An Appreciative Thank You and Goodbye to Jose Contreras and Jim Thome

Wow.

I was a little out of the loop last night, leaving my computer at the office for the first time in who knows how long and then going to see a movie with the girlfriend. Every now and then it’s good to get away from sports and blogging for a night. Plus, I was dreading the results of the White Sox first game in Minnesota and didn’t want to be put in a bad mood.

Of course, as a proud iPhone owner and MLB At Bat app user, I could not escape finding out about the Sox 4-1 loss to Minnesota — our 9th loss in 11 games — but, and this is the most disheartening part, it didn’t really disappoint me too much because I was expecting it.

What I just saw this morning upon arriving at the office, however, I did not expect. I guess I probably should have.

The White Sox have traded veterans Jim Thome and Jose Contreras to the NL West. Thome goes to the Dodgers and Contreras to Rockies. In return for the players and “cash considerations” (whatever that means), the White Sox received infielder Justin Fuller from the Dodgers and pitcher Brandon Hynick from the Rockies.

Clearly both of these moves were salary dumps by Ken Williams and the first steps in piecing together the 2010 White Sox.

Fuller is a 26-year old “prospect” still mired in A ball. Brandon Hynick, on the other hand, does seem to have a bit of potential. A 24-year old righty, Hynick has had a solid season at AAA: 3.83 ERA and 92/48 K/BB ratio. According to RotoWorld, Hynick could be an effective reliever at the major league level by next year.

But this post isn’t about analyzing two basically nondescript minor leaguers who may or may not ever contribute to the success of White Sox baseball. This post is about saying goodbye to two White Sox veterans who contributed to some really good times during their South Side tenures.

First, Jim Thome.

I was wholeheartedly against the Thome acquisition when it happened. Still hating him from his days in Cleveland, I just could not wrap my mind around rooting for a guy that for so long had been a sworn enemy. Plus, after we tanked in the second half of 2006, and then sucked beyond belief in 2007, I began to believe that by signing Thome and letting Aaron Rowand go the White Sox had somehow cursed themselves.

But finally, late last season, after his home run proved to be the difference in the one-game playoff against the Twins, I fully embraced Thome. I figured a trip to the playoffs was enough to erase whatever curse might have existed.

But like everyone in the White Sox lineup, Thome has struggled in 2009. His home run totals have gone as follows during the previous three seasons: 42-35-34. In this, his fourth season with the White Sox, Thome had only hit 23 before being traded to go along with a .252 average and a .375 OBP that would be one of the lowest of his career.

At 38, Jim Thome clearly was not a part of the White Sox long-term future. With Ken Williams adding so much salary acquiring Alex Rios and Jake Peavy, the writing had been on the wall that Thome would not be a South Sider for long.

And now he is not, heading to the Dodgers to most likely be in the playoffs and contribute as a pinch hitter. Best of luck Jim. I didn’t like you when you arrived in Chicago, but you won me over with your attitude, leadership, and clutch hitting. I’m sure the Dodgers will benefit from your presence.

It is much harder to say goodbye to Jose Contreras.

I know, Contreras has basically been awful this season except for one short stretch after he went to the minors. His numbers on the year: 5-13, 5.42 ERA, 1,448 WHIP. Terrible, awful, putrid…whatever negative adjective you want to put on it, go ahead.

But this is the season I will always remember and appreciate Jose Contreras for: 15-7, 3.61 ERA, 1.231 WHIP in the regular season. 3-1, 33 innings pitched over four sterling starts during the playoffs.

The season, of course, was 2005, when Contreras teamed with Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia, El Duque Hernandez, and Jon Garland (who was also traded to the Dodgers last night) to produce perhaps the greatest team playoff starting pitching performance in the history of Major League Baseball.

Maybe I’m overhyping it, but that’s certainly what it felt like.

And isn’t it telling that three of the pitchers from that staff — Garcia, Garland, and Contreras — are past their prime and battling through tough years and injuries, yet they were acquired by contenders for the stretch run? That’s how indelible the memories are of their tremendous performances when it mattered most.

Look, I don’t know exactly why I’ve always like Jose Contreras so much. For his White Sox career he had a 4.66 ERA and went 55-56. And while most people think he “blossomed” once he got out of New York — and yes, his two best full seasons were in Chicago (2005, 2006), — his ERA was 4.64 as a Yankee and was 4.66 with the Sox. Essentially, Jose was what he was: a mediocre major league starting pitcher.

But throughout 2005 and through the first half of 2006 (during which time he was one of the best pitchers in the game before his season fell apart) I just developed a really strong belief that Contreras would always come up big in big spots. I don’t have stats to cite, or a whole lot of anecdotal evidence other than the obvious from the 2005 playoffs, all I know is this: if it wasn’t Buehrle on the hill in a big spot, I wanted Contreras there.

I appreciated his backstory and all that he went through to pitch in the Majors. I appreciated how quickly he seemed to warm to Chicago after being traded from New York. I appreciated the steely determination in his eyes when he took the hill. I appreciated the fact that he always looked like his only thought was putting his team on his back and carrying them through that night.

And I think his teammates and his manager saw the same thing.

That’s why Jose could go 10-17 with a 5.57 ERA in 2007 and still be in the rotation in 2008. And that’s why, after surprising everyone by coming back this Spring Training from a terrible 2008 Achilles injury, Ozzie Guillen did not hesitate to put him in the rotation. 

The one word I would use to describe Jose Contreras is: resilient. And for a time in 2009, it looked like his resiliency — and Ozzie’s faith in him — would pay dividends.

Jose had a great stretch in the middle of the season after being sent to the minors, but just couldn’t hold onto it. It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort, but perhaps more a lack of trust in his own abilities. Jose didn’t trust his fastball and tried to get everyone out with his breaking stuff. It led to walks, way too many hits, and killer big innings that doomed Jose and the White Sox.

And, in the end, it led to Jose Contreras’ departure from Chicago and our departure from the playoff race.

What are we losing statistically? I don’t really know. It pains me to say this, but not a whole lot.  A 5.42 ERA should not be difficult to replace. And our young pitchers, Gavin Floyd and John Danks, have had time to learn from Jose and soak in the lessons from Contreras’ incredible and unique career in baseball.

So perhaps the timing is perfect for Jose to move on. Ever since the second half of 2006, Jose Contreras has been a shell of the pitcher that he was in 2005. But for that one season, and even for half of the next, Jose Contreras was as good a pitcher as the South Side has seen in many years. And say what you will about his struggles over the last three years, but one thing is for certain: there was one time during his White Sox tenure that the team, the fans, and the city needed him more than any other — the playoffs in 2005 — and he stepped up huge.

I’ve never forgotten that, and neither probably have Ozzie and Jose’s veteran teammates. And maybe that’s part of the problem. The 2005 Jose Contreras just isn’t there anymore, no matter how much we’ve all wanted to see it and how many chances he’s been given to recapture that brilliance. In brief flashes he is the same pitcher, but not consistently, and certainly the flashes are fewer and further between.

