Sox Machine: Chicago White Sox blog

Second game leftovers

More video and photos will be on the way, but three hours in 85-degree heat, nine holes of golf and a couple of beers later, I'm pretty tired.  Here's the rundown of who did what in the second spring training game of the season:

PITCHING

*Jose Contreras looked sharp, throwing a lot of strikes and getting hitters on their heels.  The only run came after Marcus Giles hit a weak single, stole second and advanced to third when Paul Phillips' throw skipped away, then scored on a sac fly.  The only oddity was that he seemed to induce a heaping helping of fly balls, but it's a great start for the Count either way.

*Scott Linebrink didn't have much today, giving up three straight singles at one point before getting a grounder to Alexei Ramirez, which he turned into a 6-3 double play.

*Adam Russell has the stuff, but he also has control issues.  He started his outing off by walking Giles after getting ahead in the count 0-2.  Fortunately, he made a great pickoff move, and Giles' attempted dive back to first left him well short of the bag.

*Carlos Vasquez's fastball has plenty of pop, and the only blemish on his scoreless inning was a pitch that grazed Seth Smith's jersey.

*Oneli Perez gave up three straight singles to start his innin, then retired the next three he faced.

HITTING

*Check out highlights for Alexei Ramirez and Nick Swisher with video.

*Brian Anderson had another solid day at the park, with two singles and two RBI.  He's still highly susceptible to that low and outside slider, though.

*Paul Konerko likes using right field right now

*Jeff Liefer showed he still has power, blasting a shot over the fence that was first ruled fair before an ump overruled the call, then flying out to the warning track in right-center, some 400 feet away.

FIELDING

*Joe Crede only had one play come his way -- a chopper -- and his throw to first sailed on him.  Konerko made a nice play to leap and placed a tag on Garrett Atkins' helmet to end the inning.

*Pablo Ozuna made a couple nice plays behind second base: a soft liner that he tracked down, and a grounder that he snagged and threw to first pretty quickly, although it just barely wasn't in time.

*Ramirez had a great day with the glove, which you can read about here.

UPDATE:  Photos are up.

A better look at Alexei Ramirez (more video)

If you failed to be enthralled by Alexei Ramirez during his first appearance Wednesday, in which he walked and that was about it, Thursday provided a little more action:



Not included is his defense, which included a terrific backhanded stab and throw from deep in the hole.  His arm, while not as strong as Juan Uribe's or anything, is plenty good for the position.  He also made a play ranging across second base (he was shaded heavily toward the bag, but he could go to his left), and also turned a 6-3 double play with the help of a nice Paul Konerko pick. 

In short, there is a lot to like about this guy.  To name a few:

No. 1:  Versatility.  He's a natural at short, which means he should be able to handle second once he gets enough reps at the position.  From what I've read, people seem more certain about his abilities in center field than second, which seems promising.

No. 2:  Speed.  He won't be a part in station-to-station ball.  He hasn't shown what he's capable of in the basestealing department, so we will have to wait for that.  My dad thinks Jeff Cox gave him an earful for sliding into third base headfirst on the sacrifice bunt.

No. 3:  Contact.  On his last hit, he pretty much raised his hands to chest level to get the barrel on it.  The result was a soft liner single to center.  For somebody with a long swing, he manages to get the bat on the ball.  I think it's more enhanced by Tadahito Iguchi Syndrome -- when he misses, he looks awful doing it.

That long swing probably has a hole it in somewhere, and once pitchers figure out how to exploit it, we'll see how sturdy Ramirez's hitting skills are.  In the meantime, Kenny Williams' four-year, $4.5 million investment looks pretty smart at this juncture.

Swisher sweet leading off in debut

Nick Swisher hit at the top of the order in his spring training debut with the White Sox today, which turned out to be a rare 12-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies.

Ozzie put him there likely because he wanted to get Swisher as many at-bats as possible, but maybe Swisher's performance today gave him some ideas, writes Mark Gonzalez:


Of course, Gonzalez also writes that Guillen needs Orlando Cabrera in the second spot, and Pablo Ozuna isn't out of the running either, so let's not jump to any conclusions.

If Swisher needs an endorsement from a third party he trusts before making up his mind, maybe Cabrera should be the one to suggest it.  It was only earlier this week that he told Gonzalez:


That's precisely what Swisher did at the top of the order today, and it's because he's not uncomfortable with two strikes on him.



Twice today, he fell behind in the count 0-2.  On the first occasion, he ended up drawing a walk; the second time, he fouled off two pitches before striking out swinging.

He's going to crack triple digits in strikeouts because he's that willing to take two strikes if they're not to his liking.  Hopefully that one stat column doesn't dissuade Ozzie from going in this direction, because when opposing pitchers have to face Swisher and Thome in their first inning of work, they'll know they have a challenge from the get-go.

In the field, Swisher looked OK.  He's not as smooth as Jerry Owens, as he showed when he made an awkward sliding catch against his stomach in the first inning.  But he doesn't have Rob Mackowiak's nervous feet, either.  Outfielders have far more ground to cover at Hi Corbett Field than at U.S. Cellular Field, so hopefully by the end of spring training, the whole thing will seem easier to him.

First game leftovers

Above are some assorted highlights of the White Sox's first spring training game, and below are some assorted thoughts:

HITTING

*Orlando Cabrera used the entire outfield in his three at-bats, hitting a semi-hard liner to right, a near-homer to left-center, and then a bloop double just inside the left field line.

