Jon Garland
Went to the Cell last night to see my White Sox for the last time this year. When I was a kid I used to try to make it to the last game of the season. Alot of fan like all the hoopla of the season opener, but I prefer the reality of the finale, maybe that’s the difference between being a White Sox fan as opposed to being a Cub fan. I watched my first last game in 1969, the Sox dropped that game to KC 10-3 Moe Drabowsky over Fred Roth, but Chicago did finish their home schedule above .500 at 41-40. The team was woeful on the road, 27-54, finishing four games above the Seattle Pilots. After my team was thumped I went to the parking lot, where the player’s parked their cars, with my father and got a ball autographed by almost every member (Louie Aparicio, Walt Williams, Tommy John, among them) of the Sox. It was quite a night for a 13 year old boy.
But last night my White Sox avenged the last home game of 1969 against Kansas City by beating the Royals 3-0. I know last night wasn’t technically the last home game of the season by the Pale Hose, but it would be the last game I’d attend this year and it’s close enough. Any way we got them back and that’s the important thing.
Jon Garland took the bump for the good guys against Zack Greinke. It has been rumored this might have been Garland’s last start in a White Sox uniform. IMHO, this would be a mistake, good pitching is important and hard to come by. Chicago already has three very solid starters with Javier Vazquez, Mark Buehrle, & Jon Garland. Garland has averaged over 200 innings, 32 starts, & 13 wins over the past six years, not bad for a 28 year old sinker baller.
Katie, CLuke’s daughter, a huge Jon Garland fan, met me at the Fullerton stop along the Red Line, and we were Cell bound. Katie must’ve assisted Ozzie Guillen with his lineup as Josh Fields was back at the hot corner with another Katie fave, Scotty Podsednik, in left. Katie went down to the bullpen and got some warmup photos of Garland, and then got Josh & Scotty shots of them coming off the field into the dugout.
Jim Thome hit the 33rd longball of the season and the 505th of his career in the very first inning. It would be enough, but Jermaine Dye added a two run 4th inning bomb as insurance. Jon Garland had his sinkerball going on. It was a fun night at the ballyard, hanging out behind homeplate, 35 rows up, with friends Tade, Roland, Al, Anthony, & Dan, and Caramel-corn Mike & Scott.
We were all standing around talking about what changes we’d like to see, looking over the 2008 home schedule, and talking about going to Spring Training. GO SOX GO!!!
A little “Spring Training Talk” is always welcome.
Rumor is that Jon Garland may be “wearing the Halo” by March.
Perhaps resulting in Reggie Willits in CF for the White Sox. Plus Ervin Santana and Dustin Moseley in your rotation. Erick Aybar is another name that is mentioned. There might be a deal there, but I wouldn’t give you ALL FOUR of those guys for Garland.
Fun to talk about.
DonS.
DonS: throw in Vlad and some cash along with those four and you’ve got a deal. I’ll call Kenny right now and give him the go-ahead.
BTW Teddy, did you see that picture of DonS in the Sun-Times the other day? They did a profile on Notre Dame HS in Niles, and there was a snapshot of various athletes in uniform on the page. Right in the middle was a young-looking guy with “DONS” in big letters on his jersey. :-)
I have to admit, DonS takes a great picture-he looked younger than any of his children.
Funny, I was thinking that yesterday might have been the last time we see Garland on the South Side. Broadway made a big splash tonight: I wonder how they’ll work the “Great White Way” into the headlines tomorrow.
And Teddy, I saw your 90-win bet; I have to admit I don’t know if I would have taken that action, but I would have offered (and lost) the proposition that one of either Konerko, Thome or Dye would be out for the season by All-Star break. I just based that guess on how old those guys are.