He was a spry 33 in 2005 (purportedly) and is now 37 coming off an injury. I still see the same look of determination in him, the same will to win that he’s always had, but Jose’s mound presence and pitching no longer are defined by the same level of confidence he once had. At least not to me.

So maybe it would have been better for the White Sox to have just cut ties with Jose once his season went south in 2006. Had they, the only memory White Sox fans would have of Jose Contreras would be 2005. But that’s not how it happened, and to all White Sox fans — many of whom, like myself, are rightly frustrated with Jose’s recent performances — I will just say this: remember Jose for what he was in 2005, what he helped deliver to the White Sox and the city of Chicago, and for the leadership and attitude he provided even during his most egregious struggles.

Jose Contreras will always be a positive part of White Sox history. The time has come for him to move on and ply his trade elsewhere, but I will always remember him fondly. And the Rockies just became my favorite NL team for the rest of 2009.

As to the overall mindset that created the impetus for these two moves, I’m on board.

Ken Williams did everything he could to solidify the pitching staff and lineup for the stretch run this year. But a 2-9 record with the division lead right there for the taking just is not going to get it done. And with the Peavy and Rios acquisitions clearly meant for the future as much as they were meant for this year, Ken couldn’t just sit on his hands while the team pissed away a golden opportunity to defend its division title.

It’s sad to see two tremendous veterans go, and ever sadder to understand the circumstances for why they are leaving — the team’s failure — but I certainly understand it.

Best of luck to Jim Thome and Jose Contreras (and Jon Garland) in their new digs. Their roles will no doubt be different, but at least they will be playing for something. Unfortunately, after the last two weeks, that’s more than can be said about the teammates they leave behind.

Scott Merkin has a great post at his official MLB.com blog, Being Ozzie Guillen, about Jim and Jose entitled Thome, Contreras = Pure Class. I agree wholeheartedly.

**********

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

* – Jose Contreras ALCS photo credit: Getty Images via MLB.com

* – Jose Contreras hat tip photo credit: Nam Y. Hu (AP) via Camden Chat

White Sox Would Not Be Favored in Little League World Series – Just Ask Ozzie

No one who roots for the White Sox is happy right now.  And that’s an understatement.

I was already despondent heading into today’s game against the Yankees, but was at least excited that the game would be on WGN so I could watch it down here in Dallas. 

After watching Sergio Mitre and a reliever one-hit the White Sox, I wish I hadn’t wasted my time watching. And Ozzie Guillen apparently feels the same way.

A sampling of Ozzie Guillen’s comments after today’s Yankees loss for the White Sox, from ESPN.com:

“I feel like I’m stealing money from Jerry, and that’s a shame. When you have more errors than hits, you better look yourself in the mirror and second-guess yourself. I’m second-guessing myself right now, making the wrong lineup every day. I watched Little League this morning … they were playing better than we did. At least it was more fun. This is not major-league baseball, sorry.”

…

“There’s no doubt in my mind we’re better than this. But you get to a point where it is what it is. And my hope is getting less and less. It’s a long mountain, and the mountain is getting higher and higher every night. And if we’re going to climb to the top, maybe they need a cable car to get up there. But they’re not going to walk up there.”

Ozzie also discussed his frustration in having no option other than Jose Contreras to throw out there every 5th day. We all remember and love Jose for his incredible contributions in 2005, and it’s sad to see such a great champion struggling so badly.

It’s also sad to see a team with so much potential, and such a great chance to defend its AL Central crown, flush it down the tubes with its continued inconsistency and ineptitude. 

We can only hope for better things tomorrow. And as they say, momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitcher.  Unfortunately for the White Sox, that isn’t yet Jake Peavy…it’s Freddy Garcia. As with Contreras, we all remember Freddy from 2005. Freddy in 2009?

Ugh.

And that pretty much sums up the last week of White Sox baseball.

Update: Jake Peavy left today’s rehab start early. Great.

White Sox Retrospective: Looking Back at The Jake Peavy Trade That Almost Was But (Thankfully?) Wasn’t

Back in May, one of the hottest topics in baseball was the Padres’ desire to deal stud SP Jake Peavy and the revelation that they had agreed to a deal in principle with the White Sox. The Cubs had long been rumored to be atop the list of likely landing spots for Peavy, so the report of Peavy’s imminent deal to the Sox surprised many.

I was strongly in favor of the deal at the time, even going so far as to start an online petition in hopes of helping Peavy overcome his reluctance to come to the South Side by showing him an outpouring of a support from White Sox fans. (10 supporters! Whoo-hoo! I guess not everything goes viral online…)

Holding full no-trade rights, however, Peavy was in possession of all the cards and in the end he decided to nix the deal to stay in San Diego. I, along with many other White Sox fans, was disappointed. Hanging onto Aaron Poreda was certainly a silver lining, but man was the thought of a Peavy-Buehrle lefty-righty combo atop the rotation enticing.

Who would have thought that, in retrospect, Peavy’s refusal to the accept the trade would look more and more like a positive for the White Sox with each passing week.

First, there is Peavy himself. He has made only four starts since the announcement of the deal-in-principle and is currently on the DL with a strained tendon in his right ankle. And the four starts he made were not exactly stellar (perhaps because of the injury though, to be fair). Only two were quality starts and his ERA rose from 3.48 to 3.97.

Plus, a deeper look at Peavy’s career numbers perhaps shows one of the main reasons why he is so reluctant to leave San Diego, and why clowns like myself were perhaps a little too anxious to get him into the summer bandbox that is U.S. Cellular Field. Look at Peavy’s home/road splits this season:

• Home: 4-4, 3.58 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, .217 BAA, 62:17 K/BB
• Road: 2-2, 4.60 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, .246 BAA, 30:11 K/BB

And for his career:

• Home: 45-31, 2.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, .219 BAA, 779:212 K/BB
• Road: 47-37, 3.84 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .246 BAA, 569:223 K/BB

So this year’s numbers are to be expected based on his track record. And it’s not like I and others excited about the possibility of a Peavy trade didn’t realize this, but I know that I didn’t really consider it with the weight that I probably should have.

PetcoPark, as has been well documented, is a severe pitcher’s park. So I would assume that most San Diego pitchers have similar splits. Thus, I would expect stats like BAA and HRs against to be up on the road. What concerns me looking deeper at the stats is the vastly different K rate. For his career, Peavy’s K/BB ratio is 3.67:1 at home but drops to 2.55:1 on the road. I realize different ballparks dictate pitching guys differently and can have other subtle effects, but Peavy’s numbers specifically seem like a pretty jarring difference for a stat that takes into account what happens when the ball is not in play and is thus not affected by park dimensions or climate factors that affect ball flight.

Maybe it’s a confidence thing, maybe it’s a certain oneness with his home mound, maybe it’s just a comfort level thing of strapping on his stirrups in the home locker room. But for whatever reason, Jake Peavy is dominant at home and much more ordinary on the road. You can’t really consider his home stats when considering what kind of impact Peavy might have made in Chicago. So maybe this deal wasn’t the slam dunk that I thought it was at the time.