*Brian Anderson had a decent day at the plate, but he couldn't quite come through when he could really make an impact.  He struck out twice to end innings, once with the bases loaded when John Koronka threw him three out of the strike zone to begin the at-bat, and the other with two on to end the game.

*Josh Fields looks good at the plate, but I'm still wondering what's up with his speed.  He didn't score from first on Anderson's second-inning double when it seemed like he had enough time, especially with two outs.

*Brad Eldred is a huge guy, but he showed some nice bat control with a short, opposite-field single to right.  Paul Konerko did the same thing earlier.

PITCHING

*John Danks threw his cutter to an opposing team for the first time, and you can see the write-up here.

*Bobby Jenks looked good, throwing strikes -- except for one pitch that Matt Holliday embedded into the batter's eye, at about two-thirds of its height.  It was a good 450-foot double.

*Ehren Wassermann struck out Todd Helton, the only lefty he faced all day.

*Dewon Day looked terrible -- and he needed a nice basket catch down the right field line from Juan Uribe to get one of those outs.

*Andy Sisco threw a 1-2-3 inning his first time up, and then was beat around the park in his second inning of work.

*Lucas Harrell didn't allow any real solid contact for the four Double-A and Triple-A batters he faced.

DEFENSE

*Fields handled everything he could get to, although he was charged with an error when Paul Konerko couldn't make a dig he usually makes.

*Konerko also had a behind-the-back flip that didn't work out in Danks' first inning.

*Cabrera got a glove on a ball to his right, but he couldn't snag it.  That's one of those plays Juan Uribe makes with a strong throw off his back foot.  Cabrera did make up for it with a 6-4 double play to erase his runner.

*Uribe did everything right in his return to second, including the basket catch.

*Jason Bourgeois looks quite able in center field, reading balls off the wall well, calling others off and making good throws.

*Brian Anderson battled the sun for a couple difficult catches in left.

It wasn't a bad way to start the season, but it's a little disheartening to watch the Sox outhit the Rockies 13-9, but only get three runs out of it.  They left 15 on base, and an inability to cash in opportunities killed them last year.

By the way, I'm now 0-9 at spring training games.

Danks debuts his cutter

While John Danks made his 2008 spring training debut Wednesday, his new cutter made its worldwide debut.  Take a look at his work in the second inning:



Danks looked pretty good in his two innings, aside from giving up his requisite homer to Troy Tulowitzki and then walking Todd Helton on four pitches afterward.

His defense didn't help him out much.  Josh Fields made a barehanded play on a Matt Holliday chopper, and while his throw was low, it was on line, and the hop was something Paul Konerko would scoop eight or nine out of 10 times.

This being the first play of the game, Konerko missed it.  He also tried a fancy behind-the-back flip on a ball that ricocheted off Danks' foot.  Instead of flipping it to Danks, who was covering first, he flipped it straight up in the air, allowing another runner to reach base.

Danks settled down in the second, as you can see above, and although it was against the bottom of the Rockies' order, it appears that the cutter will give him some help against righties.  Wily Taveras himself had fits -- he struck out looking on three pitches the first time, then was jammed to the core his second time up.

A first look at Alexei Ramirez

Sorry about the technical difficulties last evening.  In the meantime, here's some footage of Alexei Ramirez's first spring training game:



He's starting in today's game at Hi Corbett, so I will get more video and photos of him there . Hopefully he'll do something more exciting than take four of five pitches, although I'm not complaining about him walking.

And away we go

Against all odds (and a pretty sizable snowstorm), it appears that the first leg of my flight is on time.  If all goes well, I'll arrive in Tucson about 30 minutes before first pitch.

Here's hoping I have video of John Danks' new cutter at the end of the day.  If you have any other photo/video requests, feel free to drop 'em here.

Intrasquad superstars

Monday's intrasquad game had a number of heroes -- although Nick Swisher wasn't one of them.  Here's a brief effort trying to sort through the hype:

Jerry Owens:  If you hadn't heard, Owens and Orlando Cabrera combined for some first-inning awesomeness, when Owens laid down a bunt single and scored on a Cabrera double, delighting those in attendance.  The Cheat already debunked the comparisons to 2005, and there is the question about why Owens wasn't taught to bunt earlier in his career, as well.

I'm not necessarily worried about Carlos Quentin's future yet, though.  Once he's going through all the drills, we'll hear how he's really impressing Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams, that he's in tremendous shape, etc.

Orlando Cabrera:  Along with the double, he also added a sacrifice fly.  He led the league in sac flies last year, so he appears to be picking up where he's left off.  Also good news: He isn't saying anything about wanting to stay in Chicago yet.

Andy Sisco:  Joe Cowley got to the bottom of Ed Farmer's crossword puzzle story (way to go, Aardsma!), and also confirms that Sisco is no longer a starter.  He is using a more compact delivery, for what it's worth, and pitched a scoreless inning during the interleague game.

On a related note, the St. Petersburg Times' John Romano wrote about Jeff Niemann, the 6-foot-9-inch Rays pitching prospect who's had problems getting his delivery down.  He thinks that taller pitchers are invariably late bloomers, which isn't a bad theory on its face.

