Bleacher Report - Articles by Thomas Barbee

Chicago White Sox: Five Things to Look For This Spring

Thomas Barbee — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:32:37 -0400

Note: Originally posted by Tommy Barbee on BaseballDigest.com (March 6, 2009)

Although there are plenty of questions this season, there’s a palpable feeling of optimism about the young players the White Sox brass has proudly assembled.

That said, there are plenty of position battles that need to be addressed, and with that in mind, here are five things to keep an eye on as Spring Training progresses:

1. Who’s going to lead? (aka the battles at CF and 2B)

Early indications were that the center field job was Jerry Owens’ to lose, and so far he’s gotten off to the same slow start that plagued him last year. The good sign is that Owens leads the team with five walks and is posting a nice .360 OBP despite only hitting .211.

On the other hand, he’s yet to steal a base, and with the way Dewayne Wise is hitting and the newfound maturity of Brian Anderson, it’s easy to see Owens getting squeezed again.

If that should happen, then it’s up to one of the second basemen to determine the leadoff spot, which could explain manager Ozzie Guillen's - insistence on trotting out Brent Lillibridge so frequently.

Though blessed with incredible speed like Owens, Lillibridge has a knack for striking out far too often (he’s tied for first in strikeouts currently), and he isn’t displaying the kind of consistency you want from a leadoff guy.

While not a prototypical No. 1 hitter, I like the way Chris Getz has been approaching the plate. He hasn’t been getting the hits, but he’s very patient and can run a bit. There’s an exceptional dark horse in Jayson Nix as well, who’s currently batting .714 in limited appearances.

Although not as versatile defensively, he could also steal some of Lillibridge’s thunder should he get more playing time.

2. The Race for Fifth

For the first time in a long while there are multiple viable candidates for fifth starter. In particular, Jeffrey Marquez has been as good as GM Kenny Williams advertised, not giving up a single run in either of his two starts.

Jack Egbert has also looked very good, most recently pitching shutout ball in a start against the Dodgers. Clayton Richard has also been good, but needs to locate his pitches better as spring goes on to have a real shot at overtaking Marquez.

Barring any major setback, look for Marquez to get the nod here.

3. And the Bullpen?

Fifth starter and bullpen woes usually go hand in hand for the Sox, but once again there’s a lot of reasons to feel encouraged by this group (if your name isn’t Octavio Dotel, anyway). Richard, Egbert, and ex-Tiger Franklyn German are three guys in particular to watch as possible bullpen candidates.

4. The Two Injured Vets

Don’t forget that Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras are still on the team. The unexpected expediency of their recoveries could cause the Sox to rethink some personnel moves, so this is something worth keeping an eye on in the second half of Spring Training and into the start of the season.

5. The Few Things We Know

Newly acquired Dayan Viciedo is the real deal offensively, and I actually think he could improve enough defensively to be an OK third baseman if need be. However, he’d be better off as a left fielder or first baseman.

Look to see how he continues to adjust. Speaking of third base, Josh Fields is doing a heck of a job playing at such a high level despite most of the attention going to Viciedo. That shows a great deal of maturity.

Lastly, I’m going ahead and handing the backup catcher job to Corky Miller. He’s made a huge impact on the team already and can actually throw a good number of runners out.

Open Mic: Ned Yost Ousting Makes For Confused Fan

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:06:26 -0400

There's a great history of managers who rub the front office the wrong way. Even just looking at this year alone, there are three prime examples in Willie Randolph, John McLaren and John Gibbons.

We'll let you take a stab at seeing which one of those firings worked out (I'll give you a hint, the team is north of the border). And while Yost's firing certainly lacked that certain thing we call tact, there have been some far worse decisions made by the front office when it comes to removing a manager.

The one terrible firing I remember in my lifetime is when the White Sox (namely, Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson) fired Tony LaRussa and single-handedly ran the Sox into the ground during the 1986 season.

There are countless others, as many writers will tell you—but honestly, it's part of the game. Teams are always looking for a scapegoat, some more so than others (here's lookin' at you Mr. Steinbrenner).

Which brings us back to Ned Yost—why did he get fired anyway?

It's true he isn't a top-tier manager—if he hadn't been canned I'm sure he would've ridden CC Sabathia to the ground like an over-zealous jockey, but let's face it folks, the Brewers aren't much better than their record right now.

Did Ned Yost go out and get Eric Gagne? Or how about the rest of the guys in that makeshift bullpen? Oh sure, they can rake the hell out of the ball, but it doesn't mean anything if you can't pitch.

