Gonzales:

One pitcher probably out of the loop is versatile reliever D.J. Carrasco, who stands a strong chance not to be tendered a contract by Saturday’s 11 p.m. deadline. The Sox met Wednesday with Carrasco’s agent at the winter meetings in Indianapolis but were several hundred thousand dollars apart.

That could give rookie Daniel Hudson a shot at taking over Carrasco’s role as a long reliever while being groomed as a future starting pitcher.

Gonzales:

With D.J. Carrasco likely to not be tendered a contract Saturday night and become a free agent, there is the chance that rookie Daniel Hudson could slide into Carrasco’s long relief role while receiving hands-on training from pitching coach Don Cooper and veteran pitchers Jake Peavy and Mark Buehrle.

But another consideration would be to send Hudson to the minors for more consistent work until he’s ready to join the major league staff. That would create a spot for Sergio Santos, who was converted from an infielder to a pitcher and possesses a 98 mph fastball.

Santos is out of options, and the Sox avoided losing him in Thursday’s Rule 5 draft by putting him on their 40-man roster. If Santos doesn’t pitch well in spring, the Sox could be faced with exposing him to waivers.

D.J’s Stats.

FutureSox:

[Sergio] Santos is a former 1st round pick, he was selected number 27 overall in the 2002 first year payer draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, but after stalling as an offensive prospect the White Sox signed him and converted him to pitching. In his first season off the mound Santos had some fairly mixed results, including an 8.16 ERA and a 6.38 BB/9 in 28.2 innings over four levels. There were some encouraging points for Santos, namely his 9.57 K/9 and a purported 99 mph fastball. The White Sox recently added Santos to the 40-man roster protecting him from this years Rule 5 Draft, so they obviously see something that they like in Sergio, but let’s see what PITCHf/x has to say. …

Gonzales:

The Sox have been interested more with Santos learning the nuances of pitching rather than with his results.

“They look more for improvement, like throwing four sliders and making sure at least two of them are strikes,” Santos said. “I’m now able to throw first-pitch sliders for strikes and on 3-2 counts, and changeups on 2-0 counts. It’s a daunting challenge, but I’ve learned in four months what other pitchers have done in their entire careers.”

Sergio loves Buddy:

Santos credits the Sox, particularly farm director Buddy Bell for the support that enabled him to make a position change. Santos was one of the first cuts of spring training in March but threw a bullpen session in front of several team officials before Bell asked him his preference. Santos wanted to give the infield one more try, so he was dealt to the Giants for future considerations before encountering a position logjam that resulted in him returning to the Sox to embark on a pitching career.

“To this day, I’m thankful for Buddy Bell,” Santos said. “He’s the best guy I’ve run across in baseball.”

Santos will play Winter Ball with Hermosillo in the Mexican Pacific League to be ready to compete for a spot in the Sox bullpen in the spring.

Cooper:

Name			Maximum	Average
Sergio Santos		98.8		95.95
Jacob Rasner		93.1		91.59
Matt Long		91.6		90.34
Justin Cassel		91.1		88.27
Kyle Bellamy		88.2		87.01

Jim:

… Watching Danks from the center field cam instead of from the side, that’s who he reminded me of, which isn’t good. Especially since Erstad once had good bat speed, but lost it as age and injuries took their toll.  If Danks can be busted with fastballs in — just like Ryan Sweeney, and just like Jerry Owens if you want to keep it to age-relevant types — it’s going to be an uphill climb.

The good news is that Danks handled all chances in center with ease, even with the dreaded high sky causing problems for others.  He also can take a pitch, and when you package it all together, you get a guy who can be useful. He’s just not a bat anybody should be counting on.

FutureSox:

Jordan Danks finished in the top five in hits, walks and OBP and led the league in runs scored (31). Danks plays good center field and the scouts agreed in various reports out of Arizona. He had a great walk rate (20 in 99 AB) and hit .343, but the concern has been contact rate and he did nothing to change that. He struck out in almost 22% of his plate appearances in Arizona, staying in line with his 2009 numbers in Winston-Salem and Birmingham. He doesn’t project to hit for big power so he will need to improve that to be a successful hitter in the Majors. At the same time, a good defensive center fielder that can get on-base will always have a job. …

BTW, the Tribune has some numbers here.

