WhiteSox.com Piece on Catching Tandum

[AddisonStSox]

If this Scott Merkin is the SouthSide beat writer, he is awfully late on this one.

 

Notes: Catching duo doing the job

06/29/2005 8:15 PM ET

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com

 

DETROIT -- The White Sox pitching staff entered Wednesday night ranked second in the American League with a 3.54 ERA. The starting pitchers carried a 38-14 record and a 3.67 ERA, not to mention 46 quality starts, into Brandon McCarthy's trip to the mound.

 

Credit for this major turnaround, with the starters' ERA sitting 1.35 lower than the 5.02 ERA at this same spot last year, needs to be spread out among general manager Ken Williams, for strengthening the staff, pitching coach Don Cooper and, of course, the pitchers themselves. But the catching tandem of A.J. Pierzynski and Chris Widger, who have done a tremendous job not only preparing for games but also calling games, shouldn't be forgotten in the equation.

 

"The help I've got from those two guys is outstanding," said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "They help each other, and having Widger here is a great opportunity for us to get someone with experience. They stay with the plan and that's good for any pitching staff to have those type of people."

 

Mark Buehrle, who improved to 10-1 following Tuesday's series opener against Detroit, had no problem throwing to Jamie Burke or Ben Davis at the end of the 2004 season. But he points to the staff's stellar overall numbers, not to mention the vast knowledge of opposing hitters in various key situations, as a credit to the current catchers.

 

Buehrle's success over the years can be traced to commanding four pitches, working quickly and hitting his spots. He also follows the plan set out by his catchers, going pretty much with whatever they call.

 

There are a few exceptions. Buehrle cut back on throwing his cutter during the 2004 campaign, but mentioned that the use of the pitch in 2005 depends on which catcher is behind the plate. Pierzynski calls for the cutter more, while Widger likes to go inside with the fastball.

 

But on Tuesday, Buehrle noticed that he was having trouble getting the fastball where he wanted it -- a point that became crystal clear when Brandon Inge flied out to deep center in the fifth on a drive that would have been a home run in many other ballparks. Buehrle suggested to Widger that use of the cutter, which was working well, mixed in with the fastball might be better in those situations.

 

The left-hander joked that he almost made the suggestion apologetically. The pitchers have an extremely high level of trust in their batterymates.

 

"He's the type of guy, usually the day after I pitch, he'll ask me what did I like, what did I dislike, what do I want to change the next time," Buehrle said of Widger. "I almost feel bad saying something because I don't want him to think I don't trust what he's calling or I'm telling him what to do.

 

"I'm just kind of relaying what I was thinking. It was one of those things where I was apologizing when I said it: 'Let's throw a few more cutters, if it's OK with you.'"

 

Rarified air: Tuesday's gritty effort over 6 2/3 innings allowed Buehrle to join teammate Jon Garland, Toronto's Roy Halladay and the Angels' Bartolo Colon as double-digit winners in the AL. Buehrle entered 2005 with at least 14 victories in each of his last four seasons.

 

In fact, Buehrle's latest effort raises his victory total to 75 since 2001, tied with Boston's Curt Schilling for third best in all of baseball during that span. St. Louis' Mark Mulder leads all hurlers with 81 wins, followed by Colon (77). Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson stand one victory behind Buehrle.

 

"That's not bad company to be in," said Buehrle with a smile, mentioning that he heard about this particular statistic following Tuesday's game. "I'll take it every time."

 

Two-game plan: Carl Everett earned a start in left field for Wednesday's second game of the three-game set against Detroit, and Guillen hinted that Everett would be back in action on Thursday afternoon.

 

"I should play him two or three days in a row, because it's not fair to play him one day and then all of a sudden, whether he performs good or bad, I put him back on the bench," said Guillen of Everett, who entered Wednesday with a .268 average, 11 home runs and 46 RBIs.

 

"We need another lefty bat, and that gives me a chance to shuffle my lineup," added Guillen of Everett's start against Jason Johnson. "We have a long way to go, but besides that, I need to keep Carl Everett sharp."

 

Guillen plans to start Widger on Thursday, keeping Pierzynski from playing a day game after a night game. He also talked about resting Scott Podsednik, with left-hander Mike Maroth on the mound for Detroit.

 

Having Everett's presence and contributions were huge plusses for the White Sox during Frank Thomas' prolonged absence as he rehabbed his surgically repaired left ankle. But Everett's solid outfield defense has given Guillen another way to use the talented switch-hitter, as well as keeping his players fresh.

 

"I can rest my three outfielders, and it's nice for us to be able to do that," Guillen said. "If Carl continues to play the outfield the way he is, it's easier for me to make the lineup."

 

Down on the farm: Daniel Haigwood picked up the victory in the Carolina League's 8-0 triumph over the California League during All-Star action on Tuesday. The hurler from Class A Winston-Salem struck out two over one hitless inning, while Ehren Wasserman fanned one during one inning of relief. Thomas Collaro chipped in two hits and drove in a run, while Leo Daigle finished 1-for-3 to complete the Warthogs' production.

 

Five Birmingham players were selected as Southern League All-Stars, led by closer Bobby Jenks. The right-hander ranks second in saves with 17. Starting pitchers Nick Lubisich and Ryan Meaux, catcher Chris Stewart and designated hitter Casey Rogowski join Jenks on the roster.

 

Coming soon: Freddy Garcia tries to extend his personal winning streak to five when he makes his 16th start of the season on Thursday afternoon in Detroit. The right-hander appears to be the perfect pitcher to complete the three-game series, as he's compiled a 12-1 record with a 2.59 ERA over his last 17 day starts. Garcia has an 8-4 lifetime mark against the Tigers.

[Rowand44]

AJ imo has been the MVP of this team though there are a lot of candidates for that distinction but AJ is a huge reason for this teams success.