Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox placed infielder Angel Sanchez on waivers Thursday, opening a spot on the 40-man roster.CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported that if Sanchez gets through waivers, the White Sox will offer the Rule 5 selection back to his former team, the Los Angeles Angels.The White Sox, who do not discuss waivers publicly, declined to either confirm or deny the move.Sanchez was selected in the Rule 5 draft this winter with the idea that he would be an inexpensive option as a utility man. Read more Angel Sanchez news

The Chicago White Sox placed infielder Angel Sanchez on waivers Thursday, opening a spot on the 40-man roster. CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that if Sanchez gets through waivers, the White Sox will offer the Rule 5 selection back to his former team, the Los Angeles Angels. The White Sox, who do not discuss waivers publicly, declined to either confirm or deny the move. Sanchez was selected in the Rule 5 draft this winter with the idea that he would be an inexpensive option as a utility man.

There's not a lot of scoring, nor many opportunities for compound fractures. So what is it about baseball that makes winter particularly cold and bitter? I'd like to hear your view of what makes baseball a great sport. Try diving in deep, beyond the "it is timeless" argument, although that certainly is an appealing aspect of the game. I'm looking for subtleties of the game. Imagine you could wipe the anti-baseball bias from the mind of your beloved friend or family member. What would you explain to them about these subtleties as you watched a game at the ballpark that would win them over to being a fan of baseball? There's not a lot of scoring, nor many opportunities for compound fractures. So what is it about baseball that makes winter particularly cold and bitter? I'd like to hear your view of what makes baseball a great sport. Try diving in deep, beyond the "it is timeless" argument, although that certainly is an appealing aspect of the game. I'm looking for subtleties of the game. Imagine you could wipe the anti-baseball bias from the mind of your beloved friend or family member. What would you explain to them about these subtleties as you watched a game at the ballpark that would win them over to being a fan of baseball?

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports Following a 6-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox Wednesday night, the Chicago White Sox and manager Robin Ventura officially announced that John Danks would make his first start of 2013 Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field against the Miami Marlins. It’s certainly been a long road to recovery for Danks, who had season ending shoulder surgery last August. The 28-year-old left-hander hasn’t pitched in a MLB game since May 19, 2012, and his start Friday night is sure to be filled with lots of emotion. Danks will face a Marlins team that is last in just about every offensive category, which should help him ease back into the White Sox starting rotation. With already the best ERA of any starting staff in the American League, Danks should only improve a dominant Sox rotation. The return of Danks won’t just upgrade Chicago’s starting staff, but their bullpen as well. Once Danks joins the South Siders rotation Friday, my guess is lefty Hector Santiago will head back to the bullpen. Santiago has been fantastic both as a reliever and a starter for the Sox this season, and he’ll immediately give a boost to a bullpen that has struggled lately. Friday has been a much-anticipated day for Danks, who’s already compared his start Friday to Christmas Day. The Sox are beginning to play better baseball of late and if Danks can help their staff in anyway, every team in the AL Central may be looking up at Chicago in a month or so. Matt Malecha is a Chicago White Sox writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMalecha and add him to your network on Google.

February 19, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher John Danks (50) poses for a picture during photo day at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports The last time John Danks pitched for the White Sox was a little over a year ago, in May 19, 2012. He strung together 6.1 shutout innings in Wrigley Field against a fairly moribund Cubs offense. He somehow managed to strike out four batters despite only getting five swings-and-misses all afternoon. His exit after 83 pitches seemed odd, but it was just too good to see Danks get through an actual decent outing to worry about those details at the time. The next day he woke up racked with shoulder pain and was placed on the disabled list. A little under three months later he had surgery. It’s fairly fortunate for John Danks to be back on a major league roster at all. There’s a great deal of fear and uncertainty that accompanies pitchers recovering from shoulder surgeries and for good reason. The track record is bad and even a relative success like Danks has been made to deal with velocity loss, erratic control and unstable mastery of his stuff, all of which may yet keep him from returning to previous heights, or even sustaining an existence as a major league starter. As Danks returns to the Sox on Friday against a Miami Marlins team averaging under three runs per game in National League play, there’s solid potential for more good results built on shaky foundations that will encourage more than it should. And I’d be very tempted to do backflips over a Danks quality start and the prospect of putting off having to rationalize just how hampered a post-surgery John Danks is going to be for another day. The contract is certainly a factor in that desire. Not being Jerry Reinsdorf, the years are more concerning than the money he’s being paid. Danks is signed to be present through 2016 and it’d be preferable if he was able to spend that time pitching, helping and working to mediate the disappointment that he’ll never assume the role as the starting rotation’s figurehead that was mapped out for him, rather than stewing in it on the sidelines. Even a diminished Danks working to adjust to his new handicaps would be a better ending to his tenure with the club (now in its seventh year) than to exist as a pure albatross. But another significant part of wanting to see Danks firmly reclaim a spot in the rotation and validate the organization’s confidence in him–or at least their public display of it, since I certainly trust them to see the issues we’re seeing–despite scant traces of his pre-surgery effectiveness, is simple nostalgia. Danks and Gavin Floyd are the most clear vestiges of the White Sox moving on from their World Series hangover and trying to secure new, young talent. They were the young arms tasked with carrying the torch from one of the greatest starting rotations in franchise history and did a fine job for four years. While the team has obviously had limited success since 2005, demonstrating that it wasn’t Danks and Floyd’s fault is an uphill battle that will only get harder as they deal with dueling career-derailing injuries while the franchise sleds into a rebuild. Of course, that’s too much to put on Danks’ surgically-repaired shoulder at this point. If expectations for him to helm the staff last year outstripped his capabilities to be a very good No. 3 starter, the reception for a Danks trying to overcome a likely reduction in his physical capabilities isn’t likely to be doused in gratitude. It’s hard to know what to expect from Danks going forward. The walks and strikeout figures from minor league ball aren’t encouraging, the velocity reports can only boast to not be any worse than expected given the injury and it’s hard to know how much room for growth there is, or how much we can expect a pitcher who was never elite to

