Awards Season

Thank you as always for reading, and thanks as well for writing:

Andrew –
Why all the hate for Da Swish? His OBP last year was sick and he can bat anywhere in the lineup. And I don’t know where you get the idea he’s a bad fielder? He’s no prime time Griffey Jr., but he’s at least decent out there. And he’s great in the clubhouse and was a fan favorite in Oakland. What gives?
– Dave, South Side

Those are all great points, but I want make something clear here: I do not hate Nick Swisher. Is he a solid ballplayer? Yes. Good person? Absolutely. A welcome clubhouse presence? Probably, although I don’t know this firsthand and I doubt most fans do either. My problems with Swisher aren’t really with the man per se, but more in what the Sox paid for him and the positive overreaction his arrival has incited in my fellow fans.

Now, no one knows for sure what will become of Gio Gonzalez, Faustino De Los Santos or Ryan Sweeney. They were all Sox prospects, which in all likelihood means they’re going nowhere, but I still maintain that if the Sox aren’t going to spend money on top-tier pitching via free agency then they should do everything they can to develop it in-house. But when you’re trading the pitchers that would theoretically rise up to the major league level for slightly-above-mid-tier position players, it suggests that the company line about pitching and defense is false and that those things don’t actually matter at all. The Sox won’t spend money on veteran pitchers (see: Garland, Jon or the “lowball” deal on Buehrle, Mark), but they won’t hold on to what few prospects they have. So where are the arms supposed to come from?

As for the character and clubhouse presence, those are nice but ultimately inconsequential. It’s good to hear the guys don’t hate their co-workers, but I’d prefer a winning team on the verge of total self-destruction over an also-ran made up of guys who like their jobs. But that’s just me.

Andrew –
Good show in Cleveland, wouldn’t you say? Hard-fought games and the guys’ tough play sets a good tone for the season.
– J., Addison

There’s not much sense putting stock in “good losses,” but we can look at it like this: the starters ranged from brilliant to awful, the bullpen was split almost down the middle, and the bats are alive just the way we all knew they would be. On one hand, at this rate the Sox will have five guys with over 50 home runs, four with over 150 RBI, and two starters fanning over 200 batters. On the other hand, they’ll lose 108 games. Here’s hoping they can even it out this weekend in Detroit.

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In other more self-congratulatory news, the Chicago Tribune last week named SSB one of “Chicago’s Best Blogs” (White Sox category, of course), along with White Sox Locker, the inestimable South Side Sox, and the Good Guys’ own White Sox Pride. Pretty good company to be in if you ask me.