Why Not Bring Back Vizcaino?

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Word around the campfire is that Vizcaino is gonna be cut by the Cubs. So why don't the Sox bring him back in the fold? He fits exactly what they're looking for - a serviceable reliever who can handle spot duty.

He's been fine so far this year - 4 games, 3.2 IP, 3 Ks, 2 hits, no ER. Last year was rough, but that was in Colorado, so you've got to take his numbers in stride. Ignore that year, and you're talking about a guy who always gives you an ERA in the high 3s, low 4s, a mediocre WHIP, some Ks, but overall be a serviceable depth arm. Always - he just never has particularly good nor bad years - just steadily OK. And that's great - that's what the Sox need.

Thanks to MacDougal falling flat, the Sox have a gaping hole there right now. Egbert is a nice guy to try out, but he's unproven and a wild card. He probably would be better served to get some more AAA work anyway.

So why not bring in Vizcaino? I'd love to get high 3., low 4. ERA out of that depth reliever slot. And Vizcaino will be free - the Cubs are on the hook for his salary, the Sox just have to pay him the minimum.

He's already here in Chicago, he's played for Ozzie and the Sox, even won a ring with us (and earned it to - he filled that depth reliever role well that season). We offer him a shot at more success, at certain innings. He's got to have fairly good memories of this place and clearly doesn't mind playing in Chicago.

Why would this not work out?

I've been asking for some proven relief help for a while. Granted I was hoping for a legit late inning reliever to add real depth, but I'll take a Vizcaino. Coincidentally enough, he was always the example of a reliable but low-impact type I referred to when I said the Sox needed at least one more piece of relief depth. So now he's ripe for the taking - why not bring him on board?

I never understand the inner workings of baseball and often am mystified how this stuff works. My bet is some garbage team like the Orioles, with no hope for post-season success and thus no need for a reliable pen arm, will scoop him up. It'd be a shame if Kenny drops the ball on this one. The little guys getting you those depth relief innings can make a major difference - make it happen, Kenny.

12% There

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The start of the year is one of the most crucial times for any team, as early struggles often lead to players forcing things and a further decline, while success out of the gate builds confidence and allows players to get into a comfort zone.

That's why I'm pretty happy about this team, despite the pedestrian 7-6 record. Individually, a lot looks really good. And the team has been in 10 of the 13 games they've played, all against solid competition. On top of that, no one in the division has gotten off to a hot start or looked particularly fearsome. Detroit can score, Kansas City can pitch, but it remains to be seen if either has the complete team necessary to come out ahead in a 162-game marathon.

As for the Sox, I've been pleased with a number of things, but probably the most encouraging has been the work of the pen. Granted it's early, but it's nice to see Jenks, Linebrink, Dotel, and Thorton all looking in top form right off the bat. The source of concern is whether or not they can do it all season, but you've got to start somewhere, and so far so good.

Not as enthused by the back of the pen, but not terribly unhappy either. Mac is gone, which is actually encouraging. Granted they'd given him a ton of shots before, but it was nice to see that Guillen and Kenny didn't have much for patience. That's how you've got to handle the pen - see if a guy has got it, if not, move on to the next option. Let's hope Egbert is a find, but if not, I don't want to see them keep him around if he's not effective. Move on to the next guy.

I've been pleased with Carrasco and Richard, even if both have been inconsistent. Carrasco got murdered by the Twins in his first outing, but stepped up big in taking one for the team, throwing 3 innings to allow Ozzie to save his pen. Since then he's been unscored upon in four straight outings. If he can be a reliable innings eater, the Sox will be in good shape. You need guys who can keep you in a game you're losing, allowing our potent offense to get us back into it.

Richard has been great in three outings, pretty poor in four others. Still, it looks like he's got what it takes - I think his struggles are just a result of getting used to the irregular work of a long reliever. For now though, it will help for him to get used to big league hitters. I just hope he doesn't languish in middle relief for too much longer. I'd prefer to see him sometime soon sent back down in AAA to continue his development as a starter. Still, from what I've seen, Richard has the stuff to be a good starter someday, which is what you want in the end.

