Inside the White Sox

Vizquel to the Sox? Ozzie has spoken to the veteran

2009-11-20T22:15:56Z

Ozzie Guillen would like to confidently admit that the White Sox are indeed close to signing free agent shortstop Omar Vizquel for the 2010 season, but then again, the manager knows how it works.
Making sure the free-speaking Guillen doesn't jump the gun on club business, general manager Ken Williams and assistant GM Rick Hahn have done their best to keep Guillen just on the outskirts of the circle of trust.
Guillen did confirm on Friday that both he and the club have spoken to Vizquel about him joining the team, but the manager didn't know how far those talks have progressed.
"I hear they are talking,'' Guillen said in a phone interview. "I've talked to Vizquel in the past, but they aren't telling me anything. I just got back from Venezuela, and I guess Kenny and Rick didn't want me running my mouth down there.
"I'll tell you what, though, if this kid is on the team there's no way in hell he's wearing No. 13.''
Guillen has worn 13 his whole career, so sorry Omar.
On the same day that the Sox took a step in adding a veteran presence like Vizquel, however, talks with free agent Scott Podsednik have taken two steps back. According to a source, enough so that Williams is looking elsewhere for a leadoff hitter right now.
"Do we need Pods, yes,'' Guillen said of the situation. "Do we want him? Yes. But we have to make the best deal for this organization. That's not my problem right now. That's on Kenny, Rick and [board chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] to decide.''

Gone camping

According to pitching coach Don Cooper, for the first time in his tenure, the club will have a pitching summit in January for a group of major and minor-league pitchers in the organization to come together in Chicago, making sure they are practicing what the club is preaching from their hurlers.
"Something kind of new we're thinking about,'' Cooper said. "Bring our system together even more in Chicago. Get the minor-league people and their DNA knowing what we do. Whatever it might be. We're bringing a few guys in for that. We want them to know what to expect at this level. In my mind it's trying to get some guys over the hump. It's trying to continue to reunite our whole pitching system. We're bringing in certain guys on the 8,9 and 10th of January to have a little pitching meeting.
"I don't need Freddy Garcia or Jake Peavy to come to this. John Danks might come, but the main thing I'm doing is looking at numbers and formulating ideas.''

Roster moves

The Sox did announce on Friday that they purchased the contracts of outfielder Stefan Gartrell and right-handed pitchers Brandon Hynick, Brian Omogrosso and Sergio Santos from Class AAA Charlotte and right-hander Santo Luis from Class A Winston-Salem.
With the moves, the Sox 40-man roster is at 37.

Coop tells pitchers it's time to raise the bar

2009-11-20T02:05:32Z

Team captain Paul Konerko made the saying popular in the White Sox clubhouse back in 2008: "F feelings, it's about winning.''
Not only has manager Ozzie Guillen made that his personal mantra, but wants his entire organization to eat and sleep it.
So if feelings were hurt when questions of conditioning were brought up with several pitchers over the last year, well, it's on those individuals to make sure those questions can't come up again.
"Lack of conditioning, lack of preparation makes cowards of us all,'' pitching coach Don Cooper insisted on Thursday. "We're going to make sure that conditioning and preparation is getting done.''
What Cooper did go out of his way to point out, however, was that the rule applies for his entire pitching staff - from the minor leaguers to the likes of veterans like Freddy Garcia. Jake Peavy and Mark Buehrle.
Conditioning concerns have been a sore subject since this past spring, when Buehrle felt that Cooper and Guillen were taking shots at him for showing up to camp with very few throws under his wing in the offseason.
Then Guillen called out Jenks near the end of the '09 season, specifically that Jenks needed to be in better shape come 2010, leading to the closer expressing some displeasure with the club in an October interview with MLB.com.
One of the two seems to have gotten the message.
After a first half in which he went 9-3 with a 3.66 ERA, Buehrle threw his historic perfect game on July 23, before the floor then seemed to drop out. Going 2-7 with a 4.78 ERA in 13 starts after that perfecto was enough of a wake-up call where Buehrle is now getting proactive with his conditioning this offseason, specifically a shoulder strengthening program.
"Buehrle was physically in good shape last spring,'' Cooper explained. "Where I was wrong with what I said [in camp] was that I needed to consider that every time he picked up a ball in the offseason [his shoulder] was barking. I could see why he didn't want to throw with that discomfort. What he's doing now is looking into a program near his home where he can strengthen his shoulder.
"No one said Buehrle was fat, slow and out of shape. We needed to make sure his shoulder was addressed. Things are in place to now do that. That will enable him, as well as how we handle him this season, to stay strong.''
Jenks, well, that might be a different story.
Cooper is yet to sit down and talk to the right-hander about offseason expectations, but will soon. Board chairman Jerry Reinsdorf let the players know his feelings on the topic, telling them in a team meeting late in the year that they had better show up in shape.
"The players have to take some pride,'' Cooper said. "The best motivation for anyone ready to go in spring comes from inside.
"We're asking Bobby to raise the bar. Bobby is a big dude that sometimes may look like he's not in shape. He needs to raise the bar. I tell them all, 'I need you in the best shape of your life come spring training, physically and mentally.' We're challenging these guys.
"If we're not looking to improve, what are we doing? We're standing still then. We're raising the bar for everyone. We're not trying to hurt people. The words are 'Hey, we need you ready for the grind.' If one guy is behind the curve ... we need everybody. These words are not to bust chops or hurt you. We want this taken care of, no matter who it is.
"Success, everyone has to pay a certain price - some higher than others because they aren't as physically gifted. I fill like the Sox pitching staff has represented itself well over the years, now we're asking them to raise the bar. Plus, you know you're prepared for the season because you pushed yourself to level that you never did before.''
Jenks had been the subject of trade rumors heading into the winter, especially because he stands to make $7-$8 million in arbitration. So he was already under a microscope.
General manager Ken Williams has all but put a moratorium on any Jenks trade talk. So how exactly will this end?
"When they all walk through those doors this spring,'' Cooper added, "we want everything behind them, everything. We want one focus, and that's winning the game that day.''

