While I'd really like to have more time to comment on the latest Sox news I really only have time to call out the facts, unfortunately. First and foremost, Crede and Pablo have recently been reinstated to the active roster-WOOHOO!!!
Meanwhile Darin Erstad and Mike Myers' options for next year were declined. I have a lot of respect for Ersty (previously stated: "if it was the Erstad of old--the only player to win a Gold
Glove for infield and outfield, I would definitely want him. I like
intensity--OK, I identify with it, and he's definitely intense. There
could still be some good stuff left in there but I kinda see him as Joe
Montana in his KC years") that and a year plagued with injuries did not bode well for him. We are the same age and all I can say is it's not fun getting old and battling sports injuries.
I think I was right about Myers and I think it was the right decision to let him file for free agency. So far Pods and Cintron's options have not been picked up either. Whew. (Pods will probably have a banner year elsewhere just because that's the way things seem to figure.)
Lots of interesting headlines as of late for other clubs. I see that Detroit picked up Renteria so that's one SS off the list. Free agents are filing all over the place. Like I said, wish I had more time to comment. Maybe this weekend.
Did anyone catch the Cox interview on White Sox Weekly? Yowza.
A lot has happened since my last baseball post and before the big changes around town really go down, here's a little to get us caught up.
A weird coincidence: this was the Sox worst year since 1998 and I believe this is Cleveland's first ALCS appearance since 1998.
Bobby is the first pitcher in franchise history to post back to back 40+ saves.
The last weekend of the regular season the Sox had celebration ceremonies for Mark Buehrle's no-no, Bobby's tying of the Major League Record of consecutive batters retired and Jim Thome's 500th home run. They each got special rings, there were highlight videos on the jumbo-tron and a little extra fanfare. It was fun to see their families--esp. their kids and was a brief distraction from a horrible season.
AJ's contract was extended through 2010. Obviously, I'm happy despite the fact his numbers were down this year--whose weren't? I love the guy. That being said, I really hope the back-up situation improves. Toby Hall had a bad year too and it was much worse. It started out with an injury on the last day of Spring Training that put him on the DL. While he got to play eventually I was never happy to see him out there. I didn't ever feel comfortable when he was behind the plate. Runners wanted to go on him because they knew he had a bad shoulder. I didn't particularly care for the way he handled the pitchers and his offense...well, he finished with .207, 3 RBIs and 0 HRs. It was disappointing because after reading what I had in the offseason/pre-season I thought this would be a step up from The Widge and Sandy Alomar Jr. but this year proved otherwise. To top it off his last couple games were sprinkled with REALLY dumb base-running.
I thought Johnny Danks was great this year--all things considered. He did better than his record reflects and in the beginning of the year we had no idea if this kid could last a game, a couple games, much less most of the season. I think he did a great job and he seems to have the right attitude. Every time he was on the bump I felt like we had a chance to win. In fact, he should have had 3-4 more wins on his record. He pitched well enough to win, unfortunately our offense gave him nothing.
As for the other Sox pitchers not previously mentioned, Gavin Floyd finally appeared to be turning things around by the end of the season. Hopefully he's broken through a few layers and is over his problems. Lance Broadway looked good (on the mound and in general) ;) . Ehren Wasserman was impressive as a rookie. Javie was excellent. Contreras seemed to have turned himself around except we lost the last game of the year as badly as we lost the first game of the year. For those who haven't heard by now, the story goes that Contreras was served with divorce papers on Opening Day. To this guy, family is everything. He was a mess and the Yankees traded him to the Sox, a month later his family came to The States and he won 17 games in a row (this run was partially in 2005 so it includes postseason wins, which obviously carry a little more weight). I don't know what to think in regards to wanting him back. He's got a contract that is on the pricey side (esp. when he's not playing to his ability, obviously) and no one is going to want to take someone like that off our hands. If he finds a way to not bring his personal problems to the mound that's one thing but... Matt Thornton had a couple problems but overall I won't be disappointed to see him again next year. I don't want to see Mike Meyers. I think I was right. We need a few veterans in the 'pen but not this one. I also don't want to see Mike MacDougal. It sounds like the Sox still think there is something in there they can work with and while I know there is a reason they do what they do and I only sit in the stands, I'm not so confident on this one. To make matters worse he has such a violent delivery that he doesn't have a long pitching life as it is. Deliveries like Thornton, Jenks, and those of our starters are more smooth. Deliveries like MacDougals aren't conducive to a lot of years on the bump. Usually it can take longer for someone like that to heal when they are hurt, it probably adds to their chances of getting hurt too.
Someone else I don't want to see: Alex Cintron. His mind was never on the game, he had elbow/arm problems and usually his lack of defense ended up causing runs against us instead of his offense scoring runs for us. He had a tough year with family problems and had to go on the bereavement list a few times, which is unfortunate (and I dread the day when I lose my parents). It was just tough that Pablo, Pods and other utility guys were hurt and couldn't play so Ozzie wasn't left with much of a choice to throw him out there, probably when he shouldn't have been. Regardless, he wasn't that great to begin with. I'd rather not see him suit up in the South Side next year.
