Is Jose Quintaña trade the next Jon Garland deal? Or next Sammy Sosa?

The only surprising part about the Chicago White Sox trading away their top pitcher on Thursday is where he wound up – many baseball fans were convinced Jose Quintaña would wind up wearing the pinstripes and interlocking “NY” logo of the New York Yankees.
 

Changing uniforms, but not his home city

Instead, Quintaña is going to the Chicago Cubs; who gave up four ballplayers in their minor league system. Including the two who supposedly were the top prospects they had for their future.

IT’S ONE OF those deals that could come back to bite the Cubbies on their behind if any of those young ballplayers develops into a key to the White Sox’ next championship ballclub – whenever in the future that may occur.

It would be the Cubs’ luck that the “Cuban revolution” taking place on the Sout’ Side will win a pennant, and one of these no-longer-a-Cub players will get the key hit to win the Sox their second world series of this century.

Of course, baseball fans know there always is uncertainty.

For it also could turn out that Quintaña could be the key to gives the Cubs a jolt this season and helps them return to the form that enabled them to win their first World Series of this century just last year.

IN WHICH CASE, it would be just like the White Sox to provide the key piece to enable the Cubs to be able to claim to have more World Series titles in recent years (’05 for the White Sox and ’16 for those baby blue bears) than they do.

Cubs fans' fantasy all-Chicago trade?

So this trade is a gamble, as much of baseball always is. No one knows for sure how things will turn out, and we’ll probably need to wait a couple of decades before we can definitively say if somebody seriously screwed up with Thursday’s deal.

Could this wind up like the 1998 trade where long-forgotten pitcher Matt Karchner went to the Cubs for a minor league ballplayer who turned out to be Jon Garland – one of the starting pitchers who led the White Sox to that ’05 World Series championship.

The White Sox fans' retort

I’m sure that’s the dream from the perspective of 35^th Street.

ALTHOUGH UP AT Clark and Addison streets, they’re probably thinking more along the lines of that 1992 trade where the Cubs gave up an aging (but still capable) George Bell in exchange for a young outfielder whom the White Sox had written off as too stubborn to learn new ways of improving himself as a ballplayer.

Both of these Steves pitched better ...

Some six years later, Sammy Sosa hit those 66 home runs in a season and began that six-season streak in which he began bashing home runs at a pace only matched by Babe Ruth at his 1920s peak.

Which for a while made Cubs fans want to think of this trade as some sort of ultimate steal. Except that with all the steroid speculation that the rumor mill insists on tagging to Sosa, there are many White Sox fans who feel nothing but relief that their favorite ballclub doesn’t have to live with that albatross around its neck.

... for the other Chicago ball club

According to the Chicago Tribune, this is the 15^th time the two Chicago ballclubs have made trades with each other. We’ll have to see how things pan out.

THERE WILL BE some White Sox fans who will give extra scrutiny to outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease – who are now part of the Sox’ future rather than the Cubs. Although considering that the Cubs had these ballplayers this season at teams in South Bend, Ind., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., it would seem that maybe 2019 is the soonest we’ll see them in Chicago.

Still a freakish image to contemplateS

Although it wouldn’t be unheard of for one team’s player to have better luck on the other side of Chicago. I still remember former Cub Steve Stone (yes, the broadcast guy) being a key pitcher for that 1977 White Sox team that seriously contended for a championship, while Steve Trout (a local boy from suburban South Holland) missed being a part of the ’83 White Sox team that went to the playoffs but made up for it the following year by being a part of that ’84 division-winning Cubs ballclub.

So what’s it going to be for Quintaña?

Will Thursday go down in baseball history “infamy” for this trade? And on which side of Chicago will it wind up being detested, while beloved by the other part of the local baseball fandom?

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Can Quintaña win when losing? Will White Sox benefit despite all the “L’s?”

There are those baseball fans who like to follow the game through the use of various statistics that supposedly tell us more about a ballplayer’s true worth than the traditional ones about batting average or wins.

