CSF

Kiley is an idiot. But what else is new?

This is an eye opener. A lonely breed on the mound African-American starting pitchers have become few and far between in major league baseball. Since 1970, only 2 have pitched for the White Sox. By Bob Foltman Tribune staff reporter March 17, 2004, 10:55 PM CST TUCSON, Ariz. -- Before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery, White Sox prospect Corwin Malone was trying to accomplish a rare feat for an African-American—becoming a major-league starting pitcher. There may be only five African-American starting pitchers in the major leagues this season, according to the Miami Herald, and that's dependent on rookies Edwin Jackson of the Dodgers and Tampa Bay's Dewon Brazelton cracking their rotations to join Florida's Dontrelle Willis and Darren Oliver and Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia. With each of the 30 teams employing a five-man rotation, there are 150 starting positions to be filled. "That is shocking," Sox second baseman Willie Harris said. "I always knew there were African-American pitchers, but to say there are only three starters? That's amazing." Indeed, there are African-American pitchers excelling throughout the major leagues, but their success tends to come as relievers such as the Cubs' LaTroy Hawkins and the Yankees' Tom Gordon. Gordon was once a starter and one team executive told the Herald the relative scarcity might reflect teams turning African-American starters into relievers. Another factor may be fewer African-American teenagers playing enough baseball to build up arm strength required to handle pitching six or seven innings at a time. "It could be they weren't durable enough but they still had great stuff so they moved them into the bullpen," Harris said. Since 1970, the White Sox have had only two African-American starting pitchers make regular turns in the rotation. Jesse Jefferson made 21 starts in 1975 and James Baldwin was a fixture in the rotation from 1996-2001. Reliever Mike Jackson, a non-roster invitee who is trying to make the Sox and continue a career that has spanned 16 seasons, originally was drafted as an outfielder and converted to a pitcher in the Phillies' minor-league system. In his first season in rookie ball, Jackson made 14 starts and finished 7-2. He won eight more starts the next season before the Phillies moved him to the bullpen to clear the spot for a high draft pick. Jackson eventually became a closer with 142 career major-league saves. In his case, he said the move to the bullpen was the right call. Because he was converted into a pitcher, he didn't have a full repertoire of pitches to go through a lineup three or four times per game. But he threw hard enough and developed an excellent slider to be able to pitch one or two innings. "The African-American young player doesn't have the same access to instruction and teaching," Sox general manager Ken Williams said. "This is such a highly skilled game that you're taught like the golf kids and tennis kids at a very early age on how to refine and perfect those skills." Both Williams and Jackson said the lack of African-American starting pitchers is part of a larger problem—the declining interest of the sport in the African-American community. "I think everyone is playing football and basketball and everything else," Jackson said. "We have to get the African-American kids interested in baseball." How to go about that is the hard part. Sox pitcher Scott Schoeneweis said the biggest difference between baseball and the NBA is simple—marketing. "Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, that's who these kids want to be like," Schoeneweis said. "What can Barry Bonds sell? Every kid wants LeBron James basketball shoes. What can we sell, spikes?" When Jackson, 39, was growing up, the NBA and NFL didn't have the overwhelming media coverage they have today. He grew up playing and loving baseball at an early age and set his goal for the major leagues. Jackson was in the majors two years after he was drafted out of junior college. The path to the NBA or NFL—and multimillion dollar contracts—appears to be quicker than in baseball. "It's easier to get to the NBA or NFL [faster]," said Harris, who was drafted in 1999 and has yet to spend a full year in the major leagues. "There's a lot of stuff to go through [in baseball]." Harris runs a baseball camp in his native Cairo, Ga., during the off-season in which kids can attend free. Williams hopes a program that Major League Baseball instituted in south central Los Angeles last summer can help reach future players and be expanded to other parts of the country. "This is an international game now and while we're growing in one area, we're losing out in another," Williams said. "I'm absolutely concerned." Copyright © 2004, The Chicago Tribune Only Jefferson and JB since '75. Wow. It's nice to see Willie running a free camp for kids in his hometown. Who knows, maybe another Doc Gooden might come out of a camp like that. And I definitely hope Corwin can come back and have a productive career, whether it be with the Sox or another team.

What, Joe Mauer wasn't rated #1? Good lord, what is this world coming to?

That's great that they won't name the 5th starter yet. It keeps Wright, Cotts, & Rauch (I know he wasn't mentioned, but still believe he's in the hunt) on their toes and motivated to pitch every game like it's Game 7.

Sox were the road team playing Oakland, and the A's wore their green batting practice jerseys. The Sox had to wear their black BP jersies.

Correction: They were on the Dan Patrick show. Sorry everybody.

I believe I heard that correctly (I think they're broadcasting from either Tucson or Oakland's training camp). And if I'm not mistaken, Herm Schneider will be on the show too.

