Cooper fine with all-star snubs
The White Sox head into tonight's series opener at Kansas City with the lowest ERA (3.38) in major-league baseball.
The rotation is loaded with quality starters, and, according to manager Ozzie Guillen, the bullpen was the Sox' MVP over the first half of the season.
Rosters for the July 15 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium were announced Sunday, and White Sox pitchers - literally - were shut out.
Was it a slap, or just an oversight?
"I'm not into individual awards,'' Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said Monday. "If we win a championship and one of our guys happens to be an all-star along the way, great. But winning the division, winning the championship, that's what I'm into.''
The White Sox are sending left fielder Carlos Quentin and third baseman Joe Crede to the Midsummer Classic, and right fielder Jermaine Dye also has a chance to go to New York via online balloting.
But starter Gavin Floyd is staying home, despite ranking third in the AL with 10 wins and ninth with a 3.22 ERA.
The Sox' other young starter, John Danks, was bypassed even though he has the third-lowest ERA (2.52) in the league.
Relievers Scott Linebrink (2-2, 1.95 ERA), Bobby Jenks (2-0, 1.95 ERA, 18 saves) and Matt Thornton (4-1, 2.38 ERA) also deserved all-star consideration.
"If you wiggle the numbers and try to find guys on our club that are worthy of the All-Star Game, you can,'' Cooper said. "But it's a difficult process, and we weren't recognized. So be it. It happens.''
Cooper didn't sound overly upset with the All-Star Game announcement, for good reason. While it is baseball's showcase game, most managers and coaches would rather see their pitchers use the break to get some needed rest.
"This is not the worst thing in the world,'' Cooper said. "Our guys can take those four days to gas up the tank and get ready to make a big push in the second half, because that's what it's all about.''
Cooper always is cautious about heaping too much praise on his pitching staff during the season.
While he obviously has been pleased with the results so far, particularly from Floyd and Danks, the White Sox still have 74 games on the schedule.
"Do I think our guys warranted consideration for the All-Star Game?'' Cooper asked. "Yeah. But the job is still at hand, and there's a long ways to go here. So I'll take this as a process where we have to continue going out and doing the job and keep proving ourselves to the rest of the league.
"Going to the All-Star Game is an important achievement for the individual. But it's not nearly important as winning a championship.''