Sox Machine: Chicago White Sox blog

White Sox, Reds have deal in place for Griffey

UPDATE:  The White Sox will send second baseman Danny Richar and reliever Nick Masset to the Reds, says here.

And Griffey OK'd the deal.

My God.

It's happening again!


The White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds had tried to make a deal for Griffey since 2005, but that was way back when 1) Griffey was three years younger, and 2) the Sox could've used his bat in a big way.

(Note: The following section was written without any idea of who the Sox would be sending to Cincinnati.  This is all subject to change and possibly rage.)

Now?  I really can't think of how the White Sox would have use for him, because for as much as we poke fun at Jermaine Dye's defense, Griffey makes Dye look like Roberto Clemente.

Robert Clemente ... with rocket shoes.

Without getting into defensive metrics, does anybody remember what Griffey looked like in center when the White Sox swept the Reds in Cincinnati back in 2006?  Here's a refresher:

June 17, 2006	June 18, 2006

And those represented only half of the misreads over those two days.  Now, he's two years older, and since then hasn't proven himself any more able to handle right field.  He's ranked in the bottom quarter in UZR (which goes back to 2003, when he was better).

Plus-Minus isn't any kinder -- it ranked him -26 in center when he played there two years ago, and -4 (part-time) and -11 in right the last two years.  A healthy Dye is breaking even this year, by comparison.  And Cincy's ballpark plays pretty small; Comerica Park it ain't.

So barring the occasional spell in right, there really isn't any reason for him to be playing the outfield unless an injury or two precedes him.  And even still, there's no way he should touch center.  He may as well have "Mackowiak" on his back.

Griffey doesn't provide any relief at the DH spot, either.  Jim Thome, is still hitting southpaws slightly better since he got hot in June in terms of OPS, and he's about even overall:

• vs. RHP: .259/.398/.467
• vs. LHP: .250/.351/.573

He's still susceptible to LOOGYs, but Griffey isn't relief in that case.  Here are his splits:

• vs. RHP: .261/.373/.452
• vs. LHP: .212/.313/.390

The Sox had a bigger need for a right-handed bat off the bench.  If no other moves happen, the only way to get Griffey into the lineup regularly is if Thome or Dye can man first base.  Thome hurt himself the last time, and Dye has only played one game there.  That would be also be giving up on Paul Konerko, which Guillen seems reluctant to do.

(I'm pretending that there's no chance Griffey would play center, because for all intents and purposes, he can't.  Aside from two innings over his career, he hasn't played first, either. Or third.  Or any other position in which he might be a clear upgrade at this time.)

Griffey's making $12.5 million this year, and the Sox would hold a club option for $16.5 million for 2009 with a $4 million buyout.  That's pricier than either of Thome's options -- $13 million for 2009 with a $3 million buyout.  Thome is 169 plate appearances away from triggering that option automatically.  He's averaging four plate appearances a game, so he's about 42 games away from guaranteeing next season's deal.

The one piece of good news is that Griffey is actually having a good month -- .927 OPS in July, and .293/.388/.621 over his last 16 games.  But I can't think of another move that would free up a spot for him to see regular at-bats, unless there's an injury or trade that we aren't aware of.  It would be decent insurance, but insurance for an event that has yet to happen.

Especially since he can't play center.  I know this is the fifth time I've said this, but it needs to be hammered home.  He can't.  He can't.  He can't.

Kenny likely to stand pat on deadline day

The trade deadline is upon us, and Scott Merkin doesn't see Kenny Williams pulling off any major moves:


Whether they'll be "fine" is uncertain, but it's hard to see the Sox having the chips for any of the trade possibilities that would actually represent an upgrade for a pennant run.

Of course, the other option is addition by subtraction -- and it seems the Sox might've had that avenue open, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:


I obviously don't know how serious the Rangers' inquiry was, but here's how I wish the conversation went down in a hastily designed manner:



Alas, Nick Magic and his levitating WHIP are still with us.

Joe Cowley said Williams was trying to work out a three- or four-way trade to acquire Huston Street from the Oakland A's, but that deal appears unlikely to materialize.

********************

Minor league roundup:

• Louisville 9, Charlotte 0
• Lance Broadway gave up three homers in four innings, leading to nine runs (five earned).
• Jerry Owens, Chris Getz (playing third) and Fernando Cortez each had two hits.
• Derek Rodriguez struck out six over four hitless innings of relief.
• West Tenn 6, Birmingham 4
  
• Justin Cassell struck out seven over six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits.
• Brandon Allen went 2-for-3 with his fifth homer and two RBI.
• C.J. Lang hit a solo homer.
• Kanekoa Teixeira took his second loss of the season.
  
• Winston-Salem 5, Lynchburg 3
• Freddie Thon and Greg Paiml both homered.
• Paulo Orlando, Dale Mollenhauer and Francisco Hernandez each had two hits.
• Clevelan Santeliz allowed two unearned runs over seven innings, striking out seven.
• Delmarva 5, Kannapolis 4
• Christian Marrero went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI; Mark Fleisher also had three hits.
• Jim Gallagher and Brent Morel had two hits, with Gallagher homering.
• Santo Luis struck out all five batters he faced.
• Charlis Burdie was touched up for his first two runs of his A-ball career.
• Helena 15, Great Falls 10 (10 innings)
• Lyndon Estill went 1-for-2 with a double, three RBI and four walks.
• Kent Gerst had two hits including a three-run homer.
• Mike Grace went 3-for-6 with his eighth home run.
• Daniel Albritton struck out seven over three innings of one-run relief.
• Bristol vs. Burlington PPD
  

Try to make sense of these numbers

A couple of days ago, we talked about the difference between the White Sox and Twins with regard to their ability to hit with runners in scoring position and two outs.  The totals from Tuesday night:

• White Sox: 0-for-7
• Twins: 3-for-6

There's your ballgame.

Oh, and Carlos Gomez?

• vs. White Sox: .358/.404/.585
• vs. Everybody Else: .240/.273/.319
  

Also, The Cheat has some stats for the Sox in domes, and they're not pretty to look at, either.

*********************

That said, the Sox clubhouse was loose after the game, and there's really no reason to be otherwise.  It was an evenly played game (Brian Anderson's overthrow was more than nullified by Carlos Gomez's drop), and the Twins benefited from a few better bounces.

The Sox are still 7-6 against the Twins this year, and they swept Minnesota in the last series, a four-gamer at U.S. Cellular Field.  These are two well-matched teams with strengths befitting of their home parks, and it's going to take a tremendous effort to split a series, much less win one, on the road.

