White Sox | The Baseball Zealot

Easy with that Bat, Mr Cora

Thank you sooo much, Joey Cora, for disabling yet another Cubs pitcher with your errant bat before the All-Star game. That’s what the Cubs need right now. It’s not like we have a ton of good arms on the Cubs right now. “Whoa, that’s not a weapon there, Joey Cora” And it’s not like the … Continue reading “Easy with that Bat, Mr Cora”

“Whoa, that’s not a weapon there, Joey Cora”

And it’s not like the Cubs fans need another focal point on the Sox. We have plenty of those already.

Zambrano missed the All-Star Game and is questionable for the next one or two starts. That’s quite a mighty swing you have for a fungo.

Easy with that bat, Mr Cora.

Update: Zambrano assures us he’s ok and is scheduled to make his start on Saturday.

One observation: If Zam hits a homerun on Saturday, he will be tied for 5th on team. Ugh.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN HEADED TO THE BURGH

The White Sox will be well represented in this year’s All Star Classic Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Seven players from the Southside of Chicago will be making the trip to the Steel City for the game. The heart of the Sox lineup will be there to provide power. There isn’t a team in baseball with … Continue reading “MAGNIFICENT SEVEN HEADED TO THE BURGH”

The White Sox will be well represented in this year’s
All Star Classic Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. Seven
players from the Southside of Chicago will be making
the trip to the Steel City for the game. The heart of
the Sox lineup will be there to provide power.

There isn’t a team in baseball with more power production
than Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, & Jermaine Dye. Jose
Contreras has won 17 straight regular season
decisions. Mark Buehrle is a proven winner and heads
the staff, despite a couple of rough outings when he
allowed seven first inning runs. BIG BAD Bobby Jenks
has been lights out for the Pale Hose as the closer.
And last, but not least is A.J. Pierzynski who was
internet elected by the fans. A perfect White Sox
promotion of PUNCH AJ landed him the last AL roster
spot. The White Sox are busy producing I PUNCHED AJ
tee shirts, rumor has it they’ll send one to Michael Barrett.

DID KENNY GET TAKEN???

Seriously I’ve gotta get a life!!! When the White Sox
traded minor league lefthander Javier Lopez to the Red
Sox for righty reliever David Riske, today is what I
dreaded might happen. Ozzie Guillen brought Riske
into the game, thinking he could get batters out, but
he couldn’t. Javier Lopez was brought in to make Jim
Thome look silly with the bases loaded down by three
with nobody out, and he did. White Sox lose a tough
one. The Red Sox really needed a lefty reliever in
their pen, the White Sox already have Neal Cotts &
Matt Thornton, still it’s better to have a pitcher who
can get batters out no matter which way he throws.

Crede got heart

FIRST PITCH BY FOX

After watching baseball this past weekend on Cable at
my cottage in Wisconsin I’ve got a whole new meaning
for “throwing out the first pitch”. The lineups were
brought to me by Taco Bell and some other advertiser.
The pitcher’s scouting report was brought to me by
another sponsor. I learned how to prevent leakage and
not pee as often, also can shrink my prostrate. Turns
out a triple stacked beef burger from Burger King
should be my meal of choice. And Chevrolet might’ve
been better served waiting for the game to end before
announcing Aramis Ramirez as the Player of the Game.
They had a little egg on their face as Ramirez made
the last out of the game for the Cubbies, while the
REAL Player of the Game lives on the Southside of
town, a fellow by the name of A.J. Pierzynski!

WHITE SOX @ WRIGLEY FOR 3

Drove straight from the airport to Waupaca with one
thing on my mind, the Crosstown Classic between the
World Champion Chicago White Sox and the hapless
Chicago Cubs. Flipped on WGN at the cottage just as
the game started, the Sox were up 3-0 after 1/2 inning
of play, but the Cubs responded with two in the bottom
of the frame. Juan Uribe drove in three more runs,
after knocking in two in the first, to make it five
for the day. Jon Garland settled down after a shaky
first inning to hang on to a 6-2 win over Cub rookie
Sean Marshall.

The 2nd game was a nooner on FOX. CLou-less Piniella
was announcing the game for Fox. Lou stated Joe Crede
shortened his swing in the offseason and it was really
paying dividends this year, when in reality Crede’s
hot streak started in last year’s playoffs/World
Series and has carried into this season. There was a
popfly double that landed between the Cubs
thirdbaseman Aramis Ramirez and leftfielder Phil
Nevin, granted it was a play the shortstop is normally
involved in, but for the Jim Thome shift. Both
announcers said the ball fell between Ronny Cedeno &
Nevin, the director even showed a split screen of
Cedeno & Nevin. Then Fox chose Aramis Ramirez as the
Player of the Game, he ended up making the last out of
the game for the Cubbies. Ross Gload, Fox showed he
was 0-8 as a pinch hitter even though he was in the
game on a double switch, was the last batter that
stood between Ryan Dempster and the Cubs evening up
this series at a game apiece. But when Gload’s
dribbler eluded Dempster, then Dye walked, and up
stepped A.J. Pierzynski. The game was on the line,
but Fox insisted on bringing up how Michael Barrett
had apologized, just as A.J. Pie launched one out on
Sheffield Avenue for a three run home run. It turned
the game from a 6-5 loss to a 8-5 win, as Bobby Jenks
shutdown the Cubs in the bottom of the 9th.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday! Settled in to watch a pitching
battle between aces Mark Buehrle & Carlos Zambrano.
Felt really confident as the Sox tallied twice in the
first off tightly wound Zambrano, but the Cubbies
jumped all over Buehrle for seven in their half of the
first. Buehrle got a win earlier in the year when he
allowed seven first inning runs, but not today as the
Cubs belted him with four more and went on to win this
one 15-11. Cliff Politte allowed four runs in two
innings, as he’s looked horrible since coming off the
DL.

