Reilly
01-27-2005, 08:57 PM
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
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No one is as more excited with the offseason put together by White Sox general manager Ken Williams than his manager, Ozzie Guillen.
The way Guillen sees it, his team will now be able to play the brand of baseball more suited for him in 2005 than the all-or-nothing style displayed in 2004.
"We'll be a more exciting team this season," Guillen said. "We have better pitching, better defense and more speed than we had before. Last year we would score 12 runs one game, then we couldn't find one for two days. We didn't know how to execute and we didn't have the right players to do it."
At least in theory, the improved balance will keep the Sox in more games, a strategy that plays into the hands of a bullpen that figures to be deeper this season.
"When I was with the Twins, we always said that if we could keep the White Sox (hitters) in the park we would beat them," said Sox newcomer A.J. Pierzynski, the former Minnesota catcher. "The White Sox are a more balanced team, so hopefully we can beat the Twins now. If I didn't think we could, I wouldn't be here."
The most significant changes were made in the outfield, where Jermaine Dye and Scott Podsednik replace sluggers Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez.
"We have a good right fielder," Guillen said. "Jermaine Dye will help us out a lot. In Scott Podsednik, we found a leadoff guy. "If they can stay healthy, we'll be a fun team to watch."
The mound corps was also bolstered with the addition of veterans Orlando Hernandez, Luis Vizcaino and Dustin Hermanson. "We were spoiled by home runs last year," Guillen said. "But we also gave up a lot of home runs, especially our bullpen. That's why we made it stronger."
The question is, can speed and defense rule at U.S. Cellular Field, which produced more home runs than any American League park last season?
"We've upgraded our pitching to prevent home runs," first baseman Paul Konerko said. "They say good pitching beats good hitting. Well, I think our pitching is good from top to bottom. We got some guys who are really nasty. I know from experience, because I've faced them."
Guillen also believes improved chemistry will help the team. As he put it, "We don't have any bad tomatoes in the locker room."
NOTES, QUOTES: RHP Luis Vizcaino agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.3 million contract. With Vizcaino on board, the White Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players on the roster. The 30-year-old Vizcaino came over from Milwaukee, along with outfielder Scott Podsednik, in the Dec. 13 trade that sent Carlos Lee to the Brewers. He was 4-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 2004 and had one save in a team-leading 73 appearances. He also held opposing hitters to a .228 batting average overall, and left-handers hit just .163 against him, second lowest among National League relievers. DH Frank Thomas, who missed most of last season with a left foot injury, had his cast taken off at the end of December and is now in a boot. He had surgery at the end of October and could be slowed until the start of June.
OF/DH Carl Everett has lost 15 pounds this winter in an effort to be an everyday player -- whether it's as the DH or as an outfielder. "It's just modification," Everett said. "You don't have to do a lot to get a lot done. A lot of people think you have to kill yourself to get it done. A little bit every day is where it's at."
BY THE NUMBERS: 9-0 -- The record of RHP Freddy Garcia in day games last season, with a 2.43 ERA. Garcia was 4-11 with a 4.46 ERA in night games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm never worried about my weight; that's always what other people think about. They make excuses for me for when I'm not doing well: 'Oh, he's heavy,' stuff like that. Nobody said anything when I was 34 (home runs) and 108 (RBI) and I was weighing 230. It depends on what type of year you're having for people to say stuff." -- OF Carl Everett on the talk about his weight gain last season.
ROSTER REPORT
The White Sox put an exclamation point on a top-notch starting staff by signing Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez to be a No. 3 pitcher and bump Jose Contreras to No. 4 and RHP Jon Garland to No. 5. They helped their bullpen situation by adding Dustin Hermanson and RHP Luis Vizcaino and then added some offense with the signing of Jermaine Dye. The final piece of the puzzle came when they signed free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year deal.
BIGGEST NEEDS: With four significant free-agent signings this offseason, the Sox have all but maxed out their projected payroll for the 2005 season. There is still a need for a veteran infielder who can be used as a key reserve, but the price tag would have to be a cheap one.
IN LIMBO: Catchers Jamie Burke and Ben Davis will now likely have to battle for one spot come spring training, after the Sox acquired free-agent Pierzynski. There is also a chance that the Sox could attempt to package one of them in a small deal before spring training starts.