The starting pitching has been fairly solid, at least 4/5ths of the guys. Danks, Buerhle, and Floyd have picked up where they left off last year, and that's a real good thing. Colon has as well - being surprisingly effective in his first two starts, just as he was in seven starts last year. That's extremely encouraging - it's clear that Colon has the pedigree, it was just a matter of having anything left and whether he could stay on the field. The latter remains to be seen, but at only 35 and without even 100 IP in any of the past four seasons, Colon should be fairly refreshed. It wouldn't surprise me to see him have a real bounce back year. So far, so good.

And then there's Contreras. Even when he's going right, he's a pitch or two away from bad things. And right now, things aren't going right - that's resulted in three losses, which just happen to coincide with the three games the Sox have not been in. Contreras needs to be in the right place with all his different pitches, with his focus, and with his control, if he's going to have success. After so much time off, he's just not there, and it's killing the Sox.

How much longer can they hope to run him out there in the hopes that it comes back? Ideally you'd like to farm him out, let him get his feel back, and then get him back up once he's there. It's actually not an unreasonable plan - if Contreras would go along with it, that is. The Sox can't force him to pitch in the minors, but if he agrees, there's no question he'd clear waivers (thanks to his $10M+ salary this year). A few no pressure games to get back to where he needs to be might be all it takes to see a return of a strong SP. In the meantime, it'd be nice to see what Richards has got as a regular starter.

The Sox aren't quite ready to consider something like that, but if Contreras continues to crap the bed these next couple starts, they have to consider it. You can't afford an automatic loss every 5 days in what will certainly be another tight race.

Offensively, I'm equally as pleased with the Sox early performances. But first I'll dispense with my one real concern. Oddly, Alexei Ramirez is not it. The guy is an uber-talent, and he showed last year he can start horribly and then turn it around. I have faith that will happen and would advise everyone to have a lot of patience with The Missile - he'll reward us in the end.

The guy I am concerned about is Thome. Not in a major way, just in Ozzie's insistence to hit him #4. He no longer is capable - he's a .240 hitter who strikes out a lot, and is only getting worse. I know the Sox don't want to get too righty-heavy through the middle, but with the way CQ, Dye, and Paulie are hitting, it doesn't make sense to give the pitcher a break in the form of Thome in the middle.

The frustrating part is that Thome is still valuable. He can still drive the ball, he comes up with some big hits, and he will make pitchers work hard else they walk him or see one fly out of the park. We can certainly afford another Thome season like last year - .245, 30+ HRs, 90 R, 90 RBI, and 90 walks. In fact, that'd be great. We just can't have that out of the cleanup spot, not with the other options we've got. Instead, Thome needs to be slotted back into the #6 spot, where the above numbers become a nice asset (especially in front of solid back-of-the-order producers like Alexei and AJ).

Otherwise, the lineup is looking good. CQ doesn't seem to have any issues with the wrist and has picked up exactly where he left off last year. Dye continues to be his normal productive self (so under-appreciated, including by me) and Paulie seems to have rediscovered his swing (can't say I was sure of that, by any means, but it also isn't a surprise). If those guys can be .280, 30 HR, 100 RBI types (very reasonable for all three), the Sox will score their runs, and will do it with some consistency as well.

I'm also encouraged by the play of first year starters Fields and Getz. Fields started hot and then cooled, but he's been focused on getting base hits and drawing walks, which is the correct way to approach hitting. We know the power will come - get that average and OBA where it needs to be, and Fields will be an asset. Similarly with Getz, especially as a lead-off hitter, it's nice to see that he's not afraid to draw a walk. There's a lot of pressure to produce from the top, which leads many a young hitter to be overly aggressive. But Getz has taken what's been given to him, gettin his hits and base-on-balls. This kid has definitely got a future if he can keep it up.

