White Sox Programming Schedule on MLB Network for February

I'm working on a few projects right now that will hopefully be finished and published within the week (especially after this weekend and football releases its clutches from my brain), but here's a little something for you. As you may all know, MLB Network launched January 1, providing 24 hours of baseball programming every day. For those of you in Chicago who are slaves to Comcast, MLB Network is channel 410. If you're not sure where to find the network, go to its homepage and enter your ZIP code. Anyway, after watching for a month, I admit that I'm impressed. Yes, there's a lot of Red Sox and Yankees stuff, but they also play a lot of old games and good programming from around the league. Just before the first of every month, I'll publish a list of White Sox-specific programming on the network, so you can set your DVRs and mark your calendars. You can find the full schedule online here, but until they add a widget that lets you break down when your team is on, this will have to do.

All times given here are Central. All times published at MLB.com are Eastern. Remember that!

SUNDAY, FEBRURARY 1
11:00 AM - 2005 World Series, Game 2
2:00 PM - 2005 World Series, Game 3
7:30 PM - 2005 World Series, Game 4
11:00 PM - 2005 World Series, Game 2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2
2:00 AM - 2005 World Series, Game 3
7:30 AM - 2005 World Series, Game 4

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7
1:30 PM - White Sox at Mariners (8/8/1997) - Randy Johnson strikes out 19

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8
11:00 PM - White Sox at Mariners (8/8/1997)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
1:00 PM - White Sox at Mariners (8/8/1997)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15
2:00 PM - Mariners at White Sox (5/2/2002) - Mike Cameron hits 4 HR

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16
4:30 AM - Mariners at White Sox (5/2/2002)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17
11:30 PM- 1959 World Series Highlights

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
3:30 AM - 1959 World Series Highlights
10:30 AM - 1959 World Series Highlights
1:00 PM - Mariners at White Sox (5/2/2002)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20
11:00 AM - 2003 Home Run Derby (No White Sox participants, but at U.S. Cellular Field)
4:00 PM - 2003 Home Run Derby

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21
8:00 PM - White Sox at Red Sox (4/10/81) - Carlton Fisk's 1st game in Boston as a member of the White Sox.

White Sox Pile on Barack Obama Merchandise Bandwagon

They're here!

Last week the White Sox, beaming like a parent sending their child off to the 1st day of school, announced they'd be working on a Barack Obama-styled hat. Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal published the images of the prototypes. According to the article, the hats have been approved by Major League Baseball and are just waiting a thumbs up from the President (you know, if he's not too busy) before they'll be sent to production.

To be honest, they're not that bad. I had earlier reservations about the Sox's jumping into the middle of Obamania, but at least what they've designed is Sox-centric and classy; not the usual over-the-top crap that's out there. And, according to S&S, the proceeds will go to charity.

“We don’t want to be overly opportunistic and exploit this,” [Brooks] Boyer said.

Sure you don't.

Phil Rogers Making Things Up, Passing Them Off as Fact

If you caught the latest edition of Phil Rogers' MLB Whispers, you undoubtedly saw that he suggests the White Sox pick up former American League MVP and free agent Ivan Rodriguez. Now, this would normally not be a big deal, but for two reasons. First, the name of Rogers' piece is entitled "MLB Whispers," which would lead you to believe that there's some element of a legitimate rumor or two there, right? Nope, the column is all about what Phil thinks KW and the Cubs should be doing. Fine, but it doesn't take much of a search to see that I-Rod isn't generating a lot of interest especially not for the money he's still holding out for. What's especially bothersome, though, is this exact same faux rumor was posted days ago by Scot Gregor at the Daily Herald. But at least Gregor can admit that this is just a wild internet-only rumor with no basis in reality.

