South Side Sox

via soxmachine.com: And he could've been gone

The Wizard — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:59:30 -0000

via soxmachine.com: And he could've been gone

Quentin Was Nearly an Indian

The Cheat — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:52:09 -0000

Can you believe what Cliff Lee has been doing? [The D'backs] were close on a deal last year at the All-Star break and then again prior to the winter meetings. Both deals were built around Carlos Quentin. http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/NickPiecoro/23169

Palehose 8: Don Guillote: In Which Tells of the Enthusiastic Plague

The Wizard — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:26:32 -0000

In Which Tells of the Enthusiastic Plague http://palehose8.blogspot.com/2008/05/in-which-tells-of-enthusiastic-plague.html

An Open Letter to Carlos Quentin

madvillian — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:31:32 -0000

Surprisingly (for ESPN) level-headed yet excited analysis of Q in a "OMG this guy is good and the ladies love him" piece. http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3383534

Sox Machine: Turning bad baseball into good works

The Wizard — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:44:54 -0000

I figured maybe some corporations could turn failure on the field into aid for those in need by sponsoring the less-than-stellar events we've come to know and despise. Here are a few examples in order of frequency: $5: "...and Uribe strikes out tomahawk swinging. And as you know, with every high fastball Juan swings at, Lenscrafters will donate $5 to White Sox charities. The next time you're thinking about eye-high fashion, think Lenscrafters." $10: "...the throw to first, and that's it for the Sox. No runs, ho hits, no errors, and with every 1-2-3 inning, Sylvan Learning Centers will donate $10 to White Sox charities." $20: "...that's ball four, and the fans aren't happy about that. I'll tell ya who's happy -- the fine folks at White Sox Charities thanks to Southwest Airlines, who will donate $20 for that late-inning walk. Southwest Airlines offers more nonstop flights from Midway to Charlotte, Birmingham and dozens of other U.S. destinations." $50: "...BA's down swinging on a low-and-away slider for strike three, and with that swing, Jared Galleria of Jewelry will donate $50 to White Sox charities. Jared reminds you that if you're thinking about going down on one knee for someone in your life, Jared offers the widest selection of rings..." $100: "...and this ballgame is over. A fine pitching performance by Javier Vazquez wasted, and with every outstanding effort that goes for naught, U-Haul will donate $100 to White Sox charities. If you're packing up on short notice, U-Haul has a variety of options..." http://soxmachine.com/blogs/soxmachine/archive/2008/05/08/12697.aspx

Buehrle hasn't been the same since he signed that contract

Eamus J Catuli — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:07:52 -0000

Mark Buehrle is 5-9 with a 4.72 ERA since signing his $56 Million contract. And now he's smashing bats in the dugout. What happened to Mark Buehrle? http://homerderby.com/archives/2204

White Sox offense on the upswing?

The Cheat — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:22:58 -0000

How about this for an unfortunate headline? The Twins score 13 tonight on 16 hits. The White Sox have 7 runs in the two games on... wait for it... 16 hits. And Jermaine Dye hits a solo HR in the 9th as I'm posting this, making the comparison slightly less pointed ... Who cares. This is my recap. http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080507&content_id=2658415&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws

via Sox players go pink for Mother's Day

The Wizard — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:30:36 -0000

via Sox players go pink for Mother's Day

White Sox fan pushes Cubs fan into window of Domino's Pizza

The Wizard — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:26:44 -0000

A White Sox fan became angry with a Chicago man who was a Cubs fan and pushed him into the window of Domino's Pizza in uptown Normal, breaking the window, a Normal police report said. The victim, who was wearing a Cubs shirt, told police they were discussing baseball in a civil manner but it escalated into an argument and then got physical. The victim was treated at BroMenn Regional Medical Center and released, a nursing supervisor said. He had lacerations to his cheek and back. ... {hat-tip BBTF) http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1512365/

"As tough and big as he seems, he is real wimpy around doctors or any type of medical situation,"...

The Wizard — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:19:22 -0000

"As tough and big as he seems, he is real wimpy around doctors or any type of medical situation," Cynthia Rodriguez said. "I was, like, not even having a baby; he was the one. The one nurse had a cold cloth on his head, the other nurse had the blood pressure on his arm and my mother was like rubbing his back -- and he is passed out on a couch. "And I am there, in the middle of labor, and really, I am not being paid much attention to besides the doctor and a couple of nurses. And he is there, moaning. In between pushing, I am going, 'Honey, are you OK?' And are you breathing? Are you OK?'" MLB.com: News: Interview shows A-Rod in new light, FJM, BBTF

Bugs & Cranks: Panties, They Are A-Twistin’: The Title IX Writer Weighs In

The Cheat — Wed, 07 May 2008 05:46:55 -0000

OMG! A female voice of reason about the manufactured controversy surrounding blowup dolls -- Oh the humanity! -- in the White Sox clubhouse. http://www.bugsandcranks.com/the-clubhouse/panties-they-are-a-twistin/