Alexei Ramirez:  The guy hasn't played in anything close to a real major-league game yet, but when even Greg Walker says his swing is long, then there has to be a problem with it.  Still, he's getting rave endorsements:

• Scott Merkin: I really believe Ramirez is going to emerge from camp with the starting job at second base.
• Ozzie Guillen:  I like what I see.  You see this kid take ground balls. To impress me taking ground balls takes a lot. I see this kid taking ground balls next to Orlando Cabrera and that impressed me.

He also nearly took Gavin Floyd deep, but a lot of people almost take Gavin Floyd deep -- when they don't, in fact, take him deep.  I still don't see him making the team out of spring training, but if Danny Richar doesn't show up soon, the path is a little easier for him.

And considering the way the Sox liked the way Floyd threw in bullpen sessions, it's kind of strange that nobody has said anything about how he threw in the game.

O Captain! my Captain! -- what is it you do, exactly?

New White Sox third base coach Jeff Cox had the reputation of expressing unbridled joy about his position.  Sox players got their first hit of it during baserunning hour Sunday, the Daily Herald's Scot Gregor writes:


Meanwhile, Scott Merkin reports that Jerry Owens wants to exponentially improve his bunting game.  Cox wasn't specifically mentioned in that segment of the story, but he figures to have a major impact in whether Owens can be dangerous without getting the ball out of the infield.

Cox is one of three strong personalities Guillen and Kenny Williams added to the clubhouse this offseason.  We have heard plenty about Nick Swisher and his swagger, and the other is Orlando Cabrera, who is widely credited with an ability to hold teammates accountable:


Gregor also adds that Cabrera and Guillen had a long talk about how to whip the middle infield into shape.

From here, we naturally segue to Joe Cowley's story about Paul Konerko's difficult year wearing the "C."  Some of Konerko's more interesting quotes:

• "There were some instances early on that I definitely think I dropped the ball. I could have said something or did something that, who knows, maybe it would have changed the direction."
• "The clubhouse, especially after you play so many games, it can get into a rut where come 6 p.m. or 6:30, guys aren't focused on the game, and everybody is included in that. Set the ground rules that when the clock strikes this time, 'OK, all that stuff is over, let's get going.'"
• ''It's just a matter of each guy saying, 'I know what I have to do to get ready. I have to do what I can and not have someone else tell me.' But with some of the other stuff -- playing cards, doing some other stuff -- we need some ground rules, and we need to stick to them."

Konerko vows to be more vocal this year, which is all well and good, but it seems like there will be less of a need for it than ever before.  Cabrera has adopted the title of "field general" three days into camp, Swish-a-licious almost enjoys answering questions a little too much, and Cox will be to the Chicago beat writers what Rich Donnelly is to Jayson Stark.

On top of that, Ozzie won't be just Ozzie, but Ozzie to the Maxxx (the extra x's are for extra x-pletives)!  Factor in the airtime these guys will consume, and it's hard to see how there will be any silence or space in print for Konerko to get words in edgewise.

Not that this is a bad thing.  Konerko didn't exactly clamor for the captaincy to begin with, because he's naturally more of an Eeyore than a leader.  It's worked for him thus far in his career, so it's not a knock -- it's just an attitude that doesn't transfer well.

It'll be interesting to monitor the team dynamic throughout the season and see what kind of verbal impact Paulie makes.  It's not as easy to change when the impetus is gone, so while he may want to force himself to speak up, he may find he doesn't have to anymore.

Secret Weapon Sunday

Pablo Ozuna and his guaranteed contract go under the microscope for the 2008 season.  He's No. 14, or twice the number of RBIs I've predicted for him.

In other news, remember what I was saying about Mike MacDougal helping Joe Crede by hitting him in the hand?  Check this out:


You better believe he is.

Gonzalez also wrote an entire story about Nick Swisher without using "swagger."  The jury's out on Joe Cowley's version, since as of now, there was an error with the webbing of the story and there's no text to be found.  The anticipation is killing me.

A return to normalcy

After an abysmal one-year break, the White Sox resumed a winning tradition as Ozzie Guillen dubbed Mark Buehrle opening day starter. 

It's the sixth time in seven years Buehrle has taken the mound for the first game of the season, and his third against the Cleveland Indians.  The Sox have won the previous two Opening Days against the Indians when Buehrle has taken the mound, although he didn't get credit for the victory in the rain-delayed 2006 opener.

Fun fact:  Buehrle owns a 2.27 ERA on Opening Day over the last seven years -- other Sox starters on Opening Day have an ERA of 63.00.  You can look it up!

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Because it's spring training, let's not look at Mike MacDougal injuring Joe Crede's hand with a fastball as a bad thing.

As you may recall, Crede's magical transformation into a major-league hitter began with a pitch to the hand, breaking his finger during a bunt attempt in late August 2005.  He figured out what was wrong with his approach during his time off, then became an offense force for roughly the next calendar year.

So MacDougal isn't carrying his control problems into a new season -- he's merely helping a teammate back to glory.

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Spring training round-up:

*Ozzie Guillen didn't take long to begin busting Alexei Ramirez's balls.  Joe Cowley reports on an early contender for a top spring training quote:


*We've gone over the Sox's on-base issues at the top of the order before, but Mark Gonzalez begins sorting out how Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera could change things.

*Juan Uribe is ready to win the second base job, and Ozzie is happy with his attitude thus far.

Oddly enough, I haven't found anything about Uribe's conditioning, good or bad.  There are two ways to look at that:

Glass half empty:   Since most spring training profiles say the subject is in great shape -- or "phenomenal," in Jim Thome's base -- the absence of that note could indicate Uribe is still above playing weight.

