about Lee. I just think he has more value in a trade than he will playing for the Sox. He clearly has worked hard to become a decent left-fielder. He was atrocious when he came up in 1999. And I like his enthusiasm, which extends to the fans. For instance, I was at Wrigley last year for the first game of the crosstown series. With the Sox up about 10-0 in the fifth, Lee missed the cut-off man on a ball hit toward the line, allowing the batter to reach second base as the run scored anyway. A group of Sox fans, including me, got all over Lee for failing to hit the cut-off man. Next batter also hit one down the line, Lee fielded and threw a perfect strike to the cut-off man. As he made his way back to his position, he looked over at us and smiled. That was cool.
(Minor editing done at 8:17 p.m. CDT, 4/18; two salaries added 4/20)
Contract conundrums, Vol. II
Frank Thomas, you're just getting what you asked for by bringing up your contract issues during the season. John Rooney was critical of Thomas during his first-inning at-bat, commenting that Thomas has said the contract talk has been overblown, yet there was a story about the squabbles of Thomas and Magglio Ordonez in the St. Petersburg Times today. But Rooney was wrong. That story didn't have any fresh quotes, but merely relied on the Daily Southtown's original scoop. Rooney owes Thomas an apology.
Steve Rosenbloom says no corner outfielder, Ordonez and Sammy Sosa included, is worth 5 years, $70 million. Rosenbloom suggests that the Sox should trade Ordonez for a No. 2 starter or a closer and a position player, which is pretty much what they were looking to do with the Ordonez-Nomar Garciaparra deal that was contingent on the Red Sox trading for Alex Rodriguez. Scott Williamson was part of that deal. Rosenbloom also contends that they'd be just as well off with Carlos Lee hitting third. I think Ordonez is worth a lot more than Lee, and I'd be happy to see the Sox trade Lee instead, if the aim is to reallocate money from position players to pitchers. I almost think Rosenbloom is taking this side of the argument just to be opposite of Jay Mariotti.
Steve Rosenbloom says no corner outfielder, Ordonez and Sammy Sosa included, is worth 5 years, $70 million. Rosenbloom suggests that the Sox should trade Ordonez for a No. 2 starter or a closer and a position player, which is pretty much what they were looking to do with the Ordonez-Nomar Garciaparra deal that was contingent on the Red Sox trading for Alex Rodriguez. Scott Williamson was part of that deal. Rosenbloom also contends that they'd be just as well off with Carlos Lee hitting third. I think Ordonez is worth a lot more than Lee, and I'd be happy to see the Sox trade Lee instead, if the aim is to reallocate money from position players to pitchers. I almost think Rosenbloom is taking this side of the argument just to be opposite of Jay Mariotti.
Glad he's making me look bad
Scott Schoeneweis made his second solid start of the season yesterday. Schoeneweis said he kept his confidence despite his brutal spring training. The Rays' Aubrey Huff said of Schoeneweis: "A lot of fastballs. He wasn't fooling anybody. He was throwing it right by us.'' To me, that signals that he was fooling them by effectively changing speeds. I'm not saying that Schoeneweis couldn't break a pane of glass with his fastball, but he's not overpowering either, unless you're looking for something slow. Schoeneweis also credited Sandy Alomar Jr. with taking the thinking out of the game for the lefty. During his radio pre-game interview, manager Ozzie Guillen said Schoeneweis was overthinking during his spring outings. It also helps that Schoeneweis isn't throwing cut fastballs and changeups exclusively, as he did for most of spring training so he could work on those two pitches. I'd be happy to be wrong about Schoeneweis all year long. Damaso Marte recorded his first save of the year with two tense innings.
Interesting to note
With Saturday's start at third base, Juan Uribe has played second base, shortstop and third base on consecutive days. Guillen said he wants to find a way to keep him in the lineup, with Uribe hitting .375. Uribe is shaping up as a possibility at shortstop next year. Jose Valentin's contract is up at the end of the year. Valentin has said that he would like to resign with the Sox and money wouldn't be his biggest concern, but I'm not sure they wouldn't be better off with Uribe, since he'll cost the Sox a lot less than Valentin. It's a gamble, too, because Uribe struggled as an every-day player in Colorado.
Ken Williams said the Rays have a definite home-field advantage at Sominex/Tropicana Field. Williams said visiting players feel like the pitches are reaching the plate more quickly than they really are in the dome. He said the Sox hitters were reacting that way on Friday night, but they adjusted for Saturday's game.
Ozzie Guillen said yesterday that there would be calls to fire him if he messed up a double switch the way Dusty Baker did on Friday. Guillen is exaggerating for comic effect, but it's fair, in part, for Baker to get the benefit of the doubt more than Guillen. Baker is in his 12th season as manager, and Guillen is a rookie manager, and he knows you have to prove yourself, whether you're a player or a manager. I know that a Cubs fan I talked to Friday night was solidly behind his manager, saying Baker always uses the double switch. Well, then he should know that you have to ensure that the umpire gets the message. Shouldn't someone on the Cubs bench have noticed that umpire C.B. Bucknor didn't signal anything to the Reds? I don't attend very many National League games, so I haven't noticed how the umpires signal this, but clearly the Reds didn't think a double switch had been made, which is why they asked Bucknor about it.
Ken Williams said the Rays have a definite home-field advantage at Sominex/Tropicana Field. Williams said visiting players feel like the pitches are reaching the plate more quickly than they really are in the dome. He said the Sox hitters were reacting that way on Friday night, but they adjusted for Saturday's game.
Ozzie Guillen said yesterday that there would be calls to fire him if he messed up a double switch the way Dusty Baker did on Friday. Guillen is exaggerating for comic effect, but it's fair, in part, for Baker to get the benefit of the doubt more than Guillen. Baker is in his 12th season as manager, and Guillen is a rookie manager, and he knows you have to prove yourself, whether you're a player or a manager. I know that a Cubs fan I talked to Friday night was solidly behind his manager, saying Baker always uses the double switch. Well, then he should know that you have to ensure that the umpire gets the message. Shouldn't someone on the Cubs bench have noticed that umpire C.B. Bucknor didn't signal anything to the Reds? I don't attend very many National League games, so I haven't noticed how the umpires signal this, but clearly the Reds didn't think a double switch had been made, which is why they asked Bucknor about it.
Not exactly
Reading Rick Telander's column today, I can see why he's a sportswriter and not a scientist. Telander wrote that the Wednesday and Thursday day games that the Sox and the Cubs played on opposite ends of town show the stark disparity between the fan bases for the two teams. Telander does this as a way to defend himself and his brethren from the charge that they hype up the Cubs and downplay the Sox. Telander also makes a big deal about how the two games were almost a perfect "scientific" experiment, with equivalent conditions for both teams.
First, I'm curious how many fans the Cubs were drawing on April weekday afternoons when they're not coming off a playoff appearance with sky-high expectations. How many folks were braving cold April days a year ago, when they were coming off 90+ losses? How about in April 2000? Given the expectations for the team and the scarcity of tickets in a small ballpark, of course they had big crowds. Those games might have been the only chance for some of those fans to attend a game this year. That is a sign of the greater interest in the Cubs right now, but there's also the fact that Wrigley is a destination no matter how bad the Cubs are. That artificially increases the demand for tickets.
Second, sure, I agree, there are more Cubs fans in Chicagoland right now (some true-blue, some fair-weather), so I can understand why media outlets would use more of their scarce resources on the Cubs. I still think you can make the case that the Cubs get better play no matter what the situation. For most of the first half of the 2000 season, as the White Sox were sprinting out to the best record in the majors at the All-Star break, the headlines were dominated by these grave questions: Are the Cubs going to trade Sammy? Will the sky fall if they do?
First, I'm curious how many fans the Cubs were drawing on April weekday afternoons when they're not coming off a playoff appearance with sky-high expectations. How many folks were braving cold April days a year ago, when they were coming off 90+ losses? How about in April 2000? Given the expectations for the team and the scarcity of tickets in a small ballpark, of course they had big crowds. Those games might have been the only chance for some of those fans to attend a game this year. That is a sign of the greater interest in the Cubs right now, but there's also the fact that Wrigley is a destination no matter how bad the Cubs are. That artificially increases the demand for tickets.
Second, sure, I agree, there are more Cubs fans in Chicagoland right now (some true-blue, some fair-weather), so I can understand why media outlets would use more of their scarce resources on the Cubs. I still think you can make the case that the Cubs get better play no matter what the situation. For most of the first half of the 2000 season, as the White Sox were sprinting out to the best record in the majors at the All-Star break, the headlines were dominated by these grave questions: Are the Cubs going to trade Sammy? Will the sky fall if they do?
Lost his head and the lead
Are you like me? Do you think Kerry Wood was lucky that he didn't get thrown out of the game the first time he vigorously gestured at the home plate umpire? The first pitch that angered Wood, thowing to Reds slugger Adam Dunn, was a ball outside, but the second pitch, close as it was, looked like a strike to me. It was a very close pitch.
Chip Caray and Steve Stone were thankful that Wood didn't bump the ump, Eric Cooper, because they believe that that ensures that he won't be suspended. I'm not so sure. The way Wood rushed Cooper was somewhat threatening. Besides, if there's no penalty for rushing an umpire after you've been removed from the game, that opens up a lot of possibilities for pitchers showing up umpires and inciting the home crowd, the way Wood did yesterday. It's a difficult call, for sure. I originally thought a five-game, i.e. one-start, suspension would be appropriate, but maybe that's too much. Instead of fining Wood, why not suspend him two games? That will hit Wood's pocketbook, but it probably wouldn't cost him a start.
Maybe Wood would be better off missing a start. He threw 131 pitches yesterday. By my review of the pitch-by-pitch game log on ESPN.com, Wood had thrown 112 pitches heading into the ninth inning, but Dusty Baker sent him out for the ninth. I know it was only a one-run lead, and I know Joe Borowski has been shaky, but Baker can't continue to pound Wood's arm and, besides, the Cubs need to find out about Borowski sooner rather than later, don't they? It's not like this team can't afford a trade for a closer.
Given Baker's explosion on Friday, it will be interesting to watch the interaction between the Cubs and the umpires in the games today and tomorrow.
Dave Wills on WMVP, AM-1000, just mentioned what I wrote about yesterday: That no one would make a big deal about Cubs fans littering the field. There are differing perceptions of fans at the two ballparks. Some of that is understandable, given the horrible incidents in September 2002 and April 2003 when the Royals were in town. But the Cubs fans-Dodgers players melee seems to be conveniently forgotten. The Shrine has been littered two days in a row now, and I noticed during yesterday's game that WGN did not show the debris-strewn outfield the way they did Friday. That clip ended up on SportsCenter Friday night. Think someone had a note for the TV producer working Saturday's game?
Chip Caray and Steve Stone were thankful that Wood didn't bump the ump, Eric Cooper, because they believe that that ensures that he won't be suspended. I'm not so sure. The way Wood rushed Cooper was somewhat threatening. Besides, if there's no penalty for rushing an umpire after you've been removed from the game, that opens up a lot of possibilities for pitchers showing up umpires and inciting the home crowd, the way Wood did yesterday. It's a difficult call, for sure. I originally thought a five-game, i.e. one-start, suspension would be appropriate, but maybe that's too much. Instead of fining Wood, why not suspend him two games? That will hit Wood's pocketbook, but it probably wouldn't cost him a start.
Maybe Wood would be better off missing a start. He threw 131 pitches yesterday. By my review of the pitch-by-pitch game log on ESPN.com, Wood had thrown 112 pitches heading into the ninth inning, but Dusty Baker sent him out for the ninth. I know it was only a one-run lead, and I know Joe Borowski has been shaky, but Baker can't continue to pound Wood's arm and, besides, the Cubs need to find out about Borowski sooner rather than later, don't they? It's not like this team can't afford a trade for a closer.
Given Baker's explosion on Friday, it will be interesting to watch the interaction between the Cubs and the umpires in the games today and tomorrow.
Dave Wills on WMVP, AM-1000, just mentioned what I wrote about yesterday: That no one would make a big deal about Cubs fans littering the field. There are differing perceptions of fans at the two ballparks. Some of that is understandable, given the horrible incidents in September 2002 and April 2003 when the Royals were in town. But the Cubs fans-Dodgers players melee seems to be conveniently forgotten. The Shrine has been littered two days in a row now, and I noticed during yesterday's game that WGN did not show the debris-strewn outfield the way they did Friday. That clip ended up on SportsCenter Friday night. Think someone had a note for the TV producer working Saturday's game?
Nothing to worry about, yet
Favorite team off to a slow start? Jim Conrey of baseballtruth.com says there's no reason to worry at this point in the season. He points out that many of the teams that have won 95 games over the last eight years had mediocre records after 20 games. The World Series winners over that span, with the exception of the Yankee three-peat (1998-2000), were all around .500 or worse at that point. Great "disclaimer" at the bottom, too.
Saturday, April 17, 2004
Fall asleep faster!
Maybe the Rays' home park should be named Sominex Field, what with the way the place seems to put the White Sox to sleep. Dan Wright couldn't get past the fifth inning again, but manager Ozzie Guillen said Wright will stay in the rotation. Guillen also said his players weren't flat, although that was tough for me to see on TV. The Daily Herald's Scot Gregor suggested that the Sox swing for the fences in Tropicana/Sominex Field too often, and that's why they've struggled there. Paul Abbott has had two nice starts for the Rays after struggling with arm injuries for nearly two years. Shingo Takatsu looked very good yesterday, pitching out of a one-out, two-on jam in the sixth and setting the Rays down in order in the seventh. He even retired a left-handed hitter, Carl Crawford.
Baseball's new economics
I'm really liking Willie Harris's approach at the plate. He's doing a nice job of slapping outside pitches to left field, taking what the pitchers are giving him. I also think he has the bat speed to turn on inside pitches when, inevitably, teams start to pitch him in. Either that, or they're going to keep pitching him away and employ the Luis Polonia shift on him.
It's still early, but it's looking like the White Sox are a lot better off with Harris than having Roberto Alomar at second and batting leadoff. Alomar's numbers so far look pretty bad, but again, it's only 10 games. I guess the point for the Sox was, Robbie, we'd love to have you back, but at our price, not yours. And the Diamondbacks only gave him a $1 million contract, with more than half of the money deferred without interest. So there weren't a lot of teams lining up to line Alomar's pockets.
It's still early, but it's looking like the White Sox are a lot better off with Harris than having Roberto Alomar at second and batting leadoff. Alomar's numbers so far look pretty bad, but again, it's only 10 games. I guess the point for the Sox was, Robbie, we'd love to have you back, but at our price, not yours. And the Diamondbacks only gave him a $1 million contract, with more than half of the money deferred without interest. So there weren't a lot of teams lining up to line Alomar's pockets.
I should have known better
Sox GM Ken Williams was firm in saying that Frank Thomas has a contract. Williams also said he was not aware of any conversations about a new deal between the club and Thomas's agent, Arn Tellem. Sox managing partner Jerry Reinsdorf and Tellem have a pretty close relationship from both baseball (Tellem was Albert Belle's agent, for instance) and basketball, so I guess it's possible that Reinsdorf and Tellem have discussed the possibility of a new deal for Thomas. Then again, Tellem knows better than anyone that Reinsdorf doesn't renegotiate deals. I was disappointed that Thomas seems to have exaggerated the club's desire to renegotiate after the season. Not that I should have thought that was true for a second anyway.
Williams also went out of his way to say that Thomas has been "great" this year with trying to be a leader with younger players. At least Thomas's comments seemed more conciliatory yesterday.
My guess is that this will all blow over in a few days. Thomas will act like the media made a mountain out of a molehill. Guillen will crack some jokes.
Magglio Ordonez says talking about his contract status is becoming a distraction. Well, Maggs, you brought it up. I'll stop talking about it if you do.
Guillen said he'll try to stay out of any contract squabbles between the front office and his players.
Williams also went out of his way to say that Thomas has been "great" this year with trying to be a leader with younger players. At least Thomas's comments seemed more conciliatory yesterday.
My guess is that this will all blow over in a few days. Thomas will act like the media made a mountain out of a molehill. Guillen will crack some jokes.
Magglio Ordonez says talking about his contract status is becoming a distraction. Well, Maggs, you brought it up. I'll stop talking about it if you do.
