Omar Vizquel’s HOF case

THT’s Chris Jaffe takes a look:

Unique.

If I had only one word to describe Omar Vizquel‘s Hall of Fame case, it’s unique. Bizarre would be the alternate, but unique works best. …

Most Important Sox, 2011 and beyond edition (#21-30)

Ballantini @ CSN:

As the coals in the hot stove are just beginning to get stoked up, it’s time to rank the current Chicago White Sox, in order of importance for 2011 and beyond. It’s not intended to be a strict list of merely the best players, or best values, on the White Sox. Rather, it takes into account team depth, the free agent market, or answering the question of which player would hurt the most not being on the team? …

… 30. Eduardo Escobar, SS

One great AFL season does not make a prospect. But given that Escobar has lit up a fall season that earns more than its fair share of attention from major-league eyes, Escobar becomes an important trade chip this winter. Perhaps the inclusion of the shortstop in a Carlos Quentin-Colby Rasmus deal with St. Louis gets that trade done.

White Sox re-sign SS/2B Omar Vizquel

Merkin @ CWS (Press Release):

On Tuesday, the first of five days during which teams have to negotiate exclusively with their own free agents, [Omar] Vizquel returned to the White Sox via a one-year, $1.75-million contract. The expectation for the 11-time Gold Glove Award winner is that he will fulfill the role originally intended for him, as the primary backup to shortstop Alexei Ramirez and second baseman Gordon Beckham.

Differences between expected and actual BABIP for the 2010 White Sox

Gross @ THT:

A couple of years ago, Chris Dutton and Peter Bendix did some research on batted-ball data and created a metric called xBABIP (“expected BABIP”). xBABIP dispelled the myth that BABIP was primarily a function of “LD%+ .120.” Rather, as Dutton and Bendix found, BABIP was better explained as a function all batted-ball types and ratios with speed/power/strikeout considerations.

Last year, Derek Carty and Chris Dutton debuted the simple xBABIP calculator on THT. This tool has empowered users to determine a player’s xBABIP and compare it to their actual BABIP. Therefrom, one could forecast a hitter’s expected batting line, assuming all the input ratios were to remain constant. Over the course of 500+ PA, these ratios tend to be significant, though conclusions can still be drawn at the 300 PA threshold (we’d really only be waiting on IFFB% stabilization).

For all 270 hitters who accrued 300 or more plate appearances this season, I applied the xBABIP formula (by park) to determine each hitter’s expected batting lines. In short, what I have created is a spreadsheet of “what you can expect as a baseline for production in 2011, assuming all else remains constant.” In other words, this is how these hitters should have hit in 2010. …

Numbers for the White Sox players from the full spreadsheet:

Player	PA	xBABIP	BABIP	Difference
Andruw Jones	328	.310	.239	.071
Juan Pierre	734	.351	.294	.057
Mark Kotsay	359	.298	.247	.051
Carlos Quentin	527	.282	.241	.041
A.J. Pierzynski	503	.299	.278	.021
Alex Rios	617	.322	.306	.016
Alexei Ramirez	626	.311	.300	.011
Gordon Beckham	498	.304	.297	.007
Omar Vizquel	391	.309	.309	0
Paul Konerko	631	.297	.326	-.029

For players that played part of the year with the White Sox I got their BABIP numbers from statcorner. All the numbers are for the time they played for the White Sox:

Player	PA	xBABIP	BABIP	Difference
Jayson Nix	57	.262	.189	.073
Manny Ramirez	88	.313	.388	-.075

Mark Teahen had only 262 PAs.

Chuck Garfein’s 2011 off-season predictions

Garfien @ CSN:

Let’s start with the four World Series heroes, and their chances of coming back:

Paul Konerko: 50 percent

A.J. Pierzynski:  40 percent

Bobby Jenks: 1 percent

Freddy Garcia:  25 percent

I’d go with those numbers too. More predictions at the link.

White Sox try to keep the team roster Teahen-less

Kenny likes the current team:

Another consideration is that the Sox like the way their roster is constructed while putting a premium on defense, where Omar Vizquel has solidified the third base position since Teahen was injured.