An 0-4 ace pitcher?!?

For the Chicago White Sox’ sake, they had better hope such logic is applied. Because this is the team supposedly in a building mode that has made it clear their Number One pitcher these days is up for trade.

THEY’RE HOPING EVENTUALLY to find someone eager enough to acquire Jose Quintaña that they’ll give up a lot of talent. Perhaps a team that thinks one more quality pitcher will help them win a championship in 2017 – while the White Sox focus on what could take place in 2019 or 2020.

Until then, Quintaña pitches for the White Sox, taking the ball every fifth game and tries to do his best to pitch the White Sox to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y.

But while the White Sox as a team have managed thus far to win about half of their ballgames (making them mediocre rather than lousy), Quintaña has statistically been a flop. Unless you factor statistics other than “games won” into the equation.

For Quintaña in 2017 has a record of 0-4. In four starts (including the first game of the season against the Detroit Tigers), he has managed to be the losing pitcher of record. Not usually the kind of guy who’d get featured on Jimmy Fallon’s late night TV talk show (the two spoke in Spanish about who would pay for a thong)!

BUT IT’S GETTING to the point where some White Sox fans may start dreading the appearance of their alleged top pitcher because they’re figuring there will be enough losses in ’17 – we don’t need to give up on ballgames before they even start.

 

Jose will face pitchers like Kluber all season

Of course, it should be noted that Quintaña is facing a decades-old phenomenon of being a ball club’s top pitcher – he pitches in the rotation against the other ball club’s “ace.” How much better would one-time Chicago Cubs pitcher Ferguson Jenkins’ record be if he hadn’t always had to pitch against Sandy Koufax, Juan Marichal or Bob Gibson – Hall of Famers all!

In Quintaña’s most recent ballgame on Friday, he pitched and lost to the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians, who had their own ace Corey Kluber pitching.

Quintana gave up three runs, and under different circumstances that might not have been so bad.

 

Too bad Fergie couldn't pitch against Cubs

BUT ON FRIDAY, it stunk because Kluber used the night game as an occasion to pitch shutout ball. 3-0 was the final score. But the CBS Sports account of the ballgame made a point of calling the game Quintaña’s second quality start of the season.

Even though the other two ballgames he pitched are to blame for that earned run average of over 6. Better for people to focus on the BABIP for this season of .293 – which is the batting average of balls hit in play while Quintaña pitches.

It actually is better than the .304 figure he has during the length of his professional ballplaying career.

He also has managed to strike out 20 batters during his four starts, where he lasted 23 1/3 innings in all.

THE SPORTING NEWS recently published a commentary arguing that “pitcher wins and losses are stupid stats” and that baseball fans should “banish” them from their discussions about the game.

As one who’d like to see Quintaña be turned over for something of quality to wear a White Sox uniform in coming seasons, I can only hope others take that line of logic seriously.

Some of the strangest stats ever seen!

Because the bottom line of "wins" and "losses can be deceptive. I still remember the Wilbur Wood of the early-to-mid 1970s White Sox, who had a three-season stretch where he lost 17, 20 and 19 games. But he also won 22, 24 and 24 and in one season also had the earned run average of 2.51. He was doing something right in order to keep being used to pitch despite so many losses.

Which likely is to be Quintaña’s fate for 2017 – he’ll keep throwing until he’s traded. But wouldn’t it be nice if he could get at least one “W” on his record before that moment. Perhaps his next start Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals before the Sox begin a road trip to Detroit, Kansas City and Baltimore?

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Baseball is back! Or, is 2019 the year us Chicago fans ought to look forward to?

There are some of us who consider ourselves Chicago baseball fans who are deluded enough to think the new season began Sunday night what with that ballgame played in St. Louis. But for those of us who will always view the existence of the Cubs as an irrelevancy, the season begins Monday.

Waiting for the first smashed window of '17. Photograph by Gregory Tejeda

For the Detroit Tigers are in town to play the Chicago White Sox, while other ball clubs also get their first games of the 2017 season in as they try to keep alive the illusion that they’re legitimate contenders for a championship this year.