Beckham fifth best AL Rookie?

2009-11-16T22:51:34Z

Fifth.
That was tough for Gordon Beckham to swallow.
While the White Sox third baseman wasn't expecting to be holding up the American League Rookie of the Year trophy on Monday, he admittedly was surprised that he finished fifth in the voting by the baseball writers.
Especially since the 23-year-old's mantle already had AL Rookie of the Year honors by both The Sporting News and the Major League Baseball Players Association sitting on it. He received each last month - as voted on by the players.
But there it was in black and white - fifth.
Oakland reliever Andrew Bailey won the award with 13 first-place votes with Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus second with eight first-place votes. Ahead of Beckham were Rick Porcello (seven votes) and then Jeff Niemann.
"I'm feeling a little bit of everything,'' Beckham said in a phone interview. "I thought I might be a little higher than fifth, but I knew it was an uphill battle for me, getting up [to the major leagues] a little later. I thought I had a great season, but so did those other guys.''
Beckham was the first selection [eighth overall] of the Sox in the 2008 draft after putting on a show at the University of Georgia.
He wasted little time making an impact in his first spring training, and by June 4 was on the big-league roster.
Playing third base on a regular basis for the first time in his life, the former shortstop ended up hitting .270 with 14 home runs and 63 RBI, as well as recording 28 doubles.
He was first amongst rookie with those 28 doubles, as well as 43 extra-base hits, and 63 RBI, while he was second with a .347 on-base percentage, .460 slugging percentage, homers, as well as 58 runs scored and 102 hits.
What might have hurt him, however, was an inconsistent August in which he hit just .223, followed by a .266 last month of the season.
"It was the first full season for me, not even in the big leagues, but ever, and it probably didn't help I struggled the last month,'' Beckham said. "I won two awards that were voted on by the players. At the end of the day I would want the players to respect me more than the writers.''
Bailey, 25, led all AL rookie relievers with 26 saves and a 1.84 ERA, as well as limiting opponents to a .167 batting average.
So what's next up for Beckham? Well, he was already informed that he will now be the starting second baseman with the acquisition of Mark Teahen and the departure of Chris Getz, and plans to enroll in "Camp Cora'' come January, joining shortstop Alexei Ramirez and third base prospect Dayan Viciedo in an offseason defensive workout session down in Miami with bench coach Joey Cora.
"I don't think the writers disrespected me, but they had their opinion,'' Beckham added. "It's a little upsetting for me, but that's not my place. Other guys had great seasons.''

Williams details thinking behind Ramirez at short, Beckham at 2B

2009-11-11T00:38:03Z

There was no delicate way to put it, so White Sox general manager Ken Williams decided to be blunt. When he shuffled his infield last week, why not move Alexei Ramirez back to second base, where he had been solid in 2008, and return Gordon Beckham to his natural position at shortstop?

''Because Alexei's better than Gordon at short,'' Williams said Tuesday, during Day 2 of the general managers meetings at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport. ''Not that Gordon can't play the position, but Alexei is a special guy.

''What we do have to get Alexei a little bit better on is his focus. That's not unusual for a young player. Gordon would also have some of those defensive lapses if he were in the middle of the field. People really don't understand how fast the major-league game is until you're out there. Believe me, it's not an indictment on Gordon's abilities; it's more praise of what Alexei can do.''

