Daily Rundown

According to the Chris De Luca, Julio Lugo is a more likely shortstop acquisition for next year than Miguel Tejada. Lugo will be a free agent, and he can hit second, which would allow Tadahito Iguchi to hit lower in the order. Last offseason, Iguchi wanted to hit lower so he could hit with more power.

Free agent relief pitcher Jamie Walker could be signed to solidify the shaky bullpen. Walker was very impressive this year with a 2.20 ERA in 45 innings pitched. He struck out 36 while walking 8. He has not posted an ERA above 4.00 since 1998. He would be a very good acquisition.

De Luca also claims that AJ Pierzynski has not been getting along with Don Cooper and Jon Garland. If true, this could explain the White Sox poor pitching this year. However, De Luca offers no proof to back up his claim.

Juan Pierre is said to be better liked by Ozzie Guillen than Kenny Williams. This is interesting considering that Williams seems to like Brian Anderson better than Guillen does. It will be revealing to see who wins this battle. My money is on Williams.

Rumor Mill

A lot of names are being bandied about in the daily papers as being potential members of the 2007 White Sox. Unfortunately, none to this point are pitchers.

One possibility is Miguel Tejada. The Sox have been on the cusp of acquiring for a couple years, but things have never quite worked out. With the struggles of Juan Uribe in 2006, the Sox need an upgrade at shortstop. By trading Freddy Garcia, Uribe, and Scott Podsednik, the Sox could free up enough payroll to acquire Tejada and still be able to afford bullpen upgrades.

Another possibility is Juan Pierre. Pierre and Ozzie Guillen have a history together from their time in Florida, and Ozzie loves Pierre, who would answer the lead-off question. However, Pierre's .330 OBP is even lower than Podsednik's this year.

A third possibility is Chone Figgins. Apparantely, there are rumors that the Angels might trade him to the White Sox for Joe Crede. Personally, I think that would be a terrible move. Figgins is good at a number of positions but is great at none, while Joe Crede is a great third basemen. While Figgins would be an ideal leadoff candidate, he would not make up for losing Crede in the Sox lineup. I am all for acquiring Figgins but only if he plays left field and doesn't mean losing Crede.

This Season Is Over

With tonight's 14-1 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Indians, the White Sox have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. They are no longer the defending World Series champions and are now the team that failed to defend the crown. This would be easier to accept if they had lost key players to free agency last off-season. Instead, they actually made upgrades to the team by trading for veterans Jim Thome and Javier Vazquez. All they have to show for it is a third place finish and an absolute choke job down the stretch. John L. Smith would be proud.

What happened? This season started poorly with the Sox losing their first four ballgames. However, they only lost three more games for the rest of the month of April. At that point, it looked like failing to make the playoffs was out of the question.

In May, the real trouble started to rear its ugly head. The White Sox were playing well against the good teams, but they went 3-3 in May against Tampa Bay and Kansas City. This came on the heels of being swept by Kansas City in April. For whatever reason, the White Sox did not play as well against the bad teams as they did against the good teams. This would be a problem all season long.

June was more of the same, the White Sox only played two truly bad teams, Pittsburgh and the Cubs, and they only played the Cubs one game that month. Overall, they went 19-7 that month and only lost 2 games over the last 2 and a half weeks. Naturally, one of those losses was against Pittsburgh, a terrible excuse for a major league team.

July is when things fell apart for the White Sox. They were just 4-4 over their last eight before the All-Star break. After the break, they won just five games through the end of the month. Something terrible happened to them after the 15-11 loss to the Cubs on July 2. They were never again the same team.

August was much a lot like July. They played very poorly. They were able to record a three and four game winning streak, which they have not been able to duplicate since. However, they also had a stretch of 9 losses out of 12 games against their four division rivals. Overall, they were 16-13 in August, barely above .500 and not good enough to make the playoffs.

In September, they basically quit. They have lost 15 out of 24 games this month, and they have lost in every way imagineable from 1-0 to 14-1 scores. They might as well have been the Kansas City Royals this month. They have played like a last place baseball team.

Offensively, the Sox were second in the American League in runs scored with 855, and they led the league with 232 home runs. However, the numbers do not tell the whole story. This team was woefully inconsistent in its run production. They struggled to hit left-handed hitting and was unable to manufacture runs with the bottom third of its lineup. Compounding problems, lead-off hitter Scott Podsednik was only able to reach base at a .331 OBP clip, and he was caught stealing in 18 of his 58 attempts. These problems led to a team that would put up 10 runs one night and 2 runs the next, and they were even worse month to month. For example, in August they only placed fourth in runs scored and posted a .331 OBP, identical to Podsednik's for the season.

Pitching was an even bigger culprit than the hitting. The Sox were tenth in the AL in pitching this year, after tying for first in 2005. The four teams that will be making the playoffs placed 1, 2, 4, and 6. The biggest problem was the 196 homeruns allowed, which was third worst in the league. For whatever reason, the White Sox pitching was never really able to put it together this year. The starters and relievers were good at times, but they were never both good at the same time. This is the primary reason that this team crashed and burned.

