Choose WISE-ly

I noticed an article on the Sox front page today saying Dewayne Wise will soon be starting his rehab assignment. Dewayne who? Oh yeah! Dewayne ‘The Rock’ Wise, who had the starting center fielder role at the beginning of this season. Right, right. Do you remember him? Do you even remember how he got injured? Something about diving and pulling a shoulder in the name of the team. Of course. Now I remember.

Well, in the meantime, there was Brian Anderson (whose batting average is second-highest on the team- the tallest midget if you will) and whose stellar defense was cut short when a strained oblique sidelined him in his prime- for the time being, of course. Then, there was Scott Podsednik. Everyone thought bringing him back was a joke, that he no longer had what he did back in ’05, etc. And here WE are, back to Spring Training, it seems.

So is there room for Dewayne Wise? I almost said, “Sure,” remembering how just a few games ago, Brent Lillibridge was straining his noodle arms to get a ball back to the infield. Carlos Quentin has issues, Brian Anderson was out, Wise was gone. But soon, when both Anderson and Wise are ready to play and the outfield seems to be, once again, much like spring training, overcrowded, who will be the odd man out? Pods? Anderson? Wise? Thome? We can only pray that it’s Wilson Betemit, but he’s not really an option.

Well, in giving the job back to Wise, you lose Pods’s speed. Sure, he’s not 22 anymore. And Brian Anderson is a hell of a runner. Heck, even Wise (at the advanced age of 31) can steal bases. But they are not Scotty Pods. He’s had about 3 infield singles this year. The rest of these guys have probably had 3 combined in the past 3 years. Maybe. Then there’s Anderson’s glove. Sure, Wise hurt himself making a spectacular catch, but he’s a distant second to Anderson. Or perhaps third.

What is there to gain? The possibility of the Dewayne Wise that made an impact last year. On occasion. Not leading off. In limited at-bats.

I am, once again, at a loss. This seems to be a lose-lose situation. If you were Ozzie, who would be your choice?