Is it wrong that I have just started to expect that White Sox baseball is going to suck? That there will be no hitting, terrible defense and then something else that will happen to make me want to throw stuff at the television? Today had some moments like that, but then it was very interesting. I thought perhaps I might see the PITA Kansas City Royals perhaps get no-hit.

so Addison Reed wasn’t watching a home run ball sail out today, but those walks sure did suck!

Yes, you read that right. The Kansas City Royals for a while were not getting any base runners. By a hit or free pass. It took until the fifth inning for the Royals to finally break through with a base hit. This coming off the bat of Mike Moustakas. The the flood gates opened for the Royals as another defensive gaffe by Jeff Keppinger allowed the PITAs to take a 3-1 lead. Given how the season has gone, you’d be excused if you walked away thinking, so much for a pretty good pitching performance by Jose Quintana.

But WAIT! The Sox would come back and add four more runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-3 lead again. Could it be that this team has figured out a way to win in Kansas City? All they would need to do would be to hold the Royals down for a couple of innings and then go relax until tomorrow afternoon.

If you chose to think it was over, you’re excused because our guy, Addison Reed, blew it in the ninth inning. Addy was in to close and we’ve come to expect him to make closing a high-wire act. Addison didn’t disappoint today with walking the first two men he faced in the ninth inning. He did get the next two guys out. Unfortunately, Billy Butler came up and hit a double that would lead to those walks to come around and score to tie the game up.

A blown save for Mr. Reed. If he had nailed things down, he would have been tied with the great Mariano Rivera with 11 saves on the season. » Continue reading “Enthralling Baseball? Why Yes As White Sox Bested By Royals”

Spring Training is over. Things will matter starting tomorrow. For the Sox, the things that will matter begin on Friday afternoon.

Before spring training really had begun, I made an early prognostication on how the AL Central would look come October. Now that spring is done and the season is about to begin, I thought I would revisit how the standings may look. I knew things could change, but how much still remains to be seen.

In addition to what I think, I also talked to fellow AL Central writers, Jen who writes about the Royals, Jessica who writes about the Tigers and Jen, a contributor here on South Side Hit Girl.

So far, everyone is in agreement that the Tigers are the team to beat. From there, opinions vary a great deal. I think the standings will end up with Detroit, Chicago, Kansas City, Cleveland and Minnesota. The White Sox the past few weeks had me thinking there might be something special happening. » Continue reading “Did Spring Make A Difference In Eventual AL Central Standings?”

Just a couple of more days. Then things count for real. While we have all been paying attention to the spring somewhat, there is an important thing to consider. What should we expect with the other teams in the division.

Some of us are starting to drink that delicious Kool-Aid the White Sox have been serving up the past couple of weeks. I wonder if it will continue. Since you might not be super familiar with the other teams in the division (other than disliking or even hating them), here are things that Jen who writes Drinking The Royals Blue Aid as to say about the Royals and Jessica who writes Motown Lowdown has to say about the Tigers this season.

On the KC Royals:

1) Pitching: If the Royals are to improve and contend, pitching will be key.

2) Will the young players (ie Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy, and the bullpen) build on their rookie seasons or will they deal with the dreaded “sophomore slump”?

3) Were the 2011 seasons for Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur career years or can they duplicate them?

And in combining all three, Kansas City is hosting the All-Star Game. Can they get more than one All-Star? » Continue reading “What Is In Store for the 2012 Chicago White Sox?”

Eh, I mean Sox versus the Royals. Though, in reality, I am not kidding when I call them PITAs. They are one win away from actually winning the season series for the first time in forever against the Sox. Not to mention, that while you may look at the final score of games and think, well that wasn’t so bad since the Sox won, it really was that bad. Even other teams find the Royals to be PITAs and other mean names given how they refuse to roll over and die. Here is what to know about the start of the final homestand of the 2011 “All In” campaign.

2011 Records: White Sox 76-0, 3rd in AL Central. Royals 68-88, 4th in AL Central. Season series: 6-9

The following pitchers are expected to start in the three-game series:

Zach Stewart: 2-5, 4.97 ERA, 44K v. Bruce Chen: 11-8, 4.14 ERA, 89K

John Danks: 7-12, 4.36 ERA, 127K v. Everett Teaford: 2-0, 2.54 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 24K

Gavin Floyd: 12-12, 4.46 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 141K v. Luis Mendoza: 1-0, 1.29 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3K

Friday’s game is at 7:10 pm, Saturday’s game is at 6:10 pm and Sunday’s game is at 1:10 pm. All times CDT.  » Continue reading “Series Preview: White Sox v PITAs”

Carlos Quentin, a players’ selection, makes the All-Star game this year. The Sox have not had a starter voted into the mid-summer classic since Frank Thomas in 1996. While Mark Buehrle and Esteban Loaiza did start games, they were pitchers and thus not voted to start the game by fans.

