| Kyle Trompeter. 2nd September, 2005 - 1:58 pm
 Alright, I know the season is not over yet. I know the White Sox had a 15 game lead a month ago in the AL Central and now its only 7.5 over the Cleveland Indians with still six games to play against the Tribe.
But, for a second, let’s assume they are going to go to the playoffs. It’s almost a given they will make it with still a big lead, but there is a chance they could blow it. So let’s just assume for now that they will get in.
What is Manager Ozzie Guillen going to do with the fourth spot in the starting rotation?
It’s certain that Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, and Freddy Garcia will head the starters going into October. Still, with a three man playoff rotation unlikely, there will be one more spot available.
The options are Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Jose Contreras, with an outside chance of rookie Brandon McCarthy. Slim pickings? This decision will be like trying to decide which movie is better- The Godfather 3 or Jurassic Park 3. They are both awful.
Contreras seems like a logical choice at this point. He showed nice flashes in August with a 3-1 record with a 2.14 ERA. When Contreras is on his game, he is a tough pitcher to deal with. His biggest fallback is his lack of control at times. He only gave up eight free passes in August, which was down considerably from July, where he walked 18.
If Ozzie is going to pick based on experience, then Hernandez is the selection. His playoff record, which stands at 9-3 with a 2.65 ERA, is phenomenal. I tend to believe this will be Guillen’s choice because of those stats. You can’t argue that he has been able to get it done in the most clutch moments.
But, the drawback of “El Duque” as that he simply hasn’t been good this season. 8-7 with a 4.92 doesn’t exactly jump out and say, “Pick me!” He hasn’t won a game in over a month and got pounded in his last start by the Rangers.
Then, there’s the Wild Card choice. Not the team that gets a playoff berth ‘Wild Card’, it’s the youngster McCarthy. His numbers this year at the big league level have been less than satisfactory. He’s only got one win in six starts and his ERA is over six.
But…
There’s always the but.
Fear the unknown. In the last couple of Octobers, we have seen rookies play big roles in World Series winning teams and absolutely shine in the spotlight. Miguel Cabrera, Francisco Rodriguez, and Brandon Backe to name a few.
There are two reasons why young players are sometimes better for the pressure packed spots. One, the opposition doesn’t know what to look for. There are probably not that many scouting reports on him and the whole match up is blind instinct. Advantage- rookie.
The second is the rookie is sometime so young and naïve that they don’t realize the magnitude of the situation at hand. While some players may feel the pressure, others (rookies), may go up to the plate or the mound thinking its just like another preseason game in Mesa.
McCarthy is most likely a pipe dream to make the starting four, but he’s coming off his best start as a pro against the Rangers, going 7.2 innings while giving up only two hits and no runs.
Interesting situation, isn’t it.
The smart move would be to go with the history and start “El Duque”. The bold choice would be to go with Contreras, who although is having a better season than Hernandez, doesn’t have the playoff credentials to match. And then the flavor of the week pick is McCarthy, who is more likely to be a force in the playoffs starting next year and beyond.
But…
Fear the unknown. |