However, this does reveal a lot about the White Sox off-season... It's more interesting to talk about what's not happening that what is. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month, the first Spring Training game is less than a month away and the Sox still have numerous holes on this team. There's no lead-off hitter. There's no centerfielder. There's no lefty in the bullpen after Matt Thornton. There seem to be no real plans at second base or third base. I know the Sox want to invigorate the team with a boost of youth, but they seem to be just a few moves away from being the clear favorite in the Central division. Not all youth movements are the same, and unfortunately, I don't completely feel comfortable with this one.

Big Game Freddy signs with the Mets

There had been some speculation recently that the Sox were interested in bringing back Freddy Garcia to compete for a spot in their undermanned rotation, but those can be put to rest this morning; Freddy Garcia has agreed to a 1-year, incentive-laden minor league contract with the New York Mets.

Oh well. With Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras, I think the Sox have already met their payroll limit for Injured, Aging Starting Pitchers. With Garcia officially gone, it's time to start crazy rumors about the next available free agent pitcher who could do some good for the Sox. Might I suggest Mark Mulder? A local guy that's struggled with injuries, he'd be cheap right? Coop will fix him.

Deadspin's Making Fun of us Again

We're officially 4 hours and 8 minutes into Barack Obama's Presidency, and while his Inauguration is an event that all Americans, Illinoisans, and Chicagoans should be proud of, it's becoming apparent, even to outsiders, that the White Sox are taking this "First Fan" thing a bit too far.

Before I begin, let's get a few things straight:

1. I like Barack Obama and am glad that he's both the President and a Sox fan. As a lifelong resident of Illinois, I've had the chance to vote for Obama 4 times. 3 times I did. That means I'm batting .750!
2. Don't read too much into who I've voted for. By virtue of growing up in Illinois' 5th Congressional District, I'm almost certain the politician that I've voted for the most times in my life is Rod Blagojevich.

However, the level of coddling the Sox are doing with the President is beginning to get uncomfortable. First and foremost, over 58 million Americans voted for the other guy this November, and it's likely that a couple of them are Sox fans. I don't think many non-Sox fans are going to jump ship to the Pale Hose for the new President, but I do think you risk alienating some current fans by making a political figure representative of your team.

Second, plenty of teams have famous fans, but not to many of them go this far out of their way to acknowledge their celebrity. Sure, the Cubs have guest singers conduct "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," and every other team likes to parade famous faces out for a ceremonial first pitch, but this whole Obama infatuation really is taking it to a new level... An Obama-themed hat? Too far, White Sox... Too far. The Rangers didn't even have this level of fanfare for George W. Bush and he once owned the team.

Finally, let's not forget how flighty the American public can be. George Bush recorded the highest and lowest approval ratings for a President in his term; 92% in October of 2001 and 19% twice in 2008. Barack Obama may be the toast of the town now, but there's a chance you'll end up with egg all over your face if he's being pushed out of the way in 2013.

Ultimately, I don't mind if individual fans are celebrating Barack Obama's Inauguration and his sports preferences, and I wouldn't mind if the Sox were to bring him in for another First Pitch, but I think the organization is embarrassing itself with its over infatuation of the new President. We're not lonely 14-year-old high school girls, he's not the star quarterback of the football team, and we don't need to be wishfully writing Mrs. Barack Obama on every page of our Algebra notebook.

White Sox Hitch Their Wagon To Obama's Star - Deadspin
South Siders ready to hail the Chief - Whitesox.com
Election Center 2008 - CNN
United States Presidential approval rating - Wikipedia

Hey... Some Good News, Finally!

In this new, Golden Age of White Sox Thriftiness (oops, did I mean "Smarter Spending?"), it's nice to finally get some good news. Though it's not the lead-off man, center fielder, third baseman, second baseman, 5th starter, backup catcher, or 2nd bullpen lefty we could still use, the White Sox avoided arbitration with Bobby Jenks by agreeing today to a 1-year, $5.6 million deal according to Tribune's Dave Van Dyck.