And always important to an Ozzie squad is the bench - so far, so good. Corky Miller has only 7 ABs, but he's gotten 3 hits (including a double), a pair of walks 2 R, and 3 RBI during that limited time up. It won't last, but even just flashes of offense are a bonus, as his real value is as a strong defensive catcher. Betemit has done well enough, with 5 hits in 17 ABs, and hasn't even flashed his surprisingly impressive power (in the Cell, he'll hit some jacks). And focusing on Lillibridge's .150 average ignores what his job is - to get on base. The kid can fly, he just needs to get to first. Well, despite that horrendous average, he's got a .370 OBA, thanks to 7 walks (second on the team to Quentin's 8). The bat's got to come around a little bit, but if he keeps his OBA above .350, then Lillibridge is doing everything the Sox could hope.

Finally there's BA, who you can make a similar argument for. I'd like to see him look better in his ABs, but he has drawn 6 walks in limited plate appearances, giving him a great .387 OBA. Again, considering they're slotting him back at #9, if he keeps that OBA up, I can deal with the .240 average. Any hope that Owens would steal some of his PT have, for the time, been dismissed in the face of BA's great work this year against righties. In fact, if BA could hit lefties (whom he murdered last year for 8 HRs in 80 ABs) like he's hit righties so far (6 for 19, 4 walks), we'd have a franchise CF.

The one area I haven't been able to get a gauge on is the defense, because I haven't been able to watch a lot of Sox games on TV yet, which is about the only way to fairly judge them. But the early reports seem very strong - Fields and Getz have been solid and Alexei looks good at short. And I haven't heard anything about Dye losing a step in the OF or Quentin's goofy approach to flyballs hurting the club. Clearly having BA in there in center everyday is a real boon. But more to come once I've seen a bit more of the Sox myself.

Execution and Small Ball

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Sox haven't really done any one thing with too much regularity (good or bad) to start the season, so there's nothing specifically I'm hurtin to holler from the high heavens. They've hit some (but aren't red hot), they've pitched well (but haven't dominated), the fielding's been fine, no plethora of base-running mistakes, no long winning or losing streaks. Kinda been a boring start to things, which is surprising giving all the kids and changes and storylines out of last season. Really, besides Wise's entire ordeal, it's been a rather even keel start.

The only thing I've really noticed way too much of - leaving runners on third with less than two outs. You just can NOT do that and expect to be a highly successful ball club. And it's everybody - from guys you'd expect (BA) to guys you expect more of (Quentin).

Obviously a lot of this is on the hitters - they've got to have the focus and ability to bear down and make the solid contact necessary to bring the runner in. But some of it's on the coaching staff - they've got to have fostered that necessary focus and worked with the hitters on their ability to just make that productive contact when needed.

So far I can't point to a game that has clearly been lost due to this sort of failure, but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Baseball games turn on the smallest things, so while it may seem like an early run wouldn't have made a difference in what turns into a blow-out, that's not clearly the case. Maybe getting out of that situation gave the pitcher the confidence he needed. Maybe that gave the other lineup a bit of a spark that lead to a later offensive barrage. It's impossible to know, but it's assured that it's never a good thing to leave a runner stranded who should have been brought in.

A small percentage of teams make the playoffs each year, and to be in that percentage, you can't afford to blow opportunities like having a runner on third with less than two outs. If the Sox continue to do so, we're gonna end up frustratingly short of some reasonably big goals (I'm not convinced this team can't be a title contender - they've got the foundation and who out there is so much better?). Hopefully this is an early thing they can get out of before any real damage is done (the Central remains wide open) and get turned around soon enough to start taking command in the division.


One more point, one that I'll hit over and over throughout the season - I ALWAYS say play for one run in any situation within any reason. Just like with bringing in that guy from third with less than two outs, so much more good than just that one run can come from it, whereas so much bad can come from allowing the other team to keep you off the board. Numbers guys will tell you to play for the big inning. Even baseball guys (like DJ, who just recently professed his disapproval of playing for one run early in games) will say you should let professional hitters hit.

Nonsense. Baseball isn't about numbers, it's not about skill levels. It's about momentum. Hitting is contagious. It's about feeling relaxed and confident. Pitching is the same. These guys all are physical specimens, but the teams who win are the ones who get the most out of their talent. And you do that by creating situations for them to succeed.

