Deal or No Deal

Another great night of baseball. I love the lineup Ozzie inserted, Jason Nix leading off and playing left field and Josh Fields playing first with Paulie DH-ing. With a pitcher like Cliff Lee, who can dominate lefties, I thought it was the right move to load the order with right hand bats, and it worked. The hits were pouring in from up and down the order including Gordan Beckham's second home run. Josh Fields continues to prove that he either strikes out or hits home runs, which I guess is not such a bad trade-off.

Now the big discussion looming large on the south side, and has been since spring training, is whether we should be buyers or sellers. Let me give you my elaborate thoughts. Do nothing. It's that simple. We have a team that can certainly compete for the division, and we also have no glaring weaknesses in my mind, so lets just stand pat and let our players play. And I definitely don't want us to become sellers. Our farm system is maybe the best it has ever been right now, and I see no reason why we should get greedy and try to add to the depth in the minor leagues by trading away one of our veteran players.

I know the Jerry Jones philosophy where if you are doing nothing, you ain't trying. But I think in the case of the Sox, if Kenny were to make a move, he would be trying way to hard. Our pitching is coming along nicely, the bullpen is going through a bit of a rough patch right now but they will straighten things out, and we get Carlos Quentin back which will seem like a new acquisition, so I say we do absolutely nothing.

Pitching Another Shutout (Almost)

Let me start with some breaking news, (drum roll) I am now on Twitter. (raucous applause)

Now back to today's game. Floyd pitched a helluva game, maybe his best of the year. The key for Floyd is keeping runners off base and thus staying out of the stretch. I think he loses his rhythm when he has to worry about using the slide step to hold runners on and it makes his curve ball way less effective. The only inning he got into any trouble was in the seventh when he issued a two out walk, followed by a liner that Alexei possibly could have caught, followed by another walk to load the bases. Ironically, with the bases loaded, he was able to go back to the windup and was able to get out of the inning, on what was a very interesting play. Floyd fielded a little tapper right on the first base line and the ball was originally called foul but Floyd fielded the ball and threw it to first and the play was later ruled fair, much to Eric Wedge's dismay.

The Sox piled on four runs in the top of the ninth, which at the time seemed unsubstantial because we already at a two run lead. But in the bottom of the ninth, Thornton gave up a solo home run and then Dotel came in and gave up a two-run homer so those four runs in the ninth then looked huge. Of course if we didn't get those four runs, Bobby Jenks would have been in the game and everything would have been different but this proves that every run does matter. (sort of)

I said two days ago that Beckham's walk-off hit was going to jump start his season, and so far I am feeling pretty good about that statement. He had another good game tonight, going 3-3 with 2 RBI. He also made some nice plays in the field to go along with his good day at the plate.

Notes From Out of Left Field

• Gordan Beckham has many skills, basestealer may not be one of them.


• Newly acquired Indians pitcher, Chris Perez didn't take long to get on the White Sox bad list, drilling Alexei in the head with a slider and then running a fastball in on Jermaine Dye's hands, literally.


• Maybe the pitch to Alexei's head will knock the lackadaisical throws out of him. (only joking)


• An Pierzynski line drive just about nailed Jeff Cox down at third, luckily the old man still has some reflexes to go along with a good pair of hands that he likes to flash on occasion.


• Did I mention that I am now on Twitter?
  

Uncertainty in the Middle Infield

I didn't see much of the game today. I watched Team USA lose in the Confederations Cup final instead. (What can I say, I love my country) I saw that Linebrink pitched much better and Dye hit a home run, but that's about it. So I will use this opportunity to comment on some other issues going on.

I keep hearing that Alexei Ramirez needs to be moved back to second, or even move to center field but I think that would a terrible mistake. He obviously needs to stop the lackadaisical throws on routine ground balls, but for every error he makes on a routine play, I feel he makes up for it by making a great play that very few shortstops in the major leagues can make. He has outstanding range and a great arm. No one else on our roster has anywhere near the skills that Alexei possesses at short.

From what I have seen of Beckham at third, there is no way he is ready to be a shortstop in the big leagues. I think Alexei could certainly benefit from a few days off to clear his head, but I can't see Ozzie doing that. I am not sure how you cure a guy of lobbing the ball across the diamond, but eventually Alexei will learn and this issue will be a thing of the past.

