Week 3 ST review

[southsider2k5]

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune....ng-version.html

 

Spring training review, week 3

 

By Phil Rogers

 

Countdown to Opening Day: 27 days, and crawling.

 

THE BIGGEST THING THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK

 

Non-Chicago division: Alex Rodriguez was once again front and center, this time for an injury. He is undergoing the first of two surgeries needed on his ailing hip today and is expected to be sidelined through April, if not longer. It remains to be seen if this procedure will fix the problem, as doctors say he will need a second, more extensive, procedure after the season. You can't blame the Yankees for crossing their fingers because Rodriguez is essential to everything they are doing, and they do not have a backup plan. Cody Ransom could get third base at-bats -- not a good thing on a team whose payroll is almost $200 million. A slow start would put heat on manager Joe Girardi and raise the tension level in the Bronx significantly.

 

White Sox: Gordon Beckham, the 2008 first-round pick, continued to look like a guy who might not need much minor-league seasoning. He also got a start at second base, where he has been working on and off since the Arizona Fall League. You wonder if he could become a 2009 option there if Chris Getz, Jayson Nix and Brent Lillibridge don't have good spring trainings.

 

Cubs: Joey Gathright continued to play well, taking advantage of playing time he might not be getting if Kosuke Fukudome wasn't with Japan in the World Baseball Classic. Because he, like Fukudome, is a left-handed hitter, you wonder if the speedy Gathright couldn't become part of a center-field platoon with Reed Johnson. If he does, Fukudome will officially become a very expensive backup. The Cubs insist Triple-A isn't an option for Fukudome but he's going to need at-bats to get out of the funk he slipped into last season.

 

THE BIGGEST THING THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN

 

Non-Chicago division: San Francisco did not present Manny Ramirez a viable alternative to re-signing with the Dodgers. This was a mistake. Had they stolen him, Ramirez could have made the punchless Giants instant contenders. But instead he signed a complicated two-year deal with the Dodgers, who join Arizona as co-favorites in the NL West.

 

Cubs: Carlos Marmol did not yield to the subtle pressure on him not to pitch for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. The Cubs would have preferred that Marmol stay in Arizona but his heart clearly was with his countrymen. Had Marmol stayed in camp, he may have always resented that he was stuck on the sidelines. He'll be happier when he returns and that is important given his long-term significance to a team that could contend for years.

 

White Sox: Speed remained an abstract ideal, not a reality for the roster. With outfielder candidate Jerry Owens getting thrown out on his first three stolen-base attempts, the Sox entered the week having gone 7-for-14 in stolen bases. They have no one on the roster with more than one steal.

 

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

 

Non-Chicago division: Eric Bruntlett, Phillies -- With Jimmy Rollins out of camp, Bruntlett has been showing why the guys in the background matter. If baseball had a 10th-man award, he would be a contender. A backup at shortstop and in the outfield -- almost anywhere, really -- he entered this week hitting .350 and leading the majors with five stolen bases.

 

White Sox: Josh Kroeger -- A lot of players are going to go through hot streaks during a 38-game spring training, as the Sox are scheduled to play, and Kroeger has recently been the toughest hitter to get out. This is nothing new, really, as he's always been able to hit. The rest of his game has never been considered big-league ready, which is why he'll probably begin 2009 at Triple-A Charlotte and not as an extra outfielder/pinch hitter for Ozzie Guillen.

 

Cubs -- Ryan Theriot -- In an ideal lineup, Theriot is probably a No. 2 hitter. But he does give Lou Piniella a leadoff option. Theriot's best skill, other than just his baseball wites, is the ability to work counts and get on base, and he's showing it. He entered the week batting .476 with a .520 on-base percentage. There's almost no question he'll finish the season with a higher OBP than Alfonso Soriano but it remains to be seen if Piniella will drop Soriano.

 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

 

Non-Chicago division: RHP Tommy Hanson, Braves -- Those who have seen Hanson pitch in Florida rave about him, as did those who saw him in the Arizona Fall League. He ought to find a spot somewhere in Bobby Cox's rotation and easily could be the rare rookie to win double-figure games.

 

Cubs: OF-1B-3B-C Jake Fox -- Like Micah Hoffpauir, Fox is ready to hit big-league pitching. His ability to stay with the Cubs depends on whether he can convince Piniella he can play somewhere in the field (ideally as the backup third baseman) and that's a tough sell. Perhaps Fox will catch the eye of an American League scout. He looks like a future Oakland Athletic.

 

White Sox: RHP Jack Egbert -- He was hyped more last spring but wound up essentially losing the year to elbow injuries that had him behind the rest of the pitchers almost from the start. He had the elbow cleaned out and now is showing how he can get hitters out despite the lack of a big fastball. The guy's a competitor with a good breaking pitch and might pitch his way into the battle for the fifth starter's job. He'll definitely get roster consideration if he can put together a good first half at Charlotte.

 

GUESSING AT THE OPENING DAY ROSTERS

 

White Sox

 

SP: Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Bartolo Colon, Jose Contreras.

 

RP: Bobby Jenks, Octavio Dotel, Matt Thornton, Scott Linebrink, D.J. Carrasco, Jeff Marquez, Clayton Richard.

 

C: A.J. Pierzynski, Corky Miller.

 

INF: Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, Josh Fields, Jayson Nix, Brent Lillibridge, Wilson Betemit.

 

OF/DH: Jermaine Dye, Carlos Quentin, Dewayne Wise, Brian Anderson, Jim Thome.

 

Changes since last week: Contreras in, Marquez moved to bullpen, Ben Broussard out as extra bench player as pitching staff goes to 12.

 

Cubs

 

SP: Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Rich Harden, Aaron Heilmanl.

 

RP: Carlos Marmol, Kevin Gregg, Aaron Heilman, Neal Cotts, Sean Marshall, Chad Gaudin, David Patton.

 

C: Geovany Soto, Koyie Hill.

 

INF: Derrek Lee, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, Aramis Ramirez, Aaron Miles.

 

OF: Alfonso Soriano, Milton Bradley, Reed Johnson, Kosuke Fukudome, Micah Hoffpauir, Joey Gathright.

 

Changes since last week: Heilman into the rotation; Marshall into the bullpen; Patton replaces Mike Stanton, and Gathright is squeezed onto roster at the expense of Luis Rivas, leaving only one backup infielder.

[soxfan3530]

no owens huh? or getz???? ...weird.

Edited March 9, 2009 by soxfan3530

[iWiN4PreP]

good read ty

[GoSox05]

Replace Nix with Getz. I think that is pretty close.

[soxfan3530]

Replace Nix with Getz. I think that is pretty close.

I would tend to agree, but i think ozzie and crew will do everything they can to justify owens being on the team. luckily, he is giving them nothing right now.

[Princess Dye]

So what's the deal with Egbert? Is he not really in the mix as a reliever? Article makes it seem like, for the time being, it's 5th starter outside chance, or nothing (regarding opening day)

[Balta1701]

Just stick this here for now...

 

Thome scratched yesterday with tightness in his back. Guillen says it's just precautionary.

 

BP sessions on tap again today for Colon and Contreras.

 

Couple folks optioned to minor league camp yesterday while down...

Pitchers Brad Salmon and Lucas Harrell and infielders Brian Myrow and Sergio Santos were sent to minor-league camp.