“There’s no rush,” general manager Ken Williams said Sunday morning. … “I think more than anything, you’re trying to put the best roster on the field to win today’s game. The last thing I want to happen is we lose this division by one game, a half game, and we think back and were there times, and I do that. I go back, ‘we should have won this game, we should have won that game. You put the best team out there when you can put the best team out there. There are advantages, roster-wise, when you get to September, but the focus has to be on today.”

You should’ve thought that before trading for him and then giving him a 3-year contract, Kenny.

Omar wants a hitter

Omar Vizquel says the Sox should:

“I think we need to add something,” Vizquel said. “If it’s not another pitcher, probably it’s another hitter. This is a time where we really need to make a step toward getting better and to separate between the teams that are around, having a chance, and the teams that really need to go on to the playoffs. I guess the final cut is coming, this is the last time to make a change, and I think that with another guy on the team we might secure the next step.”

Omar explains what the team needs to Kenny:

Gonzales and Merkin have more.

White Sox are open for business

Buster Olney via MLBTR:

Heard this from multiple executives: The White Sox have made it clear they are open for business, and ready to trade off parts … from what has been a very disappointing team. The perception of other teams is that Paul Konerko is available right now, and … as we know, Chicago GM Ken Williams is a deal-maker,someone who will move quickly — as he did with the Contreras and Thome deals last fall.

Other players mentioned by MLBTR: A.J. Pierzynski, Mark Buehrle, Bobby Jenks, J.J. Putz, Scott Linebrink, Tony Pena, Matt Thornton, Andruw Jones, Freddy Garcia, Mark Kotsay, Omar Vizquel, Ramon Castro.

Sox win 8-5. Pitch F/X, videos, and boxscore.

Video recap.

Highlights: Nix hit a Grand Slam HR. Rios hit a solo HR and two 1B, Konerko hit a 2B, a 1B, and drew a BB. Teahen hit a 2B and a 1B. Vizquel hit a 2B and a 1B too. Alexei hit two 1B.

Boxscore:

Chi White Sox	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Peavy(W, 4-4)	5.1	10	5	5	0	5	1	6.23
Santos(H, 5)	0.2	2	0	0	0	1	0	0.48
Thornton(H, 3)	2.1	1	0	0	1	1	0	1.59
Pena, To	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.05
Totals	9.0	13	5	5	1	8	1	4.58

Pitch F/X:

Omar don’t scare

Dyck:

“I don’t feel 43, otherwise I wouldn’t be playing this game still,” Vizquel said. “I feel pretty young still. I feel I’m able to do a lot on the field. I play a position that is really demanding where you have to jump and stop and do a lot of acrobatic stuff. As long as I can still do that, I think you have a chance to play.”

In the final spring game earlier this month in Atlanta, Vizquel had four hits, four RBIs and one stolen base.

“I hope I can have one of those in the season,” he said. “It’s just one of the examples that your body is still in shape to go through 162 games plus playoffs plus the World Series.”

To explain the title:

Ozzie Guillen to try to give a lot of playing time to Andruw Jones; Omar Vizquel too

Merkin:

“Andruw will be in the lineup against lefties,” Guillen said. “I don’t know where. It can in the outfield or as a designated hitter. I don’t know where, but I’d rather have him in the outfield when he’s playing. I don’t want to call him a backup or a fourth outfielder. He’s another outfielder.”

“The thing about this team is I have the flexibility to change the lineup because I have Andruw and Kotsay,” Guillen said. “I have five guys in the outfield who can rotate in the DH spot. It just depends how they’re swinging the bat and how they’re playing.”

“I think the way that Andruw Jones played in Spring Training, he should start,” Guillen said. “But Kotsay, the same way. Everybody in the outfield has had a pretty good Spring Training.”

UPDATE: Curtright:

”The way he’s played, he deserves to be in the lineup more often,” said Guillen, who’s blessed with five worthy candidates for the three outfield spots and designated hitter. ”I’m not going to say he’s a backup. I’m not going to say he’s a fourth or fifth outfielder. He’s another outfielder.”

”I’d rather have him in the outfield than DHing when he’s playing,” Guillen said. ”To get the best out of him, I’ll try to give him a lot of playing time.”

