Bear Attack

[DABearSoX]

Bentz bears down in lefty competition

03/01/2006 7:16 PM ET

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- How hard can competing for one of the final White Sox bullpen spots be for Chad Bentz, when this is the same individual who once wrestled a Black Bear in a battle that meant him or the animal in his native Alaska?

OK, maybe it really wasn't a life-and-death battle. Bentz actually describes the encounter as the bear being more interested in the deer meat on his boat than Bentz himself. But Bentz did have to kick the bear in the stomach in order to get it to move on, a tale told by the affable hurler to local Chicago television stations and ESPN, alike, during Spring Training stories.

 

Bentz's tale is a unique experience compared to pretty much anyone else in baseball. In fact, Bentz joins Marshall Boze as only the second Alaskan high school player to reach the Majors.

 

But with the beginning of Cactus League action, Bentz simply is one of eight left-handed relievers competing for one basic specialist role on the 11- or 12-man World Series champion White Sox staff. The unique one to stand out from this group will be the pitcher who puts up the best performance over the next month, or all eight could miss out and the White Sox would break camp with one left-handed reliever in Neal Cotts.

 

"It's funny how that works," said White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper of the bullpen competition. "Decisions have to be made by the coaching staff and [general manager] Kenny [Williams] to find out who is coming with us.

 

"Ultimately, though, the pitchers make those decisions and will show us who can do what. It's a great opportunity for these guys. So, let's welcome it, go embrace it and have fun with it. Show us the best you got."

 

The competition started when pitchers and catchers reported to Tucson on Feb. 17, but took a step into high gear on Wednesday with the opening of Cactus League action at Tucson Electric Park. Javier Lopez and Arnie Munoz were first on the stage and both emerged unscathed facing the Rockies. Munoz actually struck out a pair during his one inning of work.

 

Many people familiar with the White Sox remember Munoz from his less-than-memorable 2004 start in Montreal, where he allowed 11 runs on 10 hits in three innings before making a return trip to the Minors. Munoz, who is joined by Paulino Reynoso and Rusty Tucker as the three members of this battle on the 40-man roster, returned later that year and showed he was better suited for relief with a 3.97 ERA in his final 10 appearances.

 

Munoz also is out of options and would certainly attract interest from other organizations if he didn't emerge from this left-handed group. Lopez, 28, seems to be the clubhouse leader in the very early stages of competition, at least by talking to a few of the White Sox hitters and pitchers who faced him or watched him in live batting practice and in bullpen sessions.

 

The sidearmer comes at hitters from almost the same down-under location as Kelly Wunsch, holding left-handers to a .246 career average. Right-handers have hit .320 off Lopez, who made 139 combined appearances for the Rockies during the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Ideally, Cooper would like this particular lefty to be able to work more than just a one-batter situation, but not much more.

 

There probably were more clear-cut roster opportunities for Lopez elsewhere. But Lopez decided to take his chances with baseball's best staff.

 

"Most of the team that won the World Series was brought back, so if you can get on here, it's a great thing," Lopez said. "Obviously, you come into camp, just trying to get ready, making sure everything is good to go.

 

"Coop has done a good job giving everyone the time they need on the mound to get ready for the competition," Lopez added.

 

Reynoso, Bentz, Tucker and Corwin Malone all will follow Freddy Garcia to the mound Thursday against Arizona at Tucson Electric Park, along with Cotts, who developed from a left-handed specialist to one of the more dominant left-handed setup men in the American League in the course of one season. In split-squad action at Hi Corbett Field against Colorado on Thursday, fellow lefties Steven Randolph and Armando Almanza will get into action.

 

Those pairings, along with Wednesday's opener, add up to eight left-handers working in eight days, completing Round 1 of the roster fight. Some pitchers would prefer a one-on-one battle for a roster spot, as opposed to an eight-for-one sort of interaction. But many of the participants involved believe the fight is much more internal than external, in this case.

 

"A lot of the guys are going out with the approach of battling themselves on a daily basis, and then the White Sox are going to have decide between seven or eight of us," Lopez said. "You are in a competition with yourself to execute pitches. That's all you can really do."

 

"You see how everyone is going about their business and how hard everyone is working," Malone added. "I was telling one of my roommates it's going to be one of the toughest Spring Trainings as far as competition. Everyone wants to be part of the team and make the roster."

 

Malone once was a prized prospect as a starting pitcher for the White Sox, after being selected in the ninth round of the 1999 First-Year Player Draft. Tommy John surgery in March of 2004 slowed him down, but "it means the world" to Malone to be back in the Major League picture.

 

Of these eight hurlers on the line, Bentz's story clearly is the most compelling.

 

He grew up in Juneau, Alaska, where the baseball fields were all dirt, and Bentz did a lot of throwing in high school gymnasiums in order to prepare. He has nothing but rave reviews for his picturesque home state, pointing out that without many chances to play, it made him drive harder to take advantage of the ones he had. His parents also never had any worries about their son's safety, aside from the occasional Black Bear encounter.

 

Bentz also was born with a misshapen right hand, much like former White Sox hurler Jim Abbott, and uses his left hand to both pitch and field. But Bentz's difference never has been an issue once he gets on the field. His only current focus is trying to stand out among a talented mass during the month of March.

 

"When I'm pitching, I want to be known as a good left-handed pitcher -- not the guy who switches his glove," said Bentz, who made a career-high 36 appearances for Montreal in 2004. "Off the field, when I'm not playing, and someone notices me or whatever, that's different.

 

"If you can touch someone or inspire someone, it's one of the best feelings you can have as a person or a player. And I've met a lot of kids. When I'm pitching, I'm a guy with two hands. I just switch my glove."

 

I like this guy, got to see him pitch an inning today, out of all the rookie lefty's who were throwin today he seemed to have the best stuff.

[Balta1701]

And here we have another reason why these vicious, soulless killing machines must be stopped before they destroy us all.

[Drew]

If he makes the team, it'd be almost like a baseball version of The Parent Trap with him and Bobby Jenks.