SOX WIN!! SOX WIN!!Spent my first nite @ Comisky Park this season finally-to think that I used to go almost a score every year. I'd gotten severly discounted tix from CPS, always a treat, and I figrured to months ago that this would be the game- the only one offered on a "weekend" nite.
Da Sox's travails are well known. The batting, the relief pitching- hell, last years 90 win teams' "je ne sais pas" on how to win games is even missing- they are just flat out playing badly. It does seem that, for the first time in a millinium that starts w/ a "2" , the Sox will not be among the contenders in September. Two weeks ago, in the midst of a 5-17 run and the depressing thought that Mark Buerlhe's trade was imminent, the thought was that the Sox would be this years version of the Cubs last year, minus all the deep hate the fans threw on Chicago's other club. With the Cubs doing a suprising .500 in baseballs weakest division (they really do have a chance-Milwaukee looks good, but there is a lot of time left to ctch up) and the sportswriters grasping @ any straw unless they want to spend the next 3m talking about the Brewers and Tigers, the newspapers vitriol has turned to the Sox. We love it. Especially the sportswriter (Mariotti) who claimed that Sox fans hate the Sox. Hmmmm. Now, as a writer myself I understand how hard it is to make up angles, but maybe he should have asked one...............
But despite all the supposed gloom, it was a perfect nite to watch a game @ Comisky-Harry Caray's "Ah,ya can't beat fun @ the old ballpark" fits this Comisky as well as Mr. Caray's Old Comisky. Our seats were in the upperdeck 20 rows back, and we shared the area with enormous amounts of children. Since this was 'school 1/4 ticket nite', I figgered that a lot of these kids were here via the same ticket. Gf remarked that the upper deck fans are always rowdier than the lower deck fans, and I think this is true. There is a definate class distinction in the Comisky theatre: the Groundlings get the sky view, while the box seaters get..........well,the box seats. I always used buy cheap seats and then sneak down and sit rite behind the dugouts (Also: Wrigley, Yankee, Shea, Fenway, Candlestick, and where the A's play = buy cheap, sit rich.....ok, Candlestick is no longer an MLB park). No longer-Sox management now allows only people ticketed for the lower deck down there. So, except for the occasional times I bumrush the 16yo's guarding the entrance to the lower deck, I'm stuck upstairs.
The Sox played another bumbling team, Baltimore. Both teams are around 10 games under and 13 games back, and having their problems: Not only are they not playing well, but both teams are in tough division. Looks like a long season for the rest of the year. To make matters worse, there has been a lot of talk about trading away members of the team and giving up on this year. The trading deadline approaches @ the end of this month, and if the Sox do not make any noves in the standings we'll see a firesale- not the shameful matter of 1997, but a firesale none the less.
Sox were starting Javier Vasquez. He's not having a bad year; the whole starting staff is doing well. Mr. Vasquez, who got a large contract extension in the spring, has responded with a 'solid' year so far- 5-5, 3.7 ERA. His season so far mirrors the whole starting staff- pretty solid, but lost* admidst the rest of the the teams woes. Mark Buerhle is having his contract year turn out well, and John Garland is continuing to have an excellent career. Lefty John Danks, controversly traded for Brandon Mcarthy, has had a extremely promising start. Jose Contreras is having a tough start, but is not an over worry.
Mr. Vasquez performed @ a very high level: one run on four hits in a complete game victory. He was even more dominant than the stats suggest. Aided by the outstanding defense of 3b Josh Fields, the Orioles never looked dangerous. Of course, todays newspapers reaction to his game was that it "aided his trade value". Great. We got on of the best starting rotations in baseball, and they are all looked @ (outside of Danks) as trade bait. So how is it that this came to be?
