Hawk & DJ's baseball blog

With the season winding down, one guy we're all watching get some valuable big league at-bats this week is Ryan Sweeney. He's got a chance to be a real solid player at this level - that's why he's here.

He seems to take the first pitch on every at-bat, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  It shows a patience that many young hitters don't possess.

I've talked at length about Ryan with Razor Shines, his minor league manager, and he thinks the world of this kid, both as a person and as a player.  In these last few games, he has the chance to make an impression and give himself something to build on going into next year.

Hawk

Posted by at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

*With the White Sox eliminated from postseason contention and the Astros 1 1/2 games out of first in the NL Central, this could mark the first time in 10 years that both pennant winners have failed to make the playoffs.

*The Sox 3-4-5 combo of Thome/Dye/Konerko is far and away tops in the majors for those slots.  They rank 1st in OBP (.398), HRs (127), RBIs (388), runs (349), and second in batting average (.317) - a point behind the middle of the Rockies order.

*The White Sox staff has posted the large ERA increase in the American League this year, up 1.04 to 4.65 from last year's 3.61.

*Cleveland has won 6 of the 8 meetings at Jacobs Field in 2006, a far cry from last year when the Sox went 9-1 at the Jake.

*The Indians have scored 20 runs total in the first 2 games of this series and lead the majors with 17 11+ run games.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*Chicago trails the Wild Card-leading Twins by 5.5 games with just six games to play (seven for Twins).

*Cleveland has won 9 of 16 games in this matchup this year, including a 4-2 mark at Jacobs Field.

* With Joe Crede’s home run yesterday, the White Sox became just the 10^th major league team – and 3^rd from the AL – to have four players hit 30 or more HR in a season (Dye 43, Thome 42, Konerko 35, Crede 30).

* Jon Garland will try to join Chien-Ming Wang and Johan Santana as the majors’ only 18-game winners on Monday night.  He already leads the majors in wins on the road (11).

* Cliff Lee is 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA (9/22.2) in five September starts.

* Victor Martinez is hitting .400 (16-for-40) during his current 11-game hit streak.  He has reached base via hit or walk at least two times in all 11 games.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Following the season's last home game at U.S. Cellular Field, the Sox took the field and applauded their fans.  After the game, Ozzie Guillen reflected on the season and talked about the White Sox fans.

Ozzie Thanks Fans as White Sox Win Home Finale

Posted by at 8:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

*Since August 29, the White Sox bullpen has a 6.79 ERA, third worst in the majors.

*Jim Thome has posted his 7th season with 35+ HRs, 100 RBI, 100 walks, and 100 runs scored.

*Freddy Garcia has allowed 1 hit in 8 innings in each of his last 2 starts, a feat accomplished only twice in the last 50 years (Sam McDowell & Dave Stieb both had back-to-back complete game 1-hitters).

*Paul Konerko has now reached 100 RBI for the 4th time in his Sox career.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 4:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

With the second-half struggles of the Sox, you naturally try to say "what's gone wrong". This team has heart and it has been playing hard.  Those are not issues. There has been a missing element, though and it appears to be that chip on the shoulder, a swagger, a killer instinct that was so apparent throughout last year and especially during the post-season.

By that I mean the ability to go and get go after teams right away.  Last year, we got teams down and kept them down. In similar situations this year, it seems like we were just trying to hang on. There's a huge difference in those approaches. I've told everybody that I think think this is the best club I've been around so I kept hoping that we would see a change in that type of attitude. I think we all thought this team would come and kick every one's tail again, but it just hasn't happened.

That's what makes this such a beautiful game and why we all have such passion for it, because of the fact that you have high expectations and when they are met, you are elated. If not, you are frustrated.

Hawk

Posted by at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Who is the American League Most Valuable Player this year? Tell us why - team loyalty isn't enough.  If you were trying to sway a writer from say, Seattle, who has a vote, tell us why it should be your candidate.

This is going to be a great race between Jermaine, Jeter, Ortiz, Santana and coming up strong on the outside, Justin Morneau from the Twins. It could very well come down to some last week heroics that will be fresh in the voters' minds.

Posted by at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

*The Sox have won 12 of the 18 meetings with the Tigers this year.

*Good pitching and timely hitting do mean everything. Last year, the Sox had the lowest team on-base % for an AL division winner in the last 20 years (.322). This year, the Tigers aren't far off that mark at .326.

