Author: Teddy Ballgame

Hot & Sticky was the night as I boarded the L, heading South to the Cell. Cubano Jose Contreras would be on the hill as the White Sox looked to sweep the KC Royals. This was perfect weather for Contreras, who knows hot with humidity, growing up on Cuba. It was also perfect weather for rashes, which is what I liken the White Sox offense to, it’s like a bad rash that keeps on spreading. With Joe Crede out with a bruised wrist, Pablo Ozuna was at the hot corner, he had two hits, but was robbed of a third by the official scorer. Bob Rosenberg must’ve thought Gil Meche had a howitzer for an arm, if he thought Gil would’ve gotten Pablo at first, if he hadn’t bobbled the ball.

Everybody was getting into the act last night. There was a pretty even distribution up and down the lineup, with the exception of Paul Konerko & Carlos Quentin, who were hitless and didn’t contribute to the scoring. Paulie is currently below the Mendoza Line at .199. But who was that blur streaking to third on a Jim Thome basehit? It was Konerk, nailed there, but close, and he actually beat the throw, but pulled his lead foot back rather than jamming it and was tagged out. Still it was aggressive baseball and moments later Thome’s beautiful hook slide delivered himself safely to third on Jermaine Dye’s double to left. All that action happened in the 4th inning, an inning which saw four Sox runs put on the board.

After the night before’s 15 inning game, the bullpens were strapped for both sides. The starters would have to go long, which didn’t look good, especially if you were watching KC’s overpriced starter toil against Chicago. Meche would give way to Joel Peralta in the 6th after throwing 115 pitches, trailing 5-1. Thome would nail Peralta for a 7th inning solo shot, that proved to be the icing on the cake.

Matt Thornton & newly dubbed short man Nick Masset worked the 8th & 9th, in relief of Contreras. Jose didn’t have his A-game, but it was good enough for a White Sox Winner! Masset surrendered a meaningless 9th inning homer to Mark Teahen to make the final 6-2.

Alexei Ramirez was once again brilliant in the field, mostly using his glove on this night to thwart potential Royal basehits. Ramirez has shown range to both his left & his right and is as quick as a cat. There is no doubt he will win a Gold Glove. I don’t know if he’ll win one this year, but looking over his competition in the AL, it’s very possible.

There was a nice breeze cooling us off behind the plate last night, Steve, Dick, & Bea were there, along with 600 dogs. It was Dog Day out at the ballyard, 600 dogs brought their owners to the game. They got to parade around the field prior to the contest, got to sit in a specially designated dog area, were given plenty of doggie treats, and lots of water to keep from overheating. Alot of the dogs had on Sox stuff, one even sported sunglasses.

Had a nice time catching up with my friend who sells me veggie hot dogs down the rightfield line. Other vendors selling me stuff were Hot Chocolate Jackie (Italian Ice), Bill (beer), Tracy at Caramel Corn Mike’s (he’s gonna be mayor someday) stand (Gatorade), also got a pretty smile from Tammy at the meat hot dog stand. Even said hi to cameraman Dave Cialla & the people at the Elotes stand (corn for all you gringos out there).

Steve gave me a freebie for the start of the four game homestand opening Friday night against the Minnesota Twins. The hard charging Twins are coming to town. No time for basking in the glory of a Royals sweep, these guys may be rebuilding, but they’re still pretty tough, and they mean business. Ron Gardenhire will have his guys ready to play ball. Hopefully the Sox will rise up to the challenge.

Tony celled me up at the Cell Tuesday night to say, he was coming to town from Florida. He comes to town about once every five years, never in the summertime. We’ve been friends ever since he lived across the alley from me in Chicago when we were kids. Playing wiffleball was our bond then, along with playing APBA Baseball, Strat-O-Matic Baseball. He’s cool, even though he’s always been a Cub fan, and my heart has always been on the Southside. Tony used to wait for his heroes to drive down Berteau from Wrigley on their way to a local steak joint, stop signs provided the perfect autograph opportunity.

He got off work early enough Wednesday to make it to my house from O’Hare in time for us to grab some Thai, and head out to the Cell. It was Navy Night at the Cell, there was a fly-over as I was buying our tix, we quickly entered the ballpark, and took our spot behind the plate. It soon became obvious there were a couple of seats just in front of where we stand, so we put our butts down, had no idea how long it would be.

KC DH Miguel Olivo homered off John Danks in the second inning to open the scoring, then tacked on another when Mark Teahen knocked one over the wall in the 4th, 2-0 Royals. But Jim Thome got ahold of one with a runner aboard in the bottom of four to even it up at two.

I told Al & his wife (friends of Dick & Bea, not Al from Al & Anthony, father/son fame) the Sox were gonna score twice in the 5th. It looked like my prediction had a good shot, especially after Joe Crede ripped one out. Then Alexei Ramirez walked, with one out A.J. Pierzynski singled, and Carlos Quentin hit a hard grounder to SS Esteban German that handcuffed him. German then chased the ball into short rightfield, Ramirez hustled all the way in from 2nd, beating the throw home. However “safe” was never ruled and Alexei was ruled out on appeal. Paul Konerko popped out with 2nd & 3rd with two outs to mess up my prediction of two runs.