Sweeney moving to top of Sox's prospect list Sweeney moving to top of Sox's prospect list March 16, 2004 TEMPE, Ariz. -- Ryan Sweeney dug into the batter's box, his 6 feet 4 inches in a powerful, upright stance. The first fastball he saw from Bartolo Colon was a good one, barely missing the strike zone. Sweeney took it for ball one. The next one came in on the inside part of the plate, seemingly destined to break Sweeney's bat if he swung. He not only made good contact but also somehow pulled the ball toward the right-field corner. It one-hopped the Tempe Diablo Stadium, allowing him to cruise into second base with a double. Two pitches, two bases. Pretty impressive for any major leaguer facing an intimidator like Colon for the first time. But this wasn't any hitter. It was a 19-year-old who at this time a year ago was attending Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. This was no fluke either. "I'd just as soon see him come up against a right-handed pitcher as anybody we have," White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker said before Tuesday's 9-7 loss to Anaheim. Sweeney, who was the 52nd pick overall in last year's draft, is baseball's newest phenom. Roland Hemond, the Sox's resident sage, practically gets misty-eyed talking about Sweeney's sweet swing from the left side of the plate. He laments that if his sister had not passed away in December then he could show off Sweeney for her like he once did another young Sox slugger. That would be Harold Baines, he of 2,866 career hits. "I probably shouldn't put that on the kid but it's true," Hemond said. "I'm getting goose bumps just talking about him. It was the same way with Harold." Because the Sox brought only seven outfielders to camp, then lost Joe Borchard to a strained quadriceps and released Marvin Benard, Sweeney is getting an unexpected opportunity. He has responded in a way rarely seen by someone with so little experience, hitting .333 with three doubles in 21 at-bats. It's almost as if no one told him these are big leaguers pitching. In Sweeney's first game, he had a single, stole a base and from right field threw out a runner who was trying to go first to third. His confidence has seemed to grow. Against Kansas City, he worked left-hander Jeremy Affeldt for a walk, fouling off several two-strike pitches, and then got a hit. He looked so good at the plate in a game against San Diego that Bruce Bochy pulled Brian Lawrence and brought in a lefty reliever to face him. Playing the Cubs last Saturday, and knowing full well that friends and family would be watching the telecast on WGN, he collected hits off Carlos Zambrano and LaTroy Hawkins. "My parents were watching on TV and they said it was wild," Sweeney said. "The phone was ringing off the hook. Guys I played with in high school were calling and saying they couldn't believe it." Even though he has seen Sweeney for a few weeks, Walker sounds as if he's having a hard time believing it. "Where do you want me to start?" he said. "He's a physically talented guy, a mechanically sound guy and he has ice water in his veins." Jeremy Reed came to Arizona as the White Sox's outfield prospect on the fast track. He is 22, had been a star player at Long Beach State and hit .373 in his first full season as a pro. Some expected him to challenge for a job this spring, which would be his first in a big-league camp. But Sweeney has outplayed Reed, who is hitting .130, as well as Brian Anderson, the power-hitting University of Arizona center fielder who was the Sox's first-round pick last June. Walker says Reed isn't quite 100 percent physically (he hurt his wrist playing for Team USA in December) and may have put too much pressure on himself. He says Anderson has been impressive, as was Borchard before trainers decided to be careful with his minor injury. But it's Sweeney who is stealing the show. A two-way star in Iowa—his left-handed fastball clocked around 90 m.p.h.—he was disappointed to slide into the second round in the draft. He had committed to play for Tony Gwynn at San Diego State but took $785,000 to sign with the Sox. Sweeney knows his days with the varsity are numbered. He's going to head to the minor-league camp soon. He's on the roster with low-A Kannapolis but some in the organization fear he'll be pitched around too much there. They believe he could hold his own, even at Double-A Birmingham. So, it seems, does this kid, only one year removed from his prom. "I don't think I've surprised myself," Sweeney said. "I worked hard in the off-season. I wanted to come here ready." Mission accomplished. Email: [email protected]

I thought Munoz's chances of making the big league roster were slim, but today's outing may have clinched it. Though in his defense, he got no help from his fielders.

Rockies win 7-5. Goat of the game: Pedro Lopez. :fyou

Gload went yard again today.

Ditto. As for Gload, as far as I'm concerned, he's already impressed me enough to make this club. Shut him down until he's 100% healthy. And Reed should start at Charlotte too. With Aaron all but locking up the CF job, no use of Jeremy rotting at the bench only getting an occasional start or as a defensive replacement. Let him start at Charlotte and get his at-bats so his progress isn't deterred.

White Sox winner! The thing I liked best about this win is that the Sox only managed 3 hits, but Garland, Koch, Shingo & Jackson picked up the slack. Maybe this will mean less and less 10-9 scores.

Billy Koch now pitching. Back to back quality starts for our starters.

And in a bit of irony, when Chip Caray did Sox/Cubs games for FOX, he would normally be paired with DJ.

Hmm, a Harris/Uribe platoon system at 2nd. Works for me. When Willie's in there, you get speed and with Uribe, power. It could work.

Aye Carumba.

Temper, temper.

Broadband, young Benjamin. It's the way to go.

Why does Hawk keep saying LaRussa is Latin? I thought he was Italian.

Never mind that. How about when WGN showed the fan cam, and they showed the one lady who waved who had quite a bit of flab on her arms. I had to leave the room to :puke.

More twisted pics:

Only Konerko, Rowand, Valentin, & Harris played. Olivo was a late scratch and Frank, Mags, Crede, & CLee didn't make the trip. Most of the foulups were by guys who won't be with the club on April 5. But Harris needs to work the count more. Even though I was highly critical of him the 1st ST game, Uribe has picked up the pace and putting bigtime pressure on Willie.

Half of them probably didn't watch the game. They'll just see the final score and gloat away.

I HATE LOSING TO THE CUBS!!!!