Putting it another way, if they're not going to get upset, I'm not going to, either.  I have far less riding on it.  Your mileage may vary.

By the way, Ozzie called the Twins' style "25 bloops and a blast," but I prefer the FSN North post-game anchor's description:

"We'll be hearing about the Twins winning the Twins way -- coming from behind and taking advantage."

The Twins seem fairly less plucky when you put it that way. 

*********************

There's plenty to say about Paul Konerko's struggles at the plate, and I'll probably take my crack at it tomorrow if his last two at-bats -- a smoked lineout and a sharp single to center -- don't foreshadow success.

More frustrating to me is the idea that the last two times a White Sox pitcher has picked off a runner, it did not result in an out.

In his first start, Clayton Richard picked off David Murphy, but Alexei Ramirez was late covering second.  Konerko threw high and Murphy slid under the tag, but it was hard to fault Konerko for the throw.  He would've had to lead Ramirez, and while there are two college quarterbacks on the team, Paulie isn't one of them.

Tuesday, Richard once again picked off Nick Punto, and Konerko had everything going for him this time: Orlando Cabrera covering the bag and a good angle inside the baseline.  However, he managed to throw the ball across the baseline, pulling Cabrera off the bag toward center field.

Murphy ended up scoring; Punto didn't.  That's thanks in part to Richard's best moment of the game, when he threw four straight changeups to Delmon Young with Punto on third and two outs, all of them low and just off the plate.  Young couldn't lay off, and Richard exploited him for a crucial strikeout.  His night went downhill from there.

As for benching Konerko for tonight's game, Ozzie only said, "I need to get drunk and think about it.''

*********************

Minor league roundup:

• Louisville 6, Charlotte 3
• Charlie Haeger gave up five runs on five hits over five innings, walking three and striking out five.
• Carlos Torres fanned four over two scoreless innings; Mike MacDougal struck out the side in the ninth.
• Jerry Owens went 3-for-5 and was caught stealing for the 11th time in 29 chances.
• Chris Getz hit two doubles; Danny Richar homered for the ninth time this season.
• Birmingham 3, West Tenn 2
• Aaron Poreda pitched seven strong innings, and two solo homers were the only runs scored off him.
• Ricardo Nanita doubled twice and drew two walks.
• Miguel Negron went 3-for-5 with two doubles; Brandon Allen walked three times.
• Winston-Salem 5, Lynchburg 2
• John Shelby went 2-for-2 with two doubles, and stole his 22nd base, but was plunked twice.  The second pitch hit him in the head, and he had to leave the game.
• Greg Paiml and Estee Harris hit solo homers.
• John Ely allowed two runs over five innings, striking out five but walking four.
• Ricky Brooks, Wander Perez, Matt Davis and Henry Mabee held Lynchburg scoreless with an inning apiece.
• Delmarva 7, Kannapolis 1
• Levi Maxwell struck out 10 over five innings, but his line was bad otherwise: 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 HR.
• Santo Luis struck out two over a perfect inning.
• Jim Gallagher tripled; Christian Marrero went 2-for-4 with a double.
• Great Falls 7, Helena 6 (10 innings)
• Mike Grace hit his seventh homer; Jordan Cheatham hit his first.
• Tyler Kuhn went 3-for-5 with a triple and an RBI; Jesus Avila and Kent Gerst had two hits apiece.
• Kevin Skogley struck out seven over six innings, but allowed four runs.
  
• Bristol OFF
  

Monday's minor league roundup

Regular posting will resume tonight.  In the meantime, a prediction for Clayton Richard's line:

5 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.

*************************

Minor league roundup:

• Charlotte 3, Buffalo 0
• Brad Eldred scored all three runs with his 28th homer of the year, part of a 2-for-4 day.
• Jerry Owens went 3-for-4 with his 18th stolen base out of the leadoff spot.
• Wes Whisler pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowing four hits and a walk and inducing 15 groundouts to four flyouts.
• Jason Childers struck out four over 2 1/3 innings while preserving the shutout.  He's throwing 11 2/3 shutout innings this month.
• Birmingham 5, West Tenn 3
• Kyle McCulloch allowed three runs despite giving up nine hits and four walks over six innings for the win.
• Jon Link struck out four over two perfect innings for his 28th save.
• Miguel Negron had two doubles and two RBI; Ricardo Nanita had three hits and an RBI.
• Winston-Salem 8, Lynchburg 2
• Francisco Hernandez went 3-for-3 with a double, homer, walk and three RBI.
• Estee Harris doubled, tripled and scored two runs.
• Dale Mollenhauer and Freddie Thon drove in two apiece.
• Matt Long allowed two runs over seven innings; Michael Dubee threw two shutout frames.
• Lakewood 7, Kannapolis 4 (Game 1, 7 innings)
• Charlie Shirek was roughed up for six runs (four earned) on nine hits over two innings.
• Adam Bowling only allowed a solo homer over three innings.
• Eduardo Escobar went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
  
• Lakewood 1, Kannapolis 0 (Game 2, 8 innings)
• Johnnie Lowe threw six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out three.
• Escobar had two more hits in three at-bats.
• Bristol 7, Greeneville 3 (10 innings)
• Jorge Castillo went 3-for-3 with a double and a walk.
• Justin Greene, Hancer Vargas, Kenneth Gilbert and Andrew Garcia each had two hits.
• Gregory Infante allowed one earned run over seven innings, allowing six hits and two walks and fanning five.
• Billings 4, Great Falls 2
• Jesus Avila went 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.
• Daniel Albritton threw two scoreless innings in relief.
  

Clutcher? Sure. Clutch? Well...

There's some strange stuff going on with the White Sox and their ability to hit with runners in scoring position.  From a Mark Gonzalez article:


They're actually right behind Minnesota, which is hitting an unbelievable .314 with runners in scoring position.  But while the Sox fare well in the aggregate category, they're actually abysmal in the clutchiest of clutch categories: runners in scoring position with two outs.

In those situations, they're hitting a whopping .196, and they're the only American League team sitting below the Mendoza Line.

Of course that's awful, but on the other hand, that must mean they're killing the ball with fewer than two outs.  Subtracting the two-out numbers from the overall stats, and here's what you have:

.333/.407/.591

The split between their abilities with outs remaining and no outs remaining probably goes a long way to explain why the Sox put up so many zeros and crooked numbers, and not all that many one-run innings compared to the rest of the league.  When they're hot, they're hot, but they're not a team that scratches many runs across.

That's not really a complaint though.  Different teams operate in different ways, and no matter how you slice it, this offense is superior to the 2007 version.