Outside of Sabathia, the Brewers don't have any innings eaters (Sheets only half-counts—paramedics should always be waiting in the dugout with a cast in hand every time he hits the rubber).

As such, the starters average only about 5.5 innings per start, leaving their already depleted bullpen exposed—never a winning formula when it comes to late-season baseball.

Of course, none of that matters to the Brewers front office—they got swept by the Phillies after all, relinquishing sole possession of the Wild Card spot, and given their similar failures in the past, that's enough.

Hopefully though, fans will see through the smoke and mirrors that the front office has set up and call them to task. Love him or hate him, it's hard to argue that he didn't get the most out of that Brewers team.

Next time, GM Doug Melvin needs to do more to help his team—Sabathia was an outstanding piece to get, but the Brew Crew also needed some 'pen help. They can have all the offensive parts in the world, but pitching wins championships.

The Chicago White Sox's Trade-Deadline Wish List

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:53:00 -0400

This has been an odd week for the Chicago White Sox, all things considered. While Thome and Konerko continue to slump their way through the season (with Swisher still bringing up the rear of the terrible threesome), Jermaine Dye has suffered a (for now) minor injury, while Jose Contreras has found his way to the DL.

In addition, the pitching, which used to be the one thing the Sox could rely on, has been bad, especially in regards to the bullpen. Defensively, the Sox haven't been much better.

While I don't like ragging on the guy, I do believe someone swapped Crede's golden glove with a glove made of lead. He's been atrocious this season.

With all that in mind however, the Sox are still (somehow) in first place, and honestly, they don't need much more than a bit of a tweak. So without further ado, I present you the Chicago White Sox's trade-deadline wish list.

1) A.J. Burnett Toronto Blue Jays, P

Yes, I know that Burnett has been less than stellar this year, but he's still much better than Contreras. Assuming that call-up Clayton Richard doesn't work out, the Sox could certainly use the arm of Burnett, who at the very least will rack up some innings for the Sox.

With a change of scenery, and an opportunity to work with Don Cooper, I think trading for Burnett would have shades of the 2004 deal the Sox made with the Yankees where they traded Esteban Loaiza for Jose Contreras.

This time around, the Sox would have to give up a bit more, but I doubt very seriously if they'd have to give up Josh Fields. Plus, with the Blue Jays looking for a SS, the Sox could also finally dump Juan Uribe.

2a) Frank Francisco Texas Rangers, P

While everyone is talking about Huston Street and other former White Sox pitcher Jon Rauch, I've got my eyes on another former Sox pitcher. Frank Francisco's got the kind of power arm that GM Kenny Williams tends to fall in love with, plus he's been able to get ahead of hitters for the most part this year—a weakness of his in the past.

While he wouldn't come dirt cheap, I think he'd be a relative bargain compared to what Rauch and Street would probably command.

2b) Dave Weathers Cincinnati Reds, P

Yes, Dave Weathers is old. Yes, Dave Weathers has pitched in the National League for most of his career. But you know what? It doesn't matter. If Scott Linebrink can make the transition as well as he has, Weathers should also perform admirably.

He's still a crafty veteran, who may not have the best stuff all the time, but he knows how to outsmart hitters (think Dustin Hermanson without the injuries).

He's also a good clubhouse guy to have and could, along with Linebrink, bring some more experience for the young guys—which is always a good thing. Best part, I'm pretty sure the asking price isn't too high.

3) Clint Barmes Colorado Rockies, SS/2B

While it's true that Barmes hasn't hit that well away from Coors Field, the Sox's park is also rather hitter friendly and could actually play to Barmes' strengths.

Furthermore, Barmes can play a bit of third if necessary, and his defense has improved tremendously this year, compared to years past. With Pablo Ozuna gone, the Sox could definitely use another guy on their bench that can play multiple positions, and Barmes would be perfect in that spot.

So there you have it.

The Sox really don't require much as of right now. There are a lot of nice things they could do, but it would be hard for Williams to do any of that now without ruining the team chemistry.

In the meantime, here's hoping that Clayton Richard works out for the Sox, but if not, I really hope to see Burnett in Sox pinstripes soon.

Barry Zito: The $126-Million Man

Thomas Barbee — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:53:07 -0400

Hindsight is a funny thing, especially when it seems like you're one of the few people that know better.

For example, as a child of the '80s, I vaguely remember enough from that time to know that it's not really worth repeating.

Yet, here we are, 20 years later, reinventing the wheel as it were—for a brief time, Members Only jackets made an ill-fated comeback. People also started going back to wearing matching Adidas track outfits (Run DMC), and if you're observant, you'll notice a decided increase in '80s-themed parties.