Guillen said he'll try to stay out of any contract squabbles between the front office and his players.
"That's none of my business," Guillen said. "As soon as it comes into the clubhouse, we have a problem—they're going to have a problem with me."
Sincerely yours
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner had some advice for Williams:
Dear Kenny,
Every day you wait to sign Magglio Ordonez, it costs you more money.
P.S.
Reliever Mike Jackson is what's known as "finding lightning in a bottle.'' If he keeps this up, you deserve some sort of award for bringing this guy out of mothballs.
Would it be different at the Cell?
Cubs fans and Dusty Baker both went crazy when the umpires ruled that Baker hadn't properly communicated a double-switch and, as a result, ruled that Ramon Martinez had batted out of order. The outfield was littered with beverage cups. Would the reaction have been different if Sox fans tossed hundreds of beer cups into the outfield? That was my initial reaction, but maybe I'm overreacting. I don't think what happened at Wrigley yesterday was any big deal. I just had the inkling that if Sox fans had done this, it would be portrayed in a more negative light. Like I said, maybe I'm overreacting.
That was a very entertaining game, other than the final score.
(Music to write by: The Rolling Stones, "Let It Bleed," and B.B. King, "Anthology.")
That was a very entertaining game, other than the final score.
(Music to write by: The Rolling Stones, "Let It Bleed," and B.B. King, "Anthology.")
Friday, April 16, 2004
Contract conundrums
Frank Thomas wants to talk about a new deal after this season, according to this scoop in the Daily Southtown. Thomas spoke extensively with beat reporter Joe Cowley, saying he wanted to see a little more respect on the 1st and 15th of the month, his paydays. Yesterday, in addition to being Tax Day, was a payday for major league players, so maybe this explains why this came to mind for Thomas.
Thomas may have to get in line behind Magglio Ordonez when it comes to getting a new contract. Sun-Timesman Jay Mariotti waded in today, calling, of course, for a grand gesture that spends somebody else's money. I do want to see Ordonez come back, very badly, but the thing that I worry about is his contract becoming an albatross for a team that has a modest payroll. Even though I believe you can make a good case that Ordonez won't decline rapidly over the length of the deal he's asking for.
The Tribune's Phil Rogers has the same idea for his column, but he's more understanding of the White Sox revenue situation. Rogers resurrects his Ken Griffey Jr. idea -- and Junior hit a blast onto Waveland Avenue today -- and suggests that the best thing to do isn't always the most popular. There is an interesting discussion of Ordonez's contract situation in the Clutch Hits blog on Baseball Primer.
I'll have more on the payroll situation of the Sox over the next few years, possibly later this weekend.
"My job is to pull these guys together, keep a happy face and keep this thing going for us, because I have a feeling it's going to be a special year. All I'm looking for now is a ring. All the individual stuff, I could care less about now, and for the first time it comes from my heart when I say that. I could care less when it comes to my numbers."Jerry Reinsdorf has a consistent history of not renegotiating contracts, but the story says the Sox have agreed to talk with Thomas after the season. That would be some news to Scottie Pippen, wouldn't it? But then again, Reinsdorf and Thomas have a long history together. Reinsdorf could have exercised the so-called diminished skills clause after Thomas's injury-plagued 2001 season, but he held off. When Reinsdorf did exercise the clause, it was after a mediocre season by Thomas's standards when he was healthy. Fair is fair.
Thomas may have to get in line behind Magglio Ordonez when it comes to getting a new contract. Sun-Timesman Jay Mariotti waded in today, calling, of course, for a grand gesture that spends somebody else's money. I do want to see Ordonez come back, very badly, but the thing that I worry about is his contract becoming an albatross for a team that has a modest payroll. Even though I believe you can make a good case that Ordonez won't decline rapidly over the length of the deal he's asking for.
The Tribune's Phil Rogers has the same idea for his column, but he's more understanding of the White Sox revenue situation. Rogers resurrects his Ken Griffey Jr. idea -- and Junior hit a blast onto Waveland Avenue today -- and suggests that the best thing to do isn't always the most popular. There is an interesting discussion of Ordonez's contract situation in the Clutch Hits blog on Baseball Primer.
I'll have more on the payroll situation of the Sox over the next few years, possibly later this weekend.
More on yesterday's game
Royals reliever D.J. Carrasco said he threw an 0-2 slider that didn't slide on the game-winning home run by Ordonez. Manager Ozzie Guillen made the point that the excellent relief pitching by Mike Jackson and Damaso Marte was just as big as Ordonez's blast. The home run and Maggs's hot start is more proof that it's Ordonez's team, as Frank Thomas said in spring training. It's nice to turn the tables on a Royals team that has had a few devastating comeback wins against the Sox. Jackson said a sweep of the Royals helps the Sox set the tone for the season.
Interesting to note
Frank Thomas says he feels Mark Prior's pain. Not only has Thomas rehabbed from major injuries to his ankle and upper arm, but his brother tore his Achilles tendon, so Thomas knows how important it is to take it slowly. Thomas also says he's looking forward to some night games.
Joe Goddard of the Sun-Times called the play that Angel Berroa made on Paul Konerko "the play of the game," but I think the defensive play of the game was either of the double plays that Jose Valentin turned in the later innings yesterday. Only a shortstop with Valentin's arm strength could have turned those double plays. Besides, Konerko runs about as fast as I do.
Royals manager Tony Pena liked the way starter Brian Anderson threw first-pitch strikes after the Sox got off to a good start against him. As I pointed out yesterday, the Sox helped him out by swinging at a lot of first pitches during the good stretch Anderson had in the middle of the game.
Joe Goddard of the Sun-Times called the play that Angel Berroa made on Paul Konerko "the play of the game," but I think the defensive play of the game was either of the double plays that Jose Valentin turned in the later innings yesterday. Only a shortstop with Valentin's arm strength could have turned those double plays. Besides, Konerko runs about as fast as I do.
Royals manager Tony Pena liked the way starter Brian Anderson threw first-pitch strikes after the Sox got off to a good start against him. As I pointed out yesterday, the Sox helped him out by swinging at a lot of first pitches during the good stretch Anderson had in the middle of the game.
They start 'em early
I'm watching the Cubs-Reds game (it's in the top of the sixth, 9-4 Reds, but the wind is blowing out, so it's far from over). They showed a little boy, about 3 or 4 years old, a couple of innings ago. He had a Cubs cap and a blue Cubs T-shirt or jersey on. Oh, and he was talking into the toy cellphone raised to his ear. Where do you think he got that idea?
Then again, my team's park is named after a cellphone service provider.
Then again, my team's park is named after a cellphone service provider.
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Another game to gray your hair
I don't think I need to say much about the walk-off home run that Magglio Ordonez hit in the 10th inning. As those scientists say in the Guinness commercials, "Brilliant!" (Mmmm, Guinness.)
If you didn't get to see the game, though, there were a few things that are worth mentioning. Jose Valentin turned two double plays that I don't think many shortstops could turn. In the seventh, with Mike Jackson pitching and Mendy Lopez on first courtesy of a Jackson walk, Angel Berroa hit a bouncer over the mound. It bounced just in front of the second base bag, where Valentin gobbled it up, stepped on second and fired to first to just nip Berroa, a good runner. In the ninth inning, Benito Santiago tried to bunt a leadoff runner over to second. Damaso Marte made an excellent play to field the bunt and cut down the lead runner, backup outfielder Rich Thompson. Valentin then let a rocket loose toward first, where Paul Konerko made a nice stretch to get Santiago, who isn't the fastest runner around, to be sure.
Very good relief work by both Jackson and Marte today. Each threw two scoreless innings, with Marte allowing two hits and a walk and Jackson allowing just one walk.
I like Juan Uribe's bat -- he was 2-for-3 today, with a walk and a run scored -- but he may need some more work at second base. I guess we should keep in mind that he's a natural shortstop, but he seems to struggle going back on pop flies. Willie Harris is nearly as good on pop flies as Ray Durham, who I still say should be a center fielder, the way he goes back on the ball.
The Sox and Royals put up runs during this opening series the way Wilt Chamberlain used to put notches on his bedpost. Is it just all that bad pitching meeting all that good hitting, or is there something else going on? The Cell was a real good place to hit a home run last year -- American League batters were 34% more likely to hit home runs at the Cell than they were in other AL parks, according to 2004 edition of The Bill James Handbook. I wonder if the enclosing of the upper deck has made the park even more of a launching pad. There were five home run hit today, three by the Sox. There were four on Wednesday, all by the Royals, and six on Opening Day, two of them by the Sox. That's a total of 15 home runs in three days.
During the radio broadcast today, John Rooney and Ed Farmer (I don't remember who said this in particular, so I guess I could just say, RooneynFarmer) noted that the hot dog wrappers that often float around the field were ending up in the left-field corner instead of the corner in right, as they had in the past. I don't know if that indicates anything, but the ball was jumping out to left today and being knocked down in right. I have to say, too, that I couldn't feel much wind sitting in the left-field stands, near the foul pole, on Tuesday, but I could feel it on the concourse. In the past, you could feel the wind in the stands, too.
Also, Farmer called Thomas's shot today. After Ordonez singled to right field with two outs, Farmer said that good at bats that extend innings, like Ordonez's, come back to haunt pitchers, and he mentioned Thomas possibly hitting his first home run of the season. On the third pitch, boom.
I was a little frustrated that the Sox didn't put Royals starter Brian Anderson away. From the third through the seventh innings, seven of the 19 batters swung at the first pitch, which is a pet peeve of mine when you have a guy struggling. Don't help him out. The only hits during this stretch were the aforementioned Ordonez single and Thomas home run.
If you didn't get to see the game, though, there were a few things that are worth mentioning. Jose Valentin turned two double plays that I don't think many shortstops could turn. In the seventh, with Mike Jackson pitching and Mendy Lopez on first courtesy of a Jackson walk, Angel Berroa hit a bouncer over the mound. It bounced just in front of the second base bag, where Valentin gobbled it up, stepped on second and fired to first to just nip Berroa, a good runner. In the ninth inning, Benito Santiago tried to bunt a leadoff runner over to second. Damaso Marte made an excellent play to field the bunt and cut down the lead runner, backup outfielder Rich Thompson. Valentin then let a rocket loose toward first, where Paul Konerko made a nice stretch to get Santiago, who isn't the fastest runner around, to be sure.
Very good relief work by both Jackson and Marte today. Each threw two scoreless innings, with Marte allowing two hits and a walk and Jackson allowing just one walk.
I like Juan Uribe's bat -- he was 2-for-3 today, with a walk and a run scored -- but he may need some more work at second base. I guess we should keep in mind that he's a natural shortstop, but he seems to struggle going back on pop flies. Willie Harris is nearly as good on pop flies as Ray Durham, who I still say should be a center fielder, the way he goes back on the ball.
The Sox and Royals put up runs during this opening series the way Wilt Chamberlain used to put notches on his bedpost. Is it just all that bad pitching meeting all that good hitting, or is there something else going on? The Cell was a real good place to hit a home run last year -- American League batters were 34% more likely to hit home runs at the Cell than they were in other AL parks, according to 2004 edition of The Bill James Handbook. I wonder if the enclosing of the upper deck has made the park even more of a launching pad. There were five home run hit today, three by the Sox. There were four on Wednesday, all by the Royals, and six on Opening Day, two of them by the Sox. That's a total of 15 home runs in three days.
During the radio broadcast today, John Rooney and Ed Farmer (I don't remember who said this in particular, so I guess I could just say, RooneynFarmer) noted that the hot dog wrappers that often float around the field were ending up in the left-field corner instead of the corner in right, as they had in the past. I don't know if that indicates anything, but the ball was jumping out to left today and being knocked down in right. I have to say, too, that I couldn't feel much wind sitting in the left-field stands, near the foul pole, on Tuesday, but I could feel it on the concourse. In the past, you could feel the wind in the stands, too.
Also, Farmer called Thomas's shot today. After Ordonez singled to right field with two outs, Farmer said that good at bats that extend innings, like Ordonez's, come back to haunt pitchers, and he mentioned Thomas possibly hitting his first home run of the season. On the third pitch, boom.
I was a little frustrated that the Sox didn't put Royals starter Brian Anderson away. From the third through the seventh innings, seven of the 19 batters swung at the first pitch, which is a pet peeve of mine when you have a guy struggling. Don't help him out. The only hits during this stretch were the aforementioned Ordonez single and Thomas home run.
Interesting contrast
Peter Gammons has an item in the news-and-notes section of his column about the rumors that Mark Prior has a serious elbow injury. Gammons has this to say about the integrity of the Cubs organization:
But I forgot about the Gammons item until I saw, courtesy of the Clutch Hits blog on Baseball Primer, this answer from Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci to a reader question about the seriousness of Prior's injury. Verducci calls the Cubs "one of the least forthcoming organizations in baseball."
Now, maybe the Cubs have consistently stiffed Verducci but been more welcoming to Gammons over the years. It could be. The Wood situation is the only injury-related one that I can think of that the Cubs weren't forthcoming on, until Prior. It's easily conceivable that I'm overlooking something, however.
Any suggestion that an organization with Andy MacPhail, [Jim] Hendry, [Dusty] Baker and Larry Rothschild is anything less than honest is preposterous.When I read that earlier today, I thought, "What about Kerry Wood in 1998?" I know that Baker and Rothschild were elsewhere and Hendry's primary responsibility was the minor-league system then. But MacPhail was president of the Cubs then, right? The organization, including GM Ed Lynch and manager Jim Riggleman, let a 20-year-old Wood nearly pitch his arm off just to sneak into the wild card, only to be quickly dispatched (3-0) by the Braves in the NLDS.
But I forgot about the Gammons item until I saw, courtesy of the Clutch Hits blog on Baseball Primer, this answer from Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci to a reader question about the seriousness of Prior's injury. Verducci calls the Cubs "one of the least forthcoming organizations in baseball."
Now, maybe the Cubs have consistently stiffed Verducci but been more welcoming to Gammons over the years. It could be. The Wood situation is the only injury-related one that I can think of that the Cubs weren't forthcoming on, until Prior. It's easily conceivable that I'm overlooking something, however.
At least he's got a sense of humor
You have to say this for Billy Koch: He's not afraid to laugh at himself. Here's the line, for those of you who don't feel like clicking through:
You have to love Guillen's reaction to a fan who wanted Koch lifted from the game. Manuel would have been planted on the bench. Joe Cowley in the Daily Southtown had some fun with the strange turn of events in the ninth inning, too. I like this comment from starter Jon Garland, too:
"I appreciate that [Leskanic] pulled a Billy Koch and we were able to win," Koch said. "I thank you, Curt."Of course, it's a lot easier to laugh afterward when your team ends up winning despite your bad outing. At least he still has the confidence of his manager. Unlike Jerry Manuel, Ozzie Guillen isn't going to panic and strip Koch of his closer role. Of course, Guillen was just hired last November, while Manuel was facing a win-or-else season last year. He got else.
You have to love Guillen's reaction to a fan who wanted Koch lifted from the game. Manuel would have been planted on the bench. Joe Cowley in the Daily Southtown had some fun with the strange turn of events in the ninth inning, too. I like this comment from starter Jon Garland, too:
"We had this team down 6-0,'' Garland said. "To let them come back into the game like that is pitiful.''Garland let win No. 2 slip away yesterday.
Black Jack always interesting
Jack McDowell says in an interview with the Tribune's Steve Rosenbloom that Mark McGwire was interested in coming to the Sox in 1992, when he was a free agent, but Frank Thomas refused to give up first base and become a designated hitter.
Well, Thomas was 24 years old at the time, a very young age to be typecast as a DH. It's not like the then-29-year-old McGwire was ever confused with Keith Hernandez or Mark Grace over at first base (a funny coincidence: the batter whose numbers are judged most similar to Grace's, using a Bill James formula, is Hernandez; read the explanation of similarity scores). It's ironic, too, because Thomas has been criticized for not being willing to play first base in the later stages of his career. It's always something. If McGwire were such a team player, why didn't he agree to do the majority of the DHing, especially since he was five years older than Thomas? And, since he apparently wasn't willing to do so, why isn't he criticized for not being a team player? Wouldn't it have made sense for a guy who was eventually driven from baseball by bad knees?
