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Probably no manager in the game today is as important to his team as Ozzie Guillen who sets not only the strategic guidelines, but really is an emotional leader as well. It's no surprise to me to see how the clubhouse and attitude on the field have changed this year. Ozzie has stated repeatedly that he wanted that to be a priority and is a leader by example.
Hawk
One of the biggest reasons the Sox bullpen struggles have been so noticeable is that the pen continues to grow more important in baseball each year. It's the biggest change to the game I've seen in all my decades playing and broadcasting.
Forty years ago, you might see one or two guys who were decent relief pitchers and the other guys in the pen were starters who were trying to work something out. They didn't send them to the minors as much then and the guys who were starting threw a lot more innings than the "five and fly" philosophy we see so often now. The game has changed with specialization so that you need quality arms down there and several guys who know their roles. The advance of the bullpen is one of the reasons teams are tougher today.
Our division is also loaded with good bullpens. Detroit and Minnesota can match up with anybody in the late innings, and I think the Cleveland pen has performed much better than anyone would have predicted.
Hawk
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
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
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.
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
Gavin Floyd had a rough outing yesterday in his bid to make the Sox as their fifth starter, but in his defense, when he came in, the weather got to be just awful. It was raining, the mound was slippery, and the wind started gusting at about 30 miles per hour. Ozzie Guillen said after the game that he wasn't really going to weigh that outing too heavily. On the other hand, John Danks was outstanding and Ozzie did say that he thinks he should be on the ballclub.
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
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
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
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
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!
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
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
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
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
It's interesting to watch a guy like Paul Konerko continue to produce, even while he's in a bit of a power drought.
Hitting home runs is like hitting a golf ball a long way - it's a state of mind. When you don't have that state of mind, yet you can get in a ballgame against major league pitching and you can still get your hits by going to right and right-center as a right-handed hitter, that's outstanding. The power swing will come back to you, but in the meantime, you continue to be productive.
That's what we've seen from Konerko in this stretch and that's the mark of a good hitter.
Hawk
You have to give the Tigers their due. They are playing with some kind of intensity in this series so far and by doing so, they have the crowd right in the palm of their hand, which is a big advantage as we all know.
The Sox have to find a way to get something going and turn it up a notch themselves. As always, a good performance from Freddy Garcia would go a long way. The Tigers made 3 errors last night, but got away with them.
There are 37 games remaining and we have some work to do, but I still firmly believe it can get done.
Hawk
There's bound to be a playoff atmosphere and intensity in Detroit these next few days and no team is more ready for it than the White Sox.
Their experience from their postseason run last year, plus the huge number of close games they played throughout makes this a very familiar situation. You can believe that Ozzie will have them ready for the task at hand.
As we've preached all season, getting good starting pitching is absolutely essential. The Sox have done very well against the Tigers all season - it's a case of matchups and those have favored the White Sox throughout the year. Hopefully, they can dig deep and play solid baseball, because the atmosphere will not intimidate them.
Regardless of what happens, there is still plenty of baseball left this year, but this is a great opportunity to add a little tension to a Tiger team that has struggled for the past two weeks.
Hawk
What a win for the Sox last night and again, another great performance by that great middle three we have in our lineup.
Paul Konerko did the unthinkable - taking Mariano Rivera deep in the 9th inning, then telling us after the game how much Greg Walker has helped him learn to hit the ball to right-center. A tremendous home run in a tremendously important game for Paulie.
Jermaine Dye came through in the 11th as he has all season, doing a great job of shortening his swing with 2 strikes. Don't forget that Jim Thome drew the big walk that put Iguchi into scoring position in that inning. This "dream team" has continually come through in the clutch all season.
Hawk
It's no surprise that I say that this is a critical 11-game homestand for the Sox and it didn't start off the way they wanted last night.
It's one that is a bit unusual, because even if we play well, we still might be in trouble. But if we play poorly, it's gonna be deep trouble. The division doesn't leave any room for error this year because of the Detroit Tigers. They have played magnificently this season - when you are 20 over and 10 games back in early August, you have a problem that's not all of your making.
Hawk
One of the biggest things the Sox have going for them as we head into this crucial stretch of the season is Ozzie.
