March Revisited

What a fuckin mess down in New Orleans. I feel for those people. Even though many of them chose not to evacuate (I know some couldn't). The bowl is filling up with water. Why do people live there in such a disaster magnet? You know its bad when our fearless leader cuts short ANOTHER vacation to trudge back to the White House, and do nothing. Makes all this shit I'm about to write about seem awful meaningless.

Sox Update: I'm a filthy liar - I didn't have time to give any updates the past few days despite my promises. I'll try now. Sox vs Texas; on monday, the Sox barely show up and look horrible in a 7-5 loss. It wasn't that close, but 3 meaningless Sox runs in the 9th make it seem that way. . Blum homered. Iguchi made 3 - THREE - errors. Today, the Sox split a doubleheader. Game one was a 8-6 loss, though Rowand was 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Garland gets shelled - 5 ER in 4 IP. Luckily, in game 2, Brandon McCarthy turned back the clock to March and dominated the Ranger the same way he did under the Arizona sun during spring training. Sox win 8-0. BM's line - 7 2/3rd IP, just 2 hits. Dye was 3 for 4 with 2 homers and 6 - SIX - RBIs. sPod was 3 for 5 with a stolen base. Ozuna had a great delayed steal, picking up 2 bases. However, he was thrown out at home on a gorunder to 3rd with none out. Despite that, he's still about my favorite player on the Sox this year. Ozuna was 2 for 3 and he just rocks.

By now you've heard of all the moves the Sox made, but here's a recap: sPod comes off the DL, Crede goes on the DL, Adkins and Anderson sent down to AAA. McCarthy brought up. Coming up on Sept 1 - likely, Willie Harris, Gload, Anderson, Bajenaru and Borchard (maybe).

Baseball phrase of the day: ham-and-egg reliever n. relief pitcher who is usually brought into a game after the outcome has already been decided.

Today's music selection: with all the accolates surrounding Green Day, I hauled out their old Insomniac album. Not bad for a 5th generation punk rip off band.

I'm about halfway thru the Studs Lonigan Trilogy. I have to read faster, my autumn reading list is getting onger. At this point, I've got Walden by Thoreau, The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner and Carl Sandburg's Good Morning, America. Each fall for the past few years, I've read a Sandburg collection. I'm reading them in chronological order, but I also go back and re-read my favorite poems from past masterpieces like Cornhusers, Smoke and Steel and Slabs of the Sunburnt West.

Beer count - monday, just 2. Tuesday, - none, but I did have 3 glasses of wine.

Dog Days

I haven't been giving my writing here any attention in the past week. Sorry. Call it the dog days of August. I'll try to be better this week. Real life is just kicking my ass.

Sox Update: The Sox take 2 of 3 from the lowly Seattle Mariners. Guillen and Co. just need to keep playing like this... and maybe score some more runs. Sunday, it looked like Garcia just didn't have it, and the Sox get spanked, 9-2. However, some notable performances included Ozuna, who was 2 for 4 with a stolen base in the leadoff spot. Konerko also had 2 hits. Rowand was 3 for 4. Saturday the Sox won 4-3 and it was all Jermaine Dye - 4 for 4 with a homer. Contreras had another fine outing, 7 Ks in 7 IP, giving up 3 ER. The pen shuts the door on a rally. Friday was young Anderson's moment to shine - 3 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Iguchi's 2 run-2-out homer in the 12th was the key. Sox win 5-3.

After a few days of Timo in the leadofff spot, I think we're all ready for sPod's return.

We're #2 - Again!

At least we're good at something

Earlier this week, the fine folks at the Princeton Review published their annual rankings for all sorts of non-academic categories. Once again, my beloved alma mater - Ohio University - ranks high on the list of top party schools, this year at #2, trailing only the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both my mom and I went to OU, and my father went to UW-Madison. I wonder what that means, exactly...

Well, here's a toast to OU: A 200-year old institution with not a single meaningful NCAA sports title to its name, and no Nobel laurates in faculty history.... but man we sure know how to have a great fuckin time. I think I'll celebrate by dropping acid and going streaking with a busload of hot bisexuals chicks.

Bat Girl...Revealed!

ewww

Sox Update: I'm pretty happy that, despite Hermanson's 2nd blown save in his last 3 chances, the Sox take 2 of 3 in Minneapolis. Even unreadable Twins blogger Batgirl can now admit the season appears over for the Twins, and the "Bitch Sox" as she calls them, will likely represent the AL Central in the post season. Blum, Ozuna and Perez were the unlikely heroes in the 10th. Garland deserved the win, giving up no runs, 1 walk, 6 hits and striking out 5 in 7 and 2/3rds.

So over the past 14 games, the Sox are 5-9, and just 2-4 against the Twins. That's well short of what I feel they needed to do to sew up the division title, but its not a total collaspe. But since the All Star break, they are 20-18. And the forthcoming 12 games are all against teams below .500, Next up: the Lowly Seattle Mariners.

Beer count - 2 (Woodchuck Cider).

