Brian Anderson Needs To Play

If there is one thing White Sox fans know about Ozzie Guillen, it’s that he plays favorites with the guys on his roster. Get on his good side, and you’ll see plenty of at bats. Get on his bad side, and you’ll be riding the bench, or as Brandon McCarthy and Sean Tracy will tell you, shipped out of town.

For whatever reason, Brian Anderson has been unable to reach Guillen’s good side since he began last season as the club’s opening day center fielder. One reason could be because he was playing the shadow of Aaron Rowand. One of the most popular players from the White Sox championship team in 2005, Rowand was dealt to the Phillies in exchange for Jim Thome shortly after the tickertape stopped raining down. Guillen loved Rowand as much as anyone, and maybe any young player thrust into centerfield in his place would have been doomed from the start. Anderson didn’t help himself either by hitting about .180 through the first half of the season. It seemed like no matter how good he was after the all star break, Brian Anderson had already dug himself a pretty deep hole with his manager.

But after the all star game was when Anderson really started to come into his own. He was able to finish the year with a .225 batting average, pretty impressive when you consider how horrible he was the first two months of the season, and emerged as one of the American League’s premier defensive centerfielders. Even as Anderson was cranking out doubles in August and September and providing the club with defense that was at least 90% as good as what Rowand did a year before, Ozzie continued to split his at bats with Rob Mackowiack.

Mackowiack was god awful in center, as he was primarily third basemen for most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he was one of Ozzie’s guys so it really didn’t matter. The platoon was especially curious when you consider the last thing the White Sox needed was more offense. They had four guys jack 30 or more home runs last season, so you would think that the offense would be able to withstand Anderson hitting eighth or ninth. The Sox main problem in 2006 was their pitching, a department where Anderson’s stellar defense could have helped by saving some more runs late in the season.

The only move the White Sox made in the offseason was signing veteran Darren Erstad who was supposed to be Anderson’s competition for the centerfield spot in spring training. It must never have really been a competition, however, as Erstad was handed the starting job despite being outperformed in spring by Anderson.

After only getting seven at bats through the first 11 games of this season, now is the time for Anderson to start playing more. Erstad has been anything but spectacular so far, only hitting .189, and while his defense is better then Mackowiack’s was last season, it still isn’t what Anderson brings to the table.

I know Ozzie likes Erstad because he’s a gritty veteran and because it allows him to hit Iguchi deeper in the lineup, but Brian Anderson deserves another shot. Looking at the situation objectively, playing Anderson would be far better for the future of the ball club. Anderson’s only 24 and Sox should see what they really have in him. They already traded away one centerfield who looks like he’s going to be a future star, Chris Young in Arizona, so the organization owes it to themselves to see what Anderson can give them. Unless your name is Delmon Young, young players always have trouble adjusting to major league pitching, and Anderson showed solid improvement offensively in last year’s second half. He already brings great defense, and if the kid gets regular at bats, who knows, he might even start to hit consistently.

But the way Guillen is using Anderson so far this season is pretty much the worst way possible. It would be better for him to playing everyday in Triple-A Charlotte then to be rotting on the bench in the majors. If the Sox don’t start to give Anderson a shot at more playing time soon, then they may never know how good he could have been.

Starters Carrying White Sox

Despite only having a .500 record, Ozzie Guillen has to like what he’s seeing from his Chicago White Sox so far this season. While the middle of the lineup has gotten off to a slow start, the starting pitching has picked up the load, showing signs that a poor 2006 may have been an aberration.

Every starter has now pitched twice and they have all thrown the ball better in their second start. The rotation’s biggest surprise thus far has to be Javier Vazquez. Vazquez was inconsistent last season as he struggled to get out of the fifth inning, but this year he has pitched better than any Sox starter. Leading the rotation with a 1.50 ERA, Vazquez is keeping himself out of trouble because he is striking guys out. In his two games he has pitched 12 innings and has 12 strikeouts. If that ratio holds throughout the season, the extension he recently signed, 3 years for more than 30 million dollars, will be viewed as a bargain.

