van Dyck: White Sox unretire Aparicio’s No.11 for Vizquel

This time it’s the No. 11 of Luis Aparicio, the only Venezuelan Hall of Famer. It will be worn by countryman Omar Vizquel, with the blessing of the former great shortstop.

The White Sox also “unretired” Harold Baines’ No. 3 in 1996 and 2000 when he returned to the team. Baines coaches first base and still wears his jersey number.

How will this affect his Hall of Fame chances?

Walkoff Walk: Freddy Garcia Does His Best Cubs Fan Impression (Video)

Its a thing to do, kids will laugh at you
So do the Freddy

Either Chicago White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia showed up to SoxFest 2010 with a little flask full of social lubricant or he just does a spot-on impersonation of a typical Cubs fan when he’s busy bashing ‘em. See, because they like to drink. A lot. Heck, I haven’t seen a baseball player this tipsy since the time Miguel Cabrera dove headfirst into a barrel full of Cachaça at MarlinsFest 2006.

The travails of J.J. Putz and the Mets

Putz has dropped a bombshell with an interview he conducted this week with Comcast Chicago (he recently signed with the White Sox). Putz makes a couple of inflammatory charges: One, that the Mets never gave him a physical after the trade with Seattle, and two, they told him not to mention his arm problems to the media. Putz underwent surgery to remove the spur in June. He returned in August, but experienced forearm discomfort and was eventually shut down for good.

Here are the key quotes:

Rozner: Sox hoping Frank Thomas phones home

“The door is open,” said White Sox GM Ken Williams. “It’s pretty much in his court as far as what he wants to do.”

Despite his conflicts with Thomas in the past, Williams said it’s all forgotten, and he was in favor of Thomas returning last year so that he could retire in a Sox uniform.

“If he felt like the time was right to come back for a day and retire with this uniform, I think everyone here wants that to happen,” Williams said of Thomas, who hasn’t played since August 2008. “I don’t know that we’d want it to be an official appearance, because then you’d have to restart the clock on his Hall of Fame status.”

As of now, Thomas will be eligible for a Hall election in January 2014, and with the steroids revelations of the past few years, Thomas has gone from a mere possibility to a virtual lock in the eyes of many voters who see him as one of the clean players in a dirty era of baseball.

It would seem that he’s done playing, but there are rumors out there that Thomas wants to try one more time.

WTF...And have an 0 fer 30 streak Mantleize your batting average?!

Keith Law: Top 100 prospects

NO.  PLAYER
1 Jason Heyward, OF, ATL
2 Stephen Strasburg, RHP, WAS
3 Carlos Santana, C, CLE
4 Buster Posey, C, SFO
5 Mike Stanton, OF, FLA
6 Desmond Jennings, OF, TAM
7 Martin Perez, LHP, TEX
8 Dustin Ackley, CF, SEA
9 Justin Smoak, 1B, TEX
10 Jesus Montero, C, NYY
11 Brian Matusz, LHP, BAL
12 Starlin Castro, SS, CHC
13 Neftali Feliz, RHP, TEX
14 Domonic Brown, RF, PHI
15 Wade Davis, RHP, TAM
16 Aroldis Chapman, LHP, CIN
17 Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, TAM
18 Casey Kelly, RHP, BOS
19 Aaron Hicks, RHP, MIN
20 Brett Wallace, 1B, TOR
21 Logan Morrison, 1B, FLA
22 Tyler Matzek, LHP, COL
23 Jenrry Mejia, RHP, NYM
24 Michael Taylor, OF, OAK
25 Zach Britton, LHP, BAL

Scouting reports for the top 25 should be free, I think.

Castle: Guillen reunited with kindred soul Pierre

Guillen knows some fans will nit and pick. At the manager’s first public forum Friday, one fan wondered about Pierre’s on-base percentage, which is perhaps 20-25 points lower than the ideal leadoff man. Pierre never has walked much, with 55 his career-high in 2003. But general manager Kenny Williams immediately put aside sabermetric analysis, insisting he’d take the lower OBP for the stolen-base potential Pierre provides.