I like this deal a lot. On the field, he's been a workhorse for the Sox, averaging over 64 IP and 37 saves per season through his first three full years in the Majors. True, his strikeout numbers are a cause for concern, as they have declined steadily over those three years (80 in 2006, 56 in 2007, and 38 last year), but, and not to sound like an apologist, anyone who has watched the Sox consistently during the Bobby Jenks era knows he has grown from simply a flame-throwing, one-trick pony to a more polished pitcher, with other weapons in his arsenal, in hope of extending his career. Yes, the strikeouts have been down, but I remain confident in Jenks because even though opponents are putting the ball in play, he's keeping them on the ground, critical for pitchers who play in a home run-friendly launching pad. Last season, Jenks allowed 184 balls in play; 109 of them were ground balls, almost 60%.

Financially this move is a slam dunk by the Sox. Though Jenks' salary will balloon 10x larger than it was in '07, he's still one of the most affordable, proven closers in the game. As of tonight, with only a few veteran relievers still on the market, Jenks' 2009 salary of $5.6 million isn't even in the top 10 of projected closer's salaries. The list:

1. Mariano Rivera, Yankees - $15 million
2. Francisco Cordero, Reds - $12 million
3. Brad Lidge, Phillies - $11.5 million
4. Joe Nathan, Twins - $11.25 million
5. Kerry Wood, Indians - $10 million
6. B.J. Ryan, Blue Jays - $10 million
7. Francisco Rodriguez, Mets - $8.5 million
8. Brian Fuentes, Angels - $8.5 million
9. Jose Valverde, Astros - $8 million
10. Trevor Hoffman, Brewers - $6 million
11. Bobby Jenks, White Sox - $5.6 million
12. Mike Gonzalez, Braves - $3.5 million
13. Dan Wheeler, Rays - $3.2 million
14. Fernando Rodney, Tigers - $2.7 million
15. Matt Capps, Pirates - $2.3 million
16. Chad Qualls, Diamondbacks - $1.3 million*
17. Aaron Heilman, Mariners - $1.2 million*
18. Joakim Soria, Royals - $1 million
19. George Sherrill, Oriolez - $900,000*
20. Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox - $775,000*
21. Manny Corpas, Rockies - $750,000
22. Jonathan Broxton, Dodgers - $454,000
23. Carlos Marmol, Cubs - $430,000
24. Heath Bell, Padres - $420,000*
25. CJ Wilson, Rangers - $417,460*
26. Joel Hanrahan, Nationals - $400,000
27. Matt Lindstrom, Marlins - $395,000
28. Brian Wilson, Giants - $392,500
29. Chris Perez, Cardinals - $390,000
30. Brad Ziegler, Athletics - $390,000
    Notes: I took the closers from today's projected closers on the ESPN Hot Stove Reports for all teams. All contract information comes from, of course, Cot's Baseball Contracts. Finally, those salaries marked with an asterik are the player's 2008 salary, since those players are still eligible for arbitration and have not had their 2009 salary determined.

As you can see, there are few better players that combine Jenks' durability and affordability. I would say the only team with a better deal for their closer are the Red Sox and Jonathan Papelbon, but with him eligible for salary arbitration this year as well, his contract will likely skyrocket, and probably surpass Jenks', before Opening Day. In any case, with 117 career saves, Jenks has the 24th most saves of all active pitchers, and is ahead of a couple of guys who will be cashing bigger checks than him in 2009: BJ Ryan (115), Brian Fuentes (115), and Kerry Wood (34).

Finally, on a personal note, I've really come to like Jenks. I think he genuinely enjoys playing for the Sox and is appreciative of the organization for the chance they took on him in 2004 when they plucked him from the Angels in what will go down as one of the best waiver wire steals of all-time. Bobby's personal deamons that nearly cost him his career in baseball have been well documented, but you don't have to look too hard in sports to find guys who still retain a sense of entitlement about their profession, despite their best efforts to waste their talent.

Here's to another season in the sun, #45. If you could find a lead-off hitter, though, to come with you, that would be great.

