Black Sox Blog

It felt like I got punched in the gut and it made for a crappy Christmas present.  My favorite player on my favorite team was traded.  I know this happens, but this trade still boggles my mind.  Yes, John Danks is a good prospect and at only 21, could develop into a front line starter, but so could have McCarthy. With a full year of relief under his belt, I thought Brandon was poised to break out in 2006, and he very well may, just not for the White Sox.

Danks didn’t have a great year as he split time between Double A and Triple A, but he’s playing way ahead of himself and he’s probably been rushed.  I’d hope he’d start the season at Charlotte.  Now we’ll get to see who the White Sox fifth starter turns out to be.  Sigh.

I’m pretty pissed off right now.  I’ll comment on this trade when i calm down.

The White Sox finally traded away one of their starters last night to make room for Brandon McCarthy in the rotation.  The odd man out was Freddy Garcia and the White Sox got two minor league pitchers for him.  I like this because it gives us two prospects who are close to the majors that can either fill in the gaps in the rotation in the next couple of years or they can provide nice trade bait at the trading deadline.

Gavin Floyd has really struggled the past couple of seasons as he made efforts to make it in the major leagues.  Control is his biggest problem.  In 108 2/3 major league innings, Floyd has walked 64 batters versus 75 strikeouts.  Floyd even struggled in the Arizona Fall League this year.  But at some point, he showed a ton of promise and was the fourth overall pick by the Phillies.

Gio Gonzalez was part of the White Sox organization until he was traded last year as part of the Jim Thome deal.  He had a better AFL season but he struggled a bit in Double A for the Phillies.  His strikeouts were there but his walk rate spiked and he gave up 24 homeruns in 154 2/3 innings.  He’ll probably start the year in Triple A this year.

This is a solid deal and it could turn into a really good one if Floyd finds his way.

The White Sox picked up their options on Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye and Tad Iguchi.  Buehrle will make $9.5 million, Dye will make up to $7 million and Iguchi will net $3.25 million.  Dye and Iguchi are solid bargains.  The one I was a little surprised about was the Sox picking up the option on Buehrle but it looks like the Sox did it just so they could trade him.  The organization wants to give Brandon McCarthy a spot in the rotation, which leaves one of last year’s arms as the odd man out.  I thought they might go about that by just not picking up the option on Buehrle but I guess with the $1 million buyout, it made sense to sign him and try to deal him.

I guess I can live with the Tigers in the World Series.  We battled them for most of the season and the series with them seemed more like a rivalry then with any other team but there’s some respect.  I’m glad the Twins are done though.  They deserve a lot of credit for that comeback but I look at them as costing a spot in the playoffs more then I do the Tigers for some reason.  I’m actually rooting for the Cardinals to win it all just to make my brother mad.

In a lot of ways, it looks like Mark Buehrle might be the odd man out in 2007.  The White Sox have an option on him although after a mediocre season this year, they might let him go and finally give Brandon McCarthy his shot as a starter.  This mailbag even speculates we might deal for A-Rod, which is an interesting theory.

And the Arizona Fall League has kicked off.  Here’s a list of the players taking part in the AFL this year.

Alright, the White Sox are now officially done.  They won’t be defending their World Series from last year and while that’s dissappointing, I think White Sox fans know that this team will be right back in the mix next year.

The loss on Monday put us out of it and man was it ugly.  Jon Garland was rocked for twelve runs (eight earned) in 5 1/3 innings.  The Sox only run came in the first on Jim Thome’s sac. fly.  Not pretty.

Tuesday’s game was just as bad.  C.C. Sabathia held the White Sox to four hits Javier Vazquez was a mixed bag.  He gave up six runs but struck out twelve in seven innings of work.  He striking out a lot of the guys he faces, he’s just giving hits just as much.

The White Sox finally pulled out a win in a rain shortened game yesterday.  Brandon McCarthy made his second start of the season and it was a good one.  He gave up one run on two hits with eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work.  Ross Gload homered in the 2-1 win.

Next up is the Twins, who are the secondary reason why the White Sox aren’t in the playoffs (first is the White Sox themselves).  It’d be nice if we can get a little revenge and take a game or two in this final weekend series.

I know there’s a lot of speculation going on these days, and some of it might be planted by our competitors to see who blinks first.  News broke yesterday that the White Sox were very close to a deal for Alfonso Soriano.  The price would be Brandon McCarthy amongst other things, and if the White Sox were to deal McCarthy, I’d be pretty upset.  More on this as it develops.

