In the American League last year, only the Mariners allowed fewer runs than the White Sox, but only the M’s and Royals scored fewer runs. General Manger Kenny Williams has made a lot of changes to the White Sox dating back to his acquisition of a then-injured Jake Peavy at last year’s trading deadline, but despite all of his tinkering, I’m expecting more of the same from the Sox this year.
In April, the White Sox’ offense–restocked with Mark Teahen, Juan Pierre, controversial late-season waiver claim Alex Rios, and the ghost of Andruw Jones, the last being far and away the most productive of that quartet–has obliged by scoring just four runs per game (better than only the M’s, Indians, and Orioles), while the bullpen, stocked with veteran arms, leads all major league pens with 11.45 strikeouts per nine innings and is second in the AL to the Tigers with a 2.79 ERA. Twenty-five-year old lefty Jon Danks has been among the league’s best starters in the early part of his fourth season (3-0, 1.55 ERA, 4.33 K/BB, league-leading 0.82 WHIP). The Sox just need the rest of the rotation to shape up to fulfill the team’s destiny as an unbalanced mediocrity.
Fortunately for the White Sox, the guys who need to shape up are Jake Peavy, Mark Buehlre, Gavin Floyd, and Freddy Garcia. Peavy and Buehlre are givens. Floyd has allowed a .406 average on balls in play after four starts, so positive correction is guaranteed. Garcia, well, he’s 35, has made just 23 starts over the past three seasons, and has gone 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA this season despite a .217 BABIP, so maybe he won’t be there, but he’s the fifth starter, so the Sox will take what they can get there.
Looking at this weekend’s series, on paper, Garcia versus Andy Pettitte tonight is a win, and Danks versus Javy Vazquez on Saturday afternoon is a loss, which boils it down to a Sunday rubber game between Buehrle and Phil Hughes. I’m looking forward to that one.
Chicago White Sox
2010 Record: 9-13 (.409)
2010 Pythagorean Record: 9-13 (.409)
2009 Record: 79-83 (.488)
2009 Pythagorean Record: 80-82 (.494)
Manager: Ozzie Guillen
General Manager: Kenny Williams
Home Ballpark: U.S. Cellular Field
Bill James Park Indexes (2007-2009):
LH Avg-98, LH HR-122
RH Avg-99, RH HR-127
Who’s Replacing Whom:
- Andruw Jones replaces Jermaine Dye
- Alex Rios takes over Jim Thome’s playing time
- Mark Teahen replaces Chris Getz
- Juan Pierre replaces Scott Podsednik
- Gordan Beckham takes over the playing time of Brent Lillibridge (minors)
- Omar Vizquel replaces Josh Fields
- Mark Kotsay takes over Brian Anderson’s playing time
- Donny Lucy is filling in for Ramon Castro (DL)
- Jake Peavy takes over the starts of Clayton Richard and Bartolo Colon
- Freddy Garcia takes over the starts of Jose Contreras
- J.J. Putz replaces Octavio Dotel
- Sergio Santos replaces D.J. Carrasco
25-man roster:
1B – Paul Konerko (R)
2B – Gordon Beckham (R)
SS – Alexei Ramirez (R)
3B – Mark Teahen (L)
C – A.J. Pierzynski (L)
RF – Carlos Quentin (R)
CF – Alex Rios (R)
LF – Juan Pierre (L)
DH – Andruw Jones (R)
Bench:
L – Mark Kotsay (OF/1B)
R – Jayson Nix (IF)
S – Omar Vizquel (IF)
R – Donny Lucy (C)
Rotation:
L – Mark Buehrle
R – Jake Peavy
R – Gavin Floyd
R – Freddy Garcia
L – John Danks
Bullpen:
R – Bobby Jenks
L – Matt Thornton
R – Tony Peña
R – Scott Linebrink
R – J.J. Putz
L – Randy Williams
R – Sergio Santos
15-day DL: C – Ramon Castro (bruised heel)
Typical Lineup:
L – Juan Pierre (LF)
R – Gordan Beckham (2B)
R – Andruw Jones (DH)
R – Paul Konerko (1B)
L – A.J. Pierzynski (C)
R – Carlos Quentin (RF)
R – Alex Rios (CF)
L – Mark Teahen (3B)
R – Alexei Ramirez (SS)
Cliff, have you given up on Javy already? Or just expect Danks to dominate this intrepid offense as he has the rest of the teams he has faced thus far this year?
