Tuesday night was a big win for the White Sox. They're trying to bounce back from that terrible losing streak, looking to beat the Yankees for the second night in a row. Gavin Floyd was stupendous as he completely shut the Yankees down, allowing 2 runs and 4 hits over 8 innings. The Sox scored one run on a Gordon Beckham single in the 5th and didn't score again until Paul Konerko stepped to the plate in the 8th, turning a 97 mph fastball around and parking it in the left field bleachers with a man on. It still amazes me that pitchers continue to try to sneak fastballs past Paulie. He's one of the best fast ball hitters in the game. The bullpen (Santos) was a little shaky in the 9th, Brent Lillibridge picked up Santos with 2 amazing catches to end the game and give Santos the 4 out save (as he had come in with 2 outs in the 8th).
This was a big win for our Sox, the Yankees are a solid team and going into New York and playing in Yankee stadium is never easy to do, especially when you're struggling. The Sox came in, battled all game and got a huge home run out of their captain in the 8th. Gavin Floyd was absolutely stellar. He showed a lot of poise and maturity, keeping the team in the game for 8 innings like that. The Sox are showing signs of heart, they are scrapping so hard right now trying to put wins together and get into a groove.
Brent lillibridge got in for a pinch run in the 8th inning.... and thank God he did, because he took extra bases away from both A-Rod and Cano and no doubt saved the game in the 9th. With a running catch as he smashed against the wall in right on a long drive by A-Rod only to follow it with a game ending diving grab taking heroics away from Cano on the next at bat!
As the offense is starting to come around, this team continues to improve. The pitching staff has really been stepping it up (they know the offense has been struggling). All it comes down to now is waiting for the offense to totally break out, because when they do, we will be rolling people.
We're in New York again tomorrow first pitch is at 6:05 and thats over on WCIU. GO SOX
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Humber shuts down bombers
Well Sox fans, we did it. We scored enough runs to win, the starting pitching was flawless and the bullpen was lights out. Everything clicked arguably for the first time this season for the White Sox. Phil Humber was on fire in the house that Ruth built on Monday night. Holding the Yankees hitless until the 7th inning. The kid came out and performed like a veteran. Pitching in the 5th spot in a rotation for a team who has been STRUGGLING, in Yankee stadium, on ESPN, and Phil Humber looked like Cy Young. Talk about stepping up for your club, Humber knows his team has really been struggling and when a team is struggling as hard as we have been, it becomes mental. Humber went out and refused to let his team lose, he knew the offense has been struggling to score, so what does he do? Refuse to let the Yankees score a single run. He kept his team in the game and was tremendous for 7 innings.
Phil Humber? More like Phil "Humbler".... Cause.... Cause he "humbled" the Yankees offense....
The offense show signs of life for the first time in days, putting guys on base multiple times, and actually knocking in a couple of those guys. It was the first time they had scored since the 7th inning on Friday night, crazy. Konerko and Dunn each had an RBI as the middle of the lineup did what they're paid to do.... drive in runs.
The bullpen was stellar as Santos recorded the 4 out save. I'll be honest, I did not have the highest of expectations for tonight's game. We've been struggling, its Yankee stadium, Phil Humber was on the mound. But you know what, sometimes when you least expect it, the season hits a turning point. We can only hope Monday night was our turning point. It was an unexpected win for a team desperate to put a "W" on the schedule. Its hard fought wins like the one tonight that can pull a slumping time right out of said slump.
We can only wait and see what the Sox do tomorrow. Hopefully the offense will wake up and start putting up runs, because the pitching has been good enough to win almost every game this season. The bullpen IS settling in, which is great to see. Once this offense gets going, this team is going to be very dangerous.
On a side note, how about those ESPN announcers? My God are they horrendous. I kept the volume on for a half inning. ESPN does nothing but employ East Coast biased blowhards who don't know shit about baseball. Aaron Boone? What is he going to analyze? How not to be successful at the plate? Yea, hey Aaron, next time I'm wondering how to wiff at a batting practice fastball IN A HOME RUN DERBY (2003), I'll call you, until then, get off the roids so it doesn't sound like theres a 12 year old schoolgirl doing a crappy job at analyzing my baseball game on TV.
Tim Kurkjin? My God, talk about a blowhard..... why not just put Bobby Valentine and Skip Balis in the booth with Boone and Kurkjin? They can all talk about the most absurd and unrealistic topics during the game while only being able to truly agree that the MLB only consists of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Phillies. I literally only had the volume on for less than half an inning and I couldn't stand it. All they talked about was how awful the Sox are (because you know theres ONLY 140 games left, so we can make that assumption, I mean the seasons practically over already) And Derek Jeter/Aroid. What a joke....
My cousin Tim and I were talking the other day, Why doesn't ESPN make another Network? They'll have their regular ESPN like they have now, where all they'll focus on are East Coast teams, Tiger Woods, the Miami Heat/Lebron James and Jim Tressel. And then they can have another one called "ESPN Everyone Else" where they actually focus on the other 97% of the sports world and teams that just get neglected by the "World Wide Leader in Sports."
I just can't stand the national sports media.
Anyway, big win, we NEED to build on this, its all mental at this point, guys are pressing hard, they just need to relax and stroke the ball. We'll be just fine, mark my words, June 1st we will be above .500 and in contention.
The offense show signs of life for the first time in days, putting guys on base multiple times, and actually knocking in a couple of those guys. It was the first time they had scored since the 7th inning on Friday night, crazy. Konerko and Dunn each had an RBI as the middle of the lineup did what they're paid to do.... drive in runs.
The bullpen was stellar as Santos recorded the 4 out save. I'll be honest, I did not have the highest of expectations for tonight's game. We've been struggling, its Yankee stadium, Phil Humber was on the mound. But you know what, sometimes when you least expect it, the season hits a turning point. We can only hope Monday night was our turning point. It was an unexpected win for a team desperate to put a "W" on the schedule. Its hard fought wins like the one tonight that can pull a slumping time right out of said slump.
We can only wait and see what the Sox do tomorrow. Hopefully the offense will wake up and start putting up runs, because the pitching has been good enough to win almost every game this season. The bullpen IS settling in, which is great to see. Once this offense gets going, this team is going to be very dangerous.
On a side note, how about those ESPN announcers? My God are they horrendous. I kept the volume on for a half inning. ESPN does nothing but employ East Coast biased blowhards who don't know shit about baseball. Aaron Boone? What is he going to analyze? How not to be successful at the plate? Yea, hey Aaron, next time I'm wondering how to wiff at a batting practice fastball IN A HOME RUN DERBY (2003), I'll call you, until then, get off the roids so it doesn't sound like theres a 12 year old schoolgirl doing a crappy job at analyzing my baseball game on TV.
