Well everyone, we are halfway in June and the Chicago White Sox sit 3rd in the AL Central standings at 28-34, 7.5 games back of rival Minnesota.It has been a pretty bad season according to many, and I will agree as well. Many people also seem to think that the season is already over and the White Sox should rebuild for next year. Well I have a message for all those people: IT'S NOT OVER!. The White Sox are only 7.5 out and they are not even at the all star break yet. There are still plenty of chances to climb back in this thing. The key to fulfilling that goal will have to circle around the offense. We need to score runs and hit the ball! Simple as that! Who cares about hitting as many home runs as you can. Play smart ball. Play Ozzie Ball. Make contact with the ball and draw base hits. That will produce runs and this is a team that can certainly do it. When we talk about pitching, it has been OK. It got off to a rough start in the beginning but has regrouped ever since. I will say that Gavin Floyd has been a disappointment this year but he is young and still has a bright future. He will snap out of it. Peavy also has been a disappointment this year but you'll here more about it in my player review. Speaking of player review, here it is(including a review on Ozzie and Coop):
C #12 A.J. Pierzynski: Here is a guy that many have considered loyal to the organization and I agree. He has contributed a lot. He is considered a leader by example in the clubhouse and Ozzie certainly loves him. AJ has been the talk of a lot of trade talks this year. He hasn't had the season that many expected him to have. I will say his mechanics have gotten a whole lot better though and he is able to throw the ball to second a whole lot better than he used to. Going back to trade rumors, most say he is gone before the deadline. The no-trade clause in his contract just clicked in meaning he has a say in trade destinations and what not. But fans here me out, AJ is not going anywhere as long as the Sox feel that Tyler Flowers(13 HR, 36 RBI in Triple A) is not ready to make the move from Triple A to the big stage. You can't expect Ramon Castro to carry the load behind the plate all year with Donny Lucy as his back-up. Tyler will be ready soon but AJ will stay the rest of the year at least. And it would be a smart move by the SOX to keep AJ with team, especially if they are still in contention.
1B #14 Paul Konerko: What a year my favorite player is having. 3rd in the AL in HR with 17 and 5th in the AL in RBIs with 46. This man is clearly been one of the best in the league this season. The only problem I have is that although he his having one of the best seasons of his career, this is also his contract year which means he is a free agent next season. This is all speculation but I believe that he could be playing this well because he wants a lot of money next year. That's how a lot of major league players his age handle things. They are worried there game has gone to hell and that management will get the best of their contract. Is he playing well to focus on a big contract for next year? Probably. Is he playing this well to help his team win another title? Of course! Paul Konerko is the captain of that team! He is a leader. He loves the White Sox and he will do anything to help this team succeed! He has also been involved in alot of trade rumors. I believe that he will stay with the team no matter what the circumstance is. He is a huge veteran in that organization and they are not just gonna dump him like that. Paul Konerko will stay with the SOX for the rest of the year and then resign with the SOX. I'm a strong believer in that.
2B #15 Gordon Beckham: Many say this guy has been the biggest disappointment in the SOX clubhouse this year. I got a message for all those fans: WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?! Did you expect him to be one of the top hitters in the the AL and possibly the league? If you thought that, then you need to sit down and re-think some stuff. Of course I expected this to happen to Gordon in terms of struggling in the season. The fact of the matter is that the White Sox brought him up too early. He was brought up because the SOX were struggling with Josh Fields. The guy was a disaster and the SOX felt that bringing in Gordon would solve all their problems and he did for some of them. Not all of them. He did have a pretty good job last year but I did expect him to struggle a lot. The SOX made a big mistake in listening to the hype that surrounded this kid. There is a reason Gordon was in the minors for a while and the SOX did a great job at monitoring him and keeping thing patient within the system but they listened to the hype and brought him up. I hope the SOX don't make the same mistake with Tyler Flowers and Jordan Danks. My belief is that if the SOX are not in contention after the All Star break, send Gordon to Triple A and help him develop more. He is not a good infielder and the SOX need to help him out with that. Screw the whole moving to shortstop thing. FORGET THAT!! He will make just as many errors if he was at shortstop. He's young and he will help the SOX win games in the future. Just not now. If the SOX are in contention come after break, you're stuck with him and hopefully he realizes how important he is to the team.
