I've been waiting to see Dayan Viciedo with the big club all year long. I wanted him on the roster from the beginning of spring training. When he was on the team last year, I would stop and watch every at bat- and was usually rewarded with a rocket line drive. Today, Viciedo is finally coming.
However, now I can't help but feel its like waiting at a fancy restaurant for 2 hours before they finally serve your food. You are so disgusted with the ridiculously long wait that no matter how good the food tastes, the trip to that restaurant doesn't sit well with you. There have been plenty of times and reasons that everyone, except for apparently the Sox brass, wanted and knew he should be here. With two of the big hitters in the middle of the order having absolutely putrid seasons, there was no excuse that this guy was spending his late spring and early summer raking in Charlotte. Yet that is what happened.
Larry and Jim pointed out the service time issue, which would have seen Viciedo become a free agent one year earlier. So, I was fine with waiting until the day after that became a non issue to bring him up. That time passed, and still no Viciedo. Adam Dunn continues to struggle, yet still no Viciedo. Alejandro De Aza and Tyler Flowers have both come up and proved that we have guys that can produce in the majors from Charlotte, yet the prize of them all remained in North Carolina.
Then Carlos Quentin got hurt last Sunday. Larry apparently is not only a lawyer, but also a sports medicine guru, as he pointed out there is very little chance of Quentin being healthy for this weekends series vs. Seattle. So we entered a big road trip without our 2nd best hitter and proceeded to drop two games to the Angels, playing a man short.
Finally they decided Quentin is going to be DL'd and Viciedo is on his way. He will be here later on today vs. the Mariners. Today's date is August 27th. We are now 7 games behind the Tigers and they are playing their best ball of the season. I'm not sure of the exact dates, but he may now gain super two status for coming up before September. If he does achieve super two status by coming up a week early, shame on the Sox. They waited until it was too late and now they are going to bring him up anyway? At this point we might as well leave him down until it is clear he won't gain super two status.
In any case, I'll be thrilled when he steps to the box. Its just unfortunate it wasn't months ago, when he could have really helped our cause.
* Steve Stone is missing from the booth this weekend and Wimpy is back to partner up with Hawk for the second time this season. Personally, I wish Stone would take a permanent vacation. It is such a joy to listen to a Hawk and Wimpy broadcast. They had me laughing more last evening than I have in a long time. Hawk seems like he's in a better mood, Wimpy is upbeat and it brings back some nostalgia for the fans.
It is nothing against Stone. I think he is a wonderful baseball man. I love listening to his analysis on the Score. I just have never embraced him as a White Sox guy. I hear his voice and it takes me back to the 1980s when Harry and him would be bantering and I would want to throw up.
I don't know what Stone's contract status is, and I don't know if Wimpy even wants to go back to being a full time guy, but I wish he would. I didn't know that the Wimperoo was going to be the color man for this series, and when I heard his voice, I marked out. It just makes for a light hearted, fun broadcast. Although I would have been watching a Sox vs. Mariners matchup anyway, this just makes me want to watch it even more.
* I don't know if this is widely known or not, but I received an offer for 2 for 1 tickets from the Sox. If you want to see half priced baseball on August 30, 31 or September 8, 14 - go ahead and make the purchase. Don't ever say I never gave you anything for whatever holiday you exchange gifts on.
* Hawk mentioned this during last evening's broadcast, but just in case you missed it, the White Sox vs. Tigers game on September 4th has been moved to an ESPN Sunday Night game. So the Sox play the Tigers Sunday night, then travel to Minnesota to play a split double header on Monday. Ouch.
* Lets take the final two in Seattle and hope the Twins help us out vs. the Tigers.