Southern Illinois Baseball Alum Jason Frasor Signed by Chicago White Sox for 2012

Southern Illinois University baseball alumnus Jason Frasor had his option picked up by the Chicago White Sox for the 2012 season.  Frasor was traded to the Sox from the Blue Jays on July 27th.

Frasor pitched three seasons at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and was drafted in the 33rd round by the Tigers in 1999.

Adam Dunn's Brutal Numbers at the Plate for the Chicago White Sox

How bad was Adam Dunn in 2011 for the Chicago White Sox?  I took a look at some of his statistics on Baseball Reference.com for the 2011 season and thought I would share them with you.


In 496 plate appearances Dunn hit .159 had only 66 hits and scored only 36 times all year.  He did hit 11 homes but he struck out 177 times and his strikeout percentage (percentage of all plate appearances ending in a K) was a whopping 35.7%!  He was last on the Sox with a contact percentage (foul + inplay strikes / foul + inplay + swinging strikes) of 68% - the team average was 81%. 

Only 24% of Dunn's outs were productive outs where he advanced a runner. 
Only Alexis Rios was lower at 21% and the league average is 33%.

Mark Buehrle Wins Second Straight Gold Glove Award

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle won his second straight Rawlings Gold Glove Award and making Buehrle the first pitcher in Major League history to have multiple Gold Gloves and no-hitters on his resume.

The news gained early attention on Monday when Buehrle's wife Jamie posted congratulations on her Facebook page. 

Buehrle joins Jim Kaat, Nellie Fox, Sherm Lollar, Minnie Minoso, Luis Aparicio, Jim Landis and Robin Ventura as multiple Gold Glove winners in Sox franchise history.

White Sox Baseball Move Seven More From Roster

Baseball in Illinois News

The Chicago White Sox continue to finalize their opening day roster as the team made seven more cuts Tuesday.

Catcher Tyler Flowers and right-handed pitcher Carlos Torres were optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, while right-handed pitcher Ryan Braun, outfielders Jordan Danks and Josh Kroeger and infielders Brent Morel and C.J. Retherford were reassigned to Minor League camp. The move of Flowers erased even the slightest of doubt that the White Sox catching tandem will be made up of A.J. Pierzynski and Ramon Castro, although Donny Lucy remains in camp.

Ozzie Guillen's Son Oney Resigns From White Sox

Baseball in Illinois News
Courtesy of MLB.com

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen chose to take a day to gather his thoughts and opted not to meet with the media following Friday's 8-4 loss to the Cubs, but it had nothing to do with the final score.


Earlier in the day, his middle son, Oney, resigned from the organization. Oney had worked in the White Sox Minor League department, and his resignation was believed to have been related to a difference of opinion regarding the use of Twitter to post remarks about the club.

Oney said his Twitter account was being watched by the organization, which is standard operating procedure for sports teams in this day and age. The ballclub had asked him to be aware that media members were following his comments. After his resignation, Oney posted several more tweets with critical messages aimed at the White Sox organization.

GM Kenny Williams declined to comment on Oney's resignation when asked via e-mail earlier in the day, saying it was best for Ozzie and Oney to weigh in on the situation first, and then he would speak up if he felt the need. When Ozzie left without talking to the media, Williams -- who had a five-minute postgame discussion with Ibis Guillen, Ozzie's wife and Oney's mother, just outside the White Sox complex -- said there was "no need for comment."

Ozzie later asked for understanding from the Chicago media via a tweet of his own: "I extremely apologize to the Chicago media from the bottom of my heart, but it wasn't the right time for me to talk and hope this doesn't ... tomorrow is another day. Hope this doesn't affect our relationship."

He also tweeted support for Oney, saying: "Hey kid we are behind you. No matter what."

White Sox Reassign Eight to the Minors

Baseball in Illinois News

The Chicago White Sox optioned right-handed pitchers Freddy Dolsi, Lucas Harrell, Jhonny Nunez, Brian Omogrosso and Clevelan Santeliz to Triple-A Charlotte. Right-handed pitcher Santo Luis was optioned to Double-A Birmingham and catcher Cole Armstrong was reassigned to Minor League camp.


