If Aaron Sele could pitch against the White Sox every start, he might win the Cy Young Award.
After giving up three runs in eight innings and picking up the win Saturday, Sele is 4-0 with a 2.10 earned-run average against the Sox this season, and 12-10 with a 5.07 ERA against everybody else.
“He found his breaking ball and was able to throw it at any time in the count,” Sox manager Jerry Manuel said. “He had our guys swinging at balls in the dirt. There were a couple where I thought we had some broken fingers because of the way he jammed our guys.”
Sele’s dominant start could not have come at a better time for Texas. The Rangers, who have fallen behind Anaheim in the AL West race, used nine pitchers in Friday’s double-header.
“We needed him to pitch quality innings,” Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. “To go eight innings, we couldn’t have asked for more on a day like today.”
John Wetteland didn’t allow a baserunner in the ninth in picking up the save.
`Moonlight’ Heathcott? Mike Heathcott said he had “15 or 20” friends and family members in the stands Friday night for his major-league debut against Texas. He can only hope they all got a good look at him, because they won’t see Heathcott again for a little while.
Heathcott, a 1987 graduate of Oak Park-River Forest High School, pitched three innings in relief Friday, then was called into Manuel’s office Saturday morning and told he was heading back to Class AAA Calgary.
Heathcott wasn’t surprised by the demotion, which came because the Sox are short on relievers and knew they couldn’t use him for a few days. Carlos Castillo, who was called up to replace Heathcott, was the first reliever called to pitch Saturday and responded well, striking out two and giving up no hits in 2 1/3 innings.
“It was fantastic,” Heathcott said of his debut. “Having my family in the stands and being from Chicago, it is definitely a dream come true.”
If for some reason Heathcott fails to make it back to the majors, at least he outdid Archibald “Moonlight” Graham, who appeared in one major-league game, didn’t bat and was made famous half a century later by the movie “Field of Dreams.”
No minor feat: Heathcott will at least be playing meaningful games at Calgary, which is in first place in the Pacific Coast League’s Northern Division with a 72-60 record. Minor-league records are usually disregarded, but the eternally positive Manuel believes Calgary’s record is a credit to the Sox.
With 11 rookies on the major-league roster, more than any other team, the Sox are using some players who would normally be in Class AAA, and yet Calgary is still winning.
“That’s a sign that there is a lot of talent in your system,” Manuel said.
Sparkling Caruso: Mike Caruso’s fielding has been maligned this season–32 errors will have that effect. But for one day at least, Caruso’s glove was an asset.
Caruso made a spectacular leaping grab to rob Mark McLemore of a single in the third inning. In the fourth he nearly committed error No. 33 by mishandling a hot grounder from Juan Gonzalez, but he stayed with it and threw out Gonzalez at first.