McDowell also says that 1994 was tougher than losing in the 1993 ALCS because the team was on such a roll in 1994. Agreed, Jack, agreed.
Well, Thomas was 24 years old at the time, a very young age to be typecast as a DH. It's not like the then-29-year-old McGwire was ever confused with Keith Hernandez or Mark Grace over at first base (a funny coincidence: the batter whose numbers are judged most similar to Grace's, using a Bill James formula, is Hernandez; read the explanation of similarity scores). It's ironic, too, because Thomas has been criticized for not being willing to play first base in the later stages of his career. It's always something. If McGwire were such a team player, why didn't he agree to do the majority of the DHing, especially since he was five years older than Thomas? And, since he apparently wasn't willing to do so, why isn't he criticized for not being a team player? Wouldn't it have made sense for a guy who was eventually driven from baseball by bad knees?
McDowell also says that 1994 was tougher than losing in the 1993 ALCS because the team was on such a roll in 1994. Agreed, Jack, agreed.
Interesting to note
Pitching coach Don Cooper says he and starter Esteban Loiaza have the diagnosis for his struggles, which he and the hitters have overcome to leave him 2-0. Loiaza needs to stay behind the ball and throw from the top. Lately, he's been off balance, leaning toward second and dropping his arm angle down. Something to look for on Sunday in lovely St. Petersburg.
Guillen fired back yesterday at critics who contend that Harold Baines adds very little as bench coach. This note from the Daily Herald said the criticism was on the radio, but didn't specify who did the criticizing -- a program host or guest or a caller -- nor on which station. I don't listen to talk radio of any kind, so I can't help you there.
Willie Harris says he's OK with platooning with Juan Uribe with the Royals running three left-handed starters out in this series. Harris says it beats last year, when he languished on the bench. Behind, I would add, two malcontents: D'Angelo Jimenez and Roberto Alomar.
Yesterday's win was the first for the Sox in their last at bat this season, the last one coming in the first game of the Yankees series that closed the home schedule for the Sox last year. Magglio Ordonez hit a home run in the ninth to win the game. I was there.
I guess at this point, I'll take runners being cut down on the basepaths over the team looking like a bunch of lollygaggers, but they're going to have to be aggressive and smart, and soon.
The Sox will conduct a ceremony before Tuesday's game with the Yankees to rededicate the retired jersey numbers that were taken down from the upper-deck facade last year. They'll be moved to the outfield walls.
Guillen fired back yesterday at critics who contend that Harold Baines adds very little as bench coach. This note from the Daily Herald said the criticism was on the radio, but didn't specify who did the criticizing -- a program host or guest or a caller -- nor on which station. I don't listen to talk radio of any kind, so I can't help you there.
Willie Harris says he's OK with platooning with Juan Uribe with the Royals running three left-handed starters out in this series. Harris says it beats last year, when he languished on the bench. Behind, I would add, two malcontents: D'Angelo Jimenez and Roberto Alomar.
Yesterday's win was the first for the Sox in their last at bat this season, the last one coming in the first game of the Yankees series that closed the home schedule for the Sox last year. Magglio Ordonez hit a home run in the ninth to win the game. I was there.
I guess at this point, I'll take runners being cut down on the basepaths over the team looking like a bunch of lollygaggers, but they're going to have to be aggressive and smart, and soon.
The Sox will conduct a ceremony before Tuesday's game with the Yankees to rededicate the retired jersey numbers that were taken down from the upper-deck facade last year. They'll be moved to the outfield walls.
According to the "experts"...
It's the second week of ESPN.com's "Power 10; Bottom 5" rankings, as voted on by 10 writers and editors for the web site, and they seem to be irrationally exuberant about the Royals, placing them No. 8, with the White Sox at 15 and the Twins at 16. I can't really quibble much with where they have the Sox. I think I could make an argument for them being ahead of the Padres, Mets and Giants, and therefore being No. 12, but those teams are all pretty close for now. I don't have a problem with the Tigers being at No. 10; they are a game ahead of the Sox in the standings, and that's fair.
Neither of these things are the issue to me. How can they have the Royals at No. 8? How can they have a 7-team spread between the Royals and the Sox? Basically, the Royals are the Sox, just with less starting pitching. They might be a little better defensively. Maybe. Is there really that big of a difference between these two teams? No. These rankings are a lot more about what preseason predictions these "experts" made and how they view these teams from afar, not how they've actually performed. In contests like that, the Sox have rarely fared well. So be it. Just win, baby.
(Music to write by: Led Zeppelin, "Physical Graffiti.")
Neither of these things are the issue to me. How can they have the Royals at No. 8? How can they have a 7-team spread between the Royals and the Sox? Basically, the Royals are the Sox, just with less starting pitching. They might be a little better defensively. Maybe. Is there really that big of a difference between these two teams? No. These rankings are a lot more about what preseason predictions these "experts" made and how they view these teams from afar, not how they've actually performed. In contests like that, the Sox have rarely fared well. So be it. Just win, baby.
(Music to write by: Led Zeppelin, "Physical Graffiti.")
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Harder than it should've been
Well, that was quite a ride today. I went from practically ignoring the game (so I could research and write that Anderson-Maggs post below) to wanting to pull my hair out before it could turn gray. Wow. Well, at least no one can say that Ozzie Guillen didn't use his relievers correctly. Cliff Politte came on and got four outs right where you want him pitching, in the seventh and eighth innings. Billy Koch had every oppportunity to nail this one down, as he came in to start the ninth as he prefers. As a good friend from college used to say, if you're going to throw batting practice, put up a screen. Bill Melton said in the postgame that the pitch Koch made to Carlos Beltran was pretty good, low and away, and the highly talented Beltran just beat him on that one. After that, however, Koch seemed to groove everything else.
I get the feeling that both of these teams will play a lot of games like today's this season. The only advantage for the Sox is that I think their starting pitching is better. Both bullpens are struggling. And thank you, Mendy Lopez. We're even now.
We may look back at this game later in the year and wonder if Jon Garland didn't learn a very important lesson. He struggled pitching with the lead. As I said, I was monitoring the radio broadcast when they got up 6-0 because I was confident in Garland. Radio color man Ed Farmer said Garland needed to throw the ball inside to Royals hitters, and Farmio said this before Garland started giving up those runs. Maybe Garland started to coast. He did pitch away, away, away. You can do that the first time through the lineup, but you have to vary your location that second time. You get them looking away, Farmer said, and then you bust them inside. Along with changing speeds, working fast and throwing strikes, it's Pitching 101.
What can I say about the offense. Another day of bashing the ball: 14-for-35, three doubles, six walks and 10 runs. They left 16 runners on base, so it could have been even more.
It will be interesting to see how the Royals bounce back from this loss. I expect they'll battle the Sox again tomorrow, because this team doesn't seem to have any quit in it. The Sox radio announcers said lefty Brian Anderson will get the start instead of the previously scheduled starter, Jimmy Gobble, who actually had a good outing in his only start (6 innings, no runs allowed). The Sox counter with Mark Buehrle.
I get the feeling that both of these teams will play a lot of games like today's this season. The only advantage for the Sox is that I think their starting pitching is better. Both bullpens are struggling. And thank you, Mendy Lopez. We're even now.
We may look back at this game later in the year and wonder if Jon Garland didn't learn a very important lesson. He struggled pitching with the lead. As I said, I was monitoring the radio broadcast when they got up 6-0 because I was confident in Garland. Radio color man Ed Farmer said Garland needed to throw the ball inside to Royals hitters, and Farmio said this before Garland started giving up those runs. Maybe Garland started to coast. He did pitch away, away, away. You can do that the first time through the lineup, but you have to vary your location that second time. You get them looking away, Farmer said, and then you bust them inside. Along with changing speeds, working fast and throwing strikes, it's Pitching 101.
What can I say about the offense. Another day of bashing the ball: 14-for-35, three doubles, six walks and 10 runs. They left 16 runners on base, so it could have been even more.
It will be interesting to see how the Royals bounce back from this loss. I expect they'll battle the Sox again tomorrow, because this team doesn't seem to have any quit in it. The Sox radio announcers said lefty Brian Anderson will get the start instead of the previously scheduled starter, Jimmy Gobble, who actually had a good outing in his only start (6 innings, no runs allowed). The Sox counter with Mark Buehrle.
Two thumbs up, sort of
Blair Kamin, the Tribune's architecture critic, has some nice things to say about the renovations at the Cell.
Tribune sports editor Dan McGrath also liked the renovations but says winning games will always be what drives attendance at the Cell. Yes, we know.
Tribune sports editor Dan McGrath also liked the renovations but says winning games will always be what drives attendance at the Cell. Yes, we know.
Correction and clarification
Yesterday, I said Paul Konerko had two singles to right before his home run, but it was just one single to right, in the second inning. In the third, Konerko struck out, then hit his three-run shot in the fifth. In the same post, there might be some confusion over what I called the "wrap around the upper deck" yesterday. It's not a new item at the concession stands. I meant the translucent panels they installed to enclose the upper deck.
A bargaining chip for Maggs
The Angels and Garrett Anderson have agreed to a four-year, $48 million contract extension. This news is particularly interesting to me because of the negotiations between the White Sox and Magglio Ordonez. I think they are close enough to compare, in much the same way that I looked at Ordonez and Vladimir Guerrero over the weekend.
Ordonez is almost 18 months younger than Anderson. Ordonez has almost exclusively played right field, whereas Anderson has played mostly in left field, but almost a quarter of his games in center field. Let's take a look at some career statistics.
Ordonez beats Anderson on all of these career percentages. Let's take a look at their career marks projected over a 162-game season.
Anderson strikes out a lot more and walks a lot less than Ordonez. Also, Ordonez knocks in more runs, but he also hits into more double plays. That last one could be misleading when you consider that Maggs has batted behind a high on-base percentage player, Frank Thomas, for most of his career (before this season). Perhaps Ordonez has simply come up with a runner on first more often than Anderson. I just don't know.
Anderson came to the big leagues at 22, compared to 24 for Ordonez in his first full season. I want to remove the effects that starting in the big leagues at a younger age may be having on Anderson's numbers. Let's compare the six-year totals for the seasons that they've played at the same ages, ages 24 through 29.
Ordonez is clearly a superior offensive player. Anderson's defensive statistics are above league averages, a little better than Ordonez's numbers, but not nearly enough to suggest that the Angel is a better overall player than the Sox right fielder. I'm giving short shrift to the defensive analysis, because I don't have access to good information on them and I'm not as comfortable doing that analysis anyway.
Under what might be called intangibles, both players are known for being leaders on their clubs and both are fan favorites who have spent their entire careers with one team. It's nearly a wash, although I suppose you could argue that it would be even tougher for the Angels to see a hero of their 2002 championship team go than it would be for the Sox with Maggs. The intangibles are basically a wash.
I'm sure the agent for Ordonez will be bringing the Anderson contract up with the Sox as he tries to hammer out a deal. He should. I think Anderson's new deal makes a great case for giving Maggs five years.
Ordonez is almost 18 months younger than Anderson. Ordonez has almost exclusively played right field, whereas Anderson has played mostly in left field, but almost a quarter of his games in center field. Let's take a look at some career statistics.
| Player | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| G. Anderson | .299 | .328 | .479 | .807 |
| M. Ordonez | .307 | .365 | .527 | .892 |
Ordonez beats Anderson on all of these career percentages. Let's take a look at their career marks projected over a 162-game season.
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | GIDP |
| G. Anderson | 647 | 83 | 194 | 41 | 3 | 23 | 103 | 30 | 87 | 16 |
| M. Ordonez | 615 | 101 | 189 | 40 | 2 | 30 | 114 | 54 | 70 | 22 |
Anderson strikes out a lot more and walks a lot less than Ordonez. Also, Ordonez knocks in more runs, but he also hits into more double plays. That last one could be misleading when you consider that Maggs has batted behind a high on-base percentage player, Frank Thomas, for most of his career (before this season). Perhaps Ordonez has simply come up with a runner on first more often than Anderson. I just don't know.
Anderson came to the big leagues at 22, compared to 24 for Ordonez in his first full season. I want to remove the effects that starting in the big leagues at a younger age may be having on Anderson's numbers. Let's compare the six-year totals for the seasons that they've played at the same ages, ages 24 through 29.
| Player | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | GIDP |
| G. Anderson | 3792 | 480 | 1112 | 225 | 19 | 119 | 563 | 171 | 502 | .293 | .312 | .457 | .769 | 103 |
| M. Ordonez | 3536 | 580 | 1086 | 226 | 13 | 174 | 655 | 315 | 401 | .307 | .369 | .526 | .895 | 126 |
Ordonez is clearly a superior offensive player. Anderson's defensive statistics are above league averages, a little better than Ordonez's numbers, but not nearly enough to suggest that the Angel is a better overall player than the Sox right fielder. I'm giving short shrift to the defensive analysis, because I don't have access to good information on them and I'm not as comfortable doing that analysis anyway.
Under what might be called intangibles, both players are known for being leaders on their clubs and both are fan favorites who have spent their entire careers with one team. It's nearly a wash, although I suppose you could argue that it would be even tougher for the Angels to see a hero of their 2002 championship team go than it would be for the Sox with Maggs. The intangibles are basically a wash.
I'm sure the agent for Ordonez will be bringing the Anderson contract up with the Sox as he tries to hammer out a deal. He should. I think Anderson's new deal makes a great case for giving Maggs five years.
It's long overdue, but thanks
Finally, someone recognizes the pain of being a White Sox fan. ESPN.com's Jim Caple ranks the 30 major league teams on his misery index and the Sox come in fourth, just behind the Cubs at No. 3 but ahead of the Red Sox at No. 6.
They also listed a misery moments foro each team, choosing the White Flag trade for the Sox. Bad as that was, I wrote on the feedback page (I can't find where they've posted the responses) that Tito Landrum's home run in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the 1983 ALCS was much worse. Can't you still see a gutty Britt Burns looking back and up to the right, following the ball as it rocketed to the facade of the upper deck in left field? Man, that hurt.
They also listed the win-loss records and other information for all 30 teams over the last 25 years in a big chart. The White Sox are 11th on the list in overall record, and only the Astros (No. 5) have a better record over that period without reaching a World Series.
They also listed a misery moments foro each team, choosing the White Flag trade for the Sox. Bad as that was, I wrote on the feedback page (I can't find where they've posted the responses) that Tito Landrum's home run in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the 1983 ALCS was much worse. Can't you still see a gutty Britt Burns looking back and up to the right, following the ball as it rocketed to the facade of the upper deck in left field? Man, that hurt.
They also listed the win-loss records and other information for all 30 teams over the last 25 years in a big chart. The White Sox are 11th on the list in overall record, and only the Astros (No. 5) have a better record over that period without reaching a World Series.
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
What a day
Opening Day is always so raucous. In some ways, it's almost hard to watch the game. Like the players, I think I get too excited, too fidgety.
I met up with my friend Tim at Shinnick's at 38th and Union at 11:30 a.m. My first trip there. We had tried Schaller's, on Halsted, but that was too crowded. That's one of the best things about Opening Day -- catching up with old friends. My friend Brian met us there. He and I had had a mix up about his ticket -- he thought I left it for him at will call, but I had left it with the doorman at his building -- so we finished our beers and hustled up to the park. The Sox were great about it. I told them the ticket was part of a Starting Nine package and gave them my ticket and the credit card I used to purchase the package. The guy behind the window was helpful and friendly. He told us he had handled four other situations like ours.
We got in on the right-field side just as the game was starting. I told Tim, who's a native South Sider, that this must be like Mardi Gras for him. He said you could add Christmas and most of the other holidays, too.
There's nothing like the first Best's Kosher hot dog of the season, although, inexplicably, the mustard dispenser was nearly empty in the first inning. Had a dog with grilled onions and an Amstel Light. The lines were horrendous for concessions and restrooms alike. I'm not sure how much more they can do to keep fans in the upper deck. Maybe they have to start scanning the bar code on tickets to get back into the lower level. I've always liked to sneak down from the upper deck myself, but it's getting to be a problem. Then again, maybe I just feel that way because all my seats are in the lower deck this year.
