This Week In White Sox Minor League Baseball

by larry on Apr 23, 2011 10:30 PM CDT in White Sox Minors

This week, longer form:

The first notable promotion of the year is RHP Addison Reed to Winston-Salem. He appears to be this year's fast-tracked reliever. Hopefully it works out better for him than it did for last year's version, Kyle Bellamy.
Jake Peavy's rehab continues to be as circuitous as Lasting Milledge's routes in the outfield. White Sox fans have long since grown frustrated with the apparent one step forward, one step back nature of his "progress." The latest setback was Monday for Birmingham, a game in which he was supposed to step up to 90-100 pitches. Instead, he left the game after just 15 pitches due to discomfort in his surgically-repaired lat. The discomfort was the result of scar tissue at the repair site, simply some tissue irritated by the over-exertion inherently necessary in building back the strength necessary to be a starting pitcher. While people certainly have the right to be frustrated by Peavy, I think a lot of it stems from the fact that White Sox fans just aren't used to pitchers rehabbing from significant arm injuries. Circuitous is not unusual in pitcher, particularly starting pitcher, rehabs. And, so far, his setbacks have been minor inflammation issues related to increasing repetitions. His latest return to the minor league mound is scheduled for April 28.
Interesting study about minor league strikeout rates. Pay attention Jared Mitchell and Trayce Thompson.

Remember when RHP Nevin Griffith was kind of a prospect? He was a second round pick out of Florida high school in 2007, the draft where the White Sox decided to stop picking the Lance Broadways and Kyle McCullochs of the collegiate baseball world and go with some higher upside arms. That draft included Aaron Poreda, Nate Jones, Leroy Hunt and Phil Rogers' homie John Ely. So, yeah, great idea, not so great execution. As for Griffith, after pitching decently for Winston-Salem for the first couple months of the season, he continued the leitmotif of his pro career of just 162 innings by injuring his back and then didn't pitch for the rest of the year. Baseball America mentioned "He has damaged his credibility with the White Sox, with some club officials questioning his toughness." Setting aside whether he's Birmingham tough, the organization pushed him to the Barons rotation to start this season. And the results have been bad: 3 GS, 12.1 IP, 11 H, 11 BB, 10 K, 5 WP, 3 HBP. Wild pitches are another leitmotif of his career. He's got stuff - a low to mid 90s fastball and a good curve - but lack of consistent control has stalled many careers.

Remember when OF Jose Martinez was a prospect? A long time larry favorite, Martinez missed all but 39 games in 2008 and all of 2009 after destroying his right knee. Back in 2008, the Venezuelan had all the tools and projected as a potential star center fielder. He had a rocky return to live baseball last season for the Dash, putting up a pedestrian .242/.295/.347 in 61 games. And the knee injury had sapped his speed, relegating him to right field. But the other tools were still there and, unlike other prospect observers, I thought the potential was still realizable for a guy just 22 years old and I placed him just outside my top 11 prospects. While it's early going, he's been impressive so far in a return engagement with the Dash. He's always controlled the strike zone well enough and he may be showing development of his long-anticipated power (though he needs some homers), which will be necessary now that he's in a corner. Birmingham later this season will be the true test but the possibility of his re-emergence is a welcome development to follow.

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Comments

looking back at your top 11 prospect list in Oct...

here would you now replace danks with martinez given the upside of the latter?

Take your whosh like a man, dammit. - RWShow

White Sox Baseball:
We’re so expensive, we force Christians to steal. - blackoutsox

by Shoeless In SC on Apr 23, 2011 9:25 PM CDT reply actions

no,

there’s nothing i would change about that list at this point in the season.

by larry on Apr 23, 2011 9:31 PM CDT up reply actions

word.

hopefully Martinez responds well to your tough love, larry.