“Juan can bring a lot of things to the game,” Guillen said. “He’s a true leadoff hitter. He’s worked very hard. He’s got to go (steal) when he’s got to go. That’s why we got him here. I’m going to let Juan play his game.”

Thanks to The Marvelous Rotblatts.

Sox newcomer Juan Pierre knows what to expect from Chicago fans

General manager Ken Williams prefers White Sox players who are “Chicago tough.”

After what Juan Pierre has coped with during his baseball career — which included a 2006 stint with the Cubs during their 96-loss season — Pierre at least won’t be blindsided by the expectations as the Sox’s new leadoff batter.

During Saturday’s question-and-answer session with fans, Williams admitted the Sox think Pierre “is a better fit” than Scott Podsednik, who arguably was their best offensive player last season with a .353 on-base percentage, a .304 batting average and 30 stolen bases despite not joining the Sox until May 1.

At the same time, Williams didn’t sound like the biggest backer of Pierre’s defense.

“I don’t like the way he throws, but he’ll track some balls down,” Williams said.

Actually, the past two seasons with the Dodgers challenged Pierre, who went from bench player to savior after Manny Ramirez served a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

“It can happen at any time,” Pierre said of his benching in 2008, when he started only 19 games in the second half. “It’s not necessary that I got to prove something. I put up a good eight years, and it landed me on the bench. I don’t look (at it) like I have to prove anything.”

“It’s different media here,” Pierre said. “L.A. has a lot, but it’s not sports-like. People love their sports here, and people love to report it. Definitely being on the North Side for a year will help me being on the South Side now, dealing with the whole city, the fans and how they love their baseball.”

EV Tribune: Mesa unveils plan to keep Cubs; vote Monday

Mesa’s plan was developed after months of talks with the team to prevent the Cactus League’s most popular team from accepting a bid from investors near Naples, Fla.

The $84 million plan was drafted on requests that the Cubs had to develop a Wrigleyville-themed complex, Mesa City Manager Chris Brady said. The city would own the stadium and training facilities. Mesa maintains the current training facilities, but Brady said the team wanted to take that expense and gain advertising rights at the new complex.

Ozzie Guillen doesn’t envision Thome in plans

So there is a Chicago Coalition for the Thomeless!

‘’Nobody is a bigger Jim Thome fan than me,’’ Guillen said at U.S. Cellular Field. ‘’But in the meantime, (Thome’s departure) gives this ballclub an opportunity to give more people more at-bats and to be flexible in different ways.’’

Guillen said Mark Kotsay, Andruw Jones, Paul Konerko, Omar Vizquel and Carlos Quentin can serve as the DH.

“To me, it’s easier and we get more production with the team we have now that way,’’ Guillen said.
Guillen pointed put that only a few teams, such as the Red Sox (David Ortiz) and the Indians (Travis Hafner), have full-time DHs. That’s one possible reason why Thome remains available as a free agent.

‘’Fans, they’re not going to be happy about something,’’ Guillen said. “Or a question mark as to why we don’t have a big left-handed hitter. We did for a couple years. The ballclub we had in the past didn’t create that many runs.

“We’re going to play different. We’re not going to wait for guys who can hit 30 home runs. I hope not. I hope they don’t come to the mentality that we need pop.’’

Woodlands Man Sues After Former Major-Leaguer (Allegedly) Assaults Him

Lance Broadway…

A former relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets has been sued for allegedly assaulting a Woodlands man during a New Year’s Eve party in Dallas.

Randy Sorrels, attorney for 25-year-old Ivan Pinney, said his client’s left eye was severely damaged when he was punched and kicked by Lance Broadway, currently a minor-league pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, and Cameron McGuire, who plays for United League Baseball’s Edinburg Roadrunners.

