alexei ramirez | The Baseball Zealot

We’ll Be Talking About This One

Dodgers Sox Spring Baseball WHITE SOX WIN 4-2 in METRODOME FINALE, coming back from two runs down, nobody on, two outs, two strikes, against Joe Nathan, Gordon Beckham HOMERS, Paul Konerko HOMERS, pinch runner Dewayne Wise (running for Jermaine Dye, who’d walked), SCORES after stealing second, on a shallow single to left by Alexei Ramirez, another run scores on a wild pitch, and Bobby Jenks gets them 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th to close out the Metrodome.

Found out, CLuke’s daughter was responsible for this win, playing “Don’t Stop Believin”, when Beckham was batting in the 9th. Buck also spit out a fantasy win from Brian Duensing, for the cause. And I have Joe Nathan on my WTLNXTYR fantasy squad, he spit out the save, enabling the comeback win.

We’ll be talking about this one, when the Sox win it all, with the greatest comeback in the game’s history!

LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

Alexei Ramirez: Good or Bad? You Decide

alexei-ramirez There has been some talk about whether Alexei Ramirez is a good baseball player or a bad baseball player. One thing for sure, this 27 year old kid, signed by the White Sox, out of Cuba, is a baseball bargain at $1,000,000 per year, over four years. Other than the White Sox, there weren’t alot of takers out there last year for this talented SS-OF, the thinking was he couldn’t hit a fastball or his frail frame wouldn’t be able to withstand the rigors of a full major league season, for sure he’d need some seasoning in the minors, some years to develop, and at 26, when would he make it to the majors?

Ozzie Guillen surprised the baseball world by keeping the young Cuban on the 2008 opening day roster, not only that, Ramirez started in CF on opening day. Soon Alexei took the starting secondbase position, a position he’d not played before, and did an outstanding job at the major league level. Not only that, he didn’t let learning a new position bother him at the plate.

The Cuban Missile batted .290, with 21 homers, 22 doubles, 13 steals, in 136 games, 509 at bats, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting to Evan Longoria. Some people didn’t vote for Alexei because he had Cuban experience, the same reason some didn’t vote for Ichiro due to his experience in Japan.

His strong arm and speed often times allowed him to overcome his lackings in baseball fundamentals. This year he was shited to his more natural position of shortstop, where a strong arm is a necessity, rather than a luxory. I’ve found I liked him better at secondbase, Ramirez has had trouble with the doubleplay, especially with runners bearing down on him.

This year, once again, his bat is delivering a message, he’s on a pace to repeat last year’s totals, better in a couple of catagories, he already has 27 walks (only walked 18 times as a rookie) and has stolen 12 bases in 15 attempts (last year he was 13 of 22). He also has a chance to drive in & score over 100 times, not bad for a much maligned middle infielder.

There have been times I’ve been frustrated with his lack of fundamentals, not being able to bunt, not moving a runner along, and the one that burst my cork, not being close enough on a doubleplay grounder off the bat of Jose Guillen, with runners on 1st & 2nd and nobody out, that cost the White Sox three runs & the ballgame. It prompted me to say I was going to start up a website called www.ShipAlexei2Cuba.com, where fans could click & donate money to have Ramirez shipped back to his motherland.

CLuke has been comparing Ramirez’ game to much loved SS former Cub, Shawon Dunston. I thought he was just trying to start something, but in reality it looks like he was shorting Alexei. In reality, there is no comparison, Ramirez outshines Dunston in almost every category. Shawon didn’t do well with fundamentals, couldn’t bunt, didn’t move runners along, and if you’re remembering him running out bunts, you seem to remember things that didn’t happen all that often, the most bases on balls Thunder Pup ever drew in a season was 30, most years half that many.

The only American League shortstops who are having better years than Ramirez are Derek Jeter, Jason Bartlett, & Marco Scutaro. There four shortstops in the N.L. having better years than Alexei, Hanley Ramirez, Yunel Escobar, Troy Tulowitzki, and Miguel Tejada.

The facts seem to speak for themselves, as for opinions, just like assholes, everyone has one. After looking over everything objectively, I’ve taken a valium, I’m going to cut the kid some slack, I’m back on the Ramirez Bandwagon.

LET’S GO ALEXEI!!! LET’S GO WHITE SOX!!!

White Sox Drooping

white-sox The White Sox don’t look nearly as good as the ones pictured here. Not even one quarter of the way through the 2009 season and they’ve already been shutout six times. Their offense has been missing in action, with an all or nothing approach, for the most part it’s been station to station base running. There is very little team speed, when runners are on base, the chance for a doubleplay comes up more often than a timely longball. And if it’s conceivably possible, the starting pitching has been worse. The young starters have been disappointing, to say the least, while the old guys have been worse, the only guy who can be counted on has been Mark Buehrle.

You may be asking yourself, is there any hope? Is anything working? Well, so far the bullpen has been solid, anchored by closer Bobby Jenks, with his setup men, Octavio Dotel, Matt Thornton, & Scott Linebrink. Jermaine Dye has shown outstanding defense in RF, with a potent bat. Brian Anderson, when he was healthy, demonstrated his defensive abilities in CF, while holding his own with the bat. A.J. Pierzynski needs to go out there and kick some ass, telling his pitchers that if their not going to attempt to hold runners on, he’s not even going to throw down on attempted steals.