SS #10 Alexei Ramirez: One word comes to mind when you think about Alexei: CLUTCH! Just not the past 2 seasons lol. Alexei has struggled at the plate most of the time but has come up big in some occasions. He has hit 24 RBI's this season. In the field, he will stay at shortstop because Gordon Beckham doesn't have a prayer in taking that shortstop position this year. Now if Gordon produces in the field, then next year we could see a swap with Gordon and Alexei and I think Ozzie will be ready to do that. Let's face it, Alexei was way better at second base and does have a cannon but it seems like Alexei is relaxed at second base. It will be interesting to see what Ozzie does with Alexei next season but for now, he remains the starting shortstop for the club.
3B #23 Mark Teahen: This guy is one of my favorites. He is the type of guy that can generate hits for the White Sox. I hate the fact that he is injured. I miss him in the lineup. He has 35 hits this year and a slugging percentage of .387. That's pretty good to me. I can't wait to see him back in the lineup. He is good example of how to play Ozzie ball the right way.
LF #1 Juan Pierre: Not a bad year for Juan. He has 60 hits on the year so not a bad year but I expect better out of him. You have a big responsibility being a team's lead off hitter. You are expected to get on base a lot. Juan needs to do a better job at that and he will. Just give him time. Not to mention, he does a pretty good job at stealing lol. Expect Juan to do better in July. I will say however that I miss Scotty Pods and I wish he was still here but Ozzie and Kenny run the show and if they say Juan is the guy, then he is the guy. Nothing else to say about that. Just have faith in it and have faith in his fielding because that's as good as you are going to get. I don't like him as a fielder and he can barely throw the ball to a cut off man but we just have to deal with it.
CF #51 Alex Rios: To me, Alex Rios is the 1998 version of Albert Belle. Remember in the 1998 Season when McGwire and Sosa were battling in the great home run chase in 1998. Well Albert Belle was right behind them. He hit 49 home runs that year but he didn't really get recognized that much for his accomplishments. That is Alex Rios to me. He always puts up big numbers but is never really recognized for it. Now granted, he was on the Toronto Blue Jays for a while so that didn't help his case but now he is with the SOX and should be recognized. He is batting over .300 with 13 HR and 31 RBI. He is having a good year and should be recognized for his accomplishments from the past.
RF #20 Carlos Quentin: This is a guy who was supposed to be the best player on this White Sox Roster. He was supposed to be the main guy on this roster. Unfortunately for Quentin, he has struggled this year. He has struggled at the plate and in the field since the move to right field. I'm going to tell you this, and I hope I'm wrong, but it's going to continue. Carlos has been plagued by injuries but one particular injury that he had last year was plantar fasciitis. Let me tell all of you this. This is not an injury that will just go away. This is an injury that always has the habit of coming back whether a player likes it or not and it will for Carlos. It has and still is bothering Carlos. It has affected his ability to swing the bat and play the field and will always affect him for the rest of his life. Carlos will have to find another way to swing the bat and play the field if he ever wants to get back to his 2008 version.
OF/DH #25 Andruw Jones: This man is having a great year compared to his last 2 seasons. I have a feeling he is getting back to his old form when he was with the Braves. Maybe not his best form but a good form. I must say that in the off season, I thought we were doomed when we signed Andruw, but he proved myself and a bunch of others wrong. He needs to pick it up though. He is only batting .211 and that's the sort of stuff Ozzie doesn't like. He likes players that can hit and Andruw needs to start making that happen again. But all in all, a good season for Andruw. Keep it up.
OF/1B/DH #7 Mark Kotsay: Not a bad year for a guy who has been under a lot of pressure from SOX nation. The fans wanted him out but Ozzie stuck with him and he has provided key hits that have won ball games. If the SOX are in contention late in the year, I believe Kotsay is the man Ozzie can use for key hits. I definitely like him as a player and would take him on my staff any day of the week. I don't care about his age, the man can still hit and that's what you need to win ball games. GOOD HITTERS!
C #27 Ramon Castro: A solid back-up behind AJ. He is reliable in certain situations and that's what this club needs. I will say that I'd prefer Donny Lucy or Ramon because he knows how to swing a bat but just swinging a bat is not gonna get you in the majors so the SOX will have to stick with Ramon until Tyler Flowers is ready for the call up.
IF #11 Omar Vizquel: I thought of nothing special when the SOX signed this guy and I still don't. But Omar can still hit at age 43 so he may be of some sort of help but not much. He is however, a valuable fielder right now since Teahen is out but after that, I just don't know.