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday

This blog is now a year old. Its served its purpose, getting me back in the habit of writing everyday. So when the Sox season comes to a close this year, so to shall my entries here.

That said... I'm a bit hungover, so I'm going to have to keep this short.

Sox Update: Finally, a real win, 6-4. Buehrle pitches extremely well and he got some help from the offense this time. Everett was 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs. AJ also had 3 hits. And as great as the offense was, the defense was key as well. Jermaine Dye threw out a runner at the plate. Politte tried to give it away with a 3-run 9th, but the rest of the pen held up.

Today's game is a nooner.

Beer count- 5. Ugh.

Rock bottom

make the world go round

Sox Update: Last night's game was a masterpiece for Freddy Garcia, but ironicly, it doesn't get much worse for the Sox. Garcia pitched one of the best games of his career, giving up just one hit over 8 IP. Somehow, the Sox still find a way to lose it, 1-0. And despite Ozuna's error, I thought he played well at 3rd, and he hit the cover off the ball. His flyout to deep center in th 7th is a homer in almost any other park in the majors. The Sox must win the next 2 or jepordize their top spot in the AL Central. I'll be watching, along with a whole lot of friends in green and silver cans, as I like to keep my self-medication within arms reach.

Oh, and the Indians won again. The 13 game lead has now been reduced to 7.

Down On The Farm:

I'll provide more of a comprehensive summary later this week.

Baseball phrase of the day: is also taking a day off.

Today's music selection; the iPod shuffle seemed to lock onto a lot of Hawaiian music today, which meant surf guitars from Dick Dale an the Ventures, as well as some slack key... Lord knows I have more slack key in my music collection than one man should.

Beer count; tuesday -1. Monday -0 (but I had 2 glasses of wine). Sunday - 1. Not bad. The next two nights, however, could get ugly.

Salvage One

sexy one

Its been a few days since my last update. EasyW' has one bizee life.

Sox Update: The Sox salvage one of the three from the Yankees with an impressive 6-2 win on sunday. They need more games like that.

So over the 15 game stretch, the one I said they need to go and tkae 4 of 6 from the Twins, the Sox are 3-8, with one rain out. I think if the Sox go into Minnesota and sweep, the AL Central is in the bag. I think they need to take 2 of 3 to get back on track.

I'mm try to get back to my regular updates beginning tomorrow.

The wheeles on the bus

Here comes trouble

Sing along kids...

The wheels on the bus
Fall off real fast
Off real fast
Off real fast

Sox Update: Who stole the South Side Hit Men and replaced them with the Charlotte Knights? A 5-1 loss to the Twins. I feel like puking.

Like I said yesterday, this team is in a lot of trouble. Beyond the 4-game sweep of the Indians to start off the post-All Star break, and the other 4-game sweep of the Free Fallin Dead Birds from Baltimore, the Sox are 9-15. Its bad enough that in those 24 games, they've scored a grand total of just 98 runs, an average of 4.08 runs per game. What's worse, is since July 26th the Sox have scored more than 5 runs in a game exactly once (a 9-8 loss at Boston). And in the time since that July 25th 14-6 win vs KC, the Sox are 5-11, they've scored just 51 runs, an average of 3.1875 runs per game. And what may be the most shocking news that isn't really a stat, in the past 3 games, for the first time all season, the Sox pitching - both starting and relief - has failed them.

The Sox better get their shit together, fast. And by shit, I mean hitting, as in scoring some fucking runs. Who are these fucking candy-ass pussies that got swept -at home - by the fucking Twins?

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): it was close.. til Columbus had a 7-run 8th inning. Knight lose 14-5.

Birmingham (AA): the Baron win 9-4 over Carolina. Owens was 3 for 5. Young was 2 for 4 with a triple and 3 RBIs. Fields homered.

Winston-Salem (A): The Hog win 10-5. Nanita, Myers and Hinton each get 3 hits, and Hinton also had 5 RBIs. Collaro was 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs. Gio Gonzales is not at his best, 3 ER, 3 walks and 3 Ks in 5 IP, but he gets the W anyways.

Kannapolis (A): doubleheader vs Delmarva. Lost game one 14-3. Smith was 3 for 4. They won uneventfully 3-0 in game 2. Egbert goes the distance, giving up just 2 hits and striking out 5.

Bristol (R): a bad 7-0 loss to Elizabethtown somewhere in the hills of Appalachia...

Great Falls (R): no info available from Montana.

Baseball phrase of the day: dust sprayer n. a player who slides a lot.

On another note, the US men's soccer team beat Trinidad & Tobago 1-0, thought it wasn't that close. The win virtually assures the US a place in Germany in 2006. Mexico qualifies with a 2-0 win over Costa Rica. With T&T and Panama out of it, the Ticos will have to fight with the Guatamaleans for the final spot.

Today's music selection: all over the board, but the iPod was kind enough to shuffle in Miles Davis, Buddy Guy, the Kinks, Ween and Fountains of Wayne.