The park has never looked better. The wrap around the upper deck and the new roof reminds me of Comiskey Park. It helps reduce the scale of the park from the outside and from the inside, at least from my vantage point in the lower bowl. I can't say what it looks like to sit upstairs because I didn't go up there. The ballpark walls at field level are now in green, and it's about time. Some of the other painted surfaces seemed green-gray this year. Just wait. They'll put in green seats eventually.
The game was a typical American League tilt. The Royals hit four home runs to score their five runs. Esteban Loiaza was not particularly sharp, but he did limit his walks to two. He didn't have particularly good stuff, as the gun readings seemed to top out at 91 for the most part, but he mostly threw strikes (68 in 106 pitches) and he impressively worked out of a major jam in the sixth inning: first and third, nobody out and Benito Santiago at the plate. That was especially big since the Sox had just retaken the lead in the bottom of the fifth on the homers by Juan Uribe and Paul Konerko. I also like that the fans gave the AL Cy Young runner-up a nice ovation when he left in the seventh inning. It was a much warmer reception than Greg Maddux got as he left the mound on Monday. True, the Sox were ahead and the Cubs were behind, but is that any way to treat the prodigal? Watching on TV, it didn't seem like more than a loud minority booing Maddux, but where was the ovation from the rest of the Cubs fans who had longed for his return for so long?
Speaking of Konerko, I really like his approach at the plate so far this year. He's going the other way with pitches on the outside part of the plate, as he did today for two singles. I said to Brian that that's how he looked in the first half of 2002, when he made the All-Star team. If he hits the outside pitch to right field, pitchers are bound to try to get him out inside eventually, and he has the bat speed to handle fastballs inside. I don't know what pitch Darrell May threw Konerko on the home run, but it was definitely inside.
I know this from the replay, not from sitting in left field. Not only is that pretty far to be calling pitch locations, the Sox scored most of their runs when I was out of my seat -- that's OK by me. As long as they win.
I met up with my friend Tim at Shinnick's at 38th and Union at 11:30 a.m. My first trip there. We had tried Schaller's, on Halsted, but that was too crowded. That's one of the best things about Opening Day -- catching up with old friends. My friend Brian met us there. He and I had had a mix up about his ticket -- he thought I left it for him at will call, but I had left it with the doorman at his building -- so we finished our beers and hustled up to the park. The Sox were great about it. I told them the ticket was part of a Starting Nine package and gave them my ticket and the credit card I used to purchase the package. The guy behind the window was helpful and friendly. He told us he had handled four other situations like ours.
We got in on the right-field side just as the game was starting. I told Tim, who's a native South Sider, that this must be like Mardi Gras for him. He said you could add Christmas and most of the other holidays, too.
There's nothing like the first Best's Kosher hot dog of the season, although, inexplicably, the mustard dispenser was nearly empty in the first inning. Had a dog with grilled onions and an Amstel Light. The lines were horrendous for concessions and restrooms alike. I'm not sure how much more they can do to keep fans in the upper deck. Maybe they have to start scanning the bar code on tickets to get back into the lower level. I've always liked to sneak down from the upper deck myself, but it's getting to be a problem. Then again, maybe I just feel that way because all my seats are in the lower deck this year.
The park has never looked better. The wrap around the upper deck and the new roof reminds me of Comiskey Park. It helps reduce the scale of the park from the outside and from the inside, at least from my vantage point in the lower bowl. I can't say what it looks like to sit upstairs because I didn't go up there. The ballpark walls at field level are now in green, and it's about time. Some of the other painted surfaces seemed green-gray this year. Just wait. They'll put in green seats eventually.
The game was a typical American League tilt. The Royals hit four home runs to score their five runs. Esteban Loiaza was not particularly sharp, but he did limit his walks to two. He didn't have particularly good stuff, as the gun readings seemed to top out at 91 for the most part, but he mostly threw strikes (68 in 106 pitches) and he impressively worked out of a major jam in the sixth inning: first and third, nobody out and Benito Santiago at the plate. That was especially big since the Sox had just retaken the lead in the bottom of the fifth on the homers by Juan Uribe and Paul Konerko. I also like that the fans gave the AL Cy Young runner-up a nice ovation when he left in the seventh inning. It was a much warmer reception than Greg Maddux got as he left the mound on Monday. True, the Sox were ahead and the Cubs were behind, but is that any way to treat the prodigal? Watching on TV, it didn't seem like more than a loud minority booing Maddux, but where was the ovation from the rest of the Cubs fans who had longed for his return for so long?
Speaking of Konerko, I really like his approach at the plate so far this year. He's going the other way with pitches on the outside part of the plate, as he did today for two singles. I said to Brian that that's how he looked in the first half of 2002, when he made the All-Star team. If he hits the outside pitch to right field, pitchers are bound to try to get him out inside eventually, and he has the bat speed to handle fastballs inside. I don't know what pitch Darrell May threw Konerko on the home run, but it was definitely inside.
I know this from the replay, not from sitting in left field. Not only is that pretty far to be calling pitch locations, the Sox scored most of their runs when I was out of my seat -- that's OK by me. As long as they win.
It meant a lot to us, too, Ozzie
It goes without saying that the Opening Day preview stories focused on Ozzie Guillen's return to the Sox as manager. (See this one, too.)
I think it's safe to say that Ozzie Guillen's return went better than Greg Maddux's (see below).
"I expect a nice ovation,'' Guillen said. "I expect the people to treat me the same way they treated me my whole career. I think the fans and the media in Chicago, in the 13 years I was there, they treated me great. They were always fair with me. There is something special with the relationship between me and them.As a fan, I love that attitude. I hope he can keep it up with the reporters covering the team. I think it reflects better on the team if he isn't constantly bickering with reporters.
"To me, it's going to be special because it's going to be my day going back there as a manager. I think it's going to be something I'm never going to forget in my life. You always want to go to the home opener. It's the first game in your town and the players are excited, the fans are excited, everybody's excited.''
"This guy's passion for this organization is unbelievable," Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "He would bleed for this organization."Red Eye, the attention deficit disorder newspaper, had a list running down Guillen's 13 home openers as a player for the Sox.
I think it's safe to say that Ozzie Guillen's return went better than Greg Maddux's (see below).
Interesting to note
Jose Valentin says he is growing more comfortable hitting left-handed only. He's certainly getting a lot of chances with the Royals and all their left-handed starters. I said during the game that I thought that Juan Uribe might play for Valentin one of the next two games, to give him a break against the string of lefties, but, after Valentin's two hits today, I'm not so sure. Guillen doesn't have much of a track record to guess by at this point, but I sense that he's the kind of manager who will let Valentin ride those two hits on Wednesday and see if he can keep it up.
Closer Billy Koch had a nice inning in the opener, and he says he's relying a lot more on his sinker as an out pitch. His velocity is more mid-90s than it was a couple of weeks ago. Maybe Koch has reinvented himself as a fastball/sinker/curveball pitcher rathter than just straight heat.
Closer Billy Koch had a nice inning in the opener, and he says he's relying a lot more on his sinker as an out pitch. His velocity is more mid-90s than it was a couple of weeks ago. Maybe Koch has reinvented himself as a fastball/sinker/curveball pitcher rathter than just straight heat.
Trouble in Paradise?
Not that I'm in the business of soothing the worries of Cubs fans, but the Southtown's Phil Arvia makes a good case that Cubs fans don't have much to worry about at this point. Just to balance things out, Paul Ladewski suggests that the Cubs can handle the regular season without Mark Prior, but not the postseason.
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner writes that Greg Maddux will get it turned around, that he must have a mechanical problem that is fixable. Rozner says that Maddux's pitches had the movement that he needs to be effective, just not the location. There's a great quote in this story recounting something Maddux said in 1997. Curiously, Rozner thinks it's more the media being hard on Maddux than the fans. Maybe the boos came in louder on TV than they did in the park.
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner writes that Greg Maddux will get it turned around, that he must have a mechanical problem that is fixable. Rozner says that Maddux's pitches had the movement that he needs to be effective, just not the location. There's a great quote in this story recounting something Maddux said in 1997. Curiously, Rozner thinks it's more the media being hard on Maddux than the fans. Maybe the boos came in louder on TV than they did in the park.
Obsessive, or maybe just crazy
Josh Levin writes in Slate about obsessive people like me who publish sites like this. An entertaining article chock-full of cool links.
(Music to write by: Ryan Adams, "Gold," and the Stone Roses, "The Stone Roses.")
(Music to write by: Ryan Adams, "Gold," and the Stone Roses, "The Stone Roses.")
Monday, April 12, 2004
Not bad, could've been better
I guess a six-game road trip to Kansas City and New York could have gone a lot worse than 3-3 for the White Sox. I certainly was worried about that possibility after the Opening Day debacle. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen says his players will be just fine if they play like this all year. I guess he means that they'll find ways to win games that they have a good chance to win, instead of winning only three of the five good chances they had on this trip.
Dan Wright's last outing had been against AAA Charlotte in their park on Monday, so his start on Sunday wasn't too bad, in my opinion. Not particularly good, either, but not so awful. Three walks and a hit batsman spelled doom for Wright in his first start of the season.
One thing that I hope Guillen will note for New York's trip to Chicago later this month -- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is much tougher on left-handed batters than right-handed batters. I've often heard that his cut fastball jams lefties, whereas right-handed hitters have a better chance of laying off it if it's wide of the plate.
I don't have career stats for Rivera, but last year he allowed right-handed batters an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .731 compared with .445 OPS for left-handed batters, according to 2004 edition of The Bill James Handbook. Guillen sent Timo Perez and Ross Gload up to pinch hit for righties Aaron Rowand and Miguel Olivo, and Gload did have a hit, but the numbers suggest Guillen should have let Rowand and Olivo bat. Then again, I don't know what Rowand and Olivo have done against Rivera, or even if they've faced him.
"I guess we have to be (satisfied),''Frank Thomas said. "Realistically, we had a chance to be 4-2, or maybe 5-1. Today's game was a strange game, very strange. We hit some bullets out there today that were just sad. We didn't win today, but that's part of it. We have to be happy with how we have come so far, being picked not to do well.''Just about all the game stories had a version of this quote, but the version above, from the Daily Herald's game story, makes it clearer than the other ones I saw that Thomas wasn't sold that the team should be satisfied with the trip. Yet, he made it clear there's no reason to be down on the team, either.
Dan Wright's last outing had been against AAA Charlotte in their park on Monday, so his start on Sunday wasn't too bad, in my opinion. Not particularly good, either, but not so awful. Three walks and a hit batsman spelled doom for Wright in his first start of the season.
One thing that I hope Guillen will note for New York's trip to Chicago later this month -- Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is much tougher on left-handed batters than right-handed batters. I've often heard that his cut fastball jams lefties, whereas right-handed hitters have a better chance of laying off it if it's wide of the plate.
I don't have career stats for Rivera, but last year he allowed right-handed batters an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .731 compared with .445 OPS for left-handed batters, according to 2004 edition of The Bill James Handbook. Guillen sent Timo Perez and Ross Gload up to pinch hit for righties Aaron Rowand and Miguel Olivo, and Gload did have a hit, but the numbers suggest Guillen should have let Rowand and Olivo bat. Then again, I don't know what Rowand and Olivo have done against Rivera, or even if they've faced him.
Interesting to note
A team source told the Daily Southtown that the Sox would prefer a four-year deal for Magglio Ordonez, not the five years that Maggs wants. The money doesn't appear to be keeping them apart, except Ordonez doesn't want the deal to be quite so backloaded. Given Jerry Reinsdorf's willingness and ability to be creative in structuring contracts, I'm cautiously optimistic, especially because Ordonez wants to keep neogitations open during the season.
Frank Thomas expects to hit his stride with the team returning to the Cell this week. Thomas thinks his timing is off because of the few days he sat out with sore right-shoulder muscles and the rainouts the Sox had at the end of spring training. He hit a couple of balls deep Friday and Saturday, but they were just foul in the upper deck. Thomas hit two balls hard on Sunday, too, but he hit them to the wrong part of the park -- deep center field. The Royals are scheduled to throw three lefties in the series here, out of the four lefties in their rotation. With the Indians and Tigers having three and two left-handed starters, the predominantly right-handed lineup of the Sox could benefit, although it might be tough on Jose Valentin, now batting left-handed exclusively.
Damaso Marte managed to retire some batters yesterday in New York, so his ERA is now just 27, versus the infinity he had from his Opening Day outing.
Paul Konerko says Ozzie Guillen's playing experience gives him an edge over Jerry Manuel in the respect department. The point seems to be that a guy who barely had a cup of coffee in the big leagues has a harder time gaining the respect of players. (When I typed "Jerry Manuel" into the "player search" window on baseball-reference.com, tellingly, it gave me his managerial record, not his playing record.)
Willie Harris is getting it going from the leadoff spot. He's hit in the minor leagues, with a .290 batting average and .410 on-base percentage. He seemed more patient at the plate in the two games I watched Saturday and Sunday than I remember him being in the past. Again, that's consistent with his minor-league record.
Neal Cotts has a second good outing against the Yankees, throwing 2-1/3 innings allowing no runs, two hits, no walks and striking out one. A good sign was that he threw 21 strikes in 28 pitches. Alex Rodriguez, however, continues to struggle against the Sox. Rodriguez's batting average against the Sox is the worst he has posted against any other American League team (stats do not include 2004).
Frank Thomas expects to hit his stride with the team returning to the Cell this week. Thomas thinks his timing is off because of the few days he sat out with sore right-shoulder muscles and the rainouts the Sox had at the end of spring training. He hit a couple of balls deep Friday and Saturday, but they were just foul in the upper deck. Thomas hit two balls hard on Sunday, too, but he hit them to the wrong part of the park -- deep center field. The Royals are scheduled to throw three lefties in the series here, out of the four lefties in their rotation. With the Indians and Tigers having three and two left-handed starters, the predominantly right-handed lineup of the Sox could benefit, although it might be tough on Jose Valentin, now batting left-handed exclusively.
Damaso Marte managed to retire some batters yesterday in New York, so his ERA is now just 27, versus the infinity he had from his Opening Day outing.
Paul Konerko says Ozzie Guillen's playing experience gives him an edge over Jerry Manuel in the respect department. The point seems to be that a guy who barely had a cup of coffee in the big leagues has a harder time gaining the respect of players. (When I typed "Jerry Manuel" into the "player search" window on baseball-reference.com, tellingly, it gave me his managerial record, not his playing record.)
Willie Harris is getting it going from the leadoff spot. He's hit in the minor leagues, with a .290 batting average and .410 on-base percentage. He seemed more patient at the plate in the two games I watched Saturday and Sunday than I remember him being in the past. Again, that's consistent with his minor-league record.
Neal Cotts has a second good outing against the Yankees, throwing 2-1/3 innings allowing no runs, two hits, no walks and striking out one. A good sign was that he threw 21 strikes in 28 pitches. Alex Rodriguez, however, continues to struggle against the Sox. Rodriguez's batting average against the Sox is the worst he has posted against any other American League team (stats do not include 2004).
Another similarity to the Red Sox
Cubs fans who didn't get tickets back in February are learning a hard lesson that Red Sox fans have known for years. When you have a small, beloved ballpark and a good team with high expectations, it's a tough ticket. I'm certainly impressed by the number of tickets, much higher priced tickets, that the Cubs have been able to sell this year, with the park basically sold out for the season already.
I love the transfer of wealth from Cubs fans to ticket brokers. I wonder how big the flow was for today's return of the prodigal. I'm just hoping that there's good weather so they get the game in. The last thing I would want is a second day of all the Cubs Opening Day hype to intrude on Opening Day on the South Side.
(Music to write by: Pearl Jam, "Live at State College, Pa., May 3, 2003.")
I love the transfer of wealth from Cubs fans to ticket brokers. I wonder how big the flow was for today's return of the prodigal. I'm just hoping that there's good weather so they get the game in. The last thing I would want is a second day of all the Cubs Opening Day hype to intrude on Opening Day on the South Side.
(Music to write by: Pearl Jam, "Live at State College, Pa., May 3, 2003.")
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Didn't see this anywhere else
Magglio Ordonez says negotiations with the White Sox on a new contract are going well, the Daily Southtown reports. Ordonez says he wants "Vladimir Guerrero money," referring to the five-year, $70 million deal that Guerrero signed this winter with the Angels.
