I get a little choked up when Ozzie shows his vulnerability.

Ozzie Guillen was holding out hope that no one snags the high-energy reserve

I don't think he has much to worry about.

Geez, if it weren't for Trey sending Billy Butler up to bunt (or yanking his best RBI guy for a defensive replacement), then Ozzie's night could be a bit worse.

(or if it weren't for Mark Teahen not knowing to let Gathright catch the ball without running into him and knocking him onto the ground, allowing for two runs to score on a sac fly)

I could see Ozuna being picked up by someone else (he seems like a slightly better OBP version of Wilson Betemit, though with less power and better defense).

Chicago Sun-Times: Jenks admits rest is best with Sox planning DL trip

Given Linebrink's performance in the past few games, I think it's time to go to Plan C for the closer. Does that mean Dotel? I'd prefer Thornton, who has been excellent this year.

It's nice to have some options, with Jenks AND Konerko. I had concerns about this team's depth, so it was nice to see how well the Wise-Anderson platoon seemed to work.

Ozuna is really losing out because of Wise's play. Pablo has his moments -- he's very streaky. I'll never forget his 2006 first half: 100 plate appearances, with a line of .413/.449/.522.

Ozuna is really losing out because of Wise's play. Pablo had his moments -- he's very streaky. I'll never forget his 2006 first half: 100 plate appearances, with a line of .413/.449/.522.

With the walk-off two-out bunt and the two-run infield single. But over the last two years, he has an OBP of .286 and can't really play defense anywhere. This move makes all the sense in the world.

he seems like a slightly better OBP version of Wilson Betemit, though with less power and better defense

?

But over the last two years, he has an OBP of .286 and can't really play defense anywhere. This move makes all the sense in the world.

Exactly. The guy lost what little hitting skills he had, and he can 'play' a lot of positions. Unfortunately, he plays them all the same - poorly.

Given Linebrink's performance in the past few games, I think it's time to go to Plan C for the closer. Does that mean Dotel? I'd prefer Thornton, who has been excellent this year.

Just keep with Linebrink. When you only do one inning at a time, bad things are going to happen occasionally.

Given Linebrink's performance in the past few games, I think it's time to go to Plan C for the closer.

Yep.

Just keep with Linebrink. When you only do one inning at a time, bad things are going to happen occasionally.


I'd be fine if it were occasionally. But this is four consecutive "last inning" appearances of suckage. LaTroy Linebrink doesn't have the stuff between his ears to handle the last inning. It's frightneing that one would actually need stuff between the ears to handle the last inning, but he certianly looks incompetent in that situation. With Dotel and Thornton, there's really no need to anoint anyone as closer while Jenks is out anyway.

I was just gonna say, I'd think the Sox are the team that should be least worried about losing its closer for a stretch, given their bullpen options.

What the Sox need to worry about is that Contreras has turned to crap, and Floyd soon will.

You mean that throwing hanging forkballs isn't a road to success?

Only if your idea of success is to be Jim Edmonds' pitcher in a HR derby.

What the Sox need to worry about is that Contreras has turned to crap, and Floyd soon will.

1. Contreras

Contreras was very bad in two of his last four outings (against the Cubs at Wrigley, and against the Tigers at Comerica), but I wouldn't interpret those two outings as meaning that he's "turned to crap." He's inconsistent, I think because of his use of a lot of different arm angles. He gave up a total of 7 earned runs in the six starts prior to the bad outing vs. Detroit.

This is just a hunch, but I think White Sox pitchers are hurt in ERA a bit by the fact that, in most cases, Ozzie and Don Cooper let their starters pitch 5-6 innings even when they don't have "it." Like last night -- Contreras gives up 4 earned runs in the second inning, and yet he's left in for 5-2/3 innings total.

2. Floyd

The positives are...

(a) that he's pitched well for an extended period of time -- over the last 365 days, he's logged 173-1/3 innings in the majors with an ERA of 3.84.

(b) that he seems to have turned the corner with his control. Through his first 9 starts this season (58-1/3 innings pitched), his BB:K ratio was 27:25 -- yikes! In his last 8 starts, it's a much better 13:48 (that's in 50-2/3 innings).

The negatives are...

(a) that he still allows way too freaking many homeruns. 15 this year (in 109 innings), and 52 in his 287-2/3 inning MLB career. Can a pitcher have success in the majors if he allows 1.24 homers per 9 innings (his rate this season)? Or 1.62 homers per 9 innings (his career rate)?

(b) that his success this season has come against some fairly weak offensive teams. So far this season he's faced...

Minnesota three times (6th in MLB in runs scored)
Cleveland twice (21st in MLB in runs scored)
Detroit twice, and both were early in the season, when their offense was struggling (10th in MLB in runs scored)
KC (24th in MLB in runs scored)
Oakland (20th in MLB in runs scored)
NY (12th in MLB in runs scored)
Baltimore (13th in MLB in runs scored)
Seattle (28th in MLB in runs scored)
SF (27th in MLB in runs scored)
Colorado (16th in MLB in runs scored)
Pittsburgh (9th in MLB in runs scored)
Angels (23rd in MLB in runs scored)
Dodgers (26th in MLB in runs scored)

Well, I'm not going to mess with Vaux, a hero to all men.

I'd just say, for as long as it'll last, I'm impressed with Williams cobbling 80% of the best starting five in baseball by giving up a super-prospect with an OBP of .300 and...nothing of value.

So it probably won't last, but that's pretty cool.

Can a pitcher have success in the majors if he allows 1.24 homers per 9 innings (his rate this season)?

That's actually not far off the rate of the pitcher he replaced in the rotation (Garland). Also slightly better than the rate of the pitcher he was traded for (Garcia). It's about the going rate for a #3/4 pitcher, which is what management's expectation was.

The pitcher in the Sox rotation coming up a bit short of expectations is Vazquez.

The movie about Ozuna was terrible. Good riddance.