This Month in White Sox Minor League Baseball

This month:

• Jordan Danks has been the outstanding performer so far for the White Sox winter ballas.  Shaking off his poor, potentially injury induced, second half of 2009, he's gone .333/.450/.485 in 18 games.  Watch him this Saturday at 7:15pm on MLB Network in the AFL Rising Stars Game.
  
• The White Sox originally sent a bunch of junk to pitch in the AFL.  Two junk removals have provided opportunities to a couple interesting guys. One, Sergio Santos, is simply that: interesting.  A former first round pick of the Diamondbacks as a high school SS, he spent 7 seasons in the minors, never fulfilling his promise.  After being invited to Spring Training this season by the White Sox and not impressing them with his hitting, either, he was converted to pitcher and, while very raw, showed some promise on the mound with a 9.4 K/9.  Of course, that came with 6.4 BB/9 and a slew of wild pitches and hit by pitches.  The story has been much the same in the AFL, with 6 BB and 12 K in 9.1 IP.
• Also recently added from the instructional leagues was Kyle Bellamy, who is actually a prospect.  A 2009 5th round selection, as a college closer, he's a fast track type and his appearance in the AFL confirms this impression.  A tall, right-handed side-armer, some think he could be on the South Side next season and a good showing in the AFL would go a long way in raising his status in the organization.
  
• As most of you know, Dayan Viciedo was shut down due to tendinitis in his right elbow after just four games.  The injury is not considered at all serious and can arguably be chalked up to simple overuse in a player not used to a season stretching from February into November.  He's an expected attendee at Camp Cora this January.
• The injury to Viciedo opened up an opportunity for larry favorite Brent Morel. So far, .280/.296/.280.
  
• C.J. Retherford: .255/.309/.392.
• They do play baseball in places other than Arizona and the White Sox have a couple other notable participants. Jon Link is pitching for Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League where he's taken his usual high strikeout/high walk act: 15.1 IP, 11 H, 10 BB, 15 K. Clevelan Santeliz is playing for Navegantes del Magallanes in the VWL and is continuing his 2009 transformation into a high strikeout/low walk pitcher: 12.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 16 K.  Look for him to get a serious look for the opening day roster.
  
• High A affiliate Winston-Salem will finally be getting their new ballpark completed.  After a year delay which forced them to play at the stadium they had sold to Wake Forest, the Dash's new home in downtown Winston-Salem is set to open on April 13.  Hopefully this means the club will draw more than the putrid 901 fans per game they averaged last season.
• And, for the first time in more than a decade, the White Sox will take on their AAA affiliate, the Charlotte Knights, in a pre-season exhibition on April 1, 2010.