Choices are good, for Wise and us

Dewayne Wise opted for free agency on Friday, and this story is a good example of why it’s nice to have a number of media outlets.
MLB.com, the Chicago Tribune and the Daily Herald devote only a brief to it, which is fine. Wise wasn’t a part of the future, and while he made the catch to preserve Mark Buehrle’s perfect game, he didn’t serve much of a purpose at the end of the season. His future — or lack thereof with the Sox — was written on the wall.
But the Sun-Times goes a little further, and you can tell by the headline that there’s going to be some color. Dewayne Wise didn’t merely choose free agency — he severed his ties with the White Sox. Just like a rabbit in a trap might gnaw off his own leg to save himself from a worse fate.
Joe Cowley starts it off by saying, “Dewayne Wise stated several times this season that he never really felt truly appreciated by White Sox fans,” and later adds, “Wise said he was out of the doing-favors-for-the-club business if [being outrighted] happened again, and sure enough it did on Friday.”
A little overdramatic? Probably, but it’s nice to have variety.
Maybe Wise did become disenchanted more often than not, but I don’t think he would change the past for anything.  It’s hard to see many other places where he would earn a major-league salary for 1 1/2 seasons, collect some big stretch-run and postseason hits, and become the subject of a perfect game painting.  He might’ve gotten the playing time somewhere else, but it probably wouldn’t have meant anything.
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Linkz a-plenti:
*Mark Gonzalez also reports that the Sox are discussing a contract with Scott Podsednik’s agent. That worries me slightly.
*Larry picks his Top 10 White Sox prospects.  Holmberg is one of the guys I’m considering, but I’m going to wait until spring training to finish my list.
*J.J. continues his tour of the White Sox pitching staff, reviewing Freddy Garcia’s season.
*Dan Szyzmborski at Baseball Think Factory posts ZIPS projects from the 2010 White Sox. It’s a familiar recipe — a lot of starting pitching, not a lot of OBP.

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JJ

I think those ZiPS projections are way off on Floyd. Look at his numbers after his May 17 start (after which the Sox reportedly fixed a flaw in his delivery that led to him tipping his pitches)–his K/BB ratio, ERA, etc. were really, really good.

joist

Considering that the four AL playoff teams are the four major league teams I most despise, I’m finding it difficult to watch these playoffs. However, with nothing better to do this evening, I turned on the Yankees-Twins game, and found that in the same game, Carlos Gomez a) botched a run by running into an out before the runner crossed home plate, and b) failed to get a run in with the bases loaded and one out. Even though I found myself rooting for the Twins in the game, I couldn’t help but rejoice at his failings. I really hate that guy.
Hope you’re enjoying the offseason, Jim!

fustercluck

I can’t speak for Hawk, but I won’t soon forget that Nathan turned ARod into a clutch postseason performer (small sample size, I know; but that’s all I watch is small sample sizes).
Here’s to hoping that ARod broke Nathan like Pujols-Lidge ’05.

jimbo

Everyone has blamed Lidge’s shaken confidence on the Pujols home run in the playoffs. I have always said that it was Pods homerun in game two of the world series that ruined him. Pujols has done it to everyone but when Pods beats you in a world series game you have to start doubting yourself.

knoxfire30

Who the fuck does dwayne wise think he is??? He should be on his knees praising the sox and kenny for giving him an mlb job on and off for the last couple years. What were teams lining up for his services when he past through waivers multiple times?? Do teams routinely let 31 year old “never was’s” come into spring and basically be allowed to win a starting job??? Not to mention wasn’t it wise who was all but out of baseball because he was too lazy to go anywhere else to play and wanted to stay home in charlotte and his last ditch effort to keep playing was to join the charlotte knights and the whitesox not only humored him but then promoted the bum when he had a good AAA season.
Fuck you wise!!! And dont let the door hit you on the way out you bum!!!

conor

When Knox gets going I read his rants in Patton Oswalt’s voice. This is good stuff Knox.

fustercluck

Now my reaction when I heard Wise refused the assignment could only be described as, “meh.” I can see you went in a different direction there.

jimbo

Wise made a few highlight reel catches this year and gained much national exposure with “the catch.” His very limited value has never been higher. Why would he turn down the opportunity to try and take advantage of it by free agency? If and when there is no interest shown, he can always go back to AAA if he wants to. You sound like one of the clowns that was booing him in his first game this year. What the jackass fans were really booing was the fact that Williams didn’t address the leadoff and center field problem again but it was taken out on him.
Good luck DeWayne, you played a huge role in giving this sox fan a thrill that will last a lifetime.