***********************

Not superior to the 2007 version:  Paul Konerko.

Joe Cowley says he was benched for ... well, being Eeyore:


Cowley tweeted that Guillen may drop Konerko in the order, and that seems like an obvious step. 

***********************

Minor league roundup:

• Buffalo 5, Charlotte 0
• The Knights scored 15 runs this series: That's good!
• The Knights scored all 15 in the first game: That's bad!
• Jack Egbert allowed one run over seven innings, allowing five hits and four walks while striking out seven.
• Chris Getz went 2-for-4; Jerry Owens went 1-for-4.
• West Tenn 6, Birmingham 2
• Dewon Day allowed one run over five innings, reversing a slide.
• Miguel Negron had two of the Barons' five hits.
• Both runs Birmingham scored were unearned.
• Myrtle Beach 8, Winston-Salem 5
• John Shelby went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
• Adam Ricks doubled and drove in two.
• A solo homer was the only damage off Matt Zaleski in three strong innings in relief of an ineffective Jacob Rasner.
• Bristol 11, Greeneville 4
• Jordan Kendall went 3-for-6 with a triple and two RBI.
• Brandon Short, Jorge Castillo and Hancer Vargas also drove in two.
• Justin Greene went 2-for-4 and stole two bases.
• Steven Upchurch struck out seven over 4 1/3 shutout innings of relief.  He allowed two hits.
• Great Falls 8, Billings 4
• Tyler Kuhn went 4-for-5 with a triple, two RBI and three runs scored.
• Jesus Avila joined Kuhn with four hits, one of them a double.
• Dexter Carter pitched five shutout innings.
  

Saturday's minor league roundup

A couple brief notes during a busy weekend:

*Scott Linebrink went on the DL, with Ehren Wassermann taking his place.  The bullpen looks like quite the olio right now.

*Josh Fields didn't exactly back me up with an 0-for-4, two-strikeout performance against Justin Verlander and the Tigers Saturday night, but that's a game that Juan Uribe should've started.  Fields shouldn't see time against righties with big fastballs for the near future.

*I picked up a sweet Kannapolis Intimidators t-shirt in Cooperstown today.  Saw Buck O'Neil's new statue -- it's dapper -- and a guy who looked like Goose Gossage.  Pete Rose was signing autographs for a hefty fee as well.

**********************

Minor league roundup:

• Buffalo 4, Charlotte 0
• Danny Richar had the Knights' only two hits, and they were both singles.
• Jerry Owens returned to the lineup, going 0-for-3 with a walk.
• Tomo Ohka allowed two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings; Adam Russell pitched a scoreless ninth.
• Mississippi 3, Birmingham 2
• Lucas Harrell had his best outing of the season, allowing one run on seven hits over six innings, with no walks and four strikeouts.
• Kanekoa Teixeira allowed two runs over 1 2/3 innings, and was saddled with the loss.
• Brandon Allen went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
• Winston-Salem 11, Myrtle Beach 2
• The Warthogs singled Myrtle Beach to death, with 14 base hits and two doubles comprising their entire attack.
• Paulo Orlando went 2-for-4 with two walks, a double, two RBI and two runs scored.
• John Shelby went 3-for-6 with two runs and an RBI; Salvador Sanchez and Freddie Thon both drove in two.
• Anthony Carter pitched six shutout innings, with three hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
• Lakewood 8, Kannapolis 1
• Mark Fleisher and Ronnie Gaines had two hits apiece.
• Charlis Burdie pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief; Jason Rice was hit hard.
• Greeneville 7, Bristol 3
• Jordan Kendall went 2-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.

The feel-good hit of the summer

While the new kid in town, Carlos Quentin, has drawn raves and praise from every direction, Jermaine Dye has put together a helluva season without a whole lot of buzz.

Let's put an end to that.  After hitting the game-winning home run with two outs in the ninth inning Friday night against the Tigers, the man deserves a macro at the very least.

Quentin has the edge in more than a few categories -- on-base percentage, baserunning ability (Bill James Online says Quentin has gained seven bases, while Dye has lost three), quantity of hair and volume of post-pop-up F-bombs -- but Dye has the lead in slugging percentage and total bases.

Also, his defense hasn't been nearly as atrocious.  According to John Dewan's plus-minus, Dye is playing a +3 right field, compared to -16 the previous season, and now ranks in the middle of the pack.  Wednesday afternoon provided a fine example of his improved range -- the diving catch that he made a few days ago would've been a triple in 2007.

And to keep you smiling, compare the production the Sox have received from their outfielders from 2007 to 2008:

	G	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2007	162	54	206	.257	.324	.402	.726
2008	101	64	187	.275	.356	.504	.860

The Sox are fortunate that Horacio Ramirez doesn't throw harder.  If his slider fractured Dye's kneecap instead of bruising it, they might be singing a whole different tune today.

And that provides a good segue to infirmary talk...

************************

There's a good chance that Josh Fields' return to the majors Friday night will resemble his overall performance -- some good (single, walk), some bad (strikeout), some ugly (run-scoring boot of a possible double play ball).

For some reason, I'm optimistic about Fields. Granted, I know why I shouldn't be:

1. The .248/.325/.450 line in Charlotte.
2. The 25 walks to 77 strikeouts.
3. The step backwards in June (.682 OPS).
4. The knee issue.
   

But I have a hunch, and it goes back to what I wrote at the end of spring training, when he was forced to return to Charlotte despite outplaying Joe Crede handily:


Fields had been terrific at Triple-A the previous two seasons, so he has some sort of track record.  When you package the early disappointment with the bad slide that injured his knee, and then throw in Crede playing well and no apparent daylight at the major-league level, I can see why Fields may have been due for a letdown.

So while Crede's back issues are troublesome, this gives Fields a shot at redemption.  I think he's going to take advantage of it well enough -- not All-Star-caliber production, but around or slightly above his perfectly acceptable 2007 season.  That's what my gut says, anyway, and if I'm wrong, then it's another reason to trust the numbers.

One point in Fields' favor this year -- while his error Friday night was spectacularly unclutch, there's no guarantee that Crede would've handled it.  Not that it excuses him, but there is definitely less pressure on his shoulders to be an artist with leather.

************************

Scott Linebrink looks to be joining Crede on the shelf, per Joe Cowley:


Linebrink's absence, along with Matt Thornton's case of back stiffness, put Ozzie Guillen in the uncomfortable position of having to use Nick Masset in a high-leverage situation, and the tag team of Boone Logan and D.J. Carrasco.