There are managers out there that have no more business managing a ball club than Mickey Rooney. These guys interview well, but that's about it. They live by the computer printouts and don't let the players have any fun. The White Sox are the antithesis of that. Our guys have fun, we're 21 games over .500 and I think we're just beginning to hit our stride. I think the starting pitching is beginning to come around and I really believe we're in good shape for a number of reasons, but especially because Ozzie does let these guys have fun.
Ozzie doesn't try to manage a game to cover his behind and that's what too many managers do. They manage a game so that when the press comes in after the game is over they can say "I went to player X, then Y, then Z, and they just didn't get it done today." That way it wards off the negative questions. Ozzie is just the opposite of that and he is one of the best things to happen in this game in the last 10-15 years. I've said before, how many managers would have had guys throw 4 straight complete games in the LCS last year? He makes it fun for us and I can't wait to get in the car and go to the ballpark every day.
Hawk
I was a guest on the Score this morning and we were talking about the love of this game and how unique it is against the other sports.
Let me tell you what baseball is. As we all know, the game isn't played against the clock. You can't score when you are on defense and when you are offense, the other team controls the ball.
Baseball is fraught with information and starving for knowledge. It's a game filled with personality and where numbers often lie. I love the fact that you can see things starting to develop and you can see things starting to happen. We are 6-2 on this trip going into today which is very good, but even if we weren't it would be a great trip for me because we saw Buehrle bounce back and then Vazquez yesterday came up big. The Sox are going to build on those and I just love watching stuff like that unfold.
Hawk
The Sox have a tough stretch of 24 straight days now and they kicked it off in good fashion by beating Toronto and Roy Halladay last night.
To say this is a critical time is the understatement of the year, but the Sox control their own destiny because they are playing all the teams they need to put away in order to get to the playoffs again.
Check out that schedule - 3 here in Toronto, home for a Monday makeup with the Angels (there are still tickets for that one), 3 with the Yankees, 3 over the weekend with the Tigers, and 4 more with KC to finish off the homestand. Then 3 at Minnesota, 4 at Detroit, and then home for 3 with the Twins before our next day off on August 28. This is going to be something to watch.
Hawk
It's hard to sweep any team, especially on the road, but it was a shame that yesterday's game got away in the 9th. It wasn't like Bobby Jenks got knocked around. He nicked Miguel Tejada with a pitch, Jay Gibbons hit a little duck snort to center, and Jeff Conine hit a soft liner to right to tie the game before Javy Lopez hit the game-winner through the drawn-in infield. That's gone and now the Sox have to get back at it.
You have to love the way AJ Pierzynski is swinging the bat - 3 for 4 yesterday, 5 for 5 Saturday, and 10 for 13 for the weekend series. Let's hope he can stay hot. Jose Contreras has never lost to the Royals - he is 6-0 lifetime with a 1.93 ERA.
Hawk
DJ and I have spent some time recently talking about the 0-2 counts and how they affect the pitcher and batter differently. What so many pitchers don't understand is that with each pitch that a batter can see, he can keep working toward getting a better one to hit. Nibbling your way to 3-2 won't get it done.
Good hitters are not afraid to hit with a strike and your outstanding hitters are not afraid to hit with two strikes. All they are doing is getting a gauge on the pitcher. If you're pitching and you have a guy 0-2 and then go to 3-2, believe me, you are in trouble.
The halls of Cooperstown are filled with pitchers who gave up a lot of 0-2 hits. They knew that it was important to go right at the hitter at that point.
Most of the time, it can be traced back to the manager's philosophy. I played for guys who didn't blink an eye on an 0-2 hit (now if it was a hanging curve, etc. - that's a different story). But I've also seen managers who want to fine someone for giving up a hit in that situation. It's important to find a way to put the hitter away.
Hawk
This is the toughest stretch I've seen Mark Buehrle go through since he put on a White Sox uniform.
Sometimes when you are struggling like Mark is, it's about the thought process. It's not, how can I go out and win this ballgame? It's where do I want to pitch and if I miss my spot, where do I want to miss? That's not negative thinking. If I am going inside, let me make sure I miss inside. If I'm throwing my change-up, I want to make sure I miss low.