Comparing Bad Vlad's numbers to those of Ordonez, I think you can make a case for Maggs coming in just a little lower than Guerrero. Guerrero has hit for more power than Ordonez (.588 slugging percentage vs. .527) and has a higher on-base average (.390 vs. .365). The article about major-league walk leaders that I linked to yesterday notes how often Guerrero is intentionally walked, saying that otherwise, he's a hacker. Ordonez is, too, but I hope his approach becomes a little more patient.
One thing that works against Ordonez is that he's a two years older than Guerrero. Maggs turned 30 in January, and many of the sabermetrically inclined believe a hitter peaks at 26 or 27. (Read a data-heavy analysis of the effects of age on hitting.)
Ordonez is a fine fielder, but he's not on the level of Guerrero. Last year, when Guerrero only played 112 games, he still had nearly as many fielding Win Shares, 2.81, as Ordonez had playing in 160 games (figures from baseballgraphs.com).
Still, I don't see why something can't be worked out. One thing in Ordonez's favor is his hard work in the offseason. It suggests he may be able to stem some of the decline that you'd expect a player in his 30s to have over the course of a four- or five-year deal.
If the Sox sign Ordonez to a multi-year deal, I'll buy an Ordonez jersey, black, at the ballpark, to show my support.
Comparing Bad Vlad's numbers to those of Ordonez, I think you can make a case for Maggs coming in just a little lower than Guerrero. Guerrero has hit for more power than Ordonez (.588 slugging percentage vs. .527) and has a higher on-base average (.390 vs. .365). The article about major-league walk leaders that I linked to yesterday notes how often Guerrero is intentionally walked, saying that otherwise, he's a hacker. Ordonez is, too, but I hope his approach becomes a little more patient.
One thing that works against Ordonez is that he's a two years older than Guerrero. Maggs turned 30 in January, and many of the sabermetrically inclined believe a hitter peaks at 26 or 27. (Read a data-heavy analysis of the effects of age on hitting.)
Ordonez is a fine fielder, but he's not on the level of Guerrero. Last year, when Guerrero only played 112 games, he still had nearly as many fielding Win Shares, 2.81, as Ordonez had playing in 160 games (figures from baseballgraphs.com).
Still, I don't see why something can't be worked out. One thing in Ordonez's favor is his hard work in the offseason. It suggests he may be able to stem some of the decline that you'd expect a player in his 30s to have over the course of a four- or five-year deal.
If the Sox sign Ordonez to a multi-year deal, I'll buy an Ordonez jersey, black, at the ballpark, to show my support.
No thanks to Jerry
Jon Garland and pitching coach Don Cooper both spoke yesterday about the confidence that Ozzie Guillen is showing in Garland. You really can't show any more confidence in a pitcher than letting him remain in the game even as he throws 12 straight balls.
Another shot to the chin of Jerry Manuel. I doubt he's reading about his old team, but if he is, he's punch-drunk by now.
Of course, hearing that Garland threw 12 straight balls instantly brought to mind Bob Uecker's Harry Doyle character in "Major League."
"It shows he's got confidence in me,'' said Garland. "That's great to see, he's got my back 100 percent. It just makes me feel better on the mound that he wants me to be in the game. So I'll just go with it.''
"What he should know now is, no matter what happens, he can get out of it,'' Cooper said. "He can fight through it. That was nice to see because I haven't seen him have the chance to do that.''
Another shot to the chin of Jerry Manuel. I doubt he's reading about his old team, but if he is, he's punch-drunk by now.
Of course, hearing that Garland threw 12 straight balls instantly brought to mind Bob Uecker's Harry Doyle character in "Major League."
Interesting to note
Miguel Olivo deserves some credit for helping Garland pitch out of that jam in the fourth. Olivo threw a rope to Jose Valentin to pick Hideki Matsui off second base. Enrique Wilson was trying to bunt Matsui and another runner over, but Garland's wildness paid off. It was almost like a pitch out for Olivo.
Shingo Takatsu made his White Sox debut yesterday, and I'll only call him "Mr. Two Runs" today, unless he keeps doing this. Guillen was hoping to match Takatsu up with Matsui, and that was the first batter he faced. Matsui doubled and the next batter, Bubba Crosby, homered. They're both left-handed hitters, who torched Takatsu this spring. But did you see the way Takatsu locked up Derek Jeter to end the game on a called third strike? That was sweet. Mr. Zero is already murder for a right-handed batter, but he may have to come up with a new pitch or a new approach against lefties.
Shingo Takatsu made his White Sox debut yesterday, and I'll only call him "Mr. Two Runs" today, unless he keeps doing this. Guillen was hoping to match Takatsu up with Matsui, and that was the first batter he faced. Matsui doubled and the next batter, Bubba Crosby, homered. They're both left-handed hitters, who torched Takatsu this spring. But did you see the way Takatsu locked up Derek Jeter to end the game on a called third strike? That was sweet. Mr. Zero is already murder for a right-handed batter, but he may have to come up with a new pitch or a new approach against lefties.
Extreme South Siders
The Tribune's Jim Kirk reports that the White Sox hired a consulting firm that specializes in marketing to Hispanics. This seems like a smart move to me. I've seen it suggested before on fan posts on White Sox Interactive (see the link to your left). Not only is it a huge market that isn't usually marketed to directly by pro sports teams (except the Fire), but the Sox also boast a strong Latin American contingent: Esteban Loiaza (born in Mexico, but raised in the U.S.), Ozzie Guillen and Magglio Ordonez (Venezuela) and Carlos Lee (Panama). Newcomer Timo Perez is Dominican.
I have a good friend who is Mexican-American. She tells me that Hispanic fans refer to the Sox as "Mayas Blancas," which she says translates literally as White Stockings. I put it into Google's translator, and it came back with "Mayan White," which sounds like a paint color. I'll go with my friend's translation.
I have a good friend who is Mexican-American. She tells me that Hispanic fans refer to the Sox as "Mayas Blancas," which she says translates literally as White Stockings. I put it into Google's translator, and it came back with "Mayan White," which sounds like a paint color. I'll go with my friend's translation.
Walks are important, too
It's very early, obviously, but the Cubs are last in the National League in walks. Dusty Baker can talk all he wants about how you "can't walk 'em in, you got to hit 'em in," but he's missing the point. It's not the object to walk. Walks are the product of the patient approach at the plate. Don't get yourself out. And walks fill the bases with runners who can be hit in. Did this man not pay any attention to Barry Bonds all those years they spent together in San Francisco?
One explanation could be that Baker doesn't think he can get many of these players to take the patient approach, so he downplays the importance of walks to show that he's behind them. That's as charitable as I can be.
That was a heck of a win last night for the Cubs, though.
One explanation could be that Baker doesn't think he can get many of these players to take the patient approach, so he downplays the importance of walks to show that he's behind them. That's as charitable as I can be.
That was a heck of a win last night for the Cubs, though.
'He took it out'
Leon Lee, a former player in the Japanese League and the father of Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, was charged with two counts of exposure of sexual organs in Florida, where Leon Lee was managing an A ball team for the Mets. The alleged incident took place in a hotel where Lee and some other guests had a dispute, published reports said. He resigned his position but he denies the charges against him.
In one of those strange coincidences, Lee was the scout who signed Hee Seop Choi for the Cubs, with Choi, of course, later being traded for the scout's son.
(Music to write by: The Vines, Veruca Salt, The Who and George Thorogood.)
In one of those strange coincidences, Lee was the scout who signed Hee Seop Choi for the Cubs, with Choi, of course, later being traded for the scout's son.
(Music to write by: The Vines, Veruca Salt, The Who and George Thorogood.)
Friday, April 09, 2004
It's a good question
I didn't see the first four innings of today's game, so I didn't get to see how badly Jon Garland might have been missing when he allowed six of the seven walks he granted the Yankees today. But I was impressed with the way he pitched with the lead in the last four innings he threw. Maybe this is just how I want to see him, but I thought he looked more confident on the mound than in the past. Dave Wills, who does the post-game show on WMVP, AM-1000, rhetorically asked if Jerry Manuel would have left Garland in there with all those walks. For some reason, Wills seemed to want to take those words back, but he said exactly what I was thinking.
After the Sox hitters had slumbered through their first 13 innings in New York, suddenly, they exploded. They scored all nine of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
I'm looking forward to watching my first full game of the year tomorrow, especially because Mark Buehrle is scheduled to pitch.
After the Sox hitters had slumbered through their first 13 innings in New York, suddenly, they exploded. They scored all nine of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
I'm looking forward to watching my first full game of the year tomorrow, especially because Mark Buehrle is scheduled to pitch.
Interesting to note
Carlos Lee has a sore left groin, but it hasn't kept him from starting the season off with two home runs in Kansas City. In this same notes column, Doug Padilla writes that, before his solid start today, Jon Garland hadn't pitched in a game in 12 days, because the team's last two spring training games were rained out. That means Scott Schoeneweis went about the same number of days without pitching in a game. The long layoff could explain the wildness both pitchers showed in their starts against the Yankees.
Frank Thomas says he didn't care for the strike zone as it was interpreted yesterday by Dan Iassogna (scroll down).
I like this quote:
I would love to hear what [taken advantage of] is a euphemism for. The Daily Southtown indicates that it was "profane." Yeah, I know what he said. I've said it plenty myself.
Jose Valentin is struggling to hit left-handers, now that he's ditched switch-hitting, but he says he's not about to go back.
Frank Thomas says he didn't care for the strike zone as it was interpreted yesterday by Dan Iassogna (scroll down).
I like this quote:
"I got [taken advantage of] today, and I don't appreciate that,'' Thomas said. ''I've been working too hard for that. It's one of those things that I've been working too hard and don't expect that.''
I would love to hear what [taken advantage of] is a euphemism for. The Daily Southtown indicates that it was "profane." Yeah, I know what he said. I've said it plenty myself.
Jose Valentin is struggling to hit left-handers, now that he's ditched switch-hitting, but he says he's not about to go back.
Cell spruce up
The Sox had a media day at the Cell yesterday to show off the renovations of the park. I'm especially looking forward to the changes to the Fan Deck, where they've added tiered seating. Check out the photos that the Tribune chose to display. Weird choices, I think. They show the vantage from obstructed-view seats on both sides of the upper deck, but these seats are so far and few between, they don't seem to justify using up two of the four pictures the paper posted; one is plenty. And they show the view from the Fan Deck, but we already know what the view looks like -- it's been up for a year. How about a shot of the Fan Deck itself?
The new wall that wraps around the upper deck seems like a very good idea to me. On Opening Day last year, as we waited out the very long rain delay, the wind howling through there made it feel like the middle of winter.
I still say they should have gone with green seats. Green is the color of baseball. Blue seats are for football.
The new wall that wraps around the upper deck seems like a very good idea to me. On Opening Day last year, as we waited out the very long rain delay, the wind howling through there made it feel like the middle of winter.
I still say they should have gone with green seats. Green is the color of baseball. Blue seats are for football.
Dusty, they do have walk lists
Aaron Gleeman has an interesting article about the top players in walks over the past three seasons. Frank Thomas is nowhere to be found in his analysis, and I assume that's because he missed nearly all of the 2001 season. He still managed to have 198 walks over the three seasons, down from the production earlier in his career but still very good for, basically, two seasons. The totals for Barry Bonds are nearly unbelievable.
So, yes, Dusty Baker, sometimes they do have Top 10 walk lists.
So, yes, Dusty Baker, sometimes they do have Top 10 walk lists.
Now that's the way
I got out of work a little early, so I made it home in time to see Jose Contreras walk Jose Valentin. The first full at-bat I saw of the White Sox this year ended with the three-run homer Magglio Ordonez hit. That HAS to be a good omen.
Pretty good outing, actually
I failed to give some credit in last night's posts to Scott Schoeneweis, who had a pretty solid start yesterday, once he got through the first inning. I was monitoring the game on ESPN.com, and I thought the Yankees were going to explode when they loaded the bases (well, Schoeneweis did most of the loading, walking Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi) with one out. Schoeneweis limited the damage to two runs. It was a nice day overall for Sox pitching, with Jon Adkins and Neal Cotts making their season debuts as well. Here's their pitching lines:
Adkins's outing was particularly impressive. Schoeneweis and Cotts didn't throw a whole lot of strikes, but then again, they're lefties. Lefties can't throw straight. That's what makes them such good pitchers.
(Music to write by: More Van Halen and Wilco.)
| Player | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | HR | NP/Strikes |
| Schoeneweis | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 101/55 |
| Adkins | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13/8 |
| Cotts | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17/8 |
Adkins's outing was particularly impressive. Schoeneweis and Cotts didn't throw a whole lot of strikes, but then again, they're lefties. Lefties can't throw straight. That's what makes them such good pitchers.
(Music to write by: More Van Halen and Wilco.)
Thursday, April 08, 2004
Strikes make patience tough
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner credits hitting coach Greg Walker with changing the team's approach at the plate, with Sox hitters taking more pitches and fouling off more pitches.
It's tough to criticize Sox hitters with not taking more pitches from Javier Vazquez today, however. According to the pitch-by-pitch ESPN gamecast, Vazquez retired the side in order in each of the fifth through eighth innings, throwing a first strike (either called or on a swing) to 10 of the 12 batters. Only Carlos Lee managed to work him to a full count, before popping out to second leading off the seventh inning. For Vazquez's eight innings of work, he threw a first-pitch strike to 23 hitters and a first-pitch ball to only five. I think Vazquez will end up being the best starter on the Yankees this season -- unless the Diamondbacks fall out of contention and trade Randy Johnson to them.
Still, it's always disheartening to see the Sox hitters retired in order four innings in a row. It seems to happen a lot to this team, especially against pitchers they've never faced before.
It's tough to criticize Sox hitters with not taking more pitches from Javier Vazquez today, however. According to the pitch-by-pitch ESPN gamecast, Vazquez retired the side in order in each of the fifth through eighth innings, throwing a first strike (either called or on a swing) to 10 of the 12 batters. Only Carlos Lee managed to work him to a full count, before popping out to second leading off the seventh inning. For Vazquez's eight innings of work, he threw a first-pitch strike to 23 hitters and a first-pitch ball to only five. I think Vazquez will end up being the best starter on the Yankees this season -- unless the Diamondbacks fall out of contention and trade Randy Johnson to them.
Still, it's always disheartening to see the Sox hitters retired in order four innings in a row. It seems to happen a lot to this team, especially against pitchers they've never faced before.
No apologies necessary
In six years as White Sox manager, did Jerry Manuel ever say something as cool to his players after a tough loss as "go get drunk or something"? I doubt it.
It's stunning to me that some fans called the Sox and complained about Guillen's comment. Would those fans prefer the lifeless approach of the previous Sox manager? Do they think baseball players are choir boys?
It's stunning to me that some fans called the Sox and complained about Guillen's comment. Would those fans prefer the lifeless approach of the previous Sox manager? Do they think baseball players are choir boys?
''I make sure I have fun with them, and I make sure I'm 100 percent behind [them] That's the way I've been communicating with them for the last month and a half, and I'm not going to change my style. As long as my team understands what I'm saying, that's all I care about.''Keep it up, Ozzie. Next beer's on me.
4/8 is some date
If Jackie Robinson had broken the color barrier in baseball on April 8, 1947, instead of April 15 of that year, April 8 might be regarded as the biggest civil rights day in the game. Check out Baseball Primer's "Today in Baseball History". In 1974, as you've heard by now, Hank Aaron hit home run No. 715 to break Babe Ruth's record despite the racist death threats he was receiving. The next year, Frank Robinson became baseball's first black manager; as player-manager of the Indians, he led the Tribe to a 5-3 win over the Yankees. In 1968, baseball postponed Opening Day because of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, Tenn., four days earlier.
In 1989, in a different kind of civil rights landmark, Jim Abbott, the left-handed pitcher who was born without a right hand, made his major league debut in a start for the Angels (not to mention that Abbott never played in the minors, either). I remember the half-season Abbott pitched for the Sox in 1995, before they traded him to the Angels who were trying to hold on in the AL West (but failed to do so; sorry, CCL), but I had forgotten about the five starts he made for the Sox in 1998. He won them all.