IF #5 Jayson Nix: This is another guy. Other than playing the field, which he has done a great job filling in for Mark at 3B, I don't see him as a special person at the plate. He can help in the field but not at the plate. Maybe for certain situations, he can, but nothing else. But I can see why Ozzie wants to stick with Jayson. He plays with heart and that is a valuable thing on any team from my point of view.
SP #56 Mark Buehrle: Started the season struggling but has regrouped in some sort of way. He is 4-6 right now as of 6/15/10. I always liked Buerhle and he is always going to be the #1 pitcher on this SOX rotation. He works fast and he works well. BUT, I think he is distracted with a very stupid subject. Mark has always talked about playing for his hometown Cardinals, even in the middle of the year. Mark, I hate to bash you, but STOP talking about it! Talk about it at the end of the year. Not during the season. Focus on winning baseball games because honestly, the winning is not on your side right now buddy. Be a leader for your team. Now Mark now has a no-trade clause in his contract and has been talked about as possible trade bait. It ain't gonna happen. Not this year at least. The SOX need a guy like Mark and Mark needs a team like the SOX to help with his great career and I believe the SOX and Mark will continue that relationship in the near future.
SP #44 Jake Peavy: Disappointed but not surprised. This is Jake's first full season in Chicago and first in the AL. The AL is a different league. It is way better and more challenging. Of course Jake is going to struggle in the beginning. He will pick himself up. No worries at all. He will be a dominate pitcher soon enough again.
SP #34 Gavin Floyd: Very disappointed with this guy. I thought he would be the ace of the staff this year. Very disappointed. He is 2-7 with a 5.64 ERA. But he is still young and has a whole lot to prove. Unfortunately for him, I think he will get traded this year whether or not the SOX are in contention or not. He'll probably be traded for a mid level guy or part of a superstar trade or even just traded for minor leaguers but his time with the SOX is almost up I believe. If he is not and the SOX want to stick with him, Gavin might be willing to accept an assignment to the minors to work on his control and mechanics and to re-group mentally. He is young and there is nothing wrong with doing that sort of thing and that's the thing I would recommend for Gavin. Otherwise, look for Gavin on the trading block this year.
SP #50 John Danks: He has been the second best pitcher in the rotation this year and is doing all the stuff that is expected of him. Not much to say about him. All I can say is keep it up John.
SP #43 Freddy Garcia: The #1 pitcher on the staff right now. Freddy has surprised me. I never thought he would be the same but he has proved a lot of people wrong and has been a work horse on the mound. Granted the ERA is not where it should be but he is 6-3 non the less. Many people, including my father, hate Freddy because he takes to long on the mound to get ready. I got a message for Freddy: Don't listen to that stuff. Keep doing what you are doing because it is paying off. Keep it up Freddy.
RP #45 Bobby Jenks: HE GONE! Bobby will get traded this year and if not, he won't be back in the off season. Enough with the 9th inning drama and allowing runs. He does it all the time. He's lost it. The closer roll is Matt Thorton's job to win. Sorry Bobby but not that many people want you on the Southside and unless you pick it up and concentrate, you've lost it buddy.
RP #37 Matt Thornton: The best left handed set-up pitcher in the league and one of the best set-up pitchers overall in the league. He is having a great year. Like I said, he will be the new closer soon enough. He just has to be patient and has to keep doing what he does best and that's strike people out.
RP #40 J.J. Putz: Having an OK year. He can definitely be used as a closer if Bobby is in trouble. Not much to say about him. But he will get the job done when called upon. Been the subject of trade rumors but I think he will stay and be the new set-up man behind Thornton or even share it with Santos.
RP #46 Sergio Santos: This guy has a very bright future ahead of him. He is proving to be a dominate pitcher in the big leagues and no one should shy away from this kid. He will be a big threat someday as a closer, I guarantee you that. If Bobby gets shipped out, I wouldn't be surprised if he is Thornton's new set-up man or if he competes for the closers job. He does have that ability and he will be a closer for a major league team in the future. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised if he is offered up as trade bait if the SOX are looking to add another big-time player if they are in contention. That's the problem that you have to face if you are an up and coming player in the big leagues. If your team is in contention and you are in the thick of things (not that good and not that bad), then you could be used as trade bait. That's what we saw with Clayton Richards last year and we could see the same happen to Sergio. We'll just have to wait and see if the SOX are contenders before the trading deadline, which I'm sure they will be.
