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Francona on Podsednik


Steve9347

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I haven't seen this posted anywhere...

 

Francona unsure when, how he'll use Podsednik

 

 

By Mark Gonzales

Tribune staff reporter

 

July 7, 2005, 11:37 PM CDT

 

 

Speed is Scott Podsednik's forte, but it's not axiomatic that the White Sox left fielder will be used in a specific situation in Tuesday's All-Star Game at Detroit after being voted in as the American League's 32nd player.

 

"I hope Scott Podsednik helps us win this game," AL and Red Sox manager Terry Francona said Thursday during a conference call. "But when you come down to those last five names, it's such a difficult choice."

 

Francona and National League manager Tony La Russa of St. Louis expressed surprise Podsednik received enough support from fans and teammates to overtake six-time AL All-Star Derek Jeter and Yankees teammate Hideki Matsui, who won in last year's voting for the 32nd player.

 

"I'm sure Scott appreciated that," La Russa said. "It shows the fans are paying attention. He's part of the reason the Sox are in first place."

 

Said Francona: "It seems like Chicago fans got behind it."

 

But Tampa Bay center fielder Carl Crawford, who finished fifth on the five-player AL ballot, questioned the Sox's methods that included their players' votes.

 

"I don't know how that's going to go over with the players, campaigning like that," Crawford told the St. Petersburg Times late Wednesday. "It's a little bush league, probably."

 

Podsednik and Crawford are represented by the same agents.

 

Second-half push

 

Jose Contreras has vowed to help the Sox's pitching staff more in the second half after going 4-5 with a 4.26 ERA in the first half.

 

"I feel I hurt the team in the first half, but I feel I can contribute in the second half," he said. History sides with Contreras.

 

He has a 4.52 ERA for the second half during his career, compared with a 5.36 ERA in the first half. Last year Contreras barely lowered his ERA from 5.64 in the first half with the Yankees to 5.40 in the second half, mostly with the Sox.

 

A success curve

 

Rookie Bobby Jenks wowed the fans Wednesday with the 97-m.p.h. fastball he threw with relative ease, but Jenks was just as happy that he recorded the final two outs on curves.

 

"Early in my career I couldn't locate a curve," Jenks said. "But I got a ground ball in a big situation, with a guy at second and less than two outs."

 

Jenks had to change the grip on his curve and underwent surgery last July after suffering a stress reaction to his right pitching arm.

 

"Now that I'm healthy, I can throw any pitch at any time," he said.

Edited by Steve9347
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QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Jul 8, 2005 -> 03:53 PM)
OK, I apologize.  I did not mean to make the mistake; if someone can delete this thread, I would be much oblidged.

 

:wacko:

 

 

 

No harm, no foul. This happenes to everyone occasionally.

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QUOTE(Jimenez4MVP @ Jul 8, 2005 -> 05:37 PM)
I hope they dont try to use him as a pinch runner.. I know that may sound crazy, but you know the NL will KNOW he is going to attempt a steal and I dont want to see him get thrown out..

 

The world knows he's going to steal. Yet he continues to outrun 'em. Put him in a later inning and let him run. Hell, tell the other team he's running and dare them to throw him out.

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QUOTE(Texsox @ Jul 8, 2005 -> 06:48 PM)
The world knows he's going to steal. Yet he continues to outrun 'em. Put him in a later inning and let him run. Hell, tell the other team he's running and dare them to throw him out.

 

... then he follows that up by getting picked off.

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