2012 White Sox Catch-All thread

[fathom]

Kevin Youkilis has let it be known he'll play for Team Israel in the WBC if they qualify.

[SoxPride56]

Price is pitching Tuesday, so it looks like we will face him Sunday....

[southsider2k5]

Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan

 

The two AL Central teams with the best record in September: KC and Minnesota at 11-11. Tigers are 10-11, White Sox 9-12.

[cabiness42]

Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan

 

The two AL Central teams with the best record in September: KC and Minnesota at 11-11. Tigers are 10-11, White Sox 9-12.

 

That, of course, means that Cleveland has been worse than KC and Minnesota this month, which bodes well for the Sox.

[flavum]

Looks the Rays moved their rotation around.

 

Now it'll be Shields, Moore, Hellickson, and Price.

 

And the Sox may decide for a 6th starter on Wednesday, failing to realize they're in the final 10 games of the season. But if they keep a 5-man, it's:

 

Quintana, Floyd, Sale, Liriano

[southsider2k5]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales

 

Sox 9-game trip: .222 batting average, 2.93 ERA, outscored 34-25, 11-for-69 (.159) with runners in scoring position

[chw42]

Mark Gonzales ‏@MDGonzales

 

Sox 9-game trip: .222 batting average, 2.93 ERA, outscored 34-25, 11-for-69 (.159) with runners in scoring position

 

I'm surprised they actually hit that well. But then again, they did win 3 in Minnesota.

[MEANS]

Rotoworld saying Peavy's next start to get pushed back possibly.

[Dick Allen]

Looks the Rays moved their rotation around.

 

Now it'll be Shields, Moore, Hellickson, and Price.

 

And the Sox may decide for a 6th starter on Wednesday, failing to realize they're in the final 10 games of the season. But if they keep a 5-man, it's:

 

Quintana, Floyd, Sale, Liriano

Yeah, they have no idea how many games are left. You should send them an email to remind them.

[southsider2k5]

SoxNerd ‏@SoxNerd

 

That was the 11th 0-2 HR (out of 406) in #adamdunn's career (2nd this year and for #WhiteSox) only count on which Dunn has fewer HR 3-0 (10)

[caulfield12]

Yeah, they have no idea how many games are left. You should send them an email to remind them.

 

 

Tigers did the same thing, using the LH Smyly against the LH dominant Twins' line-up.

 

Ended up losing that game, and Porcello was pushed back from Sunday to Wednesday.

 

So the team trailing in the race made an even riskier, more dramatic move than the White Sox would be starting Santiago.

[southsider2k5]

Alex Rios ‏@arios51

 

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan! #letsgowhitesox #GetYourBlackOn

[southsider2k5]

Chuck Garfien ‏@ChuckGarfien

 

Before tonight White Sox record when trailing after 7 innings: 2-56.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/baseball-chicago...27399376193-914

 

Manto's tweak helps Dunn come up big in the clutch

September 24, 2012, 11:10 pm

 

Adam Dunn couldn’t have looked much worse in his first two at-bats Monday, both swinging strikeouts on fastballs that Dunn wasn’t close to touching.

 

After his second strikeout in the fourth, Dunn spent 15-20 minutes watching video of his at-bats and going through drills to make adjustments suggested by hitting coach Jeff Manto.

 

His next two at-bats went better.

 

Dunn hit two home runs, including a game-winning, three-run homer in the eighth to all but single-handedly snap the Sox’s five-game losing streak in a 5-4, come-from-behind win against Cleveland in front of 20,206 at U.S. Cellular Field. The win keeps Chicago in first place after Detroit’s 6-2 win against Kansas City earlier in the night.

 

After working with Manto, Dunn hit a 431-foot home run to center field in the sixth for his 40th homer, giving him six seasons with 40 or more home runs.

 

“That was more of an angry swing,” he said.

