Guys, would you think Jake Peavy would get the start Opening Day for the South Siders? He of big contract, big arm and big expectations coming into this season?

I would have thought that. He’s pretty much the ace of the White Sox staff now.

But no. Jake Peavy ain’t gonna roll like that. Because Jake Peavy is a respectful, team bro. This, this I like to see.

From Buster Olney:

A couple of weeks ago, Chicago White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper mentioned to Jake Peavy that he was in the process of mapping out the starting rotation, and picking the starter for Opening Day. Not long after, Peavy phoned Cooper and told him that as far as Peavy was concerned, somebody else should have that honor.

Out of respect for the White Sox, for Mark Buehrle, for the other pitchers on the staff, Peavy asked that his name being taken out of consideration.

It was a decision that only reinforced Cooper’s belief, which began building at the end of last season, that Peavy has the right stuff to be a leader of the White Sox pitching staff — because of his talent, because of his personality, because of his respect for teammates.

Well how bout that? I bet Peavy ended the conversation with a “Thanks very much, Mr. Cooper,” and then donated $5,000 to a Haitian relief fund. Then he probably rescued a kitten out of a tree, and helped someone change their tire.

In all serious, though, guys, this is a pretty classy move. Peavy could have come in and taken the spotlight on Opening Day. And he would have likely earned it, deserved it even.

But taking a back seat shows Peavy is not putting himself before the team, which is a good thing going forward.

Today’s Sun-Times posits Sox starter Jake Peavy has not just declared but also proven himself worthy of playing with the big kids in the American League. How has he done this? Guns blazing, that’s how:

Just in case one more statement needs to be made, Jake Peavy hopes to make it with his start Friday.

His wish is that the game still will mean something for the Detroit Tigers in the American League Central race. But even if it doesn’t, Peavy would like to end the perception that he originally turned down the trade from the San Diego Padres in May because he was worried about a skyrocketing ERA in the AL — just in case his 2-0 record and 2.25 ERA in his first two starts aren’t enough proof.

First things first: Peavy is a good pitcher, possibly even a great pitcher. Everyone knows this, and while the NL-to-AL adjustment has never been kind to even the best of talented arms, even a Peavy taken down a peg was (and is) reason for great hope on the South Side.

But to call a Cy Young winner shutting down the dregs of the American League as some kind of declaration of awesomeness is almost an insult to Peavy himself. Wait until he matches up against the Yankees, or the Red Sox, or any non-joke of a team because here’s another statement: the Royals and Tigers are garbage.

Peavy held the Royals to three runs? That’s great. So did Todd Wellemeyer, Trevor Cahill and Matt Albers.

Keep reading →

The White Sox lost again last night. That now makes nine out of their last ten. So, with their playoffs hopes all but dead, is there really any reason to bring up Jake Peavy this season, seeing that he became injured during his rehab stint? And it’s an injury to his throwing elbow, not something you should really mess around with?

Tell us the answer, Ozzie Guillen. Via the Trib:

“Believe me, if we fall more and I don’t think deep inside my heart and my guts that we have a chance, I will tell [general manager Ken Williams and pitching coach Don Cooper] to just shut him down and wait for next year,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I am honest with myself. It’s funny, because you can tell the fans anything you want. But when you go to sleep and think about how good you are or how bad you are, you’re not lying.”

Considering Guillen’s never been a guy to overstate his team’s chances, one would think Peavy won’t see the hill this season for the White Sox. And while the common man’s view of the Sox this season is that Kenny Williams is a bumbling idiot for trading for a guy at the deadline while the Sox were in the hunt that won’t pitch an inning this year, and picking up Alex Rios’ bad contract on waivers, only to seemingly abandon the reason he picked those guys up in the first place by trading Jim Thome and Jose Contreras, that’s simply not the case.

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Do you remember when Jake Peavy was slated to come back around Aug. 28? That was at the beginning of the month, when the world was a quieter place, free of Bolivian soccer players kicking opponents in the face. But then came a twist: Peavy didn’t do so hot in his second rehab start, and Don Cooper said Peavy would be taking his time, and we wouldn’t see him in August.

But that was before last night.

Last night, two things happened. 1) Jose Contreras had a horrific outing. If you watched that third inning, in which Contreras — with two outs, mind you — made an error with the bases loaded, then walked in a run, then wild pitched a run in, then gave up a three-run bomb  … well it was very difficult to watch. He is now in the bullpen. 2) Jake Peavy pitched last night for Charlotte, and despite a ball he took off his elbow leaving quite the lump, he pitched sufficient enough.

