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Sox pitcher dismissed after miss
June 15, 2006
BY JOE COWLEY Staff Reporter
ARLINGTON, Texas -- White Sox starting pitcher Javier Vazquez allowed six runs on 10 hits in six innings.
Sox hitters combined for only four hits in an 8-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
And they all had good days compared with that of rookie reliever Sean Tracey.
After watching catcher A.J. Pierzynski get beaned by Rangers starter Vicente Padilla in the second and fourth innings, Tracey was brought into the game in the seventh to face Hank Blalock.
According to one Sox source, Tracey also entered the game with specific instructions.
RANGERS 8
WHITE SOX 0
Both benches had received warnings after the second time Pierzynski was used for target practice, and that's why Agustin Montero already was warming up in the bullpen with Tracey on the mound.
Tracey did throw one inside pitch to Blalock, but then he simply pitched to the third baseman and got him out.
That brought Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to the mound and sent Tracey to the dugout.
The explanation offered by Guillen after the game was well thought out but also a big smokescreen. And while Guillen is never one to lie to the media, he also knows the unwritten rule of baseball that states a manager or player never can admit to throwing at an opposing player without serious repercussions from the league office.
"I felt the thing with Tracey was he's not a mop-up man,'' Guillen said. "He's one of our prospects and shouldn't be in the game for mop-up time. I took too long to get Montero ready to go, and that was my mistake.
"It was my fault that Montero wasn't up quick enough. I got caught between leaving Vazquez in the game or not.''
Guillen, however, was caught on camera screaming at someone in the dugout after removing Tracey. When the camera focused on Tracey, he was visibly upset and looked almost on the brink of tears. A Sox source said after the game that Tracey was informed he was being sent back down to Class AAA Charlotte.
"Ozzie went nuts,'' one source said. "He had the ass, big-time.''
Tracey was asked about the incident after the game and said: "I have no comment to you guys. No comment.''
Guillen was asked why he was so angry if it was just a simple mistake, and he kept to the script perfectly.
"He's not a mop-up guy,'' Guillen said of Tracey. "I think [he was upset] because he didn't know what the manager was thinking.''
While that may or may not be the truth, the Sox (40-25) felt like they had an idea of what Padilla was thinking.
"I think I know the first time he hit him on purpose,'' Vazquez said. "I don't have to think about it the second time.''
But Guillen was thinking about it. And the Sox manager seemed sick of watching his hitters get thrown at this season.
"I don't know if [Padilla] has something against [Pierzynski] or what,'' Guillen said. "He was throwing strikes to everyone, and then he faces this guy and tries to throw inside and hits him twice? I don't like that.''
When asked about the warning issued, Guillen seemed confused by the decision.
"I don't know if they think I'm a headhunter or crazy because every time we get hit, I get a warning,'' Guillen said. "I don't know what to do. We have to protect our players.''
After a 1-2-3 first inning, Vazquez (7-4) was greeted by a Blalock solo home run to start the second.
It was in the third that it really fell apart for the right-hander, however, as Texas (35-31) put four runs on the board. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Mark Teixeira and Blalock with two outs in the third put Vazquez in a three-run hole.
The damage continued with back-to-back RBI singles by Kevin Mench and Ian Kinsler as the South Siders were finding out why the Rangers' offense was ranked third in the American League.
Meanwhile, Padilla (6-4) was dominant in his eight innings.
Vazquez settled down after the third but served up a solo homer to Gary Matthews Jr. in the sixth.
He was out of the game after that inning, with Guillen putting the ball in Tracey's hands, possibly for the last time this season.
"I don't know what [Padilla's] deal was,'' Pierzynski said. "He seemed to have pretty good control all night, and then all of a sudden he runs two first-pitches at me in the same spot.''
Pierzynski also seemed fed up with the system, which saw him hit twice and had the Sox' bench warned before any retaliation.
"I don't understand the system,'' Pierzynski said. "It's a shame it works like that.''
The Sox are expected to announce a replacement for Tracey in the bullpen today.
