Category: White Sox

The White Sox needed to play the last game of the regular season Monday to determine whether a one game playoff was needed against Minnesota. Meanwhile the Twinkies were in their clubhouse watching the game on TV, waiting to pop their champagne cork. But instead of toasting themselves they needed to hop on an Chicago bound airplane for a Tuesday night do or die ballgame.

First there was a game to be played on Monday between the Tigers & the White Sox, we were all there to watch the afternoon game. The rain was falling down as Rob & I drove to the Cell, stopping along the way at Hero’s for a delicious sub sandwich. We brought them to the ballpark, even sharing our booty with Tade & Caramel Corn Mike. Steve, Al, & Anthony go there about 4:00 PM, first pitch was postponed from 1:05 PM. There was also a baseball geek named Joe from Michigan hanging with us, he was a great guy, even pulled for Chicago.

Although Joe was hoping Gary Sheffield would hit his 500th homer, so maybe he’d retire. Joe thinks the Tigers are going to be down for some time, stating some of their moves were racially motivated, like being in love with Nate Robertson (he sucks) & Brandon Inge (he’s at the Mendoza line).

Former Sox starter Freddy Garcia was matched up against Gavin Floyd. Although Gracia was only hitting 88 MPH on the radar gun, he was keeping our hitters in check. Halfway through this tight game, Freddy grabbed his shoulder and was done. The faithful at the Cell gave Freddy a standing ovation, it was kind of surreal watching yesterday’s hero walking off into the sunset, wearing enemy colors.

Jim Leyland tried everything, even bringing on a starter, Galarraga into the contest, but that backfired as he threw two wild pitches, and walking the only batter he faced. Rookie Alexei broke the game open with his 4th grand slam of the season.

So there will be baseball Tuesday as the Twins come to town. After the game Rob & I stood in line and bought 15 tickets for the next game, EVERYBODY will be there! After Chicago defeats Minnesota it’s on to Tampa Bay to take on the Rays. I still haven’t ruled out a trip to the sunshine state to watch my boys in action. The White Sox played the Indians on Sunday, the Tigers on Monday, will play the Twins on Tuesday, and if they win, the Rays on Wednesday. This might be the first time in MLB history that a team played four different teams in four consecutive days.

Mark Buehrle & the Chicago White Sox rose up to take the finale of a three game series with the Indians, which means there will be baseball Monday. The season for the underachieving Detroit Tigers is not over. They will be coming to Chicago to play game #162, if the Sox win then the Sox will host the Twinkies on Tuesday to determine the AL Central Division Champions.

Cleveland started an inexperienced rookie rather than this year’s AL Cy Young Award winner, Cliff Lee. Lee had a stiff neck, so the kid got his shot, with his family sitting right in front of us. He didn’t pitch poorly, maybe didn’t deserve a loss, but got one none the less. The runs off the kid were a solo Paulie Konerko rip just inside the leftfield foul pole, a bases loaded error on doubleplay ball, and a sac fly, not bad at all.

Rob, Al & his son Anthony, Steve, Dick & Bea, Debbie & George, Adele & Mary, me, and Caramel Corn Mike were all in the house. Tomorrow we’ll do it again. LET’S GO WHITE SOX!

The Chicago White Sox have a losing streak going at the worst time ever! Losing three straight at the Metrodome was bad enough, but then we came back to Chicago, without a lead, trailing the Twinkies. And we lost against the Indians, this is the same Tribe that threw in the towel by dumping C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers. So now the losing streak had reached four, but Minnesota also lost, to the lowly Royals. Kansas City’s 20 games below .500, but has played ten games above .500 in September. Even though the Twins were losing to KC, I didn’t feel comfortable watching the White Sox games on my laptop, something wasn’t sitting well, maybe it was a cheese overload. Rather than hopping on my pontoon boat in Waupaca and cruising around the beautiful Chain O’ Lakes on a sunny Saturday, I felt compelled to drive four hours to Chicago, get on the Blue Line, take a shuttle bus, to the Red Line, over to the Cell. My team needed me!

I was told once, when in trouble, YELL, FIRE!, not HELP! My team was yelling, FIRE!, loud & clear. Despite the fact there might have been a huge piece of steak in the White Sox throat, the Heimlich was needed. I was coming to town, to save the day, on to the Playoffs! After watching Javier Vazquez try not giving in to Indian batters, it didn’t start out that way, as he struckout the first two hitters on three pitches, before surrendering a solo home run to (Ahhh) Choo, but then in the 5th the Old Javy showed up. This was the same Vazquez with a record below .500, with great stuff, but no faith in his great stuff. The Tribe posted six runs in the 5th to take a 7-1 lead.

