Sox hope to cash in with pair of aces come playoff

[greasywheels121]

This is the Sporting News article that has been talked about. I was surprised to see this thing was in our morning paper today. Good read.

 

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazett...ts/12382630.htm

 

Sox hope to cash in with pair of aces come playoffs

By Sean Deveney

Sporting News

 

Two years ago, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle broke character. He spent a bit of money – OK, a lot of money – on a 1,200-acre piece of land in rural Missouri, a home complete with four-wheelers and hunting stands for deer and wild turkeys. Buehrle usually is not a big spender. He’s more Jack in the Box and Bud than Chez Robert and Bordeaux.

 

He enjoys the property, he says, because he considers it an accomplishment, something he can give back to his family in suburban St. Louis.

 

But Buehrle has not been able to accomplish one of his goals when it comes to his wilderness expanse: getting fellow pitcher Jon Garland, Buehrle’s closest friend on the team, to suit up in oversize camouflage and join him for some deer hunting. Although Buehrle is a full-blooded Midwesterner with admitted redneck leanings, Garland is all Southern California. He has fired a gun but, he says, “never at anything that was alive. I don’t think I have the stomach for that.”

 

“You know what he’s afraid of?” Buehrle says. “Shooting his foot off. That’s what he says: ‘I’m going to shoot my foot off.’ I am trying to tell him, ‘Look, you only pick up the gun when you see something you are going to shoot. And you don’t point it at yourself.’ ”

 

For now, Buehrle and Garland will put off stalking big game in Missouri and deal with big games on Chicago’s South Side, where the White Sox have ridden their pitching-and-defense philosophy to the top of the majors. The defense has been outstanding, with the Sox tied for the American League lead in fielding percentage and ranked fourth in double plays. The pitching staff tops the league in ERA. Despite a mild post-All-Star Game slump, the Sox hold a comfortable double-digit lead in the AL Central.

 

“Look at where we are right now and what we have been built on,” outfielder Jermaine Dye said. “We’re in position to do some special things.”

 

At the forefront of those special things are Buehrle (13-5) and Garland (career-best 16-6), an odd couple of baseball buddies whose lockers at U.S. Cellular Field are side by side and who, says White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, “are always together, always talking.”

 

(Buehrle says, “Of course we’re talking. We’re starting pitchers. When you’re not pitching, there’s nothing else to do but talk.”)

 

On the surface, they have much in common. Both were All-Stars this season. Both turn 26 this year (Buehrle did in March; Garland will in September). Both arrived in Chicago five seasons ago with heavy expectations after brief minor-league stints, and because neither of them knew how to act upon arriving in the majors, they bonded.

 

But the two took different paths to this point. Garland was a 6-foot-5 high school star, going 27-4 with a 1.22 ERA in three prep seasons. The right-hander was USA Today’s California player of the year as a senior, and he had a scholarship offer to powerhouse Southern California. He was drafted 10th overall in 1997 by the Cubs and signed for $1.325 million. Buehrle was a pint-sized left-hander who barely broke 80 mph in high school and was cut from the team as a freshman and sophomore. He had a growth spurt, though – he’s 6-2 now – and his high school coach suggested he play for Jefferson College in Missouri. After going 16-4 in two seasons there, he was chosen by the White Sox in the 38th round in 1998. His signing bonus: $167,000.

 

Garland came to the big leagues with chosen-one credentials – he was the youngest pitcher in the majors when he was called up in 2000 – but it has taken him awhile to live up to the expectations for him. He flashed a powerful sinker but was prone to mental mistakes. He entered this season with a 46-51 career record and had been dropped to the No. 5 starter’s slot. General manager Ken Williams says he was not considering trading Garland, but the organization’s patience was wearing thin.

 

“It’s not like I wasn’t trying in other years,” Garland says. “It has just taken awhile for everything to come together. Coming into this year, I definitely had a sense of needing to make it happen now.” Buehrle, meanwhile, became the team’s opening day starter and its ace in 2001, his first full season. He has great control of his cut fastball and changeup and has been one of the game’s most consistent pitchers the past five years. Garland says he never was jealous of Buehrle but instead was more concerned about getting himself to Buehrle’s level.

 

“I have completely enjoyed watching Mark come in and have as much success as he has had,” Garland says. “He’s the ace, and he deserves to be. I always thought I was doing OK, but it’s just that I knew I could do better.”

 

He has done better – much better – and the White Sox are in position to make their first trip to the postseason since 2000. Led by Buehrle and Garland, Chicago has the best starting pitching in the AL, with playoff-tested veterans Freddy Garcia and Orlando Hernandez also in the rotation.

 

“We feel like we are capable of anything,” Dye says. “Pitching is the most important thing in the playoffs, and I would put our guys against any of the pitching staffs in the league.”

 

That means anything is possible. One year after the Red Sox broke a much-chronicled World Series drought in its 86th season, perhaps the South Siders are ready to break their less-publicized run of championship futility that is now in its 88th season (check back in October on that).

 

Garland knew something was wrong when he went out for his start against the Blue Jays last week. First, his nose suddenly started bleeding.

