In a move that could help home ticket sales, Jake Peavy’s scheduled bullpen session for Saturday was moved back to Sunday. That could put Peavy in line to make his White Sox debut next weekend at home against Kansas City.
September 12, 2009
Peavy to make his Sox debut next weekend?
Ozzie Guillen on Alex Rios
“What have I seen from Rios? A lot of outs. The only batting ninth guy making $5 million was me. This mother [bleeper] is making $10, $12, $14 million, he ain’t going to be batting ninth [in 2010]. I’m going to make sure he earns his money. But right now I have to put him there because he’s struggling. Next year, if we have Rios batting ninth we’re in deep [crap] once again.”
Remember, Rios BABIP with the Sox: .182. THT says .185. I think statcorner uses MLB Gameday data, while THT use Baseball Info Solutions data.
How Nick Swisher got his groove back
A year ago, Swisher was one of the unluckiest players in baseball. His line drive rate in 2008 was a career-high 20.9 percent. Based on that figure, his expected batting average for balls in play was .329, which would have been a just reward for hitting the ball hard. But instead, even though he pounded the baseball, Swisher’s BABIP was a criminally low .251, a number that can be attributed to lots of terrible luck. So, despite the fact that his walk rates and strikeout rates were roughly the same in 2008 as they were compared to the rest of his career, Swisher’s productivity went into the tank, thus earning himself a one-way ticket out of the Windy City. Flash forward to Tuesday night. After swatting a pair of homers against the Rays, Swisher is hitting .254/.378/.506, defying even the most optimistic projections. His 26 homers are the second highest total of his career. … In 2008, Swisher had a career-low .325 weighted on-base average, a statistic that attempts to measure a player’s overall offensive production. So far in 2009, Swisher’s wOBA is .374, a career high.
h/t Chiburb
Jon Gilmore scouting report
A former supplemental first round pick of the Atlanta Braves, Gilmore was a piece of the deal which brought Javier Vazquez to Atlanta. In 2009, he posted a .274/.322/.361 line as a 20-year old for Kannapolis. Pedestrian as those numbers may be, his .355/.410/.491 August and even more impressive September will earn him some looks as a sleeper entering 2010. Last season I pegged him in a “sleeper potential” piece and have my doubts after watching him play. …
Look who would like to come to town!
Ken Rosenthal says:
The Astros might finally be ready to move ace Roy Oswalt. While he does have a full no-trade clause, Oswalt has told the club in the past that he’d be willing to consider moves to St. Louis, both Chicago teams, Texas, and Atlanta.
things were different 3 months ago:
Oswalt “would invoke his no-trade clause if the White Sox attempted to acquire him.”
Maybe Oswalt spoke to Peavy.
Peavy to throw a bullpen tomorrow
Peavy said he will now throw a bullpen session before Sunday’s game. That’s likely to push back his White Sox debut to probably next weekend against Kansas City. Sunday’s bullpen session will be treated like a simulated game.
Fangraphs on Bobby Jenks
from the Death Grip category of the A.L. Closer report:
Bobby Jenks, White Sox
Bobby worked just once since we last checked in on the A.L.’s closers, firing two scoreless innings vs. the A’s in a non-save situation on Sept. 9th. Jenks’ secondary stuff has been outstanding in 2009 (+1.91 runs/100 for the slider, +3.45 for the curve), but his fastball hasn’t been as effective. Bobby’s heater was worth +1.55 runs/100 in both 2007 and 2008, but the pitch checks in at -0.47 this year.