Olde Tyme Movie Review: a double feature.
PCU (1994); This movie advertised itself as a 'slobs versus snobs teenage sex comedy", but its far from classic... I don't buy Jeremy Piven's awful comedic overacting. While there were a few funny lines, and George Clinton, there was no nudity. I'll take Van Wilder or Up The Creek any day of the week over this waste of film.
About Last Night (1986): Generally, Rob Lowe movies from the 1980s do not age well. Though Demi Moore does. This one is an exception. I forgot how good it was. Even with Jim Belushi in it. Its sorta like a chick flick thats OK for a guy to like, thanks to the real abrasive dialogue. Chicago was a different place 20 years ago, are there are some nice local touches in this film - 16 inch softball, a screamin yellow 'No Lights' shirt, and Old Style.

Beer count - 1.

By A Thread

don't box me in

Sox Update: I didn't bother to recap Monday's fiasco. Tuesday? The longest game in the history of new Comiskey ends in a 9-4 Sox loss. The Sox are in real trouble. More on that later.

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): monday lost 1-0 to Toledo. Tuesday beat Toledo 14-9. Norton was 3 for 6. Oh, hey the losing pitcher for the Mud Hens was our old pal, Jason Grilli. Check out his line - 2 and 1/3rd IP, and 7 ER.

Birmingham (AA): Monday swept a doubleheader from Carolina 1-0 and 5-4. In game 1, Honel stuck out 9 in 6 IP. In game 2 Wasserman stuck out the side in the lone inning he worked. Fields homered. Tuesday the Baron get one in the bottom of the 9th and beat the Mud Cat again 2-1.

Winston-Salem (A): On monday the Hog beat Wilmington 6-5. Hall and Molina homer. Collaro was 2 for 4. Whisler struck out 7 in 6 IP. tuesday lost uneventfully.

Kannapolis (A): Monday beat Delmarva 6-5. Getz was 3 for 4. Rained out on tuesday.

Bristol (R): no gfame on monday, or if there was, I can't find any info on it. on tuesday the Sox try to rally late, but fall short, losing 6-3 to Elizabethton. The middle of the order strikes out 8 times in 16 at bats, collecting 4 hits. Williamson strikes out 6 in 5 IP.

Great Falls (R): a late rally on monday and the Sox fall just short - losing 3-2 to Ogden. Rodriquez strikes out 3 times in 3 at bats. Tuesday still in progress at press time.

Baseball phrase of the day: all to the mustard in good physical condition.

Beer count: monday -2. Tuesday - 2, but also had 2 glasses of wine. Ok, 3...

The Place To Be

this is the place

I'm not sure what to make of the Sox TV announcers, so much seems to be said about them by Sox fans. You love em or hate em, I guess. One thing I don't like about Hawk and DJ, and the broader TV coverage of the home games, is their lack of connection to the crowd at the park. They don't seem like a part of the event.

I was never a fan of Harry Caray. But whether he was paired with Jimmy Piersall at old Comiskey Park, or Steve Stone at Wrigley Field, Harry made the game sound like the place to be. A lot of that probably had to do with the TV direction of the late great Arnie Harris. I can't speak too much for his work with the Sox in the 1970s, but at Cub games, Harry and Steve were always talking about the crowd ("Hey, Steve. Look at the kid in the sombero.") and reacting to fan/crowd shots from Arnie (especially of hot girls).

None of that with Hawk and DJ at new Comiskey. Sure, they read the promos about upcoming events, but don't even seem to try to hard to be enthuasitic about it. Last night looked like a sold out good time, but other than the very brief montage of crowd shots at the 7th inning, you'd never know it.

Like I said, I don't think I can blame Hawk and DJ entirely, but someone needs to pump some life into those broadcasts.

Rainy days and mondays

Hi sexy

The Sox of White got rained out while leading on the home turf of the Sox of Red. To be continued at a later date.

The Sox are back in Chicago for the final nail in the coffin versus the Twins. Tonight's game is sold out, tomorrow's game has to be close to sold out. I'm going to try to go on wednesday, but my pal from the Twins is unsure he can get me tickets.

I'm off today, and just bangin around the hood.

No worries

Mona Lisa's sister

Sox Update: I'm not worried that, after taking 2 of 3 at NY, the Sox of White have lost 2 in a row to the Sox of Red. Really, they've lost to David Ortiz. For once in recent memory, the White Sox hitting was there but the front end pitchers weren't. On friday night it looked, for a brief moment, that the White Sox would rally with 2-out in the 9th against the shell of a pitcher that is Curt Schilling. And last night, I have to wonder why they couldn't light up 58-year old Tim Wakefield and his 43 mph knuckleballs.

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): friday the Knight beat Richmond 7-1. Gload was 4 for 5. Diaz struck out 10 in a complete game effort. On saturday, they get in game 1 of a doubleheader before the rains come, and a 6 run 1st inning gives Brandon McCarthy enough breathing room to go the distance for the win, striking out 7, and yielding just 3 hits. Final score, Knight 7, Richmond 0.