=================
No one is as more excited with the offseason put together by White Sox general manager Ken Williams than his manager, Ozzie Guillen.
The way Guillen sees it, his team will now be able to play the brand of baseball more suited for him in 2005 than the all-or-nothing style displayed in 2004.
"We'll be a more exciting team this season," Guillen said. "We have better pitching, better defense and more speed than we had before. Last year we would score 12 runs one game, then we couldn't find one for two days. We didn't know how to execute and we didn't have the right players to do it."
At least in theory, the improved balance will keep the Sox in more games, a strategy that plays into the hands of a bullpen that figures to be deeper this season.
"When I was with the Twins, we always said that if we could keep the White Sox (hitters) in the park we would beat them," said Sox newcomer A.J. Pierzynski, the former Minnesota catcher. "The White Sox are a more balanced team, so hopefully we can beat the Twins now. If I didn't think we could, I wouldn't be here."
The most significant changes were made in the outfield, where Jermaine Dye and Scott Podsednik replace sluggers Carlos Lee and Magglio Ordonez.
"We have a good right fielder," Guillen said. "Jermaine Dye will help us out a lot. In Scott Podsednik, we found a leadoff guy. "If they can stay healthy, we'll be a fun team to watch."
The mound corps was also bolstered with the addition of veterans Orlando Hernandez, Luis Vizcaino and Dustin Hermanson. "We were spoiled by home runs last year," Guillen said. "But we also gave up a lot of home runs, especially our bullpen. That's why we made it stronger."
The question is, can speed and defense rule at U.S. Cellular Field, which produced more home runs than any American League park last season?
"We've upgraded our pitching to prevent home runs," first baseman Paul Konerko said. "They say good pitching beats good hitting. Well, I think our pitching is good from top to bottom. We got some guys who are really nasty. I know from experience, because I've faced them."
Guillen also believes improved chemistry will help the team. As he put it, "We don't have any bad tomatoes in the locker room."
NOTES, QUOTES: RHP Luis Vizcaino agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.3 million contract. With Vizcaino on board, the White Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players on the roster. The 30-year-old Vizcaino came over from Milwaukee, along with outfielder Scott Podsednik, in the Dec. 13 trade that sent Carlos Lee to the Brewers. He was 4-4 with a 3.75 ERA in 2004 and had one save in a team-leading 73 appearances. He also held opposing hitters to a .228 batting average overall, and left-handers hit just .163 against him, second lowest among National League relievers. DH Frank Thomas, who missed most of last season with a left foot injury, had his cast taken off at the end of December and is now in a boot. He had surgery at the end of October and could be slowed until the start of June.
OF/DH Carl Everett has lost 15 pounds this winter in an effort to be an everyday player -- whether it's as the DH or as an outfielder. "It's just modification," Everett said. "You don't have to do a lot to get a lot done. A lot of people think you have to kill yourself to get it done. A little bit every day is where it's at."
BY THE NUMBERS: 9-0 -- The record of RHP Freddy Garcia in day games last season, with a 2.43 ERA. Garcia was 4-11 with a 4.46 ERA in night games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm never worried about my weight; that's always what other people think about. They make excuses for me for when I'm not doing well: 'Oh, he's heavy,' stuff like that. Nobody said anything when I was 34 (home runs) and 108 (RBI) and I was weighing 230. It depends on what type of year you're having for people to say stuff." -- OF Carl Everett on the talk about his weight gain last season.
ROSTER REPORT
The White Sox put an exclamation point on a top-notch starting staff by signing Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez to be a No. 3 pitcher and bump Jose Contreras to No. 4 and RHP Jon Garland to No. 5. They helped their bullpen situation by adding Dustin Hermanson and RHP Luis Vizcaino and then added some offense with the signing of Jermaine Dye. The final piece of the puzzle came when they signed free-agent catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year deal.
BIGGEST NEEDS: With four significant free-agent signings this offseason, the Sox have all but maxed out their projected payroll for the 2005 season. There is still a need for a veteran infielder who can be used as a key reserve, but the price tag would have to be a cheap one.
IN LIMBO: Catchers Jamie Burke and Ben Davis will now likely have to battle for one spot come spring training, after the Sox acquired free-agent Pierzynski. There is also a chance that the Sox could attempt to package one of them in a small deal before spring training starts.