Tag Archives: break my heart

April 22, 2011 · 9:44 pm

I am getting used to this. Or: I think this rut is getting comfortable.

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I feel like Charlie Brown can describe anything I want to say better than I can.

On a wet and cold and windy and miseable night in Motown, the White Sox momentum came to a dead halt. Again.

There are some pretty abysmal statistics floating around in the White Sox offense, with certain members of the line-up 0/15 and 4/38 in their most recent plate appearances. And, yeah, there is a whole host of other things I could expound upon, but tonight. I’m just going to hope that the Sox defrost overnight and pull things together overnight.

I would really be a fan of seeing some unfamiliar faces in the line-up tomorrow and seeing the order get shaken up a bit. Because things really aren’t gelling right now, so why not try something new?

What’s the worst that could happen?

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April 20, 2011 · 9:22 pm

One! More! Time! Or: A picture is worth a thousand words.

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This is going to be a long season, methinks.

Again, I got home just in time for the last inning and missed pretty much everything there was to see.

If anyone has today’s “glass half full” thought for the day, I would certainly appreciate it.

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April 19, 2011 · 9:05 pm

I’m starting to get used to this. Or: Nothing new to say here.

Well, unfortunately I don’t have much new to say after today’s loss to the Rays. The score was 2-1, but I don’t know that it was even that close.

Phenomenal job today by James Shields. Good, sharp game. And, a really charming interview at the close of the game. A solid complete game that took him over 1000 career innings. Well done. There’s nothing to be done but to applaud his effort today.

Not a bad outing by Danks, we’ve certainly seen worse lately, but there was just the same usual problems plaguing us tonight. Some questionable defense, some less-than-desiable offense, and just a general feeling that there is just something missing that is preventing this team from feeling like a cohesive unit. Sometimes, it just seems like 9 guys hanging out in the grass. There was actually a really great running and sliding catch where I was actually surprised that Rios and Pierre didn’t smash into each other. And, it’s disappointing that the defense has me feeling this way.

I would love them to win, but I don’t even really need that. I would just like them not to give things away. Even games where we lose can be fun to watch, if they’re good, quality ball.

Oh well. In an effort to be positive, I would like to point out that there was one bright spot tonight.
jesse crain.jpg“Hello, my name is Jesse Crain and I will be auditioning for the role of closer.”

Two good outings in the last three games. I’ll use that to fill up my glass a little and try to keep it half full.

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April 18, 2011 · 9:20 pm

Ei yei yei. Or: Why aren’t expressions of frustration easier to spell?

Hrmph.

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Well, tonight apparently didn’t go much better in Tampa. Shut-out in game #1.

I (fortunately or not) wasn’t home to watch the first 8 innings and, by the time I got home, my ComCast channel had switched over to the Bulls’ pre-game show. Obviously, they didn’t feel like there was much hope for the Sox staging a comeback tonight.

But, since I am officially on Day Two of my moratorium on over-reacting, I am just going to take it for what it is. Just another notch in the belt of the early part of the season. And, as a source of entertainment, tonight might be a good night to wander over to twitter and read about the #LegendOfSamFuld. Because, according to GameDay, he had a pretty darned good night. If only he would take his darned good nights away from my White Sox. :)

I do have one thing to say, though: Just because my brother and I like to mock each other whenever possible about our opposing teams, it doesn’t mean that the ChiSox had to lose tonight just because the Jays lost this morning. They really don’t have to strive to have the same record as the Jays (0.438 – ouch, that hurt to type). They could have left one of us (ie: me) with bragging rights.

I guess since the Sox passed me by tonight, I’m going to hang out on the sofa with ice on my wrist (lheaven knows what I did to it tonight) and watch the Angels/Rangers game. Check out what the Angels look like when they’re not bundled up from head to toe in polar fleece.

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April 17, 2011 · 5:13 pm

Lather, rinse, and repeat. Or: Close, but still not enough.

So close, and yet still so far. Story of this homestand, really.

After a particularly well-played series by the Angels and a rather underwhelming series (with the occasional bright spot – today, AJ Pierzynski and Alexei Ramirez sure showed up to play and I think Jesse Crain was trying to formally audition for the role of closer.) from the ChiSox, April is proving to be a bumpy ride and we officially have a losing record.

Olympic-rings.gifHowever, as of today, I have officially withdrawn myself from participation in the over-reaction Olympics. I’ve been training hard, but I think its time to pull back a little.

I hereby do solemnly promise to stop worrying about the rest of the season until at least the end of April. Instead, I am going to take it day-by-day and give them a couple of weeks testing out the waters and getting comfortable.

Why? Because….

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Tomorrow takes the boys in black to Tampa (which will at least save me the effort of flipping to the Tampa game during the commercials. Tampa has somehow wormed its way onto my radar. And, while I’m enjoying it, I would be happier if they weren’t in the AL with the Sox. But, I guess that was bound to happen, with my AL-centric viewing pattern.), followed by trips to Detroit and New York. Ten games in ten days, I hope we can get some momentum. Which also takes us to the end of the month and the end of my self-imposed embargo on hitting the panic button.

Maybe getting the heck out of Dodge with different crowds, a different atmosphere, and different weather will inspire some change.

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April 16, 2011 · 10:17 pm

Ow. Or: No, really. OW.

advil.jpg Well.

That could have gone better.

*sigh*

We didn’t even wait until the 9th for it to all fall apart tonight. Just a long, slow, steady downward tumble today.

All I have to say is that I hope we break-in this line-up before the end of April. Get all of the kinks and issues ironed out before we dig ourselves into a hole that we can’t get out of.

