Results tagged ‘ Twins ’
Dayan for a Victory
In this season of White Sox schizophrenia, a constant has been the club’s ability to rebound from early deficits. It happened again last night as Dayan Viciedo lined a ninth-inning RBI single to leftfield for the 5-4 walkoff win against the Bostonians.
The South Siders were indeed “Dayan” for a win, having lost seven straight games at
home–three to the Twins, three to the Tigers and the series opener against the Red Sox.
Sign him up: As the speculation heats up about the futures of free agents Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski, one of the most valuable Sox of 2010, Omar Vizquel, has said he wants to come back.
“I got used to the city and the teammates,” Vizquel said. “And it’s nice to come back to a team where they know what to expect from you, and what kind of personality you have. In my career, I really have been jumping from team-to-team, and you always want to feel comfortable in a place you like. I like it here, so I hope they maybe can think about having me back.”
Ozzie Belongs in a White Sox Uniform
You won’t find many White Sox fans who support Ozzie Guillen as much as I do.
Mostly due to the constant controversy that surrounds him, he’s grossly underestimated as a manager. Just as important, he’s one of us–a White Sox guy through and through–and he is the face of the franchise nationwide. For a team that struggles with its identity even in its own city, the importance of that reality can’t be ignored. And I haven’t even mentioned that he brought us a World Series ring.
Now, as this schizophrenic Sox season comes to an end, Ozzie is asking for his bosses to give him some love beyond the security of being here one more year with an option for another–vested if he wins the A.L. Central next year. The skipper seems to want an answer as he sees the Marlins job his for the taking. How do you say leverage in Spanish?
Despite those voices that keep saying that Ozzie has lost the team, and point to the September collapse as proof, I want him back. White Sox World needs him for the reasons expressed above and I don’t want to be in the position of regretting his loss after he’s left. His departure has all the makings of a perfect example of how you don’t realize what you had until it’s gone.
Because of his intensity and passion, I’ve also been a big fan of Kenny Williams. While he’s made his share of miscalculations, he’s been outstanding overall. I have to admit that his recent admission to how he’s been affected by the stress of the job troubles me. Especially when it’s put in the context of deciding who’s more important to the Sox–Ozzie or KW–and who will stay and who will go.
As the drama unfolds in the weeks ahead, it may very well be a matter of choosing one or the other. It’s my contention that what’s best for the White Sox is to make Ozzie happy and promote Williams, who would then be off the daily rollercoaster. This would open the door for the club to give the GM job to KW’s No. 2 Rick Hahn, who would give the Sox a fresh approach as they attempt to be consistent contenders in the A.L. Central.
Sox Hopes End With a Thud
The history books will show that it all ended for the 2010 White Sox on September 21 in Oakland as the South Siders were officially eliminated from the A.L. Central race.
But in reality it was over when the Sox won seven games in a row in late August and early September on the road against the the Indians and Red Sox–and didn’t gain on the Twins.
It was then, I believe, that The Good Guys took a collective breath and said, what’s the use.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they gave up. It was just a matter of fighting so hard for so long that they ran out of gas. And the death knell came when the Sox dropped the three-game series to the Twins in Chicago.
We certainly didn’t want this up and down season to end this way–losing eight consective games, getting eliminated two weeks before the end of the season, facing the possibility of finishing in third place and double digits out of first place. But that’s the way it’s played out.
While the disappointment is there, the truth is that the Twins are simply a better team and proved it throughout the season–without Joe Nathan for the entire year and former MVP Justin Morneau since the All-Star break.
Bitter rival or not, I’ll be rooting for them in October.
Twins celebrate last night after clinching A.L. Central
Is it October 3rd Yet?
October 3rd will be the 59th anniversary of the most famous home run in history–Bobby Thomson‘s dramatic “home run heard ’round the world” off of Ralph Branca, which gave the New York Giants the 1951 National League pennant (pictured below).
