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Konerko, Sox Let One Slip Away

Buehrleisaloser_medium

The tone was set for a pitchers duel early Thursday night when it became clear that home plate umpire Bill Hohn had a rather wide strike zone. Mark Buehrle and Zach Greinke took full advantage, combining for 16 strikeouts against just one walk and one run in the first 7 innings.

Jermaine Dye homered -- homered doesn't seem descriptive enough for a ball that cleared the fountains in the left field gap -- with none of those distracting baserunners in his line of sight to mark the game's only real action in the first two hours.

Things got interesting once again in the 8th inning, only this time it was the Royals staging a bizarre comeback. After giving up a lead-off single to John Buck, Buehrle induced what looked to be a routine 6-3 double play ball off the bat of David DeJesus. The Sox made the play look anything but routine, and the game turned on their failed attempt.

Buehrle reached out and got a glove on the ball, forcing Orlando Cabrera to change directions to make the initial grab, and necessitating a flip to Alexei Ramirez to turn the DP successfully. Paul Konerko was unable to handle the throw from Ramirez, the ball tricking out of his glove as DeJesus crossed first. Ramirez' throw was a bit wide at first, but not wide enough to place most of the blame on him for a poor throw, especially after replays showed a rather pathetic stretch from Konerko and his foot on the middle of the bag.

One pitch later, Mike Aviles, who is a total douchenozzle, BTW, doubled into the left field corner to tie the game. An out later, Octavio Dotel gave up a deep flyball double to Jose Guillen to put the Royals on top for good.

And then things got really crazy.

Mark Teahen realized he had gone a total of two games without homering against the White Sox, so he decided to further exploit and embarrass the Sox defense by hitting an inside the park home run, or as Konerko calls it, a stand-up double. Teahen was significantly aided by Ramirez falling asleep after receiving the relay throw. In Ramirez' defense, as the smartest player in baseball, he was probably calculating Boone Logan's FIP after the play.

Konerko's poor play, and the events that followed, should give considerable ammunition to the talk radio folk who are always looking to get rid of Konerko and/or Jim Thome. As long as Konerko isn't hitting, it's tough to argue that the Sox aren't a better club with the improved defensive alignment of an Anderson/Wise CF and Swisher at 1B. But the time to make a change isn't here yet. To quote mgl:

I am so sick of EVERYONE equating a player’s 3 month (or 6 month, or one month, or one year) performance with their "true talent" that I can’t stand it anymore.

Where do they think that we get our projection algorithms from? From real life! When REAL LIVE PLAYERS who are 33 years old hit .780 in their careers and then .577 in 3 months, they hit .740 (or whatever the number is) from then on in! We don’t just make these projections up. They are based on what players actually do, given their histories.

Konerko may be hitting .213/.319/.360, but he entered the season with a PECOTA projection of .264/.354/.483, and as mgl states, that projection hasn't changed much. Konerko's revised projection for the rest of the season is probably something like .255/.345/.470, which would figure to outpace the theoretical production of his replacements by enough to ignore the defensive downgrade.

There may come a point when it's time to remove Konerko from the lineup altogether, but it's not tonight, no matter how much it might feel like the right decision this very second.

*****

BTW, here's Jim's opinion: SoxMachine: To the official scorer's phone!

0 recs | Comment 144 comments

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Douchenozzle - genius!

You’ve outdone yourself again, Cheat!

And because of WU-like typing abilities, I also stumbled upon Douchnoozle, which, though not quite as excellent, sounds good as well.

by rhythm on Jul 10, 2008 11:17 PM CDT   0 recs

Now that's why I come here.....

reasoned logical analysis. Of course we still need to take some lipitor.

I think we ought to call Thome and Konerko the "Cholesterol Brothers" because of the way they clog the bases.

by bhoov on Jul 10, 2008 11:45 PM CDT   0 recs

i was thinking yesterday...

what was sox record without Konerko?

by The Scoper on Jul 11, 2008 12:04 AM CDT   0 recs

That was freaking painful to watch after Buehrle pitched so well...