The fracas began, Sorrels told Hair Balls, when Pinney spotted McGuire giving some undue attention to a friend’s girlfriend on the dance floor of the Pegasus Room. Pinney had a quick word with McGuire, Sorrels said, and figured things were resolved. But apparently, this upset Broadway. As Sorrels tells it:

“He’s taken his shirt off, he takes a running start from Ivan’s left-hand side, punching Ivan in the left side of the face, knocking him out. It broke his orbital socket, broke his cheekbone...shattered his nose, detached his retina....”

Sorrels said that McGuire kicked Pinney in the face after he had dropped to his knees. Afterwards, according to Sorrels, a brawl broke out and Broadway punched several women, knocking one out. (A Dallas Police Department spokesperson told Hair Balls that an investigation is ongoing).

Fisk rips McGwire, calls steroids claim ‘a crock’

At least the ball stayed fair...because this sure ain’t.

Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk blasted Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and other alleged or admitted steroid abusers Tuesday, calling McGwire’s claim that steroids did not help him hit more home runs “a crock.”

“They wonder how (steroids) help in baseball and all of that,” said Fisk, who starred for the Red Sox and White Sox. “(McGwire) says, ‘Well, it doesn’t help eye-and-hand coordination.’ Well, of course it does. It allows you more acuity physically and mentally and optically. You are going to be stronger and you are going to be better.

“But this is the point I want to make: When you talk about steroids and you talk about what it means to the game, the three greatest home run hitters of all time—Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays, right? When they were 39 years old, how many home runs do you think they averaged? The three greatest home run hitters of all time averaged 18 home runs at age 39. Now, how many home runs did Barry Bonds hit when he was 39? He hit 73!

...McGwire, who has been hired by the St. Louis Cardinals as the hitting coach, apologized last week for his steroid use as a player, but claimed steroids had nothing to do with him hitting 70 homers in 1998.

“That’s a crock,” Fisk said. “It’s just a crock. Look, there’s a reason they call it performance-enhancing drugs. That’s what it does: performance enhancement. You can be good, but it’s going to make you better. You can be average, but it is going to make you good. If you are below average, it is going to make you average. Some guys who went that route got their five-year, $35 million contracts and now are off into the sunset somewhere. Because once they can’t use (steroids) anymore, they can’t play anymore.

“And steroids, during that time, probably did as much to escalate players’ salaries as did free agency, as did arbitration, and all of that stuff. It did more than just put home runs up on the board or money in the guys’ pocket.”

BA: The Wizard of Waxahachie: Paul Richards and the End of Baseball as We Know It

Corbett had at his disposal a deep pool of resources, including Richards’ 1955 book on managing, titled Modern Baseball Strategy, an unfinished Richards manuscript, two recorded oral histories, and decades’ worth of quotes in newspaper stories and The Sporting News. Every reference is meticulously footnoted. With help from Richards’ daughter and surviving friends in Waxahachie, Corbett has augmented the anecdotes and stats, fleshing out Richards’ life so we can follow him from childhood to his death at 77 on a golf course, the one place he loved above all others, even baseball diamonds.

Some winter reading for you, perhaps.

Yanks’ Bautista one of three suspended

Yankees Minor Leaguer Rony Bautista was one of three players to receive a 50-game suspension on Friday from Major League Baseball for testing positive for substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program...Pitcher Roberto Toribio of the Angels’ organization and outfielder Miguel Negron of the White Sox organization were the other players who had suspensions announced on Friday.

The latest from the Commish’s police blotter. The article kind of buries the lede - Negron was a first-round pick for the Blue Jays in 2000.

Stats: Toribio, Negron.

Cowley: Sox’ Don Cooper pumped up

Seems more like Coop is featherstoned or something.

You can take Don Cooper out of New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, but you can’t take the Hell’s Kitchen out of Don Cooper.

Thank goodness for that.

Asked this week about the pressure facing him and his pitching staff only six weeks from the start of spring training, Cooper already was in midseason form—bleeps and all.