Congratulations, Cardinals

By now I'm sure you know that the Arizona Cardinals beat the Eagles for the franchise's first NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance in two weeks when they play the Steelers in Tampa. The Cardinals, of course, are one of the oldest NFL franchises, one of only two remaining NFL charter members (the other is the Bears) and from 1920 to 1959, the Cardinals called Chicago home and for most of that time shared Comiskey Park with the White Sox. For nearly 40 years, the same boundaries and rivalry that seperated Chicagoans in the summer extended into the fall and winter. By the 1950s, however, the Cardinals were struggling on the field and at the gate, and competing against the much more popular Bears was simply not an option. Sadly, in 1959, the same year the White Sox broke a 40-year dry spell and set off celabratory air raid sirens, the Cardinals played their last games in Chicago. By March 1960, the NFL approved the Cardinals' move and that following season was the franchise's first in St. Louis.

The irony is that while I'm writing this, I'm wearing a Bears t-shirt. Being born in the '80s, I don't feel much, if any, connection to the Cardinals (to be honest, I barely remember their days in St. Louis). While I have no emotional attachment to the Cardinals, they do have South Side roots and their current relevance in the sports world gives me the opprotunity to run a few photos of The Baseball Palace of the World retrofitted for football.

This first one is my favorite, it is a picture taken during a game between the Cardinals and Packers in 1946. You can see the infield and part of the pitchers mound to the right, and notice that this predates Comiskey's trademark exploding scoreboard in centerfield.

Say hello to John Panelli. Better known for his outstanding collegiate career at Notre Dame than his swan song with the Cardinals, Panelli was a key member of Notre Dame's 1946 and 1947 National Championships and was the 13th overall pick in the 1949 NFL Draft. He played professionally with the Lions and Cardinals until he retired from football in 1953. In this photo, he's posing just outside of Comiskey's infield with the famous arched windows clearly behind him. There are some other good team photos of the 1952 and 1953 Cardinals posted on johnpanelli.com, both taken at Comiskey and both prominently featuring the arched windows.

Finally, a 1958 Topps trading card featuring a team photo taken at Comiskey Park. Yes, the picture quality isn't great, but the one noticeable detail is the monster scoreboard obviousy visible in the background.

Thinking About Baseball is all that Keeps Me Going...

... through the depth of winter. Current temperature here in Central Illinois? -13. But don't worry about me, the warm air is due to arrive tomorrow afternoon, so we should get back up to a balmy 12 degrees above zero. Obviously the big news in Soxland is the signing of our old friend, Bartolo Colon. Quickly, I think the move is fine; $1 million base salary that could balloon all the way to $3 million based on innings pitched-based incentives. I'll have a lot more thoughts on the move in the next few days, though. Right now, just some Sox news and notes to go over:

Though the Sox brought back one former pitcher, they're not interested in bringing back former Pale Hose pitcher and free agent Jon Garland, according to Kenny Williams. Obviously, I found this nugget before the addition of Colon, but I'm still not sure it's not a mistake to look at a guy like Garland. Look, I know the Sox are trying to do the whole "youth movement" thing, but once again the Central looks wide open right now. An arm here, a bat there and bam, clear division favorite. Whether or not Jon Garland is that specific arm to bring it all together, I don't know, but consistently the mantra of this off-season has been "save money" and "go young," which just is not the way to handle a pitching staff unless you have megaprospects with tremendous upsides (i.e., none of the young guys the Sox are looking at to round out their rotation).

That said, MLBTradeRumors.com says that Freddy Garcia may be back with the Sox soon. Their story comes via the Daily Herald's baseball blog. While Garcia is another veteran arm, he will come at a bargain price and can't be seriously counted on to log major innings for the Sox.

Speaking of the kids, Jeff Marquez's hometown paper ran a nice little piece on his big league aspirations. It's a quick read and good to go over when you're looking for information on a guy that very well may starting 30 games next year for the Sox. The best part is a little scouting report from Ken Williams, that I'm guessing I just missed:

"He absolutely can challenge for a spot," Williams said of Marquez at a news conference on the day the trade was announced. "We had a good read as to who he is and what he brings to the table. He shows a fastball at 90-94 mph with a lot of sink. It's similar to (John Garland) in our ballpark. In addition, he has a slider and a curveball with depth and a power change to both right-handed and left-handed hitters. He holds runners on well, something we have not been too successful with the last couple of years, and he fields his position."