WE’LL GET OUR introduction to the concept of “Guaranteed Rate Field” (which is really nothing more than a U.S. Cellular Field relabeled), while Chicago Cubs fans will have to wait a few more days before they’ll be capable of seeing their favorite ball club take to the playing field live.

Since that night in early November when we saw the sight of the World Series ending with an extra-inning infield groundout, some of us filled our need to see athletic activity by enduring the misery of the Chicago Bears or the mediocrity of the Chicago Bulls.

Personally, I took to following beisbol in the Latin American leagues, where Puerto Rico got to see some highlights.

A Boricuan ball club won the Caribbean Series, beating a team from Mexico in the championship game. While in the World Baseball Classic, a team from Puerto Rico had dreams of going through the tourney completely UNDEFEATED before, in its final game, it fell short to a United States nation team.

Quintana still the White Sox ace, for now!

ALL OF WHICH were moments to enjoy watching. But there is still something special about the return of American and National league activity. The ability to go out and watch a ballgame live – which is an experience unlike any other sporting activity.

There’s nothing quite like the battle between a pitcher and a hitter – each trying to outthink the other so they can come out ahead in a ballgame.

By comparison, watching a seven-footer stuff a basketball through a hoop mounted 10 feet in the air seems so cheap.

I’m anxious to see the series of activity that will take place over the course of the 162-game seasons that our city’s two major league ball clubs will play. I’ll probably even follow the activity of the minor league ball club in Geneva, or the independent leagues that have teams in places like Joliet, Schaumburg, Crestwood or Gary, Ind.

Did you see 'ESPN, the Magazine' report about all the Twinkies Moncada ate?

NOT THAT I seriously expect to see a championship ball club in the area (no matter the delusions of those Cubs fans who think they’re now entitled to a string of seasons of historic sporting significance).

There’s a reason why no National League team has won two straight World Series titles since 1975-76 – it’s tough! Particularly with all the rounds of playoffs we now require before teams even get to a World Series. Even the American League has only produced two teams (the New York Yankees of 1977-78 and 1998-2000 and Toronto Blue Jays of 1992-93) that succeeded.

Is Kris Bryant so wonderful ...

Besides, those Cincinnati Reds teams that were successful those two years had talent that cause some people to think they were amongst the best baseball teams EVER (although anyone who’s serious knows the Oakland Athletics of ’71-’75 topped them).

I don’t think anybody seriously thinks the modern-day incarnation of the Cubs is THAT great. Or that any of their individual ballplayers are at the top of the list of even the Cubs’ elite (unless we’re prepared to finally dump the image of Ron Santo as an all-time great just because we now have Kris Bryant).

... that Cubs fans will drop Santo's status?

THEY MAY HAVE an interesting ball club. But there’s no guarantee of a World Series title, or even an appearance. Perhaps similar to the White Sox, who likely will show some signs of competence, but we’ll be waiting to see if there’s potential for long-term growth for the Sox.

Personally, the part of me following Chicago baseball is more interested in the potential for 2019 – which would be the centennial of that infamous World Series when the White Sox lost to the Reds and eight players ultimately were indicted on criminal charges they were offered money to lose!

New season brings back old memories

Maybe 2019 is the perfect timing for a White Sox team to grow into a championship team in its own right and play in a World Series against the Cubs.

A real-life “City Series” (the only in Chicago since 1906) that would help resolve many of the bar-room arguments about “Sox vs. Cubs” – and letting us see the inherent superiority of a certain Sout’ Side ball club.

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Chgo baseball on view for world to see

It will be intriguing to see how Chicago White Sox fans cope with the "big game" their ball club's star pitcher will be starting Friday night.

Who do Sox fans root for?

Jose Quintana will take to the mound at Marlins' Park in Miami, where his "home" Colombia national team will begin to play in the World Baseball Classic, the international tourney that began earlier this week in Asian parts of the world and now comes to the western hemisphere.

