Stewart, Owens Likely Callups in Sept.

[Heads22]

http://suntimes.com/output/telander/cst-spt-rick11.html

 

Reinsdorf not pushing panic button

 

 

August 11, 2006

 

BY RICK TELANDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

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Before the Beatles sang ''Rain'' and the yellow infield tarp danced with agua, there was plenty of time Thursday at U.S. Cellular to ponder the direction of the White Sox.

 

 

 

''Detroit's just playing out of its mind,'' chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said.

 

This was hours before the Sox beat the Yankees 5-4 in the finale of their three-game series.

 

You could smell the good leader before you could see him, since his stogie was fired up and he was leaning against the netting behind home plate.

 

''It's a cliche, but we can't worry about Detroit,'' Reinsdorf continued. ''We just have to win our games. We win our games, we'll be in the post-season.''

 

For those people who have a kneejerk dislike for Reinsdorf, who think he's bottom-line and remote, there should be a small flashing sign reminding them the Sox and Bulls chairman has brought this city seven world titles in the last two decades.

 

And the emperors of the Cubs, Bears and Blackhawks have brought us, uh, none.

 

So listen when he talks.

 

Forget the fact the Sox have been staggering since the All-Star break, or that they were, pregame, in third place in the American League Central for the first time since the second week of the season.

 

Forget the starting pitching meltdown.

 

Forget the lack of major deals by general manager Ken Williams.

 

Forget, for instance, that slugging Bobby Abreu, Yankee gold-miner supreme, never was courted by the White Sox.

 

Reinsdorf frets about his club, but you can be assured the former chairman of baseball's ownership committee is not going to suddenly turn Steinbrenner on us and purchase the world.

 

''We're on pace to win 96 games,'' he says. ''Ninety-six is .600 ball. It's like what Ozzie said, 'If we win 96 and don't make it, what can we do?'''

 

Well, 96 is a safe number, and Reinsdorf knows it.

 

Since baseball expanded to six divisions 12 years ago, only one team, the 1999 Cincinnati Reds, didn't reach the playoffs with more than 95 wins.

 

But to waste all this momentum and goodwill and, yes, attendance hoo-ha after the 2005 World Series title would be a sad thing, record be damned.

 

There's no quit in this team

 

So when the Yankees and Red Sox and, yes, Tigers soar onward, the White Sox cannot simply concede and shrug 2005 off as a fluke.

 

Reinsdorf says he knows this.

 

And there will be no ''White Flag'' surrender, regardless of what happens.

 

In fact, he bristles at the mere mention of that symbolic but perhaps misunderstood 1997 deal.

 

''I don't even want to talk about that,'' the chairman says with some zip in his stogie. ''I said something to a reporter I shouldn't have said back then, and it turned around. I should have remembered I was talking to a writer.

 

''But going after Abreu wouldn't have been the right thing. Our problem's not our starting lineup. It's our starting pitching. If Kenny could have gotten one [a premier starter], he would have.''

 

When you think Sox pitching failure, you think Mark Buehrle.

 

''But he's not the only one,'' says the boss. ''None of them are pitching as well as last season.''

 

So what do the Sox do?

 

Reinsdorf shrugs.

 

''I think this is the hand,'' he says. ''On Sept. 1, we'll bring up players who can help us out. A third catcher, a guy who can steal bases. Luxury items. But our relief pitching has been good. I think Mike MacDougal was a great pickup. [Matt] Thornton, I feel very comfortable when he comes in. And he couldn't throw a strike in Seattle.''

 

So it's the waiting that Reinsdorf must deal with, like the rest of us.

 

One thing that has made the waiting more tolerable is the wild-card spot, a carrot for teams that can't put it all together in the regular season. And the Sox are in the thick of the wild-card race, a half-game ahead of the Twins.

 

''Think of all the wild-card teams that have won the World Series in recent years,'' Reinsdorf said. ''The Angels, the Red Sox, the Marlins. There is very little downside to being the wild-card team.''

 

Taking advantage of the system

 

 

And that is an interesting safety net that may actually be preventing the White Sox from taking their slide from the peak more seriously.

 

''I think it should be more of a disadvantage,'' Reinsdorf says. ''I do. One idea is to have two wild-card teams in each league and make them play a one-game series.''

 

Reinsdorf says he'll chat with commissioner Bud Selig about the loophole.

 

''I haven't thought it through,'' he says. ''But I think we could come up with something that hurts a little bit more.''

 

After the White Sox make use of the current situation, of course.

 

If they even can.

 

''Take the Tigers out, and we're right there with everybody in the league,'' Reinsdorf says.

 

Then the reigning owner of the World Series trophy sighs.

 

''We haven't had a real hot streak yet,'' he says. ''I keep waiting for our streak to begin.''

 

And that hurts plenty.

[whitesoxfan101]

Stewie will be a fine backup catcher next year, and hopefully Owens doesn't get at bats, only pinch running chances.

[danman31]

Might as well bring up Tracey and Logan too. Extra arms don't hurt. Ozzie can use them for blowouts.

[Rowand44]

Might as well bring up Tracey and Logan too. Extra arms don't hurt. Ozzie can use them for blowouts.

Just don't use Boone against Hafner.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Just don't use Boone against Hafner.

 

Hafner isn't ready for the 'new' Boone Logan (sarcasm).

Edited August 13, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[Balta1701]

Hafner isn't ready for the 'new' Boone Logan (sarcasm).

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if the new Logan could actually deal with him. The kid had good stuff when he came up, just no confidence in throwing it, especially after that first blast by Hafner.

