6-8-08: Twins 2 - Sox 12

June 8, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

The kids are alright.

Gavin Floyd becomes ingrained in Sox lore more and more with each start. He didn't look like he had the greatest stuff today, but only gave up two runs. He could have given up nine more runs and the Sox would've still won. The real test in a pitcher is not the close games, it's the blowouts.

Home runs still happened but not as many as you might suspect. Only Swisher and Ramirez went deep. Each came from an unlikely source. The biggest surprise may have been when Jermaine Dye decided to steal a base.

The good:
Gavin Floyd and the bullpen did superbly.

Nick Swisher is back in the swing of things with a home run.

The bad:
Jim Thome went 0 for 2.

Carlos Quentin ground into a double play.

The ugly:
The Sox did all of their scoring by the end of the fifth inning.

Kubel's home run.

This offense is flying! I can't believe that the Sox had three games in a row with double digits in runs. That is simply amazing. There was nothing really bad to say about this game. Even Esteban Loaiza had a great scoreless outing.

6-7-08: Twins 2 - Sox 11

June 7, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

Double digits and a triple.

Eight long years. That is how long it has been since Paul Konerko's last triple. The improbable event even upstaged the second consecutive night that Joe Crede had two home runs. This time it was a pair of three run homers. I have no clue as to where this offense is coming from, but I like it. Greg Walker has been saying that the Sox are ready to break out offensively. I guess he wasn't joking.

Almost lost, due to the offense, was Mark Buehrle's magnificent pitching display. Mark went eight innings and only gave up one run. It appears that the real Mark Beuhrle has decided to show up to games this season. Although, to be fair, he has been much better than his 3-6 record would indicate.

The good:
Every starter had a hit except for Carlos Quentin.

Classic Mark Buehrle showed up to the park.

The bad:
Almost anyone else, except for Thome, may have stretched that Konerko triple into an inside the parker.

Orlando Cabrera grounded into two double plays.

The ugly:
Carlos Quentin was 0 for 5.

The Sox only scored their eleven runs in three innings.

Is this a sign of things to come? I sure hope so. After weeks of an anemic offense, it great to see the Sox break out and have a couple of games like this.

6-6-08: Twins 6 - Sox 10

June 6, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

CREDE!!!!

The night belonged to Joe Crede and his two home runs. Quentin and Dye also got in on the home run action. The offense exploded for ten runs against a Minnesota team that usually gives the White Sox fits.

Javier Vazquez did all right, but wasn't his usual dominating self. Vazquez gave up four runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. It was far from his best performance, but it did the job. The bullpen held the Twins at bay until the last Sox pitcher of the evening.

Esteban Loaiza made his 2008 White Sox debut and looked a little rusty. I suppose that's what happens when you don't pitch in almost a month. Still, after giving up two runs, Esteban settled down and finished off the Twins.

The good:
Joe Crede's two home runs.

Quentin and Dye hitting home runs as well.

The bad:
Jim Thome was 0 for 3.

A.J. was hit by a pitch.

The ugly:
Jim Thome ground into two double plays.

Joe Crede made a fielding error.

I guess the Royals were a warm-up for this game. The Sox offense really broke out and showed something. Despite the rumors, the offense is not dead. It is alive and well and living in Chicago.

6-5-08: Royals 2 - Sox 6

June 5, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

Sweep!

Pablo Ozuna missed a catch, but he went 3 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. The missed catch didn't cost the Sox the game, so I think everyone can forgive the error... this time.

How many times can I write this without being redundant. Jose Contreras was solid as usual. He only gave up one earned run through seven innings. The bullpen back him up once again by only giving up one run itself. It seems like the Sox are back on track!

The good:
Pablo Ozuna went 3 for 4.

Jim Thome hit a home run.

The bad:
Quentin and Konerko went hitless.

Thornton hit a batter.

The ugly:
Pablo's error.

Eight men left on base.

A nice sweep of the Royals will cure what ails you. At least according to Carl Skanberg. Now on to those pesky Twinkies.

6-4-08: Royals 4 - Sox 6

June 4, 2006 - Chicago, Illinois

Paulie to the rescue!

