ChicagoPalehose: Hickey A True Chicago Type Of Guy

ChicagoPalehose: Hickey A True Chicago Type Of Guy

ChicagoPalehose: Smoak and Mears: White Sox in First

ChicagoPalehose: Smoak and Mears: White Sox in First

Smoak and Mears: White Sox in First

A team that has a left fielder that has never played left field, a closer that has never closed, a first year starting centerfielder, a third baseman without a home run and a manager that has never coached. Introducing your first place Chicago White Sox.

Oh yeah a minor league hitting coach and Chris Sale who has never started as a professional. Other then that this team should be pretty good.

Smoke and mirrors. So far so good. Lets see what happens in June. The good news is they play a few weak NL teams. That should keep the south side faithful dreams alive for another month.
Come July they have only 9 home games. 9. Tell me that wont hurt the in the pocket book for the Sox. Of course come September when everyone is back at school and work the White Sox have 19 homes games. Go figure. 2012 is a wacky one.

Hickey A True Chicago Type Of Guy

Kevin Hickey is a Chicago kid made good. For a guy to have pitched in the Major Leagues and he never played high school baseball- that is one heck of an underdog story. Hickey was signed out of 250 other dreamers at a White Sox tryout day at old Comiskey Park. Hickey told me when he was trying out as a pitcher when one of his pitches went thru the catchers glove. Now that's fast. I guess when you see that for a left hander it would be hard not to sign him to a minor league contract. For a kid that was working at a factory in Melrose Park and playing 16 inch softball he figured what the heck I will try out for the Chicago White Sox. Well the rest is history. He has been part of the Sox family ever since.

http://youtu.be/pfN2CCE8YRc

Kevin passed away on May 16, 2012. He was 56. He fell into a coma on April 5 and never came out. Hickey will be missed by many. He loved people and baseball and they both loved him back.

Ventura Getting Advice From Old Coaches

Robin Ventura shows class as he brings back retired coaches Joe Nossek and Art Kusnyer as spring training advisers. Ventura doesn't forget the people that have helped his career. Nossek and Kusnyer were White Sox coaches when Robin played in the 1990's. Both Nossek and Kusnyer are great guys to have around.
It's great to see that Ventura is going about it the right way. He isn't saying he knows everything and doesn't need any help. The well grounded Ventura is preparing to succeed by getting as much knowledge as possible from those that can help the cause.  Below is a little background to what kind of guy Art Kusnyer is.

http://youtu.be/7EdWjjkx9yA

Sox May Look At Steve Dahl to Sell Tickets

Robin Ventura will be thrown to the wolves the first month of April. Having to make his managerial debut in Texas. Ouch. John Danks gets the start for the first game. Do you think he said to himself, "can't I start in Cleveland instead?"  Either way Danks, Ventura and the rest of the 2012 Sox will have a tough April schedule. With Cleveland on the road following the 3 games in Arlington they come home to the big, bad , they won't ever be beat Detroit Tigers. The Sox home opener will have Jake Peavy on the mound. Chances are the Sox may be 1-5 before their first home game. If Brook Boyer is having trouble selling tickets now just wait until the Sox are swept in Texas. Boyer may be calling Steve Dahl for another Disco Demolition night to get the fans to come out. After they have 3 with the Tigers, Baltimore comes in for a four game series. Then off to the west coast to face Seattle and Oakland. The west coast trip is always a hard one. After those 6 games on the road, they take on the always strong Boston Red Sox at home for four.

White Sox Pitching Not That Bad

Questions are plentiful concerning the 2012 White Sox pitching staff. For some of us anyway. A few of us already have all the answers. So they think. I have a few. But what I do know is this. Danks, Peavy, Floyd and Sale. Should be better then average. I know a couple thousands of you think Peavy is finished. Well he might be. But he will be sent out to the mound every 5 days until his arm falls off. That is what I do know. As far as Chris Sale is concern. It will most likely take him a couple months as a starter before he settles in. Lets hope Don Copper and Robin Ventura give him the time to settle in. For a yound skinny kid like Sale he will have a whole lot of learning to do this summer. With the Sox not expected to do anything this year I see no reason why you also wouldn't send Sale out to the mound every 5th day too. Phil Humber will be good for the first few months anyway. After that who knows. Maybe Kenny picks up another young pitcher or gives someone like Axlerod a chance. I know Kenny likes Drabek so maybe he will on the south side this year.

One thing WE all know is that Danks and Floyd is what you see is what you get. I don't see them getting any better or any worse in 2012. I wouldn't mind seeing Kenny Williams trade Floyd and A.J. for some prospects.

As far as the bullpen goes it looks good. Can Addison Reed be the full time closer? I think he too will take some time  getting use to that role.  So look for Crain and Thornton to close when needed depending on the batters that they face.

The Sox defense will be better this year so that will help the pitching staff. With De Aza in CF and the Tank in rightfield not everything will be caught but with Rios in LF it can't be all that bad. Can it? Okay Rios seems like the kind of player that may be jittery near the foul line and the stands when going for a foul ball. Look for a few pitchers to get upset when Rios slows up and is unable to catch a foul ball near the stands this year.

Other then that lets wish Bobby Jenks a quick recovery from spinal fluid leaking out of his spinal column last month. He almost lost his life.  Anyway go White Sox.