Glass half full:  Since there's no word of any Sox coach or official being displeased with Uribe's carriage, we're to assume he's fit enough.

Spring training photo/video requests

Since it's a slow news day -- unless you think Tomo Ohka deserves his own spotlight -- and I'm worn out from a heckuva show, I figure it's a good time to ask what you'd like to see when I hit spring training for five days next week.

Feel free to be specific as you like, and don't worry about being too demanding.  I'm not going to be able to get everything for everybody, because I'm just one guy and I don't get paid for this, but I don't want any good ideas to go unsaid.

I have a few questions that will help me out in terms of prioritizing, but you can add anything else you think of:

No. 1:  Any specific players you'd like to see, whether in the major- or minor-league camp?

The more obscure, the better in my book.  Last year on my Charlotte trip, somebody asked for pictures and footage of journeyman reliever Jake Robbins.  It's not like there's an abundance of Jake Robbins media out there, so I was happy to oblige.

No. 2:  Do you prefer shorter, numerous individual clips, or longer, more encompassing packages?

Here's an example of the latter, piecing together footage from last year's B game:



No. 3:  How important are the pitcher delivery pages?  And are my scouting reports of any value?  (For examples, see Gavin Floyd, Danny Richar, and Lance Broadway)

Go nuts.

More Danks, more honeys, and a helluva lot more swagger

Since Kenny Williams has offered no comment on the Bartolo Colon situation (damn blogs), let's enter Day 3 of John Danks discussion.

Here's some good news -- he is working on a cutter, and Josh Fields is impressed:


Fields can hit lefty fastballs as good as anybody on the Sox, so on one hand, his words are encouraging.  On the other hand, I doubt he's say something like, "I've seen better."

Still, a cutter has allowed Buehrle to reduce the amount of solid contact off him, and he throws 3-5 m.p.h. slower than Danks.  He could break some bats if he gets a hang of this pitch.

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Jerry Owens has set his sights on 65 stolen bases, which I hope doesn't have a chance of happening.

It's certainly not unrealistic.  He stole 32 bases last year in 398 plate appearances.  If you extrapolate it to 675 -- a number I kind of pulled out of my butt, but seems to be a good number for a guy batting leadoff around 150-55 games a year), that gives him 55 steals.  Give him a little boost in his OBP and a better knowledge of how to run on major-league pitchers, and he could hit 65.  It would require just about everything going right for him, but that's why people set goals.

On the other hand, if Owens were to get 675 at-bats, that would mean that Carlos Quentin never factored into the equation, or somebody else got hurt.  So for that reason, I'm going to be rooting against Owens as it stands.  But if you want to prove me wrong by putting up a .400 OBP, Jerry, don't let me stop you.

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Speaking of the outfield, watching the videos on WhiteSox.com, Ozzie Guillen talked about how he might juggle the outfield with Owens, Quentin and Nick Swisher vying for playing time:


I doubt there's anything that could change his mind.

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Guillen also mentioned the outfielder time forgot, Brian Anderson, as a rotation candidate.  Joe Cowley caught up with him, and true to form, his story included the word "honeys" three times in the first five grafs, which is just terrific.

Anderson, to his credit, said all the right things this time around.  But for some reason, I found his quote at the end of Scott Merkin's notes the most amusing:


I don't know why I laughed.  I think it's the odd attribution to a specific friend for a seemingly superficial saying.

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Danny Richar's first spring with the Sox is off to a rocky start -- if you can call it a start.  He's having visa problems, and Ozzie and Kenny aren't happy:


If it's any comfort to Richar, visa delays didn't stop Gustavo Molina from being completely terrible for the first two months of the season last year.

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Did the Sox trade for Nick Swisher or Nick Swagger?  Time for another edition of SwaggerWatch!

Merkin:  "'Why do you gotta say it like that?' asked Swisher with a broad smile on his face, after a reporter inquired if he had that mean swagger Guillen sought."

Scot Gregor:  "'I love playing the game, and if it comes off like that, hey, some people look at it like that,'' Swisher said of his swagger."

Teddy Greenstein:  "'He's the perfect fit for our station,' program director Mitch Rosen said. 'He has Chicago swagger.'"

John Mutka:  "Swisher brings a certain swagger to the South Side."

AP:  "Just two days ago Guillen said he wanted his players to be a little mean and to have a swagger about them after struggling to a 72-90 record a year ago.  Swisher and Guillen could be a perfect combination."

Cowley: "Swisher and Cabrera have some swagger to them. That's something our team has lacked." -- Greg Walker.  (Note: Article from January 24th -- not sure how I missed that one).

Cowley also mentioned "swagger" in a blog item about Swisher, but what precedes it is gold:


"Swish-a-licious"?  This is going to be awesome.

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And while on the subject of Swagger, Flogging Molly calls tonight.  If there's no post Friday morning, that's why.

If fruits don't lie, Colon looms

Hat tip to South Side Sox and SoxTalk for alerting me to the news from Impacto Deportivo, which says the White Sox and Bartolo Colon have reached a preliminary agreement.  Or, to put it in the words of Google Translator:


I'll reserve full judgment until this report is verified and the terms are disclosed, but my first impression is that this better be a minor-league deal.  Given Colon's health issues and the fact that he's not even close to 100 percent, I don't see how there are more reasons to be optimistic about Colon's future than that of Gavin Floyd, who is out of options.  Nor does John Danks' baptism by fire in the rotation for an entire year seem to be a wise move.

