Category Archives: chicago white sox

Harold Baines Just Ruined the Baseball Hall of Fame

The Baseball Hall of Fame Today’s Era Committee announced they voted Relief Pitcher Lee Smith and Outfielder/DH Harold Baines into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Smith was slowly gaining votes, but only received 34% of the votes in his fifteenth and final year on the ballot. 

Baines was only on the regular Hall of Fame ballot just a few seasons as he fell under the 5% threshold on his fourth year and only had a max 6.1% of voters in 2010.

I can understand Lee Smith’s legitimacy as a Hall of Fame candidate. He was a reliever that often pitched multiples innings to get saves. The Hall of Fame was late to the game when it came to voting in relievers. He was a member of some good teams and he was a large part in maintaining those wins. He held the title of Most Career Saves for thirteen years, until Trevor Hoffman surpassed him in 2006. Continue reading

Welington Castillo Suspended 80 Games

Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo was hit with an 80-game suspension after failing a drug test. He tested positive for Erythropoietin, more commonly known as EPO.

Castillo is the third player to fail a drug test in Major League Baseball this season. Minnesota Twins infielder Jorge Polanco failed for the steroid Stanozolol and multi-time All Star infielder Robinson Cano failed for Furosemide, a diuretic known to be used as a masking agent.

He is the first-ever MLB player to fail a drug test for EPO. 

Erythropoietin was a common drug used to dope in cycling. Lance Armstong has admitted to using EPO at times during the Tour de France. It helps stimulate red blood cell production in your bone marrow. This drug is commonly prescribed to patients who are anemic or have hypoxemia due to chronic lung disease. It basically re-oxygenates your blood and gives you an edge in endurance races.

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2018 MLB Season Preview: Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox got off to a huge start to their rebuild when they traded Chris Sale to the Red Sox. They received some stud prospects in return and have been drafting near the top of the draft for a couple seasons.

They weren’t finished with making deals. They got another load of good prospects from the Cubs last season when they sent starter Jose Quintana across town. These trades have sped up the rebuilding process by a lot. Some players from this trade should contribute for the White Sox as early as this season.

Are the White Sox finished dealing? Could first baseman Jose Abreu be the next player to be moved?

Here is the 2018 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox.

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2017 MLB Season Preview: Chicago White Sox

2017-MLB-Season-Team-Preview-Chicago-White-Sox-Yoan-Moncada-funnyThis isn’t the best time for the White Sox to begin a rebuilding process. The team across town (the Cubs) won the World Series and the Sox are on the South Side trading their best players away.

The White Sox still have some very good players left on the team. It is still up in the air for how long they will remain there.

Chicago received favorable deals this offseason when they unloaded Adam Eaton to Washington and Chris Sale to Boston. If they can make solid deals for their remaining stars, they could be back in the AL Central mix in just a few years.

Will Chicago hold off until the trade deadline to make some deals or will they get it over with early?

Here is the 2017 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox.

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2016 MLB Season Preview: Chicago White Sox

Todd frazier chicago white sox 2016 season preview mlb america's white boyThis White Sox are currently playing second fiddle to the Cubs in the city of Chicago. The Cubs have a ton of youth and new faces that can bring any fanbase up from the basement. The White Sox are a weird bunch of veterans, kind-of-young hitters still waiting to mature and Chris Sale.

Jose Abreu had another solid year for the White Sox. He should have another good year if Adam Eaton keeps getting on base in front of him. The addition of Todd Frazier helps protect Abreu a little in the lineup, but another power hitter is needed if they want to compete in the AL Central.

Can the back-end of the starting rotation hold up against the rest of the AL?

Here is the 2016 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox.

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2015 MLB Team Preview: Chicago White Sox

Chicago White Sox 2015 MLB team preview hawk harrelson dumb stupid funny weird shirtlessThe city of Chicago has a familiar face back in town. The White Sox traded Oakland for Jeff Samardzija, who once pitched on the North Side. It was one of the few specific upgrades the White made in order to compete in the AL Central.

Jose Abreu was the team MVP in 2014 and was even better than advertised. The team still only won 73 games and saw two teams from their division make the postseason. I’m sure they thought they could do what the Royals did last season with only a few roster tweaks.

Can Chicago’s bullpen get the job done?

Here is the 2015 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Chicago White Sox

It’s going to be a long season for Chicago baseball teams. We all know the Cubs were in a performance lull, but the White Sox fell from AL Central contenders to the division basement in 2013.

Chicago made a big splash this offseason by trading Addison Reed to Arizona for young hitters Adam Eaton and Matt Davidson. They also signed Jose Abreu, possibly the best hitter to come out of Cuba in a long time (sorry Yoenis Cespedes).

Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko both look near the end of their careers. Do they have one final elite season in them or are they running on fumes?

Will Robin Ventura last the entire season as manager?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox.

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2013 MLB Rule 5 Draft Results

Russell Wilson Baseball Texas Rangers NFL Seattle SeahawksIt’s rare I cover baseball news this time of year. NFL, NBA, NHL and college football are in-season and the only news worth mentioning right now are significant trades.

I try to weed out trade and free agent rumors in MLB, since there is so much fabricated information. Agents leak out wrong information to gain leverage in negotiations.

Something did happen today in the MLB, the Rule 5 Draft. As you may already know, the Texas Rangers selected Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in the minor-league portion of the draft. Wilson played some minor league baseball in the Colorado Rockies farm system.

In the past, the major league portion of the MLB Rule 5 Draft has been significant in the past. Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and even hall of famer Roberto Clemente have been selected in the past. Here are today’s results and what the rules are after drafting a player.

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2013 MLB Team Preview: Chicago White Sox

John+Danks+Funny+Picks+Nose+Chicago+White+Sox+MLBThe Chicago White Sox have been perennial contenders in the AL Central. They’ve had a lean season and bounce right back the next year. They have relied on pitching during this stretch. It is a consistent way to build a team.

In order for a pitching staff to meet its potential, you need a good game-calling cather. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has been that guy and he was in Chicago during its recent success. They will be without him this season since he signed with the Texas Rangers this offseason. They will rely on an unproven catcher in Tyler Flowers.

Will the pitching staff struggle without Pierzynski?

Here is the 2013 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox. Continue reading

Goodbye, Kerry Wood: A Cubs Fan’s Farewell

After this afternoon’s Chicago Cubs game against the Chicago White Sox, Kerry Wood officially retired from Major League baseball. He struck out the only batter he faced and went out with a bang.I have been a Cubs fan for all of my life and Wood will always be one of my favorite baseball players. In ’07, I had the privilege to see him pitch, but he wasn’t the dominant pitcher that once struck out 20 batters in a single game. Injuries derailed his playing career in the mid-2000s and was forced to pitch relief. He had success in that role, but he struggled this season with an ERA of 8.31 and twice as many walks as strikeouts.

How will will he be remembered, as a pitcher who once struck out 20 batters in a game or for the mystery of ‘what might have been?’

It is a shame that we will never know how dominant Wood could have been without his injuries. Wood and Mark Prior were going to be the Cubs version or Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, but both suffered career-threatening injuries. Wood was the last relic from the 2003 Chicago Cubs team who were only seven outs from making an improbable World Series appearance. The Bartman play occurred during that series, but most forget that it took place during Game 6 of the NLCS. Wood pitched in Game 7 and even hit a home run. He took the lost the game 9-6 and the Florida Marlins went on to win the World Series.

After the ’03 NLCS disaster, he was never the same. He had a sub-par ’04 season and then suffered injuries that kept him out for the majority of the following three seasons. He returned in late ’07, but came out of the bullpen as a precautionary measure. He turned into a capable relief pitcher. He even moved into the closer role in the ’08 and ’09 seasons, racked up 54 saves. He spent the next two seasons with the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees, but then returned to Chicago for a hometown discount.

Saying goodbye to Wood is a hard thing for me to do. I had to write a similar farewell to Peyton Manning post just two months ago. I am a huge fan of both teams. As a fan, it will be odd to not see either Wood or Manning on my team’s sideline.

Cubs fans always kept faith that Wood would return and contribute to the team. Prior was not so lucky. The fans lost patience with him much quicker. We all know that Wood will not be inducted into the Hall of Fame or even get his number retired. He will always been mentioned in Cubs folklore as a member of the ’03 team and for his amazing rookie season in ’98. He holds a special place in the hearts of Cubs fans.

You will see him around Chicago. He will be a special assistant in the Cubs organization and he has his foundation in the city. He is a devout Christian and does a lot of great things for the people of Chicago.

Wood finishes his career with a 86-75 record and 3.67 ERA. The two-time All-Star also struck out 1581 batters in 1379 innings.

He could have been the next Nolan Ryan or Steve Carlton, but he turned out to be the first Kerry Wood.

Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game vs. Houston Astros in 1998

By: TwitterButtons.com

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Will Ozzie Guillen Change After Suspension?

The Miami Marlins have suspended manager Ozzie Guillen for five games for comments made in which he expressed respect for Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Miami has a very large Cuban population and the majority of the population detests Castro. It could be the worst thing that Guillen could have said, since this is his first year on the job and the Marlins recently opened up a new ballpark. They need the locals to come out and support the team. The Cuban population will not back a manager that supports a dictator that has suppressed their families for decades. Is five games enough to quench the fans’ anger? Will Guillen finally learn from his mistake?

