Frank Thomas: 1st Ballot HOFer

This is a great article from FoxSports.com about the Big Hurts legitimacy for the Hall, even though it was written by someone who has the tendency to be a moron.

Good Stuff

If you haven't checked out Carl Skanberg's "Palehose Six" yet, you really are missing out. His entry today is easily one of the funniest yet. I put a link up to his blog (on the right) within a couple weeks of the sites inception back in February, but I haven't remebered to mention it in a post until now. The strip is now published every week in the Sunday Southtown. (Palehosesix.blogsopt.com)

Some Coincidence

Unless you were stuck under a rock the for the last two days you’ve undoubtedly seen Aaron Rowand’s game-saving catch and subsequent crash/face plant into the centerfield wall during the first inning of Philly’s game vs. the Mets on Thursday night. If you have not, you can read a setup of the situation and watch the video of it here. He broke his nose in three places, required 15 stitches to close up the multiple lacerations to his face and also suffered non-displaced fractures around his left eye. Ouch.

The play exemplifies why Rowand became one of my and many other Sox fan’s favorite players on the team over the past couple of seasons. I can remember rooting for him back in the Manuel days when he struggled to get playing time, then broke both his wrists in an off-season dirt bike crash. The play on Thursday also illustrates why the Sox added extra padding to their outfield walls when he started manning center field full time on the South Side, something the Phillies had reportedly planned on doing as soon as the team left on their next road trip.

On the same day that Rowand went down, the other player whose career with the Sox ended due to the Thome trade, Frank Thomas, injured his right quad running from first to third and is listed as day-to-day. The two players whose loss over the off-season bothered me the most and they both get hurt hours apart from each other. While both players’ injuries can be expected, Rowand’s time out will definitely be temporary but I fear that Thomas’ problems with injuries this year have just begun.

It’s only 6 weeks into the long season and there is no doubt that the Thome trade has ended up being a great deal for the Sox, even if in the future the pitching prospects given up in the deal by the Sox end up having as high of a ceiling as predicted. Although Brian Anderson has yet to come around offensively, no one can dispute that he has more than adequately supplanted Rowand's nearly irreplaceable glove in center. At DH, Thome has had no problem replacing the best hitter ever to wear a Sox uniform and has been hitting the ball out of the park at a rate even higher than the Big Hurt in his prime.

That just scratches the surface though…Even if Thomas and Thomas were both at 100% for the entire season this year I think it would be safe to say that based on what we’ve seen from Thome so far this year he would have no problem out-producing the numbers Thomas will end up posting, and if he can remain healthy, out-producing him for the next couple of years….especially if Big Frank isn’t able to play at all come next season.

With Thomas having had recurring foot problems the past two years and given his size (at least 275lbs), bringing him back and counting on above average production out of him for an entire season would have been foolish. For the Sox, who now can afford to spend a bit more, it wasn’t even worth the bargain and safety-net that an incentive-laden contract would have offered them.

As sad as it was to see Frank's career on the Sox come to an end, it became inevitable when he could not remain healthy for the second consecutive season because of the same injury. Regardless of what traspired following his departure from the Sox, I will gladly stand up and applaud him during the first at bat I see him have as a visitor in Comiskey.

And now back to my point...The events that transpired Thursday are just more proof to the fact that the Sox trade for Thome has turned out to be a great move….And also serves as a reminder of how much I still miss watching Aaron Rowand play center field. Here's to hoping him a speedy recovery.

*****

Had some prime Club Level seats to Thursday nights rainout and wouldn't you have it, the only Sox starter I have yet to see start in person this season (save Heager) was scheduled to take the hill. (Garland) With the way he pitched against the Twins, it looks as if I probably was sprared from being disappointed.

On a brigter note...This afternoon I was delighted to hear that my girlfriend an I were invited to the Sox/Cubs game next Saturday. Third base, lower level, and here's the best part....they're free. The icing on the cake is that I read Ozzie being quoted as saying that even though the rotation was pushed back a day because of the rain, Contreras will still make his return and start the Saturday game vs. the Cubs provided he has no setbacks in his recovery. Although he has gotten back on track as of late I was worried that Freddy was going get the call that day. As if that would matter anyway...This is the Cubs we are talking about here. They can't score off of anybody.

The Sox record with me in attendence stands at 5-1, with the only loss being the Ring Ceremony game.

Ozzie Guillen; Bonehead

Ozzie Guillen once again made an attempt at emulating Tony Larussa and this time it complely blew up in his face. Ozzie may handle his starters with a golden touch, but at times his bullpen management makes one wonder how he led this team to a championship. Due to Ozzie's overmanaging in the 9th inning of tonights game the Angels scored 6 runs, and every one crossed the plate with 2 outs.

Going into the 9th, the Sox were trailing 6-5.