That's why every time I had a guy on base early, I'd be working to bring that one runner home, at the expense of everything else. Not only does one run change the whole facet of most games, but it gets your team feeling positive and the other team feeling negative, whereas failing to get that baserunner around has the exact opposite effect.

I'm not saying to bunt Paulie or Thome - that doesn't give you your best chance to score one run. Those guys are terrible bunters and good hitters. But guys who can bunt - bunt. Guys who can make contact with consistency - call a hit-and-run. Guy on first who can run - give him the greenlight.

Just worry about scoring one run at a time and you'll see that focusing on that single run, at any time in the game, will inevitably lead to more runs, both directly and indirectly. It's because momentum and confidence (or the lack thereof) have as much effect on your players' abilities to produce as any other factor.

With the Sox, this "always play for one" approach is especially effective, because they will never be in any danger of over-doing it. They just have way too many sluggers for that to happen. You're just not gonna ever play small with Quentin, Dye, Thome, or Paulie. That's almost half your at-bats right there.

Hence, there aren't really that many chances to play small for the Sox, so when they do come up, they should take advantage every single time.


So for the remaining 145+ games, I'm looking to see Ozzie take advantage of the rare small opportunities at every turn, especially early in the game, and I'm looking to see the Sox hitters execute with a runner on third and less than two outs (or, the related and equally important runner on second with no outs). If those two things happen, then I'm pretty confident the Sox will be playing not only in October, but late into it.

Owens Catches A Break (Sort Of)

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So Jerry Owens career with the Sox isn't over yet. Wise going down for 4-8 weeks with a shoulder injury has allowed the speedster his final shot with the big league club. But will he be given a true shot while up? Sounds like this guy is not a Williams/Guillen favorite, which generally means your days in a Sox uni are numbered, no matter how you produce.

Guillen is already making it sound like Owens won't be given the starting CF job and leadoff spot, but instead will have to be content with backing up BA and slipping into the #9 hole when he does sneak his way into the lineup.

Getz will remain at leadoff against righties, while Lillibridge will get his shot against lefties. Makes perfect sense that Owens, who hit about .280 with a .340 OBA and 25+ steals in the second half of 2007, would be buried behind two guys who have a whopping 4 hits and 3 walks in over 30 combine plate appearances this season.

You see Swisher and the OC lighting it up for other teams, and you wonder if Kenny and Ozzie don't let their egos get in the way sometimes. I like both these guys and respect their track record (tho I still think Ozzie is over-rated as a manager for his inability to commit to small ball), but that doesn't mean they don't have flaws. And I think favoring "their guys" over more productive guys who they don't take to is a significant flaw.

Look, Owens has been a pansy who gets hurt too much and hasn't stepped it up when they've asked him to. And I generally agree that on the professional level, everyone is physically gifted, so going with the hardest workers and guys who fit the chemistry the best is a solid guideline. Lord knows nothing pisses me off more than seeing the Sox struggle without any intensity and/or due to selfish or fundamentally poor play.

But it seems like Kenny and Ozzie do more than just run out clubhouse cancer-types - they appear to run out anyone who doesn't quite fit their fancy. Since jettisoning Rowand, Everett, and Willie Harris in 2005, the Sox have struggled in part because the team lacked any real fire outside of AJ. Last season the OC and Swisher brought that spark back - returned the energy and intensity that had been missing since the title run, and even took the edge off and kept everyone loose.

The result? A clubhouse everyone admitted was one of the more fun in baseball, and a team that defied expectations, overcome significant injuries to three All-Stars (Quentin, Crede, and Contreras), and won a division title in the most dramatic fashion.

Yet the Sox couldn't wait to get rid of Swisher and the OC because they didn't quite fit with the personalities of Ozzie and Kenny. Similarly, the Sox have been loathe to give Owens a shot to build off that great second half in 2007 and become the leadoff hitter the Sox desperately need, because he hasn't endeared himself to them.