Tim Kurkjin? My God, talk about a blowhard..... why not just put Bobby Valentine and Skip Balis in the booth with Boone and Kurkjin? They can all talk about the most absurd and unrealistic topics during the game while only being able to truly agree that the MLB only consists of the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and Phillies. I literally only had the volume on for less than half an inning and I couldn't stand it. All they talked about was how awful the Sox are (because you know theres ONLY 140 games left, so we can make that assumption, I mean the seasons practically over already) And Derek Jeter/Aroid. What a joke....
My cousin Tim and I were talking the other day, Why doesn't ESPN make another Network? They'll have their regular ESPN like they have now, where all they'll focus on are East Coast teams, Tiger Woods, the Miami Heat/Lebron James and Jim Tressel. And then they can have another one called "ESPN Everyone Else" where they actually focus on the other 97% of the sports world and teams that just get neglected by the "World Wide Leader in Sports."
I just can't stand the national sports media.
Anyway, big win, we NEED to build on this, its all mental at this point, guys are pressing hard, they just need to relax and stroke the ball. We'll be just fine, mark my words, June 1st we will be above .500 and in contention.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Offense Stalls in Motor City
Well Sox fans, Im going to make this one short and sweet. The White Sox offense struggled against a dangerous Verlander in Detroit on Friday night. It rained the entire game as the Tigers hit Mark Buehrle around the yard. The Sox got 3 runs on 3 solo home runs (2 from Quentin and a Prayer off the foul pole from Konerko). Final score was 9-3 Tigers......... Be right back.......
Ok, sorry, just had to run to the bathroom and vomit real quick...
It just isn't bouncing our way right now folks. Every time we hit the ball hard, its right at someone or just foul. But, when it rains, it pours in baseball, and right now there's a hurricane cell over the South Side of Chicago.
There really isn't much more to say folks, its early, we're slumping, but at least we're getting the slumps and errors out of us early, because we have a very long way to go. Frustration is understandable, but there is no reason for anyone to give up hope. Its times like these in baseball when the best thing to do is weather the storm, 2 weeks from now, we won't even remember this skid. Thats the beauty of this game, a short memory, is the best memory.
I'll leave you with these words from the very wise Hawk Harrelson: Sox fans right now we "gotta sinch it up and hunker down."
Ok, sorry, just had to run to the bathroom and vomit real quick...
It just isn't bouncing our way right now folks. Every time we hit the ball hard, its right at someone or just foul. But, when it rains, it pours in baseball, and right now there's a hurricane cell over the South Side of Chicago.
There really isn't much more to say folks, its early, we're slumping, but at least we're getting the slumps and errors out of us early, because we have a very long way to go. Frustration is understandable, but there is no reason for anyone to give up hope. Its times like these in baseball when the best thing to do is weather the storm, 2 weeks from now, we won't even remember this skid. Thats the beauty of this game, a short memory, is the best memory.
I'll leave you with these words from the very wise Hawk Harrelson: Sox fans right now we "gotta sinch it up and hunker down."
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Wait For a Win is Over
There was a collective sigh of relief on the South Side of Chicago Thursday night as the White Sox snapped a 7 game skid, routing the Rays 9-2. The offense showed up in full force which is something that we have not seen in a week. The Sox did exactly what they were expected to do against Niemann (The Rays starting pitcher) who came into the game with an era up over 6.
Plenty of highlights to talk about in this one. Carlos Quentin rocketed a double into right center field, which was nice to see the Q using all fields, he picked up 2 RBIs on the day.
Ball was Scolded.....
The captain was 3-5 with a few RBIs, Omar Vizquel had the first 2 RBIs of the game, one of which was a double off the right field wall (yet again proving age is just a number at 44 years old) and Gavin Floyd showed great poise and damage control, pitching out of a few jams and holding the Rays to only 2 runs.
My player of the game, Juan Pierre. Proving that he is the battery to this offense (as I have been saying for weeks). Here was an offense that came into this game slumping big time, looking for any kind of a spark to get them going. Pierre didn't waste anytime supplying said spark. His first at bat (the first at bat of the game) He laid down a nice bunt towards the third base line, forcing Felipe Lopez ( Rays third basemen) to charge in and rush his throw, which he threw down the right field line, Pierre scurried all the way into third base, setting up Omar to do exactly what was needed by putting the ball in play on the ground, to the right side. 1-0 Sox. Pierre then got things started in the 3rd. With yet another bunt single. Setting up Omar for a double off the wall, scoring Pierre from first. As we say in baseball, "Hits are contagious;" as the White Sox took off from there, putting up 4 runs in the 3rd, 1 in the 5th, 2 in the 6th, and 1 in the 8th.
I want to take a minute to talk about something I have picked up on over the course of our very young season that has been extremely frustrating. The White Sox pitching staff and their approach with 2 outs. I don't remember the last time the Sox have given up so many 2 out runs. There have been numerous times this season that our pitching staff, wether it be the bullpen or the starters, have worked hard and retired the first 2 batters in an inning, just to come back and walk the next 2 and give up a double (or something along those lines). Everyone knows you have to work hard for all 3 outs, it has been evident to me that our guys have really been getting lax after they've recorded 2 outs. We have actually lost games because of the 2 out runs we've been giving up. There's no excuse for it, you work hard for all 3 outs and you won't have any problems. But the 2 out walks and the hit parades that have begun with 2 outs have been really grinding my gears. Just something to keep in mind and keep an eye out for next time you're watching the game. Don Cooper really needs to get that issue settled down, because those runs are not only damaging to the score, they're damaging to the teams morale, 2 out runs are just a heart smasher, especially when there's no one on base with 2 down and you give up 2 or 3 runs.
But not to rain on the White Sox first win in over a week. This was the team that I expected to see all year, solid pitching, great bullpen support, and relentless offense. Yesterday's game was the typical slump breaker. You could just see the confidence build in our offense, a little more each time they went around the lineup. Look for a hard fought series as we go into the toilet bowl of the midwest (Detroit) this Easter weekend. We have Verlander tonight, who we usually struggle against, hopefully our offense and its new found confidence can pull one out in the motor city.
Go Sox, God I hate Detroit....
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Plenty of highlights to talk about in this one. Carlos Quentin rocketed a double into right center field, which was nice to see the Q using all fields, he picked up 2 RBIs on the day.
Ball was Scolded.....
The captain was 3-5 with a few RBIs, Omar Vizquel had the first 2 RBIs of the game, one of which was a double off the right field wall (yet again proving age is just a number at 44 years old) and Gavin Floyd showed great poise and damage control, pitching out of a few jams and holding the Rays to only 2 runs.