The other problem I have with Alexei Ramirez is he is not a two-hitter. Unfortunately he is our best option there currently so you can't really blame him for his approach at the plate, it is who he is. I would love to have a two-hitter that is willing to take a few more pitches, hit the ball the other way, and not swing constantly at sliders three feet of the plate, but that just won't happen with Alexei. In the future, I could see either Beckham or Getz moving into the two spot and allowing Alexei to move down in the order where he would hypothetically get more fastballs but that brings me to my second point: second base.

I thought at the start of the year that by the all-star break we would have a second baseman fully in place, and I am not sure we do. It was clear that Lillibridge wasn't the answer, and Getz has certainly been the best, but he still hasn't been all that impressive. He got hot for a little bit, but I have my doubts that he can ever become a consistent major league player with the approach he currently has at the plate. He is a pull hitter, with a slightly uppercut swing, and has a really hard time laying off the high fastball. Not exactly what you want to hear for a guy who is only 185 pounds. He does have good speed, and I think he could really learn a lot from Scotty Pods on how to hit the ball the other way and basically slapping the ball between third and short. (I am by no means recommending using Podsednik's hopskip approach) I would like to see Nix get starts against lefties for the time being because I think he still has a chance to break out. I am not a big fan of platooning but I think that is the best option at second for now until someone really takes the position by the horns and claims it their own.

Beckham Delivers (Finally)

I guess when I decided to start this blog, I put myself in a position of hyperbole, but I don't have words to describe how happy I was when Beckham got the walk-off hit. All I do know is that if we had lost that game, I would of had a very tough time sleeping. But because I am so happy right now, I am going to try to take a positive spin on all that went wrong in that game.

Things could have been worse for Ramirez in the field. He could have committed a third error to go along with allowing Freel to score on a ball where he looked him back at third but decided even though he was half way down the line, to make the throw to first and give Freel the chance to score. And Buehrle could have thrown the ball to first even though Paulie wasn't covering on a pickoff attempt instead of just faking the throw and taking the balk.

But enough about the bad stuff. I can't say enough about what a job Podsednik did today, going 4-5 with three RBI and a very entertaining conversation with the second base umpire after over-sliding second. He continues to churn out quality at bats, time after time. Pierzynski avenged his double play from yesterday with a clutch two out single to score two. Buehrle certainly pitched good enough for us to win, despite not getting the corner all game. Dotel came on and did a real nice job in shutting down a threatening Cubs rally.

And now that brings me back to Beckham. He had an error early in the game, airmailing Paulie at first. But then he came back and made a nice, and very important play on a ball in which he had to charge and gun to first to just get the runner. But the big moment came in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, in what was the biggest at bat of his early pro career. He got his first pitch fastball and drove it over Bradley's head in right. It was a very big hit in the game but I think it will be an even bigger hit in the scope of the season. The hit will take a ton of weight of his shoulders and now he will step up to the plate knowing that he fully deserves to be where he is. (whether we believe he should or not)

Observations:
1) With Buehrle pitching, that game took way to long for my liking.
2) Chris Getz has cooled off again at the plate, going hitless in his last three games. (0 for 12)
3) Aaron Poreda got his first real test in a pressure situation and handled it ok. He gave up one hit and only recorded one out but he looked poised and unnerved.

What Hurts The Most, Was Being So Close

Every year I tell myself that I am going to rise above the mindless chatter that surrounds the windy city series, but once again I got sucked in. I started off the day with two messages on my phone, both slamming the Sox ("sox are going down like the french army"), but I was able to calmly put them aside without responding. But then at lunch I got chatting again with a Cubs fan and at first I was able to laugh off his foolish arguments. He carried on about how terrible Ozzie is at coaching and how Sox fans don't understand baseball, the usual Sox slander. I could sense his anger was starting to rise as he was desperate to set me off on something and I was quite enjoying his frustration. He knows me quite well and he knew that if he said something just completely off the wall, I wouldn't be able to resist getting involved in the bashing and sure enough it worked. He said that Jim Thome didn't have Hall of Fame worthy character and I quickly responded by asking if Wrigley Field has running water yet. The battle was on. His quick wit was getting the best of me and I was scrambling for things to say. I was so desperate that I resorted to using Google for reasons why the Cubs suck. (pathetic, I know) We spent about an hour going back and forth in what must have been the dumbest conversation of my life. I still can't believe I gave in to his banter, but what made it worse is that he totally dominated me. (I'll get you next time Eric)

Now to today's game. It was a tough one to swallow, especially after Soriano gave us a gift on a missed pop fly to setup the bases loaded with only one out. However, AJ rolled into the double play and that was the end of it. I thought we were going to have a 2005 moment, where we would really make a team pay for giving us an extra out. And we did for one at bat when Thome got completely jammed and somehow got the ball past Lee, down the right field line for a two run double. But then our luck ran out, when AJ hit one pretty hard, but just right at Lee for the double play.