‘’What’s new with that?’’ Cooper replied. ‘’What the [bleep] is new? It starts and ends with the pitching. We carry a heavy responsibility and a responsibility we’ve done a good job carrying out through the years. Since the door hit me on the ass on the way into this job, I’ve been aware of that situation.

‘’From 1 through 11 or 12, everyone has responsibilities. Look, to be a starting pitcher in the American League is a huge responsibility.’’

...’’I’ve had conversations with Peavy this winter, and I can understand why Kenny said that he gets fired up when he talks to Jake,’’ Cooper said. ‘’He gets me fired up when I talk to him, and that’s exciting.

‘’We saw what he does for just three ballgames—the intensity, how infectious it is—but we also saw when he’s just around hanging out in the clubhouse with the guys. It’s infectious, and I’m hoping all 12 guys catch it.’’

ESPN: Simon: Guillen’s World Series champs are a good choice for the best team of the decade

Hate to be impolitte...but no.

You’re going to hear a lot of talk in the next couple of weeks about the 2004 Red Sox or the 2009 Yankees being the “Team of the Decade.” But in looking back through the notes our department compiled, and comparing some of the numbers from the championship teams of the 2000s, the 2005 White Sox are a very legitimate candidate.

-- They won 99 games. Bill James designed a method (Pythagorean projection) to assess how many wins a team should get in a season, based on their runs scored and runs allowed. The White Sox exceeded their Pythagorean projection of 91 wins by eight wins&the most any World Series winner exceeded their Pythagorean projection in the decade.

--You’re going to hear a lot of talk in the next couple of weeks about the 2004 Red Sox or the 2009 Yankees being the “Team of the Decade.” But in looking back through the notes our department compiled, and comparing some of the numbers from the championship teams of the 2000s, the 2005 White Sox are a very legitimate candidate. They hit 200 home runs, not ucommon for a champion during this decade, but they also stole 137 bases, the second-most of any World Series champion in the 2000s.

So you can hook onto the 2004 Red Sox for sentimentality, or the 2009 Yankees for statistical dominance, but if you’re looking for a team with an appropriate combination of both, the 2005 White Sox are a good way to go.

Phil Rosenthal: Sun-Times Media’s photo sale puts focus on maximizing assets

Finally...those Moe Morhardt in action photos will be released!

Sun-Times Media management looked at the photos in its extensive archives, including shots from the Chicago Sun-Times and the late great Chicago Daily News, and what it saw was an untapped asset.

No media company these days can afford to overlook an asset, and sure enough this one has been sold.

The company confirmed as much Friday, although it declined to share any details beyond the fact that the transaction did not include the papers’ intellectual property. That means the company still owns all the copyrights, although that’s only useful if all the aging pics no longer in its physical possession were painstakingly digitally scanned and properly cataloged for later use.

...Pics already are showing up on eBay from a pair of sellers from Arkansas with the user names “narfrontrunners” and “lexibell.”

Photos on the block include vintage pictures of sports icons Michael Jordan and Ernie Banks, apparently straight from the file cabinets. Notes and crop marks remain on some, although “narfrontrunners” helpfully points out these can be removed with a baby wipe.

Now one might quibble with this particular arrangement, especially the haphazard, piecemeal way in which the Sun-Times photographs now seem to be hitting the open market online. Until more is known, it’s hard to say how good or smart a deal it was.

Thanks to Susan Mullen.

EV Tribune: Mesa puts Cubs batting cages on hold

Mesa is refusing to upgrade a ballpark used by the Chicago Cubs unless the team enters more serious negotiations to keep spring training here.

The city was about to sign off on roughly $684,000 for semi-enclosed batting cages but on Thursday decided to hold off until top Mesa officials meet the Cubs in Chicago on Friday.

The city had expected the Cubs would welcome improvements that the team requested, Mayor Scott Smith said. But he noted that when a Chicago sports columnist asked Cubs manager (sic - he’s team president) Crane Kenney about the batting cages, no comment was given.