To be fair to myself, part of the reason for my excitement was desperation. On May 21st, the White Sox were 17-22 and our non-Buehrle pitchers had not been good or capable of any semblance of consistency. In the six weeks since then, we’ve gone 27-18 and moved to two games within first place Detroit. For a team starved for solid pitching at the time, I thought Peavy would be a great shot in the arm. It turns out that we got a great shot in the arm, it was just an internal one. Look at the numbers:

• John Danks on May 21st: 4.60 ERA | John Danks now: 3.76 ERA
• Gavin Floyd on May 21st: 7.71 ERA | Gavin Floyd now: 4.33 ERA
• Jose Conreras on May 21st: 8.19 ERA | Jose Contreras now: 4.54 ERA

Even with their terrible early season numbers still part of the whole, all three of our 2-3-4 starters have better cumulative ERAs than what Peavy has put up in starts outside of San Diego this season. And Clayton Richard’s ERA on the season is 4.75, which is only slightly worse than what Peavy has done on the road this year.

I’m not saying that Danks, Floyd, Contreras, and Richard are individually better than Jake Peavy. He’s been one of the better pitchers in baseball for the last half decade. But the resurgence of our pitching staff over the last six weeks has certainly made me far, far less regrettable about the trade not going through. And looking at Peavy’s inability to dominate away from home certainly makes me question just how disappointed we might have been had he come to the South Side in a deal for two of our top pitching prospects and threw a 3.9+ ERA up there over the balance of the season.

In the end, I think the Peavy to Chicago deal-that-almost-was ended up working out in the best interests of each party involved (except for the Padres of course, who desperately wanted to get rid of his contract and are now stuck because of his injury). Jake Peavy gets to stay in San Diego and pitch where he is most comfortable once he gets healthy, and the White Sox have been able to enjoy the fruits of the Danks/Floyd combo regaining their 2008 rhythm and Jose “The Phoenix” Contreras rediscovering his supreme badassness. Plus, we still have Aaron Poreda, who has now become a valuable member of one of the league’s best bullpens.

Kudos to Ken Williams for being proactive and putting the White Sox in a position to make a big splash in filling what, at the time, was a pretty glaring area of need. In retrospect though, Jake Peavy’s refusal to the accept the trade was probably a blessing in disguise for the Good Guys.

* – John Danks/Gavin Floyd photo credit: AP via USA Today

40 Reasons Why The White Sox Are Going to the Playoffs in 2009

On Wednesday night the Chicago White Sox did something that they have only done one other time in 2009: complete a sweep. With a 6-2 victory over the hapless Cleveland Indians, led by another stellar outing from Jose Contreras, the much maligned White Sox of ‘09 moved to 40-38, tied with the Minnesota Piranhas at 3.0 games behind the Detroit Tigers.

The White Sox only other sweep of the season came at the end of May when the Good Guys swept three on the road against the Kansas City Royals. And as KVB and I lament to eachother all of the time, the White Sox never seem to complete sweeps. It always seems like any time we take the first two or three games of a series there is a letdown in the final game. Either the regular lineup sleepwalks through the game, we get a terrible pitching performance, or Ozzie throws out one of his crazy lineups where Brian Anderson is hitting cleanup.

I’m exaggerating…but not by much.

Not yesterday though. Last night, the White Sox continued playing the solid brand of baseball that has propelled them to five straight wins and 12 wins in their last 17 games. Over that same time span, a fan base — and maybe even a team and an entire organization — has been reborn into one that expects, rather than hopes, to be playing baseball in October.

At least that’s how I feel. And hopefully the rest of the South Side is with me. (And if you’re not, I have a few words from Steve Perry I’d like to share with you. That’s right, I went there.)

Truthfully, what has transpired over the last couple of weeks has renewed my faith that the White Sox will ultimately come out on top in a very competitive AL Central. I have to admit that through the ups and downs of this season it has been hard to maintain that faith. Case in point: Ozzie saying that we are in trouble if we have to bring up Gordon Beckham…and then shortly thereafter Beckham gets brought up.

And yes, I realize that the majority of the recent success has come against the inferior National League (and then the even more inferior Indians), so I will grant you that the White Sox haven’t exactly been mowing down the Red Sox, Yankees, and Rays; but, the Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Reds are all at least decent teams (especially LA, with our without Manny) so I don’t think you can simply chalk up the White Sox success to playing subpar competition.

No, there are many reasons why the White Sox are winning and the majority of them have to do with the players themselves and the better brand of baseball they are playing.

Will they make the playoffs? I’m not going to make any proclamations and jinx them. (Full disclosure: in preparation for this post I researched Jim Fassel’s infamous playoff guarantee when he was coaching the Giants and had planned on altering it for purposes of my own guarantee here. Then I thought the better of it.) But what seemed like a rather ridiculous conversation a few weeks ago is starting to look more and more realistic.

So in honor of the White Sox 40th victory of the season, and because it is my lucky number (in honor of my favorite basketball player of all-time), here are 40 reasons, in no particular order, why the White Sox have a great shot to win the AL Central and make a return trip to the playoffs in 2009.

1 — Ozzie Guillen. The SI players poll may suggest that other players don’t want to play for him, but his own players do. And they have proven it every year outside of that awful and anomalous 2007. As long as Ozzie is the skipper, I’ll always believe in the White Sox. Paws up.

2 — We actually have a productive 1-2 punch at the top of the order! Most White Sox fans had forgotten what that feels like. 2005 hero Scotty Pods and Sexy Alexei have reminded us over the last 50 or so games. If Podsednik can come close to maintaining his .368 OBP, and if Alexei can continue to put his early season woes behind him (and improve upon his .398 SLG), the White Sox will have the run production and speed they need at the top of the lineup.

3 — We get THE Carlos Quentin back around the All Star Break. Remember him? Mr. Porcelain, but also the best player in the American League through the end of August last year? The White Sox offense has fortuitously been able to find its footing over the last month without him, but no one has forgotten how important Quentin is to the overall makeup of our team. Assuming Quentin can even be 80% of his normal self throughout the rest of the season, he will provide a huge presence that has been sorely lacking.

4 — Jose F*****g Contreras. I love this guy. He’s like a phoenix. Every time you think he’s finished he rises again to prove why he was such a hot commodity upon defecting here from Cuba. And there are few guys that I trust more in big spots than Contreras. He was AWFUL to start the year, but since heading down to the minors he has found his touch again and has given up only 9 runs over five starts that have covered a little over 37 innings.

5 — Mark Buehrle is Mark Buehrle. He’s not always pretty, and he’ll get knocked around every now and then, but the numbers are always there. This year he’s 7-2 with a 3.26 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He’s an ace. You have to have one to win division titles, and I’ll just say it: you’re wrong if you don’t think Mark Buehrle is an ace.

6 – Gavid Floyd has become the good Gavin again. Gavin’s season has followed an arc similar to Contreras’. He struggled mightily out of the gate, but look at his game log since May 22. Floyd has not gone less that six innings or given up more than three runs in any start. That’s eight quality starts in a row. Even more exciting is the fact that he hasn’t walked more than three batters in any of those starts either. This guy was the #4 overall pick in 2001 by the Phillies for a reason. We’ve seen why over the past 6 weeks.