Coming soon: With the Sox mathmatically eliminated, my future posts will deal with the 2007 edition of the White Sox. Kenny Williams has a lot of work to do to ensure that this disaster does not happen again. This should be an eventful off-season.

Potential Trade Partner

This article reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are a potential trading partner for our Sox. They are looking to trade for another starting pitcher, and the Sox are looking to move Brandon McCarthy into the rotation. Buehrle and Garcia are the most likely candidates.

As for the White Sox, they need a lead-off hitter, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and relief pitching. Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens, or Ryan Sweeney could fill the outfield spots, and Arizona does not have an outfielder to give the White Sox, anyway. They are looking for a left fielder of their own with the retirement of Luis Gonzalez. It is more likely that the White Sox would receive bullpen help and prospects if they were to trade with Arizona. With Arizona needing a left fielder, could Kenny Williams package left fielder Scott Podsednik with Garcia in a blockbuster move?

Quitters!

The Sox have given up. Do you want proof? Just watch them. I watched last night's 9-0 debacle, and I might stop watching them now. They have given up, so why shouldn't I?

Ozzie Guillen had this to say, "My team should feel embarrassed. People are paying to watch us play and we played pathetic. They should feel embarrassed for fans and for themselves. If we keep playing like that, they should start packing their bags." That pretty much sums it up.

Same Stuff, Different Day

The Sox tragic number is down to six games thanks to tonight's loss to the Detroit Tigers. It was the same typical BS. In the eighth inning, Jermaine Dye stepped up to the plate with one on and two out. He just needed to reach base to bring Jim Thome, the potential tying run, to the plate. Predictably, Dye swung at a 3-2 pitch that was over his head.

This team is done. It is time to focus on the 2007 White Sox. Ozzie needs to play the younger guys so we can find a left fielder and a bullpen.

Sox Lack Hunger?

Hawk Harrelson has taken a lot of heat from the Sox brass and players for his comments that the Sox lack "hunger" and "killer instinct." Harrelson explains it like this, "Last year's team was going to get it. This year's team is waiting for it to come to them."

I think Harrelson's point is spot on. Last year, if a the Sox got a lead, they would come out the next inning bunting and moving runners along. They played the same with a lead as they did when they were behind. This year, they sit back and wait for the other team to make their charge. It is a subtle difference, but it is the difference between a first place and a third place baseball team.

Garcia Masterful

For the second straight start, Freddy Garcia was unhittable tonight. He allowed just 1 hit in 8 innings, giving him 2 hits allowed in his last 27 innings. That is not bad.

The offense chipped in 7 runs. Jim Thome and Jermaine Dye hit homeruns numbered 41 and 43 respectively, but the highlight of the night came in the fourth inning. Justin Verlander hit Dye and walked Thome to lead off the inning. With a no-hitter going, Verlander left a pitch up and away to Paul Konerko. Konerko took him to left field loading the bases.

Then, with a 2-2 count, Verlander pitched AJ Pierzynski in the same way that the Tigers have been pitching him all season. He tried to get him to chase a curveball in the dirt. However, AJ was looking for it. He golfed a low curveball over the wall for a 4-0 White Sox lead.

In relief, Bobby Jenks allowed 1 hit and 0 runs in 1 inning of work. The White Sox elimination number is currently at 7 behind the Tigers and 8 behind the Twins. There are 11 games left in the season.

Sox Getting Closer

The Sox seem to be getting closer to making a run. The starting pitching, the weakness all season, has really turned things around. Over their last nine starts, White Sox pitchers have combined to post a 2.39 ERA. It has been a remarkable turn-around.

The White Sox hitters have been inconsistent lately, which can be attributed to poor play from lead-off hitter Scott Podsednik. He has struggled to stay above .260 this year, which is inexcusable for a lead-off hitter. Even worse is his .329 on base percentage. A lead-off hitter that reaches base less than 33 percent of the time is inexcusable and failing to reach base is the primary reason why his steals are down. As the old adage says, you cannot steal first base (unless you are truly awesome like AJ Pierzynski).

However, I think the offense is adequate to win the division if the starting pitching keeps pitching well. They have enough power to win tight ball games or make a bad pitcher lose in a blow-out. They would be more consistent with a good lead-off hitter, but they are adequate.

The bullpen is the biggest question mark at this point. Bobby Jenks has not been pitching very well since his hip started bothering him, and the middle relief, outside of Matt Thornton, has been shaky recently. However, these guys have the ability to pitch well, and they have done so at times this year. I think they will put it back together before the season ends.

Overall, I am going out on a limb and predicting that the Chicago White Sox will win the division, and the Minnesota Twins will take the Wild Card by one game. Detroit is falling apart, and they won't be able to hold the other two teams off much longer.