I have long had the belief the whatever happens in Charlotte stays in Charlotte, but that was clearly not the case for Contreras. I don't know what kind of voodoo they used on him during his resurrection but whatever it is I am very much appreciative. I thought he pitched much better today than the score indicated. His splitter was filthy but he left one too many fastballs out over the heart of the plate and Soto made him pay with the three run jack. I was surprised he came back out in the seventh, after he had showed signs of back pains the inning before so hopefully everything is fine there. Thornton then came on in relief in the eighth and did a nice job keeping us in the game.

Observations:
1) Thome's strength is not even fair. He hit a home run on an 0-2 pitch that was off the outside corner and he made it look like it was nothing.
2) Hawk must be developing some sort of dementia. He says the same exact things every game, and this goes way beyond his classic "hawkisms."Every time the Taco Bell ad comes up he mentions how much Stone Pony's wife loves Taco Bell and then brings up the fact that she is a divorce lawyer. We get it Hawk and were tired of hearing it. I give a lot of credit to Stone Pony for listening to it every time and making it feel as comfortable as possible.
3) An awful lot of balls are getting down the line, past Beckham. I don't know if it is just bad luck that they are all going there or if his reactions are slow, but the obvious thing he should do is guard the line more.

Extras, Extras, Read All About It

What a game. What a game. What a game. Podsednik finally came through with the hit that we needed but the thing that impressed me the most by far was the bullpen. Despite Alexei's best efforts to blow the game with his errant throws, the bullpen was rock solid. Not a single earned run was allowed in 8.2 innings. DJ gave some great innings, and Linebrink didn't blow the game. (I had my doubts) My favorite part of the game was when DJ picked Juan Pierre off at first with his sixth throw over during the at bat. (Yes I did in fact just say my favorite play was a pick off) I had forgotten what it looked like for a right hander to hold a runner on. AJ was probably stunned. I am not sure if Dotel and Linebrink have thrown over six times all year, combined.

I just kept waiting for someone to get the clutch hit to win the game for us, and I couldn't help but thinking that this was the exact kind of game where we miss Joe Crede. I was worried that the game might never end, especially when Dye, Thome, and Konerko were all eventually pinch run for so we had very little chance at a walk-off homer. Speaking of those three, they could possibly be the three slowest people in the entire league. I know Dye has a bad calf, but I am just waiting for one of them to get thrown out from right field on a base hit. I really cannot think of another major leaguer slower then those three. Heck, spilled syrup runs faster than those three.

Coming back to what I said yesterday, Josh Fields answered his two home run performance yesterday with an 0-4 and two strikeouts. I think Beckham's job is still safe, and never really in doubt.

A couple of observations:
1) The Podesdnik hopskip batting approach is slowly losing its thunder.
2) There was no one at the game. Read more about that at Sox Machine.
3) AJ loves his momma very much, and now we all know that.
4) How great was it watching Pods sprinting around the field in attempt to avoid the celebratory mob.

Fields's Dream

First off, I have something to get off my chest. I think the Picks to Click segment of the broadcast could not possibly be any more annoying. (I feel better already) Nobody cares who a couple of random people pick to do good and the last thing we need to hear is the names of all the people who made the picks. WE DON'T CARE! The thing that annoys me the most are the numbers next to the names. What the hell do they mean? My guess is that its the number of people who picked that person to "click" but once again, NOBODY CARES how many people picked them. I know the whole thing is about promotion but if I am Southwest, I don't want my name associated with that waste-of-time. In fact, last month when I was flying to Colorado, I had my Southwest ticket all ready to buy until I heard "and Jim Angio and our Hall of Fame crew select..." in the back of my head and I immediately switched to Midwest. (OK that's a lie) Sorry to put you through that rant.

Now back to tonight's game. I will admit I didn't see most of it. I started off watching but then after BA's twin killing in the first with the bases loaded and then the slew of errors in the second to hand them three runs got me pissed off so I switched to the CWS, where J. Mitchell continued to impress me. When I turned back to the game in the eighth, Matt Kemp immediately hit a homer and then Gobble (Captain Clutch) drilled Pierre in the back so I started that thought process that maybe somehow I am effecting (or is it affecting, never understood that) the game. But Jenks came in and wrapped things up with what might have been his best stuff on the year to relieve me of my anxiety. Speaking of anxiety, what is going on with the D-Train? But anyways, Jenks' stuff was electric tonight and that was real nice to see because he had been struggling just a touch lately. I also did manage to hear that the ball left the ballpark with great abundance throughout the game which is always nice to hear.