7 – John Danks has become the good Danks again. Danks is another pitcher who had an up and down first 6 weeks of the season, but has turned it around. And he’s saved his best outings of the season for his two most important starts thus far: his two outings against the Cubs. Danks gave up one run over 14 innings against the Cubs. Yes, their offense sucks, but Danks has pitched four straight quality starts, going at least seven innings in all four, and the guy proved last year that he’s clutch.

8 – Is the quartet of Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Jose Contreras reminding anyone over the last month or so of another White Sox pitching staff of recent vintage? Eating innings, throwing quality starts almost every time out, and stepping up big in key spots…sounds a lot like the 2005 staff to me. Buehrle and Contreras are the holdovers, but Floyd and Danks have been every bit as good as Garland and Garcia. And remember, neither El Duque or Brandon McCarthy was that great in the fifth spot during the regular season that year. If the pitching continues on its current trend, and we know they are capable, this is a World Series-quality staff.

9 – Gordon Beckham is here and he’s every bit as good as advertised. Yeah, the kid struggled out of the gate, but look at his last seven games: 12-21 with a HR and 6 RBI. We all love Josh Fields and wish he had taken ahold of the hot corner when he had his chance, but Beckham is the future. And he is proving that he just may be the present as well.

10 – Did I mention Carlos Quentin is coming back at the All Star Break?

11 – Aaron Poreda is with the big club now and has not given up a run in his first five innings of work out of the bullpen. He has six Ks and only one BB and has given up only four hits. The Rays received a jolt from their phemon pitcher David Price last year. Could Poreda fill a similar role for the White Sox? He’s certainly had an auspicious beginning.

12 – Bobby Jenks is still one of the best closers in the game, and is as battle tested as anyone not named Mariano Rivera or Jonathan Papelbon. The big man has 18 saves on the season and has 28 Ks in 28 innings this year, a drastic improvement upon his sharply declining K rate from last year. He may not have the same gas he had back in 2005, but he is a much better pitcher now. And he’s already proven his stones on the biggest stage.

13 – Still, there are rumors that the White Sox might trade Bobby Jenks before the trade deadline. I do not want to this happen, nor do I think it will now that we’ve reemerged as a legitimate contender. Closers with Bobby’s stuff, talent, moxie, and proven experience do not grow on trees; and it’s rare to see a team get far in October without one. Regardless, on the off chance that we do trade Jenks, we’ve got a great bullpen filled with guys I would have confidence in to take over the role. (But Kenny…if you’re listening…don’t trade Bobby!)

14 – Matt Thornton has had a few rougher outings of late, but is still holding opponents to a .214 average and has struck out 39 batters in 31.2 innings.

15 – Octavio Dotel is walking way too many guys (21 in 30.2 innings) but has 39 strikeouts of his own through 30.2 innings and has successful closing experience in his past.

16 – D.J. Carrasco has come into his own as a very valuable asset in the bullpen. He’s logged 48.2 innings in 26 games and has an ERA under 3.00. He has given up seven runs over his last six outings though, so he needs to get himself back on track. But, as a former starter, he has the arm strength to be a bullpen savior on days when we need one.

17 – Scott Linebrink has not been great this year, but still has an ERA of 2.17 and averages more than a K per inning. He is not closer material — Thornton or Dotel would pick up that slack if Jenks is moved — but he remains a solid option as a setup man.

18 – Regardless of whether or not Kenny trades Bobby (don’t do it!!!), each of those four guys plus Poreda gives the White Sox an outstanding bullpen that I’d put up against any in the league. Still, I think Kenny will hang onto a proven closing commodity like Jenks, so each of the bullpen guys will get to stay in the roles they have been successful in and form one of the most unsung units in all of baseball.

19 – Ken Williams. He has to be listed as a reason why the White Sox can (and will!) make the playoffs. As White Sox fans we may not agree with all of his moves, but we have to give him this: he never stops being proactive to improve our chances. And I think his gameplan entering this season was brilliant. He put together a vet-laden team with a few new additions that, if everything fell right, had a good chance to make the playoffs. But he also has been restocking the farm system to the point where we can all feel pretty secure that when the Buehrle-Konerko-Dye era ends, the White Sox will be okay.

20 – Let’s get back to the offense, because its resurgence is one of the main reasons why the White Sox have started playing better baseball. And the most important cog in the White Sox offensive machine is still Jermaine Dye. As usual, Jermaine is quietly putting up solid numbers (.294, 18 HR, 48 RBI) and providing a steadying and consistent presence in the middle of the lineup. This guy was a World Series MVP in 2005 and was damn close to being the league MVP in 2006. He’s not quite the same player now — age will do that to you — but he is still good enough to be the second best hitter on a team that makes a deep playoff run.

21 – Carlos Quentin, of course, will hopefully resume his role as the best hitter on the team when he returns. And did I mention that he’s coming back around the All Star Break? My apologies if I didn’t. Quentin is coming back around the All Star Break.

22 – Paul Konerko, like Jermaine Dye, is having a solid season in the heart of the order (.290, 13 HR, 49 RBI). Like Dye, Konerko is not as ferocious as he once was, but is still good enough. And like Dye, Konerko has proven himself in clutch situations. I know that the combo of Dye and Konerko may not be all that sexy or exciting, but there is something to be said for battle-tested veterans who are team leaders and the essence of the term “professional hitters.” Paulie is still getting the job done both at the plate and in the field, as is JD.

23 – Chris Getz sometimes gets lost in the shuffle with all of the hullabaloo about Gordon Beckham, but Getz is providing something that our lineup has sorely lacked over the last couple of years: speed. He, Scotty Pods, and Alexei all have 11 or more stolen bases. Finally the White Sox have some people who can put a little pressure on other teams with the running game.

24 – AJ Pierzynski will never wow you with his stats, and he’ll do things that make you scratch your head sometimes (like his putrid ground out on the first pitch with the bases loaded at the end of one of our games last week), but he’s scrappy and he’s a winner. AJ comes through in the clutch more than often than not, and is underrated behind the plate (except for his arm, which can’t really be rated low enough). You need a good catcher to win, and the White Sox have one in AJ.

25 – The White Sox also seem to have found a backup catcher. Ramon Castro has blasted two home runs in 21 ABs since joining the team a couple weeks ago and is a guy who has always had monstrous power. Playing half of his games at The Cell with the weather warming up may be just the opportunity he needs to show that he can be a 25-30 HR guy someday. We’ll gladly take production anywhere close to that from our backup.

(BTW…all stats for the last six or seven of these have been taken from the White Sox hompage.)

26 – A couple of curses ended last year and we don’t have to worry about them anymore. The Jim Thome Curse and The Curse of the Douche Bag.

27 – Detroit has only three starters worth a crap (Verlander, E. Jackson, Porcello) and one of them is a 20-year old rookie (Porcello). Yes, Porcello has been very good this year, but how is his arm going to be holding up in September? He supposedly has a great makeup, but he’s never been through the pressure of a pennant race. If the Tigers cannot some more starting pitching, they are going to fall back even further to the pack.

