Dave Shovein’s Adan Dunn prediction

Dave Shovein:

Adam Dunn hits 35+ home runs: Many fantasy players and prognosticators are predicting a rebound of sorts for Dunn in 2012 (how could he possibly be any worse?). While most project him for a 20-25 homer season, I think that he regains most of his previous power form.Even during his abysmal 2011, he still managed a nice walk rate (15.1 percent) and flyball rate (47.5). The culprit for the drop in homers was simply the weak contact he made, leading to a homer-per-fly rate of only 9.6 percent (atrocious by Dunn’s standards). While you can’t place too much stock in offseason fluff stories, Dunn has by all accounts worked extremely hard. He swung a bat over the winter for the first time in his career and is in fairly good shape (for his body type, at least). I think we see the Grande Mule of old in 2012. I expect Dunn to look in vintage form, hitting 35-plus home runs with a .240 average.

35+ home runs would be: 1) awesome, 2) a lot more than I expect!

Did Alexei Ramirez bulk up?

BTW, Scott Merkin has a cool article about how much grateful Alexei is for Jose Contreras’ influence on him on and off the diamond.

Other White Sox links:

• J.J. says Chris Sale’s change-up is the key to his potential success, updates us at the closer competition, and with Tony Andracki post the 1960-69 All-Chicago team.
• James looks at the closer competition too, previews the starting rotation, and writes about Buddy Bell’s conference call.
• THT’s Jeff Moore looks at the Sox’ farm system.

And BTB’s Lewie Pollis updates the ‘The Simple WAR calculator’ to version 2.0.

White Sox vs. Giants @ 3:05 pm CT; game on CSN-TV

Watch live on CSN-TV as Philip Humber takes the hill vs. the Giants today at 3:05 p.m. CT. Addison Reed and Matt Thornton are also slated to pitch. Gameday | Boxscore

Nate Jones hits 97mph

Scott Reifert:

It was pretty late last night, so understandable if you missed it, but Nate Jones threw the ball VERY well in his two-inning stint, striking out five and reaching 97 mph with his fastball.  It was an impressive way to end a long day.

Jones struck out 5 and walked one in the 2.0 innings he pitched. And here are the stats for the 26 year-old righty for the last 3 years:

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	Lev	Aff	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	WHIP	H/9	HR/9	BB/9	SO/9	SO/BB
2009	23	2 Teams	2 Lgs	A+-A	CHW	4	1	.800	3.31	45	0	21	0	0	1	68.0	52	25	25	4	22	0	68	2	0	5	273	1.088	6.9	0.5	2.9	9.0	3.09
2009	23	Kannapolis	SALL	A	CHW	2	0	1.000	2.41	13	0	5	0	0	1	18.2	8	5	5	0	9	0	25	1	0	1	72	0.911	3.9	0.0	4.3	12.1	2.78
2009	23	Winston-Salem	CARL	A+	CHW	2	1	.667	3.65	32	0	16	0	0	0	49.1	44	20	20	4	13	0	43	1	0	4	201	1.155	8.0	0.7	2.4	7.8	3.31
2010	24	Winston-Salem	CARL	A+	CHW	11	6	.647	4.08	28	28	0	1	0	0	152.1	176	77	69	10	56	0	109	12	1	7	671	1.523	10.4	0.6	3.3	6.4	1.95
2011	25	Birmingham	SOUL	AA	CHW	2	3	.400	3.27	42	0	26	0	0	12	63.1	58	27	23	3	27	1	67	2	0	8	272	1.342	8.2	0.4	3.8	9.5	2.48

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 3/24/2012.

UPDATE: Scott Merkin:

Jones’ primary goal this spring simply has been to come out and throw strikes, which has put him in the group with Zach Stewart, Dylan Axelrod, Brian Bruney and Eric Stults competing for the last two bullpen slots. The team’s fifth-round pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft also employs a bit of delivery deception to his advantage, looking something like a less polished version of Justin Masterson.

“It looks different,” said a smiling Jones of his delivery. “I go straight back instead of making the loop. But it works. As long as I keep throwing strikes, I’ll keep doing it.

