To Quote Hawk Harrelson, “It’s over”! Really not much of a news flash. This season teetered on the brink of disaster most of the year. At least now, the team can start focusing on next year.

I keep reading that Ozzie is all but gone. I still don’t agree with it, but 8 years is a long time to be a manager of one club. I wonder if the Sox will go the retread route, or bring in some new blood. Do they blow out the whole staff, or just Ozzie? That’s one’s obvious. I know no decisions have been announced, but it looks like the only one who will survive the swinging axe will be General Manager Ken Williams.

The Sox weren’t playing well before they were eliminated. Did you really expect them to play great now? Well, they weren’t technically eliminated when Mark Buehrle took the mound on Thursday, but they were when he left. Kansas City knocked the lefty around to the tune of 15 hits and 6 earned runs. The 15 hits given up were a career high. 14 used to be his career high. The Royals own that record as well. Hey, he might be pitching for them next year, who knows.

One thing almost guaranteed when the Sox face the Royals is a HPB. I should say a Sox player will almost assuredly get plunked. Through 13 games, a Sox player has been hit 8 times. And there were multiple HBP’s in some of those games. I guess the Royal pitchers go wild when they play the Sox. The Pale Hose are a polite bunch, as they haven’t hit even half as many Royals.

The shine is off Dayan Viciedo a bit. Viciedo has gone hitless in his last 12 at bats, and is 3 for his last 21. He sure got off to a hot start with the Sox though.

The Sox may be eliminated from winning the Central, but they also assured themselves a finish no worse than 4th place. 13 games left, and they are 13.5 ahead of the Twins. So there’s some good news.

Went to a concert last night so I missed the end of Friday’s game. Oh, I did catch Brent Morel crushing a Tim Collins catch to tie the game. So Morel will hit about 70 bombs next year, right? The man either loves September baseball, or he has turned the corner as a major power hitter. If he hits 3 more home runs, Morel will tie Adam Dunn. What are he odds that Morel and Brent Lillibridge could/would hit more home runs than the Big Donkey? I would’ve taken those odds.

Anywho, the season from hell from Matt Thornton continues. Man, I turned off the game as they headed to the bottom of the 9th! I could’ve stayed ’cause Thornton faced just 4 batters in that inning. That’s all it took for the Royals to plate the winning run. Sox have now lost 6 straight games, and dropped in to 3rd place in the AL Central.

That 80 wins I predicted the Sox would reach, isn’t looking too promising right now.

These two meet again on Saturday. Zach Stewart for the Sox, while Everett Teaford toils for the Royals. Cheerio!!

Go Sox!!