How do you know starting him in AAA last year wouldn't have produced the same result? Seems like quite the reach there.

 

You don't know, but pitching him in relief did nothing to help prepare him for this year. Just cause it worked for someone like Buehrle, it seemed dubious that it would work for Sale.

That's okay. He can be replaced by one of the plethora of young high upside arms the Sox have in the minors.

How do you know starting him in AAA last year wouldn't have produced the same result? Seems like quite the reach there.

I don't, but I do have one thing that backs me up...if you count Cape Cod league innings...he threw 150 innings 2 consecutive years before being drafted, and did not get hurt during that time. Yes, it's a lower level...but here's his innings total:

 

36

145

146

71

 

That's okay. He can be replaced by one of the plethora of young high upside arms the Sox have in the minors.

 

OK, Keith Law wannabe.

I'm pretty sure I can go back and find myself having some serious "I told you so"'s on this one and the decision to put Sale in the pen last year.

He got hurt after 32 innings. There's a pretty good chance if he did what some wanted him to do last year, start at Charlotte, he would have had issues as well. The question was always how will he hold up.

That's okay. He can be replaced by one of the plethora of young high upside arms the Sox have in the minors.

 

Molina better make it as a starter. I wonder if this makes it more likely that the Sox try to extend Gavin?

Edited May 4, 201213 yr by fathom

Well, I guess Starlin Castro should be careful, as sports radio was sarcastically predicting that Sale and Castro would get hurt next after the Rose injury.

Edited May 4, 201213 yr by fathom

OK, Keith Law wannabe.

 

You must be on the White Sox payroll given the defensive nature of this reply. Sounds markedly similar to the way Kenny Williams reacts when he is asked questions about the empty cupboard that is the White Sox farm system.

I think it's beyond stupid to not shut him down for a while and then try him again at least one more time before making such a move. Unfortunately, it seems like the Sox think they have a better chance of winning this year with Sale as closer than with him missing serious time if kept a starter. I hope I'm wrong, because I find that logic completely idiotic.

He got hurt after 32 innings. There's a pretty good chance if he did what some wanted him to do last year, start at Charlotte, he would have had issues as well. The question was always how will he hold up.

There's a big difference though between having your arm ready to throw 70 innings in a year and throwing those 70 innings in March and April.

You must be on the White Sox payroll given the defensive nature of this reply. Sounds markedly similar to the way Kenny Williams reacts when he is asked questions about the empty cupboard that is the White Sox farm system.

 

No, I'm just not in the mood for minor league geek snark.

 

And don't get me wrong, I'm a quasi-minor league geek too.

I said it last year and still believe it: if you're supposedly "All In", you don't leave your best bullpen arm in AAA. If it wasted a year of development fine, but if you go into the season expecting to compete then he is on the roster.

There's a big difference though between having your arm ready to throw 70 innings in a year and throwing those 70 innings in March and April.

He spent the winter getting himself prepared for the role. He is hurting already. If you really think the reason he is sore now is because he didn't pitch 150 innings last season in Charlotte and would have had no problems doing that and if he did, be well on his way to 175-200 IP this year, all I can say is WOW.

When I read the title of this thread I hoped it was a Tony La Russa decision. Anyway, Kenny's toast.

I said it last year and still believe it: if you're supposedly "All In", you don't leave your best bullpen arm in AAA. If it wasted a year of development fine, but if you go into the season expecting to compete then he is on the roster.

I agree.

The reason Sale was available when the Sox picked him was the worry that what went down today was going to happen and probably be even worse news. He has been an injury concern since day 1.

 

Let him become a HOF closer. There's no shame in that.

He spent the winter getting himself prepared for the role. He is hurting already. If you really think the reason he is sore now is because he didn't pitch 150 innings last season in Charlotte and would have had no problems doing that and if he did, be well on his way to 175-200 IP this year, all I can say is WOW.

That's pretty much the definition of the "Verducci effect". So say Wow all you want. You don't "Get yourself ready to throw as many innings in 2 months as you threw all of last year" by working out in the offseason.

He spent the winter getting himself prepared for the role. He is hurting already. If you really think the reason he is sore now is because he didn't pitch 150 innings last season in Charlotte and would have had no problems doing that and if he did, be well on his way to 175-200 IP this year, all I can say is WOW.

 

What are the chances he is sore already from the lingering wear and tear of a full season coming out of the bullpen last year?

 

Considering he was a starting pitcher in college, and the White Sox decided to bring him along as a reliever, who's to say this isn't the carryover effect of him warming up 100 times and pitching 70+ innings in relief?

 

There isn't a large enough sample size to convincingly argue either position.

Edited May 4, 201213 yr by Chisoxrd5

ma

He spent the winter getting himself prepared for the role. He is hurting already. If you really think the reason he is sore now is because he didn't pitch 150 innings last season in Charlotte and would have had no problems doing that and if he did, be well on his way to 175-200 IP this year, all I can say is WOW.

 

Exactly. The Sox drafted a closer. The flip side of this argument is if Sale had started in the minors maybe he would have hurt his arm before he got to MLB.

When I read the title of this thread I hoped it was a Tony La Russa decision. Anyway, Kenny's toast.

It may be hard to believe, I want KW gone as much as you do, but Chris Sale with a tender elbow being made a closer is going to get him fired about as much as the churro stand selling stale churros would get him fired.

Exactly. The Sox drafted a closer. The flip side of this argument is if Sale had started in the minors maybe he would have hurt his arm before he got to MLB.

 

So we drafted two closers in 3 rounds in 2010?

That's pretty much the definition of the "Verducci effect". So say Wow all you want. You don't "Get yourself ready to throw as many innings in 2 months as you threw all of last year" by working out in the offseason.

 

The Verducci effect is laughable.

There is more to this than being reported.

Exactly. The Sox drafted a closer. The flip side of this argument is if Sale had started in the minors maybe he would have hurt his arm before he got to MLB.

I think that's the most likely scenerio.

I agree.

The reason Sale was available when the Sox picked him was the worry that what went down today was going to happen and probably be even worse news. He has been an injury concern since day 1.

 

Let him become a HOF closer. There's no shame in that.

 

I do agree with you here, but now it's Kenny's turn to find another starting pitcher for the next few years.

So we drafted two closers in 3 rounds in 2010?

 

Don't forget Poreda.