The 2009 season has yet to see the end of it’s third week, and already the White Sox(8-7) are seeing the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows.
The good has been great. Starting pitchers John Danks and Gavin Floyd are doing their best to prove to the rest of the league last year was no fluke. The young duo have combined with steady veteran Mark Buehrle to start 6-1 with 47 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched. Danks has a miniature .95 ERA.
The bullpen has looked well, with Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink throwing 8.2 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts entering Thursday night’s game in Baltimore. Matt Thorton has thrown one mistake, albeit a big one (Ben Zobrist’s pinch hit grand slam that kept the Sox from sweeping four in Tampa last weekend), and has seven strikeouts of his own in five innings of work. Bobby Jenks doesn’t miss bats like he used to, but he is 3/3 in save chances.
Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko made history when they went back-to-back last week in Detroit, each hitting their 300th career homeruns. Konerko has bounced back from his tough 2008 campaign, hitting .308 with three longs balls and 12 RBI. Dye has also started hot with a line of .352-4-10 including another milestone, his 1,000th RBI. Carlos Quentin picked up right where he left off when he broke his own wrist last September, hitting a league leading seven homers to go with his team-high 14 RBI. Jim Thome has contributed four bombs of his own.
Chris Getz has made life a little easier for his manager Ozzie Guillen by seizing the team’s lead off position. He’s hitting .333, with a .417 OBP and two stolen bases in the one slot.
As we all know, though, with the good comes the bad, and the bad in Chicago has been more like brutal.
Dewayne Wise lasted all of 2 games with an 0-8 plate performance in the lead off spot, and then ended up on the DL less than a week later. Brian Anderson has since taken over for him as the starting CF, but it’s no secret hes not a favorite of Guillen’s. he has hit .296 but has just 2 RBI and no HRs.
Anderson’s RBI total might be hurting, but its not even close to how much pain is felt watching Alexei Ramirez wave his bat at anything and everything thrown his way. Ramirez started the season 0-13 and currently sports a .149 average with just three RBI and no homers. Needless to say, Ozzie is concerned.
“This isn’t Ecuador or Costa Rica you’re facing and [beating],” Guillen said in an apparent reference to Ramirez’s time with the Cuban national team.
“You have to come here (ready) every day. If you don’t make an adjustment, they’re going to kick you with their stuff. It’s more mental.” (courtesy of Chicago Tribune)
Bartolo Colon had a very encouraging opening start, throwing six shutout innings at home against the division rival Twins. Since then he’s been much worse, giving up ten earned runs on 14 hits in 8.2 road innings. So much for Jose Contreras coming back from that injury so quickly and making an impact. Contreras hasn’t shown any hope, starting the season 0-3 with an ERA of 8.04. All that said, Guillen isn’t quite ready to yank his Cuban workhorse from the rotation.
“The velocity is there, but I don’t think Jose has the confidence right now to let the ball go,” said Guillen. “That’s what I see from the dugout. Maybe I’m wrong. Hopefully [Sunday against Toronto ace Roy Halladay] will be better.
“I know he’ll work on it, and then after the next start maybe we’ll have a better idea on what to do.”(courtesy of Chicago Tribune)
The lone mess in the bullpen has already been cleaned up, with Mike MacDougal designated for assignment this week. I was at the Cell Saturday the 11th when he entered in the late innings to a chorus of boo’s before he had even thrown a pitch. MacDougal had an ERA over 12 for Chicago this season, boo-bye.
A few guys have been caught in between, doing no more and no less than has been expected.
Josh Fields has filled in at the two hole nicely, likewise for catcher A.J. Pierzynski in the seven spot. They are hitting .286 and .289 respectively, with Fields playing a better than advertised third base. He has just two errors in 45 chances defensively.
The White Sox begin a three game set Friday against the surprise AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays. So far the Sox series have been predictable week to week, lose the opening series, win the weekend. The Sox dropped two in baltimore to open this week , which means they should win two this weekend back home against the Jays.
With Floyd and Buehrle starting the first two games against injury fill-ins for Toronto and the embattled Contreras set to face off with Jay’s ace Roy Halladay in the finale, it looks like the pattern will stay the same on the south side.
Peaks and valleys, folks, peaks and valleys.
April 24th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
hahaha, boo-bye, classic. Nice piece there.