I also can't see him as a viable long reliever, considering his health and that he didn't seem to hit his stride until 50 pitches in or so during his tour with the Sox in 2003.  So unless one of the starters didn't show up to spring training in the "best shape of their lives" -- and seriously, what are the odds of that ever happening? -- the only way signing Colon makes sense is if he starts the season in Charlotte.

But, like I said, there's no point in saying any more until official -- or official-er -- word comes out.  Although I do loves me some fruits.

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Following up on Danks' preview, here are some assorted stats to give Danks' flaws some context:

First PA						Second PA
Pitcher	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pitcher	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
Buehrle	270	.192	.246	.332	.576	Vazquez	289	.223	.279	.367	.646
Vazquez	295	.266	.308	.456	.764	Garland	283	.276	.320	.410	.730
Garland	293	.275	.328	.454	.782	Contreras	272	.293	.348	.426	.774
Contreras	295	.288	.366	.440	.806	Buehrle	261	.303	.341	.480	.821
Danks	236	.238	.322	.485	.807	Danks	230	.287	.341	.493	.834
Floyd	130	.267	.323	.517	.840	Floyd	104	.301	.359	.559	.918
Third+ PA						Ahead/Behind
Pitcher	PA	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	Pitcher	0-1		Pitcher	1-0
Garland	307	.259	.307	.379	.688	Vazquez	.539		JG	.801
Vazquez	298	.236	.281	.409	.690	Buehrle	.618		MB	.805
Buehrle	304	.308	.344	.437	.781	Garland	.675		JV	.854
Contreras	291	.330	.375	.485	.860	Contreras	.710		GF	.871
Floyd	80	.352	.397	.465	.862	Danks	.761		JD	.950
Danks	156	.370	.420	.587	1.007	Floyd	.776		JC	.961

I can't say how much to make of these numbers, but it's kind of fun to look at.  To me, at least.  Some thoughts sorted by pitcher:

Javier Vazquez:  In short, he's the man.  He pretty much enjoyed the opposite experience in 2007 compared to the year before, as he grew stronger as the game went on.  I'm a little surprised by the OPS allowed when he throws a first pitch ball.

Mark Buehrle:  I was a little surprised at how much he shut down hitters through the first turn, and that he owned the highest batting average allowed the second time around.  Thank goodness he doesn't walk many.  I would also think he'd get hit a little harder when he's behind in the count, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Jose Contreras:  Just had a bad season no matter how you slice it.  I think anybody who has watched him knows that he's a much different pitcher when he can put that forkball in the dirt ahead 0-2 or 1-2.

Gavin Floyd:  The reason why his 1-0 count doesn't look all that bad is because his first pitches were hammered.  Four of his 17 homers allowed came that way, and his first-pitch OPS was 1.257.  Vazquez was next-worst at 1.008.  Otherwise, his early shellings basically ruin any chance of looking good in any of these categories.

Jon Garland:  I think people are going to miss him more than they realize.

I'm going to wait a little while before doing Floyd's preview, since a potential Colon signing could gum it all up, but I'd be curious to see how much those numbers changed after returning to the rotation in September and pitching well enough to stay there.  Right now, he's the only guy making Danks look promising by comparison.

Danks previewed; other stuff, too (updated)

I'm starting to get into hairy territory with previewing Sox players, with most of those remaining good candidates to either start the season in Triple-A, get injured or get traded.  But if John Danks didn't return to Triple-A during the second half last year, I doubt he's doing to do it again.  Thus, Danks makes Preview No. 13 for the 2008 Sox, as we crack into the second half of the 25-man roster.

I'm not a big Danks fan, or at least a fan of his ability to keep the ball in the park, so I'd be interested in hearing from those more optimistic about his future success than I am.

UPDATE:  Along with Danks' struggles against batters facing him the second and third time in a game, the Cheat also compares numbers between Danks' success against a team the first time around, and his problems with them in the following starts.

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Now here's good news: Palehose 8 has begun.

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Some fun questions in Scott Merkin's mailbag, such as:

1. Why didn't the Sox sign Livan Hernandez?
2. Why can't the Sox trade Josh Fields?

The first one is understandable, if someone were not up to date on Hernandez's career arc.  He's a better name than he is a pitcher -- though I'd love to see how those 34 homers allowed in Arizona would translate to the Cell, factoring in a smaller park, better league with a DH, and another year into Hernandez's 30s.  We'll get some idea watching him in the Metrodome.

Thankfully, Merkin's first response to the second question was "Trading Fields doesn't make any sense."  He's nicer than I am.

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Spring training grab bag:

*Jim Thome is in camp, and like everybody else, he's not just in great shape -- he's in phenomenal shape.

*Ozzie Guillen likes the cut of Gavin Floyd's jib so far.

*Javier Vazquez appears to be the frontrunner for starting opening day.  Whoever it is, let's just hope he's better than last year's.

¡Profundo! thoughts

Reading Joe Cowley's blog today, I couldn't help but notice one thing:


OK, two things:


I don't want to risk blowing up a Buehrle quote, because he speaks plainly and in a straightforward manner, and nobody in the organization seems to hold it against him.  But when you pair it with a Kenny Williams quote from late November...


...is anybody else getting the idea that people don't seem to take Uribe seriously?

