Let The (Exhibition) Games Begin!
Today begins exhibition games for the Chicago White Sox and the air is full of questions whose answers begin with the first pitch today:
Who will hit well enough to win the center field job? Brian Anderson has underperformed as a hitter his entire career, but a big spring may be a new lease on life for his career. The kid needs to fulfill his potential as a former first round draft pick.- How healthy are the Sox veteran pitchers? Bartolo Colon has been playing long toss and Jose Contreras may be game ready by mid-March. Are these guys really ready to go, or is this just wishful thinking.
- If Contreras and Colon AREN'T ready to go, who will be the fourth and fifth starters? Conventional wisdom says it will be Clayton Richard and Jeff Marquez, but will some other pitcher (Aaron Poreda, Lance Broadway) have such an exceptional spring that they get the opportunity?
- Will any non-roster players have such a big spring, they make the club? Names like Michael Restovich and Ben Broussard come to mind, but with this roster pretty much set except for a couple of long relief slots and a backup catcher, is there any chance at all or is this a Chicago election?
- How good is the Cuban Sandwich really? There are conflicting reports between "he's got star potential" and "he's hit his peak." The Sandwich also expressed a fear of being hit with a ball during live batting practice and you wonder if this is an isolated incident or a trend? Because if you are scared of Brian Little, imagine how you are going to feel when it is Joel Zumaya.
- How strong is Q's wrist? Recovering from a wrist injury is tough for a slugger. Will Carlos Quentin be able to drive the ball with authority in the light Arizona air, let alone the cold April air of the first month of the season?
- Will an injury result in an opportunity? Last spring, Jerry Owens groin tweak opened the door to a roster spot for both Carlos Quentin and perhaps Alexi Ramirez. Will that happen again this spring?
- Will we see Brett Lillibridge in center? He can play there, how well undetermined. But he has good speed and handles the bat well and could be an alternative if Owens and Anderson have poor springs.
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