Posts tagged ScottPodsednik at FanHouse

I'm guessing a lot of you are like me in that as soon as you hear the name Brad Lidge, you immediately think about Albert Pujols hitting a ball about 750 feet off of him in the 2005 NLCS. Of course, I also think about the walk-off that Scott Podsednik hit off of him in game two of the World Series about a week after that as well. The Pujols one sticks out more though because it's not often that we get to see a man's spirit crushed on national television.

After that home run, Brad just wasn't the same for the Astros, he'd been ruined. So when the Astros sent him to Philadelphia this offseason, I thought it would be a nice change for Brad. I had no idea the change in scenery would affect him as much as it has though. A 2-0 record with a 0.77 ERA and 19 saves in 19 chances, yeah, the Phillies will take that. In fact, they'll take three more years of it.

Philadelphia Phillies closer Brad Lidge has signed a three-year, 37.5 million-dollar, contract extension.

Lidge is 2-and-0 with 47 strikeouts in 35 innings and set a club record by converting his first 19 save opportunities this season. He didn't allow an earned run through his first 17 appearances (17 innings), which was the second-longest by a Phillies pitcher to start his career with the team.

Lidge would have been a free agent at the end of the year, but considering how things have been working for him in the City of Brotherly Love, you kind of figured a deal would be worked out sooner rather than later.

There's been some talk from White Sox players and members of the organization this spring that the 2008 season is setting up a lot like the 2005 season that ended in a World Series title. Obviously, these thoughts can be attributed to a lot of time out in the hot Arizona sun the last few weeks. Still, the team believes it, and they were hoping that outfielder Jerry Owens would be able to fill the role that Scott Podsednik played in that 2005 season and tear up the basepaths.

Unfortunately for the White Sox, Jerry Owens has chosen to emulate Podsednik's last two seasons on the south side of Chicago.

After the game against Colorado on Tuesday, the Sox announced that Owens -- the projected starting center fielder and leadoff hitter -- has a small tear in his right adductor and will be placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to last Sunday.

A team spokesman said Owens needs seven to 10 days of rest, then can return to the lineup. Both Brian Anderson and Carlos Quentin likely have made the roster, rather than one or the other.

Adductor injuries are the exact same thing that sidelined Podsednik over the last two seasons, and now that he's gone, they've decided to attack Jerry Owens instead. The Sox are hoping that Owens will be in the lineup by April 7th, but if Owens' injuries are the same as Podsednik's the team is already aware that adductor injuries have a tendency to be the nagging type.

For the most part the Sox have had a healthy spring, but this first big blow could turn out to be a huge one.

The White Sox continued their makeover on Tuesday: the same day that Orlando Cabrera was officially announced, the team revealed that Scott Podsednik was designated for assignment. It's not a huge surprise -- Pods turned in his second mediocre season in a row last year -- but it's still notable given that many fans still connect him with his 2005 postseason success. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Podsednik, 31, hit .243 with two home runs, 11 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 30 runs scored in 62 games in '07. He also helped make the adductor a household-known body part, given how frequently he injured the muscle in the groin area.

When Podsednik was healthy, he was a spark atop the Sox lineup. He will be best remembered for his pair of home runs during the 2005 playoffs, including a game-ending shot in Game 2 of the World Series.

Calling Podsednik "a spark atop the Sox lineup" is a complete misnomer -- he posted a pathetic .299 OBP last year, which is more "fizzle" and less "spark" in my book. Yet, because he's speedy on the basepaths, he's been mislabeled as a "quality leadoff man" for much of his career. Not only does he usually struggle to get on base, he rarely hits for any power -- he's combined for all of five home runs over the last three years, during which time he's missed almost one out of three games. I'm pretty certain that someone out there will give him a chance -- just cross your fingers that it's not your favorite team.

Don't pay any attention to what that moron told you on Friday, Scott Podsednik isn't going anywhere.

The rumored waiver-wire trade talks between the Cubs and White Sox over Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik are dead, and, in fact, never had much of a pulse in the first place. One source suggested the chances were never better than ''one in a thousand'' from the outset.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry says that he still has a couple of live claims on other players, but that he doesn't think he's going to be bringing anybody to Chicago.

As for the White Sox, I'm somewhat surprised that they didn't just let Podsednik go. While he has been a big factor for the team with his speed while he's healthy, he's just never healthy lately. Also, the likelihood of the team bringing him back next season is probably somewhere between slim and none.