When the Sox took Beckham in the first round of the 2008 draft, he was a shortstop. It's the position manager Ozzie Guillen insisted he would play all the way through spring training. But when a need arose at third base, Beckham made the switch. When Beckham debuted with the Sox in June, Ramirez was struggling at the plate and in the field at shortstop.

It seemed a natural switch to return Beckham to short and do anything else with Ramirez. But Guillen, who on several occasions blasted Ramirez for his mental lapses, wasn't budging. And after the Mark Teahen trade meant sending second baseman Chris Getz to the Kansas City Royals, the Sox resisted the urge to make the switch again. They simply moved Beckham to second base, where he spent some time last year in the Arizona Fall League.

]]> Williams loves the new look of his infield. And he admitted he was uncomfortable with Guillen's public lashings of Ramirez last season.

''I personally thought it was terribly unfair, the criticism that he got,'' Williams said. ''Of course, the lapses are somewhat frustrating, but I understand those as a young player. I expect those as a young player. That's part of development, that's part of the process. So I was less discouraged by them. Now, Ozzie, I thought we were on the same page with regards to that. But I don't have all the cameras and the questions like Ozzie had on a day-to-day basis, asking him about Alexei and some of the defensive miscues, so I can understand where that frustration level comes from.

''But I can assure you this. In private times, Ozzie has got full confidence in what this guy's about. We can only expect better things from him. And you have to understand, for every error that he made, he got to some balls a lot of people were not going to get to.''

And Williams has full confidence in Beckham as his second baseman.

''He's a leader,'' Williams said. ''He's the kind of guy you want in the middle part of your infield. He will profile offensive, I think, better in the middle part of your infield. And we may have a guy who can be an All-Star at that position versus a guy who would maybe be in the middle of the pack at third base.''

Dye speaks!!

2009-11-10T23:48:37Z

Jermaine Dye isn't ruling anything out.
After all, at 35 years old and 13-plus major league seasons under his belt, the about to be former White Sox outfielder has seen crazier things happen.
"I mean first of all I could come back to the Sox,'' Dye insisted in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. "I talked to [general manager] Kenny [Williams] and negotiations could still go on. Kenny talked to me about the fact that his hands are tied as far as spending money, but you never know, I could sign for less.''
That's classic J.D., being the good businessman and keeping all doors open. Even one as slammed shut as the Sox situation actually is.
The club announced last week that they were exercising the $950,000 buyout on Dye, rather than picking up the $12 million option for 2010. Translation: Thanks for the memories No. 23.
So while Dye expressed his desire to return to the South Side, he also knows the reality of the situation. The place he spent the last five seasons, won a World Series and played the best baseball of his career is about to become a fond memory.
Sure, Williams and Dye are saying the right things, but the likelihood of a Dye return is small and shrinking.
"I think Kenny is legit with me and [free agent] Jimmy [Thome] on what he's told us this offseason,'' Dye said. "He's honest. If he doesn't have [the money to spend], he doesn't have it. Kenny and I have a friendship beyond baseball, and he will be real with me. He's not someone that will tell you something and then go behind your back.''
Neither is Dye.
Even with a window still open to negotiate with the Sox exclusively, he was already fielding inquiries from other teams. While Dye won't say which, it's no secret that Texas has had him on their radar for years, while Boston - a team that was on his list of no-trade destinations - is also a possibility.
"At the end of the day, I wasn't surprised with how this has played out,'' Dye said. "With me being with the Sox as long as I had been, if they wanted to pick up my option or do something else as far as a new deal they would have done it during the end of season.
"I have to assume that because they bought me out my services are terminated with them right now. In the future, who knows? That's a place I love and won a World Series. That's a place I'll never forget. Someday I may come back as a player or with another title. My first choice is still there, but this is a business.''
Not a pretty one at times.
During Dye's hot first half of the 2009 season, both manager Ozzie Guillen and Dye expressed their desire to get an extension done. A frigid second half in which he hit .179 with just seven homers seemed to all but seal his fate. Just like that, one of the more prolific hitters the last five years was deemed expendable.
"I don't think it's fair to label a guy as declining because of two or three months,'' Dye said. "That's just the way my second half was. For me to go through that one time in 13 years, that's pretty good.
"People said the same thing about me in Oakland when I came back from the broken leg [after the 2002 season] and played bad. What happened? I played five years of great baseball. I'll keep proving people wrong.''
And also calling his shots.
With outfielder Bobby Abreu signing a two-year, $19-million deal last week, the bar has been set. Dye knows that the economic uncertainty makes this winter a bit tricky, but also knows that a .278 average with 164 homers and 461 RBI since 2005 carries weight.
"There are a number of teams I've heard already that would love to have me,'' Dye said. "I know one thing, I will not be DHing. You can put that down. If a team wants to try me out at first base on an every day basis I'll do that. That's something I feel will be easy to learn. But as far as DHing that's not for me. Teams shouldn't call if that's their plan.''
So what happens when the offers start coming in?
"I won't go back to the Sox and say, 'This team offered me this,' '' Dye said. "I wouldn't do that to Kenny. I'm ready to be patient with this. I'm not in a rush. If a team comes and shows me on paper how we will be, we can compete and win, I'll do it early, but I want to feel wanted first.''