“The silence that came out of Chicago and the Cubs was deafening,” Smith said.

Philly Burbs: Dick Allen on MLB Network’s “Studio 42 With Bob Costas” Tuesday night

Right after the tenth at the Meadowlands.

With Allen Iverson’s return, people have been naturally drawing comparisons between A.I.’s checkered times in town and Dick Allen’s turbulent relationship with the Phillies and their fans, which continued upon his return in 1975.

Forget the buffoonish sideshow Terrell Owens created and A.I.’s petulant child act. Allen, the slow-to-integrate Phillies’ first African-American superstar, was easily the most controversial athlete to ever play in Philadelphia. Allen’s troubles had as much to do with race relations and narrow minds in the turbulent ‘60s as his own actions. But his often brooding, guarded nature didn’t help matters any.

I’m thinking this should make for a particularly interesting edition of MLB Network’s “Studio 42” tomorrow night (presuming it was recorded after the A.I. signing was announced), when Allen goes one-on-one with Bob Costas. The hour-long chat airs at 8:00 pm.

Chicago Sun Times: Sox Outfield has lots of room for Pierre

A major-league source, however, said the Dodgers’ front office has been told it can move players if it means shedding salary. Guess who is supposed to make $18.5 million over the next two seasons?

If the Sox land Pierre—who is more than on the radar—they would make sure the Dodgers are on the hook for a good portion of what Pierre is owed.

In return, Los Angeles is rumored to not be asking much to get rid of a player they don’t have playing time for.

It would give the Sox the third outfielder they covet, but more important, it would fill the hole at the top of the lineup. Pierre is coming off a 2009 season in which he hit .308 in 380 at-bats, stealing 30 bases and scoring 57 runs.

At 32, he also would be the perfect player to hold down the fort until outfielder Jordan Danks is completely ready to be an every-day player.

Rosenthal: White Sox add righty Putz to bullpen

The White Sox have reached a one-year, $3 million deal with free-agent right-hander J.J. Putz, according to a major-league source.

The deal includes $3.25 million in incentives, $250,000 based on appearances and $3 million based on games finished. The latter incentive gives Putz the ability to earn closer money if he assumes a ninth-inning role.

Putz will join a bullpen that also includes closer Bobby Jenks and left-hander Matt Thornton, strengthening the White Sox late-inning corps.

Putz has played seven major-league seasons, joining the Mets in 2009 after six years in Seattle. He is 23-19 for his career with a 3.24 ERA. He appeared in 29 games with the Mets before an elbow injury ended his season.

Cowley: Sox see (Brett) Gardner as leadoff man

I like to retch.

According to a scout familiar with the situation, the White Sox were one of two teams in the American League Central letting the New York Yankees know during the winter meetings this week that they covet outfielder Brett Gardner. The Kansas City Royals also were wondering what it would take to acquire the promising 26-year-old leadoff hitter.

Williams is friendly with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, and they’ve done deals before. He acquired Jose Contreras from the Yankees in 2004, and the Yankees acquired outfielder Nick Swisher last winter.

Williams and Cashman know each other’s farm system up and down, and Williams is all too familiar with the idea that the Yankees’ outfield, especially center field, got crowded with the acquisition of Curtis Granderson in a three-way trade with the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks this week.

What wasn’t known was who had the better package to acquire Gardner.

The winner would gain a left-handed hitter whom many believe could be on the brink of being a special prototypical leadoff man.

Sickels: Chicago WhiteSox Top 20 Prospects for 2010

1) Dan Hudson, RHP, Grade B: A personal favorite, since I rated him as a big sleeper pre-season and he really broke through.

2) Jared Mitchell, OF, Grade B: Grade A tools, refinement is a Grade C/C+ right now.

3) Tyler Flowers, C, Grade B: Power and patience are plusses, defense has improved a great deal according to all reports.

4) Brent Morel, 3B, Grade B-: I think he’s underrated. Only questions about power at higher levels keep him from a Grade B. Now blocked behind Mark Teahen, a long-term signing I don’t understand.