28 – Curtis Granderson (.339 OBP, 18 HR, 13 SB) and Miguel Cabrera (.331 BA, 16 HR, 47 RBI) are really good, and Brandon Inge has certainly rebounded this year (18 HR, 52 RBI) from his subpar 2008, but what do the Tigers have after that? Magglio is on the sharp downside of his career and just is not supplying power anymore. Look at the other names that have chewed up the most ABs for Detroit this season: Placido Polanco, Gerald Laird, Adam Everett, Josh Anderson. Call me crazy, but I’ll take our offense for the rest of the season…especially once Quentin gets back.

29 – By the way, Quentin is coming back at The All Star Break.

30 – Minnesota is the Chicago’s other main competitor in the AL Central, and they have as many holes as Detroit. I do think that Minnesota’s pitching is better than what the numbers show (i.e. Baker’s 4.99 ERA and Slowey’s 4.41 ERA despite better peripherals) but this is a team that needed Francisco Liriano to be be an ace. Detroit has its ace in Justin Verlander and we have ours in Mark Buehrle. Who is it for the Twins? Baker and Slowey and very good #2-#3 starters, but the Twins do not have a guy who has proven he can take the ball and throw a gem in a big spot when the team needs it. Argue if you wish Twinkie fans, but that’s how I see it.

31 – Offensively, Minnesota has been surprisingly balanced this season. Look at the their team stats and tell me you aren’t surprised to see five guys with double-digit homers on the 2nd of July. In addition to the usual suspects (Mauer and Morneau), Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, and (*sob*) Joe Crede all have 11 or more dingers. Add in the speed of Denard Span and Carlos Gomez and the Twins have a more dynamic offense than usual that has been able to somewhat compensate for its struggling pitching. However, this is still a team that goes how Mauer and Morneau go, and you may be surprised to learn that both hit below their career averages against the White Sox. In 331 career ABs against Chicago, Morneau (a .284 lifetime hitter) hits only .275. He has a career OPS of .858 that drops to .840 when playing against Chicago. (For the record, his HR rate is almost identical.) As for Mauer, Mr. .400 blah blah blah, he is a .324 career hitter with an OPS of .881. Against the White Sox that drops to .313 and .858. Are Mauer and Morneau terrible against Chicago? No. Have they come up big at certain points against the White Sox in the past? Yes. But they sure as hell didn’t against John Danks in last year’s one-game playoff, and anytime you make those two hit worse than normal you have a great chance to beat Minnesota.

32 – Detroit and Chicago are big-market teams that will make moves at the deadline to improve their chances this year. Minnesota does not have the same luxury. That knocks the Twins down at least a peg in comparison to the Tigers and White Sox.

33 – Take a look at a quick comparison between the aces of the White Sox and the Tigers. In 15 career starts against Chicago, Justin Verlander is 3-9 with a 5.44 ERA. In 27 career starts against Detroit, Mark Buehrle is 14-8 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. And, for the record, Buehrle is 23-13 lifetime against the Twins. So Peter Gammons and all of the other baseball analysts can go into the bathroom with a moist towelette and a mental image of Verlander’s incredible “stuff”, but the fact of the matter is that he doesn’t get the job done against his division rival. The underrated Buehrle, of course, does. So, in review: Minnesota has no ace, the Tigers do but he sucks against Chicago, and the White Sox ace (who many people erroneously don’t consider to be an ace) dominates the two best teams in his division. HUGE advantage White Sox.

34 – The White Sox schedule in the second half of September sets up beautifully for a late charge to pull away from the pack. From September 21-27 the White Sox play the Twins and Tigers three times each, all of which are in Chicago. These six games are sandwiched between three at home against Kansas City and then three on the road at Cleveland to end the season. And there is actually a good chance Cleveland will have just called off the season by then, giving the White Sox a three-game sweep by forfeit.

35 – Since the White Sox have no more games against the Rangers, I most likely will not be able to see them play live for the rest of the regular season. This is good because I think the White Sox have a .200 winning percentage in games I’ve attended over the years. When KVB and I go together it’s even worse than that. (Be thankful that we never moved to Chicago and got season tickets.) If the Sox make the playoffs, however, and especially if they go deep, I may not be able to stay away. My apologies in advance.

36 – I know, I know…I’ve left someone out who deserves mention: Jim Thome. Now that the White Sox are back playing in AL parks, Thome has returned to the lineup. He is by no means the masher he was in Cleveland or Philly, but the guy is still a productive hitter (.402 OBP, 13 HR, 42 RBI) and a tremendous leader in the clubhouse. It took me a while, but I’ve fully embraced him as a true Good Guy and he is another one of our battle-tested veterans who heats up with the weather.

37 – Time to address the elephant in the room: defense. This is the White Sox biggest weakness. Currently, there are only five teams in baseball with more fielding errors than the White Sox. And no one has had worse defense at the hot corner than Chicago (17 errors, .922 fielding percentage). With Joe Crede gone and the combo of Josh Fields-Gordon Beckham over there, that is to be expected. But on the bright side, this has no place to go but up. And considering that Gordon Beckham has only been playing third base for about a month, his struggles were anticipated. Most seem to think that he is a good enough athlete to become very good defensively at third. As the season goes along, I think we’ll see his production in the field improve.

38 – Another area on defense where the White Sox have struggled is at shortstop, where Alexei Ramirez recently drew the ire of Ozzie Guillen for lackluster and unfocused play. I definitely see this improving. Alexei has all of the tools to be not just a good shortstop, but a great one. And there is no way Ozzie will allow that position to be a consistent weakness.

39 – Getting back to pitching because I forgot someone: Clayton Richard. On the season he is 3-1 with a 4.48 ERA in 22 games (10 starts). Immediately after stepping into the rotation when Bartolo Colon went on the DL, Clayton strung together three straight excellent starts. I then picked him up on my fantasy team and he hasn’t thrown a quality start since. White Sox fans will be happy to know that I’ve dropped him again, which means that he will likely turn things back around. All kidding aside, Richard is nothing more than a 5th starter right now, but he is adequate. And when Colon comes back to the rotation (if he even does), he gives the White Sox a veteran presence who is still capable of putting up halfway decent numbers. The point is that while the White Sox don’t have a world beater in the 5th slot of the rotation, the guys they are throwing out there aren’t horrible. And with the offense picking things up, we can win with Richard or Colon on the bump. And who knows, maybe Poreda steps in there at some point and provides Porcello-like production. Either way, this slot will not keep up from winning the Central.

40 – And finally, reason #40 why the White Sox can, should, and I think will win the AL Central: the return of Carlos Quentin. Am I putting a lot on his shoulders? Yes. Is there a chance he comes back and gets injured again? Yes. But is his presence in the lineup necessary for this team long-term in 2009? I believe it absolutely is. The White Sox are proving they can without TCQ, but when you get one of the best players in the AL back after an extended absence it cannot be anything but a boon to your chances. And Carlos will have the entire second half of the season to get his timing back. Perhaps this year will be a reverse of last year in that Quentin will save his best for September in 2009. We missed him in September last year, but still found a way to claw our way to a playoff berth. With Quentin in September this year, I think the White Sox have a good chance of heading into the playoffs with momentum and their best all-around player hitting on all cylinders.

