Big Jon comes up BIG

by The Cheat on Jul 18, 2006 9:29 PM CDT in News

The White Sox needed more than a win Tuesday night in Detroit. They needed to make a statement; not just to the Tigers, reinforcing that indeed it was the Sox who were defending champs, but also to themselves, to show that, yes, they do remember how to play good baseball. Jon Garland, who earlier this season seemed to be lacking confidence and pinpoint pitch location, had the tough task of putting a stop to the string of lackluster pitching performances which had seen the Sox starters record just 1 quality start in their last 7 outings, and he had to do it against the best team in baseball.

Garland pitched brilliantly for 7 innings, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. The lone run came on a 2-out RBI single off the bat of Placido Polanco who slapped a slider that was well off the plate into right field past a diving Paul Konerko. It was a play that most fine defensive first basemen make, but Konerko was surprisingly close. Seeing him diving well in the hole between first and second seemed a bit out of place, sort of like a dolphin jumping out of the Gulf of Mexico and landing near St. Louis.

The peak of Garland's dominance was on display in the 6th inning. He needed just 11 pitches to record 2 strikeouts and an opposite field flyout, but what was most impressive about the inning was the location of each of those 11 pitches. I don't think AJ had to move the glove once all inning as Garland continuously peppered the black of the plate. It was Garland's 6th straight game without allowing a HR, a stretch where he's not surprisingly been the Sox most effective starter, going 5-0 with a 2.79 ERA.

Konerko made up for his lack of range in the field with a big night at the plate, going 2-4 with 2HR and 4 RBI on the night. I'm not sure if the second was a HR -- they never did show a clear replay -- but it really doesn't matter since it would have cleared the bases anyway.

It's just one win, but thanks to the strong performance of Garland, and the fact that it was against the Best-Record-in-Baseball Tigers, it feels like a lot more.

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Second homerun

On the Detroit feed they showed a clear shot of it. It cleared the yellow line and hit a fence behind it. Clearly a homerun.

Optimist

by Peder on Jul 18, 2006 10:14 PM CDT 0 recs

Garland

I mentioned this in the gamethread, but you could clearly see that Garland had a plan for just about every hitter.

For Maggs, it was set him up with the fastball and put him away with the changeup.

For Thames, they tried to make him hit a pitch the other way. That's a great job of knowing your hitter -- Thames got about one pitch on the inner half of the plate. That was in his third or fourth AB, on a first pitch when he wasn't expecting it.

For guys like Polanco and Infante, they tried to bust 'em in.

It was a brilliant performance, really. Love to see Jon working both sides of the plate with his sinker.

by CWSKeith on Jul 18, 2006 10:15 PM CDT 0 recs

I know it's just a few starts

But maybe Garland's current run will quiet some critics. As badly as he pitched to start the year, I think it's odd that some people (like the supposedly wise ones at BTF and BP) were so quick to say KW made a terrible move with Garland's new contract.

I'm not saying he's a great pitcher. He may even be overpaid. But a young guy that can be league average in the AL for a bunch of innings is really pretty valuable. And he did a great job tonight in a big game against a good lineup.

by hitlesswonder on Jul 18, 2006 10:57 PM CDT 0 recs

Beauty of Baseball on Full Display This Past Week

For the hardest of hardcore fans, baseball is the most torturous and yet ultimately rewarding sport. It's like a rollercoaster that swings up and down, up and down. For over 162 games we are all on the ride, like giddy 6 year olds on too many simple sugars we scream and kick and yell every day.

Sometimes the ride thrills us, other times it scares the pants off us because we have wet them in fear.

And yet the analogy is far from perfect, baseball is the discrete game, the game of standardized outcomes and predictable performance, it's the anti-emotion game, the domain of reason and logic.

F. Scott Fitgerald famously said the mark of a fine mind is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas in one's head at the same time.

It's nothing a baseball fan doesn't experience ever week of every season.

by madvillian on Jul 18, 2006 11:02 PM CDT 0 recs

But F. Scott Fitzgerald also said. . .

