this is the best day of my life as a white sox fan

this is the best day of my life as a white sox fan

It's only going to get better.

 

This is just an appetizer.

What a performance by El Duque!

 

There was a whole lot of joy at Monk's Pub yesterday. That was a great game, and it sure is sweet to sweep the Red Cubs.

It feels even better the morning after.

 

Full speed ahead.

 

8 more wins. I am man enough to admit that with the last out there were some tears of joy. It feels just as good this morning. Woke up hangover free with the biggest grin on my face. THE WHITE SOX ARE GOING TO THE ALCS!!!!!!!!!!!!

8 more wins. I am man enough to admit that with the last out there were some tears of joy.  It feels just as good this morning.  Woke up hangover free with the biggest grin on my face.  THE WHITE SOX ARE GOING TO WIN THE ALCS!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Here, let me fix that for you. You left out a word.

As one of El Duque's biggest supporters here at SOXTALK I am beaming right now with joy. What he did last night was the stuff of legends. Dream the impossible dream. Live the impossible dream.

 

Consider the scenario: Manny hit's a HR off Garcia to bring the BoSox within 1 of tying the game. Marte loads the bases without getting a single out. One of Boston's best hitters (Varitek) at the plate with a chance to put Boston on top.

 

El Duque retires the side with 3 very hard fought at bats in Varitek, Graff, & Damon. The kind of at bats that usually end up in walks or hits against normal pitchers. But El Duque is anything but normal. Not only did he get 3 outs without surrendering a single but he did it with pitches out of the zone.

 

I can't think of any greater contrast in a single inning than Marte & El Duque. Marte is a thrower. El Duque's a pitcher. The difference between them can not be measured in speed, strength, matchups, or age. The difference is that one is crafty & pitches against the hitter. The other pitches against the zone. It's pretty obvious who's who.

 

Marte like always it seems once again barely missed the zone. In his mind & in Ozzie's the umpire was squeezing him. But even Ozzie can't ignore the fact that the BoSox weren't swinging at Marte's barely missing stuff. They knew better. It seemed everyone knew better except for Marte.

 

El Duque arrives on the mound & knows better. He knows that he needs to make pitches that the BoSox will bite on. The zone doesn't matter. He succeeds masterfully. He peppers the BoSox with rising fastballs that appear in the zone but rise out of it. He peppers them with sliders that look so compelling to hit that by the time it's obvious they will drop no hitter can lay off them. Numbers are fine for measuring greatness of skill & talent but they can't measure greatness of mind. I think El Duque even taught AJ something last night.

I can't think of any greater contrast in a single inning than Marte & El Duque. Marte is a thrower. El Duque's a pitcher. The difference between them can not be measured in speed, strength, matchups, or age. The difference is that one is crafty & pitches against the hitter. The other pitches against the zone. It's pretty obvious who's who.

 

Juggs, that might be the best post you've ever made on this board.

As one of El Duque's biggest supporters here at SOXTALK I am beaming right now with joy.  What he did last night was the stuff of legends.  Dream the impossible dream.  Live the impossible dream. 

 

Consider the scenario:  Manny hit's a HR off Garcia to bring the BoSox within 1 of tying the game.  Marte loads the bases without getting a single out.  One of Boston's best hitters (Varitek) at the plate with a chance to put Boston on top. 

 

El Duque retires the side with 3 very hard fought at bats in Varitek, Graff, & Damon.  The kind of at bats that usually end up in walks or hits against normal pitchers.  But El Duque is anything but normal.  Not only did he get 3 outs without surrendering a single but he did it with pitches out of the zone. 

 

I can't think of any greater contrast in a single inning than Marte & El Duque.  Marte is a thrower.  El Duque's a pitcher.  The difference between them can not be measured in speed, strength, matchups, or age.  The difference is that one is crafty & pitches against the hitter.  The other pitches against the zone.  It's pretty obvious who's who. 

 

Marte like always it seems once again barely missed the zone.  In his mind & in Ozzie's the umpire was squeezing him.  But even Ozzie can't ignore the fact that the BoSox weren't swinging at Marte's barely missing stuff.  They knew better.  It seemed everyone knew better except for Marte.

 

El Duque arrives on the mound & knows better.  He knows that he needs to make pitches that the BoSox will bite on.  The zone doesn't matter.  He succeeds masterfully.  He peppers the BoSox with rising fastballs that appear in the zone but rise out of it.  He peppers them with sliders that look so compelling to hit that by the time it's obvious they will drop no hitter can lay off them.  Numbers are fine for measuring greatness of skill & talent but they can't measure greatness of mind.  I think El Duque even taught AJ something last night.

 

do you think his seconding career could be that of a rp?

With El Duque, I suggest we enjoy it while it lasts. By all accounts he's likely to be 43-44 yrs of age. In comparison look at Lieter. Aging is a humbling experience for a ball player.