The home runs hit off Mark last night were both on balls that were up. He can pitch up with the best of them, but it has to be on his terms. When it's a mistake that gets up, like most other guys, he gets hit hard.
Hawk
When your team is struggling, the tendency is to look and say they look lethargic. That's not the case with the White Sox right now - it's just been the lack of starting pitching. I don't think you will see too many of Ozzie Guillen's clubs ever get lethargic.
You may have heard us talk about this all weekend , but it's the starters who have to do a better job for our club to get back on a roll. They are the key to this team.
Hawk
This isn't the type of team that is interested in moral victories. As I've pointed out so many times, they also never give up. Ozzie won't let them and this entire team has adopted that trait from him.
Last night, down 3 runs and with the possibly the greatest closer in baseball history on the mound, the Sox went at it again. Thome, Konerko, and Dye all had great at-bats to get singles and load the bases. Unfortunately, the Sox only got the first two home, but it doesn't diminish the fact that this team always feels like they will come back to win.
Another benefit of that rally is that Mariano had to throw a ton of pitches in that inning. That's the type of thing that can help the Sox the next two days, plus their lineup got some good swings in against him.
Hawk
One of the many things I love about this White Sox team is that there is no quit - never. They never think they are out of a game and they always battle to the end. We saw it both Saturday and Sunday at Wrigley Field this weekend. They got done early yesterday, but made several charges at the Cubs, even in the 9th inning.
And you know where that comes from - Ozzie. They will never quit on him and he won't let them. This ballclub is relentless and believe me, everybody who faces them knows it too.
Hawk
If you had asked me after the first two months of the season to name my MVP for the Sox thus far, I would have said Joe Crede. But now (and it's not easy to single out one guy on a club this good), I would go with Bobby Jenks.
He has been outstanding in his role in the 9th, shutting the door almost every time out. There's no greater lift than having that security blanket at the end, just like the great low for a team when they have problems at the end of the game.
One other thing - I still consider Bobby a rookie. The poise and composure he has shown throughout his time with the White Sox has been exceptional.
Hawk
We saw an at-bat from Scott Podsednik last night that was not only great baseball, but the type of thing on which seasons turn.
Andy Pettite was in a bases loaded jam with two out in the 4th inning. In a lefty/lefty matchup, Scott worked the count to 2-2, then cranked a long homer to right for a grand slam. It was a gutty at-bat that not only made it 6-0, but kept the Sox on this roll.
The cushion was enough for Jose Contreras to win his 16th straight decision. If you look at this rhythm the Sox are falling into, the best part about it is the contributions from everywhere.
Hawk
Momentum is a funny thing in baseball. Everyone wants it, but once you get some, it's hard to hold on to.
The Sox have it right now. For the first time this year, they look like they are in a real rhythm and hitting on all cylinders. You saw in the St. Louis series they not only won the blowouts, but came back and took the one-run game. Those are the games you have to win and the games that have defined this team over the last year and a half.
Hawk
One of the things I love about Ozzie is that he has a feel for each and every game. Each one has its own personality.
You get a lot of managers who do not have a feel for the individual games. They are so locked in to a format or a computer that they lose their feel for what is going on that day.
Look at the Sox at Cincinnati yesterday, where that game quickly became about playing for a single run at a time in what is normally a big hitter's ballpark. The Sox got there first and won that game.
You have Ozzie, Lou Piniella, Jimmy Leyland, and LaRussa - they all share the ability to treat each game by itself and have a feel for it. I can add Gardenhire and Scioscia to that list as opposed to the guys who go strictly by the printouts they have sitting there.
Hawk
He may not have the sexiest ERA or the demeanor on the mound that some fans consider to be a bulldog, but let's take a moment to appreciate Freddy Garcia.
With a win last night, Freddy is now 41 games above .500 in his career. 41 games! You don't do that without being an outstanding competitor. That just doesn't happen against big league hitters unless you can
If you have to have your best stuff and best control to win a the big league level, you are not going to win many games here. The good ones like Freddy also win when they don't have their best stuff, but they still get out there and grind and simply out-compete the hitters.
Hawk
The tone of last night's game was set right away in the 2nd inning last night when Vicente Padilla drilled AJ Pierzynski for the first time.