My team didn’t just need me there, they needed a bailout! If the Government can swoop in with a 700 billion bailout for the banks & the insurance companies, couldn’t they really come in here and stop this losing streak? I’ve often said, if you wanna screwup, do it on your own. If you REALLY wanna screwup, get the government involved. Maybe this losing streak is too big for the government to do anything here. But I must say, the government enabled the financial giants to make their boo-boos, and now are bailing them out, with our money.

I do recognize my team on the Southside of Chicago has gotten itself into this mess, and now must get itself out! Today might be the last game of the season for the Good Guys. There are many reasons we might not make it to the Playoffs. It’s not the umpires, injuries, or any other available excuses. Here are some downfalls of the team; 1) an overworked bullpen, 2) dealing a relief pitcher, when the setup man went down, for a HOF outfielder with nothing left in the tank, 3) falling in love with a minorleague outfielder who’s come through a few times throughout the year, while a gold glove caliber outfielder rots on the pines, 4) Vazquez has no balls, 5) two young starters who’ve never gone as many innings as they have, 6) allowing Detroit to sign a former member of our championship rotation, he’s even a shirt tail relative of Ozzie, & going to a four man rotation, but the #1 reason for the team’s failure IMHO is reason #7, 7) not being able to play fundamental baseball, can’t bunt, never move runners along, and cannot win without the longball, this strategy is working less since losing Quentin & Crede. All this said & done, Chicago still has a magic number of three. I know the Twinkies have a magic number of two. But the White Sox still have their destiny in their hands, win three straight games, and they’re in! Of course, first we’ve got to stop our losing streak, which has now reached five. BTW, KC rose up again to beat the Twinkies again in the Metrodome.

I’ll go out there again today, with Rob T & his family, maybe we can turn it around. It didn’t workout so well last night, with Al & his sons and Steve in the house. Honestly though, even if we make the playoffs, how far will we get? I know, just get in, but seriously, I’m not buying it.

I was chatting with former Bulls superstar Norm Van Lier on the Red Line on the way to the Cell. He had free tickets he needed to pickup, but none of his buddies showed up to join him. I guess it wasn’t exciting enough to watch a fledgling team struggle for their playoff lives, not nearly as exciting as Norm’s previous night out, listening to & partying with the Eagles. Van Lier did tell me how he was recruited out of Pittsburgh by the University of Alabama to play QB, and how the coach said, way back in ’65, “I didn’t know you were a Negro”. Needless to say, Stormin Norman decided to pass on the Bama QB experience.

After missing Thursday night’s White Sox loss to the Blue Jays due to Ray’s 50th birthday party, lotsa fun, it was time to head down to the Cell. Only this time I’d be going down there in Rob’s car, with Vicky, for a pregame tailgate party. We arrived about 5:00 PM, the grill was already grilling, under a tent, Tade was busy cooking. Upon our arrival the beverages came pouring out of the trunk of Rob’s car. On the grill were hot dogs, brats, hamburgers, & cheeseburgers. There were cutup onions and tomatoes from Tade’s garden, along with mustard, ketchup, pickles, & piccalilli. Sweet treats were also present in the form of fresh fruit, chocolate chip cookies, and Snickers candy bars.

Those in attendance were me, Rob, Vicky, Tade, Dick, Bea, Steve, Bubba, Debbie & her kids, CLuke & his kids, Tom & Tim (Rob’s twin brothers), Kimberly (Rob’s daughter) & her girlfriends, Roland, Al, and Anthony. It was alot of fun, bringing the tent made it all possible. Some people snuck away from the parking lot to get their green hats for the Halfway to St. Patty’s Day festivities.

I called the White Sox to see if the game was still on at 7:00 PM, just about the same time Richard Roeper was throwing out the first pitch and the tarp was being removed. I decided to go inside along with CLuke & his kids and Roland. They had upper deck seats and the only way they could get to the lower deck was if I went in with them. Once inside, the tarp was back on the field, and Caramel Corn Mike was looking for something to eat. We met Dick at the gate to pickup some freshly cooked food hot off Tade’s grill. We delivered the food to a grateful Mike, just as the game was called.

Out to the tent we went, drinking some Captain Morgan Tattoo, good stuff Maynard, and it was time to head for home. I gave my ticket to Roland. I probably won’t be back at US Cellular Field this baseball season until the postseason.

Roland had a pretty neat rain delay penny entertainment thingy which he performed. He laid two pennies face up in the palm of his hand, “See any fruit?” To which the crowd responded, “No.” “Here’s a pair,” he chimed. Adding another penny, “See any snakes?” The people said, “Nope.” “Three copperheads,” smiled Roland. One more penny was added, “Any cars?” Roland responding to the “Nos” from the crowd says, “Four Lincolns.” Now there are five pennies face up in his hand, “See any sex?” The response from a laughing Roland is, “Well not for five cents you won’t.” Corny, but cute.

