Opening Day? Not Clutch.

Last year, Kyle Farnsworth gave up 15 home runs in 60 innings. In his career, Farnsworth has allowed a .441 slugging percentage to left-handed hitters.

Jim Thome is a left-handed hitter with 541 career home runs.

Over the past three seasons, Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field has been the most homer-prone ballpark in the American League, both generally and for left-handed hitters specifically.

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and two White Sox on base, the Royals held a 2-1 lead. Thome was coming up. If there’s a single pitcher in the majors who shouldn’t be facing Thome in that situation, it just might be Farnsworth.

Yet, face him he did. Threw Thome a fastball down the middle, he did. Gave up a long, three-run, (eventually) game-losing home run, he also did.

And Royals manager Trey Hillman? He sat on his hands and watched it happen. That’s what he did.

of Clutch Cargo to post, but I have no idea how to do it. Great start to the ’09 season!

By Mark Gonzales

The bunt that ignited the White Sox’s three-run rally in the eighth inning didn’t come from the dugout.

“I did it on my own,” Josh Fields said after laying down a bunt single that eventually led to Jim Thome’s game-winning three-run home run.

Chris Getz also praised Fields for not hesitating as he ran from first to third on Getz’s hit-and-run single to right field.

The seeds for the game-winning rally were planted during the last two weeks of spring training when the Sox conducted special bunting drills under the supervision of Jeff Cox.

One staff member quipped that the Sox were 1-for-2 in bunting situations, noting that Dewayne Wise popped up two sacrifice attempts before flying to center for the first out of the eighth.

http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_hardball/2009/04/fields-does-it-on-his-own-for-white-sox.html

Who are the White Sox again? Touchdown!

Looks like the same team to me. Pesky home runs!

And I froze my ass off.

I know it happens all the time, but it’s really freaking stupid every single time. This is what the creation of the closer position has wrought: teams losing games, frequently, without using their best reliever, for no reason other than the misguided notion that getting three outs is their role, and getting four isn’t.

(For that matter, you also have Ron Mahay. Why did you acquire him if not to have him face Jim Thome in the eighth inning of a one-run game? Ron Gardenhire lost the division last year for want of a similar clue and Jose Mijares.)

Some people deserve to lose.

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1. I was staggered, floored, stunned, flabbergasted, etc. that Hillman let Kyle Farnsworth face Thome in the 8th. I can conceive of no possible rational justification for such a non-move. Bringing Farnsworth in in that situation was bad enough, but he looked absolutely awful against everyone but Q! (who frankly probably got himself out by overswinging). Add to that the following: (1) Farnsworth has a tendency to surrender the homer, (2) was giving up the platoon advantage, (3) to a great power hitter who was clearly seeing the ball well that day, (4) on a day when the wind was blowing out, (5) in the one of the (if not the) best home run parks in baseball. It was seriously among the most obviously bass-ackward, just-plain-wrong managerial decisions I have ever seen.

2. The bullpen looked excellent — particularly Richard. The fielding looked fine as well – Fields’ throw home with the bases loaded was particularly nice. The baserunning was … well just godawful — 3 outs given away on the bases (2 on outfield assists). Ugh.

3. Wise looked just a wee bit overmatched. The crowd was all over him. I don’t think l’affaire du energy is likely to last very long.

4. Buehrle did not appear to have near his best stuff (he walked at least 2, hit 2 and the homer he gave up to Gordon was a monster), but just gutted through.

what happened to his plate discipline?
that was U-G-L-Y

AAAAAAGGGGGHH

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