CHICAGO -- Being that they mostly kicked back and watched the AL Championship Series, everybody wants to know whether or not the Chicago White Sox relievers actually plan on participating in the World Series.
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| Will Bobby Jenks get to take his glove to the hill this series? (Getty Images) |
"Sometimes it's hard, because a lot of bullpen guys like to pitch every day, or every two days," White Sox reliever Luis Vizcaino said Friday as Chicago ran through its final workout before Game 1 here against Houston on Saturday night.
With Chicago starters Jose Contreras, Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland and Freddy Garcia having thrown four consecutive postseason complete games -- a first for any team since the 1956 New York Yankees -- White Sox relievers enter this World Series with an unprecedented amount of rest.
The bullpen pitched exactly two-thirds of an inning during the five ALCS games against the Los Angeles Angels. And gee, Neal Cotts must be utterly exhausted. He threw both thirds.
Unquestionably, a key to the World Series will be how they react to that rest.
Will they be strong and sharp and hit their spots?
Or will they be too strong, overthrow and miss their spots?
"You know, it's a double-edged sword," general manager Kenny Williams said. "You certainly want them sharp. But you do want your starting pitchers to be as effective as they can."
Chicago pitching coach Don Cooper set up simulated games -- in which a real batter is standing in the box to face the pitchers -- for the relievers on Wednesday and Thursday. Each pitcher threw roughly the equivalent of one inning each day.
Beyond that, it was up to each reliever to get his work in. The whole program was sort of like the take-home tests they gave you from time to time when you were in school. Except, come Saturday, there will be no open book in which to search for answers (unless Jeff Bagwell is Houston's designated hitter and his surgically repaired shoulder gives away some answers, of course).
"It doesn't really matter if you've had two minutes off or two weeks off," Cooper said. "It's going to be like opening day. The electricity is going to be at its highest level. They're going to feel strong. But it's about controlling that strength. Controlling that energy.
"If you can bring that energy to the glove, there's a chance you'll be untouchable. The catch is, it's the physical combined with the mental. If you go out and say, 'I have high energy and it's going to come from somewhere', that's not what you're looking for."