[maggsmaggs]

Rick Hahn (asst. GM) said on the Talking Baseball with Bruce Levine that they would like to add in addition to a third catcher and some more speed of the bench, one or two arms in the bullpen.

So, that means Stewart, Owens, Tracey and Boooooonnnneeeee.

[Chisoxfn]

Rick Hahn (asst. GM) said on the Talking Baseball with Bruce Levine that they would like to add in addition to a third catcher and some more speed of the bench, one or two arms in the bullpen.

So, that means Stewart, Owens, Tracey and Boooooonnnneeeee.

The thing is I can't see them taking these guys from a Charlotte team that will be in the playoffs for the first time in a long while.

[GoodAsGould]

The thing is I can't see them taking these guys from a Charlotte team that will be in the playoffs for the first time in a long while.

 

yeah Charlotte is going to be pissed lol if its true but at least they would still have a great playoff rotation with 2 veterans and 2 guys that have had recent struggles but for large part have been great.

[Heads22]

You could always see guys get bumped up from a BHam team that won't be in it.

 

Maybe we could get a taste of Lance in AAA then?

[tealeafreaderii]

The thing is I can't see them taking these guys from a Charlotte team that will be in the playoffs for the first time in a long while.

 

but don't all the teams have to deal with losing guys to september call ups.

[Jim Spencer]

You could always see guys get bumped up from a BHam team that won't be in it.

 

Gustavo Molina just got moved up. He's shown a little more power than Stewart, but he's batting like .229 in AA.

[WhiteSoxfan1986]

Fields should get called up too. I'll like to see Stewart, Fields, Owens, Tracey, and Logan up. One thing to keep in mind is the knights could be playing well into september, so some of these guys wont get called up right away.

[Heads22]

There's a couple of schools of thought on that. I think it'd be a sure thing Fields comes up if he was on the 40 man, but he isn't....

[Jimbo's Drinker]

The thing is I can't see them taking these guys from a Charlotte team that will be in the playoffs for the first time in a long while.

 

I could care less about Charlotte, i want what is best for the big club.

[minorsfan]

Gustavo Molina just got moved up. He's shown a little more power than Stewart, but he's batting like .229 in AA.

 

Stewart got put on the DL with an ankle sprain in the game Saturday night.

[CWSGuy406]

There's a couple of schools of thought on that. I think it'd be a sure thing Fields comes up if he was on the 40 man, but he isn't....

 

True, but there is room on the 40-man -- three spots, to be exact. Speaking of the 40-man... Who is Edwardo Sierra, and what is he doing on the roster?

 

Fields would immediately become our best right-handed power option off of the bench. Heck, if he's as athletic as everybody lets on, I wouldn't mind starting him in LF some days in September, when there's a lefty on the mound.

 

But, yeah, the five who should definitely get a shot up here are Owens, Tracey, Stewart, Logan, and Fields. Who knows, maybe (hopefully) they can strike a deal with Cruz Jr and then we wouldn't really need Fields.

[whitesoxfan101]

Who is Edwardo Sierra,

 

A 24 year old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic. He's 6'4, 195 pounds.

[CWSGuy406]

A 24 year old right handed pitcher from the Dominican Republic. He's 6'4, 195 pounds.

 

Thanks for reading me his player profile. Appreciate it...

 

Anyone know why he's on the 40-man?

[BHAMBARONS]

but don't all the teams have to deal with losing guys to september call ups.

 

You are right on. Here in Tucson we have the same problem our AAA team was loaded could have beat several MLB teams but callups of Drew, Quentin, Pena, Callaspo, Hairston and soon for Young, Carter, Barden and of course Jose Valverde. There is no way these players will step out on the field for the Sidewinders come playoff time if they did the line of protesters in Phoenix would be a mile long waiting at Josh Byrnes office.

[gojimthome]

True, but there is room on the 40-man -- three spots, to be exact. Speaking of the 40-man... Who is Edwardo Sierra, and what is he doing on the roster?

Fastball tops out at 97-98. Decent splitter. Weak head. No control. Think Kyle Farnsworth with worse control. Or even 2005 Matt Thornton with worse control. His claim to fame is that the Rockies got him from the Yankees for Chacon last year. The Rockies DFA'd him in April and we claimed him. He's on the 40-man to protect him from the Rule 5 draft...Not sure why they're so concerned about him unless they think they know how to fix him.

Edited August 14, 2006 by Contreras' Crew

[Balta1701]

There's a couple of schools of thought on that. I think it'd be a sure thing Fields comes up if he was on the 40 man, but he isn't....

Yeah...if they don't think he's fully ready, and they know they won't have a spot for him for a while, it might pay to avoid starting his arbitration clock until next year. I absolutely hope they don't bring Sweeney up for the same reason.

[Heads22]

Yeah...if they don't think he's fully ready, and they know they won't have a spot for him for a while, it might pay to avoid starting his arbitration clock until next year. I absolutely hope they don't bring Sweeney up for the same reason.

 

 

Namely, because we can win without those two, so why get things started?

[Balta1701]

Namely, because we can win without those two, so why get things started?

The one advantage to maybe bringing up Fields is that if he comes up and actually gets a chance to face big league pitching and struggle against it a little bit, it might illuminate a few of the holes he needs to work to fix in his swing before the season starts next year.

[Felix]

The one advantage to maybe bringing up Fields is that if he comes up and actually gets a chance to face big league pitching and struggle against it a little bit, it might illuminate a few of the holes he needs to work to fix in his swing before the season starts next year.

Like Brian Anderson, right?