Say what you will about the 40 reasons listed above, but one thing is certain: those who stuck a fork in the White Sox a few weeks back did so prematurely. For some reason, people always seem to underestimate the managerial and leadership ability of Ozzie Guillen and the heart, character, and talent in the White Sox clubhouse. The good thing is that the only people who matter (Kenny, Ozzie, and the team) never doubted. Over the last three weeks we have seen why, and White Sox fans have every reason to believe that a return trip to the playoffs is not only possible but, at least in my opinion, very probable.

So sit back, relax, and strap it down, and let’s all enjoy what should be a great three-team race for the 2009 AL Central crown…one that will be made all the more exciting when the White Sox end up repeating as champions.

* – Scott Podsednik photo credit: MouthPieceSports.com

Who is Aaron Poreda — and How Will He Impact the AL Central in 2009?

Every year, it seems like one of the biggest stories at every Spring Training camp is who will be the #5 starter. Because of expansion, there are now 30 Major League clubs, which means 150 starting pitchers who break camp penciled into their respective team’s rotations. That’s a lot of starting slots to fill, so it makes sense why most teams struggle to find a consistent 5th starter.

The Chicago White Sox in 2009 are certainly no exception.

Heading into Spring Training, one of the up-and-coming candidates being promoted as a possibility to fill the #5 slot for the White Sox behind their healthy and durable triumverate of Mark Buehrle-Gavin Floyd-John Danks was Aaron Poreda.

Now that Poreda has made his first Spring Training appearance, let’s find out who this kid is and assess his chances to break Spring Training in the rotation with the White Sox.

Aaron Poreda Bio and Scouting Report

Aaron Poreda will be 22 years old on Opening Day 2009 and is a 6′6, 240 pound lefty from Walnut Creek, California. He was selected by the White Sox in the 1st round (25th pick) of the 2007 draft and signed by White Sox scout Adam Virchis. Since being drafted, Poreda has certainly made a name for himself and developed a reputation as a major piece of the White Sox future.

After a successful college career at the University San Francisco, during which Poreda posted a sub-3.00 ERA in each of his three seasons, Poreda pitched in 46.1 innings of rookie ball at the age of 20. In those 46.1 innings, Poreda went 4-0, had a 1.17 ERA, and a K/9 ratio of 9.3, while walking only 10 batters. His WHIP was a sterling 0.84.

Certainly a very auspicious beginning.

In 2008, Poreda’s first and only full season in the minor leagues, he shuffled between high-A ball and AA Birmingham. At Winston-Salem, Poreda pitched 73.1 innings and amassed a 3.31 ERA and a 5-5 record. His K rate dropped to only 5.6 per 9 innings and his WHIP rose to a still solid 1.16. In AA Birmingham, Poreda pitched 87.2 innings, had an ERA of 2.98, a K/9 rate of 7.4, and a WHIP of 1.17.

So for his brief minor league career thus far, Aaron Poreda is 12-9 with a 2.69 ERA in 207.1 innings, with a K/9 rate of 7.2 and a WHIP of 1.10. All very good numbers, and certainly predictors of future success.

Additionally, Poreda was rated the #1 prospect in the White Sox entire system in 2008 by Baseball America. In the 2009 Baseball America Top Prospects list, Poreda is third for the White Sox, behind 2008 #1 draft pick SS Gordon Beckham and Cuban signee 3B Dayan Viciedo, but is still listed as the #63 prospect overall.

According to MinorLeagueBaseball.com, Aaron Poreda has a plus-plus fastball that sits comfortably at 95-96 mph and sinks and runs, while still catching the plate for strikes. They list his slider and changeup as fair, but in need of plenty of work. (It looks like this report is from 2007, so perhaps his other pitches have improved since then to better complement his obviously wicked fastball).

In his first outing this spring, Poreda started off slowly by giving up a homerun and a single to the first two batters (Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson), but then recovered to retire the next six batters. Most importantly, he threw first pitch strikes to 7 out of the 8 batters he faced.

From a Mark Gonzalez report at the Tribune’s website about the first 2009 appearance by Aaron Poreda:

“I was able to force contact, and sometimes when you force contact you’ve got to tip your hat because [Furcal] hit the ball pretty far,” Poreda said. “After that I recuperated and kept throwing strikes.

“I could have thrown a few better sliders, a changeup, but all in all I was happy with the outing. I didn’t give in, stayed strong and ended on a positive note.”

Poreda’s fastball was clocked in the 91-93 m.p.h. range. He struck out two and didn’t walk a batter, coming back from a 3-0 count to retire one hitter.

So apparently the slider and changeup are still a work in progress. The other interesting note in the 2007 scouting report mentioned above is that Poreda is “new to being good. Players who come out of nowhere like he has (with the jump in velocity, especially) have to get used to being dominant. Once he grows accustomed to that, his poise should improve by leaps and bounds.”

It will be interesting to watch how Poreda fares the rest of this spring. Based on his history and scouting report, it sounds like another year in the minor leagues could help Poreda develop his secondary pitches and confidence. I am sure that if the White Sox have their druthers, this is exactly what will happen.

But there is a reason that people have been talking about Poreda as a potential answer to the questions the White Sox have at the back end of their rotation. And the reason is that despite the improvements Poreda still needs to make, he is already a very good pitcher; and the White Sox need someone to fill Javier Vazquez’s slot in the rotation and someone else to fill in until Jose Contreras is ready to go.

So, will Aaron Poreda break camp in the White Sox rotation?

It does not appear likely — and the reasons why have nothing to do with Poreda not being capable, and much more to do with some great early news the White Sox have received about their other rotation options.

Chicago White Sox 2009 Pitching Rotation

First off there is Jose Contreras, who was originally expected back sometime around the All-Star break after surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles ended his 2008 season prematurely. Now there is talk that Contreras could be ready for Opening Day. He made a splash by reporting to camp lighter and in great shape, and Ozzie Guillen has already said that as soon as Contreras is healthy and ready go, he is taking the ball every fifth day.

Another major question mark heading into camp was veteran pitching behemoth Bartolo Colon, the 5′11, 245-pound former Cy Young winner (and former White Sox pitcher, in 2003) signed by the White Sox this offseason. Ozzie Guillen has already said that he feels confident defending the 2008 AL Central crown with Contreras and Colon manning the back end of the rotation. The question, of course, will be health and availability.

According to Chisox.com, both Colon and Contreras are scheduled to throw three days next week, with two additional side sessions scheduled for the week after. They are then both tentatively scheduled to pitch an inning in a game if all goes well. White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper knows what Colon can bring to the rotation:

“I’ll tell you what we are talking about,” Cooper said. “This is the second half of his career, and Bartolo is now trying to prove he can go from a pure power guy to a guy who still can pitch with real solid stuff.