Aaron Poreda, W-S Warthogs one-hit Hillcats

The Wizard — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:14:17 -0000

Lefty fans seven over seven one-run frames in 8-1 shellacking Poreda took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and struck out a season-high seven over seven frames as the Winston-Salem Warthogs one-hit the Lynchburg Hillcats in an 8-1 victory Tuesday at Calvin Falwell Field. The 2007 first-round draft pick allowed only a two-out walk in the third before taking the mound in the sixth. Lynchburg's Albert Laboy ended the bid by launching his first home run of the year over the left-field wall to lead off the frame. Poreda wasn't hanging his head afterward. ... "Last year I worked a lot on the slider and changeup and using different pitches in different counts," Poreda said. "The hitters are more aggressive here and know the strike zone better. Pitches down the middle will get hit, so you can't make too many mistakes." John Shelby capped a five-run fourth with a two-RBI double and C. J. Retherford delivered a two-run two-bagger in the fifth. Brandon Allen had two hits and scored twice for the Warthogs (13-15), who have won three of the past four. http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080506&content_id=395642&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp&partnered=rss_cws

Gavin Floyd's near No-No (Large Version plus more graphs)

The Cheat — Wed, 07 May 2008 02:49:04 -0000

http://38.99.108.6/pfx/horzspeed.php?xml=http://gd2.mlb.com/components/game/mlb/year_2008/month_05/day_06/gid_2008_05_06_minmlb_chamlb_1//pbp/pitchers/425856.xml&innings=yyyyyyyyy&s_type=2&sp_type=1&h_size=700&v_size=500 Gavin Floyd's near No-No (Large Version plus more graphs)

MLB investigating White Sox doll prank

Brush Back — Tue, 06 May 2008 21:19:42 -0000

MLB investigating White Sox doll prank, will talk to team http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/934427,mlb050608.article

via www.charlotteknights.com

The Wizard — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:05:13 -0000

http://www.charlotteknights.com/BAM/frontpages/pink08.jpg via www.charlotteknights.com

StatSpeak: Wanted: Players who like to run into things?

The Wizard — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:57:19 -0000

Easy way to get over a "what do I write about this week" slump for a Sabermetric blogger: tune into a broadcast of a game and play mythbusters. This week’s baseball myth: teams should be looking for good, hard-nosed players. Well, they’re half right. Good players are always welcome. ... http://mvn.com/mlb-stats/2008/05/06/wanted-players-who-like-to-run-into-things/

John Sickels: Top College Hitters for the 2008 Draft

The Wizard — Tue, 06 May 2008 18:19:47 -0000

1) Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt: Hitting .294/.400/.471 in 24 games, OPS about +10% compared to context. 2) Buster Posey, C, Florida State: HItting .464/.562/.827, OPS about +63%. 3) Gordon Beckham, SS, Georgia: Hitting .412/.524/.874, OPS about +79%. 4) Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina: Hitting .401/.515/.808, 19 homers, 44 walks, OPS about +64%. 5) Yonder Alonso, 1B, Miami: HItting .384/.550/.775 with 53 walks, OPS about +62%. 6) Jemile Weeks, 2B, Miami: Htting .390/.459/.692 with 16 steals in 17 attempts, OPS about +40%. 7) Ike Davis, OF, Arizona State: Hitting .401/.473/.822, OPS about +53%. 8) Brett Wallace, 3B-1B, Arizona State: Hitting .404/.534/.737 with 13 steals, OPS about +50%. 9) Reese Havens, SS, South Carolina: Hitting .376/.504/.646, OPS about +42%. 10) Eric Thames, OF, Pepperdine: Hitting .387/.503/.781, 10 steals in 11 attempts, 13 homers, 31 walks, OPS about +60%. http://www.minorleagueball.com/2008/5/6/481389/top-college-hitters-for-th

Cowley Tweets: Chages a comin'

The Cheat — Tue, 06 May 2008 02:48:18 -0000

Talk around the clubhouse is one, and maybe two, players could be sent packing tomorrow. The Reaper is a coming kids. Lock the doors. [UPDATE]: Looks like Uribe might have played his last game in a White Sox uniform. http://twitter.com/cst_sox/statuses/804359325

Cowley Twitters: Lineup shakeup alert

The Cheat — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:44:27 -0000

Cabrera, Quentin, Thome, Konerko, Dye, Swisher, Crede, Uribe, Hall. That's right, Cabrera is leadoff. http://twitter.com/cst_sox/statuses/804153714

''Right now, everyone in Chicago is making lineups, 'Call up this guy, call up that guy,''' Guill...

The Wizard — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:44:21 -0000

''Right now, everyone in Chicago is making lineups, 'Call up this guy, call up that guy,''' Guillen said. ''If we had 50 people allowed on the roster, we could do that. That's what ticks me off about Chicago fans and Chicago media -- they forget pretty quick. A couple of days ago, we were the [bleep]ing best [bleep] in town, now we're [bleep].'' Asked why that is, Guillen pulled no punches. ''Because maybe the manager is an ass[bleep],'' he replied. Guillen said that the only way the perception of the Sox ever would change is by winning, but even after they did in 2005, it hasn't taken long for it to wear off. ''We won it a couple years ago, and we're horse[bleep],'' Guillen said. ''The Cubs haven't won in 120 years, and they're the [bleep]ing best. [Bleep] it, we're good. [Bleep] everybody. We're horse[bleep], and we're going to be horse[bleep] the rest of our lives, no matter how many World Series we win. We are the bitch of Chicago. We're the Chicago bitch. We have the worst owner -- the guy's got seven [bleep]ing rings, and he's the [bleep]ing horse[bleep] owner.'' Ozzie curses blue streak before fifth straight loss :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: White Sox