After relieving Heager in the 5th and pitching 3.2 scoreless innings, McCarthy started the 9th and recorded the first out of the inning before allowing a double to Cabrera. With first base open, Vlad Guerrero due up next and Anderson on deck, Ozzie elected to intentionally walk Guerrero and bring Cotts on to pitch to the left-handed Anderson.

Cotts comes on to strike out Anderson on just 4 pitches. So it’s the 9th inning with 2 out, 2 on, and the score is still 6-5. With the right-handed Salmon due up, Ozzie decided to then bring in Jenks to try and close out the inning.

5 batters, 6 runs and one more pitching change later, the Sox trail 12-5.

Pulling Cotts is understandable when looking at the numbers...right-handed batters are hitting at a .389 clip against him and Salmon is hitting .393 vs. left-handing pitching this season. While I'd much rather see Cotts just go after the righty than burn up another arm in the bullpen, I can't argue with the logic in the numbers behind this move. One guys weakness to the others strenghth. My question is, why go to Jenks? Was Pollite unavailable to pitch the remaining 1/3 of the inning because of pitching an just 1 inning Tuesday night?

I would have rather seen Ozzie just leave McCarthy in to go at Anderson and try to get the double play ground ball. If he isn't able to get the DP but gets Anderson anyway, leave him in to finish the inning and face Salmon. Although Anderson has done most of his damage this season against right-handed pitching, hitting .325 with all 4 of his HR's against them, McCarthy was plowing through the Angel lineup with ease since entering the game and still looked fresh in the 9th.

McCarthy had thrown 54 pitches up to that point, and 4 of them were on the intentional walk. I read him being quoted in yesterdays paper as saying that he could go up to around 60 pitches right now if he were called upon to make a start in Jose's absence. He should have had about 10 more pitches to work with.

Even after removing McCarthy and going to Cotts, what reason did Cotts provide in his performance to warrant being pulled? Other than this seasons splits which are based on such small sample sizes that they're almost irrelevant, there was no reason. He sat Anderson down on 4 pitches, and those were the only pitches he has thrown in a game since Saturday, so he is well rested. On top of that, since the second week of the season he has been one of the more consistent guys in a rather shaky bullpen.

Instead, Ozzie unnecessarily goes to Jenks in a non-save situation and he blows any remaining chance the Sox had at coming back. Oz used 4 pitchers in order to record the 3 outs in the inning, leaving the bullpen a bit taxed during stretch were there isn't a schedualed off day for another 2 weeks. If the Sox don't get some long outings from their starters in the next couple of games we'll be witnessing a ripple effect from this game for days to come.

Contreras Signs 3-Year Extension

The Sox have signed Jose Contreras to a three-year, $29 million extension through the 2009 season. The deal is just about exactly the same in length and overall value as what Sox signed Garland to over the winter.
Honestly, I was much more surprised when the Sox were able to sign Garland to an extension than I am with them being able to sign Contreras. With Garland being so young and having no history of injuries, he could have easily commanded at least a 5-year deal had he decided to just play out his final year of arbitration and file for free agency next winter. I doubted that he would turn down those extra guaranteed years and dollars that he wasn't going to get from the Sox given their reluctance to give such long-term contracts to pitchers. I figured that given his age, Contreras would settle for fewer years, so that would be the route the Sox went.
What is shocking to me is that the Sox were able to sign both of them, and neither one for more than the teams preferred 3-year maximum contract length for pitchers. I never thought we would be able to sign both of them.
In signing with the Sox Contreras has shown the same loyalty Garland showed back in December in that they both could have definitely been offered longer, more lucrative deals in free agency next year if they were to have strong seasons in '06. They both took less money to be with a team that has stood behind them while they struggled before breaking through last season.
The Sox now have all of their starters signed through the 2007 season, meaning McCarthy will be in the bullpen for the next two years it everything stays as is. If there is a trade made, I see KW trading whichever starter (except Buehrle) that will get us the best return in quality relief pitching, and then put McCarthy into the rotation.

***

Bought tickets to next Tuesdays game/ring ceremony a couple weeks ago...then on Thursday was offered tickets to the Season Opener on Sunday. It will be the first opening day I've been to since waiting out a 3 hour rain delay in 2003. Loaiza pitched, beating Detroit and earning the first win of his Cy Young caliber season. It was also the first win of the season for the Sox as they were coming off of being swept by KC. (Thanks in large part to Billy Koch, IIRC. Here's to hoping that Bobby Jenks and his declining velocity aren't turning into a reincarnation of that guy.)

Too funny...

This piece over at Brushback.com should be good for a laugh. Its titled Kerry Wood Voted Player Most Likely To Have Surgical Procedure Named After Him.

Inside the Sunday Tribune...

Buried inside the Ads of today's Chicago Tribune is a nice poster of their front page from October 27, 2005.