No games today. The Championship game is tomorrow (1:35 pm CT on MLB Network & MLB.com).

Let’s look at the final pitching stats for the Sox prospects:

Matt Long: 3.48 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP with 7 Ks and 1 BB in 10.1 IP
Kyle Bellamy: 1.59 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP with 7 Ks and 4 BBs in 5.2 IP
Sergio Santos: 6.14 ERA and a 1.70 WHIP with 20 Ks and 10 BBs in 14.2 IP
Justin Cassel: 7.85 ERA and a 1.91 WHIP with 13 Ks and 10 BBs in 18.1 IP
Jacob Rasner: 9.45 ERA and a 2.85 WHIP with 4 Ks and 6 BBs in 6.2 IP

DH:

The White Sox have purchased the contracts of outfielder Stefan Gartrell and right-handed pitchers Brandon Hynick, Brian Omogrosso and Sergio Santos from Class AAA Charlotte and right-hander Santo Luis from Class A Winston-Salem. With the moves, the White Sox 40-man roster is at 37.

No Shelby?

UPDATE: whitesox.com:

Santos’ numbers might not stand out, but he’s touched 97 mph while pitching in the Arizona Fall League over the past month and has shown improvement

“Sergio has a plus arm, and he’s someone who is drawing attention out there,” said Kirk Champion, the White Sox Minor League pitching coordinator.

Champion also said Santos’ slider is around the plate more than when he first transitioned and he has an outstanding changeup.

Mayo has the Rule 5 Draft order. The Sox have the 13th pick.

Scottsdale Scorpions vs. Peoria Javelinas: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing RF. Brent Morel is playing 3B. Weather: 68 degrees, sunny.

UPDATE: Peoria lost 17-9:

Jordan Danks: 2-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, .343 AVG
Brent Morel: 3-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, .435 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 1-3, 1 DP, .246 AVG
Sergio Santos: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 6.14 ERA

That was the final game of AFL’s regular season. The Championship between the Peoria Javelinas (18-14) and the Phoenix Desert Dogs (19-13) is on Saturday (1:35 pm CT on MLB Network & MLB.com).

Peoria Javelinas vs. Peoria Saguaros: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing CF. Brent Morel is playing 3B. Weather: 70 degrees, sunny.

UPDATE: Javelinas won 24-15:

Jordan Danks: 3-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 SB, .322 AVG
Brent Morel: 4-6, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 K, .396 AVG
Sergio Santos: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, 6.59 ERA

Mesa Solar Sox vs. Peoria Javelinas: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing DH. C.J. Retherford is playing 2B. Weather: 90 degrees, partly cloudy.

UPDATE: Peoria lost 8-5:

Jordan Danks: 0-3, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K .361 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 0-4, 2 K, 1 DP, .277 AVG
Sergio Santos: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, 6.75 ERA

Peoria Javelinas vs. Surprise Rafters: Boxscore, Gameday. Justin Cassel is the Starting Pitcher. Weather: 76 degrees, sunny.

UPDATE: Peoria won 12-5:

Justin Cassel: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 5.40 ERA
Sergio Santos: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 12.71 ERA

Mesa Solar Sox vs. Peoria Javelinas: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing RF. Dayan Viciedo is playing 3B. Justin Cassel is the Starting Pitcher. Weather: 76 degrees, sunny.

UPDATE: Peoria won 14-10:

Jordan Danks: 2-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 E (throw), .389 AVG
Justin Cassel: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 0 HR, 9.53 ERA
Matt Long: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 6.75 ERA
Sergio Santos: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 2 HR, 5.40 ERA

Here’s Tom Carkeek’s Justin Cassel article.

Peoria Javelinas vs. Mesa Solar Sox: Boxscore, Gameday. Dayan Viciedo is playing 3B. C.J. Retherford is playing DH. Weather: 88 degrees, sunny.

