Results tagged ‘ Dayan Viciedo ’
Dayan to Play the Outfield
Many feel that there will come a time in the not so distant future when 21-year-old Dayan Viciedo will be considered as one of the most powerful hitters in baseball. Count me as one of those people.There is no doubt that he lacks plate discipline and as a result hardly ever draws a walk. But when he connects, the ball jumps off of his bat in electric fashion. And being only 21, in his third season playing in the U.S., Viciedo has got time to develop as a hitter. In 106 plate appearances last year, he connected for five homers, drove in 13 runs and batted .308 in his first experience in the majors.
He also has time to develop defensively. Having started as a third baseman in 2009, he moved to first base last year and now is being groomed as a rightfielder because of the Sox logjam at first and third. It’s not an entirely new position for him as he played there in Cuba.
Viciedo, who some actually thought might reach the big club as a 19-year-old, will find it a challenge to make the 25-man roster this spring. He’s vying to win the final spot among position players along with Alejandro De Aza, Brent Lillibridge and Lastings Milledge.
Whether or not he makes it to Chicago this spring, the future is bright and all the signs are positive. He came into camp in good shape and has said all the right things about accepting the fact he may begin the year in AAA Charlotte to get the necessary at-bats.
SoxFest Day 2: The Chairman Explains “All In” Philosophy and Konerko Bullish About 2011
The most fascinating news item coming out of the second day of SoxFest was Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf‘s explanation of why the Sox took the “All In” route in 2011 as opposed to entering the season with a younger, less expensive product.
Reinsdorf, who has been given a bad rap over the years for NOT spending, went above and beyond this offseason by increasing the payroll by more than $20 million.
Here are some of the comments from the man who has won seven titles–six with the Bulls and in 2005 with the White Sox–courtesy of MLB.com’s Scott Merkin:
“Last year was a difficult year. We weren’t as good as we thought we could be. Our attendance was down. Financially, it came out OK.
“Thinking about this year, we had to make a decision for the long term: Were we better off to try to get better or were we better off to use this as a rebuilding year? That’s the thing that took us a long time to make up our mind.
“Finally, I just decided like two days before the Adam Dunn signing, ‘Let’s go for it.’ Let’s hope if we spend the money, the attendance will pick up and once we committed to Adam Dunn, then we had to be all in. Then it had to be (Paul Konerko) and we had to bring A.J. back.”
More from SoxFest:
* Another inside tidbit that was revealed yesterday involved Pierzynski. Apparently he was a phone call away from signing with the Dodgers, but because LA ownership was unavailable to approve some the of language, A.J. changed course and accepted the Sox offer through his agent. Because of the delicate nature of the circumstances, Pierzynski even called Reinsdorf to make sure the offer was real.
* In addition to relating the story behind his signing, A.J. endorsed another Sox offseason signing (via Merkin): “I told (Don Cooper), ‘We need another lefty. We need another lefty. We need another lefty.’ Going out and getting Will Ohman was huge. He can get lefties out. Look at our division with Mauer, Morneau, Choo, Sizemore…You have to have more than one lefty available to go through a lineup three times. People look at the eighth inning, but what about the sixth inning when you have the bases loaded with two out and Joe Mauer up and you have an extra lefty. Will Ohman is that guy.”
* Kenny Williams indicated that outfielder Alejandro De Aza, infielder/outfielder Brent Lillibridge and Dayan Viciedo, who is now learning how to play the outfield in addition to his previous experience at the two infield corner positions, will be fighting it out for the final utility spot on the roster. Williams also offered that De Aza is better than people think he is.
* Ozzie predicted that Carlos Quentin will revert back to his 2008 form when he was vying for the league MVP award before an injury cut his season short with a month to go. CQ slugged 36 homers, drove in 100 runs, batted .288 with a .965 OPS in ’08.
* Sox captain Konerko sees good things ahead for the 2011 Sox, as reported by Mark Gonzales in today’s Tribune: “Everyone has their opinions on who is good and who isn’t in baseball, and people have their advice and thoughts. But you’d be hard-pressed to say, ‘there’s a gaping hole there’ or ‘this is a real problem that is going to affect them.’ We’re pretty solid everywhere you look with everything you need.”
Day 1: SoxFest More Like an OzzieFest
The first day of the annual SoxFest celebration turned out to be quite a day for the Sox skipper.
A group of fans broke out into a rendition of “Happy Birthday” in honor of Ozzie’s 47th (celebrated on Thursday), a brand new website, ozzieguillen.com, was launched and, most significantly, the Sox picked up Guillen’s option for 2012.
The extension wasn’t a sure thing as we all know. After a hellish (Ozzie’s sentiments, not mine) summer where he bickered with GM Kenny Williams, dealt with his son Oney‘s annoying tweeting (my view, not Ozzie’s) and was on the verge of being traded to the Marlins, Guillen’s future was certainly in doubt. But when all was said and done, Williams had his back.
