Results tagged ‘ Marlins ’

Mark Buehrle: A Player for the Ages

Mark Buehrle, one of the great White Sox of all-time, leaves us with a treasure trove of memories gathered over his 12 seasons on the South Side. There’s the perfect game, the no-hitter, the Gold Gloves, the World Series save, the All-Star Game nods, the record Opening Day starts, his outstanding winning percentage and all those innings pitched. And I haven’t even mentioned the unbelievable between the legs throw on Opening Day 2010 (see below).

There are also the things that were more under the radar: his sense of humor, his leadership, the humility that was evidenced by him catching ceremonial first pitches (except on the days he pitched) through his Sox career and, of course, how beautifully he represented the franchise. Simply a class act.

It’s no surprise that Mark opted to play for Ozzie in Miami. He couldn’t resist the four-year, $58 million deal and the lure of playing in the National League, which he has dominated in interleague play. And the Sox apparently felt that at this stage of his career and the fact that they are in a rebuilding phase, it wasn’t feasible to match the offer as much as they wanted to keep him.

This week certainly hasn’t been a great one for the Sox. On Monday, Minnie Minoso was once again denied his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame and yesterday another one of the club’s most popular players chose to take his talents to South Beach.

It won’t be the same on the South Side without No. 56, who very well might be the last Sox player to wear that number. But we’ll surivive, just as we did when the likes of Minoso, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparicio, Billy Pierce, Frank Thomas and Robin Ventura changed uniforms.

And remember, you can go home again. Just ask Minnie, Billy, Frank, Robin and the others.

Is Francona the Answer?

It seems serendipitous doesn’t it? On Monday, the White Sox release Ozzie and two days later he officially becomes the manager of the Miami Marlins. Then, in about 48 hours with the Sox on the hunt for a new skipper, former Chisox minor league manager Terry Francona, after winning two world titles in Beantown, parts ways with the Red Sox.

Arrange the press conference at the Cell immediately, right? Well, not so fast.

Conventional wisdom is that hiring Francona should be a no-brainer. A proven winner with ties to the organization that would give the South Siders an established leader in the dugout and instant credibility with the fans. But is it the right thing to do? Is Francona the answer or should the Sox brass opt for a fresh start with a young, respected, managerial star of the future?

At the risk of waffling, I would be happy either way. I’d welcome Francona and his impressive resume. I also think Sandy Alomar, Jr., the Tribe’s new bench coach who seems like the favorite to get the job, or Dave Martinez, Joe Maddon‘s trusted bench coach with the Rays, would be outstanding choices. And both have spent time in a Sox uniform.

For all the buzz about Francona coming to Chicago, at the end of the day I don’t think it will happen. I believe that when Kenny Williams comes to the microphone in a couple of weeks, he’ll announce the following as the new Sox field general:

White Sox Bombed in Finale vs. Marlins, Now Face A.L. Central Doormat to Begin 7-Game Road Trip

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I agree, it’s a pretty cheap shot to call the Indians a doormat since our Sox are just 1 1/2 games better. But how could I resist the photo? And after enduring the 13-0 debacle against the Marlins on Sunday, I needed some levity.
The Sox, who still won two of three vs. Florida and are playing better baseball, now head to Cleveland for three games and, gulp, Tampa Bay, for four before returning home to face the Rangers, the Indians again and the Tigers.
As Yogi once said, it’s getting late early and the Sox have to look at this stretch as make or break. Either hold their own or start getting rid of some of their own and look ahead to 2011.
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Sox Make It Two Straight, Fans Rejoice


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There’s no truth to the rumor that Major League Baseball is going to move the White Sox to the National League. We can only hope.
Boasting one of the best records since interleague play began, the Sox continued their dominance over the senior circuit by besting the Florida Marlins, 4-1. It was the first time that the South Siders have won two in a row since they swept the Mariners in late April.
Alex Rios, The club’s most consistent offensive performer all season, collected three RBIs, including a two-run homer while Carlos Quentin had two hits and an RBI. Gavin Floyd was much better this time out, going 6 1/3 while allowing a run and six hits with seven strikeouts. J.J. Putz, Sergio Santos and Bobby Jenks, who got the save, were stellar in relief.
It’ll be Freddy Garcia, aiming to continue his outstanding start, facing Marlins’ ace Josh Johnson as the Sox go for the sweep tomorrow.
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Can the White Sox Finally Win Two in Row?

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Eight runs, 12 hits, a scoreless eight innings by Mark Buehrle, a perfect Sergio Santos ninth and a five RBI performance by Alexei Ramirez (above) were the highlights in the 8-0 White Sox victory over the Marlins last night at The Cell.
After entering the game a season-high eight games below .500, the Sox made it an enjoyable evening for Sox fans like me who are starving for something positive.
With Gavin Floyd on the mound, today is pivotal as the Sox try to win two in a row for the first time in a month. It’ll be a small move forward, but we have to start somewhere.
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Freddy Comes Through Again; Now the Hard Part: Winning a Few in a Row

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If the White Sox are going to make us believe 2010 isn’t over, it’s time to prove it.
Freddy Garcia‘s stellar performance and a couple of clutch two-out hits in yesterday’s 6-2 win over the Tigers once again gave us some hope. But we’ve seen too many one-game winning streaks. So. the homestand that starts tonight with two against the Angels and three against the Marlins will go a long way in determining our fate. Our Ozzie certainly senses it and knows full well how hard it’s been to put a winning streak together–even a two-game streak.
“If I believe in God, I need a win (Wednesday),” Guillen joked. “Then I start believing in God.”
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The Springtime Ritual of Predicting the Winners

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We all know that preseason predictions mean nothing–nada, zilch, zero. And while we shouldn’t take them seriously, it’s still a lot of fun–especially when the so-called experts pick your team to win.
Historically, it’s very rare when the baseball media elite pick the White Sox to win their division, let alone the AL pennant or World Series. It’s not that much different this year as the Twins seem to be the most common pick to conquer the AL Central. That said, there are a few “big name” media types among those who have picked the South Siders:
* Hall of Fame electee Bill Madden of the New York Daily News and author of the forthcoming bio of George Steinbrenner.
* Fox Sports‘ Ken Rosenthal, who somewhat tongue-in-cheek picked the Sox to win the World Series while referring to them “Team Wacko.” Think that had anything to do with our Ozzie?
* ESPN‘s Tim Kurkjian, who doesn’t exactly wear a Sox jersey on the weekends.
* Jon Heyman, he of SI, SI.com and the MLB Network.
Since I’m drinking the prediction Kool-Aid, I might as well add my two cents. Here are my divisional picks for 2010:
AL CENTRAL

1. White Sox
2. Twins
3. Tigers
4. Royals
5. Indians


AL EAST 

1. Rays
2. Red Sox
3. Yankees
4. Orioles
5. Blue Jays


AL WEST

1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Rangers
4. A’s

NL EAST

1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Marlins
4. Mets
5. Nationals


NL CENTRAL

1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Brewers
4. Cubs
5. Pirates
6. Astros


NL WEST

1. Rockies
2. Dodgers
3. Giants
4. Padres
5. Diamondbacks

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