 

That made it 3-2, which it remained until the eighth, when Dunn came to the plate with two on and two out against Indians’ reliever Vinnie Pestano. After falling behind 0-2, Dunn hit a fastball into the first-row of the right-field seats to put the Sox ahead, turning around what had previously been a frustrating night.

 

“At that point, I wish you could just call upon a ghost runner,” Dunn said. “You just want to hurry and get in the dugout because I know everyone is excited as (I was).”

 

Dunn said he wasn’t surprised the Indians left Pestano, a right-hander, in the game to face him.

 

“Because he's got such good movement on his ball, I think he gets lefties as good as he does righties,” Dunn said. “Again, he's one of the best set-up men in baseball. People have probably never heard of him, but guys in this clubhouse and other clubhouses around the league know he is one of the best.”

 

Dunn said he was getting good pitches to hit in his first two at-bats, which produced two strikeouts.

 

“I was fouling them,” he said. “Jeff (Manto) gave me a couple things to work on. (I) went in, worked on them. I’m not saying that was the difference. It didn’t hurt.”

 

Until the decisive eighth, it looked like the Sox would lose sole possession of first place for the first time since Sept. 2. They scored just twice against Cleveland starter Zach McAllister, who outpitched Sox ace Chris Sale. Sale gave up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings, throwing 118 pitches, one short of his season-high.

 

"They were taking a lot,” Sale said. “They were (taking) good pitches, usually pitches that I get some swings out of."

 

Sale was in line to lose at home for the first time since May 12 until Dunn, who has never been to the playoffs, took over.

 

“The last homer, that probably was the most important so far in my career,” Dunn said. “That was a win we needed.”

[southsider2k5]

MLB Public Relations ‏@MLB_PR

 

Adam Dunn now has 6 40-HR seasons, as many as Mays, McGwire, Thome & Pujols.

[Eminor3rd]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/w...-peavys-option/

 

This upcoming offseason was poised to be one filled with excitement surrounding the starting pitchers available on the free agent market. Teams were poised to open up their wallets in hopes of signing Zack Greinke, Matt Cain, or Cole Hamels — but the market quickly dried up once Cain and Hamels signed contract extensions with their current teams.

 

An intriguing name should join the market this winter, however, as CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported last week that the Chicago White Sox are not expected to exercise Jake Peavy’s 2013 option worth $22M. Instead, they are expected to pay a $4M buyout and allow Peavy to sign elsewhere.

 

The 31-year-old should represent an interesting high-risk, high-reward option for potential buyers this winter. Peavy has thrown the baseball well this season, compiling a 3.71 FIP and +4.1 wins above replacement over 203.2 innings. He has soaked up innings and provided significant value as a solid number two option in the White Sox’s rotation.

 

The problem lies in the fact that Peavy’s option for 2013 pays him to be an ace, something he has arguably not been since 2007 when he posted +6.1 WAR for the San Diego Padres. Injury concerns also keep him away from ace-type money. He has only thrown more than 111.2 innings once since that 2007 season and has also seen both his swinging strike rate and velocity drop.

 

With that said, the right-hander has proven effective on the mound this season and should attract multiple suitors. Only eight pitchers in the American League currently have a higher WAR than Peavy. His 3.83 K/BB also ranks seventh-best in the AL. He has increasingly become a fly-ball pitcher over the past couple of seasons, but his approach on the mound has changed correspondingly to throwing fewer pitches in the strike zone to induce more swings at poor pitches. Only 42.9% of his pitches are in the strike zone, which is by far a career low. His 64.3% F-Strike% makes that approach feasible, though, working ahead and forcing opposing hitters to expand their strike zone.

 

It’s clear that Peavy still produces on the mound when healthy. What type of contract a team may be willing to offer this winter, however, is ultimately unclear because of those health questions. Jon Heyman asked an AL executive over the weekend what various free agents could command this winter, and Peavy’s potential contract came in at two-years, $25-30M. It seems unlikely that he’ll be able to ink a deal more lucrative than Edwin Jackson, who has developed into a workhorse, mid-rotation starter that should net him a three or four year deal this winter.

