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The Demise of the 2004 White Sox


TLAK

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A lot of folks like to point to the Torii Hunter play as the moment last season went on the skids. But it was only one episode in a week where the team found bizarre and varied ways to lose baseball games. I really can't remember another week like it. It was not long after Frank Thomas went down and Magg's come back failed. They had just won 4 in a row and were 10 games over .500. The team was in 2nd place, 1/2 game behind the Twins. The pitching was all lined up for the big Twins series and things were looking pretty good.

 

Then it became one of the longest weeks in my life.

 

Sunday July 25. Sox V Tigers at US Cellular. This was the game where Jeremy Bonderman was ejected in the 2nd inning for hitting Aaron Rowand. Neal Cotts relieved Jon Garland down 4-2 in the 7th. He got the first two guys, gave up a walk, a single, a walk and then hit Carlos Pena to force in a run -this would become a recurring theme. Ozzie goes to Mike Jackson. Marcus Thames (THE Marcus Thames) hits a Slam to put the game out of reach. Final 9-3 Det.

 

Monday July 26. Sox V Twins at US Cellular. This was the Torii Hunter running over Burke game. The Sox offense against Brad Radke consisted of a Paul Kornerko home run in the 2nd; Borchard later homered in the 8th. The Hunter play developed when he led off the inning with a walk off Cliff Politte. He stole second as Cuddyer struck out. Politte intentionally walked Koskie, then threw a wild pitch with Henry Blanco at bat, both runners advancing. Blanco hit a fly ball to Perez, the throw was going to be late but Hunter ran over Burke anyway. Final 6-2 Minny.

 

Tuesday July 27. Sox V Twins at US Cellular. Johan Santana throws a 2 hitter through 6. Garcia gives up 4 over 7.1 and Marte melts down in the 9th, he goes walk, single, single, wild pitch and single before Ozzie mercifully goes out and gets him. Sox score on 2 HRs from Carlos Lee and 1 from Carl Everett, long after the horse has left the barn. Final 7-3 Minny.

 

Wednesday July 28. Sox V Twins at US Cellular. Loaiza battles Carlos Silva to a 4-4 tie before the game goes to the bullpens. Going into the 9th Takatsu starts his second inning and struggles. He walks Guzman, Ford bunts him to second. Shingo intentional walks Morneau. Hunter bunts out (trying for a hit) and the runners move up. 2 outs. Shingo gets Jacque Jones to pop up behind 3rd. Fantastic. NO-O-O-O-O-O! Jose Valentin drops the pop up and Jones promptly singles in a run. Joe Nathan yawns while retiring the Sox in the bottom of the inning. Final 5-4 Minnie.

 

Thursday July 29. Sox V Tigers at Comerica. Schoeneweis pitched pretty well giving up 2 earned in 5.1. Detroit scores the lead run in the 6th after a throwing error by Jose Valentin. Gload pinch singles in the 8th. With Willie Harris at bat he gets thrown out trying to steal. Harris, of course, then doubles. Timo grounds out and Lee flies out. Final 3-2 Det.

 

Friday July 30. Sox V Tigers at Comerica. This was a see saw game where the Sox battle back from 2 down twice behind Jon Garland. Marte was on in the 8th and Alex Sanchez leads off with a single. Marte pops Infante, gives a single to Guillen and strikes out Dmitri Young, Gritty performance. Then he walks Rondell White to load the bases and walks Bobby Higginson to force in the winning run. The Sox go pop, fly, K against Urbina. Final 5-4 Det.

 

Saturday July 31. Sox V Tigers at Comerica. Buehrle is great giving up 2 runs over 9 innings. Mike Maroth matches him and the teams take a pair of 5 hitters into the 10th. Urbina comes in and the Sox go down meekly once again. Cliff Politte opens the Tigers half by striking out Inge. Sanchez singles and Infante singles so its 2nd and 3rd. Irod is intentionally walked. Then Politte walks Carlos Guillen to force the winning run on the second consecutive night. This one was even a walk off. Final 3-2 Det.

 

The Sox were now 3 over .500, 5 full games behind the Twinks.

 

The streak ended the next day with a win over the same Tigers but neither the team, nor I, ever recovered completely.

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QUOTE(TLAK @ Jan 31, 2005 -> 09:45 PM)
Sunday July 25.  Sox V Tigers at US Cellular.  This was the game where Jeremy Bonderman was ejected in the 2nd inning for hitting Aaron Rowand. 

This actually may have been the turning point. Bonderman shouldn't have been thrown out. I don't think he would've dominated us the way that Ledezma did when he came into that game. Our lineup was set for a RHP that day, and that young lefty put our bats into a wicked funk.

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QUOTE(3E8 @ Jan 31, 2005 -> 10:26 PM)
This actually may have been the turning point.  Bonderman shouldn't have been thrown out.  I don't think he would've dominated us the way that Ledezma did when he came into that game.  Our lineup was set for a RHP that day, and that young lefty put our bats into a wicked funk.