RP #71 Scott Linebrink: He has kind of been off and on and the SOX are trying to trade him. 2 problems though. Nobody wants Linebrink alone so he may have to be included with other players in a trade if the SOX were make one. The other problem and a reason that nobody wants Scott is because he is owed $3 million at the end of this year plus another $5 million at the end of next year. No team would want an off and on pitcher like Linebrink with that contract unless you were the Yankees or the Redsox and I don't see both teams making a run for Linebrink anytime soon so the SOX are stuck with him for the time being.
RP #57 Tony Pena: Not the best of years but the Sox still need him to maintain the stability in the bullpen and until the time is right, Tony Pena is the man the SOX need in that bullpen.
RP #67 Randy Williams: He is more like a transfer pitcher. Could see more trips to Triple A later on in the year if guys like Jhonny Nunez, Carlos Torres, and Daniel Hudson start making a splash.
M #13 Ozzie Quillen: Ozzie is doing a fine job keeping this team intact despite their struggles. He is being patient and that's what a ball club needs from it's manager right now. Just guide them patiently and let them handle the rest. If the offense doesn't come around soon though, there may be problems. But I think it will pay off soon enough. And I give him an A+ every year for bashing Cubs fans. They are pretty stupid. OZZIE BEING OZZIE!
PC #21 Don Cooper: There has been a lot of speculation that Don Cooper's reign as pitching coach of the Chicago White Sox is almost up. Personally, I don't know how I feel about it. I mean, yes the pitching has gotten off to a rough start. But they are starting to regroup a little so I don't think the SOX will fire him. Now if they do, the reason will be because of the Bullpen struggles and the Struggles of Gavin Floyd and Jake Peavy. To blame Coop on the struggles of Peavy is not fair at all and I don't blame Coop for that. But unfortunatley we live in a society where it is easy to put the blame on someone else easily. Peavy was supposed to be great this year and he hasn't so far. So someone has to take the blame on the early struggles and it's Don. Personally, no one is to blame but Jake. But the rest of the struggles speak for itself. Floyd is not where he should be and the bullpen has one of the worst team ERA's combined in the league. Pretty soon it's going to be time for a change and DON Cooper could be on the hot seat soon. We'll just have to wait and see.
I think that the SOX will be in contention for the Division down the road this year. I will not give up on this team because there is just too much talent to let anything slip by. Yes they got off to a slow start but they are regrouping it looks like so I expect them to start picking up the pace soon enough. Granted, they are starting to pick up the pace against some bad teams but I think they will be fine.
Please continue to tune in as I give my thoughts on the progress of the Chicago White Sox weekly as well as giving you my thoughts on any other news and opinions that have to do with the SOX. And feel free to comment on anything that may interest you about my postings. Thanks
C #12 A.J. Pierzynski: Here is a guy that many have considered loyal to the organization and I agree. He has contributed a lot. He is considered a leader by example in the clubhouse and Ozzie certainly loves him. AJ has been the talk of a lot of trade talks this year. He hasn't had the season that many expected him to have. I will say his mechanics have gotten a whole lot better though and he is able to throw the ball to second a whole lot better than he used to. Going back to trade rumors, most say he is gone before the deadline. The no-trade clause in his contract just clicked in meaning he has a say in trade destinations and what not. But fans here me out, AJ is not going anywhere as long as the Sox feel that Tyler Flowers(13 HR, 36 RBI in Triple A) is not ready to make the move from Triple A to the big stage. You can't expect Ramon Castro to carry the load behind the plate all year with Donny Lucy as his back-up. Tyler will be ready soon but AJ will stay the rest of the year at least. And it would be a smart move by the SOX to keep AJ with team, especially if they are still in contention.
1B #14 Paul Konerko: What a year my favorite player is having. 3rd in the AL in HR with 17 and 5th in the AL in RBIs with 46. This man is clearly been one of the best in the league this season. The only problem I have is that although he his having one of the best seasons of his career, this is also his contract year which means he is a free agent next season. This is all speculation but I believe that he could be playing this well because he wants a lot of money next year. That's how a lot of major league players his age handle things. They are worried there game has gone to hell and that management will get the best of their contract. Is he playing well to focus on a big contract for next year? Probably. Is he playing this well to help his team win another title? Of course! Paul Konerko is the captain of that team! He is a leader. He loves the White Sox and he will do anything to help this team succeed! He has also been involved in alot of trade rumors. I believe that he will stay with the team no matter what the circumstance is. He is a huge veteran in that organization and they are not just gonna dump him like that. Paul Konerko will stay with the SOX for the rest of the year and then resign with the SOX. I'm a strong believer in that.