This game shouldn't have gone fifteen innings. Two separate events caused this game to creep into extra innings. Alexei Ramirez is one and Bobby Jenks is the other. If one of these does not happen, the game would've been over in nine innings as a White Sox winner.

Alexei was involved in a play at the plate, where he was safe. The thing is that unbeknownst to Alexei, but knownst to the umpire, Alexei didn't quite touch home plate. The umpire never ruled one way or the other, so after several minutes of Alexei sitting in the dugout, the ball was thrown to home and the catcher stepped on home plate to erase Alexei's run.

Bobby Jenks was shaky in the ninth. This led to two runs, which tied the game up. After that, Bobby settled down and pitched wonderfully. But because these two occurrences happened, this set up Paul Konerko to be the unlikely hero in the fifteenth inning. Unlikely because Paul has not been swinging a hot bat as of late. This may be the thing to get him out of his funk.

The good:
Paul Konerko's fifteenth inning home run.

The Sox bullpen after Jenks.

The bad:
Carlos Quentin was caught stealing.

A.J. was 1 for 7.

The ugly:
Alexei Ramirez needs to make sure that he touched home plate when he scores.

Bobby Jenks blows a save, almost costing the game.

While no team is perfect, the Sox have had a knack of coming back after screwing things up. They are covering their mistakes, which is great to see. Every team will have mistakes. It's just hard trying to correct them game after game. The Sox seem to be doing just that lately.

Look Who's Back

Ehren Wassermann's time has come and gone... for now. In a head-scratcher move by Kenny Williams, Esteban Loaiza was signed by the White Sox. This will be Loaiza's second stint with the Sox. His first go around was filled with success.

How will this second time go? I'm kind of curious about that one myself. His Sox debut this year featured a few hairy moments, but he seemed to rebound.

Esteban is supposed to be the long relief man in the pen and a spot starter. I'm confused. Isn't that Nick Masset's role right now? We'll see exactly how Loaiza will respond this second time around and how he'll be used.

I'm happy that the Sox signed Loaiza. I liked him when he was on the team earlier this decade. Still, it a curious move that I'm waiting to see the end results.

Card Spotlight: 6-6-08

I'm always fascinated by early sixties Fleer baseball products. Not being born until the mid-seventies, my first exposure to Fleer was the early eighties cards.Those are the sets I'm familiar with and those eighties sets are the ones that I know like the back of my hand.

The 1963 set seems like I'm taking a trip to a strange foreign land and I'm finding out that the customs are similar, yet very different. It looks pleasing and familiar, but odd and eerie at the same time.

I'm not sure I could pick Ray Herbert out of a lineup, but I recognize the name. His exploits were before my time, so it's hard to keep track of everything before that period.

Still, he was a big part of the history of my favorite team. He was an All-Star in 1962 for the White Sox and led the AL in shutouts in 1963 for the Sox. I'm sure the All-Star selection is why Ray is featured here. That's OK in my book.

6-3-08: Royals 5 - Sox 9

June 3, 2008 - Chicago, Illinois

For the love of the homer!

It seems the Sox found their offense against Kansas City, but then again so did KC. It looked hairy for awhile, but the Sox prevailed in the end.

Gavin Floyd pitched a decent game and the Sox found their home run swing. It seemed everyone got into the act. Four different Sox players hit homers. Pierzynski, Swisher, Ramirez and of course Quentin.

The good:

Four home runs by the Sox.

Bobby Jenks a perfect ninth.

The bad:
Paul Konerko was 0 for 3.

DeJesus had a stolen base.

The ugly:
Jim Thome was 0 for 4.

Alexei Ramirez had a fielding error.

The Sox held on to win this one. Every time the Sox wanted to relax a bit, the Royals snuck up on them with a few more runs. It looks like the Royals may be turning back into the team they were at the beginning of the year.

Random Card #25

"The Bull" is one of the few players that fans from two different cities embrace as one of their own. He is loved in Chicago, but not as much as he is loved in Philadelphia.

When I think of Greg Luzinski now, I think of Bull's Barbecue in the new stadium that the Phillies play in. I've heard about Greg promoting it more than I've heard about his past accomplishments.

