elrockinMT

I forgive you!

Manuel is hard to figure when it comes to making play and personnel decisions. He throws the book out and plays hunches and it seems it backfires on him from time to time. I think last night was one of those times. Marte should have faced Ortiz, or bring in Wunsch who is our left handed releif specialist RIGHT?! But, then again Flash is the man out of the pen. He has saved us more than once. It isn't easy being the manager especially when it's Jerry Manuel. The offense is as much to blame as Jerry's decisions though. A hit in one crucial spot would have won it in 9.

Paul Konerko for Friday versus the Indians

Sorry it didn't work. I think we should blame Heather and Steff because they felt their plans were more important than humming for the Sox. Shame on you ladies...

We can win it all. The offense is spinning its wheels right now, but we are still tied for first with 20 plus games to go. We will face the Twinks and the Royals. Our pitching is better, our bullpen is at least equal if not better and our hitters will hit. We get the bugs out early in the month and start battering the opposition starting with the Indians on Friday. Evrerett is making better contact, Valentin showed he is coming out of his slump, Konerko is hitting, Crede is hitting, Maggs absolutely crushed that ball in the 9th and Lee is on a roll. We can do it.

I posted my thoughts before reading everbody's elses. I agree I think the roles should have been reversed for Rowand and Harris. Pinch running for Thomas was the right thing to do. Kimm wouldn't have tried to score Frank anyway. He would have been out not be 10 feet but more like 75 feet. He can hit, but he don't run.

I agree, Harris was up next But why did JM let Harris bat? Who would have played CF if we pinchhit for Harris and tied the game? That is why we didn't PH for Willie Armando Rios could have played CF. I can't really say the play was the wrong one to call. If The Red Sox had somehow miffed either the pick up or the throws we all would be singing Kimm's praises. I would like to see Harris used as a pinch runner rather than a sub in the OF. Rowand is a better outfielder and maybe the speedster Harris would have made the play closer I don't know. Rowand gave it his all. I am not real happy though about Harris being let to hit all the time. He is batting a buck 85 and hasn't driven in but three runs this whole season. I have to tell myself that one play, as huge as it was, didn't lose the game for us by itself. The offense failed to deliver on a number of occassions.

As much as I dislike the Twinkies and want the Sox to win you never want to see any team lose a player to injury. You want to beat them when they are at full strength and can't use excuses for losing.

We can beat Lowe. I remember the last Sox on Sox series where the comment was made that Pedro Martinez was pitching and it wasn't a good thing for the Chisox. I pointed out that we didn't have to beat Pedro just stay close and then beat their bullpen, which we did. However, I think we can beat Lowe. Buerhle needs to step up and I think he will.

ESPN2 broadcasts the Sox' tonight at 6:00 PM CDT. I suggest that all of us out-of-towners with TV access sit in front of those tubes and chant for the White Sox. I will begin a cheer after every pitch by a Chisox hurler and after every swing of the bat by a White Sox hitter. Feel free to join me at any time. If my wife doesn't kill me first I will be hoarse by the end of the game, but a Pale Hose winner will make it worthwhile. See you all on TV.

Colon hasn't been as dominating this year like in some past, but when he has been good he has been the best. He has stepped up after almost every loss he takes and pitches great and that's what I like about him. He has stretches where he is good, games where he is simply the best and at times he falters, but he never makes excuses when he doesn't pitch good. I hope we can sign Bartolo to a contract and keep him in a Sox uniform. I don't like the idea of bringing someone on board as a rent-a-player. Bill Veeck had to do it in the 70's, but I don't think Jerry Reinsdorf, et al, are in the same boat. We need to look at keeping Colon, Alomar and Everett for the next few years anyway. You want fans to come to the park well we are in a position now to put together a dominating team to contend with anyone. Let's keep it together please...

And by the way Dude please don't call me dude. Thank you, thank you very much. SMILE!! Tomorrow is another day and we are still in 1st place. I will be watching on ESPN2 and let's hope we can get some offesne to support MB.

That is the point I was trying to make. Two-hits allowed and both homers and our offense can't bring in the runners from scoring position because they swing at everything and all try to be the homer hero. Colon didn't deserve to lose that game.

A 2-hitter by Colon and both were homers. I can't believe it, we are getting beat by our own weapon- the long ball. That is a problem with our pitchers they give up way to many homers.

The offense has been worse than pathetic tonight. We have these times during the season, but September is not the time to suck on offense. We have 3 more outs, but the way thse guys are swinging the bat it may not matter if we had 100 more outs to work with. However, Konerko and Crede and valentin have each stepped up before when needed and let's hope at least one does it tonight

It is pathetic. 4 hit batters charged to the Red Sox. More pathetic is carlos lee hitting into a rally killing DP. Even from this end of the play you could just feel the ground ball coming. Why didn't Alomar run?

Be nice to Jose. There are others in the starting line up who haven't produced tonight besides Jose V. He has done plenty of good for this team. The whole line up needs to practice patience and looking for their pitch when facing a junk ball thrower like Burkett. The guy has nerarly a 5 run a game ERA and we make him look like Koufax.

