Vazquez to pitch opener

[southsideirish71]

Mark is not injured, and that has nothing to do with this. This has more to do with splitting up the kids which they have said for a few months now, and also splitting up two lefty pitchers. The kid who is working hard on similar pitches to Buerhle. The entire idea of rotation placement is about making sure you have the correct matchups, and the split the style of pitchers up. You want to make the batters uncomfortable. The easiest way to have comfort is to have Buerhle and then Danks who right now is Buerhle lite.

 

To me the home opener is more of the honor, and that is why Buerhle gets to open the park up at home.

 

 

 

[Rowand44]

10-9 3.63

15-8 3.74

 

33% more wins, fewer loses. Too simple? I'm discounting spring training for this and would regardless of which way it would fall.

Wins and losses really mean nothing to me, especially with a team like last years. Buehrle had the better era, Vaz had much better peripherals. Both were great for most of the season, but imo this is Buehrle's team and he deserves to start opening day. But like I said, not that big of a deal.

[DBAHO]

I actually thought this may have something to do with Danks and Floyd.

 

The plan all off-season was for Danks to be the 3rd guy and Floyd to be the 5th starter. Maybe Gavin's impressed KW and Ozzie a lot so far, and they've decided to bump him up at John's expense?

 

And because they don't want righties and lefties going back to back when possible, they just decided to flip - flop MB and JV.

 

Unless there is something wrong with MB as fathom speculated, but I would certainly hope that's not the case.

[southsideirish71]

I actually thought this may have something to do with Danks and Floyd.

 

The plan all off-season was for Danks to be the 3rd guy and Floyd to be the 5th starter. Maybe Gavin's impressed KW and Ozzie a lot so far, and they've decided to bump him up at John's expense?

 

And because they don't want righties and lefties going back to back when possible, they just decided to flip - flop MB and JV.

Unless there is something wrong with MB as fathom speculated, but I would certainly hope that's not the case.

 

Ding Ding the Aussie wins the prize.

 

 

 

 

 

[fathom]

I actually thought this may have something to do with Danks and Floyd.

 

The plan all off-season was for Danks to be the 3rd guy and Floyd to be the 5th starter. Maybe Gavin's impressed KW and Ozzie a lot so far, and they've decided to bump him up at John's expense?

 

And because they don't want righties and lefties going back to back when possible, they just decided to flip - flop MB and JV.

 

Unless there is something wrong with MB as fathom speculated, but I would certainly hope that's not the case.

 

Before someone says I'm just being pessimistic, my reason for wondering if Buehrle is hurt has to do with the fact that just a week ago, he said he couldn't get any zip on the ball. When combined with him already getting moved back a day or two, it just made me wonder.

[southsideirish71]

Before someone says I'm just being pessimistic, my reason for wondering if Buehrle is hurt has to do with the fact that just a week ago, he said he couldn't get any zip on the ball. When combined with him already getting moved back a day or two, it just made me wonder.

 

This has happened to Buerhle every spring training. I wouldnt read too much into it. Spring training you have a few dead arm periods as you break through some conditioning barriers. It happens to a ton of pitchers. Look at Eric Bedard, or batting practice to the sox the other day.

[SoxAce]

I Told You Kalapse Edited March 13, 2008 by SoxAce

[DBAHO]

Yeah MB has gone through dead arm periods before. If you look at his splits in past seasons, sometimes he has a bad month every now and then, where he just gets hit a lot, and that's from losing a bit of velocity etc.

 

But it's only ST, and I'm not really concerned with what happens here, so long as nobody gets injured. We need all our top players firing from day 1.

 

And Irish71, I hope it's something good I win.

[Texsox]

Wins and losses really mean nothing to me, especially with a team like last years. Buehrle had the better era, Vaz had much better peripherals. Both were great for most of the season, but imo this is Buehrle's team and he deserves to start opening day. But like I said, not that big of a deal.

 

You are right, all the intangibles point to Mark and I am a little sad it isn't him, kind of like an era is ending. I also think the whole "don't want two similar pitchers back to back" thing is overrated. By the time hitters get to this level, they are so good at adjusting, it doesn't matter as much. I remember an article several years ago that showed statistically it wasn't significant. But this team can use every edge, so why not.

 

Put another way, if Mark was coming off a DL stint and his first day back happened to be immediatly after a Danks start, they would not hold him back another day, they would get him out there.

 

Barring injuries, the 1 and 2 guys would get 33 starts, 3, 4, & 5 would get 32 starts.

[southsideirish71]

Yeah MB has gone through dead arm periods before. If you look at his splits in past seasons, sometimes he has a bad month every now and then, where he just gets hit a lot, and that's from losing a bit of velocity etc.

 

But it's only ST, and I'm not really concerned with what happens here, so long as nobody gets injured. We need all our top players firing from day 1.

 

And Irish71, I hope it's something good I win.

 

 

I should be in Adelaide later this year, so it might be a pint I buy you. How is that.

 

 

 

[Vance Law]

I actually thought this may have something to do with Danks and Floyd.