This is not the first time that Guillen has been caught in a scandal that involved his mouth. He is extremely blunt and his opinions are usually a tough pill to swallow. His personality is the reason why he is no longer the manager of the Chicago White Sox. He lead them to their first World Series win since the “Black Sox scandal.” GM Kenny Williams finally had enough and had to let his former teammate go to another team. He had a couple sub-par seasons, but nothing that would be deemed as bad. If he kept his mouth shut, Guillen would have been entrenched as the manager of the White Sox. Keeping one’s mouth shut isn’t in Guillen’s instruction manual, so he landed in Miami as their skipper.

ESPN’s Dan LeBatard said it best, “Fidel Castro is our Adolph Hitler,” in reference to the Cuban population in South Florida. He added, “even a pro-Castro music act cannot play in Miami,” which sums up the community’s united front against the Cuban dictator. Guillen’s comments sting much harder in that area than anywhere else in America. Immigrants from Cuba float on rafts and risk their lives to make it to Florida. If you hate a man enough to risk your life and float on a piece of rubber for hundreds of miles, you’re not a huge fan of Guillen at this moment.

The Marlins suspended Guillen for five games and bench coach Joey Cora will take over during that period. We have seen authority figures come down on Guillen for his comments, but nothing has changed. He started his managerial career with the Marlins and he was making stupid comments during that time. Dan Patrick admitted that he interviewed Guillen during that time. He had to omit part of the interview, because he said something very derogatory about a player on his team. After the interview, the Marlins public relations representative came over and said that he didn’t mean that last part and that Patrick should leave it out. The quote didn’t make it into ESPN magazine, because Patrick thought that it was off-the-record and he didn’t want to take advantage of Guillen. This was only the beginning of his miscues as a team’s public figure.

Guillen publicly apologized, in English & Spanish, for his latest miscue during a nationally televised press conference. He admitted that this has really bothered him and he couldn’t sleep for the last few days. Guillen said, “I feel like I betrayed my Latin community,” which considering the circumstances, is an accurate statement. He looked defeated and physically bothered by the public backlash.

Miami Marlins fans will have to walk a very thin line over the next few years. Guillen will turn the franchise around, but he’ll say a few dumb things along the way. You’ll have to learn to push the mute button when he addresses the media. Marlins fans may need to confide in a few White Sox fans over the next few years. What Guillen said was extremely offensive and ignorant, but as a fan, you need to decide if you will be okay if he messes up again…because it will happen.

By: TwitterButtons.com

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

White Sox Land Adam Dunn

After many experts predicted that Adam Dunn would pick a National League team, he surprised many and picked the American League’s Chicago White Sox. Dunn has made it clear that he doesn’t want to be used as a designated hitter. The White Sox must have made a promise to the slugger that he will be used at first-base and maybe occasionally in the outfield. How does this impact the rest of the Majors and the team on the Northside?

Dunn and the White Sox have agreed on a 4-year/$56 million dollar deal. Chicago is in need of a designated hitter, even if they promised Dunn that he wouldn’t play there, they could be playing a waiting game. Dunn is 31 years old and scouts have said that he would be best used at DH at this point in his career. Even though his defensive skills have dropped off, his bat has not shown signs of slowing down. He has hit at least 38 home runs the last 8 seasons and is an on-base percentage machine. He may strike out over 170 times a season, but he drives in runs and draws around 100 walks a season. His impact on a team is proven and will make the White Sox a better team. He will protect Carlos Quentin, Alex Rios, and Paul Konerko, if they re-sign him.

The White Sox finished 88-74 last season and the addition of Dunn will add some wins to that total. The Minnesota Twins are the cream of the division and this will close the gap between the teams. The Tigers, Royals, and Indians are all teams in transition and I see the AL Central as a two-team race in 2011.

The initial rumors of teams that Dunn would consider had the Chicago Cubs on top of that list. The amount of the contract may have blow the Cubs out of the water or the years of the deal. The Cubs need to wait a few years for a few bad contracts to come off the books before they add a contract like Dunn signed. They are in the market for a left-handed first baseman with power, Dunn would have fit their need. To make matters worse for the Cubs, Dunn has slaughtered them at Wrigley Field and has done very well there. They will see Dunn a few times over the next years during the cross-town rivalry games.

Dunn will do well at U.S. Cellular Field and will give American League pitchers fits, eventually. He has spent his entire career in the National League. There could be a learning curve for Dunn, since he is strikeout prone, it could take him the first half of the season to learn how to hit certain pitchers. The White Sox made a smart move, GM Kenny Williams has been known to take a gamble, but this is close to a sure thing.

By: TwitterButtons.com

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.