YET THE CONFLICT will be for those White Sox fans who just can't get with the baseball program and want to let their nationalistic sentiments prevail.

Because the Colombia national squad plays its first game Friday against team United States of America! Which, by the way, includes amongst its ranks White Sox relief pitchers Nate Jones and Dave Robertson.

Who do you root for? Do you stick by your favorite local team? Or do you root for your home country?

Do White Sox fans want Quintana to go out and get trashed, preferably early, so he doesn't throw too many pitches? Or would they rather see him do well on the grounds that a solid performance in a prominent ballgame will reflect well on Quintana, and boost his trade value?

BECAUSE QUINTANA WAS one of the pitchers whom the White Sox were looking to trade last winter, hoping to get lots of young quality (and cheap) prospects in return that could help bolster the quality of the ball club quickly.

Former White Sox star nicknamed 'el Charro Negro'

But this is just one of the many baseball scenarios that will play out in the next couple of weeks, which is why I feel sorry for those individuals who want to denigrate the World Baseball Classic. It's real-live baseball back (and not just a spring training game like the one played Wednesday in which overhyped former football star Tim Tebow got applause for hitting into a double play that managed to drive in a run for the New York Mets) after the winter chill.

Personally, I'm following the play of Mexico's national team, which began Thursday night with a 10-9 loss against team Italy (following losses this week to the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks at their spring training camps). I find it intriguing that their first round of games is being played in a stadium near Guadalajara, which happens to be where my maternal grandfather came from.

Pitching for Mexico, then White Sox

And also is the home stadium of the Jalisco Charros -- a team that includes amongst its athletic and managerial alumni the late Minnie Minoso of the White Sox.

THE MEXICAN NATIONAL team also happens to include Miguel Gonzalez, who pitched last year for the White Sox following several seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and himself is Guadalajara-born (but a Southern California native). Which means he expects to have family sitting in the stands for the games against Italy, Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

For those of you who feel this commentary is getting too Sox-centric, relax. There are some Chicago Cubs ballplayers who qualify as being amongst the world's elite. Cubs infielder Javy Baez will be playing second base for the Puerto Rico national team, while White Sox pitcher Giovani Soto will be pitching for that Boricuan squad.

Making the most of an Israeli 'first'

Not that there hasn't been local angles to the play thus far. The big story of the World Baseball Classic has been the surprise play of the Israel national team, which was figured to be a token squad that would get its butt kicked out in the first round. Instead, they went undefeated -- including crushing the Taiwan team and beating Korea in a game played in a ballpark in Seoul.

One of the Israeli ballplayers in that game was Alex Katz, a White Sox minor leaguer who pitched an inning in relief. While another White Sox minor leaguer is Brad Goldberg, who is being added to the Israel national squad that resumes play Sunday in Tokyo (Saturday at 9 p.m., Chicago time). Yes, it's one of the tournament's quirks that they can add more ballplayers so as to reduce the chance of anyone suffering a severe injury that hurts the professional team they play for during the summer months.

SO FOR THOSE of you who are letting your nativist thoughts get the best of you and claiming the World Baseball Classic is a sham (because nothing beats the appeal of a late-season Tampa Bay Rays/Minnesota Twins matchup, right!), keep in mind that I'm also aware that the be-all and end-all of baseball will not be the championship game to be played March 22 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Puerto Rico infielder once defended Des Moines honor

I'm just as intrigued as how all of this impacts the American and National league activity in upcoming summers. So as for that Quintana start Friday night against Team U.S.A., I'll be the first to admit I won't be disappointed if the Colombian kid manages to shut our national team down.

A good game could help boost his trade value, which could result in the White Sox getting some talent back in return that could make the Summer of '17 a little more pleasant while enduring the scene now at Guaranteed Rate Field.