Greetings from section 130 ... Don't think I'll be posting during the game.
[1] I have not given up on Javy, but I do think Danks will out-pitch him and the Sox bullpen is strong, so . . .
Oh, goody, my boy's pitching tonight!
Evening, Team.
Fuck.
Robbie nearly sprouted wings and caught that.
Uh oh ... Bad Andy in the house tonite.
[6] he did very little wrong that inning.
Good job, Andy.
All right, that's all you're getting from here on out, Chicago (at least off Andy).
Get to work, sticks, or should I say, Robbie!
Nice job, Alex.
(Although, he was a bit off-balance there.)
Nicely done, Alex!
C'mon Ripper!
Tie this baby up!
Dammit ... Ripper ripped it ... too hard!
Wow.
Look at Frosty go.
That was a strike.
Come on, Andy.
You can do this.
Hmmm ... that seemed like a moment to call the runner "out of the baseline".
Obviously he should have been called out.
Oh Loocie, what you thinnin?
Could Pettitte be missing Po behind the plate?
Beautiful Saturday morning at home, double-header on the boob-tube..got my coffee and bagels ready..and it's Angels-Tigers (tolerable) followed by Pirates-Dodgers...the PIRATES??!! Anyone know if that "slingbox" system would work over here in Jay-pan? I know Iwamura Akinori is Japanese and all but really, do the tv execs here think any Japanese fan wants to watch the Pirates?!?
Ok, vent finished. Go Yanks!
[18] That's kookie talk. We all know that it is impossible for any pitcher to work well with Posada.
[20] Yeah I guess after 15 years, nothing good has come out of that battery.
Maybe Andy has settled down.
Quiet here tonight..
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Tumbleweed_rolling.jpg
[23] Not much to say: hard to get excited following the somnambulant Yankees offense on Gameday.
I can report, however, that WordPress underlines somnambulant, Gameday and WordPress as misspelled words.
[24] Tigers put a beating on Joel Pinero..exciting! No doubt Pirates game coming up will be good too...Andy P has settled down nicely though.
Weren't pretty, but Andy did the job!
Andy once again on thin ice.... and escaping!
Vernon Wells is beastly so far this season.
TAG TEAM COMBO ... The Grit and The Captain!
One more for Andy!
On Gameday that pitched looked like a fat hanging curveball, and it shows that Jeter pulled it. What did it look like on TeeVee?
31. Pulled beautifully, gone off the bat, over the BP into the stands.
Did the Captain jack it? Was it a NYS cheapy?
Just like that, you knew the ball was out when Jeter hit it.
Good old Nick "Two True Outcomes" Johnson.
[32][34] Thanks! Awesome.
Now, when will Teix and/or NJ wake up?
[33] no - hard hit ball pulled to lf
[28] i wonder if wells was hurt all those years? for some reason i just didn't think he was totally toast yet, i actually kind of like that he has bounced back.
[36] I do not like watching Nick Johnson play baseball...
Only as it relates to baseball, I wonder wt what the blowback will be with this new law in Arizona...a lot of people (Dems & Repubs both) coming out against it. With the huge Lati presence in the game am sure there must be concern in Selig HQ about public and player opinion...will they really end up pulling the ASG from Bank One Ballpark though?
How about Andruw? Is he back?
[37] The Jays' announcers were saying the other night that he was hurt, but I don't know if that is really the case or if this is a constructed narrative (and in any case, we'll see how long he keeps it up). He did have some great years, and he looked like he was going to be a superstar after his age 24 season.
[39] If the Latino players make it known they will 'boycott' the game, I'll bet they change it's location. And I hope they do.
[39] I don't believe it for a moment. But maybe he'll prove me wrong.
[38] I don't like watching him right now, that he's scuffling. But I do like his .400 OBP, and generally I have always liked watching him play---when he plays---since his Columbus days.
God, I love Andy.
It's so nice to come back and see he's pitched four scoreless innings after that start to give us time to come back. This is why I love the guy, even when he's bad, he's (usually) good.
Ace, the Not Eighth Inning Guy!
[41] That would be THE statement so far on this issue. Vague threats to pull out of AZ by conventions or company meetings will not heighten awareness like MLB changing the All Star game. I hope they do it too.
What's with the wave?
who are these asshats doing the wave?
