Lost Weekend
Another loss to the Angels and the demotion of Brian Anderson to AAA were topics on Ozzie Guillen's mind after Sunday game.
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Another loss to the Angels and the demotion of Brian Anderson to AAA were topics on Ozzie Guillen's mind after Sunday game.
Before the season, it's no secret that the American League Central stacked up as baseball's best division and nothing I've seen this month has done anything to change my mind. The four teams at the top (White Sox, Tigers, Twins, and Indians) could end up battling within games of each other for the entire year. It could be a lot like 1967 when my Red Sox edged the Twins, Tigers, and White Sox on the very last day to win the pennant.
I was at a reunion for that team earlier this month and I told my teammates these teams this year are better than the ones we faced, especially because of the starting pitching being stronger, even if you factor the difference in today's players. Now that we've seen everyone in our division, it is definitely going to be a dogfight the entire season. This is the toughest April schedule I've seen since I've been with the White Sox, so the fact we're above .500 while still finding our stride is a positive.
Hawk
* The White Sox have made things exciting for their fans this season—after spotting the Royals a 4-1 lead after one inning yesterday, Chicago came back to win a game for an MLB leading ninth time.
* Paul Konerko is hitting .524 (11-21) off the Tigers Chad Durbin.
* Bobby Jenks is 10/10 in career save opportunities vs. the Tigers.
* The Tigers are second in the American League with their hitters having struck out 63 times with runners on base this year.
In case you missed it, the White Sox announced the unveiling of a special statue honoring Billy Pierce on Monday, July 23, prior to the Sox-Tigers game at U.S. Cellular Field. The Pierce statue will be located in centerfield alongside the other lifesize statues honoring Carlton Fisk, Charles Comiskey, Nellie Fox, Luis Aparacio, and others.
Congratulations to Mark Buehrle on his spectacular performance last night for the first Sox no-hitter in sixteen years. You could see from the way his teammates mobbed him why he is one of the most beloved teammates I have ever been around.
I thought the key to his success last night was his changeup. His arm action on that pitch was great and fooled the Rangers all night. The only mistake, if you can call it that, he made all night was to walk Sammy Sosa, then he turned around and picked him off. It was a great night for a great guy.
Hawk
Mark Buehrle threw the 16th no-hitter in White Sox history on Wednesday night, shutting out the Texas Rangers 6-0. After the game, Buehrle and catcher AJ Pierzynski were all smiles as they talked about the big night.
Our staff has got their work cut out for them with the Rangers coming to town this week. This team can put some big numbers on the board in a hurry when they get in the groove. The Rangers have put up 58 runs this year so that .232 team batting average may be a bit misleading. We've only scored 38 so hopefully we can get hot at home and keep them honest. Our bats are going to wake up at some point and this is a good time to start.
DJ
Fear not White Sox fans. Hawk is OK. The reason he is missing the Oakland series is that he is attending the 40th reunion of the 1967 American League champion Red Sox at Fenway Park. The team was introduced at today's home opener for the Red Sox and will be feted at a dinner tonight. Congratulations to Hawk and we hope he has a great time at this event.
Turning the double play requires precise footwork and timing. Here's how to do it, courtesy the Sox/Bulls Training Academy.
When it comes to playing in the cold, players do tons of different things. As an outfielder, it didn't really matter what I tried to do, the wind was always bearing down on me and you never had as much action as the infielders did. You have a tendency to be cold, run off the field as fast as you can, and try to get a spot next to the dugout heater. Then you try and get warm as fast as possible before you have to go up and hit. It's easy to say now, but you just have to handle the fact that you are going to be cold.
I have always found it ironic that to me, there seems to be a ton of runs scored on those days, just like yesterday. It's supposed to be pitcher's weather because they are working the hardest, but I think you end up seeing an inordinate amount of offense. A pitcher will tell you it's to their benefit, but I don't think it turns out that way.
From a preparation standpoint, you have to get really loose in the locker room, then come out and grin and bear it!
DJ
Our April schedule this year really gets your attention when you look at it. I've been here a long time and this is the toughest opening month schedule I've ever seen this club have. It's like the old golf saying that you can't win a tournament on Thursday, but you can lose one on Thursday. That holds true with the month of April in baseball. You look at our schedule and say the only breather might be two games with Kansas City, but heck, they played us tougher than anybody last season. It's way, way too early to get worried, but this is a year you don't want to get behind in April.
Hawk
Before game 3 of the Indians series, Ozzie Guillen was careful to point out that it is a long season and far too early to be too worried.
White Sox reliever David Aardsma provided a bit of hope with his performance in Tuesday's loss. His outing included five strikeouts and a very live fastball.
It was a beautiful day at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday for Opening Day. Too bad the Cleveland Indians didn't cooperate. The Tribe pounded the Sox, but that was the only blemish on an otherwise wonderful day. We took a few photos to give you a look at some of the sights on Opening Day.
This isn't what White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had in mind for his Opening Day 2007, but the Sox manager met with the media afterward and talked about what went wrong, as well as looking forward.
Rich King was at U.S. Cellular Field for Opening Day and talked with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen about the start of the season.
1. LF Pablo Ozuna
2. CF Darin Erstad
3. DH Jim Thome
4. 1B Paul Konerko
5. RF Jermaine Dye
6. 3B Joe Crede
7. 2B Tadahito Iguchi
8. C A.J. Pierzynski
9. SS Juan Uribe
* Although they had no postseason appearances to show for it, the Indians outscored their opponents by 236 runs over the past two seasons. Only the Yankees (+260) sported a better scoring differential during the same span.
* Grady Sizemore led the American League in 2006 with 53 doubles, and he ranked second with 11 triples. The leadoff hitter’s 92 extra-base hits were the third-highest single-season total in Indians history.
* Travis Hafner has hit .318 against the White Sox each of the past two seasons. He also has collected more homers (10) and RBI (30) versus the White Sox since 2005 than any other player.
* The White Sox were 17-7 each of the past two Aprils. Their combined mark of 34-14 (.708) was the best April winning percentage over the last two seasons.
* The White Sox have won five straight games on Opening Day, the fourth-longest active streak in the majors. Only the Yankees (9), Orioles (6) and Giants (6) boast longer current streaks.
* Jim Thome hit 42 homers last year, the most by any player in his first season with the White Sox. He also took 46.5 percent of the pitches he saw for balls, the highest rate in the majors.