Birmingham (AA): friday the Baron beat Huntsville 5-3. Young was 3 for 5 with a homer. On saturday, the Baron beat Hunstville 6-0. Blakely was 3 for 3 with 4 RBIs. Haeger goes the distance for the W.

Winston-Salem (A): friday the Hog beat the Key 5-0. Collaro breaks out of his slump, going 2 for 4 with a homer. Gio Gonzales strikes out 5 in 7 IP for the win. On saturday, the Hog win the first half of a doubleheader, 6-0. Schnurstein goes 2 for 3, including a homer, and collects 4 RBIs. They lose badly, 11-4 in game 2.

Kannapolis (A): On friday the Intimidator lose to Lakewood 5-4. King goes 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs. Perez strikes out 5 in 3 IP, but gives up the winning run and winds up with the L. Lost again on saturday, 6-3. King again gets 3 hits.

Bristol (R): On friday, 3 errors sink the Sox in an 8-0 loss to Gville. They bounce back on saturday and win 7-1. Welker goes 2 for 4 with a homer and 3 RBIs.

Great Falls (R): on friday they lose 3-1 to Orem. Moviel pitches well enough to win, giving up just one run in 8 innings while striking out 6. The Sox beat Ogen on saturday, 9-3. Hernandez goes 4 for 5.

Baseball phrase of the day: chopstick n. the bat.

Today's music selection: Hayden made me feel better, with the soaring symphonies 95-98.

Beer count - friday, 4. Saturday 3, but I also had 3 glasses of wine. Sunday could be ugly.

Seeing Red

seeing red

Sox Update: off day in Boston. I'm sure the guys spent the day walking the freedom trail deepening their knowledge of the early days of struggle in this great land, or day tripping out at Walden Pond, or possibly shopping on Newbury Street... Nah, they're in the hotel rooms with their Annies!!!

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): beat Richmond 9-4. Anderson was 5 for 5.

Birmingham (AA): here's a strange one; the Barons score 10 runs in the bottom of the 8th and go on to beat Huntsville 17-11. I hope you had Young on your Southern League Fantasy team; he was 4 for 6 with 6 RBIs.

Winston-Salem(A): beat Wilmington 3-1 in 10. Broadway goes 6 scoreless innings, striking out 7.

Kannapolis (A): beat Lakewood 4-0. McCarthy had a 3-run homer.Russell gives up just one hit, no walks in 7 IP. He also struck out 7.

Bristol (R): ..the Sox score 6 in the top of the 9th and go on to beat JC 9-5. Welker was 3 for 5, including a homer, with 4 RBIs.

Great Falls (R): nuthin good about an 11-0 loss to Orem.

Baseball phrase of the day: through the slot prep. over home plate.

Today's music selection: in an attempt to expand my recent narrow minded world of music (which has been very limited to jazz), the iPod was on shuffle all day. I knew I was in for a ride when she started me off with Too Much Joy's 'Long Haired Guys From England'. Buckle up motherfucker!!!

I finished up Young Lonigan last night. After reading it, I think its fairly obvious that this started as a short story, and its inclusion(or expansion) in a triology is essential. Farrell seems to go off on a lot of character tangents. Ones which, I don't think, are setting up future points in the story. Also, his foreshadowing is so obvious that it ruins the ending. I already know Studs is gonna die - he's questioned his own mortality 3 times in the last 40 pages. Otherwise, I dig some of the dialogue (which is horribly dated, and horribly racist). Farrell also has a great sonse of place- setting up some nice scenic descriptions of the southside near the corner of 58th and Indiana.

Beer count - 4. Ouch.

Fun In The Sun

Smiles all around

..and a bad day to be Joe Torre.

Sox Update: Are you kidding me? Another 2-1 win over the Yankees. And for the 3-game series, Sox outscore the Bronx Bombers 6-5. Garcia pitches well - 8 IP, 0 ER and 5 Ks, but Cotts picks up the win, and another nice save by Hermanson. sPods looks like the offensive hero, despite striking out 3 times.

And if the back-to-back 2-1 wins weren't old school enough for ya, the Sox are taking a train from NY to Boston. Let me check my calender. Yep, it says "AD".

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): return to their old ways...

Birmingham (AA): in progess at press time.

Winston-Salem (A): Lost 10-5 to Wilmington. Haggerty was 2 for 4. Garcia homered.Dizard stuck out 5 in 3 and 2/3rds.

Kannapolis (A): off day.

Bristol (R): Beat JC 10-1. Acosta was 3 for 5 with 5 RBIs. Tavares was 4 for 4. Cunningham was 3 for 3.

Great Falls (R): In progess at press time.

Baseball phrase of the day: still under editorial review at press time.

Today's music selection: Rosa Passos, Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. And I've just realized that my narrow selection of music over the past year is revolting. I've got to change that.

After watching the Bobby Brown reality show, and Anna Nicole, I thought mainstream cable TV could not get any worse. That was until I witnessed the horror that is "Wild On Tara", which, near as I can tell, just shows an over-made-up Tara Reid stumbling her way thru Greece with the Hilton sisters. It sounds like fun, but, like Anna Nicole, the whole reality thing turns out to be stranger than fiction for ol Tara, and thus, back fires. She is beyond idiotic. I may keep watching, in the hope that she gets run over by a scooter on Corfu.