I think the Sox need to quit demanding that he "earn" it and just give him the job. I'd be fine with not letting Owens just have the spot over a more capable leadoff hitter, but what the hell did Wise or Getz do to earn it? What has either of them ever accomplished? Last year, both Guillen and the OC would have far preferred to hit him #2 - so why wasn't Owens given a shot then? Why was it OK for Grif Jr. to hit like a limp-wristed chick while he limped around CF and yet never lose his spot?

Look, I do believe in Getz and I'm happy to see Lillibridge gets some ABs. And I'm pleased that BA stands to get more time to prove himself offensively, because there are few better defensive CFs in the game. But especially with the way the middle of the order (excepting Thome) is performing, the leadoff spot is looking like the Sox biggest offensive concern.

Owens by far has the most potential to become a true leadoff threat - hitting for average, bunting himself on, working counts, drawing walks, and running wild when on the bases. For that reason alone he should be given every opportunity to fail, rather than being demanded to succeed at every turn before given his shot.

So I'm very interested to see if Owens will be given much of a shot, and if so, what he does with it. But I'm gonna be pulling hard for his success, and not just because my sister's boyfriend is good buds with the guy. I'm gonna be driving the Owens bandwagon because few things could help the Sox more than a guy hitting .280+ with a .340+ OBA and stealing bases at a 50+ clip.

If at the end of the year Owens has achieved those things and both the starting rotation and bullpen holds up, I guarantee 90+ wins for the Sox.

Sox Opening Day Roster - Pitchers Analysis

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Pitching and defense win championships - no question. And I think the Sox under Kenny Williams get that - sometimes they get caught up in the "big bats" idea, but for the most part they've invested their money and resources into ensuring they've got a strong defense and a deep pitching staff. Sometimes they don't execute the plan correctly (see 2006 and 2007), but the effort is there.

I think this year both the effort and execution will prove to have been successful. The Sox have a nice core starting staff returning and a number of options - both old and young - to fill out the back end. The bullpen also has a nice core back, though I was screaming all off-season for more depth - to no avail. As it stands, the pen is gonna need to stay healthy and have everyone pitch as they are expected, if not a bit better.

I'm sorry, but never in the history of baseball has that ever happened. The only thing I will ever guarantee about any team before the season is that their pen will NOT end up looking as it was expected to. Instead, my hope for the Sox is that a few mystery guys - a la Cotts and Politte in 05 - step up into the inevitable holes that emerge. If not, the Sox won't have success - few teams are good enough elsewhere to make up for not having a strong pen, and the SouthSiders aren't one of them.

But if the pen does work out - if it is both closing out wins and keeping the team in it when they're tied or behind, then I firmly believe the Sox will be able to make up for any offensive issues, even some back of the rotation issues, and put themselves into the postseason yet again.


STARTING ROTATION

#1 - Buehrle

Not a whole lot to say, this guy is as steady as they come. Sure there are ups and downs along the way, and some years end up slightly better than others, but pretty much you know this guy is gonna stay healthy, be effective, and give you a chance to win most of his starts. Ideally you'd like to see one of his upside years where he dips the ERA into the low 3s and keeps it there all season. But even if he's in the high 3s, the Sox will be fine.

#2 - Floyd

A lot of people aren't buying on this kid yet and on some level I don't blame them. He struggled mightily with the Phillies and didn't earn a chance with the Sox until the wheels fell off of their other starting options in 2007. However, Floyd has been a beast since then and has the pedigree to make it stick. Like Buehrle, you'd love to see a low 3 ERA for the season, but even just a low 4. ERA would be fine if he's eating up innings.

#3 - Danks

Because this isn't the East Coast, no one has made a big deal about this kid. Too bad, because not only is he a talent, but the Sox deserve a ton of credit for how they've handled him. In fact, the way they've brought him along slowly, yet done so without any fanfare or second guessing, is a real feather in their cap. In 2007, Guillen wouldn't let him go deep into games and Kenny decided to shut him down late in the year. In 2008, Guillen gave Danks a bit more slack, but still wouldn't ride him like he does most of his SPs, and the result was Danks having legs into the playoffs.

I'm curious to see if they let the kid go all-out this year, throwing 220+ innings, or if they continue to ease him into that sort of workhorse mode. Either way, the hope is that Danks can continue to be a low to mid 3 ERA guy in whatever inning total he's getting.

