Monday Hangover
Monday, August 28, 2007
Today’s Lineup
Owens, CF; Fields, LF; Thome, DH; PK, 1B; AJ, C; Dye, RF; Uribe, SS; Richar, 2B; Gonzalez, 3B. Contreras pitching.
Hang in there, Sox fans.
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Inside the White Sox 
After the shelling the last three days,now the D-Rays comne to town for one time only…and they’ve just come off of scoring 26 runs in their last three wins…
Sheesh! Is everyone scoring except for the White Sox?…
After the matinee,3 in Texas, where they’ve never really done well…then 3 in Cleveland, followed by 3 in Detroit–the two teams battling for the division…
with a beleaguered bullpen and a starting staff that has just come off of an attack by the Bo-Sox…
Swell…
Couple of more notes…
1)To Brother Liptak… a belated happy b-day…I hope that you have more fun this fall with the HS and Idaho State games than you’ve had this summer…
2)to windycity1950…First of all, Mr Quaid was my father…and are my quotes REALLY that memorable?…If so, I have to contact Bartlett’s right away, to see if I can get into the next printing…
It is going to be,I feel, a very volatile off season…with a lot of deals in the works…the dismantlement of the championship squad is inevitable…but the one thing that is required of White Sox Universe when this does take place is patience…It’s going to take a while for the pieces to fall back into place…
It could be done overnight…but it’s not likely…
Tom:
Thank you.
—–
On another note this encapsulates PERFECTLY the White Sox ‘decade’ (save for 2005).
Edwin Jackson, 4-12, ERA of 5.25…..he’s allowed the Sox NO runs on FIVE hits through five innings.
Keep swinging for those seven run home runs boys!!!!!
Nothing different from 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006.
Stiffs, retreds, has been’s, never-was’s LOVE pitching against the ‘home run or squat’ White Sox.
That’s what happens when you can’t manufacture runs, can’t steal a base, can’t bunt, can’t hit the other way, can’t hit and run, can’t run and hit and can’t RUN PERIOD.
Nellie Fox, the spirit of the ‘Go-Go’ Sox, is spinning in his grave.
Sigh.
Mark Liptak
spoke too soon Mr. Liptak.. 🙂
1966:
With respect,not really.
This doesn’t change in the SLIGHTEST the fact that this is a one dimensional, fundamentally flawed, grossly UNBALANCED team.
If you can guarantee me that they’ll hit four home runs a game (gosh maybe even with someone on base!) I’ll say ‘go for it…’
But you can’t can you?
And the number of post season appearances since 2001 says the same thing as my original contention.
Home runs are nice, in U.S. Cellular you have to have SOME power, but there’s a reason the Sox won it all in 2005.
It’s called great pitching, good defense, timely hitting and BALANCE.
In case you forgot the Sox were in the top five in the following categories in 2005:
Starting pitching, home runs, SACRIFICE BUNTS, SACRIFICE FLIES, INFIELD HITS and STOLEN BASES.
Don’t believe me, look for yourself.
Mark Liptak
WOW!!!! The Sox beat Tampa Bay!! I guess the Sox are the second worse team in baseball…. St.Louis is only two games behind the Scubs. Is the noose tightening?
Houston fired manager and GM -Hope that Ozzie and Kenny are sweating a little. Especially Kenny.
Mr. Liptak.. wow.. knock the chip off your shoulder.. I only found it comical that you had just wrote that and we hit a ‘few’ homeruns, the no respect comment was unnecessary, I’ve never dogged you in the least. The team is unbalanced and whatever else you said but flipping out over a few words meant jokingly, wow, they make meds for that… not very respectfully…1966
Is anyone else bothered by the fact that there was no attempt to bunt over Richar to 3rd base after his double? Absolutely no reason Andy Gonzalez should be swinging away in that situation. That tells me that the manager is not interested. If this team is winning the bunt is laid down, and he probably scores on the curveball in the dirt in Owens at bat rather than having to be saved by Fields home run. If the manager is not managing the team get somebody who will!
