Teddy Ballgame | The Baseball Zealot

HOTTEST BASEBALL FANS???

Check out Shoutmouth’s latest article. They are asking the question, who has the hottest fans in major league baseball? From my vantage point, behind homeplate at the Cell, I can tell you there are lotsa hotties at White Sox games (despite what others might think).

I’m suggesting the Baseball Zealot poll fans to see what they think, who has the hottest fans? I checked out the website above and after careful review, I’m going with the Philadelphia Phillies. But please don’t let me influence your vote. Go to the website, checkout the ladies, and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! It’s your patriotic duty as a major league baseball fan.

JOHN LANNAN, MY FAVORITE BEATLE

Actually John Lannan is a young lefty with the Washinton Nationals, not a member of the Band from Liverpool. Although Lannan is only a .500 pitcher with an ERA in the mid-threes, he is starting to get noticed around the league. Last night John faced the very tough lineup of the Houston Astros, allowing one run on seven hits over six innings of work. In the sixth he looked to be in trouble when Lance Berkman & Carlos Lee reached base with nobody out, but the unflapable rookie induced Miguel Tejada to rap into a 6-4-3 doubleplay and then got the next hitter to ground to short to get out of the jam.

The 6’5″ 200 pound lefty out of Mineola, NY, a product of Siena was drafted in the 11th round of the 2005 draft. In his last year at Siena he was 10-2 with a nifty 2.29 ERA. Then last year Lannan was was 12-3 cruising through A+, AA, & AAA, before being called up to the Nats. With Washington he had an ERA of 4.15 with a 2-2 mark in six starts.

In his major league debut against the Phillies on July 26, 2007, John hit Chase Utley with a pitch breaking Utley’s hand, then he hit Ryan Howard, and was ejected from the game, becoming the first rookie pitcher ejected from his debut.

On August 6th Lannan found himself on center stage as he faced the Giants at AT&T Park in SF in Barry Bonds’ in his first start after tying Hank Aaron’s alltime home run mark. Bonds didn’t fare well in his four plate appearances against the 22 year old lefty, fouling to 3rd, walking, grounding into a doubleplay, and striking out. Despite his efforts against the Giants, the Nationals lost the game 3-2 in eleven innings.

Lannan is 3-3 with a 3-3 record in seven starts this year. This is a special rookie, with the heart of a lion, who should have a long & successful major league career.

JUANDERFUL JUANDERFUL

The first game of the White Sox series hosting the Twins saw Gavin Floyd almost throw a no-hitter. Then last night Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle as Minnesota pounded Chicago 13-1 in a game that started almost two hours late due to rain. Rob had a spare ticket for the series finale today, but I really didn’t want to go, but I went anyway. In addition to Rob’s wife Vicki, Jimmy C came along, getting a freebie from a co-worker Carlos May. Carlos & Jim work together for the Post Office.

Minnesota jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but then Dick went to the bathroom, and sure enough Jermaine Dye hit a homer to left to cut the lead in half. Then Juan Uribe hit a two run bomb, Kevin Slowey would’ve been better off walking him on a 3-2 pitch.

John Danks was lifted in favor of Octavio Dotel, who struckout five in two innings of scoreless relief. Scott Linebrink & Bobby Jenks worked the final two frames without allowing a run. Meanwhile the Sox tallied thrice more. One run came in when Uribe tookout the Twins pivot man on a sure doubleplay ball with one out and the bags juiced. Another score occured when Alexei Ramirez stole second and came home on an RBI single up the middle by Carlos Quentin. One more came home to make the final 6-2.

A weird play looked like it would be a huge break for the White Sox when Paulie Konerko checked his swing on a 3-1 pitch with Quentin on 2nd & Jim Thome on 1st with nobody out, the ball was low so both runners moved up, but the pitch was called a strike after appealing to the firstbase umpire. The Twins pitcher then tried tagging Quentin & Thome while they were standing on 3rd & 2nd respectively. The Twins manager was ejected after getting upset when the Sox runners were allowed to stay on their advantageous sacks. Konerko tapped weakly to third, Dye was intentionally passed, Nick Swisher lived up to his name by striking out, and Joe Crede was retired on a popup to end the threat.