Either way, Mark Gonzalez reports Uribe holds no bitterness and is ready to compete for the second base job, according to Pablo Ozuna.

Crede and Ozzie report; pitchers and catchers do, too

White Sox pitchers and catchers reported to spring training Saturday, and it's no surprise that the talk of Tucson involved neither.

Unless Nick Masset's weight is of concern to you, that is.

Instead, The Joe Crede Situation was taken up a notch, while Ozzie Guillen warmed up his jaw.  To summarize:

No. 1: The Joe Crede Situation

Crede showed up to Tucson in good health...


...and then denied earlier reports that Kenny Williams offered him a multi-year contract.


Williams clarified:


Mark Buehrle opined:


This means:  Not much.  I can sympathize with Buehrle and the rest of the defense-dependent pitching staff, but the end of the Josh Left Fields experiment signaled the end of the Crede era to me.

The San Francisco Chronicle says the Sox will accept prospects instead of proven big-league pitching, which sounds better to me than Noah Lowry.  Still waiting for the sad ending.

No. 2: Ozzie Guillen's spring training

Hoping for a kindler, gentler, less conspicuous Oz?  You're out of luck:


Hoping to see Ozzie in the nude?  Keep your fingers crossed:


And how will that change spring training?

This means:  That it should be a fun year. But like a lot of what Ozzie says, I think he's exaggerating his "laid-back" attitude just a little.

He wasn't exactly genteel in the first half.  He chewed out Mike North and A.J. Pierzynski, said Brian Anderson wasn't a baseball player, criticized Scott Podsednik for his brittleness, made fun of his hitters' numbers and their propensity to strike out, called out Juan Uribe, threatened to deport all his relievers and threw Tadahito Iguchi under the bus for missing two bunts.  And I'm sure there are a few other instances I missed, too.

Guillen mellowed some after the Sox officially fell out of contention, and his critcism became less direct.  Maybe this is what he's comparing his current attitude to, but I think he knows pyrotechnics would have been pointless.  Look no further than his roster, on which at various points he had three outfielders with five homers between them, a shortstop unable to play two days in a row because of a sore elbow, a catcher with one functioning shoulder, a pitcher going through an ugly divorce, a corps of relievers that may not have made the cut in Tampa, and a veritable crapload of rookies, none of them polished enough to make graceful transitions to the big leagues, two of whom were routinely playing out of position, and one of whom was the worst White Sox player in recent history.

Ozzie had plenty of opportunities to blow up.  For instance, he could've ripped Andy Gonzalez a new one for committing three errors in one game, but why bother?  It's not like Gonzalez wasn't putting in work and trying hard -- he was a rookie with a golden opportunity to earn a roster spot.  He just wasn't good, and Ozzie berating him for that fact wouldn't have made him any better.  The circumstances forced him to let his players play while he held his tongue.

Now he can raise his expectations, because the new additions have their own set.  I think we can all agree Orlando Cabrera, Nick Swisher and Scott Linebrink have slightly better track records than Gonzalez, Luis Terrero and Dewon Day.

Furthermore, Fields, Jerry Owens and John Danks saw enough regular playing time to officially expect more from them.  Gavin Floyd has the opportunity of a lifetime and momentum from September.  Jermaine Dye received an extension and trade protection, Jose Contreras is a new man, and Toby Hall is healthy.

In other words, he has big leaguers on his roster, and he can go back to treating them like big leaguers.  Ozzie's not changing his M.O. -- it's more like he's resuming it.

The spirit of 77

Last year, Baseball Prospectus projected the White Sox to finish with a 72-90 record.  The Sox scoffed:


Sure enough, the Sox finished 72-90.  PECOTA had massively underrated the Sox for years, so when zooming out, it's not as impressive as it first appears.  However, it does make this year's projection worth paying attention to.

The prediction? 77-85, 780 runs scored, 822 runs allowed.

Now we play the waiting game...

Spring training battleground: Second base

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Juan Uribe:  Uribe lost his starting shortstop job due to his maddeningly undisciplined plate approach, which became harder to forgive as weight gain lessened his range in the field.  He could return to his roots, as he began his White Sox career as a utility man in 2004 and played more than half his 134 games at second.

Danny Richar:  Kenny Williams traded Aaron Cunningham to acquire Richar June 16, 2007, in the process naming him the heir apparent to Tadahito Iguchi.  Richar had no problems in Charlotte but took his time figuring out big-league pitching.  He appeared on the cusp of getting it before a season-ending slump relegated him to a question mark.

Pablo Ozuna:  Injuries have defused the Secret Weapon the last year and a half, starting with a hamstring pull June 30, 2006 after singling to lead off a game against the Cubs, which raised his average to .432.  Since then, he's hit .240 with a .277 on-base percentage, worse than Uribe.  He broke his leg stepping on bag wrong May 27, though the tough SOB still made it to second for a double.

Alexei Ramirez:  The Sox took a flier on the Cuban Dec. 16, signing him to a four-year, $4.5 million contract.  He's a shortstop by nature, but has the ability to play second and center as well.

WHAT THEY BRING TO THE OFFENSE

Richar:  The sole lefty of the bunch, Richar's minor-league track record shows the potential to be the effective part of a platoon.  However, his major-league splits were balanced nearly perfectly in his first go-around.  He sported a favorable walk-strikeout ratio (14 to 25 in 149 at-bats) before crashing in the last two weeks.  He runs well, although it doesn't show in the stolen base column.