WGN cut away quickly on Sunday, but the Boston broadcast caught a slight altercation between AJ and Greg Walker in the dugout after AJ made an out at bat. Joey Cora of all people got in between them. Supposedly AJ and Walker have a history. I’ve heard AJ is not happy with some of the preparation by Walker. And of course it could be frustration by both parties due to what has gone on this year. You can tell that AJ hates to lose, probably 10 times more than anyone else on this team.
That situation was addressed on the Sox website.
http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070827&content_id=2173103&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws
1966:
It was not my intent to be ‘disrespectful’ nor do I have a chip on my shoulder. (After this season it’s more like a boulder)
Given some of the comments that have been posted on this site I apologize if I took your comment the wrong way.
I did notice the ‘smiley’ face on your post which is why I didn’t really take umberage.
Mark Liptak
mgrothendick – I hope it is as simple as the article states. I’ve always liked Greg Walker, and AJ is one of my favorite current players. I’d hate to see AJ leave because of a discrepancy with a coach. He seems like the only every day guy on this team with the winning is the only thing that matters attitude.
My opinion, I think everyone should be held accountable, Ozzie, Greg Walker, and on, seems to me guys are hitting in the minors at times, they come up and do not hit, some of that blame should go to Walker. I gave my meager opinion, a month before the all star game that major changes should be made in a pro active way rather then limiting the teams moves, that because the team stank from spring training on, yet managment kept denying it, with ongoing comments about how great the team was , once in a century slump type spin. Now hopefully they make big moves for more speed and defense. Last year Ozzie kept saying next year we will all know how to bunt, did not happen. How do you get multi millionaire older players to care, I thought thome and paulie would , but I was wrong only a j seems to care and the young guys, bring on change.
Hey Scott,
I am NOT a Jinx! Was at the game yesterday and they WON! Thank God! I said to myself before the game if they did not win, I wasn’t going to another game. I am soooooo happy they won! A little disappointed that the make-up game wasn’t a night game with fireworks (May 26 was) But with the back-to-back-to-back homeruns, then the 4th one from Josh Fields pretty much made up for it.
Keep it up Boys!
Jennifer
JimD, yeah I agree, I feel like if everyone on the team gives up I trust AJ the most to keep busting his butt.
This quote sums up the season quite nicely don’t you think?
”I finally have to admit it — we’re horse [expletive],I thought we were just playing bad, but, no, we’re horse [expletive].”– Ozzie Guillen to Joe Cowley / Sun-Times.
Mark Liptak
Yep. That quote pretty much sums this team up in a nutshell. I used to think (back in June) that everybody was just hitting a slump at the same time. Come to find that no, that’s pretty much what they have left to offer to the team, the fans, the game….horse ****.
Well at least the college football season starts tomorrow and the Bears next Sunday. It will be good to get my mind off baseball for a while. Normally I am not counting down the days to football season, but that is what this team has left me to do. I’ll still watch, but it will be muted and not on my main TV.
Tonight, pathetic. Nice top of the ninth boys.
On a completely different topic:
Am I dreaming or is the image of U.S. Cellular field on the Gameday site shown with an incorrect compass points? That is, the thing that points north (the “compass rose”) isn’t pointed correctly, is it? Last time I was at the ball park, the first base line went South from home plate . . .
I realize they’re not at home today, so this isn’t so obvious. You’ll see it next time they play back in Chicago and you bring up Gameday to track the game.
I wonder if others have noticed this and if anybody knows how to bring this to the attention of the people at Gameday?
Tom in Crozet
Thank the lord Bears kickoff in a week! Ive been waiting for opening kickoff since the end of June to be honest! Im embarassed to be a White Sox fan now, I wonder how embarassed the players feel??? From the sound of Ozzies tirade he is pretty embarassed!
Ive seen this type of play before, but usually for the last month of the season in years past (besides 2005), NOT THE ENTIRE SEASON!
Kenny better do some hardcore rehauling of this roster come the offseason, WITH PROVEN BIG LEAGUE TALENT, not other teams rejects he feels can be magically transformed into ballplayers! I just love how Kenny just gave The Gooch away for nothing, good dealing there!