 

With respect to the 2006 White Sox the rotation & closer roles are set. Jose, Mark, Freddy, Jon, & Brandon with Jenks as the closer. Hermy, Vizc, Politte are givens. Cotts is sure to re-up, & El Duque is signed. Lefty-Righty doesn't mean much for El Duque. With him in the bullpen it's like a 2-for-1. He enables you to battle the season with 11 arms & 14 bats. That's ideal for the White Sox. I hope he's happy in that role.

Immediately following the ALDS in Boston writers started speculating that Konerko could be their future 1B. They even mentioned a bidding war with the Yanks. I say it's not going to happen.

 

Koney has done enough this year to become the most popular baseball player in Chicago. He's done enough to position himself to be the #1 sports endorsement candidate for Chicago. That's worth at least $10M/yr.

 

Niether NYY or BOS can promise him that. It won't be there from the start. Not with the marquee players already established there. He would have to earn it all over again. In Chicago he could have a subpar year in 2006 & it will still be there. The team's success only enhances his personal success.

 

Unlike Sosa & Ordonez, Konerko is fluent in English & his interviewing skills have really blossomed this year. There's no reason he can't become the #1 sports talking-head in Chicago.

 

I hope Konerko realizes this. I suspect he does. The White Sox don't need to outbid the Yanks & BoSox to retain Konerko. They just need to make the total package of remaining in Chicago look much more attractive than the East coast. Sweeping BOS in the ALDS just made that a whole lot easier.

Immediately following the ALDS in Boston writers started speculating that Konerko could be their future 1B.  They even mentioned a bidding war with the Yanks.  I say it's not going to happen.

 

Koney has done enough this year to become the most popular baseball player in Chicago.  He's done enough to position himself to be the #1 sports endorsement candidate for Chicago.  That's worth at least $10M/yr. 

 

Niether NYY or BOS can promise him that.  It won't be there from the start.  Not with the marquee players already established there.  He would have to earn it all over again.  In Chicago he could have a subpar year in 2006 & it will still be there.  The team's success only enhances his personal success.

 

Unlike Sosa & Ordonez, Konerko is fluent in English & his interviewing skills have really blossomed this year.  There's no reason he can't become the #1 sports talking-head in Chicago. 

 

I hope Konerko realizes this.  I suspect he does.  The White Sox don't need to outbid the Yanks & BoSox to retain Konerko.  They just need to make the total package of remaining in Chicago look much more attractive than the East coast.  Sweeping BOS in the ALDS just made that a whole lot easier.

 

i agree with both you post as i think paulie is going to give the home team a discount and i think duke coming in as a rp will help both him and the sox.

NA NA HEY HEY (KISS HIM GOODBYE)

http://www.vitaminic.com/cgi-php/get_file....odo=4&bid=66839

 

For White Sox fans the "HIM" is every pitcher & every team that stands in our way from being World Champions!

It's free so don't complain ... (NANA HEY HEY KISS HIM GOODBYE)

rtsp://real.vitaminic.com:8080/new/vitaminic.com/a104/00104037.rm

Big Ed Walsh,

Were you a big Gary Peters, Joel Horlen Pete Ward fan?

Give us some stories bout those guys if ya would.

Gee, I don't know if I have any "stories" about any of 'em, but yeah, I was a big fan of each. Probably Peters more than the others. Peters was such a good pitcher and a pretty good strikeout pitcher too. Had it not been for arm trouble there's no telling how good he may have been. But, why he was especially cool was because he was a good hitter too. He pinch hit often and I think I recall him hitting a pinch homer once. One time (at least) he was batting 6th in the order; unheard of for a pitcher but in those days he was one of the Sox better hitters.

Horlen was kind of a crafty pitcher but christ he was good. I remember in '63 when he lost a no-hitter in the 9th and I remember well watching his no-hitter against the Tigers in '67.

Pete Ward, I remember for his funny looking batting stance. He was another guy whose career suffered due to injury. You could add to that list, Carlos May. Dammit the Sox had some bad luck back in the 60's.

My favorite player as a kid was Louie Aparicio. I had a mess of Aparicio baseball cards, photos, statue and of course a "signed" baseball glove. I was 13 when he got traded and I cried. However, Dave Nicholson acquired in the Aparicio trade soon became my new favorite player and as I recall even got Little Louie's #11.

Lets keep it going fellas....go SOX

Edited October 8, 200520 yr by Soxpranos

DUQUE

 

KONERKO

 

 

I'm back.

 

 

Thought I'd miss all the excitment. But after being out of town for a wedding yesterday, there was a big break before the reception. We were all gathered in a bar watching the last few innings.

 

All my Cub fans friends were congratulating me the rest of the night.

 

Now, I find out from my dad that I'll be attending Game 2 of the ALCS with him and my brothers.

Edited October 9, 200520 yr by robinventura23

Thanks Big Ed Walsh. I read your post and enjoyed it.

Now tell us about Cisco Carlos, Hoyt Wilhelm, Bill Nahorodny and Jim Essian!

Thanks again.