October 31, 2009
October 30, 2009
AFL Day 18 [UPDATE]
Peoria Javelinas vs. Phoenix Desert Dogs: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing RF. C.J. Retherford is playing 2B. Brent Morel is playing 3B. Weather: 60 degrees, sunny.
UPDATE: Peoria won 5-4:
Jordan Danks: 1-4, 1 BB, 1K, .388 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 0-3, .308 AVG
Brent Morel: 1-4, 1 K, 1 CS, .214 AVG
October 29, 2009
AFL Day 17 [UPDATE]
Peoria Javelinas vs. Mesa Solar Sox: Boxscore, Gameday. C.J. Retherford is playing 2B. Jordan Danks is playing LF. Weather: 64 degrees, sunny.
UPDATE: Peoria won 3-2:
Jordan Danks: 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 B, .400 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 0-3, .333 AVG
Matt Long: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 3.48 ERA
And an article on C.J. Retherford.
October 28, 2009
Greg Walker: ‘If I was in a normal situation I probably would have been fired’
Greg Walker tries to understand why he’s still listed as the Sox hitting coach:
“Look, I know if I was in a normal situation I probably would have been fired after this year. 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.” …
DeLuca says Walker along with Joey Cora, Don Cooper and Harold Baines got two-year contract extensions (2010 and 2011).
No delay for Ozzie in the World Series broadcasts?
… According to Reifert, multiple networks called Guillen during September to check out his interest in this sort of work. Guillen settled on FOX, a network that Goren said has never used any delay in its sports broadcasts.
Delays won’t be needed for Guillen on this occasion. Fans of the game will be able to judge his effort simply by the information he provides, possibly providing a new outlook into Guillen’s baseball psyche, with one minor concern presented by Gordon Beckham, Guillen’s rookie sensation at third base.
“Hopefully, people can understand him,” said Beckham with a laugh of his manager. “When you are not around Ozzie all the time, it’s kind of tough. It’s kind of tough even when you are around him. But he knows a lot about the game, is really colorful and I think he’s going to do a great job.”
THT: Strikeout rates through the years
When you imagine a pitcher who blows people away, do you have a specific K/9 in mind? The answer might depend on when the question was asked. Over the past 100+ years, strikeout rates have steadily climbed, with periodic dips here and there: …
October 27, 2009
AFL Day 15 [UPDATE]
Peoria Javelinas vs. Scottsdale Scorpions: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing RF. C.J. Retherford is playing 2B. Brent Morel is playing 3B. Weather: 72 degrees, cloudy.
UPDATE: Peoria won 10-9:
Jordan Danks: 2-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, .436 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 2-5, 2 RBI, 1 K, 2 E (fielding, throw), .364 AVG
Brent Morel: 1-4, 2 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB, .250 AVG
Sergio Santos: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB, 0 HR, 8.59 ERA
BTW, Steve Stone was scouting prospects at the AFL today.
October 26, 2009
Kevin Goldstein on Jordan Danks
Jordan Danks, CF, White Sox (AFL: Peoria Javelinas)
Danks was one of the talks of the Carolina League during the first month of the year when he hit .322/.409/.525 for High-A Winston-Salem, but the second half of the season dimmed his star a bit, as his numbers dropped to .243/.337/.356 at Double-A Birmingham. He remains an impressive physical specimen, but if you take into account his entire playing career, including his high school and college play, more often than not he’s been a bit of a disappointment. A .424/.513/.697 showing in Arizona is helping spruce his prospect rep back up a bit, but he’s still 23 and just getting his first taste of success against upper-level competition. Even scouts who really like him don’t project him as a star.
AFL Day 14 [UPDATE]
Surprise Rafters vs. Peoria Javelinas: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing RF, C.J. Retherford 2B, and Justin Cassel got the start. Sounds familiar? Weather: 76 degrees, partly cloudy.
UPDATE: Peoria won 2-1:
Jordan Danks: 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 OA, .417 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 1-2, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 DP, .357 AVG
Justin Cassel: 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, 5.59 ERA
Dayan Viciedo shut down in AFL
Dayan Viciedo was shut down for the remainder of the Arizona Fall League schedule with inflammation in his throwing elbow, the White Sox announced Monday. Brent Morel will replace Viciedo on the Peoria Javelinas roster, joining other White Sox Minor Leaguers in outfielder Jordan Danks, infielder C.J Retherford and pitchers Justin Cassel, Matt Long and Jacob Rasner. … With the designated hitter spot vacant for the White Sox and the team talking about using a rotation of players to fill that slot, Viciedo could find himself in play come Spring Training. But Viciedo could also benefit from another year in the Minors, holding the possibility that he could move positions, with Gordon Beckham entrenched at third base. …
Here are Brent Morel’s stats. Merkin mentioned the Viciedo DH possibility last week too.
Gordon Beckham wins MLB Players Association Outstanding Rookie award
Monday’s announcement by the Major League Baseball Players Association concerning Beckham taking home the 2009 Players Choice honors for Outstanding Rookie in the American League holds a deeper subtext than simply the White Sox third baseman’s second recognition by his peers in one week. The setup of this award allows the winner to recommend the charity of his choice to receive a grant from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. Beckham split the grant between the National Parkinson Foundation and Children’s Hospital of Illinois. …
October 25, 2009
AFL Day 13
No game today so let’s see how Sox prospects are doing so far:
Jordan Danks: .424/.513/.697/1.210 with 3 Ks and 5 BBs in 33 ABs
C.J. Retherford: .346/.414/.615/1.029 with 2 Ks and 2 BBs in 26 ABs
Dayan Viciedo: .333/.350/.556/.906 with 6 Ks and 1 BB in 18 ABs
In this small sample size Danks is hitting the cover of the ball and has cut down the Ks. Viciedo isn’t doing so well (remember, the AFL is a hitters league) and his plate discipline is awful. Retheford is somewhee in the middle.
You can see how all the Sox prospects are doing in their Winter Ball leagues here:
October 24, 2009
AFL Day 12 [UPDATE]
Peoria Saguaros vs. Peoria Javelinas: Boxscore, Gameday. C.J. Retherford is playing 2B. Jordan Danks is playing RF. Weather: 80 degrees, sunny.
UPDATE: Peoria lost 6-0:
C.J. Retherford: 1-3, 1 K, 2 DP, .346 AVG
Jordan Danks: 2-3, 1 BB, .424 AVG
Matt Long: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, 4.91 ERA