So the thinking now is as such: is Peavy ready to take the leap he was going to make, but then wasn’t going to make, but now the Sox want him to make again because they are clinging to playoff hopes?

Keep reading →

Not with a girl, silly! A date he’ll be doing what the White Sox are paying him millions of dollars to do: pitch baseballs in a real, live game.

I will give you a hint. This date is in August. It is towards the end of the month. The 20th? No, but good guess. The 25th? Closer. The 28th? You are correct, sir.

From the Trib:

Pitching coach Don Cooper said Thursday morning that Peavy will need at least three rehabilitation starts. With four days between each start, that would make him ready for a major league game Aug. 28 at the earliest, which would be the opener of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.

“I talked to him [Wednesday] and he sounded very, very positive,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “I bet you he’ll be here very soon.”

OK, so Aug. 28 is just a best case scenario. And of course Peavy is going to be jacked up and want to pitch as soon as he can for his new team, perhaps tipping his hand a bit early here. Yet, even if he’s delayed another four to eight days, if all goes according to plan, the Sox will add an ace to their staff in the thick of a playoff hunt for the last month of the season.

Never a bad thing.

I’ll be highlighting a post every here and there from Out of the Ivy and Bullpen Sox Blog as they get out the gate. Here’s one from some degenerate named Ryan Corazza of Bullpen Sox Blog that ran last night, but is updated a bit.

Yesterday morning, Jake Peavy seemed like he was on his way to the South Side. Unlike all the back-and-forth-would-he-or-wouldn’t-he-get-traded-can-we-please-shut-up-about-this-now-Cubs-Padres talk in the offseason, San Diego and the White Sox had actually agreed to a deal. It was just pending Peavy’s approval, as the 27-year-old (soon to be 28-year-old) pitcher has a no-trade clause.

And then we found out this, via his agent: Peavy didn’t really have any interest in playing in the American League. He has mad respect for the Sox as an organization, but he’s still holding out hope that the three or four teams in the National League he wants to play for will come calling before the trade deadline. What looked close to completion yesterday morning is now far from it. In fact, it’s likely the deal won’t ever come to fruition as Peavy said he’s saying put in San Diego.

But you know what? It’s fine.

And here’s why: Jake Peavy plays in an extreme pitcher’s park: Petco Park is the second-best pitcher’s park in all of baseball this season so far, and last year it was the best. Outside of this year, U.S. Cellular Field consistently ranks as one of the top 10 hitter’s parks in baseball. (This year it’s 28th, just one better than Petco, but I have a feeling the Sox’s terrible offense has something to do with that.)

If he comes to the Cell, his numbers get worse. Not to mention, the hitting in the American League is better. Think both those factors, coupled with him not getting to bat, might be why Peavy wants to stay in the National League? This is not taking anything away from the guy: He’s a terrific pitcher. But simply put, he’s overrated based on where he plays and the league he’s in.

Keep reading →

It appears Jake Peavy likes the National League a lot. So much, in fact, that even though he has a ton of respect for the White Sox as an organization, he likely won’t waive his no-trade clause to become a member of their team.

At least not today. And this news doesn’t come from a “source close to the situation,” it comes straight from the mouth of his agent, Barry Axelrod. From ESPN:

“If I had to make a bet on it, I would guess that Jake would say he’s not ready to take that step today,” Axelrod said. “But he wouldn’t necessarily preclude it at any time in the future.

“We aren’t hiding anything from anybody. Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League. He has a comfort zone there, he’s been successful, and he’s won a Cy Young Award. I don’t know that on May 21, that preference has eroded very much. From our point of view we may say, ‘Let’s give (the Padres) more time and see if a National League team might step up over the next six weeks.’

”If this were any one of three or four other teams and they called about him, Jake would jump at it. He would be willing. They know who they are. They know that certain places are more enticing to him.”

Meaning: Peavy would much rather play for the Cubs, Braves or Mets, but if no one hollers at him until the trade deadline, maybe he’d fold and head over to the American League.

You wonder why Peavy prefers the NL: Is it because the American League features better hitting and he’d prefer to stay away from it, especially in a hitter’s part like the Cell? Maybe, maybe not.

In any event, what looked very promising this morning for Sox fans has changed course just a few hours later. Sigh.