Buehrle getting some props

[KevHead0881]

White Sox staff ace is just one of the guys

Down-to-earth Buehrle simply works hard, wins

Phil Rogers

On Baseball

 

March 25, 2005

 

TUCSON, Ariz. -- That Mark Buehrle, he just doesn't get it.

 

Doesn't Buehrle know he's the ace of the White Sox's pitching staff?

 

That standing comes with perks. It means he should be pampered, protected from reporters and fans alike. He should be coddled on the field, warming up only on pristine mounds and naming his catcher. He should shag fly balls in the outfield as often as Donald Trump scrubs floors. He should treat the poor pitching coach like he's his gardener or the pool guy.

 

And if he ever feels a twinge or an ache, the ace should think only of himself, retreating into the trainer's room while his team and those who follow it light candles and say prayers.

 

Can you imagine Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez or Curt Schilling hanging around the ballpark to flip burgers for family, teammates and clubhouse kids? To make this really a surreal thought, try to picture it happening only four days after one of them seemingly had broken his foot, with initial reports saying he would miss four to six weeks.

 

That was the case with Buehrle. He celebrated his 26th birthday Wednesday by testing his left foot, which he hurt shagging batting practice flies Sunday—a day after he had retired 18 straight Kansas City Royals. When he had satisfied himself the foot felt fine, he grilled burgers for his father and any others who had hung around the White Sox complex while the varsity was playing on the road.

 

Excuse me, but when did we enter a time machine and go back to the 1950s?

 

Buehrle would have fit in working alongside Early Wynn, Billy Pierce and Dick Donovan on the Go-Go Sox. He is a master of the quick pitch, almost never shaking off signs. His 35 starts last season averaged 2 hours 33 minutes, including 11 that were played in less than 2:20.

 

Buehrle was issued No. 56 when he was a non-roster invitee in the spring of 2000 and never has seen the need to change it to anything cooler. The only time he was in a contract dispute, Buehrle took less because he didn't want to lock himself into a guaranteed salary.

 

He grew up a St. Louis Cardinals fan and somehow has kept baseball as the same kind of passion it was for him when he was watching Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee and Vince Coleman lose Game 7 of the 1987 World Series at the Metrodome.

 

If those Cardinals had been blessed with one more pitcher with Buehrle's even temperament, the Minnesota Twins might not have upset them.

 

At least that's what I think every year when I pick the White Sox to beat the Twins in the American League Central. There's something about Buehrle that inspires confidence in all around him. You just know he's going to get his job done.

 

"Buehrle's my man," Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "The other day when he pitched, the mounds were wet and there weren't any groundskeepers around. We called but couldn't get anybody to come work on 'em. Mark just said, 'That's OK,' and went out into the outfield to warm up. The catcher crouched and everything, right there in left field. Then Buehrle pitched six perfect innings. He even asked me if he could work in the stretch one inning because he needed the practice.

 

"Some pitchers, most pitchers, they would be toast if they had trouble with the bullpen mound. This kid is really special."

 

Buehrle, an All-Star only in 2002, has a .596 winning percentage over the last four years (65-44). The White Sox have been a sub-.500 team with anyone other than Buehrle as the pitcher of record.

 

Buehrle led the AL in innings pitched last season and has worked more innings than any other pitcher in the majors over the four years he has been a full-time starter.

 

The names that are right behind him are Livan Hernandez, Bartolo Colon, Tim Hudson and Schilling. Guys like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Johnson are in the next wave.

 

Think about those names … and none has on the mound more than Buehrle. who has done this in a time period in which U.S. Cellular Field has been transformed from a pitcher's park into a bad joke for pitchers.

 

There were 272 homers hit at the Cell last season, 39 more than at any other park in the majors. There have been at least 218 homers there in each of the last five seasons.

 

Raise your hand if you have heard Buehrle complain about the dimensions or the wind currents.

 

Didn't think so.

 

Buehrle's not the sort to complain. That's why the Sox were so worried when he complained about how badly his foot was hurting after he went home and took a nap following Sunday's workout.

 

The initial exams that night caused the club to announce he had a stress fracture and would miss four to six weeks, knocking him out of his start on Opening Day and probably every other one in April.

 

But Buehrle felt better on Monday, especially after a CT exam showed that he did not have a broken bone in the foot.

 

Buehrle has felt better day after day since then. It appears the White Sox won't have to use their contingency plan, which had Freddy Garcia moving to the opener and lights-out rookie Brandon McCarthy taking a spot in the rotation.

 

That's great news for the Sox. They have improved the quality of the pitching staff they have built around Buehrle, with Dustin Hermanson and Luis Vizcaino in the bullpen and Orlando Hernandez (and McCarthy, at some point) in the rotation.

 

If Buehrle's all right, they should be too.

Copyright © 2005, The Chicago Tribune

[greasywheels121]

Awesome article, gotta love the Buerhle mon.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Awesome article, gotta love the Buerhle mon.

 

 

When you come right down to it Mark Prior and Kerry Wood and their whiny, b****-made attitudes can't hold MB's jock strap. Give me the Burly-mon over those 2 drama queens any day of the week.

[DonkeyKongerko]

Kinda sad he has to have an injury scare for the media to really take notice of how much of an ace he really is. I guess that's what he gets for never striking out 20 in a game or being Jesus.

[RockRaines]

what a great article, its nice to see that someone actually gets it

[retro1983hat]

Great job. He is the perfect down-to-earth White Sox guy.

 

I know he recently signed for a couple of years. What's his contract situation? Anyone know?

[SnB]

My favorite sox player....by far.

He's always got a smile on his face.

[tonyho7476]

When you come right down to it Mark Prior and Kerry Wood and their whiny, b****-made attitudes can't hold MB's jock strap.  Give me the Burly-mon over those 2 drama queens any day of the week.

 

AMEN. Love the Buehrle!

[TheBlackSox8]

The Sox are lucky to have a guy like Buehrle. He is what a MLB ball player should be.

[southsider2k5]

Nice piece. Especially with all of the attention that Prior and Wood get, there is no bigger winner in Chicago, period.

[bjm676]

 

Great piece. Buehrle hands down is the best pitcher in the city. You never see him have any hissy fits and he plays through pain. Him, Konerko and Rowand are the heart of the team.

[JUGGERNAUT]

So beautiful it made me

 

NPERA rankings wise he's a step below Hudson, Mulder, or Zito but they didn't pitch at the Cell. When you look at Mark's road #'s I'd put him real close to the big 4.

 

When I see Mark pitch I think of a LH Greg Maddux.

If he had started his career with the Braves I'm sure he'd be close to Greg in wins for the GS.

Mark might not make the HOF on career victories but he could still do it on the strength of post season performances, Cy Young awards, & honorable mentions for the Cy Young awards.

 

My two favorite pitchers in MLB are Randy Johnson & Mark Buehrle.

Edited March 25, 2005 by JUGGERNAUT

[CSF]

What amazes me is how Buerhle has never won less than 14 games since his rookie year, yet has only 1 All-Star appearance to his credit. Guess everybody else can see the talent with the exception of Joe Torre.