In 1989, in a different kind of civil rights landmark, Jim Abbott, the left-handed pitcher who was born without a right hand, made his major league debut in a start for the Angels (not to mention that Abbott never played in the minors, either). I remember the half-season Abbott pitched for the Sox in 1995, before they traded him to the Angels who were trying to hold on in the AL West (but failed to do so; sorry, CCL), but I had forgotten about the five starts he made for the Sox in 1998. He won them all.
Chicago connections
Dusty Baker, as you probably have read, was in the on-deck circle when Aaron hit No. 715. It was nice to read Baker's comments about what a mentor Aaron was to him at the start of Baker's playing career. Might be the first time since he's been with the Cubs that Baker hasn't talked as if he invented the game.
Future Sox outfielder Ralph Garr was Atlanta's leadoff hitter that night in the 7-4 win over the Dodgers. The Sox traded the Road Runner to the Angels, too, in 1979, when they won the AL West. Garr played with another Cubs manager, Don Baylor, that year. Baylor had a monster year in winning the AL MVP. (Better, CCL?)
Future Sox outfielder Ralph Garr was Atlanta's leadoff hitter that night in the 7-4 win over the Dodgers. The Sox traded the Road Runner to the Angels, too, in 1979, when they won the AL West. Garr played with another Cubs manager, Don Baylor, that year. Baylor had a monster year in winning the AL MVP. (Better, CCL?)
Statue for the Old Roman
The White Sox announced that they will be installing a statue of the original owner of the White Sox and a founder of the American League, Charles Comiskey. It will be on the right-field concourse after a private unveiling on April 22. The club should have thought about talking about this when the sponsorship deal with U.S. Cellular was announced more than a year ago. It could have saved the club a lot of criticism. (See his Hall of Fame plaque.)
Speaking of owners, Forbes magazine says their teams are rapidly appreciating in value, according to this informative post by Doug Pappas on his business-of-baseball blog. I might have more on this when I get a chance to read the article.
(Music to write by: Van Halen, "1984" and various others from the David Lee Roth era.)
Speaking of owners, Forbes magazine says their teams are rapidly appreciating in value, according to this informative post by Doug Pappas on his business-of-baseball blog. I might have more on this when I get a chance to read the article.
(Music to write by: Van Halen, "1984" and various others from the David Lee Roth era.)
That's a fact, Jack
I forgot about this great letter to the editor in the Sun-Times Wednesday. The letter writer, Joe Ferencz, reminds the paper that there are still White Sox fans in Chicagoland. Ferencz also makes the essential point that it is easy to be a Cubs fan. Here's how I'd put it. When they win, the bandwagon can't be big enough. When they lose, they have the whole "Lovable Losers" thing to fall back on (although I don't think that's going to fly this year).
Wednesday, April 07, 2004
Too early for must-wins
Now that was a win the White Sox really needed. I wish I didn't have to say that about Game No. 2 of 162, but I think it's warranted. Lose this game, and it's a long plane ride to New York for the four-game set that begins tomorrow. (I wonder if that's what the Yankees were thinking when they beat the Devil Rays this afternoon, because if they had lost, I think The Boss would sound something like this: Get Torre on the phone! How the heck could we lose three of four to the Rays on TWO CONTINENTS! I bet it was that Zimmer, did we change our signs? He still knows the signs! That's it. Where's Costanza with that calzone?!)
I like that Ozzie Guillen got Billy Koch back on the mound and, even more, I like that Koch nailed down a save with a one-run lead. I like that the bullpen as a whole handled three scoreless innings, including Mike Jackson's debut as a Sox. I like that Miguel Olivo had a nice start to his season -- 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
I didn't get to see the game today either (these day games are killing me; tomorrow's another one; by the way, has anyone else noticed that ESPN.com's GameCast seems different, and worse, this year?), but I read that the Sox blew a rundown that did not end up costing them.
I feel much better. (The spoiled debut of the prodigal and a couple pints of Guinness didn't hurt my mood, either.) I'm wearing my T-shirt with the 1970s-era Sox logo -- the one with the batter waiting for the pitch, with SOX spelled out below his torso. Comfortable in so many ways.
I like that Ozzie Guillen got Billy Koch back on the mound and, even more, I like that Koch nailed down a save with a one-run lead. I like that the bullpen as a whole handled three scoreless innings, including Mike Jackson's debut as a Sox. I like that Miguel Olivo had a nice start to his season -- 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
I didn't get to see the game today either (these day games are killing me; tomorrow's another one; by the way, has anyone else noticed that ESPN.com's GameCast seems different, and worse, this year?), but I read that the Sox blew a rundown that did not end up costing them.
I feel much better. (The spoiled debut of the prodigal and a couple pints of Guinness didn't hurt my mood, either.) I'm wearing my T-shirt with the 1970s-era Sox logo -- the one with the batter waiting for the pitch, with SOX spelled out below his torso. Comfortable in so many ways.
Market correction?
The Associated Press reports that the average salary of players on Opening Day rosters fell 3% compared to 2003. Union chief Don Fehr declined to comment on the AP figures, fueling speculation that the players association will file a grievance claiming collusion among the owners to depress salaries.
I'd say it's more likely that the owners finally did what the players association has always said they could do to stem the growth of salaries -- refuse to pay so damn much. The owners have called the players association's bluff. Remember Mark Grudzielanek crying that the owners must be colluding because he got his salary cut in half? Well, Grud, the thing is, Kevin Malone isn't a GM any more, so there isn't anyone stupid enough to give you $5 million/per again. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I bet Grud's teammate, Alex Gonzalez, finds out the same thing this fall, when he becomes a free agent.
I'd say it's more likely that the owners finally did what the players association has always said they could do to stem the growth of salaries -- refuse to pay so damn much. The owners have called the players association's bluff. Remember Mark Grudzielanek crying that the owners must be colluding because he got his salary cut in half? Well, Grud, the thing is, Kevin Malone isn't a GM any more, so there isn't anyone stupid enough to give you $5 million/per again. As I wrote a few weeks ago, I bet Grud's teammate, Alex Gonzalez, finds out the same thing this fall, when he becomes a free agent.
Praise for Frank's patience
This is why I love Baseball Primer -- they have a discussion of Frank Thomas’s brilliant plate appearance against Royals pitcher Darrell May in the first inning of today's game. If you missed it (as I did), Thomas fouled off 12 straight pitches, starting with a 3-1 count, before taking a walk.
Swap-meet buddies
This article discusses the heavy trading volume between former White Sox, Indians and St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck and former White Sox, Cardinals and Indians GM Frank Lane (Lane never worked for Veeck) in the 1950s and 1960s. The author, Matthew Namee, uses it as an example of what he says has happened with Oakland GM Billy Beane and Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi, who used to work in Oakland for Beane. Namee suggests that Beane and Ricciardi might add new Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta, a former Beane assistant, to their trading circle. That makes sense, especially since Beane is known for three- and four-team trades.
(Music to write by: The Rolling Stones, "Exile on Main Street" and Death Cab for Cutie, "Something About Airplanes.")
(Music to write by: The Rolling Stones, "Exile on Main Street" and Death Cab for Cutie, "Something About Airplanes.")
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
The day after
Phil Rogers compares Ozzie Guillen to Don Zimmer for Guillen's "going with my gut" comment about the ninth-inning pitching moves yesterday. Yikes.
Rogers makes a big deal of Guillen not letting Billy Koch pitch to Matt Stairs. As I said yesterday, I think this is a pretty good decision. What I wasn't thinking about was the effect this decision could have on Koch mentally, but I think this gets back to my point that Guillen should have started the ninth with Koch on the hill. Give him some room to get his season off to a nice start and ensure that Cliff Politte, who was lights out in his 1-1/3 innings, has a nice start, too.
Bob Foltman in the Tribune led his game story with Guillen's encouraging his players to "go out and get drunk, do whatever" to forget about that game. I do think that will be one of Guillen's strengths. He knows you can't dwell on games like yesterday's debacle.
I liked Doug Padilla's lead in the Sun-Times even more: "KANSAS CITY, Mo.--The White Sox continue to help bring baseball fever back to Kansas City."
Chris DeLuca said the 6-run ninth wiped the smile off Guillen's face. Joe Cowley in the Daily Southtown reports that pitching coach Don Cooper was eerily prescient about how any bullpen will blow games now and then. I think Cowley unfairly places too much blame on Koch.
Rogers makes a big deal of Guillen not letting Billy Koch pitch to Matt Stairs. As I said yesterday, I think this is a pretty good decision. What I wasn't thinking about was the effect this decision could have on Koch mentally, but I think this gets back to my point that Guillen should have started the ninth with Koch on the hill. Give him some room to get his season off to a nice start and ensure that Cliff Politte, who was lights out in his 1-1/3 innings, has a nice start, too.
Bob Foltman in the Tribune led his game story with Guillen's encouraging his players to "go out and get drunk, do whatever" to forget about that game. I do think that will be one of Guillen's strengths. He knows you can't dwell on games like yesterday's debacle.
I liked Doug Padilla's lead in the Sun-Times even more: "KANSAS CITY, Mo.--The White Sox continue to help bring baseball fever back to Kansas City."
Chris DeLuca said the 6-run ninth wiped the smile off Guillen's face. Joe Cowley in the Daily Southtown reports that pitching coach Don Cooper was eerily prescient about how any bullpen will blow games now and then. I think Cowley unfairly places too much blame on Koch.
Seeing the positives
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner writes that the Sox couldn't have looked more different Monday compared with last year. Rozner calls the Sox "an invigorated bunch, laughing, bouncing and playing as though they want to be here." Rozner concludes by saying it's up to Guillen to ensure that Monday's devastating loss doesn't stick with the team the way it did last year. Contrast that nuanced view, which includes Rozner's disdain for the bullpen, with the usual short-sighted cracks from Steve Rosenbloom in the Trib.
Say Hey!
Rob Neyer wrote about an interesting interview he conducted with Charles Einstein, author of Willie's Time: Baseball's Golden Age, a book that tells the story of Willie Mays's career using the five presidential administrations that ran parallel to his career. There's a 25th anniversary edition of the book out from Southern Illinois University Press. Einstein (he's not related to that Einstein) ghost wrote two Mays autobiographies before writing Willie's Time and also edited a series of baseball anthologies. If the interview is any indication, the book must be marvelous.
This is a complete afterthought (not to mention that I had to edit this post), but I want to give credit where credit's due. I'm usually pretty hard on the Trib's Mike Downey, but he wrote a fine column in Monday's paper about UConn freshman Charlie Villanueva, the one that got away from the Fighting Illini when head coach Bill Self left for Kansas last year.
This is a complete afterthought (not to mention that I had to edit this post), but I want to give credit where credit's due. I'm usually pretty hard on the Trib's Mike Downey, but he wrote a fine column in Monday's paper about UConn freshman Charlie Villanueva, the one that got away from the Fighting Illini when head coach Bill Self left for Kansas last year.
Monday, April 05, 2004
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
I didn't get to watch today's game. I was in a meeting that started at 2:30 p.m. and didn't let out until 4:15 p.m. So I was pleasantly surprised to log on to ESPN.com and see the Sox leading 7-3 in the eighth. The pleasant feeling didn't last long.
I guess that's what happens with a rookie manager. I know the players are responsible for allowing six runs in the ninth, but I think Ozzie Guillen failed to put his relievers in the right spots to maximize their abilities.
1. I was surprised to see Cliff Politte come out for the ninth inning. I just counted that Pollitte had thrown 20 pitches. That's not a ton of pitches, nor is four a ton of outs for him to get. But Politte is a one-inning kind of guy. He also didn't fare so well when he was the closer in Toronto for part of last season, so keeping him in to finish off the game, even in a non-save situation, didn't strike me as a good idea.
2. Billy Koch, like most closers, prefers to start an inning, rather than come in with men on base. I also thought he should have come in the game just to give him a chance to start off 2004 on the right foot, after an injury-plagued, disappointing 2003 season. It would have been very fitting for Koch to close the game out (even in a non-save situation) in Kansas City, the starting line for so many of the things that went wrong for the Sox and Koch last season.
3. As for Damaso Marte, I thought Guillen was right to bring him in and either neutralize the left-hand hitting Matt Stairs or take the bat out of his hands. Mendy Lopez came on to bat for Stairs. (By the way, Mendy? Does this guy have a restaurant in New York with great soup?) Let's look at this a bit. Lopez has 384 career at-bats stretching over six seasons. More than half -- 206 at-bats -- came when he was a 23-year-old rookie with the Royals in 1998. His highest total of at-bats since then is 94, last year, when he was back with the Royals after a three-year absence. In those 384 at-bats, Lopez has 5 home runs, or one every 76.8 at-bats, and he has slugged at a paltry .367 clip. By compairson, Stairs has 3,060 at-bats in the majors and has hit 176 home runs, or one every 17.4 at-bats, and has slugged at a solid .500 clip. Guillen definitely was right to force Stairs to bat aginst a left-hander or not at all.
This isn't how Opening Day 2003 went, but it's almost a mirror image of the final game the Sox lost during that opening series against Kansas City.
I know it's just one game. You can't make too much of it. I shouldn't, anyway. But it's hard to see that right now. Sheeesh.
I guess that's what happens with a rookie manager. I know the players are responsible for allowing six runs in the ninth, but I think Ozzie Guillen failed to put his relievers in the right spots to maximize their abilities.
1. I was surprised to see Cliff Politte come out for the ninth inning. I just counted that Pollitte had thrown 20 pitches. That's not a ton of pitches, nor is four a ton of outs for him to get. But Politte is a one-inning kind of guy. He also didn't fare so well when he was the closer in Toronto for part of last season, so keeping him in to finish off the game, even in a non-save situation, didn't strike me as a good idea.
2. Billy Koch, like most closers, prefers to start an inning, rather than come in with men on base. I also thought he should have come in the game just to give him a chance to start off 2004 on the right foot, after an injury-plagued, disappointing 2003 season. It would have been very fitting for Koch to close the game out (even in a non-save situation) in Kansas City, the starting line for so many of the things that went wrong for the Sox and Koch last season.
3. As for Damaso Marte, I thought Guillen was right to bring him in and either neutralize the left-hand hitting Matt Stairs or take the bat out of his hands. Mendy Lopez came on to bat for Stairs. (By the way, Mendy? Does this guy have a restaurant in New York with great soup?) Let's look at this a bit. Lopez has 384 career at-bats stretching over six seasons. More than half -- 206 at-bats -- came when he was a 23-year-old rookie with the Royals in 1998. His highest total of at-bats since then is 94, last year, when he was back with the Royals after a three-year absence. In those 384 at-bats, Lopez has 5 home runs, or one every 76.8 at-bats, and he has slugged at a paltry .367 clip. By compairson, Stairs has 3,060 at-bats in the majors and has hit 176 home runs, or one every 17.4 at-bats, and has slugged at a solid .500 clip. Guillen definitely was right to force Stairs to bat aginst a left-hander or not at all.
This isn't how Opening Day 2003 went, but it's almost a mirror image of the final game the Sox lost during that opening series against Kansas City.
I know it's just one game. You can't make too much of it. I shouldn't, anyway. But it's hard to see that right now. Sheeesh.
He had a much better day
Gene Honda, the incomparable public address announcer for the White Sox, handled the PA microphone at the Final Four for the second year in a row. I wish the Dodgers were playing at the Cell this year just so I could hear him announce, "Number 23, Rob-innn Ven-TUR-A."
I miss Rockin' Robin. I was thinking of him during the Giants-Astros game on ESPN2 because they showed Nolan Ryan a few times. I know Ryan won that little confrontation, but from what I heard, players around the league applauded Ventura for finally standing up to the big bully. Read this nice fan commentary on Ventura.
I miss Rockin' Robin. I was thinking of him during the Giants-Astros game on ESPN2 because they showed Nolan Ryan a few times. I know Ryan won that little confrontation, but from what I heard, players around the league applauded Ventura for finally standing up to the big bully. Read this nice fan commentary on Ventura.
