Thank You Beckett

I finally got the new Beckett in the mail today. Is it just me or has it been getting stretched out more and more between arrival times? I guess this is to prepare us for the bi-monthly thing. There was no surprise that another Yankee graced the cover, but "Our Biggest Issue Ever" taunted me from the cover when I picked up the mail.

Inside is a profile of 588 different rookies and a listing of their 2007 cards. Call me interested. I'm flipping through the listings searching for White Sox cards. This is not an easy task, as the current team is the only one listed. The team for which the player appears on the card is up for grabs. Chris Carter should've been difficult, since he's been in three different organizations since 2007, but I'm almost certain he has not had a Diamondbacks card or an Athletics card yet. I could be wrong.

I ran across Kyle McCulloch and looked at his card listings. I thought it was a listing for his 2006 cards, when I looked up his Bowman Sterling card on a whim. It was 2007. That wasn't in my review. I didn't see that on the website listed under White Sox for the team. Lo and behold, there it was staring me in the face. I will adjust my original review to include this great discovery.

But Beckett still had one last surprise in store. Adam Ricks. He only has one card, but I had missed it. A Bowman Chrome Prospects card. The name rings a bell, but I can't place it. He's projected to be at either AA or AAA this year. He doubles as a third baseman and a catcher.

So thank you Beckett for finding these gems for me. I may have completely overlooked them, if not for your staff. I'll be studying this issue further to see if I can find any other hidden treasures that I may have skimmed over before.

The Proof Is In The Pitching (That's Leaving)

Lately, I've heard a lot about the White Sox farm system being gutted in order to bring someone with major league experience to the team. That's pretty much true, but what are we really losing? Truth be told, not a hell of a lot. I couldn't even find a card for some of the minor league pitching names that have been thrown in deals.

Scott Reifert, the White Sox vice president of communications, has a blog about the White Sox called "Inside the White Sox". It gives an insiders perspective to happenings inside the Sox organization. It's definitely worth a look. Scott chimed in on all the uproar about minor league pitching going to other clubs this off-season.

Here's a list, by year, of minor league pitching that has been included in deals the White Sox have made since 2000.

2000
Mark Roberts
Brian Schmack
Aaron Myette

2001
Gary Majewski
Mike Williams
Orlando Rodriguez
Andre Simpson
Matt Dewitt
Derek Hasselhoff
Daniel Mozingo
Josh Fogg

2002
Matt Guerrier
Joe Valentine

2003
Eddi Candelario
Jason Aspito
Delvis Lantigua
Edwin Almonte
Royce Ring
Frankie Francisco
Josh Rupe
Tim Bittner
Scott Dunn
Jake Meyer

2005
Ryan Meaux
Daniel Haigwood
Gio Gonzalez

2006
Jeff Bajenaru
Javier Lopez
B.J. LaMura
Daniel Cortes
Tyler Lumsden

2007
Dwayne Pollock

2008
Gio Gonzalez
Fautino De Los Santos

Do you notice something? Besides Josh Fogg, do you see anyone who has consistently made a major league roster? I don't either. At least no other name sticks out. Most of these guys, I couldn't find a single baseball card on Beckett. Not even a minor league card listing. Some of these players were highly regarded when they left the Sox organization in trades.

We, as fans, sometimes get too caught up in the moment about these unproven pitching prospects because of rankings. Mark Buehrle, the current Sox ace, was drafted in the 38th round of the 1998 draft. He was on no one's radar until he made the majors. Now, I can't think of a single team that wouldn't want him on their roster.

Let's not get caught up in the hype of some of these rankings. These players that get thrown in deals have proven nothing at the major league level. Less than 1% of all minor leaguers ever make it to a major league game. Let's remember that the next time a highly regarded prospect is traded away. They were probably traded for a reason, not a whim.