Beer count - 2.

Too close

too close

4:30 am. Its raining, and I'm wide awake.

Sox Update: Monday, El Duque pitched well enough to win, but got no run support. The ump blew an interfference call at firstbase with A-Rod. I won't go into details, as the guy over at South Side Sox examined it in-depth. Tuesday was a great pitcher's duel. Contreras pitched his best (or 2nd best) game of the year. This time the Sox gave him (barely) enough runs to win, 2-1. Homers from Iguchi and Konerko were the difference. Garcia in a matinee today, then a train ride up to Boston.

The defense has been outstanding the past few days. The offense, on the other hand, has been almost non-existant. The Sox still won on tuesday, but at some point they really are going to have to hit.

There is a lot of speculation out there that the Sox will buyout Thomas for 2006. Based on the info as I see it, it appears Big Frank has played last game in a White Sox jersey. When you look at the money at stake, its a no-brainer. I wish him the best...

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): off day monday. Lost to Norfolk 9-4 on tuesday. Cassanova collected 3 hits.

Birmingham (AA): lost to Miss 6-2 on monday. Rogo was 2 for 4. Beat Miss 3-0 on tuesday. Young homered. Haigwood struck out 7 in 7 IP.

Winston-Salem (A): on monday, lost 5-4 to Wilmington in 11. Daigle and Lee each homered. Beat that same team from Delware on tuesday, 8-2. Collaro finally finds his bat, and goes 2 for 4 with a homer. Daigle also had another homer. Liotta strikes out 7 in 5 IP.

Kannapolis (A): rained out the past two days.

Bristol (R): lost 4-2 to Danville on monday. Some relief pitcher named Day struck out 3 in 1 and 1/3rd IP. Tuesday the explode and beat JC 17-1. Carter leads the way - going 3 for 5 with 2 homers and 5 RBIs.

Great Falls (R): monday beat MIssoula 6-5. Sharp was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles. Rodriguiez strikes out 8 in 6 IP. Tuesday was an off day.

Baseball phrase of the day: catbird seat n. a position of control and mastery.

Beer count - monday - 0 (but I had 2 glasses of wine). Tuesday - 2.

Getting ready

Big night

Getting ready for a big big evening...

Buckle up. Here we go, on a 3-week, 15-game ride, beginning tonight in New York. I'd feel very comfortable if the Sox go 7-8 (or better) over this stretch, as long as 4 of those 7 wins are aginst Minnesota (whom they play 6 times).

For the 3 games beginning this evening in the Big Apple, the Sox sent 2 ex-Yankees to the hill, but luckily Garcia gets the nod for the wednesday matinee. It would be nice to see the Sox just destroy both the Bronx Bombers and the Red Sox (over the weekend). then maybe the national media will begin to give them they respect they deserve.

The Sox come into New York having won 3 of 4...

Sox Update; 72. Its a magic number. On the day the Sox honor gool ol #72 Carlton Fisk, they beat the Mariner and get their 72nd win of the year. Creepy, huh. Rowand's defense is the difference.

Down On The Farm:

Charlotte (AAA): Back to their old ways with a 5-4 loss to Durham. Cassanova goes 3 for 3 with a homer. Reyes also had 3 hits. McCarthy pitches 7 1/3rd, giving up 4 ER and 2 homers, striking out 6.

Birmingham (AA): Stewart's homer in the 9th is the difference in a 3-2 win over Miss. Owens had 3 hits.

Winston-Salem (A): off day.

Kannapolis (A): Rally late to beat Lake Co 5-4. Cook get 2 hits including a homer.

Bristol (R): an uneventful 3-2 loss to Dville.

Great Falls (R): also lose uneventfully, 3-2.

Baseball phrase of the day: outduel n. to outpitch.

Today's music selection: none. I require silence today.

Beer count- 0. That's right, zero. I think its because I feel a little drained. Maybe its the heat. I dunno. But all I've been drinking is water, passion fruit juice (aqui) and yerbe mate.

No Better Place

I was just so into you

Hey, guess what? I got L-A-I-D on friday night... After I gave the MILF a loooong foot massage, and a shorter deep tissue/scalp massage, we hit it. She wore an aqua blue silk nighty dress thing with all kinds of buttons on the front, and no panties underneath. She was so sexy I didn't last long, and came after only about 8 minutes or so. Talking afterwards she said even though she didn't have an O, it felt great because "I was just so into you. I love being close to you." Yeah. Gangsta rock star style, baby.

Sox Update: A win keeps bread on the table for at least one more meal. And in a near-perfect display of "Small ball" or "Ozzie ball" or whatever you want to call it, the Sox defeat the Mariner, 4-2. Buehrle pitches a gem (again), 7 IP and 1 ER, walking none and striking out 3. As sPod goes, so goes the Sox, and he had 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored (the difference in the final score). Konerko homered.