My player of the game, Juan Pierre. Proving that he is the battery to this offense (as I have been saying for weeks). Here was an offense that came into this game slumping big time, looking for any kind of a spark to get them going. Pierre didn't waste anytime supplying said spark. His first at bat (the first at bat of the game) He laid down a nice bunt towards the third base line, forcing Felipe Lopez ( Rays third basemen) to charge in and rush his throw, which he threw down the right field line, Pierre scurried all the way into third base, setting up Omar to do exactly what was needed by putting the ball in play on the ground, to the right side. 1-0 Sox. Pierre then got things started in the 3rd. With yet another bunt single. Setting up Omar for a double off the wall, scoring Pierre from first. As we say in baseball, "Hits are contagious;" as the White Sox took off from there, putting up 4 runs in the 3rd, 1 in the 5th, 2 in the 6th, and 1 in the 8th.
I want to take a minute to talk about something I have picked up on over the course of our very young season that has been extremely frustrating. The White Sox pitching staff and their approach with 2 outs. I don't remember the last time the Sox have given up so many 2 out runs. There have been numerous times this season that our pitching staff, wether it be the bullpen or the starters, have worked hard and retired the first 2 batters in an inning, just to come back and walk the next 2 and give up a double (or something along those lines). Everyone knows you have to work hard for all 3 outs, it has been evident to me that our guys have really been getting lax after they've recorded 2 outs. We have actually lost games because of the 2 out runs we've been giving up. There's no excuse for it, you work hard for all 3 outs and you won't have any problems. But the 2 out walks and the hit parades that have begun with 2 outs have been really grinding my gears. Just something to keep in mind and keep an eye out for next time you're watching the game. Don Cooper really needs to get that issue settled down, because those runs are not only damaging to the score, they're damaging to the teams morale, 2 out runs are just a heart smasher, especially when there's no one on base with 2 down and you give up 2 or 3 runs.
But not to rain on the White Sox first win in over a week. This was the team that I expected to see all year, solid pitching, great bullpen support, and relentless offense. Yesterday's game was the typical slump breaker. You could just see the confidence build in our offense, a little more each time they went around the lineup. Look for a hard fought series as we go into the toilet bowl of the midwest (Detroit) this Easter weekend. We have Verlander tonight, who we usually struggle against, hopefully our offense and its new found confidence can pull one out in the motor city.
Go Sox, God I hate Detroit....
IF YOU LIKE WHAT I WRITE, PLEASE HELP ME GET THE WORD AROUND BY POSTING THIS TO YOUR FACEBOOK OR TWITTER, USING THE BUTTONS BELOW! THANK YOU!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Slumping
The title says it all people, we're slumping, hard. Our pitching has not been bad lately folks, I'll say this, the pitching has been good enough to win (for the most part). You can still see a lack of confidence in a few guys, its early, thats normal. But the offense has really been struggling. The White Sox were shutout today as the surging Rays dominated every aspect of the game. There really is not much more to say.
Sticking with the optimistic theme that I have had during this losing streak. Its early, last season the White Sox had an awful April and by mid-season were right in the pennant race. This team is a better team than last year. Be happy they're getting the kinks out early and during a pennant race in late September. What frustrates me are the games we lost in the 9th inning so far this season, because this slump now and the losses that we are picking up now, are really magnifying those blown games.
But stay positive everyone, baseball is a game of adjustments, inconsistencies, and grooves. Our offense will adjust, our inconsistencies will level out and we will hit a groove.
Thats all I got
Sticking with the optimistic theme that I have had during this losing streak. Its early, last season the White Sox had an awful April and by mid-season were right in the pennant race. This team is a better team than last year. Be happy they're getting the kinks out early and during a pennant race in late September. What frustrates me are the games we lost in the 9th inning so far this season, because this slump now and the losses that we are picking up now, are really magnifying those blown games.
But stay positive everyone, baseball is a game of adjustments, inconsistencies, and grooves. Our offense will adjust, our inconsistencies will level out and we will hit a groove.
Thats all I got
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Swept by an Angel
Dan Haren was dominant on Sunday in Chicago. He came into the game (3-0) with a .78 ERA. So needless to say, we had our work cut out for us. We saw vintage Mark Buehrle, getting into trouble early, displaying damage control, while scattering 4 runs and 10 hits over the course of 7 innings. The offense struggled against Haren, unable to do anything until the 7th inning. We strung together some hits, put up 2 runs and had 1st and 2nd with 2 outs. Juan Pierre was at the plate and Angels manager Mike Scioscia elected to go to his bullpen for some help from Francisco Rodriguez. Pierre proceeded to swing at the first pitch, (a questionable decision at best) grounding out to short.
Fast-forward to the bottom of the 9th. Quentin leads off with a double, Rios walked, AJ lays down THE PERFECT sacrifice bunt, bringing Alexi Ramirez to the plate. Now as I've posted before, I am not a fan of Alexi Ramirez as a hitter and he displayed exactly why that is during his at bat in the 9th. Ok, let me just say, if I'm going up there in the 9th with the tying run on 2nd base, I'm ONLY swinging first pitch if 2 things happen: 1. Its a fastball 2. Its in my wheelhouse.
Alexi let it fly on a change up at his ankles first pitch. Strike one.
Next pitch, fastball at his shins, lets her fly, strike 2.
At this point the at bat was over, next pitch, fastball above his eyes, swing and a miss.
Just about the worst at bat someone could put together in that situation. I mean you have to be selective in that situation, you don't swing first pitch at anything BUT a fastball. You need to put the ball in play, striking out on 3 pitches is the worst thing he could have done, at least take a pitch, make the guy throw a few pitches, battle up there. Just an awful at bat. Then Vizquel walks, and Pierre improves to 0 for 5 on the day with a game ending fly out to left.
Sox fans, we are NOT playing smart baseball right now. We have put together some of the most brain dead at bats in key situations on this home stand, Quentin green lights it on a 3-0 count with the tying run 90 feet away and a pitcher on the mound with control issues ( Friday night). Pierre swings first pitch (right after a pitching change) in the 7th to totally kill our threat (Today, Sunday). That’s not Pierre's game, he needs to take pitches, work the count, make the pitchers work, get his pitch and slap a base hit. Then Ramirez swings at everything in the 9th, putting together another one of his stellar at bats.
The good news is, the bullpen has been lights out these last few games. The starting pitching has been good enough to win (minus Floyd yesterday). Now the offense is slumping.
I’m going to continue to beat this dead horse without mercy and say, try not to get to frustrated. Its still early, we're closer to hitting the groove. The Defense FINALLY did not record an error today and like I said before, the bullpen has been settling in, the starting pitching has been consistently good. Now we just need to offense to break out a little bit and it will all flow.
I'll leave you with this, sometimes gifts come in strange packages. The last time the Sox were swept at home by the Angels.... 2005. We all know how that season ended.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Scuffling Sox continue to skid
Well Sox fans, its official, the Sox are struggling. Not much has seemed to go the Sox way during the second half of this 10 game home stand. And today was no different, Gavin Floyd was on the bump for the Sox and he didn't look to good. After making a bonehead play on a rundown between 3rd and home with Vernon Wells, he threw a wild pitch, which allowed Wells to score. After a Carlos Quentin Bomb in the bottom half of the 5th the Sox were within 2 runs posting a 3-1 score. Floyd came out in the 6th, got the first 2 guys, walked two and gave up a bomb. Needless to say at that point the game was over.