5) Jordan Danks, OF, Grade C+: Borderline Grade B-, as I like the tools and think the bat may still come around.

6) Dayan Viciedo, 3B, Grade C+: Cutting him some slack since he was young for Double-A and was pushed fast, but this is a good example of why we need performance data rather than just hype and team propaganda/scouting reports when evaluating players.

...This is a very thin farm system, thanks in part to frequent trades and major league graduations like Gordon Beckham. I like the four guys at the top: Hudson and Mitchell are both personal favorites, though both still have enough questions to keep them from getting B+ ratings. Flowers seems to have come around defensively and has a good bat. Morel is another guy I like quite a bit and he has breakout potential in ‘10.

After that things thin out fast. Danks, Viciedo, and Holmberg all have good potential but even bigger questionmarks than the top guys. Marrero strikes me as an underrated player. Rodriguez and Gonzalez are intriguing but we need to see them at higher levels. After that we have a bunch of potential role players, possible bullpen arms, or guys with big ceilings but gigantic holes in their game (Trayce Thompson).

Thanks to Al W..

White Sox manager says he wasn’t drinking with Miguel Cabrera

The Cabrera has been drinking
not me, not me, not me, not me, not me

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen says he was not an accomplice to Miguel Cabrera’s long night of drinking at the Townsend Hotel in October.

Guillen said emphatically Monday he “never was” with Cabrera deep into the morning of Oct. 3, which led to police being called to Cabrera’s home in Birmingham, and to Cabrera’s subsequent Breathalyzer test that recorded a 0.26 blood-alcohol level.

“You know what?” Guillen said Monday at baseball’s Winter Meetings. “I wish Miguel was with me, ’cause if he had been with me, none of this (bad stuff) would have happened.”

It had been perceived, and never challenged by Cabrera, that he was drinking with members of the White Sox who regularly stay at the Townsend during their Tigers road trips.

Cabrera and Guillen are Venezuelan countrymen and are known to be collegial.

Perpetual Post: Megdal & Pummer: Andruw Jones

Megdal: Seeing Andruw Jones’ decline is still nearly impossible for me to believe.

This Willie Mays of our generation, the center fielder with 10 Gold Gloves and 342 home runs- by AGE 29!!!- signed a one-year deal for $500,000 with the Chicago White Sox. How can he not be worth that? Or far more than that?

I still remember him effortlessly getting to any fly ball. His ease was infuriating to opponents- but there was an appreciation that someone truly incomparable was on the field.

How did he manage to post a .207/.304/.393 batting line in 2007-2009? How could his defense have suffered so much that the Rangers played him at Designated Hitter?!?

Through age 29, his offensive comp, according to Baseball-reference.com, was Frank Robinson. That’s right: he was Frank Robinson at bat, plus 10 gold gloves in center field defensively. He was that good.

Now, his closest comp is Dale Murphy, another player who inexplicably veered from the Hall of Fame track with too quick a decline.

A resurgence wouldn’t shock me. If he simply averages 23 home runs a year from age 33-37, he’ll get to 500. Add that to his unimpeachable peak, and Jones can still make the Hall of Fame.

I, for one, hope it happens. As a baseball fan, I feel robbed by his career.

I feel for ya...but I’m not using a Juan Ruben Rivera drop twice in one day. Sorry.

BDD/Creps: Assessing the Adrian Gonzalez trade market

Let’s get a little HSS (Hot Stove Speculation) going here:

Atlanta Braves

The Braves have had a hole at first base since the departure of Mark Teixiera and somehow Martin Prado does not seem like the answer.  It will be Bobby Cox’s last season, so Atlanta may be looking to make a deal that will allow Cox one final division title before riding off in the sunset.  The only hang-up in this deal may be the Padres’ desire of über prospect Jason Heyward.  Heyward, a power-hitting right fielder, appears ready to explode into the majors and might just be the man to make San Diegans forget about Gonzalez.

