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Pierzynski, Bullpen Bail Out Bad Contreras

Thecheatsmoking_tiny by The Cheat on in Recaps

A real quick recap since most of you have better things to do on the weekend.

  • Jose Contreras was terrible, looking almost nothing like the pitcher who filled us with cautious optimism in spring training. He was throwing far too much from his drop-down delivery, was falling behind a lot, and if not for the out-making abilities of Magglio Ordonez and Edgar Renteria plus an unusual double play he might have given up 10 plus runs. He was that bad.

  • Carlos Quentin may be in the process of playing his way into the lineup more regularly. He put the White Sox up early with a 2-run homer in the second after Contreras provided foreshadowing of his poor outing in the first. Though I expect Ramirez and Anderson to see some action this weekend in Detroit.

    "If [Quentin] keeps playing like that, he'll be in the lineup and we'll figure out the rest," Guillen said.

  • AJ Pierzynski is off to great start. He already has 2 HR and 7 RBI, which is greater than the output from last seasons back-up catchers, and I'd be willing to bet that it exceeds the production of Toby Hall for the rest of the season. With that in mind, AJ has to stay healthy. He's the batter the Sox can least afford to lose.

  • Jermaine Dye has surprised me with his fast start. He was terrible in spring training, and looked like his bat speed and reaction time was way down. But since the games started counting, his swing is much more direct and he's been pounding the ball. He even closed the game with one of those awkwardly good catches that he seems to make on balls in front of him.

  • Scott Linebrink has looked fantastic in his two innings of work the last two days. The velocity isn't quite what it used to be, but the curveball he's shown the last two days more than makes up for it.

    Linebrink combined with Logan, Dotel, and Jenks for 4 innings of scoreless relief. They allowed just one hit, and with the exception of Jenks, who needed 25 pitches to get through the 9th, made quick work of the Tigers.

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Contreras blew

but I thought that we saw a lot of good things today. CQ looking like a player. Crede looked better again. And, as the headline suggested, AJ and the pen were awesome.

Also, I win.

I, too, was taught karate by an old asian man who was the maintenance man in my building.

by MarketMaker on Apr 4, 2008 4:47 PM CDT   0 recs

I think our offense is going to be marginally better...

The BP has looked better already (although it looked great early last year).

Besides Danks, the starting pitching has been awful. It's much too early to thrown out any brash statements about the rotation, but it would be nice to have quality starts from Mark and Javy next time around.

"You might be impressed with your analysis, but I am not. Stop wasting my time." - Chris De Luca

by BoKnows on Apr 4, 2008 4:50 PM CDT   0 recs

Vazquez wasn't awful. The other 2, yes.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 5:07 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

five hits and four walks in five innings

while laboring to 100+ pitchers is awful. it just looks less awful when compared to the other two.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:09 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Didn't see the game, but

what is Count's obsession with the drop-down arm angle? I can't imagine anyone is forcing it on him. Is it somehow less stressful on his back?

Once the hitter sees it then he knows he's getting one of two pitches: the fastball which tails in on righties or that mediocre slider away from them. Either way the ball will be staying on the same plane as the bat during a swing. This arm angle has completely removed Count's (what used to be) most devasting pitch, the forkball

by 3E8 on Apr 4, 2008 4:50 PM CDT   0 recs

uh huh

i think it's increasingly obvious that age and/or injury have caught up to contreras and something is bothering or otherwise constraining his ability to pitch more over the top.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 4:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

especially considering he manages to come over the top

when a lefty comes up. he must know that throwing sidearm against LHB is death, but if he can't do it against righties, then he must be covering up an injury of some kind.

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 5:18 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

yes

which makes me wonder, among other possibilities, if he's having lots of problems with his body getting loose. we've talked about this on here before. flexibility and so on get reduced with age and injury. we know jose has had back problems. we also know that a symptom of decreased flexibility in a pitcher can be arm angle issues. arizona warm, detroit cold. just a possibility to throw out there.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:45 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

We'll see.

He didnt look comfortable at all today and it was plenty cold. I wondered if he was loose.

by Tdogg on Apr 4, 2008 5:48 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

dropping down as he did

is a sign of something physically wrong. Our college pitching coach kept close tabs on starters arm slots as games wore on as it was a fair measure of fatigue. No question there is less stress on your arm when you drop down (throwing fastballs).

Also a slider is absolutely flat when when one's throws it side arm, see Zambrano this time last year for proof.

by Chopper Two Hopper on Apr 4, 2008 6:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

he loses feel for it when he doesn't throw it

which makes it all the worse because it gets away easily.

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 5:17 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Our defense has been absolutely brutal.

I cringe when anything is hit hard. Everything is an adventure.