For only the 9th time this season the White Sox won a game without hitting a home run. With Carlos Quentin, Joe Crede, & Paul Konerko out, and Ken Griffey, Jr. resting after playing a doubleheader the day before, Chicago’s power options were running out. So the team turned to an old friend, a formula that paid big dividends in championship 2005, small ball or Ozzie ball.

Small ball paid big dividends on the day after a doubleheader sweep, in which Paul Konerko was injured. Ozzie ball paid big dividends in a game in which Mark Buehrle would be matched up against Roy Halladay. It started right away in the first inning, speed has a way of doing that, making things happen in a hurry. Dewayne Wise lined a one out single to center, went to 2nd when Halladay’s pickoff throw got away, Jermaine Dye drew a base on balls, Jim Thome singled to left-center scoring Wise, and sending Dye to 3rd. After Alexei Ramirez struckout, A.J. Pierzynski ripped a two out basehit, scoring Dye.

Chicago padded their 2-0 lead adding three runs in the bottom of the 6th. Thome got things started with a single, went to third on Ramirez’ double (Alexei almost kept on running, but looked up in time to see Jim standing on third), Pierzynski then doubled home both runners, Nick Swisher K’d, Juan Uribe singled, setting up 1st & 3rd, with one out. That’s when more small ball happened, A.J. broke for the plate just as the pitch was reaching home plate, Jerry Owens squared, dropping to one knee to make sure he got the bunt down, and the White Sox executed a perfect suicide squeeze. Home runs are nice, but there are few things in baseball as exciting as a suicide squeeze. Now the score stood at five to nothing.

Mark Buehrle was cruising along, the only real threat coming in the first inning. Swisher made a nice play on a grounder when he stepped on first to retire Jose Bautista, then fired to second to double up Marco Scutaro, who’d gotten a single to open the game. Alex Rios picked up a base knock, went to third on a Vernon Wells hit, but Wells was nailed at 2nd for out number three by Jermaine Dye’s perfect throw trying to stretch it to a double.

Buehrle was at about 100 pitches thrown as he walked Bautista with one out in the 8th and was replaced by Octavio Dotel. Dotel served one up that Rios deposited the ball over the leftfield wall. Octavio could feel the love when Wells ripped a single to left, but Rod Barajas grounded into an inning ending doubleplay to get ODot out of a jam.

Swisher sandwiched an 8th inning double that almost made it out to left between a couple of strikeouts. Then Guillen sent up pinch hitter Brian Anderson to face the lefty reliever for the Jays. Chicago went up four when Anderson’s basehit scored Nick from 2nd, the Sox went up 6-2, and this wouldn’t be a save situation for Bobby Jenks.

Jenks hadn’t pitched since he went two innings Saturday, so he was called in to nail down this one. It almost got away, I sat down, I stood up, I was trying just about everything to help Bobby out. After getting the first guy on strikes, Joe Inglett singled, Scott Rolen walked, pinch hitter Lyle Overbay singled, scoring Inglett. Scutaro doubled home Rolen, Bautista’s groundout plated Overbay, and the potential tying run was 90 feet away. 90 feet away, with the dangerous Alex Rios stepping in there. Rios couldn’t check his swing on strike three in the dirt and the game was over. 6-5, whew, we had it all the way.

Everybody was in the house for this one. Standing next to Nancy Faust’s empty organ booth was crowded with baseball fans, Tade, Al, Anthony, Dan, Steve, Phil, Dick, & Bea were all rooting Chicago on to victory. This small ball is exhausting!

That said, Chicago has only two regulars who can run, Ramirez & Cabrera. Griffey hasn’t provided the offense hoped for when he was brought to the Southside of Chicago. If I were in charge I’d play two of three guys (Wise, Anderson, & Owens) everyday. Tough decisions need to be made in a pennant race. Right now Joe Torre has benched Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre, & Nomar Garciaparra. With Konerko injured and Junior slumping, it’s a no brainer, small ball is the way to go. Also wanted to let you know, I saw where secondbaseman Chris Getz broke two bones in his wrist, too bad as we could use his speed.

Going to miss tonite’s series finale against Toronto, going to Ray’s SURPRISE (Shhh) 50th, tomorrow is our big tailgate party before the opener against Detroit, it’s halfway to St. Patty’s Day, green Sox hats will be the giveaway, totally sold out game! CLuke will be bringing his family and Rob & Vicki will be there, as well as the whole gang! I’ll have one for you! LET’S GO WHITE SOX!