Carlos Quentin Traded for Prospects

Earlier today, Carlos Quentin was traded to the San Diego Padres for two pitching prospects. This move is both good and bad for a few reasons.

This is a good move because Carlos Quentin or some other outfielder needed to go. Quentin was probably the only option because nobody in Major League Baseball wants Alex Rios and his contract on their team. This was really the only option and room needed to be made for Viciedo and De Aza to show what they have. There were too many outfielders with Quentin being there and Kenny thought that he could get what he wanted for Quentin.

This is a bad move because the two prospects aren't exactly top prospects. Neither has impressive stats that jump out. Scouts might say something else that stats don't, but by looking at stats they aren't impressive. Neither one has impressive ERA or WHIP stats. Maybe Kenny trusts the minor league pitching coaches to help these guys along, but right now they aren't impressive. This could be a bad move because the return for Quentin wasn't good enough.

In the end, this had to be done whether or not fans like it. There were too many outfielders and the Sox believe that Dayan Viciedo is the real deal. They are probably right about that. In order to see that, Quentin had to go.

Chicago White Sox Year In Review

As the new year is coming soon, I thought I'd look back at the past year for the White Sox and comment about everything that happened. It was an interesting and disappointing year for White Sox fans.

The first thing that I remember from last year is the Sox resigning both Konerko and AJ Pierzynski. This was probably the most important signing of the offseason for the Sox. Konerko is the captain and is the most important player on the Sox. He shows up every day and does whatever he can to make the Sox win. He has been the White Sox MVP for the past 5 seasons. Signing AJ was also key for the White Sox. He is one of the most dependable catchers in Major League Baseball. Up until this season, he had never been on the disabled list. He's tough and a great catcher. He can also hit the ball well. His age is showing, but signing him was very important and made fans very happy before the season even started.

The next thing was spring training. Trying to figure out who will be on the team and who won't. Lastings Milledge looked like a keeper, but coaches thought different and kept him down all year. This turned out to be right.

The season started exactly as White Sox fans expected with a big win over the Indians. Adam Dunn and what was supposed to be an explosive offense scored 15 runs. Even though pitching gave up 10 runs, the offense outshadowed it and that's what fans expected. It turned out to be the opposite as the season went on.

John Danks couldn't buy a win in the early part of the season despite pitching good games in and out. The run support became a big problem for the Sox, especially when Danks was on the mound. Once he got his first win, it was more noticable that he was actually having a great season. This helped earn him a contract extension this summer. The slow start would prove to be a problem throughout the year for the White Sox offense. This was one of the biggest disappointments during the 2011 season.

Next was the campaign to get Konerko to the all-star game by voting him in for the final vote. The campaign went well and Konerko was elected to the game. Only Quentin and Konerko made it to the all-star game from the White Sox, which the AL lost.

The season went on and more disappointment happened. The White Sox failed to score runs and pitching wasn't as good as it should have been. Peavy remained injured on and off for most of the season. Humber was a nice surpise leading the Sox in ERA all year. It was easy to see that the White Sox had a lot of things to fix over the offseason.

Ozzie Guillen and Greg Walker were both fired, as they should have been. Robin Ventura was hired as the new manager for the White Sox. Fans hope that he can do better than the last ex-player manager.

The final part of this year that is memorable is Mark Buehrle signing somewhere outside of Chicago. He was deep in the hearts of many White Sox fans and will remain there for years. Even though he is wearing a different jersey now, White Sox fans will always love him for what he did in a White Sox jersey. The no-hitter, perfect game, winning a World Series game, saving a World Series game, and being the ace the White Sox needed. Not to mention the great fielding plays including the through the legs play last year. There aren't many words to describe how near and dear Mark Buehrle was in the hearts and minds of Sox fans, but he will always be remembered. It was great to have someone like him on the White Sox and I hope he does well in Miami and continues to be great. To fill the Buehrle void, John Danks signed a big contract and will probably be the ace next year as he is already scheduled to start opening day.

2011 was an interesting year for the White Sox to say the least. It could've been better, but it could've been worse too. There's a lot of improvement needed and hopefully 2012 is better than 2011 was.

Danks Signs 5 Year 65 Million Contract

Quite a few sources have said that John Danks signed a new deal with the White Sox, signing for 5 years and 65 million dollars. My first reaction to this signing was extreme surprise, because that is a lot of money. Slowly, I convinced myself that it was a smart move. There are a couple reasons that I think this is a smart and reasonable move. 

