http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/chi-1...0,1413364.story

 

Chicago White Sox's Clayton Richard has another solid outing

Prospective starter looks ready if Bartolo Colon needs time

 

March 18, 2009

 

TUCSON, Ariz. — Left-hander Clayton Richard gave the White Sox a strong reason to consider him as a part of their starting rotation if Bartolo Colon isn't ready to open the season.

 

Richard, groomed as a backup in the event Jose Contreras and/or Colon, haven't recovered fully from their respective injuries, pitched five innings of three-hit ball Tuesday against Arizona.

 

Richard didn't allow a run until Ryan Roberts' two-run home run in the fifth. His outing came one day after Colon, making his 2009 exhibition debut, appeared rusty in throwing 40 pitches in 12/3 innings against the Royals.

 

"I think it's the best he has thrown all spring," manager Ozzie Guillen said of Richard, adding he and his staff are taking a closer look at him and Jeff Marquez as "Plan B."

 

"It's neat to have both those guys healthy and throw in a game, but I try not to worry about that," said Richard, who felt comfortable throwing five innings. "You never know what's going to happen when camp breaks."

Neat? Gee golly, CR sure is swell.

Neat? Gee golly, CR sure is swell.

Gosh Wally, why do you have to be such a meanie?

I still go with Marquez. Richard's role as 2nd lefty in the pen is wide open.

Gosh Wally, why do you have to be such a meanie?

 

Ward, I think you were a little too hard on the Beaver last night.

 

Maybe we should start calling Clayton "the Beav"

Edited March 18, 200917 yr by bschmaranz

Ward, I think you were a little too hard on the Beaver last night.

 

Maybe we should start calling Clayton "the Beav"

That would be an awesome nickname. I'm for it.

That would be an awesome nickname. I'm for it.

 

He looks like Wally, hehe....

 

LMAO he does!

 

Lemme alone, Beav, Ma says I gotta work on my cutter!

Surely (Shirley) you can't be serious

Edited March 18, 200917 yr by elrockinMT

I am. And please dont call me Shirley

i really like clayton as a 5th starter type of guy...i dont think he'll ever make an all star team or anything, but if you are looking for a youngster to do about what jason marquis did for the cubs the last 2 years, at about 1/14th the cost i think hes a solid option...he doesn't have the Ks youd like, but he has a really nice GB:FB ratio and a pretty low LD%, which has lead to an extremely low HR ratio.....hopefully the organization is right and Alexei is a GG calibur SS (i doubt it thoguh) and will help to take advantage of claytons strengths

Funny thread. I always love it when we're not so serious 'round here. "Wally" Richard has a nice ring to it.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-sox27.article

 

Sox' Richard caught in the middle

WHITE SOX | Versatile left-hander must be ready to start or relieve

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March 27, 2009

BY JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sixth starter sounds like a nice job description. The only problem is, the White Sox want a five-man rotation.

 

So left-hander Clayton Richard waits.

 

He waits to hear the status of veteran Bartolo Colon. Will the Sox give Colon a 10-day extended spring training, or will he break camp with the team?

 

He waits to see if Jose Contreras and his surgically repaired left Achilles tendon can be trusted as the No. 4 starter.

 

Heck, who knows if Mark Buehrle even will be ready at the start of the regular season.

 

Luckily for Richard, the waiting game doesn't bother him.

 

''You have to have the right mind-set, no matter what the decision is,'' he said Thursday. ''The last thing you want is to go into the regular season bitter that you didn't get a starting spot. That would translate to poor play on the field.

 

''If Bartolo and Jose are healthy, that's great. That would help the team out. Meanwhile, I'm willing to do whatever they need me to do.''

 

That's the right thing for a pitcher with only 13 major-league appearances on his resume to say. But Richard, 25, doesn't say it to keep the veterans and coaching staff off his back. He actually believes starting the season as a middle reliever and spot starter works to his benefit.

 

''With so many pitchers today, it's helped them out,'' Richard said. ''You're not just going to come up and be the ace of the staff. You have to break in somehow, someway, and just to get the opportunity to pitch at this level, this is where you want to get.''

 

That opportunity has presented itself to Richard for a couple of important reasons.

 

''You know what I like about this kid? He throws strikes,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. ''He's not afraid. He attacks the hitter.''

