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Commentary: Bullpen Fiasco By Rob Knowles April 28, 2003 SoxNet.net While pondering the White Sox bullpen after one woefully recent series, Manager Jerry Manuel stated, “We knew coming in if they (starters) did what they could, we could have some six inning games, turn it over and the bullpen could take us in from there. [Now] we have to get that area straight.” Ask the fans taking cover in the outfield seats – they’ll tell you all about Manuel’s bullpen. They’ll talk at length, with wide-eyed disbelief, about the blizzard of transactions Kenny Williams made during the off-season to strengthen the bullpen, only to watch that infamously fickle Lake Michigan wind blow it all back in our collective faces. Billy Koch was the first reliever brought in during the off-season. In previous years, Koch’s fastballs blazed past opposing hitters like bullets. This season, though, the bullets are going the other way, landing not only in the gaps, but all too often in the beautiful blue outfield seating sections of the Cell. Koch has watched his ERA soar to 9.00, and he has already blown two saves in this short season. The first omen of Koch’s struggles occurred April 3 at Kansas City. In that game, the Royals scored four runs off Koch, delivering the heaviest barrage of punches since the last Lewis-Tyson fight. Yogi Berra would have called it déjà vu all over again when the Royals dialed long distance off Koch on April 15 (using U.S. Cellular, one would hope). The Royals’ four-run smack down once again cost the Sox a victory. Koch has watched himself go from closer of the year to a late inning circus in just 6 months. Don Cooper has blamed Koch’s problems on his mechanics. Until Koch works through those difficulties, there’s no doubt opposing hitters will continue to enjoy late-inning batting practice. Tom ‘Flash’ Gordon was acquired as a free agent over the off-season. Gordon has watched his fastballs morph into frozen ropes this season, and has blown two saves. He looks more like Gary Gaetti on the mound nowadays rather than a former All-Star. At his current pace, Gordon may need to drop ‘Flash’ from his name simply to make room for his hefty ERA. Then there’s Rick White, who from a distance resembles a right-handed David Wells. Unfortunately for Sox fans, White also does a dead-on imitation of how Wells pitched in a Sox uniform - poorly. White pitched terribly in spring training, but appeared to pull things together in time for the season - he began the year with a low 1.59 ERA. Through April, though, White served up a few whoppers and his ERA currently weighs in at a husky 4.82. Now on to the incumbents: Damaso Marte, Kelly Wunsch. Marte may have been a great reliever last year, but this year he is pitching similar to Koch and Gordon - throw the heat, watch it soar. Marte’s 2.61 ERA doesn’t sound terrible, but he too has squandered two saves, equaling Koch and Gordon. Do I sense a bit of competition? Gary Glover and Kelly Wunsch have been the exceptions. Both have pitched extremely well, forming the White Sox bullpen equivalent of Drysdale and Koufax. In fact, Wunsch hasn’t yet yielded a hit in six innings. And to think that Manuel questioned his ability to pitch this spring! While the bullpen is performing its rendition of a Stephen King nightmare, Sox fans are left wondering what happened to the successes of Bobby Thigpen, the 1996 performances from Roberto Hernandez, and the heroics of Keith Foulke just two years ago. What has happened to this Sox bullpen? Let’s all try to read a bit deeper into Manuel’s words, shall we? “We have to get that area straight. ” Thank you, Captain Obvious. In the meantime, Sox fans, find your Pepto-Bismol. This suddenly looks to be a gut-wrenching season. And the end of this one may very well leave us feeling like we’ve just been snowed, Chicago-style.

and to think we got Pacheco for Sandy Alomar (?). That is sounding like a sweet deal.

Give him another week or two at least. He just got back from his wrist injury and a bit of time is important. Harris is pushing too. Rowand is going to be "SOL" if he can't get it together in the next 5-7 days.

Sounds like they are going to be sucessful in the future

When Johnson was placed on the disabled list it would of been retroactive to the last game that he played, which was probably 4 or 5 days before that or maybe even more depending.

Me too, baggio. But hey, at least he didn't win a Heisman. I also like the two WR we took in the 5th round. Could be a couple sleepers there. Now we just need to get Casey Urlacher in here as a free agent to play some safety. most draft expert like those two recievers...my only problem is the are both possession receivers...nothing wrong with possession receivers but right now we got probably the best in the business in marty booker...we got nobody that can get open deep...in the past i guess that didnt matter because our QB's couldnt throw the ball 20 yards without a big banana in it...but now wth kordell and grossman it would be nice to have a real deep threat..stretch the defenses a little Baggs, in a private workout with the Bears Gage ran a 4.4 in the 40 which puts him very fast. He slid because he never ran at the combine due to a hamstring injury. This kid is a deep threat who has great athletic ability. I'm still stunned he slid that far. Bears fans will like him.