The game was also the Sox 12th sellout at home this season - a franchise record. Counting tickets sold, the Sox are also over 2 million paid for the first time since 1993.

Seattle again today, then comes the toughest stretch of games the Sox will see all year.

Down On The Farm:

(expanded 3-day round-up)

Charlotte (AAA): beat Durham on thursday 12-4. Borchard was 4 for 5, Gload homered, and Bilowski drove in 4. On friday they Knight won again, killing Durham 11-1. Borchard had 2 homers, Brown had 5 RBIs. Munoz stuck out 6 in 5 IP, Fields had 4Ks in 2 IP. Saturday night the Knight won again, beating the Bull 7-3. Brown drove in 3. Without a doubt, these wins are the Knights best run of the season.

Birmingham (AA): Thursday Owens goes 3 for 4 in a 2-0 loss to Mississippi. Haigwood struck out 10 in 7 IP. On friday, Rogo homered in another losing effort. Honel got lit up for 3 ER and 7 walks in 4 IP. The Baron salvaged a game on friday night thanks to a homer and 3 RBIs from Stewart. Tracey pitched just well enough to win (7 IP, 4 ER, 2 walks, 2 K).

Winston-Salem (A): On thursday, Hall drove in 3 in a 9-4 loss to Frederick. Gonzales struck out 5 in 4 2/3rds IP, but also gave up 5 ER and 5 walks. Friday was nearly an identical loss, with Hall driving in 2. But on saturday the Hog bats explode for a 12-2 victory. Daigle and Lee each got 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while Molina collected 2 hits and 3 RBIs. Lopez struck out the side in the lone inning he pitched.

Kannapolis (A): Beat Lexington 6-0 on thursday. Smith was 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs. They won again on friday, 8-4, with Gonzales going 2 for 4 with 3 RBIs, including a homer. Bakker struck out 7 in 5 IP of relief work. Saturday night was a 3-2 loss to Lake County. Egbert struck out 6 in 6 IP.

Bristol (R): Thursday was a wild 10-9 loss to JC. Cunningham was 3 for 6. On friday they beat JC 9-0. Sanchez was 4 for 5. Saturday was an uneventful loss to Danville.

Great Falls (R): thursday beat Missoula 15-6. Tribble drove in 4. Schmidt had 3 hits. Friday was an uneventful 6-1 loss. Saturday was a nice 6-5 win in 12. Johnson was 4 for 4.

Baseball phrase of the day: jonrun n. home run.

Football Hall of Fame inductions today. Bears play the Dolphin in the HOF game from Canton on monday night. Lots of interesting stuff going on in the NFL this year. Randy Moss is gone out of the ol Black and Blue division and that is great news for the Bears. I think Moss will be reborn again in Oakland and have a great year. Also, watching how the Green Bay QB situation develops over the next two years should be interesting, though not as interesting as watching Rex Grossman guide the Bears this year. I hope Lovie Smith undertands that, in many ways, his job appears to be on the line. Another 6-10 season will likely not be tolerated. The Bears must at least contend for a wild card spot.

Today's music selection: I spent most of saturday at Ravinia, listening to former Bad Examples front man, Ralph Covert, push his 'kiddie rock' on a new generation of consumers hungry for rock. "Ralph's World" is actually fun if you ever get the chance to see him. Like Dan Zanes (formerly of the Del Fuegos) and They Might Be Giants, these rock retreads have found a new market in the multi-million dollar world of children's entertainment. It could be worse. When I was a kid all we had was Zoom and Pete Seeger covering those tired old Woody Guthrie songs. On the positive side, there were a ton of hot MILFs at the show. Unfortunately, with husbands in tow. Too bad, as there was a lot of hot mom ass out there.

Its a sad day at the Buena Vista Social Club. Ibrahim Ferrer has died.

As I type this I'm watching some Bruce Springsteen concert on PBS. He's spent, I shit you not, about 20 mintues introducing the E Street Band, which now has about 25 members (and I'm sure Nils was real happy to see Little Steven back in the fold). Christ, how many guitars do they need? They've got 4! 4! Four fucking guitarists?!?!? You don't need 4 fucking guitarists to plod thru "Badlands." You know what happens when you have 4 fucking guitarists? If they're not soloing, you can't hear any of them! Shit, Lynard Skynard, one of the greatest guitar-driven bands ever, only had 3. Springsteen has become a parody of himself, a corny rock sideshow that is totally unwatchable. I hope this guy quits quick before doing more damage to his legacy. Maybe its too late. I can't take 25 more years of the same old faithful renditions of "Jungleland." Can't he just take his money and disappear into the hills about LA? Shut the fuck up already! And don't get me started on the Stones. Watching old people rock is like watching old people having sex. Eeeewwww! Its just creepy.

I'm still finishing up Studs Lonigan. Farrell has a way with words and characters. I still haven't quite warmed up to Studs as I did to Bellow's Augis March, but here are recent highlights:

On personal peacefulness:
"When Studs had beeen lying in the sand, he had been at peace, almost like some happy guy in a story."