Williams says no on Figgins deal; source says Pods talks back on

2009-11-10T02:08:06Z

Shortly after saying he is in the hunt for ''that ideal leadoff guy,'' general manager Ken Williams shot down speculation that speedy free agent Chone Figgins is on the White Sox' radar.

Discussing his tight finances this offseason, Williams was specifically asked Monday during Day 1 of the general managers meetings about Figgins and said: ''We don't have that kind of money. Sometimes the minor [free-agent deals] are the major ones, in my mind. How many Novembers have you heard that line?''

Along those lines, sources said talks between the Sox and incumbent leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik have heated up in recent days.

Podsednik, 33, showed some of his 2005 form last season, hitting .304 and scoring 75 runs in 132 games. Earlier in the offseason, Williams indicated the Sox were willing to part ways with Podsednik, but that stance, sources said, has changed.

Teahen Era begins, but Dye's might be over

2009-11-06T17:05:04Z

Chris Getz and Josh Fields are now Royals, Mark Teahen is now the White Sox starting third baseman, Jermaine Dye is all but gone, talks with free agent-to-be Scott Podsednik have disintegrated, and Gordon Beckham is now the new starting second baseman.
Just another day of the Ken Williams experience.
Less than 36 hours after the New York Yankees were crowned World Series Champions, the South Side was a flurry of activity with Williams wasting very little time in showing his hand on how the general manager wants the 2010 team to look.
The first order of business on Friday morning was announcing that they bought out the 2010 mutual option on Dye, paying him $950,000 rather than picking up the $12 million for the upcoming season and making the outfielder a free agent.
Within an hour of that announcement, the Sox finalized the deal with the Royals, sending Getz and Fields to Kansas City and getting back Teahen and cash.
"We've kept our eye on [Teahen] the last few years, asked about him last year and nothing materialized,'' Williams said of the trade. "He's a tough-nosed ballplayer. He was hurt last year and dragged his ass out there. He's a winner.''
It didn't hurt that current minor league director Buddy Bell had Teahen under him when Bell was the Royals manager.
"It's about projection sometimes guys,'' Williams said in response to those that might criticize the move. "The defensive fit, Buddy Bell's experience with Mark in the clubhouse and having him on the field made him a pretty attractive player for us.''
The versatile Teahen will also have a permanent home with the Sox, as the everyday third baseman. Williams already spoke to Beckham about the change and the rookie was all for it. Manager Ozzie Guillen was also all for it, as the Sox have instantly become a better defensive team in the infield.
"The past three years I haven't known where I'm going to play,'' Teahen said. "The last 24 hours I didn't know what city I would play in. Knowing both now, playing third base is my comfort position.
"I've always produced better when I've been left alone, playing just third base. I'm excited about that.''
As far as what the Sox gave up, it ended a 24-hour chaos for Getz and Fields who had heard they had been traded, but couldn't get confirmation from the club because the money in the deal was the holdup.
"We didn't really go in depth on why,'' Getz said of his talk with Williams Friday morning. "His reason was they were just looking for some reasons to shuffle things up and I was involved. No further than that. This is the nature of this business. I don't look at it as a negative. I can speculate why they would want to get rid of me, but that could be endless thinking. It's a new opportunity.''
Teahen, 28, hit .271 with a career-high 34 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBI in 144 games with the Royals in 2009, playing third, second and right field.
Getz, 26, hit .261 with 18 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 31 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 107 games, while Fields, 27, appeared in 79 games with the Sox last season, hitting .222 with seven home runs and 30 RBI.
"It's tough leaving Kansas City, but as far as the baseball side of it I'm excited to get to a team that competes and contends every year,'' Teahen added. "It's exciting to play in meaningful games.''
The other news to come out of Friday was that talks with Podsednik on staying atop the lineup for 2010 have broken down, meaning that Jordan Danks could be tabbed as the third outfielder/leadoff hitter. Williams said there was very little money for a free agent, making Chone Figgins a pipedream once again.
"Money is tight,'' Williams said. "Money is tight all over the world, certainly on the South Side. We'll spend whatever we have available, but there's not much.''
"As far as Podsednik is concerned, we already had talks and a little bit of dialogue back and forth with him. It's not likely based on what he wants so we'll have to look elsewhere.''

