GaryMrMets
10-11-2005, 01:29 PM
AL Championship Capsules Position-by-Position Capsules
SportsTicker
By Jim Keller SportsTicker Baseball Editor BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Here's a position by position look at the American League Championship Series matchup between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Catcher: After slumping the last month and hitting just one homer since August 6, Chicago's A.J. Pierzynski hit two homers in the ALDS opener against Boston and went 4-for-9 with two doubles, four RBI and five runs in the sweep. The lefthanded hitter slugged a career-high 18 homers this season but was just 1-for-26 against the Angels. Counterpart Bengie Molina is having a career year in a free agent season, hitting .295 with 15 homers, plus three more in the ALDS. He's also a defensive stalwart.
Edge: Angels First Base: Along with Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko is one of just two players in Chicago history to slug 40 homers in consecutive seasons. Konerko hit .322 after the All-Star break and belted two homers against the Red Sox, including a two-run shot off Tim Wakefield that snapped a 2-2 sixth-inning tie in the finale. He's no gazelle in the field but he more than makes up for it with a dangerous bat. His counterpart, Darin Erstad, is a consummate pro, clubhouse leader and defender. However, he has lost his pop, hitting just seven homers and posting a horrendous .696 OPS. He entered this postseason with the second-highest average all-time (.370).
Edge: White Sox Second Base: Tadahito Iguchi's three-run homer off David Wells in Game Two of the ALDS provided the winning margin for Chicago. He displayed the all-around game skills that led manager Ozzie Guillen to declare his 30-year-old rookie from Japan the team's MVP. Adam Kennedy, who hit three homers in a 2002 postseason game, hasn't shown similar pop since. The Angels' second baseman has just two homers in 2005 and is hitting a soft .300. However, he provided a crucial two-run triple in the decisive Game Five of the ALDS and is a proven postseason performer.
Edge: White Sox Shortstop: Juan Uribe has had a nice season for the White Sox, ranking among shortstop leaders with 16 homers and 71 RBI. He has played steady defense all season, making just 16 errors. He went 4-for-10 with a double, homer and four RBI in the ALDS. Orlando Cabrera was a key contributor for Boston in its World Series run last year, but he hasn't hit much in 2005, although he has improved since moving into the No. 2 hole. Cabrera is a plus defender who rarely makes an error.
Edge: Even Third Base: Joe Crede has struggled to hit for average and rarely walks. However, he has played a very good third base and provided the White Sox some clutch home runs. After hitting six homers in his last 18 games and 22 for the season, the righthanded hitter went just 1-for-9 in the ALDS. Since Anaheim lost starter Dallas McPherson in July, super-sub Chone Figgins and Robb Quinlan mostly have filled in. Figgins is a catalyst offensively with the ability to get on base, disrupt the defense and steal bases. Quinlan is a decent hitter but a sub-par defender.
Edge: Angels Left Field: Scott Podsednik is Guillen's type, an aggressive player who gets on base, steals bases and will make the defense work. He entered the playoffs batting .349 in his last 27 games and belted his first home run of the season in Game One of the ALDS. The lefthanded hitter, who finished second in the AL with 59 stolen bases, has hit the Angels well. Garret Anderson is perhaps the best hitter in Angels' franchise history and he put any questions to rest about knee and back problems with two big homers in the ALDS. He hits fellow lefties well, batting .330 this season, and likely will see Neal Cotts and Damaso Marte in a crucial spot.
Edge: Angels Center Field: Chicago's Aaron Rowand made a number of highlight film catches in center field and established himself as an everyday player by batting .271 with 13 homers and 16 steals. He was 4-for-10 against the Red Sox. An excellent defender, Steve Finley has not produced with the bat since signing with the Angels in the offseason. The lefthanded hitter has just one homer in 49 postseason games. Figgins likely will start here against Buehrle.
Edge: White Sox Right Field: After battling injuries for several years, Chicago's Jermaine Dye played in 145 games - his most since 2000. He led all major league right fielders with 31 homers, including nine in his last 34 contests. Dye isn't the outfielder he once was before the injuries. Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero was pretty quiet against New York but has posted strong Septembers each of the last two seasons, including his 2004 MVP campaign. Guerrero, who is second among right fielders in home runs, is better defensively and possesses one of the strongest arms in the game.
Edge: Angels Designated Hitter: Carl Everett has lost his ability to play the field, run the bases and hit a quality fastball. Yet he still managed to slug 23 homers, despite hitting just .250 this season for the White Sox. Juan Rivera has not been an easy out and has some pop. He went 6-for-17 with a homer against the Yankees.
