Sox starters don't care about Wrigley

[southsider2k5]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...tesox-headlines

 

None of the three scheduled White Sox starters for this weekend's games against the Cubs—Freddy Garcia, Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez—ever has pitched at Wrigley Field.

 

"It doesn't matter. I pitch the same way anywhere," said Garcia, who is to start Friday and at least has been to the North Side park. "It's like Yankee Stadium. All the people are screaming. It's fun."

 

Does the game take on added significance because it's against the rival Cubs?

 

"Not to me," he said.

 

Hernandez, who pitched for the Yankees against the Mets in both interleague play and the World Series, is an old hand at this crosstown classic stuff.

 

"I don't pitch to rivalries," Hernandez said. "I pitch for victories."

 

And Wrigley Field?

 

"It doesn't matter. I pitch the same everywhere," he said.

 

Pitching is one thing, batting is another. Because all three starters have spent their entire careers in the American League, there are only interleague statistics and Sox coach Tim Raines' assessment to go on.

 

Garcia, by the numbers, is the best of the three. He has seven hits in 29 career at-bats with eight sacrifice bunts.

 

Contreras is hitless in 11 at-bats (seven strikeouts) and has no sacrifices.

 

Hernandez is 1-for-19 in his career, but the hit came in 1999 and he hasn't batted since 2000. He never has had a sacrifice bunt.

 

"They've been going at it [in early batting practice] every day for the last three days," said Raines, who is the unofficial bunting instructor.

 

"[Hernandez] is a pretty good athlete, so are [Mark] Buehrle and [Jon] Garland. Contreras I'm not sure about. He's the most unorthodox. It's kind of tough to tell him what to do. I have to tell [coach/interpreter Joey Cora].

 

"They all look pretty good. But it's different when a guy is rapid-firing at you. I think a lot of times a pitcher will get up there and think he has to bunt every pitch."

 

Raines said Neal Cotts and Cliff Politte were among the relievers who were impressive.

 

"I hit some in college (Illinois State)," Cotts said. "I think I only had two at-bats in a real game, [but] I was recruited as an outfielder/pitcher."

 

In his only major-league at-bat last summer, Cotts doubled.

 

Politte is 3-for-32 in his career with one double and two RBIs.

 

"The bottom line," Raines said, "is that the game will tell how good they are."

[sec159row2]

I am not wagering on this series this year... I have a policy of not picking on the handicapped...

[mreye]

I heard Buerhle on MJ&H yesterday rip on Wrigley. Harry asked about pitching in the beautiful Wrigley Field. He said he doesn't like it actually and talked about the small clubhouse and how the dugout bench was so small you have to sit on somebody's lap. Ha! Good stuff!

[Soxy]

I heard Buerhle on MJ&H yesterday rip on Wrigley. Harry asked about pitching in the beautiful Wrigley Field. He said he doesn't like it actually and talked about the small clubhouse and how the dugout bench was so small you have to sit on somebody's lap. Ha! Good stuff!

He could sit on my lap any day. *Any* day.

[mreye]

He could sit on my lap any day. *Any* day.

[southsider2k5]

And for a laugh, here is Ozzie's take on the Deadly Confines

 

Guillen, who complained he had to park at McDonald's across from Wrigley Field last summer, said he had received "my parking ticket" for this weekend's series against the Cubs.

 

Because of their success, the Sox are drawing more national media attention. On Tuesday, out-of-town television crews trying for some new sound bytes asked Guillen if this was a fan's first day in Chicago, which park should he visit.

 

"If you come to watch a baseball game, the team to watch right now is the White Sox because we're in first place," he said. "If you want to visit another museum, go to Wrigley Field."

 

He also said that "if you come to Chicago and you don't see Wrigley Field, you're missing something."

[EvilJester99]

He could sit on my lap any day. *Any* day.

You sure its your lap he can sit on?? Makes me think of the Monty Python song "Sit on my face" "Sit on my face and tell me that you love me, I will sit on your face and tell you I love you too. I love to hear you oralize when I'm between your thighs...you blow me away"!! you get the idea

Edited May 18, 2005 by EvilJester99

[knightni]

"It doesn't matter. I pitch the same way anywhere," said Garcia

 

[southsider17]

You sure its your lap he can sit on??   

 

 

Hey Jester, can you get your avitar to sit on something for me?

[LosMediasBlancas]

I won't be surprised one bit if Count and Dookie step up big time. After Yankee stadium, Wrigley won't faze them one bit. They're both big pressure pitchers.

[bjm676]

Another reason to love Buehrle. Don't know if this really fits in this thread, though.

 

The crosstown series is three days away, but it never is too early to stir up a little controversy. Mark Buehrle, who will pitch Wednesday for the White Sox against the Texas Rangers, will miss this season's first Sox-Cubs matchup and will be left to squirm on the bench as things are left in the hands of others. Call it unfortunate timing because nobody on the Sox wants to beat the Cubs more than Buehrle.

 

His anti-Cubs mentality began while he was growing up in Missouri as a die-hard St. Louis Cardinals fan and continued during his upbringing in the Sox organization.

 

So Buehrle was asked if he ever would consider signing with the Cubs as a free agent.

 

''It depends,'' he said. ''It's one of those things that if no team in baseball wants me and they do, I'll go over there and sign. But I have my places that in the back of my mind -- I'm not saying Wrigley -- there are a couple of cities that if I was a free agent and they offered me, I wouldn't go there. Even if it came down to however much money, I just wouldn't feel comfortable going to those places to play.''

 

Buehrle, who likes the outdoors, never has been fond of New York.

 

''New York may be one of them,'' he said. ''I'm not going to come out and say right now.''

 

And he certainly never has been fond of the Cubs.

 

''My fiancee would have more of a say,'' Buehrle said. ''I think she'd root for the opposing team if I did pitch for the Cubs. She'd root for me to lose every time.''

 

OK, here's a scenario: Only the Cubs and Kansas City Royals offer a contract.

 

''I ain't going to say anything to get myself in trouble,'' he said. ''I just know there are a couple of places I wouldn't go play, and let's leave it at that.''

[Queen Prawn]

He has one smart fiancee lol.

[Controlled Chaos]

  I was recruited as an outfielder/pitcher.

 

In his only major-league at-bat last summer, Cotts doubled.

 

 

ahhh...the answer to our Jermaine Dye problem

[TheBlackSox8]

I won't be surprised one bit if Count and Dookie step up big time.    After Yankee stadium, Wrigley won't faze them one bit. They're both big pressure pitchers.

they can't fall in there walk-modes....game can go to hell real quick, evident by el duque's last outing.

[Punch and Judy Garland]

I hope you are right about Jose but let's not annoint him "pressure pitcher" yet. He was traded from there for nto being very good. In fact, his only real success in NY came out of the pen. He's been solid in 05 though