Sunday, April 04, 2004
It's finally here
The White Sox will kick off the season in less than 15 hours in Kansas City, where they started the seaon last year, too. Like last year, the starter will be Mark Buehrle. But a lot of things have changed since then, most noticably, the manager. Ozzie Guillen would have ripped into last year's team after the lackadasical way they lost the opener despite a good outing from Buehrle.
This year, the White Sox aren't considered the favorites. The Sox no longer have Bartolo Colon, but they know that Esteban Loiaza can be a dominating pitcher. Billy Koch is still the closer, but now he's coming off an awful season, rather than a 44-save season. The Sox seem confident in their comments to the media, compared with last year, when they made a lot of noise about Minnesota but seemed to be trying to persuade themselves that they could beat the Twins.
Aaron Rowand is healthier this year. Willie Harris has replaced D'Angelo Jimenez at second base. Jose Valentin no longer bats right-handed against lefties.
It was great to watch the Boston-at-Baltimore game tonight, just to have a baseball game on the TV while I worked on tonight's posts and talked to my best friend, Kevin (who suffers from being both a Cubs fan and a Red Sox fan; as Hawk Harrelson would say, Mercy!).
No matter what happens in the offseason, I can't help but be excited about the dawning of a new baseball season. And, given the record levels of pre-season ticket sales around the league, I think I can say that I'm not the only one who's excited.
Well, I guess I should wrap up by making a prediction. I try to avoid predictions, because I hate to look foolish, but here goes. I think the White Sox will win their division with 88-90 wins. For the first time since 2000, they'll play up to their abilities. The Twins are still a very good team, but they've just lost too much, especially that near-automatic team of LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado to finish games. I think it'll be a close race between the Sox and Twins, with the Royals hanging around but not really in striking distance at the end. I don't think the Royals have enough pitching, although they did a good job of not standing pat after the big step forward they took last year.
What can I say? I always pick the Fighting Illini to win the NCAA Tournament, too.
This year, the White Sox aren't considered the favorites. The Sox no longer have Bartolo Colon, but they know that Esteban Loiaza can be a dominating pitcher. Billy Koch is still the closer, but now he's coming off an awful season, rather than a 44-save season. The Sox seem confident in their comments to the media, compared with last year, when they made a lot of noise about Minnesota but seemed to be trying to persuade themselves that they could beat the Twins.
Aaron Rowand is healthier this year. Willie Harris has replaced D'Angelo Jimenez at second base. Jose Valentin no longer bats right-handed against lefties.
It was great to watch the Boston-at-Baltimore game tonight, just to have a baseball game on the TV while I worked on tonight's posts and talked to my best friend, Kevin (who suffers from being both a Cubs fan and a Red Sox fan; as Hawk Harrelson would say, Mercy!).
No matter what happens in the offseason, I can't help but be excited about the dawning of a new baseball season. And, given the record levels of pre-season ticket sales around the league, I think I can say that I'm not the only one who's excited.
Well, I guess I should wrap up by making a prediction. I try to avoid predictions, because I hate to look foolish, but here goes. I think the White Sox will win their division with 88-90 wins. For the first time since 2000, they'll play up to their abilities. The Twins are still a very good team, but they've just lost too much, especially that near-automatic team of LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado to finish games. I think it'll be a close race between the Sox and Twins, with the Royals hanging around but not really in striking distance at the end. I don't think the Royals have enough pitching, although they did a good job of not standing pat after the big step forward they took last year.
What can I say? I always pick the Fighting Illini to win the NCAA Tournament, too.
The Sox lineup
The White Sox will be counting on their lineup to overcome some of their pitching weaknesses. As last year, their lineup features a lot of power but not a whole lot of speed. That might be a good thing, since it will discourage Ozzie Guillen from running too much.
The following table shows career numbers for each player.
Here's a look by lineup slot:
1. Willie Harris is getting his first chance to start regularly. A left-handed hitter, Harris has fared poorly in limited at-bats at the major league level, but he has hit minor league pitching well. That's generally a good indicator of a player's chances, if he's given a significant number of at-bats. Juan Uribe, a right-handed hitter, will play against some left-handed pitchers. Uribe has had more chances at the major league level, and it hasn't been particularly pretty.
2. Jose Valentin is ditching a lifetime of switch-hitting to bat left-handed only. He had a very hot spring, hitting for average and power. Valentin's power numbers have stayed solid during his four years with the Sox, but his batting average has fallen steadily. Will batting left-handed only reverse that? Uribe will fill in for Valentin, but it remains to be seen whether he'll bat second or whether Carlos Lee will be moved up to this spot, where he flourished last year.
3. Magglio Ordonez will inhabit this spot, now that Frank Thomas has volunteered to move to the four hole. Ordonez had, for him, a bit of a down year in 2003, but he's in a walk year, so I would expect him to have a big season. Ordonez has been a solid .300/30/100 player, but he doesn't walk a lot for a guy who with that kind of power, so his on-base average is merely good, rather than outstanding. Will he get more pitches to hit with Thomas batting behind him, or will teams try to work around him and take their chances with Thomas?
4. Frank Thomas really had an oustanding season last year, despite his batting average being more than 40 points below his career average (which now stands at .310). He's hitting for power, and he's still walking a lot (100 in 2003 and 88 in 2002, when he struggled). Thomas has embraced the idea that his main job is to knock in runs, not try to win the batting title, but he needs to maintain his trademark patience at the plate.
5. Carlos Lee was hailed for a breakout season last year, but there were some troubling signs. After drawing 75 walks in 2002, he was back down to 37 walks last year, and his strikeouts went up 18, to 91. It's great that he knocked in 113 runs, but more patience would help the team. Still, Lee is a solid hitter and can be expected to have another good year.
6. Paul Konerko had about the worst year you would expect from a guy who put up the numbers that he had the previous four years. He hit the ball well in spring training, for what that's worth. (It seems like everybody hits the ball well in Arizona -- day games, rock-hard fields.) I think he's the key to the offense. If he can hit the way he did between 1999-2002, this offense could score 900 runs. Ross Gload will get some at-bats here. He's only had 62 major league at-bats, so it's tough to say what he's capable of, but he has hit well in the minors.
7. Joe Crede could surprise some people this year. The key will be to avoid lengthy slumps. All too often in the first half of the year, he was close to an automatic out. He came on nicely in the second half, just as he played well as a call-up the last two months of 2002. This is the season where Crede needs to take another step forward, from 741 OPS to something in the mid-800s.
8. Aaron Rowand is another player who could surprise. Like Crede, he's had some success at the major league level as well as really good numbers in the minors. Rowand did well in his second stint with the Sox last year in limited action. His numbers so far in the majors are very close to Crede's. Staying healthy will be important for Rowand, who's been called RoboCop for his propensity to crash into walls chasing down flyballs. Timo Perez will back up Rowand, and Guillen has said he'll occasionally bat lead-off. Perez is not my kind of hitter, as he has neither power nor the ability to get on base (.312 on-base average). I hope his at-bats will be limited.
9. Miguel Olivo is a big question mark. He's superb behind the plate, but not so hot at it. He strikes out a lot. He does not walk much. All we can ask for him is to not be an automatic out. He'll share time with Sandy Alomar Jr., who's still a decent hitter.
The following table shows career numbers for each player.
| Player | OBA | SLG | OPS |
| F. Thomas | .428 | .568 | .996 |
| M. Ordonez | .365 | .527 | .892 |
| C. Lee | .334 | .480 | .814 |
| P. Konerko | .342 | .470 | .812 |
| J. Valentin | .324 | .450 | .774 |
| J. Crede | .307 | .444 | .751 |
| A. Rowand | .325 | .418 | .743 |
| M. Olivo | .287 | .363 | .650 |
| W. Harris | .255 | .262 | .517 |
| S. Alomar Jr. | .311 | .414 | .725 |
| J. Uribe | .298 | .408 | .706 |
| T. Perez | .312 | .397 | .709 |
Here's a look by lineup slot:
1. Willie Harris is getting his first chance to start regularly. A left-handed hitter, Harris has fared poorly in limited at-bats at the major league level, but he has hit minor league pitching well. That's generally a good indicator of a player's chances, if he's given a significant number of at-bats. Juan Uribe, a right-handed hitter, will play against some left-handed pitchers. Uribe has had more chances at the major league level, and it hasn't been particularly pretty.
2. Jose Valentin is ditching a lifetime of switch-hitting to bat left-handed only. He had a very hot spring, hitting for average and power. Valentin's power numbers have stayed solid during his four years with the Sox, but his batting average has fallen steadily. Will batting left-handed only reverse that? Uribe will fill in for Valentin, but it remains to be seen whether he'll bat second or whether Carlos Lee will be moved up to this spot, where he flourished last year.
3. Magglio Ordonez will inhabit this spot, now that Frank Thomas has volunteered to move to the four hole. Ordonez had, for him, a bit of a down year in 2003, but he's in a walk year, so I would expect him to have a big season. Ordonez has been a solid .300/30/100 player, but he doesn't walk a lot for a guy who with that kind of power, so his on-base average is merely good, rather than outstanding. Will he get more pitches to hit with Thomas batting behind him, or will teams try to work around him and take their chances with Thomas?
4. Frank Thomas really had an oustanding season last year, despite his batting average being more than 40 points below his career average (which now stands at .310). He's hitting for power, and he's still walking a lot (100 in 2003 and 88 in 2002, when he struggled). Thomas has embraced the idea that his main job is to knock in runs, not try to win the batting title, but he needs to maintain his trademark patience at the plate.
5. Carlos Lee was hailed for a breakout season last year, but there were some troubling signs. After drawing 75 walks in 2002, he was back down to 37 walks last year, and his strikeouts went up 18, to 91. It's great that he knocked in 113 runs, but more patience would help the team. Still, Lee is a solid hitter and can be expected to have another good year.
6. Paul Konerko had about the worst year you would expect from a guy who put up the numbers that he had the previous four years. He hit the ball well in spring training, for what that's worth. (It seems like everybody hits the ball well in Arizona -- day games, rock-hard fields.) I think he's the key to the offense. If he can hit the way he did between 1999-2002, this offense could score 900 runs. Ross Gload will get some at-bats here. He's only had 62 major league at-bats, so it's tough to say what he's capable of, but he has hit well in the minors.
7. Joe Crede could surprise some people this year. The key will be to avoid lengthy slumps. All too often in the first half of the year, he was close to an automatic out. He came on nicely in the second half, just as he played well as a call-up the last two months of 2002. This is the season where Crede needs to take another step forward, from 741 OPS to something in the mid-800s.
8. Aaron Rowand is another player who could surprise. Like Crede, he's had some success at the major league level as well as really good numbers in the minors. Rowand did well in his second stint with the Sox last year in limited action. His numbers so far in the majors are very close to Crede's. Staying healthy will be important for Rowand, who's been called RoboCop for his propensity to crash into walls chasing down flyballs. Timo Perez will back up Rowand, and Guillen has said he'll occasionally bat lead-off. Perez is not my kind of hitter, as he has neither power nor the ability to get on base (.312 on-base average). I hope his at-bats will be limited.
9. Miguel Olivo is a big question mark. He's superb behind the plate, but not so hot at it. He strikes out a lot. He does not walk much. All we can ask for him is to not be an automatic out. He'll share time with Sandy Alomar Jr., who's still a decent hitter.
The Sox bullpen
I had questions last week about the starting rotation, and I have questions this week about the bullpen. Here they are, alphabetically:
Jon Adkins, right hander: Manager Ozzie Guillen has been very high on Adkins this spring. He's never been considered a prime prospect. His minor league numbers are nothing special. For instance, his 6.1 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched is OK, since he has spent more time starting than relieving in the minors. Adkins will need to do better than that as a reliever, particularly if he's entering the game in the sixth or seventh inning with men on base. The good news is there's not a ton of pressure on him.
Neal Cotts, left hander: Cotts is primarily being counted on as a long reliever, but in the short term, he'll also be used as a specialist against tough left-handed batters. In his short stint with the Sox last year, Cotts struggled mightily with his control, but his spring numbers (2 walks in 11 innings) suggest that he recognizes the problem and is trying to correct it. Cotts also is insurance for the rotation -- I won't be surprised if he has replaced Scott Shoeneweis in the rotation before the end of April.
Mike Jackson, right hander: Jackson is a former Indians closer who took 2003 off from playing after 16 years. He is 39, so he's seen it all. The question is whether he can stay healthy and be effective, esecially if he has to work in back-to-back games. The year off should help in that regard. He has a career 7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched ratio.
Billy Koch, right hander: Koch is starting the season as the closer. He still hasn't regained the high-90s velocity on his fastball that made him so effective in his stints with the A's and the Blue Jays. Koch will be watched closely. I think it will be important for him to pitch well in his first two or three outings. He needs to convert those save opportunities.
Damaso Marte, left hander: Marte is the primary set up man, and Guillen said he may close occasionally depending on the matchups. He is one of the best left-handed relievers in the American League. He's had two outstanding years since the Sox acquired him from the Pirates, striking out 169 in 140 innings pitched, for an excellent 10.9/9 innings ratio. Could take over the closer role if Koch falters.
Cliff Politte, right hander: Politte is also being counted on as the primary right-handed set up man, the mirror image of Marte's role. Politte struggled last year as the closer for the Blue Jays, but he has excelled in the set-up role. He had an excellent spring, for whatever that's worth.
Shingo Takatsu, right hander: Takatsu is adjusting from being a big-time closer in the Japanese league to being a middle reliever with the Sox. His teammates talk about what nasty stuff he has, but Cactus League hitters knocked him around something fierce. The White Sox are concerned that Takatsu isn't effective against left-handed batters; Guillen doesn't want him to be a specialist.
Kelly Wunsch, left hander: Wunsch will begin the season on the disabled list with some muscle soreness in his left (throwing) shoulder. Wunsch is particularly nasty against left-handed batters. He does not throw many innings, usually recording fewer innings pitched than appearances. He struggles with his control at times. Either Adkins or Jackson is likely to go when Wunsch is ready.
Jon Adkins, right hander: Manager Ozzie Guillen has been very high on Adkins this spring. He's never been considered a prime prospect. His minor league numbers are nothing special. For instance, his 6.1 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched is OK, since he has spent more time starting than relieving in the minors. Adkins will need to do better than that as a reliever, particularly if he's entering the game in the sixth or seventh inning with men on base. The good news is there's not a ton of pressure on him.
Neal Cotts, left hander: Cotts is primarily being counted on as a long reliever, but in the short term, he'll also be used as a specialist against tough left-handed batters. In his short stint with the Sox last year, Cotts struggled mightily with his control, but his spring numbers (2 walks in 11 innings) suggest that he recognizes the problem and is trying to correct it. Cotts also is insurance for the rotation -- I won't be surprised if he has replaced Scott Shoeneweis in the rotation before the end of April.
Mike Jackson, right hander: Jackson is a former Indians closer who took 2003 off from playing after 16 years. He is 39, so he's seen it all. The question is whether he can stay healthy and be effective, esecially if he has to work in back-to-back games. The year off should help in that regard. He has a career 7.7 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched ratio.
Billy Koch, right hander: Koch is starting the season as the closer. He still hasn't regained the high-90s velocity on his fastball that made him so effective in his stints with the A's and the Blue Jays. Koch will be watched closely. I think it will be important for him to pitch well in his first two or three outings. He needs to convert those save opportunities.
Damaso Marte, left hander: Marte is the primary set up man, and Guillen said he may close occasionally depending on the matchups. He is one of the best left-handed relievers in the American League. He's had two outstanding years since the Sox acquired him from the Pirates, striking out 169 in 140 innings pitched, for an excellent 10.9/9 innings ratio. Could take over the closer role if Koch falters.
Cliff Politte, right hander: Politte is also being counted on as the primary right-handed set up man, the mirror image of Marte's role. Politte struggled last year as the closer for the Blue Jays, but he has excelled in the set-up role. He had an excellent spring, for whatever that's worth.
Shingo Takatsu, right hander: Takatsu is adjusting from being a big-time closer in the Japanese league to being a middle reliever with the Sox. His teammates talk about what nasty stuff he has, but Cactus League hitters knocked him around something fierce. The White Sox are concerned that Takatsu isn't effective against left-handed batters; Guillen doesn't want him to be a specialist.