BTW, here’s Jonathan Mayo:

Sergio Santos, White Sox: Like Lo, he’s gone four innings without allowing a run. He has yielded five hits, but hasn’t walked anyone and has struck out four. Plus, it’s a cool story since Santos played in the Fall League a few years back as a shortstop.

And C.J. Retherford is twitting @ CJRetherfordAFL.

UPDATE: Peoria won 8-1:

Dayan Viciedo: 1-5, 2 RBI, 2 K, .333 AVG
C.J. Retherford: 0-2, 1 BB, .364 AVG
Jordan Danks: 1-1, 1 HR, 1 BB, .357 AVG
Jacob Rasner: 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 33.75 ERA

Peoria Saguaros vs. Peoria Javelinas: Boxscore, Gameday. Jordan Danks is playing LF. Dayan Viciedo is playing 3B. Weather: 84 degrees, sunny.

UPDATE: Javelinas won 13-3:

Jordan Danks: 2-5, 1 2B, 1 K, .250 AVG, 1 SB
Dayan Viciedo: 2-5, 1 RBI, 2 K, .385 AVG, 1 DP
Sergio Santos: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, o ER, 3 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 0.00 ERA

In their first game, the Peoria Javelinas, this year’s Sox team, take on the Surprise Rafters. I see Dayan Viciedo at 3B in the lineups. Boxscore. Gameday. Weather: 75 degrees, sunny.

BTW, RHP Sergio Santos has replaced RHP Henry Mabee on the Peoria Javelinas roster.

UPDATE: Viciedo went 0-3 with an RBI (sacrifice fly) and 1 K. Santos pitched 2  scoreless innings (3 H, 0 R, 1 K, 0 BB).  Gameday shows most of his fastballs at 95-96 MPH (he threw one at 96 and one at 97 too).

UPDATE #1: Tom Carkeek says Viciedo “look[ed] solid at third” but “did nothing” after his warning track sacrifice fly in his 1st at-bat.

 Shiva Natarája

“Natarája significa rei dos bailarinos. Ele figura no centro de um círculo de fogo, pisoteando o “demônio” da ignorância. Numa de suas mãos, há um pequeno tambor, o damaru, com o qual marca o ritmo do Universo. Seus vários braços sugerem movimento.

Natarája é a manifestação de Shiva envolvido na trama do mundo, integrado à existência de outros seres. É o oposto de Shiva Shankara, isolado nos himalayas em seu ascetismo. Natarája representa aquele que vive, trabalha, luta e atua na sociedade e, ao mesmo tempo, acha-se plenamente consciente da efemeridade nela contida. O yôgin que medita na forma Natarája não precisa retirar-se do mundo para consquistar a meta do Yôga.”

(Trecho extraído do Livro: A força da gratidão (pújá), de Sérgio Santos, fls. 60, 1a Edição, 2006, Editora Nobel). 

Segundo ainda o Léxico de Yôga Antigo (SwáSthya Yôga Kôsha), de Lucila Silva, fls. 135, 1a Edição, 2007, DeRose Editora, “Natarája, uma das formas de Shiva: sua dança representa a contínua criação-destruição do Universo. A coreografia de Shiva é o girar do tempo. Existem dois tipos principais da dança de Shiva, com aspectos antagônicos: tándava e lásya.”

“Tándava é a dança feroz e violenta, representando a manifestação coléria de Shiva em sua forma Natarája, em contraposição a lásya, a dança lírica e suave, cheia de doçura, representando as emoções da ternura e do amor.” (Op. citada, fls. 204). 

“Só posso crer num deus que saiba dançar”. (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche)

[guest blog by ColumbusHype]

Looking to save some money, Sergio Santos decided to move out of his expensive Delray Beach apartment and into something a little more modest: a closet. For $150 a month, Sergio lives in a 5 ft by 14 ft—77 sq ft—closet above a local restaurant. The frugal man managed to construct the closet’s interior entirely from recycled materials, and furnished his apartment for a mere $64. At first, Sergio didn’t think he was going to make it for very long in his new closet-sized living space, but after a while he grew used to the space and says now, “I have just become very well-fitted here.”