Checkout www.whitesox.com/fanfoto 5/8/08 gallery 3

FLOYD THE BARBER

Eww, Andy, that was a GOOD game! Wasn’t it Andy? He pitched GOOD, threw the ball REAL hard. Actually Gavin’s fastball topped out at about 93, but I’m just thinking about what Floyd the Barber on the old Andy Griffith show might have said about the performance turned in by Gavin Floyd last night against the Twins.

I had my doubts as I headed to the Cell to watch the White Sox play the team from Minnesota. My boys were coming off a four game sweep at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, in which the Sox scored only five runs in the four games, losing the last game 1-0 when Pablo Ozuna rapped into a 1-2-3 doubleplay with the bases loaded and one out to finish up the series, OUCH!

But last night was a different story, Floyd was masterful with his nasty curveball accompanying his pinpoint control of his heater. At first the White Sox didn’t push it, not trying to score on a ball hit to rookie centerfielder Carlos Gomez, his throw was off the mark, the runner would have scored, but the Sox were hesitant. Right after that play in the first inning, a Sox runner tried for 3rd, would’ve been out on a good throw, but the throw got away from the thirdbaseman. Instead of dusting himself off, glad he made third, the runner headed for home, a dead duck, for sure. He kicked the ball out of the catcher’s mitt and was safe at the plate. 2-0 Sox after one inning.

The Sox leftfielder dropped a ball in the 4th, the Twins scored an unearned run to cut it to 2-1, but the Palehose scored a run in the bottom of the frame to keep the game at a two run difference between the two teams. The Good Guys added four more tallies to make it 7-1.

Going into the top of the 8th somebody said, “I didn’t know he was throwing a no-hitter”. The words hit me like I’d had icewater thrown into my face. I looked out at the scoreboard like I’d never seen it before. The ZERO in the hits column for Minnestota looked to be a mirage. Why would someone say it outloud? It’s like saying, Macbeth or Lord Voldemort, only ten times worse! Fans around me began to call friends on their cell phones, talk about the gem, heck even my phone got a call telling me about the no-no. Would these people walk under ladders, carrying a black cat, while breaking mirrors?

Before the 9th inning I said, I’d bring in Brian Anderson for Nick Swisher in center. But people around me, the ones talking about the no-hitter, knowing nothing about superstition etiquette, said, don’t change a thing.

Floyd struckout the first batter looking in the 9th. Then it happened, a linedrive just out of the diving reach of Nick Swisher, for a two basehit by Joe Mauer. Would Brian Anderson have caught the baseball? I’m not sure, but he’d have had a better shot of preserving the no-hitter than Swisher. Oh well, it was a great game. 8 1/3 innings before the first hit, lotsa tension, lotsa excitement. Bobby Jenks came on to close it out.

Gavin Floyd (3-1) 8′ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, 2.50 ERA

Wrigley Field – A Perfect Place for Minor League Baseball

Watching baseball today on WGN-TV the Cubs announced the Peoria Chiefs will play a regular season game on July 29th versus the Kane County Cougars. Ryne Sandberg is the manager of the Cubs A-Ball team in Peoria. Ryno was saying how exciting it will be for the players to play in a big league ballpark. But my question is, will their fans (the guys) enjoy peeing in trofts? Then the Cub announcers said, “This will be the first time a minorleague team has played in Wrigley”. As a White Sox fan, I have to ask, does it get any easier? Hasn’t anybody been paying attention the last 100 years? This is too easy.

You Don’t Have To Call Me Darling, Darling

Home plate umpire Gary Darling called a balk on SF Franchise righthander Tim Lincecum late in the game with the go-ahead run on 3rd base. His catcher stood up asking for time as Lincecum started his windup, Darling said, “time”, then he said, “that’s a balk”. The eventual winning run came walking home as the winningest foreign born skipper (from France) Bruce Bochy came out of the Giant dugout.

After a lengthy & heated exchange, Darling gave Bochy the heave-ho. Lincecum, in a bold move, said, he would take Gary Darling off his Christmas card list. While Bochy was seen taking Darling out of his Fave Five, as he exited stage left.

