CLUB DEALT LIKELY NL ROY
BUT WIETERS, ZOBRIST HAVE STEPPED UP
BY PAT DORWIN
SPORTSWRITER
WHITE SOX BASEBALL WEEKLY
CHICAGO - SOX GM LARRY FEENEY SAYS IT WAS ONE OF HIS TOUGHEST DECISIONS EVER - AND HE ADMITS IT COULD STILL BACKFIRE
IN LATE MAY, FEENEY STRUCK AN INTERLEAGUE DEAL, SENDING C JAMES HARDWICK NORTH ALONG WITH PROMISING PITCHER CJ BRADEN. HARDWICK, ACQUIRED EARLIER IN THE SEASON FROM ATLANTA, WAS - AND IS - THE LEADING CANDIDATE FOR ROOKIE-OF-THE-YEAR - DURING HIS TIME IN BOTH LEAGUES.
"JAMES IS CERTAINLY TALENTED (.302, 22, 74), PLUS HE'S ONLY 20 AND IS SIGNED FOR TWO MORE SESASONS AFTER THIS ONE," FEENEY SAID
WIETERS, A CATCHER, WAS HITTING JUST .215 AT THE TIME OF THE TRADE WITH THREE HOME RUNS. ZOBRIST, A SWITCH-HITTING UTILITY PLAYER, WAS SLIGHTLY ABOVE .250 - BUT BOTH HAVE JOINED THE ONGOING CHICAGO SLUGGING PARADE.
WIETERS, 24, HAS PUMPED HIS AVERAGE UP TO ,249 WHILE UPPING HIS LONGBALL TOTAL TO 19 WITH 47 RBI'S.
"IF HITTING IS CONTAGIOUS, WE'RE ALL SICK," SAYS WIETERS WITH A GRIN.
ZOBRIST'S AVERAGE HAS SKYROCKETED ALL THE WAY TO .319 AND HIS 25 TOTAL DINGERS IS THIRD-BEST ON THE TEAM, WHILE HE'S FIFTH IN RUNS DRIVEN IN WITH 56.
"I THINK THE FACT I FELT COMFORTABLE HERE FROM DAY ONE HAS REALLY HELPED ME," SAYS ZOBRIST, WHO'S SEEMIMGLY TAkEN UP RESIDENCE IN THE NO. 2 SPOT IN THE ORDER.
TRADE GRADES
FOR THE MOST PART, FEENEY EXCELLED AT GETTING GOOD VALUE IN HIS TRADES. A LOOK AT HOW THW WHITE SOX ROSTER CHANGED AND KEY PLAYERS INVOLVED:
--TRADED HIGHLY-REGARDED CF L CAIN AND ML CATCHER FOR RP J CHAMBERLAIN, CF J GERUT AND C-1B M McKENRY. CHAMBERLAIN WAS A LEADING CY YOUNG CANDIDATE FOR MOST OF THE SEASON, UNUSUAL FOR A LONG RELIEVER. HE POSTED 11 WINS AND HAD AN ERA BELOW 1.00 FOR ABOUT 2/3 OF THE SEASON. GERUT, AND BIG SALARY, WAS WISELY TRADED LATER WHILE C-1B McKENRY WILL BATTLE TO MAKE BIGD OUT OF SPRING
GRADE-SOLID A
==SS A FERNANDEZ WAS KEY PLAYER INVOLVED IN TRADE WITH TORONTO THAT SENT PROMISING P T HUNTER TO BLUE JAYS. FERNANDEZ FINISHED 2ND IN ROY VOTING TO TEAMMATE A CONNER AS THE STOCKI INFIELDER POKED MORE THAN 30 HOMERS.
GRADE-A
-- TRADED JETER AND RP P MOYLAN TO NATIONALS FOR SP R DEMPSTER AND SS Y ESCOBAR.
GRADE-
--AROD, CP R FRANKLIN AND GERUT WENT TO SAN FRANCISCO FOR SP J VERLANDER, CP J NATHAN AND 3B-LF A GORDON.
GRADE; ANOTHER SOLID A
--BRAVES TRADED C J HARDWICK AND 3B W BETAMIT FOR ESCOBAR, N FIGUEROA AND 1B J THOME
GRADE-
--DEALT SP R WOLF AND ML CLOSER TO PADRES FOR J DUCHSHERER.
GRADE: B+
--SENT HARDWIXK PAXKING TO MILWAUKEE ALONG WITH SP CJ BRADEN FOR C M WIETERS AND UTIL B ZOBRIST. HARDWICK PLAYED WELL ENOUGH TO PARLAY A FAST START TO NL ROY, BUT SCOUTS AREN;T SOLD ON HIM. WIETERS AND ZOBRIST CRANKD IT UP FOR CHICAGO.
CURRENT GRADE: A-
FUTURE GRADE: UNKNOWN
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