[Official, this team is slow, can't hit with RISP and has no pen th]

I guess this is the loss post mortum.

 

That is a nice baseball team that beat the White Sox tonight. The Rays just do their jobs and hang in there until you beat yourself. That's all that happened tonight.

 

I saw the Rays on Elvis night, nobody knew who half of those guys were --- Gross? Iwamara? Aybar? but they executed on the field and at the plate and took a game from a team with many more illustrious names.

 

And that's exactly how our '05 White Sox won.

 

 

[AND THATS A CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!&#33]

One last comment on the game, wasn't it great to hear Nancy Faust again? I really miss her playing the night games. Even in such an intense game her word play (like Morneau has broken ...) brought a needed smile. And when they pulled Blackburn she really pumped up "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye", between the organ and the crowd singing, the place absolutely shook. Old time White Sox baseball, baby.

 

Funny, the impressions that stick with you. It was quite a night.

[AND THATS A CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!&#33]

BTW, having Kubel hit for Gomez was terrible. I know Gomez isn't very good, but he can get on with the bunt or infield single and that would be an automatic double.

Gomez's swing was so long tonight he couldn't have Jenks with a canoe paddle (a new Stone expression from last night). He looked awful, there is a reason Gardenhire moved him to 9.

[AND THATS A CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!&#33]

I don't know why Mauer bunted but it made me sooo happy. One less out we had to earn. Wow that was huge!

No one could hit Danks. They needed a runner. I was very pleased when he bunted but can't criticize him for trying. If he got just a little more on the ball it would have been past AJ and 'here come the phiranas'!

[Tickets for Tomorrow's game vs MIN]

Got 4 in a row about 15 mins ago. 533 row 17.

[Jim Thome]

I can't find the old thread on this and search is down so I'll put out a new one. Mods can merge if they want.

 

According to Kalapse's wonderful payroll resource Jim Thome's '09 option for $13m guarantees at 1100 plate appearances during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

 

I got him at 536 in '07 and 506 so far in '08 for 1042. (MLB.com TPA)

 

So he needs 58.

 

He's been averaging a little over 4 per game.

 

Should take him 14-15 games.

 

The team has 23 to go.

 

Can't count the chickens before they hatch, but it looks like he'll make it.

 

[(twins' board) very funny, and appropriate]

They probably met him.

[Nick Swisher]

I think Swisher spent the first half of the season trying to exceed expectations and justify the trade, and now he is finally comfortable and not trying to overdo it

 

I agree he's been all over the place but can't ascribe it to the trade, he's always been streaky. Even over a 3-year span. ESPN's 2005/2007 monthly splits.

 

Month Avg OBP SLG

Mar/April .218 .274 .372

April .265 .367 .540

May .301 .410 .528

June .228 .337 .374

July .227 .356 .450

August .250 .342 .427

September .247 .369 .518

Sept/Oct .202 .313 .429

October .231 .231 .308

 

What I take from this is a rationalization of the Griffey trade. If Swisher, Thome or Kornerko go back into a funk the White Sox have an option other than just waiting it out.

 

 

[WHITESOX WINNA!]

How many guys in AAA have a fastball that hits 94-95? I think that was the most impressive thing the kid has, is the ability to add and subtract from his pitches already. We need to get him sitting next to Mark Buehrle on a regular basis to teach him about controling nerves and emotions during a game, but other than that, this kid has some moxie. He doesn't really seem afraid out there.

Just looked at gameday and you're right, he got several pitches up there. I'm surpised, watching him live without seeing the gun, even his best ones didn't look that hard, very deceptive. Very effective.

[WHITESOX WINNA!]

Just in from the game. I can't put my finger on who Richard reminds me of. He's got more stuff than Hibbard, less than Bahnsen...Lots of heart and a triple A fast ball....Sirotka?

 

After the goof on Icharo in the first I thought we were in for a long night. But the kid pitched better than I ever supposed he would. One night doesn't make a career but he showed me somthin tonight.

[2009 interleague schedule]

Would like to see them play the Nationals. Last time they played them, they were located in Montreal. Neal Cotts ripped a double in one of the games.

That was the series Arnie Munoz made his start and gave up 11 runs. After the game Ozzie said "He only had one bad inning".

 

[Jose Contreras Done For Year]

I wouldn't mind seeing how the kid that's out there now, Adam Russell, would do for a couple of starts.

[50 FAVORITE WHITE SOX PLAYERS]

TLAK, was that over or on? I believe that list was on the roof.

Lindberg titled the list over and I just copied him, but I saw a couple of them myself (Kittle's) and they landed on the roof.

[50 FAVORITE WHITE SOX PLAYERS]

If I recall correctly Essian hit a rooftop shot once.

