Mailbag: Will Dye be the guy in '06?

03/07/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. - It has been a relatively quiet few days in Tucson, aside from the cacophony of coughs coming from the seemingly 30 or 40 people battling the flu out here. Many of us feel much like the White Sox looked through their first six Cactus League games, but you might as well get rid of all the ill health and the sickly results in the part of the season when records don't matter.
I want to thank the correspondents who quickly wrote in to correctly identify Bobby Jenks' in-game entrance music as 'Boom' by P.O.D. Jenks actually came up to me with the answer after last week's Mailbag already ran, but he also told me that he's open to a change if someone comes up with a better song suggestion.
A correction also needs to be made from a feature I did last week on Eddie Einhorn, in which Einhorn referenced an old comedian named Joey Lewis. It was pointed out to me that he actually was Joe E. Lewis, and I botched the first name. Thanks for the alert. But now, it's time to return to baseball.
Does this latest argument between Kenny Williams and Frank Thomas mean that Frank will never return to the White Sox? As I am sure many White Sox fans are thinking, I am holding on to the hope that Frank will come back to be our designated hitter within the next couple of years and hopefully finish his career with us.
Is there still hope or does this finalize all relationships between the two? Also, will Frank now go into the Hall as an Athletic instead of a White Sox player? Thanks for your response. -- Dan, Wheaton
Dan, your question is going to be the last one we take on the Frank Thomas-White Sox broken relationship because the topic pretty much has been played out. The bottom line is it really is too hard to speculate as to what the future holds for Thomas and his team of more than 16 years, although a pretty good guess could be made. But damaged bonds certainly have been repaired in the past.
I do have a question for Dan and all the Thomas-as-a-White Sox-for-life supporters around the country. I want to preface my comment by saying that I truly enjoyed covering Thomas for the past three seasons and never remotely had a problem with the big man. He was always easy to deal with and approach.
On the other hand, great players leave organizations all the time. It's a point Thomas made countless times during the 2005 season. I'm not sure why there's a strong desire to have Thomas back as the DH, at this point, unless he returns at 100 percent healthy. Maybe it's a nostalgia thing, which is understandable.
Jim Thome should be in line for a big 2006 season and probably three or four more big seasons to follow. So, there's nothing wrong with maintaining a healthy respect for a player you once idolized, such as Thomas, and wishing him well. But it's time for everyone to move on.
The White Sox are doing it. Thomas now appears to be doing it. The fans need to follow suit.
Is Neal Cotts going to be a setup man forever? Will the Sox give him another chance on the mound as a starter after his awesome performance last season? I know a good setup man is important, but wouldn't he help the organization more in the rotation? -- Mike, Mt. Greenwood
Mike, there's a better chance of Cotts becoming a closer in the immediate future than joining the rotation. In fact, Cotts will have more than a few save opportunities in 2006, giving Jenks a break from time to time.
Cotts eventually might become part of the rotation, two or three years down the line, although the White Sox are stacked with talented young starters in Lance Broadway, Ray Liotta and Charles Haeger, to name a few. Cotts currently stands as one of the best left-handed setup men in the American League, so why mess with success? Remember, in the White Sox mind, the setup men basically are serving as closers for their particular inning and playing crucial roles.
Why do you think Brandon McCarthy was so bad in the beginning of 2005 season and towards the end was amazing? Was it just mental or did he find a couple new pitches?-- Sam, Albany, NY
Sam, it was a combination of McCarthy tipping pitchers far less frequently and changing his arm angle upon delivery that led to his fantastic finish. McCarthy was joking the other day how he was watching Jeff Bajenaru throw at Triple-A Charlotte last year, when he noticed his release point coming from higher up and more over the top, and something began to click. It was the same style McCarthy usually employs.
That change was made by McCarthy and Juan Nieves, the Charlotte pitching coach, allowing his changeup to once again be an effective offering in his repertoire. McCarthy needs to be able to feature that change in order to be successful.
Hey Scott. I have a question about Jermaine Dye. He statistically had a breakout year last year, hitting around .272 and with 31 home runs. However, his career numbers say that he probably will hit well below that this season, in the .250, 25-HR range. Do you think his lack of production or his usual health issues will be a problem this year? Thanks. -- Kevin, Chicago
Dye had a breakout year in 2006, Kevin? Allow me to throw out a few numbers and then see if you still agree. Dye hit .321 with 33 home runs and 118 RBIs for Kansas City in 2000 and hit .265 with 23 home runs and 80 RBIs as recently as 2004 with Oakland.
When Dye is healthy, as he was through 145 games last year and 282 games over the past two seasons, the guy is a consummate veteran producer both at the plate and in the field. You can pencil in at least a .270 average, 25 home runs and 80 RBIs every year for Dye.
Does Joe Crede have a nickname? I'd suggest "Clutch" but that may put too much pressure on the guy. "Clatch" might be a good corruption of the word, and be nickname-worthy.
But I remember a cartoon on the old Garfield Goose TV show growing up in Northfield, Ill., called "Clutch Cargo." So I propose Joe "Cargo" Crede on the strengths of its indirect and local reference to his clutch play and its direct reference to the enormous weight he carries for the champs. -- Kevin, Santa Rosa, Calif.
I asked Crede about a nickname and he either doesn't have one or wasn't about to divulge it. When I made reference to the Clutch Cargo suggestion, he didn't seem to be overly excited by the idea. I'm not sure if you remember the Clutch Cargo cartoon completely, but when Clutch spoke, his whole head moved. So, I'm guessing Crede didn't want to be thought of in the same general context as a puppet.
Keep thinking on that one, Kevin. If you or anyone else comes up with a good idea, I'll pass it along.
Do you think Tadahito Iguchi's move in the lineup will affect his statistics, and do you think Juan Uribe will do as good of a job batting second as Tadahito did?-- Nick, Coal City
Nick, we've talked about Uribe's ability to hit second previously in the Mailbag, and while I think he won't be quite as skilled as Iguchi in that slot, he will handle the job just fine. But the move of Iguchi lower in the lineup definitely will make the offense stronger, as both manager Ozzie Guillen and hitting coach Greg Walker have pointed out.
Batting sixth or seventh, Iguchi not only will have a chance to hit for power and drive in runs, but he also will have the opportunity to move more on the bases. Iguchi has told us here in Spring Training that his goal is to hit over .300 in 2006, regardless of the lineup location. But with a comfort zone hitting from the sixth or seventh slot, coupled with the experience gained from his second full year in the Majors, I have no doubt he will accomplish that goal. Don't be surprised if his stolen base total checks in somewhere around the 30 plateau.
So, I think Iguchi's statistics will be affected and definitely for the better.
How could the [Hall of Fame] committee pass on Minnie Minoso and Buck O'Neil? What is wrong with those people to not honor these greats while they are still here for us to share in their joy? -- Robert, Chicago
Robert, I have to admit that I don't always pretend to understand or agree with the direction of the Hall of Fame voting. I believe both Minoso and O'Neil should have gone in via the special balloting.
I had a chance to talk with Minoso prior to leaving for Spring Training, and I'm sure that he's more than a bit disappointed with the oversight. In the same sense, Minoso's Hall of Fame is truly made up by the fans. I really believe that he's just as happy with the handshakes and warm wishes and conversations with baseball supporters he sees at the game or when he makes public appearances as he is with the plaque at Cooperstown.
As Guillen said before, Minoso is the consummate baseball ambassador. You would think that sort of role, coupled with his stellar starts, would earn some points. It didn't in this instance.

Source: http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/