Hynick, who was acquired from Colorado, was outrighted to Charlotte, meaning he was taken off the 40-man roster, reducing its occupancy to 39.

White Sox Baseball Opens Cactus League Play Today!

Baseball in Illinois News

The Chicago White Sox open cactus league play at 4:05 central time today against the Angels.  20 year old Dayan Viciedo will get the start at first base and the Danks brothers will be playing together for the first time since High School.

White Sox Closer Jenks Decides to Stop Drinking

Baseball in Illinois News

MLB reporter Scott Merkin posted a article today about how alcohol was becoming a problem for White Sox closer Bobby Jenks.  I wanted to post a few of the quotes from Bobby Jenks on why he decided to quit drinking.

 "I just got tired of it, plain and simple," Jenks said. "When you want a bad habit out of your life, either you wean yourself off or you quit cold turkey.


"For me, it was easier to just quit. It was to the point where it was easy for me to lose control. I got to the point where not for my sake and my family's sake, but everyone's around me, it was just time to back off and live my life not for myself.

"Everyone says you live for your family," said Jenks, the father of four. "But when you are doing something like that, you are living selfishly and I was tired of living that way."

Jenks talked to his wife, Adele, previously about this particular decision. He didn't feel as if alcohol had turned into an issue until this past offseason.

What led Jenks to see his drinking as a trouble spot? It was a daily pattern of unwanted behavior.

"Getting [drunk] every night. Let's put it plain and simple," Jenks said. "When I took a long, hard look at myself and saw where I was headed, at that point, I was headed in the wrong direction.

"Not just mentally, but physically, as well. I needed to make a change. I have four kids. You look at yourself, and it was like even if I have a few occasional ones, I didn't even want that at all."

So, Jenks won't be partaking in that occasional beer after a tough ballgame. It's a plan working for him, one already making a noticeable change in his life, aside from showing up to camp 25 pounds lighter.

"This sounds [strange]," said Jenks with a smile. "But everything is brighter. You are not waking up with this film over your head or in front of your eyes. You feel cleaner."

Guillen Names Buehrle Sox Opening Day Starter

At the first press conference on Sunday Ozzie Guillen named Mark Buehrle as his opening day starter for the eighth time.  The only request from Guillen was that he hopes Buehrle does not throw a no-hitter.  The reasoning  - Buehrle threw a no-hitter against Texas in 2007 and a perfect game against Tampa Bay last season - the only two years the White Sox finished under .500 with Guillen at the helm.

MLB Network to Follow Chicago White Sox

Baseball in Illinois News

White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen will be featured in "The Club," an original reality series produced for MLB Network by MLB Productions that will air this summer. This follow-up to "The Pen," featuring the Phillies bullpen in 2009, will have unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the White Sox front office.

"The Club" is the fifth series produced for MLB Network by MLB Productions, following "Prime 9," "Baseball Seasons," "Triumph & Tragedy" and "The Pen."

White Sox to retire Big Hurt's No. 35

Baseball in Illinois News
courtesy mlb.com

Frank Thomas will have his No. 35 retired during an on-field ceremony on Aug. 29, when the White Sox celebrate "Frank Thomas Day" as they host the Yankees at 1:05 p.m. CT.


Thomas, 41, earned American League MVP honors twice during his tenure with the White Sox and, during his 19-year career, was considered one of the game's foremost sluggers.

Drafted by the White Sox with the seventh overall pick in 1989, the Auburn product made his big league debut just over a year later, and in 1991, his first full season, he finished third in the AL MVP voting.


During his career, spent with the White Sox through 2005 and then with the Athletics and Blue Jays over the next three seasons, Thomas hit .301 with 521 home runs, 1,704 RBIs, 1,494 runs scored and 495 doubles while drawing 1,667 walks in 2,322 games.

A five-time All-Star, he was just the 11th player in big league history to win back-to-back MVP awards, winning in 1993 and 1994.