On friendship:
"They didn't talk. They just sprawled there. It was too good to talk."

On summer in the city:
"The July night leaked heat all over 58th Street, and the fitful death of the sun shed softening colors that spread gauze-like and glamorous over the street. stilling those harshnesses and commercail uglinesessthat were emphasized by the brighter revelations of day. About the street there seemed to be a supervising beauty of reflected light."

Beer count - 2 on saturday, but I also had 4 glasses of wine. 2 on friday. No wine.

The Rodney Dangerfields

As the old dead comedian's catch phrase goes about "no repsect", the same could be said of the national media's attention to the White Sox this year.

No matter how many games they win, without a superstar on the Sox, most of the media considers them a fluke. In the preseason, the "experts" handed the AL Central to Minnesota. Beyond the Twins, some picked the Sox behind the likes of both Detroit AND Cleveland. When the Sox got out to the best start in baseball, all eyes were focused on the 2nd best team in the AL - Baltimore - and their run, only because it had an impact on the only two teams that seem to matter - the Red Sox and Yankees.

As the season progressed before the All Star break, national media attention turned to the LA Angels, who got hot. Then the story was the Yankees, because their team of mega-zillionaires were losing. Immediately following the All Star break, the Yankees became the story when they won 7 of 10 games, getting hot just as Baltimore imploded. And then Boston (again) became the story by splitting a 4-games series against the White Sox. And as the rest of the AL Central faded in the past week, the real story to the national media became the Oakland A's (besides the Palmeiro story).

Still, on August 8, just as on April 1, the Sox have the best record in all of baseball.So now, when the same forward thinking media begins to examine potential playoff teams, the Sox barely get a mention, or they're predicted to lose in the first round (citing the Sox from 2000 as an example). Or, they drone, selectively picking Sox players - especially the pitchers - lack of post-season experience.To the credit of CNN/SI, for what its worth, their power rankings have had the Sox at #1 or 2 virtually all year.

And still, at every chance they get, the national media rips Comiskey Park as among the worst in the league. Have they ever sat in the lower deck? What about the impressive improvements? Its like they're judging the park from 1991 vs the rest of the league's new stadiums. The park the Sox moved into in 1991 is not the same one they play in today- to the tune of millions of dollars of upgrades. If they get out the pressbox, maybe they'd see that.But all this is lost on the likes of ESPN "journalist" Albert Chen.

I hope the Sox just kick everyone's ass...

Worried, but not panicked...yet

Sox Update: The Sox rally to take one of 3 from Toronto. Iguchi homers to save the day. A rare error by Crede leads to 3 unearned runs, and another good outing by Contreras won't be reflected in his W-L record.

What worries me is that the Sox look flat. In these games against the Blue Jays, they just looked like - as lame as it sounds - they've lost their focus. I dunno.

What also worries me is that Everett left the game with a strained groin. Ouch. With Thomas gone for the year (again), Everett is a huge key player whose big bat is needed.

With Hermanson, Crede and sPod ailing as well, I have to wonder if the wheels are about to come off the bus. Speaking of sPod...

One of the keys to the Sox success this season is sPod. AS I said back in March, I believe that there is a direct correlation between sPods performance, especially his OBP and BA and the Sox success. And over the last 3 games, sPod is 2 for 14 and was caught stealing once. In fact, its been a while since he's had a stolen base, 5 games at least.

The Sox are at a point where they need to take 2 fo 3 from lowly Seattle at home. Reason being, the 15 games over the 3 weeks following this coming weekend series are the toughest strech the Sox will play all season. Take a look:
Yankees (6 - 3 home/3 away)
Minnesota (6 - 3/3)
Boston (3 - away)

The Sox really only need to win 2 vs NY and one against Boston. But they need to win 4 of 6 from the Twins. If they come out of this stretch still leading the AL Central by 11 games or so, you can start printing the playoff tickets.

In Between Days

your author hard at play

I want to write something, but not sure what. I don't feel like my usual, formulatic 'White Sox round-up'. Nor do I have a desire to examine pop culture or criticize anything remotely political (though there is plenty to rant about these days).

I wonder sometimes... this blog.. what is it for? Its a writing exercise, to be sure, plain and simple, to get me back in the habit of writing everyday. And my writing skills have improved dramatically, not only because of this magical piece of internet technology, but also thru my job, in which I have to send out a lot of carefully worded emails to a variety of different groups. I'm still a lousy speller, as you may have noticed, but my style is pretty good (even if the best of that is not even remotely reflected on this blog from day-to-day).

So now I have an idea (another one) for a story/book/screenplay. One that I think is good. Its artistic and has what I believe to be enormorus commerial potential. So I want to devote some time to hammering out this idea and actually get it going. If its one thing I think I know about writing is that it really is "1% inspiration , 99% perspiration". Its hard work. And like raising kids, you never know how the final product will turn out. You can slave away for years only to fail miserabely, through no fault of your own. But maybe be happy you tried and become a deeper human being in the process.

