from whitesox.com

 

Koch hopes to rebound in 20004

 

CHICAGO -- Here is the lowdown on Billy Koch and his dismal 2003 season.

The 28-year-old closer packed up his 98 mph fastball, 44 saves and American League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award from 2002 and brought them to Chicago in exchange for White Sox closer Keith Foulke. Somewhere along the way, Koch apparently got his luggage mixed up with someone whose fastball topped out in the low to mid-90s and had trouble, at times, finding the strike zone or retiring an opposing hitter.

 

Aside from a stellar Spring Training, there was very little sign of Koch's old high heat. Koch was never a closer in the mold of Los Angeles' Eric Gagne, where 1-2-3 innings on 10 or 11 pitchers were the rule rather than the exception. But allowing 59 hits and 28 walks over 53 innings, leading to a 5.77 ERA, was a bit on the extreme side even for the White Sox's version of "The Wild Thing."

 

To Koch's credit, the competitive intensity never disappeared. It was commonplace for the reliever to arrive six or seven hours before game time and go over tape with pitching coach Don Cooper to figure out what was missing.

 

Was it a change in his delivery? Was it too much focus on finding those missing miles on his fastball, something Koch gave up on after returning from an August trip to the disabled list for a sore elbow? So many hours of research, so few answers.

 

Then, like a lightning bolt in a fall thunderstorm, Koch finally figured out the problem late in the season. It had nothing to do with arm angle or release points.

 

The answer came from a set of pillars in his house, but no, they didn't fall on his right arm during the offseason. They were of the rare evil pillars variety.

 

"We had a new interior designer come into our new house and he absolutely dropped dead, pretty much saying, "What are those things on your TV?'" said Koch, explaining the origin of the troubles. "My wife said that they were designer pillars she had purchased. Supposedly, they are cursed and bring bad fortune to your household.

 

"The designer said he would bring in the book to show what they were all about and show us the curse," Koch added.

 

One more fact should be known about Koch before going on with this story. He's a bit eccentric.

 

This is the same player who went sliding along the tarp in full uniform, through a torrential downpour, during a July rain delay at U.S. Cellular Field. He's often known to shout out less than encouraging instructions to the media in the clubhouse and can be heard yelling over the top of television interviews conducted with teammates a couple of cubicles down. All for the sake of clubhouse entertainment, trying to keep a loose atmosphere even in the most troubling of times.

 

Koch also delivered a plate full of shaving cream to Esteban Loaiza's face after the team's final home game Sept. 24, as he was doing a postgame interview following his 20th victory. So, hearing Koch blame his troubles this season on cursed pillars evokes thoughts of a practical joke on unsuspecting but erstwhile journalists played by one of the White Sox' more media-savvy players.

 

But Koch continued on with the story, with stone-cold seriousness in his face and voice. OK, maybe there was a hint of mischievousness along the way.

 

"My wife bought those pillars last September, and I had a terrible September," Koch said. "Then, I've had a terrible year (in 2003) pitching wise. Every time my wife planned to come visit this season, she got ridiculously sick before she came. She ended up missing five trips.

 

"The one trip where she was healthy, she was in the subway and my youngest daughter got her arm caught in the elevator.

 

"You know what, I believe it," Koch added with a smile. "It cursed my household, and I got those things out of there. I didn't give up a run after they were gone."

 

The official record needs to indicate that Koch pitched one-third of an inning since getting rid of the pillars. He retired the Yankees' Aaron Boone on a pop-up late in the second to last home game.

 

A search on the Internet for the words "cursed pillars" doesn't really turn up anything concrete. Adding in the words "Billy Koch's house" doesn't provide much help.

 

But Koch is determined to regain the form with which he saved 144 games over the past four years leading up to 2003, posting a 3.48 ERA while striking out 265 in 305 1/3 innings. Getting rid of the pillars, if nothing else, could be a mind- and soul-cleansing event.

 

"This season was disappointing, to say the least," Koch said. "This is not what (White Sox general manager) Kenny (Williams) traded for. This is not what (former manager) Jerry (Manuel) and the coaching staff expected to see.

 

"I assure you that nobody is more disappointed than myself. It's not from lack of effort because I bust my tail every day, giving it everything I have. But the chips didn't fall my way, so I'm going back to the drawing board."

 

Koch is signed through the 2004 season and is scheduled to make $6.375 million, meaning he will be back with the White Sox. Koch not only intends to return, but he has his sights set on regaining his closer's job, lost on the Fourth of July after giving up a walk-off, three-run home run to Carl Crawford in Tampa Bay.

 

Intense offseason workouts will be the staple of Koch's regimen, which may include putting a mound in the backyard of his spirit-free house. The right-hander also works out at Toronto's training complex in Florida, leading him to one more plan of desperation.