#4 - Contreras

For whatever reason, I'm not surprised this guy defied science and came back in the best shape of his life. He seems like a warrior - something about surviving Cuba, getting out, overcoming some initial issues, and then finally becoming the Ace he knew he was showed me that Contreras had something extra.

So it doesn't surprise me that after some struggles (due to a divorce) and a nasty injury ahead of his last significant contract, Contreras would kill himself to get back better than ever. The hope is that he's rewarded with a healthy run of it this year - because if he is, I think he'll be a highly effective arm. He's got good stuff, he just needs to have his head in it. But after what he's gone through, I think his head will be all the way up in it. If he avoids the big injury, then look for High 3s, low 4s, and a ton of innings - exactly what every team would kill for out of their fourth starter.

#5 - Colon

I said before that I'd like to see 35 starts out of Colon and Contreras, and I'm probably still fine with that number. While Contreras scares me due to another major injury, Colon seems more the type to have arm annoyances that keep him out for a start here or there or maybe a couple 15-day DL stints. The hope is that any nagging injuries don't keep him from being effective. I'll be fine if this guy only starts 12 games, as long a he gives us 12 good outings. For the tiny sum of money their spending and with the young arms they have behind him, Colon is almost gravy. 10-20 starts with an ERA right around 4 and I'll be thrilled. No question he's got the stuff - he just needs to be physically there.

#6 - Richard

I list a #6 starter, because in reality, most teams essentially have to have a #6 these days. Few teams actually go through the year without calling on someone not in their original rotation to make 10-20 starts. With Contreras and Colon around and the standard injuries any SP can befall, I think Richard is going to be in line for about that many starts, if not more.

The good news is I think he's up to it. He reminded me of Danks in 07 - he had good stuff, but would hit a wall after a few innings and couldn't recover. Toward the end of the year Richard actually began working through that wall and started to look like a real asset.

In the short term, I think he'll be a good long arm who can keep the Sox respectable for a few innings. And I think those stints will give him some confidence and experience, which he'll need when he eventually transitions into the rotation. And not having to work all 30 starts should allow Richard to take the next step without compromising either the team or his development. I can really see this guy following Danks' path and putting up a solid season this year, before breaking out next year.

BULLPEN

CL - Jenks

As I've mentioned before, I think Jenks has that little something extra that will make him a great closer for the rest of his career. He showed signs of it with the way he stepped into the fire as a rookie and never faltered straight through the World Series, but I've been just as impressed with how he's continued to get it done, without much hoopla, the past three seasons.

I think Jenks has matured a ton and now has evolved into a strong pitcher, not just a flame-thrower. I hope the Sox lock him up, because barring some unforesee injury, he's looking like a mighty consistent closer type who you can just pencil in and forget about.

SU - Linebrink

The wheels fell of the pen last year when Linebrink got hurt. Until that point, they had been one of the best in baseball, after that Sox relievers were some of the worst. It makes sense too, because when you lose a key guy, everyone has to adjust their role and you end up getting worse at four or five different pen positions.

If Linebrink can stay healthy and effective all season, I have full faith the Sox pen will be fine. Really - he's that key to me. Sure they'll need some other breaks, but given the talent they have and the efforts they've put into their pen, I think it will work out. But you need this guy to be a money set-up guy, with an ERA in the 2s and few blown 8th inning opportunities.

LHP - Thornton

So far he's put up a solid year, an off year, and a stellar year with the Sox. Is he the standard up-and-down reliever, or was 2007 just a bit of a fluke? This year will tell - if Thornton can keep his ERA in the 2s or low 3s and put a hurting on lefties, then I'm gonna have a good feeling about the Sox pen. Especially if Thornton is getting those big Ks with one out and a runner third. He seems to have the right approach and has long been a highly talented arm - this is his season to establish himself as an elite middle reliever.