The offense, last nite, came through when it mattered. Jerry Owens, back up in the majors to replace Scott Podseknik yet again, singled, stole a base, and scored on a Paul Konerko. Later, Jim Thome cranked a three run homer. This is the way its supposed to work. But too often this year, the offense has been anemic. Bases loaded, no outs in 3d lead to only one run- Jermaine Dye grounded into a double play. This has not been a problem just this year- remember the famous "Grinder Rule #17" from the almost collapse in Sept. 2005: "One Run on four hits will have to be enough". All too often the last three years -- and that includes the World season (remember, they managed to score only 3 runs in the final 18 innings of that World Series)-- the offense has been terrible. For a team that is supposed to play "Ozzie Ball" (small ball, I think its billed)and @ the same time currently holds the major league record for most 200+ HR seson in a row (seemingly to end this year), the Sox, the offense has sucked. The sluggers are all having off years, and the team is hitting .236- worst by 20 points in the AL. Mr. Dye:.230. Mr. Knoerko:.255. Juan Uribe:.233. Yeeesh!!
In my mind, the key that 2005 team now seems clear: Scott Podsednik. Very controversial item, I think, and I mite be alone in this thinking, but when healthy, he's a killer. In 2005 he played only 129 games, and when he started to miss games in the second half, that Sox team suffered. Last year he played 139 games, but seemed injury-indered all year. The Sox started off swell this year until he left again via injuries. And now the White Sox's manager, Ozzie Gullien, is voicing how the team cannot count on him. And without some speed, the Chicago White Plodders-Mr. Konerko, Mr. Thome, Mr. Dye, Joe Crede, etc.....can only look to hit home runs to get runners around the bases. In 2005, they had it going. Last year, although stats wise the team was fine, it justs didn't happen. And this year, all has gone asunder.
To try and replace Mr. Podsednik, again on the injured list this year, the team has promoted Mr. Owens for a second time. Batting .179 as I write, he seems a good bet for the future; for this game, he went 1-3 and had a run and a stolen base. Another oft injured Sox player, Mr. Crede, seems done for the season via his recurring back troubles. Like they did in the late 90's with Robin Ventura, the Sox seems to have the future already in place @ 3B: Josh Fields. Although batting .235 in his first 90odd @ bats this year, he roped a drive off the left field wall and played spectacular defense this game. Both have great futures, and played important parts in the Sox's win.
As bad as the offensive has been, he bullpen has been a disaster. Outside of Bobby Jenks, the bullpen has been stunningly bad. There have been so many relievers up and down in the minors, I really couldn't name the Sox's 25 man roster rite now. Too many jokers with 6.00 ERA's. As well as the starting staff has performed this year, the relievers have done the opposite. This nite, however, we were not to see the bullpen. I was really hoping that Mr. Vasquez would complete the game, and we were rewarded. I always want the starters to get their complete games, but I also didn't want to see any of the bullpen in besides Mr. Jenks (who didn't warm up).
So, we got the win. They've won seven of their last nine, and it seems the worst is behind them. Unless they keep playing this hot for the rest of July, Da Sox may lose most of the team via trade deadline firesales. Can they keep it going? They pulled within 10.5 games of Detroits wild card last nite**, but its still 10.5 games and six teams between them and the spot. There is less than half the season left, but enough of the World Champions remains for them to make a last run @ it this year. Likely? No. Possible? All baseball fans know its possible. Just a long slog. Forget about Mr. Crede and Mr. Podsednik - they are gone for the year. And if the Sox are to continue @ the .450 clip they have been playing @ this year, then they will lose even more of their vets: Mr. Burlhe and Mr. Dye have been highlighted in trade talks, along with Mr. Vasquez, Mr. Contreras, and Mr. Garland. Well, this would be the month to do it. Ten games against Cleveland, Detroit, and Minnesota, plus four against the Red Sox mean it will be a hard second half of July. Lets hope the pitching continues to throw complete games and the offense comes through. The thing about baseball is that any team can win on any given day. That's why they play 162 games- to average it all out. Is the Sox pulse these last nine games for real?? I'll wait these three weeks to see if we still have a season be interested in.
*=except for Mr. Buerhle's no hitter.
**=They stayed 13.5 out of first.
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