It’s Hot Stove time! Players get to file for free agency. Others are opting out of contracts. In other words, don’t worry that there are not games to watch taht you dont’ have on your dvr or on dvd. Award season will also be happening soon.

 The important dates you should know including when the MVP is announced.

 Sox players have filed for free agency. It may be a slog this winter hoping that Mark sticks around. Here is the official list of players around the league who are free agents according to the union.

 The famous Field of Dreams has sold.

 Jim from South Side Sox looks at the delayed promotions of some players and how they just miss Super Two status. » Continue reading “South Side Hits: October 31, 2011 White Sox News”

The White Sox are in Cleveland for four games in three days. Today was a split doubleheader in which the sox and the Indians, well, split. The Sox lost Game One 4-3 and won Game Two 5-4.

Mediocre Gavin showed up in Game One. Floyd lasted 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits. He struck out seven, but he also gave up three home runs. Not a good outing there, Gavin. Will Ohman came on to pitch the last 1.1 innings, and he did so without allowing a hit or a walk.
» Continue reading “Split That Doubleheader!”

What am I supposed to do? They no hitting or play the game the right way!

The Sox are officially done with the 2011 season. Kansas City officially eliminated them by taking three of the four games they played this past weekend. As the season has been winding down, I’ve been thinking about how this team has held the fans hostage all season long.

The way this team keeps us held “hostage,” it has me thinking about the stages of grief. Because, let’s face it, this season has been full of it. Constant up and down. When you think they are done, they’d come back from the dead. When a roll appeared it was coming, the team would lay a ginormous egg and stink it up for a long time. Surprisingly, they have had only one losing month this season (April) except for the month of September which is still under way. Whether they have two losing months remains to be seen. » Continue reading “Stages”

Texting and driving and texting and batting practice do not mix. ~Will Ohman.

The White Sox had another social media night event at the ballpark last night. In addition to getting to see the Sox take batting practice, there was a pre-game parade around the warning track for the fans who participated as well as may giveaways throughout the night. It was Ladies’ Night at the park where women could get manicures and massages around.

Joe Crede was on hand and it was also Roger “The SodFather” Bossard bobblehead night. In addition to signed items from players for social media night, there were two special prizes: a chance to sit in the Gold Coast Ticket club for an inning with Joe Crede and a chance to change a base during the game. » Continue reading “Adventures In Baseball”

The White Sox hoped to salvage the series. But that was a no-go. Phil Humber started the game but was hit in the face by a line drive from Kosuke Fukudome. He left the game under his own power and will be reevaluated tomorrow. The Sox went on to lose to the Indians, 4-2.

Humber only lasted 1.1 innings before being hit in the face. Zach Stewart came on in relief and pitched 2.2 innings. He gave up two runs on four hits and a walk. The runs came on a two-run home run from Matt LaPorta. Will Ohman, who picked up the loss, pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. Jason Frasor pitched 0.2 innings and allowed a walk. Matt Thornton and Sergio Santos pitched great again in the last three innings.

The offense sputtered. There isn’t much to be said when you score two runs on nine hits. Paul Konerko hit a solo home run in the third. It was his 28th of the season. Tyler Flowers batted in Alex Rios for the other run. Konerko, Adam Dunn, Omar Vizquel, and Flowers all had good nights. Konerko, Dunn, and Vizquel all went 2-for-4. Konerko also had a walk. Flowers went 1-for-1 with three walks.

The Sox stay at home and welcome the Texas Rangers into town. Jake Peavy faces Matt Harrison tomorrow night as the Sox hope to start a new winnings streak and gain ground in the AL Central.

I think this sums up the season perfectly. Last night’s debacle of a game (5-1 final) against Bruce Chen and the PITA Royals is just a microcosm of the season. Seems after every game against a team that should be beaten, this is what happens. Three hits on the night. » Continue reading “Well, Nothing New Here”

The White Sox finished off their series against the Boston Red Sox, hoping for a series win. Despite their best efforts, the White Sox fell to the Red Sox with a final score of 5-3.