Speaking of Pods, I'm pretty sure: HE GONE. He had a banner year in '05 (but stole most of his bases in the first half...however, with the walk-off in Game 2 of the WS I won't hold it against him). There is this stat (sorry, I'm too tired to look it up) where his leading off seems to tie in directly with Sox wins and if I didn't see the numbers myself I wouldn't believe it but it's true. To watch the guy everyday--or when he's well enough to play--it's kinda hard to believe. I KNOW I won't miss his defense (at least I hope I don't, if I do, then we've got big troubles).
Erstad, if it was the Erstad of old (the only player to win a Gold Glove for infield and outfield), I would definitely want him. I like intensity--OK, I identify with it, and he's definitely intense. There could still be some good stuff left in there but I kinda see him as Joe Montana in his KC years.
There are the same rumors as always with the Angels wanting Paulie. In order for Kenny to give him up, though, it'd have to be a pretty sweet deal and then some.
Who else is there...Juan Uribe. Ugh. I'm not up for this but the short of it is he's a talented guy who doesn't always show up to play nor does he show up in shape. He's a great defensive guy (when he wants to be) and he can even put up some offense (when he feels like it). Come on, you are living the dream dude. How much money are you paid? He's very frustrating to say the least. It sounds like there's a strong chance he'll still be around though so I'm trying to prep myself for it. Why do I think so? There aren't a lot of SS available and Ozzie and Kenny sound like they still think they can get they can make him better. At least this question should be answered relatively soon as I believe they have to pick up his option w/in 10 days of the end of the postseason.
I believe that might be the same time-frame for ARod too--I could be wrong, I know one of them needs to be sorted 10 days after. Now, there are 5 or 6 NYY who say that if Torre is gone so are they. This will be interesting to watch "fer sure"--Rivera NOT a Yankee?! Do I want ARod to come to Chicago? No question he's one amazing ball player, many say the best in a long time. I don't dispute the numbers (how can you dispute fact?) BUT he does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the postseason. What's the deal? Seriously? How can someone be SO good in regular season and continuously fall flat on his face once October hits? Nothing with the Mariners, nothing with Texas and obviously zero with NYY (and after this INSANE year he's had??!!) I don't get it. I've also heard quite a bit of gossip in that he's not a good teammate. We've had enough cancer in our clubhouse. We don't need more (if that is in fact true)...and honestly, I don't care how good someone is, that kind of money is ridiculous (so is Ichiro's).
Centerfield? Well (deep breath), Aaron Rowand is now a god after his career year in Philly but it's good to see that they haven't lost their heads, he's not worth what he was asking for, in fact I thought it had to be joke when I heard it. With all that wall crashing is he seriously going to STILL be around in 6 years? The legend of Aaron Rowand lives on in some Chicago minds--BUT NOT HERE! Sure I was sad to see him go but it was more out of sentiment--were the Three Stooges being separated so soon?! The truth is, he made base running mistakes and the reason he had to make those crazy catches is either because he's not smart enough to read the ball off the bat or because he's looking for attention. Whichever it is it's not smart because how are you helping your team when you're on the DL? Yeah, he's intense and as I've said, I like intensity and if you aren't playing your guts out you shouldn't be there BUT you should also be smart about it. It's a fine line but there is one. Yeah, you should go all out and crash into the walls, dive and slide across the grass--that's what I pay to see but sometimes I think things could have been played a little smarter. All of these injuries piling up over the years will come back to haunt him too. Look at Vlad. Granted most of his problems were probably really rooted in playing on a bad field/surface but for those of us over 30 we know things don't work the same, even just the day-to-day things. That's not to say I'd be mad if he came back. I do like the guy, it's just that all the phone calls to pre- and post-game shows and White Sox Weekly and conversations I've heard around town have left me so sick and tired of hearing about the guy. He was good but he wasn't close to his legend.
Torii Hunter? Sure. He'd be great. He wants to play next to JD, he and Ozzie are friends and likes Chicago (the South Side...I heard an interview earlier this year, he was specific. Comiskey is a field that fits his style of play, he cannot play his game up north--neither can Rowand for that matter--you can't bounce off ivy and brick the way you do off padded walls. The ground down south is a lot more athlete friendly too.) Torii won't come cheap and he's 32 so I hope it's not a long contract if he does come our way. Kenny says there will be money for them to go after anyone they want. Guess we'll see what happens.
If nothing pans out and JO is back, honestly, I won't feel that bad (I'm trying to prepare myself for anything). He had a great rookie year. He was told what to change and he did, he has a good attitude, improved his swing and stole 32 bases (and he only played half the year). If nothing else he'd be a good bargaining chip...but I hope he gets to stay--even though I don't know where he fits right now. Seems we are too quick to get rid of young talent sometimes, which is something Ozzie and Kenny said they want to improve upon. Again, we'll see.