Ozuna:  Along with being the best contact hitter of the group, Ozuna has a flair for the dramatic.  You know the resume -- his first homer tying a game with two outs in the ninth inning, a walk-off bunt, two RBI on an infield single, etc.  He's a ball of energy who can implode on the basepaths.

Ramirez:  He hit .334 with a .518 slugging percentage in the Cuban League, whatever that means.  Has some speed, and though he tends to get caught stealing a lot, they like to run in the Carribbean leagues.

Uribe:  His all-or-nothing swing generates a lot of ¡Profundo! action, and he can carry a team with his hot streaks, although they're increasinly fewer and far between.  Has excelled at driving a runner home from third, and is usually goot for 20 homers and 65-75 RBI a year, against all odds.

WHAT THEY BRING TO THE DEFENSE

Ozuna:  He came up as a second baseman, though he's only played 13 games there since joining the Sox.  He could handle third base for a game at a time, and will get more time to react at second.

Ramirez:  To be determined.

Uribe:  He has the strongest arm of the bunch, and while he didn't match his peak as a shortstop the last two seasons, he's no slouch at the toughest position on the diamond.

Richar:  He made all the routine plays and turned two well in his limited stint in the majors last year, and has the most recent experience at second in this group.

HOLES IN THEIR BATS

Ramirez:  He hasn't played above Cuban League, which, at best, is equivalent to Double-A.

Uribe:  His batting average has dropped in four straight years, and while he nearly tripled his walk total from 2006 to 2007, he saw an increase in strikeouts and decrease in extra-base hits. Plus, after going 19-for-23 stealing bases in Colorado, he's 15-for-42 in Chicago.  There's no easy solution to what's ailing him.

Richar:  Greg Walker fixed him, and he's yet to recover.

Ozuna:  He has little patience and even less power, meaning that his offensive output is almost entirely dependent on smoke and mirrors, which works more than it should, somehow.

LIMITS IN THE FIELD

Uribe:  He hasn't played second in a couple years.

Richar:  Evidently, he had less range that it appeared, scoring second-worst in the American League in Chris Dial's zone rating-based system.

Ozuna:  As aforementioned, he's only played in a baker's dozen of games at second with the Sox.

Ramirez:  To be determined.

PREDICTING A WINNER

This is probably the hardest race to handicap, due to a number of factors:

• Uribe is making more than the other three combined.
• Uribe could be dealt before the start of the season.
• Ozuna is Ozzie Guillen's favorite.
• Ozuna hasn't played since May.
• Richar hit like mad in Charlotte, like sad in Chicago.
• Ramirez just got away from Castro.

On top of that, there's a bona fide dark horse in spring training invitee Jason Bourgeois, whose biggest obstacle is that he's not on the 40-man roster.  He hit .306/.365/.440 between Birmingham and Charlotte with 38 steals, and then went on to outperform Richar and Ramirez handily in winter ball.  If Ozzie is indeed moving toward an unforgiving, merit-based system in spring training that emphasizes small ball, all the other elements are right for Bourgeois to make a serious move if he keeps performing.

That could be a hidden implication of shipping out ol' ¡Profundo!  A Uribe trade could open the door for Bourgeois if the return is, say, an A-ball reliever (don't ask how I came up with that), freeing up a spot on the 40-man in the process.

Fearless prediction:  If Uribe stays and everybody performs to their Arizona-inflated standards, I can see a Uribe-Richar platoon to start the season, with Uribe backing up Josh Fields when Jim Thome needs time off.  If Uribe goes, I'd give Richar the inside track with Ozuna getting plenty of PT as well, though not in as regulated a tandem.  Ramirez and Bourgeois could be the keystone combination in Charlotte, if Bourgeois doesn't end up in the outfield there.

Spring training for scribes; A farewell to Lodi

Speaking of shaping up for spring, the Chicago Tribue is doing just that.  A rundown of their goods:

• Mark Gonzalez says the Orioles are looking at Juan Uribe in case Luis Hernandez falters, and why Mike MacDougal is not out of options.
• Phil Rogers rightfully says the Sox had two Mike Carusos in the lineup a game in 2007, although he goes easy on Andy Gonzalez.
• Gonzalez asks nine questions -- including "Will the players sign on to small ball?"  Ruh roh.
• How can an article documenting the Sox's struggles against lefties not use the words "Greg" and "Walker"?
• Kenny Williams might be the first guy to give Gavin Floyd some toughness points.
• Dave Van Dyck has a comment per player -- his thoughts on the invitees are about the same as mine, though he gives Brad Eldred a better shot.
• The Trib has Bill James projections?  Yowza.

Meanwhile, Joe Cowley examines the Nick Masset-Ehren Wassermann battle.  I'm guessing Masset will get every chance to prove why Williams thought he was desirable.  I'm guessing he won't take advantage of the opportunity.

************************

Former Sox player and scout Dario Lodigiani died at the age of 91.  He spent three years on the White Sox roster, and 42 years in the scouting department.

His territory was Northern California, and two of his most famous signees included Jack McDowell and Williams himself (Cowley has a statement from Williams on his blog).  He could say more than most people that without him, the Sox still may be suffering their World Series drought.

Two fun stories Lodigiani recently told from his playing days with the Sox:

No. 1:  Had an umpire given him the call, Lodigiani says he could've ended Joe DiMaggio's streak at 24 games:


No. 2:  Lodigiani was involved in the bizarre game in 1946 where 14 White Sox were ejected due to excessive bench-jockeying.  Initial reports claimed the most voice tossing the most explosive insults at the umpire didn't come from the third-base dugout in Comiskey Park, but rather from a ventriliquist in the stands.

