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Thrill of the hunt: Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland have the White Sox's sights on a world championship

Sporting News, The, August 19, 2005 by Sean Deveney

Two years ago, White Sox ace Mark Buehrle broke character. He spent a bit of money--OK, a lot of money--on a 1,200-acre piece of land in rural Missouri, a home complete with four-wheelers and hunting stands for deer and wild turkeys. Buehrle usually is not a big spender. He's more Jack in the Box and Bud than Chez Robert and Bordeaux. He enjoys the property, he says, because he considers it an accomplishment, something he can give back to his family in suburban St. Louis.

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But Buehrle has not been able to accomplish one of his goals when it comes to his wilderness expanse: getting fellow pitcher Jon Garland, Buehrle's closest friend on the team, to suit up in oversize camouflage and join him for some deer hunting. Although Buehrle is a full-blooded Midwesterner with admitted redneck leanings, Garland is all Southern California. He has fired a gun but, he says, "never at anything that was alive. I don't think I have the stomach for that."

"You know what he's afraid of?" Buehrle says. "Shooting his foot off. That's what he says: 'I'm going to shoot my foot off.' I am trying to tell him, 'Look, you only pick up the gun when you see something you are going to shoot. And you don't point it at yourself.'"

For now, Buehrle and Garland will put off stalking big game in Missouri and deal with big games on Chicago's South Side, where the White Sox have ridden their pitching-and-defense philosophy to the top of the majors. The defense has been outstanding, with the Sox tied for the American League lead in fielding percentage and ranked fourth in double plays. The pitching staff tops the A.L. in ERA. Despite a mild post-All-Star Game slump, the Sox hold a comfortable 13-game lead in the Central Division. "Look at where we are right now and what we have been built on," says outfielder Jermaine Dye. "We're in position to do some special things."

At the forefront of those special things are Buehrle (13-4) and Garland (career-best 15-5), an odd couple of baseball buddies whose lockers at U.S. Cellular Field are side by side and who, says White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, "are always together, always talking." (Buehrle says, "Of course we're talking. We're starting pitchers. When you're not pitching, there's nothing else to do but talk.") On the surface, they have much in common. Both were All-Stars this season. Both turn 26 this year (Buehrle did in March; Garland will in September). Both arrived in Chicago five seasons ago with heavy expectations after brief minor league stints, and because neither of them knew how to act upon arriving in the majors, they bonded.

But the two took very different paths to this point. Garland was a 6-5 high school star, going 27-4 with a 1.22 ERA in three prep seasons. The righthander was USA Today's California player of the year as a senior, and he had a scholarship offer to powerhouse Southern California. He was drafted 10th overall in 1997 by the Cubs and signed for $1.325 million. Buehrle was a pint-sized lefthander who barely broke 80 mph in high school and was cut from the team as a freshman and sophomore. He had a growth spurt, though--he's 6-2 now--and his high school coach suggested he play for Jefferson College in Missouri. After going 16-4 in two seasons there, he was chosen by the White Sox in the 38th round in 1998. His signing bonus: $167,000.

Garland came to the big leagues with chosen one credentials--he was the youngest pitcher in the majors when he was called up in 2000--but it has taken him a while to live up to the expectations for him. He flashed a powerful sinker but was prone to mental mistakes. He entered this season with a disappointing 46-51 career record and had been dropped to the No. 5 starter's slot. General manager Ken Williams says he was not considering trading Garland, but the organization's patience was wearing thin.

"It's not like I wasn't trying in other years," Garland says. "It has just taken awhile for everything to come together. Coming into this year, I definitely had a sense of needing to make it happen now."

Buehrle, meanwhile, became the team's opening day starter and its ace in 2001, his first full season. He has great control of his cut fastball and changeup and has been one of the game's most consistent pitchers the past five years. Garland says he never was jealous of Buehrle but instead was more concerned about getting himself to Buehrle's level. "I have completely enjoyed watching Mark come in and have as much success as he has had," Garland says. "He's the ace, and he deserves to be. I always thought I was doing OK, but it's just that I knew I could do better."

He has done better--much better--and the White Sox are in position to make their first trip to the postseason since 2000. Led by Buehrle and Garland, Chicago has the best starting pitching in the A.L., with playoff-tested veterans Freddy Garcia (11-5) and Orlando Hernandez (8-4) also in the rotation.

Thrill of the hunt: Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland have the White Sox's sights on a world championship

Sporting News, The, August 19, 2005 by Sean Deveney

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