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Given that Cactus League play draws to a close on Monday, it's about time Dayan Viciedo started to showcase his might.
It wasn't just that he hit a go-ahead three-run homer to push the Sox towards a 13-10 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. It's how he did it: making a mid-stride adjustment to an off-speed pitch and half-swinging it well over the fence.
The wind helped keep (or push) it inside the left-field foul pole, but there's no doubting the quality of the contact.
Of course, there's plenty doubting the qualify of his defense. Left field hasn't gotten any easier for Viciedo over the course of the spring. He becomes disoriented very easily -- one wrong step, and he turns into a bear who tore through a bunch of fermented apples. He's tripping over his glove trying to field the grounder, he's falling down on the warning track, he's throwing to the wrong base ... basically, news producers are going to want to get their wacky sound effects in order.
Viciedo says he can work past his problems, and here's hoping. I never thought I'd say it might be smart to give Adam Dunn some more reps in the outfield, but if Viciedo is still having the same issues a month into the season, well...
Terrerobytes
Kenny Williams offered an extensive end-of-spring assessment of where his White Sox stand, and it's interesting to see him display defiant optimism, but then qualify it by saying it might not result in a hot start due to the quality of their first three opponents (Rangers, Indians and Tigers).
Speaking of position adjustments, the Sox are going to try Conor Jackson at third base in Charlotte. He played the hot corner at Cal, but played just six games there in the minors, and 31 innings in his pro career.
Worth noting: Hector Santiago has been told to keep his screwball use in the 15-20 percent range, at most.
Gavin Floyd found God. And he wears a special shirt. This article has a lot going on in it.