At least Logan did his job -- retiring the only lefty he faced.  Masset, meanwhile, boosted his WHIP and ERA for the fourth time in his last five appearances.  That said, if Linebrink and Thornton are out, I'm probably going with Carrasco for all short situations and trying to preserve Masset for tandem starter usage with Clayton Richard against the Twins.

As it stands, Guillen has basically three hopes in close games: Jenks, Dotel, and Rain Like Hell.  He's playing bullpen roulette otherwise, and Charlotte candidates like Adam Russell and Ehren Wassermann won't provide additional confidence.  If I were a betting man, I'd wager a small amount on Kenny Williams acquiring a reliever before the deadline.

The good news is that only two bullpen arms are off the market, and neither of them would've been a target for Williams, since he probably still holds a grudge against Jon Rauch, and Guillen lost faith in Damaso Marte.

************************

Minor league roundup, The-Knights-Don't Miss-Josh-Fields edition:

• Charlotte 15, Buffalo 4 (pretend every hitter's line is in bold)
• Brad Eldred went 3-for-5 with his first homer since June 21, three RBI and two runs scored.
• Jason Bourgeois went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI.
• Chris Getz hit his ninth homer, fell a triple short of the cycle and drove in two.
• Fernando Cortez homered twice and drove in four.
• Lance Broadway gave up three earned runs on four hits and four walks over six.  He struck out five, but allowed two homers.
• Mike MacDougal pitched two scoreless innings.
• Mississippi 9, Birmingham 4
• Justin Cassell struggled, allowing five runs on 10 hits and two walks over five innings.  On the bright side, it'd been months since his last true poor start.
• Javier Castillo went 2-for-3 with a double, walk and an RBI; Miguel Negron had two hits.
• Myrtle Beach 8, Winston-Salem 0
• Steven Spurgeon struck out five over 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief of Clevelan Santeliz, who sucked.
• C.J. Retherford had two of the Warthogs' four hits.
• Kannapolis 4, Lakewood 0
• Miguel Socolovich allowed one hit over six shutout innings.
• Oney Guillen drew three walks and scored two runs.  His dad never walked thrice in a major-league game.
• Jim Gallagher went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
• Brent Morel had two singles.
• Bristol 10, Johnson City 4
• Po-Yun Lin struck out eight over six innings, allowing one run.
• Juan Silverio went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI.
• Andrew Garcia had three hits and two RBI; Brandon Short had two hits and two RBI.
• Missoula 7, Great Falls 2
• Mike Grace hit a solo homer; Nicholas Damas had two hits.
• Joshua Billeaud threw two scoreless innings.
  

The road to partition

First off, some unrelated off-day theatre:



Now, on to the gravely serious matters:

The White Sox open up a big three-game series in Detroit tonight.  Last time they traveled to the Motor City, they had all the momentum in the world with seven consecutive wins over Kansas City and Minnesota at home, only to suffer a three-game sweep by the Tigers at Comerica Field.

The pitching didn't exactly stack up in their favor, and they got off to a bad start when Ozzie Guillen, in one of his worst games as manager this year, left Jose Contreras in way, way too long.  It ended up with a loss against Nate Robertson, a pitcher they usually beat.  Detroit took the victory, then seized the day.  Justin Verlander threw rocket darts and Kenny Rogers did Kenny Rogers things, and the Sox left Detroit with nothing to show for it.

They  Sox have a slightly easier matchup on paper this time around, because they'll miss Rogers ("I wouldn't say they've been missing him, Bob").  They'll get Robertson, Verlander and Zach Miner, whom they have pounded in the past.  Meanwhile, Gavin Floyd, John Danks and Javier Vazquez will take the mound for the Sox, so they'll have far fewer excuses if they falter again.

A Detroit sweep would thrust the Tigers squarely into the thick of things, as they sit 5 1/2 games out of first at this point.  A Chicago sweep wouldn't end the Tigers' season, but it would severely cripple them.  So Game 1 is looking pretty big for both teams, and I would advise Gavin Floyd to continue to shut down the Tiger lineup.  Bold choice, I know.

*********************

On the injury front:

• Scott Linebrink is sore, but ultimately OK for now.
  
• Joe Crede's back sounds worse, but it's hard to know the extent:

It's reported as a stiffness instead of a shooting pain like last year, so that's good to hear.

Also good to hear: Juan Uribe is a career .325/.357/.550 hitter in 40 at-bats off Robertson, should he get the start tonight.  He's reached base in eight of his last 14 plate appearances, so if he's indeed in the midst of one of his patented hot streaks, this would be an ideal time for it.

*********************

On the rumor front, the only one with any considerable steam was the Uribe-Alex Cora one, and the Boston Globe says talks are dead. A few hours before, Ken Rosenthal fleshed it out a little more with an additional idea:


Rosenthal also notes the Sox were trying to create a package for perpetual-Cub-to-be Brian Roberts, but the Orioles' asking price was too high.

I can't see any of these deals happening, but the Lowe-Cabrera one is kind of funny.  Considering Lowe is making $10 million and is a free agent after the season, it'd be like the Jon Garland trade never happened.  Aside from Lowe being a Type A free agent.

Otherwise, the Sox are still linked to Huston Street, but the market will be rather competitive for his services.

*********************

Minor league roundup:

• Indianapolis 8, Charlotte 3
• Charlie Haeger pitched six strong innings but ran into a wall in the seventh.  Final line: 6 1/3 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
• Javier Colina doubled, tripled and drove in a run.
• Jason Bourgeois went 1-for-4 with a walk and his 19th stolen base.
• Birmingham 11, Mississippi 6
• Lee Cruz went 3-for-4 with two homers, four RBI and three runs scored.
• Miguel Negron, Javier Castillo and Robert Valido joined Cruz with three-hit days.
• Aaron Poreda only lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks while striking out five.
• Kanekoa Teixeira piched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in his Double-A debut.
• Winston-Salem 3, Salem 0
• John Ely brought an end to a four-start streak of awfulness with 5 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering eight hits and fanning six.
• C.J. Retherford went 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.
• Bristol 3, Johnson City 2
• Onarkys Paniagua threw seven strong innings, allowing one hit on five hits and walk with six K's.
• Hancer Vargas went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
• Missoula 10, Great Falls 6
• Tyler Kuhn was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
• Lyndon Estill hit a solo homer and walked three times; Johny Celis went 3-for-5.
• Kevin Skogley allowed six runs on six hits over six innings, walking two and striking out eight.
• Kannapolis OFF
  

Former quarterback gets passing grade

When Clayton Richard's minor-league career was interrupted by his promotion earlier this week, he was known as an efficient, pitch-to-contact sinkerballer.