Well, one good thing about this miserable season, at least were seeing the emergence of Josh Fields and Jerry Owens. I think those two actually do have a big league future, and possibly, quite possibly, be intregal parts of an actual winning team.
Ya ya, optimism …. gotta look at something on the bright side when this pit is as deep as the Sox have dug it!
STOP THE MADNESS…HOLY ****, TELL ME WHY I KEEP TURNING THE TV ON???
Hi! I haven’t been on here in forever. But I’m hangin’ in there. I was at Monday’s game, and that helped considerably. 🙂
But I was wondering… last Friday my parents and I were walking in to the park, and these two guys stopped us to interview us about White Sox baseball. They were wearing caps, and they had a video camera. Does anyone know what this was for? They didn’t tell us!
go sox.
Bravo Ozzie for FINALLY calling out and throwing under the bus this team, it was LONG overdue….like back in June overdue.
That doesn’t excuse however the front office for some of the deals and gambles, Ozzie himself with his brutal ‘matchup’ philosophy or the coaches for not getting their points across but clearly this team has a large part in this disgusting season.
Mark Liptak
I’ve used this story before,but it still fits…The late coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, John Mac Kay, was asked once about the execution of his poor squad…His answer?… “I’m completely in favor of it.”
Ozzie can only write out a lineup card…Kenny can only work deals to bring players in…Both men are long past their playing careers for the White Sox…same thing for Greg Walker, Joey Cora and the other coaches…it is, bottom line, up to the athletes on the field to perform…and if they don’t feel like doing it, or if they’re just going through the motions,or jaking it, or playing out the string…
GET RID OF THEM !!!
I wish I had $100 for each game I’ve kept score at the end of each regular season when two teams who are hopelessly out of the race are facing each other…they would all be like last night’s debacle DEEPINAHEARTATEXAS…and I would be seriously challenging Bill Gates and Warren Buffett for their fortunes…
sox1966…you aask why you keep turning the TV on?…Kris, my darlin’,if I knew why we keep doing that,out of some sense of masochism,perhaps…perhaps because, love em or not, we still keep going until there are no more games…if I knew why…again, I would be challenging Gates and Buffett for the fortune…
Hiya tom,
Sorry I havent posted in a long while. Meant to stop by at start of the season, but work was really busy then.
Also, I was never really sure when to post because I didn’t want it to seem like bragging or what not cause of the difficult year the Sox were having.
I never thought I’d see the collapse coming this fast and swift.
Anyways, hope all is well with you tom (and the other Sox fans as well). Talk to you soon.
Funny how klub is back now. Been gone for 2 years and now, at the lowest point in recent memory for the White Sox, the klub returns. For those who don’t know, the klub talked so much smack about how the Indians were better than the Sox and how the Sox were falling apart. Then came a lovely September weekend in which the White Sox waxed those jokes at the Jake for a season ending sweep. That sweep caused the jokes at the Jake to fall helplessly out of the playoffs only to watch the White Sox destroy everyone in their way.
Everyone back then was wondering, “Where did deanklub go?” We all wanted to know what he/she had to say about the terrible choke job by the Indians. However, the klub ran away, with tail between legs. After all that smack talk, you leave for 2 years, and now you’re back? Wow.
its about time ozzie ranted on this pathetic team. unfortunately he should rant on himself and kenny williams as well. this organization is crumbling apart. how sad. the only team to win the series and fall apart this quick has been the marlins. at least they had a reason to fall apart since they shipped out all of the players. maybe the same thing happened to the sox when everett, rowand, thomas, timo, el duque and vizcaino were sent packing. Kenny williams, ozzie guillen, jim thome, paul konerko, danny richar, scott podsednik, jon garland, every bullpen member not named jenks, darrin erstad, toby hall, aj pierzynski, darin jackson and razor shines can all get the **** out of chicago. im sick of seeing every last one of them. they are awful, pathetic, brutal, disgusting, sorry, sally, sissy, mary losers with no heart, no balls and no talent.