Edge: Even Starting Pitching: Chicago starters recorded an AL-best 74 wins and ranked second in starter ERA (3.76). Although the White Sox struggled in the second half, the starters went 7-1 with a 1.84 ERA in their last 11 contests and won each game of the ALDS, yielding nine runs in 19 2/3 innings. By clinching early and exposing of Boston in three games, Chicago has been able to set up its rotation and will have
Jose Contreras, who has won his last nine starts, available for Game One. On paper, the Angels had the best starter ERA in the league but Colon and Washburn are big question marks coming into the series. Paul Byrd is the likely Game One starter but Game Two is up in the air.
Edge: White Sox Bullpen: Chicago's bullpen can match Anaheim's, although Bobby Jenks is not a proven commodity. With Cliff Politte and Orlando Hernandez handling the middle innings, situational lefthanders Cotts and Marte, and Dustin Hermanson setting up new closer Jenks, the Sox are deep and rested. Jenks recorded two saves and pitched three scoreless frames against Boston. Marte was the only reliever who was scored upon against Boston but he has dominated Anaheim during his career. The Angels' bullpen, which had the league's best ERA from 2002-04, finished strong, posting a 2.50 ERA in its last 17 regular-season games and converting 15-of-16 save chances after September 1. In his first season as a full-time closer, Rodriguez tied for the AL lead with 45 saves - one shy of the club record. He converted his last 18 saves and struck out 91 batters in 67 1/3 innings.
Edge: Angels Bench: Pablo Ozuna and Willie Harris give the White Sox some speed and versatility for late-game purposes, and Timo Perez and Geoff Blum can help off the bench as well. However, Guillen didn't use many reserves against Boston. Rivera, Kotchman, Quinlan and Jeff DaVannon all will see some action in crucial situations for the Angels. Each is capable of contributing.
Edge: Even Manager The feisty, shoot-from-the-hip Guillen will bunt, play for the long ball, but mostly play get his club to play inspired and aggressive baseball. He made the right calls for the pitching staff, too. Jose Contreras pitched marvelously as a surprise Game One starter. He kept Hernandez instead of rookie Brandon McCarthy and "El Duque" responded with three scoreless innings and a win in the pivotal second game. Guillen also was not afraid to go to Jenks and his near-100 mph heater and power breaking stuff. The players love him and will go to the wall for their leader. In a short period, Angels manager Mike Scioscia has been recognized as one of the top managers in the game, reaching the playoffs in three of his six seasons, including a World Series championship in 2002. He draws raves for the way he handles the clubhouse and pitching staff with coach Bud Black and he is a great in-game tactician.
Edge: Angels Prediction: White Sox in Six.
10-11-05 06:17 ET
SportsTicker
By Jim Keller SportsTicker Baseball Editor BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Here's a position by position look at the American League Championship Series matchup between the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Catcher: After slumping the last month and hitting just one homer since August 6, Chicago's A.J. Pierzynski hit two homers in the ALDS opener against Boston and went 4-for-9 with two doubles, four RBI and five runs in the sweep. The lefthanded hitter slugged a career-high 18 homers this season but was just 1-for-26 against the Angels. Counterpart Bengie Molina is having a career year in a free agent season, hitting .295 with 15 homers, plus three more in the ALDS. He's also a defensive stalwart.
Edge: Angels First Base: Along with Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko is one of just two players in Chicago history to slug 40 homers in consecutive seasons. Konerko hit .322 after the All-Star break and belted two homers against the Red Sox, including a two-run shot off Tim Wakefield that snapped a 2-2 sixth-inning tie in the finale. He's no gazelle in the field but he more than makes up for it with a dangerous bat. His counterpart, Darin Erstad, is a consummate pro, clubhouse leader and defender. However, he has lost his pop, hitting just seven homers and posting a horrendous .696 OPS. He entered this postseason with the second-highest average all-time (.370).
Edge: White Sox Second Base: Tadahito Iguchi's three-run homer off David Wells in Game Two of the ALDS provided the winning margin for Chicago. He displayed the all-around game skills that led manager Ozzie Guillen to declare his 30-year-old rookie from Japan the team's MVP. Adam Kennedy, who hit three homers in a 2002 postseason game, hasn't shown similar pop since. The Angels' second baseman has just two homers in 2005 and is hitting a soft .300. However, he provided a crucial two-run triple in the decisive Game Five of the ALDS and is a proven postseason performer.
Edge: White Sox Shortstop: Juan Uribe has had a nice season for the White Sox, ranking among shortstop leaders with 16 homers and 71 RBI. He has played steady defense all season, making just 16 errors. He went 4-for-10 with a double, homer and four RBI in the ALDS. Orlando Cabrera was a key contributor for Boston in its World Series run last year, but he hasn't hit much in 2005, although he has improved since moving into the No. 2 hole. Cabrera is a plus defender who rarely makes an error.