[45] I'm not sure MLB pulling the ASG would do much about "heightening awareness"---people seem plenty aware of the issue. Rather, it's about exerting leverage on the people (and their elected officials). It would be interesting to see how the local population reacts. They certainly don't care about outsiders' opinions, nor, one could argue should they. But they may make an economic calculation: that sticking to their guns on the immigration issue will cost them in other ways (loss of business, the loss of future entertainment events).
[46] I think it has something to do with New Yankee Stadium. Just not the same...
WHEW!
whew, good
Oh, God.
That was a *terrible* pitch.
I was muttering "waste a pitch, waste a pitch" and then the ball left his hand and I cringed.
Thank God it worked out all right.
haven't heard gba in a while
Jeez, the Mets are winning in Philly 8-1 in the seventh. Remarkable.
From what I've seen and I'll try and find where I saw it, "insiders" seem to be saying that it's unlikely MLB will move the game at this point, given the time proximity.
so according to cliff's write-up, the cws pen is pretty good - let's hope the yanks pen comes through and they can get to the ws pen here.
curtis can look pretty awful against lhp
[54] Subway Series!! I have to admit, I really like watching Johan Santana, David Wright and Jose Reyes...
god damnit - we do not want a chad moeller sighting
I've liked Granderson a lot more than I thought I would (he really is a likable player), but it's getting clearer and clearer that he should not bat v. LHP.
Phil Pepsi now in for the Tigers..facing my man Matsui!
So why wouldn't everyone wear a better rather than a worse helmet?
[59] Unfortunately, if Po is out for a while, or if he goes on the DL, or if the Po-must-DH crowd gets its way, we're gonna see a wholelotta Chad Moeller.
[63] hopefully he gets better soon; you and i must stay strong on the last point (ie not moving po to dh) - cause i don't want to see any chad moeller
[62] It looks goofy + perceived diminishing returns (i.e., players are not really worried about the remote chances of suffering a big injury that the helmet could specifically prevent). Hell, Winfield wore the old no ear flap helmet for years, right?
Fuckin' A, Brett!
Hot damn!
[48] I was simplistic, and you were spot on. But, even with all that press and wide discussion, I would wager that over 40% of the U.S. population is either not aware of specifics of the AZ law, or have a clear opinion about it. Baseball reaches many more than the news. And that kind of economic pressure will change opinion in AZ, as the boycott around the MLK holiday did.
Oink! Oink!! Oink!!!
God, what a beautiful short stroke.
Singularity!
Fuck.
damn foul ball
OH, FUCK YESSSS!!!!
yes, big hit capn
The Grit and Cap'n show!!!!
wow, po ph'ing for nj
Got in just in time for a Jeter triple!
Not a good Pettitte day?
(76) You speak Vietnamese? :)
Me heart Jeter!
[67] That's the comparison, but I do think there are many differences between the MLK episode years ago and the present legislation. With the MLK holiday, outside pressure only had to convince the local population to do what everyone else was doing in the US: take a federal holiday off.
In the current situation, outside pressure would have to convince the local population that a (perceived) problem felt acutely locally, and not appreciated by critics from outside of AZ, must be accepted by the people of AZ (who are currently, according to polls, wildly in favor of the legislation). If anything, one could argue that Arizonians have successfully raise awareness outside of AZ of the (perceived) severity of the problem and their discontent with federal solutions.
OK, back to baseball!
[78] I'll have the Po Ph'ing, please, and some bee bong.
Let's hope for a major score truck delivery, so Jeter gets a crack at the cycle in the 8th.
[78] [80] haha - i did actually have some vietnamese food tonight - must have been subconsciously inspired
「８０」 Going for Vietnamese food tonight, actually!
KC up on the Rays..whodathunkit?
Of course, the problem with PH Po is that any chance of a retroactive DL is lost. Does this mean his prognosis is not as grim as some thought? Or has Girardi maybe panicked a bit, PHing for a guy who got on base twice already this game?
I don't think any of the curves to Posada were in the strike zone. Bad eye, Jorgie.
[84] Remember, the point at this stage of the game, in this situation, was not to get another baserunner but to cash in Jeter from third. So Posada was a better bet.
But in answer to your actual question: I have no idea.
[84] let's really hope it is that his prognosis is looking good.
if it is panic while the yanks are up 2 runs in a game in april that is troubling.