Update

I haven't updated my blog in a few days. There isn't much new to report here. This team is still inconsistent, and they suck. This is frustrating.

Blech!

Mark Buehrle pitched like crap, and the Sox were blown out. I turned it off and watched football. This team does not have the consistency necessary to get hot, and they need to get hot if they want to make the post-season.

On a brighter note, check out my new blog!

Consistency Comes Next

Tonight's 8-1 White Sox victory over Boston was a step in the right direction. Jose Contreras threw the ball very well. This was the third straight excellent start from the White Sox starting staff. The White Sox offense jumped all over mediocre pitching from Kyle Snyder and the Boston relief corps, and even Dustin Hermanson got into the act by pitching one three-up three-down inning.

Ozzie Guillen met with the team for a pregame meeting, which was likley a partial reason for the onslaught. The White Sox showed a much greater sense of urgency tonight. Jermaine Dye made a fabulous catch in center field, and the White Sox hitters looked a lot more decisive at home plate. They were agressive and were not afraid to take hard cuts when ahead in the count. Ryan Sweeney started in center and hit lead-off with Scott Podsednik batting eighth. This was likely a message sent by management to both Podsednik and regular centerfielder Brian Anderson. If they can combine this agressiveness consistently, and if the improved starting pitching continues, the White Sox can still salvage this season.

Ozzie Calls Out Sox, Anderson

Ozzie Guillen says the Sox need to play better. Guillen said, "'Right now, it's time to wake up and make a run." It's about time he called these guys out for the way they have been playing.

Ozzie also called out Brian Anderson, yesterday. Guillen says that Anderson needs to realize that his job is not guaranteed for next year, and he needs to play winter ball. Anderson, reluctantly, has agreed to play winter ball in Venezuela next year. Ozzie wants him to work on stealing bases, and Guillen is unhappy with the overall outfield speed.

Adding to the outfield confusion, Ozzie is falling in love with Ryan Sweeney. Guillen loved Sweeney's hustle when he advanced to third on a pitch in the dirt on Tuesday. Ozzie said it reminded him of a young Ozzie Guillen. This further compounds the outfield situation for the rest of 2006 and for 2007. Ozzie is losing faith in Scott Posednik, has called out Brian Anderson, and Jermaine Dye is due back from injury tonight.

Also due back from injuries are Bobby Jenks, Mark Buehrle, and Dustin Hermanson. Jenks' and Buehrle's MRIs checked out okay, and Hermanson is due to return tonight from his rehabillitation stint in Charlotte. Ozzie says that Hermanson would not have been called up if Ozzie did not intend to use him.

Losing in Creative Ways

Anyway you want to beat the White Sox, they will let you do it. They have specialized in high scoring losses with bad starting pitching. Over the last two days, the Sox have had great starting pitching and have not been able to score. Last Friday, they even lost with bad defense. They have this losing thing down pat.

Looking ahead towards next year, Ryan Sweeney had two hits tonight. Sweeney was filling in for Jermaine Dye, who injured his back on Monday. Also, Pablo Ozuna had a double and a nice diving catch. One of these guys will probably be the White Sox left fielder next year. Scott Podsednik has been an inadequate leadoff hitter.

Sox Need More Urgency

The White Sox continue to talk about not panicking and remaining calm. That is all well and good, but this is September. It is time to tighten the screws a bit. They need to be more focussed and agressive. The pitchers need to attack the strike zone, and the offense needs more agressive baseball plays (ie hit-and-run, stolen base, etc.) The status quo just is not getting it done.

Brandon McCarthy said, "We did this last year. I don't think you can make a World Series defending champion tight." How about we stop resting on last year's laurels and assume that everything will be alright because of last year's championship?

Not Looking Good

The Sox have lost 3 of 4 since Friday. They dropped 2 out of 3 over the weekend, and lost a tenth inning heart breaker tonight. Things are not looking good right now.

The pitching and defense have been awful. In the weekend series, Kansas freaking City was able to tally 17 runs in 3 games. On Friday night, 5 KC runs were unearned thanks to craptastical defense. Tonight's game was even worse. Jon Garland dominated the Boston lineup all night long. Then, Bobby Jenks came in and walked the leadoff batter, Manny Ramirez, on four pitches. Ramirez is now 0 for 3 against Jenks with 3 strikeouts and 1 walk over his career. Naturally, Ramirez eventually scored, and Brandon McCarthy took the loss when he allowed Carlos Pena to homer in the tenth.

Basically, these guys completely suck right now. Minnesota and Detroit are not playing very well either, so one hot streak could still win the division. Of course, one cold streak would likely end the White Sox chances of making the playoffs, and it looks like they are much closer to a losing streak than they are to a winning one.

Oh yeah, Javier Vazquez pitches tomorrow. Glory days are here again. I feel like the heckling Indians fan in Major League. "Wild thing! Hey mister choke thing."