In Hindsight I'd rather bring back our hold hitting coach Von Joshua.

I'm pretty sure he hung them up. I think the Sox would take him back at any time if he wanted to give it a shot.

Manuel has recently stated that he wants to put the team in motion a lot more when the bats aren't clicking and he is doing exactly that. I've been happy with his managing lately.

Thanks for the update Jim. Sounds like things are improving down there. I thought the team would start improving. Glad to see your enjoying yourself in the pen. I'm always rooting for ya and as always appreciate the update. Hope you do awesome in the spot start

and most players are controlled by the Sox. Guys, Flash isn't stinking, sorry to rain on your parade but this guy has his stuff there and he looked awesome against the Twins this weekend and has really looked sharp lately. That homer he gave up was on a high fastball that wasn't anywhere near the zone. There is nothing you can do about that. If your going to complain about a pitcher, its got to be based on them making the mistakes and getting creamed. I just haven't seen Flash making a ton of mistakes. Fluke hits even out over a full season and he's going to do real good. In regards to White he has also really picked it up and his only down game lately was the one where he came in with a stomach ache. Give these guys a shot. If it were up to some people, Crede would never of been back up after he started 0-21 or whatever it was.

Bid difference in Miles and Malone. Tools wise Malone is a stud, Miles isn't. Not saying Miles can't make it, ya never know. Also Murcie, you can fix mechanics. The key is having the stuff. Its difficult to fix someones delivery but when drafted Malone was raw and they have basically been rebuilding his entire delivery since they brought him in. We just have to be patient with him. It could take him another two or three years, but there isn't a point in moving him cause his value isn't what it once was. Right now we could deal him and get nowhere near the value "prospect wise" for him. Therefor you hold onto him and keep working and stay patient and maybe in 3 or 4 yrs he'll figure it out or maybe it clicks sooner and maybe he fails.

Last few times I've watched Koch he has looked a whole lot better. I've noticed him getting hit but they look kind of like flukes. Just like the homer Flash gave up was a fluke a few days back. That was on a high pitch, if that happens you got to simply tip your cap. Don't worry about Koch, he's a gamer and he'll be just fine. Also, I agree with Hudler on the Andrews part. He's about as respected as it gets and I'll trust that he can read an MRI. If he can't, then its just a crapshoot and there is nothing else you can do.

Well considering he's only been with the Bears for one year, you can't evaluate that. I really like Knight and Colombo and see a lot out of Wiliams, Bobby Gray and Adrian Peterson as well as Alex Brown. The fact thats its been a year still leaves it as an incomplete draft. In Tampa he was known for being able to find late defensive talent. I consider the scouts for the teams and the gm's the experts LDF. Basically he was rated on the Bears board as the 4th best corner and thats who they went with. Supposedly there was talk that the Texans were going to take him and Casserly is a very well respected guy. This draft looks like there can be some really solid players. I love Haynes and I am really starting to like Rex as well as the cb and safety we drafted. Gage is going to be really good and we address special teams with two players. Putting it simply, we addressed all our needs, imo. Angelo has said that he has one area left to target in the offseason and I'm guessing the rest of the money will go towards Urlie and Brown's extensions.

Possibly Matt Ginter.

Before some of you guys complain about this. I just want to say one thing, Angelo has a very proven track record as an outstanding evaluator of talent, especially in later rounds, and mainly defensive players. I'm not worried at all. Just because some of the "So Called Experts" rated some of these guys lower or talk about other players, doesn't mean these guys are better. After all, wouldn't you think that most of the so called experts would be in a front office somewhere if they were really that great? I want Urlacher and Colin Cole signed as undrafted FA's pronto.

Thats a cool promo.

I was shocked to see Jerry get ejected so fast. I loved the way we played today.