 

Peavy, though, could capture the highest average annual value (AAV) of any starting pitcher not named Zack Greinke. He possesses more talent — again, when healthy — than both Edwin Jackson and Kyle Lohse, and the age of Hiroki Kuroda and Ryan Dempster should keep any contracts relatively modest.

 

For the Chicago White Sox, their starting rotation loses significant production without Peavy and leaves them with question marks in the starting rotation. Chris Sale is a burgeoning ace and should anchor the rotation, but the remainder of the organization’s options were underwhelming this season. As a team — including Peavy — the White Sox only compiled a 4.24 FIP and was the seventh-best rotation in the American League. Losing Peavy gives them a projected 2013 rotation that includes the likes of Gavin Floyd (4.51 FIP), John Danks (5.03 FIP), Jose Quintana (4.11 FIP), and Dylan Axelrod (4.86 FIP). That, of course, depends on if the organization even brings back Floyd on his $9.5M option.

 

All of that projection clearly is devoid of any potential acquisitions made this winter, but the overall point is that Chicago does not have much to get excited about in their starting rotation after Sale. The organization reportedly has interest in re-signing Peavy after they decline his option. It seems unlikely, though, that the White Sox would be willing to go $15M per year if they declined effectively paying $18M for one year (his $22M option minus the $4M buyout).

 

Of course, having sparse options for the rotation does not necessarily justify committing significant payroll space to an injury risk, which is why Peavy and the White Sox are expected to part ways this winter. The impending departure simply highlights the need for the White Sox to acquire upgrades to their rotation.

 

It is important to remember that the White Sox actively sought to acquire Zack Greinke this summer. If the organization were to reallocate the funds saved by declining Peavy’s option to a five or six year deal for Greinke, the decision to part with Peavy will be looked upon with a significantly different lens. It would undoubtedly augment the White Sox’s starting rotation and give them a wicked one-two punch for the next half-decade.

 

However, if Peavy continues his success and compiles another four-win season in 2013 and the organization is stuck with middling options purchased on a dried-up free agent market, the White Sox could be left regretting the decision to not exercise his option. But such is the risk of parting ways with a talented, yet injury-prone pitcher. Teams must determine whether that potential pain outweighs the detrimental outcome of paying a pitcher $22M to potentially be on the disabled list for a significant portion of the season. The White Sox seemingly have determined the reward does not outweigh the risk.

[southsider2k5]

Scot Gregor ‏@scotgregor

 

Probables White Sox vs. Tampa Bay: Peavy vs. Shields Thurs; Quintana vs. Moore Fri; Floyd vs. Hellickson Sat; Sale vs. Price Sun.

 

Santiago starts for White Sox vs. Indians Wednesday. Peavy pushed back to Thursday vs. Tampa Bay to get extra day of rest

[Kyyle23]

I like Santiago against the indians. They have some left handed thunder, he can mitigate that

[LittleHurt05]

Scot Gregor ‏@scotgregor

 

Probables White Sox vs. Tampa Bay: Peavy vs. Shields Thurs; Quintana vs. Moore Fri; Floyd vs. Hellickson Sat; Sale vs. Price Sun.

 

Santiago starts for White Sox vs. Indians Wednesday. Peavy pushed back to Thursday vs. Tampa Bay to get extra day of rest

 

That should be a fun watch. (Although if Price was skipped, I wouldn't complain)

[flavum]

I guess they're putting all their eggs in winning this thing in 162 games. Hope it works.

[cabiness42]

Scot Gregor ‏@scotgregor

 

Probables White Sox vs. Tampa Bay: Peavy vs. Shields Thurs; Quintana vs. Moore Fri; Floyd vs. Hellickson Sat; Sale vs. Price Sun.