The first reason is because John Danks has done nothing but good since he has been a White Sox player. Last year, he didn't have many wins, but that was because he got absolutely zero run support. In his five years with the Sox he has only had one year with an ERA above 5.00 and that was his first year. Since then he hasn't had an ERA above 4.33. His average ERA is 4.03. Year after year he has shown that he can be a top of the rotation pitcher. By giving this deal, they are showing him that they trust him in big games and they want him to have a big role on the team. 

The second reason is because this is probably the money that the Sox were going to give Buehrle. I think Danks is a better long term investment. I was reluctant to admit this during the Buehrle sweepstakes, because Buehrle is beloved and I didn't want to see him go. Looking at both pitchers, I would rather have Danks in five years than Buehrle. Danks is younger and is basically a copy of Buehrle. So, we got Danks for longer and cheaper than the Marlins got Buehrle. I think that's a win for the Sox. 

The third reason that I love this deal is because it shows that the White Sox think they have found their ace. By giving Danks such a large deal, the White Sox showed that they are confident in Danks and that they want him to be there for awhile and be an important part of the team. I love this because until now, the rotation was a big question mark. Now Sox fans know for sure who will be starting on opening day.

So before you freak out about the Sox spending the Buehrle money on a guy like Danks, think it over. Danks is just like Buehrle, but younger and maybe better. We all loved Buehrle, but it was time to say goodbye. Say hello to the new ace, John Danks.

Blind Optimism

Right now, every White Sox fan is probably going crazy. Buehrle is gone, Kenny hasn't made any big moves, and there are probably more players on their way out the door. There's not a lot of positives going through the fanbase right now, but why not? I think there are some things to be positive about.

The first is that despite losing Buehrle, the Sox still have a rotation that can do some damage. With the new manager and basically all-new coaching staff, things are going to be turned around. If Beckham, Rios, and Dunn can all have average years, the White Sox offense will be dangerous. If rookie outfielders Dayan Viciedo and Alejandro De Aza can preform, the offense will be even better.

Yes, these are all hypothetical, but lets look at the last time the White Sox won the world series. 2005. The first thought is probably that that team was perfect in chemistry on and off the field and this team has nothing to do with that one, but you're wrong. Before the start of the 2005 season the White Sox were picked to finish fourth in the division and had a lot of ifs on their team. Their entire pitching staff was a giant if and nobody knew if the offense would be as good as it was. The 2005 season also started with a brand new manager. You see, the similarities are endless.

Let us also look at last year's World Series Champion, the St. Louis Cardinals. Did anyone honestly pick them to win the World Series other than some meatball Cardinals fan? No. They fought hard and won series after series. They weren't a stacked team with a rotation like Philadelphia, they were just an average team that knew how to win games. So who says that the White Sox can't win the World Series this year?

Santos Traded, Buehrle Signed. Where do Sox go from here?

Earlier today it was confirmed that Mark Buehrle would sign with the Miami Marlins. This is a day that will live in infamy for White Sox fans. The day that one of the most consistent and leading pitchers left Chicago. There are many people out in White Sox land hoping that this is just a dream and that somehow the White Sox will still find a way to get Buehrle back. I know this because I had a similar thought when I found out that he would be leaving. I was one of those delusional fans that thought that the White Sox would still sign him despite everything being against them. Now that my delusional feelings can officially be ended, I have a few things to say about Buehrle leaving. The first is that the White Sox lost a very important player. When you think White Sox the first players that come to mind are Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle. The White Sox no longer have one of their franchise players, and Konerko will have to retire eventually. A big question is who will take over as the face of the franchise. The second thing I have to say is that I'm going to miss him a lot because he was one of my favorite players to ever wear a White Sox jersey. Finally, the last thing I want to say is that the White Sox organization screwed up by not doing whatever possible to keep him here. He has been the White Sox ace and the most consistent starter for years. He has won a World Series game and saved a World Series game. He threw a no-hitter and a perfect game. Through thick and thin, he has been there and I don't know what the White Sox will do without him. He will be missed and I can't help but think that the Sox could've tried a little harder to keep him.

In other news, earlier this week Sergio Santos was traded to the Blue Jays for a pitching prospect. The prospect is supposed to be pretty good, but I'm not sure if losing the closer is worth it. It seems like Kenny Williams has started to begin rebuild time. Now the Sox don't have an ace, a closer, and their setup man is on the trading block. One of their best relievers has been moved up to the rotation and everything is a mess. I don' know where the White Sox go from here, but it doesn't look good and 2012 is going to be a long baseball season.