Some changes have already been made and it will be interesting to see what else happens--especially if there is a Rick Hahn-less Kenny Williams-- not only here but all over baseball. Is it me or does it seem like there is a little extra shuffling all over? So much to say about all of it (Cardinals, Royals, Baltimore--too much to mention here, etc., etc., etc.) but I'll leave it for another day. Although, for some reason this caught my eye the other day. Are they hoping a new name and logo will bring in more fans?
Lastly, there is going to be some shuffling of seats next year so to my White Sox Family: Jeff, Megan, Graham, Garrett, Jeff, Karen, Vern, Kathy, Grandma and Grandpa, Kevin, Kim, Justin and Jeffrey; It's been a lot of fun. You made the games more fun, they will not be the same without you and I will miss you. I hope we keep in touch and can still catch some games together or at least catch up somewhere around the park. Go Sox!
It was SO weird to be getting ready for a hockey game with it being 86 degrees out. Seriously, it was really strange. I was in jeans with a lightweight T-shirt, socks and real shoes and I was so hot. I tied a long sleeve shirt and a vest around my waist in anticipation of the iced UC air and set off for the night.
I told my friends that we could just buy tickets there because no one ever goes to Blackhawk games except Red Wing fans. It's the truth. I go to all of these games every year. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of lines at the box office. It was great. We still managed to get fairly good seats and headed in. It was by far the biggest hockey crowd I have seen at the United Center in years. The even bigger surprise, the majority were actually Blackhawks fans.
Just before the National Anthem was of course a brief ceremony honoring recently deceased owner
William Wirtz, which lead into a very rousing rendition of The Star Spangled Banner. Mention had been made of Wirtz's patriotism and his love of our National Anthem and how he loved cheering throughout the entire song. Fans on both sides did not disappoint. It was one of those special moments that you felt American pride. One of those times that you felt we are all on the same team, our military service is not in vain, the USA is THE BEST place on earth. For lack of better words...it was really cool. You wish there were more people there to share in that moment.
As I mentioned a few days ago...I am a Red Wing fan at heart. I felt like a traitor all day today, I went back and forth on what I was going to wear. Would I be incognito or wear one of my Wings shirts? The shirt tied around my waist tonight was my Wings shirt. Sorry Chicago. I seriously feel like a jerk but I love that team. That's not to say that I don't want the Blackhawks to be good because I do. If you read the entire post I mentioned earlier you will know this. It was just as strange to go to the game feeling some affection for both teams as it was going to watch hockey in summer weather, it's a rarity for me. Very odd. I mean, I really wanted the Wings to win but the only team I was really rooting for today was the Diamondbacks. DOH!
Anyway, the game begins...and did I mention the number of 'Hawk fans there? It's the first time in recent memory that there were actually more Chicago fans there than Detroit fans. I always get a kick out of the traditional "Let's go Red Wings, DE-troit SUCKS" chant. Tonight was no different but it's funny to hear when the UC is actually full and like I said, the scales were tilted to the 'Hawks side.
Less than seven minutes in Wisinewski and Drake throw their gloves to the ice and go at it! HA HA, it's hockey season baby!! WoooooHooo! It was pretty good and the refs let them have at it for a bit. It ended with both players and two officials lying on the ice. The best one of the game and I was surprised it came so quickly.
Red Wings struck first with a goal by Rafalski and then another by Lindstrom.
Their third was by Holmstrom. Zetterberg assisted on all three. Meanwhile, Ruutu, Wisinewski and former Red Wing, Robert Lang, scored for the Blackhawks. The first Hawk goal was what it was but I have to say the next two surprised me when they got past
The Dominator. They didn't look that tough. I hope it's just a little rust and not a sign of things to come. I know it's only the second game of the season but please don't let this be the beginning of the end of an era. Hopefully I'm just overreacting but this is "
the" innovator of goal-tending, this guy is amazing (OK, that shower picture is disturbing--sorry) and it will be a sad day in hockey when he's done.
The third goal hurt. Not because it was the game tying shot but because it was one that looked kinda easy to stop and because it was Robert Lang. :( Ouch.
I was saying just the other day that I actually felt good about the Hawks this year (not Stanley Cup good but an improvement from the last few years) because of Robert Lang and #1 draft pick, 18 year-old
Patrick Kane. Well, I guess my feelings were validated tonight because not only did Lang have the game tying shot but Patrick Kane had the only goal in the second overtime shoot out and won the game for the 'Hawks.
It was a good game. Lots of excitement and really good to see Blackhawks fans out in force. I hope it keeps happening.
Thanks to Amanda and Gemma for going with me. I'm so glad we went and even happier that you had fun and want to go again!