Posts tagged OrlandoCabrera at FanHouse

Now that the exciting action of MLB's amateur draft has completed it's first round, it's time to take a look at our country's next millionaires. Here's a quick glance at the first round selections by the teams of the AL Central.

Kansas City Royals (3) Eric Hosmer, 1B, American Heritage (Fla) H.S.: Picking this early in the draft is nothing new for the Royals, as they've had a top six pick in six of the last seven drafts. They've spent a lot of those picks on position players, as they've only chosen one pitcher (Luke Hochevar) with their first pick in the last four years. Well, considering that the Royals currently have the lowest scoring offense in baseball, and have hit the least amount of home runs, it's no shock that they went after a player with a lot of power in his bat. It's been said the left-handed hitting Hosmer has more raw power than any other player taken in the first round, and he can use that power to go to the opposite field just as easily as pulling the ball. Some wonder if he'll be a first baseman in the Majors, though, as he does have a very strong throwing arm, and may eventually be moved to the outfield.

Chicago White Sox (8) Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia: After all the trades Kenny Williams has made the last few seasons, the White Sox farm system has been left pretty bare, especially in the middle infield. That's why the Sox had to be ecstatic when Beckham fell to them at the 8th spot. Beckham can play both shortstop and second, though he'll probably stay at short, and he can swing the bat as well. He hit .307/.505/.781 for the Bulldogs this season, and according to ESPN's Keith Law, he'll be the best prospect in the White Sox organization the second he signs his contract. Considering that Orlando Cabrera doesn't plan on sticking around in Chicago after this season, and the team is never happy with Juan Uribe, it may not be very long before White Sox fans see Beckham at U.S. Cellular Field.

Considering how often Ozzie Guillen is getting into trouble for something he said or did, and for how many verbal spats he's gotten into with other managers and players from around the league, he's somehow managed to maintain the respect of his players. Even if there are a lot of members of the media and baseball that can't stand him. The reason for this is because, no matter what, he always stands up for his players.

Unfortunately, Orlando Cabrera is still learning how to deal with his new manager. He didn't quite understand what was going on when Guillen tried to warn him about how his calling the press box during games to argue about errors that were charged to him would effect his public image in Chicago. Especially with the team being in first place, and the fact he's a free agent at the end of the season.

Orlando's response was to say that he felt neglected, and that he felt the White Sox didn't have his back. Not exactly the best way to go about things, but don't worry, any feud that may have been starting has been squashed, and Orlando and Ozzie are boys again.

"Ozzie and I are cool," said Cabrera. "We've always been cool, and we're always going to be cool.

"As long as we're winning, a smile is going to be on my face every day. Show up for the game and help the team win games. That's most important for me."

Yes, just as long as he isn't charged with any errors in those wins.

Yesterday we found out about White Sox shortstop Orlando Cabrera's recent habit of calling the press box and arguing about errors he was charged with. The arguing worked, as both calls were overturned by official scorers, but Orlando's manager wasn't too fond of the way Orlando was handling things.

Ozzie Guillen stepped out of character and actually shared his thoughts and feelings with the media by expressing his concern about how Orlando's teammates and White Sox fans would react to the news he was so concerned about his statistics. Especially considering that the Sox are currently a first place team, and that it might make it seem like Orlando was more concerned with his next contract than the White Sox winning.

Well, Orlando did not appreciate Ozzie's concern.

"If it happens again, I will call again," Cabrera said. "I don't have to do it with other teams because they always had my back. They don't want to do it here, I can take care of my own business. If you have a problem with what I did, come to me and say something. Don't go to the media to send a message, because he didn't send any message."

"I never had anybody complain about that stuff. If there was a major-league player who tells me he's not selfish, he's lying. Everyone is selfish about numbers, because that's the only thing people cannot lie about. That's it. It's not a big deal. I don't know who's trying to make this a big deal. Maybe it's the media, maybe it's the manager. And nobody is complaining about that stuff. Nobody cares about that."

This could get interesting.

When the White Sox traded for Orlando Cabrera this off-season, their was some questioning of the move amongst White Sox fans. The biggest problem most Sox fans had with it was that the team had sent it's most consistent starter over the previous few seasons, Jon Garland, to the Angels to get him. The other worrisome part of the trade was that Cabrera was entering the final year of his contract, so basically the Sox gave up their best pitcher for a guy they were probably only going to have for a season.