It's tacky, but all the kids are doing it. And it's only afterwards that people say, "What the hell was I thinking?"

General managers work in similar fashion, especially in baseball. Of course, they say they want to win, but in reality, they also want to look like geniuses. Why settle for being the kid with the Rubik's cube when you can have a De Lorean?

Apparently this was Giants' GM Brian Sabean's philosophy, as he threw caution (and history) into the wind and signed Barry Zito to the richest contract ever for a pitcher.

A former Cy Young winner with the A's, Zito could possible be a 20-game loser this season. All of the guitar playing in the world can't help you escape that.

But while his guitar gently weeps, Zito also has brought out a similar response from the front office and fans.

There are those who can breathe a bit easier. A few happy campers by the names of Darren Dreifort, Chan Ho Park, and Mark Hampton can all relax, as Zito is currently on course to be a bigger bust than any of the three.

So what happened, exactly?

Well, truth be told, Zito's numbers had been fading prior to the Giants signing him.

Despite making it to the All-Star Game in his final year with the A's, Zito's numbers were hardly money, as Ricky Slade would put it. Zito came just one walk shy of 100 walks on the year and had a WHIP of 1.40, two-tenths higher than what it was just the year before.

Despite that, Zito had pitched well over 200 innings each season in Oakland, but the walk numbers were constantly on the rise.

Fast-forward to this year, and the $126-million ace has this to show:

3-12 W-L, 5.99 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, .311 BAA, and a K/BB ratio under one! Yikes!

It's well established that Zito's bread-and-butter pitch is a borderline-cartoonish curveball that swoops through the strike zone (and even if it misses, you can't really tell). But once you get to his other pitches, his stuff is average at best.

With his control shakier than ever, his curveball rarely crosses the plate, and if it does, it's a bit flatter than it has been in previous years. That forces him to rely on a batting-practice fastball that seems to be even slower this year than last, a gimpy slider, and a passable changeup.

With hitters seemingly locked in to both his fastball and changeup (thanks in large part to his arm action tipping off the hitters), Zito's been in trouble virtually his whole Giants career. Unless Zito turns it around, he'll be on track to be the first 20-game loser since former Detroit Tiger Mike Maroth did it in 2003.

Just for the sake of comparison, Maroth earned $309,000 that year.

It's too bad the San Francisco Giants can't get a refund. On the bright side, Sabean still has his Cabbage Patch kid to play with.

Cubs-White Sox: The Most Overhyped Series in Sports

Thomas Barbee — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:27:31 -0400

According to the Chicago Tribune home page, there are two hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty seconds until the opener of the famed Red-Line series between the Cubs and White Sox.

This series used to be a big deal, back when both teams were mediocre at best—because essentially the outcome represented the only bragging rights you'd get for the rest of the year.

To everyone else outside of Chicago however, it was about as embarrassing as watching those contestants lose on Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?

Now, while it's still a matter of bragging rights, the point is: With both clubs in first place, there's a bigger picture here. While I certainly can't speak for Cubs fans out there, I know I'm personally a bit more concerned with Detroit being healthy and creeping up on the Sox than I am about us facing a team that isn't even in our league.

Granted, given the cesspool that is the NL Central, I suppose the Cubs don't have too many concerns standings-wise, and they need a diversion from the fact that their roster is starting to drop like flies onto the DL.

So even though the Red Sox-Yankees, Ohio State-Michigan, Lakers-Celtics series are all grossly over-hyped in their own right, the difference between those series and this one is that, quite simply, in the grand scheme of 162-games, it doesn't matter.

Will the Sox gain the respect of the national media with a win? Of course not.

Will Cubs fans be silenced should they lose the series? Try again.

Now I'm not going to lie. Would I love to see the Sox take it to the Cubs? Of course. That being said, the Cubs can win every single game this series by double digits if it means the Sox win in October.

It don't mean a thing if you ain't got the ring, Cubs fans—remember that.

Now, come back to me when the Cubs and Sox face off against each other in the World Series...if I'm still alive.

New York Mets: Why Omar Minaya Should Be the Next To Go

Thomas Barbee — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:28:59 -0400

Today, Mets' manager Willie Randolph was mercifully relieved of his duties, as was first-base coach Tom Nieto and pitching coach Rick Peterson. Why all this occurred on June 17, 2008 and not months ago is unknown to everyone outside of GM Omar Minaya, but nonetheless, what's done is done.

The only problem for Mets' fans is that perhaps the man who has been misleading the metaphorical lemmings off the edge of the cliff isn't Willie Randolph after all.