As beloved as he is in Philadelphia, Luzinski was born in Chicago and attended high school in Niles, Illinois. Bull was a natural fit for the White Sox. A famed slugger with a blue collar feel who grew up in the area. It was a perfect fit.

1984 would be the last year in the majors for Greg Luzinski. He really didn't go out with a bang. His average dropped to .238 and he had his lowest home run total since 1974 with 13 dingers.

This card reminds me of the last days of a slugger. You can see it in the eyes. The Bull is not long for this game, but he's proud of what he has accomplished. He was about to complete a legacy that would make sure he is mentioned in two cities for a long time.

The Alexei Syndrome

Topps and Upper Deck series 2 cards are now out. The dust has started to settle a little and I'm beginning to figure out the checklists. A disturbing trend is starting to emerge with Alexei Ramirez.

I was hoping that one of the many TBD spots on the Topps series 2 checklist would be filled by Alexei Ramirez. Well, it wasn't to my knowledge. What happened to the Alexei Ramirez card in the set? Well, it's there. It's just nothing that you would expect.

Topps decided to release an unmarked card of Alexei. The problem with this is that Alexei is pictured playing for Cuba's team in the World Baseball Classic. That was in 2006 and Alexei has now been on the White Sox 25 man roster since Opening Day. I would think that this fact would shoot Alexei to one of the TBD spots in the checklist, but that would only make sense.

What makes matters worse is that the card in question appears to be extremely short printed. This card on eBay is selling for just under $100. If I were to get this card in my collection, it would be fine, but I'm not going to actively seek it out. Plus, I'm not going to pay a lot for this card. It doesn't fit my general criteria for collecting. Alexei is not in a White Sox uniform and is not identified as being on the White Sox.

Upper Deck has more success with Alexei, although he's not in their base set either. He is in a special rookie set that gets tacked on to the end of series 2. It doesn't appear to be short printed in any way, but I haven't gotten that confirmed. Upper Deck features Alexei in a White Sox uniform and has him listed as being on the White Sox. That's more like it!

Being a team collector is tough. It's unimaginable to believe the amount of homework one needs to do before the collecting can even begin. With the penchant for companies to release cards of players in older uniforms, you can't buy sight unseen anymore. You will get burned and burned often. I can't even assume that Jermaine Dye will be in a White Sox uniform on a 2008 card. There is one of him on the Braves that came out this year.

The time and research are well worth the effort. I have a better understanding of the cards I collect by the research that I have to do. I just wish that things were a lot simpler when it came to collecting by team.

6-1-08: Sox 3 - Rays 4

June 1, 2008 - Tampa Bay, Florida

Extra upset.

Thirteen hits. No walks. No errors. That's the bottom line for the White Sox in the first game of June. Why, oh why, could they only muster up three runs? I'm afraid that I don't have a definitive answer for that. Especially when two players accounted for six of those thirteen hits.

Mark Buehrle pitched decently and the bullpen was more than adequate. The Sox offense got it done, but not at the right times. Maybe that is why Ozzie is going ballistic lately. It's got to be frustrating to manage a team that gets the opportunities, but wastes them time and time again.

The good:
Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski both had three hits.

Buehrle picked off Upton at first base.

The bad:
Joe Crede and Jermaine Dye went a combined 0 for 10.

Paul Konerko left 3 men in scoring position with 2 outs.

The ugly:
Gabe Gross' tenth inning home run.

Ten men left on base.

A lineup change worked before and now it looks like the time is right for another one. I can see why Ozzie lashes out in frustration. It's not fun to watch this team right now. They have the hits, but not the runs. Every mistake by the pitching staff is capitalized on. Maybe a change of scenery will do this team some good.

5-31-08: Sox 0 - Rays 2

May 31, 2008 - Tampa Bay, Florida

Shutout.

Javier Vazquez pulled a wonderful pitching display out of thin air, but it was not enough to compensate for the weak offense. The Sox managed 5 walks and 4 hits. Joe Crede would be the most successful at getting the formula right. Joe got 1 hit and 1 walk. Given that scenario, Joe was the best hitter in the lineup.

