Clown Show

Something clicked last night for White Sox starter Sean Burke, who actually managed to pitch six innings throwing under a billion pitches. But a 4-1 win can’t hide the clown show on 35th and Shields. Before the game, not only did the team send down rookie first baseman Tim Elko, they optioned incumbent Andrew Vaughn as well. GM Chris Getz told reporters that Vaugn needed “[s]ynching up his lower half and upper half” while Elko had to “[t]ighten up the strike zone, [and] there was some chase [of pitches out of the zone].” [quotes from story in today’s Tribune] Apparently, Triple-A Charlotte is just the place to make it all happen. Or not. Charlotte’s hitting coach was a career .257 hitter during a four-year career that peaked at Double-A (no RBIs at that level, though). And he’s going to tell Vaughn, what, exactly? This is how I worked through it? The same holds for Elko, who pretty much through force of will made it impossible for the team to ignore him any longer. What does the coach who had all of 30 at-bats in Double-A tell the rookie who’s already had 31 at-bats in the majors? Once upon a time, the White Sox employed the likes of Bill Buckner Gary, Ward and Greg Walker—bona fide major leaguers all—as hitting coaches. Now, it’s pretty much any guy with access to tech. Maybe there are more and better gizmos in Charlotte than the ball mall. Oh, and did I mention that third baseman Miguel Vargas is now first baseman Miguel Vargas? Or that Getz replaced two first basemen with two outfielders, Mike Tauchman and Andrew Benintendi? Or that Joshua Palacios and Vinny Capra are still on the team? Those two don’t need a Triple-A reset, I guess.