Jose Contreas had a horrible opening day against the Indians but pitched great in his second start in Oakland. Though he had trouble getting his split finger over the plate for strikes, Contreras still went six innings and allowed only one run against a pesky A’s lineup. No one expects him to pitch as well as he did through the middle of last season, winning 17 straight decisions at one point, but he will have to steady for the White Sox to keep pace in the AL Central. Even though he was the opening day starter the Sox really don’t need him to be a true ace. If he can eat up innings and keep his walks down, Contreras should have a good 2007.

He was viewed as a question mark coming into the season, but John Danks has pitched better than anyone expected through his first two major league starts. The only runs he has given up this season have come off home runs and Danks hasn’t let the dingers rattle him. He’s shown tremendous poise on the mound for such a young pitcher and is living up to his lofty billing so far. Danks pitched well on Saturday against the Indians, going 5 1/3, allowing 7 hits, but only two runs.

The Sox other two starters, Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle, have been predictably solid to open the season. Buehrle had an awful second half in 2006 which seemed to lower expectations for him this year. People seem to forget that he has only had two bad halves his entire career and is showing that he will return to form this season. Pitching seven strong innings and giving up three runs against the A’s on Friday, Buehrle proved that a wrist injury he suffered in his first start had no lingering effect. While the game Buehrle pitched on Wednesday was good, Jon Garland was dominate the day before. Garland allowed just three hits in his second start on Tuesday against the A’s, going seven innings and not allowing an earned run. Winning 18 games each of the last two seasons, Garland was second in AL in victories in 2006, only behind Johan Santana.

If Garland can pitch the way he has the past two seasons, and if Buehrle can keep from going into a prolonged slump, the two should carry the White Sox rotation. Vazquez hasn’t pitched this good since he was in Montréal, and his performance this season could decide who wins the AL Central. Contreras just has to keep the offense in the game and anything the Sox get from Danks this season has to be considered gravy. The middle of the lineup will start hitting eventually and Scott Podsednik and Juan Uribe, two players who struggled mightily in 2006, have been spectacular so far. Though the season is only ten games old, the White Sox are already showing they should compete in 2007.

White Sox Thoughts

Sox thoughts through week 1. Record:3-3

• Good to Scotty Pods starting off hot, he’s as important he’s as important as anyone in the lineup. Hitting over .360 coming into Oakland, Podsednik went 3-4 with a homer on Monday and scored a couple runs. All the nagging injuries he’s had since the second half of 2005 might be finally healed now, and that would be huge for the top of the Sox order.

• Mixed thoughts on Darrin Erstad so far. I really thought Brian Anderson was going to break out this season- now it seems clear that he’s not in the White Sox future plans. Because they’re paying Erstad in peanuts, he was a good signing no matter what. Veteran’s like Erstad are important in the clubhouse; he’s a good veteran presence who knows how to steal a base and still has a little speed left. He also let’s Ozzie hit Iguchi seventh or eighth, which is something they wanted to do last season but Uribe couldn’t handle the heat in the 2 hole.

• You have to be impressed with John Danks. Making his first major league start against the best pitcher in baseball, the only runs he allowed came from a three jack hit by the reigning AL MVP. Its good Danks was able to make the rotation this year because it gives him a full season where he won’t have too much pressure on him. With Buerhle maybe leaving after this season, and with Contreas getting old and bad, Danks could be the third starter next season if he continues to develop.

• The bullpen has pitched well so far. Massett, Sisco, and Aardsma all look legit. Massett could play a big role this season because he’s the Sox only long reliever, and Sisco looks as good as advertised. Aardsma has the highlight of the season so far, coming in with the bases loaded against the Indians and striking out the side. It was a little reminiscent of El Duque in game three of the 2005 ALDS against the Red Sox.

At Least This Takes My Mind Off How Much I Hate Lance Briggs

What a difference a year makes. As a White Sox fan, this season can't start soon enough, which is the opposite of how I felt last year. I've heard fans of other teams say this before, and it's completely true. In baseball, probably more than any other sport, when your team wins the World Series you don't want the next season to start. It just feels like it comes too fast.