MOMMA TOLD ME NOT TO COME

Rain was in the air as I boarded the Red Line early in an effort to stay dry. There was a forecast of rain about 8:00 PM for about 45 minutes, an hour window of dryness, then a little more rain, before total clearness. I could still hear Mom’s words ringing in my ears, “Why do you wanna go sit in the rain? The game’s on TV”. But Mark Buehrle was on the mound and he’s my man. Haven’t liked a White Sox lefty this much since Tommy John.

Seeing I was inside the ballpark an hour and a half before game time I decided to take advantage of my free time by visiting some friends at the Cell. My first stop was to see the woman who sells veggie hot dogs down the rightfield line. It was great seeing her smiling face, she’s always so happy, she’s going to visit her parents in Mexico on Tuesday for a couple weeks, and her youngest daughter turns 21 & graduates from college in May. Then I stopped by the Elotes stand, got some corn with lime & chilis, and washed it down with a Miller Chill. While munching on the golden kernels I talked with cameraman Dave Cialla, asked if Blackhawk defenseman James Wisnewski was gonna take his job, we had a good laugh. Then I caught up with Tammy, the Kosher Hot Dog lady in right, she’s a cutie & a good kid, even though she’s a Cub fan, thought there might be something there, but turns out she’s married, oh well.

Rain Cell Got to my place 34 rows behind home plate in time to see Buehrle retire the O’s on five pitches in the first. Baltimore’s pitcher faced only one batter before the skies opened up. Met Tade’s mom and his stepdad, they looked really young, and then I realized I’m one year older than Tade’s mom. They are really nice people, but what would you expect, because Tade’s so nice.

For the first time ever Nancy Faust came to a game as a fan. She had to stop by her booth, even though her seats were down the leftfield line. It was great seeing Nancy, when she had more time to visit. Nancy is always smiling! People always look better and younger with smiles on their faces. Nancy told me they were able to sell her mother’s house and her sister also sold her place, tough to do in this economy.

When it was still raining and the game was still in a delay at 9:30 PM, I got some inside information the game would be called if it was still raining at ten. I decided it was time to figure a way to get home. Guest Relations told me the Red Line wasn’t running between Grand & 35th. This was because a semi hit the escalator at the Chinatown stop (one stop north of Sox/35th). It was a terrible accident, two were confirmed dead, 21 injured, many critical. My brother even called from Wisconsin to find out if I was alive, but as I’d arrived early at the Park, I didn’t even know about the accident until I was at the Cell during the rain delay. Found out the L was running north, just not stopping at Chinatown, got home very wet about 10:30.

Before I left for home I wished Tade an early happy birthday (4/26). Even though I wanted to get back out there for a day/night doubleheader Saturday, decided to sit this one (or in this case, two) out. My intention was to see all seven home games, but the best laid of mice & men… I won’t be back out there until sometime after Memorial Day, looking for some better weather. I am officially a wimp!

TAKING THE LATE TRAIN HOME

To recap the Sox/Yankee series thus far. Got home Tuesday night after midnite, Wednesday a little before, and last night it was well after one. And believe me, I need my beauty sleep! It was raining as I headed to the Cell last night, my enthusiasm for watching this series was fading quickly as the Bronx Bombers took the first two games. Off to a good start this season, the Sox bullpen was being exposed as suspect at best.

I decided it was time for drastic measures, as it seemed the times were indeed drastic. I called the beer man over and ordered up a frosty cold one, as I chatted with a baseball fan from North Carolina who decided to catch a ballgame after his business meeting. He was from Greensboro. I learned the local team there was called the Grasshoppers, or Hoppers, for short. The rain continued to fall onto the tarp as the opening pitch was delayed about 45 minutes.

Gavin Floyd looked great as he set the Yankees down easily in the first inning. I commented to nobody in particular, who is this guy? On the bump for the New Yorkers was tout boy Phil Hughes. As the rain continued to fall, Floyd began having trouble with the mound and the Yankees as well. The Yanks jumped out to a three to nothing lead as the heavens opened up.

The concessionaires would have a field day, the game would have a one hour rain delay. Caramel Corn Mike & his brother Scott’s crumblings mixed with rain off fans sneakers on the concourse as greenbacks were exchanged for gooey delights.

When the rain ceased Phil Hughes headed for the showers to be replaced by some bum whose name escapes me, perhaps it’s Bumlendorf, not really important to the story, if you’re interested or his mother, you can check the boxscore. Bumlendorf turned a 3-0 lead into a 6-3 deficit, with a little help from LaTroy Hawkins.