Well deserved honor for Carlos Quentin. The snub of The King baffles me however. I mean, TCQ is nice, but Paul Konerko definitely deserves to be an all-star. And you have the chance to remedy this situation.

As in past years, the final man on each roster is left up to the fans. Paul Konerko is on the ballot with Adam Jones, Ben Zobrist, Victor Martinez and Alex Gordon.

Vote early and vote often. Go here to remedy this ridiculous situation and get The King to the All-Star game.

Wow. That really doesn’t even begin to describe today’s “interesting” game in Kansas City today. The White Sox managed to pull out a 10 – 7 win against Kansas City in 12 innings. Listening to the game early, all I could think was one thing: what happened to the fundamentals? Now that it has been a few hours since that game this afternoon, I can talk about it in a rational way without wanting to punch things. Of course, what I really need is a graphic to aptly express what I think of games like today’s game.

Top of the first was uneventful. Bottom of the first inning I heard the first “what the” play of the game. Melky Cabrera gets on base and then scores on a ball badly misplayed by Lastings Milledge. According to the radio guys, he got a bad jump. In any event, Alex Gordon then gets on base and eventually scores on a Billy Butler single.  Finally it ends with a 2-0 score.

Second inning: The Carlos Quentin decides he is going to test Alex Gordon’s arm and gets thrown out trying to go third base. Alexei Ramirez ends up on second on the play and then Milledge strikes out to end the inning. I was really annoyed with TCQ on this because it wasn’t like he couldn’t see where the play was to know whether he could or more importantly should test Gordon’s arm. Apparently the team may have forgotten that Gordon came up as a 3B and thus is used to playing balls off bounces and getting good throws off. Never a good sign to run yourself out of an inning. Bottom of the inning, was uneventful. » Continue reading “It’s The Little Things”

The Chicago White Sox looked to continue their winning ways when they traveled to Kansas City to face the Royals. The White Sox sent out Gavin Floyd for his first game of the season, while the Royals sent out Luke Hochevar.

The White Sox looked great in the top of the first. Juan Pierre led off the inning with a triple to right center. Gordon Beckham singled him in, giving the White Sox a 1-0 lead early. Hochevar walked Adam Dunn before giving up a three-run home run to Paul Konerko.

Floyd’s start wasn’t as bad as Hochevar’s, but it was not a good beginning. After getting Mike Aviles to fly out to center, Floyd gave up a single to Melky Cabrera and a home run to Alex Gordon.

Floyd’s second inning was just as shaky. After allowing a single to Alcides Escobar to lead off the inning, Floyd walked Matt Treanor, causing Ozzie to come out for a visit. Cabrera later singled to right, driving in the two runs and tying the game at four.

Runs scored again for the White Sox in the sixth. Carlos Quentin singled to lead off the inning. Alexei Ramirez hit a triple to right, driving in Quentin. Brent Morel struck out swinging, but on a beautiful play, Pierre reached on what was ruled a fielding error by Aviles, scoring Ramirez.White Sox lead 6-4.

Ozzie pulled Floyd for Chris Sale in the bottom of the eighth. After getting Cabrera to fly out to right, Sale gave up a double to Gordon and a two-run home run to Billy Butler, tying the game at six. Sale struck out Kila Ka’aihue before Ozzie pulled him for Jesse Crain. Crain gave up a single to Francoeur before picking him off at first during Escobar’s at-bat.

Joakim Soria came in for the top of the ninth, and the White Sox failed to score. Crain remained in the game for the bottom of the ninth, preventing the Royals from scoring. The White Sox headed into their first extra-innings game of the season.

The White Sox threatened in the top of the twelfth. Beckham led off the inning with a single before Dunn grounded into a fielder’s choice. Brent Lillibridge came on to run for Dunn before Konerko walked. Lillibridge was caught stealing third on a questionable call. While running to third, the third base umpire called Lillibridge safe after Aviles seemingly failed to make the tag. The second base umpire then called Lillibridge out, and Rios grounded out to short.

The White Sox lost in the bottom of the twelfth. Chris Getz singled to lead off the inning. Mike Aviles sacrificed to first, moving Getz into second. Cabrera, the Sox killer, hit a single to center, scoring Getz. White Sox lose 7-6.

Mark Buehrle takes to the mound tomorrow in the series finale. You can catch the game on Comcast SportsNet at 1:10pm.