Take your whosh like a man, dammit. - RWShow

White Sox Baseball:
We’re so expensive, we force Christians to steal. - blackoutsox

by Shoeless In SC on Apr 23, 2011 9:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Still think he's a .300 hitter...

with good on-base skills. The qustion is, can he hit for power? He’s going to have to hit for some now that the speed is gone.

by polodude017 on Apr 24, 2011 7:57 PM CDT up reply actions

mutiny!

a season on the brink, and the staff revolts!

Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.

by MarketMaker on Apr 23, 2011 10:42 PM CDT reply actions

huh?

by larry on Apr 23, 2011 11:25 PM CDT up reply actions

referring to him posting over the top of you, and you bumping yours back on top.

Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.

by MarketMaker on Apr 24, 2011 11:43 AM CDT up reply actions

why would you assume that i bumped it.

by larry on Apr 24, 2011 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions

because it's funnier if you did.

and i presumed a sense of humor. mea culpa.

Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That's how rich I want to be.

by MarketMaker on Apr 24, 2011 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions

today we celebrate the rebirth of Q

happy easter everyone

I hope Kotsay gets hit by a dump truck and slips into a coma where he is stuck forever in Baseball purgatory having to bat against a three-headed, six-armed Lefty Hydra consisting of Billy Wagner, Damaso Marte, and Randy Johnson. - Shoeless In SC
It's like trying to sneak the sun past the rooster. - Hawk Harrelson

by blackoutsox on Apr 24, 2011 12:44 AM CDT reply actions

The "Interesting Study" link has another link

From a poster named “casjud” (Link: Here)
He makes a list of top minor league’s prospects. He lists 50. Only two White Sox player, and I quote him on Viciedo:

34) Dayan Viciedo, rf, White Sox – 22 years old – I’m going to get killed for this one. Dayan is almost universally looked at as a bust and was left off of virtually every list. I say, look at his stats and the context of them, a little bit. Even some of your favorite top prospects might not have fared to well if they were shoved right into AA ball to start the 2009 season, or when they were 20, with no pro experience! Dominic Brown and Mike Moustakas weren’t even great A+ players in 2009, let alone ready for AA. I don’t even want to speculate on what Dustin Ackley would have hit in AA when he was 20 – gruesome. So when the “Cuban Tank” has a big year at AAA Charlotte this season, playing RF now, could we maybe not complain that he is repeating the league?

I really didn’t know he was “deemed a bust”. I found that unexpected. Sure I have no clue who this casejud is, but he seems a serious poster like Kenwo et all. Viciedo is currently ill with Whitesoxitis hitting a robust 171/227/398….hope he gets better (As our entire major league team)
The other player in his list was Chris Sale (a step after that Chatwood kid who killed us). There is like a gazillion of Royals prospects in that list.

If you chase two rabbits both will escape!

by JofpGallagher on Apr 24, 2011 7:05 AM CDT reply actions

Thank you.

Beware the cure isn't worse than the disease

by Chiburb on Apr 24, 2011 7:06 AM CDT via mobile reply actions

on this easter sunday... hopefully....

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Apr 24, 2011 8:40 AM CDT reply actions

Dig the wood paneling!

i'd cry in the dark! by craigws

by Rhubarb on Apr 24, 2011 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions

this isn't mine. just found the photo on line.

i remember my dad had the picture so i figured id search for it.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Apr 24, 2011 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions

I like the picture too.

let’s get a W so we can enjoy an Easter once. Also it is old man vizquel’s 44th birthday today. From Caracas to Detroit. Fitting really

i'd cry in the dark! by craigws

by Rhubarb on Apr 24, 2011 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions

Birmingham Tough

love it!

FifthFeather.com

by El Duque's Raft on Apr 24, 2011 8:59 AM CDT reply actions

Anyone else questioning Reed in the pen?

He’s been fantastic and this system NEEDS starting pitching. There are plenty of relievers. I find it interesting that he’s been going 2 innings every time out. Hopefully they wise up and at least see what he can do as a starter.

by polodude017 on Apr 24, 2011 7:59 PM CDT reply actions