Sunday, August 29, 2010

Another day, another loss

I suppose the Sox really do need Manny Ramirez now. After watching them lose two close games in a row to the Yankees, I sat and wondered, "What if the Sox had Manny right now? Would we win both of those games, and pull off a sweep of the Yankees? Would the DH hole finally be solved and we can mash our way to the postseason?" While that answer is not for certain, one thing is: the Sox need Manny Ramirez right now, and desperately.

Some of you who are reading this may remember me explicitly stating that the Sox do NOT need Manny back around the trade deadline. You might even remember me saying that Manny would be a distraction that the Sox don't need. Well, I suppose anybody can change their mind, and desperate times call for desperate measures. I was wrong to think that the Sox don't need Manny. However, I did not think things would get so bleak for the Sox at that point in the season, though. Right now, this team needs a desperate boost. Having Manny even for just a few weeks as the DH is a hell of a lot better than seeing Mark Kotsay, Andruw Jones or Mark Teahen taking up that same lineup spot. He may not be quite as good as he once was, but he is still far better than the aforementioned three.

While the Sox may need some bullpen help more than anything, they probably aren't going to get the quality help they're looking for through the waiver wire at this point. With J.J. Putz, Matt Thornton, and Erick Threets all on the DL, they'll have to piece together what they have at this point to make it through September. Their best shot of making the postseason now is to survive with the battered arms in the bullpen, and just slug their way to the playoffs, a la 2000. It can still be done. Being 4.5 games out entering August 30 is not the end of the world. Unfortunately, the Twins have saved their best baseball for when they needed it, and they have been playing out of their minds since the All-Star break. The Sox need to make a statement by picking up Ramirez to send a message to the Twins and the rest of the American League that the Sox aren't dead just yet. Let's hope that Kenny Williams can get a deal done by Tuesday.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Ugh...is this really how it's going to end?


It was another series loss for the Sox this weekend, and this time, it was at the hands of the lowly Kansas City Royals. After three lengthy extra inning games at Kauffman Stadium, it really stings when you lose two out of three to a team you are supposed to beat. It stings even more when you lose those games in the thick of a pennant race. As Ozzie Guillen told the Chicago Tribune after Sunday's loss, "it was a very horseshit roadtrip."

This weekend's series also represented the fifth consecutive series loss for the Sox dating back to early August. Their last series victory came way back on August 3-5, when they took three of four from the Tigers in Detroit. Since then, they have lost three out of four to Baltimore, four out of six against Minnesota (in two combined series), two out of three against Detroit and two out of three last weekend against Kansas City. They're 3-7 in their last ten games, while Minnesota is 7-3. Now with the Sox being 4.5 games behind the Twins entering tonight, one has to wonder how much the Sox have left in them.

It would be one thing if the Sox were losing series against teams like the Yankees, Rays and Rangers. However, in the five series they have lost, the Twins were the only team they faced that had a winning record. Since the Twins are the team they are battling against for the AL Central title, you think it would be beneficial to at least split the six games they played against them, right? Wrong. The Sox lost both series.

Let's face it, if you are unable to beat the Twins head-to-head, you better be able to beat up on the dregs of the American League to make up that ground you lost. Unfortunately, the Sox have not been able to do this. Every loss stings during the heat of a pennant race, especially when there is very little time left, but it stings even more when they are dropping games in bunches against horrible teams. Since the Sox begin a three game set tonight at home against Baltimore, let's hope that this series will mark the beginning of a turnaround. If the Sox cannot take two of three against Baltimore, this season might be over.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Montreal Expos get their due on MLB Network


On Sunday night, MLB Network aired "Triumph and Tragedy: The 1994 Montreal Expos." The show not only the covered the Expos run during that ill-fated season, but it also went over some of the reasons that ultimately led to the demise of baseball in Montreal. Overall, I was pretty impressed with the show. More than anything, the show really captured the exuberance and joy of baseball fans in Montreal, and it also showed that there was indeed an interest in baseball there, and it was certainly more than what the media (or even MLB) would lead you to believe.

