quade36

Was it intentional???? on the radio it said it was.

The Ump had an extremely tight strikezone on Garland. Some of his pitches that were right there were called balls and you could see the frustration on his face. No getting around Oakland haze July 16, 2004 BY DOUG PADILLA Staff Reporter Advertisement OAKLAND, Calif. -- The White Sox found a new way to lose at Oakland, and Jon Garland blamed the umpire for part of this one. The Sox fell to the Athletics 4-2 in their second-half opener as the offense came out flat and Garland gave up three walks in a three-run fourth inning for the A's. Garland was coming off back-to-back outings in which he allowed just one run in seven innings. ''I didn't change anything; I'm still throwing the same pitches in the same spots,'' Garland said. ''It wasn't going my way. I'm not one to say umpires make a difference in the game, but I think they did tonight. ''I definitely think he missed a few pitches, and it hurt me. When a guy goes 2-0 or 3-0 instead of 2-1 or 2-2, obviously it's going to go better in his favor.'' Garland (7-6) said he voiced his displeasure with home-plate umpire Mark Wegner, but only for his own satisfaction. "You can't go back and change any calls,'' he said. "What's done is done.'' The Sox now have four consecutive defeats at Oakland and 14 in their last 15 tries. The A's scored three runs in the fourth with the aid of just one hit as Garland walked Scott Hatteberg and Erubiel Durazo to lead off the inning before Bobby Crosby delivered an RBI double. Damian Miller then walked before Eric Byrnes brought in another run with a fielder's choice. Mark Kotsay followed with a fly ball to center that Timo Perez caught on the run. But with Byrnes slow to get back to first base, Perez threw to first to try to get a double play. The only problem was that Paul Konerko moved to the middle of the infield to be the cutoff man in case Crosby tried to score from third. Perez's throw went into the Sox dugout, and the error gave the A's their third run of the inning. ''It was instinct,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. ''You see the runner, you don't see the guys playing first base. Nobody was there.'' The A's added their final run in the fifth on a home run by Eric Chavez. Meanwhile, the Sox struggled vs. A's starter Rich Harden (4-5) as their first 13 batters were retired. Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run home run in the seventh off Harden, his first since May 4 (83 at-bats), but the Sox had just four hits off the right-hander as he pitched a career-high eight innings. ''With all the time off, the guys didn't swing the bats the way we can,'' Guillen said. ''With the time off, I think a couple of guys were off on their timing, and that happens to everybody.'' So far this season the Sox have lost two games at Oakland in extra innings, on back-to-back walk-off home runs, to go with Thursday's frustrating defeat. ''We've played well here last year,'' Garland said. ''I think we had a chance to win both games the last time we were in. I think this game should have gone into the ninth 2-2. ''But what can you do? Hang with them.'' Konerko, the Sox' hottest hitter in the first half of the season, went 0-for-3 but is confident he will have a strong finish. Over his last 17 games before Thursday, he was batting .424; over his previous 48 games, he was batting .343 with 16 home runs and 41 RBI. The All-Star break could have been seen as bad timing for the streaking Konerko, but he found a way to make it go by in a blink. ''This was the quickest All-Star break that I think I ever had because I didn't leave town,'' he said. ''I worked out [Wednesday] at the field. I had a good thing going on Sunday. There is no reason why 72 hours is going to change that. I got good work in Monday, and I picked up where I left off in the routine.''