*The Tigers were 70-33 with Placido Polanco and only 20-28 without him.

*Carlos Guillen is often overlooked, but he is tied with Miguel Tejada for the AL shorstop lead in homers with 19.

*The Sox currently have 9 players with at least 20 doubles. They have a chance to be the first team ever with 9 players with 25 doubles.

*Jim Thome's 34 homer increase this year (7 to 41 and counting) is the highest for a 25+ year-old player in the history of the American League.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was in rare form after Tuesday night's must-win over the Tigers.  After the game, he talked about Freddy Garcia, had some fun with pitch-tipping, and looked at the games ahead.

Garcia 1-Hitter leads Sox over Tigers

Posted by at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the trends in baseball I've really noticed this year and spoken about a great deal is the amount of times we see pitchers behind in a count and being asked to throw something that will trick the batter instead of their best pitch.

I've harped on the number of 3-2 changeups I've seen Sox pitchers leave up in the zone that were then hammered, but it's not just our staff. Catchers seem to be making pitchers work harder if you will, asking for pitches that may be out of the comfort zone when a pitcher is behind in the count.

I still believe in the old axiom that you want to get beat with your best.  Good location and execution are the key, not deception. I've seen too many guys all year losing with their second and third best pitches trying to pull off something that they are not comfortable with.

DJ

Posted by at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

*Detroit is just 5-11 against the White Sox this year. The 11 losses are the Tigers’ most against any opponent.

*The Tigers have lost 12 of their last 17 road games. 

*Jermaine Dye is 25-for-60 (.417) with 7 homers against Detroit this season.

*The White Sox will be looking to snap their three-game losing streak.

*Kenny Rogers is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA over his last six starts.

*Chicago’s bullpen has posted an 8.03 ERA over its last 10 games.

*Mark Buehrle is 7 1/3 innings shy of his sixth straight 200-inning season.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

*  The 2006 White Sox are on the verge of becoming the first team in American League history to have four players with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs in a single season. Jermaine Dye (.323-41-114) and Paul Konerko (.315-32-105) already have reached those milestones. Jim Thome (.291-39-99) and Joe Crede (.300-29-93) aren't far behind. If Thome and Crede finish in the 30-homer, 100-RBI club, the White Sox join the 1996 and 1999 Rockies as the only teams with four players to reach it.

*  The Minnesota Twins are relying heavily on pitching to compete in the American League Central this season, but their hitting is markedly improved over a year ago. As a team, the Twins are batting .285 on the season, and only the Yankees (.285) have posted a higher average among all big league teams. Minnesota batted .259 as a team in 2005, and only Seattle (.256) had a lower team mark among AL clubs.

*  The Oakland Athletics have quietly posted the best second-half winning percentage in the majors with a 38-19 record (.667). The Athletics are surging after going 45-43 before the All-Star break. This is the eighth straight season they have posted a better record during the second half. In the last eight years, Oakland is 366-210 after the All-Star Game, good for a .635 winning percentage that tops all major league clubs in this span.

*  Justin Morneau has seen the biggest 2006 hike in his batting average among all major leaguers with at least 200 at-bats in 2005 and at least two at-bats a game this season. The Twins' first baseman hit .239 with 22 homers and 79 RBIs a year ago. This year he's batting .325, a spike of 86 points, and he leads the Twins with 33 homers and 121 RBIs.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've said for the past few days that it's a real bright spot that our starting pitching appears to be stabilizing. We've looked all season for a run like we had last year where each time out that starter was able to raise the bar on the guy before him. Now would sure be the time to see it again.

If the Sox can get to the post-season, believe me, they've got every bit as good a chance to win it all as anybody they might face.  They are a team no one wants to see in a short series, with a powerful lineup and would be sending out a solid starting pitcher each night no matter what.

Throw into it the experience and confidence that goes with being the World Champs and they would be right there as the favorites.

But you have to get there. You have to get there and that's the task at hand tonight as we start a series at a strong Oakland A's team.

Hawk

Hawk

Posted by at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

*The Sox have a clear offensive advantage over the A's this season. Looking at MLB season ranks, the Sox are hitting .284 (3rd) while the A's are at .260 (27th). The Sox average 5.51 runs/game (2nd) to the A's 4.7 (19th) and Chicago hits .314 with runners in scoring position to lead the majors while the A's are last at .243.

*Since the A's visited Chicago, Frank Thomas has been on a tear, hitting .316 with 27 homers.  The A's were are 52-34 since then.