Getz and Fields traded for Teahen? Source says yes, Getz says 'Bizarre'

2009-11-05T16:19:35Z

One word summed up Thursday for Chris Getz - "Bizarre.''
The second baseman woke up a member of the White Sox, but by the time breakfast came to an end he was headed to Kansas City.
At least that's what a New York Daily News story was reporting.
The paper had Getz and disgruntled third baseman Josh Fields fitted for royal blue uniforms with the Sox getting 28-year-old Jack of all trades, master of none, Mark Teahen coming to the South Side.
A source close to the situation then confirmed to the Sun-Times that the deal was all but done, but there were still talks about the possibility of minor-league prospects being involved. There was the hold up.
Meanwhile, the Sox and Royals each told different media outlets that they had nothing to report on the matter, and that included letting Getz in on what was going on.
"I have no idea what's going on,'' Getz responded in a text.
That stance didn't change for the infielder as the day went on, still not hearing anything on the matter from the Sox - either confirming or denying the trade.
Yet, no one in the organization, including general manager Ken Williams, returned texts on the matter. Not even a "Stay out of White Sox business'' from the GM - a line he likes to use concerning rumored trades.
But while the rumored deal initially raised some eyebrows, it did make sense considering the trail of breadcrumbs left by the club the last few months of the season.
The two free agents on their radar going into the 2009-10 offseason were Bobby Abreu and Chone Figgins, but those close to Abreu in the Sox organization already knew that Abreu and the Angels were in discussions to keep him in Los Angeles, which came to fruition on Thursday afternoon with the news of his two-year deal. That left Figgins still with a bull's eye on his back, but an expensive one at that.
The Sox have also all but indicated that free agent-to-be Jermaine Dye will not have his $12 million option picked up for 2010, allowing him to test the market after the 15-day window from Thursday closes.
There were initial talks with Scott Podsednik to re-sign with the club, but that might have been nothing more than a PR move by the club, allowing them to stall and find out the asking price for Figgins in just over two weeks.
If Teahen, who hit .271 with 12 homers and 50 RBI last season, is in fact South Side bound, his versatility to play the outfield or third base gives the club options as they move forward in building the 2010 team. Teahen could allow the Sox to move Gordon Beckam to second base. Two weeks ago, manager Ozzie Guillen said that he saw Beckham as a future second baseman when asked if Beckham could ever return to his natural position of shortstop.
The other option is that the Sox will play Teahen in the outfield, moving Beckham to second and clearing the way for Figgins to be the third baseman.
Jayson Nix could also be in the mix, but Guillen was not happy with the at-bats the free-swinging Nix gave away and said he would need to be more selective if he wanted to make the team next season.
What the Sox did announce on Thursday morning was that they agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract for free agent-to-be Mark Kotsay. The versatile Kotsay gives Guillen a backup first baseman, as well as an outfielder to rotate around. More importantly, Kotsay emerged as a team leader from Day 1 and was an instant favorite of Guillen's.
As far as where the Field, Getz, Teahen deal is, stay tuned.
Bizarre indeed.

Walker: 'I know if I was in a normal situation I probably would have been fired after this year.'

2009-10-28T20:39:40Z

Greg Walker knows the reality of it.
Hal McRae, Carney Lansford, Von Joshua - just the latest casualties of a career that has the life expectancy slightly better than that of an adult mayfly.
No, make no mistake about it, hitting coach and job security will rarely be found in the same sentence.
"Look, I know if I was in a normal situation I probably would have been fired after this year,'' the White Sox hitting coach admitted in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "But I also know that we have accomplished a lot. I know that if you watch this game on a daily basis there are things to point fingers at because this is a game of failure.
"I think over the years we built up a enough good will and accomplished things that people don't realize. But we have underachieved the last few years. I think [general manager] Kenny [Williams], [manager] Ozzie [Guillen] and [board chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] know the reasons, and they know I'm the right man for the job. Last year happened and it would have cost a lot of hitting coaches their jobs, but there is a lot of trust there. I don't take that lightly.
"I've done this for seven years and I think for those seven years we've underachieved two of them. Even those years we did underachieve we went about our business the right way. When they decide it's someone else's turn then it will be someone else's job.''
The decision made at the end of the 2009 season was it was still Walker's turn.
As reported by the Sun-Times in late September, Walker, as well as coaches Joey Cora, Don Cooper and Harold Baines, were each given two-year extensions to take them through the 2011 season.
Walker, a self-admitted "organizational guy because the White Sox are my family,'' once again came under fire by the fans this season, especially in the second half when Carlos Quentin came back from injury looking lost at the plate, Jermaine Dye went into a second-half rut and the Alex Rios experiment seemed to blow up in the entire club's face.
Forgotten in that mess was A.J. Pierzynski putting together a career year, rookie Gordon Beckham being rescued from an 0-for-13 big-league start, Paul Konerko back to being Paul Konerko, the rebirth of Scott Podsednik, as well as the emergence of Chris Getz.
But the contract extension means little to Walker if he feels he is somehow hindering the organization.
"I take it one year at a time,'' he continued. "Even though I have a two-year contract now, that doesn't matter to me. This year did not go like I wanted to. But again, I think they know I'm part of the answer not the problem.''
The search for more answers begins Sunday for Walker when he flies to California for a sit-down with Quentin. It will be the first of two trips he may make out West to work with the outfielder this winter. In December and then January he will be off to Puerto Rico to meet and work with Rios.
Already crossed off the to-do list is meeting with Beckham, who drove to Walker's home last week.
"You go into winter concerned about everybody,'' Walker said. "You look at everyone. You work with [head trainer] Herm [Schneider] with the medical part, A.T. [conditioning coach Allen Thomas] with the conditioning part.
"Quentin and Rios are the two guys that we wanted to work with specifically. They are young middle of the order hitters and should be with us a long time. Q is a guy that watches a lot of video and is a bright guy. We're going to look at the good, bad and the ugly the last few years and come up with a gameplan. No swinging or anything like that. Just some time spent with him, mostly on the computer, come up with a plan.
"We want [Rios] to work on some things in the offseason with no pressure. I wanted to firm up that we're all on the same page.''