However, he began his big-league career as a K-racking, big-fastball-throwing southpaw who couldn't get a grounder when he needed one.

Pfft.  So much for scouting reports.

Richard looked like a guy making his first start on the mound at times in the Sox's 10-8 comeback victory in the series finale against the Rangers Wednesday afternoon.  He seemed to struggle a little with figuring out when and how to let baserunners see his pickoff move, he lost David Murphy with a big walk after getting ahead 0-2, gave up a lot of two-out hits and generally struggled to get quick outs.

The one trait that translated from Charlotte to Chicago: He didn't change his pace for anybody.  His one 1-2-3 inning was a sight to behold, and hopefully we'll see a few more of those in his next start against the Twins.

What should come in handy against Minnesota is his apparent effectiveness against lefties.  He has a whippy, deceiving delivery that frustrated Josh Hamilton all day long, threw that across-the-plate curve pretty well, and also mixed in a changeup at daring times against guys who could hit it a long way if they saw it coming.  Fortunately, they never did, and hopefully Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau will have similar results.

If he can get them out, I wonder if Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams might try keeping Richard in the bullpen if Boone Logan doesn't get his act together.  Mark Gonzalez speculated about the pool of available lefthanders and said Kenny Williams found the cost of an upgrade to be prohibitive.  Of course, that's always subject to change.

Whether or not Williams acquires another lefty, it certainly seems Guillen isn't going to let Logan off easily.  He set down all three lefties he faced, but couldn't retire any of the three right-handed batters in the seventh inning -- even Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who came in hitting .155 from that side of the plate.

That he faced two righties before Saltalatlatamachalaaiaaia tells me that the only way Booner's going to get his confidence back is through tough love.  He hasn't proven to be resilient yet, so the Sox probably won't be content with Logan if he continues to struggle after the trade deadline.

Richard's never spent serious time in the bullpen to my knowledge, but it's hard to see any other options in the system.  Scott Sauerbeck is the primary lefty in the Knights' bullpen -- no thank you -- and the only lefty of note in Birmingham is Aaron Poreda, and I don't see him going the Bobby Jenks Birmingham-to-Pennant-Race route.

Whatever the case may be, Richard's start against the Twins will tell us a lot.  Charlie Haeger took eight miles per hour off his knuckleball from his first start to his second, so I imagine Richard's fastball will lose a little zip as the adrenaline drops off, too, and Richard will look more like his minor-league self.  He might not see another start this year after July 29, but if he can make it tough for the Twins' lefties, he may not be away from Chicago for long.

*******************

On the subject of trade talks, a months-old rumor has resurfaced with the White Sox and Red Sox talking about swapping backup infielders: Juan Uribe for Alex Cora.

Oddly enough, it comes on the heels of Uribe's best back-to-back games this year.  He hit two doubles Tuesday night, then worked two walks, hit a key single and turned it into another double with smart baserunning the next day.  Hell, he even stole his first base of the season in his first attempt Wednesday, after going 1-for-10 last year.  Maybe it's the gold beard.

Meanwhile, Cora, brother of Joey, is just about the same player, except older and supposedly worse defensively.  Since we're 100 games into the season, there isn't much money to be saved, so I can't quite say I get this rumor on its face.

*******************

ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick had perfect timing with his article about Guillen's top 10 tirades.  Shortly after it was published, Ozzie earned an ejection calling balls and strikes, and Carlos Quentin got revenge on C.J. Wilson for his alleged excessive celebration which prompted the whole piece.

My favorite is still his tweaking of Buck Showalter.

*******************

Minor league roundup:

• Indianapolis 3, Charlotte 1
• Adam Russell took the loss in his return to Charlotte, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks over two innings.
  
• Wes Whisler threw five innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out three.
• Danny Richar had one of Charlotte's five singles and the lone RBI.
• Josh Fields was 0-for-4 with two Ks.
  
• Mississippi 6, Birmingham 4 (Game 1, 7 innings)
• Javier Castillo hit a three-run homer; Stefan Gartrell added a solo shot.
• Kyle McCulloch allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings, but one was earned.  He allowed five hits and three walks and struck out three.
• Jon Link had a rare blown save, allowing just one single that made its way around the bases thanks in part to a balk.
• Mississippi 6, Birmingham 5 (Game 2, 7 innings)
• Brandon Allen just missed hitting the cycle for a second time this year.  In only three plate appearances, he homered, tripled and doubled.
• Gartrell and Miguel Negron each hit solo homers.
• Esteban Loaiza threw two scoreless innings.
• Dewon Day gave up four runs in five hits over his two frames, and has allowed eight runs over his last five innings.
• Winston-Salem 3, Salem 1
• Matt Long struck out seven over five shutout innings.  He allowed just two hits and a walk.
• Ricky Brooks went nine up, nine down in relief, striking out three.
• Freddie Thon went 2-for-3; Francisco Hernandez had a key pinch-hit RBI double.
• Johnson City 4, Bristol 2
• Brandon Short went 3-for-4; Justin Greene had two hits and scored two runs.
• Gregory Infante allowed three runs on eight hits over five innings.
• Dan Puls pitched a perfect 1 1/3 innings.
• Kannapolis vs. Savannah PPD
  
• Great Falls OFF
  

The coronation of Richard the Sixth

At the beginning of the season, if you had to make a list of the most likely minor-league arms to first make a start for the White Sox this year, what would it look like?

I feel pretty confident about my top four:

1. Lance Broadway
2. Jack Egbert
3. Charlie Haeger
4. Tomo Ohka

It gets pretty indistinguishable after that, but no matter how you try to slice up the rest of the pool to form some sort of middle tier, Clayton Richard doesn't stand out.  Nevertheless, the big lefty from Michigan by way of Purdue Country is the first to break the sixth starter barrier, which is a pretty big accomplishment when considering how White Sox starters consume innings and outings.

(I don't count Nick Masset, because his spot start was just that -- absolutely no designs on keeping him in the rotation past that one game.)

Mark Buehrle provided a fine template for how a lefty can dismantle the tough Texas Rangers lineup Tuesday night.  Establishing the inside corner is a must, and Richard apparently has the velocity and sink to do it if he can maintain his aggressiveness through the nerves.

What I can't figure out is how much Richard's start will mean in the scheme of things.  At least to most ends.  There's a chance he could go Arnie Munoz on the Sox, after which he's sent down to Charlotte and never to be heard from again, except when Ozzie Guillen questions his manhood in the spring.