I thought it was a bad call by home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi to issue a warning after Padilla hit AJ again in the 4th. No one from the Rangers had been hit. I thought he was trying to cover himself more than he was trying to protect the players. I guess he didn't want a little scuffle out there.
None of their guys left their feet all night while our guy got hit twice. That's not right.
Hawk
There's no secret to the Sox wins the last two nights in Texas - good starting pitching always leads the way.
We've talked about Jon Garland's ups and downs this season, but last night he was solid, giving up only 2 runs, and in reality, it should have been only one. He set down 15 of the first 18 men he faced and was ready from the word go last night.
Add that to another great outing by Jose Contreras on Monday and hopefully our starters can get on one of those rolls we saw so often last year, where each guy wants to outdo the previous night's effort.
Hawk
The Hawk-tionary
With all the e-mails and questions we get, how about a quick refresher course on some of the terms we use on the broadcast each day:
Ball four, base hit: Usually when the bases are empty and a walk will be as good as a base hit.
Can o'corn: An easy fly ball. The outfielder reaches up to make the catch as easy as if he were pulling a can of corn off the shelf.
Catbird seat: When the count favors the hitter, generally 2-0 or 3-1.
Chopper, two-hopper: Routine ground ball in the infield.
Cinch it up and hunker down: A pressure situtation and time for the hitter or pitcher to take stock of himself and make something happen.
Duck snort: A big swing, resulting in a weak hit, usually just over the infield, as is a duck "snorted" the ball out of his beak.
Ducks on the pond: Runners on base.
Gas: A fastball.
Hang wif'em: When a hitter is in a slump and hits a rocket line drive that is caught. Hang in there, the ball will fall one of these days.
He got a cookie: A hanging curve ball, an easy pitch to hit for a home run. The hitter usually "devours" it.
Picks To Click: DJ, the crew, and I select/pick a player who we think will have the best game. The numbers after our names indicate how many times each of us has been correct. The numbers change because we keep a separate tally for WGN/WCIU games and Comcast games.
Right size, wrong shape: A long foul ball, usually with home run distance.
Sit back, relax, and strap it down: Get ready for another exciting night of White Sox baseball!
You can cancel the postgame show: The first hit of the ball game. The potential no-hitter is over and there will be no need for a show after the game to showcase the pitcher.
Hawk
The Sox are 12 games over .500 so far this year and it's a tribute to the talent on the team. The only thing we're doing better after two months this year is the hitting, plus Bobby Jenks has been real good at the end of games.
Otherwise, the rest of the bullpen have had their problems, our starters have had their ups and downs, we've had some defensive lapses, and certainly there have been mental mistakes.
It's a good sign of the high standards this team sets that everyone feels we can be playing much better.
Hawk
The Sox head into tonight's game looking for the split in this four-game series. After a big win in Monday's opener by the Sox, the Indians have answered with two really well-pitched games.
One guy we really need to get out is Grady Sizemore. He has been on base eight times in the three games so far, going 3-4 last night.
Jose Contreras is back on the mound for us, with that 13-game regular season winning streak on the line. Hopefully he can get it done so we can end this road trip on a high note and get back home to see the Rangers this weekend.
Hawk
Jon Garland had a great game yesterday in Toronto - the type of game that may not look great in the box score, but was really something nonetheless. 6 innings, 5 runs, 7 hits doesn't sound like much, but against this team up here, it was a fine outing.
He did a terrific job on the Toronto right-handed power in Rios and Wells, just pounding them on the inside. There's a possibility this could put Jon right back on the right track - a good confident outing that he can build on.
Hawk
What else can you say about Pablo Ozuna? In the situation he was in last night (2 outs, runners on 1st and 3rd), he is every bit as dangerous as anyone else in our lineup because he combines his ability to bunt with being a pretty decent hitter.
Eric Chavez was playing in at third, so he just adjusted and pushed the ball down the first base line for the winner. That's just great baseball and great execution by Pablo, which is why he is such an exciting player for us.
Hawk
Like DJ, I was impressed by the Sox comeback win in Minnesota Sunday night and I will always point back to manager Ozzie Guillen.