Will Chris Sale be a Successful Starting Pitcher?

When Chris Sale was drafted two years ago, it was to have a young pitching prospect. The plan was to have him develop in the minor leagues and become the next great White Sox starting pitcher. He has the talent to be that, but he never got much of a chance to be in the minor leagues. Almost right after he was drafted, the White Sox used him as a reliever and he did a good job. He finished out the season and helped the White Sox fight for a division title that they didn’t end up getting. During the offseason after that year, there was speculation over whether he would be a starting pitcher, which is what he was supposed to be when they drafted him, or a reliever, which he had experience doing in the league and was successful doing. He ended up being put in the bullpen mainly because there was no room in the rotation. With Buehrle, Danks, Floyd, Peavy, and Humber, all the pitchers were better than him and had more experience. Sox fans knew he wouldn’t get a chance, but now that Peavy is uncertain, Buehrle might be gone, Danks or Floyd might be gone, and Sale is one year older the White Sox announced that Sale would get a chance to be in the rotation. 

Now that the Sox know that he’ll be a starting pitcher, the big question is whether or not he will have success at that position. His WHIP was slightly worse last year compared to the year before. In his short 2010 season, his WHIP was 1.07. Last year it was 1.11. One thing that did improve was that he gave up 2 home runs in his short 2010, but only 6 during a full season last year. That shows that he has probably improved his breaking ball and doesn’t leave it hanging as often. That’s key when you’re a starting pitcher. 

Sale has the ability to be a good starting pitcher, but he needs to have confidence in himself. Something was wrong at the beginning of the year last year. He kept doing his best Octavio Dotel impression and pitched terribly whenever he went into a game. If Sale can avoid doing that at the beginning of this season, he should be fine as a starting pitcher. His first few starts will probably be short, but I think as the season goes on he will become a good starting pitcher. I don’t know if he’ll be the next Buehrle for the Sox, but he will be a good pitcher. I look forward to seeing what he can do on the mound for more than 2 or 3 innings at a time.

Bringing Buehrle Back

One of the biggest question this offseason is whether or not Mark Buehrle will be returning to the White Sox. His contract is up and there are talks that he will be headed to his hometown, St. Louis. This is a reasonable expectation, but I don't think that will happen.

First, if Buehrle leaves the White Sox won't have anyone that's ready to be an ace and will have almost no veteran presence on the pitching staff. Buehrle is vital to this team. Getting rid of him would be giving up the 2012 season.

Second, Buehrle does want to go to St. Louis, but only if he has to choose another team. He wants to stay with the Sox above all other things. If the Sox give him a fair offer, he will come back. He isn't going to leave the Sox unless the Sox decide to get rid of him. He wants to stay.

I just have very little reason to believe that he will leave. I think Kenny Williams wants Buehrle back and will do as much as he can to give him a good enough contract offer. Buehrle wants to play here and the Sox want him back. That should mean that he will come back. I don't want to see the post-Buehrle White Sox yet.

Sale in the Rotation

It was recently announced that Chris Sale would be in the White Sox rotation in 2012. There was some fans and writers saying that he might be in the rotation last year at the start of the season, but that never happened. This is different. He will be in the rotation next year. I think this was a smart move. After a very short stay on the White Sox in 2010, they wanted him to have a full year in the majors before making him a starter. In that year, he had ups and downs but overall had a very good year. I think he’s good in the bullpen, but I really want to see what he can do in the rotation.

If Buehrle or Floyd leave the Sox this year, his presence in the rotation will be needed even more. I think he can be a very solid 5th starter this coming year and possibly move up in the rotation.

Viciedo Called Up

The move that White Sox fans have been calling for almost all year has finally happened. Most fans think it's too late and I'm one of them. The White Sox have little to no chance to win the division and now they decide to call up a guy who could be a good offensive weapon for the Sox. It doesn't make sense. 

Viciedo was on fire before the all-star break while playing for AAA Charlotte. After the all-star break, he wasn't as good and his numbers have dropped. In my mind, he still deserved the call-up, but it was a little late. 

Another reason I don't want Viciedo up right now is because it is pointless. He isn't going to win the division for the Sox and now he has to be poisoned by Greg Walker. Brent Morel and Gordon Beckham have already suffered the effects of Walker's coaching and I hoped that Viciedo wouldn't be ruined by him. Now that Viciedo is up, the ruining of his skill could be entirely possible. 