Mi nombre completo es Sergio Adelso Santos Aguilar, nací en Guatemala el 3 de febrero de 1992, mis padres se llaman sergio Sergio Santos y Luisa Aguilar. Entre mis aficiones se encuentran los videojuegos y el futbol.

"Rainbow Bloodbath" by Jude Baffum

(picture source)

“NBC local news reporter Brandon Lewis braves extreme sprinkler conditions to bring you an important breaking story.” (buzzfeed)

Shirtless Italian guy spits popcorn kernals at a flaming torch.  This is a very specific fetish. (ohhaveyouseenthis, video below, and yes, it’s possibly fake)

Funny pictures: Congratulations, Jim and Today’s word is make.

How to put your balls on Eminem: A Practical Guide (cracked)

Architect Sergio Santos turned a 77 square foot closet into an apartment with $64 and scrap materials. (slideshow here; article here)

Honey, you don't really need the closet do you?

How much would you pay to live in a closet? Unemployed architect Sergio Santos is paying $150 a month to live in his. Yep, when Sergio lost his job and couldn’t afford to live in an apartment in Florida he did a deal with a dude to rent out his 5 .5 by 14 feet (1.7x 4.5m) closet space.Now he has a bed, mini kitchen and office right at his fingertips and is as happy as a hamster. Slightly weird but none the less smart. I hope his girlfriend doesn’t mind!

Flyer design for Boston-based techno crew and weekly club event.

So I finally got around to launching a podcast series..  and Ok Ok.. don’t flame me just yet because I haven’t set up the feed properly.. but I’m workin on it! In the meantime I’ve uploaded the first podcast for direct download – HERE. This one’s a tech/housey romp at 122-124 bpm.. a little Mistress Barbara and Chris Leibing for the tek-heads, Drums of Death for the ravers, Dance Mania for the freaks and househeads. I’m kinda psyched about Drums 95 (Metalheads) pitched to 122.. makes for a nasty break under Derrick May. I had fun with this one and I hope you like it too.

Stay tuned for the proper launch (with subscription) SOON! Got mixes coming up from Claire (DJ Isis), Sergio Santos, Randy Deshaies, James Alderwood and plenty of other talented DJs from around the globe.  I wanted to let you guys know I am open for submissions if you have something fantastic that might fit our groove.. housey, tech, glitch, idm… more or less the flavors that run around this blog. Love to hear what you’ve got!

Defy Gravity Podcast 001 – Mike Nouveau / Push and Pull / March 2009 / 60 min

1. Jay Haze – Cant Forget [DJ Sneak Re Dub Mix] (Tuning Spork)
2. Christian Burkhardt – Tape It (Oslo)
3. Kevin Saunderson – Bounce Yoru Body To The Box [Mike Shannon's Flashback Mix]
4. Kevin Saunderson – The Human Bond [Claude VonStroke Rave Recognize Rave Mix]
5. Peace Division – Freak This (8bit)
6. Drums of Death – Dodfucksupanescorttune (DOD)
7. Audio Soul Project – Reality Check [Vincenzo Remix] (Dessous)
8. Sueno Latino [Derrick May Emotion 2 rmx]
9. Doc Scott – Drums 95 [Nasty Habits rmx] (Metalheadz)
10. Mistress Barbara – Dance me to the end of Love
11.  Subway – Delta (Soul Jazz)
12. Peace Division – Hold It (8bit)
13. Josh Wink – Counter Clock 319 [Reorganized By Chris Liebing] (Ovum)
14. Drop the Lime – Hear Me (Drums of Death Remix)
15. Paul Ritch – Evil Laff (Wagon Repair)
16. Kevin Yost – Photo Shoot (i records)
17. Foat & Boddy – Droidnosh (Mule)
18. St. Sebastian – Dirt Bag Dirty Jay [Phonique Remix] (Dessous)
19. Dirt Crew – Soundwave [Quarion's Drunken Wave Remix] (Dirt Crew)
20. Darien – Beat It (Dance Mania)
21. Kris Wadsworth – High Roller (Hypercolour)
22. Sam Irl – You Don’t Feel Enough (Pulver)