Hey, trepac, get off of the Klub. he has been on here earlier this year and several times last year. i know he was bragging about his club in ’05, but isn’t that what a fan is supposed to do? anyway, i’m no indian fan, but it seems to me that the Klub was speaking to TQ and was NOT dissing the Sox. we don’t need an outsider for that this season anyway., so lay off the klub and root for the Sox. maybe we will win a game before the season is over. hey, it could happen…. j.k. still rootin’ but sweating for the D-Backs, now that the Sox are done…..
p.s. why do we watch? because we are fans of the Chicago White Sox, for better or worse.( this year just happens to be the worsttttt.). see you in a couple of hours….
oh and kenwo, don’t hold back now….
unfortunatly, you are saying what we are thinking……………………..j.k.
Next year’s draft pick’s gonna be great! EEEEEE!
Well, the team has learned one thing we by seeing if Josh Fields can play left field. They found out Andy Gonzalez can’t play 3B.
mmcdowell,
At this point all I can do is sit here and laugh hopelessy at what you said because boy is it true!
It is starting to look like having the worst record in baseball may be possible. We are only 3 games up on the D-Rays, and if we keep playing like this we may be 3 games behind them soon!
Hey Klein, rather than winning 70 before we lose 70, how about winning 70 before we go bury our heads for the winter!
jimD…. i was hoping no one would bring that wish up. but how about IF we win 60 before the season ends????? this IS ugly……..j,no-more-wishful-thinking-this-season,k…..
The White Sox will have their first top ten draft pick next June for the first time since 1989.
Certainly it’ll be in the top five….do they take the best player on the board at that time, even if he’s represented by Scott Boras?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Mark Liptak
Mark, while that 1989 pick is one of my all time favorites I believe the last top 10 was 1990 when the Sox took Alex Fernandez with the 4th pick. At least that is what my draft source lists.
The drafting done in the late 80’s was very effective. Looking at some of the picks from the 90’s up to the last couple years it is interesting to look at some of the guys we passed up on.
Going to Cleveland tomorrow and praying for the best. Know a particularly annoying Cleveland fan myself and have found myself pulling for Detroit, oddly enough. My biggest worry, whether anyone on the Sox will be able to hit anything. While the pitching and bullpen have been anything BUT great, this highly paid team has put forth such a meager offensive effort this season, it confuses the h#ll out of me. Seems our best outings have been against Detroit while we’ve had a few good games with the Indians. If we could crush some dreams on Lake Erie this weekend, I would be a most contented camper. (this cleveland fan I know is just too obnoxious)
Oh, and, ahem, TQ, I tend to be formal as I was raised to err on the side of caution when addressing those I do not know casually. (“If you want respect, show a little first”)
OH, and this Cubs fan I know has been asking whether I need a Cubs schedule or any fan membership materials, very sneaky (I like that). My response? “Get away from me Satan…” Seemed appropriate…….
Jim:
Sorry I wasn’t clearer, the Sox had that pick because of their 1989 season. Yes that draft was held in June 1990, but it was based on the results (or non results) from the team in 89.
Speaking of non results, this seems to me to be a fair and honest look at things and who is to blame:
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/536310,CST-SPT-deluca31.article
Mark Liptak
Let me see if I have this much clear, you can walk out to the mound and pull a pitcher in the middle of an inning for walking three guys or giving three runs but a third baseman airmails three throws on routine ground balls and Ozzie can’t pull him. Gonzalez turns a 1-1 game into a 4-1 deficit and Ozzie just leans against the railing looking uninterested. I know it’s not all Ozzie’s fault. Kenny left him devoid of talent-but someone’s head should roll. It takes Ozzie 133 games to finally explode?
Mathematically we still have a playoff chance! Lets think positive!
No, I bet the sox won’t take anyone from Boras no matter what, just to prove a point….that’s why this is kind of ironic that us having a good draft spot still won’t matter. Our past 3 picks have all been SPs, but next year’s draft may be a position player. Of the college prospects, it looks like only one SP is in the top 5, but then again there’s still a year of play to go.
In case you haven’t followed the Sox’ 1st rounder this year, Aaron Poreda remained in rookie ball the whole year in Great Falls. He did nothing but dominate, putting up a 1.01 ERA in 41.1 IP with 41 Ks. Lets hope that can actually continue next year when he starts in Winston Salem.
