Evidently, the scars left by Rob Mackowiak's misadventures in center field have forced Ozzie Guillen into playing Brian Anderson. B.A. has seen -- hold onto your hats --
TWO FULL INNINGS OF ACTION in the last
two games as a late-inning defensive replacement.
Maybe it's baby steps towards more effective usage, but unfortunately, I think that's where he's going to stay, because now even
Kenny Williams is bringing up winter ball for Anderson:
"So if it only turns out Brian gets 250 [at-bats] here, he has to go to winter
ball. It's not an option because he has to make up that time."
Ozzie
mentioned winter ball a few days ago, and now Kenny raises the topic.
Winter ball. In
April. With the guy ahead of him, Darin Erstad, playing as well as Anderson did in the first month of the season. At this point, I'm almost hoping they send Anderson somewhere and replace him with Luis Terrero, because Terrero exactly the type of AAAA talent you can bury on the bench. Going off the quotes in the Merkin column, I think Anderson wouldn't mind a change of scenery himself.
That's not saying Anderson is capable of handling a regular major-league job in center field, but it started to look like he could towards the second half of last season -- something nobody on the current Sox roster can claim. Sadly, it doesn't appear that anybody in the White Sox system cares to find out more.
****************
Minor league round-up:- Ottawa 5, Charlotte 4
- Lance Broadway threw an efficient quality start -- 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 2 K on 87 pitches. He was pulled after running into trouble in the seventh, giving up an RBI single.
- The Gonzalezes -- Wiki and Andy -- each stole a base. They also both committed errors, with Wiki's dropped ball on a fielder's choice in the eighth leading to Ottawa's game-winning rally. Dwayne Pollok was the hard-luck loser.
- Andy Gonzalez went 2-for-4, and currently sports a line of .344/.417/.656. His glove may be the only thing keeping him from a major-league utility role.
- Josh Fields went 0-for-4, sinking his average below the Mendoza Line once again (.196).
- Montgomery 3, Birmingham 2
- Like Broadway, Wes Whisler threw a quality but unremarkable start -- seven hits, three runs, three walks and no strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Whisler only has six strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings this year, yet owns a 2.65 ERA.
- Robert Valido went 2-for-3, and is 7-for-16 since being dropped from second to ninth.
- Hot-hitting Chris Getz hit second today, while Sean Smith and his .184 average led off. Smith drew the collar and struck out with a runner in scoring position to end the game. Getz went 1-for-3.
- Winston-Salem 5, Wilmington 4
- Catcher Cole Armstrong had a big day at the plate -- two homers and 3 RBI.
- Clayton Richard put up a nice line: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K., but Brian Omogrosso blew the save and earned the win for himself.
- Victor Mercedes won the game with a walk-off RBI single.
- Kannapolis vs. Charleston PPD