That date is also the final day of the 2010 baseball season. As fun a year as it has been in many ways, after today’s 6-3 loss to Detroit–the South Siders’ fifth defeat in a row–I’m ready for it to end.
I’m tired of getting clobbered by the Twins and, lately, the Tigers. I’m tired of blown saves and the team’s inability to get clutch hits. I’m just plain tired of all of it and want to regroup and move on to 2011. Most of all I hate the fact we’re now 10 games out of first place.
Second Place, Manny and Looking Ahead to 2011
Some White Sox thoughts on a football Saturday:
* Even before this week Sox fans got used to the fact that we weren’t going to catch the Twins. No one is really talking about it, but we now have a challenge to stay ahead of the Tigers and secure second place. After last night only six games separate us and Detroit. Two more Tiger victories this weekend (it’s Lucas Harrell vs. 16-game winner Justin Verlander this afternoon) and our lead is down to four. Then it’s off to the West Coast followed by a four-game series with the depleted, but always tough, Red Sox. I don’t want to cause any panic, I’m just saying…
* I wrote it before we acquired Manny Ramirez, I wrote it when we got Manny and I’ll say it again now after Manny has had no impact on the Sox pennant chances: regardless of his performance in a Sox uniform, it was the right thing for management to do. I do find it almost laughable, though, that it took a green uniform (because of the halfway to St. Patrick’s Day promotion) and nearly three weeks for him to record his first home run and RBI. To be fair, he is hitting .295 with a .456 on base percentage since arriving in Chicago.
* The Sox brass has a lot of lot of decisions to make in the offseason. So, it’ll be interesting to see how the ’11 Pale Hose are constituted. Some questions:
–Will the Sox sign free agents Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski?
–Will the South Siders bring back Omar Vizquel, after his amazing season?
–Will the intense, but brittle, Carlos Quentin be back?
–Will Tyler Flowers and Jordan Danks, who both seemed to take a step back this season, be viable candidates for the major league roster?
–What will become of Freddy Garcia?
–Will Chris Sale be in the starting rotation?
–Will Jake Peavy be ready for spring training?
–I can’t see Manny, Mark Kotsay or Andruw Jones returning, so who becomes the DH?
–All indications are that Bobby Jenks is a goner, so who will close? J.J. Putz?
–Despite the fact he has two more years to go on his three-year deal, will the disappointing Mark Teahen still be in a Sox uniform even as a utilityman?
–What are Brent Morel‘s chances of winning the starting third base job? Maybe a platoon with Vizquel?
–I know I’m burying the lead, but will both Ozzie and Kenny Williams be back?
The offseason certainly won’t be boring.
Konerko and the “R” Word Sum Up Sox Season
If we didn’t know it before, we know it now. The Twins are clearly the best team in the A.L. Central. It was never more apparent than it was this week as Minnesota not only swept the White Sox, but outscored them 26-11 and increased their division lead to nine games.
The fact that the Sox aren’t going to the postseason doesn’t mean we can’t have some good feelings about this season. Granted, the horrible start, the inconsistent pitching, porous defense and the lack of clutch hitting was exasperating. But how about the 25-5 run before the All-Star Game and the seven-game winning streak just a few weeks ago?
In the end, the identity of this team wasn’t about championships, but rather about its fight. Time after time they showed resiliency after getting down early in games. They may not have won all of those contests, but their heads and hearts were always in the game.
And then there was last night. While the Sox fell to the Twins, 8-5, a incident involving Paul Konerko best illustrates what the 2010 Pale Hose have been all about.
In the first inning, with two outs and Omar Vizquel at first base, a Carl Pavano pitch collided with Konerko’s face. Being led off the field by Ozzie and trainer Herm Schneider, Paulie refused to come out of the game and jogged to first, fat lip and all. Then, in the third frame, Konerko got the appropriate revenge by smashing his 37th homer of the season.
You can make the case that this scenario is the Sox season in a nutshell. It can be summed up this way: resiliency, resiliency, resiliency.
