DadGummit

By Mario Scalise

 

The White Sox need a mulligan. Or a time machine. Maybe they can then go back to the day Javier Vazquez began his personal quest to melt in as many big games as possible, and reverse it somehow.

 

If the Sox don’t make the post-season, nobody should look at this game and Vazquez’s performance. The Sox have struggled in the Metrodome without Vazquez, they still have two more games left in this series, and let’s not forget, failed on a few occasions over the past few weeks to pad a lead with a stumbling Twins club. The Sox have made their own bed with their failure to clinch the division the sooner and inability to carry their home-run-or-bust offense outside the Cell.

 

So this game shouldn’t go under the microscope, but Javier Vazquez needs to. His third year with the Sox, he’s been what the Sox had wanted for roughly a third of the time. That third was 2007, for a 90-loss team. Thank goodness Javy produced, or else the Sox would have had a really horrible season over just horrible. The rest of his stay, Vazquez has been sub-par on a 90-win ‘06 team and now an ‘08 team that’s in first place with five (or 6) games remaining. Get it?

 

Three seasons may be a small sample, but his big game starts is plenty to know Vazquez just isn’t meant for the major moments, especially after lasting just four innings in game one of the season’s biggest series, and doing so 24-hours after your own manager called you out for your big game inadequacies.

 

Fortunately the White Sox will have Mark Buehrle on the mound for game two, but that is only comforting in comparison to Vazquez.

 

While Buehrle has had his big game moments and has passed on a few occasions, he’s done it less and less as the years go. It’s hard to expect much from Buehrle. He doesn’t have - has never had - the stuff of other starters, so he can’t get by on raw ability. But his contract, regardless of how much of a bargain it was at the time, says otherwise. Like Vazquez, he’s making millions and is in this rotation to lead John Danks and Gavin Floyd.

 

It’s instead been the inexperienced leading the experienced.

Hawk said it right on the broadcast last night. We will always have trouble winning in that dome with the current team and style of team we have. They can go from 1st to third on a single, we can't, they can score from 2nd on a hit, we cant. The fast turf field along with our slow softball style team of sluggers means we need plenty of walks, extra base hits, and HRs to win in that stadium. While they can win with a few singles, steals, and hits here and there. Its a huge advantage for their team and it is represented in their home record. Conversely we have short pull fences and power alleys, a huge advantage for us, represented in our home record. What will be interesting is what happens to the twins when they move into a more traditional stadium, grass and open air (I believe to open in 2010). The dimensions for their new ballpark are very similar to those of Camden Yards, a great hitters park, 339-L, 377-LC, 404-C, 367-RC, 328-R (with a 15-18FT wall next to the RF pole). For the time being though its just difficult for our team and teams like us to compete in the current metrodome setting.

Edited September 24, 200817 yr by joeynach

Hawk's right. The question is can we win one game this series? I'd say odds of that are about 20-80 or 10-90.

The 1st to 3rd speed crap is BS. We could use more balance as a team, but our biggest problem up there is "between the ears". For the most part, they've got us beat before the first pitch in games up there because we let them. Until we get into a better mental mindset going up there, we are going to struggle.

yeah, i say we definitely go 0-5 for the rest of the season.

if everyone is so confident we will lose then why even log on or watch the game. Saying we are 10% to win 1 of 2 games in minn is outrageous.

if everyone is so confident we will lose then why even log on or watch the game. Saying we are 10% to win 1 of 2 games in minn is outrageous.

 

welcome to soxtalk, enjoy your stay!