Tag: Chicago White Sox (Page 5 of 13)

      MLB Roundup: Red-hot Renteria, Lee’s bad news & the BoSox’s early woes

      April 10, 2010 /

      Giants 5, Braves 4
      Quick, name the team with the best record in baseball. The Yankees? Sorry – they’re currently only .500. The answer would be the Giants, who have begun the year 4-0 after coming from behind to the beat the Braves 5-4 in 13 innings on Friday. Quick, name the hottest hitter in the league right now. If you said Albert Pujols, then punch yourself in the ear because you’re wrong. If you said Edgar Renteria, you’re right, but you probably only said that to be a wiseass – so the jokes on you. Renteria is batting an astonishing .688 to start the year after going 3-for-5 with a game-tying two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, which helped San Fran erase a 4-2 deficit. I don’t know how Pablo Sandoval slimmed down and stole Renteria’s jersey without anyone seeing, but there’s no way that’s the real Edgar Renteria.

      Rangers 6, Mariners 2
      Nelson Cruz abused the Mariners on Friday, going 3-for-4 with a solo homer, two RBI and two runs scored in the Rangers’ 6-2 victory. Seattle is hitting .199 as a team and was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. It was the club’s fourth straight loss and making matters worse, it was revealed that Cliff Lee might not come off the disabled list until May now.

      Royals 4, Red Sox 3
      It’s early, but you know things are bad in Boston when they’re losing to Kansas City. Rick Ankiel (yes, that Rick Ankiel) hit a go-ahead two-run single off Daniel Bard in the eighth inning of the Royals’ 4-3 win over the BoSox on Friday night. It was the fourth hit of the night for Ankiel, who also hit a solo home run and drove in three runs. Not a bad night for the newcomer, who helped sent Boston spiraling to a 1-3 start.

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      Five new playoff contenders for the 2010 MLB season

      April 2, 2010 /

      While some enthusiasts will argue otherwise, there’s usually not a lot of change from one year to the next in baseball. Most pundits expect the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Angels, Cardinals, Twins, Dodgers and Rockies (all eight teams that made the playoffs in 2009) to be good again this year. MLB isn’t like the NFL where teams make unexpected playoff runs every year.

      That said, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple of sleepers to watch out for in 2010. Below are five clubs that didn’t make the postseason last year that have the best odds (in my estimation) of making the playoffs this season.

      1. Chicago White Sox
      If you read the 2010 MLB season preview, you’re not surprised to see the White Sox at the top of this list. As long as Jake Peavy stays healthy, Chicago arguably has the best starting rotation one through five in the American League. (Boston fans may argue otherwise, but Boston fans can also shove off…just kidding…although not really.) But the key to the Chi Sox’s success this season lies in their offense. Yes, I’m banking on veterans Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, Mark Teahen, Paul Konerko and Mark Kotsay to have productive years and yes, that may be asking a lot. But Gordon Beckham looks like a star in the making and the addition of Juan Pierre gives the Sox a solid leadoff hitter. I’m well aware that Chicago could finish third in a three-team race in the AL Central, but their pitching is going to keep them competitive all season and I’m willing to bet that their offense won’t be as bad as many believe.

      2. Seattle Mariners
      The Mariners have all the pieces in place to not only compete for the AL Wild Card, but also unseat the Angels in the AL West. Along with Felix Hernandez, the acquisition of Cliff Lee now gives Seattle the best 1-2 punch in the American League outside of Boston’s Josh Beckett and John Lackey. The problem is that the lineup lacks major punch. Chone Figgins and Ichiro give the M’s quality bats at the top of the order, but can this team score enough runs on a nightly basis? The club has been built on pitching and defense but if they want to make the postseason, the Mariners will have to prove that they can overcome a powerless lineup.

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      2010 MLB Preview: AL Central

      March 23, 2010 /

      In order to help get you ready for the MLB season, we’re doing division-by-division rankings with quick overviews on how each club could fair in 2010. Next to each team, you’ll also find a corresponding number written in parenthesis, which indicates where we believe that club falls in a league-wide power ranking. Be sure to check back throughout the next two weeks leading up to the season, as we will be updating our content daily. Enjoy.

      All 2010 MLB Preview Content | AL East Preview | AL Central Preview | AL West Preview | NL East | NL Central | NL West

      Next up is the AL Central.