*Since the start of the 2005 season, no one has more games than Jon Garland who has 35 wins (tied with Chris Carpenter).

*After going 4-3 with a 6.19 ERA in his first 12 starts, Garland is 13-1 with a 2.92 ERA since June 13.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After a rough couple of weeks, Ozzie Guillen's staff has started to come around. Before Wednesday's game, the Sox manager talked about his staff, possibly changing the rotation, and looked forward to a day off.

Ozzie Guillen looks at his pitching

Posted by at 12:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With the expansion of rosters after September 1, the White Sox have a number of new faces on the bench who are being counted on to do more than just enjoy the big leagues.  Ozzie Guillen expects contributions right away and isn't afraid to put the youngsters in key situations.

Ryan Sweeney Talks About Joining The Pennant Race

Posted by at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We are starting to see signs of September at all levels on both sides of the diamond right now. I can remember that as a player that it was the time of year that I would get tired and often felt a bit weaker. I had to go to a lighter bat and those are the type of compensations you have to allow for in a longer season.

You know when the season starts how many at-bats you are going to get and have to be prepared for the long run by getting in and staying in the best shape you can. Mentally, you have to keep yourself ready to go out and do your job each day while adjusting physically.  Some guys and teams definitely handle this better, while others go out and stink it up.

For the Sox, if Ozzie feels he has to make a switch in the rotation, he should go ahead and do it right away.  This is no time for pride and feelings at this time of year.  It's about winning ballgames and doing whatever it takes.

DJ

Posted by at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night was a huge win to kick off the road trip. It's so obvious, yet you still need to step back and soak it in.

It appears that our starting pitching is starting to come around, but our bullpen lately has been awful.  Jose Contreras was masterful for 8 innings last night and then turned it over to Bobby Jenks.

I said it at the time - that 9th inning was a huge half-inning for the psyche of our ballclub.  There's no two ways about it. To see the Angels go 1st and 3rd with nobody out wasn't the most comforting thing, but Jenks got that big double play ball and ended it with a strikeout.  Hopefully, that performance can get Bobby back on a roll and we'll look back on the 9th as the jump start to the stretch of great baseball we've all been waiting for.

Hawk

Posted by at 3:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

* Since last year, the Sox are 9-2 at Anaheim with a team ERA of 2.73.

*Ervin Santana is very tough at home, with a career record of 18-5 with a 3.17 ERA at Angel Stadium.

*Since July 1, opponents are hitting at a .352 clip off Mark Buehrle, highest against any MLB pitcher.

*Vladimir Guerrero is on another tear, hitting .405 since August 13.

*Joe Crede is one homer away from 30, which would make the Sox the 3rd AL club in history to have 4 30+ HR hitters. The others were the 2000 Blue Jays (Delgado, Batista, Fullmer, Cruz Jr.) and 2000 Angels (Glaus, Vaughn, Anderson, Salmon).

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

* Including last year’s ALCS, the White Sox have won six consecutive games at Angel Stadium.

*Chicago has lost six of Jose Contreras’ last 8 road starts.

*The Angels have won 7 of their last 8 games.

*In his last five starts against the White Sox, John Lackey is 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA. However, Lackey is 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA in his last five starts at Angel Stadium. 

*Chicago’s bullpen has posted a 10.66 ERA over its last four games.

* In his last 9 home games, Adam Kennedy is hitting .485 (16-for-33) with 7 RBIs.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hawk Harrelson will miss tonight's game on WGN. Hawk was the featured guest at a special "Voices Of The Game" seminar at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, earlier today. For more on the interview with Hawk and author Curt Smith, visit the www.baseballhalloffame.org.

Former Sox star pitcher Jack McDowell does us a big favor and fills in tonight.  When he's not following baseball, Jack is actually working on a specialty line of baby clothing with his wife and knits the baby hats for the outfits himself.  To see more and get a glimpse of Jack's daughter Molly, visit www.soapymouth.com.

Posted by at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

*Jon Garland takes for the hill for the Sox tonight having gone 12-1 in his last 13 decisions.

*AJ Pierzynski loves the alternate uniforms.  He has two walk-off HRs in his career - last June against the Dodgers wearing the 1959 replica uniform and last night vs. the Tribe wearing the Halfway To St. Patrick's Day green.

*The Sox rank second in the major leagues with 40 come-from-behind wins, trailing only the Twins who have 42.