Looking forward to Spring Training, the White Sox invited 18 players to their first camp at Glendale. A couple of quick notes... First, the Sox's last two 1st round picks, Aaron Poreda and Gordon Beckham will be in attendance. Beckham has almost no chance to go North with the team, but Poreda has an excellent opportunity to break camp in Chicago. This is especially true because of Point #2... There seems to be a serious lack of MLB-ready left-handed pitchers. OK, calling Boone Logan "MLB-ready" was a stretch during the end of the Boone Logan era, but still... After the rotation, you have Matt Thornton (who is playing in the WBC) followed by Richard, Poreda, and some guy named Randy Williams. Does this mean Richard will be in the bullpen? Will the Sox stunt Poreda's development as a starter for short-term gain? Stay tuned!

Also, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt doesn't seem to be done building his "baseball paradise" in Glendale. The Arizona Republic says McCourt is planning on building a hotel and conference center at the teams' new shared facility. This raises the only real legitimate concern about the Sox's new Spring Training home... Will they play second fiddle to the Dodgers in what they're dubbing as the new "Dodgertown?"

Earlier today, the owners decided to not use coin flips any more to determine the location of potential 163rd "tie-breaker" games and will now use the season's head-to-head records. Of course, this came to light last October when the Twins won the season series from the Sox, 10-8, but based on an earlier flip, the tie-breaker game was held in Chicago. For some reason, this didn't bother anyone in the previous tie-breakers, but I guess we're the straw that stirs the drink. Anyway, when I saw this story pop up on the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune, I was hoping for more whining and crying, but alas, it's just the AP press release.

Finally, to celebrate the inauguration of the first Sox-fan President, the White Sox are hosting a private party at the ballpark. Front office staff and privileged guests will watch (while wearing Sox hats, of course) Obama be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States while a congratulatory message flashes over the Dan Ryan Expressway. If you're going, don't expect to see Southpaw, who will be in Washington riding in the Illinois float during the Inauguration Parade.

A couple of late night quick hits

Aside from the Sox-O-Meter I finally got around to publishing earlier tonight, it's been quiet around here, mostly because the Sox have been pretty quiet. After trading Nick Swisher and Javier Vazquez seemingly before Ken Griffey struck out to end the Sox's season, Ken Williams has played his cards close to his chest. So close, in fact, basically nothing has happened.

On Friday, ESPN 1000's Bruce Levine reported that the Sox were working with the Texas Rangers on a blockbuster trade that would send Jermaine Dye and Aaron Poreda south for Michael Young. The Tribune's Dave van Dyck, however, wasted no time putting that rumor to rest,

Williams, via e-mail, said he "would not waste" time chasing rumors the Sox might... have a big deal working with the Rangers involving All-Star shortstop Michael Young, veteran outfielder Jermaine Dye and top pitching prospect Aaron Poreda.

Fair enough. The only other potential move I've caught wind of in the past few days is this quick, uncited blurb from MLBTradeRumors.com. As I'm sure you know, the site generally just republishes rumors it finds throughout the web, so it was surprising to see them casually mention the Sox as three potential suitors for Freddy Garcia. I'll keep my eyes open.

As for stuff that's actually happened, Matt Thornton will be representing Team USA in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. While I am personally wary of this tournament and the affect it may have on Thornton's effectiveness during the season, I'm sure this is a personal honor for him and I hope he pitches some big innings for Team USA. Not to downplay Thornton's role with the Sox, but honestly, I'd rather it be him than a guy like Buehrle, Danks, or Floyd. With Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda in the wings, the Sox at least have some talented lefties that could potentially fill Thornton's role should the worst happen.

