Tagged: Dan Hudson
While Peavy Prepares for Surgery, Hudson Hopes to Keep Sox on a Roll Heading into All-Star Break
White Sox Bullpen a Sight to Behold
I don’t want to be the typical provincial fan who can’t see beyond his own team and, admittedly, I haven’t done the required research to make the case. But it’s hard for me to believe there’s a bullpen in baseball with as much quality and depth as the White Sox.
Sergio Santos is Living the Dream, Reaches the Majors as Sox Announce 25-Man Roster
After failing to get a sniff of the major leagues as an infielder with five organizations, Sergio Santos is finally a big-leaguer–as a relief pitcher. He earned that distinction with a fine spring and today the 2002 No. 1 draft pick of the Diamondbacks was named to the White Sox 25-man roster heading into Opening Day. And he’s only been pitching since last year.
The other roster question was also answered as Jayson Nix made the team as a utility infielder/outfielder.
The final cuts were infielder/outfielder Brent Lillibridge, outfielder Alejandro De Aza, pitcher Dan Hudson (Charlotte) and hurlers Greg Aquino, Erick Threets and Charlie Leesman plus catcher Donny Lucy (assigned to minor league camp).
The Sox will go into battle beginning next Monday with the following roster:
Pitchers (12): Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Freddy Garcia, Bobby Jenks, Matt Thornton, J.J. Putz, Scott Linebrink, Tony Pena, Randy Williams, Sergio Santos
Catchers (2): A.J. Pierzynski, Ramon Castro
Infielders (7): Paul Konerko, Gordon Beckham, Alexei Ramirez, Mark Teahen, Mark Kotsay, Omar Vizquel, Jayson Nix
Outfielders (4): Juan Pierre, Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin, Andruw Jones
The dream comes true for Sergio Santos
With Opening Day a Week Away, Ozzie Says: “I’m Glad With What I Have”
The truth is that spring training records mean little. Of course any time they’re keeping score you want to win, but getting the regulars ready for the season and the liberal use of secondary players and youngsters to see what they can do is the main purpose. And there is really no proof that a winning record in Arizona or Florida will mean a winning season or vice versa. For the record, the Sox went 14-18 in the spring of 2005.
The Sox brass is reportedly meeting today to make decisions on the 25-man roster. The big issue appears to be whether or not they keep 12 or 13 pitchers or an extra infielder. It seems like Sergio Santos would be the 12th pitcher with Greg Aquino and Dan Hudson vying for the 13th spot. If 13 hurlers go north, it could spell the end of Jayson Nix in a Sox uniform since he’s out of options.
Sox notes of note: Despite yesterday’s two losses, there were some bright spots. In the 10-8 loss to the Royals at Camelback Ranch, Mark Teahen continued his resurgence. He went 2 for 4 with an RBI, lifting his spring average to .277…Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz each pitched a scoreless inning against K.C….The Sox were blanked 5-0 by the Rangers in Surprise, but Paul Konerko‘s two hits brought his spring average to .327 and Gavin Floyd gave up only a pair of runs with six strikeouts in six innings of work…John Danks makes the start tonight at home against the Angels.
Successful Finale in Tucson, Beckham is OK (Whew!) and Getting Down to Business
From 1998-2008 the White Sox called Tucson Electric Park (above, top) their spring training home after 37 years in Sarasota, FL. With both the Diamondbacks and Rockies moving to the Phoenix area next spring, the Sox played their final game in Tucson today at venerable Hi Corbett Field (above, bottom), beating the Rockies, 6-2, with an impressive 15 hits.When Hitting a Home Run is Not a Good Thing and Other Notes From Spring Training
* After receiving an alert on my BlackBerry yesterday that Brent Lillibridge (above) smashed a home run in the Sox 5-3 loss to the Padres, it dawned on me that I couldn’t remember the last time a home run was a negative for the player hitting it. There certainly have been times when a home run meant nothing–for instance, in a blowout game–but this was rare. Why? because Ozzie has been preaching to Lilli that he shouldn’t try to be a power hitter and he’s much more suited to play small ball. So, instead of the Sox brass liking what they saw, it very well could have been the straw that broke the camel’s back in Brent’s quest to win a roster spot in his tug of war with Jayson Nix.
* Speaking of Nix, it looks like he’s won the battle. Earlier in the spring Ozzie expressed his disappointment in both Lillibridge and Nix, but in Jayson’s defense he has hit .345 to Brent’s 214. A negative for both is their strikeout totals. Nix has K’d nine times, Lillibridge eight.
* Sergio Santos, the much-ballyhooed “out of options” converted infielder who is making a bid as a reliever on the 25-man roster, had his scoreless spring halted yesterday. He gave up two runs, two hits and a walk in one inning of work. Reading comments from Ozzie, it doesn’t appear this blip will affect Santos’ chances.
* While Santos struggled against San Diego, both J.J. Putz and Scott Linebrink pitched scoreless baseball.
* In the category of small victories, after his two-run homer on Wednesday Mark Teahen doubled against the Padres–hopefully showing he’s on his way back.