Also, after watching that show, I sincerely believe that the Montreal Expos had to be one of the unluckier franchises in the game. Their best completed season was in 1979, when they went 95-67 and lost the NL East by three games to the eventual World Champion Pirates. After missing out on the postseason again in 1980 (this time by one game to the eventual World Champion Phillies), they finally made the playoffs in ironically enough, a strike-shortened campaign that forced there to be a division winner for each half of the season (the first half and second half division winners would face off in the first-ever "division series"). Montreal got their revenge on Philadelphia in the first round by defeating them three games to two, to set up a NLCS showdown between them and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Unfortunately, Murphy's Law would strike again for the Expos, as pitcher Steve Rogers surrendered a go-ahead, ninth inning home run in the fifth and deciding game of the NLCS to Rick Monday for the Dodgers to advance to the World Series. For Montreal fans, this would be their only experience with postseason baseball, as the team slipped into mediocrity for the remainder of the 1980s. Making matters worse, owner and team founder Charles Bronfman (the only owner in Expos history who actually gave a damn about the team) sold the team following the 1991 season to Claude Brochu and a group of investors. However, Bronfman's organizational philosophy of stockpiling the farm system still remained, and all of those stars on their farm teams would blossom into major league-ready talent by the beginning of the 1994 season.

The team would get off to a 74-40 start that year, which was the best record in the majors, and a whopping six games ahead of the mighty Atlanta Braves. However, the Expos' dream season would come to a premature end on August 12, when the players' strike began that would ultimately cancel the postseason. Since the franchise was financially strapped for cash, they would have to sell off a majority of their stars before the 1995 season, and the team would never be the same.

Of course, if the Expos didn't have such crappy owners following Bronfman, there could perhaps still be a team in Montreal. However, one has to wonder if the Expos would have gotten a shot at the 1994 title, if there would still a team there. Certainly, there were no guarantees that they would have won it all or even reach the World Series had they made the 1994 playoffs. The Yankees, White Sox and Indians were all strong teams in the American League, and the Reds and Braves were pretty strong in the National League. Judging by the excellent balance of speed, defense, power and pitching the Expos had that year, it's no stretch to think that they would have held their own against those teams. Alas, we'll never know how that team would have played out, but MLB Network did a great job of looking back at that fantastic team that never got a shot to prove how good they were.

Monday, August 16, 2010

What do the Sox have left in them?


One has to be thinking about that question posed in the title of this entry. Really, what do they have left in them? This past series against Detroit this weekend was supposed to be one the Sox were supposed to win, especially considering that they took three of four from them on the road a little over a week ago and because Detroit has been reeling since the All-Star Break. Unfortunately, that did not happen, as the Sox lost two out of three to the Tigers, including an uninspiring 13-8 loss yesterday.

Now the Sox are entering what could be their most important series of the season, as they begin a three game set in Minnesota on Tuesday. The Sox sit three games behind the Twins entering this series, and it's not a stretch to believe that if the Sox lose this series, their playoff chances could be in jeopardy. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm just being realistic. There's no getting around this one, the Sox NEED to take this series. If they lose two out of three or get swept, they could be looking at either a five or six game deficit with 41 left to play. On the flip side, if the Sox take two of three from the Twins or sweep them, they could be just one game out or tied with them with the same amount of games left.

I know a five or six game deficit with 41 left is not insurmountable. Bigger deficits have beeen overcome in a shorter amount of time (just look at last year's Twins for proof). However, when you consider how hot the Sox had to get in order to make their way back into contention, one has to wonder if they will have one more big run left in them if the worst case scenario happens. Can they reel off one more furious push toward the division crown? Especially when they still have a whopping seven games left against Boston and another three left with New York?

