By Andrew Reilly
Talk about an uncharacteristic maneuver.
Even if the Jake Peavy deal had already been explored, it always seemed like such a non-event, one of those could’ve-been-sweet things right up there with the Maggs-for-Nomar trade and the phantom acquisition of Alex Rodriguez. Of course we just sort of assumed Peavy would never go along with playing for the White Sox anyway, but that stemmed less from what any of knew about Peavy and more from what we know about the White Sox. Because the White Sox, as you may be aware, do not make splashy moves.
Surprise moves, yes.
Risky moves, absolutely.
High upside shots in the dark, without question.
But the Peavy deal suddenly makes the Sox look like a real organization, one which a legitimately good pitcher looked at and said “I will hand over my power in this situation to be a part of what’s going on over there.” Five years ago we were hearing how Randy Johnson didn’t think the Sox could ever win anything and Kenny Williams himself calling the club a 50-cent operation in a dollar-demanding world. Now we have a marquee player (and not one past his prime this time, either!) and a legitimate shot at . . . something. Peavy doesn’t bring a guarantee of anything, but he absolutely brings the possibility of so much more.
Week in Review: Statement-making. By obliterating the Yankees, the Sox declared themselves capable of playing with real teams. By Trading for Peavy, the Sox declared themselves serious about winning. By handing an entire series over to the Twins, the Sox reaffirmed the 10,000-Lakers’ perpetual dominance.
Week in Preview: The homestand concludes with three against the Angels and three against the Indians. The Indians, as you may know, recently traded away their best pitcher and second-best bat; as such, expect them to destroy the Good Guys.
The Q Factor: At approximately 3:30 p.m. CST Friday, Jake Peavy received a DVD from TCQ Labs containing several CGI renderings of a Sox-Padres interleague series scheduled for June 7-9, 2011. The best-case scenario showed Peavy facing Quentin four times yet seeing his career earned run average increase to 4.95 and a constant feeling of sadness coming to define his later years, always acutely aware that something went wrong but never really figuring out what or when. By 4:00 p.m., Peavy was packing his bags for Chicago.
That’s Ozzie!: “That’s the Dominican style: when you’re hurt, you play dominoes.” – Guillen on Bartolo Colon’s odd approach to self-medication
The Guillen Meter: Sending the Yankees home with their organs in their hands, the Guillen Meter reads 4 for “bloodlusting.”
Underclassmen Update: Gordon Beckham ranks third among AL third baseman with a .311 batting average while Alex Rodriguez sits in ninth at .261. Therefore, Gordon Beckham is better than Alex Rodriguez.
Alumni News You Can Use: Former Sox pitcher Clayton Richard made a strong debut for the Padres in Milwaukee Saturday, allowing just one run in 5.2 innings Saturday against the Brewers.
Hawkeroo’s Can-O-Corn Watch: That Angels manager Mike Scioscia, he might just be, without a doubt, the best manager in the game today. Also, current Indians manager Eric Wedge, he might be the best manager in the game today, no question.
Endorsement No-Brainer: White Sox defense for the Monty Hall problem: the result appears absurd but is demonstrably true.
Cubs Snub: The only thing funnier than a certain fanbase’s misguided hubris is when that arrogance blows up in their collective face and a rival baseball club goes out and acquires the pitcher whose jersey you were so excited about ordering once your team TOTALLY brought him aboard. But hey, you’ve still got Milton Bradley to show for it. BONUS SNUB: Former Greatest Pitcher of All Time Mark Prior was released by the San Diego Padres. Having set records for most innings, strikeouts, wins, and earned run average in simulated games, Prior plans to make appearances on the simulated public speaking circuit before being inducted into the Simulated Hall of Fame.
Fantasy Fix: All-Star illusions and Paul Konerko.
The White Sox Report: Read ’em all.
The Cub Factor: Know your enemy.
–
The White Sox Report welcomes your comments.
Andrew Reilly is the managing editor of The 35th Street Review and a contributor to many fine publications.
Posted on August 3, 2009