White Sox Nation cringed a little the second Nick Swisher drew a walk in the 9th inning to load the bases with one out, down by one against Toronto's closer B.J. Ryan.
This is of course, not a knock against Swisher, whose talent for walking is one of the major reasons Kenny Williams traded for him. Rather, it was the cringing of knowing the on-deck hitter was manager's pet and easily replaceable commodity, Pablo Ozuna.
Of course, with a guy of his speed, few would have predicted the game-ending double play that resulted. However, with the game on the line, why didn't the White Sox pinch hit for a hitter who has amassed all of a 0.5 VORP total over the last three seasons (505 plate appearances)?
The reason was simple: There was no one better available.
Joe Crede was out with a migraine. Toby Hall (who, admittedly, would have been an even worse option despite the fact that B.J. Ryan is left-handed) had already been replaced. Brian Anderson was pinch running and standing on third base. Alexei Ramirez was busy not being allowed into Canada.
This has been the most recent of several situations in which the White Sox have had to send a replacement-level hitter to the plate in a game-deciding situation. This is due in large part to the fact that the Sox insist on keeping 7 arms in the bullpen, rather than 5 hitters on the bench. I say that having 7 arms in the bullpen is a luxury, not a necessity, and that it's a luxury only teams with an adequate bench can have.
As of today, Brian Anderson is the best White Sox hitter off of the bench. Gone are the days of reliable pinch-hitter Ross Gload and solid 4th outfielder Rob Mackowiak. In recent memory, the White Sox have always had solid, if unspectacular bats off the bench, and it's something that White Sox Nation probably took for granted a little.
You almost have to wonder if the White Sox would be better served having a power bat like Brad Eldred on the 25-man roster. Eldred probably strikes out too much to cut it in the big leagues even as a bench player right now, but the thought of Pablo Ozuna having more at-bats like that with the game on the line makes Big Brad an intriguing thought.
However, the most likely aids for the ailing Sox bench are in the forms of Jerry Owens and Danny Richar returning from injury. Unfortunately, only one of these men can be considered a solution. Despite the "success" of Jerry Owens last year as a leadoff man and base stealer, the fact of the matter is, a player with his skill set simply isn't very valuable. Think of him as the outfield version of Pablo Ozuna. When you watch Jerry Owens play, you don't see anything wrong with him. However, he has such an utter lack of power that pitchers simply pound the strike zone against him to the point where his above-average batting eye is only good enough to make him a replacement-level hitter (-1.1 VORP in 2007). When's the last time you've seen a White Sox regular have a .312 slugging percentage? That's far below even Scott Podsednik territory! So it's what Owens doesn't do, rather than what he does do, that hurts the Sox.
And so, the White Sox can only pray that Danny Richar is on his way back in the not-too-distant future, or perhaps that some help from the free talent pool is available. The impact of bench players can easily be overstated, but there's no question that having a good bench as opposed to a bad one can be the difference between winning and losing a few games over the course of the season.
In any case, something needs to be done about this problem, because the crew of Anderson, Ramirez, Ozuna, and Hall is the worst backup corps the White Sox have seen riding the pines in this lifetime. I miss you Ross Gload. I really do.
comments (9) write a comment »
write a new comment
2 months ago
Ross Gload? Really? ..no really?
And why are we praying for Richar? How does he help this team in any aspect?
2 months ago
Scott Podsednik currently has a .436 slugging percentage so please don't use him as your poster boy for poor performance. He also has a .438 OBP and a .308 batting average. Too bad the White Sox were short-sighted and got rid of him.
I am a long-time Sox fan, but I am really disgusted with the decisions made on who to keep and who to get rid of that were made in the past year.
Go Scott - show the White Sox and the fair-weather fans what they are missing.
about 1 month ago
Ross Gload, if moved onto the White Sox right now, would instantly become our best bench hitter.
Danny Richar is the best hope of the White Sox having an acceptable starting 2nd baseman this year. He's obviously not a sure thing, but he's better than people whose bats are certainly completely unacceptable for a starting job (Uribe, Ozuna, Ramirez).
Unfortunately, Nancy, by being on the Scott Podsednik bandwagon after one month of baseball, you've joined the category of "fair-weather fan". Podsednik has been an above-average hitter in one year of his career, which was 2003, when he posted a .292 Equivalent Average. His next-best season was 2005, when he had only a .253 Equivalent Average, while simultaneously being the most overrated player in baseball. He's a below-average bat that can only play corner outfield positions acceptably on defense (but he's still below average there too), and when you're wasting a corner outfielder on a sub-par hitter, you're crippling your team. Podsednik has only had 39 at-bats this year, so please, don't come to me with rate statistics (AVG/OBP/SLG) and tell me he's still good, because he isn't. Talk to me in August.
from about 1 month ago
While I may have boasted about his numbers based on limited at bats this year, I am not a fair-weather fan. I have rooted for him since he joined the Sox. During the past 2 years I watched every game he could have possibly played in and monitored his recovery and status in the minors.
You guys may be right and he'll wear out before the season is over, I don't have a magic ball. But I will keep cheering and believing that he will continue on this avenue.
I guess I come from the old school where players were with teams for long periods of time and I liked that. I cheer for Joe, Paul, and Mark now. Hope they are on team for a few more years.
about 1 month ago
GAVIN fLOYD NEEDS THREE OUTS!
about 1 month ago
You're right about Gload. We don't really have that good contact hitter off the bench...Ozuna, Ramirez, and Anderson really aren't that. I like BA off the bench, and Ozuna's a good speed/bunting guy, but in terms of hitting, there's really nobody that Ozzie should be confident with off the bench.
And anybody who thinks Pods should still be starting somewhere in the majors is delusional. Your stats back that up, big-time.
Good article, Patrick!
about 1 month ago
Ross Gload was a beast, and is going to be a beast even though he's in KC. Brian Anderson still isn't a reliable hitter in my view (the next time he jumps out on that front foot and shanks one foul, I'm going to stab him in the leg), and the team can't even lay down a good bunt. Good call on the article, Pat.
Rob Mackowiak, while definitely not a starter on this club, was a decent bat to have in the lineup. He was a contact hitter and a real gamer. Alex Cintron, for all his faults, was decent in the clutch off the bench (I know it's hard, but remember Cintron's three-run job off Joel Zumaya last year?). The team doesn't really have that guy anymore. Josh Fields would be a good replacement, I think; he's got power and can play third for Crede in the eighth and ninth if need be.
You know who I miss right now? Ryan Sweeney. He was my dude...
about 1 month ago
I was actually going to mention Sweeney in the article. I saw him as a throw-in in the Swisher trade, but the state of the White Sox bench is making his absence really hurt.
15 days ago
Nancy, you should listen to what Patrick says. It's now the middle of June and Podsednik is true to form. He just doesn't have it, and only did in 2003 and the post season 2005. Podsednik, is at best, a below average baseball player. Speed is not everything, especially if that's all you have. He's not getting the Sir God treatment in Colorado. They could care less. The fans have younger and better players to root for. They are already trying to shop him, but there will probably be few teams if any interested. Not only is Podsednik an injury waiting to happen, he's just not a good ballplayer. There are so many good players in the minors waiting their chance. The homerun in game 2 of WS was extrordinary to say the least, but come on, if it wasn't for Konerko's grand slam, that homerun wouldn't have meant a damn thing. Give credit where credit is due, pitching was the most instrumental factor of the WS for the Sox. With all the media hype you'd think Scott Podsednik singlehandedly won the world series. He helped, yes, but there were many others on that team that helped. I wish Podsednik luck where ever he lands next. But, I doubt he will ever be a starter again.
write a new comment