Nope. From Rich Lindberg's Total White Sox

 

Home Runs hit over the roof at Old Comiskey Park

 

by the White Sox

 

Eddie Robinson (1)

Minnie Minoso (1)

Dave Nicholson (1)

Buddy Bradford (1)

Tom Egan (1)

Dick Allen (1)

Richie Zisk (1)

Greg Luzinski * (4)

Ron Kittle ** (7)

Carlton Fisk * (2)

Harold Baines * (1)

Dan Pasqua (1)

 

By opponents

 

Babe Ruth (1)

Lou Gehrig (1)

Jimmy Foxx (2)

Hank Greenberg (1)

Ted Williams (2)

Mickey Mantle (1)

Bill Skowron (1)

Elston Howard (1)

Boog Powell (1)

Don Mincher (1)

Harmon Killebrew (1)

Sal Bando (1)

Ruppert Jones * (1)

Kirk Gibson * (1)

George Bell * (2)

Brian Downing * (1)

Jose Canseco * (1)

Rob Deer (1)

Larry Sheets (1)

 

* Home runs hit during the period when home plate was moved eight feet closer to the outfield.

** Kittle hit 6 when the plate was moved, one when it was returned to the original distance.

 

[What player would you most like to have seen play for Sox?]

Players I’d like to have seen play for the White Sox but never did.

 

The Orlando Cabrerra of 2007.

The Nick Swisher of 2006.

The Ken Griffey of 1997.

The Jim Thome of 2002.

The Javier Vazquez of 2001.

…

 

[Two Cuban players defect in Edmonton]

We're not the only ones interested in this.

 

Castro acknowledges defection of 2 key baseball players

Posted: 09:50 PM ET

HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) — Two players from Cuba’s junior baseball team have defected in Edmonton, Canada, former Cuban President Fidel Castro said Thursday.

 

The defections of starting pitcher Noel Arguelles and shortstop Jose Juvenile — whose batting average is above .500 — occurred before play began in the 23rd World Junior AAA Championship, Castro said in a blog published on www.cubadebate.cu.

 

Castro, an ardent fan of the game, then detailed how the match went, noting that the replacement shortstop, Yandy Diaz, “played excellently” in the game, which Cuba won.

[And That's A White Sox Loser]

One ray of hope, I thought Ehren Wassermann had a fine outing.

[WINNER]

DJ did actually give the stat as 20-2 before the game. So apparently their state people are wrong.

JD now has 23 career HR so they must have included his games with KC and Oakland. It didn't occur to me to include them too because, I mean, who cares?

[WINNER]

I agree, someone should research that. It's not impossible, but not probable either.

Using Baseball Reference I get the following.

 

As a White Sox, JD has played 59 games against Detroit, all starts.

 

He has hit 17 HR, including last night. On Aug 24, 2006 he hit 2. So he has HR'd in 16 games.

 

The White Sox are 14-2 in those games.

 

 

[How To Spend More Efficiently]

For what it's worth George Offman mentioned on Sunday that the Phillies will be on the hook for half of Jim Thome's 2009 option. He seemed pretty adamant about it. If they pay exactly half, then the Sox would be on the hook for $6.5M of Jim Thome's 2009 salary. If he finishes out the year strong, I don't see how they could pass that up, hell they'll be paying Jermaine Dye $5M more next year if this is the case.

I would not give much weight to anything Offman or his partner Rodgers say about baseball. I still chuckle when I remember them proposing that the cub trade a draft choice to Florida to get Joe Girardi as Manager.

[Joe Cowley is a joke]

Just what did Cabrera do wrong? Leads off the inning with a walk. Swisher flies out. Cabrera's the tying run and steals second on the first pitch to Quentin who later walks. Then he steals third while Dye swings through the second pitch. Dye had taken a called strike on the first pitch, then K'd on the third pitch --with the tying run on 3B with 1 out, nobody was dancing at 2B as Quentin was still on 1B.

 

On the night Dye was 0-4 with 2 K's.

 

And JD yells at Cabrera? For what, trying to win the game?

 

[Indians @ White Sox 7/2/08]

There is no rain here

Ranger just said the starters are warming up. They usually start that 20 minutes before the first pitch.

[Hoping for a rainout tonight...]

Hoping for a rain out is un-American!

Lets compromise. How about a 75 minute rain delay after the top of the 2nd. Neither starter returns and its the White Sox bullpen against the Indian's bullpen.

 

[wrigley security]

The last time I was at Wrigley field Bobby Douglas was the quarterback.

[Where do you rank Frank Thomas in terms of all-time White Sox players?]

In my lifetime, the only guy who could compare to Frank was Dick Allen and that was what? Only two years. Fox and Aparicio were great but not like Big Hurt type-great. It's too bad none of us ever saw Eddie Collins or Luke Appling play. But even if we had there is no comparison to what Frank did for those first seven or so years. In all of baseball history, only a handful of guys can compare so as an all-time White Sox, Frank is an easy numero uno.