HALF!

About halfway thru spring training, I think it makes sense to take a look at some of the performances by the numbers thus far. These stats are updated thru the game on Wed March 16.

HITTING:
Lookin good
--Konerko;10 hits, 8 runs, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 20 TB, and a BA of .370
--the surprise that is Pablo Ozuna; 12 hits, 4 of them doubles and a mean .462 BA
--Rowand; 13 hits, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 22 TB, and .520 BA
--Uribe; 9 hits and a .360 BA
--Everett has an amazing 12 RBI, 19 TB, 3 HR, 7 runs and 8 hits and a .348 BA
--Podsednik has 10 hits, 2 of them triples, 4 SB, and a .435 BA
--Dye has 7 hits, 3 of them doubles and a BA of .350
--Pierzynski has 2 homers
--Brian Anderson is hitting .333
--Jamie Burke (remember Jamie Burke?) is quietly htting .571 in 14 AB.

Not lookin so good
--Crede has 25 AB and a .179 BA
--Iguchi is still adjusting to superhighways, Britney Spears, and KFC.
--Lopez is hitting a dismal .125
--Willie Harris is hitting .190
--Sweeney, Rogowski, Gload and Fields have posted no numbers to distinguish themselves this spring, though Rogowski looks good...

PITCHING:
Lookin good:
--Brandon McCarthy has stolen the show. 3-0, no ER in 10 IP. 5Ks. After all this, barring an injury to one of the 5 established starters, he'll probably start the year in Charlotte.
--Buehrle is 2-0, 5 ER in 12 and 2/3rds IP. Also 5 Ks.
--El Duque has made progress. 6 ER in 7 IP, but most of that was his bad first outing.
--Marte has 2 ER in 5 IP, leads the team with 8 Ks.
--Adkins appears on his way to earning one of the middle reliever spots; he's 2 Er in 7 IP with 4 K.
--Dustin Hermanson has quietly pitched 6 scorelss innings while striking out 4.
--Politte has 2 ER in 5 and 2/3rds. 4 Ks.
--Cotts has 1 ER in 5 IP.
--Vizcaino has also looked strong; 5 IP, 2 ER, 6 Ks.
--Takatsu is getting his groove. 4IP 1 ER, 3 Ks.
--Reynoso; no runs in 3 and 2/3rd IP
--Stewart has no ER in 3 IP

Not lookin so good
--Contreas and 8 ER, 2 HRs, in 8 and 2/3rds IP
--Garcia and a 6.43 ERA (that will come down)
--Garland (see Garcia above)
--Tracy is 0-2, 7.94 ERA, 6 ER and 2 homers in just 5 2/3 IP
--Mearux, Diaz and Honel. Ugh.

Baseball Phrase of the day: whangdoodle n.obs. A good play or hit (1st use Sporting Life, October 4, 1902)

Part 2; James T. Farrell's My Baseball Diary.

Farrell also talks a lot about his native southside and his beloved White Sox.

in this passage, it sounds like things for White Sox fans haven't changed much since 1913.
"I could only dream of the far-off day when they would win the pennant and the World Series. But each day was unto itself, and if the White Sox won, I was happy. This was especially so when I was at the ballpark."

Lucky for Farrell, he didn't have to wait as long as most of us. On his excuse to the nuns at the Catholic school to attend game one of the 1919 World Series:
"I recall that in this note my uncle remarked that a boy doesn't always get a chance to see a World Series ball game that he will remember all his life. I was excused."