But let's not think like that.

If the Cactus League has an international flair to it this year, you may be able to thank the Sox. We all remember the huge fight that occurred between the White Sox and Tucson recently; the Sox wanted to move their Spring Training home to the new stadium they're building with the Dodgers in Glendale, but were contractually obligated to stay in Tucson for at least a few more years. Thankfully, a deal was reached and the Sox and the local government settled amicably. Anyway, the Arizona Daily Star reported that a professional, Japanese team may take the Sox's place in Tucson. Can't say I remember something like this ever happening, but it would be very interesting if it did. One of the major limitations to Spring games is that a lot of guys, pitchers especially, don't neccessarily show all their stuff to keep their repertoire fresh for actual games. If an international team played in the Cactus League, it would allow pitchers to work on all their pitches without fear of tipping their hands to a team they'd play in meaningful games later in the summer.

I like it.

Finally, if all the doom and gloom economic news has you down, check out this. The White Sox are giving away season tickets. The contest runs until January 21st. The team is giving away 2 pairs of split-season tickets (which I believe means weekend games only) in the Lower Box. The only catch is you have to become a registered user at whitesox.com, so you'll have to cough up your email address. If you can tolerate the occasional email from MLB.com and the White Sox, then you can find the contest's entry form and official rules here.

Good luck!

Sox-O-Meter: Buehrle, Floyd, Danks... Then Who?

While I still am holding on to the thought that the White Sox will surprise us all and announce a major pitching acquisition before the start of Spring Training, this undying faith took a major blow Wednesday afternoon when Scott Merkin over at whitesox.com published this nugget of negativity.

Cooper is left to work with a starting five of Mark Buehrle, John Danks and Floyd, rounded out by an inexperienced duo picked from the group of right-handers Jeff Marquez and Lance Broadway and southpaws Clayton Richard and Aaron Poreda.

Fucking great. I'm sure somehow, some way, the Sox will bring in at least 1-2 more guys for the open audition, becuase there's no way any sane person could look at this list of names and really think they could hand 64 starts over to them and not suffer an ill consequences, regardless if that violates the new Sox manifesto of getting younger, faster, etc. However, since those moves remain unseen, let's take these 4 through the S0x-O-Meter and determine who, today, would be the best choice to round out the final two spots in the rotation. As always, the scale is from 1-5, 5 meaning this guy's gold and 1 meaning I wouldn't guarantee him a spot in Birmingham's rotation just yet.

JEFF MARQUEZ
The 24-year-old righty was acquired by the Sox in the Nick Swisher deal earlier this off-season and appears to be the front-runner of the group to grab at least one spot in the 2009 rotation. He predominantly features a sinker and change-up (and now that he's here, probably a cutter, too) and has routinely been mentioned as a decent Yankee prospect for the last few years. However, he never cracked the big league roster in New York, which is minor cause for concern considering how mediocre the Yankees starting rotation has been the last few years.

In 2007 and 2008, the Yankees gave starts to the following worthless pieces of shit: Darrell Rasner (26), Philip Hughes (21), Sidney Ponson (15), Kei Igawa (13), Ian Kennedy (12), Carl Pavano (9), Tyler Clippard (6), Matt DeSalvo (6), Alfredo Aveces (4), Dan Giese (3), Jeff Karstens (3), Chase Wright (2), Brian Bruney (1), and Sean Henn (1). Are you telling me that the Pinstripes wasted 122 combined starts on these 14 guys and never once thought that Marquez couldn't possibly be any worse? You don't even want me to go over the list of guys that just made an appearance in the Bronx (it's horrific like a car crash).

Don't be mad at me when I look at Jeff's slow progression through the minors and his unpleasant K/IP rate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (0.41 K/IP) coupled with the apparent lack of urgency the Yankees had at promoting him ahead of trainwrecks like Kei Igawa and you can see why I'm not rushing out to get my customized Jeff Marquez jersey. That said, as a sinkerballer, his pitching style would translate best to Sox Park and with over 560 innings logged in the minors he's the most experienced of the 4.