I have noticed that the pitching staff has been walking an abnormal amount of guys, it seems that they have been struggling to record the 3rd out of the innings this year. Which makes it frustrating when they work hard for the first two outs and let up on the third. That should not happen nearly as much as it has been. The defense continues to struggle, after today they have recorded 15 errors in 14 games, which is sickening.
It just comes down to fact that the team is struggling all around; nothing is really clicking or bouncing our way. These slumps happen during the season all the time, lets just be glad we're getting it out of the way early. Once the weather warms up and the bullpen guys find their roles and settle in, they'll start winning games. Just hang in there Sox fans, everything will improve. Like I've been saying, we just need to hang in there around the top of the division and come May, when the weather warms up, so will the team.
Hang in there everyone. Its still really early, we'll start rolling soon. Just keep supporting them and you will be rewarded with wins soon.
Weaver shuts down Sox, frusteration mounts
Ok, so Friday night’s game against the Angles was a strange one. First of all coming into the game, I really didn't expect much because we had Phil Humber on the mound against Jared Weaver who has absolutely been shutting bats down. Coming into Friday night Weaver had pitched something like 27 innings and had only given up 9 hits.
Needless to say the way the game went was still frustrating, despite my low expectations. We took an early 1-0 lead and Humber was looking all right, pitching his way out of jams. Until the s*** hit the fan in the 4th inning, a few bad pitches and some poor defense led to a 4 spot by the Angels, which would prove to be their only runs. Unfortunately, 4 was enough on Friday.
Weaver was mowing us down and it looked like he was in a monster groove, as if nothing could stop him. Then the rain hit and I thought, "Well this might be our only chance to break his rhythm." Well after a 35 minute rain delay Beckham reached on error and Dunn hit a rolling curveball from weaver about 10 rows deep in the right field bleachers. And those 2 runs would be the last 2 that the Sox would score for the night.
There were 2 turning points in this game. The first one, early in the game, the Sox threatening Weaver had 1st and 2nd nobody out with Morel at the plate. Well Morel attempted to move the runners over with a sacrifice bunt and popped it up to the catcher, which seemed to really kill what could have been a big 3rd inning.
The second one (one that boggled my mind and raised my blood pressure) the Sox are down 4-3 in the 8th. We have 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Fernando Rodney was struggling big time with his control on the bump for the Angels. He had fallen behind to all of our hitters and had walked Adam Dunn. He falls behind 3-0 to Quentin with first base open. At this point Im thinking, well he'll be taking all the way here, if he walks bases are loaded and the way Rodney is going, he might walk in the tying run! Well for what ever reason (I don’t know if it came from the dugout or Quentin's own intelligence) but HE HAD THE GREEN LIGHT, SWUNG 3-0 AND FLEW OUT TO RIGHT FIELD!!! At this point, I lost it. Why on earth, in that situation, would you give him the green light? I don’t mind the green light on 3-0, but only if the situation is right! Not when you NEED a base hit or a base runner. It was just dumb baseball and that absolutely killed it, at that point, I knew it was over.
There were a lot of positives, the team fought back again, bringing the go ahead run to the plate multiple times. The bullpen really stepped up, picking up the slack for Humber and pitching 4 solid innings. Sergio Santos got the nod in the 9th and looked sharp, I think he's our best shot for closer as of right now. To have made this game such a good game with such a lopsided pitching matchup was definitely a positive thing.
I know it might seem like the team is slipping or just aren't as good as we all thought they were going to be. But remember, we have 150 games left people. This is going to be one damn good team when they settle in a click as a team. We've been winning games with Dunn out of the lineup and Peavy still in rehab. Wait until Peavy comes back and Dunn settles in at DH. This team will contend for the American League Pennant in October. Mark my words right now. We just have to be patient and let them work out the kinks, and it will really flow.
They will hang around the top of the division for the rest of April, as soon as May hits and the weather starts warming up, watch out. The bats will start heating up even more than they already are. The bullpen will be settled in. The defense will calm down and start making all the plays. They're going to be a fun team to watch, just hang in there and remember its early, its no time to give up hope or start doubting them. Remember, the 05 Houston Astros started the season 15-30 and went to the World Series.
Tomorrow we're on FOX at 3:10 (central time). So sit back, relax, and strap it down, because the Fox announcers suck
Thursday, April 14, 2011
South Side, Sox Side, take pride.
Ok, so because of the way the bullpen/ defense has been performing in the 9th innings so far this season, especially with Wednesday nights heartbreaking loss still fresh in our minds, I thought I would take today’s White Sox off-day and write a little something about what it means to be a Southsider and A white Sox fan (Usually these are interchangeable).
Teams like the Red Sox, Cubs, Yankees and Dodgers are name brand, nationally followed teams. There are so many Cubs or Yankees “fans” around the globe that the majority of them couldn’t tell you a thing about their “teams.” You might refer to them as “the common fan.” What makes us special, Sox fans, is that we do not consist of just common fans. Sure, there are some Sox fans who don’t exactly follow the team, just like there are some Cub or Yankee fans who DO follow their teams. But the majority of Sox fans know baseball and they know their team.
Amongst most South Side families, the Sox run deep in that family, like hair loss or brown eyes. Our families have lived and died with the Sox, from Charles Comiskey to Bill Veck, to Jerry Reinsdorf. They aren’t just a team that keeps us entertained or gives us a place to go during the summer, they’re part of our family, making nightly visits into our living rooms or places of business through our television or radio, guided there by the smooth, eccentric voice of Hawk Harrelson or the monotone of Ed Farmer. When they lose, it seems as though, for a brief moment, we will never feel happiness again, and when they win, the sun is a little brighter and the air, a little cleaner. We could recognize one of our players by the way he stands in the field, his batting routine or the style of facial hair he sports.
When “Don’t stop believin” comes on the radio, we don’t think back to the 80’s… our minds are “swept” away, back to 2005, the greatest year Sox fans have ever known. Instead of Steve Perry and ‘Journey’ we think Aaron Rowand, Scotty Pods, Paulie and the “journey” they took us on. Everyone knows where they were when Uribe recorded the most important 6-3 putout in White Sox history, bringing the commissioner’s trophy back to 35th and Shields, thus igniting the powder keg of happiness that was the South Side of Chicago.
When someone says “1959” we think Nellie Fox, Go Go White Sox, and the first Mayor Daley setting off the “air raid” sirens in Chicago in celebration of a White Sox American League pennant. Half the City thought we were being bombed while the other half was dancing in the streets.
When the power goes out and someone yells “blackout” we think 163 in 08. Drama with the Twins, again. Jim Thome’s monster blast to the fan deck, Ken Griffey Jr.’s peg from center field and John Danks, the untouchable.