My bad Mark, I should have figured that was what you meant. I read something earlier this season about a shortstop out of Florida who will be a senior in high school next year who is expected to be the top pick in the 2008 draft. It stated that he prospected to be similar to A-Rod. If I can find the article again I will post it. I really hope we don’t base our pick on an agent.
How sad is it that we are already talking about the 2008 draft.
DeLuca is right, embarassing does not describe this team anymore.
The Sox are 9-19 so far this month. The magic number for the Sox is 6. That will keep us from the notorious distinction of losing 100 games. Can they at least pull that off?
From what we’ve already seen this season, no. They’re bound for 100 L’s.
And as far as the draft for next year goes, don’t hold your breath. The Sox haven’t benefited from a first round pick in a long time. And even if they have a “can’t miss,” then he’ll be a Boras client and the dopes upstairs won’t pick him.
And whoever is now getting on Ozzie for the Gonzalez thing, all they have to do is look to 3 years of garbage from Uribe. He’s still starting if you can believe that.
Josh Fields was our 1st rounder from ’04, Steve Stone the other day actually said he could see Fields as one of the premiere home run hitters in baseball in a few years. Broadway’s in Charlotte, McCulloch’s in Birmingham, Poreda in Great Falls.
I think the Sox could have more success with their first rounders if they brought them up quicker. But then again we’re a team that for the most part has been doing well in recent years so that’s less opportunity for players to move up in the organization.
and now we know the reason that the yankees got rid of mike myers…. he can’t get anyone out!!! even with the bad hop single aside, i don’t remember him EVER retiring a single batter, and mcdougal,,, well that’s another story entirely. o.k. from now on don’t remove the starting pitcher unless his arm falls off.
i would really like to see another w before the end of the year???? please????? ARGHHHH!!!!!! j.k. p.o’d… again……. how long ago was ’05?…….
16 blown games now by the bullpen in 2007.
16 times they had the ball in their hands, with the lead in the 7th inning or later of a game and LOST.
16.
That makes the two year total now up to: (drum roll please…)
25 games!
The 2006 bullpen was considered ‘bad’ and ‘only blew 9 games.
Someone please help me describe this putrid bunch of cast off’s, has been’s, never was’s and cheap rookies….
But hey they throw hard right?
Mark Liptak
Now, I don’t know about you but that game was special. Oh and I agree, the first round pick won’t do us much good when Williams and Reinsdorf have the say.
I know I harp on Ken Williams a lot, and while his track record may not be the worst, this season is a joke. No, seriously, it’s actually hilarious. How uncomfortable can you imagine this guy to be, sitting at home watching the game on his La-Z-Boy, assuming he cares anyway. I know they say Bonds was juicing in part to his swollen noggin and since he doesn’t have agromegaly, but what’s Williams excuse? How many times has Williams done that, “I know more than everyone regarding baseball” act. And look at the team his expertise assembled. What a knot-head… as my father would have said.
How many blown leads is that by the bullpen this year? I’m assuming Liptak has the answer….
Well, nice to see this team is consistent…… that’s still a virtue isn’t it?
Okay, Williams must’ve been raised on a quantity-over-quality mentality. That the bullpen is this bad and he saw fit to add Myers to it was laughable.
And maybe we’re too hard on Macdougal… Maybe no one ever told him to get people out. Maybe someone should explain to him that he is to try to keep the guys wearing the different-looking pajamas from circling the bases. Oh well, ultimately, someone else chose to put him into this game….
myers is bad macdougal is awful. i volunteer my services to pitch out of the sox bullpen. i will throw strikes and pitch to contact. id rather see myself or any other pitcher in our beer league out there throwing 70-85 mph and at least getting bombed than seeing these 2 jagbags come in and walk 7 guys an inning. at least maybe someone would hit a hard line drive at the third baseman or something. good lord! unbelievable.
IF MacDougal is anywhere near this organization next season, Kenny should be fired.
This comment from Ozzie to Nat Whalen of the Daily Southtown sums up PERFECTLY this season and this bullpen.