2B #15 Gordon Beckham: Many say this guy has been the biggest disappointment in the SOX clubhouse this year. I got a message for all those fans: WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?! Did you expect him to be one of the top hitters in the the AL and possibly the league? If you thought that, then you need to sit down and re-think some stuff. Of course I expected this to happen to Gordon in terms of struggling in the season. The fact of the matter is that the White Sox brought him up too early. He was brought up because the SOX were struggling with Josh Fields. The guy was a disaster and the SOX felt that bringing in Gordon would solve all their problems and he did for some of them. Not all of them. He did have a pretty good job last year but I did expect him to struggle a lot. The SOX made a big mistake in listening to the hype that surrounded this kid. There is a reason Gordon was in the minors for a while and the SOX did a great job at monitoring him and keeping thing patient within the system but they listened to the hype and brought him up. I hope the SOX don't make the same mistake with Tyler Flowers and Jordan Danks. My belief is that if the SOX are not in contention after the All Star break, send Gordon to Triple A and help him develop more. He is not a good infielder and the SOX need to help him out with that. Screw the whole moving to shortstop thing. FORGET THAT!! He will make just as many errors if he was at shortstop. He's young and he will help the SOX win games in the future. Just not now. If the SOX are in contention come after break, you're stuck with him and hopefully he realizes how important he is to the team.
SS #10 Alexei Ramirez: One word comes to mind when you think about Alexei: CLUTCH! Just not the past 2 seasons lol. Alexei has struggled at the plate most of the time but has come up big in some occasions. He has hit 24 RBI's this season. In the field, he will stay at shortstop because Gordon Beckham doesn't have a prayer in taking that shortstop position this year. Now if Gordon produces in the field, then next year we could see a swap with Gordon and Alexei and I think Ozzie will be ready to do that. Let's face it, Alexei was way better at second base and does have a cannon but it seems like Alexei is relaxed at second base. It will be interesting to see what Ozzie does with Alexei next season but for now, he remains the starting shortstop for the club.
3B #23 Mark Teahen: This guy is one of my favorites. He is the type of guy that can generate hits for the White Sox. I hate the fact that he is injured. I miss him in the lineup. He has 35 hits this year and a slugging percentage of .387. That's pretty good to me. I can't wait to see him back in the lineup. He is good example of how to play Ozzie ball the right way.
LF #1 Juan Pierre: Not a bad year for Juan. He has 60 hits on the year so not a bad year but I expect better out of him. You have a big responsibility being a team's lead off hitter. You are expected to get on base a lot. Juan needs to do a better job at that and he will. Just give him time. Not to mention, he does a pretty good job at stealing lol. Expect Juan to do better in July. I will say however that I miss Scotty Pods and I wish he was still here but Ozzie and Kenny run the show and if they say Juan is the guy, then he is the guy. Nothing else to say about that. Just have faith in it and have faith in his fielding because that's as good as you are going to get. I don't like him as a fielder and he can barely throw the ball to a cut off man but we just have to deal with it.
CF #51 Alex Rios: To me, Alex Rios is the 1998 version of Albert Belle. Remember in the 1998 Season when McGwire and Sosa were battling in the great home run chase in 1998. Well Albert Belle was right behind them. He hit 49 home runs that year but he didn't really get recognized that much for his accomplishments. That is Alex Rios to me. He always puts up big numbers but is never really recognized for it. Now granted, he was on the Toronto Blue Jays for a while so that didn't help his case but now he is with the SOX and should be recognized. He is batting over .300 with 13 HR and 31 RBI. He is having a good year and should be recognized for his accomplishments from the past.
RF #20 Carlos Quentin: This is a guy who was supposed to be the best player on this White Sox Roster. He was supposed to be the main guy on this roster. Unfortunately for Quentin, he has struggled this year. He has struggled at the plate and in the field since the move to right field. I'm going to tell you this, and I hope I'm wrong, but it's going to continue. Carlos has been plagued by injuries but one particular injury that he had last year was plantar fasciitis. Let me tell all of you this. This is not an injury that will just go away. This is an injury that always has the habit of coming back whether a player likes it or not and it will for Carlos. It has and still is bothering Carlos. It has affected his ability to swing the bat and play the field and will always affect him for the rest of his life. Carlos will have to find another way to swing the bat and play the field if he ever wants to get back to his 2008 version.