Kelly Wunsch, left hander: Wunsch will begin the season on the disabled list with some muscle soreness in his left (throwing) shoulder. Wunsch is particularly nasty against left-handed batters. He does not throw many innings, usually recording fewer innings pitched than appearances. He struggles with his control at times. Either Adkins or Jackson is likely to go when Wunsch is ready.
Will it be the best of times or the worst of times?
The Tribune baseball beat writers take a look at the Sox and the Cubs from both the optimist's and pessimist's perspectives.
I can't blame Cubs fans for being optimistic about this season, because the Cubs have assembled a fine team. Please stop talking about setting up the playoff rotation for now, OK? It's a long season. Just wait for it.
Reading Opening Day memories of Roland Hemond this article about Roland Hemond's memories of Opening Day makes me think Hemond should write a book rather than settle for being quoted by others.
I can't blame Cubs fans for being optimistic about this season, because the Cubs have assembled a fine team. Please stop talking about setting up the playoff rotation for now, OK? It's a long season. Just wait for it.
Reading Opening Day memories of Roland Hemond this article about Roland Hemond's memories of Opening Day makes me think Hemond should write a book rather than settle for being quoted by others.
The power of positive thinking
Willie Harris says that a little talk from manager Ozzie Guillen helped him relax this spring. Harris finished the spring on a tear, 12-for-20 in his last five games.
Can he do it again?
When a player breaks out of a seven-year pattern of mediocre performance the way Esteban Loiaza did last year, it's hard for anyone to believe he can perform at the higher level the following year. Even Loiaza's teammates seem to be trying to keep the pressure of expectations off him. He doesn't have to earn the start in the All-Star game, but if he can approach his performance last year, that just might be good enough.
The Daily Herald's Barry Rozner thinks Jon Garland may have his breakout year this year. For the White Sox to win the AL Central, he'll have to prove Rozner right.
No panic button
Frank Thomas said he likes the idea of playing the Yankees early, before they jell as a team. I can see that.
I know they said they aren't going to panic if they get off to a slow start, but they better not sleepwalk to start the season like they did last year. That was unconscionable.
(Music to write by: Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots.)
I know they said they aren't going to panic if they get off to a slow start, but they better not sleepwalk to start the season like they did last year. That was unconscionable.
(Music to write by: Radiohead, Stone Temple Pilots.)
Why does no one care about us?
Fellow White Sox fans, we are completely unloved. White Sox fans have suffered, in a way, even worse than fans of the Cubs and Red Sox. For all practical purposes, fans of the three teams have been waiting an equal amount of time for a World Series champion. No one talks about the suffering of White Sox fans.
I'm sitting here now watching just the latest example of the mythologizing about those two teams. It's a show on ESPN called "The Babe and the Billy Goat: Reverse the Curse?" It's all there - - the Curse of the Bambino, the Billy Goat, the black cat, the ball between Bill Buckner's legs. They just showed Billy Buck, then and now. It figures that Buckner was one of those rare Cubs players that I liked.
They're talking now about the teams and their fans, how they affect their cities, how they symbolize their cities. Not one mention -- not even a disparaging one -- about the White Sox. Not even, "Everyone loves the Cubs here, well, except the two White Sox fans (snicker, snicker, snicker)."
Oh, great. Now they have famous fans of the two teams comparing their woes. Bryant Gumbel just referred to them as the Cubbies about three times. Do Cubs fans respect their fellow fans who refer to the team as the Cubbies? I always thought that real Cubs fans disdained "Cubbies" as a derogatory term. I've noticed "Cubbies" being thrown around a lot more. Maybe it's just because we're hearing people talk about the Cubs more.
Haven't White Sox fans suffered as much as these fans? Sure, the Red Sox and Cubs have failed in some extraordinary, storied ways. But no one talks about Jerry Dybzinski's baserunning adventure between second and third bases in Game 4 of the 1983 AL Championship Series. No one talks about Tito "Bleeping" Landrum and that home run he hit off the facade of the upper deck in extra innings off a very brave Britt Burns. No one talks about the knee injury that kept clean-up hitter George Bell out of the 1993 AL Championship Series (against the defending world champs, the Toronto Blue Jays). No one talks about the 1994 strike wiping out what was shaping up to be the greatest White Sox season since 1959, at least. It would have been perfect in 1994 -- 35 years after their last World Series apearance and 75 years after the 1919 Black Sox team.
Is it our fault as White Sox fans that those players threw the Series? Is it our fault that Jerry Reinsdorf was one of the hard-line owners who helped push the confrontation with the players association into a strike? Is it our fault that the Dybber couldn't figure out where to go?
No. No. No.
At least ESPN.com's Eric Neel isn't buying it.
I'll grant that, from a storytelling perspective, the woes of the White Sox aren't as operatic and tragic as those of the Cubs or, especially, the Red Sox. But woe are we, too.
(Tried posting this earlier, but I had some problems with my Internet connection; that's why it's not as "live" as it appears in its writing.)
I'm sitting here now watching just the latest example of the mythologizing about those two teams. It's a show on ESPN called "The Babe and the Billy Goat: Reverse the Curse?" It's all there - - the Curse of the Bambino, the Billy Goat, the black cat, the ball between Bill Buckner's legs. They just showed Billy Buck, then and now. It figures that Buckner was one of those rare Cubs players that I liked.
They're talking now about the teams and their fans, how they affect their cities, how they symbolize their cities. Not one mention -- not even a disparaging one -- about the White Sox. Not even, "Everyone loves the Cubs here, well, except the two White Sox fans (snicker, snicker, snicker)."
Oh, great. Now they have famous fans of the two teams comparing their woes. Bryant Gumbel just referred to them as the Cubbies about three times. Do Cubs fans respect their fellow fans who refer to the team as the Cubbies? I always thought that real Cubs fans disdained "Cubbies" as a derogatory term. I've noticed "Cubbies" being thrown around a lot more. Maybe it's just because we're hearing people talk about the Cubs more.
Haven't White Sox fans suffered as much as these fans? Sure, the Red Sox and Cubs have failed in some extraordinary, storied ways. But no one talks about Jerry Dybzinski's baserunning adventure between second and third bases in Game 4 of the 1983 AL Championship Series. No one talks about Tito "Bleeping" Landrum and that home run he hit off the facade of the upper deck in extra innings off a very brave Britt Burns. No one talks about the knee injury that kept clean-up hitter George Bell out of the 1993 AL Championship Series (against the defending world champs, the Toronto Blue Jays). No one talks about the 1994 strike wiping out what was shaping up to be the greatest White Sox season since 1959, at least. It would have been perfect in 1994 -- 35 years after their last World Series apearance and 75 years after the 1919 Black Sox team.
Is it our fault as White Sox fans that those players threw the Series? Is it our fault that Jerry Reinsdorf was one of the hard-line owners who helped push the confrontation with the players association into a strike? Is it our fault that the Dybber couldn't figure out where to go?
No. No. No.
At least ESPN.com's Eric Neel isn't buying it.
I'll grant that, from a storytelling perspective, the woes of the White Sox aren't as operatic and tragic as those of the Cubs or, especially, the Red Sox. But woe are we, too.
(Tried posting this earlier, but I had some problems with my Internet connection; that's why it's not as "live" as it appears in its writing.)
Thinking back now...
You know, at the time, I actually felt a little sorry for Cubs fans. I said then that I wanted Cubs fans to be silenced, not traumatized. Well, I think we all know how long that silence lasted. Maybe the trauma will stick with them.
Also, I'm thinking about how much Jack McKeon outmanaged Dusty Baker in Game 7. The way Baker pushed Kerry Wood to exhaustion and then let Matt Clement sit there, with nothing to do. Contrast that with McKeon's use of both Brad Penny and Josh Beckett, not to mention that McKeon didn't hesitate to pinch hit for Penny leading off the fifth because the Marlins manager knew that Wood didn't have anything left. It was the time to strike.
Better TV
"Field of Dreams" is on TNT. It's that scene where Kevin Costner suddenly finds himself in 1972, as he and James Earl Jones look for Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. Call me a sap, but I love this movie.
One of the things I love is that when the youthful Archie Graham gets that one at-bat that the elderly Doc Graham always wanted, it's not an official at-bat -- it's a sacrifice fly. Remember, he said he just wanted to stand up at the plate once and wink at the pitcher -- he didn't say he wanted an official at-bat. This plate appearance would add two numbers to his stat line, namely, an RBI and a sacrifice fly.
One of the things I love is that when the youthful Archie Graham gets that one at-bat that the elderly Doc Graham always wanted, it's not an official at-bat -- it's a sacrifice fly. Remember, he said he just wanted to stand up at the plate once and wink at the pitcher -- he didn't say he wanted an official at-bat. This plate appearance would add two numbers to his stat line, namely, an RBI and a sacrifice fly.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Frank Thomas, El Capitán?
This is a real interesting idea from Paul Ladewski of the Daily Southtown: Make Frank Thomas the first captain of the White Sox since Ozzie Guillen and Carlton Fisk shared the role in 1991. Ladewski thinks Guillen should do it before Opening Day. That would be a big acknowledgement of the attitude that Thomas has exhibited this year.
(I wonder if a designated hitter has ever been a team captain. It has to have happened at some point during the 31 years of the DH. Paul Molitor, maybe?)
Wanna bet that a sportswriter who's ticked he didn't think of it first will pour a bucket of cold water on this idea?
(I wonder if a designated hitter has ever been a team captain. It has to have happened at some point during the 31 years of the DH. Paul Molitor, maybe?)
Wanna bet that a sportswriter who's ticked he didn't think of it first will pour a bucket of cold water on this idea?
South 'Zona Hit Men
See, there was no reason to worry that Ozzie Guillen was going to try to turn the White Sox into the the Punch and Judies. The Sox are leading the American League in batting average and scoring 6 runs per game this spring.
Sure it's just spring training. But as Sox hitting coach Greg Walker put it, leading the majors in hitting during spring training isn't a huge deal, but it beats being last in hitting (which is the Red Sox, an excellent hitting team; maybe these numbers don't mean a thing).
Carrying that success to Kansas City is the key, of course.
"They don't give me a chance to play little ball,'' Guillen said. "It's better for me because I have less chance to screw up. They are swinging the bat real well and I look like a genius."
Sure it's just spring training. But as Sox hitting coach Greg Walker put it, leading the majors in hitting during spring training isn't a huge deal, but it beats being last in hitting (which is the Red Sox, an excellent hitting team; maybe these numbers don't mean a thing).
Carrying that success to Kansas City is the key, of course.
Every-day Damaso Marte
He's the Bullpen Man of Mystery, the sidewinding left-hander Damaso Marte, who is the subject of -- and yet, by the author's admission, is barely written about -- in this Phil Rogers column. Marte isn't even well-known to his teammates. More importantly, Rogers asks, which left-hander, short of Eddie Guardado, would you rather have than Marte? Well, I'd rather have Marte than Guardado, too.
Oh, I really hope so
Paul Konerko says he's ready to bounce back in a big way from his disastrous 2003 season. I have to wonder if the success he built up to in 2002 and the contract that brought him didn't affect his preparation last winter. He did an ESPN SportsCenter commercial. It was almost as bad as Konerko hit before the All-Star break.
I still wonder if the Sox would be better off if they could find somebody to take Konerko off their hands in return for some pitching (maybe Anaheim's Jarrod Washburn). Ross Gload and Frank Thomas could split the duties at first base, and that would open a roster spot for Joe Borchard once his left quadriceps muscle is completely healed. That said, I like Konerko. He's a hard worker, hard on himself and friendly with the media, which helps promote the club.
The same could largely be said about Billy Koch, in terms of both his need to bounce back and his good attitude around the team and media. The seemingly permanent drop in his velocity is disheartening. I'm not sure how he can get major league hitters out anymore without that heat. Can't Esteban Loiaza teach him the cut fastball? Oh, wait. So far his only pupil has been Scott Schoeneweis.
Never mind.
I still wonder if the Sox would be better off if they could find somebody to take Konerko off their hands in return for some pitching (maybe Anaheim's Jarrod Washburn). Ross Gload and Frank Thomas could split the duties at first base, and that would open a roster spot for Joe Borchard once his left quadriceps muscle is completely healed. That said, I like Konerko. He's a hard worker, hard on himself and friendly with the media, which helps promote the club.
The same could largely be said about Billy Koch, in terms of both his need to bounce back and his good attitude around the team and media. The seemingly permanent drop in his velocity is disheartening. I'm not sure how he can get major league hitters out anymore without that heat. Can't Esteban Loiaza teach him the cut fastball? Oh, wait. So far his only pupil has been Scott Schoeneweis.
Never mind.
No coat for Satan just yet
My friend Janet in Los Angeles sent me a quick e-mail at work Tuesday with the subject: cursed (again!). "OK, guess we don't have worry about the Cubs now...," she wrote, then included this link to the cover of Sports Illustrated's baseball preview cover, featuring Kerry Wood. I'm sure you've seen it by now. May the cover jinx live on!
Don't laugh. Shortly after this cover, Mark Prior and Marcus Giles collided like a couple of special teamers on a kickoff.
I keep wondering if all the prognosticators would like another bite at the apple now that they know that Mark Prior's injury is going to keep him out longer than he and the Cubs originally suggested. This was part of my reply to Janet:
I wasn't thinking clearly. I shouldn't need to have this pointed out to me.
Don't laugh. Shortly after this cover, Mark Prior and Marcus Giles collided like a couple of special teamers on a kickoff.
I keep wondering if all the prognosticators would like another bite at the apple now that they know that Mark Prior's injury is going to keep him out longer than he and the Cubs originally suggested. This was part of my reply to Janet:
NSSF: Jay Mariotti keeps writing that people shouldn't be the least bit worried about Prior. I've been writing for a month (to a vastly smaller audience on my little blog) that they should be quite worried. If three-plus months of off-season rest hasn't cleared up this problem, why is six weeks going to do the trick now? I don't want the guy to be hurt, I really don't, but why aren't people being realistic about this?
Janet: Because it's the Cubs!!
I wasn't thinking clearly. I shouldn't need to have this pointed out to me.
They could try harder
This is a little missive from another good friend who roots for the Sox, Chris. I mentioned him earlier, quoting the great line his true South Sider wife had during the eighth inning of Game 6 in the National League Championship Series. (A note about most of the archives: Because of a change in formatting, most of the paragraph breaks have disappeared. Sorry, but without that format change, I couldn't do cool charts like this.)
I have a Sox-related story for you that you may find appropriate for your blog. Although Jonathan and I ordered our Starting Nine ticket packs at the same time, we didn't do the purchase together. This meant that when we got our tix in the mail, we were sitting in the same general area, but not next to each other. So we walked over to the ballpark on Saturday morning to see if they could straighten out our mistake. To the Sox credit, they did. They took our tickets into a back room and about 20 minutes later produced two new sets with seats next to each other. Brilliant.
But the best part was the chain-smoking guy working the main desk in the lobby. First off, he changed the TV sets from basketball to "Who's The Boss." [Can't blame the guy for being an Alyssa Milano fan.--NSSF] Then he came out into the ticket lobby where we were hanging out waiting for them to fix our tickets and kind of accusingly asked us, "Whaddaya need?" as he lit up. He eyed us suspiciously when we told him, and thereafter confronted everyone who came in with the same gruff "Whaddaya need?" or "C'n I help ya," occasionally blowing smoke in peoples faces as he did so. Not exactly projecting fan friendliness. It seemed to say more about the organization and its relationship to its fans than anything I've encountered yet, including the drought of communication about the (Starting) Nine ticket order.
Thursday, April 01, 2004
Red tagged
Phil Rogers wrote a cool feature the other day about the players who don't make it when the final cuts are in. Kelly Wunsch pointed out that getting cut from the big leagues and sent to AAA is not nearly as bad as the guys who have to go find a real job.
You know about faint praise, right?
This Mike Downey column on Ken Williams isn't half bad. That's about as much praise as I can give Downey.
(Music to write by: Ryan Adams, "Heartbreaker," Grateful Dead, "American Beauty," and Elvis Costell, "The Very Best of Elvis Costello.")
(Music to write by: Ryan Adams, "Heartbreaker," Grateful Dead, "American Beauty," and Elvis Costell, "The Very Best of Elvis Costello.")