CHICAGO -- Backed into a hole because of a stagnant offense, a Swiss cheese defense and a bullpen that has been anything but relief, the Chicago White Sox now have four-plus weeks to get it straight or kiss it all goodbye. And it might not be just the season that they will bid farewell to, but the entire look of a roster that is among the top third in payroll in all of baseball. Starting with Friday's three-game series, against the lowly Miami Marlins, the White Sox are entering a portion of the schedule that is the least intimidating they will see all season.

Thursday, May 23, 2013   Today’s News   Danks: “It’s Like Christmas Day”   After last night’s game Robin announced that John Danks, who is coming off four minor-league rehab outings, has been reinstated from the disabled list and will make his first start of 2013 against Miami Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field.    Danks, who made nine starts in 2012 before having shoulder surgery last August, said he was excited and might have some butterflies because it’s been so long since he last appeared in the major leagues. He said his return is so special that it feels like Christmas Day.   To make room on the 25-man roster, the Sox optioned LHP Donnie Veal to Class AAA Charlotte.   A Special Time   It was an honor to be in New York last night to see Jerry Reinsdorf receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Sports Business Awards and to see the Sox and Bulls Chairman looking so proud with his son Michael, daughter-in-law Nancy and his grandchildren right beside him.    Here are a few of the evening’s highlights and a link to a story by Richard Justice of mlb.com:   –Jerry joked during his speech that he thought so much of his daughter-in-law that if she ever decided to leave Michael, he was going with Nancy. The line, like many, drew laughs from the audience.   –It seemed strange to sit at a table with Sox GM Rick Hahn watching our game with the Red Sox on the MLB At-Bat app as the awards program was going on.   –Bulls GM Gar Forman asked jokingly if anyone had taken away Jerry’s phone for the night so that he wouldn’t be on it.   –The high point might have been a five-minute and 30-second video tribute done by MLB Productions’ Gary Waksman that featured interviews with Tony LaRussa, David Stern, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, Paul Konerko and Bud Selig. It was narrated by Kenny Williams (if the day job doesn’t work out, Williams might have a future in voiceovers.).   –After the ceremony, several White Sox staffers headed to a nearby sports bar where the establishment was kind enough to throw the last two innings of our game onto one of the televisions. Alas, a great night couldn’t quite deliver a perfect ending.   http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130522&content_id=48350058&vkey=news_cws&c_id=cws   Quote of the Day   Robin, having some fun with reporters when asked what he expects from John Danks’ start on Friday:   “A perfect game…27 strikeouts and a perfect game. (A no-hitter) would be acceptable.”   Play of the Day   Hector Santiago’s solid six-inning performance against the Red Sox last night after only three days of rest and a bullpen session the day before. He gave up just two runs and three hits while striking out nine and walking four.   Tomorrow’s Schedule   White Sox vs. Marlins at U.S. Cellular Field (7:10 p.m., CT, CSN) in the opener of a three-game series. Starters: John Danks (0-0) for the Sox, Tom Koehler (0-2) for Miami.   Did You Know…   …that Alex Rios’s sixth-inning single last night extended his hitting streak to 17 games, the longest in the major leagues this season? During the streak, Rios is batting .388 with seven doubles, a triple, four home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored, including seven multi-hit games. The last Sox player to hit safely in as many games was Carlos Lee (28 games) in 2004.   Photo of the Day   Here’s Jerry pictured with his family at last night’s event.