In my mind, this call-up is pointless and could backfire in the end because of Greg Walker. I like Viciedo and I think he has a lot of talent, but I'm not one of the fans that thinks he is going to save the White Sox from all their problems and be better than Frank Thomas. I think he will be a good player in a couple years and is basically the future of the Sox.

Sox sweep the Twins

The White Sox had the best game of the series today and finished off the sweep in Minnesota. This is the first time the White Sox have swept the Twins in Minnesota since 2004.

Peavy was brilliant today and got tons of run support that he didn't even need. Peavy pitched eight innings only giving up 3 hits.

The White Sox offense was explosive including four homeruns. The homeruns were from Lillibridge, Konerko, Ramirez, and Rios.

Overall, this game was probably the best in the series. Yesterday was a good game, but today the Sox were even better. Hopefully this success will continue for awhile.

White Sox win two in a row

One of the biggest problems for the White Sox this year was facing division opponents, especially the Twins. The White Sox have been terrible against the Twins, and downright awful at Target Field, the home of the Twins. That hasn't been the case so far in this series, though. The White Sox have won both of the games so far in this series. The first game was thanks to Carlos Quentin hitting two homeruns and having a 4 RBI night. The second game was just a great game played by the White Sox.

The first run was scored by timely hitting and the next run was scored by great base-running and speed. The other runs all came in the ninth including a 2 run homer from Brent Lillibridge, aka Thrillibridge.

Overall, I'm very happy with the way the White Sox ended their 6 game losing streak. They have won two games where they normally don't win and won them by playing good baseball.

I feel like the season is over.

I've tried to be optimistic about this season. I want to believe that the White Sox can pull of some miraculous comeback and actually win the division and maybe go somewhere in the playoffs. Right now, I just don't see that happening in even the wildest scenario.

This team was supposed to be good. The great starting pitching combined with the hitting that Rios, Dunn, Konerko, Beckham, and Quentin were supposed to provide was going to make them a genuine threat in the American League. Well three of those players that were supposed to supply offense have not. Sure, Beckham is great in the field and I love him to death, but he has been terrible at the plate. Dunn has not lived up to the expectations at all and Rios doesn't even care about the game. He jogs to pick up the ball and can't hit for nothing at the the plate.

The team hasn't lived up to the expectations and the season is basically over. I don't see this team pulling off a dramatic winning streak and winning the division. I can't see that happening with how awful the offense has been. I will still watch this team and I will still love them next year, but I can't continue to write positive things and say that everything is going to be okay.

The White Sox start a series against the Twins today. The Sox have been terrible against the Twins and will probably continue that in this series, but who knows maybe they'll manage to win a game or two against them.

Game Preview. White Sox vs Yankees Game 4

Once again, sorry for not posting for a day or two. I'm just too frustrated with these team to even write about them. Hopefully they avoid the sweep today.

Konerko is back in the lineup, which makes me happy. Hopefully the Sox get a win.

The lineup for today is:

Juan Pierre LF, Alexei Ramirez SS, Paul Konerko DH, Adam Dunn 1B, Carlos Quentin RF, AJ Pierzynski C, Gordon Beckham 2B, Alejandro De Aza CF, Brent Morel 3B

Humber is pitching today. He has not been pitching very well at all lately and hopefully he turns that around today.

The Yankees lineup is:

Brett Gardner LF, Derek Jeter SS, Curtis Granderson CF, Mark Teixeira 1B, Robinson Cano 2B, Nick Swisher RF, Eric Chavez 3B, Jorge Posada DH, Russel Martin C

Ivan Nova is pitching for the Yankees today and I honestly don't know very much about him. Hopefully the White Sox offense can get some hits off of him.

If Humber pitches well, the White Sox should be fine. I really like their lineup today and I like that Konerko is back. With Rios out of the lineup the team should look like it's showing a little more effort to win.

Game Preview. White Sox vs Yankees Game 2

First I want to say sorry for not having a preview or recap yesterday. I was actually with a friend. Now I'm back to being a loser blogger.

From what I've heard, I should be happy that I didn't have to experience the White Sox game last night. Hopefully they turn that around today as they look to even the series by sending out the following guys.