It’s about MacDougal but you can substitute any name you want (except for Bobby Jenks) and the implication is still valid:
“When you put (MacDougal) in there, you just hope he shows up the way we hope he shows up. Sometimes, there’s not much you can do about it.”
Classic comment isn’t it? The White Sox are now relying once again on HOPE that players will perform.
The question is, is Kenny paying attention to it?
Mark Liptak
Considering the ‘names’ of the players on the team it is unbelievable that they have lost 18 of their last 21.
Just based on talent that shouldn’t happen but baseball is played with more then just ‘talent’… heart, guts, desire all come into play.
It’s clear this club has little of the above.
Mark Liptak
Considering the ‘names’ of the players on the team it is unbelievable that they have lost 18 of their last 21.
Just based on talent that shouldn’t happen but baseball is played with more then just ‘talent’… heart, guts, desire all come into play.
It’s clear this club has little of the above.
Mark Liptak
Scott, why isn’t Bourgeois called up yet? Will he be here once Charlotte’s season ends? He could do a much better job than Andy Gonzalez. He seems to be a better player in essentially every aspect. We could look at another possibility for a lead off hitter.
-Mark
Well, words can’t describe the game I saw tonight. The Cleveland fans behind me were nice, but the way they booed Thome really ticked me off. And when he had the bases loaded I could only imagine how much he wanted to shove a grand slam down their throats….but like many things this season it didn’t happen. Its hard to overlook payroll, and small details you hear, like the fan/family day at the park stories, but damned if I didn’t stay for every at bat to the end to watch this team. I stayed despite the goddawful traffic and repeated pop-outs, ground-outs and all that. I should add this is my first game I’ve attended since 2005. And I think I saw a glimmer that these guys were trying. It’s hard to imagine with the money and some of these guys histories that overnight from 2006 to 07 we could play so much like everyone is straight out of double-A ball. I can’t fathom how poorly all these guys have done….. okay, in short I can’t figure a lot of this stuff…..
BUT, I have to eat some of my previous posts, that while I may like to bash these guys, and have enjoyed it previously ( at least to vent), this season like any of the other lean times the White Sox have had to go thru, may just help us more than we think. The guys that come thru to play next year with the club, may just come back with a common experience of the lowest of lows, with a grit to play with a chip on their shoulder. It may not look like it now, or how we’d like it to look, but this is South Side Chicago baseball, the White Sox. We aren’t some pissant, paper-tiger 2007 cleveland indian team that’s gonna get chewed up and spit out by the Big Boys from Boston, New York or Los Angeles. Maybe what needed rebuilding most wasn’t solely the roster, but the heart, guts and desire that Mr. Liptak accurately described above. Maybe this is the growing pains, that with some vote of confidence from Ozzie and the GM, the owner and the fans, will help birth a squad that will beat the **** out of the champ of this year.
I’ll say again, let cleveland think their team is something because they beat a team or the teams they should, they got a rude awakening coming in the playoffs (if they make it). Us? Well, if we aren’t ready this year, you better believe that like 2005, the South Side will rise and take all comers, not just the ones we should win against. My only regret is that having seen (and planning to continue to watch this season play itself out), I will be forced to eagerly await next season like a kid at Christmas. I hate that. While I do wear my black Sox jacket out of pride as much as mourning right now, I’ll do it hoping that the players wear their uniforms with pride. That showing up to these humiliating defeats and staying for the whole ordeal means they give a ****. And hopefully, that next year will have a meaning for many of them, like it does for me. I love my team and the game. I hope the players get back in the game, and appreciate their fans. Go South Side……
very nicely put, windy. that sounded like a requiem for a team, and i guess it was. but anyway, next year HAS to be better than this….. see you all later today. j.k.
Nice to see Jose pitch well. I hope he keeps doing it.
It will make trading him and his ten million dollar a year salary that much easier.
Mark Liptal
Be careful what you wish for. contreras along with a ton of other sox are having a rough year but like ive said before i think contreras will come back and be strong next year. El Duque wasnt done when the sox shoved mccarthy down our throat. contreras will be alright. i think garland is in bigger trouble right now than contreras
good point kenwo, I think when a player is either struggling or doing horrible we get this image that this is the performance we’ll see for the rest of the player’s career. Not so, players in baseball can be very streaky and have bad years every now and again. There’s no way Contreras will do as well as he was when he was on his 1 1/2 year hot streak, but I think we can expect a 4.20 ERA from him.