This blog will continue on thru the end of this baseball season, which I still think, as I predicted back in March, will end in a World Series championship for the White Sox. But after that, I think its time to begin to raise myself out of the corporate cube by literary means. And to that effort, I must cast aside all things 'writing' not focused on that goal.

I've had enough of shoveling coal for satan.

You've been warned.

On the positive side, I drank a lot of beer tonight (can you tell) and had a lot of fun on the train ride home, listening to the Replacements and staring at some smokin hot blondie MILF sitting across from me.

On the negative side, my softball team had our worst game of the year, getting crushed 12-0 and being eliminated from the playoffs. I blame Perry Farrell and those assholes in Dinosaur Jr. Thanks to the Lollapalozer Inc slackerfest, we had an additional two weeks off to let our softball prowess wane and skills dull. Going into tonight, I'd only played once in the past 6 weeks (and spent half that game pitching). Plus, we played with only 8 people, and were missing our 3 best players. Of the 8 that did show, one was in a leg brace (though she made a great catch in right field to rob a grand-slam homer and end the inning). In honor of the season, I've taken the liberty of posting a rare picture of myself (trust me, I look much better naked. And you can't see my full head of sexy curly locks under the hat, nor my deep brown eyes, or full lips). But even though the season is over, I am already looking forward to next year...

Recently, I did her Ben Folds' version of the classic "In Between Days". His piano line just jumps, and really picked me up and insipred me when I needed it.

Please hang with me. Southside Adventures will return to its regularily scheduled (and extremely insightful, high-quality, and erotic) programming tomorrow.

A Work of Art

nice

No, you goof! Not the picture above, the AL Central standing table at the right!

"Oh, Baltimore,
Man, its hard"
--Randy Newman "Baltimore"

"I have a good feeling about the next few days."
--EasyW on saturday morning, July 30

Sox Update: Did I call it, again? For anyone who thinks the Sox aren't for real, I present the last 4 games. Sure, they weren't perfect, but they were good enough. I won't go into details, you saw it.

Meanwhile, the Twins lost four straight.... and Torii Hunter is out at least a month... The news just keeps getting better.
King o the world!

The Toronto series should be interesting. The Sox only need to win 1 of 3 heading into the weekend, when the weak ass Mariner arrives at 35th and Shields.

The Sox released Mr. Zero today. Its a sad situation, but that's life in the big leagues. I think everyone wishes him the best. I bet he'll catch on with an NL team.

The Sox also sent down Gload and Harris today and bring up Adkins. Ozzie's just playing around and testing his horses for the post season. They'll be back...

Sox acquire Geoff Blum from San Diego for Ryan Meaux. As sad I am to see Meaux go, if Blum helps bring a championship to the Southside this year, then good riddance! Blum is a righthanded, switch hitting utility infielder. He's an obvious back up for the ailing Joe Crede at 3B, since Ozuna apparently feels more comfortable backing up Uribe at short (or the ailing Iguchi at second). Blum has had some success in the NL, especially against leftys, but failed to make adjustments to the AL as a Devil Ray in 2004, having his worst season ever. So, who knows what the Sox got... box o chocolates, Forest...

AROUND THE HORN
(Some other baseball news)

Another (alleged) juiced monster Rafael Palmeiro becomes a black mark on the game today. And a footnote in every baseball record book. A good day for Jose Canseco, who pointed a finger squarely at him in his recent book. These players today are all on the junk.

Its great Sandberg made it into the Hall of Fame. He's very deserving. Joe Morgan showed his lack of class this weekend by giving some lame ass excuse why he had to miss his first ceremony ever. A graduation? What fuckin school graduates at the end of July? What an ass. Thankfully he couldn't have picked a better night, as the Sox were on the ESPN sunday night game and viewers were treated to the always sharp baseball mind of Steve Stone.

The NL West is joke. Arizona is in first, and 3 games UNDER .500. That has never happened in August in the history or organized baseball. Yeah, expansion, what a great fucking idea. Lets water down the beers AND the talent!

Down On the Farm:

Charlotte (AAA):

Birmingham (AA):

Winston-Salem (A):

Kannapolis (A):

Bristol (R):

Great Falls (R):

Baseball phrase of the day: tonk n. home run

Today's music selection: none. Silence, please.

Direct from the SW burbs, Lucky Boys Confusion have a new collection of rare tracks and outtakes from the 'early days' coming out here in the next week or so. Among them is a song called 'City to City' which I have wonder if its a cover of the old Gerry Rafferty tune (it was the title cut from the same 1978 album that featured his smash hit 'Baker Street'). Check out their highly entertaining 5th generation punk off riffs at www.luckyboys.com. On tour now!

Here's a fun new product I have to get my hands on
(NOT SAFE FOR WORK VIEWING!):
http://www.bodybouncer.com/

I love the 'group' section. Man, I would love to try that out. Volunteers?

Beer count: saturday night 4. Sunday 1. Monday 2. Not bad considering what a hot weekend it was.