It took 19 innings yesterday, but the Sox pulled it out.  And it was the difference between going into the break down by two games or down by three games because the Mariners finally took a game from Detroit. 

Things didn’t start well in the series though.  On Friday, we ran into…..Jon Lester?  Okay, he’s doing his best Jered Weaver imitation and after taking care of the White Sox, he’s now a perfect 4-0 in six career starts.  Mark Buehrle was roughed up and he gave up five runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.  Jermaine Dye had two sac. flies to account for the two White Sox runs in the 7-2 loss.

Jermaine Dye homered twice on Saturday but that wasn’t enough to top the Red Sox because Freddy Garcia and the pen was knocked around just as bad.  Three of the four relievers used in the game gave up runs.  Scott Podesdnik finished the game with three hits and Jermaine Dye’s season homerun total was now up to 24.  Jim Thome went yard for his 30th.

Yesterday’s game was the longest game (inning wise) of the season.  The game went into extra frames 3-3 and then both teams scored a pair in the eleventh.  Then neither team scored until Tad Iguchi hit a walk off RBI single in the nineteenth to win.  Give Brandon McCarthy some props.  He didn’t pick up the win, but he threw 4 1/3 shutout innings and this was after struggling of late.  Oh yeah, and lost in all this, Jose Contreras didn’t get a decision so his winning streak is intact.

Just when the Tigers run into trouble, the White Sox hit the skids and have problems finding a win.  After dropping three of four against the Indians, the White Sox lost two games to the Ranges and now have lost five of their last six games.  No time would be better to end their losing streak though, because the Tigers come to town for a three game series this week.

On Friday, the White Sox blew a 3-2 lead and a pretty good start by Jon Garland went to waste.  Brandon McCarthy ended up taking the loss because he gave up the final run, but Jeff Nelson, who didn’t even get a batter out, also did his share when he gave up Jon Garland’s inherited run in the seventh to tie the game up.  Five different White Sox had two hits, but it was the scoring part that the White Sox had troubles with. 

The White Sox finally ended their four game skid on Saturday with an 8-6 win.  Javier Vazquez was hit hard but he still picked up a win and it was a seven run third inning that really put this one out of reach.  Joe Crede and Scot Podsednik drove in two runs and Tad Iguchi scored twice.

This afternoon, Mark Buehrle got his clock cleaned.  He was touched up for six runs on nine hits in seven innings and he dropped to 6-4.  Joe Crede continued to hit the ball well and he drove in both White Sox runs.  While he’s not on pace to hit the 30 homeruns I predicted, he does have a shot to drive in 100 runs and hit .300, which would be quite an accomplishment.

Since I last wrote, the White Sox have won three of four.  They split their two game series with the Indians and swept their two game set against the Mariners.  The White Sox continue to take care of business and this afternoon they won their 20th game.  With a 20-8 record, they’re only one game off of the torrid pace they were winning games at last year.

On Monday, the White Sox jumped all over the Indians.  They scored seven unanswered runs by the sixth inning, but the Indians finally woke up and scored one in the bottom of the sixth and four in the seventh.  The Indians never pulled any closer in the 8-6 loss.  Scott Podsednik went four for five with three runs and four stolen bases.  Paul Konerko hit a three run homer in the top of the first to start things off for the Sox.  Javier Vazquez was very good through six innings (one unearned runs and five hits with seven strikeouts), but the pen was hit hard.  Brandon McCarthy gave up four runs and only got one batter out.  Bobby Jenks pitched a shutout ninth though, and he picked up his eighth save of the season.

Tuesday was the loss, and man was it bad.  C.C. Sabathia came off of the disabled list and shut the Sox down.  Chicago did manage eleven hits, but they stranded fourteen base runners in the 7-1 loss.  Joe Crede continued to hit the ball extremely well and he went three for five with the only RBI of the game for the Sox.  Mark Buehrle was shelled to the tune of seven runs on thirteen hits.  Boone Logan was very sharp in mopup work though.  He threw 2 1/3 no hit innings and struck out five.

Yesterday was more Joe Crede.  He hit a grand slam in the seventh to bust the game open.  Unfortunately the Mariners answered with four in the eighth to take the lead back.  Then Pablo Ozuna came through in a huge way.  He hit a solo homerun with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra frames.  He then doubled in the eleventh and scored the winning run on Juan Uribe’s single.  Bobby Jenks picked up his first win of the season with 1 1/3 shutout innings.

This afternoon, Jose Contreras shut down the Mariners in a 4-1 White Sox win.  He gave up one run on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.  Jenks finished things up in the ninth and earned his ninth save of the season.  On the hitting side, Jim Thome did most of the damage in the first inning with a three run shot.

