Here’s one scouting report on the White Sox:
Paul Konerko is the go-to guy; Mark Buehrle is fast; Aaron Rowand is quick; Carl Everett is hot and cold; and A.J. Pierzynski loves the spotlight.
This report has nothing to do with tendencies on the field. Rather it is an assessment of how the players do with the microphones and notepads in front of their faces.
We asked the various Sox beat reporters to provide a candid evaluation of the players as interview subjects. Just like the major-league scouting reports you see in the Tribune and Sports Illustrated, there was a condition of anonymity since, well, they’re much bigger than us.
But the media contingent had few quibbles with the team. The Sox don’t have any Dave Kingman-like jerks to make life miserable.
Some players are more accessible than others, but in the words of one reporter: “There’s nobody you’re afraid to approach.”
Having a quote machine like manager Ozzie Guillen makes talking to the players almost an afterthought. He’s a one-stop shop. Throw in pitching coach Don Cooper and hitting coach Greg Walker, and the Sox might have the most quotable management team in baseball.
Beyond the brain trust, here’s what the media faces in the clubhouse:
Konerko: He’s the player the reporters go to for the key quote. Even when he sat out a game, he still was approached for his insights.
Konerko is noted for giving insightful, well-thought-out answers without a trace of phoniness. He doesn’t seek out the media. Rather he understands that we have a job to do.
“He just gets it,” one reporter said.
If Konerko were to leave the Sox, it clearly would leave a big void in the press box, as well as on the field.
Rowand: The center fielder has a quick wit, which he delivers with short, compact answers. Extremely media savvy, several reporters predict Rowand will go into broadcasting after he’s done playing.
Buehrle: You better have a tape recorder to get down all his quotes since he is a fast talker. Reporters don’t want to miss a word, because Buehrle is “exceedingly honest” in talking about himself or the team.
Pierzynski: According to one reporter, the catcher was “so-so” during the long season. But once the lights of October shined, Pierzynski has risen to the occasion, becoming a go-to guy.
Everett: The designated hitter, who had problems with the media in Boston, isn’t easy to nail down for a quote.
“You have to bob and weave with Carl,” one reporter said. “It could be hard, but it’s not terrible.”
Scott Podsednik: The Game 2 star generally is cooperative but not always open. “Once he gets going, he can talk,” a reporter said.
Jermaine Dye: Might be the toughest interview on the team. He tends to be quiet, and doesn’t offer in-depth answers.
Despite being one of the older veterans, one reporter said, “He has no great desire to be a team spokesman.”
Joe Crede: It also has been a big postseason for the third baseman in the interview department. “He’s starting to come out of his Missouri shell,” a reporter said.
Jon Garland: An average talker at best. Another reporter, though, said he has improved since last year.
The Latino players: The Sox have so many of them that they tend to get bunched together as a group by the media. The language barrier is a problem.
“I try to make an effort to get quotes from them,” a reporter said. “Most of them are funny, but it’s hard to get an interpreter. Those guys tend to get excluded and they shouldn’t.”
The Latino players are all well regarded by the media. They appreciate how hard Orlando Hernandez works to give good answers. Jose Contreras has begun to open up, thanks to the help of Ozzie Guillen Jr., who serves as his interpreter.
Freddy Garcia, who can speak English, is cooperative, and Juan Uribe has a standard phrase: “I got a lot of happy.”
Tadahito Iguchi: Again, language is a problem. Something gets lost in the translation with the second baseman. The beat reporters, though, are amazed at how Iguchi is able to handle the daily grind of dealing with the Japanese media.
Bobby Jenks: Still young and a bit raw, he can be a bit tentative. “He tries hard, but he still doesn’t know how to do it,” a reporter said.
Dustin Hermanson: Comments on him ranged from “real good” to “doesn’t enjoy talking.”
Chris Widger and Geoff Blum: The two veteran reserves earn high marks for being among the most engaging guys on the team. One reporter said Blum has “a lot of Berkeley in him,” as in the University of California.
Widger, meanwhile, will talk politics or anything else. He’s also pretty good on baseball.
“You listen to him, and you think he’ll be a coach or manager when he’s done,” a reporter said.
Frank Thomas: “The Big Hurt” may not be hitting many homers these days, but he still can belt out a quote. Reporters always have their pads out when he’s talking.
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esherman@tribune.com
