Results tagged ‘ Jeff Marquez ’

Final Roster moves

The White Sox offcially got their roster down to 27 by making six cuts on Monday morning. The team optioned pitchers Lance Broadway, Jack Egbert and Jeff Marquez to Triple-A Charlotte, reassigned INF/OF Josh Kroeger and left-handed reliever Randy Williams to Minor League camp and placed infielder Jayson Nix on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quadriceps.

Although the move was not announced, Jerry Owens told a pair of reporters on Monday that he was placed on waivers. The move means that Dewayne Wise and Brian Anderson will be patroling center field for the White Sox. Corky Miller also is expected to be named the White Sox backup catcher, with Donny Lucy returning to Charlotte.

More to come soon.

This and that

–DeWayne Wise tripled and homered in four at-bats, while Chris Stewart and Sergio Santos both went deep during the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory over the White Sox in Monday’s ‘B’ Game. The White Sox did not bat in the bottom of the ninth because Los Angeles ran out of pitchers. Franklyn German hurled two scorless innings, while Lance Broadway gave up one unearned run and fanned three in two innings.

–Jeff Marquez is scheduled to throw during Tuesday’s day off, probably working against Minor League hitters on one of the White Sox back fields at Camelback Ranch.

–Aaron Poreda worked four innings in relief on Monday, giving up one run and striking out three. This effort follows a strong three-inning stint last Wednesday in Las Vegas against the Cubs.

The big left-hander remains in play for that final spot out of the White Sox bullpen.

“(White sox pitching coach Don Cooper) is going to continue to work with him,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Poreda, the team’s top pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. “Hopefully, we get the best out of him and see what happens at the end of Spring Training.”

–Brent Lillibridge returned from a bout with the flu and played shortstop in the game against Cleveland, with Chris Getz playing second. Jayson Nix remains out of action with a sore right quad.

Getz’s three-run, inside-the-park home run hit in the second showed me he’s get a second gear speed-wise that I didn’t really get a chance to see last year. Getz shows good patience at the plate, and although Guillen does not want to add more pressure to what he already has, could Getz be a leadoff hitter? I think he could.

–Is this something–the White Sox are 0-5 against American League teams and 6-2 against the National League during 2009 Cactus League action.

–My original pick was Teya to win Rock of Love: Charm School Bus or whatever it’s called. I think Mindy is closing fast.

 

 

 

Colon and Contreras update

Judging simply by the sound of Barolo Colon’s pitches during Monday’s live batting practice session at Camelback Ranch, the White Sox might break camp with a veteran starting rotation in tact.

Colon and Jose Contreras have numerous tasks in front of them before being deemed ready for the 2009 regular season, but Monday morning was another in a long line of steps forward. Each hurler threw two 20-pitch innings, facing Minor Leaguers such as Miguel Negron and Matthew Inouye. Colon stayed with fastballs and change-ups, breaking off a few curves, while Contreras threw all of his pitches, from all angles.

Remember, Contreras is coming back from a ruptured Achilles, while Colon is coming back from offseason surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. So, from a purely throwing standpoint, Contreras is ahead of Colon. That gap appears to be closing judging by the zip on Colon’s pitches.

There will be another batting practice session for the two on Wednesday and then possibly live game action this weekend. Having Contreras and Colon ready instantly gives the White Sox a very deep pitching staff, with Clayton Richard and Jeff Marquez moving to long relief.

With a B Game going at the same time, manager Ozzie Guillen did not join pitching coach Don Cooper to watch Colon and Contreras throw. Gordon Beckham batted twice while I was watching the B game and had four hits–just kidding. He had one hit and drove home a run with a ground out.

By the way, for you boxing fans, Rock Newman, Riddick Bowe’s former manager, was in attendance at Camelback Ranch on Monday. We had a brief discussion about the “fan man” fight, which I attended in Las Vegas in 1993, when a man paraglided into the ring during a Bowe-Evander Holyfield fight. That “fan man” has his own Wikipedia page, which is kind of sad.

 

Where have I been?