Kansas City is on tap this weekend so I expect more of the same for the Braves.  The Tigers are still holding on to a game and a half deficit, and they finally lost after winning six straight.  The Indians, on the other hand, have hit the skids are now just a game above .500.  It’s still early though, so the Sox still need to keep on winning.

Man, what a series.  I know, the Kansas City Royals are pretty bad, but a one hitter and a three hitter?  One run given up in three games?  Good teams take care of the bad teams, so while this sweep was expected, it’s nice to see it actually happened.

Jose Contreras got things rolling on Monday in the White Sox 7-0 win.  He gave up one hit in seven innings.  Boone Logan and Cliff Politte both threw a no hit inning to finsh things out.  On the hitting side, Paul Konerko continued to tear it up.  He hit his fifth homerun of the season and he drive in four runs.  Joe Crede hit his second homerun of the season and Tad Iguchu went three for five with two runs.  It was a beatdown, plain and simple.

Yesterday, things were a little more even, but the White Sox came out on the winning side of things.  Both teams had seven hits in the White Sox 4-1 win, but a two run single by Juan Uribe in the fourth inning capped off a three run rally to put the Sox ahead.  Jim Thome drove in a run in the seventh inning for a little extra insurance, but they didn’t need much in Jon Garland’s best start of the season.  He gave up a single run on six hits and he struck out three in 6 1/3 innings.  Brandon McCarthy continued to pitch well and he picked up his fourth hold with 1 2/3 shutout innings and Bobby Jenks picked up his fifth save of the season with a perfect ninth.

This afternoon, it was Javier Vazquez who threw the gem.  He had a no hitter going through the sixth inning and he finally gave up a single in the seventh.  He left the game in the ninth with a runner on first and Neal Cotts put another runner on.  Bobby Jenks got the job done though and got the final batter out to earn his sixth save.  Juan Uribe hit his first homerun of the season and Scott Podsednik drove in two runs in the White Sox 4-0 win.

The Sox hope to keep their five game winning streak going on Friday against the Twins, who come to town for a three game series.  If the Indians lose tonight, it’ll be the first time this year that the White Sox have been in sole possession of first place.

If the White Sox struggle, I know more and more people will begin questioning Ozzie Guillen.  The White Sox took a one run lead into the eighth inning and Brandon McCarthy had just thrown great the inning before.  He threw 17 pitches and eleven of them were for strikes.  For whatever reason, Guillen went to the rookie, Boone Logan in the eighth inning and Logan gave up a solo homerun to Travis Hafner that tied the game up.  Why he didn’t let McCarthy throw in the ninth is beyond me.

Then the White Sox couldn’t seem to get the job done with the bats.  In the bottom of the eighth they had runners on first and third with one out and couldn’t bring anyone home.  In the bottom of the ninth, they had runners on first and second with one out and the bases loaded with two outs, and again, couldn’t get a run across.

In the top of the eleventh, Neal Cotts gave up the go ahead run.  The White Sox got their leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the eleventh (Iguchi walked) but couldn’t tie it up.

It’s early and it’s against a good team so it’s not inexcusable.  The White Sox get the day off tomorrow and then they travel to Kansas City, who were destroyed by the Tigers today.  Two of three is neccesity and a sweep would be preferable.

The game logged in at just under three hours, but that didn’t include the nearly three hour rain delay in the fourth inning.  When play was delayed, the White Sox and Indians were tied with three runs a piece.  When play resumed, the White Sox got their bats going and Brandon McCarthy shut down the Indians to give the White Sox the win.

Jim Thome hit the only White Sox homerun.  His two run shot extended the White Sox lead from one run to three.  Jermaine Dye went three for three and Juan Uribe scored twice.  McCarthy threw three perfect innings and he struck out two.

Mark Buehrle was roughed up in the fourth inning just before the tarp went on the field.  He gave up three runs on four hits in four innings.  Eduardo Perez took Buehrle deep in that inning.

Every win counts.  I know losses right now are pretty much accepted because it’s early, but the big reason the White Sox won it last year wasn’t a great September, it was a great April.  The more you win now, the less you need to win later on.

With El Duque, Orlando Hernandez, heading back to the DL, Brandon McCarthy gets the nod once again as he starts for the Sox tonight. And it was nice to see Will Carroll agree with me that McCarthy might not deserve what he’s had to deal with.