RHP - Dotel

I loved the Linebrink and Dotel signings last year because I fully believe you can never have enough bullpen depth. It's why I would have gone out and gotten at least one if not two more strong veteran SPs this off-season. Dotel is the perfect example - he's been a primary set-up guy and a closer, and yet the Sox have built the depth necessary to turn him into a situational righty and 7th inning type.

For the most part Dotel has thrived in it. Sure he has some mental letdowns - the perfect examples being after he gets the one-out K with a runner on third, only to give up a two-out extra base-hit to the next guy. But he also has been good at chewing innings to keep a small deficit from growing, allowing the Sox to get back into it, as well as in coming up with some big outs against righties in late inning situations.

Ideally, Dotel remains in this 7th inning righty role, where he's one of the best in the game, and isn't called upon to set-up or close, where he becomes shaky.

MR - MacDougal

I love that they kept this guy around. With any successful pen, you need at least one or two guys who nobody was counting on to step up and make good. Mac could easily be that guy, as he had a nice run with the Royals and then in his first year with the Sox, where he was a frontline reliever. The past two years he's been a total mess, but let's hope that Coop has figured it, because if MacDougal can contribute a strong ERA, some big Ks, and not walk half the batters he faces, the Sox are gonna be in good shape. But if he can't get it done, farm him out and look for someone who else who can.

I really believe you've got to keep on rolling guys through the pen and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. If a guy is a real prospect or has some history (like a MacDougal) then cut him a bit more slack. But once it becomes clear he can't do it, then move on to the next guy. Just up those odds of finding that fluke guy who steps up and solidifies your pen. Basically - I hate Adam Russell and all he stands for - if a guy can't get it done, quit giving him any more opportunities and instead use those innings to see if someone else can make it happen.

MR - Carrasco

After a stellar July & August, where he was key in keeping the Sox pen from fully imploding, in September Carrasco returned to the mediocre form that has kept him a minor league journeyman into his 30s. So were those two months just a cheap hot streak? Very possibly, but as with MacDougal, I don't mind the Sox taking a chance on him.

When Carrasco was on, he was very valuable, working long outings, situational righty spots, and even setting up. You need to get lucky on a few relievers to have success, so I don't mind seeing if Carrasco has it again this year. But as I said with Mac - they've got to have a short leash on him. If it isn't happening, farm him out and see if you can find another youngster or journeyman who can get it right. The Sox have a lot of other guys who might do it - give em a shot and hope.


In all, I'm feeling good about the Sox pitching, about as good as you can at the start of a season. So much can happen, so many guys will throw differently than you hoped or expected. But I think the Sox are close to having enough depth to overcome the letdowns and injuries and be a top pitching team yet again. I'd like to see some more depth, but hopefully some youngsters step up or Kenny uses the extra payroll space they have (having cut about $20M from last year) to ensure that the pen is dominating behind a starting staff that gives you a shot to win every night.

Big Opening Day W

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My wife loves to make fun of me because I refer to every victory as a "big W." I know there are 162 games and you need to win 85 to 95 of them to make the playoffs, but they still all seem big to me. If you're facing a bad team, you're happy you didn't blow a chance to get an easy win. If you've topped a good team, you feel like you're establishing yourself and stole an extra victory. If you win easy, it's a nice relaxed way to move into the next day. If you win a tight one, it feels good to get a big momentum boost.

Coming from behind on Opening Day and doing so with a 3-run jack with two outs in the 8th? I'd say that's a big W to anybody.

Didn't watch the game, just followed it online, but got these takeaways:

1. As I feared, Wise sucks. Struck-out 3 times and couldn't advance the runner when needed. It's one game, so I'm not gonna piss off any of you sabermetric types and Cubs fans by calling for a Juan Pierre deal just yet, but consider me leery.

2. Didn't catch why Buehrle was on a short leash (Farmer said he expected 60 pitches), but he made the most of them. And HUGE kudos to Clayton Richard for stepping in like he did. He's picked up where he left off late last season. That gives me a lot of confidence ahead of the inevitable Colon or (probably "and") Contreras injury.