OF/DH #25 Andruw Jones: This man is having a great year compared to his last 2 seasons. I have a feeling he is getting back to his old form when he was with the Braves. Maybe not his best form but a good form. I must say that in the off season, I thought we were doomed when we signed Andruw, but he proved myself and a bunch of others wrong. He needs to pick it up though. He is only batting .211 and that's the sort of stuff Ozzie doesn't like. He likes players that can hit and Andruw needs to start making that happen again. But all in all, a good season for Andruw. Keep it up.
OF/1B/DH #7 Mark Kotsay: Not a bad year for a guy who has been under a lot of pressure from SOX nation. The fans wanted him out but Ozzie stuck with him and he has provided key hits that have won ball games. If the SOX are in contention late in the year, I believe Kotsay is the man Ozzie can use for key hits. I definitely like him as a player and would take him on my staff any day of the week. I don't care about his age, the man can still hit and that's what you need to win ball games. GOOD HITTERS!
C #27 Ramon Castro: A solid back-up behind AJ. He is reliable in certain situations and that's what this club needs. I will say that I'd prefer Donny Lucy or Ramon because he knows how to swing a bat but just swinging a bat is not gonna get you in the majors so the SOX will have to stick with Ramon until Tyler Flowers is ready for the call up.
IF #11 Omar Vizquel: I thought of nothing special when the SOX signed this guy and I still don't. But Omar can still hit at age 43 so he may be of some sort of help but not much. He is however, a valuable fielder right now since Teahen is out but after that, I just don't know.
IF #5 Jayson Nix: This is another guy. Other than playing the field, which he has done a great job filling in for Mark at 3B, I don't see him as a special person at the plate. He can help in the field but not at the plate. Maybe for certain situations, he can, but nothing else. But I can see why Ozzie wants to stick with Jayson. He plays with heart and that is a valuable thing on any team from my point of view.
SP #56 Mark Buehrle: Started the season struggling but has regrouped in some sort of way. He is 4-6 right now as of 6/15/10. I always liked Buerhle and he is always going to be the #1 pitcher on this SOX rotation. He works fast and he works well. BUT, I think he is distracted with a very stupid subject. Mark has always talked about playing for his hometown Cardinals, even in the middle of the year. Mark, I hate to bash you, but STOP talking about it! Talk about it at the end of the year. Not during the season. Focus on winning baseball games because honestly, the winning is not on your side right now buddy. Be a leader for your team. Now Mark now has a no-trade clause in his contract and has been talked about as possible trade bait. It ain't gonna happen. Not this year at least. The SOX need a guy like Mark and Mark needs a team like the SOX to help with his great career and I believe the SOX and Mark will continue that relationship in the near future.
SP #44 Jake Peavy: Disappointed but not surprised. This is Jake's first full season in Chicago and first in the AL. The AL is a different league. It is way better and more challenging. Of course Jake is going to struggle in the beginning. He will pick himself up. No worries at all. He will be a dominate pitcher soon enough again.
SP #34 Gavin Floyd: Very disappointed with this guy. I thought he would be the ace of the staff this year. Very disappointed. He is 2-7 with a 5.64 ERA. But he is still young and has a whole lot to prove. Unfortunately for him, I think he will get traded this year whether or not the SOX are in contention or not. He'll probably be traded for a mid level guy or part of a superstar trade or even just traded for minor leaguers but his time with the SOX is almost up I believe. If he is not and the SOX want to stick with him, Gavin might be willing to accept an assignment to the minors to work on his control and mechanics and to re-group mentally. He is young and there is nothing wrong with doing that sort of thing and that's the thing I would recommend for Gavin. Otherwise, look for Gavin on the trading block this year.
SP #50 John Danks: He has been the second best pitcher in the rotation this year and is doing all the stuff that is expected of him. Not much to say about him. All I can say is keep it up John.
SP #43 Freddy Garcia: The #1 pitcher on the staff right now. Freddy has surprised me. I never thought he would be the same but he has proved a lot of people wrong and has been a work horse on the mound. Granted the ERA is not where it should be but he is 6-3 non the less. Many people, including my father, hate Freddy because he takes to long on the mound to get ready. I got a message for Freddy: Don't listen to that stuff. Keep doing what you are doing because it is paying off. Keep it up Freddy.
