Another day in paradise

The Sox lost a heartbreaker last night, 5-4 in Detroit. Carlos Guillen was the difference for the Tigers- going 3for4, with a solo homer in the 7th that eventually was the game winner. Despite the gory stats, the Sox had some very bright spots - Carlos Lee made two great throws from center to home, Willie Harris did some sweet swinging (the one hit he got does not reflect how well he swung the bat), and Rowand hit a magestic, beauitiful home run with 2 on and 2 out in the top of the 9th that closed the gap from 5-1 to 5-4. For a brief moment, it looked like the Sox might come back... They didn't really lose, so much ran out of innings to come back. The game was really lost by Politte, who came out in relief of Buehrle to start the 7th. All I saw Politte throw was fast balls down the middle - I'm surprised the Tigers only got one run.

Minnesota beat Texas and Cleveland beat the Yankees. So, the Sox fall back to 9 games off the division lead - 2 games under .500. Back to square one. Again.

Cleveland tonight and a big 4 game weekend series that will decide the fate of both teams - the winner will be the only challenge to the Twins in the AL Central for the remaining 5 weeks of the 2004 season. Garcia is on the mound for the Sox against CC Sabathia.

DOWN ON THE FARM:

(AAA- Charlotte Knights): ..had an off day.

(AA - Birmingham Barons): Also had an off day.

(A - Winston-Salem Warthogs): Lynchburg made 4 errors in a close game, but still won 3-2. No details as no box was available. Or at least, I couldn't locate one.

(A - Kannapolis Intimidators): Lost to Charleston..no news...

(Rookie - Great Falls White Sox): Provo beat the Sox 3-2 in 11. A good outing for Liotta, who goes 7 innings, gives up 2 earned runs and strikes out 7, walking 4. He got no run support. Collaro had another good day -going 2for4. Gerron McGary threw 3 stong innings in relief, striking out 4, walking none and giving up no runs, allowing just one hit.

I was out at Wrigley Field yesterday - interesting as always. While the scene around Clark and Addison is annoying, its less the fans and more the Cub owned ticket scalping operations that piss me off. Its unethical at best, criminal at worst. Can't the league do something about this sort of double-dipping? Had a great lunch at the uncrowded Salt and Pepper Diner - veggie buger and fries. Entered the park and was heartbroken that I wasn't one of the lucky few winner to get an authentic reproduction of the Andy Pafko 1945 road jersey. I collected about 30 tickets for the "second chance" drawing and failed to win on those as well. Pafko was at the game- he must be 80.

The nets under the upper deck were few. I did notice that some of the steel beams were beginning to rust. Note to Mayor Daley - if he wants to go after someone for structural problems, he should go after Amtrak and Union Station. Take a walk along the even numbered Metra tracks and look up at the rusted beams and falling concrete overhead. Know what's above it? Jackson Street between Canal and the river. Everyday there's concrete chuncks falling onto the tracks, and the rust on the beams is simply painted over. It looks like a third world country! If Jackson Street collaspes, all the cars on it fall on the commuters and trains below.

After a two hour rain delay to start, Maddux took the hill and the first few innings moved rapidly. In the second, an Aramis Ramirez line shot foul smacked off my hand, hit the steps behind me, and the guy two rows back picked it up off the ground. If I had a glove, I would've caught it for sure. Keep in mind our seats were halfway up the grandstand on the first base side, and the ball got to me in less than 2 seconds - so it was movin and I didn't have a lot of time to react. To the Cub credit, security came by immdiately to ask if I was OK. Damn - I still should've had it!

Beyond that excitement and the usual eye candy distractions, not much else happened. The amount of gorgeous women there makes the place look like a Playboy magazine playmate convention. "So fine, but so out of reach..." Maddux was throwing in the 80s and struck out 7 - he was really working well and efficently. Bako hit a nice homer. I left in the 7th to go to my after-work company function, so I missed the heroic game-winning homer in bottom of the 9th. Oh well.

I didn't get laid last night, but I laid some ground work for potential future sexcapades. Ate some free pizza and drank some free beer. I think the one-two knockout punch of cheese and Special Export is the reason all hell has broken loose on my bowels the past two days.

Maybe I'll give my bio over the weekend - no time now.