Juan Pierre LF, Omar Vizquel 3B, Carlos Quentin DH, Adam Dunn 1B, Alexei Ramirez SS, AJ Pierzynski C, Alex Rios CF, Alejandro De Aza RF, Gordon Beckham 2B

John Danks is on the mound today for the Sox and looks to continue pitching well. He has done well in his last few starts. If he pitches well tonight, the Sox have a good chance to win this game.

The Yankees lineup is:

Derek Jeter SS, Curtis Granderson CF, Mark Teixeira 1B, Robinson Cano 2B, Nick Swisher RF, Andruw Jones DH, Russel Martin C, Eduardo Nunez 3B, Brett Gardner LF

Phil Hughes is pitching for the Yankees and by looking at his numbers, he has not been very good this season. If the Sox can score some runs off of him, that would be great.

This is a game that the White Sox can win. If Danks pitches well, and the Sox manage to score a couple runs of Hughes they can get the win. Danks has been good lately and Hughes hasn't. I just hope that continues through tonight and the White Sox get the win.

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Yankees

This is a big four game series against the Yankees. The Sox really need to win or tie this series so they can stay in the race for their division. That will be tough, because the Yankees are a good team.

The Yankees are 7-3 in their last ten, while the Sox are only .500 in their last ten. New York is obviously the hotter team, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have a better chance to win.

Game 1
CC Sabathia (15-5 2.56 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (4-4 5.27 ERA)

Peavy's last three starts have been terrible. He is 0-2 with a 6.61 ERA and 13 Ks. He looks to improve those numbers this series.

CC Sabathia has been good in his last three starts going 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 30 Ks. He has been dominant all season and these numbers are just proof that he hasn't slowed down.

This game seems like an obvious loss to me. Peavy and Sabathia is a giant mis-match. Peavy has been terrible lately while CC has been one of the best pitchers in the league all year. The White Sox offense doesn't look like it will be able to hit off this guy. Konerko is not in the lineup thanks to getting hit yesterday and that is just another reason to predict a loss. Who knows, the Sox might surprise me and somehow win.

Game 2
Phil Hughes (1-3 8.24 ERA) vs John Danks (4-8 3.79 ERA)

Hughes hasn't been good all season and especially not in his last three starts. He is 1-1 with a 6.06 ERA and 11 Ks.

Danks has been a lot better in his more recent starts going 1-0 with a 0.61 ERA and 18 Ks in his last three starts. Hopefully he continues to pitch well and gets himself another win.

This game can easily be won by the White Sox. Konerko could hopefully be back and Hughes isn't a very good pitcher. They can score some runs off of him and Danks will probably pitch well as he has been doing lately.

Game 3
AJ Burnett (8-9 4.23 ERA) vs Gavin Floyd (9-9 3.96 ERA)

Burnett has not been good in his last three starts going 0-2 with a 4.74 ERA and 20 Ks. Maybe the Sox can take advantage of that and score some runs off of him.

Floyd has been fantastic in his last three starts going 3-0 with a 0.81 ERA and 16 Ks. Hopefully he keeps it up and gets himself another win to get over .500.

This is another game that the Sox can easily win. Burnett has not been good lately and Floyd has been on fire. If Floyd pitches another great game, the Sox should easily win.

Game 4
Bartolo Colon (8-6 3.30 ERA) vs Philip Humber (8-7 3.44 ERA)

Colon has been pretty good in his last three starts going 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 19 Ks.

Humber has not been himself lately and the numbers show that. In his last three starts he is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA and 14 Ks.

Hopefully Humber stops his nonsense in this game and the Sox can get a win and win the series. Colon has been pretty good, but hasn't been consistant this year. If Humber has a good start and Colon has a bad one, the Sox can win.

Overall, if the Sox win 2 of these games I will be happy. They have the chance to win 3 games and win the series, but the Yankees are pretty good and I don't know if they can really pull of winning 3 of the games.

Series Recap. White Sox lose 2/3 against Red Sox

This was not a great series for the White Sox. They got a good win in the first game thanks to AJ Pierzynski's homerun. The second game was so terrible that I don't even want to talk about it and the third game was okay, but they could have done much better.

Overall, I did not like what the White Sox did this series. I realize that it's only August 1st and that there is still a lot of time left. I just don't think the Sox have the will to win this division. They have the talent, but watching Rios play center I just don't see the desire to win.