Yes, I'm looking in your direction Mr. Minaya.

Think about all the occasions when it seemed that Randolph was doing everything within his power to jeopardize his job status, yet Minaya would never fire him. At first, it was mind-boggling, but now that Randolph is gone, I've finally figured it out.

Omar Minaya knows that it's his rear end that's on the line now.

After being considered one of the smartest GMs in baseball as he left the Expos (renowned for drafting top-notch talent) for the big market of New York, Minaya's rep has lost quite a bit of luster as of late.

And rightfully so. Minaya has failed (much like the team on the field) to do the little things correctly. He gets the big-name pitcher like Johan Santana, but failed in ensuring proper pitching-depth to take the strain off of his equally shallow bullpen.

Knowing Pedro Martinez's health problems, it seemed obvious that the Mets would've needed an extra veteran-starter or two, especially when you have Oliver Perez (the SP equivalent of the "box of chocolates" cliché, you really don't know what you're going to get) in your rotation.

That aside, when you combine that with an oft-injured lineup that's "anchored" by the player formerly known as Carlos Delgado, it's not terribly surprising that the Mets are faltering.

What's even worse, factor in a clubhouse that contains a few players who simply don't know when to shut up (and conversely never speak), and you have the perfect storm for an organization gone bad.

So, now with Randolph gone and interim manager Jerry Manuel taking over (yes, the former White Sox manager, go figure), Omar Minaya is left exposed.

For his sake, the Mets better start winning now.

Jim Thome: What He Must Do to Become Successful Again

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:36:45 -0400

You know, it's hard to keep the kids happy these days. Even in this post-Mitchell Report era, chicks still dig the long ball, to quote the famous Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine commercial from yesteryear.

Back when the ad aired originally in 1999, Jim Thome was already known as one of the premier power hitters in baseball, solidifying a potent Cleveland Indians lineup that included Manny Ramirez, Roberto Alomar, Richie Sexson, and David Justice.

My how times have changed. While Manny is still being Manny for the Red Sawx, Alomar and Justice are out of the league—Sexson is putting up numbers that would make Rob Deer cringe, and Jim Thome...well, let's just say he's having a hard time right now.

See, when you look like Mr. Incredible, people expect you to hit home runs. Apparently, having these expectations set for so long, it has been permanently ingrained in Thome's mind, as he throws caution into the wind at every at bat and swings for the fence—

And misses for strike three...

And grounds out to the infield...

And grounds into a double play...

This is the part where all the Greg Walker haters jump in and say, "See, this is why Walker should be fired—it's obvious Walk isn't doing enough to get guys like Jim Thome to take the right approach." As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast my friend."

You may have forgotten, but Jim Thome turns 38 this August—38! He has also been in the bigs for 18 seasons...and you know what they say about old dogs.

This scenario may be vaguely familiar to Sox fans. As a matter of fact, if you're old enough to read this article, you might remember the player I'm referring to, as Thome took his job. Yes, I'm talking about Frank Thomas, another massive guy that faced a similar conundrum a few years ago while with the Sox.

After relentlessly putting up MVP-type numbers, Thomas had a rough campaign in 1998 and, incredible numbers put up in 2000 aside, hasn't been quite the same since.

See, power hitters are like power pitchers—once they get to a certain age, they reach a fork in the road. One sign arrow points and says, "Hit as many homers as you'd like, batting average and overall production be damned." The other says, "Stick it out for the long haul, and give up a few homers for the sake of overall production."

In the case of Thome, he's currently stuck on the median of the road waiting for his GPS to tell him which way to go.

In other words, the difference between a good power hitter and a great one comes later on in the career. The bat speed isn't quite there, and more pitchers tend to figure out the holes in the individual's strike zone.

In the case of both Frank Thomas and Jim Thome, they hate pitches on the inside part of the plate.

Earlier in their careers, if you had the cajones to throw an inside fastball to either of them, they would've deposited it into the seats with the flick of a wrist. Later on in both of their careers, Thome and Thomas have both demonstrated problems handling pitches on the inside of the plate.

For Thomas, however, that changed when his approach to the plate changed. Known not only for his power but also exquisite bat control, Frank Thomas opened up his stance a bit and moved slightly closer to the plate, among other things, to correct the newfound "hole" in his approach.

Because of that, Thomas could now, at the very least, foul off those pesky inside pitches until the pitcher made a mistake from the middle away. Now Thomas, even at age 40, is still an effective hitter, and probably added a good couple years to his career because of his adjusted stance.