RP #45 Bobby Jenks: HE GONE! Bobby will get traded this year and if not, he won't be back in the off season. Enough with the 9th inning drama and allowing runs. He does it all the time. He's lost it. The closer roll is Matt Thorton's job to win. Sorry Bobby but not that many people want you on the Southside and unless you pick it up and concentrate, you've lost it buddy.
RP #37 Matt Thornton: The best left handed set-up pitcher in the league and one of the best set-up pitchers overall in the league. He is having a great year. Like I said, he will be the new closer soon enough. He just has to be patient and has to keep doing what he does best and that's strike people out.
RP #40 J.J. Putz: Having an OK year. He can definitely be used as a closer if Bobby is in trouble. Not much to say about him. But he will get the job done when called upon. Been the subject of trade rumors but I think he will stay and be the new set-up man behind Thornton or even share it with Santos.
RP #46 Sergio Santos: This guy has a very bright future ahead of him. He is proving to be a dominate pitcher in the big leagues and no one should shy away from this kid. He will be a big threat someday as a closer, I guarantee you that. If Bobby gets shipped out, I wouldn't be surprised if he is Thornton's new set-up man or if he competes for the closers job. He does have that ability and he will be a closer for a major league team in the future. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised if he is offered up as trade bait if the SOX are looking to add another big-time player if they are in contention. That's the problem that you have to face if you are an up and coming player in the big leagues. If your team is in contention and you are in the thick of things (not that good and not that bad), then you could be used as trade bait. That's what we saw with Clayton Richards last year and we could see the same happen to Sergio. We'll just have to wait and see if the SOX are contenders before the trading deadline, which I'm sure they will be.
RP #71 Scott Linebrink: He has kind of been off and on and the SOX are trying to trade him. 2 problems though. Nobody wants Linebrink alone so he may have to be included with other players in a trade if the SOX were make one. The other problem and a reason that nobody wants Scott is because he is owed $3 million at the end of this year plus another $5 million at the end of next year. No team would want an off and on pitcher like Linebrink with that contract unless you were the Yankees or the Redsox and I don't see both teams making a run for Linebrink anytime soon so the SOX are stuck with him for the time being.
RP #57 Tony Pena: Not the best of years but the Sox still need him to maintain the stability in the bullpen and until the time is right, Tony Pena is the man the SOX need in that bullpen.
RP #67 Randy Williams: He is more like a transfer pitcher. Could see more trips to Triple A later on in the year if guys like Jhonny Nunez, Carlos Torres, and Daniel Hudson start making a splash.
M #13 Ozzie Quillen: Ozzie is doing a fine job keeping this team intact despite their struggles. He is being patient and that's what a ball club needs from it's manager right now. Just guide them patiently and let them handle the rest. If the offense doesn't come around soon though, there may be problems. But I think it will pay off soon enough. And I give him an A+ every year for bashing Cubs fans. They are pretty stupid. OZZIE BEING OZZIE!
PC #21 Don Cooper: There has been a lot of speculation that Don Cooper's reign as pitching coach of the Chicago White Sox is almost up. Personally, I don't know how I feel about it. I mean, yes the pitching has gotten off to a rough start. But they are starting to regroup a little so I don't think the SOX will fire him. Now if they do, the reason will be because of the Bullpen struggles and the Struggles of Gavin Floyd and Jake Peavy. To blame Coop on the struggles of Peavy is not fair at all and I don't blame Coop for that. But unfortunatley we live in a society where it is easy to put the blame on someone else easily. Peavy was supposed to be great this year and he hasn't so far. So someone has to take the blame on the early struggles and it's Don. Personally, no one is to blame but Jake. But the rest of the struggles speak for itself. Floyd is not where he should be and the bullpen has one of the worst team ERA's combined in the league. Pretty soon it's going to be time for a change and DON Cooper could be on the hot seat soon. We'll just have to wait and see.
I think that the SOX will be in contention for the Division down the road this year. I will not give up on this team because there is just too much talent to let anything slip by. Yes they got off to a slow start but they are regrouping it looks like so I expect them to start picking up the pace soon enough. Granted, they are starting to pick up the pace against some bad teams but I think they will be fine.
Please continue to tune in as I give my thoughts on the progress of the Chicago White Sox weekly as well as giving you my thoughts on any other news and opinions that have to do with the SOX. And feel free to comment on anything that may interest you about my postings. Thanks
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