Peavy gets off to rough start
Jake Peavy is struggling with his identity.
But don't fret White Sox fans.
His health is fine and he hasn't lost his confidence.
Only his wallet.
While Peavy takes small steps in the minors toward getting back on a big league mound, his family and agent are working overtime at protecting his identity after his wallet disappeared last week during a flight back to Chicago from San Diego.
Peavy has been scrambling to replace everything in his possession aside from his passport, not to mention all the time it takes to cancel credit cards, open new checking accounts, and get a new driver's license.
Peavy will likely fly from Charlotte back to his native Alabama sometime this week just so he can get a new license.
"The good news is everyone in Chicago has been incredibly nice to him and helpful since it happened," agent Barry Axelrod said. "He's made a lot of new friends and people have been bending over backward to help.
"This is no small process when you lose a wallet. Believe me when I tell you this is not something you want to go through. It's been 24 hours a day since last Friday morning trying to fix all this."
His health
As for getting back on the mound, Axelrod said it's no slam-dunk that Peavy will be ready by the end of the month.
"He's in spring training right now as far as his progress," Axelrod said. "His health is great, but his shoulder and legs are a long way from having the strength pitchers normally have this time of year. It's baby steps.
"The Sox have been great about it and the last thing they're going to do is rush him, even though Jake wants to be back out there tomorrow and help his team.
"If anything, they'll make sure Jake doesn't get ahead of himself because they have the long term in mind here, too."
Pitching glitch
It's hard to argue who at the moment more desperately needs a starter or a middle reliever, the Cubs or the White Sox, because they'd both like one to fall out of the sky and into their laps.
Already designated for assignment, John Smoltz makes sense for both, and after clearing waivers Tuesday he'll be a free agent Sunday unless a team trades for him, or the Red Sox send him down and force him to return in September as a reliever.
Whether he's got anything left is obviously unclear, but even a decent outing here or there might be better than some of what we've seen in Chicago of late.
Smoltz is most likely looking at whatever National League team has the best offense and best chance to win, and that might be the Dodgers, more so than the Cubs or the Cards.
It would be cool to see Smoltz in a Cubs uniform, and if he can talk close pal Greg Maddux into helping out for a few weeks, that wouldn't be bad, either.
Put me in coach
In light of the Alex Rios acquisition, and without looking it up, can you name the opening-day center fielders for the White Sox in this decade?
You have absolutely no chance on this one, but take a minute and then see the answer below.
The Ozzie files
No one's going to tell Ozzie Guillen what he can or can't say, a point he made clear again this week, but his anger over White Sox players getting drilled doesn't make a lot of sense.
Instead of telling the world he's mad that his players are getting hit, why doesn't he just slam the clubhouse door and tell his pitchers that he's tired of his players getting hit?
It's the pitching staff's job to take care of that situation, and the manager shouldn't have to make that point to them, to the opposition, or to anyone.
Bean balls
While we're at it, the Sox may as well pick up Vicente Padilla, also designated for assignment by Texas.
He's pretty much a loon, one of the game's top head hunters and with Guillen needing a starter willing to hit someone, what better guy could you have than Padilla?
He's the one who drilled A.J. Pierzynski twice in a game in June 2006, and Guillen ordered Sean Tracey to hit Hank Blalock.
But the rookie missed a couple of times and Tracey was banished to the minors after Guillen humiliated him in the dugout for all to see.
Guillen and Padilla in the same locker room and dugout, and exchanging words on the mound?
OK, maybe not the safest idea in the world.
Just drilling
Padilla is seventh in the bigs with 8 hit by pitches, trailing leading Joba Chamberlain by 3.
Carlos Marmol is second with 11, and Mark Buehrle is tied for 37th with 5.
CF answer
2000: Chris Singleton. 2001: Jose Valentin. 2002: Kenny Lofton. 2003-2005: Aaron Rowand. 2006: Brian Anderson. 2007: Darin Erstad. 2008: Alexei Ramirez. 2009: Dewayne Wise.
Cheap skates
E-mailer Mr. Buttermaker: "Apparently, Patrick Kane had just downloaded the new Bill Wirtz tip calculator app for the iPhone.''
And finally -
Scott Ostler of the S.F. Chronicle: "I won't say those new swim world records set in Rome are cheap, but my 'World's Greatest Dad' trophy is starting to look legit."
brozner@dailyherald.com