      1. Chicago White Sox (9)
      Some folks will think that this is too high for the White Sox – that they should be behind the Twins and out of the top 10 in terms of the overall power rankings. Some folks will say that Jake Peavy won’t be healthy all season and that the Chi Sox will once again falter as they try to live station to station on offense. Well, I say the folks that disagree with my opinion are friggin idiots. Harsh? Yeah, but it also needed to be said. I realize that I’m taking a risk by moving the Sox to the head of the AL Central, but really, it’s hard to argue that this division isn’t a crapshoot anyway. Every team has question marks heading into the season but at the end of the day, pitching makes or breaks a team. I realize Peavy missed all of last year due to injury, but the Sox were second in the AL in pitching last season with a 4.14 ERA without him. If he stays healthy, Peavy will only add to Chicago’s solid rotation (which also features Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Freddy Garcia) and the addition of J.J. Putz should bolster the bullpen as well. Outside of injuries, the only thing that could potentially hold Chicago back this year is its offense. What do you mean that’s kind of a big deal? I’m banking that youngster Gordon Beckham develops quickly and that Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios return to form. I also think the Sox will get key contributions from the additions GM Kenny Williams made this offseason in Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre and Mark Teahen. I’m not expecting the Sox to magically transform into the Yankees of the AL Central, but I do believe they have enough offense to get by while their pitching carries them to a playoff berth.

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      White Sox interested in Adrian Gonzalez

      November 17, 2009 /

      The White Sox are interested in acquiring Padres’ first base slugger Adrian Gonzalez but as the Chicago Tribune notes, bringing Gonzo to the “Windy City” won’t be easy.

      But here are some reasons why such a trade could be difficult to pull off. First, the Padres would be seeking four top-notch prospects at pitcher, center field, catcher and second base for a player of Gonzalez’s caliber.

      The Sox have touted pitcher Daniel Hudson, outfielder Jordan Danks and catcher Tyler Flowers as core players of their future. All three players could make the Sox’s 2010 opening-day roster, but trading all three would be a significant hit to the Sox’s development unless other young players accelerate their progress.

      The Angels, known for their farm-system success, could aid the Sox, but wouldn’t be required to pick up the bulk of the cost for such a proposed deal.

      Although Konerko nearly signed with the Angels four years ago and maintains mutual respect with Scioscia, a major-league scout who follows all three Southern California organizations said the Angels have depth in their organization should they lose Guerrero and wouldn’t have to pursue Konerko.

      Juan Rivera could move from the outfield to DH. The Angels still have Gary Matthews Jr., who will earn about $23 million over the next two years as a part-time player.

      Finally, new Padres general manager Jed Hoyer was an assistant for four years at Boston, which reportedly has interest in Gonzalez. The Padres and Red Sox have done business in the past, and Hoyer is very familiar with the Red Sox’s deep farm system.

      Hoyer has a daunting task of rebuilding a franchise that has lost 186 games over the past two seasons. So if he inevitably trades his most valuable bargaining chip, he will make sure to get his price — which will be steep.

      Williams traded for Peavy last year and now is hot for Gonzalez, so it appears that he’s willing to sell the farm in order to acquire the marquee talent to win another World Series. As long as Peavy stays healthy, the Sox have the pitching to compete for a championship, but adding a slugger like Gonzo would be a necessity to help provide some pop to the offense.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Peavy comments on successful White Sox debut

      September 20, 2009 /

      Peavy

      Things didn’t quite pan out for the White Sox, did they? Besides treating fans to this season’s most thrilling moment (Mark Buehrle’s perfect game), the organization has watched their playoff hopes weaken after the risky acquisitions of Alex Rios and Jake Peavy proved either unfruitful or untimely. While Rios morphed from a former All-Star into a role player, Peavy worked diligently in the minors to overcome nagging injuries. He finally made his White Sox debut yesterday and even got the win. His last start was with the Padres on June 6th, so he obviously isn’t 100 percent just yet.

      “I think it’s more like Spring Training soreness, no doubt,” said Peavy. “I’m more sore than I think I will be April or May of next year. I have an extra day in between starts with Thursday’s off-day, so that will help.”

      The right-hander will take the mound next on Friday against the Tigers, to begin a weekend home series that the White Sox hope will have some sort of playoff ramifications. Peavy threw 73 pitches in Saturday night’s return to a Major League mound, following a three-month absence due to a partially-torn tendon in his right ankle and the after-effects of taking a line drive off of his pitching elbow during a Minor League rehab start. Both of those rehabbed areas presented no further issue after his performance.

      In the 13-3 victory, Peavy gave up three runs on three hits over five innings, while striking out five. His fastball velocity stayed in the 92-93 mph range, topping out at 94, while his slider had good bite from the start, as Peavy fanned three of the first four hitters faced. He would have returned for a sixth inning, if not for the extended down time during the White Sox rally in the bottom of the fifth.

      While the club would have preferred that Peavy rebounded a bit sooner, at least he’s showing his compassion and drive to his new fans. I really admire Peavy’s attitude. Like David Wright, this is a guy that’s ashamed to go on the DL and gives it his all even when his team isn’t in the playoff hunt. I hope he regains his status next year as one of the dominant pitchers in the game.

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