If we dumped a player every time they played bad, then Vazquez would have been gone after last season and we wouldn’t see the good work he’s put in this year, Mark Buehrle also. He was terrible last year but his career as a whole has shown him to be a very reliable player for this team.
Unless you’re deep in the season and you’re on a playoff run you shouldn’t think too temporarily.
At best Jose is 35 or so….but no one knows that for sure do we?
In fact he may be closer to 40.
And the number of innings he pitched with Cuba sooner or later are going to make an impact aren’t they?
Anything is possible…..UFO’s could land at U.S. Cellular Field, the Cubs might get to a World Series (where they don’t have to buy tickets to get in) and Jose might rebound next season to go 15-5….but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Mark Liptak
Well, per Bruce Levine the Sox will soon(before the end of the month) be announcing a contract extension for Ozzie. I’m not sure how to react to this. The guy does some things that drive fans nuts, but overall he has been a winner.
mgroeth – As a fellow minor league regular follower you will be happy to know Lance Broadway has been called up. I’d expect to see him get a start or two before the season is over. I could see him being considered for the 5th starter spot next year, especially if they trade Garland or Contreras.
Jim:
I have no issues with Ozzie being retained as long as he’s allowed to be himself, say what he feels and manages the way he wants. (as per his ‘apology’ last week for NOT being himself the past season.)
Regarding Bruce, have met him, he’s a nice guy but is very often wrong with his comments. I can think of a number of Sox stories he’s ‘broken’ that have been dead wrong in the past two years so take what he reports with a grain of salt.
Mark Liptak
Yeah, I saw Dancin’ Lance Broadway got added to the active roster. It’s kind of too bad he had to wait for the September call up, he was pitching very well in the first half of the season, but his last two months have been treacherous. Inconsistency would be a good word to describe him (check out his last 10 games, a mix of amazing and horrible http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Lance%20Broadway&pos=P&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&pid=473560) He was working on a 2 seamer this year (as ordered to do so after Spring Training), but it sounds like he hasn’t been able to throw it for strikes very well.
I hope he throws well when he gets his opportunities in the big club, but given his past few months I’m scared for his confidence.
No matter how he throws, the ladies will love him.
I’m all for Ozzie getting a contract extension. They should give him his own street and a statue for putting up with this **** team this season. Sure his late inning matchup thing irritates me but I’m happy with the job he does overall. Ozzie’s pretty low on the Totem Pole of Blame for this season.
As far as Lance I look forward to seeing him in action. Those are some interesting stats for sure.
I don’t really care for Ozzie. I hate the way he manages the pitching staff, and I don’t think he showed enough fire this year. Until his comments recently, he didn’t call out anybody on the team. Where was he in July to light a fire. It’s too late now to say the team stinks. Also (if anybody else notices) in key situations during games this year he is always looking in the crowd. Why doesn’t he forget about the hot girl in the 5th row and pay attention to the game! I wouldn’t give him a new contract, I’d either fire him or see what he can do next year.
Mark,
I absolutely agree that Ozzie needs to be himself. Why he waited until the end of August to throw this whole team under the bus is what has really bothered me about him this year. Where was the tirade back in May when we still had some sort of chance at turning the season around.
He seems to have lost (or has been told to control) his fire since the whole Mariotti ordeal last year. The “fire me” stuff gets old, but that is his way of trying to deflect negative attention off the players and onto himself. It worked in 2005, but that approach got old and it is hard to deflect negative attention from a team that has sunk this low.
mrgoeth – that 2 seamer can be a bear to control sometimes. Just ask Mike MacDougal! His was very good until this year. It’s really one of those pitches that comes and goes, kinda like how Loizia found that cutter in his 20 win season and then lost it the next year.