Konerko catches that easy DP ball and the Sox probably win.

by SSH2005 on Jul 11, 2008 12:06 AM CDT   0 recs

yeah poor burls...

can we get colin to start sending BUO to the clubhouse before games?

i don’t want to see any more of this tomfoolery on this guestbook. and get off my motherfucking lawn.---good ole larry

by furby2056 on Jul 11, 2008 12:37 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

yea poor burls.....

can we get colin to start sending BUO to the clubhouse before games?

i don’t want to see any more of this tomfoolery on this guestbook. and get off my motherfucking lawn.---good ole larry

by furby2056 on Jul 11, 2008 12:37 AM CDT   0 recs

well i'm a dumbass

i don’t want to see any more of this tomfoolery on this guestbook. and get off my motherfucking lawn.---good ole larry

by furby2056 on Jul 11, 2008 12:41 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I gathered as much

from the double post

from the double post

;)

by rhythm on Jul 11, 2008 12:50 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

We call him furby two times

Because he says everything two times, two times.

Coffee is for closers.

by vince_ on Jul 11, 2008 1:07 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

let's hope it's not de la rosa all over again

i don’t want to see any more of this tomfoolery on this guestbook. and get off my motherfucking lawn.---good ole larry

by furby2056 on Jul 11, 2008 1:03 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

There will be no excuses if the Sox don't hit tomorrow...

This Mendoza guy is terrible and there’s probably AAA teams that wouldn’t want him on their roster.

by SSH2005 on Jul 11, 2008 1:10 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Did you actually look at his AAA line this year?

It is not horrendous

He can get groundballs apparently, though his K rates have never been anything special. His walk rates have varied. If he throws strikes and gets groundballs, that isn’t terrible.

are you trying to use stats around here? what the fuck do you think this is? - MM

by colintj on Jul 11, 2008 1:42 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

If this guy was in the Sox minors, we would be praying that he never sees the majors...

A career 1.40 WHIP with a career 4.68 K/9 in the minors? C’mon, the guy sucks.

Do you also sell snake oil?

by SSH2005 on Jul 11, 2008 8:32 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

De La Rosa

Is third in MLB in K/9 over the last month and a half

are you trying to use stats around here? what the fuck do you think this is? - MM

by colintj on Jul 11, 2008 1:39 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

But ---

You have to look at his career line, not just the last 1.5 or 3 months! Were do you think these algorithms come from. (Sorry couldn’t help myself)

by Brush Back on Jul 11, 2008 8:13 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Your boy Cy De La Rosa is being replaced by Kip Wells in the Rockies' rotation...

What a stud.

Jorge De La Rosa is expected to be pulled from the Rockies rotation after the All-Star break.
After getting shelled on Thursday, De La Rosa is averaging fewer than five innings a start and is currently sporting a 7.26 ERA. He’ll likely be replaced by Kip Wells, who is scheduled to make rehab starts on Friday and Wednesday, putting him in line to start Colorado’s fifth game after the break. Wells is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in his first three rehab starts.

Source: Rocky Mountain News

by SSH2005 on Jul 11, 2008 8:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Again, you don't seem to comprehend what I actually think of him

are you trying to use stats around here? what the fuck do you think this is? - MM

by colintj on Jul 11, 2008 9:04 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

some compelling stuff about mark teahen over at royals review

i don’t want to see any more of this tomfoolery on this guestbook. and get off my motherfucking lawn.---good ole larry

by furby2056 on Jul 11, 2008 1:07 AM CDT   0 recs

I like how we're referred to as the "Evil White Sox"

Somehow I doubt we’ll ever return the favor – “Evil Kansas City Royals” is about as scary as “Demonic Puppy”

Coffee is for closers.

by vince_ on Jul 11, 2008 1:13 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

hahaha!

The greatest trick the White Sox ever pulled was convincing their fan base that "Ozzieball" ever existed.

by The Wizard on Jul 11, 2008 12:42 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

OT - Toonder turns 30

As someone who passed the milestone in the ‘80’s, I needed to research what if felt like in order to give any sage advice. These 2 quotes sum up the confusion and ambivalence (almost like Alice’s “I’m 18” – 30 is the new 18, BTW, I firmly believe):

Everything I know I learned after I was 30 – Georges Clemenceau

A man thirty years old, I said to myself, should have his field of life all ploughed, and his planting well done; for after that it is summer time.- Lew Wallace

I’m a boy, and I’m a man, indeed. Happy birthday, fellow Cancerian, you OPOS.