So, what do the White Sox need to do? Bring up Gordon Beckham & Aaron Poreda, they couldn’t do any worse than Brent Lillibridge & Jose Contreras. Hitting is contagious, so are slumps, sometimes one hitter can turn a lineup around. Right now the White Sox lineup seems to have a few dark holes, Brent Lillibridge, Josh Fields, & Alexei Ramirez (who seems to have hit a sophomore jinx). Another good arm in the rotation can help turn a pitching staff around.

It might not be the time panic yet, but it’s getting close. Teams seem to build on their successes, as well as on their failures. I’ve been out to the Cell twice this year, total score was Bad Guys 20, Good Guys 0. Neither time did I see any sign of a pulse, I’ll be out there again, and I’ve got a trip with friends planned to Cincinnati to watch the Sox battle the Reds. I’d hate to make that trip for nothings.

LET’S GO WHITE SOX!

Beckham’s Better

beckham There is a current battle underway for the starting secondbase spot with the Chicago White Sox, with the incumbent Alexei Ramirez sliding over to SS replacing Orlando Cabrera. So the guys battling are Jayson Nix, Chris Getz, and Brent Lillibridge. What I really don’t understand is why there hasn’t been more discussion about leaving Alexi at 2B, with Gordon Beckham taking over the starting SS position.

Beckham was the White Sox #1 draft choice out of the University of Georgia, where he led the NCAA last season with 28 homers, while batting .411 in 197 games at Georgia. Gordon is a born SS and a born competitor. He reminds me of former White Sox SS Bucky Dent in the field, but with a much better bat.

Jayson Nix is a solid fielding secondbaseman, with pop, however he strikes out quite a bit, and is not a leadoff type hitter. Nix was handed the starting job last season with the Colorado Rockies, but couldn’t get the job done. Now Jayson, at 26, understands the importance of not taking this opportunity lightly.

I really like Chris Getz. He’s a lefthanded batter out of the University of Michigan, he’s a real battler, does all the little things well, not as good a fielder as Nix, but he can bat leadoff.

Brent Lillibridge was a SS in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, but is competing with Getz & Nix for the starting secondbase job. Brent has excellent speed, but lost his stroke last season with Atlanta, batting only .220 in AAA.

Competition’s good, I hope it’s not a closed competition. Last season Jerry Owens won the starting CF job last year, but was injured, so Carlos Quentin got a shot, and we all know how well that turned out. Contrary to popular opinion, I don’t think Beckham needs to pay his dues in the minors, this kid’s from a big time college, and he’s ready to PLAY BALL!

SOX t-WIN

All by myself, in the Twin Cities! Took the Light Rail from the Mall of America, got down there as the gates opened, found a nice general admission seat about as far away from the action as you can get, out in centerfield. Tonite I didn’t wear my glasses, I’d rather not see a win, than see the losses I saw the last two nights. I’m not superstitious, but I know what works. Whatever it takes!

It was time for Livan Hernandez, 8-1 at home this year, but it was the White Sox turn. Carlos Quentin hit a solo shot just over the leftfield wall, then ripped a bases clearing, two out double, it was 5-0 Good Guys. The Twinks scored, but then Alexei Ramirez put the game on ice with a three run jack. Gavin Floyd held the Twins hitters at bay. BIG BAD Bobby Jenks was brought on in the 9th to get some work in, Minnesota scored a couple of meaningless runs, despite Nick Swisher hitting the wall to grab an out in right, final score 8-3. Now I’ve got a winning streak to keep going.

One more game tomorrow night, after the game I hop the Big Grey Dog back to the Windy City.

HEY, YOU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY

This trip to Minnesota isn’t going exactly as planned. The White Sox lost again last night, lead down to 1/2 games, things are tightening up. CLuke & his son were with me last night, but we couldn’t hang on to a 4-0 lead. The Twinkies scored five times off Clayton Richard in the 5th, thanks in large part to Justin Morneau’s bases loaded, two out, double, that cleared the bases, and just missed going out, off the baggie in right. My cell phone started ringing before the ball hit the wall, thought it was bad timing by the Baseball Zealot, but he was rubbing it in, as a Cub fan, Hey Buddy, Pay attention to your own game! It should be noted the Cubbies are doing quite well in Milwaukee, distancing themselves from their 2nd place competition, beating the Brewers best two pitchers C.C. Sabathia & Ben Sheets in the first two games of their series.

OK, I’ll admit it, I’m bitter, but this isn’t baseball, or baseball as it was meant to be played. It’s more like a pinball game with fast little gnats flying all over this fake grass surface. Then there’s this ugly grey ceiling, with speakers (blaring out noise on every pitch), hanging down, in play, balls off the speakers are in play.

We still had a chance, had Ozzie gotten somebody up when the wheels fell off the rookie pitcher making his 2nd major league start, he only went 4 innings in his major league debut. Also when Alexei Ramirez got on with a single ahead of Josh Fields & Toby Hall, sending him might have gotten us another run, that was when we were ahead four to zip. BTW, Hall’s two out single would’ve scored Alexei rather than sending him to 3rd, where he was stranded. Minnesota added an insurance run, which turned out to be the difference, as Nick Swisher hit a booming solo shot off Joe Nathan in the 9th to make the final 6-5 Bad Guys.

CLuke brought his girls to where the Sox were staying and got some autographs. There were alot of dealers trying to get guys to sign, but the Sox were more than happy to sign for real fans, especially a couple of cute young girls wearing White Sox tees.

Soon I’ll be hoping on the Light Rail, for the 3rd game I’m on my own, just me & all my friends, hopefully I can help the White Sox salvage the last two games of this four game set. LET’S GO WHITE SOX!