The chances of Heyward for Gonzalez happening are about the same as Sam Hutcheson praising Bill Hohn’s umpiring talents.

A’s Offseason Projection & Rule 5 draft analysis

Probably the most detailed and realistic offseason projection I’ve read, and that’s from a non-A’s fan.  The intelligent Rule 5 discussion and suggestions would probably be of interest to the crowd here.

ESPNChicago.com: White Sox sign Jones to one-year deal

The Chicago White Sox have signed outfielder Andruw Jones to a one-year contract for $500,000 with a chance to make another $1 million in performance bonuses.

MLB: Vizquel picks Sox ahead of Indians

Omar Vizquel signed a one-year contract with the White Sox on Monday, which means his return to Progressive Field in 2010 will have him in the visitor’s dugout and wearing the uniform of a division rival.

That’s a far cry from the comeback many Tribe fans were hoping for. Knowing the Indians had a need for a utility infielder, the hope among fans was that Vizquel would be brought aboard to mentor fellow Venezuelans Asdrubal Cabrera and Luis Valbuena and to finish off a potential Hall of Fame career in the city where he truly made a name for himself over 11 memorable seasons.

The Indians did express interest in Vizquel, but they were told by his agent, Adam Katz, that the White Sox were a higher priority on his list. It had been speculated that the 42-year-old Vizquel, perhaps seeking future support for his Hall of Fame candidacy, wanted to land with a “high-profile” club, and the Sox are obviously in a bigger market than the Tribe.

Of course, there were other reasons why Vizquel wasn’t what you’d call the perfect fit for the Indians’ utility vacancy. While the Tribe certainly valued the defensive help Vizquel could have provided, the leadership he’d bring to their middle infielders and the sentimental reasons to bring him back to Cleveland, the truth is that the Indians are hoping to land a utilityman who can hit well right-handed and spell Valbuena, who will be entering his first full season in the bigs, against left-handed pitching.

Thanks to Juke.

Jenks, Guillen at odds over closer’s weight

Wienersnitzel!

The right-hander believed the club—based on comments made by manager Ozzie Guillen—was being overly critical of his conditioning.

‘’Did I feel I was being picked on? No,’’ Jenks said in a phone interview. ‘’But I felt I was the easy scapegoat because I had struggled in the end with some nagging injuries. This organization, just like most in this game, tell you, ‘Come in, our door is open and tell us what’s on your mind.’ And when you do, they turn it around on you and make you feel bad. They’re playing on your own words. They want you to come in, be honest and then they turn it around.’’

...Guillen said he plans to talk to Jenks soon, but he added that it’s a two-way street.

‘’He’s not on an island,’’ Guillen added. ‘’He has his manager backing him up. But his manager will always be honest. Right now, that kid is going to carry that cross the rest of his career because of his size. Even when he’s in shape, he looks like he’s not in shape.

‘’He has been great for us. He has my number, [pitching coach Don] Cooper’s number, Kenny’s number. We’re not hiding from anyone. In the meanwhile, he has to take care of himself. Not for the White Sox, for his family. Bobby can have a broken arm and not be able to pitch anymore, and the first thing people will say is he’s out of shape. That’s life.’’

White Sox reportedly near Omar Vizquel deal

Vizquel, 42, would give the White Sox a versatile backup for nearly all the infield positions. Last season, Vizquel played third base, second base and shortstop while batting .266 in 62 games for the Rangers.

The White Sox said Friday that beside the five additions the club made to its 40-man roster, there would be no other news.

In addition to the 11-time Gold Glove winner providing solid defense, Vizquel would also give the White Sox a veteran infielder to help mentor shortstop Alexei Ramirez and second baseman Gordon Beckham, who is making his second position change in two years.

This is not the first time that the White Sox have had interest in Vizquel. The club was close to signing him to a two-year deal before the start of the 2005 season, but Vizquel instead inked a three-year contract with the Giants at the last minute.

Thanks to Hilly.