 

The plan all off-season was for Danks to be the 3rd guy and Floyd to be the 5th starter. Maybe Gavin's impressed KW and Ozzie a lot so far, and they've decided to bump him up at John's expense?

Well, yes, this is exactly what Ozzie said.

 

 

And because they don't want righties and lefties going back to back when possible, they just decided to flip - flop MB and JV.

 

No, there still will be righties going back to back. Just as there would have to be in any configuration with 3 righties. Now it is #3 Floyd and #4 Contreras.

 

Unless there is something wrong with MB as fathom speculated, but I would certainly hope that's not the case.

 

Two and a half weeks before the season starts, they have decided that Buehrle is too injured to start on opening day, so they are benching him for an entire........day.....when invariably he would be healthy. I don't think it's that.

 

[BearSox]

Vazquez is this team's best starter, so why not have the best be the ace?

[DBAHO]

Well, yes, this is exactly what Ozzie said.

No, there still will be righties going back to back. Just as there would have to be in any configuration with 3 righties. Now it is #3 Floyd and #4 Contreras.

Two and a half weeks before the season starts, they have decided that Buehrle is too injured to start on opening day, so they are benching him for an entire........day.....when invariably he would be healthy. I don't think it's that.

I guess I should have worded my statement better. Most people are going to speculate and say MB isn't the #1 starter because he might be injured etc..

 

And yeah we'll still have Floyd and Contreras go back to back, and to me that's a little surprising, I think if they could possibly flip - flop there still, but Ozzie may want a veteran in the back end of the rotation.

 

But my point was, if you kept Danks at #3, you would have MB at #2 and then Danks at #3, 2 lefties, and then 2 righties at #4 and #5.

 

But maybe it's just a reward for Vazquez. And considering where he was in 2006, it's a fine effort for him to be our "ace" now.

[scenario]

I just re-read the article and I think it may just be speculation.

 

 

(1) Manager Ozzie Guillen said Wednesday Javier Vazquez would be the starter on Opening Day against Cleveland instead of Mark Buehrle, and Gavin Floyd would flop to the third spot in the rotation with John Danks if the season started Thursday.

 

(2) The proposed realignment, which could be solidified as soon as Saturday, would mean left-hander Buehrle would slide to the second spot.

 

(3) Vazquez took the potential Opening Day assignment in stride. "If they tell me Opening Day, that's a great honor. If they tell me the second game, that's great. Fifth game, that's great too. I just want to pitch."

 

 

Possible that Gonzalez is getting ahead of himself to try and be first with a story? He did seem to go out of his way to put in qualifiers: proposed realignment... potential Opening Day assignment... if the season started Thursday... could be solidified by Saturday... etc.

 

We'll see.

Edited March 13, 2008 by scenario

[witesoxfan]

There are a few who pretty much drilled this on the head. It's actually a good strategic move, though when you get down to thinking about it, it's pretty simple.

 

And as for Garland going for Cabrera...it's looking like a s*** deal now, but the one plus, if you want to consider it that, is that with a season similar to last year, Cabrera will be a type A free agent; Garland would have to have like a 2005 type season to be a type A free agent. Also with that, Cabrera can also be resigned at a decent price, whereas Garland would probably cost 5-6 years at $15+ mill a year.

[max power]

I almost mentioned in the "buehrle to start opening day" thread that ozzie said otherwise some time ago. From what I read ozzie sees the two as equals, and the opening day starter was going to be determined by who was the # 3,4 and 5 pitchers.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I wonder if Ozzie asked Buehrle if he would rather start Opening Day, or the Home opener, and Javy would get the other day.

[Controlled Chaos]

This just means Buerhle will be the White Sox home opener starter...

That's what I was coming on here to post. I'm all for that!

[RockRaines]

And that's why it was a stupid deal....but it doesn't mean Garland shouldn't have been moved.

Garland for Cabrera+2 prospects. How is that a bad deal?

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Mark is not injured, and that has nothing to do with this. This has more to do with splitting up the kids which they have said for a few months now, and also splitting up two lefty pitchers. The kid who is working hard on similar pitches to Buerhle. The entire idea of rotation placement is about making sure you have the correct matchups, and the split the style of pitchers up. You want to make the batters uncomfortable. The easiest way to have comfort is to have Buerhle and then Danks who right now is Buerhle lite.

 

To me the home opener is more of the honor, and that is why Buerhle gets to open the park up at home.

 

Agreed. If i was a pitcher and it actually mattered to me, i'd much prefer/be more honored to pitch my home opener than the season opener (assuming of course the season opener was on the road)

 

[Texsox]

The important thing, it would seem, is which Buerhle feels is a higher honor.

[striker]

Danks is money with that cutter. Though he could benefit from being in the 5 hole

[knightni]

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune...._sox/index.html

 

Buehrle's still starting game 1 at Cle.

 

"When I said Wednesday (that Javier Vazquez could start opening day), it was (based on) my feelings," Guillen said of Vazquez, who will now start the second game in Cleveland and the April 7 home opener against Minnesota.

 

It was only a feeling...like gas.