Tonight, I am breaking out the advil, because this one hurt.

aj-gavin.jpgI think I should also probably pass a couple of them to AJ Pierzynski, who is probably going to be a little bruised tomorrow morning after throwing himself into the path of the oncoming train more than a few times tonight.

Which brings us to the pitching staff (because everything does, these days). Oh, Gavin. Gavin, Gavin, Gavin. Why did you insist on breaking my heart tonight? I’m not giving up on you (its going to take a lot more than a couple of disappointing starts for that), but next time, take a few deep breaths and stop getting ahead of yourself. It’s only April, the season is young. Don’t worry yourself into being your own worst enemy.

I don’t really have anything more eloquent to say tonight.

Hats off to the Halos tonight. Well played, gentlemen. Well played.

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April 16, 2011 · 4:41 pm

And, the rain continues to fall. Or: Here we go again.

Well, it seems like the entire east coast is wet, soggy, cold and miserable.

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Even the games that aren’t delayed or postponed seem to be going on with some less than desirable weather. Not exactly a fun afternoon at the ballpark for anyone east of Chicago today.

They (whoever “they” are) tell me that the Sox are still expected to play starting at the top of the hour. So, maybe we are in for another game like last night. Rain coming down for pretty much the whole game, raging winds, the Halos bundled up in their fleeces, and 2 separate rain delays.

We didn’t play terribly (at least, there was nothing epically terrible to complain about – we were kind of just generally blah) all things considered, but it didn’t work out so well for us yesterday and I’m not all that eager to relive it today.

So, click [here] for a not-quite-family-friendly picture that sums up how I feel about the rain situation today.

So, for the moment, I just finished up the Reds/Pirates game (I hope Juan Francisco can walk off whatever was causing him to hop to first in the bottom of the 8th) and now I’m killing time with Rays/Twins. A roof is looking like a good thing right about now, because no matter what “they” say – the weather looks pretty miserable and I’m not holding my breath.

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April 15, 2011 · 10:10 pm

And the heavens opened up. Or: Even Mother Nature is trying to drive me crazy.

If the drama isn’t coming from the bullpen, it’s coming from the skies.

Of course, just as we finish the fifth (with the boys down by 3), they call for the tarp. It looks like we’re headed into a rain delay at the end of just enough baseball to make the game official.

And, then they take so long getting the tarp that the rain lets up and we play almost another half of an inning. And, the rain starts to pour down again.

2 outs, Halos on first and third and they pull the tarp out for real this time. Looks like the Angels are going to be the team that breaks .600 by the morning.

All of this stress is almost enough to make someone want to defect to the National League.

Seriously, all I want for Christmas is an easy nine innings. No extra innings, no acts of weather, and no nuclear meltdowns in the bullpen. That’s it. (And, maybe a few more amazing grabs like the one JP had when he stole the homer from Abreu in the 5th.) Unfortunately for me, it’s not December.

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April 13, 2011 · 5:26 pm

Building my ChiSox survival kit. Or: The 9th inning may be the death of me.

valium.jpgrolaids.jpgred wine.jpgremote.jpg

I think someone needs to point out to the White Sox that games really are only supposed to last 9 innings (and, that 8 and a half is perfectly acceptable when you’re playing at home).

If they’re going to keep doing this – and if I’m going to survive the rest of the season – I’m going to need to arm myself with the essentials: valium, rolaids, red wine, and the television remote.

The game’s not over yet, but with the A’s having a 3 run lead in the top of the 10th, I’m going to hold out on hoping for that miracle this afternoon. Hopefully a day off to clear everyone’s heads (And, also, taking time to remember that just randomly throwing different pitchers at the batting line-up and hoping one will stick probably isn’t going to be an effective long-term survival strategy.) will be just what the doctor ordered.

At least, I certainly hope so.

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April 12, 2011 · 1:09 am

Watching the entire 9th inning from behind my hands. Or: Can I get off this emotional rollercoaster now?

I know we’re approximately 5 minutes into the regular season, but if the Sox keep doing this to me, I’m going to need an extra-large container of Tums and a handful of valium if I’m ever going to make it past the 8th inning.

Tonight hurt, being so close in so many ways that you could practically taste it. I’ll commend the A’s on a job well done (to make particular mention of the save by Fuentes), but man, this one stung.

But, to digress from the Sox for a moment, what up with Tampa @ Boston tonight?

Fuld, who came to the Rays from the Cubs in the Matt Garza trade, hails from Durham, N.H., and grew up watching Red Sox baseball. By his own estimation, he figured he had seen 40 to 50 games at Fenway Park. Monday night’s game proved to be his first as a Major Leaguer at the historic field, and approximately 30 family members and friends were on hand to watch. They were treated to a performance in which he displayed why he has become an emerging force for the Rays.

… Fuld, who made an extraordinary diving catch Saturday against the White Sox, repeated the feat in the fifth when Dustin Pedroia hit a drive to the gap in left-center field. Fuld raced to the ball and dove at the last second to rob Pedroia of extra bases.

Fuld tripled to lead off the sixth, leaving him a single shy of the cycle. After he flew out in the seventh, he had one final at-bat in the ninth and he appeared to notch the final piece to the puzzle. He lined a ball into left field, but he didn’t stop at first and finished with a stand-up double.

Entire article: http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_04_11_tbamlb_bosmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=tb

This guy is trying really hard to stay on my radar right now and I have to say, my interest is piqued. It’s got to be an exciting night to be a Tampa Bay fan.

And, to make matters worse, I’m pretty sure my brother is going to be able to rub a Jays’ win in my face by the time morning rolls around.

(In reality, I’m only mildly kidding about that. I will have to discuss my historic love affair with the Jays some other time, but that doesn’t mean its any easier to swallow coming off the night at The Cell.)

Well, at least some of us are having a good night. I’m hoping tomorrow’s my turn!

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