Remember when I said the Sox had a schedule was supposed to be favorable to the south siders? Well, they proved to disappoint again. In six games against the heavy-hitting little pitching Rangers and second worst team in the AL Indians, they could only manage claiming two victories. They went one for three in each series, both of which took place in Chicago.
I will skip over the first five games, luckily for them. On Sunday, they were able to overcome another poor performance by their so called ace, Mark Buerhle. He was chased out only after three innings and six runs. When was the last time we saw Buerhle only go three innings? It actually was his last outing versus the Indians when he was thrown out of the game for arguing balk with first base umpire Joe West. Either way, Buerhle has not Buerhle. He says he is feeling better than ever. If that's the case, then fix it.
The team's struggle goes beyond Mark Buerhle. How about the rest of the starters? John Danks, arguable the best starter all year, was tagged on Friday early, causing once again for Ozzie to go to bullpen. And Sox fans, if it wasn't for our bullpen, we would be in last place right now.
Luckily, out hitting has started to come around. They need to keep it up. Rios and Konerko need to quarterback this thing. Stay hot and the rest will follow. Buerhle, Danks, Floyd and Peavy, pick it up. Garcia, you’re doing fine.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
It's a start
The Sox were able to salvage the final game of the series with the Texas Rangers Thursday night as they defeated the AL West leader 4-3 behind a strong outing from supposed No. 5 starter Freddy Garcia.
Has any Sox realized that Garcia has arguably been our most consistent ant pitcher - the other one being John Danks? He was able to got the bat-heavy rangers to only two earned runs in seven innings. This is what the Sox organization expected from their pitchers before the season. This is how good our rotation can be. Consistency is the key.
Despite Garcia's solid start, I was more impressed with two aspects of last night's game. In the fourth inning, Carlos Quentin recorded only his second error of the year on a routine fly ball deep in right field. That run ended up scoring, which tied the game. When Quentin went into the dugout, he went straight for the corner. According to Manager Ozzie Guillen, almost every started went up to him to say don't worry about it. That is exactly what a team is supposed to do. Baseball is a huge mental game and those remarks got Quentin back in the game. By the way, Quentin ended up hitting the game winning two-run homer in the seventh inning. That is the definition of keeping your head up.
Another positive note I read about today deals with the team meeting after Wednesday's 9-5 loss. Guillen, after the media left the room, kept all the guys late. He asked everyone what was going on out there. They talked and whatever. However, after that conversation, he straight up asked them, is there something else I or the coaching staff could be doing? Not to my surprise, no player questioned their coaching styles.
Later on, Guillen told reporters that he wasn't doing his job. He feels like he isn't getting the most out of his players, the No. 1 job of a manager, or any coach for that matter. Let's be honest. He isn't getting the most out of his players. They know they have the talent needed to win the AL Central. Now is the time to put that talent to use and get a run going. Early on, their pitching was sufficient. Lately, it's been their hitting. Now it needs to come together. Thursday was a start and now it's time to prove to us fans that the season isn't over.
Has any Sox realized that Garcia has arguably been our most consistent ant pitcher - the other one being John Danks? He was able to got the bat-heavy rangers to only two earned runs in seven innings. This is what the Sox organization expected from their pitchers before the season. This is how good our rotation can be. Consistency is the key.
Despite Garcia's solid start, I was more impressed with two aspects of last night's game. In the fourth inning, Carlos Quentin recorded only his second error of the year on a routine fly ball deep in right field. That run ended up scoring, which tied the game. When Quentin went into the dugout, he went straight for the corner. According to Manager Ozzie Guillen, almost every started went up to him to say don't worry about it. That is exactly what a team is supposed to do. Baseball is a huge mental game and those remarks got Quentin back in the game. By the way, Quentin ended up hitting the game winning two-run homer in the seventh inning. That is the definition of keeping your head up.
Another positive note I read about today deals with the team meeting after Wednesday's 9-5 loss. Guillen, after the media left the room, kept all the guys late. He asked everyone what was going on out there. They talked and whatever. However, after that conversation, he straight up asked them, is there something else I or the coaching staff could be doing? Not to my surprise, no player questioned their coaching styles.