Even though the Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games, I'm still very optimistic about the Sox's chances of taking this series. I already like the fact that our three best starters (Danks, Floyd and Buehrle) are lined up for those three games. The Sox usually don't play well in Minnesota, but I figure they're finally due for a series win up there. Plus, they don't have to worry about that wretched dome anymore, either. So how about it? Two out of three won't be bad, but a sweep will be nice.

Friday, August 6, 2010

The Ryan Express defeats the Maverick





As you might have already heard, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg finally won ownership of the Texas Rangers early Thursday morning, after a lengthy auction against high-profile Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. By all accounts of those who were there, the auction was drama-filled, contentious, and most of all, captivating. I'm not sure if I should be considered gullible for thinking this, but Nolan's victory came as a relative surprise to me. Cuban seemed like he was willing to spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave in order to purchase the team, and with each Cuban bid, Ryan appeared as if he was barely able to outbid him. Since I'm no financial expert, all I know is that for some reason or another, Ryan was able to come up with more money up front, and that appeared to be good enough for the judge.

While I am not opposed to Cuban owning a MLB team, I do not think the Rangers would have been the right fit for him. First of all, Nolan Ryan is a Texas legend, and despite Cuban's recent run in popularity, he doesn't hold a candle to the Ryan Express in terms of appealing to the fan base. Second of all (and most importantly), it is because of Ryan that the team is where they are in the standings right now. If Cuban would have won ownership of the team, there would have been the risk of Cuban cleaning house and putting his own people in there, which likely would not have sat well with Rangers fans. Also, his ownership would have probably resulted in Nolan Ryan leaving the team, which would have been a PR disaster from the Rangers' standpoint.

Don't get me wrong, I really think Mark Cuban would be great for baseball. Unlike many of the stodgy old owners that are in the game, Cuban would be a breath of fresh air. He's funny, he's vocal, he's visible, and most of all, he would be very willing to spend whatever amount of money it would take to put a winner on the field. Unfortunately, Cuban's outspokenness and his iconoclastic nature does not sit well with many owners in baseball, so it will be very difficult for him to gain approval of being a majority owner of any team in MLB, and that is a shame. However, one can only hope that he can eventually get the opportunity to purchase a moribund franchise like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, or Baltimore and bring them back to their former glory. In the meantime, I am pretty sure that many Rangers fans are content with the Ryan Express owning the franchise.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Sox win...barely


A win is a win, right? After the Sox hung on to defeat Detroit 6-4 in 10 innings today, they are still sitting comfortably atop the AL Central, a game and a half ahead of the Twins. The win also ensured a series win for the Sox over the Tigers, taking three out of four in a very important series.

While I am still very happy that the Sox pulled it out and took the series, I am NOT at all happy about how it ended up getting accomplished this afternoon. This all rests squarely on the shoulders of Bobby Jenks. In case you haven't watched the Sox during the second-half, or heck all year for that matter, Big Bad Bobby just ain't what he used to be. From 2005 through last year, he was a force out of the 'pen. Once he entered the game, you could all but count on him closing it out in quick fashion, using his blazing fastball and knee-buckling curve to shut down the opposition. However, Bobby's expiration date as a closer seems to have passed, since he has been blowing games in spectacular fashion lately.

Let's just begin with the last three he has failed to close out, shall we? The first one was back on July 18 in Minnesota. With the Sox leading the Twins 6-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, it appeared as if they were primed to leave Target Field with a series split, which is really the best you can hope for whenever you play a four-game set with the Twins. Jenks had already had his shaky moments earlier in the season, but after a solid month of June, my confidence was restored in him once again. Unfortunately, that confidence was soon broken as he immediately walked the first two hitters he saw before giving up back-to-back RBI singles to Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer to cut the lead to one. Ozzie wisely yanked him from the game after that, but the damage was already done, as the Twins would eventually win on an Alex Rios throwing error a couple of batters later.