* Interesting piece by Scott Merkin on whitesox.com focusing on the mentor-student relationship between vet Jake Peavy and up and comer Dan Hudson. Peavy: “To be as young as he is, he does a great job of just kind of observing and taking in everything…
Huddy has a great idea of what is going on, and I love his makeup and ability.”
* Freddy Garcia and the Sox face the Diamondbacks today at their former spring home in Tucson.
Sox Cut Seven, 32 Remain in Major League Camp
In less than two weeks (Monday, April 5), the White Sox open up the regular season against the Cleveland Indians at U.S. Cellular Field.
Today, the Sox got a bit closer to their Opening Day 25-man roster by sending two players to Charlotte–pitcher Carlos Torres and catcher Tyler Flowers–and five others to their minor league camp. They include outfielder Jordan Danks, first baseman Josh Kroeger, third baseman Brent Morel, second baseman C.J. Retherford and pitcher Ryan Braun. There are now 32 left in the big league camp.
The likely scenario finds two roster spots yet to be filled. The Sox expect to take 12 pitchers north–starters Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Freddy Garcia and a bullpen of Bobby Jenks, J.J. Putz, Matt Thornton, Scott Linebrink, Tony Pena, Randy Williams and one of the following: Sergio Santos (pictured below), Dan Hudson, Greg Aquino, Erick Threets and Charlie Leesman. The best bet to make it is Santos, who is out of options and has been very impressive this spring.
The other spot, a backup infielder/outfielder, will probably go to either frontrunner Jayson Nix, who is out of options, or Brent Lillibridge. The wild card here is if the Sox decide to go with red-hot outfielder Alejandro De Aza instead of Nix or Lillibridge. Or, they could go with 11 pitchers and take both De Aza and Nix/Lillibridge (pictured below, left to right, under the watchful eye their skipper). One last possibility, admittedly remote, is to take a 13th pitcher instead of the extra position player.
The White Sox From A to Z: Notes From Spring Training
After a week at Camelback Ranch, it’s back to reality. Here are my spring training thoughts from A to Z:
* A — A big plus for me was to see both Andruw Jones and Alex Rios off to great starts. Jones has hit two home runs, eight RBI and is hitting .385 with a .467 on base percentage. Rios has been nursing an injury, but is hitting .304 with a pair of homers, six RBI and a .346 OBP.
* B — The Natural, Gordon Beckham (pictured below), doesn’t look like he’s going to suffer from the sophomore jinx. So far in the spring, he’s hitting .333 with five doubles and a homer and is getting on base 43 percent of the time. He’s also been making every play at second base.
* C — is for the catching situation. A.J. Pierzynski is hitting at a .345 clip and shows no signs of slowing down. Ramon Castro is a capable backup. There was never any question that Tyler Flowers would begin the season at Charlotte, but it is a bit troubling he’s off to such a slow start.
* D — One of the highlights of Sox spring training has been the play of former Florida Marlin, outfielder Alejandro De Aza. Despite being destined to begin the year with Charlotte, he is hitting .333 with seven RBI. He’s an exciting player who very well might be up in Chicago at some time during the season.
* E — is for errors, which I’m happy to say will hopefully occur much less in 2010. The Sox will be a more versatile and fundamentally sound team so there will likely be fewer miscues and brain cramps.
* F — is for the Twittergate “flap,” which looked for a while like it would be a major
distraction. Luckily Ozzie stopped it before it really impacted the team.
* G — Our old friend Freddy Garcia (pictured below) takes the hill this season as the fifth starter. He seems a lot older because he’s been around so long, but Freddy is just shy of 34 and should give us the necessary push at the No. 5 spot in an outstanding rotation.
* H — If Freddy doesn’t come through the Sox are well-protected with Dan Hudson, who pitched at every level of baseball last season and did a creditable job with the Sox in September. He looks like the real deal.
* I — I predict that the Sox will win the AL Central with the Twins, Tigers, Royals and Indians finishing in that order.
* J — Bobby Jenks has been struggling with his calf, but he says he’ll be ready to go Opening Day. The Sox have some depth in the bullpen, but losing Jenks would definitely be a big blow.
* K — We need Paul Konerko to have a big year, especially with the departure of Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye. It could be Paulie’s last season in Chicago, but let’s hope it’s one of his best.
* L — Scott Linebrink has proven himself to be a capable reliever, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance a year ago. He’s been up and down this spring, but he needs to rebound to max out our pen.
* M — As THE lefty in the bullpen, Matt Thornton (pictured below) is indispensible. While I was in Arizona he was perfect. The other half of the main DH platoon with Jones, Mark Kotsay, is on fire this spring, hitting .433 with a .514 on base percentage and a .500 slugging mark.
* N — Will Jayson Nix, Brent Lillibridge or a perhaps a late spring pickup win the last remaining spot among position players? Since it’s listed under “N,” my choice is naturally Nix.
* O — Brought to the Sox to back up and mentor Alexei Ramirez and Beckham, Omar Vizquel, who will be 43 in April, still looks perfectly capable of contributing.