To the other extreme, there's a chance he could go the Brandon McCarthy route.  A strong start against the Rangers served as a springboard for McCarthy's career, as he provided surprisingly effective work through September in the heat of the pennant race when Orlando Hernandez went down.

But I'd say there's about an 80-85 percent chance that Richard's performance won't cause a change of plans either way.  In this case, Richard would throw his two starts, then return to Charlotte until September.

If I had to go with a gut feeling, I'd say, "Don't bother having a gut feeling," because it's not like anybody on the outside ever has a consistent track record of predicting Kenny Williams' course of action.  But if somebody put a gun to my gut's head, I would guess that he's going to stick with Jose Contreras.

That might seem counterintuitive.  Although I'd never go to Steve Rosenbloom for analysis, he probably sums up the armchair perspective pretty well:


And of course, he finds a way to bring Aaron Rowand into it.

But here's what I got:

For one, Contreras was reportedly feeling good after 50 pitches Tuesday.  While being "listed at 36" is a health concern in and of its own, it's one the Sox have dealt with for a while.  If his velocity is back, then he's pretty much back, and he's a solid back-of-the-rotation guy.

Then there's the fact that Williams hasn't made The Big Deal the last few trade deadlines.  When the Sox were struggling for production from the left side of the infield in 2005, Williams bypassed the Eric Chavez talk for Geoff Blum.  He was slightly more active the following year, taking David Riske off Theo Epstein's hands, exhuming the corpse of Sandy Alomar and taking a chance on Mike MacDougal.  Last year, he sold Tadahito and Rob Mackowiak for parts.

Granted, he did land bigger names at previous deadlines, but when he swung deals for Contreras and Carl Everett during the middle of the season, he did so knowing they would be in the plans for at least the following year.  The one consistent trait about Williams at any time is that he digs cost certainty.

Most of the big names are rent-a-players.  A.J. Burnett could exercise an opt-out clause in his contract after this season (nobody ever seems to bypass them), Greg Maddux is on one-year deals, and Freddy Garcia doesn't want two years, either.  Justin Duchscherer is the one guy who doesn't fit this mold, but then again, Williams isn't one to buy high.

And who would they trade for a sure major-league rotation impact?  The biggest chip they have is Josh Fields, and although Joe Cowley suggests the Sox have an open mind when it comes to Fields, the fact is the Sox have a rare opportunity to plug in a major-league caliber player at the league minimum.  Trade Fields, and the Sox have to figure out another cheap option at the hot corner if they're taking on additional salary in the rotation.  That's not going to be easy in a weak free agent field at that position coming up.

There just seem to be too many obstacles for Williams to land surefire rotation help.  Understand that it doesn't mean it won't happen.  Hell, that I can't figure out a way it could happen almost makes it more likely since he's the ninja executive, but again, I'm trying to force a guess out of myself.

I'd say bullpen help is more likely.  If the Emilio Bonafacio-for-Jon Rauch deal sets the course for other deadline trades, the Sox have the goods for a similar type of arm.  Chris Getz is probably expendable.

*************************

Any guesses for Richard's line?  My prediction: 5 1/3 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

*************************

Minor league roundup:

• Indianapolis 5, Charlotte 2
• Danny Richar doubled and owned the Knights' lone two RBI.
• Struggling Dave Cook went 3-for-4, raising his July average to .211.
• Brad Eldred returned to the lineup and went 1-for-3; Josh Fields did the same and walked.
• Jack Egbert took the loss, allowing five runs on seven hits over six innings.  Three came in the first.
• Mike MacDougal pitched two scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing just a hit and a walk.
• Salem 6, Winston-Salem 4
• Joe Persichina, C.J. Retherford, John Shelby and Greg Paiml each had two hits.
• Matt Davis was the only pitcher of note, throwing two hitless, scoreless innings.
• Kingsport 3, Bristol 0 (6 innings)
• Jorge Castillo had two of the Sox's four hits.
• Garrett Johnson struck out six over 5 2/3 innings, but allowed two homers.
• Ogden 10, Great Falls 3
• Jordan Cheatham went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
• Kyle Shelton and Doug Thennis also had two-hit games; Mike Grace had three.
• Oddly enough, Wilmer Rojas had the only solid night on the mound, throwing two scoreless innings.  He lowered his ERA from 17.69 to 14.66.
• Birmingham PPD
• Kannapolis PPD
  

Tipping a hat to The Dean

Hate to start this one out on a sad note, but there's no way around it:


Like millions of other people, I grew up reading Holtzman in the paper -- Tribune during my time, Sun-Times before that.  At the risk of smearing his reputation, he was probably the greatest influence on me, not just as a writer, but as a baseball thinker.  I never recalled him overreacting in print -- at least in the last five to 10 years of his career -- and change never seemed to faze him.  Instead of leaning on his wealth of experience to show how much better baseball used to be, he tied it to current events to illustrate that the game and its players hadn't changed as much as people thought.

In his final years as a reporter, Skip Bayless joined the Tribune, and he helped me appreciate Holtzman even more.

Anyway, the Trib has a lot of good stuff here and here.  The Sun-Times only has an obit right now.  But perhaps this post by former Sporting News columnist Dave Kindred was the most enlightening:


**********************

Mark Buehrle will pitch on short rest tonight, then head to Missouri for his grandfather's funeral.  Clayton Richard will make his big-league debut Wednesday.  He joined the 40-man roster, taking the place of Andrew Sisco, who was played on the 60-day disabled list.  You remember him, right?

It'll be interesting to see how this turns out.  The Rangers don't hit lefties nearly as well as they hit righties -- though somebody should tell that to Boone Logan -- so it makes sense for Buehrle to give it a shot.  This is hopefully what those skipped starts in spring training and the first month of the season were for.

I'd gladly take the results from the last time he went on three days' rest: seven innings of two-run ball in a win over the Red Sox Aug. 15, 2004.