“I’ve never doubted the man’s managerial ability and the ability to pull people together,” Williams said at SoxFest, according to Mark Gonzales of the Tribune. “Listen, we all can get off track a little bit, and we (did) last year. All I want us to do is to get back on track and focus on the baseball team and the fans. They’re hand in hand. Everything else, I want out of the equation.
“And I wanted to get that (option) thing behind and move on and enjoy the game. I always enjoy the game. Go about my business the way I always do. We know it was a tough season last year. We just put everything behind, and everything goes well.”
More from SoxFest:
* It was apparent that the GM was unhappy with his pitching coach Don Cooper‘s comment that he would prefer that Chris Sale prepare for a single role as opposed to preparing to be a starter and reliever. Here’s Williams’ view: “…to have Sale prepare as a reliever and take away one or two of his pitches, because that’s what guys tend to do, I don’t think it’s wise. My pitching coach will ultimately fall in line with his general manager and his manager. Coop should probably speak to us before he speaks to you guys.”
* Sale’s immediate future, of course, will depend largely on Jake Peavy‘s progress. Reports range from he’ll be ready on Opening Day to him stepping into the rotation by May 1.
* Mark Buehrle is the latest Sox star to be headed into his “walk” year. Where does he stand? “If I have a good year and something happens, there’s an opportunity out there to sign and I’m open to it. I’ll talk with the wife and play for a couple more years, possibly. So we’ll see. It’s a long year. If I decide to retire at the end, I’ll retire. If not, I’ll sign somewhere.”
* With third base (Brent Morel, Mark Teahen, Omar Vizquel) and first base (Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn) spoken for, Williams indicated that Dayan Viciedo is spending time learning how to play outfield to give him a shot at the Opening Day roster. The GM says Viciedo has done well so far.
Matt Thornton, decked out in a Brian Urlacher jersey at yesterday’s SoxFest, shows where his football loyalty lies.White Sox Look to Viciedo and Morel as Possible Pieces to 2011 Puzzle
Dayan Viciedo (above), Brent Morel (below), Tyler Flowers and Alejandro De Aza found themselves in the Sox starting lineup last night as the likes of Paul Konerko, Alex Rios, Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, A.J. Pierzynski, Manny Ramirez and the injured Gordon Beckham were firmly planted on the bench in the third base dugout.
Ozzie apparently felt that giving the youngsters some playing time was more important than the Sox extending their three-game winning streak and finishing the season a game shy of 90 victories. The Good Guys wound up losing to the Tribe, 7-3, after Tony Pena surrendered three runs in the first.
With so many questions that need to be answered, it’s impossible to predict what roles, if any, the above four prospects will have with the big league club in 2011. In my view, Morel could certainly be the starting third baseman and Viciedo either a DH or maybe the first baseman if Konerko doesn’t return. With his great speed, De Aza is a possible fourth or fifth outfielder. Pun intended, the bloom could be off the Flowers rose. He no longer looks like the blue-chipper both the Braves and White Sox thought he was. I would be surprised if he’s in the picture next season.
With two games remaining, it’s uncertain who Ozzie will put on the field. But there is still something to play for. I would like to see Mark Buehrle get to the .500 mark tonight with his 13th win and it would be a nice sendoff for Edwin Jackson, who has been less than stellar lately, to shine in his last start of the season.
Sox Blink, Drop 4 1/2 Behind Twins
Our impressive seven-game winning streak came to abrupt end tonight with the lopsided 9-1 loss to the Tigers. Even if Freddy Garcia hadn’t left the game after two innings because of his troublesome back, the White Sox weren’t going to defeat Justin Verlander (above) on this particular night. Let’s just chalk it up to the law of averages and move on to tomorrow.
We also came to the realization–again–that the Twins aren’t going to lose many games, especially at home against teams like the Royals. They clobbered KC again tonight to
move 4 1/2 games ahead of the Sox.
It was September Call-Up Night at Comerica Park
Because of the blowout and Garcia’s injury, the South Siders emptied their bullpen and bench tonight with a host of September call-ups–Lucas Harrell, Carlos Torres, Gregory Infante, Alejandro De Aza, Brent Morel, Tyler Flowers and Dayan Viciedo.
The Morel of the Story: Sox Promote 3B of Future
Brent Morel, who won the Arizona Fall League batting title in 2009, is now a major leaguer. He has been called up from Charlotte and will join the White Sox this weekend in Boston.
Having impressed the Sox brass in spring training, Morel hit .320 with eight homers and 34 RBIs in 81 games at Charlotte after being promoted earlier in the season from Birmingham.
In addition to the fact he has proven to be an outstanding gap hitter, Morel is a major league third baseman defensively right now. The hope is that he can contribute with that exceptional glove down the stretch.
While Gordon Beckham appears ready to play after the injury, who knows how he will perform. That would mean Omar Vizquel would see some action at second with Mark Teahen and Dayan Viciedo, who won’t be confused with Brooks Robinson and Mike Schmidt in the field, as the existing options at third.
Welcome, Mr. Morel.