Mark Buehrle pitched six solid innings and left with a lead. He gave up two runs, both earned, on five hits and three walks. Trouble came in the seventh with Jesse Crain. He lasted 0.1 innings, giving up two runs on three hits. Only one of those runs was earned. Chris Sale came on in relief for an inning. He walked one and struck out two. Jason Frasor pitched for 1.0 innings. He gave up an earned run on one hit and one walk. Will Ohman finished off the ninth, pitching 0.2 innings, intentionally walking Kevin Youkilis and giving up one hit.

Despite racking up 11 hits, the White Sox only scored three runs. Brent Lillibridge, Paul Konerko, and Gordon Beckham were the only starters that did not pick up a hit. Konerko went 0-for-1 with a walk and was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning and left the game. Alexei Ramirez went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and Brent Morel went 2-for-3 with an RBI before Omar Vizquel replaced him as a pinch hitter. Adam Dunn went 1-for-5, but three of those outs were strikeouts. Again. » Continue reading “Red Sox Slip Past White Sox”

That is how I feel about the Sox right now. Who knew a Three Days Grace Song could sum things up perfectly? Three Days Grace has been used to great humor at US Cellular. If you ever paid attention to songs played for when relievers come into games, you might remember that Boone Logan for a while used Three Days Grace as entrance music. He used the song “Animal I Have Become.” Ironic or not, they ALWAYS played the line “somebody wake me from this nightmare” when he came into games. Too many times, it was fitting.

This was hilarious to me when I noticed it as the Sox were usually down a lot of runs. That line fits along with the the current song I’ve been thinking of for this team. The thing about this Sox team right now is that they are beyond frustrating. Making me wonder am I in an alternate universe where a team that looks that it should be amazing on paper is anything but in my reality.

Perhaps it makes me a bad fan, but I’d really like to stop watching and just know the team is out of the race. Unfortunately, they are very much in the race. They stand 5.0 games out of first right now and are going head-to-head against the Cleveland Indians. The Indians are 1/2 game out of first place with the Tigers winning last night. The Tigers are playing the Twins and while rooting for the Sox to continue their dominance over the Indians, there is no-win in hoping for any particular outcome when it comes to the Twins and Tigers. The Twins are right on the heels of the White Sox. The Tigers have sole possession of first place.  » Continue reading “I. Hate. Everything About You. Why. Do I Love You?”

As much as a team needs a great bullpen to win games, they also need a fairly strong bench. Good players who can come in late in games for defense or spell a guy a day off. If you have those guys, your chances of being a successful team go way up.

Overall, I’d say the White Sox bench as been pretty good this season. Ramon Castro, Mark Teahen, Omar Vizquel and Brent Lillibridge have done what has been asked of them to do. Coming into the season, Mark Teahen was trying to make a play to earn the third base job back. His spring was really good offensively, but defensively he was the same guy we all loved to hate: bad with the glove.

Surprisingly, he doesn’t have many errors through the break. He has one error when he played at third base and one in the outfield. I was expecting that he’d have a ton more errors when he plays third base, but he has been solid when he plays there occasionally. His bat has been ok. He’s come up with a couple big hits when the team really needed him. It would always be nice to get more, but when he has been called upon, he is not doing things to make you kick puppies or kittens. » Continue reading “The Mythical Halfway Point: The Bench”

The White Sox looked to take the series against the Colorado Rockies Thursday afternoon. After sending Jake Peavy to the mound, the White Sox took it to extras again, this time beating the Rox 6-4 in ten innings.

Peavy came out with an interesting (to say the least) lineup behind him. One that had many Sox fans scratching their heads. One that caused a few of my friends to say he needed to pitch a complete game shutout in order for the Sox to win.
» Continue reading “Sox Beat Rox in Extras”