1) Who will win the series (CHW/BOS/Split) (2 points)? White Sox 2) Which team's 3-4-5 hitters will have more RBI (CHW/BOS) (2 points)? White Sox 3) How many errors will the Sox make (4 points)? 0 4) How many walks will Mark Buehrle issue (4 points)? 2 5) How many batters will the bullpen face in the series (within 2 either way) (5 points)? 13 6) How many substitutions will Manuel make to position players (5 points)? 2 7) Who will lead the Sox in slugging percentage (4 points)? Lee 8) Will Joe Crede hit a HR (Y/N) (2 points)? Yes 9) Who will lead the AL Central after the series (2 points)? White Sox 10) Will David Ortiz have an RBI (Y/N) (2 points)? Yes TIEBREAKER: Attendance for Wednesday's ESPN game 25250

I know Steff, I know....

When Colon is on his game he can dominate any teams lineup. I think he will be motivated and is coming off a good performance so I am looking to a Sox winner.

All we need is this guy to be back in the lineup and ticked off. He can singlehandly carry the Red Sox and I don't want him motivated against us.

Can we all agree that the Sox winning the pennant is the bottom line for all of us?

I am not sorry we have Colon on this team. He has shown some signs of absolute brilliance and yes several times he has pitched poorly. Buerhle, Garland, Wright, ditto. Loaiza is the MVP pitcher of this team and came out of nowhere to be the Cy Young leader. I think Colon will step up the rest of the year and I hope we sign him to a contract for next season. The same for Buerhle. I still think Colon was worth the deal and his 12 wins are more than we got from Boomer Wells and Todd Ritchie combined. I will give Corg the benefit of the doubt, but heh buddy you are wearing a bit thin. However, we are all entitled to our opinion...maybe it's just the way we express it that is the issue?

I doubt hes ruined, but ya never know. I don't think he is ruined or anything. He probably shouldn't have been called up till next year, but we were and still are in need of the fifth starter. He got a taste of the bigs and actually won a game so he will remember that as much as his wildness.

Sox nab 'huge win' Walk-off double bolsters playoff hopes By CURT BACKA Tribune Sports Writer -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRIBUNE PHOTOS BY JOHN W. LISTON Great Falls White Sox second baseman Antoin Gray slides safely into second under the tag of Billings infielder Rusty Beale Sunday at Legion Park. If the Great Falls White Sox make the upcoming Pioneer League playoffs, they can thank Mario Valenzuela. Valenzuela clubbed a two-run, two-out ninth-inning double that gave the White Sox what might be a momentum-changing 3-2 walk-off victory over the Billings Mustangs Sunday before 2,965 at Legion Park. "It's the kind of win we needed to get to the playoffs," said Valenzuela, who recently joined the club on a rehabilitation assignment from -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Charlotte. Valenzuela's towering flyball bounced off the center-field wall and scored Micah Schnurstein with the tying run. Chris Young joyously romped home with the winning run to snap Great Falls' three-game losing streak and kept the White Sox a game behind Helena for the second-half lead in the Northern Division. The White Sox play a critical two-game series with the Brewers starting tonight in the Capital City. Helena routed Missoula 16-0 Sunday. "To play as bad as we played and still come up with a win is big," said Great Falls' manager Chris Cron. "We went 0-for-5 on hit-and-runs, had guys picked off on the bases, made three errors and we still were in position to win the game." "It was a huge win for us," said club MVP Mike Myers, whose in opportune eighth-inning throwing error gave Billings a 2-1 lead. "It was nice to finally catch a break because we haven't had many the last few games." Schnurstein opened the inning with a solid single to center field. Young, trying to move Schnustein in scoring position, laid down a bunt, which was mishandled by Billings' pitcher David Shafer. Antoin Gray, in attempt to advance the runners, popped up a bunt attempt which was caught by Billings' first baseman Joey Votto. Myers, with a prime chance to redeem himself after the error, fanned leaving it up to Valenzuela. "He (Shafer) first threw me a fastball I couldn't catch up with," said Valenzuela. "And then I go down 0-2, and he tried a couple of sliders. "I thought he might come back with a fastball and he did." "Mario's hit is the kind of thing that could carry us right into the playoffs," said Cron. "And you have to credit our pitching, especially Mike Moat, for keeping it close today." Moat, a 6-foot-1 right-hander from Longmoat, Colo., continued his good outings on the mound. In relief of starter Boone Logan, he pitched three innings of one-hit ball and was the victim of Myers' error in the eighth. "He gave up the one run, which was unearned, but, otherwise, he gave us a chance in the end to win it," said Cron. "If we get into the playoffs, it will be because of our pitching," said Myers. "And hopefully we can get our bats going." The White Sox tagged Billings' pitching for 13 hits on Sunday, but weren't able to capitalize. They picked up a run in the first inning and threatened in the third and fifth inning only to come up empty. "That's been the story lately," said Cron. "We get guys aboard and either we can't move them over or we don't get the big hit." To make the playoffs the White Sox must either win the second half or if Helena wins the second half, they can get in by having a better overall record than Billings. The White Sox are now 38-33 overall, while the Mustangs are 36-35. Great Falls' final five games are on the road, the two in Helena and three more in Billings. "No doubt we have played better baseball on the road," said Cron, whose club is an even 19-19 at Legion Park and 19-14 on the road. "And that is something I can't explain." Sean Tracey, who pitched a rare complete game last Wednesday in his last start, gets the start for the White Sox tonight in Helena.