Linebrink healthy, Sox pen in good shape

[southsider2k5]

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=273388

 

With a healthy Linebrink, Sox bullpen in good shape

By Scot Gregor | Daily Herald Staff

 

Most holds in major-league baseball since 2004:

 

Scot Shields 143

 

Scott Linebrink 130

 

Tom Gordon 97

 

Chad Qualls 97

 

Damaso Marte 96

 

The White Sox aren't making excuses, but they often wonder what might have been in 2008 had Carlos Quentin, Joe Crede and Jose Contreras stayed healthy.

 

"It is what it is, and you either win or you lose," Sox general manager Kenny Williams said. "We had great health in 2005 and won it all, so I'm not complaining. I'm just saying it would have been interesting if we were fully loaded to see what would have transpired."

 

Quentin (fractured wrist) and Crede (back) both went down in early September and never returned. Neither did Contreras (ruptured Achilles' tendon), who was injured on Aug. 9.

 

And don't forget about Scott Linebrink.

 

One of the White Sox' most effective players over the first half of the season, the veteran relief pitcher had a 1.36 ERA and led the American League with 19 holds heading into July.

 

Teams hoping to beat the Sox over the first three months of the season had to do their damage early, because Linebrink was lethal in the eighth inning, and closer Bobby Jenks presented a similar obstacle in the ninth.

 

"The bullpen was set up great," Linebrink said at SoxFest last month. "And you have to give a lot of credit to Matt (Thornton) and Octavio (Dotel). Whether they were pitching in the sixth inning or the seventh inning, sometimes they were pitching both of those innings, they did a good job."

 

The White Sox' relief corps took a big hit in early July, when Linebrink felt an odd pain in the back of his throwing shoulder after pitching back-to-back games against the Oakland A's.

 

That was on July 5-6. The 32-year-old reliever made just 10 appearances the rest of the season and was never much of a factor.

 

A workhorse pitcher, Linebrink is still baffled by the injury.

 

"Sometimes things just pop up from out of nowhere, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it," Linebrink said. "It was really frustrating, but it's over and done with and I'm finally back to where I should be."

 

That likely means opposing teams are going to have to score runs early again.

 

"We've got a strong pen coming back," Linebrink said. "Having Thornton and Dotel and Bobby Jenks back there, and then you add guys like (Ehren) Wasserman and D.J. Carrasco, there are several good arms down there."

 

Out of modesty, Linebrink did not mention himself.

 

"I'm really looking forward to getting back out there," Linebrink said. "I came back at the end last year, but I was still working through some stuff and I had some issues with the tendinitis."

 

When the season ended, Linebrink headed to his off-season home in rural Taylor, Texas, and did nothing.

 

"I just made up my mind that I was going to take a couple months off and let it calm down," said Linebrink, who signed a four-year, $19 million contract with the White Sox prior to last season. "That's really what I needed. You can do all the strengthening in the world, but there are times when that tendinitis sets in and there's nothing you can do about it."

 

Linebrink started throwing in early January and headed into spring training at full strength.

 

"There's a natural tendency to get right after it," Linebrink said. "But the older I get, the more experience teaches me it's better to ease in. We've got seven weeks of spring training this year, so there's no need trying to throw 90 mph in batting practice."

[GoSox05]

I think the bullpen will be good this year if it can stay healthy. I wonder if Ozzie is gonna go six man or seven man bullpen?

[jenksycat]

""We've got a strong pen coming back," Linebrink said. "Having Thornton and Dotel and Bobby Jenks back there, and then you add guys like (Ehren) Wasserman and D.J. Carrasco, there are several good arms down there.""

 

Gross

[elrockinMT]

Linebrink being healthy is good early news... but it's stil early

[elrockinMT]

""We've got a strong pen coming back," Linebrink said. "Having Thornton and Dotel and Bobby Jenks back there, and then you add guys like (Ehren) Wasserman and D.J. Carrasco, there are several good arms down there.""

 

Gross

 

 

Agreed. Ehren doesn't do it for me

[jenksycat]

Agreed. Ehren doesn't do it for me

 

Even Carasco, I give him 2 weeks in the bulpen and if he's not lights out, cut him.

 

Its quite sad that we think guys like D-weezy and Carasco are gonna be awesome players after being s*** for 10+ years in the minors.

[The Ginger Kid]

I wouldn't mind seeing them sign El Duque for long relief and the occasional spot start.

[4 points]

 

Dollars to doughnuts, Linebrink doesn`t hit 25 innings pitched in 2009.

[greg775]

Is this the year Dotel is dominant? There were a lot of Dotel lovers on the site last year.

Six innings from our starter or seven.

Then Linebrink to Dotel to Thornton to Jenks. Or let Thornton finish it off the days he's nasty.

Those other guys are all hacks. These are the four guys to work with.

[southsider2k5]

Is this the year Dotel is dominant? There were a lot of Dotel lovers on the site last year.

Six innings from our starter or seven.

Then Linebrink to Dotel to Thornton to Jenks. Or let Thornton finish it off the days he's nasty.

Those other guys are all hacks. These are the four guys to work with.

 

Dotel was fine until Linebrink got hurt and he got overworked. You could see the life go out of his arm the last month or two of the season.