With pitchers, he is as good if not better than any manager that I have ever seen. He gives them every chance to succeed and every chance to get better. You just can't believe what a difference that trust and confidences makes. We saw the results of that with a World Championship last year.
Hawk
I get asked all the time who is my favorite guy to watch on the Sox and really, the beauty of this team is that I can answer honestly, all of them. We've got so many different personalities out there.
I love to watch Uribe - he is one of the most exciting players in the league. I love to watch Crede play defense. I love to watch Konerko, Thome, and Dye hit. I love to watch Pods run. And I especially love to watch A.J. because I never know what the hell he is going to do.
I love to watch our pitchers go out there and try to outdo each other, especially after somebody had a big game the night before. That's why this is such a great team to watch.
Hawk
One of the things I knew Ozzie would not let happen is for this team to be satisfied with winning it all last year. He took things easy in the beginning of spring training, but as the season got closer, made it very clear that things needed to be picked up a notch.
This ballclub is a reflection of his personality. They don't rest on their past successes against the Angels. Instead they just keep coming after them. With our starting pitchers, they want to outdo each other every time out.
Hawk
One big thing that's happening with our club, beyond the fact that they're hitting and pitching well, on this streak is that they are getting into a defensive rhythm. We saw Jermaine Dye on Friday night make some terrific plays and Brian Anderson has been doing a great job in center field. He's made a number of tough catches look very easy.
If this club gets into that rhythm on defense like they were last year, especially in the post-season, to go with the same on offense and pitching, we are going to win this thing again.
Hawk
AJ Pierzynski got quite the welcome from the Anaheim crowd every time he came to the plate last night. They let him know they haven't forgotten last October. To me, that's a compliment. When you go to somebody else's ballpark and they give you that kind of recognition, that's a compliment.
Who else but AJ would have thought to run in that situation? I wouldn't have. I would have gone right back to the dugout. I was talking to AJ about it and I said "you know you're going to get some heckling here."
He laughed and said "why me? Crede was the one who got the big hit in that game."
Hawk
Yesterday's win was more than just another victory. It was also a good sign that two of our keys played well.
Javier Vazquez's outing was significant because just like last year, our pitchers are on a bit of a roll, feeding off each other. There's a healthy competition there and it was great to see Vazquez come out and keep the roll going yesterday.
Scott Podsednik is also getting back on track and back on base. Make no mistake about it - his value to this team goes far beyond the numbers. If we can keep him going, this team is going to be in great shape.
Hawk
The Hawk-tionary
With all the e-mails and questions we get, how about a quick refresher course on some of the terms we use on the broadcast each day:
Ball four, base hit: Usually when the bases are empty and a walk will be as good as a base hit.
Can o'corn: An easy fly ball. The outfielder reaches up to make the catch as easy as if he were pulling a can of corn off the shelf.
Catbird seat: When the count favors the hitter, generally 2-0 or 3-1.
Chopper, two-hopper: Routine ground ball in the infield.
Cinch it up and hunker down: A pressure situtation and time for the hitter or pitcher to take stock of himself and make something happen.
Duck snort: A big swing, resulting in a weak hit, usually just over the infield, as is a duck "snorted" the ball out of his beak.
Ducks on the pond: Runners on base.
Gas: A fastball.
Hang wif'em: When a hitter is in a slump and hits a rocket line drive that is caught. Hang in there, the ball will fall one of these days.
He got a cookie: A hanging curve ball, an easy pitch to hit for a home run. The hitter usually "devours" it.
Picks To Click: DJ, the crew, and I select/pick a player who we think will have the best game. The numbers after our names indicate how many times each of us has been correct. The numbers change because we keep a separate tally for WGN/WCIU games and Comcast games.
Right size, wrong shape: A long foul ball, usually with home run distance.
Sit back, relax, and strap it down: Get ready for another exciting night of White Sox baseball!
You can cancel the postgame show: The first hit of the ball game. The potential no-hitter is over and there will be no need for a show after the game to showcase the pitcher.
Hawk
Brian Anderson is going through some bumps right now and that's going to happen in your first year as a regular. When you go through tough times, it seems like you are 0-2 or 1-2 every time you step in the box.
