White Sox show patience with young pitchers

[DaTank]

From Ken Davidoff's blog. Thought some of you might enjoy this. http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/n...,6907979.column

 

Brian Cashman has become close with his White Sox counterpart Ken Williams over the past few years. You can often see the two men, accompanied by their respective staffs, dining together at the general managers' meetings in November, or at the winter meetings in December.

 

Both GMs have made a clear effort to develop young starting pitchers, and at this moment, Williams is ahead of Cashman. But Williams paid a heavy price for his surprisingly successful 2008 White Sox. It's a price that Cashman might not be able to afford, at this point.

 

The White Sox are leading the American League Central because youngsters John Danks and Gavin Floyd have joined forces with Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras and Javier Vazquez to give Chicago a chance to win every game. Danks, 23, acquired from Texas on December 23, 2006 for another promising young pitcher, Brandon McCarthy, is 4-4 with a 3.13 ERA, recording a WHIP of 1.272.

 

Floyd, 25, picked up from the Phillies on Dec. 6, 2006 as part of a package for Freddy Garcia, is 7-3 with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.072 WHIP.

 

Amazing, right? What vision by Williams!

 

But look at what the White Sox endured last year, to get here: Danks went 6-13 with a 5.50 ERA and a 1.540 WHIP. Floyd went 1-5 with a 5.27 ERA and 1.486 WHIP.

 

The key, opined one major-league official who watches the White Sox closely, was that it was clear, by the season's halfway mark, that Ozzie Guillen's bunch wasn't going to contend for the postseason.

 

"That makes it whole lot easier to stick with some kids," the official said.

 

When the Sox obtained Floyd, who dabbled in the big leagues with the Phillies from 2004 through 2006, they knew they wanted him to experience success. So they began his 2007 with Triple-A Charlotte, promoted him to the majors in July and used him out of the bullpen before transferring him to the rotation in late August.

 

Floyd closed out the year with six starts, which "meant nothing in the standings, the official said, "but meant the world to him in terms of proving that he could take his minor-league success and translate it to the big leagues."

 

As for Danks, after a strong 2007 spring training, he enjoyed a somewhat successful start to the season, winning three of his first nine starts and striking out 36 in 51 innings. When he struggled after that, the Chisox stuck with him as he went through some rough times, allowing him to retain the confidence that he was a major-league pitcher.

 

The Yankees can't afford to be as tolerant, not as long as they're trying to win this year as well as in the future. That's why Ian Kennedy earned a ticket back to Scranton when he pitched poorly in April. But the White Sox's success should serve as yet another reminder to the baseball intelligentsia that it takes time - years - to build a pitching staff.

[southsider2k5]

But the White Sox's success should serve as yet another reminder to the baseball intelligentsia that it takes time - years - to build a pitching staff.

 

What a great quote, not only for young pitchers, but hitters as well. They have to learn how to be major leaguers, and how to be successful.

[iamshack]

The one issue I have with this is that is has really not taken too much time for Danks....and Floyd's time was on the Phillies' hands. Williams has managed to acquire and develop these two pitchers in a span of 16 months basically.

 

If it were only that easy...

[Whitewashed in '05]

The one issue I have with this is that is has really not taken too much time for Danks....and Floyd's time was on the Phillies' hands. Williams has managed to acquire and develop these two pitchers in a span of 16 months basically.

 

If it were only that easy...

Well the Yanks have some talent with Hughes and Kennedy. It just seems like Hughes is injury prone and Kennedy hasn't figured it out. I am sure NY isn't helping his confidence either.