Meanwhile, old friend Freddy Garcia is hoping to pitch sometime this season -- and he isn't happy with Ozzie Guillen's assessment:


**********************

Minor league roundup:

• Charlotte 6, Indianapolis 3 (10 innings)
• Danny Richar and Cole Armstrong both hit late-inning two-run homers.
• Jason Bourgeois went 4-for-6 with two runs scored, an RBI and two stolen bases.
• Josh Fields went 1-for-4 with a walk and stole his fifth base.
• Tomo Ohka threw three scoreless innings in relief of Carlos Torres.
• Jason Childers closed it out by striking out three over two shutout frames.
• Winston-Salem 7, Salem 6 (10 innings)
• Francisco Hernandez hit a three-run homer.
• Estee Harris had three hits; Freddie Thon and Paulo Orlando had two.
• Anthony Carter was batted around for 11 hits and four runs over 5 1/3 innings.
• Michael Dubee pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
• Henry Mabee gave up two runs in the 10th inning, but still picked up the win.
• Kannapolis 7, Savannah 2
• Levi Maxwell struck out seven over six innings, allowing two runs.
• Charlis Burdie threw two perfect innings of relief; Leroy Hunt pitched a scoreless ninth.
• Mark Fleisher had two hits, including his 10th homer of the year.
• Eduardo Escobar, Jim Gallagher and Christian Marrero joined him with multi-hit games.
• Kingsport 7, Bristol 2
• Jordan Kendall and Jose Vargas had two hits apiece.
• Joucer Martinez suffered his first loss, allowing four runs over two innings.
• Dan Remenowsky pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
• Great Falls 5, Orem 1
• Tyler Kuhn went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
• Kent Gerst had two singles, stole his sixth base and scored two runs.
• Kyle Shelton went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases.
• Dexter Carter allowed one run over five innings for the win.

Bullpen down, Contreras out, Richard up?

Bobby Jenks pitched for the first time since June 29, retiring the Royals three-up, three-down in the ninth Sunday and perhaps bringing hope that he can restore order to a bullpen that has been out of it for the past two series.

But first, the dust has to settle after a flurry of activity over the past 24 hours, starting with a Jose Contreras DL stint:


Ozzie Guillen called himself "disappointed" because Contreras didn't report the injury earlier.  Nobody definitively stated when Contreras began feeling pain, but the results indicate that it could've started as early as June 10.  Over his last seven starts, he's allowed 78 baserunners over 37 2/3 innings, with an ERA of 8.60.

The Sox recalled D.J. Carrasco in his place, and it appeared that he might have the inside track on Contreras' start until he was called into action in relief of an ineffective John Danks.  Aside from showing retaliation skills that could best be classified as "Sean Traceyesque," he threw three easy innings and has allowed just one run over eight innings thus far.

Still, that left the Sox short a starter, which has apparently forced the promotion of Clayton Richard (hat tip to South Side Sox).  Though that part hasn't officially been confirmed, it is certain Adam Russell is Charlotte-bound.

(In case you missed it:  Here's video from a Richard start a couple weeks ago.)

And that just covers the guys who are coming and going.  There's plenty of drama and strife for those who haven't moved, too.

Nick Masset:  Has Nick Magic run its course?  He'd been sporting a high WHIP all season, and his ERA is finally starting to catch up.  Over his last seven games spanning 7 2/3 innings, he's allowed 16 hits, nine runs (seven earned) and four walks, with as many wild pitches as strikeouts (two).  Masset did throw two perfect innings against the Rangers when nobody else had success, and that's the only point in his favor as of late.

Boone Logan:  He's faced 12 batters over his last four outings, and has only been able to retire five of them.  Lefties are now hitting .230 off him, up from .197 just 10 days ago.

Matt Thornton:  Thorndog's problems are miniscule by comparison, but he looked ragged coming out of the bullpen Sunday, and has allowed three of his last four inherited runners to score.  And last but not least ...

Scott Linebrink:  Linebrink did warm in the bullpen today, which was a positive sight for a guy who hasn't provided plenty of encouraging signs lately.  Aside from being scored upon in his last four outings, his problems have been described as "fatigue," "soreness" and "tendinitis creeping up in there."  And then there was this nugget:


Delicious.  The weird thing about Linebrink's fatigue is that the claims of his heavy workload are sort of strange considering Octavio Dotel has appeared in six more games and thrown six more innings this season.  He threw some smoke Sunday, but unfortunately wasn't allowed to finish what he started.  I wonder how many people would've put money down on Dotel to be the healthiest of the right-handed triumvirate in the bullpen.

And I also hope that isn't some sort of omen.

************************

Here's some good health news:  The plunking of Jermaine Dye for the second consecutive day only left a bruise on his kneecap.


They shouldn't rush him back, because the difference between Dye being 90 percent and 100 percent is highly noticeable in his defense.

************************

The Sox unveiled Harold Baines' statue behind center field in a pregame ceremony.  Baines was kind enough to stick around for the entire game, although he was described as "aloof," "unresponsive," and wouldn't let go of the bat.


************************

Around the tubes:

• I'm a big fan of Carl Skanberg's depiction of Twinkies.
• Luol's Dong has fun with the sign generators.
• Baseball Evolution catches up with Jack McDowell.
• Bleacher Report screams about Sunday's questionable decisions.
• The 35th Street Review creates an '80s mix tape for the Sox.
  

************************

Minor league roundup:

• Louisville 9, Charlotte 4
• Chris Getz had a perfect game, going 3-for-3 with two walks and an RBI.
• Josh Fields went 1-for-4 with a walk and an RBI.
• Lance Broadway struggled: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR.
• Ehren Wassermann played the role of arsonist, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks in an inning.
• Montgomery 6, Birmingham 4
• Lucas Harrell struggled, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks in three innings.
• Javier Castillo went 3-for-5 with a triple and an RBI.
• Miguel Negron, Ricardo Nanita and C.J. Lang each had two hits.
• Esteban Loaiza and Fernando Hernandez pitched two scoreless innings apiece.
• Savannah 8, Kannapolis 6
• Jim Gallagher hit his eighth homer, a two-run shot.
• Mark Fleisher had a pair of doubles, and Eduardo Escobar went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
• Johnnie Lowe gave up 10 hits and six runs over four innings.
• Santo Luis and Tyson Corley combined for three scoreless innings.
• Kingsport 3, Bristol 1
• Po-Yu Lin struck out six over five innings, allowing two runs (one earned).
• Jordan Kendall had two of Bristol's five hits.
• Ogden 5, Great Falls 0
• Jordan Cheatham went 3-for-4.
• Kent Gerst tripled and singled; Tyler Kuhn also had two hits.
• Winston-Salem OFF
  

Saturday's minor league roundup

• Louisville 5, Charlotte 2
• Josh Fields went 2-for-4 with a double.
• Danny Richar doubled and Jason Bourgeois tripled.
• Charlie Haeger took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings, striking out three.
• Birmingham 5, Montgomery 3
• Justin Cassell pitched six strong innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking two and fanning two.
• John Lujan pitched two perfect innings for the win.
• Ricardo Nanita went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI.
• Robert Valido had two hits, including a double; Jared Price hit a solo homer.
• Myrtle Beach 8, Winston-Salem 3
• Matt Zaleski threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief, striking out four.
• C.J. Retherford had three hits and an RBI; Freddie Thon had two hits and an RBI.
• Charleston 3, Kannapolis 1
• Charlie Shirek was roughed up for 10 hits and three runs over 5 1/3 innings; he struck out five.
• Hector Santiago fanned four over 2 2/3 scoreless innings; Tyson Corley added a perfect frame.
• Mark Fleisher hit his ninth homer; Sergio Morales had two hits.
• Johnson City 8, Bristol 7
• Bristol committed six errors, leading to six unearned runs.
• Jordan Kendall and Jorge Castillo each had two hits.
• Andrew Garcia hit his fifth homer, a solo shot; John Kateon drove in two.
  
