Some Things Never Change

by user Fornelli

Well the Detroit Tigers finally got on the board against the White Sox in Comerica Park on Wednesday night. Thanks to a strong performance by Jeremy Bonderman (10-4 3.53ERA), and a grand slam by Craig Monroe, the Tigers pulled out a 5-2 victory.

While there was a change for Detroit, it was the same old for the White Sox' Javier Vazquez (9-5 5.20ERA). This was the ninth consecutive start in which Vazquez gave up at least 5 runs. It's the same story every time too.

Vazquez was cruising through the first half of the game, giving up only 2 hits through 5 innings. Then the 6th inning started. Four consecutive singles, and one hanging slider later, the White Sox 2-0 lead quickly became a 5-2 deficit in which they would not recover.

"It's frustrating," Vazquez said. "I threw the ball OK, even in the sixth, but they get a couple bloopers. The bases are loaded, it's 2-1, and I didn't want it to get out of hand. Then I hang a slider and they get the home run."

Don't let Vazquez's Win-Loss record fool you, the real story is his ERA and the fact the White Sox average over 7 runs in his starts that keep it respectable. The way he's pitched this season he should be about 4-10.

Frankly, I'm sick of it. There is a part of me that's hoping another team wants Vazquez, and that Kenny Williams can dump him before the July 31st trade deadline. I would rather send Brandon McCarthy out there every fifth day at this point.

Even if he struggles, it's not going to be any different than what the Sox are getting. The only difference is it won't be as maddening.

Vazquez has some very good stuff, but for some reason he keeps throwing his curveball in situations that do not call for them. If I had a dollar for every time Vazquez has hung a curveball to a hitter with an 0-2 count, and got smoked, I'd have a helluva good time at the strip club. Just tonight he did it twice to Ivan Rodriguez. Both time Pudge hit a rope into left field.

I don't often agree with White Sox play by play announcer Hawk Harrelson, but he's dead on in his assessment of Vazquez.

STOP THROWING THAT DAMN CURVEBALL.

Vazquez has both fastballs, a changeup, a slider, and the curve. So if he ditched the curve, he'd still have 4 pitches to work with. The greatest irony of it all is that his best pitch, the changeup, is the one he uses the least. If you blow two consecutive fastballs by a guy, why try to trick him with the breaking stuff?

I mean where is the logic in that? "He can't hit my fastball, so I better throw the slider."

To paraphrase the great former manager of the Cleveland Indians, Lou Brown,

"Forget the curveball Javy. Give him the heater!"

I think Ozzie Guillen needs to keep a very short leash on Vazquez if indeed the Sox do keep sending him out there. Once he gets through 5 innings, the second he shows signs of getting in trouble, get him out of there. It's the same strategy the Sox had to use with Jon Garland a few years ago. The difference of course being Jon Garland was a 23-year-old kid then, still learning on the job, and Vazquez is 29 with eight years of Major League experience.

Of course, lost in all this was the great performance by Bonderman, who's only 23. Even though he gave up two home runs to Joe Crede and Juan Uribe, he was in control throughout. He only gave up 4 hits and struck out 6 in 7 1/3 innings of work. Bonderman does everything Vazquez needs to do, and is good enough to keep Tigers fans hopeful of seeing him in a Tiger jersey for a long time. Even with Kenny Rogers, and the young Justin Verlander, I feel that Bonderman is the best pitcher on the Tigers staff and will be their ace for years to come. Of course that's dependent on the fact the Tigers keep winning, and drawing fans, so they can afford to keep him when he eventually becomes a free agent.

Still, it's no longer any wonder to me why Vazquez, who had a very solid career with the Montreal Expos, has now been on 3 different teams in the last three seasons. (Yankees, Diamondbacks, White Sox) He drives managers crazy!

The man is a living testament as to why being a pitcher is one of the toughest things to do in all of sports. You can have the arm, and you can have the pitches, but that guarantees you absolutely nothing in this game. If you can't get your head right, which Vazquez can't, you have no chance. He loses concentration over just about anything. A "bad call" by the ump, a bloop single dropping just over an outstretched infielders glove, some kid in the fifth row crying, anything and everything.

No matter what the Tigers say about the fact that they are "chasing the White Sox. They're the defending champs," in the standings it's the other way around. It's going to be incredibly tough to catch those Tigers too if the Sox have to score at least 6 runs every fifth day to cover for an underachieving starter.

White Sox Notes

-Thursday's series finale (1:05PM Est-ESPN) features two All Star pitchers. Jose Contreras (9-1 3.48) vs. Kenny Rogers (11-3 4.10).

-In Rogers' last four starts he has surrendered 19 runs, and is 1-0 with a 9.00ERA. He has not lasted longer than 5 2/3 innings in any of the 4 starts.

-Juan Uribe's 5th inning home run (13) gave him 50 RBI on the season, making him the fifth member of the team with 50RBI.

-By going hitless in Wednesday's loss, Jim Thome had a 10 game hitting streak snapped, while Paul Konerko lost his 15 game streak.

-Ozzie Guillen hopes the Tigers do trade for Alfonso Soriano because "They would have to give up (Justin) Verlander or (Joel) Zumaya." I second that feeling.

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Date

Thu 07/20/06, 12:03 am EST