Lip Man 1
01-17-2003, 12:38 AM
Some excerpts:
MINNEAPOLIS The lead story on the Twins Web site Wednesday carried the headline, "Winter Caravan keeps rolling along." The lead story on the Chicago White Sox Web site carried the headline, "White Sox acquire Bartolo Colon."
"It would seem the followers of the American League Central's other contender " the Mighty Whities " received a greater
surge of excitement when they logged on Wednesday.
"The White Sox are better than they were yesterday," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday. "I don"t think anybody would debate that."
There were post-World Series opinions offered in publications such as The Sporting News that the Twins could enter the 2003 season as the American League favorites.
The Yankees have put an end to that conversation with their ambitious offseason. And now the Twins figure to find themselves supplanted by the White Sox this spring as the AL Central's trendy pick.
"We knew the White Sox were going to try to do some things," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They might not be finished. They are going to go after it. When youčre in a market like Chicago, you have to do that. "
"It's a big acquisition, obviously, but Colon can only pitch once every five days. We're going to be OK. Other than Colon drilling A.J. (Pierzynski) every time he faces our ballclub, it doesn't change much for us."
"We're going to keep all our guys."
The White Sox have a lineup that includes Magglio Ordonez, Frank Thomas, and Paul Konerko, along with Joe Crede. The most faithful of Twins followers would be required to admit that's
more power for the middle of a lineup than the defending Central champions will have to offer in 2003.
The advantage for the Twins must be in starting pitching. The acquisition of Colon brings that advantage into serious question.
The White Sox have traded in Ritchiečs horrendous bottom line for Colon's sparkling numbers: 20-8 with a 2.93 ERA for Cleveland and Montreal. The White Sox now have two No. 1 starters: Colon and Mark Buehrle.
The problem is, the starting pitching can't be merely as productive as the White Sox' for the Twins to stay on top of the Central. The Twins' starting pitching has to be significantly better, with Chicago's lineup advantage.
The White Sox also have upgraded their bullpen. The Whities also are going to add veteran righthander Tom Gordon.
"Bartolo Colon is one of the better pitchers in our game,"Ryan said. We have our work cut out for us. We had our work cut out for us even before the White Sox acquired him."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com.)
MINNEAPOLIS The lead story on the Twins Web site Wednesday carried the headline, "Winter Caravan keeps rolling along." The lead story on the Chicago White Sox Web site carried the headline, "White Sox acquire Bartolo Colon."
"It would seem the followers of the American League Central's other contender " the Mighty Whities " received a greater
surge of excitement when they logged on Wednesday.
"The White Sox are better than they were yesterday," Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said Wednesday. "I don"t think anybody would debate that."
There were post-World Series opinions offered in publications such as The Sporting News that the Twins could enter the 2003 season as the American League favorites.
The Yankees have put an end to that conversation with their ambitious offseason. And now the Twins figure to find themselves supplanted by the White Sox this spring as the AL Central's trendy pick.
"We knew the White Sox were going to try to do some things," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "They might not be finished. They are going to go after it. When youčre in a market like Chicago, you have to do that. "
"It's a big acquisition, obviously, but Colon can only pitch once every five days. We're going to be OK. Other than Colon drilling A.J. (Pierzynski) every time he faces our ballclub, it doesn't change much for us."
"We're going to keep all our guys."
The White Sox have a lineup that includes Magglio Ordonez, Frank Thomas, and Paul Konerko, along with Joe Crede. The most faithful of Twins followers would be required to admit that's
more power for the middle of a lineup than the defending Central champions will have to offer in 2003.
The advantage for the Twins must be in starting pitching. The acquisition of Colon brings that advantage into serious question.
The White Sox have traded in Ritchiečs horrendous bottom line for Colon's sparkling numbers: 20-8 with a 2.93 ERA for Cleveland and Montreal. The White Sox now have two No. 1 starters: Colon and Mark Buehrle.
The problem is, the starting pitching can't be merely as productive as the White Sox' for the Twins to stay on top of the Central. The Twins' starting pitching has to be significantly better, with Chicago's lineup advantage.
The White Sox also have upgraded their bullpen. The Whities also are going to add veteran righthander Tom Gordon.
"Bartolo Colon is one of the better pitchers in our game,"Ryan said. We have our work cut out for us. We had our work cut out for us even before the White Sox acquired him."
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.shns.com.)