June 15, 2006
BY JOE COWLEY Staff Reporter
ARLINGTON, Texas -- White Sox starting pitcher Javier Vazquez allowed six runs on 10 hits in six innings.
Sox hitters combined for only four hits in an 8-0 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
And they all had good days compared with that of rookie reliever Sean Tracey.
After watching catcher A.J. Pierzynski get beaned by Rangers starter Vicente Padilla in the second and fourth innings, Tracey was brought into the game in the seventh to face Hank Blalock.
According to one Sox source, Tracey also entered the game with specific instructions.
RANGERS 8
WHITE SOX 0
Both benches had received warnings after the second time Pierzynski was used for target practice, and that's why Agustin Montero already was warming up in the bullpen with Tracey on the mound.
Tracey did throw one inside pitch to Blalock, but then he simply pitched to the third baseman and got him out.
That brought Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to the mound and sent Tracey to the dugout.
The explanation offered by Guillen after the game was well thought out but also a big smokescreen. And while Guillen is never one to lie to the media, he also knows the unwritten rule of baseball that states a manager or player never can admit to throwing at an opposing player without serious repercussions from the league office.
"I felt the thing with Tracey was he's not a mop-up man,'' Guillen said. "He's one of our prospects and shouldn't be in the game for mop-up time. I took too long to get Montero ready to go, and that was my mistake.
"It was my fault that Montero wasn't up quick enough. I got caught between leaving Vazquez in the game or not.''
Guillen, however, was caught on camera screaming at someone in the dugout after removing Tracey. When the camera focused on Tracey, he was visibly upset and looked almost on the brink of tears. A Sox source said after the game that Tracey was informed he was being sent back down to Class AAA Charlotte.
"Ozzie went nuts,'' one source said. "He had the ass, big-time.''
Tracey was asked about the incident after the game and said: "I have no comment to you guys. No comment.''
Guillen was asked why he was so angry if it was just a simple mistake, and he kept to the script perfectly.
"He's not a mop-up guy,'' Guillen said of Tracey. "I think [he was upset] because he didn't know what the manager was thinking.''
While that may or may not be the truth, the Sox (40-25) felt like they had an idea of what Padilla was thinking.
"I think I know the first time he hit him on purpose,'' Vazquez said. "I don't have to think about it the second time.''
But Guillen was thinking about it. And the Sox manager seemed sick of watching his hitters get thrown at this season.
"I don't know if [Padilla] has something against [Pierzynski] or what,'' Guillen said. "He was throwing strikes to everyone, and then he faces this guy and tries to throw inside and hits him twice? I don't like that.''
When asked about the warning issued, Guillen seemed confused by the decision.
"I don't know if they think I'm a headhunter or crazy because every time we get hit, I get a warning,'' Guillen said. "I don't know what to do. We have to protect our players.''
After a 1-2-3 first inning, Vazquez (7-4) was greeted by a Blalock solo home run to start the second.
It was in the third that it really fell apart for the right-hander, however, as Texas (35-31) put four runs on the board. Back-to-back RBI doubles by Mark Teixeira and Blalock with two outs in the third put Vazquez in a three-run hole.
The damage continued with back-to-back RBI singles by Kevin Mench and Ian Kinsler as the South Siders were finding out why the Rangers' offense was ranked third in the American League.
Meanwhile, Padilla (6-4) was dominant in his eight innings.
Vazquez settled down after the third but served up a solo homer to Gary Matthews Jr. in the sixth.
He was out of the game after that inning, with Guillen putting the ball in Tracey's hands, possibly for the last time this season.
"I don't know what [Padilla's] deal was,'' Pierzynski said. "He seemed to have pretty good control all night, and then all of a sudden he runs two first-pitches at me in the same spot.''
Pierzynski also seemed fed up with the system, which saw him hit twice and had the Sox' bench warned before any retaliation.
"I don't understand the system,'' Pierzynski said. "It's a shame it works like that.''
The Sox are expected to announce a replacement for Tracey in the bullpen today.
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