Yankees Global Enterprises, the parent company of the New York Yankees, has teamed with the Manchester City Football Club of the English Premier League to bring a new Major League Soccer team to New York. The team will be known as the New York Football Club and will begin action in 2015 MLS season. The New York Times reported that the Yankees have invested as much as $25 million toward the $100 million purchase price. Manchester City is owned by an investment group led by Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, a member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi. That group has been working with MLS for several years to launch a new New York franchise. The New York Red Bulls play in Harrison, New Jersey. The Yankees’ involvement in the Manchester City bid came together quickly in the past several weeks. The two sides know each other well as the Yankees’ Legends Hospitality provides services at Manchester City’s home stadium. As Howard Megdal reported for Sports On Earth, the New York Mets were once considered by MLS as the group that would team with a partner for a new New York pro soccer team. The Mets’ financial difficulties made that impossible, which opened the door for the Yankees. The Mets do hold some cards, though. The New York Football Club — which will likely play its first season at Yankee Stadium — needs to build a new stadium. For years, talks have been focused on Flushing Meadows Corona Park, near CitiField. The Mets have demanded millions of dollars for use of the CitiField parking lots and restrictions on when soccer games can be played, relative to Mets games. The Yankees will now take the lead in shepherding the stadium proposal through the political NYC approval process. The Yankees aren’t the first MLB team to invest in with a Premier League team. Fenway Sports Group, the parent company of the Boston Red Sox, bought the Liverpool Football Club for $476 million back in 2010. Two other Premier League teams are owned by families that also own NFL franchises. The Glazer family owns both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United. St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke also owns Arsenal. Dual-team ownership is nothing new, of course. Jerry Reinsdorf owns the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls. Mike Illitch owns the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings. Ted Lerner and his Monumental Sports and Entertainment owns the Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics. The Cleveland Indians’ owner — Larry Dolan — is the nephew of James Dolan, who owns the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers. The Yankees’ investment in the New York Football Club comes several months after News Corporation bought a 49% share of the Yankees Entertainment & Sports Network (YES) for nearly $1.5 billion. The reduction in the Yankees’ equity stake in YES will be accompanied by an increase in the team’s annual rights fee payment from the regional sports network. It also allowed the Yankees to reduce their investment in an area that may now be at its peak value — regional sports networks — and freed up funds to invest in an area that has a huge potential for growth in the United States — professional soccer. Those are shrewd moves off the field for a team that made shrewd — but somewhat criticized — moves to fill the holes on the field left by injured stars. If the New York Football Club works out as well as the trade for Vernon Well, the Yankees will be in good shape.

Hawk Harrelson disappeared for a notable stretch of time over the last inning of the White Sox's 6-2 loss to Boston on Wednesday. Outside of a brief bulletin about the pitching staff's ninth walk of the night, Steve Stone rode solo for most of the inning. But after the about-to-be-demoted Donnie Veal gave up a two-run single to Daniel Nava for the Red Sox's final two runs of the evening, Harrelson returned with some perspective he hasn't been about to find through the first quarter of the baseball season: Here's where baseball rationale comes into play. You gotta have it. [...] In this case, you say, "Well, before they got here, would you take 2 out of 3 from Boston?" Absolutely. You gotta have a short memory in baseball." Harrelson and Stone talked about taking positives away when a team ultimately accomplishes what's needed in a series, and both praised the effort of Hector Santiago. Harrelson couldn't resist making one more note about the bullpen's control, but when a losing proposition (Santiago and the bottom half of the bullpen vs. Clay Buchholz) loses, there's not much to bemoan. It's just a shame Harrelson wasn't around in the bottom of the night for what I thought was the biggest positive takeaway from the game. Paul Konerko went 2-for-4, which broke a three-game hitless streak. But the way he attained that multi-hit game busted him out of a couple other ruts. His ninth-inning homer off Andrew Bailey was his first since April 28. But even that's charitable, because that homer broke up a small drought. All in all, he cleared the fence just one time mover his previous 119 plate appearances. Your browser does not support iframes. Better yet, Konerko's homer -- which happened when he turned on an inner-half, 95-mph Andrew Bailey fastball -- went out to left field, giving him a 4-for-4 night in terms of pulling the ball in the air. I wrote about it a couple days ago, but that was the single most concerning symptom of his slump. There are some hitters -- Dayan Viciedo, Tyler Flowers, and Alex Rios to some extent -- who need to reacquaint themselves with right field or right-center when bad times roll in. Konerko isn't one of those guys. It's great when he can steal hits to right when pitchers aren't giving him anything to pull, but he's not going to be that middle-of-the-order threat if he's not turning on pitches, especially the fastball. You can see that void in left field over the last two-plus weeks, occupied by one jammed pop-up toward the line ... ... but after a lineout to left, a lined single to left, a drive to the warning track in left-center, and his solo shot over his team's bullpen, that little red dot finally has some company -- and a couple of them are green. It'd be putting the cart before the horse to speak of his slump in the past tense, because there's a lot of May he's yet to make up for. Still, it was nice to see the slumped shoulders disappear, replaced by another development we hadn't seen in quite some time:

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox could be prepared to make more roster moves in the near future to address a struggling bullpen.They made one Wednesday when left-hander Donnie Veal was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.Addison Reed has been solid in the closer's role and Jesse Crain has taken over as the setup man. After that, the White Sox continue to have question marks with a group that was expected to be one of the team's strengths.Over the past nine games, the bullpen has posted a 7. Read more Addison Reed news