With the emergence of Jerry Owens and Danny Richar in the everyday lineup, the Sox finally have the speed on the basepaths they've been missing all season with the injuries to Pods, Darin Erstad, and Pablo Ozuna.

There's also no reason to believe that Podsednik's injury history is going to change next season. Generally when a player's biggest attribute is his legs, and he starts having groin and leg issues in his 30's, they don't go away. It's something Scotty will be dealing with the rest of his career, and I'm pretty sure the Sox don't want to deal with it anymore.

Though I think I speak for all male White Sox fans when I say we'll miss seeing Podsednik's wife around the ballpark.

Previously at FanHouse:
Scott Podsednik is Moving North

It's not uncommon for the White Sox and Cubs to make trades with each other. Just this offseason both teams decided to swap bad relievers when Neal Cotts went to the Cubs, and David Aardsma moved to the White Sox. There was also the trade years ago that sent Matt Karchner to the Cubs for some kid pitcher named Jon Garland. Cubs fans love when you bring that trade up.

It appears the two teams are about to come together again, as the Cubs look for somebody who can fill in for the injured Alfonso Soriano.

A major league source confirmed the Cubs put in a waiver claim on White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik, one of the heroes of the 2005 World Series season.

Now here's what can happen next. The Sox can either try to work out a trade with the Cubs for Podsednik, they'd probably just ask for an infield or pitching prospect in return. If no deal is worked out, the Sox could just let Podsednik go to the Cubs and let them take on the remainder of his $2.9 million salary (About $800,000). Or the Sox could just say screw it and keep Podsednik.

The least likely scenario is the one where Podsednik stays with the White Sox. Whether they get anything in return or not, the Sox just want to move on. Ozzie Guillen has already stated publicly that Pods cannot be counted on, and the team has liked what it's seen from Jerry Owens in the lead-off spot.

There's also the fact the Sox will just be happy to save the $800,000, so yet another one of the 2005 World Series heroes will soon be leaving the south side of Chicago.

With White Sox TV analyst Hawk Harrelson's right hand man, Darrin Jackson, out for a few games to tend to the birth of a child, Steve Stone has filled the void.

For now, I'll avoid getting into the debate about who is far superior (See: Stone, Steve) and just alert you to the fact that Stone called Juan Uribe's walkoff homer in the bottom of the 13th last night against the Tribe. Via Sox Machine:

During Scott Podsednik's at-bat, here was the banter between Stone and Hawk Harrelson:

Stone: Well, I think you got the guy who's going to end this game in the on-deck circle... what a tough night defensively for Uribe, but he can certainly make up for it.
Hawk: Is that your story?
Stone: Yup, I think that's what's going to happen.
Hawk: And he's sticking to it.

And as Uribe went ¡profundo!:

Hawk: And that ball hit hard! Way back! Sizemore looks up! You can put it on the boaaaaaaaaaaard, YES, STONE PONY!
Stone: [after a beat] Thank you. First time to go, Hawk, that's just the way it is.

Ah Stoney, as even-keeled and confident as ever. Get this man a beverage, I say.

Really, who isnt? Podsednik, even when healthy, isn't all that effective (a .342 career OBP as a leadoff hitter is pretty awful). And with Podsednik's recent proclivity for injuries, it looks like White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is getting fed up, too:

"He's unreliable, there's no doubt," manager Ozzie Guillen said Tuesday after Podsednik's strained left rib cage caused him to be placed on the 15-day disabled list for the second time this season.

"Now he has a different injury. It's not his legs, now it's [his] side. It's important for a ballclub to have a guy like him. But when you can't count on a guy day in and day out, it makes it hard."

Sorry, but after 2007, the White Sox need to cut ties with Scotty Pods. If there was the potential for Podsednik to be an effective leadoff man -- or at least a handy utility guy or something -- that'd be great, but it's not going to happen. And the White Sox have far greater needs to fill.

There was a glimmer of hope for the White Sox going into this weekend. They were hoping that with the return of Darin Erstad on Friday, and Scott Podsednik on Monday, maybe their offense would get a spark against the Cubs that could get something going.

Well, Erstad didn't take very long to make an impact, or an exit.

On the second play of the 5-1 White Sox loss, the Cubs Mike Fontenot hit a sinking line drive into center field which Erstad made a diving catch of. Darin then got up, through the ball back to the infield and went about his business. After the inning, with Erstad scheduled to lead off, Luis Terrero stepped into the batters box for him.