“Remember, there’s nothing he can’t do with a baseball. He can cut it, slice it and dice it. He’s like Popeil’s pocket pitcher. He can do it all. He might be able to even core an apple.

“If he gets healthy, then you got a chance to win ballgames on that fourth or fifth day. He’s a proven guy, and we all know he knows how to pitch. He certainly has the heart and the [guts].”

Basically, if Contreras and Colon are ready to go on Opening Day, they will be in the rotation. If one of them is not ready, it appears that Clayton Richard could be one of the first in line for the open slot. Richard gained valuable experience filling in for Contreras last season, starting 8 games. He certainly did not set the world on fire, going 2-5 with a 6.04 ERA, but he is 25 and more experienced than the other options. Richard will assume a prominent spot in the White Sox bullpen as a long reliever whenever both Contreras and Colon are ready, so the Sox may be willing to give him the first crack at any open rotation slots.

And another name to keep an eye on is Jeff Marquez, acquired in the offseason from the Yankees in the Nick Swisher trade. Marquez is 24, and has over 100 innings more experience than Poreda in the minors. He has a sinker than has drawn comparisons to former White Sox pitcher Jon Garland, and his arsenal also includes a changeup, curve, and slider. So while he may not have the potential of Poreda, he could be more “Major League ready” right now.

In his first spring outing, Marquez pitched two hitless innings against the Cubs and impressed Ozzie Guillen, according to a report by Scott Merkin:

“He threw the ball pretty good, but I don’t think he was sharp enough for the first time,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Marquez. “But Marquez really impressed me. I was happy with what I saw.”

So in reality, it is quite possible that Aaron Poreda is currently 8th in line for starts with the White Sox in 2009. He is undoubtedly projected to be in the White Sox rotation in 2010, but for the purposes of this post we are just looking at 2009. My best guess is that Aaron Poreda begins the year in AAA, and the best case scenario for the White Sox is that he stays there all year because Contreras and Colon are healthy and effective.

But I have this funny feeling that Aaron Poreda is going to play an important role for the 2009 White Sox, perhaps not early on but maybe later in the year. Just like last season when Contreras went down, you can never predict injuries. And the truth is, the White Sox rotation has been one of the most durable rotations in baseball since 2005. Look at the numbers of total starts made by the top 5 White Sox pitchers each of the last four years:

• 2005: 154 out of 162
• 2006: 161 out of 162
• 2007: 152 out of 162
• 2008: 153 out of 162

Over four years, the pitchers in the White Sox rotation have missed only 28 starts. That is a phenomenal level of durability, and I remember hearing a stat somewhere that it was the best in baseball over that time period.

But will it continue in 2009? We know how durable Mark Buehrle has been, and there is no reason not to pencil him in for 30+ starts this season. John Danks started at least 21 games in each of his last three seasons in the minors and has been durable as a major leaguer. Gavin Floyd has also shown tremendous durability during his professional career. And last season was the only full season of Jose Contreras’ major league career that has has started less than 30 games.

So as usual, assuming Contreras is healthy and ready for the long haul, the White Sox top 4 of the rotation appears locked in stone for the entire season.

Bartolo Colon, however, is another story. He started 7 games last year, 18 in 2007, and 10 in 2006. Before that, he started at least 30 games for 8 straight seasons. But how many innings can Colon pitch this season, when the most he has pitched in any season since 2005 is 99 1/3? All White Sox fans are hoping that Bartolo Colon can regain his Cy Young form of 2005, but 150-160 innings out of Colon may be about the maximum we can realistically expect.

If that is the case, someone will have to pick up some of the slack. And with a few more months of seasoning, it very well could be Aaron Poreda that steps up to do it.

While Clayton Richard and Jeff Marquez have more experience, a more developed overall repertoire of pitches, and perhaps even more confidence and moxie on the mound, Poreda clearly has the best fastball and the most overall talent. If Poreda can add some consistency to his secondary pitches during Spring Training, and develop confidence with a few good months in AAA, he could provide a huge shot in the arm for the White Sox later in the season.

The way I look at it, whatever transpires as 2009 unfolds will be a positive for the White Sox. If Poreda stays in AAA all year, it means that Colon is getting the job done and staying healthy. If Colon falters, and Richard or Marquez can’t make the most of an opportunity, then Poreda will come up and pitch. And based on the velocity and movement of his fastball, plus his brief but successful track record, he should certainly be able to have success in his first time around the league — even if his other pitches or confidence are not quite yet up to par.

So the final conclusion is this: Aaron Poreda probably won’t break camp with the White Sox, but he could very well still play a huge role in their 2009 success. Regardless, White Sox fans can get excited that even if our current lefty ace actually does retire or move to St. Louis after the completion of his current contract, we have another potential lefty ace for the next decade waiting in the wings.

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Jeff Marquez photo credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Aaron Poreda second photo credit: Bill Mitchell/MLB.com

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Other Sox links:

Marquez makes fine debut, but look out for #2 — (Sox Machine)

Do White Sox have surprising starter depth? — (South Side Sox)

Sox like their young group of sluggers — (Phil Rogers, Tribune)

Lou Piniella won’t take Ozzie Guillen’s phone calls — (MLB FanHouse)

Contreras and Jenks in the headlines — (The White Sox Blog)

Introducing Dayan Viciedo and the Cuban Trifectors – Three Keys for White Sox Success in 2009

One of the most intriguing names reporting to the White Sox Spring Training facility at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona is Dayan Viciedo. If you are just a general baseball fan, you may never have heard of Dayan Viciedo before. Even some White Sox fans might not be very familiar with the name yet.

But from what I am reading, we should all probably get very familiar with the name Dayan Viciedo; and if he is as good as advertised, the entire baseball world may be familiar with him soon.

The 19-year old Dayan Viciedo, a third baseman, is the latest Cuban defector to join the Chicago White Sox after signing a 4-year, $10 million deal this offseason. Jose Contreras, who came over earlier this decade from the New York Yankees, helped the White Sox win the 2005 World Series and has become a fixture in the White Sox rotation. Alexei Ramirez, dubbed “The Cuban Missile” by Ozzie Guillen during Spring Training last year, finished as the runner-up for the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2008.

Together, they form the trio of White Sox that I am now going to refer to as the Cuban Trifectors, and their play in 2009 will go a long way towards deciding whether or not the White Sox can repeat as AL Central champions.

So who is this Dayan Viciedo that, according to the Chicago Tribune, led one AL scout to say that “he has more hitting ability than Alexei”?

Dayan Viciedo, as mentioned, is a native Cuban who entered the National Series of Cuba at the ripe old age of 15. He only hit .243 that first season, but found his footing as a 16-year old and hit .337 with 14 home runs. And anyone who says, “well he was only playing in Cuba” obviously does not know much about international baseball.

Cuba always fielded a very competitive baseball team in the Olympics, and finished as the runner-up to Japan in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. Cuba is very serious about their baseball, and that same Chicago Tribune article cited earlier quotes an AL scout as saying “You don’t see a 16-year-old play on a national team [as he did].” Dayan Viciedo actually made the provisional 60-man roster for the World Baseball Classic but did not make the final cut.