"Baseball? That can't start this soon. WE ALREADY WON BASEBALL"

But this year I'm ready to go. You know that part in the Super Bowl Shuffle where Steve Fuller sings "Bring on Atlanta, bring on Dallas"? That's how I feel about this White Sox season. Bring on Cleveland. CC Sabathia is a fat asshole and their closer is Joe Borowski. How embarassing. Detroit? Their whole lineup hit like .265 last year, they just got timely hitting. That's a lot of luck, no way do they replicate that this year. Plus, Guitar Hero 2 is coming out soon for Xbox 360, so you know Zumaya's screwed. And Minnesota could have been the favorite in the AL if Liriano didn't get hurt, but losing him and Radke is going to be a tough blow for that pitching staff, no matter how good Matt Garza is.

And the Sox are LOADED this season. It's a team that won 90 games in 2006 and everyone was fucking pissed. They realistically could have won 110 if the dumb shit didn't happen, like their bullpen imploding (Cliff Polite's ERA in 05: 2.00. In 2006: 8.70), Buerhle having a horrible second half, and Vazquez not being able to get out of the fifth inning. That stuff probably won't happen again this season.

And what's not to like about the Good Guys? How many teams have four proven starting pitchers and four guys in the middle of their lineup that can hit .300/30/100? We got JD and Buerhle in contract years. Our entire bullpen throws 100 mph. We have John 'Muthafuckin' Danks.

I'm not saying the White Sox going to win the World Series again, because crazy things can happen in baseball (like the Cards winning the World Series three months after the Sox beat them about 38-7 in the first two games of a three game interleague set). But the Sox should crush some teams this year, and win a ton of games. If nothing else, this season should take away the sour taste 2006 left in everyone's mouth, and could be one of the most exciting in White Sox history.

Gavin Floyd...Ouch

That Freddie Garcia trade is looking worse and worse as the White Sox approach the beginning of the 2007 season. I wasn’t opposed to the idea of trading Garcia, but it sure looks like the Sox didn’t get enough back for their Venezuelan workhorse. Garcia was obviously expendable because he’s an aging starting pitcher that was losing velocity with only one year left on his contract, and that was before the McCarthy deal so the Sox had one too many starters in the first place. The only problem is Floyd, the main return from the trade, has had a horrible spring training, and truth be told is probably the organization’s seventh best starting pitcher right now. That’s not saying much for a guy who is already 24 (the fourth pick in the same draft that produced Joe Mauer) and was the front runner for the fifth starter job at the beginning of camp. After getting beaten out for the last spot in the rotation by a 21 year old kid who everyone thought needed at least one more year of seasoning in the minors, Floyd got worked yesterday by the Angels, going 3 inning, giving up 6 hits and 4 earned runs. It now appears as if he’ll begin his season in AAA. It already feelings like this trade rests on Gio Gonzalez’s shoulders, because Floyd doesn’t seem to have the make up to cut in the big leagues.

Sox Name Danks Fifth Starter

The most competitive battle of spring training was settled Saturday, when manager Ozzie Guillen named John Danks the fifth starter in the White Sox rotation. Everyone knew Danks had more talent then his competiton, Gavin Floyd and Charlie Haegar, but he surprised the White Sox with his poise and prescense on the mound. With four veterens ahead of him in the rotation and a bullpen that was rebuilt in the offseason, Danks won't be asked to carry a heavy burden this season. Still only 21, Danks is considered the future of the rotation for a team that sold off two starters in the offseason and could see another one, Mark Buerhle, leave at the end of 2007. The only problem anyone has with Danks winning this job is worry that he is being rushed to the big leagues. As the White Sox know as well as anyone, throwing a young pitcher into the big league fire too soon could ruin his entire career. Who could ever forget the trainwrecks in 2004 that were Arnie Munoz, Josh Stewart, and Felix Diaz? Still if Danks was the fifth best starting pitcher in spring training, then you have to give him the job. He earned it. The move also gives the White Sox a second lefty in the rotation, and the team could keep 3 others in the bullpen.