CWS: Slashing negative expectations since May, 2008.

by winningugly on Jul 11, 2008 6:42 AM CDT   0 recs

Hmm - after 30

Everything I thought I knew I must have forgotten

by Brush Back on Jul 11, 2008 8:15 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

my 30s have been way better

than my 20s, much more fun

regards

Sox fan from England, marching on together

by hoodlight on Jul 11, 2008 8:22 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

When I hit thirty

1. I somehow got married
2. My wife somehow got pregnant
3. My wife told me she was a cub fan (grounds for divorce, but too harsh just yet considering she was pregnant when she told me)
4. I somehow ended up with only a smal part of 1 closet for all my stuff when we have 4 closets.
5. My truck became (our truck).
6. I woke up with aches and pains I never had before.
7. I piss longer and more often
8. I have one drawer in two bathrooms combined for my stuff
9. I began to look like that “old guy” at the bars and on the L train going to work.
10. I get buzzed on only a few drinks now when before it took a twelve pack, 3 shots and a whiskey.
11. Positive (I am slightly more intelligent, slightly)

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:06 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

At least my wife isn't a Cubs fan

The rest sounds the same + I can no longer eat a supersized McD meal – a happy meal is adequate these days (and more than enough to add to my waist size)

Positive – My son is a Sox fan and likes going to the games with me (at least for a few more years)

by Brush Back on Jul 11, 2008 9:21 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I hear ya

A Big Mac will tear me up for days!

My daughter is due any day now and she will first see me, then me with a Sox hat on.

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:25 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I think a lot of this stuff is a state of mind

Bobby my old pal. All my mates who are married have big pot bellies and look like shit and money worries and all that kind of thing, and I’m here 36 yrs old with a 22 yr old bird.

Sox fan from England, marching on together

by hoodlight on Jul 11, 2008 9:22 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

F.U.

;)

BSS, you sound 60. Get to a gym, man.

CWS: Slashing negative expectations since May, 2008.

by winningugly on Jul 11, 2008 9:24 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

keeping fit is very important

I cycle to work and do a bit of treadmill interval training, not to a massive degree or anything, just to keep fit. Although i guess for people with familes and that, it becomes harder to find the time for that sort of thing

Sox fan from England, marching on together

by hoodlight on Jul 11, 2008 9:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I go to the gym

5-days a week! But I ache a lot more now then when I was younger. I start a new routine about every month to shock my muscles and for about a week my body is shot! I run about 10 miles a week as well.

I also live in an old building, 4th floor, no elevator. I get to carry everything up four flights every day…that helps the legs!

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:29 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

When I was 29

I dated a 20 year old,....that was actually when I realized I was getting old. They party all night, every night…want to do something constantly – which wasn’t always a bad thing! But, it wears on you…

Your girl has to have the right mindset at 22, if you are 14 years older…then you’re okay.

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:26 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

most English Girls

are very loyal to their men, and are prepared to accept a lot. I once went out with a US girl called tracy from pittsburgh and it was way too much for me, far too demanding of me.
(not that I’m saying they are all like that)

Sox fan from England, marching on together

by hoodlight on Jul 11, 2008 9:29 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Most Tracy's are!

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:41 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Does your english

girl have good teeth? Most english do not.

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:43 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Why?

I prefer they remove their teeth first. But that’s me.

CWS: Slashing negative expectations since May, 2008.

by winningugly on Jul 11, 2008 10:29 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

mmm...toothless hookers.

"now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?"

by Toonderstrook on Jul 11, 2008 11:39 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

that's the name of our drunk bowling team...the tender loins ;-)

"now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?"

by Toonderstrook on Jul 11, 2008 11:41 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I don't get all this teeth

business, it may have applied 20 years ago not anymore, we have dentists want to make people have a nice smile

Sox fan from England, marching on together

by hoodlight on Jul 11, 2008 11:59 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

You have dentists?!?!?!!?!