Later on, Guillen told reporters that he wasn't doing his job. He feels like he isn't getting the most out of his players, the No. 1 job of a manager, or any coach for that matter. Let's be honest. He isn't getting the most out of his players. They know they have the talent needed to win the AL Central. Now is the time to put that talent to use and get a run going. Early on, their pitching was sufficient. Lately, it's been their hitting. Now it needs to come together. Thursday was a start and now it's time to prove to us fans that the season isn't over.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
South side optimism, maybe
OK readers, I am revamping my blog. Since I don’t have as much to talk about as I thought, in order to write more often, I will share my thoughts about the Chicago White Sox. I will lose some readers, I will gain some readers, but either way, you will get the thoughts of the silent writer.
The Sox entered June on a bit of a high note. They had just come back from a seven day road trip against Cleveland and Tampa Bay, who currently hold the best record in the MLB. Surprisingly, they finished the trip at 4-3, splitting the series in Tampa. So coming back to Chicago, you would think they would be optimistic.
To make thinks even better, the Sox, who spent most of May on the road, will get to play 18 of their next 24 games in Chicago. They will play Texas, Cleveland, Detroit and the Cubs in their next 12, all teams they are capable of beating.
Texas, as any American League fan knows, has always been a hit first and pitch second kind of team. Coming into the season, the Rangers were the exact team the Sox were expected to dominate. With our “supposed” great starting rotation, we should have rolled over Texas. Result of the first two games: L and L
The Cleveland Indians then come to town with the second worst record in the MLB. They are getting over the embarrassment of barely giving Tiger’s pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game (which in my mind and many others was a perfect game. Thanks Jim Joyce). Either way, the Sox should have no problem with the Indians. Easier said than done, right? The sox are 3-6 against the tribe this year.
Next enter the Tigers. This is the time for the Sox to prove themselves. The only time they have played this season resulted in a win at Comerica Park in Detroit. They have clearly been the second best team in the division, with solid starting pitching and AL MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera. This is time for the Sox to show their fans and the organization not to raise the white flag just yet.
The Sox then travel across town to the biggest toilet in Chicago known as Wrigley Field. The Cubs, despite a better record, have been just as disappointing this season. Don’t worry Chicagoans, even though both teams suck, they are playing for something more, the BP Crosstown Cup. Way to pick that sponsor. Who cares right? In this town, our baseball teams play for bragging rights.
There you have it, four very winnable series for the Chicago White Sox to start off the month of June. Are they up for the challenge? To be honest, probably not. After the first two losses to Texas, I bet that high note is no where to be found on the south side
The Sox entered June on a bit of a high note. They had just come back from a seven day road trip against Cleveland and Tampa Bay, who currently hold the best record in the MLB. Surprisingly, they finished the trip at 4-3, splitting the series in Tampa. So coming back to Chicago, you would think they would be optimistic.
To make thinks even better, the Sox, who spent most of May on the road, will get to play 18 of their next 24 games in Chicago. They will play Texas, Cleveland, Detroit and the Cubs in their next 12, all teams they are capable of beating.
Texas, as any American League fan knows, has always been a hit first and pitch second kind of team. Coming into the season, the Rangers were the exact team the Sox were expected to dominate. With our “supposed” great starting rotation, we should have rolled over Texas. Result of the first two games: L and L
The Cleveland Indians then come to town with the second worst record in the MLB. They are getting over the embarrassment of barely giving Tiger’s pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game (which in my mind and many others was a perfect game. Thanks Jim Joyce). Either way, the Sox should have no problem with the Indians. Easier said than done, right? The sox are 3-6 against the tribe this year.
Next enter the Tigers. This is the time for the Sox to prove themselves. The only time they have played this season resulted in a win at Comerica Park in Detroit. They have clearly been the second best team in the division, with solid starting pitching and AL MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera. This is time for the Sox to show their fans and the organization not to raise the white flag just yet.
The Sox then travel across town to the biggest toilet in Chicago known as Wrigley Field. The Cubs, despite a better record, have been just as disappointing this season. Don’t worry Chicagoans, even though both teams suck, they are playing for something more, the BP Crosstown Cup. Way to pick that sponsor. Who cares right? In this town, our baseball teams play for bragging rights.
There you have it, four very winnable series for the Chicago White Sox to start off the month of June. Are they up for the challenge? To be honest, probably not. After the first two losses to Texas, I bet that high note is no where to be found on the south side
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