'Beckham-Mania' honored by his peers

2009-10-20T21:16:30Z

From Day 1 of spring training, it was obvious to White Sox veterans like A.J. Pierzynski that Gordon Beckham wasn't your typical wide-eyed rook trying to survive his first major-league camp.
So all Tuesday was for Beckham was a stamp on the 2009 season.
A panel of 338 major-league players voted the third baseman The Sporting News American League Rookie of the Year, making the 23-year-old Beckham the ninth rookie in franchise history to be honored by the magazine with manager Ozzie Guillen last receiving that honor in 1985.
Philadelphia pitcher J.A. Happ won the award for the National League.
"All these awards that come out now, they're awards for the players the last year,'' Beckham said. "That's great, but for everybody, the next year is the biggest year. There's no way I'm going to get caught up with awards from the previous seasons. Nothing is ever given to you in baseball, so now you have to prepare for the next season.''
It's that exact attitude which the Sox love about Beckham.
Not that it didn't hurt that he also batted .270 with 28 doubles, 14 home runs and 63 RBIs along the way, despite not being promoted to the Sox until June 4. But the Sox feel they have something special with Beckham because of his make-up.
He stated on several occasions this season that he wanted to be the leader of the team when the time comes, and manager Ozzie Guillen said on Tuesday that the time might come sooner than later.
"I wish that kid was a two or three-year veteran in the big leagues because he has that attitude,'' Guillen said. "He has that right frame of mind. He was a leader his whole life from when he was in high school, college. I think he wants to be the face of the franchise and we need something like that. When a player thinks like that, doesn't hide in the weeds, you don't see many players come up from the minor leagues and think that way. It's a big challenge. But I don't have a doubt in my mind that he has the right tools to be one. Obviously, it has to come from help from myself, Ken Williams and the staff to make him a great leader.''
Adding to Beckham's first-year resume was the fact that he made the switch to third base, after spending his entire life playing shortstop, including at the University of Georgia where he was picked 8th overall in the 2008 draft.
"It's a very important step for him in his career,'' Guillen said. "You look at the players mentioned in the past, it's a great group. You look how you start your career and [this award] is a very important one to have. You can only win this once.''
Beckham is also a candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year as voted on by the sports writers, but to be given that honor by his peers was admittedly a bit more special.
"It's very special either way,'' Beckham added. "Everyone has their opinion. The media has theirs and the players have theirs. When it comes down to it I would rather have the players' vote rather than the media.
"When I first heard I won, I didn't even know who voted on it. I was happy to hear that it was the players. It made it special, but it's all special.''

Thome hoping to return to Sox after postseason run with Dodgers

2009-10-10T21:38:28Z

ST. LOUIS -- Jim Thome was one of the first players to emerge from the clubhouse and into the visiting dugout at Busch Stadium on Saturday. Thome was decked out in Dodger blue. It all looked so wrong. And it seemed all so right.

If anyone deserved a rags-to-riches story on the South Side this season, it's the future Hall of Famer named James Howard Thome from Peoria.

White Sox general manager Ken Williams presented Thome with a Get Out of Jail Free card on Aug. 31, springing the veteran slugger from a season-killing trip to Boston, New York and Minneapolis to accept a trade to the first-place Dodgers. It was Thome's chance to finally win a World Series ring after 19 seasons and 564 home runs in the majors.

Thome admits it wasn't an easy trade to approve. His teammates and coaches helped nudge him to Los Angeles, and Thome's now thankful for the move. But he can't get the Sox off his mind.