A hectic few days, including the Cubs-White Sox two-game series in Las Vegas, not to mention a cold or battle with allergies that won’t quite go away, have kept me off the blog. But I’m back with a few news items to start the week.

–Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon will be throwing batting practice tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. CT, as part of their continued comeback from injuries and push to the White Sox starting rotation. Ryan Braun also will be throwing batting practice on a separate field, as he battles his way back from Tommy John surgery on April 22, 2008.

I’m just guessing here right now, but I think Contreras will start the 2009 season as part of the rotation, but Colon, who is coming back from an elbow injury, will not but won’t be far behind. By the way, I think both Clayton Richard and Jeff Marquez are locks to make the team in some pitching capacity.

–Gordon Beckham continues to… Well, I was going to say impress but I don’t think that word is strong enough. How about amaze? He had three doubles on Sunday and has caused the White Sox to take a serious look at him as a possible starting candidate at second base, less than one year after being selected with the eighth pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

I don’t think Beckham breaks camp with the team. But I reiterate that he will be playing Major League baseball before September callups. His confidence, as much as his ability, impresses me. Beckham looks as if he’s been doing this for 10 years.

“Well, I hope I’m looking like that,” Beckham said. “I think there’s a difference in being cocky and being confident. I try to be as confident as I can without being cocky.

“Why not? I’ve been playing this game my whole life. The game hasn’t changed. It’s just the scenery and settings got a little different.”

–Here’s an example of Ozzie Guillen’s popularity. The White Sox manager came out in the third on Sunday to check on Alexei Ramirez, who had fouled a ball off of his foot, when some fan at Camelback Ranch yelled, ‘Hey, Ozzie. How are you doing?’

I watched Ozzie walk the hallways of the Bellagio Hotel during the 2008 Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, and he couldn’t take three steps without someone stopping him to talk or pose for a picture.

–Michigan wins its first round game in the Big 10 tourney, and its NCAA Tournament drought is over. No questions asked. Minnesota might be the Big 10 team with the most trouble.

You heard it here first: Michigan vs. Michigan St. for the NCAA crown.

–Jayson Nix is expected back in action after Tuesday’s day off. Brent Lillibridge will play Monday.

  

Camelback Ranch Leftovers

Paul Konerko addressed a wide array of topics after playing in Sunday’s stadium opener, including the soreness near his right thumb that plagued him throughout the 2008 season. The White Sox first baseman said he wouldn’t wait as long to get a pain-killing shot this year, because of how much better the thumb felt after getting one last year.

“I won’t wait 25 games, play like that,” Konerko said. “I would get the shot in the spring. Also, that’s not a shot you want to get more than twice a year. But it felt really good last year after the shot, and that’s something I’m kicking myself about.

“You always think you can just get through, hot and cold [treatment] and all of that. It’s been there since I was young, so it’s not going away, but I’m at the point where I would get it done early, get on my way, and then get one later in the year if I would need it. Hopefully not.”

Konerko said the thumb injury is one that’s always there, but one he has to keep an eye on. So far, so good for him during Spring Training, including “getting absolutely blown up inside” during a Sunday at-bat and suffering no after-effects.

–Konerko on one major personal beneift of the White Sox moving to Glendale:

” Believe me when it comes to Spring Training and the fact that I'm living at home, you won't really hear me complain," said Konerko, who resides with his family in North Scottsdale.

--Gordon Beckham's ninth-inning home run led one reporter to ask if his swing reminded Ozzie Guillen of any more established player. Guillen came up with Cubs Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg. Not much to live up to there for the eighth pick overall in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

--Here are the players set to make the two-day trip to Las Vegas as of Sunday, with the White Sox leaving Wednesday morning.

They are Chris Getz, Jermaine Dye, DeWayne Wise, Josh Fields, Jerry Owens, Konerko, A.J. Pierzynski, Cole Armstrong, Wilson Betemit, Ben Broussard, Tyler Flowers, Michael Restovich, Josh Kroeger, Jayson Nix, Eider Torres and Sergio Santos.

John Danks starts Wednesday night. Jeff Marquez starts Thursday afternoon.

 

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