Baseball is a game played by idiots for morons.

by BustedFlush on Jul 18, 2006 11:48 PM CDT up 0 recs

true

He was also a drunk.

by madvillian on Jul 18, 2006 11:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

Maybe he was a

latent Cubs fan!

by BustedFlush on Jul 18, 2006 11:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

A couple of trade deadline names

Over at SoxMachine, a couple of 'deadline deal' names were mentioned that I liked.

Really, at this point, I don't think there's a match in all of the big deals that are being mentioned with Freddy Garcia going to some NL team. The Sox pretty much have to hope that their rotation pitches to it's "potential", even if that means relying on Garcia' 88 MPH fastball.

That being said, the two spots I'd like to see upgraded, and guys I'd like to see pursued (again, a couple of these were mentioned at the SoxMachine blog):

Backup C - Jason LaRue and Yorvit Torrealba are two names that have been brought up. I'd prefer Torrealba, as over his career, he's hit lefties well (.856 career OPS against southpaws). LaRue has been good against lefties in 2004-'05 (limited ABs this year), but only owns a career .727 OPS against them. Plus, I think his contract is pretty hefty, so it's probably not even worth it.

Backup OF - Any chance we could get our hands on a guy like Jason Michaels for either Haeger or Phillips? Or would KW fear the potential blowup of a Sox farmhand turning into a solid pitcher?

I like Gload, but I'd rather not see Mackowiak in CF a whole lot in the second half.

Thoughts?

by CWSKeith on Jul 18, 2006 11:44 PM CDT 0 recs

meh

I have a extreme dislike for Widger and can't believe we signed him (seemingly based on good will and a "good" season) for this year. How much do I dislike Widge? I'd take Olivo back over him.

AJ could use a solid semi-platoon partner. I'd have to look more into LaRue's underlying stats, but he might be a decent option.

I'd get rid of Haeger in a hearbeat for a backup C that won't kill us when he's on the field.

by madvillian on Jul 18, 2006 11:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

Olivo

Is hitting .285, 10 HR, about .790 OPS. He'd be a great backup catcher :) I wonder if playing for Girardi is helping with his supposed defense/pitch calling problems?

I agree that someone like Torrealba would be a good pickup. Backup C has to be the weakest position on the team. Haeger for Torrealba would be fine by me...

A backup CF would be good, too. Marlon Byrd could be just about free and, while terrible at the plate, isn't quite as terrible against RHP. Endy Chavez might be anothe possibility (and better pinch running choice). Neither are good, but I'd rather not give up much for a backup CF that mostly just has to field.

by hitlesswonder on Jul 19, 2006 12:12 AM CDT up 0 recs

i'd trade ryan meaux for him

by larry on Jul 19, 2006 12:20 AM CDT up 0 recs

Olivo

Olivo's problems always seemed to bee mostly in his head. Classic athlete/headcase. Baseball and Golf are not the sports for self-aware people, perhaps he should have tried football.

by madvillian on Jul 19, 2006 12:26 AM CDT up 0 recs

The more I thought about it...

...the more I didn't like LaRue. I was more tossing out names that could be had for cheap talent (catcher gluts, bad-but-absorbable contracts), but I'd go for Torrealba first 10 times out of 10. He's the definition of what the Sox need, in the truest sense of the word.

Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Jul 19, 2006 12:30 AM CDT up 0 recs

Yeah, that's true about LaRue

He's due $4.55 million next year, along with whatever of the $4.55 that's left from this year. He's probably not worth going after, unless Cincy wants to eat more than half of that contract.

by CWSKeith on Jul 19, 2006 12:44 AM CDT up 0 recs

Catcher

I can't say I dislike Widge...I just wish he were a better player. Wasn't he playing softball somewhere 3 years ago? Ya gotta respect his abilities.

Perhaps Ron Karkovice would consider coming out of retirement.

Ron Karovice fun facts:

Sure, he was a great catcher with a .992 lifetime fielding percentage. But did you know:

In 1991, RK played 1 game in left field with no put outs. In 1992, RK played 1 game in right field with 3 put outs. So Fisk wasn't the only catcher made to embarrass himself. Only RK didn't get a Harley when he retired.