The only guy I see with an actual desire to win games is Paul Konerko. He is busting his ass everyday to make this team a better team. He is taking pitches and getting hurt, yet still going to first base. That's why he is the captain of the team. Quentin has been stepping up lately, too. He hasn't been doing it to the same extent as Konerko has though. I want to see heart and desire and I want to see that they actually want to win. I haven't seen that lately. They all need a reality check so they get their butts in gear and start winning baseball games again.

Game Recap. White Sox lose 5-3

The White Sox actually had a good chance to win this game. Buehrle only made one big mistake and that the was the 2-run homer in the 2nd inning. In the bottom of the second the Sox came back and scored one run to cut the lead in half.

The White Sox scored one run in each of the next two innings to gain a 3-2 lead. They held that lead until the 7th when they gave up two runs. They also gave up a run in the 9th.

The game was not a very impressive one by the Sox. Rios had another play where he didn't really hustle and threw a dainty little throw that allowed a run to score.

Flowers looked good, but he gave up a passed ball that he should've blocked that lead to runs later in the inning.

Lillibridge played first base after Paul Konerko was knocked out of the game when he was hit in the left calf by a pitch. X-Rays were negative, but I don't know when he'll be back. Hopefully it will be soon, the Sox need him.

Game Preview. Sox vs. Sox Game 3

The White Sox look to win the series with a win this afternoon. Ozzie lined em up this way:

Brent Lillibridge LF, Alexei Ramirez SS, Paul Konerko 1B, Carlos Quentin RF, Adam Dunn DH, Alex Rios CF, Tyler Flowers C, Gordon Beckham 2B, Brent Morel 3B

Buehrle is pitching today and lately he has been pitching very well. If he continues that today, hopefully the White Sox offense can help get him another win. That would be win number 9 of the season.

The Red Sox are lined up this way:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, Dustin Pedroia 2B, Adrian Gonzalez 1B, Kevin Youkillis 3B, David Ortiz DH, Carl Crawford LF, Darnell McDonald RF, Jason Varitek C, Marco Scutaro SS

Andrew Miller is on the hill for Boston today. He has not pitched well this season and hopefully the White Sox can take advantage of that.

If the White Sox decide to actually try, they can get a win today. I would like to see the Sox tear this pitcher apart and score double digit runs. That would be a fun game to watch, but I'm not sure how likely that is.

Game Recap. White Sox lose 10-2

This is probably going to be the worst thing I ever write. I don't really care. I need to rant about how Alex Rios doesn't try and how Ozzie basically gave up on this game. Don't try to tell me that it's just one game or that the Sox will be fine. I don't think so. This game was just an example of what is probably to come. Sure, the Sox were the best team after the All-Star break before the game today, but when I watch games like this I want to puke.

That Rios play was just terrible. Sure, he hasn't been hustling in the outfield and acts like he doesn't give a shit that the Sox are actually contending and need him to hit but this took it to a new level. Not even in little league do people score from first on a single to center field. That is just ridiculous.

Adam Dunn was batting .168 going into this game. That is TERRIBLE. I can't even explain how bad of an average that is. I want to whack something with a baseball bat every time I see his average.

Then, today in the 9th inning. That was basically the worst managed inning of all-time. First, Ozzie decides to keep Bruney in even though he is usually a one inning pitcher. He gives up a two run shot, Ozzie keeps him in, he gives up another homerun, Ozzie keeps him in, he gives up more runs, Ozzie keeps him in. Finally, Bruney was replaced by Thornton and he got out of the inning. Instead of being down 3 runs with a slight chance of winning, the Sox were down 8 runs without almost zero chance. Then, Ozzie just gave up. He pinch hit De Aza for Konerko for no reason and then pinch hit Lillibridge for Quentin for no reason. Lillibridge did get a hit, but either way. Why are you pinch hitting for the two players that have actually hit lately.

Sorry for anyone that read that and was hoping I would actually talk about the good things like my two favorite players Paul Konerko and Gordon Beckham getting homeruns.

Game Preview. Sox vs. Sox Game 2

The White Sox won last night and look to clinch the series win today. The other Sox look to even the series.

The White Sox lineup is:

Juan Pierre LF, Alexei Ramirez SS, Paul Konerko 1B, Adam Dunn DH, Carlos Quentin RF, AJ Pierzynski C, Alex Rios CF, Gordon Beckham 2B, Brent Morel 3B

Phil Humber is starting tonight looking for his ninth win of the season. His last few starts haven't been as good as before the All-Star break and maybe he'll break out of that funk tonight after getting a lot of rest.