“That’s something the guys kind of poke fun at me [about] a little bit. But it has always been like that.”

White Sox @ Brewers @ 3:05 pm CT; game on WSCR-AM670 radio

Listen live on WSCR-AM670 radio as Chris Sale and Chicago face Milwaukee in Cactus play. Gameday | Boxscore

White Sox @ D-backs @ 9:05 pm CT; game on CSN-TV [VIDEO UPDATE]

Watch on CSN as Gavin Floyd and the White Sox face the D-backs tonight. Floyd is scheduled for five innings or 78 pitches. Gameday | Boxscore

UPDATE: A.J. ‘Tubby‘ Pierzynski hit an inside-the-park HR! Here’s video of the HR (0:14) and Tubby’s reaction (1:06).

White Sox vs. Royals @ 3:05 pm CT; free webcast

Watch exclusive webcast of White Sox in action

Watch an exclusive free video webcast as the White Sox host the Royals at 3:05 p.m. on Thursday. Zach Stewart starts. Addison Reed and Matt Thornton are scheduled to pitch. Watch webcast | Gameday | Boxscore

Or click the video below and wait 4-5 seconds (the video at the whitesox.com webcast can be expanded to full-screen):

Terry Doyle is back with the Sox

Terry Doyle, Rule 5 Twins selection, returned to the White Sox and assigned to Triple-A Charlotte—
Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 21, 2012

I see Doyle had a 2/3 K/BB ratio in 5.1 innings with the Twinkies. 5.1 innings is a pretty small sample size. Seems the last of his 3 outings did the most damage. Hopefully, Dotson can keep his ratios as they were in AA-Birmingham.

UPDATE: Here’s Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan:

“We offered him back to the White Sox, with some discussion about possibly trying to keep him,” said Minnesota general manager Terry Ryan of Doyle, who cleared waivers and posted a 3.07 ERA over 26 starts for Class A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham last year. “I threw some things at Kenny, he threw some things back just like any of those discussions go. We couldn’t work it out, so we’re sending him back today.”

He needs to get on with his career. You never like to see a young kid that’s trying to make his way to the Major Leagues sit around too long. He’s only had a few innings here. That’s not good for anybody’s career, so we made a decision sooner rather than later.”

Hector Santiago, starting pitcher?

Scott Merkin:

[Hector] Santiago, 24, entered Tuesday’s scheduled off-day for the White Sox as a veritable lock to break camp as one of the team’s seven relievers. He threw a scoreless inning against the Reds during Monday’s 1-0 loss at Camelback Ranch, giving him six without allowing a run this spring, while striking out six.

And the screwball has played a major part in this success.

… After being selected in the 30th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, Santiago made 129 of his first 130 appearances out of the bullpen for Bristol, Class A Kannapolis and Class A Winston-Salem. He started 23 games for Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham in 2011, before pitching 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief for the White Sox, giving up just one hit.

His impressive debut with the White Sox and continued success in Spring Training has caught the eye of the higher-ups in the organization.

“You know, we may take a [Chris] Sale approach with him,” said White Sox general manager Ken Williams of Santiago, who also could work as a late-inning left-hander. “We might keep him in the bullpen and then look to start him down the line.”

Speaking of pitches, Jake Petricka wants to continue developing his breaking stuff:

The harshest critic of Jake Petricka is … Jake Petricka.

Armed with a mid-90 mph fastball that most deem to be a “plus” offering — scouting jargon for beyond big league average — the White Sox’s No. 5 prospect shrugged and said he believed it to be only average. OK, he relented, maybe slightly above average.

Despite receiving an invitation to Chicago’s Major League camp this spring, it’s clear the 23-year-old right-hander is wary of becoming a one-pitch pitcher destined for the bullpen. He’s intent on improving his secondary pitches — a changeup and a slider — necessary ingredients for a future in the rotation.