Boone Logan, the lone pitcher out of the bullpen, kept the score the same, but could not be responsible for the hitting struggles that the Sox had. Boone did a wonderful job keeping the Rays from scoring again.

The good:
Javier Vazquez put up another great pitching performance.

Joe Crede managed a hit and a walk.

The bad:
Jim Thome couldn't get it done as a pinch hitter.

Brian Anderson went 0 for 4.

The ugly:
Orlando Cabrera's error could not offset his two stolen bases.

Eight men left on base.

You have to blow games like this off. The Sox had their chances and blew it big time. If the Sox can cut down on opportunities squandered, then they will have no problem winning winnable games, like this one.

Sh-Sh-Sh-Shakin'

Could there be a dramatic lineup change on the horizon? With Ozzie Guillen vocally displeased with his lineup, I would say that it seems inevitable.

They could bring Jerry Owens back up to put potential speed at the top of the lineup. At this point, I'm not sure how well that would work. Maybe down the road, but I think the Sox want to keep Owens in AAA for awhile to make sure he's consistent after his injuries.

One intriguing option would be Brad Eldred. He is an RBI machine this year in the minors. The Sox could put Paul Konerko on the disabled list and bring Brad up in his place. This could give Paul's hand injury the proper time to heal.

When the hand is healed, Paul could do a rehab assignment at AAA. If Thome is still around .200, then maybe slide Paul into the DH role if Brad Eldred is hot. If Brad is cold at the plate, he would be sent down. A healed Paul Konerko is potentially a hot hitting Paul Konerko.

At this point, I think the Sox would be willing to try drastic measures to keep afloat on top of the AL Central. Carlos Quentin has been doing an admirable job carrying the team on his shoulders, but that won't work all year. Nick Swisher needs to find a way to relax and let the hits come to him.

Let's face it, the Sox have been staying in most games until the final out, but just falling short a good chunk of the time. If the Sox hitters were able to get those few hits when they meant the most in the game, then the Sox would hold the best record in baseball. They wouldn't be clinging to first place by the skin of their teeth.

Besides, I would love to own a Brad Eldred White Sox card in the near future. There aren't a lot of options in the farm system, but the Sox may get lucky with this one.

5-30-08: Sox 1 - Rays 2

May 30, 2008 - Tampa Bay, Florida

Alexei is on fire!

There were only two decent things about this game from a White Sox perspective. The pitching and the home run. The rest was a non-factor, at least positive-wise. The Dye double was nice, but he was left stranded.

Jose Contreras was awesome through seven innings. Mat Thornton held the Rays exactly where he should. Scott Linebrink made one mistake to Cliff Floyd and the game is lost. I'm sure Scott wants that pitch back.

The good:
Alexei Ramirez hit a home run.

Matt Thornton was outstanding in relief.

The bad:
Konerko and Thome went a combined 0 for 6, but both did walk.

Nick Swisher was 0 for 3.

The ugly:
Cliff Floyd's game winning home run.

8 runners left on base.

You can't win every game and this was a close one. The Rays are good this year. A loss is still a loss, but at least the Sox were still in this until the last pitch of the ballgame.

5-29-08: Sox 5 - Rays 1

May 29, 2008 - Tampa Bay, Florida

In the swing of things.

Joe Crede and Paul Konerko both hit home runs. In order for the Sox to stay hot and stay in first place, these players need to produce. This is a start and that's something. Now if Nick Swisher could only figure things out a little bit more. He needs to stop trying to get ten hits with one swing.

John Danks threw strikes and was very effective in the game. Danks has been one of the consistent surprises this season. Throwing strikes will usually get decent results and tonight was no exception.

The good:
Joe Crede's home run.

John Danks gave a solid performance.

The bad:
7 men left on base.

Alexei Ramirez was 0 for 4

The ugly:
Joe Crede's throwing error.

A.J. was 0 for 5.

Even though the game turned out to be a winner, this is a game where the pitching kept the Sox in it. The offense needs more consistency or there will be a lot of close games on the losing end.