In 1987, RK had 6 hits in 85 ABs, giving him a whopping .071 BA - and we complain about BA?

In the 1993 playoffs, RK went 0-15, with 7 Ks and a .062 OBP. Talk about clutch!

For a mere $10, RK's page at baseball-reference.com is available for sponsorship. So, break out that credit card today!

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 9:22 AM CDT up 0 recs

I remember that

In 1987, RK had 6 hits in 85 ABs, giving him a whopping .071 BA - and we complain about BA?

The big deal was that he couldn't even hit higher than Fisk's uniform number.

Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Jul 19, 2006 9:23 AM CDT up 0 recs

Hi Yo!

Good one.

And, RK was a little hard on the eyes as well. He needed a good dermatologist.

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 9:40 AM CDT up 0 recs

not to mention...

the proud owner of one of the few inside-the-park grand slams in baseball history.

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?threadid=3641

Speaking of unlikely speed feats by Sox backup catchers, Mike LaValliere scored from 1st on a single a few years later. I wasn't a huge baseball fan during those years but for some reason I remember watching both of these plays pretty vividly.

by thedpr on Jul 19, 2006 11:40 AM CDT up 0 recs

Officer Ron...

... now owns a Hoagie joint down around Orlando. I know this because we almost roadtripped from Champaign to there one 4th of July reason for that sole purpose. Plans fell through, but I put in a call to Ron's father and spoke with him about my beloved backup catcher for a few minutes.

by kaskomm09 on Jul 19, 2006 2:36 PM CDT up 0 recs

Catcher

I can't say I dislike Widge...I just wish he were a better player. Wasn't he playing softball somewhere 3 years ago? Ya gotta respect his abilities.

Perhaps Ron Karkovice would consider coming out of retirement.

Ron Karovice fun facts:

Sure, he was a great catcher with a .992 lifetime fielding percentage. But did you know:

In 1987, RK had 6 hits in 85 ABs, giving him a whopping .071 BA - and we complain about BA?

In the 1993 playoffs, RK went 0-15, with 7 Ks and a .062 OBP. Talk about clutch!

For a mere $10, RK's page at baseball-reference.com is available for sponsorship. So, break out thaty credit card today!

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 9:35 AM CDT up 0 recs

Oops...I hit "post" twice

Dang this fangled technology!

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 9:38 AM CDT up 0 recs

Note from Charlotte......

Ryan Sweeney goes yard twice....4-4 with 4 RBI.

by stanchar on Jul 19, 2006 12:32 AM CDT 0 recs

and he now owns

almost a .200 point difference in SLG at home (.521) compared to on the road (.327).

AIM: SouthSideCheat

by The Cheat on Jul 19, 2006 12:52 AM CDT up 0 recs

Either little is going on in the trade front

or Williams is throwing a curveball to the media.

"No one in the American League is interested in helping us," said Williams, estimating there are no more than six or seven teams that might be willing to deal with the Sox.

"So you've effectively reduced it to a handful of teams, so now you have to deal with teams that are in contention. So now you have to give to those teams who need help now. I'm not interested in trading anyone off my major-league club.

"So the talk is about prospects. Well, teams in contention don't want or need prospects because they're trying to win now."

That virtually leaves Williams with the possibility of exploring three- and four-teams deals, "but really, only through the National League."

I'm taking the bolded quote to mean that Williams will not trade anyone on our ML roster to a contender, not that he will not trade anyone on our ML roster? Anyone see that differently?

by chrome on Jul 19, 2006 1:03 AM CDT 0 recs

Ehh

There are some times when I just can't put a lot of stock into what a GM says, and I think this is one of those times.

I still think if the right deal for Freddy came along, he'd make the move. For example, if Omar Minaya called Kenny back up and said he would move Pelfrey and Sanchez (again -- extremely unlikely, but it was reported, and I believe that) for Garcia, I'd bet that Kenny would say yes in a heartbeat.

by CWSKeith on Jul 19, 2006 2:22 AM CDT 0 recs

Dye-D...