“83” isn’t just a number, its Winning Ugly, the blue and red logo, LaRussa was manager, the Sox had the rookie of the year award (Ron Kittle) and the American League Cy Young (LaMarr Hoyt). The Sox were in the playoffs for the first time since the 1959 series.
“93” was Bo’s blast and good pitching all season, Frank Thomas going yard with his flattop hair cut and Ozzie was still playing short.
1906 was Sox over Cubs in the series, giving us the ultimate bragging rights. The first World Series in Sox history
1917 was the benchmark that took 88 years to overcome
I don’t even like to wear dress socks because they’re “black socks…. “
Our dedication to this team is unsurpassed; the strongest feelings can be aroused by just mentioning a number or a word. When the White Sox are successful everything associated with that success and happiness is embedded in our minds and stored there for the rest of our lives.
((One more example (on top the ones already listed above) If I say “Jose Valentin” to most Sox fans, the first thing that comes to mind is a walk off winner in the cross town classic. A little Hispanic man with a dynamite mustache and his hands over his head in victory as he trots to first base. ))
We are working class, we have roots in the community that were there when Sears was THE department store and the stockyards were the center of industry in Chicago. We might not be able to sell every ticket to every game, but its not because we don’t love our team, its because we have jobs…... We aren’t Sox fans because thats the “hip” thing to do, we love them because they represent us, they’re humble, scrappy, hard working, prideful, they aren’t flashy, they play with a chip on their shoulder and don’t expect anything from anyone.
When things go wrong they don’t blame anyone but themselves. Sox fans deserve the most respect from the baseball world, because we lost as long as the Red Sox and the Cubs did, but we didn’t go around, bitching at the world about it and making excuses. We kept our mouths shut and played the game.
The White Sox bring families together; they give total strangers common ground to walk on. 50 years from now you might not be able to remember exactly when your old man taught you how to mow the lawn or do your homework, but you’ll remember to the day you die when he took you to the ballpark; when you sat together down the line and the age gap between you ceased to exist, becoming two boys again, cheering on your hero’s in a stadium on 35th street that became a palace, housing your most precious memories, connecting you to your father, grandfather, great-grandfather who all experienced the same thing decades before you. There is a history there, I take absolute pride in being where I’m from and the working class background and White Sox fandom that has paved the way for me to become who I am. I thank my Father and my uncles, who have allowed, taught, and invited me into this great tradition that exists and has existed amongst us South Siders for over 100 years.
Just remember, no matter how crappy life gets or how worn down you become, the White Sox are always there, bringing a smile and a tear to your eye as they take the field on the most beautiful patch of land these eyes have ever seen, if they miss a game, they make it up to you. They never die, they’re as constant as time itself. So before we condemn them for not being able to close a game, or mope around because they lost, just remember where we came from, all they have done for us and our family, and that there is always tomorrow.
Lets get the Win tomorrow boys.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sox bullpen takes it right in the A's
Unbelievable, disgusting, sickening, depressing. All words that came to mind after yet another bullpen collapse in Chicago in the series finale against he A's on Wednesday. The White Sox showed yet again that they are a good team, receiving another great starting pitching performance from John Danks and scrapping to pick up runs here and there. Juan Pierre was on base all 4 times he was at the plate, scoring the tying run (and getting picked off twice). Rios finally showed signs of life with a big double late in the game. My highlight of the game (besides the gem by Danks) Brent Morel, executing a perfect squeeze bunt in the bottom half of the 6th.
It was nice to see someone on our team lay down a nice bunt for once (God knows it wasn't Ramirez).
A great starting pitching performance, scrappy offense, and timely hitting were the story for the White Sox. So we'll head to the 9th, leading 4-1....
Sale was brought in to close, even though Ozzie said before the game Sale would not see action. Sale gives up a double and 2 singles. Crain comes in, cant find the plate, Thornton comes in, bloop single. Tie ball game. We'll go to the 10th tied at 4. Needless to say in the 10th Thornton's control issues really hit him hard, after recording a ground out, he'd walk 2 guys and the merry go round began. Ill spare you the details, but we lose 7-4. (sorry to rush through the 9th and 10th, Im tried to get through it before I vomited)
Now, I’m really getting sick and tired of guys not being able to get it done in the 9th, whether it be the pitching or the defense. The White Sox lead the major leagues in runs given up in the 9th inning, with a whopping 12! For all you math majors out there, that averages out to one run per game in the 9th inning... that’s horrendous. We aren’t just blowing 1 run leads in the 9th folks, what adds to the frustration is that we are blowing big leads (3 and 4 run leads!) I don’t know what’s more frustrating, the fact that Mark Buehrle and John Danks were screwed out of 2 GREAT pitching performances (again) or knowing that the White Sox have held a lead in every game and are one closer away from a league leading 10-2 record and instead are 7-5.
Think about it sports fans, we have a good team, a very good team, we have had the lead in all 12 of our games. We're leading the league in most offensive categories. Our starting pitching has been tremendous. Our problem is our bullpen and our defense. Ozzie needs to give Santos a shot at the closing job and the defense needs to focus and catch the baseball. That’s it, we do that and we are a dangerous team with a stellar record. We've blown 4 games and are still above .500, that shows how much talent we really do have.
Just remember the Sox have been playing great baseball (until the 9th) once we get over this hump the wins will start stacking up. Try to remember that its early (I mean for God sakes, the Indians are leading our division right now LOL) Lets try to throw this one aside (again) and just focus on all the good and positive things we've been doing. The bullpen will settle in and we will find a closer (hopefully soon) Until that happens, hang in there palehosers.
As Hawk would say, we gotta sinch it up and hunker down right now
Stop booing, he's "Juan" of a kind
I just wanted to address the issue at hand regarding the sudden hatred towards Juan Pierre. The game on Tuesday night, every time Pierre made a play in left the fans responded with a very sarcastic cheer. I can understand maybe doing it once, but every time he makes a play? Come on, that’s the kind of B.S. you'll find in that dump on the North side. We're better fans than that everyone. Yes, Pierre has made 2 bad mistakes in left field that have ultimately contributed to our demise in two recent games. But people, we have to remember that it is still April. It is very early in the season. If the season was a person, it would be an infant right now.
Not to mention that Pierre only made 1 error last season! Think about that, he played the field in 149 games last season and made 1 error! That puts his fielding percentage at a sparkling .997! I think its totally unfair to demoralize a guy because he has had a rough 2 plays. How quickly everyone overlooks how valuable he has been to our club early on this season. He has made some fantastic plays in left field and most importantly is a huge key to our offense. Go back and look at those games we've played and put up 7 or more runs and I guarantee you Juan Pierre was right there, getting on base, stealing, and scoring those runs. He jumpstarts our offense every game! Its no coincidence that when he gets on base guys behind him produce. Because when he's on base he's a threat. A threat to steal or score from 1st. As soon as he's on base the pitchers focus shifts to him (some more than others), resulting in the guys behind him (Beckham, Rios, Konerko, Dunn, Quentin) seeing better pitches to hit. He simply gets the offense started, he’s the match that lights the wick, the key that turns the ignition (insert other metaphor here).