Thome has displayed similar problems with his approach. Oh sure, he'll catch a few of those inside fastballs, but for the most part, Thome's major-league whiffs are only aiding in cooling off a hot home-field crowd.

With that wide-open batting stance, he's obviously focusing on pulling the ball. Trouble is that, especially at his age, he's going to roll over any decent pitch from the middle in. So, he either grounds out or takes the pitch for a strike. Furthermore, he gets so far under balls that unless he hits it square as can be, it's an automatic pop out—line-drive home runs have even become a rarity for him.

Sure, if he turned into a line-drive hitter he'd lose the HR numbers, but I bet he'd score a lot more runs.

Sadly, at this point in Thome's career, Walker can only do so much to encourage him to adjust his batting stance—because after 18 years of routine, it's sometimes better to leave a slumping hitter alone. That being said, for Thome to continue to be effective for the next few years, he has got to adjust his approach to the plate.

If he doesn't, you can bet Kenny Williams will be forced to find a way to deal him.

Open Mic: Dear Willie Randolph, Man Up...

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 17:09:02 -0400

A few weeks ago, Willie Randolph raised the ire of already perturbed Mets fans by suggesting that race was a factor in his current standing on the managerial hot seat.

However, like most others who have ever played the race card—in sports or otherwise—Randolph takes a potentially plausible point and ruins his own argument.

First and foremost, Randolph is off his rocker if he really believes race is or will be the determining factor if or when he's fired.

After choking in the most grandiose fashion at the end of last year, Randolph needed to have a good year out of his team this year. So far, with the team continuing to struggle and providing a Dynasty-like state of constant drama in the clubhouse, even a five-year-old could understand why Randolph's team is in trouble.

Then again, if one of his examples of a guy getting run out of town due to race is Isiah Thomas, perhaps the tight fit of his Mets cap has skewed his sense of reality a bit.

Has race played a a factor in the firings of managers? Of course.

I still say it was unfair that Dusty Baker was run out of Chicago in the manner he was—especially considering how bad the pitching and depth was during his last year. Then, suddenly, with the hiring of Lou Piniella, the Cubs felt like spending money and actually constructing a championship-caliber team.

Was it 100 percent about race though? Not at all.

Baker didn't do himself any favors by being so dependent on veteran players—but I always felt on the inside that Baker was set up for failure after the Cubs failed to make a World Series bid in '03.

The point is that while racism does still exist, it isn't the obvious reason the way Randolph makes it out to be. The subtleties are such that now it's in the portrayal of athletes, not so much the coaches.

For example, when you look at the more popular black athletes in the NBA and the NFL, the emphasis—especially in terms of marketing—is always on "street cred." Perhaps it's only the edgy personalities nowadays that sell, but I've always found it a bit intriguing that a large number of today's black athletes are viewed in such a small-minded manner.

The NFL has been notorious for having a lack of minority head coaches, a problem that won't go away anytime soon considering the small, tight-knit circle of coaches and coordinators that continue to be recycled.

The NBA also has a curiously low percentage of minority coaches, considering the large number of black players in the league—most recent coach to be left out in the cold? Avery Johnson.

But all that doesn't necessarily equate to it being about race. It's not a simple math equation, but a rather complex issue based on an even more complicated social history.

Do the leagues need to do better? Yes of course—there's always room for improvement. But, that doesn't mean that every hiring and firing is purely based on race.

Moreover, in an organization where the GM is from the Dominican Republic, and a roster as diverse as the New York population the Mets represent, it's hard to believe that Randolph would get the axe because of race.

Maybe he knows something we don't—maybe that epic collapse at the end of 2007 was really just a conspiracy so that he could be fired.

Then again, maybe Willie Randolph just needs to get over himself and realize that instead of misusing the race card, he should accept the well-deserved blame and man up.

The Trouble With The NCAA

Thomas Barbee — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:01:38 -0400

I'm hardly an expert when it comes to this issue.

There weren't highlights of me playing ball in high school on the local news, much less on ESPN. Upon graduating high school, I wasn't sought after by every Division I school in the country with a scholarship in hand.

Finally, once I decided upon a school, there wasn't a press conference, and said school didn't expect large amounts of money to come in on my account—just the bills for tuition and books.

Despite that, I was able to observe, for a time, this phenomenon while attending the University of Illinois.

As a sophomore, our Illini basketball team rose to prominence as they made it all the way to the championship game before losing to the North Carolina Tarheels. Along the way, just about everyone remotely associated with the team became overnight super-celebrities.

