For Sox, Central planning starts with Peavy

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 | Feedback | Print Entry

A couple of weeks ago, Chicago White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper mentioned to Jake Peavy that he was in the process of mapping out the starting rotation, and picking the starter for Opening Day. Not long after, Peavy phoned Cooper and told him that as far as Peavy was concerned, somebody else should have that honor.

Out of respect for the White Sox, for Mark Buehrle, for the other pitchers on the staff, Peavy asked that his name being taken out of consideration.

 
 

For how the Sox plan to win the AL Central, where in the South Johnny Damon thinks he's heading, evaluations on Seattle's "back three" in the rotation, and more Mets messes -- become an ESPN Insider.
  • Buster Olney Buster Olney

    Buster Olney is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine. He began covering baseball in 1989, as the Nashville Banner's beat reporter assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. Later, he covered the San Diego Padres (1993-94), the Baltimore Orioles ('95-96), the New York Mets ('97) and the Yankees ('98-2001). Olney joined ESPN The Magazine in 2003, after six years at The New York Times, and he's the author of the Times' best-seller "The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty," a book about the Paul O'Neill-Tino Martinez Yankees dynasty of 1996-01.

    He grew up in central Vermont collecting baseball cards and listening to Red Sox, Expos, Phillies and Pirates radio broadcasts, and was a rabid fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He graduated from Vanderbilt University the same year as hoops legend Will Perdue, and ranks among the all-time leading scorers in pickup basketball at Memorial Gym. He claims to have witnessed the Commodores' winning football season in 1982 (although anthropologists have not yet confirmed this).

    Olney also contributes to ESPN.com, ESPN Radio, ESPNEWS, "SportsCenter" and "Baseball Tonight."

    Follow Buster on Twitter: @Buster_ESPN

    Ask Buster a question: Buster's Mailbag

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