Not good, if we don't settle down.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 5:12 PM CDT   0 recs

Cabrera really has me wondering if he and Juan shouldn't switch

whatever you say about Juan's bat (and there's nothing good anyway), if he's going to be in the lineup, then he could at least be making up for it in the field to some degree. Cabrera looks like he has very little range right now.

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 5:16 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

they've both kinda not looked good

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:22 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

but can't one be excused at a new position?

I mean if OC continues looking sucky, we can form an opinion that he's lost some range. If Uribe sucks he has the adjustment excuse. I see where Colin is coming from, but I think its too early for decisions.

Skanberg, if I wanted to hear your opinion, I would have brainwashed you by now-
Don Guillote

by Chiburb on Apr 4, 2008 6:36 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Let's leave it up to Pete.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 6:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Starting pitching and defense, not so encouraging

Baserunning, advancing runners, little Ozzieball things - not encouraging.

Offense, encouraging.

Put em all together and I doubt you make the playoffs. Which is okay with me, as long as we bash a lot of people into submission - brute force ass kickings like today are fun to watch.

by ChicagoPete on Apr 4, 2008 5:19 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

chicks dig the long ball

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 5:20 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

End result today - good.

But I did not enjoy watching that game.

Not a good game, IMO.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 5:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

No doubt.

Just ugly pre that.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 5:23 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i know it's tough to watch your buddy continue to get his ass handed to him

i think it's time you introduced him to that busty latin vixen at your work. that'll cheer him up.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:23 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Which one? There are several.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 6:53 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'll try anythig.

Which honey do you think? There are several.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 7:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Winning does that to fans.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 6:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

AJ

"Let's be honest. We stunk last year, myself included, I wasn't very good," Pierzynski said. "We have a lot of professional guys that want to win and expect to win, and that's what we want to do this year. Come out and play as hard as we can and win games."

http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20080404&content_id=2490450&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:31 PM CDT   0 recs

notice where it's being sold

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:35 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

select north side locations! alright!

who's up for some Vampire Weekend?!

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 6:05 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

as a card carrying hipster....

I resent being lumped in wth northsiders. THats definately more of a frat boy crowd. I am seing vampire weekend tommorrow. congratulations on amking me feel bad about myself.

by boyonthedock on Apr 5, 2008 2:48 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

man have they experienced some serious

backlash for all the hype they got. which is weird, because they just make upbeat pop. nothing really offensive or challenging. i finally made myself listen to their album with a clean take and decided i really enjoy the first four songs on that album. the rest aren't as great and they didn't really deserve their pitchfork fellatio, but so what? does that make them actually offensive? people should be mad at the journalistic forces that toss these poor bands around, not a few pretty decent paul simon imitators.

and frat boys are imminently more offensive than most who get called hipsters.

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 5, 2008 6:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

but then again i wore a pink AmApp arcade fire shirt with some tight jeans

with their cuffs up and a pair of pumas to top it off yesterday

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 5, 2008 6:01 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

ain't nothing wrong with that

I own about 6 argyle cardigan sweaters

Lurking since 2006

by boyonthedock on Apr 8, 2008 7:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Sure.

But Schlitz was the number one selling beer in the country until they changed the recipe in the 60s. I'm game for trying it out. Hipster or not.

Out-underacheiving the other guy.

by defensive indifference on Apr 4, 2008 7:07 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

WTF

Was that written by a "professional writer"? And if so, how did this sentence get in there?

But Woodridge-based Pabst Brewing, which owns the historic brand, is brining back the original recipe in markets in Minnesota and Florida late last year.

I, too, was taught karate by an old asian man who was the maintenance man in my building.

by MarketMaker on Apr 4, 2008 6:13 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you don't like salty beer?

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 6:13 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

the typo is funny

but it's the time travel that impresses me most.

I, too, was taught karate by an old asian man who was the maintenance man in my building.

by MarketMaker on Apr 4, 2008 6:14 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Leo Durocher used to do Schlitz commercials

with the tag being "how about another Schlitz fellows".
Appropriate for the north side fans using walkers.

Skanberg, if I wanted to hear your opinion, I would have brainwashed you by now-
Don Guillote

by Chiburb on Apr 4, 2008 7:00 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

this is an excellent sig

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 7:56 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Schlitz's demise is one of the great business failures.

They were neck and neck with Bud for #1 for years. They introduced a cost-cutting "new recipe" that tasted great after brewing but had terrible shelf life. People eventually bought older product which tasted like squirrel piss and didn't buy it again. Eventually, everything on the shelf was old. The company was very, very slow to react to the
problem which lead to a long, slow decline until NADA.

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 7:01 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Squirrel piss might not have caught on, but you gotta love their chances with this new highly salted recipe.

Schlitz Beer- Now nearly saturated with salt and brought to you by time-travelers.

by MarketMaker on Apr 4, 2008 7:08 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

did Bud taste good at one point too?

that i have a tough time believing.

