I just got back from Baltimore, and all I can say is...
...this is one terrible baseball team.
My brother Jeff (who goes by the handle "Salty Dog" around these parts) and I went to the last three games of the series and experienced the White Sox Suck Sampler:
- Loss with non-existent offense.
- Loss with non-existent bullpen.
- Loss with non-existent team.
I suppose I needed a reminder. I'd gone 2-1 in the
first three games I saw, and I've used DVR to my advantage to fast-forward through the bullpen blow-ups. I'd pause it when seeing Mike MacDougal or his ilk come in, wait 30 minutes, then fast-forward through the between-pitch motions to make it as painless as possible. If I missed the first hour of the game, I'd check the line score before tuning in and watch the Sox's "offensive" sequences in double time if they didn't warrant watching.
So this was the first time in about a month where I had to watch the Sox start to finish -- the procession of .230 hitters, every errant pitch, every backwards K, every failure to score a runner from third, every multiple-pitching-change inning, every expression of disgust, the station-to-station running, the complete lack of dynamic players...
Simply put, this team is a fan base-killer. Jeff swore off -- in more ways than one after Bobby Jenks' blown save, actually -- going to any more games in person this year. I can see his point, and I'm not going to Fenway this year because the Sox aren't worth Boston's inflated ticket prices. However, I'll be going to a few more because 1) of this site, and 2) I'd like to see the team's payroll stay the same, at the very least.
All I can say is to those who will renew their season tickets for next year, well, people have been canonized for less.
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Fun fact: A.J. Pierzynski hasn't homered since May 20.
Because he keeps putting up 1-for-4 days, I didn't really notice the power outage until I saw his Triple Crown line on the jumbotron. The number "8" stuck out to me because at one point
that total was higher than Paul Konerko and Jim Thome's output. Since then, both sluggers have surpassed him, and Juan Uribe is tied with A.J. for fourth on the team in that category.
As it turns out, it's the
longest in-season streak he's had since joining the Sox. He did go 53 straight games without going deep at one point between the end of 2005 and the start of 2006, but within the confines of one year, you have to go back to 2003 to find a bigger drought.
Nevertheless, the bunt single he had Saturday night was pretty sweet.
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Minor league round-up:- Toledo 5, Charlotte 4 (10 innings)
- Lance Broadway had his finest start in a month, in terms of control. He only walked two over 7 1/3 innings, striking out eight. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits, although one of the runs Edwardo Sierra allowed to score.
- Danny Richar went 2-for-4 with a walk; he's hitting .333. Kenny Kelly went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and RBI double.
- Ryan Sweeney went 0-for-4, but he did have two outfield assists.
- Birmingham 5, Jacksonville 2
- Gio Gonzalez wasn't at his sharpest, giving up five runs over seven innings. Three of them came on a two-out triple in the sixth. He walked four (one intentional), and gave up a solo homer.
- Adam Shabala drove in both the Barons' runs with two hits, and Chris Kelly had a pair of hits as well.
- Augusta 3, Kannapolis 2
- Jacob Rasner pitched seven solid innings in defeat, giving up three runs on seven hits and three walks. He struck out six.
- Three of Kanny's five hits were doubles, including an RBI one by Brandon Allen. Chris Carter and Sergio Miranda went hitless.
- Winston-Salem OFF