While athletes on campus were already worshipped, it became very obvious that year how these guys, ranging in age from 18-22, became viewed as gods walking amongst us mere mortals.

Students would drop everything they were doing at the time to get a picture taken with said athlete, and if they didn't have a camera they would at least try to get an autograph—anything so that they can brag to their friends back at the dorm. The team received nightly exposure on both local and national sports stations, praising the team while fattening the schools pocketbook by garnering constant exposure.

As observed by many incidents that have occurred over the years at a vast number of schools, a good percentage of these "student-athletes" end up doing just enough to make the grade, thanks in large part to the help of the hundreds of tutors, "online classes," or having leisure studies as a major.

And last but not least, don't forget the groupies.

The point is that college, for the student-athlete, is the ultimate ego trip. If your head hasn't been inflated enough from being the best prep athlete in high school, college will certainly up the ante.

If the "problems" with celebrity culture were so prominent in a tiny college town like Champaign, it's hard to envision what it must be like in a place like Los Angeles, especially on such a storied campus as USC, where the spotlight always shines.

Picture it, the exposure, the women, the guaranteed money coming after your one year—it's no wonder the academics and morals fall to the wayside.

Of course, when those incidents do occur, the media and the NCAA are the first to jump all over it. Suddenly, guys like OJ Mayo become the poster boy of all that's wrong with the NCAA—when in reality, he's just an 18-year old kid that did what any other 18-year old kid would do if they were in his position and had his talents.

Furthermore, it's hypocritical for the NCAA to go after USC for bringing in a guy that every other team in the country wanted. If all of this had really happened while Mayo was in high school, the NCAA should have barred teams from even attempting to recruit him.

Cases like these, however, are bigger than the players or the schools involved, even if they involve arguably the best freshman in the country. They distract people from what is inherently wrong with both the NCAA and the NBA-instituted one-and-done requirement.

With the marketing revenue generated from forcing the talented high schoolers to enter at least one year of college, the NCAA has no incentive to try to convince the NBA to change the rule. Furthermore, with most of the top-tier players only coming to the NCAA to fulfill their requirement, they have no incentive to do anything other than look out for their own best interests.

With as much money as the school and NCAA make off of them for their efforts, why shouldn't they? It's painfully obvious even to the most hopeful fan that athletes get preferential treatment, so why does the NCAA waste resources to investigate a case such as this one?

It's simple. The NCAA doesn't want to look bad—not anymore than they do already. If it weren't for the fact that ESPN was able to dig up all this dirt on OJ Mayo, the investigation probably wouldn't have taken place. The NCAA has to appear to be in control of the madness they created—a frenetic atmosphere where the top athletes are simply being groomed for the next level, both on and off the court.

I'm not insinuating that these players should be paid for participating in college sports—that would create another headache altogether. Rather, what I find disheartening is that while these young men are trying to just go on with their lives, they find themselves in the middle of a controversy that almost always does more harm than good.

While scummy coaches like Kelvin Samspon are able to bounce around the coaching ranks before eventually running out of destinations, entire seasons can be potentially erased and scholarships removed based on the actions of a select few.

So in the case of the OJ Mayo, what should the NCAA do? Honestly, the smart thing to do would be to slap USC's wrist and move on to the bigger fish that lie at the heart of this particular case. That is, eliminating the one-and-done rule, or forcing the kids to stay for all four years.

The former ruling seems to be the only likely case, as both the NBA and the NCAA have to be more responsible anyway. If general managers are willing to pay an 18-year-old millions of dollars, they should at least have the decency to protect their investment by ensuring that they're surrounded by a good group of guys so you don't have another Leon Smith on your hands.

In the case of the NCAA, they need to be realistic about things—they can't expect a guy like OJ Mayo to be completely detached from a world full of perks.

But like I said, I'm not an expert. Then again, the folks in the NCAA don't seem to be that bright either.

Chicago White Sox: Five Keys of the Week (5/2-5/5 @ Toronto Blue Jays)

Thomas Barbee — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:21:24 -0400

Mark Buehrle must set the pace
Take advantage of RISP
Stay ahead of hitters
Get to the SP early
Don't let Alex Rios beat you

Mark Buehrle must set the pace

Buehrle takes the hill tonight sporting a 1-2 record with an ERA a shade over five-and-a-half. Not exactly what you want out of your supposed ace, but Buehrle definitely stands a chance against a Blue Jays team that hasn't exactly knocked the cover off the ball with a .251 team average. That's not to say it'll be a cakewalk for number 56, but going up against the challenging Shaun Marcum and ending the Sox two game slide should be enough motivation for Buehrle to get the job done.