While also putting the White Sox a step closer to fulfilling their end of achieving the ultimate fantasy of true Chicago baseball fans -- an all-Chicago World Series, one in which the White Sox show their superiority over a certain other ball club that wants to believe they're all that matter in the world of baseball.

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Chicago ball clubs well represented throughout World Baseball Classic

Jose Quintaña is likely to be the top pitcher during 2017 for the Chicago White Sox (unless the ball club chooses to trade him away as part of their rebuilding effort), while infielder Javy Baez will be returning this season with hopes of being on a second-consecutive championship Chicago Cubs team (something that hasn’t happened since 1907-08).

Will his trade value shoot up?

But those won’t be the sole highlights of the upcoming baseball season (which to the hardcore fans begins Tuesday, yes Valentine’s Day, with the opening of spring training camps for both of Chicago’s ball clubs).

FOR IT SEEMS this is one of those quadrennial years in which the World Baseball Classic, first held in 2006, will be held beginning March 6 amongst national teams competing for an international championship of sorts – ending March 22 with a real “world” champion at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

It also seems that 16 of the players competing on those teams during March are guys who will be spending this summer playing ball for either the Chicago teams or their assorted minor league affiliates.

A sign that there is hope for the White Sox future if they actually have players in their organization who are considered among the world’s baseball elite?

As things turn out, the national team from Puerto Rico (which earlier this week had a ball club win the Caribbean Series that represents the symbolic championship of Latin America) will have in its infield for the World Baseball Classic the Cubs’ infielder Baez.

Could Baez play for two champions in '17?

WHILE HECTOR RONDON will be a relief pitcher for the Venezuela national team. Six Cubs minor leaguers will be playing for national teams from Italy, Canada, Mexico and Colombia, along with Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

Erling Moreno, the Cubs’ farmhand who will play for Colombia, will be able to count White Sox ace Quintaña as his teammate for a few weeks, while White Sox pitcher Miguel Gonzalez will be playing for Mexico.

Then, there will be the two arms that White Sox fans will be counting on to be their relief pitchers for 2017 – David Robertson and Nate Jones.

Both of them will be playing for the United States national team, with many baseball observers saying this year’s U.S. team may well be stocked with enough talent to actually be capable of winning the World Baseball Classic (which in 2006 and 2009 was won by Japan and in 2013 was won by the Dominican Republic).

Will Robertson hear chants of "U-S-A"

WHILE FOUR WHITE Sox minor leaguers will be playing ball for Puerto Rico, Venezuela and two for Israel.

If that isn’t enough of a Chicago connection for you, take into account that the Canada national team will include on its roster Ryan Dempster. As in the former Chicago Cubs pitcher.

He hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2013. But perhaps he still has enough to be capable of pitching a game or two in coming weeks, and probably has dreams that he can throw well-enough during the games to be played in Miami that he can entertain a baseball comeback.

Either that, or he figures March in Miami will be far more pleasant weather-wise than it will be in his home province of British Columbia.

NOW I KNOW some baseball fans mock the concept of the World Baseball Classic, claiming it somehow is phony or perhaps threatens the existence of their favorite ball clubs during the regular season that will begin April 2 with, among other games, the Cubs traveling to St. Louis to play the Cardinals.

Seeking a baseball comeback?

Although I have never bought either concept. If anything, watching some of these games will be more interesting than the prospect of a Minnesota Twins/Tampa Bay Rays game. And as for the threat of an injury to Quintaña during a game, wouldn’t the White Sox be harmed just as much if he got hurt during a spring workout or exhibition game at their training camp in Glendale Heights, Ariz.?

Part of what I enjoy about this tourney is that it provides competitive baseball at a time when the wintry weather would otherwise be depressing – the same reason I followed the Caribbean Series rather than the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Besides, that alludes to the other benefit – the arrival of baseball means spring can’t be that far away. It’s certainly a better signal of good things to come than any silly groundhog in Punxsutawney, Penn. – who for all we know cast his vote last November to swing the Quaker State's Electoral College votes over to Donald Trump before going underground for the winter to hibernate!

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