The best thing to do is to try and clear his mind right now. There is a tendency sometimes for a young player to let a little panic or chaos at this time to set in. I still think he'll be OK.
Hawk
Get used to the type of intensity we saw in our opening series against Cleveland. I think you might be looking at the best two teams in the American League this year. We're both just as good as anybody. Last year, our club was 14-5 against the Indians and 9-1 at Jacobs Field. I don't think that's going to happen again, because it's just too good of a ballclub in Cleveland.
These teams get after it the right way. Take Casey Blake for example, who had a great day in right field yesterday with a bunch of running catches. He got a good jump each time and the only way to get that jump is by being in the ballgame. There's a lot of guys out there who go out to the outfield thinking about what stance they're going to use the next time at the plate or the popup, strikeout, or ground ball they had the last time up. As we've said so many times before, there are two games in baseball - the offensive one and the defensive one and you have to separate them. You can't let your offensive game dominate your thinking when you've got the leather on. It's a lesson all ballplayers need to remember.
Hawk
There's a young lefthander trying for a spot in our bullpen to keep an eye named Boone Logan. This young man was over at the minor league camp and doing well. Meanwhile, the group of free agents and others the Sox had brought in for a bullpen slot were collectively not getting it done. So Ozzie & Kenny said "run this kid over here and let's see what he can do."
He's been throwing nothing but strikes, getting nothing but outs, and how his lockered over there has been cleaned out and moved to the big league clubhouse. The biggest thing for him is the mental side of it. A majority of guys who are 22 or so in A ball are a little scared, but you get a minority like this kid that don't care where they pitch or who's at the plate. They don't want to know who's at the plate. He also does it in a hurry. The other day I saw him against Colorado and it was 5 pitches for 3 outs.
Hawk
Nobody likes to lose in spring training. We saw Ozzie go through this last year. He is not going to jeopardize his need to see players to win a ballgame in spring training and a lot of managers are not like that. Most of the teams who are really trying hard in March to win games are second division clubs who are trying to improve and impress their fans to sell some tickets for the regular season. Ozzie just wants to see all this players. It sure worked out well for him last year and I think in the next week or ten days you'll see a different MO so to speak.
I love what he's done. He has seen all his players, he knows what they can do, and more importantly, he knows what they can't do. That's what you have to in baseball - find out what your players can't do and then don't ask them to do it.
There will be lots of talk throughout the spring about the pressure to repeat this year. Times have changed. I don't really see any negatives. Back in my day, the thing you had to worry about coming off a pennant-winning year was guys coming into camp overweight, but that's no longer an issue. I got the chance to talk with Jim Thome at the Sox Convention and told him we're stronger right now at this point than we were after the fourth game of the World Series. I know just how pumped up he is and I can't wait because he has always been one of my favorite players. I don't think there's a negative to coming back as a champion. I know there have been changes, but we have five great starters who now know how good they are and can be. The only thing you have to worry about as always is injuries, but who doesn't? Not only do we have some guys who can do some great things on that mound out there, but we've got a manager who will let them do it. Everyone talks about the four complete games in the ALCS last year, but name me another manager who would allowed that. I love Lou Piniella, but he wouldn't have. There's not another manager in baseball who would go that route. In 2004, I think Ozzie was hamstrung. He wanted to do some things and had a direction in mind for his managing, then came over to the Sox who had a set club with Mags, Frank, Carlos - a group that hit 242 home runs and almost finished third. He couldn't manage his game, only watch it and take responsibility for the pitchers. Then, you see Kenny Williams go out and get other players and I think it thrilled him. You picked up a leadoff hitter who could steal bases, a second baseman who would give himself up, and had a club where there was no doubt that he was the leader of the team. You don't see that very often in such a positive way. This club took his personality. The secret to winning in the big leagues is winning close ballgames. You see a lot of managers who get tight in close games and it reflects on their team. Ozzie changed the mindset to the point where every time we got in a close ballgame, I thought we were going to win it and most of the time we did. Buehrle set the tone on Opening Day last year when we won 1-0, then right before the All-Star break we win 1-0, and of course the last game of the season we won the championship in a 1-0 game. That epitomized the season because one- and two-run games were what made this team. Hawk