Unfortunately, it looks like Marquez might be the best bet of this foursome. Blegh.

CLAYTON RICHARD
You all know the Clayton Richard story by now... Former backup quarterback at Michigan, gave up football for baseball, drafted by the Sox in the 8th round of the 2005 draft, mediocre prospect who rocketed up the organizational ladder in 2008, started the 2008 Futures Game for Team USA, almost went to Beijing for the Olympics, and would have started Game 5 of the ALDS against Tampa Bay had the series lasted that long.

Talk about a whirlwind. After Clayton's somewhat dominating performance out of the bullpen in ALDS Game 1, a lot of people got on the Clayton Richard for 5th Starter Bandwagon. You're going to have to mind with me while I play spoiler...

1. As good as Tampa's offense was last season, they had the 2nd lowest batting average against lefties in the American League. I'm sorry, but it may have just been the case of a guy taking advantage of a really good matchup.
2. Though the last 3.1 innings of his season were great, I don't see how that suddenly negates the previous 47.2 innings he tossed during the regular season. I mean, he was never particularly good... Aside from the six shutout innings he threw against Seattle on August 19, what is there that really says "this guy is built for the Major Leagues?" Perhaps now I should mention that the Mariners had the 2nd least potent offense in the American League, averaging 4.15 R/G?

It's not that I don't like Clayton Richard, because that wouldn't be true. It's that I don't like him in the starting rotation. I just don't look at Richard and see a guy that will give you 6+ innings of quality work every 5th day on a consistent basis. Unfortunately, the Sox are in a situation right now that Richard will likely have to start because, quite frankly, the other options are far, far worse.





An arm that's better suited to the bullpen will be forced into the rotation. Hopefully this doesn't ruin him.

LANCE BROADWAY
After a fiery start at the end of the 2007 season against Kansas City, it looked like maybe Broadway, the Sox's #1 pick in the 2005 Draft had arrived. Unfortunately, it looks like Lance need to be limited to just games against the Royals. In 11.1 IP against Kansas City, he has allowed just 2 earned runs in 2 starts and netted 2 wins. Against the rest of the Majors? 11 earned runs in 13 innings... 7.62 ERA. Even at the minor league level, Lance has never put up eye-popping numbers. Even in 2006 for the Barons, when he had an sub-3 ERA over 154 innings, his peripherals weren't outstanding (111 K in 154 innings, for example). Broadway will be 26 years old at the end of this season, so it's nearing time to shit or get off the pot with him. If his audition toward the end of 2008 was any indication, I don't know if he'll ever be ready to be a consistent starter in the Majors, and unlike Richard I don't see much potential value for him out of the bullpen. While I'd give him the chance to win a starting spot this Spring, I'd be willing to believe that some other team out there will be desperate enough for starting pitching that they'd take a flyer on Broadway. I'm not anticipating a major haul for him, but there is a logjam of crappy starters in our system right now.






AARON POREDA
I don't know what to think of Aaron Poreda. On the one hand, you have a guy who was a high draft pick of the Sox during a time when they were notorious for selecting "safer, low ceiling" guys that for the most part, have failed to pan out at the Major League level. But, oh, that fastball. And he's a lefty! It's not like I don't know why the Sox are so infatuated with Poreda. That said, the kid's never pitched above the AA-level and of these four, he's easily the youngest at just 22. There's plenty of time for him to continue his development, and by all accounts, aside from that plus-fastball, he still features very little Major League quality stuff. I'm not going to get too deep into it, because a) this blog has been going on for some time and b) I have no interest in seeing Aaron Poreda at the Major League level next year, barring some dire emergency.





The million dollar question for the White Sox Player Development team continues to be if they can teach Poreda enough of an arsenal to become a dominant starting pitcher, but if not he can still be groomed to be a reliable lefty out of the bullpen. I certainly hope the Sox don't mortgage his promising future for short-sighted goals.