The biggest competition in White Sox camp this spring was the same one it's been the last few seasons: the battle for center field and the leadoff spot. The three candidates were Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens, and Dewayne Wise, with Owens starting camp as the favorite. Well, now Owens will be leaving camp without being able to say he's even a member of the White Sox organization.On Monday the White Sox placed Owens on waivers, which means that Dewayne Wise will be the team's starting center fielder and leadoff hitter.
"I can't say my performance was helping me at all," Owens said. "Dewayne is a great player and he picked it up the last few weeks. He deserved it."Owens was given every chance in the world to win the job ever since Aaron Rowand left the team following it's 2005 World Series championship, but he never could follow through on the promise the team saw in him. He was on his way to winning it last spring before a groin injury derailed his chances and his season.
As for Wise, he didn't win the job as much as he did the least to lose it all spring. A minor league journeyman, Wise caught on with the Sox towards the end of the 2008 season. Whether or not he's going to stick with the club remains to be seen, especially as a leadoff hitter.
In his major league career Wise is a .214 hitter with an OBP of .254, though he did hit .248 last season with an OBP of .293.
The possibility that the Sox will seek help from outside the organization still exists as the Yankees are shopping Melky Cabrera, and Kenny Williams and Brian Cashman have gotten together on deals before.