 

A former University of Michigan quarterback, Richard was drafted by the Sox in the eighth round in 2005. His climb through the minors wasn't always smooth, but it was workmanlike. He seemed to make the biggest jump in 2008 -- and with good timing.

 

His first call-up came with Contreras nursing a sore right elbow. Richard was sent down when Contreras returned, but he came back up when Contreras blew out his Achilles.

 

He made eight starts in his 13 appearances during the two stints, going 2-5 with a 6.04 ERA. But he saved his best work for last, appearing in relief twice in the first-round playoff series against the Tampa Bay Rays and impressing the Sox by allowing one run in 6 1/3 innings, including a five-strikeout performance in the Game 1 loss at Tropicana Field.

 

After the Sox were eliminated, Guillen insisted he was comfortable with Richard being penciled in as a starter for 2009. Before the Sox signed Colon and Contreras incredibly returned from his injury more than three months ahead of schedule, it looked as though Richard would be No. 4 or 5 in the rotation.

 

Now, however, he's making his Cactus League start every fifth day and waiting to see how the Sox plan to use him.

 

''I'm in spring camp, and I'm trying to make the most of it,'' Richard said. ''The opportunity is all you can ask for.''

 

For now, that's all he's promised.

Wally Richard as 6th starter? It makes sense, it's pretty much what he was last year. What a pointless article.

Hopefully he's learned how to throw to first on a comebacker. It was hold your breath time last year on just about every throw.

Hopefully he's learned how to throw to first on a comebacker. It was hold your breath time last year on just about every throw.

He only had to throw the ball to first base 10 time last year, he failed to do so successfully 3 of those times. That's just crazy. Nearly every throw over there was off target. Richard allowed 37 runs last year but only 32 of those were earned, 2 of his errant throws led to 4 of those unearned runs. His official ERA for the 2008 season might have been 6.04 but his "real" ERA is 6.80 since his incompetence accounted for 4 of those unearned runs.

You cant help but like a kid who will go out, throw the ball, and know his role. He is the epitomy of a great teamate and ballplayer.

He gave up a ton of runs to the Cubs today and got one out in th 1st I think. Maybe he hurt his chances a bit?!

if colon or contreas arent healthy could be long yr in 4th and 5th spot

That was really Clayton's first disastrous outing of the spring.

 

The one thing with Richard, he can be really effective when he keeps the ball down, but he was getting behind in the count with almost every hitter.

 

To be successful, you need to have your defense pick you up occasionally too...there were 2-3 plays (in the OF and Josh Fields at third) that might or should have been made by above-average defenders, so the inning kind of snowballed on him.

 

"The first inning was pathetic, bad," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "He couldn't find the plate, and when he found the plate, he got hit. With the combination of those two things, you're not going to have a good outing. It was the first outing he struggled all spring. We'll see if he can come back and take care of business." www.dailyherald.com

Edited March 28, 200917 yr by caulfield12

Anybody who was here last year knows my feelings on Richard. I just hope I am very wrong about him.

Hopefully he's learned how to throw to first on a comebacker. It was hold your breath time last year on just about every throw.

 

"It's amazing sometimes what a bunt will do."

 

It has to be a mental thing with Clayton. He's Knoblauch-esque on throws to first.

I think the only role Richard can have SOME success in is as a lefty long man and spot starter. If he is ever a full time starter, he'll get rocked. Right now I view him as more of a stop gap than a part of the future.

I think the only role Richard can have SOME success in is as a lefty long man and spot starter. If he is ever a full time starter, he'll get rocked. Right now I view him as more of a stop gap than a part of the future.

I think Richard will be the '6th man'/ long reliever. I agree with that. He kind of reminds me of Cotts when he first came up with us. We tried him out as a starter in '03, didn't work so Ozzie put him in the pen for '04 and in '05 he turned into a hell of a setup man. I think Richards has what it takes to eventually develop into a lefty setup man. Out of all of the options, Richard has been the most consistent this spring. Honestly, I am not seeing a whole heck of a lot out of Marquez to be excited about. I'm actually more impressed with Broadway than Marquez.

 

You figure it will be:

1. Buerhle

2. Floyd

3. Danks

4. Contreras

4b. Marquez

5. Colon

5b. Richard