The Red Sox lineup for today is:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, Dustin Pedroia 2B, Adrian Gonzalez 1B, Kevin Youkillis 3B, David Ortiz DH, Carl Crawford LF, Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Josh Reddick RF, Marco Scutaro SS

Jon Lester is on the hill for Boston today. He is looking to get win number 11. He has pitched well all season and especially lately.

This game will probably be an epic pitchers duel. Both Humber and Lester have been great this season and that will probably continue today. Hopefully Lester makes one mistake more than Humber makes and the White Sox take advantage of that mistake.

Game Recap. White Sox win 3-1

Both Gavin Floyd and Tim Wakefield had good games. Through the first few innings, they were fanning down batters. Gavin made the first mistake in the third inning, giving up a home run to Jarrod Saltalamacchia but that would be his only big mistake of the game and the only run he would give up.

In the sixth, Juan Pierre laid down a bunt and reached first on that bunt. Omar Vizquel then sacrificed him over. Wakefield threw a wild pitch and Pierre advanced to third. Konerko hit a deep fly and that would tie the game.

In the next inning, Quentin was walked and then Pierzynski hit a home run that would win the game for the White Sox.

Santos got his 22nd save of the year. Even though he still isn't officially the closer, he kind of is. He'll probably have more than 30 saves this year, which is pretty good for a short stop.

Humber and Lester go at it tomorrow, which should be a good game. Both pitchers have been very good this season.

Game Preview. Sox vs. Sox

The White Sox look to take the first game of this three game series. The White Sox lineup is as follows:

Juan Pierre LF, Omar Vizquel 3B, Paul Konerko 1B, Adam Dunn DH, Carlos Quentin RF, A.J Pierzynski C, Alexei Ramirez SS, Alejandro De Aza CF, Gordon Beckham 2B

Gavin Floyd is on the mound today. He has been good in his last few starts and hopefully he continues the good pitching today.

The Red Sox lineup is

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, Dustin Pedroia 2B, Adrian Gonzalez 1B, Kevin Youkilis 3B, David Ortiz DH, Carl Crawford LF, Josh Reddick RF, Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Marco Scutaro SS


Tim Wakefield will pitch today for Boston. He has been pretty good in his last few starts, but hopefully the White Sox can hit well off of him like they did the last time they met.

Today should be an interesting game. Hopefully Gavin can shut down the powerful Boston offense. Dustin Pedroia has a 25 game hit streak and he hopes to continue that against the Sox. Quentin has been good lately for the Sox and maybe he will keep that up tonight. A White Sox win would be a good start to a series they would like to win.

Series Preview. White Sox vs. Red Sox

The Red Sox head to Chicago to take on the White Sox this weekend. The Red Sox are the best team in the American League, but the White Sox are very succesful against Boston, especially at home. In the only series these two teams met, Chicago swept Boston in Boston.

The White Sox are 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10. Both teams are relatively hot, which should make this a good series.




Game 1
Tim Wakefield (6-3 5.15 ERA) vs Gavin Floyd (8-9 4.11 ERA)

In his last three starts, Floyd has pitched well. He is 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA and 13 Ks. Hopefully he continues to do well.

Wakefield's last three starts aren't bad. He is 2-0 with a 6.50 ERA and 14 Ks. The last time the Sox faced Wakefield they hit well, hopefully the Sox can continue that.

The pitching has been the only reason the Sox have been winning this past week. There's no guarantee that Gavin will pitch well again. The offense needs to step it up in this series. There are Quentin trade talks, but hopefully he stays in Chicago and helps the White Sox win this series.

Game 2
Jon Lester (10-4 3.23 ERA) vs Philip Humber (8-6 3.27 ERA)

Humber hasn't been good lately. In his last three starts he is 1-2 with a 5.51 ERA and 14 Ks.

In Lester's last three starts he is 1-0 with a 0.55 ERA and 16 Ks. Hopefully he doesn't continue to dominate and the Sox offense hits him hard.

This game will be a pitching duel for sure. Humber hasn't been good since the All-Star break, but I think he ends that this weekend. Lester has been good lately and will probably continue the domination especially because the White Sox offense isn't very good. Hopefully the White Sox offense comes out on top of this pitching duel.

Game 3
Andrew Miller (4-1 5.45 ERA) vs Mark Buehrle (8-5 3.22 ERA)

Mark Buehrle's last start was classic Buehrle and hopefully that rolls over into this game. In his last three starts he is 2-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 15 Ks. I would love to see the ace continue pitching this way.