 

“That is never a good thing,” he notes. Then, warming up in the bullpen, Garland got the kiss of death – he felt great. “That always means things are going to go bad,” he says. “You never want to feel good when you’re warming up.”

 

Sure enough, Garland had his worst outing of the season, allowing a season-high 13 hits and seven runs. Every time he has a bad outing, Garland knows some will say he is reverting to the pitcher he was before this season.

 

With an unopened can of Miller Lite sweating in his hand, Garland shrugs and says, “There’s nothing I can do about that. All I can do is go home, have a drink and forget about it.”

 

That easygoing attitude seems to be an asset when you’re 16-5, but throughout his career, Garland has been accused of being too unemotional, of not caring enough to improve.

 

“Everyone always wants answers for what is happening,” Cooper says. “No one wants to sit back and say, ‘You know what? This is a young kid, and we need to be patient; we need to let him mature.’ ”

 

On the long list of theories as to why Garland is having a breakout season, maturity seems to rank No. 1. Garland caused a stir among the White Sox last season when, after a game in which a Paul Konerko error led to four unearned runs, Garland said, “Truthfully, in my eyes, the difference in the game was the four unearned runs. Take those away and it’s a 4-4 game. What are you going to do?”

 

Those words fed a perception that Garland was selfish and always looking to blame someone else for his failures – a perception that no longer is true.

 

“That, to me, is the biggest thing he’s done,” Cooper says. “He is taking responsibility. He is going out there and getting guys out in big situations, rather than waiting for something to go wrong and blaming someone else.”

 

Garland has benefited from the managing of Ozzie Guillen, who has allowed him to work through difficult situations. The defense, with newcomers Tadahito Iguchi at second, Scott Podsednik in left and big-armed Dye in right, has given Garland more confidence. And new catcher A.J. Pierzynski is forcing the starting pitchers to use the whole plate.

 

“He’s always been a guy who had a real upside,” one scout says. “He has good delivery, good angle to the plate. He’s pitching to both sides of the plate now. A.J. Pierzynski has really emphasized to their staff that you’ve got to pitch inside. That’s helped their entire pitching staff a lot.”

 

That includes Buehrle, who has a career-low 2.79 ERA and is walking just 1.45 per nine innings.

 

“Without looking at the numbers, yeah, I would probably say this has been my best year,” Buehrle says. “Pitching for this team has a lot to do with the success I’ve had – and that the whole pitching staff has had.”

 

But that works both ways – the Sox know their fortunes will rest on their pitching and, perhaps, on the performances of Buehrle and Garland. The staff could carry the White Sox well into late October, perhaps even infringing on the start of hunting season. If that happens, there will be no complaints from either ace.

 

“It’s great to see Jon pitch like this,” Buehrle says. “For a long time he was disappointed in the way things went. He’s a guy we can count on now.”

[wsox08]

pocket aces baby.... I'M ALL IN!!!!

[SoxFan1]

Oh boy...wait until nitetrain reads this...

[nitetrain8601]

*patiently awaits aces to shut down a team worth a damn*

[Rowand44]

*patiently awaits aces to shut down a team worth a damn*

You're absolutely correct. Mark and Jon have not shut down any good offenses this year. :headshake

[kev211]

*patiently awaits aces to shut down a team worth a damn*

Why have you been so negative lately dude look at the standings were the best f***ing team in baseball.

Edited August 14, 2005 by ScottPodRulez22

[greasywheels121]

Why have you been so negative lately dude look at the standings were the best f***ing team in baseball.

 

Joe Crede's biggest fan is down on Garland and Buehrle.

 

Isn't it ironic?

[Goldmember]

Joe Crede's biggest fan is down on Garland and Buehrle.

 

Isn't it ironic?

[jamslam]

We are going to have two twenty game winners and we are lucky to have both of them, every game is critical till we clinch.

Let's enjoy and relish in it rather than be over- critical. It has been good to be a Sox fan and will be for the playoffs too.

[CSF]

I was one of those down on Garland last year when he put that game on Konerko and the error. It's been great to see that he's has put more of the responsibilty on his own shoulders. That's what a money game pitcher does.

 

 

Kudos, Big Jon!

[hi8is]

i read this article a couple of days ago and emailed sean to express my thanks to him... his responce:

 

"Trevor ...

 

Thanks a lot for writing. Buehrle and Garland are both good guys, and though I have to remain unbiased, it's hard not to root for them.

 

Sean Deveney

The Sporting News"

 

sean rocks... after the 2 outings mark and jon had in boston, he emailed me and said,

 

"Don't let your hopes get you down, there is no shame in giving up runs to the Red Sox."

 

class act!

[Ozzie Montana]

I dont know if it was posted. I read about it on Sporting News and I just wanted to share it.

If it was posted please merge.

 

http://experts.sportingnews.com/yourturn/v...opic.php?t=8343

[SoxFan1]

What I would give for a hunting trip with Mark Beuhrle...

 

Jon is such a wuss. "I'll shoot my foot off".... LMAO!