Take advantage of RISP

This one seems like an easy one, as it has easily been the one major thing to continuously kill us as of late. It's going to be even tougher this time around, as the Sox face four very tough starters in this series. So when the Sox are in the position to move a runner up, look for Ozzie to be particularly aggressive if he needs to be. The last thing the Sox want to do is become a struggling station to station team. Much of the responsibility will fall on Swisher and Cabrera to get some singles or walks to get the Sox into some kind of functioning rhythm.

Stay ahead of hitters

Another obvious one, but like the Yankees, the Blue Jays are a predominantly well-disciplined team when it comes to their at bats. While this is one category where they'll certainly miss having Frank Thomas, guys like Lyle Overbay who post a .394 OBP are going to give the Sox pitchers fits if they try to be too careful with their pitching approach. The key is just to be smart and aggressive and-- especially with Contreras and Danks-- avoid walking guys.

Get to the SP early

Each of the Blue Jays starters that we're facing (Marcum, Jesse Litsch, Roy Halladay, and Dustin McGowan) have to be hit early if you want to get to them at all. If the top of the order for the Sox can come through with some hits early on, it'll bode well for the rest of the game.

Don't let Alex Rios beat you

As the leadoff hitter for the Blue Jays, Rios has a lot of pop to go with his blazing speed. Given the Sox well-known inability to ever hold baserunners, it's crucial for the White Sox to make sure they get him out as much as possible by pitching aggressively. If he beats you, fine, but don't give him a free pass.

White Sox-Twins: Joe Crede Clutch as Chicago Wins Home Opener

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:04:05 -0400

At US Cellular Field, there was a distinct buzz for the home opener-- a buzz that hadn't been felt since the Sox made a playoff push in 2005. While anything can happen during the rest of the year, the fact that a near-sellout crowd of some 38,000 fans were creating a near-playoff atmosphere is a testament to how much faith the White Sox fan base has in their team.

In the bottom of the 7th inning, the Sox returned the love they got from their fans. After Jermaine Dye tied the game with a sweet line drive single off the end of his bat, Joe Crede affirmed his status of Mr. Clutch with a grand slam home run to open up the ballgame. As the Sox fans demanded a curtain call from their seemingly reborn third baseman, you could almost hear the Crede-backers saying "I told you so" to anyone who preferred having Fields starting this year.

Javy Vazquez recovered nicely from a shaky start, striking out eight while only walking one batter. Vazquez managed to limit his pitches in the second half of his start by getting ahead of hitters and finally forcing them to swing at bad pitches. It also helped that he picked up the pace of his delivery and stopped trying to aim every single pitch.

While Scott Linebrink didn't have his best stuff, he managed to pitch out of a jam and only gave up a single run despite running into a string of bad luck situations. Finally Bobby Jenks, awful facial hair and all, closed out the game, notching his fourth save.

Although home openers tend to be overrated in the grand scheme of things, it's good to see the Sox continue their winning streak, beating once again another division rival. While the Sox offense missed a number of great opportunities early on in the game, Vazquez never allowed the Twinkies to get too far ahead on the box score.

If there were one complaint, it'd be that the Sox (or more specifically Ozzie Guillen) could stand to use their bench a bit more, giving a guy like Pablo Ozuna an opportunity to pinch run or lay down a bunt when needed.

Beyond that, it was a perfect afternoon on the South Side-- a game in which the heroics of an almost forgotten man in Joe Crede continued to feed the cautious optimism of this and many other Sox fans.

Chicago White Sox: Ozzie Guillen Stopped Worrying and Loves "the Cuban Missile"

Thomas Barbee — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:10:54 -0400

Although the Sox have only played two games thus far, there are questions that are beginning to surface already. Some want to question the pitching, some want to question the offense, but here's one many haven't gotten to yet:

Where the heck is Brian N. Anderson?

Remember him?

He's only the guy that had such an outstanding spring that he leapfrogged his way onto the 25-man roster. While his spring training batting average was thirty-four points lower than "The Cuban Missile" (as Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen calls him) Alexei Ramirez (.358 to .324), Anderson had a BB/K ratio of 11/16 versus Ramirez's ratio of 3/12.

This is important considering the White Sox had the lowest on base percentage in baseball last year.

Alexei Ramirez certainly impresses, but remember that he hasn't faced this level of pitching consistently. As such, for the time being, he looks over-matched. In the span of two games, Ramirez has struck out four times, and despite the reputation of being a good fastball hitter, he went for the hat trick on Opening Day.