 

Santiago starts for White Sox vs. Indians Wednesday. Peavy pushed back to Thursday vs. Tampa Bay to get extra day of rest

 

Tuesday = Liriano

Wednesday = Santiago

Thursday = Peavy

Friday = Quintana

Saturday = Floyd

Sunday = Sale

Monday = Liriano

Tuesday = Peavy

Wednesday = Quintana

 

For Game 163 that leaves Floyd, or Sale on short rest. Not sure I like that. I understand that a lefty is a better matchup with Cleveland tomorrow, but wow that makes it tough at the end.

[LittleHurt05]

For Game 163 that leaves Floyd, or Sale on short rest. Not sure I like that. I understand that a lefty is a better matchup with Cleveland tomorrow, but wow that makes it tough at the end.

 

I don't know if it's just about the lefty matchup with Cleveland. They have obviously been watching Peavy & Sale all year. If that extra day of rest makes them way more likely to pitch better, then it's probably worth it.

[greg775]

I was going to make a new thread on this but I don't want to get ripped for it, so I'll ask this in here. I ask it humbly, not trying to be a dick.

 

Are the Sox choking? I realize this is the same scenario sort of as 2005 when we blew the lead and I realize our highest lead was only 3 games this time instead of 11 like in '05, but I ask again ... are the Sox choking?

 

ARGUMENTS FOR YES SOX ARE CHOKING

• Our starters are not going deep into games with the sole exception of Sale.

• Our offense is pretty much miserable, save for the solo home run, which is OK if you want to win once every six or seven games.

• Our manager seems to have completely changed his managing mojo. Early in the year he played the same lineup every day, he never pinch hit for anybody, he ran our starters out there very deep into games, he used our relievers for a full inning at a time. Now he is pinch hitting a lot, he is mixing and matching like a diabolical chemist, he is making more moves than John Travolta 30 years ago. Many of the moves are flopping which is to be expected cause there are so frickin many of them.

 

ARGUMENTS FOR NO SOX ARE NOT CHOKING

• Our fans in not showing up seem to back the notion we just don't have what it takes to win a division. Not enough good players.

• The Royals are not that bad a team. Hey, they get up for the Sox and beat us fair and square. And the fact we can't beat them again shows we're just not that good.

• The team has so many injuries Robin has to mix and match and he's a genius for getting us this far. This was a .500 team at best and it's still probably going to finish over .500 even though it can't seem to win a series against anybody but Minnesota. So not only did Sox not choke, they overachieved.

 

So are the Sox choking? Yes or no??

To not be on the fence, I'll say I think there is some choke in our team. Not all choking but some gagging, yes.

Edited September 26, 2012 by greg775

[cabiness42]

ARGUMENTS FOR YES SOX ARE CHOKING

• Our starters are not going deep into games with the sole exception of Sale.

• Our offense is pretty much miserable, save for the solo home run, which is OK if you want to win once every six or seven games.

• Our manager seems to have completely changed his managing mojo. Early in the year he played the same lineup every day, he never pinch hit for anybody, he ran our starters out there very deep into games, he used our relievers for a full inning at a time. Now he is pinch hitting a lot, he is mixing and matching like a diabolical chemist, he is making more moves than John Travolta 30 years ago. Many of the moves are flopping which is to be expected cause there are so frickin many of them.

 

As I've stated before, the starters are not going deep into games because these are all very close games and the expanded rosters allows greater use of the bullpen for situational matchups. Also, the pinch hitting seems to be working, as Dan Johnson has gotten on base in two consecutive PH appearances. If anything, Robin's moves are keeping the team afloat despite an offense that can no longer hit.

 

In the last week, the Sox have lost five games while allowing four or fewer runs. That isn't on the pitchers, that isn't on the manager, it's on the nine guys with the bats. I've noticed many times this past week when Sox hitters have complained about strike calls when the pitch was in the zone, or at least borderline. These guys heads just aren't right.

[bjm676]

Tonight would be a great night to put Johnson in the lineup. Give PK a rest.