UPDATE #2: Andruw Jones too:

“The way Andruw Jones played in spring training, he should start,” Guillen said. “But Kotsay did the same way and (Alex) Rios had a good spring training.

“To get the best out of him, I’ll try to get him a lot of playing time. Same with (Omar) Vizquel. Andruw is not a fourth or fifth outfielder. I’m going to have a meeting with him and tell him his situation, what’s best for the ballclub. I will get him a lot of playing time.”

Omar Vizquel reacts to Ozzie Guillen playing him at DH

Gonzales:

“Maybe I have once or twice, but not in a big league game,” Vizquel said of the unusual move. “I think it’s a presentation at-bat, so the fans know I made the trip and am still on the team.”

But Ozzie is serious:

But Guillen also said he wouldn’t be averse to using Vizquel or left fielder Juan Pierre as DH during the season, even though the spot historically has been saved for home run hitters.

“I might do that,” he said. “We might do a lot of things, especially with a lefty pitching. But I don’t mind putting those guys in the DH spot.”

HardballTalk on the 2010 Sox

Calcaterra:

Ozzie Guillen is more or less immune from heat over his antics, his tweeting and his tendency to shoot off at the mouth from time to time, but he could be under some pressure this year all the same. Why? Because this seems more like the team he wanted than the team Kenny Williams wanted. Back at the Winter Meetings Ozzie was adamant that he not be tied down with a dedicated DH. Williams listened, passed on bringing back Thome or Dye and now there’s a decent chance that Mark Kotsay and Omar Vizquel will be getting at bats from the DH slot. Juan Pierre was clearly a Guillen priority. He’s moving Gordon Beckam to second base just as he was getting used to third (and after being drafted as a shortstop).  I don’t think Ozzie’s  job is in jeopardy or anything, but if the team doesn’t produce, Guillen is probably due a lot of the heat for it. How he reacts to the heat could put his job in jeopardy of course, because anything is possible with Ozzie. …

Final cuts next week? Interim cuts on the weekend?

Levine:

Guillen said after Wednesday’s game that his final roster cuts will probably come sometime next week. However, he may pare down the number of players in camp on Sunday or Monday.

Guillen and the White Sox coaching staff are trying to figure out whether the team can carry 12 pitchers to begin the season. Reliever Sergio Santos has created problems for the team because of his outstanding pitching so far.

“I got my team,” Guillen said. “We have one guy who is a tough problem. You know who it is. It’s Santos.” …

Dan Hudson is waiting for an answer:

“I’m just hanging on until they tell me (otherwise),” Hudson said. “I’m just hanging around the locker room until they kick me out – they haven’t really told me anything.” …

Kenny is impressed:

Sergio Santos, a converted infielder who looks as if he’ll break camp as a Major League reliever in just one year’s transformation time, stands at the forefront of this group.”I’ve been surprised how Santos, for a position change guy, can locate his fastball and throw a slider for strikes and a changeup behind in the count,” Williams said. “It just doesn’t happen.”

Santos, 26, entered camp with the reputation of possessing a high-octane fastball in the 98-mph range. But his pitchability, for lack of a better word, has been off the charts.

With nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 scoreless innings heading into his next scheduled outing Thursday against San Diego, the right-hander has put himself as the prime contender for that 12th spot on the pitching staff. Santos is out of Minor League options, so through this great spring, he also has made himself attractive to other teams with thin bullpens. …

Gordon Beckham moves to 2nd base

Levine:

Gordon Beckham‘s transition from third base to second base, in theory, shouldn’t be any more difficult than moving from Double-A to Triple-A to the major leagues to becoming the Sporting News rookie of the year at a position he only played a few games in professionally.

“Playing second base, except for the turn [6-4-3 double play], is relatively easy,” Beckham said.

“The turn” as Beckham calls it, was a problem when the spring training games began — only because there were very few chances for him to practice the play with a runner bearing down on him and his back to the play.

“We had our first one the other day,” Beckham said, two weeks into spring training. “It was a clean transition. We actually got the outs.” Beckham did trip over the base runner, however. …