The sun still refuses to set on England.

by Ozzie Montana on Jul 11, 2008 2:37 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

of course

she’s got good everything

Sox fan from England, marching on together

by hoodlight on Jul 11, 2008 5:55 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

avoiding prison does that.

"What'cha gonna do brother when Ozunamania runs wild on you?"

by larry on Jul 11, 2008 9:41 AM CDT to parent up   1 recs

Nice

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 9:47 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Well you can finally get girls in their 20's

when you are in your 30’s. Fish inside a barrell.

CWS: Slashing negative expectations since May, 2008.

by winningugly on Jul 11, 2008 10:28 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

happy birthday to you, you o(lder)pos.

"now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?"

by Toonderstrook on Jul 11, 2008 11:30 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i've had such an amazing run in my 20s it's hard to imagine it getting much better, but knowing me i'm sure it will.

fuck you, that's my name!! you know why, mister? 'cause you drove a hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar bmw. that's my name!!

by MarketMaker on Jul 11, 2008 3:42 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i'm sure that would be funny if i was your age.

fuck you, that's my name!! you know why, mister? 'cause you drove a hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar bmw. that's my name!!

by MarketMaker on Jul 11, 2008 3:46 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

then perhaps i was wrong.

you pos.

fuck you, that's my name!! you know why, mister? 'cause you drove a hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar bmw. that's my name!!

by MarketMaker on Jul 11, 2008 3:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

yeesh. sounds like someone has been polling you!

fuck you, that's my name!! you know why, mister? 'cause you drove a hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar bmw. that's my name!!

by MarketMaker on Jul 11, 2008 3:55 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

My job has been polling me lately, quite frankly

but I assume it isn’t quite as bad as your position (pun intended).

by rhythm on Jul 11, 2008 4:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

sometimes i poll the market. sometimes the market polls me.

fuck you, that's my name!! you know why, mister? 'cause you drove a hyundai to get here tonight, I drove a eighty thousand dollar bmw. that's my name!!

by MarketMaker on Jul 11, 2008 10:26 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

ah, wrigley.

it’s been over four years since i visited the actual building. my favorite sox pitcher eva esteban loaiza had a decidedly meh outing in a losing effort. and timo perez was in the leadoff position. duty demands that i return today. wish me luck, folks. signing off…

"What'cha gonna do brother when Ozunamania runs wild on you?"

by larry on Jul 11, 2008 10:50 AM CDT   0 recs

Good luck with that one..

Hope you brought your eag plugs and a cushion to sit on.

by Grinder in Training on Jul 11, 2008 10:59 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Also,

I hear that pepper spray makes great rat repellent.

Marriotti's a fag.

by oahu420 on Jul 11, 2008 11:08 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Good luck with that

watch out for the rats and the urine puddles.

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 11:08 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Enjoy the game!

and the urinal smell the stadium provides, gratis!

Try not to get shot leaving the game.

by rhythm on Jul 11, 2008 11:09 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Also

don’t walk east on Addison to Halsted…you might get raped.

"Jenks, who was never afraid to say "no" to a hamburger..."

by BobbySouthSide on Jul 11, 2008 11:32 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Finished the Wire

good cap to the best show ever on television

are you trying to use stats around here? what the fuck do you think this is? - MM

by colintj on Jul 11, 2008 11:51 AM CDT   0 recs

did you buy the dvds, netflix, or something else?

"now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?"

by Toonderstrook on Jul 11, 2008 11:54 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

ok, obviously something else, at least with regard to season 5 as i see it isn't released yet on dvd.

"now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?"

by Toonderstrook on Jul 11, 2008 11:58 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

torrented

are you trying to use stats around here? what the fuck do you think this is? - MM

by colintj on Jul 11, 2008 1:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

well, since you (tor)rented it, it's all legal and good to go.

"now, which is it gonna be: drive your car in the lake or get a dislocated elbow?"

by Toonderstrook on Jul 11, 2008 1:56 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs