Sox are done, but now it’s time to get started

October 4th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

When my teams are eliminated from post-season play, I just don’t care very much anymore. I love the Sox, but the final 3 games in Cleveland were just spring training games in the fall.

I am glad they won 2 of 3, but still.

So with the season done, and the players scattering all over the world, what will the 2013 Sox look like? I really have no idea, but I do have my own ideas.

Catcher: I go back and forth on this one, but I am leaning toward thinking the Sox should let A.J. Pierzynski leave. A.J. will be 36 at the end of December, and has caught over 1000 games. He rarely takes a day off, and is almost never hurt—–BUT—he is still gonna be 36 at a demanding position. Was this season an aberration, or has he found the fountain of youth? I’ve always heard that it’s better to let a player go a year early, than a year late. This is the toughest decision the Sox will make.

If A.J. hits the open market, he is gone. He’ll be in LA or NY. My opinion.

The starters job should be a battle between Tyler Flowers and Josh Phegley, two guys that are as opposite in stature as there is. The Sox should bring in a veteran, who won’t mind backing up–a Ramon Castro type. Kelly Shoppach or Gerald Laird maybe.

1st: Paul Konerko. It’s the last year of his contract, so just play it out.


2nd: Gordon Beckham. A gold glove guy, who is getting better with the bat.

SS: Alexei Ramirez. No brainer.

3rd: The Sox shouldn’t pick up Kevin Youkilis‘ 13-million option. However, how about 2 years at 7-million with a team option for the 3rd?

Right: You all are gonna think I am crazy, but I would deal Alex Rios. His stock will never be higher than it is right now. It would not only shed 25-million off the Sox’ bloated payroll, but it would possibly bring quite a haul of young studs.

Dayan Viciedo will take over in right. He has to be resigned, but that’s a formality-I think.

Center: Alejandro De Aza did a great job, but I still think it should be an open competition between De Aza, Wise and Jordan Danks.

Left: Without knowing what deals or free agent signings the Sox might make, Danks, Jared Mitchell and even a guy like Trayce Thompson could be in the running. They should get a stop-gap guy just in case those options don’t work out. Could the Sox take a chance on Delmon Young or even Melky Cabrera?

Starting Pitchers: Jake Peavy is gone. Once he hits the open market, some team is gonna break the bank for the 31 year old.

Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and the hopefully healthy John Danks will be 3/5 of the rotation. Hector Santiago and Dylan Axelrod should get a shot, as should Charlotte’s Charlie Leesman. I would kick the tires on Jeremy Guthrie, Dan Haren (if option not picked up) and Joe Blanton.

I would also try to restructure Gavin Floyd’s option, with a lower base, but a lot of incentives such as innings pitched, wins, quality starts, etc. I am worried that his recent elbow issues could be a warning for future problems.

Bullpen: Is Addison Reed the dominant guy we saw in the first half, or the struggling guy in the 2nd? I’ll go with the former. So we’ll say he’s the closer.

I would not pick up the 10-million option on Brett Myers. Unless, they see him as the closer.

Matt Thornton’s back. His salary is doable and he is still a hard-throwing lefty. Wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the Sox deal him.

Jesse Crain is back.

The young guys. Liked Jones & Ommogrosso and at times, Septimo. Wasn’t sold on Veal, and didn’t see enough of Heath to make a proper judgement.

Bench: Other than Wise, was there one? A character guy like Johnny Gomes would be a great fit, and he could play left all the time if the above options don’t work out.

The Sox may lose a coach or two so they will have to replace them as well.

DH: Adam Dunn.

The Sox need to start fitting in some of their young offensive guys to see if they can play at the big league level. Can’t keep signing aging guys, or one day they’ll all be aged.

The guy to keep your eye on, and the one I think that’ll eventually play 1st for the Sox, is 2012 #1 pick Courtney Hawkins. He is a man-child, and a future star.

Spring training is just 4 short months away.

Go Sox!!

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Sox aren’t done, but they might be done

September 30th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

If Al Michaels was in Chicago today he would have said something like, “Do you believe in miracles?” Right now if you’re a White Sox fan, that’s the only thing to hope for. I hate to be a bearer of bad tidings, but I don’t think it’s gonna happen.

Back on September 18th, the Sox were 81-66, 3 full games ahead of the Tigers. Fast forward to September 30th, the Sox are 83-76, 3 full games back of the Tigers. That 2 and 10 record has all but eliminated the Sox from the post-season. Well, that’s not completely true, the Sox could sweep the Indians, while the lay down buys from Kansas City could do the same to the Tigers. Considering the Tribe just took 2 of 3 from the Royals, cumulating in a 15-3 beat-down on Sunday, both of those scenarios aren’t gonna happen.

You know what, I’m disappointed, but not mad. This is a team that wasn’t supposed to be within sniffing distance of the Tigers, and instead won’t be eliminated until the last 3 games of the year. That is damn good.

I have no inside information, but I do believe Sunday was the last home game for catcher A.J. Pierzynski. He has been an outstanding presence in the lineup since 2005. Unfortunately, his possible last home-stand wasn’t that good, going 4-20 with a home run and 2 RBI.

Wasn’t much better for the rest of the crew:

Adam Dunn went 2-25 in the final 7 home games. As a matter of fact, since his heroics last Monday, Dunn has just 1 hit in his last 21 at bats.

Paul Konerko went 5-25 with a home run and 2 RBI.

Dayan Viciedo went 4-16 with a home run and 3 RBI.

Alexei Ramiirez went 4-23 with 3 RBI.

Team MVP Alex Rios was the exact opposite, going 10-25 with a home run and 3 RBI, while Kevin Youkilis had 9 hits in 27 at bats, but with just 1 RBI. At least he was reaching base.


Pretty much the entire offensive staff was in a funk, especially against the Rays, finishing 5-25 with runners in scoring position. Even worse, in 2 of the games they only had runners in scoring position 3 times!

I have nothing bad to say about the staff. These guys just wore down. Chris Sale and Jose Quintana have thrown more innings than they ever have, while Francisco Liriano has been a bust (I was wrong on that one).

Jake Peavy pitched himself into a huge contract next year.

Gavin Floyd pitched one his best games in weeks, picking up the only win for the South Siders this weekend.

And the bullpen is mostly kids, who have never been on these type of pressure situations.

Am I disappointed..Hell yeah, but under the circumstances, I have to be realistic too. Having 4 games against the pitching rich Rays this late in the season wasn’t easy either.

Here some good news–or is it. Next year, the Sox finish at home against the Royals. Hopefully, by then they will have found a way to beat them.

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Of manny….Sox lose 2, but force the Indians to fire their manager

September 27th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Game Stories, Opinions

I took some time before writing so I wouldn’t just be writing from emotion. So there.

After laying down for the 4th straight day, the Kansas City Royals got swept by the Tigers on Thursday. Detroit’s lead is now 1 1/2 over the Sox with 7 games remaining.

I guess taking 2 of 3 from the fading Sox couldn’t help Manny Acta, who was relieved of his managerial duties on Thursday. Sandy Alomar Jr. is the new Skipper of the Tribe.

Sox are in a series funk. I thought after Monday’s heroics by Adam Dunn, the line-up would wake up and destroy the dead and buried Indians. Strike 1.

I tried my best.. I watched a bit of game 2 and none of game 3, thinking that if I just looked at the score the Sox would be on top. Strike 2.

I even thought Dunn would get Vinnie Pestano again in game 2 in the 8th to put the Sox ahead,

or that Paul Konerko would take Chris Perez yard in the 9th with one on. Strike 3. Like I said, I didn’t watch the final game, just looked at the play-by-play.

I’m not gonna start writing the obit, or quote final month stats for the players or pitchers. Whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen.

One double play turned in game 2, and the Sox get 2 of 3. Sorry, I’m cracking.

I am not happy right now, but I am happy that the Sox aren’t gonna lose 95 games, like some prognosticators said they would. Dammit, I wish I still had that Peavy sound where he talked about that.

I will say things don’t look good for the South Siders, who get 4 against the wildcard contending Tampa Bay Rays, while the Tigers get a vacation in Minnesota. Hope the Twins nut up like they did in Mo-town last week.

I am remaining calm, but goddammit beat the f’n Rays.

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Dunn is the hero, and now you can wear his shirt

September 24th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

Adam Dunn hit home runs #40 and #41 Monday against the Indians, putting him 2 off the A.L. lead. That clutch blast he hit in the 8th was a majestic shot that very well could be the biggest hit for the Sox this season. Vinnie Pestano had no shot against the big man.

If he takes that swing with him over the final 9 games, welcome to the playoffs Chicago White Sox.

To honor the big man, www.heysix.com has designed a tee-shirt you should pick up–right now!! There are just a handful of regular season games left for the Sox, so you can wear your new Dunn shirt with pride. Plus, when they make the post-season you will be the envy of all your friends.

Here’s a look at the shirt for those of you wondering.

Heysix www.heysix.com has a lot more stuff, but you should look into picking up a few of these nifty Dunn shirts. Oh yeah, all of Heysix’ shirts are custom made, and come from their ideas. In short, Heysix is a a true original product.

I choose to put the sweep by the Angels behind me. I went to Sunday’s contest, and didn’t like what I saw. No, not completely true, I did like the way Gavin Floyd threw for the first 5 innings. The Halos are a desperate team, and the Sox just got in the way.

That’s in the past now. Sox win game one vs. the Tribe, 5-4. It was tight, but the Sox showed they are far from Dunn.

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Sox making moves while moving toward a Division title

September 21st, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

Thank god the Sox are done with the Royals. Those guys may be near the bottom of the Central Division, but they beat the bejeezus out of the South Siders. Only one time did the Sox win a series against their rivals. If the Royals play as well against the Tigers as they do the Sox, but your playoff tickets now.

If the move of Rick Hahn to GM turns out to be true, than the Sox made a good move. That is no shot on Ken Williams, who directed a team that was in contention almost every year he has been at the helm. Hahn has been in the organization for 12 years, and has been behind the scenes most of the time, but he has paid his dues. I have had just sporadic contact with the guy, but he has always been guy that you knew would make it to GM eventually. I thought he would have been a good fit in Anaheim last year.

Other news: The Sox declined the Jake Peavy’s option. I didn’t think that was much of a secret. Peavy appears to be healthy, and has pitched well this year, but the Sox have a number of cheaper options coming through their farm system so they don’t have to move on the guy right now. No, I do not think he’ll return, but remember I am always wrong.

What should I say about the Royal series? Nothing!!!!! They are now in the rear view mirror. Thankfully, they still have a 2-game lead over the Tigers.

13 left.

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Hustle and flow–that’s the 2012 edition of the White Sox

September 17th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

If anyone questioned how much the Sox want the division title, all they had to do to was watch today’s game against the Tigers. BTW: For the uninformed–Sox won 5-4.

Alex Rios is playing like a man possessed. His take out of Omar Infante in the 5th inning was easily the play of the game. His hard slide forced a bad throw which led to the eventual winning run crossing the plate.

Remember last year when Rios was the scourge of Chicago? This year he is the toast of the town.

So many small plays in today’s game that’ll go unnoticed. Alexei Ramirez making every look easy. Gordon Beckham’s continual great play at 2nd. Dayan Viciedo making a great play in left, right before he made an error. Yes, I jinxed the team. I said yesterday the Sox hadn’t committed an error in 9 games. There goes that streak.

Let’s not forget Adam Dunn woking counts. That 6 days off not only got his body together, but helped him mentally as well. Remember, Dunn hasn’t been in many, or I should say, any playoff races.

Top of the 9th, I thought Robin Ventura would let Brett Myers close the game out. I then wondered how he’d answer the questions about that move. Never came to that..He let Matt Thornton blaze past one batter, then called on Addison Reed to close it out. No controversy.

Well, Ventura will have to answer for Dwayne Wise. Wise, who has done no wrong since rejoining the Sox a few weeks back, was gunned out at third to end the 8th inning. Not a big deal except that that it nullified a Sox run. It was a horrible base running mistake, but since the Sox won it’ll be forgotten.

Sox lead the Tigers by 3 games with 16 left. Now they have to find a way to deal with the Royals, who they will see for the final 3 times this season starting tomorrow.

I was gonna say something about Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, but I don’t wanna jinx anything.

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Sox rock the Twins, continue their roll

September 16th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

Like I said, Adam Dunn will return this weekend and torch the Twins. I didn’t have the guy returning until the end of the year, like 5 or so games left. As usual, I was wrong. Dunn came back with a vengeance, even smacking his 39th home run of the year.

Twins suck, so the Sox did what they had to do in taking care of business.

Don’t know, and don’t plan on looking it up, but I was wondering of a traded pitcher has ever thrown a no hitter against his former team in the very same season? I doubt it, but I am positive there is some number crunching person who knows the answer right now.

Maybe the Sox should put Francisco Liriano in the bullpen more often, especially if he is going to throw almost 7 innings of no hit ball like he did Friday against his former mates.

If the Sox make the playoffs, Chris Sale wins the Cy Young. There, I said it.

Dunn will be comeback player, but Showalter will win the Manager of the year, with Ventura finishing 3rd behind the A’s Bob Melvin

Ken Williams should get consideration for the executive of the year for all the great moves he made before and during the season, but I think the honor will go to Mike Rizzo in Washington.

Heard a couple guys arguing the other day about what is tougher: Hitting a baseball or golf. Until fans are allowed to get stone drunk, yell and fight on the greens, I’ll go with baseball. Even if they are allowed to act the fool, I will still lean toward baseball.

And it’s just golf. Golf is it’s own word. You cannot PLAY golf or you would be be play playing golf.

Gordon Beckham is saving his best for last. The 2nd baseman is hitting .333 in the final month, plus he is on a 7-game hitting streak.

Except for the RBI’s, Paul Konerko is having his usual season. I still wonder if he is playing hurt. Everyone is playing hurt this time of the year, but when I watch the Captain hit I just can’t get it out of my mind that he may be hurting more than usual.

Robin Ventura knows how to save his pitching staff. In their 3 game sweep of the Twinkies, Ventura used 11 pitchers, but only Matt Thornton was used twice. They staff is well rested for the final 17 games.


Jake Peavy is about to go over the 200 innings mark. It’s been 5 years since he’s done that.

Chris Sale is 25 innings away from 200 innings. It’s unchartered territory every time he takes the mound.

Sox got the pitching in Minnesota, and they continue to get the fielding. You know, they haven’t committed an error in 9 games, and that was by reserve Rey Olmedo.

Pitching and defense baby.

On the other hand, Mark Buehrle is about to go over the 200 inning plateau for the 12th straight year, that is if he can pitch 12 more innings with the Marlins.

I know, I’m wandering, but I also wonder if Ozzie’s job is on the line in Florida. From what I’ve read, they haven’t said he’ll be let go, but they haven’t given him a ringing endorsement either. You want my next prediction? Miami will be on the post-season next year.

Sorry for reminiscing.

Neither the Winston-Salen Dash or Charlotte Knight’s were able to win there respective titles, but they are chalk full of the next wave of Sox players.

Sox start a 1-game homestand when they play a make up game tomorrow against the Tigers. It is a huge game for the Sox, who will go up by 3 games if they win.

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Sox living the high-life–with 20 games left they are still in first.

September 14th, 2012 Bill Mahoney Posted in Main, Opinions

I hate the flu! I wonder, are there people out there who like it?

Any of you guys get out and check out Miller beer guy himself, Windell Middlebrooks, on Tuesday? If you did, you found out what I already know. Middlebrooks is a great guy! I met him in Las Vegas as part of the Miller High Life campaign honoring America’s military a couple months back. He took his act to the Cell on 9/11, taking part in the Miller High Life’s “Welcome Veterans Back to the High Life.


In conjunction with the White Sox’s National Day of Remembrance ceremonies, Middlebrooks was joined by 500 Chicago-area veterans and their families. They all got to get on the field (I’m jealous), drink some high life’s (more jealous) and watch an exciting game (extremely jealous).

Middlebrooks is/was great to everyone he meets, and believe me, he is not against sucking down some delicious Miller High Life’s. Like I said, my sickness precluded me from the game, but I can guarantee you his spirit and personality made the day even more special than it already was. And not just for the Vets, but the players and fans too!


Damn flu!!!

Here’s my best guess. Adam Dunn won’t play until the last few games of the year. An oblique strain is fine if you are a couch potato, but not so good for a ballplayer. I remember a few years ago, Milwaukee’s Rickie Weeks missed almost 2 months with this injury. He actually didn’t recover until the off-season. Dunn will make it back, but I wonder how effective he’ll be when he does return.

When I was a kid I loved the Tigers because of late Mark Fidrych. Not so much now though as they keep beating the Sox.

Sox caught a break with Thursday’s rainout. Justin Verlander hasn’t lost a September game to the Sox in over 4 years, sporting a 6-0 record with an minuscule 1.76 ERA. The game will be made up on Monday, but Verlander will miss the start.

Sox still own a 1 game lead in the Central, but the schedule favors the Tigers. Excluding one series against the A’s, the Tigers get the Indians, Twins, & Royals. On the other hand, the Sox get the Angels, Rays, Royals & Twins. That is gonna be a tough road to hoe for the Sox.

All the pressure will be on the players to perform, but all eyes will be on Manager Robin Ventura. Guaranteed, he makes one move that doesn’t work out, and the “He’s never managed before” garbage will rear its ugly head.

With a record of 76-66, the Sox have 20 games left. Sox need to win at least 13 of them to be in the hunt. That series at the Angels will be huge, as will the Tigers-A’s contests. The South Siders are 20-9 against Western opponents, while the Tigers are 11-19. The suckee thing is..when the Tigers are entertaining the A’s, the Sox will be in Kansas City. If the A’s pitching continues to throw lights out ball, that could be pivotal 3 game swing. That is, if the Sox can find some way to hit Royal pitching, while slowing down their hitters. Which so far hasn’t worked.

Hard to believe, but the Central winner may not even win 90 games.

Throw every statistic out the window. With 20 games left, it’s about desire, mixed in with a little luck.

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