The White Sox bullpen did the job. Nick Massett looked sharp coming on in relief of the starter to get out of a jam, followed by Matt Thornton, & Scott Linebrink. That brought on Bobby Jenks to close it out, I stood up to root him on, which was a major mistake. John Buck & pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo singled to open the 9th, Joey Gathright was brought on to run for Callaspo, Esteban German two-strike bunted the runners up, and David DeJesus delivered with a game tying two RBI single. Jenks settled down and worked a scoreless frame after spitting out the lead. I learned a lesson, not to get up and ready to bolt the park before the 3rd out is made.

Royals relievers Ramirez, Soria, & Yabuta each worked two scoreless innings, while Boone Logan & Octavio Dotel worked five innings without allowing a run. A fan stood up and yelled, “Not Boone Logan” to Ozzie Guillen, when Guillen signaled for his young southpaw. But the pen did the job. There were some defensive gems, Joe Crede grabbed a shot barehanded, while playing, might’ve injured his thumb, but threw out the batter, before having to leave the game to have his thumb examined. Alexei Ramirez, did he even use gloves growing up in Cuba? Alexei made five barehanded plays in the game. Not to be out done, KC’s Alex Gordon dove over the tarp down the leftfield line to turn a foulball into an out.

Rain fell, rain stopped, Hot Chocolate Jackie (selling Crackerjack & whips) went home, Caramel Corn Mike cleaned up his stand, the pops Terry brought us were all gone, and Roland & his four friends made their way from their rightfield seats to join us behind the plate, as the game entered the 15th inning, after a second 7th inning stretch in the bottom of the 14th inning.

The White Sox were down to newly re-acquired Esteban Loaiza, while the Royals were forced to bring on Jimmy Gobble. Gobble walked Carlos Quentin and up stepped Paul Konerko. Tony exclaimed, “Paulie’s hitting .198. He weighs more than that!” A few seconds later everybody was chanting, “PAULIE PAULIE PAULIE”, as the ball disappeared into the night to left, 6-4 WHITE SOX WINNER, YES!!!

Ozzie Guillen called GM Kenny Williams out, saying the Sox needed some offense. This after the club dropped three of four to the first place(?) Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. Which was perfect fodder for Sun Times columnist (weasel) to once again suggest Ozzie needed to be fired, but what then would Jay have to write (whine) about? Guillen’s latest tirade couldn’t have come at a better time, focus was taken off the players, the pressure too.

It looked like a different ballclub playing host to the KC Royals & Zack Greinke. Greinke has gotten away from his junk and gone with his fastball, which has made him successful of late, but not tonite, not against the White Sox & their fastball hitting team.

With a man aboard in the 1st inning Carlos Quentin (after his day off, plus the off day) responded with new found energy & a big fly. Then Alexei Ramirez hit a perfect doubleplay ball to the shortstop, it was hit hard, elluded him, and Alexei was credited with a double. Orlando Cabrera hit a slow bounder up the middle, which plated two with the infield playing in. The next batter A.J. Pierzynski plated two more, rocketing one over the rightfield wall. What lack of offense was Ozzie talking about? The score was 6-0 Good Guys before we were even able to settle into our seats, or find a comfortable wall to lean on behind home plate, as the case may be.

It would’ve been a tough play for secondbaseman Alexei Ramirez to have thrown out Joey Gathright, even if he had fielded the grounder cleanly, which he did not, on which play he was credited with an error, KC scored two unearned runs as a result.

The Sox offense got those two runs back in the sixth when Nick Swisher & Alexei Ramirez hit solo shots, in between homers Joe Crede popped out. Al was just bemoaning the fact that Swisher was batting .200 when Nick whacked one good to right.

Mark Teahen homered after Miguel Olivo doubled in the 7th for the only two earned runs off Gavin Floyd of the evening to make it 8-4. The Royals, in the 8th, off Octavio Dotel, cut it to a three run lead when Alex Gordon singled home David DeJesus from 2nd base, after DeJesus had stolen second. But the Sox made the final 9-5 when Alexei Ramirez picked up his third hit of the game, an 8th inning single to shallow leftfield, scoring Jermaine Dye without a throw from DeJesus. Dye had singled & Crede had walked before Alexei’s single. A.J. Pierzynski also had three hits for the Pale Hose, as did David DeJesus for the Royals. Bobby Jenks was called on to close it out for the Good Guys in black.

Despite threatening weather, it did not rain, and I was VERY glad I was there, as EVERYBODY was there (Al, Anthony (newly fractured elbow), Tade, Steve, Roland, Dick, Bea, Caramel Corn Mike, & my latest sweetie Hot Chocolate Jackie (selling beer tonite)).