Petricka finished 2011 in Class A Advanced Winston-Salem’s starting rotation. He went 7-8 with a 3.65 ERA over a career-high 113 1/3 innings across three lower levels before working exclusively as a reliever in the Arizona Fall League. Impressing others, if not himself, in either role this month likely would lead to a spot with Double-A Birmingham.

MiLB.com asked Petricka to describe and grade each of the three pitches he employs, fastball included. (His grade is based on a scout’s traditional 20-80 scale, 50 being Major League average.) Here is Petricka, in his own words:

Other White Sox links:

• Chris has an excellent post on the Birmingham Barons new publicly-financed park.
• J.J. looks at Gavin Floyd future, and Jake Peavy’s bullpen comments.
• James looks at Dayan Viciedo’s future.
• Chris Kamka says the Jackie Robinson could’ve broken the color barrier in a White Sox uniform.
• John Sickels likes Nestor Molina.
• David Pinto looks at the Sox’s run production.

White Sox vs. Reds @ 3:05 pm CT; free webcast [UPDATE]

Watch webcast of Sale’s next rotation turn vs. Reds

Watch a free exclusive video webcast of left-hander Chris Sale and the White Sox in action today against the Reds at Camelback Ranch at 3:05 p.m. CT. Watch webcast | Gameday | Boxscore

UPDATE: It was the Chris Sale, Addison Reed, and Hector Santiago show:

Chi White Sox	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Sale	6.0	2	0	0	0	6	0	5.40
Reed	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	1.69
Santiago, H	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0.00
Bruney(L, 1-1)	1.0	2	1	1	1	0	0	1.50
Totals	9.0	4	1	1	1	9	0	5.14

It’s still Spring Training though…

White Sox @ Cubs @ 3:05 pm CT; game on WSCR-AM670 radio

Listen to todays game at 3:05 CT when the Sox host the Mariners on WSCR-AM670 radio. Gavin FloydZach Stewart starts for the Sox. Gameday | Boxscore

Addison Reed adds a cutter to his pitches

Dave van Dyck:

Rookie reliever Addison Reed, the organization’s No. 1 prospect, has added a cutter to his fastball, slider and changeup. He discovered it almost by accident while “messing around with grips” in a bullpen session with coach Juan Nieves.

“It feels awesome, so we’ll see what happens with it,” he said. “If I have all those pitches, that’s just one more thing (hitters) have to be thinking about.”

Reed has allowed one run in 4 1/3 spring innings.

Awesome. Maybe Reed can master his cutter and become a starter next year.

PS. You’re freakin’ awesome Juan! You too Coop!

Someone screwed up in and in a very big way

Dave van Dyck:

Dunn now says there “is no doubt in my mind” his April appendectomy caused his season to disintegrate after a strong opening day.

“I was never the same,” he said. “I came back too soon, and I couldn’t even bend like I should have (while batting). And it threw my swing way off.”

Who screwed up? Was it Adam Dunn himself? I think that’s the more probable explanation. That Dunn didn’t reveal the extent of his after-surgery symptoms. It can’t be a coach or a trainer.

Other White Sox links:

• James looks at the Adam Dunn admission, and at the Gavin Floyd trade rumors.
• J.J. and Tony Andracki come up with the 1970-1979 All-Chicago team.
• Watch parts 1-3 of CSN’s Inside Look: Jerry Reinsdorf. Part 4 is here. Some extras are here. Put them all in 1 place J.J.!
• Kenny Williams says he put a high price on Sox players other teams wanted this winter and stuck with that price.

White Sox vs. Mariners @ 3:05 pm CT; free webcast

Watch free webcast

Watch an exclusive webcast today at 3:05 CT when the Sox host the Mariners. Jake Peavy starts for the Sox. Watch webcast | Gameday | Boxscore

Or click the video below and wait 4-5 seconds (the video at the whitesox.com webcast can be expanded to full-screen):

Gavin Floyd is a popular guy

Bruce Levine @ ESPN:

Multiple sources told ESPNChicago that teams are lining up with offers for [Gavin] Floyd, who could be a free agent (if the team declines its option) after the 2013 season

Will someone make Kenny an offer he can’t refuse?