• Ogden 5, Great Falls 2
• The Voyagers were held to three singles; both runs they scored were unearned.

Ozuna eulogized

After Pablo Ozuna filed for free agency, he became the 18th member of the 2005 team to leave the White Sox organization.

Here's his eulogy.  Feel free to pay your respects.

************************

This year's White Sox kicked the second half off with an easy 9-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals, but the day's events weren't boring thanks to Ozzie Guillen, who followed up on his earlier berating of Rangers closer C.J. Wilson:


Silly as it may seem, I'm guessing this is one reason why his players love him.

He was equally candid about Esteban Loaiza's chances:


************************

Minor league roundup:

• Charlotte 5, Louisville 3
• Cole Armstrong went 2-for-4 with two RBI.  The bad news? He lowered his average.
• Royce Huffman had a pair of doubles and pair of RBI.
• Josh Fields went 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts.  He stole his fourth base.
• Wes Whisler allowed one run on five hits over five innings.
• D.J. Carrasco gave up two over 2 1/3 innings in his return to Charlotte.
• Birmingham 3, Montgomery 1
• Brandon Allen hit a three-run homer, his third in two games at Double-A.  He also doubled.
• A solo homer was the only damage off Aaron Poreda, who allowed five hits and a walk over six innings, striking out three.
  
• Miguel Negron went 3-for-4 with a double.
• Myrtle Beach 9, Winston-Salem 7
• John Ely's slide continues -- six runs on six hits and three walks over 2 1/3 innings.
• Michael Dubee pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
• Salvador Sanchez went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI.
• C.J. Retherford hit a solo homer; Freddie Thon went 3-for-4
  
• Charleston 4, Kannapolis 2
• Sergio Morales went 2-for-4 with a solo homer.
• Brent Morel went 2-for-4 with a walk.
• Jason Rice allowed four runs over 5 1/3 innings.
• Charlis Burdie threw his fourth consecutive scoreless inning, starting his A-ball career nicely.
• Bristol 4, Johnson City 2
• Gregory Infante allowed two runs on four hits and three walks over 6 2/3 innings, striking out five.
  
• Jordan Kendall, Jorge Castillo and Andrew Garcia each had two hits.
• Orem 10, Great Falls 0
• A Nicholas Damas double and a Kyle Shelton single were the Voyagers' only hits.
• All four pitchers were roughed up to varying degrees.
  

Your unsung hero of the first half

At the All-Star break last year, A.J. Pierzynski was one of many Sox hitters vastly underperforming their career averages, but his slump might've been the most painful.  In an offense starving for hits, he was roughly 45 points under his career average.  That sunk any chance at a decent on-base percentage, and thus it undermined his entire game.  The Sox had no choice but to suffer through it, because Gustavo Molina and one-armed Toby Hall provided zero relief.

This year, he's right where he should be.  Literally.  At .287/.326/.429., he's a point or two off in each category compared to his career averages.  Combine his line with Toby Hall's surprising but somewhat flimsy .289/.349/.368, and the Sox have seen a huge boost in catcher production.  Compare their standing in the league from last year:

• Batting average:
• 2008: .291 (3rd)
• 2007: .244 (5th)
  
• On-base percentage:
• 2008: .330 (5th)
• 2007: .285 (13th)
  
• Slugging percentage:
• 2008: .423 (3rd)
• 2007: .351 (12th)
  
• OPS:
• 2008: .753 (5th)
• 2007: .630 (13th)
  

The Sox needed Pierzynski to lead the revival for three reasons:

No. 1:  Opponents are running roughshod over him.  No catcher has allowed more stolen bases than Pierzynski, and no catcher has thrown out runners less often.  A lot of it is due to his pitching staff -- Jose Contreras and Gavin Floyd can't hold runners to save their lives, and opponents had John Danks scouted down to a science for a three-week period with some suspicious two-out first-pitch swipes.  But yeah, it's still bad, though somehow it hasn't stopped him from sporting a sterling 3.58 catcher's ERA.

No. 2:  He's still around for two and a half more years.  If he did a faceplant out of the gate again, it would've had some awful ramifications.  A catcher who had his worst year at 30 is a scary, scary bet, but the Sox are ahead at this point.

No. 3:  There's no real help on the way.  Cole Armstrong hit the ground hitting in Charlotte, going 21-for-41 thus far.  But he only has one hit in seven at-bats against lefties, and isn't a great bet to hit them, so there's no way to platoon him and Pierzynski toward the end of his contract.  Donny Lucy isn't healthy and isn't a factor when he is, and Paul Phillips is what he is -- a hacking, slap-hitting stopgap.  Of course the only possibility behind the plate is another lefty.

People hadn't talked about Pierzynski much after he cooled down from a blazing April, mainly because he's wholly unremarkable to watch.  He hacks at a lot of bad pitches, leads the world in groundouts to second, and his Yogi Bear running style and his body language after pop-ups eliminate him from any chance of being considered "electrifying."

But the pitch he took to the ankle Saturday served as a reminder that he might be the most irreplaceable commodity on the team right now, just like he was last year and the year before.  Fortunately, he's not testing the depths of how badly he can play and still be a lock for the starting job in 2008.

Now, whether he can keep up his production is another question entirely.  He has the reputation of fading in the second half, but reversed the trend last year, and Hall's resurgence should give him more time off when needed.

Statswise, he's showing no noticeable improvements in his line drive rate, and he's not being more selective.  While he's swinging at fewer pitches (56 percent, down from 59), he's swinging at fewer pitches in the strike zone (66, down from 70).  And unlike somebody who's made improvements like Jim Thome, even the direction of A.J.'s batted balls haven't changed much -- his flies go mostly to left, he sprays his line drives and grounds heavily to the right side.

The only real difference is his average on balls in play.  Cumulatively, his BABIP has jumped 32 points, which means a lot to him since he