*The Sox lead the major leagues with 208 homers and are on pace to hit 239, which would rank second behind the club's 242 in 2003.

Posted by at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Listening to ESPN's Day Game on Wednesday, my stomach turned every time I heard the SportsCenter promo howling about who should be the MVP - Derek Jeter or David Ortiz.

Hello, East Coast.  Not even a mention for Jermaine Dye?

*Dye has been consistent throughout the year with at least 6 HRs and 16 RBIs in each month.

*He ranks in the top five in batting average (5th), HRs (3rd), RBI (4th), total bases (2nd), slugging % (2nd), and OPS (3rd).

*Dye is batting .417 with 7 HRs and 13 RBIs vs. Detroit, .360 vs. the Yankees, and .321 vs. the Twins.

*He has been AL Player of the Week twice and finished 2nd in AL Player of the Month in August.

Posted by at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We just wanted to alert all our viewers that Hawk will miss Saturday night's telecast vs. the Cleveland Indians on WGN-TV. Former Sox starter Jack McDowell will fill on for Hawk, who has been invited to appear at the Baseball Hall of Fame that night as a special guest in their "Voices Of The Game" series. Hosted by noted baseball author Curt Smith, Hawk's presentation will take place at 2p on Saturday in Cooperstown in the Hall of Fame's Bullpen Theatre.

Go get'em Hawk.  It'll be a can of corn for you!

Posted by at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

*It's been feast or famine for the Sox lately. In their lsat five wins, they are averaging 7.2 runs a game. In their last six losses, only 2.33 runs.

*These are two potent offenses.  The Sox rank 2nd in MLB for runs per game (5.5) and the Tribe rank 3rd (5.45).

*Since the All-Star break, Indian starters have the lowert ERA in the American League at 3.87.

*Just as in 2005, the Indians are on a late-season tear. Since August 1 combining both years, their record is 60-31.

*Jim Thome has struggled against his former team, hitting only 9/42 (.214).

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One of the great additions in recent years to U.S. Cellular Field has been the statues in center field.  They honor White Sox legends and are a fan favorite. If you haven't had the chance to venture our there, we took a few snapshots of the statues for you to enjoy.

Posted by at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It was great to see Dustin Hermanson come back last night and get that 1-2-3 inning against the Red Sox.  It says a lot about him to put in all the hard work and fight through a tough back injury to get back into action in September.

Our starting staff did such a great job in the postseason last year that some of the great bullpen work our guys did throughout the year got lost in the shuffle. Shingo started that year as the closer, but once he struggled, Dustin came in and really nailed down some big games throughout the middle of the year.

We went 2-4 on the road trip and are coming back to town exactly where we started it in relation to the standings. It's always a boost when you struggle at this time of year but don't lose any ground.

Hawk

Posted by at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*Cleveland has won 7 of its 12 meetings against the White Sox this season

* Cliff Lee will be making his fifth start of the season against the White Sox. In his last three starts against Chicago, he is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA.

* The Indians have lost three of their last four road games while the White Sox have just two wins in their last 7 games.

* Mark Buehrle has 9 career losses against the Indians, his second most in his career against any opponent (10 against Minnesota ).

* Cleveland has scored 748 runs this season, the third most in the majors, while the White Sox rank second with 769.

* Jermaine Dye and Jim Thome have combined for 8 homers and 22 RBIs against the Indians this season.

* Victor Martinez ranks second among catchers in hits this season (153). 

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All teams or players can get into a rut at some point during the season.  Right now, I think the Sox pitching staff is in one when it comes to a 3-2 count.

When we get the opposition to 3-2, they should be looking for our pitchers to throw a changeup. When other teams scout us, they know it.  I would say that the vast majority of the time, our guys throw that pitch in that situation. I've never seen a club get beat with more change-ups than we have this season. It's a pattern we need to break.

Hawk

Posted by at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

*Last season, the Sox led MLB with a 35-19 record in 1-run games. This season they are 14th at 20-19.

*The Sox are now only 16-17 against the American League East this year.

*Kevin Youkilis may not look like a leadoff hitter, but he's done the job by getting on base at a .392 clip, the second highest OBP by a leadoff hitter in baseball.

*The Red Sox have been in a scoring drought, leading baseball by scoring less than 4 runs on 14 different occasions since August 14.

*Jim Thome has 12 homers in his last 25 games against Boston, including 1 on Monday night.