Thomas holds the franchise record in several offensive categories as well, including home runs (448), doubles (447), RBIs (1,465), runs scored (1,327), extra-base hits (906), walks (1,466), total bases (3,949), slugging percentage (.568) and on-base percentage (.427).

Along with Hall of Famers Mel Ott, Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, Thomas is one of just four players in baseball history to have a .300 average with 500 home runs, 1,500 RBIs, 1,000 runs scored and 1,500 walks in his career. He is a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1991, 1993, 1994, 2000), and he was named the 2000 AL Comeback Player of the Year.

White Sox agree to terms With Danks

Baseball in Illinois News
Courtesy of MLB.com

The White Sox now have all of their arbitration-eligible players under contract, as the team and left-handed starter John Danks agreed on a one-year, $3.45 million deal on Tuesday.
Danks, 24, was 13-11 with a 3.77 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 32 starts last season. He set career highs in wins and with his 200 1/3 innings pitched, reaching a personal goal of surpassing the 200-inning mark.

Sox, Pena avoid arbitration

Baseball in Illinois News Sources
Courtesy MLB.com

The White Sox marked one more player off their arbitration list Monday when they signed right-handed reliever Tony Pena to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.


Pena, 28, went 1-2 with a 3.75 ERA, one save and 29 strikeouts in 35 relief appearances last season with the White Sox after being acquired from the D-backs on July 7 in exchange for Minor Leaguer Brandon Allen. Pena combined to go 6-5 with a 3.99 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 72 games in 2009.

Since the start of the 2007 season, Pena ranks fifth in baseball with 66 holds. The White Sox have only one more arbitration-eligible player remaining: left-handed starter John Danks.

Sox avoid arbitration with Jenks, Quentin

Courtesy of MLB.com

The White Sox avoided arbitration with two of their eligible players on Saturday, agreeing to one-year contracts with closer Bobby Jenks and outfielder Carlos Quentin.


Jenks will make $7.5 million in 2010, while Quentin agreed to a $3.2 million deal. That leaves left-hander John Danks and righty Tony Pena as the two remaining arbitration-eligible players for the South Siders.

The 28-year-old Jenks went 3-4 with a 3.71 ERA and 29 saves in 35 chances for the White Sox in 2009, falling one save short of his fourth consecutive 30-save season.

Quentin, meanwhile, batted .236 with 21 homers and 56 RBIs in 99 games this past season, a year in which he spent nearly two months on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. The 27-year-old is coming off a season that saw him make the American League All-Star team and win a Silver Slugger Award.

White Sox Players File for Arbitration

Baseball in Illinois News

Chicago, Illinois - Danks, Jenks, Quentin and Pena file for arbitration.


These four players and the White Sox will exchange salary figures on Tuesday, but they can agree to a contract any time before the hearings from Feb. 1-21. Jenks stands as the only one of the four eligible in his second year of arbitration, having avoided arbitration last year by agreeing to a deal worth $5.6 million. That sum represented a jump from $550,000 in the previous year.

White Sox top prospects invited

Baseball in Illinois News
Courtesy of MLB.com

Morel, Mitchell, Jordan Danks to taste big league camp

A great deal of the White Sox future will also be on display when big league camp opens in Glendale, Ariz.as next month.


The South Siders announced Thursday that they have invited 15 non-roster players to Spring Training, including some of the team's more prominent prospects -- outfielder Jordan Danks, 2009 first-round Draft pick Jared Mitchell and infielders Brent Morel and C.J. Retherford.

Danks, 24, is the brother of White Sox pitcher John Danks. The outfielder batted .266 with nine home runs and 41 RBIs in 103 games between Double-A Birmingham and Class A Winston-Salem. A seventh-round pick of the Chicago in the June 2008 First-Year Player Draft, Danks is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in the organization.

The White Sox coaching staff will also get a chance to look at another rising outfielder in Mitchell. The 22-year-old, currently ranked as the club's top prospect by Baseball America, hit .296 (34-for-115) with 12 doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs in 34 games during his first professional season at Class A Kannapolis in 2009.