Edge: Even Third Base: Joe Crede has struggled to hit for average and rarely walks. However, he has played a very good third base and provided the White Sox some clutch home runs. After hitting six homers in his last 18 games and 22 for the season, the righthanded hitter went just 1-for-9 in the ALDS. Since Anaheim lost starter Dallas McPherson in July, super-sub Chone Figgins and Robb Quinlan mostly have filled in. Figgins is a catalyst offensively with the ability to get on base, disrupt the defense and steal bases. Quinlan is a decent hitter but a sub-par defender.
Edge: Angels Left Field: Scott Podsednik is Guillen's type, an aggressive player who gets on base, steals bases and will make the defense work. He entered the playoffs batting .349 in his last 27 games and belted his first home run of the season in Game One of the ALDS. The lefthanded hitter, who finished second in the AL with 59 stolen bases, has hit the Angels well. Garret Anderson is perhaps the best hitter in Angels' franchise history and he put any questions to rest about knee and back problems with two big homers in the ALDS. He hits fellow lefties well, batting .330 this season, and likely will see Neal Cotts and Damaso Marte in a crucial spot.
Edge: Angels Center Field: Chicago's Aaron Rowand made a number of highlight film catches in center field and established himself as an everyday player by batting .271 with 13 homers and 16 steals. He was 4-for-10 against the Red Sox. An excellent defender, Steve Finley has not produced with the bat since signing with the Angels in the offseason. The lefthanded hitter has just one homer in 49 postseason games. Figgins likely will start here against Buehrle.
Edge: White Sox Right Field: After battling injuries for several years, Chicago's Jermaine Dye played in 145 games - his most since 2000. He led all major league right fielders with 31 homers, including nine in his last 34 contests. Dye isn't the outfielder he once was before the injuries. Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero was pretty quiet against New York but has posted strong Septembers each of the last two seasons, including his 2004 MVP campaign. Guerrero, who is second among right fielders in home runs, is better defensively and possesses one of the strongest arms in the game.
Edge: Angels Designated Hitter: Carl Everett has lost his ability to play the field, run the bases and hit a quality fastball. Yet he still managed to slug 23 homers, despite hitting just .250 this season for the White Sox. Juan Rivera has not been an easy out and has some pop. He went 6-for-17 with a homer against the Yankees.
Edge: Even Starting Pitching: Chicago starters recorded an AL-best 74 wins and ranked second in starter ERA (3.76). Although the White Sox struggled in the second half, the starters went 7-1 with a 1.84 ERA in their last 11 contests and won each game of the ALDS, yielding nine runs in 19 2/3 innings. By clinching early and exposing of Boston in three games, Chicago has been able to set up its rotation and will have
Jose Contreras, who has won his last nine starts, available for Game One. On paper, the Angels had the best starter ERA in the league but Colon and Washburn are big question marks coming into the series. Paul Byrd is the likely Game One starter but Game Two is up in the air.
Edge: White Sox Bullpen: Chicago's bullpen can match Anaheim's, although Bobby Jenks is not a proven commodity. With Cliff Politte and Orlando Hernandez handling the middle innings, situational lefthanders Cotts and Marte, and Dustin Hermanson setting up new closer Jenks, the Sox are deep and rested. Jenks recorded two saves and pitched three scoreless frames against Boston. Marte was the only reliever who was scored upon against Boston but he has dominated Anaheim during his career. The Angels' bullpen, which had the league's best ERA from 2002-04, finished strong, posting a 2.50 ERA in its last 17 regular-season games and converting 15-of-16 save chances after September 1. In his first season as a full-time closer, Rodriguez tied for the AL lead with 45 saves - one shy of the club record. He converted his last 18 saves and struck out 91 batters in 67 1/3 innings.
Edge: Angels Bench: Pablo Ozuna and Willie Harris give the White Sox some speed and versatility for late-game purposes, and Timo Perez and Geoff Blum can help off the bench as well. However, Guillen didn't use many reserves against Boston. Rivera, Kotchman, Quinlan and Jeff DaVannon all will see some action in crucial situations for the Angels. Each is capable of contributing.
Edge: Even Manager The feisty, shoot-from-the-hip Guillen will bunt, play for the long ball, but mostly play get his club to play inspired and aggressive baseball. He made the right calls for the pitching staff, too. Jose Contreras pitched marvelously as a surprise Game One starter. He kept Hernandez instead of rookie Brandon McCarthy and "El Duque" responded with three scoreless innings and a win in the pivotal second game. Guillen also was not afraid to go to Jenks and his near-100 mph heater and power breaking stuff. The players love him and will go to the wall for their leader. In a short period, Angels manager Mike Scioscia has been recognized as one of the top managers in the game, reaching the playoffs in three of his six seasons, including a World Series championship in 2002. He draws raves for the way he handles the clubhouse and pitching staff with coach Bud Black and he is a great in-game tactician.
Edge: Angels Prediction: White Sox in Six.
10-11-05 06:17 ET