Andrew Miller is 1-1 in his last three starts with a 9.00 ERA and 4 Ks. Not good at all and hopefully this an easy game for the White Sox to win.

If Buehrle continues to pitch well and the White Sox offense is able to take advantage of the bad pitcher, they have a good chance to win this game and possibly win the series.

Overall, looking at the pitching match-ups and knowing how good Chicago is against Boston I think the White Sox will win this series. Hopefully Detroit and Cleveland continue to lose and the Sox gain ground in the division this weekend.

Series Recap. Sox take 2/3 from Tigers

This series against the Tigers was viewed as a very important series. The Sox played well all three games. They were very close to getting a sweep.

The first game was a very good game for the Sox. Buehrle was solid, like he always is and the offense preformed well. It was a great start to the series and put the Sox 3.5 back from first place.

The second game was going to be tough. With Justin Verlander on the mound, the Sox had to have very good pitching so that the few runs the Sox did happen to score would win the game. Adam Dunn did hit a home run, but in the end the Sox' effort was enough to win the game. The Sox fell back to being 4.5 games out of first place.

The third game was crucial. This series was a series the Sox needed to win. The De Aza call-up paid off as he hit the home run in the second inning that would win the game. Danks was solid and got his 4th win.

Overall, the series was a good series. The Sox almost swept. After looking good in the Cleveland series, this is a good sign. Hopefully the White Sox can beat the Red Sox in this coming series.

Game Recap. Sox win 2-1

Alejandro De Aza was called up to replace Alex Rios for awhile. I figured he would play well, but wouldn't be great. I was wrong. In the second inning he hit a two run home run. Those are the only runs that the Sox would score, but also the only ones they would need. De Aza also made an amazing play in the field. Pretty good for his first day in the big leagues this season. I hope to see more of him soon and hopefully this helps Rios know that he has to hustle.

John Danks pitched very well today. He got himself into quite a few jams, but managed to get out of them. He pitched 6 innings giving up 6 hits and one run. That one run was an Austin Jackson home run. He got his 4th win of the season and now has a 4-8 record.

Chris Sale pitched 2.2 innings giving up no hits and striking out three before Sergio Santos came into the game to get the one out save. That save was Santos' 21 of the season.

A good game for the White Sox. The pitching was great again and the bullpen was lights out.

Jackson and Teahen Traded, De Aza Called Up

Today has been a busy day for the White Sox. Last night De Aza was pulled from his game in Charlotte and was sent to Chicago. Nobody was certain whether he was going to be used in a trade or if he was being called up. We learned today that he was called up and will start in place of Alex Rios in center field. I like this move. Rios needed to sit for awhile. He wasn't playing well at the plate or in the field. De Aza should provide a little more hustle in the field and should be able to provide a little offense. He can't be worse than Rios, so I like this move a lot.

The other move that was made was that Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahen were traded to Toronto for Jason Frasor, a reliever, and Zack Stewart, a pitching prospect. When I first saw this trade, I didn't like it at all. Now that I think about it more and more, I don't think it's that bad of a trade. Frasor has a good ERA and should be a good addition to our solid bullpen. Stewart isn't a great prospect, but our farm system is very good for churning out pitchers so I trust that the Sox' system will make him a better pitcher that we can either use in a trade next year or make him someone that will be ready to move up to the big leagues in a few years.

I never liked the Edwin Jackson trade. Daniel Hudson has a lot of potential and I didn't want to see that go. I felt like Kenny Williams saw that Jackson had a no-hitter and thought he was a fantastic pitcher. In reality, Jackson isn't a great pitcher. He throws too many pitches, has terrible control, and always gives up too many runs in the beginning of the game. I'm glad he's gone.

I didn't really like the Mark Teahen trade either. I thought the Sox gave up too much. I liked Getz and thought he could be a good 2B for the Sox for a long time. Now the Sox have Beckham playing second and he plays it beautifully. I'm happier with this trade now, but Teahen was being payed too much money. The Sox needed to get rid of that contract. I liked the way that Teahen had been playing. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't great. He was good to put in when Morel wasn't playing well. Now Morel has the reins at third base. I think he can handle it.

Overall, I think this trade was good. The Sox got some pitching and got rid of the guys they needed to get rid of. I also like the calling up of De Aza. I look forward to seeing him play tonight. Hopefully he'll get a couple hits.