''I'll be honest, I would still love to come back,'' Thome said, tightening the blue batting gloves on each hand. ''I still care about the city. I mean, we're going to live there. Chicago's very fond in my heart. The time that I spent there, [chairman Jerry Reinsdorf] treated me great. I guess we'll deal with that when this is all over with.''

Thome, 39, will be a free agent this offseason. He hopes to have that elusive World Series ring on order once he files for free agency. But either way, he knows his days with the Dodgers are numbered.

He wants to return to the White Sox, even if they are toying with the idea of using Scott Podsednik as part of a revolving door built to accommodate speed at designated hitter.

It's likely they will at least entertain the idea now that Thome will be free from the $13 million salary he earned in the final

]]> year of a seven-year, $85 million contract he originally signed with the Phillies in December 2002. But if the Sox say no, Thome seems determined to make a return to the American League Central and his next call likely would be to the -- brace yourself -- the defending division-champion Twins.

''I want to come back to the American League,'' Thome said. ''I guess you never know what's going to happen. Chicago is a great city. It's a great ballclub. The people there were great. If anything, I thank them for putting me where I'm at right now, giving me that opportunity.''

For now, Thome is focused on being a National Leaguer. And for one of the most feared designated hitters in baseball, that means adjusting to life as a pinch hitter.
The very thought caused him to pause during the 45-minute window he was given to approve the trade to the Dodgers.

''You're getting four at-bats in the American League; you're getting one here,'' he said. ''You have to do a lot of homework as a pinch hitter. You have to watch the game, you have to be ready. That has never been an issue. That part of DHing and pinch hitting is the same. You're really coming off the bench.''

It took some time for Thome to wrap his mind around the idea. For manager Joe Torre, it was a no-brainer to add the left-handed power hitter for the stretch drive.

''He is such a presence,'' Torre said before Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Cardinals. ''He talks to the players, he's easy to listen to. He's not a gung-ho guy, but when he says something, you listen to him because he's speaking from experience and he's speaking from really a blue-collar type of background. It's great to have him as a weapon and also just to be on the team.''

That's the very reason that Sox manager Ozzie Guillen placed such a premium on having Thome not only in his lineup, but in his clubhouse.

And leaving the Sox meant getting another chance at a World Series ring before time runs out.

''The ring would mean everything,'' Thome said. ''If you are put in the situation to do it, we were there in the '90s twice with Cleveland and it eats at you when you haven't accomplished it and you've come so close. That's why this will be special if it does happen.''

Wise is a free agent, and who was with Miguel?

2009-10-09T19:11:14Z

Dewayne Wise stated several times this season that he never really felt truly appreciated by White Sox fans, and so on Friday, the outfielder that will forever be linked with Mark Buehrle's perfect game opted for free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Class AAA Charlotte.
The 31-year-old Wise, who actually won the leadoff job and starting center field spot out of spring training before separating his shoulder early on, hit .225 with two homers and 11 RBI in 84 games with the South Siders.
It was his leaping catch at the wall to preserve Buehrle's perfect game against Tampa Bay on July 23, however, which was Wise's most memorable moment, and maybe one of the more memorable moments in club history considering what was on the line.
Wise came on the scene in the second half of the 2008 season, getting spot starts before taking over in the outfield for a slumping Nick Swisher.
It was not the first time Wise had an opportunity to leave the organization, as he agreed to take an assignment early in 2008 after both Ken Williams and Ozzie Guillen told him that they would need him again that season.
True to their word they did. But when the team acquired Alex Rios and then Mark Kotsay in '09, Wise said he was out of the doing-favors-for-the-club business if it happened again, and sure enough it did on Friday.
With the move the Sox 40-man roster stood at 36.

The usual suspects
While no one from the Sox has come forth and declared that they were out until all hours of the night with Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera last week, it's pretty obvious who the prime suspects are.

1. Manager Ozzie Guillen - A close friend of Cabrera's from their Florida days, as well as a guy not afraid to have a few cocktails now and then.

2. Freddy Garcia - The pitcher is also close with Cabrera - through Guillen - and there's a reason "Sweaty Freddy'' is always perspiring on the mound.