Even though that loss sucked, you would think it was just an isolated incident against a good team. If it was a sub-.500 team he was pitching against, it would have been game over, right? Wrong. Let's fast forward three days later to July 21 in Seattle, when Jenks entered the game after the Sox took a 1-0 lead on the Mariners in the 11th inning. Jenks coming in against a sorry Seattle ballclub that's already playing out the string? I was thinking that this would be easy work for Bobby, and a nice confidence boost as well. Once again, I was wrong though, as Jenks gave up two runs in the bottom of the 11th for the Mariners to win 2-1, and avoid a three-game sweep. Making matters worse, the Twins won earlier that night against the Indians to gain a game on the Sox. Damn, damn, damn.

So with those two incidents already in the back of many Sox fans' minds, Jenks enters today's ballgame with the opportunity to slam the door on the game, and on the series. What does he do though? After getting the first out, he surrenders a single to Don Kelly, then hits Ramon Santiago to put two men on with one out. He strikes out Austin Jackson for the second out, then gives up a three-run homer to Ryan Raburn to tie the game at four. Ryan @#$&^%* Raburn. The same Ryan Raburn who has only hit two stinking home runs all year before that at-bat. Thankfully, Mark Kotsay got Jenks off the hook in the 10th inning, as he hit a two-RBI triple off of Jose Valverde to give the Sox a 6-4 win.

How mind-numbingly aggravating have these recent struggles by Jenks been? Ozzie Guillen was nearly speechless after the game as to what to do about him. When do you EVER see Ozzie speechless?

While I can understand the loyalty Guillen might have toward Jenks, you have to wonder how much rope he'll leave for him before he decides to make a change in closers. When you're in a tight pennant race, you don't have much room to simply hope that Jenks will snap out of his funk. Those games could potentially end up being the difference between playing in October or going home. There are three other viable options for closers in the 'pen, including J.J. Putz (who already has experience with closing games), Sergio Santos and Matt Thornton. All three are hard throwers, with good off-speed pitches to keep hitters off balance. After today's meltdown, it might be time to hand the ball to one of those three to close out games instead of Jenks.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Good stuff Edwin


Before a nationwide audience on ESPN tonight, Sox starter Edwin Jackson pitched seven effective innings, scattering nine hits while striking out six and allowing just one earned run, helping the Sox cruise to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers. While I most certainly appreciated his pitching performance tonight, I can also see some of the reasons why so many teams gave up on him. ESPN color analyst Rick Sutcliffe did a great job of breaking down his delivery by pointing out the flaws in it, which often times will lead to his erratic and inconsistent starts. However, he showed a lot of poise in being able to work out of each tough jam he got himself into tonight. Keep him in the five slot in the rotation, and I think he's going to be just fine.

Tonight's win was nice, and it will be even better if the Sox can put the nail in the Tigers' coffin tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, congratulations to Edwin Jackson for getting his first win in a Sox uniform, and may it be the first of many more to come.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Time to take out the Tigers


After the Sox's solid 4-1 win over Oakland yesterday, they finished their seven game home stand with a 6-1 mark, and they improved their overall record to 59-45. The only problem is that Minnesota refuses to lose, as they won their eighth in a row yesterday, shutting out the lowly Seattle Mariners 4-0. The Sox's hold on the AL Central remains at just a half-game, as they enter a big four game series with Detroit beginning with a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.

Since the Sox are already seven games up on the third-place Tigers, it is absolutely imperative that they put the final nail in the coffin of the Tigers' season. This could have the potential to be a big statement series for the Sox, because if they can finally wax off Detroit, they can concentrate their energy solely on Minnesota, and not have anybody else in the division to worry about. What better way is there to do that other than humiliating them in four straight games at Comerica? Even though a four-game sweep against Detroit might be wishful thinking, was it not wishful thinking back in June that the Sox would be in first this late in the season?

Want to know another cool thing about this four-game set? All four games will be nationally televised. Game one of tomorrow's doubleheader will be on WGN, while Game two of the DH will be on MLB Network. Game three of the series will be on Wednesday Night Baseball on ESPN, and game four will be back on WGN on Thursday. It's always nice to see the Sox get some extra attention on the national stage. Let's hope they can make the most of it.