Turns out Darin re-aggravated the sprained ankle that had kept him out for three weeks while making the play and had to be removed from the ballgame. Nobody's sure of what's going to happen as the results of an MRI won't be known until Saturday morning.

For his part, Ozzie Guillen doesn't want to put Erstad back on the disabled list.

"Not yet," said Guillen of Erstad, who told Guillen he couldn't continue after the catch. "That's going to be a bad day for us, a worse day for us. It's already bad, it could be worse. I talked to Hermie [White Sox athletic trainer Herm Schneider] and he said he didn't have any color, any inflammation.

"Hopefully, the MRI comes clean," Guillen added.

Hopefully it does, Oz, but if you've been paying attention to your team this season you know it won't. In fact, it will probably come back with evidence that there are little gremlins inside Erstad's ankle eating away at the tendons and bone. You'll try to tell everybody else on the team, but nobody will believe you. You're out of your mind after all.

Brian Anderson said he wanted out of Chicago so he could get some regular playing time, and on Sunday afternoon the White Sox gave him what he asked for. Anderson has been sent down to Triple-A Charlotte.

''It's a little frustrating,'' the 2003 first-round draft pick said. ''I did really well in spring training and broke with the team but haven't been able to do much. It's not my decision, but maybe it's best for me to get some playing time. I'm 25 and need to be playing, whether it's here or Charlotte or somewhere else.''

Anderson has been struggling mightily so far in limited playing time with the White Sox. He's only hitting .118 in thirteen games, but most of those games have been as a defensive replacement.

The fact is that the White Sox could absorb Anderson's lack of offense last season because they scored enough runs, and his defense was superb. It's not the same story this season. Even before Jim Thome was placed on the disabled list, the White Sox have been struggling to score runs. Now that Thome is out, it's become even more obvious.

Hopefully Anderson will be able to get his act together in Charlotte after getting some regular at bats. With Scott Podsednik's injury concerns, the White Sox could really use Anderson's glove in the outfield because the current duo of Rob Mackowiak and Pablo Ozuna in left field isn't exactly comforting to White Sox fans.

The Sox won't call anybody up to replace Anderson until Tuesday because Ozzie Guillen wants to weigh his options, but he's leaning towards Luis Terrero.


Previously at the Fanhouse:
Brian Anderson Wants Out Of Chicago
Jim Thome Likely Headed To DL

It's pretty tough to replace a town legend, especially the year after he helped his team win the World Series. That's what Brian Anderson had to do last season after the White Sox sent Aaron Rowand to Philly for Jim Thome.

Let's just say that it didn't turn out too well.

Sure, Anderson plays Gold Glove caliber defense out in centerfield, but he doesn't do much at the dish. Anderson finished the 2006 season with a .225 batting average, and that was only after he hit .296 over the last month of the season to pump it up.

This season the Sox signed Darin Erstad to play centerfield, and as a result, Anderson isn't getting any playing time. He's only had 8 at bats this season, and only one of them resulted in a hit. Considering that he was a former first round pick for the White Sox, the organization has expected a lot more out of him.

So how's Anderson dealing with such a lack of playing time, and a manager that seems to have little to no faith in him? He just doesn't care anymore.

Even the always-confident Anderson has reached the ''whatever'' point in the process.

''You know what? If I have to go somewhere else, that's the business,'' Anderson said. ''I might have more opportunity in another organization, but you do want to get it done with the team that drafted you.

''I don't know what plans they have for me. I'm kind of tired of thinking about that. I'm to the point where I don't care about what they want to do -- keep me, trade me, send me down. Pretty much everyone on this roster is from a different team, so it wouldn't be the first time it happened.''

If it were up to Ozzie and B.A., he wouldn't be in Chicago right now, but the decision isn't theirs. It's Ken Williams, and he's just not ready to give up on Anderson yet.

''I've seen so many guys come into this level, struggle, have to take a step back to take two steps forward,'' Williams said. ''If you give up on every one of your young players because they haven't had success right off the bat, I don't know if you'll have much of a team left. I would disagree that [Anderson's] better off somewhere else.''

If it were up to me, I'd send Anderson down to Charlotte to let him get some at bats. He's not going to magically find his swing in a batting cage or during BP. I don't think trading him would be the best option because with Scott Podsednik's frail groin, Darin Erstad's age, and Jermaine Dye's impending free agency, it's probably not the brightest of ideas to get rid of a young player with potential. Especially when he plays defense the way he does.