I just saw this link on another forum, it’s a slide show of old Comisky, a bit long but cool.
http://tinyurl.com/2pyh9o
hey Scott, Got the blog night tickets today…..no instructions for meeting before. Are we just taking in the game??
Hey Scott,
I did not have time to read all the comments but I really would like to know why they have not called up Ryan Sweeney…is he injured?
Hey Scott,
Where the heck are you?
Sweeney’s not hurt, there are just too many outfielders, so realistically he wasn’t going to get playing time. His season was a disappointment, after last year when it appeared he would be very good this year. The Sox should give him the call up any way, they’ve got room.
Broadway or Phillips should pitch tonight after Gavin falters. That will be neat to watch. I think Donny Lucy will be behind the plate too. He calls good games, but has no offense at all.
Nice prediction on the Floyd outing!
Yeah, Heath faltered as Floyd pitched very well.
Oops! I would like to see more of that from Gavin.
You and me both. That was a high pressure situation and Gavin responded well. I fell asleep before the end of the game but wins/losses don’t mean that much right now (unless you really care whether we finish the year as the worst team in baseball or just the second worst team in baseball). What I’m looking for is solid play from the youngsters who will need to contribute next season. If we can get Gavin going strong to end the year, I’d feel much better about his chances as a starter next year.
I am guessing that a lot of no trades, and moves that could have been made earlier were not made, because the brass was more afraid that unpopular but productive moves would hurt attendance , it was all about the money, must have been because it made no baseball sense. All the spin was just false hope, if that is true it stinks, hope they were just dumb and not greedy.
Do you realize the White Sox have a top 5 payroll? How can you call them cheap in this situation. They may spend money unwisely, but they do spend.
The turning point… last ******* year when Kenny did not go out and get Alfonso Soriano… I do not care if he would have been an overpriced rent-a-player, it still would have sent shockwaves everywhere. Say what you want, but that was the turning point….. come and get me Quaid!!!!! By the way, I am a regular participant on this blog if anyone wants to know my true identity. (I have posted comments on each of Scotts posts this year)
CAN YOU FIGURE OUT WHO I AM?????????? MANY OF YOU WOULD BE SHOCKED!!!!!
IF ANYONE WILL BE AT THE GAME ON FRIDAY SO WILL I. I WILL BE SITTING IN SECION 152 ROW J SEAT 22!!!!
Sorry whitesoxawful, but personally, I don’t really care who you are. As far as last year’s turning point….all I can think is than GOD he DIDN’T go after Sorryiano!!!
kr-trepac, that was not the point, I knew their payroll, but they wanted the fans to keep coming all summer to help pay that payroll, instead of making proactive moves, that might have been productive but unpopular, as the value in June on most of the player was much higher than now. How they were playing , from spring training on was a given. Being generous they were overly optimistic. But to me they should have been more astute, and I still think how they viewed moves would affect attendance was factored in, for instance getting rid of paulie, or thome early on, they got lucky with some hometown discounts, and that was good but that was luck if you followed Mark’s on again off again signing , it was not a given. Dye had off yr, another discount. They did not factor those things in, they just happened. My point , I do not think they were baseball smart in making moves, partly because they did not want to make waves on possible loss of attendance, that is just my opinion,
With this loss the White Sox are now officially resigned to the fact that they will have their first non winning season since 2002 (81-81).
Speaking of loss…this is the 17TH TIME this season the bullpen has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and the 26TH time in the past two years.
That’s a lot of games lost when you take a lead into the 7th inning or later isn’t it?
Mark Liptak
Hey, if anyone wants to cheer on our boys AND meet the mysterious (cue spooky music) whitesoxawful tomorrow night, I have 2 tix up for grabs. Sec 144. They’re yours for the asking… just email me.
Good luck with that Maria. I’ve been trying to dump two tickets for tomorrow’s game for about 3 weeks now. I can’t even give them away. Pathetic isn’t it? I sold my Sunday Sox/Twins tickets for $1 to some Twinkie fan.
I hope the management realizes what is happening and they try to fix this thing for next season.
Heck, I’d have taken your tickets, wish I’d have known. I’m kind of fifty-fifty on the whole craptacular season thing. I liked when you could get tickets the day of, you know?