3. Alex Rios - Not afraid to go out late at night ... and into the morning.

4. Octavio Dotel - Loves the road, loves the night-life.

5. Tony Pena - He's Octavio Dotel ... five years ago.

6. Ozzie Guillen Jr. - Would be the prime suspect, but he wasn't on the road trip to Detroit ... or was he?

Garcia is back ! He's bringing Thornton with him

2009-10-06T17:04:42Z

It was almost an afterthought on if the White Sox would pick up the $1 million 2010 option on Freddy Garcia, but that scenario was put to rest on Tuesday afternoon, as a club source confirmed that Garcia would be back on the South Side next season.
The right-hander was 3-4 with a 4.34 ERA in nine starts, after he was released by the Mets in April and out of baseball for a time.
On paper, Garcia will be the No. 5 starter, behind ace Jake Peavy, John Danks, Gavin Floyd and Mark Buehrle.
What the Sox really like is the price tag, considering he comes at $1 million with $2 million in incentives.
Garcia, who was on the 2005 World Series winning staff, was traded from the South Side to Philadelphia after the 2006 season in a package that brought Floyd to the club.
He is 118-77 lifetime with a 4.07 ERA.
The club also announced that Matt Thornton and his $2.25 million option were picked up. The lefty also has a $3 million option for next season, so seems to be staying put for sometime.
Thornton was 6-3 with a 2.74 ERA, as well as saving four games. His six wins, 72 1/3 innings pitched and 87 strikeouts were all career highs.

Bobby Jenks on the block? Do they or don't they?

2009-10-04T18:36:12Z

DETROIT - There already more answers than there will be questions, but the few questions facing the White Sox this offseason are doozies.
None bigger than the do they or don't they concerning the possibility of trading closer Bobby Jenks.
The dos are obvious. Jenks continued to battle injury problems this season, with several of those problems believed to be conditioning - or the lack of - related. He's also seen his production dip for a second consecutive season.
The don'ts would be that moving Jenks elsewhere means making Matt Thornton the closer and weakening the set-up role. Plus, the one strength Jenks has is his short-term memory. Yes, he blew six saves, but he never lets it carry over very long.
So what to do, what to do? That final decision falls on general manager Ken Williams.
"That's a hypothetical question that I'm not going to go to until something changes,'' pitching coach Don Cooper said. "Bobby is our closer. We need someone to close the games. Matt Thornton is definitely a capable guy, but then you have to fill that job. Life without a closer on any team is going to be an adventure, and right now Bobby is our closer.''
How would that change? Well, there is no question the Sox want to upgrade the offense. Doing that through free agency might be hampered by a payroll that could be reaching the ceiling already. That means through trade. And if Jenks can land that offensive piece, then so be it.
Manager Ozzie Guillen had his own opinion, however, and would rather see Jenks in shape rather than elsewhere.
"Tough call,'' Guillen said. "We don't want to trade him, but in the meanwhile, Kenny's never going to say no to any trade if he thinks it's going to help this organization. I still think Bobby's going to be our closer next year. If something happens between now and next year, then we'll make a move. Can Thornton close a game? A lot of people doubt it; I say yes he can. He's got good enough stuff and he's got experience.
"He didn't have any problems with his arm, but his back slowed him down for a couple outings. Obviously, this kid's got to show up in shape. That's his problem every winter. Hopefully, he knows about it. That's his career and that's the way he's going to make money, if he takes care of himself a little bit in the winter. Not just him, I think everybody should. And this comes from Jerry [Reinsdorf]. Jerry said if you don't prepare yourself for next year, well, let us know and we'll do something about it.''

Oz would love Figgins, but is dealing in reality

2009-10-04T01:09:35Z

DETROIT - Ozzie Guillen doesn't concern himself much with tampering rules or any of that red tape that keeps suits employed within the Major League Baseball offices.
The White Sox manager deals with reality.
So when asked on Saturday about the reality of the club going after free agent-to-be Chone Figgins this winter, Guillen spoke honestly. And honestly, he doesn't see Figgins fitting within the budget at this time.
"I don't think Figgins,'' Guillen said of the Angels speedy leadoff hitter. "To be honest with you, would we like to have players like him? [Bleep], everybody does. But this kid is going to cost you a lot of money. If we figure out this guy is going to solve our problem, then [board chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] will take a shot because Jerry wants to win.
"Jerry wants to win. [general manager] Kenny [Williams] wants to win. I want to win. Everybody wants to win. In the meanwhile, Kenny is going to go see the market and we are going to see how ... I would love to have [Scott] Podsednik back but that's my call. It's between Podsednik's agent and Kenny and the White Sox, but we just need someone. That was our problem this year, our center field problem was pretty deep.''
Alex Rios will solve the center field dilemma, while Carlos Quentin will slide from left field to right with Jermaine Dye likely playing his last game with the Sox this afternoon.
That leaves left field with Figgins and Podsednik in the Sox' sights. It will come down to how many zeros Reinsdorf allows Williams to put on that check.
"Having Rios at the start of the season will make everything easier,'' Guillen said. "With Rios, Quentin and whoever is out there, hopefully Podsednik, but I don't make that call.
"There are a lot of names out there but I'm not going to tell you we bring this guy or that guy because I don't know exactly. I know where we are going when you trade for Peavy and Rios. We are going in the right direction. We are going to win. We do things little by little and hopefully everything work out.''