Morel, 22, earned the Arizona Fall League batting title after hitting .435 in 16 games for Peoria. That came after the third baseman batted .281 with 16 home runs and 79 RBIs in 128 games with Winston-Salem during the season.

Retherford has garnered notice as one of the scrappier players in the organization. The 24-year-old infielder batted .297 with 10 homers and 76 RBIs in 128 games for Birmingham last season. His 46 doubles led all of the Minor Leagues and he was named to the Southern League's midseason and postseason All-Star teams.

Matt Jernstad and Zach Piccola Sign With White Sox

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

Two Left handers from the Windy City Thunderbolts are signed by the Chicago White Sox. 

Matt Jernstad was acquired from the Joliet JackHammers during the 2008 season. In his short time with the ThunderBolts in 2008, he pitched 7 strong innings and had an ERA of 1.29. The left hander was a member of the 2008 Frontier League Champion Windy City ThunderBolts. Jernstad, who is a resident of Oswego, Illinois, produced stellar numbers in 2009. He had a record of 7-4 and an ERA of 2.31 in 78 innings pitched. He struck out 97 batters and only walked 23. Jernstad showed great control of his pitches which made him stand out to the White Sox. When asked about the opportunity, Jernstad said, “Being signed by the White Sox is a great accomplishment. I had such an awesome time in Windy City, the players were all great and the coaches really helped me out.”


Zach Piccola was another southpaw signed by the White Sox. Piccola, who hails from Bedford, NH, played two years of affiliated baseball in the Detroit Tigers organization in 2006 and 2007. In 2009, Piccola was acquired late in the year by the ThunderBolts. He pitched in 8 games and faced a total of 40 batters and only allowed 11 to reach base. Piccola had an ERA 3.72 and struck out 13 batters. Both of these left-handed pitchers look to make an impact in the White Sox organization in 2010.

Castro Returning to White Sox as Backup

Courtesy of MLB.com

Ramon Castro is headed back to Chicago to once again fill the backup catcher role for the White Sox.


The White Sox announced Tuesday that they have re-signed Castro to a one-year, $800,000 contract which includes a $1.2 million club option for 2011 with a $200,000 buyout.

Castro, who will turn 34 in March, has played 11 Major League seasons with the Marlins, Mets and White Sox. He is a career .233 hitter with 55 home runs and 186 RBIs.

The South Siders acquired Castro from the Mets last May in exchange for pitcher Lance Broadway, and less than two months later, Castro caught Mark Buehrle's perfect game. It was the first time that Castro had been Buehrle's catcher.

Castro played in 31 games for Chicago in 2009, batting .184 with four home runs and 12 RBIs. But offense isn't necessarily the top priority for the White Sox backup catcher. With A.J. Pierzynski coming off his eighth straight season of catching over 1,000 innings, the White Sox need a backup catcher that can handle a pitching staff. They currently possess one of the deepest pitching staffs in the American League, and Castro already has a good grasp of many of those pitchers.

White Sox Minor Leaguer suspended

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

Miguel Negron has been suspended 50 games for a second positive test for substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. 

Miguel hit .279 as an outfielder with Charlotte Knights of the International League, Charolette is the AAA affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

White Sox claim reliever Dolsi off waivers

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

Last week, the Tigers designated right-hander Freddy Dolsi for assignment as part of a flurry of moves to make room for the four players acquired in a three-team trade with the Yankees and D-backs.


On Friday, Dolsi found a new home, as the White Sox claimed him off waivers and added him to their 40-man roster.

Dolsi would have been assigned to Triple-A Toledo, had he passed through waivers unclaimed.

In '09, Dolsi spent most of the year with Toledo, compiling a 4-3 record to go along with a 3.83 ERA and 10 saves in 39 appearances with the Mud Hens. He also logged six outings with the Tigers, going 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA. He made 42 appearances for the Tigers in 2008, going 1-5 with a 3.97 ERA and two saves.

Dolsi, a Dominican Republic native, was originally signed by the Tigers in 2003.