Lodigiani dismissed that story:

Getting in shape for spring

He's serious about the shortstop battle, folks:


UPDATE: A dramatization:

Spring training battleground: Third outfielder

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Jerry Owens:  The Sox traded for Owens in February 2005, sending the DFA'd Alex Escobar to the Washington Nationals in exchange.  Escobar kept getting hurt; Owens began a steady ascent through the minor-league system, impeded slightly by a down year in Charlotte in 2006.  He received a September call-up at the end of that year, then stuck for good two stints later after injuries to Darin Erstad and Scott Podsednik ravaged the outfield.

Carlos Quentin:  Came to the Sox via a trade for power-hitting prospect Chris Carter Dec. 3, 2007.  Quentin had rated as one of the Diamondbacks' top prospects for a couple years after being selected first in the 2003 draft.  A non-throwing shoulder injury hampered him tremendously and opened the door for Justin Upton and Chris Young to claim spots instead.

WHAT THEY BRING TO THE OFFENSE

Quentin:  His first six major-league hits went for extra bases.  He owns a minor-league slugging percentage of .527, averaging 41 doubles per 150 games, and his OBP is even better (.413).  He gets hit by a ton of pitches and runs decently.  Even if he were the least powerful starting outfielder, the Sox would stand a good chance of setting a new franchise record for homers by an outfield trio.

Owens:  He's the fastest guy on the team, and finished eighth in the league with 32 stolen bases in 40 attempts despite only racking up 389 plate appearances.  For comparison, the other top 33 basestealers came to the plate at least 500 times apiece.  Has an OK command of the strike zone considering lack of power, and looked to be getting the hang of slapping and running for hits toward the end of the year (.396 OBP in September).

WHAT THEY BRING TO THE DEFENSE

Owens:  Unless we see a surprise spring surge by Brian Anderson, Owens will be the only true center fielder on the roster.   He has above-average range there. 

Quentin:  He rates as the best defensive corner outfielder on the roster, with reportedly a better arm than Jermaine Dye to boot.

HOLES IN THEIR BAT

Quentin:  Has yet to truly replicate his minor-league success, regressing after making a strong debut in 2006.  Most of his struggles are attributed to his shoulder and were compounded by too much mental baggage.  Based on limited major- and minor-league splits, Quentin actually hits righties better.

Owens:  Lack of power suggests that he faces a serious uphill climb to even come close to matching minor league OBP in .380-390 range.  Unless he gets fastballs, he's pretty much rendered ineffective by lefties.

LIMITS IN THE FIELD

Owens:  He has the weakest throwing arm of the group, as it never quite fully rebounded from shoulder surgery a few years ago.  Thus, he can't play right field, and it makes him a less effective center fielder in big outfields.

Quentin:  While he'd be great in left field, it'd be a waste of his talents.  He can't handle center, so his impact on the outfield as a whole will likely be diminished by the way he's utilized.

PREDICTING A WINNER

It's easy to knock Owens, because he doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence when watching him.  One thing that was a revelation to me, however, was their major-league strikeout-to-walk totals. Extrapolating Owens' 398 plate appearances to match Quentin's higher total of 454, and here's what you get:

• Quentin:  33 walks, 88 strikeouts
• Owens: 31 walks, 74 strikeouts

We can find ways to discredit Owens' advantage here -- Quentin has three times as many extra-base hits, owns a 11-3 HBP advantage, and he's been at less than 100 percent, while Owens hasn't had any major health issues.  Still, it's a reminder that Owens has come close to matching Quentin's output despite not nearly stacking up with regards to skills.  That's a credit to his work ethic, even though he's not allowed to work hard or care much, being from California and all.

Assuming Quentin can start Opening Day or close to it (because assuming otherwise would make this whole exercise pointless), he should enjoy a massive advantage in spring training, having spent time serious time at Tucson Electric Park as a member of the Diamondbacks' Triple-A team in each of the last three years.  Owens has never hit particularly well during spring (career line: .214/.329/.271), although he has succeeded in all 10 stolen base attempts.

However, it's going to be difficult to predict how figure how the biases will play out.  My guess is Kenny Williams wants Quentin, for whom he gave up arguably his top hitting prospect.  We know Ozzie Guillen prefers speed and action at the top of the order, so he would naturally lean toward Owens.  History has shown that Ozzie plays favorites, even in the face of inferior numbers.

If C.C. Sabathia starts for Cleveland, I'd peg Quentin for the Opening Day start.  If it's Fausto Carmona, then Owens would get the nod, since he's 3-for-7 with two walks against Carmona. 

After the first series...

Fearless prediction:  Owens will receive more plate appearances than Quentin in the first month of the season unless Owens completely craps the bed in Tucson.  Jim Thome's yearly DL stint in May will get Quentin into a regular rhythm, after which he'll take the bulk of the third outfielder at-bats.

Cop-out Tuesday

A couple quick links for Tuesday -- I have a couple of irons in the fire, but nothing ready to roll yet.

No. 1:  Over at South Side Sox, the Cheat is soliciting responses for his Fan Satisfaction Index.  Since we were just talking about the job Kenny Williams has or hasn't done, I figure some of you might be interested, if you hadn't seen it