Teddy Ballgame in Da Burgh

Flew into Pittsburgh for a three game set between the
Chicago White Sox & the Pittsburgh Pirates and a nine
game APBA series pitting the Chicago Champions against
the Three Rivers Gamblers. Before leaving the Chicago
Airport I called the Hilton to make sure there’d be no
problem with a LATE checkin. I paid for my stay via
Priceline and was assured everything was okay no
matter how late I got there. After the game was when
I expected to get there, but that turned into after a
few drinks, which turned into after Club Royale
closed. Felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode when I
got to the hotel at 2:00 AM, they had my reservation,
but no room. They cabbed me over to the Greentree
Radisson, where I slept like a baby, till I had to
rush down to the Hilton to make sure I had a room for
my 2nd night.

A cabbie pulled up, asked if I was Cho, I told him no,
the bellman told him Cho was a no go, and asked if he
could drive me to the Hilton. He asked, “How are you
gonna pay for the ride?” I told him I had a voucher.
He asked what’s it for? I told him a cabride to the
Hilton. He asked, “No, what company’s it for?” I
told him Yellow, which was the name on his cab. He
tells me, “Get in!” I say, “I need to sit in the
front cuz I wear longleg braces, can’t fit in the
back, and need help getting in”. He says I’ll mess up
his wires. I tell him to get the hell out of here and
I’ll report cab 504 didn’t wanna drive me. Turns out
his manager knows he’s a jerk and was glad I took the
time to report him.

I got to the Hilton at 11:00 AM, but my room wasn’t
ready yet. My room, how nice that sounds. She even
gave me a room number, 1910. I decided to head out to
grab a bite near the ballpark, have a few cold ones,
before heading in to see the 2nd game. After the
game, rather than going straight to the Hilton,
decided to have a couple post game beers, got to the
hotel at midnite. Voila, they put me in room 1910.

Getting back to the games…

Continue reading “Teddy Ballgame in Da Burgh”

7/1/06 Linescore of the Day: A.J. Pierzynski

3 for 5, HR, run, 3 rbi Do we need to go through this again? A.J. hit a 3-run shot off Ryan Demptser to win the game for the Sox. Hmm… you think the Wrigley fans took that very well?? No, the dolts threw litter on the field causing a five-minute delay. I have a … Continue reading “7/1/06 Linescore of the Day: A.J. Pierzynski”

3 for 5, HR, run, 3 rbi

Do we need to go through this again?

A.J. hit a 3-run shot off Ryan Demptser to win the game for the Sox.

Hmm… you think the Wrigley fans took that very well??

No, the dolts threw litter on the field causing a five-minute delay. I have a six year old who knows how to act better than that. Sheesh. One more thing that people can point to about Cub fans.

Oh, and not to defend A.J. or anything but Ozzie Guillen can learn something from him about the proper way to “get back” at a team.

6/30/06 Linescore of the Day: Juan Uribe

3 for 4, 2B, HR, run, 5 rbi “One man wrecking crew” is what the media called Juan and that about summed him up. He drove in five of the Sox’ eight runs in their 8-2 defeat of the hapless Cubbies yeaterday in the much anticpated matchup. A.J. and Michael kissed and made up. The … Continue reading “6/30/06 Linescore of the Day: Juan Uribe”

3 for 4, 2B, HR, run, 5 rbi

“One man wrecking crew” is what the media called Juan and that about summed him up. He drove in five of the Sox’ eight runs in their 8-2 defeat of the hapless Cubbies yeaterday in the much anticpated matchup.

A.J. and Michael kissed and made up. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if it was ~~ordered~~ encouraged from above for the benefit of the camera. Yes, they are friends which I think furthers my point.

I’ll put my tinfoil hat away now.

Correction: That’s Juan Uribe not Jose.

Last chance to vote today

Today is the last chance to fill in your All-Star ballot. It’s a pity that AL homerun leader Jim Thome isn’t even on the ballot. If you are so inclined, there IS a write-in section at the bottom of the ballot. Yes, I know he is a DH (though he did play 2 games at … Continue reading “Last chance to vote today”

Yes, I know he is a DH (though he did play 2 games at 1B). But this is an All-Star Game. Bring on the All-Stars!

And yes, I know he plays for the White Sox. Unlike other authors on this blog, I’m not hatin’ on the cross-town team.

Go Cubbies and Go NL!!