His value is not at only measured on his defensive performance or his batting average. Sure those factors contribute, but he does so many things that get overlooked. He takes pitchers deep into counts, next time he's hitting, watch how many pitches he fouls off. He tires pitchers out that way, that benefits everyone in the lineup! He steals bases, getting into scoring position, giving guys more chances to pick up some RBIs. And like I said earlier, his defense has always been solid. What’s most important is that the guy hustles on every play, you can just see it in his performance. Listen, don't boo a guy or hate on a guy who is out there busting his ass on every play. He deserves better than that
Finally, I better not here anymore of this nonsense after what he did tonight (which, I think is also being overlooked) He came up in the 8th, with a runner on 2nd, down one run and battled and prevailed. Lining a single to center scoring the tying run. People, that was HUGE. That run was the most important run in the entire ball game, without that, there is no Alexi Ramirez walk-off. Without that, we lose by a run! Give the man a break.
(Incase you missed it)
http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_12_oakmlb_chamlb_1&highlight_content_id=13723727&c_id=cws
The Cuban Missile strikes twice
Alexi Ramirez has never traditionally performed well in the month of April. It has always been that as the weather heats up, so does Alexi's bat. But on Tuesday night against the A's, the Cuban Missile looked to be in his warm weather form (minus an error he picked up at short). Ramirez belted 2 homeruns (one of which was the game winner), raking in 4 RBI's on the night. Now, I don’t mean to rip on Alexi, especially after his offensive production and late inning heroics on Tuesday, but does the A's pitching staff read their scouting reports? What I mean by that is, why on earth is ANYONE throwing ANYTHING on the inner half of the plate to Ramirez?
Anyone who has watched Ramirez hit knows he has a sub-par (at best) plate approach and the inability to hit any sort of slider/changeup/curveball that’s on the outer half of the plate. For that matter, he cant do much with a fastball on the outer half of the plate either, he'll pick up the occasional soft line drive over the second baseman's head into shallow right field, but very very rarely does he drive a ball to right. What I mean to say is the man can't wait back on the baseball. He's a dead pull hitter, which can be extremely frustrating at times to watch. Baseball is a game of adjustments, it is absolutely critical to be able to wait back on a ball on the outer half and drive it the other way, sure not everyone can do it, but with Alexi it really shows a lot because most pitchers pitch him away (as they should). Like I said, not trying to rip on the guy, he has a lot of talent (when the ball is on the inner half of the plate) I was more or less just astounded that the A's pitching rotation made the same mistake twice.
The Key is learning from those mistakes.... This is obviously the walk-off dong. Cant put it there Cramer.....
Dont get me wrong, I was ecstatic that he had such a great day at the plate and won us the game. It was just something I picked up on. Thought it was interesting that the A's staff didnt make the proper adjustments. And again, give Ramirez credit for working the count to 3-1 on that walk-off, but still, with 2 outs and the bases empty, keep the ball down and away.
Now, Ramirez is still going to post a nice average and above average power numbers (despite the hole in his swing) and run production for someone his size. He'll show up everyday at short, I think he’s an outstanding defensive player. His plate approach just bothers me (ill be posting a lot more about this later on because frankly, it drives me nuts). But keep your eyes open and look for those things next time you watch the Cuban Missile hit.
Now tonight’s game was the kind of game that a good baseball team is going to come away with. They drop a heartbreaker on Monday night, come out on Tuesday looking to bounce back. Edwin Jackson did not have a good outing, he lacked control and started showing signs of his old, wild, self. The offense had one big inning in the 2nd, plating 4 men and then stalled for the rest of the game, the defense was uncharacteristically bad again (that is what has been killing us Sox fans, the lack of defensive support we've been getting all around. Just something to keep in mind). But what do good teams do when they are having a rocky outing? They fight to stay in the game and do whatever it takes to obtain the W. Edwin Jackson continued to chip away at the A's, pitching out of jams and keeping his club in contention. The offense fought and clawed back to tie the game in the 8th on a Juan Pierre single back through the middle, plating who else? Alexi Ramirez. Its that fighting and scrapping that kept things alive long enough to get to the 10th inning and prevail in the end. That’s what a good team does, they win on nights when they just don’t have it. They showed me a lot tonight, they showed heart. That’s what wins championships.... well that, and good defense (which is a topic for another time)
Rest up South Siders, lets take the rubber match tomorrow so we can enjoy our off day Thursday.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thornton and Pierre off the Mark
Mark Buehrle threw an absolute gem of a baseball game for the White Sox on Monday night. The hot Oakland Athletics came into town, running Dallas Braden out onto the bump in the opener of a 3 game set. It was being called the battle of the perfectos (as both Buehrle and Braden recorded perfect games last season) and it lived up to the name. Buehrle allowed 2 hits, striking out 1 and walking 1 in 8 innings, as Braden went 6 innings giving up 5 hits and allowing 1 earned run (a homerun off the bat of Brent Lillibridge of all people) striking out 7 and walking 2. That Lillibridge homerun held up as the only run of the game until the 9th inning, when Matt Thornton came into the game, looking for his first save of the season, and that’s when the wheels starting falling off.
Thornton got ahead of the leadoff man and with a 1-2 count hung a slider (he has been struggling with his slider lately) Laroche lined the hanger into the gap, starting the inning off with a double. Thornton retired the next hitter, setting the stage for the turning point of the game. Deep fly ball to left, Pierre drifts over, drifting, drifting, he’s there.... drops. the. ball.... Run scores, momentum shifts, my remote control goes flying across the room and slams into the wall. What really killed me was Pierre made a very similar error in Friday nights 9th inning implosion against the Rays, which ended up costing us that game (that, a bloop hit, and an Alexi Rameriez throwing error). Not to be out done, by each other, Alexi Rameriez and Juan Pierre almost collide on an inning ending flyout in shallow left field to send tonight’s game to the bottom of the 9th. What are these 2 doing? They play a solid defensive game all day long (same as Friday) and then, all of a sudden, the 9th inning hits and it looks like neither of them have ever picked up a glove. Between the dropped popup and the near collision due to terrible communication, I had to check the T.V guide to make sure I was watching a Major League game and not just a regional qualifier to get to Williamsport.
Needless to say, the Sox put 2 on in the bottom half and then stalled (vintage White Sox), we go to the 10th. Cue Jesse Crain, who did a great job, getting ahead of hitters, making good pitchers, he came in with 1 out in the 9th, pitched out of Thornton’s jam and looked sharp. He made one bad pitch with 2 outs and a 1-2 count in the 10th, left a fastball over the plate, belt high, 335 feet later it landed in the bullpen. Sox failed to do anything in the bottom.