Well, Jon Garland is still Jon Garland for the Angels, but the Sox pitching staff has performed so well this season that losing him hasn't stung at all. Meanwhile Cabrera is acting like somebody who's more worried about his impending free agency than the fact that his team is in first place. There have already been two instances this season in which Orlando has called the press box to argue about errors that were attributed to him, once in Toronto and once at U.S. Cellular Field.

Never one to keep his opinion to himself, Ozzie Guillen had a little chat with his shortstop about such behavior.

''If things continue to happen, I'm not going to say we're going to have a problem, but I don't think it looks good to his teammates for him to worry about his numbers, especially the way we're playing,'' Guillen said Monday. ''I know I never did that. That's something the manager or coach should do. I'm not going to say don't call up to the box, but it looks kind of bad. When I played, we didn't worry about that. That was for someone else to look at and handle. But the bottom line in all this is whether we win or lose.

Well, it was fun while it lasted. After getting off to a hot start in April, the White Sox had caught just about everybody by surprise when they found themselves atop of the AL Central throughout the month. Sure, it had something to do with the horrible starts that the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians had gotten off to, but really, the White Sox actually were playing like a first place team for the first 21 days or so of the season. It seemed as though the offense had returned after taking last year off, and the pitching was far outperforming the expectations.

Then the last few weeks started. The White Sox have lost seven of their last ten, including four in a row, and they've looked horrible doing so. It's gotten to the point where I've been watching and I came to the realization that I hate this team. Seriously, they drive me insane while watching them, and up until yesterday they were in first place.

How does one end up hating their favorite team while they're in first place? It's easier than you think. Especially when your favorite team is hitting an American League worst .235, and continues to waste solid starting pitching. For example, on Friday night Mark Buehrle pitched 8 innings allowing no earned runs, scattering five hits, and striking out seven Blue Jays without walking anybody. His reward? A loss. The Sox were only able to manage two hits of their own that game, both of which came off the bat of Orlando Cabrera.

Now it's pretty easy to just say that the offense is going through a funk right now, and that once they break out of it, I'll fall in love with them again. Unfortunately, I know better than that.

They're not actually called vendettas in Columbia. They're called polemicas. I think. But whatever they're called, they mean the same thing: two people hate each other, and no one's backing down. Welcome to the relationship between Edgar Renteria and Orlando Cabrera, courtesy of ESPN the Magazine the Website.

The reasons for the feud are hard to parse (something about a Columbia league or property or something; my attention span is too short) so just go read the whole thing. Or skip it. Whatever. But know that the hate is real, at least from one side:

"He wanted to buy one team so he could wreck everything that's been done with the league," Edgar says. "I think he did it out of malice. You should ask him what he has against the Renterías. For several years, people have told me that he's jealous of me. People have always known me more in Colombia than him, and I think that bothers him."

See? Not nice. On balance, Renteria comes off far worse in the story -- the writer, Jorge Arangure, Jr., chronicles numerous instances when Cabrera reaches out to make peace with Renteria and numerous times when Renteria claims Cabrera is jealous, which makes him sound a lot like the high school cheerleader bemoaning her own popularity. Still, Renteria won't even talk to Cabrera, refusing even casual in-game conversation. Regardless of the reasons, that's just ... damn. That's just hateful. Somewhere, Silky Johnston smiles today.

The resigning of Juan Uribe by the White Sox this offseason was a little peculiar, seeing as they snatched Orlando Cabrera from the Angels to play his position as well as inking Cuban Alexi Ramirez to play middle infield. (These moves were made after the resigning, but still.)

However, if radio reports are to be believed today, it looks like the Sox are putting Uribe on waivers -- so he might be gone after all. He just hasn't heard a thing about it.

"My agent called me and said reporters called him, but my agent told me he called Kenny and, I don't know,'' Uribe said. "No one has told me nothing. I got a surprise.