Unfortunately, McCarthy has struggled since getting sent back down to AAA. He’s now 3-7, but he’s still striking out batters like it’s nobody’s business. Hopefully a nice tune up game against the Royals will get him back on track.

You know he’d eventually take his lumps. Brandon McCarthy had a game I’m sure he wished that he could forget. All those homeruns down at AAA explains a little bit of what happened here as McCarthy threw five innings and gave up four homeruns. He gave up two other hits, walked three, and he struck out four.

Paul Konerko hit his thirteenth homer of the season. To make matters worse, the Twins won, so the their lead has now been cut by two games in the last two days. Garland throws against Park tomorrow, so that’s a matchup we should win.

This game was pretty unfortunate. Brandon McCarthy’s strong major league debut went to waste as it looks like Guillen had him a pretty strict pitch count. With one out and a man on in the fifth (McCarthy had hit Derek Lee), Guillen pulled McCarthy after 78 pitches. He struck out six, and ended up being credited with two earning runs when Lee eventually scored.

In comes Luis Vizcaino and out goes the game. A few batters later, Jason DuBois took Vizcaino deep with a three run shot to put the Cubs in front for good. Paul Konero hit a solo shot in the ninth to shave the lead to 4-3, but that was all the Sox could get.

Guillen was his usual testy self after the game when he poorly defended taking McCarthy out. Probably the one bad thing about the Sox great start is we’ll get to see Ozzie Guillen in the dugout for several years to come.

The Twins won in extra frames, and the lead is back down to five. The Sox have a tough four game series against a good, but Vlad-less Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Travelling out west is never a good thing, so I’d be pretty happy if they split the series 2-2.

This is one of those bittersweet situations. You never want to mess up a good thing, and while El Duque’s WHIP is nothing to write home about, he’s kept guys from crossing the plate and is 4-1. On the other hand, I’ve been following McCarthy on this blog all season, so it’ll be nice to see what he can at the major league level.

With that said, it doesn’t seem to matter too much, because the Sox just keep on rolling. This time it was nice come from behind win. Down 3-0 in the eighth, the Sox busted out with four runs in the eighth. Paul Konerko had a big game going two for five with a two run double in that eighth inning. Jermaine Dye added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo shot. It was his eighth homer of the season.

Contreras pitched a really strong game. Seven innings of four hit ball to improve to 2-1. Cliff Politte got roughed up for two runs, but Marte and Hermanson closed the game out. Hermanson earned his tenth save.

With the Twins loss, the Sox now have a six game cushion in the AL Central. Five in the loss column. But they’ve once again been able to quietly put together a nice four game winning streak. It looks like McCarthy is going to make his debut today, so I’m interested to see how he does.

Brandon McCarthy actually got hit today at Charlotte. In his second start of the spring, he went 4 2/3 innings and struck out five. But he gave up three runs and five hits, including a two run homer by DeWayne Wise.

You can check out the box score here.

I don’t know how long they can keep this guy down. He was dominating in his first start of the season yesterday. You can check out the box score here, but he went seven innings and struck out ten. Unfortunately one of the two hits he gave up was a solo shot, and the end result was a no decision, but Charlotte won it in the ninth.

And if you haven’t checked it out, Minor League Baseball, which was an awesome site before, made some nice changes. It’s even easier to navigate now and still has a ton of information.

As good as McCarthy has been pitching, this isn’t how I wanted to get him into the rotation.

Mark Buehrle suffered a broken bone in his left foot, and is out for six weeks. Not only does this mean we’ll be without our staff ace for the first month of the season, but it also means he’ll have missed the final two weeks of the spring season to get his arm ready. So even when he does come back, he’ll probably be on a pretty limited pitch count. You figure this will probably have an impact on what would have been his first ten starts (he’ll miss six or seven, then he’ll be limited in his first three or four back).

Sigh. And you never like to be playing from behind, not that the Sox have done well in playing from a position of advantage. The last two years they’ve led the division at the break only to lose out to the Twins.

While the ability to score under Ozzie Guillen’s “one run at a time” system somewhat questionable, the White Sox are going to really have to ride their pitching. Brandon McCarthy did the job yesterday as he pitched five solid innings to improve to 3-0 this spring.

McCarthy gave up two unearned runs and six hits. He walked one and struckout three. At this stage, I’ll take it. MLB.com talks about how McCarthy might end up finding his way to AAA despite the strong spring season. They also say that if he does make the big league team, it will be as a long reliever. I’m all for it, since I’ve always been a fan of the Earl Weaver method of developing pitchers. When you bring them up, let them pitch long relief before putting them in the rotation.