Viciedo’s greatest strength appears to be significant raw power. I have read in more than one place that Viciedo projects to be a 35-40 home run guy. His .337 average as a 16-year old also shows that he is not a McGwire-esque one trick pony either. He will obviously have to prove, however, that he can make adjustments at the Major League level and provide consistent production against higher quality pitching.

The primary weakness that has been cited is Viciedo’s weight. He apparently ballooned up to 260 pounds at one point after reaching the U.S. following his defection. The White Sox instructed him to report to camp at 230 pounds, and he had already trimmed his weight to 246 pounds by the time of his tryout in November, according to the Chicago Tribune.

And Ozzie Guillen certainly seems encouraged, as this report at SunTimes.com from January 30, 2009 shows:

Guillen has gotten promising reports from bench coach Joey Cora regarding power-hitting third baseman Dayan Viciedo, 19, who defected from Cuba last year. There had been concerns that Viciedo’s weight would hurt his chances in the majors.

”I got great news about the former fat guy,” Guillen said with a laugh. ”Now he’s a big man. He’s a strong, big kid. When I saw him the first time, he was overweight, there’s no doubt.

”I talked to Joey Cora, and this kid is going to come to spring training having the big-league club on his mind, and that’s good. He says he wants to be on the big-league club. He is going to have all of the opportunities to make the ballclub.”

Viciedo will be competing with Josh Fields at 3B this spring. Joe Crede, the longtime fixture at the hot corner for the White Sox, will probably be in San Francisco or Minnesota. Juan Uribe will not be with team either. And while there is understandable excitement about Dayan Viciedo’s potential, it is important to point out that while Josh Fields struggled last year, this is still a guy who hit 23 home runs in only 373 ABs in 2007. He only had 20 ABs at the Major League level last year, but at 27 should be ready to hit his stride.

What will be interesting to see is whether the White Sox keep Viciedo at the big league level if he does not unseat Josh Fields as the starter, but shows enough pop in his bat to be a DH fill-in for Jim Thome and power bat off the bench. I would think that the White Sox want Viciedo playing every day, so if he is not starting on the big league club they will probably have him in AAA.

One thing is for sure: whether or not Viciedo breaks camp on the South Side, he could still play an integral role in the White Sox quest to defend their AL Central title. Alexei Ramirez played sparingly through the first few months of 2008, but came on strong during the final few months to become one of the offensive leaders for the White Sox. We will see how quickly Viciedo can adjust during Spring Training; but regardless, his name will be on all Sox fans minds all season, especially if Fields struggles or if the White Sox offense as a whole sputters like it did at the start of last season.

Either way, Dayan Viciedo is another solid building block for the future that Ken Williams has assembled. With respect to the immediate future, the other two members of the Cuban Trifectors are two of the most important keys for the White Sox success in 2009.

Jose Contreras is still recovering from the ruptured Achilles that ended his 2008 season. Most projections have him returning to the rotations around the All-Star break, and the early reports from Glendale are glowing:

Guillen presented rave reviews for Camelback Ranch, comments echoed by White Sox pitchers and catchers. He called Jose Contreras “the biggest surprise of camp,” even with just one day elapsed, as the right-hander showed up 30 pounds lighter than the end of the 2008 season and well on his way to coming back early from a ruptured left Achilles tendon suffered last August.

With the 4th and 5th slots in the rotation still up in the air, the healthy and effective return of Contreras could be a tremendous mid-season lift for the White Sox. Everyone hopes that Bartolo Colon and either Aaron Poreda or Clayton Richard can solidify the back end of the rotation, but there is no replacement for the big game experience that Jose Contreras possesses. He was up and down at times last season, but I firmly believe that the White Sox are a better team with him taking the bump every fifth day.

The other Cuban Trifector, Alexei Ramirez, is being counted upon heavily to not only deal with adjustments that AL pitchers will most likely throw his way during his second year in the big leagues, but also with playing a new position. Alexei is sliding over to SS from 2B to make way for Chris Getz (or perhaps Brett Lillibridge). Moving over to SS should not be too much of an adjustment for Alexei, as he played mostly shortstop and center field in Cuba. The move could certainly boost the White Sox offense, assuming that whoever is playing 2B can replace the modest production of Juan Uribe.

With inexperienced players like Jerry Owens, Getz, and Fields projected to be starters in 2009, and aging veterans like AJ Pierzynski, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, and Jermaine Dye trying to prove that they can still produce at above-average levels, a lot of pressure will be on Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin to provide consistent offensive production. Alexei, who will be 27 on opening day, was very consistent as a player in Cuba and is at the age where most players enter their prime years. For the White Sox to succeed in 2009, Alexei needs to build upon his solid rookie year and be the player throughout 2009 that he was during the final few months in 2008.

I am a huge proponent of Ken Williams’ willingness to bring in Cuban players, and the White Sox are in a unique situation to help Cuban players succeed. When Alexei joined the team last year, he had the veteran Contreras to lean on and fellow Latino Ozzie Guillen as his manager. Alexei was also 26, so he had seven years of maturity on the young Dayan Viciedo. But Viciedo will have both Contreras and Ramirez to help guide him, and a manager in Ozzie Guillen who has proven his willingness to give young players a chance.

Jose Contreras and Alexei Ramirez are both proven commodities who have experienced great success already at the Major League level. Dayan Viciedo is a raw 19-year old who possesses immense talent but still needs to prove that he has the skills and mental makeup to compete and produce consistently at the Major League level. Together, the Cuban Trifectors form a huge piece of the 2009 puzzle that the White Sox and their fans are hoping can result in another AL Central title and a return trip to the playoffs.

Chicago White Sox will NOT re-sign Ken Griffey Jr. | Offseason Talk

As a White Sox fan this bit of MLB news is more interesting to me than anything about Bud Selig’s decisions on the currently stalled World Series or the lopsided Presidential race. The Chicago White Sox will not re-sign Ken Griffey Jr. for the 2009 season and this might have been a “You’re fired,” reply “No I quit.” circumstance.

Griffey’s short stint didn’t leave a lot of memories at the plate but neither did the team as a whole (besides what it took to even make it to the playoffs in the first place). I will always remember that we had him during the 2008 playoff push, and his incredible home plate gun-down in the Minnesota play-in game that helped preserve our 1-0 victory. That was an awesome game. I love Junior Griffey and I wish the first ballot hall of Famer the best.

Losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 wasn’t a major disappointment considering the White Sox ended their season with tough injuries that sidelined Team MVP and Almost AL MVP Carlos Quentin. as well as the playoff perfectionist Jose Contreras. We assuredly could have used Jose Contreras down the stretch when our 4 man rotation was limited to 3 days rest the final weeks of the season.

Word is Contreras’ ruptured 36 year-old achilles tendon will keep him out until the 2009 All-Star break, in which case he would finish the season coming out of the bullpen. That is only early speculation at this point but it is known that Contreras is already working hard to come back as early and healthy as possible.

There is now the starting position opening in CF for the Southside Good Guys and there are a lot of options (in no particular order):

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