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A.L. central

Sporting News, The, May 20, 2005

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

The team's emphasis on pitching and defense was underscored when 2B Pedro Lopez was recalled, though he was hitting less than .200 in the minors. Lopez is considered an elite fielder, and he impressed manager Ozzie Guillen during spring training. ... 1B Paul Konerko continues to hit for power, but his average slipped below .200 last weekend. Guillen doesn't plan to take playing time away from Konerko unless he asks for a day off. ... Jamie Burke mostly has caught in his brief big-league stints, but he usually played at third at Class AAA. His versatility and hot start earned him a call-up. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: While playing in Cuba, RHPs Jose Contreras and Orlando Hernandez were groomed to throw a lot of pitches, but the White Sox don't want their starters exceeding 115 pitches. The team is stressing to Contreras and Hernandez that they must put away hitters early in counts.--Scott Merkin

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CLEVELAND INDIANS

OF Jody Gerut (knee) might have the bat to jump-start the offense, but the 2003 rookie sensation just began his rehab assignment and is about two weeks away from returning. ... The club hasn't found enough save situations to keep closer RHP Bob Wickman sharp, and his inactivity could hurt when the team does need him. ... 3B Aaron Boone's hitting struggles have given Jose Hernandez and Alex Cora more time in the infield than expected. Look for Hernandez to play even more if Boone's bat doesn't show life soon. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: RHP Kevin Millwood's fastball has reached 96 mph on a couple of occasions, which is harder than he threw last season. Millwood has worked with pitching coach Cad Willis on using his legs more. The stronger push off the rubber has ramped up Millwood's velocity and returned his fastball to the power pitch it once was. The improved fastball makes it harder to adjust to his off-speed stuff.--Justice B. Hill

DETROIT TIGERS

LHP Nate Robertson says a recent bout with the flu and reduced push from his lower body are the reasons for his drop in velocity early this season. On the plus side, he has further honed his off-speed and breaking pitches, including a changeup and a nasty two-seamer. ... OF Bobby Higginson's lack of playing time seems to have caused him to struggle with his swing, but he won't play much if his hitting is a problem. His slump has included a return to his tendency to pull the ball too much. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: Pitching coach Bob Cluck believes RHP Jeremy Bonderman took a major step in his maturation when he showed he could correct flaws on his own. Even the slightest lean can cause Bonderman's arm angle to drop, flattening out his pitches and lessening the effectiveness of his slider. He fixed the problem twice in the middle of starts, allowing him to salvage solid outings.--Jason Beck

KANSAS CITY ROYALS

The return of 3B Mark Teahen (back) will help the defense. The team will be patient with Teahen's offense, but if he struggles too much, Class AAA 3B Chris Truby eventually could be an option. ... A lack of hitting has replaced poor fundamentals as the team's biggest deficiency; players in deep slumps dot the lineup. 1B Mike Sweeney is one exception. His back and bat continue to be sound. Sweeney has accounted for roughly 25 percent of Kansas City's RBIs. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: The team is all but eliminated from playoff contention, so it decided to go with 6-10 LHP Andrew Sisco as the top setup man and RHP Ambiorix Burgos as the closer. Sisco is a strikeout pitcher who had a scoreless outings string that recently was snapped at 11. Burgos, who throws hard, entered the week with four straight hitless outings. Their inexperience will cost the team some games, but their on-the-job training has been valuable.--Dick Kaegel

MINNESOTA TWINS

By sending extra C Corky Miller to the minors last week, the Twins are showing confidence that C Joe Mauer's surgically repaired left knee can handle the physical demands of increased playing time. Mauer soon will be catching four games in a row. ... Outfighting Miller to Class AAA Rochester allowed the club to call up switch-hitting 3B Terry Tiffee, who will give manager Ron Gardenhire more late-inning flexibility with pinch hitters. Tiffee plans to stay sharp in the reserve role by taking extra batting and infield practice. SEE A DIFFERENT GAME: 38 Michael Cuddyer has come out of an early funk by "staying more stacked at the plate;' hitting coach Scott Ullger says. That means Cuddyer is maintaining his center of gravity so he can stay back and wait for the ball, rather than lunging or swinging off-balance. He also is starting to relax and is putting less pressure on himself to succeed.--Mark Sheldon

A.L. central

Sporting News, The, May 20, 2005

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