His versatility is a great asset, but when you watch him play CF, he doesn't read the ball nearly as well as he should. Anderson, in comparison, was known for both his great range and cannon arm.

It's bad enough that Carlos Quentin, a guy that GM Kenny Williams has been gushing about since acquiring him, has yet to see a pitch despite also proving his worth, but at least he made it to the on-deck circle.

Brian Anderson on the other hand, much like last year, has become the forgotten man who will probably be forced to head back to Charlotte once Jerry Owens is healthy.

None of this is to say that Ramirez isn't a major league talent, he most certainly is, and everyone saw a hint of that in the spring.

The problem is that it seems the organization has fallen in love with Ramirez, and as such put him at a level where it would be very difficult for him to succeed. As raw as his talent is, it would have possibly made more sense to let him get started in AAA and allow Anderson and Quentin (two guys that have MLB experience) fill in for the currently injured Owens.

Who knows? Maybe with the cold start by Uribe, Ozzie will move Ramirez to second base and allow Quentin or (preferably) Anderson to play CF for a few games.

Until that happens though, one has to wonder why it is that Ozzie Guillen has fallen so hard for "the Cuban Missile."

Cubs Opener: Fans Embrace Kosuke Fukudome, He Returns the Favor

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:36:51 -0400

To prevent my blood from reaching a full boil thanks to the cardiac arrest-inducing Sox game, I kept checking back in with the Cubs opener.

While the game was delayed 41 minutes due to rain delay, the Cubs did a great job honoring Mr. Cub Ernie Banks, who was long overdue for a statue.

As far as the game was concerned, what started off as a great pitching duel between Carlos Zambrano and Ben Sheets turned into a rather interesting battle between the Brewers and Cubs respective bullpens.

While Marmol looked sharp once again, further proving his case to be the Cubs closer, Kerry Wood looked a bit antsy as he hit the first batter before giving up the first runs of the game.

Not to be outdone, with a 3-0 lead, Eric Gagne looked to continue his notorious misadventures by giving up a three-run homer to Kosuke Fukudome, who had an outstanding debut.

The shot breathed new life into the Cubs faithful, as even through my modest TV set, I couldn't help but notice the cameras tremor as Fukudome headed home.

Unfortunately for the North Siders, the heroics wouldn't pay off, as Bob Howry would give up the sac fly that would be the eventual game winner.

If Fukudome hadn't won over the Cubs fans before his magical at bat, he certainly has by now. Now if only they could get that closer situation figured out.

White Sox vs. Indians Opener: Marked-Up

Thomas Barbee — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:15:08 -0400

Wow, was that an ugly opener or what?

In a game of two aces facing off against each other, the best pitcher of the game was... Nick Masset.

In a game where the White Sox gave up 10 runs, the focus for many will be the rather, shall we say, intriguing calls made by the umpires.

The fact is that, despite the horrid game (no matter what team you were rooting for), there was a lot to be excited about. Most importantly, the Sox had more fight in them this year than they had for most of last year-- and coming back from a 7-2 deficit is no small feat. Also, to see Logan and Masset perform as well as they did was very encouraging, not to mention watching Thome jack two two-run homers to anchor the offense.

On the flip side-- and this may be investigated more later if Ozzie doesn't change his mind-- Alexei Ramirez looked pretty rough, both at the plate and in CF. He was fortunate to recover from his bad reads in the field, but it's pretty obvious that despite initial reports he isn't all that comfortable out there. Uribe once again went back to being the homeless man's Vladimir Guerrero, swinging at everything like an overly ambitious little leaguer, and Crede continued his struggles as well. Lastly, the Sox failed to score (blown calls aside) in a number of situations with runners in scoring position.

This isn't even including Mark Buehrle's awful start. Looking like Jose Contreras in the 2007 opener, Buehrle barely made it out of the first inning, giving up 7 earned runs and two homers. Dotel wasn't much better, leaving a fastball down the heart of the plate for Casey Blake, who in turn laced it off the wall for a 3-run double. A late bid by the White Sox in the 9th against Borowski fell short, making the final score 10-8 Indians.

Obviously, the first game of the season isn't going to dictate how the rest of the 161 games will go, but White Sox fans should feel good about the team attitude this year. One has to assume that Buehrle will bounce back, and hopefully whatever's wrong with Dotel will get cleared up soon, otherwise Wasserman might be taking his spot. Furthermore, look for Brian Anderson to get some more playing time, hopefully getting a start in one of the other two Indians games.

The two clubs will face each other again Wednesday, with Javy Vazquez facing off against Fausto Carmona.