"My agent called me and said, 'Juan, what happened?' I say, 'What do you mean?' People here told me, 'Hey, the media [wants to talk to you].' I say, 'For what?' ''

Here's to hoping the Sox release Uribe, but due to a glitch in payroll he stays around and keeps getting paid. Just make sure not to steal his stapler. He gets a little testy about that.

"Under The Gun" takes a look at one player from each team who will bear all the pressure for the upcoming '08 season.

There was a time when Jose Contreras was probably the best pitcher in all of baseball. For a 12-month period between the 2005 All-Star break through the 2006 All-Star break, Conteras couldn't lose. Literally. He went 17-0 during that span.

Ever since then, though, Jose has been atrocious. Since July 14, 2006, Jose is 14-26, finishing the 2007 season with a record of 10-17 and an ERA of 5.57. Not surprisingly, Jose's slide coincides directly with the slide of the White Sox.

So as the Sox enter the 2008 season with hopes and delusions of competing with the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, they need Jose Contreras back. Since they sent Jon Garland to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera, there's quite a large void left in the starting rotation. Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez are the only two pitchers Chicago has that can be considered reliable. After that it's Contreras, John Danks, and Gavin Floyd.

Danks showed promise last season, but quickly burned out under the heaviest workload of his young career, and anybody who has seen Gavin Floyd pitch knows he's not going to be in the rotation very long. So if the White Sox are going to have any chance of competing for a playoff spot, Jose Contreras is going to have carry the back load of the rotation.

Given the fact that Jose has exhibited the mental strength of a toasted marshmallow in his career, I highly doubt it's going to happen.

The Chicago White Sox added a little more depth to their team this weekend by reportedly signing Cuban defector Alexei Ramirez to a 4-year $4.75 million deal.

Two baseball sources have confirmed to MLB.com that the White Sox have agreed in principle on a four-year, $4.75 million deal with Alexei Ramirez. The versatile Cuban exile still has to pass a physical, and an official announcement from the team probably won't come until after the New Year.

"We have arrived at an agreement with the White Sox for a Major League contract for Alexei's services," agent Jaime Torres told the Associated Press on Friday.

Now, I'm not as closely wired to Cuban baseball as the rest of you, so I can't say I know much about Ramirez. I can tell you that he mostly played shortstop in Cuba, and he can also play at second base and in centerfield. Where the White Sox plan on using him, I don't know, but I'm guessing second base since Orlando Cabrera is at shortstop.

Ramirez is listed at 26-years old, but in Cuban years that means he's probably 28 or 29. In seven seasons with Pinar Del Rio Ramirez, he hit .332 with 87 home runs, and 391 RBI.

His addition to the White Sox also means that Juan Uribe's days on the south side of Chicago are over. With Cabrera at shortstop already, and Pablo Ozuna firmly planted in the role of super-sub, there really isn't a place left for Uribe on the roster. Which makes that contract extension the White Sox signed him too all the more confusing.

Ramirez could still have a positive impact on another member of the White Sox, though. Jose Contereras is a fellow Cuban, and actually played for Pinar Del Rio as well, and he's always seemed to be a better pitcher with a fellow countrymen around. I don't think it's a coincidence that Contreras' best years both in New York and Chicago took place when Orlando Hernandez was his teammate.

There's a run on shortstops taking place today, as the Twins came to terms with Adam Everett, and now the Blue Jays have signed shortstop David Eckstein to a deal.

Maybe it's because both teams know that Everett and Eckstein's names aren't likely to show up in the Mitchell Report in a few hours. Though if their names are in the report, both men have been getting ripped off the last few years.

Anyway, according to Fox's Ken Rosenthal, it's a one-year deal worth $4.5 million.

The Jays have reached a preliminary agreement with Eckstein on a 1-year, $4.5 million contract, according to a major-league source.

I hope he's getting that in Canadian currency.

It was a long wait for Eckstein as he saw potential suitor after potential suitor go in other directions at shortstop. The White Sox traded for Orlando Cabrera, and the Tigers chose Edgar Renteria instead. The only two teams still making an effort to sign Eckstein were the Jays and reportedly the Rockies.

Apparently Eckstein saw more opportunity in Toronto than he did with the defending National League champs. Of course, the Rockies were more interested in turning Eckstein into a second baseman to replace Kaz Matsui, which probably had something to do with his choice to go to Toronto.