I'm sure it was commented on in the game thread, but I didn't want to wade through the 100+ posts...

Jermaine looked like a kid out there last night! His glove played as big a part in the win as Paulie's HRs.

Most impressive.

It should be called Bill Veeck Park!

by Chiburb on Jul 19, 2006 10:48 AM CDT 0 recs

He's been awesome.

He made two great plays last night. And I never expected a .320 average when we got him.

by defensive indifference on Jul 19, 2006 10:51 AM CDT up 0 recs

I know Paulie and Thome

hit the moon shots, but JD is definitely my vote for MVP.

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 11:00 AM CDT up 0 recs

BA Hitting .200+

On yesterday's broadcast, DJ made mention of BA making it to the .200 mark and, in a hushed tone, Hawk said, "Before it's over, he's going to blow right by that." As if to say .200 is no big deal, we can all expect .275 by September.

I'm not the numbers guy...but I've noticed some of you certainly are.

So...what type of pace does BA need to keep to get to say, .250 or .260 by regular season end?

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 10:57 AM CDT 0 recs

I've done the math

If BA continues to get AB at his current pace, he'll need to go 47/146 to get over .250. In other words, he'll need to become a .320 hitter the rest of the way. If he did this, he would finish with a .251 BA

by madvillian on Jul 19, 2006 12:16 PM CDT up 0 recs

Interesting...

Thanks for the info.

Maybe the kid should just shoot for .225.

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 2:01 PM CDT up 0 recs

i said

earlier this year that i think he'll probably finish around .235. i still think that's reasonable.

by larry on Jul 19, 2006 2:26 PM CDT up 0 recs

My notes I see no comments on:

Why in the world did BA let ScoPo catch a fly ball that came down in dead center?
Jim Thome's at-bat in the sixth(?) before Paulie hit the three-run homer was brilliant. When the Carlos Guillen couldn't turn that double-play I thought he would get out of trouble since Thome had looked so bad against Robertson all night.
Did anyone else notice the guy waving a red t-shirt behind the plate all night (you had to have)? It was annoying me but when he was still holding out hope that it was actually helping his team after we scored seven runs, I was laughing at him.

by defensive indifference on Jul 19, 2006 11:04 AM CDT 0 recs

My thoughts

Not sure...respect for the veteran?
That was a great piece of hitting...that is why he is Mr. Incredible.
THAT JACKASS WAS SO ANNOYING. Who was he trying to "throw off" by waving a shirt? Obviously not the Sox pitching.

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 12:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

re #1

help pad his defensive stats, obviously.

by larry on Jul 19, 2006 12:49 PM CDT up 0 recs

Actually...

I heard Ozzie on the radio this morning and he said that he laid into BA after letting Pods catch that one but they didn't show it on t.v. (like they did when he was yelling at/near Sean Tracey).

by defensive indifference on Jul 19, 2006 12:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

Sickel's 'White Sox Top 20 PRE-SEASON Review'

John Sickel's 'White Sox Top 20 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review'

featuring Cheat's Top 11!

HEY THIS IS JI
JIM THOME
THE PEORIA POUNDER

by The Wizard on Jul 19, 2006 12:00 PM CDT 0 recs

Ligers vs. "Good Teams"

On Sports Center last night, they pointed out that Detroit is a mere 3-12 vs. "good teams."

Then a tear came to my eye as ESPN revealed Detroit's record vs. the Sox, Red Sux and Yankmees. Yes, ESPN has actually elevated our beloved Sox to the level of the east coast AL teams.

They commented that Detroit was "feeding off the bottom-feeders"...ouch!

by tailgater on Jul 19, 2006 12:09 PM CDT 0 recs

The same thing was said...

about our guys last year.

The biggest thing for me is the fact that we keep beating them.

by defensive indifference on Jul 19, 2006 12:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

true

but we handled our division (see cleveland). i don't put as much stock into losses against the teams in other divisions. division titles are won in the division. the tigers are unlikely to win the division if they can't beat us - especially in detroit.

by larry on Jul 19, 2006 12:26 PM CDT up 0 recs