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 7:57 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

damn

they just corrected the "brining" typo. Yet they somehow still don't see a problem with the grammar in that same sentence.

Schlitz Beer- Now nearly saturated with salt and brought to you by time-travelers.

by MarketMaker on Apr 4, 2008 7:12 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

man, Profundo! was ahead of the curve!

[TW]:

The cause of Carlos Zambrano's cramping might be a potassium deficiency, Cubs manager Lou Piniella revealed Wednesday.

"His potassium level was a little low," Piniella said when asked if he knew why Zambrano suffered a right forearm cramp during the seventh inning of the team's Opening Day loss to Milwaukee. "I think that was the problem."
...
Zambrano, who has battled cramping throughout his career, will not miss his next start - an outing likely prefaced by the consumption of bananas.

by The Wizard on Apr 4, 2008 5:47 PM CDT   0 recs

hey blockquotes work!

or did take out the manual paragraph breaks and insert HTML ones?

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Apr 4, 2008 5:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

re

or did take out the manual paragraph breaks and insert HTML ones?

yes, that's what I did

someone pointed out that you only need to change the first paragraph mark from manual to HTML and then the rest work fine

by The Wizard on Apr 4, 2008 5:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Wiz, how does it work.

I'd like all my posts highlighted. That will make it much easier for you guys!

'08-to-date --- 1 triple to RF against the Sox.

by ballyb on Apr 4, 2008 7:03 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

click the blue quote symbol and then write between the 2 blockquote tags

it's between the title box and the body box, this:

but don't highlight everything you write, just the quotes from other sources

by The Wizard on Apr 4, 2008 7:17 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

did it seriously take the cubs this long to figure out this approach to cramps?

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Zabrano is an idiot

who has been drinking "energy" drinks to stay hydrated. I use energy in quotes because he's pumping his body full of diuretics to briefly feel more energized.

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Apr 4, 2008 5:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

need a boost to churn out those texts.

Just because you are a character doesn't mean you character.

by Toonderstrook on Apr 4, 2008 5:53 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

well, i don't follow zambrano that closely

but i've heard of his cramping problems before and it's stunning to me that the cubs are (apparently) just now realizing that feeding him some bananas to get his potassium up is a good idea.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:56 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Remember when Frank Thomas

Tried solving his leg woes by not drinking coffee?

That didn't exactly seem to be a cure-all.

Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Apr 4, 2008 6:06 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

actually, no

I don't remember that

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Apr 4, 2008 6:09 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Hm.

Hope this doesn't turn out to be, "Remember when I made some crap up about Frank Thomas and coffee?"

I'm still at work, so I'll try to Lexis-Nexis it.

Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Apr 4, 2008 6:10 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm not challenging you

I was just stating that I honestly don't remember

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Apr 4, 2008 6:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

You want to fight?

I think I could take you.

Seriously, when I'm the only one that remembers something, I then start to doubt myself. It's going to nag me if I don't look it up.

Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Apr 4, 2008 6:17 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Found it

Note: Thomas forced to cut back

White Sox head athletic trainer Herm Schneider said that Thomas will have to change his routine a little to help aid in not cramping up, like not lifting before games and cutting down on the amount of coffee he drinks. The change in the lifting schedule was nothing big for Thomas, but the coffee part is what had him worried.

"I don't know if I can kill that habit," Thomas said with a laugh. "I love coffee. I'm a Starbucks regular and I drink coffee when I get to the ballpark. I like to stay hyper and keep myself motivated. That's the way I do things."

Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Apr 4, 2008 6:42 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you have a good brain

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 7:58 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

work at seven?

on a friday? I am truly sorry about that.

by boyonthedock on Apr 5, 2008 2:52 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you remember some obscure stuff man

dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.

by colintj on Apr 4, 2008 6:09 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I thought they

told him to drink more coffee? no joke.

by Where Triples Go to Die on Apr 4, 2008 6:32 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

the trib says SSS is one of the best Sox blogs

[DH]:

The Chicago White Sox have had better luck than the Cubs in recent years, but Sox bloggers are no less hungry. Here are some of the best White Sox blogs:


- South Side Sox - This site is pretty much ground zero for the White Sox fan community.


- White Sox Pride - Updates on the team from Scott Reifert, the team's vice president of communications.


- South Side Baseball - A blog written by White Sox superfan Andrew Reilly. Lots of good insight here.


- White Sox Locker - Trade rumors and team analysis. Part of the Locker network of MLB team blogs.

by The Wizard on Apr 4, 2008 5:56 PM CDT   0 recs

ground zero?

that sounds about right.

"Aw, how could he lose the ball in the sun, he's from Mexico."

by larry on Apr 4, 2008 5:57 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

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