Sox fans, we need to realize that our team has been playing exceptional baseball so far this season. We are literally 2 bad 9th innings away from an 8-2 record. That’s baseball. What’s frustrating is when Mark Buehrle pitches his ass off and comes up with nothing because we cant calm down and get 3 outs in the 9th. Everyone is quick to blame Thornton for all of these; let me tell you why it is not entirely Matt Thornton's fault.
The White Sox defense has been horrendous during Matt Thornton's time as our closer. Flashback again to Friday night, Thornton gave up a broken bat bloop hit another soft single and 2 errors. Now, there is nothing you can do about bloopers or broken bat hits. But errors? come on, Ramirez makes a throwing error, and Pierre drops a fly ball, that’s 2 outs that should have been recorded. With 1 out already recorded, game shoulda been over, we shoulda been shaking hands on the mound. Instead, those errors keep the inning and the game alive long enough for Thornton to make a bad pitch and get burned on a game winning 3 run homerun.
Tonight, sure he gives up the double to start the inning, but then he records an out, throws a fly ball to Pierre who drops it. Now, if he makes that catch, we have 2 outs with a guy on second, with Thornton settling in. No one knows if he would have completed the save, but I think its safe to say he would have been well on his way to his first save of the season.
At least let the other team beat you, right now we are beating ourselves in these games, our defense has been uncharacteristically bad. With the starting pitching we have been getting and the way the offense has been producing, as soon as our bullpen settles in (which, mark my word, will be soon) the Sox are going to be even more dangerous than they are right now.
Baseball is a game that you need to have a short memory with, lets not dwell on tonight. Lets let it go and bounce back tomorrow. It’s all about being optimistic. I mean, think about this, at least we aren't Cub fans right? I mean, we blow a game like tonight and yea, it hurts, but at least our team doesn’t blow games like tonight all the time. Imagine the anger and shock you felt tonight after that loss. Now imagine that happening 95 times a season. Count your blessings Sox fans, tonight before you go to bed just remember this:
1. At least our team has won this century
2. At least our fan base knows what baseball is
3. At least our General Manager knows what he’s doing
4. At least our stadium is in one piece
5. At least Alfonso Soriano isn't on our payroll
6. At least we aren't yuppies
7. At least Oldstyle isn't our beer
8. We actually have a good team this year, unlike the Cubs, who WILL be in contention.... in contention with the Pirates for 5th place in the NL Central.
9. We've been putting up a ton of runs and getting great starting pitching
10. We WILL have a great season, our bullpen WILL settle in, and our defense WILL improve
Get some rest Sox fans, everything will look better after we win tomorrow.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sox too much for Rays in finale
The White Sox, behind the strength of a dominant offensive performance came into the Cell this afternoon and played long ball to take 3 out of 4 from a scuffling Tampa Bay team. Konerko had 2 BOMBS, Bacon (Gordon Beckham) contributed with a solo job in the first. A frustrated Joe Maddon (Rays Manager) was sent to the showers early after arguing a close call at first. Maddon, in an attempt to light a fire under his club stayed out and argued with the umps for another 5 min after being tossed. He (as Hawk would say) got his moneys worth, returning the favor and throwing each and every umpire on the crew out of the game himself!
As of right now the White Sox offense ranks 1st in every offensive category (except stolen bases, they're in 2nd with 11 in that one) and what makes it impressive is the most recent offensive charge has been without Adam Dunn in the lineup. Beckham and Quentin have been mashing the baseball and Konerko (even though he claims he isn't anywhere near where he needs to be offensively) has been earning the captains "C" on his chest. This offense is going to be fun to watch, especially when the weather starts heating up.
The starting pitching has been phenomenal the last few outings and is making it very easy for the offense to relax and score runs. Gavin Floyd was tremendous today as he shut the Rays down all day and really only had trouble in one inning. This pitching rotation is stellar top to bottom, even 5 starter standee Phil Humber came in and shut it down for 6 solid innings yesterday, displaying great poise and damage control. With the exception of one shaky 9th inning 2 nights ago, the White Sox dominated the Rays this entire home opening series and should be walking away with a 4 game sweep.
This pitching staff WILL keep us in games and with the offense we have backing up that staff, Jerry Reinsdorf needs to start dusting off the trophy shelf.
ID LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM ANYONE READING THIS, COMMENT OR DROP ME AN EMAIL! GO SOX
As of right now the White Sox offense ranks 1st in every offensive category (except stolen bases, they're in 2nd with 11 in that one) and what makes it impressive is the most recent offensive charge has been without Adam Dunn in the lineup. Beckham and Quentin have been mashing the baseball and Konerko (even though he claims he isn't anywhere near where he needs to be offensively) has been earning the captains "C" on his chest. This offense is going to be fun to watch, especially when the weather starts heating up.
The starting pitching has been phenomenal the last few outings and is making it very easy for the offense to relax and score runs. Gavin Floyd was tremendous today as he shut the Rays down all day and really only had trouble in one inning. This pitching rotation is stellar top to bottom, even 5 starter standee Phil Humber came in and shut it down for 6 solid innings yesterday, displaying great poise and damage control. With the exception of one shaky 9th inning 2 nights ago, the White Sox dominated the Rays this entire home opening series and should be walking away with a 4 game sweep.
This pitching staff WILL keep us in games and with the offense we have backing up that staff, Jerry Reinsdorf needs to start dusting off the trophy shelf.
ID LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM ANYONE READING THIS, COMMENT OR DROP ME AN EMAIL! GO SOX
Your 2011 Chicago White Sox
Let me just start off by saying, that as White Sox fans, we are in for a very special season. White Sox fans everywhere should be very grateful we have one of the best general managers in the game of baseball in Kenny Williams. Kenny went out this offseason and made a lot of noise acquiring slugger Adam Dunn, relief pitchers, Will Ohman and Jesse Crain. What I think was overlooked by a lot of people (especially those in the national sports media) were the moves that brought these acquisitions together to make them truly dangerous.
First, the re-signing of Paul Konerko, who proved age is just a number last year, putting up some truly remarkable numbers (.312 avg, 39 HR, 111 RBI). Being able to have Dunn couple with Konerko in the 3 and 4 spot in the lineup made the Dunn pickup substantially more impressive.
Second, Williams was able to come to terms with veteran catcher AJ Pierzynski. A great presence in the club house and an on field leader. Pierzynski, although not the best defensive catcher in baseball or the most dangerous bat on the roster, calls a fantastic game, knows how to handle his pitchers, and keeps the club house loose, but focused. His value to the team does not always show up in the box-score, but it is most definitely vital to this team.