Mystery over Belle's lumber still a corker E-mail this story Printer-friendly format Search archives More Headlines View from a Sox Fan Special players to get 'Miracle' in the city AL rides outburst in 1st Tinkering works—so far FSN lands new voice By Paul Sullivan Tribune staff reporter July 14, 2004, 9:41 PM CDT There will be no commemorations or in-game back-patting from Commissioner Bud Selig during the White Sox game in Oakland on Thursday, although July 15 marks the 10-year anniversary of one of the great capers in baseball history. When the Indians' Albert Belle stepped in against Jack McDowell in the top of the first inning, with a late-arriving crowd just having settled into their seats on a sultry Friday night at "new Comiskey Park," Sox manager Gene Lamont made a bold move that instantly cranked up the volume on a long-dormant rivalry. Lamont calmly walked up to plate umpire Dave Phillips and asked to have Belle's bat checked. After examining it and conferring with fellow umps Joe Brinkman and Tim McClelland, Phillips handed it to Comiskey clubhouse attendant Vinny Fresso. "By rule, he's allowed to have one bat checked and confiscated," Phillips said later. "I visually checked it, and I couldn't see any place where it was tampered with." Lamont said he had a "hunch" Belle was using a corked bat, although speculation swirled that the Sox had taken his bats and X-rayed them the night before. Fresso took the bat and placed it in a locked office where the umpires dress and relax before games. The bat was to be sent to the American League office for a thorough examination, as I wrote in my first game story as Sox beat writer for the Tribune: "Unless the Chicago post office manages to lose it en route to New York, Dr. Bobby Brown, the league president who leaves office on Aug. 1, will make the final decision." To my surprise, it was discovered the following morning that the corked bat had disappeared, although no U.S. Postal employee could take the fall. Sometime during the sixth or seventh inning of Friday night's game, an unknown Cleveland player had crawled through the ceiling from the visitor's clubhouse to the ump's office, carrying a "safe" bat with him. Like a scene out of "The Great Escape," he carefully removed the ceiling tile and jumped down into the office, where he exchanged the new bat with the confiscated one before crawling back through the ceiling and into the Indians' clubhouse. When Fresso checked the office and noticed someone had come in through the ceiling, the umpires spoke to Indians management. After Saturday's game, Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove handed over the missing bat and general manager John Hart blamed the theft on an unnamed employee with "a misguided sense of loyalty to a teammate." The bat was sent to Brown's office in New York, but Detroit manager Sparky Anderson theorized the Indians didn't return the original bat. "You'll never see that bat again," Anderson said. "Long gone. Looooooong gone." Before being swallowed up by the labor debate that ultimately led to the players' strike in mid-August, the corked bat controversy garnered national headlines, and Belle became more notorious than ever. Sox shortstop Ozzie Guillen even warned that Belle was not the only major-league player using an illegal bat. "Believe me, he's not the only one corking his bat in this league," Guillen said. "The main thing is, he got caught. It's just like Watergate." Belle was found guilty after X-rays showed the bat was corked. He was suspended for 10 games, but the sentence later was reduced upon appeal. The "Batgate" scandal had a short shelf life, unlike Sammy Sosa's corked bat episode last year. Belle's big bust basically was forgotten about one month later when the game abruptly stopped and disgruntled sports fans turned their attention to the NFL and college football. The episode resurfaced briefly on June 3, 2003, when Sosa was caught with the corked bat that split into pieces in front of thousands of eyewitnesses at Wrigley Field. The only mystery to that one was why one of the greatest sluggers of all time "mistakenly" had placed a corked bat in the bat rack. After years of speculation, pitcher Jason Grimsley eventually revealed himself to The New York Times as the culprit who had come through the ceiling and exchanged bats in 1994.. But questions remain unanswered, 10 years later. How did the Sox know Belle's bats were corked? Was it simply an educated guess, or did general manager Ron Schueler find out through stealthy methods? Belle is retired and living in Arizona after breaking down with a bad hip. He has received his college degree and currently is waiting to be rejected, unfairly, by baseball writers in voting for the Hall of Fame. Belle's numbers merit induction, but he nuked a lot of bridges with sportswriters, so it'll be an interesting talk-radio debate, to say the least. Lamont always has said the true story has yet to be revealed. Let's hope someday everyone will come clean, for history's sake.

I had no clue this thread would reach 115 posts. wow!!!!!

You know I have to admit, I didn't put much thought into it. But I like your stereotypes so much more..... That Dirty Harry scene is classic!!!!

Okay I am streching it.... My comment was completely a joke I hope you know.

Would this be offensive???? An American player being introduced in Japan by the acky breaky heart song and that commercial of the hot dog jumping into the bun that you see at drive in on the jumbo screen. And also eating noises every time that player makes an out, followed by a burp for the third out. These are all American things that someone may interpret as being normal in America

Question, does this half off price include club box seats???? I know Pepsi half price night doesn't

with the two wins on Saturday and Sunday, my season record is now 12-3. What are your updated records?

Don't blow up now. I don't think the gong is racist at all, but showing the godzilla movie on the big screen, well I don't know about that.....

I wasn't saying it was bad, I actually enjoy it a lot. I just think it may be a little overdone. I mean after each out.

Don't you think the gong after every out is a little overboard. Maybe a little politically incorrect???

I heard it too, but would you expect him to ever have tact???

Johan santana will replace

What are you talking about!!!!! Giambi so deserves to be the starter on the allstar team..... Look at his incredible numbers .243 AVG 11 HRs 33 RBIs And he should participate in the homerun contest.... He is the man....

I'll be at Saturday's and Sunday's games......

GO Detroit!!!!!

NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA HEY HEY HEY GOODBYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a nice bunt now.....

yes no pop-ups.... SQUEEZE!!!!!!!

COM'ON JUAN!!!!!!

PAULLY IS THE MAN!!!! SHOULD BE AN ALLSTAR!!!!!

PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY PAULLY

JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE

JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE