We're close, very close. Before real, actual baseball, links:
- More fun with nicknames: The Hardball Times looks into some of the aliases associated with the late Chuck Tanner's White Sox. Plenty of Dick Allen goodness in there.
- Also from THT, adjusting for less-than-well-calibrated PITCHf/x data. It's an interesting piece, and has more good links embedded for further research. Basically, as fantastic as PITCHf/x is, use the raw data cautiously and don't jump to any conclusions.
- Jake Peavy hatred runs rampant in San Diego.
- The White Sox are low-balled again. Vegas odds see the Twins winning the division with 87 wins to the Sox paltry 84.5.
- If you have to choose, take run prevention over run scoring.
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Under Don Cooper, White Sox pitchers have posted 704 quality starts, more than any other major league team since 2003.
- Jim Leyland is truly a pro.
The first White Sox spring training game is tomorrow at 2:05 CST on MLB Network. Our heroes are "away," versus the Dodgers. Let's get it on.