Possibly the most important re-signing of the offseason and, ironically, the one that gets overlooked the most, was the re-signing of John Danks. Danks could quite possibly be the best pitcher on the Sox staff and a dark horse for the AL Cy young award this season. John Danks staying with the club, single handedly kept the White Sox pitching rotation amongst the top 5 in the MLB this season. He fits in perfectly with the team in terms of chemistry in the clubhouse and grinds it out on the mound. He's a managers dream come true. This is a guy who will always give you innings and will always take the blame when things go wrong. Hes a team player with a ton of talent and truly is the glue that holds this staff in place.
Willaims also picked up veteran relievers Will Ohman and Jesse Crain. Ohman, although off to a rocky start in these first few series is a guy who has proved himself and seems to be settling down. The South Side won twice when we picked up Jesse Crain, we took him from the Twins and added a solid arm to our bullpen. So far, Crain has done his job quietly so far, coming in and doing what he needs to do to get out of innings.
When you combine all of these moves with the direction this club is headed in, it forms a path of destruction, taking down anyone in the way. The White Sox have a stacked lineup from top to bottom, a mix of youthfull eagerness and veteran stability and leadership, some speed, a lot of power and the mindset to always find away. Makes this offense a pitchers nightmare. Couple that with an outstanding pitching rotation in Buehrle, Jackson, Danks, Floyd, and Humber (Hopefully Peavy soon) and a bullpen that is sure to settle in nicely, makes this team one that has potential to go as far as they want.
As I write this first posting, the Sox are 8 games into the 2011 season. Averaging around 7 runs a game, which is absurd, by the way. The Starting pitching has been above average, highlighted (so far) by Edwin Jackson's stellar performance in the home opener, setting a franchise record 13 strikeouts in 8 innings. The only question mark, causing any reason for concern has been the bullpen. Matt Thornton seems to be struggling the settle into the closers role, Will Ohman has been shaky, the bullpen overall has been average. They have the potential to be a very tough pen to face late in a game, they just need to settle into their roles, get a few games under their belts and mark my word, they will be FINE.
Predictions for the 2011 season
-Dark horses to watch for (look for these guys to contribute more than anyone expects, impacting the team in a very positive way)
Offensively- Carlos Quentin
Starting pitcher- Edwin Jackson
All around- Brent Morel
Bullpen- Chris Sale, Jesse Crain
AL Central
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians
Look for Adam Dunn to lead the team in homeruns with 50 (bold, I know)
Look for Beckham to hit over .300 with a slight increase in his power numbers. Lead the team in doubles
Konerko will have a similar season to last years, look for his average to dip, homeruns and Rbi's, will dip slightly, but he'll still produce.
Look for Alexi Ramirez to start contributing around June, still wont be able to hit to the opposite field, get a bunt down, or hit a breaking ball by the end of this season.
Alex Rios will have a nice season hitting around .300, 30 homers, 100 knocked in
Look for Quentin to break out, taking the way back machine to a baby version of his 2008 season
Look for the Sox to win the Central and make some noise in October, surprising a lot of people (mainly ESPN and other national sports media members, whose opinions only reflect the agenda of any East coast baseball team)
And look for me to blog after just about every game, going on random tangents and angry rants, hell, I'll even throw in some Cub bashing (you can count on that) Enjoy.
First, the re-signing of Paul Konerko, who proved age is just a number last year, putting up some truly remarkable numbers (.312 avg, 39 HR, 111 RBI). Being able to have Dunn couple with Konerko in the 3 and 4 spot in the lineup made the Dunn pickup substantially more impressive.
Second, Williams was able to come to terms with veteran catcher AJ Pierzynski. A great presence in the club house and an on field leader. Pierzynski, although not the best defensive catcher in baseball or the most dangerous bat on the roster, calls a fantastic game, knows how to handle his pitchers, and keeps the club house loose, but focused. His value to the team does not always show up in the box-score, but it is most definitely vital to this team.
Possibly the most important re-signing of the offseason and, ironically, the one that gets overlooked the most, was the re-signing of John Danks. Danks could quite possibly be the best pitcher on the Sox staff and a dark horse for the AL Cy young award this season. John Danks staying with the club, single handedly kept the White Sox pitching rotation amongst the top 5 in the MLB this season. He fits in perfectly with the team in terms of chemistry in the clubhouse and grinds it out on the mound. He's a managers dream come true. This is a guy who will always give you innings and will always take the blame when things go wrong. Hes a team player with a ton of talent and truly is the glue that holds this staff in place.
Willaims also picked up veteran relievers Will Ohman and Jesse Crain. Ohman, although off to a rocky start in these first few series is a guy who has proved himself and seems to be settling down. The South Side won twice when we picked up Jesse Crain, we took him from the Twins and added a solid arm to our bullpen. So far, Crain has done his job quietly so far, coming in and doing what he needs to do to get out of innings.
When you combine all of these moves with the direction this club is headed in, it forms a path of destruction, taking down anyone in the way. The White Sox have a stacked lineup from top to bottom, a mix of youthfull eagerness and veteran stability and leadership, some speed, a lot of power and the mindset to always find away. Makes this offense a pitchers nightmare. Couple that with an outstanding pitching rotation in Buehrle, Jackson, Danks, Floyd, and Humber (Hopefully Peavy soon) and a bullpen that is sure to settle in nicely, makes this team one that has potential to go as far as they want.
As I write this first posting, the Sox are 8 games into the 2011 season. Averaging around 7 runs a game, which is absurd, by the way. The Starting pitching has been above average, highlighted (so far) by Edwin Jackson's stellar performance in the home opener, setting a franchise record 13 strikeouts in 8 innings. The only question mark, causing any reason for concern has been the bullpen. Matt Thornton seems to be struggling the settle into the closers role, Will Ohman has been shaky, the bullpen overall has been average. They have the potential to be a very tough pen to face late in a game, they just need to settle into their roles, get a few games under their belts and mark my word, they will be FINE.
Predictions for the 2011 season
-Dark horses to watch for (look for these guys to contribute more than anyone expects, impacting the team in a very positive way)
Offensively- Carlos Quentin
Starting pitcher- Edwin Jackson
All around- Brent Morel
Bullpen- Chris Sale, Jesse Crain
AL Central
1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians
Look for Adam Dunn to lead the team in homeruns with 50 (bold, I know)
Look for Beckham to hit over .300 with a slight increase in his power numbers. Lead the team in doubles
Konerko will have a similar season to last years, look for his average to dip, homeruns and Rbi's, will dip slightly, but he'll still produce.
Look for Alexi Ramirez to start contributing around June, still wont be able to hit to the opposite field, get a bunt down, or hit a breaking ball by the end of this season.
Alex Rios will have a nice season hitting around .300, 30 homers, 100 knocked in
Look for Quentin to break out, taking the way back machine to a baby version of his 2008 season
Look for the Sox to win the Central and make some noise in October, surprising a lot of people (mainly ESPN and other national sports media members, whose opinions only reflect the agenda of any East coast baseball team)
And look for me to blog after just about every game, going on random tangents and angry rants, hell, I'll even throw in some Cub bashing (you can count on that) Enjoy.
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