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Here's the AP story. Oz trying to light a fire under Alexei. Hope he isn't out of the lineup more than 2 days. I personally don't think Nix is the answer. CHICAGO (AP) — Alexei Ramirez got the night off Wednesday, and he can expect to rest on Thursday, too. The Chicago White Sox’s game against the Detroit Tigers was postponed because of rain Wednesday night. The game was called after a delay of 1 hour, 13 minutes. A makeup date wasn’t announced. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was planning to give his struggling shortstop the night off. Ramirez, a spark plug for the 2008 AL Central Division winners, is off to a slow start that has Guillen worried. Ramirez is hitting .211 with one homer, after hitting .290 with 21 home runs last year and finished behind Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria for AL Rookie of the Year. He will likely be out of Thursday’s lineup against the Tigers. “I always tell my players, give yourself a chance. Get good at-bats. But when you see one at-bat after another, after another, after another, and no results, no adjustments — we talked to Alexei a few times,” Guillen said. “I don’t mind 0 for 4. I don’t mind struggles. I don’t mind being in a slump. But how are you in a slump? How do you do something about it? I need some offense, and that’s the reason we’re going to put (Jayson) Nix back there. Because I need the offense.” Guillen is not going to wait for Ramirez to get going since his club has lost four straight.Nix is 3 for 7 after being activated from a rehab assignment in Triple-A Charlotte. “There’s one thing about Nix. I never fall in love with any players until they show me they can play in the big leagues. But he’s got three games, two games, and every at-bat this kid fights. He might not get a hit, but he will fight. And we’ll see what happens. I’m not saying the Missile is going to be on the bench for the rest of the season, but I’ve got to send a notice,” said Guillen, who did not talk to Ramirez on Wednesday.

OOps, thanks for the clarification. That's interesting stuff on how he liked Walker. I personally don't think hitting coaches matter that much, but I guess that's open to debate. Also a good DeLuca take on the situation. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/deluca/1562...eluca07.article

I just think it's dumb when there's a runner on third in a tie game and the shift is on in the late innings that he doesn't consider just making contact with the ball and slapping it to the left side. There's one infielder between third and second base and it's a tie game with a runner on third where if we score we win. I know what he is is a HR guy, but I don't quite understand why in that case you wouldn't just hit it that way and win the game. I guess that's why he gets paid the big bucks and I'm just a second guesser.

If Rowand hated him so much, why did he take his calls in 2006 when he was with a different team? Did he have a Zen-like trance over Aaron?

All I can say is I disagree. The Broadway I was watching had me not believing what I was seeing. It looked like soft slop, so unusually bad I thought I'd start its own thread.

Things were looking good last night after both Fields and Dye homered. The starting pitching and relief corps is what let the Royals get back in the game. It's easy to say get rid of the big bopper lineup but it often serves us well. I don't know why we can't get a sacrifice fly in a crucial situation, though. That is maddening and most of these hitters know how to loft the ball in the air.

That on paper is not that bad a lineup, especially if the old Lexi is playing in place of Nix. Pods may suck but he at least has had some hits and some good at bats. Yet the team is last in runs scored? Something is wrong.

Lilli is overmatched. He needs to go far away.

Thome has four home runs. John Buck has three. Didn't Jimmy also have a horrible at bat last night late with a runner on third. I was a little surprised the veteran didn't come through there or at least make contact. I'm a little surprised people get pissed off at length of posts or starting new threads. Isn't that why you are on here, to check out people's opinions? I thought that's what this was for. Weird.

They still had Cruz left and we had Lance. That's not a fair tradeoff.

10 walks was amazingly bad by the Sox staff. Once again, the home plate ump (like almost all of them) won't call a belt high fastball a strike, but I'm not blaming the umps. Biggest play of the game was the three run homer off Gavin (Am I a great pitcher or not?) Floyd that let them back in the game. The worst play(s) of the game were not scoring AJP from third after his late triple. We should have scored a run then, held them in the bottom of the frame, and won the game.

The reason I started the thread was not so much to simply blame Lance for the loss (it is pathetic AJ hits a triple and we can't score him from third, pathetic), but my shock at how bad a pitcher he is. I don't see all the games and I was simply shocked at how slow he throws the ball. I feel like at that point we were conceding the game. Who was left besides Bobby? At some point I was expecting Bobby for an inning or two even in a tie game.

My god, how slow can a guy throw a baseball? Broadway was horrible. Can he throw 85? It beats me how Oz can get to the ballpark at 1 p.m., watch both teams scratch and claw (well, sort of, it was a pretty good game) til just before midnight, then elect to throw Lance out there in the 11th to lose the game. I was mortified at how slow Lance throws the ball. Horrible.

I just wish we could hit the f***ing ball on a consistent basis. Even last year we were jeckyll and hyde offensively. I know we did fine overall in runs scored. But it's maddening to watch us make out after out and like the other night when we went station to station on singles. If we are a home run hitting team again, I guess I wish we'd hit more f***ing home runs. We are pretty anemic.

I can't believe Pods got two hits tonight. Seemed he sucked worse than that. Do other teams have as many scrubs as we do? Man we have some bad hitters on our team. Maybe I don't pay close enough attention to other teams.

I know what you are saying, but think about what you are saying. These are all (with the likely exception of Alexi) average to below average big leaguers. I hope our lack of talent will not start showing up in loss after loss.

No reason to get upset over this. It was obvious this was going to happen tonight. It's bound to get worse.

Very nice catch.

Our only hope is if Colon is dealing and somehow it's 0-0 til late and we win it in 12 or 13.

If Colon plunks somebody in the first inning, here is what will happen. a.) the Royals will score about 6 runs after he gives them the gift runner. b.) Zack will retaliate and there will be an incredible brawl. A couple guys will get suspended. My guesses are the Royals' Billy Butler will be suspended a game as well as Olivo. On the Sox side, Fields will be suspended as well as AJP. I predict some punches will connect this time.

Fields seems to be another guy who can't hit and won't make it. Do the Sox ever develop players who can actually, you know, play? Was Frank Thomas the last non pitcher to be drafted who hit it big? Crede? I guess Getz is going to turn out to be a good one, like Durham was. I guess we are good at drafting second basemen.

Royals win in a breeze unless Thome hits a couple bombs. Zack is the real deal this year. We don't stand a chance. Maybe later in the year if he starts slumping; not tonight.

Yes, the Royals lineup is not intimidating at all (yes I realize Bartolo will probalby give up 10-12 runs tonight), but they are pretty good. I still like the Twins to kick ass in the summer as they always do.

Can't argue with the .500 at best talk. Our Sunday lineup is an automatic loss. Corky's hot streak is over; Lillibridge is one of the worst hitters in baseball; Fields is looking lost; Betemit is OK I guess but nothing but a mediocre player. Pods also can't hit. Looks like we are going to have to play Dye, Konerko, Thome and AJP every fricking day or we should at least.

KC is 14-11. We are 12-12. Time to man up as we start to move into May.