*Maybe Boston can be the tonic for Scott Podsednik - he owns a .370 career batting average vs. the Red Sox.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 10:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yesterday's action flip-flopped the wild card lead and left the Sox 5 1/2 games behind the Tigers. It's going to be that kind of month with a lot of back and forth.

The key for the Sox is to get through these next two weeks including finishing this trip to Boston, a tough series at home with Cleveland, then the road trip out West.  After that, everything is set up for the last two weeks - a big home series with the Tigers and Mariners, then off to Cleveland and Minnesota to finish things up.

The Tigers have not pulled totally away and at least the wild card is a two-team race, unless the scrum in the National League wherever seemingly everyone (OK, not the Cubs) is in it.

One of thing to note, with the September call-ups to the pen and games remaining dwindling to a precious few, Ozzie Guillen may have a shorter leash than normal on this trip.

DJ

Posted by at 4:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

* The Red Sox have won two of their three meetings against the White Sox this season. However, Boston has just two wins in its last 10 games overall.

* Jermaine Dye needs one more homer to become the fourth player in White Sox history to hit 40 in one season.

* The White Sox lead the majors with 203 home runs this season. The franchise record for homers in a single season is 242 set in 2004. 

* Jon Garland will be trying to become baseball's first 17-game winner this season. Garland is 11-2 in 15 road starts this season.

* Julian Tavarez will make his second start of the year for Boston. He will be pitching on three days' rest after he allowed three runs over three innings last Thursday against Toronto. 

* Jim Thome is just 13-for-63 in his last 18 games at Fenway Park.

* Boston leads the majors with a .990 fielding percentage and its 52 errors are 11 fewer than any other team in the league this season.

Posted by at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We got another peek at Charlie Haeger last night after he was recalled from the minors for the month of September and I don't think there's any question that this knuckleballer is going to pitch in the big leagues.

Yes, he did get knocked around in his one start earlier this year.  But that time, he was throwing his knuckleball too hard and that's probably because of the adrenaline flowing from that first game. He looks now like he can control the speed of that pitch much better.

He went through the Royals six up, six down last night.  Another benefit down the road is that sometimes you can throw a knuckleballer against a team and it will not only mess with their swings that day, but also for several days after.

Hawk

Posted by at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

*Since 2001, Mark Buehrle has 14 wins over the Royals, the most by any opposing pitcher.

*Look for the Sox to get the early jump tonight.  Over the first 4 innings this season, their run differential is +120 (best in the majors) while the Royals are -127 in those innngs (worst in the majors).

*The White Sox are the only team in baseball with 4 players who have 85+ RBIs.

*At .382, Mark Grudzielanek has the highest average of any opposing hitter vs. the White Sox.

*The Sox and Royals depend on the homer very differently.  The Sox lead the majors with 45.8% of their runs via the HR while the Royals are dead last at 25.2%

*Since August 5, the Royals are hitting .319 at home.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 11:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

You can bet we'll be hearing a lot more of that "M-V-P" chant for Jermaine Dye over the next month.  Now that Ozzie has moved him up to third in the order, Jermaine has already shown that he can do many things to help the team and pick up points in the MVP race.

Wednesday night was a prime example in the 8th, right after the Sox had tied the game.  Batting in the three hole, Jermaine saw his role to get on base and keep it going - then followed his single with a key steal of 2nd which turned into the winning run.

He will continue to hit for power and his numbers in that regard speak for themselves, but one of the reasons he tops the list is his ability to play the complete game.

Hawk

Posted by at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

* The White Sox have won 10 of the 16 meetings this season, thus winning the seasons series for the sixth consecutive season.

*Chicago has crushed 18 homers in the past eight games, and now has 200 for the seventh consecutive season.

* The White Sox Jermaine Dye needs one home run to become the fourth player in Sox history (ninth times) to hit 40 in one season.

*Chicago’s Jose Contreras got shelled in his last start vs. the Royals (8/16/06), allowing seven runs on 12 hits in the loss. Contreras was 7-0 in his previous nine starts vs. K.C.

* Kansas City is just 19-40 vs. division rivals this season, losing eight of its last 10 home games vs. A.L. Central rivals.

*Kansas City pitcher Runelvys Hernandez is 0-4 in his last five home starts and is just 1-4 with a 8.31 ERA in five career home starts vs. the White Sox.

Copyright 2006 STATS LLC

Posted by at 6:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)