Here it is. Paulie gets clocked, then rebounds with No. 37 two innings later.
Ozzie: “We’re Swimming Right Now Against the Current, and it Keeps Raining.”
Not much left to say. The Twins clobber the Sox 9-3 for the second night in a row as the South Siders fall eight games behind Minny in the A.L. Central.
The Final Nail in the Coffin for the 2010 Sox?
It was fun while it lasted, but let’s face it: The Twins are just a better team. Winners of only five of the 16 games we’ve played against them, the Sox gave a noble effort for a while tonight but couldn’t deliver in the clutch, suffered a bullpen implosion and were on the short end of the 9-3 score. The disappointing loss drops us seven games behind Minny with 18 games remaining. Only a miracle can save The Good Guys now.
While the South Siders have been no match for the eventual A.L. Central champs, they proved to be a gutsy group overall. The Hose gave us a lot to cheer about night after night with their remarkable resiliency. And although they won’t make the playoffs, you’d have to say that all things considered it was a good season.
It’s ironic that on the day the final nail seems to have been pounded into the 2010 Sox coffin, the 2011 regular season schedule was released. For the record, Opening Day is April 1 as we travel to Cleveland to face the Tribe.
White Sox Come Off the Mat to Defeat Royals, Critical Twins Series Starts Tuesday
After the scoreboard flashed the Twins’ five-run first inning in Cleveland and the Royals put a six spot on the board before the Sox came to bat at the Cell, it seemed like it was time to fly the white flag for the 2010 White Sox.However, like they have so many times this season the South Siders showed amazing resiliency today and not only overcame the large deficit but in the end even doubled K.C.’s total with an impressive 12-6 triumph.
By the fourth inning the Sox had tied the score at 6-6, powered by a pair of two-run home runs by MVP candidate Paul Konerko. They finished the job with six runs in the sixth, highlighted by Andruw Jones‘ first career pinch-hit grand slam.
Paulie’s 3 for 4 day, with the two homers, five RBI and three runs scored, have given him these gaudy statistics through Sunday’s games: a .322 BA, 36 roundtrippers, 104 RBI and nearly a .400 on base percentage.
The Hose remain six games in back of Minnesota, who today finished off the Tribe, 6-2. It’s now showdown time starting Tuesday as the Sox and Twins meet in a three-game series in Chicago. It’s hard to imagine that we can sweep the Twinkies and even if we do, we’ll still be three games behind. But that’s why they play the games.
Here are the pitching matchups:
Tuesday: John Danks vs. Francisco Liriano
Wednesday: Gavin Floyd vs. Brian Duensing
Thursday: Mark Buehrle vs. Carl Pavano
Sox Lose…Twins Win…Hopes Dashed
I admit it, there are times when I’m a hopeless optimist. One of those times was Friday night after the 4-3 comeback victory vs. K.C. The combination of the Sox win and Twins loss, which narrowed the Minnesota lead to five games, put me in a good frame of mind.
Here was my pie-in-the-sky thinking: Maybe the Sox would sweep the Royals, the Indians could do the same against the Twinkies and then the stage would be set for a dramatic three-game series against the Twins next week at the Cell. We would sweep and all would be right with the world.
Not so much.
The results so far have been quite the opposite. The South Siders were out of last night’s 8-2 defeat from the very beginning and–you can’t make this up–the Twins were shut out for more than two full games in Cleveland before a 12th inning Jim Thome homer gave them a 1-0 victory to go up six games on the Sox.
I’m not going to throw in the towel yet, but the biggest puzzle of 2010 for me is the Pale Hose inability to dominate the teams they should beat in the division. The Royals, the Tribe, the Tigers. We know our m.o. against the Twins, but we’ve come to expect it.
Adding insult to injury, did you notice the only player mentioned in my blog today? It’s the guy who has come back to haunt us and emerged as a major factor as to why we’re in the mess we’re in.
Yep, it’s Gentleman Jim.
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