Speaking of guys hitting it out, what got into Josh Fields tonight. If you were to ask me the odds of Fields hitting two home runs in the game, I would have told you don't waste my time. But I do think this complicates things a bit. He won't get many innings at first, so then the question becomes where do his at bats come from. Personally, I would write this game off as more of a fluke but when someone hits two homers they deserve to play the next game. And what complicates things even more is that Beckham hasn't been all that impressive with the bat. Perhaps if we become buyers (key word being "if"), Fields would make a nice piece of trade bait. A lot of things Ozzie and Kenny have to think about so I will need more time to process all of this and write more on it tomorrow. (I believe the the movie business calls that a "cliffhanger ending")

A couple other observations I made in the little action that I saw:
1) Josh Fields could not look anymore unnatural at first base. He pulls his foot off the bag so early on throws to first that I am just waiting for the runner to be called safe. I know all first baseman do that but Fields is taking it a little to far in my estimation.
2) I still don't know why Ozzie was tossed yesterday.
3)I guess I only made two observations worth noting.

Was that Nomo on the mound?

If you happened to miss the game tonight, you didn't miss much. Beckham had a couple of nice plays in the field, Paulie hit a homer, Guillen got ejected, and that's about it. We made Kuroda look like Hideo Nomo in his prime out there, but the Dodgers are a very solid team and their record is no fluke. Danks battled and pitched pretty good after a rough start. Hawk and "Stone Pony" kept saying how slow he was pitching to start the game and how that was effecting his rhythm and I couldn't agree more with that. After the second inning he started to speed up the game and he was much more successful.

From the telecast, I couldn't really tell exactly why Ozzie was ejected but the home plate umpire (I wish I knew his name) was very inconsistent all game. I still have no clue where his strike zone is and I am not sure if he does. I was surprised that Hawk wasn't whining more about balls and strikes, but then I remembered he started off the game saying how great of an umpire he was and I quote "He is the kind of guy you want in the World Series." (or something along those lines) But thankfully Hawk didn't resort to his "this is a good crew, but they are just having a bad night" bullshit.

The funny thing about the game is that in between innings I would flip to the LSU/Texas game and by the time I flipped back to the Sox game, we already had two outs. I think Kuroda had six 1-2-3 innings (don't quote me on that) and with the help of the home plate umpire, (there it is again) he had our hitters baffled all night.

On a different note, did anyone else watching the game notice Stone Pony's shirt? My goodness. What were they trying to do, make Hawk look young? It was this nasty looking, green, button-up polo. I'm not even sure where you would find a shirt like that. It was sort of Wal-Mart mixed with a little bit of Bass Pro Shop. So that might have been the most exciting part of the game for me. Yep, it was one of those games...

I'm looking forward to tomorrow with Floyd taking the bump. Maybe we can string a few hits together and create more excitement than Stone Pony's wardrobe. Just maybe.

Geaux Tigers

I must start by applauding the LSU/Texas game as well as the CWS as a whole, what a sensational atmosphere it is. And I find myself cheering for LSU for no better reason other than Jared Mitchell. This same time last year I did the same thing when Beckham was playing for Georgia in the world series. It adds a ton of hype to the player as now we have all seen them play a lot since being drafted, as was certainly the case with Beckham.

Getting back to Mitchell, the more I see of this kid, the more I like him. The raw talent is just overwhelming and he has all the tools to be successful. He needs to work on hitting the offspeed stuff and a lot more experience facing lefties but that is why we have the minor leagues. A pitcher for Texas was hitting 97 on the gun and Mitchell showed no trouble catching up with it. I keep hearing that he will hit for power in the majors and I don't really see that happening. But the thing I love the most about this kid is his attitude. He just seems like a great guy to be around and he brings that football menatlity to the diamond which I think can be a huge assett. I know the Sox have whiffed on a slew of first round outfielders, but this kid has the upmost potential to be a solid major leaguer.

The Series starting tomorrow against the Dodgers should be a good test. I am excited to see Thome back in the lineup. There is only so much of Brian Anderson hitting in the five spot that I can take. I am hoping Beckham can keep progressing off of what was a real solid road trip for him. I am still very impressed with his plate discipline and it is only a speck of time before he is hitting it in the gaps like he did in the minors.