But Finicky Floyd with his obsession with a perfect mound couldn’t hold the it, Matt Thornton & Scott Linebrink helped a little in surrendering the lead, and soon the game was tied at six.

Joba Chamberlain reminded me of another cat named Chamberlain who made it look as if his opponents were nothing but little boys being toyed with as he went on to another victory. A three game broom sweep by at the hands of the Yankees and their obnoxious fans.

Not on this night, not after suffering lingering hours of frustration at the Cell. Fun at the Ole Ballpark, my eye, this was serious work, done by cheering serious fans. Bobby Jenks got Boone Logan out of a 9th inning jam and now it was our turn.

With one out, Carlos Quentin lined a hanging breaking ball into the left-centerfield gap for a two bagger. Up next was the number eight hitter in the order, probably some no-goodnick, but was Funny Man Manager Ozzie Guillen is a genius! He has the best clutch hitter in the Sox order Super Joe Crede batting eighth, just for a situation like this. Joba the Hut afraid he’d hang another yacker, fired a couple of 96 MPH seeds up there to put our hero into a hole. As luck would have it, Goliath, aka Chamberlain, decided to show some mercy by throwing another hanger that was promptly deposited to left for a game winning single. Funny Man Manager, genius, who’s laughing now?

The Birds of Baltimore invade the Cell for a four game set starting tonite. I’ll be out there and will happily provide you with a recap of the goings on at the Cell on the Southside of Chicago.

BATTING 8TH: JOE CREDE OR THE PITCHER

In the Milwaukee Ned Yost has gotten a lot of ink batting his pitcher 8th, over in St. Louis Tony LaRussa started the trend, and now on the Southside of Chicago Ozzie Guillen has decided to bat his best clutch hitter in the 8th spot. I suppose you could look at it as Crede batting in the double cleanup spot, but it doesn’t make much sense to me, especially considering the Pale Hose have been struggling with men on base. Another thing that doesn’t make much sense is batting Jim Thome, who walks alot, ahead of Paul Konerko, who hits into alot of doubleplays. My lineup would be this: 1) Swisher CF, 2) Cabrera SS, 3) Konerko 1B, 4) Thome DH, 5) Dye RF, 6) Crede 3B, 7) Pierzynski C, 8) Quentin LF, 9) Uribe 2B. Also when Juan Uribe is leading off an inning and we need some runs, I’d pinch-hit Pablo Ozuna for him. I know it’s only been a couple of games against the Yanks, but we seem to be in a fog right now. Even though we’re still in first place, the Tigers are coming, scoring 19 runs last night.

The White Sox couldn’t touch Mike Mussina while he was out there, while the Yanks scored six off “Good Stuff” Javier Vazquez. Two of the Sox hits off Moose were a check swing opposite field hit to third by Jim Thome, taking advantage of the shift, and Joe Crede’s solo blast to left, taking advantage of the fact that the leftfielder was playing him inside the park, rather than over the fence. Tonite I’ll be back out there as the Sox & Gavin Floyd try to avoid a three game sweep, after a 6-4 loss last night.

SLAMMIN ABREU

Bobby hasn’t hit something this good since days gone by with his former fiance Alicia Machado. Alicia was Miss Venezuela in 1995 and a Playboy centerfold, but Abreu kicked her out of his park when he saw his woman having sex on a Mexican TV show. She was as gone as the ball he hit off Octavio Dotel with the bags juiced last night against the Sox.

Boone Logan, came on for Jose Contreras in the 7th, allowed an infield single to Johnny Damon with one out to fill the bases. Dotel got Derek Jeter on a swinging strike three, exhaled, and then Abreu stepped in. Octavio threw two balls outside the strike zone before grooving one that was sent screaming to the opposite field for a grand salami.

The shot sent the Good Guys to their knees changing a 3-2 lead to a 9-4 defeat. I might have written about a slam hit on the Northside of Chicago earlier in the day, but what does Ronny Cedeno’s girlfriend look like?

This was my first of seven straight games at the Cell. Gonna catch all the games with the Bronx Bombers and then with the Birds of Baltimore.