About that Mark Buehrle contract extension ….
Posted by: Richie Rich in Anger Management, Pitching, Twins, White Sox
So last year on July 8th 2007, the White Sox ponied up and did something they don’t usually do. They signed a pitcher to a sizeable long-term contract.
Their staff Ace, Mark Buehrle.
Buehrle signed for Four years, $56 Million with a limited no-trade clause for 2008 and escalators if traded after that. Plus, he got the White Sox to wear Camouflage jerseys for a game in 2008.
Buehrle deserved it. He was HUGE in their World Series Championship run (2005) and an overwhelming fan favorite. He was on the frickin Wheaties Box. And even with all the contract speculation (read: distraction) in the first half of 2007, Buehrle was having a very good season for the White Sox.
Buehrle Pre-Contract 2007
| G | CG | W-L | IP | ERA | K9 | BB9 | HR9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 2 | 6-4 | 115 2/3 | 3.03 | 5.45 | 1.71 | 1.01 |
Not to mention the No-Hitter he threw on April 18, 2007. When you take into consideration the offensive woes and pitiful bullpen the White Sox had in 2007 … it’s even more impressive.
But since he signed the contract … like many players who get the big payday … Buehrle hasn’t been so great …
Buehrle Post-Contract 2007-8
| G | CG | W-L | IP | ERA | K/9 | BB/9 | HR/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 2 | 5-9 | 127 2/3 | 4.72 | 5.1 | 2.4 | 0.9 |
Last night in a home game against the Minnesota Twins, Buehrle gave up seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings and really fell apart in the sixth inning. It ran his 2008 ERA up to 5.31 and he dropped to 1-4 on the season. That’s not worth $14 million a season.
And he took out last night’s frustration on something in the dugout. With a bat.
Unless Buehrle went into the Twins dugout and started smashing the Twins’ bats … I really don’t think that’s gonna help much.
Then again, maybe destroying some White Sox bats is better than having them hang around the blow-up dolls.
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