Been a real good draft so far, imo. I like Justin Gage quite a bit, plus how can ya not like a guy with the name "Gage"

282 LBS and ran a 4.71 with 15 sacks, 80 tackles (23 for a loss). This kid is going to be real good and is a real complete end.

http://www.nflfans.com/bears/article.php?s...030426131922386

SN Report: Rowand on the Hot Seat, Harris Making Noise By Mario Scalise April 26, 2003 SoxNet.net One thing is certain, if Aaron Rowand and Willie Harris continue to play like they've been, the two will be playing part in a role reversal in the immediate future. Apparently Jerry Manuel is losing patience with Rowand, who is batting just .120 with no home runs, one RBI, two walks and seven strikeouts. And the only thing keeping him away from triple-A at this point is an upcoming series against the Oakland A's, where the Sox are scheduled to face two lefties in Barry Zito and Mark Mulder. However, that will come and go, while Harris' production with the Charlotte Knights has been impressive for some time. In 18 games for the Knights, Harris is among the league leaders in hits (29, 1st), batting average (.426, 2nd), runs scored (15, 2nd) and slugging percentage (.706, 4th). Harris, a lefty-hitting second baseman/outfielder, also has five doubles, a triple, four home runs, 10 RBIs and five stolen bases. Harris' value to the Sox will come through his speed and left-handed bat, two glaring holes in the offense. The 24-year-old Harris played in 49 games for the Sox last season, batting .233 with 12 RBIs, eight stolen bases and two home runs. Harris made his major league debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2001 before getting dealt to the White Sox for center fielder Chris Singleton. Rowand batted .258 for the Sox in 2002, hitting seven homers and 29 RBIs. In 63 games in 2001, Rowand batted .293 with four home runs and 20 RBIs.

Looking sharp Mario.

The Bears also will get a 2nd rounder in the draft if Robertson is picked by the Jets. Tell me thats not value. I sure hope no one takes Robertson but the Jets.

Here is an article I just wrote in regards to this. Commentary: What Does the Trade Mean for the Bears? By Jason Gage April 25, 2003 Bearstalk.com Up until today people were projecting Dewayne Robertson, Terrell Suggs or Terrance Newman as the Bears first round draft pick. Those projections are now over. With two first round picks and a very early second round pick the Bears entire strategy has changed and in my opinion for the better. At number four, you want to select a player that is going to make an immediate impact or develop into a special player. It is safe to say that all three of the players mentioned above fit this category; the problem was the risk involved in each of them. In the case of Suggs, he had two terrible workouts just before the draft, which has led to most teams dropping him on the draft chart. Terrance Newman, 25, is a little older which leads to some concerns, but he also had some shoulder issues. Reports say that Newman is fully healthy now and I’d say Newman has an excellent chance at being a shutdown cornerback. The problem is Dick Jauron and others within the organization have hinted that they would rather have a great pass rusher then a shutdown corner, and that’s coming from Jauron, a former secondary-back. Then you have Robertson. Robertson’s stock has shot up because of an amazing combine and workout numbers. The problem is, his numbers in college worry some. In the case of Robertson or Newman I don’t think there is near as much risk involved, but there is the issue of all the money that is risked on a high pick. When you mix that with the amount of needs the Bears had, the decision was obvious to Angelo as well as myself, and that was the Bears should move down. Now that they have two first rounders and a very early second rounder they can pick up three potential starters all of which should be good players. The most dire needs for the Bears are on the defensive end of the ball (Dline, OLB, and the secondary) as well as the offensive line and quarterback. The Bears will likely target two defensive players and a quarterback with the first three picks, but if a player like Jordan Gross (Offensive Tackle) fell to them, it could be a different story. Some of the defensive players the Bears could target are: Boss Bailey (OLB), Marcus Trufant (CB), Andre Woolfolk (CB), Jimmy Kennedy (DT), Kevin Williams (DT), Jerome McDougle, or Terrell Suggs (If he kept sliding). Offensively it appears as if Gross, one of Iowa’s offensive lineman or Kwame Harris would be options along with quarterbacks: Kyle Boller, Byron Leftwich, Rex Grossman, Dave Ragone, and Chris Simms. There is also an outside shot that they would take a running back like Willis McGahee or Lee Suggs or even a receiver. Later in the draft I would like to see the Bears target defensive tackle Colin Cole (Iowa) and wide receiver’s Arnaz Battle (Notre Dame) and Karim Kelly (USC). It is no secret that the Bears have a lot of needs and if Angelo plays things right in this draft, he could really rejuvenate the talent base and make this years team so much better and deeper. Another big advantage with a great draft would mean the Bears would be able to drop one of the older defensive lineman they have, freeing up more cap room, so they could acquire two or three veterans in June. Trading out of the fourth pick will also save them quite a bit in cap space. The bottom line is the Bears now will be able to acquire three starters in the first two rounds and will be sitting pretty in the third, a round where some pretty solid players should still be available.