It’s September 1, Sox Call Up Reinforcements
The calendar has turned to September and the White Sox have expanded their roster. Reporting today from AAA Charlotte will be catcher Tyler Flowers and speedy outfielder Alejandro De Aza (above), who was a sensation in spring training. Promoted immediately from AA Birmingham is righthander Gregory Infante, who will be dispatched to the Sox bullpen. Dayan Viciedo, who was sent down to AAA when Mark Teahen returned, will join the South Siders in Boston. Carlos Torres, the odd man out when Manny Ramirez arrived, will be brought up after the Charlotte season is over on September 6. Tale of the tape for the three players arriving today : * Flowers slugged 16 homers, drove in 53 and batted .220 in 100 games at Charlotte. * De Aza hit .302 in 79 games with the Knights. * Infante, after being called up to Birmingham from Winston-Salem, was 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA.
Is it Just “One Game” or the Beginning of the End?
Let me state the obvious: It’s a very long season with many ups and downs. If you don’t believe it’s true, just look at where the White Sox were at the beginning of June.Where they are now is an interesting subject to ponder. You can look at how much ground they’ve gained in the last two months and see them in a positive position. Or you can look at the last seven games where they were 2-5 against the Orioles and Twins. You can also judge where they are in the standings two ways–you can say that they are ONLY a game out of first or you can view it as a huge disappointment that they’re now out of first place and a full game behind the Twins.
All this doesn’t matter because it’ll be played out on the field. But the troubling thing to me is that we lost two of three to Minnesota at home and last night’s 6-1 defeat was as disappointing and demoralizing a loss that the Sox have had since beginning their turnaround. Add to that, the sinking feeling that comes from seeing that however we’re playing and whatever we do, the Twins are that much better on a consistent basis. It also doesn’t make me any happier that we face them three more times next week at Target Field.
Much of what I’ve written above comes from the frustration of watching the Sox load the bases three times last night–once with no outs and once with one out–and come up empty each time in what was, at this point at least, a pivotal game.
OK, that’s enough. We have to move on. And the Sox will do exactly that tonight against the Tigers behind Mark Buehrle. For the record, I’ll be scoreboard watching with the Twins hosting the A’s.
Sox notes of note: The Sox sent Dayan Viciedo back to Charlotte after the game last night and brought Mark Teahen back from his rehab assignment. Viciedo will surely be brought up September 1 when the rosters expand. For a while it looked like it was going to be a tough decision, but Viciedo’s play both offensively (no walks, too many strikeouts) and defensively (very shaky at third) made it an easier call for the club’s brass to send down Dayan and recall Teahen.
The Remarkable Revival of Brent Lillibridge
Based on his major league performance last year, the last person I expected–and wanted–to see in a White Sox uniform in 2010 was Brent Lillibridge. Both at bat and in the field he looked overmatched in ’09 before being sent to Charlotte, where he spent most of the summer.
That said, Lillibridge’s revival this season has been remarkable. Since being promoted to the Sox after Mark Teahen was placed on the DL he has been a solid contributor, batting .387 as a spot starter and utility man off of the bench. Even more important than the average is the fact he has come up with a number of clutch hits–none more important than his three-run triple this afternoon against Gio Gonzalez and the A’s to pace Gavin Floyd and the South Siders to the 4-1 victory. With the Twins’ victory the Hose remain a half-game ahead of the Twins for the division lead.
So, with Teahen now in a rehab stint and pretty close to returning, what will happen to Lilli? The smart money is on the Sox postponing Teahen’s return as long as possible and when he comes back assigning Dayan Viciedo to Charlotte until the rosters expand September 1. Tank, as Hawk ”in my 51 years in baseball” Harrelson calls him, has been impressive, but it would be difficult to demote Lillibridge based on what he’s done and the fact he can play both the infield and outfield.
After a day off tomorrow the White Sox head to Detroit for four games, including a day/night doubleheader on Tuesday. Edwin Jackson is scheduled to make his Sox debut on Wednesday night.
Lillibridge’s triple drove in Ramon Castro, Carlos Quentin and Andrew Jones, pictured here showing their appreciation
Floyd and Alexei Head List of Sox Heroes
Three homers (Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, Andruw Jones), 12 hits, four doubles (two each by Dayan Viciedo and Gordon Beckham) and a Gavin Floyd gem later, the White Sox walked away with an 11-0 thumping of the Mariners tonight at the Cell.
It was the ninth straight home victory for the South Siders and 16 of the last 17. The win, combined with the Twins’ victory over the Royals, keeps the Sox lead in the A.L. Central at one game.
Floyd continued his sparkling pitching run with seven innings of shutout ball. In his last 10 starts he has compiled an impressive 1.04 ERA and hasn’t given up more than two earned runs in a game in almost two months.
The one thing that stands out to me more than anything else–including what Floyd has
done–is the recent play, both offensively and defensively, of Ramirez. He had a homer, three hits and three RBI tonight and has now brought up his average to .288. And he’s been virtually flawless in the field with his patented flair.
Simply put, Alexei’s performance alone has been worth the price of admission.
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