3. Dotel and Jenks - love to see the pen get it done. I know he's just in his first year of arbitration eligibility, but Jenks has really bought into the team and the city, living here yearround. If he is healthy and effective again this year, I want to see him locked up, and I'm betting he's very interested in securing his spot with the club for a number of years. From the Sox standpoint, 90% of being a closer is mental, and Jenks seems to have the requisite make-up.

4. AJ, Alexei, and CQ failing to drive in runners on third with fewer than 2 outs - that can't happen. Thome bailed them all out, but that cannot become a habit. I'll give Meche credit for being a good pitcher and will respect that you can't be succesful every time, but you've got to take a small approach at the plate there - just looking to drive the ball and score one. Do that, and you often can end up with more.

5. KC won't be as good as a lot of pundits want to pretend they are (i.e. fringe division contenders), but they are definitely not patsies. Meche and Grienke are for real and they've got legit major league baseball players at nearly every position these days. They don't have the heavy lifters nor depth (hence why they won't contend), but they won't be an easy game and they'll get their share of wins.

6. So far, so good for Fields and Getz, the stories of the off-season and Spring Training. Fields laying down a bunt to start the 9th inning rally - beauty. Getz first-and-thirding 'em after Wise couldn't move Fields along - beauty. Fields coming through with a 2-out base knock to salvage one run in the bases loaded, no outs fiasco in the 2nd - beauty.

7. Cause I didn't watch the game, I can't comment specifically on AJ's getting thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch a single. He definitely loves to stretch it and more often than not he seems to be successful at it. I dig that kind of attitude, so I'll take the occasional gaffe, if it's not at the wrong time. I'm far more concerned with Dye getting thrown out at the plate in the 2nd on Fields' RBI single to left. Did Cox pick up where he left off last year, clueless as to guys' speeds and OF arms, as well as just not understanding basic base-running and fielding principles? Or was it a nice calculated risk with two-outs that was just thwarted by a good throw and play at the plate?


Thanks to implosions by "aces" Cliff Lee, Justin Verlander, and Francisco Liriano (actually, he wasn't too terrible), the ChiSox are sitting all alone in first place already. I'd prefer that fact not change.

ADDENDUM - Sox Opening Day Roster - Hitters Analysis

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So not a day goes by and already my post about the Sox Opening Day Roster is out of date.

Apparently Getz has been named the #2 hitter, which I actually like. As I said previously - w/o AJ in there, the middle of the order was extremely right-handed. Now AJ and Thome can be strategically used to break up the run of right-handers in CQ, Dye, Konerko, Alexei, and Fields.

And a lot is being made, rightfully so, about protecting these young kids so they can properly develop. Asking Getz to hit leadoff would have been a mistake, as he's not a natural leadoff hitter and the position is highly demanding. That could have lead him to do things he's incapable of and kept him from developing into a solid big leaguer.

But at #2, I think Getz is probably being helped. The #2 hitter, more than any other spot, can be productive without actually getting hits. Just by making contact, laying down bunts, seeing pitches, moving runners along, Getz can gain some confidence and feel like he's a significant factor in the Sox success. And that confidence is SO important to making the leap to the bigs.

This does further raise the question as to who will leadoff when Wise sits against left-handers. Apparently Getz has been hitting lefties, so he won't be platooning and instead will be the everyday #2.

So will they try to ask Anderson to do something he's not at all equipped for? He's never been great at working counts or getting on base. Will they see if Fields can do it? Not sure why - he seems more like a pure slugger, with an iffy batting average and a ton of Ks. Alexei? Again, not a guy who works counts, and probably too good of an RBI guy to bury in the leadoff spot. Lillibridge? But where does he play? Getz isn't platooning, you can't sit Alexei, and Anderson is your right-handed CF.

I guess you could get away with moving Lillibridge between second, short, and third when Wise sits, as Getz, Alexei, and Fields will need some days off. But I haven't seen anything to suggest that Ozzie sees Lillibridge is anything more than a bench player, not a semi-regular leadoff guy.

Well, it'll be interesting to see how Ozzie handles this lineup. But for now I'm feeling alright about the idea of Getz in the #2 slot.

Hopefully a review of the pitching staff will be up Thursday or Friday.