[86] Of course Po is the better batter than NJ, so he is the better bet to get the run in. But both don't make outs at the same rate and Po is not afraid of the K, so I'm not sure he increased the chances of scoring Jeter all that much.
A wilder move would have been to let NJ bat and hopefully walk, then PH Po for Teixera, who's scuffling every bit as mightily as NJ.
[88] For a second I read that as "PR Po for Tex"..that would have been an "interesting" move..
[88] since thornton was still the pitcher - i would have given serious thought to bringing tims in. ozzie would definitely have gone ahead and brought santos in - but it would get thornton out, keep the option of retroactively putting po on the dl if needed, and you don't leave tex's glove by pinch hitting for him (which would never have happened anyway). tims has a decent chance of hitting a sac fly even against a rhp.
Do the O's HAVE to lose to Boston?? Is it part of the CBA or something?
GO GO Joba!!
Nice play, Derek.
He never used to make that play.
[90] I like that move as well.
In the meanwhile, I see we have entered the BP roulette part of the game, only tonight Marte successfully LOOGYed. I'm feeling tooptimistic.
[82] Mmmmmm.
[93] Marte just didn't get the job done.
Aww, fuck, nice play.
[91] maybe not - tejada just homered! tie game.
Oooh..Miguel Tejada with the tater off of Daniel Lightning Bard! Go Go Go O's!!
[97] Yo thelarmis, drumming chat the other night when you were not around. I'll fill you in later after the game if you are around (and if Mrs. Jazz doesn't kick me off the laptop..)
[99] i missed the drumming chat, but i saw that my boy "cult" mentioned a certain blonde announcer for the oreo's. turns out, she's adorable...
I have the White Sox announcers, by the way. They are about to concede the game, because Mo's in.
Not tooptimistic, are they?
[101] They Gone!
Cutter's moving three feet tonight. At least that 0-2 did.
Again. Man, that's some break.
[101] you still in hoosier territory?
[106] Yep.
Not far from Chicago, actually. About 100 miles.
That was nasty.
Yum.
one day frankie is going to drill the shit out of the batter after catching the 3rd strike and throwing it to 3rd base
of course, the shit sox are threatening...
rays lost. too bad bannister didn't get the win. i dig Banny!
Thanks be to Mo.
Mariano Rivera, ladies and gentlemen.
my my my - that was sublime.
i really liked this win.
Praise be to Mo!
i love Mo.
Cap'n, too!
at least jeter is aware he got a bit hack happy for a stretch there.
Ohhhh.
Down goes Papi, swinging, leaving two ducks. They go to the bottom of the ninth.
Big Papi whiffs! (shocking). Whew..thought the O's pen would walk in the go-ahead runs again..
fat papi just struck out in the 9th w/ 2 on.
i hope the oreo's walkoff on papelbitch
[118 / 119] great minds drink alike! in a few minutes, i'll crack my 1st sierra of the night. cheers to you guys and our pinstriped heroes.
cliff lee about to make his debut. facing tejas at home...
Hm, no Papelbon. i wonder why not. Ramirez.
[117] Indeed.
[114] [116] Hey, and classic Andy, too. Even on a bad day he can keep us in the ballgame.
[121] Nice! another 7 hrs till beer-time here, Fusion Miles Davis night tonight at my monthly jazz club gathering, Live-Evil ahoy!!
[125] i'll prolly have just closed shop about 7 hours from now...
i'm mostly in a (thrash) metal mood the last few days...
[123] and ramirez mowed 'em down. : /
and albers returns the favor!
Adam Jones. I knew I liked that kid.
adam jones w/ a 1-out double. i hope he steals 3rd on vagitek...
But still no Papelbon. Huh.
[131] maybe he's a pitched a bunch recently? or not feeling well, or something...
Hey, I have a "live look-in" at mlb.com...
Oh.. that was a pitch to hit.
sub optimal. weiters forgot to eat his wheaties...
c'mon tejada. you tied it, now win it. like jeter did! : )
[132] I think he did pitch a lot against Toronto, but yesterday they had the day off.
I don't know if this is good new or bad, but the Midget leads the Sox in HR with 6, and has a .916 OPS.
Would you walk Tejada in this situation?
BOOM!
Ahhhhhhh.
Nice.
sweet!
So, [138] yes.
That was fun.
See youse guys tomorrow.