 

If the pillar removal doesn't solve his problems, cloning Cy Young candidate Roy Halladay is not out of the question. But there's hope for Koch.

 

Foulke went from an also-ran in the White Sox bullpen during the 2002 season to one of the A's most valuable cogs and infinitely reliable closer during their current drive for the World Series.

 

"I expect a great season next year," Koch said. "I expected one this season and it didn't happen. It's a matter of working hard, even though I worked hard all this year and it didn't work out. But I want to show Chicago fans why Kenny went out and got me."

As much as Botch hurt us this year, I do like the guy. He seems to say the right things,and seems to be a clubhouse guy. God I wish he returns to form this season. There is no one on this team I want to see bounce back than a guy like Billy.

me too, i liked him when he was with oakland and when we got him i was so happy, i waited in line for his autograph for 2 hours at soxfest and he is still one of the favorite guys on the team.

Koch is a left-hander in a right-hander's body.....

i waited in line for his autograph for 2 hours at soxfest and he is still one of the favorite guys on the team.

2 hours wasted

"Every time my wife planned to come visit this season, she got ridiculously sick before she came. She ended up missing five trips.

 

Even Koch's own wife gets "sick" at just the thought of seeing him

William Koch: American Hero

 

This story is utter crap. I was hoping for a real reason why he sucked. Hopefully he gets better. And to whitesox.com, I hope they make better articles the rest of the offseason. Soon we may be reading about "Paul Konerko and the mummy's tomb" or some crap to explain why he sucked as well.

This story is utter crap. I was hoping for a real reason why he sucked. Hopefully he gets better. And to whitesox.com, I hope they make better articles the rest of the offseason. Soon we may be reading about "Paul Konerko and the mummy's tomb" or some crap to explain why he sucked as well.

I liked the guy during spring training but by the third week I wanted to yank that damn goatee off his f***ing face. The mere appearance of his picture pissed me off.

 

Damn I hope he returns to form, I would really like to like the guy.

from whitesox.com

 

Koch hopes to rebound in 20004

We gotta wait that friggin' long!?! I ain't sticking around that long man, I got places to be after I let loose this mortal coil!!!

Puhhlllleeeezzeeeeeee........that's one of the lamest excuses I've ever heard. Botch just sucked this year, plain and simple. Do I think Koch could return to his dominant form? Absolutly, however knowing this organizations luck it will be with another team.

 

 

CWSOX45

i see botch has been hittin the brady bunch reruns again huh.... pillars and bad idols......geez us what a lame excuse for a s*** season.....

That was a funny read. But anything that improves his mental state is definately an improvement

That was a funny read.  But anything that improves his mental state is definately an improvement

he would be better off using shock treatment instead jas.......

he would be better off using shock treatment instead jas.......

Maybe give him a lebotemi or however you spell it

It is too bad that Koch sucked all year, because I love his attitude. If half of our team kept that same mentality, we would be waiting to order world series tickets. Instead we had a group of cry babies, who choked at the site of pressure.

It is too bad that Koch sucked all year, because I love his attitude.  If half of our team kept that same mentality, we would be waiting to order world series tickets.  Instead we had a group of cry babies, who choked at the site of pressure.

I love Koch. Was telling my dad today that I can stand some players that suck and Koch was one of them. The guy has an awesome attitude and always worked his butt off.

 

Things didn't work out, but he turned me into a Koch fan and I'll be rooting for him to revert to his old form.

 

I feel the same way in regards to Kordell.

the best thing about Koch is he CAN'T be any worse.

 

Scratch that.

 

He could be Jose Paniagua.

 

I hope he bounces back.

 

But I ain't counting on it.

Maybe give him a lebotemi or however you spell it

he had that before he left oaktown.. thats the botch we got stuck with .. i say return him back to normal..... it couldnt be any worse.......

I sure don't have a clue as to what happened to Koch's heater. But, I hope he finds it this winter. We could use him to be effective since we are going to have to pay him so well.

Even Koch's own wife gets "sick" at just the thought of seeing him

Strange, I got sick after seeing him.

I sure don't have a clue as to what happened to Koch's heater.  But, I hope he finds it this winter.  We could use him to be effective since we are going to have to pay him so well.

We need to hav his 100MPH heater back since Flash's ain't gonna be with this team next year. I think he'll bounce back though. All those innings for Oakland really screwed his arm up, I guess u could say we were lucky he didn't hav Tommy John Surgery or sumthin that bad.

I guess we will see won't we? I agree though that he could start by shaving that goatee.

To paraphrase Crash Davis of Bull Durham, if you think you're pitching well because you're wearing women's underwear, abstaining from sex, or got rid of cursed pillars from your living room, then you are. Don't muck with it.

quick question: Is Jose Valentin back for next year? If not, what do you guys think of gettin Jack Wilson from Pitts.