* P — Jake Peavy, entering his first Sox season, J.J. Putz and Juan Pierre (pictured below) all have key roles. From what I witnessed in Glendale, Peavy’s in mid-season form, Putz was up and down and it’s obvious what positives Pierre is going to give us from the leadoff spot. Another “P” is Tony Pena, a member of the relief corps who has compiled a 1.59 ERA in five appearances in Arizona.
* Q — Carlos Quentin looks ready to go, even though his spring stats aren’t gaudy. Health is the key here and CQ looks like he’s ready for the long haul.
* R — With the help of Vizquel, Ramirez will be better defensively and that may make him more relaxed at the plate.
* S — A converted infielder and former No. 1 draft choice of the Diamondbacks, Sergio Santos has been a revelation and a real candidate for the final spot in the bullpen. He’s been very impressive and brings a lot of heat. The fact he’s out of options may force the Sox to bring him North.
* T — If I have one major concern, it’s Mark Teahen. He’s been awful so far in spring training, presumably putting a lot pressure on himself. I don’t even want to think about what happens if he flops.
* U — U stands for the Sox being underrated. Haven’t seen any of the so-called experts throwing compliments our way, let alone picking the Sox to win the AL Central. Hopefully I’m right and they’re wrong.
* V — I’ve thrown around the word versatile when writing and talking about the Sox. It was certainly apparent to me that they’ll be more running and bunting on this team–with players that can actually execute.
* W — Randy Williams, the journeyman reliever who has pretty much locked up the role as the second lefty in the pen, has pitched eight scoreless innings this spring.
* X — Saw a few ex-Sox in Florida, including Orlando Cabrera, Nick Masset (Reds), Josh Fields, Chris Getz and Scott Podsednik (Royals) plus former farmhand Aaron Cunningham (Padres). I saw that Brian Anderson hit for the cyle for KC and went 5 for 5 in a game during that time, but I wasn’t there to witness it.
* Y — Why is Jordan Danks listed here? Because I had to find some place to give him his due, that’s Y. He’s big, strong, fast and will be a major element to the Sox fortunes for many years to come. We’ll likely see him in Chicago with his big bro some time this season.
* Z — Z stands for the many zeroes our starting staff will throw this season. The strength of the club is definitely our rotation with Peavy (pictured below, top), Garcia, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and last but not least Mr. Perfect, Mark Buehrle (pictured below, bottom).
Bing, Bang, Boom–23 Runs, 32 Hits, 0 Errors and the First Two Sox Victories of the Spring
It was a Saturday of epic proportion. Well, maybe not epic, but boy it was fun.
Sox-wise and Otherwise
My weekly offseason musings about the White Sox and more…
Wheeling and Dealing: Putz Joins Pale Hose, Sox Still Seeking Leadoff Man
Well, the Winter Meetings are now in the rear-view mirror and the hope of some blockbuster White Sox news went right along with it. But we knew that Kenny Williams had something up his sleeve and it’s just been announced, as rumored, that J.J. Putz has signed a one-year deal with the Sox for $3 million. He’s coming off an injury, but if he can get back to his previous form he’ll be a big asset. He’ll be reunited with his buddy, former Mariner Matt Thornton.
While the Hideki Matsui and Coco Crisp rumors are still out there, lo and behold a new name has surfaced–the Yankees’ 26-year-old centerfielder Brett Gardner. With the Yanks outfield pretty well set, it certainly is a possibility New York will deal Gardner under the right circumstances. Word is Kenny Williams likes him, he has dealt with Yanks GM Brian Cashman in the past and it does give us a leadoff hitter. With Scotty Pods holding out for a two-year pact and Crisp still a rumor, perhaps the Sox think this is the answer–though some feel it’s up in the air if he can be an everyday player. In 150 major league games Gardner has hit .270 with 26 stolen bases. He was chosen by the Yanks in the 2005 draft out of the College of Charleston.
GBeck to Lead Off? He Hopes Not
Speaking of the quest for a leadoff hitter, Gordon Beckham has gone on record that he hopes he doesn’t land in that spot. “I’ve heard the rumors,” he told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “I kinda hope I don’t lead off. I’ve never lead off before.” After saying that, Beckham followed up with what you would expect out of him. “If I have to bat leadoff, I’ll make do. I’ll work at being good at it. I’m OK if they want me to bat there.”
Looking into the Future
The following are the Sox Top 10 prospects as determined by baseball analyst John Sickels:
Daniel Hudson, RHP
Jared Mitchell, OF
Tyler Flowers, C
Brent Morel, 3B
Jordan Danks, OF
Dayan Viciedo, 3B
David Holmberg, LHP
C.J. Retherford, 2B
Christian Marrero, 1B-OF
Santos Rodriguez, LHP
Hudson and Flowers spent time with the Sox at the end of 2009 and could be in the picture next year. The conventional wisdom is that the Sox want Flowers to get more experience at AAA Charlotte instead of serving as A.J.’s backup. Among the others, Danks probably has the best chance of playing in Chicago next season.
Tiger, Take Note
My non-Sox note of the week: If Tiger had only heeded the wisdom of the great John Wooden: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”