Garland pitched like a pussy that day, and Guillen said he wished Garland would go after the batters more, to which the heartless punk replied with "That's just the way I pitch."

 

:rolly

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Man, that was a horrible week.  I break into sweats just thinking about it.  Of course, it's made all the worse by the fact that I was watching the games against the Twinkies while tending bar.  In Minneapolis.  And all the regulars know I'm a Sox fan.

 

Ugh. *shudder*

 

Oh My God! Another Sox fan in Minnesota! I think I am spreading the love up here...

 

edit:

welcome to soxtalk, btw!

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QUOTE(silver and black @ Feb 1, 2005 -> 12:17 AM)
Oh My God! Another Sox fan in Minnesota! I think I am spreading the love up here...

 

edit:

welcome to soxtalk, btw!

 

I've been living in Mpls for 20+ years and it has never occurred to me to jump ship to the Twinks. Or the Vikes, for that matter.

 

I am a Gopher fan, though.

 

*jumps under table*

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I've been living in Mpls for 20+ years and it has never occurred to me to jump ship to the Twinks.  Or the Vikes, for that matter. 

 

I am a Gopher fan, though.

 

*jumps under table*

 

I knew it!!!

It was too good to be true!

Just kidding...

It takes a lot of guts to live up here...

 

That week was the same week that my dad had a heart attack too... so that was a hella bad week for me...

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In reality it was much earlier.... The writing was on the wall for a long time...

 

On June 26th, The Sox called up Felix Diaz for an emergency start vs. the Cubs, as Shoeneweis was sent to the DL. Frank and Maggs had already been knocked out and the sox were treading water without them. Over the next 5 games the Sox would notch wins vs. the following starting pitchers, Zambrano, Maddux, Silva, Radke, and Santana. The final victory illustrated how truly lucky they had it at the end of June.

 

The sox managed only 2 hits off of Santana, 1 happened to be a 2 run shot, and Garland somehow held the twinks to just one run... But those series of 5 games, and the next 5 to follow, put our bats into deep slumber in the absense of Frank and Maggs.

 

Over the next 5 games, the sox scored a total of 7 runs and batted well under .200 as a team.

 

You didn't realize it yet, but your girlfriend had left you.

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QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Jan 31, 2005 -> 11:44 PM)
In reality it was much earlier.... The writing was on the wall for a long time...

 

On June 26th, The Sox called up Felix Diaz for an emergency start vs. the Cubs, as Shoeneweis was sent to the DL.  Frank and Maggs had already been knocked out and the sox were treading water without them.  Over the next 5 games the Sox would notch wins vs. the following starting pitchers, Zambrano, Maddux, Silva, Radke, and Santana.  The final victory illustrated how truly lucky they had it at the end of June.

 

The sox managed only 2 hits off of Santana, 1 happened to be a 2 run shot, and Garland somehow held the twinks to just one run... But those series of 5 games, and the next 5 to follow, put our bats into deep slumber in the absense of Frank and Maggs. 

 

Over the next 5 games, the sox scored a total of 7 runs and batted well under .200 as a team. 

 

You didn't realize it yet, but your girlfriend had left you.

enough with these memory recalls....I hate thinking about those times... :headshake

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QUOTE(Gene Honda Civic @ Jan 31, 2005 -> 11:44 PM)
In reality it was much earlier.... The writing was on the wall for a long time...

 

On June 26th, The Sox called up Felix Diaz for an emergency start vs. the Cubs, as Shoeneweis was sent to the DL.  Frank and Maggs had already been knocked out and the sox were treading water without them.  Over the next 5 games the Sox would notch wins vs. the following starting pitchers, Zambrano, Maddux, Silva, Radke, and Santana.  The final victory illustrated how truly lucky they had it at the end of June.

 

The sox managed only 2 hits off of Santana, 1 happened to be a 2 run shot, and Garland somehow held the twinks to just one run... But those series of 5 games, and the next 5 to follow, put our bats into deep slumber in the absense of Frank and Maggs. 

 

Over the next 5 games, the sox scored a total of 7 runs and batted well under .200 as a team. 

 

You didn't realize it yet, but your girlfriend had left you.

The baseball Gods are fickle, you list games they had no business winning, I list games they had no business losing, at least in the manner they lost them. Part of the fun of baseball is you have to watch the games to see how they will come out. We spend hours calculating averages and probabilities and it comes down to some ump missing a strike or a surprise steal that doesn't work. Seasons are combinations of hot streaks and cold streaks -all by the same guys.

 

Yea, verily, he giveth and he taketh away.

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QUOTE(robinventura23 @ Feb 1, 2005 -> 09:05 AM)
Good post.  But let's forget about 2004 and look forward to 2005.  Hopefully, July will be a little bit friendlier to the Sox this year.

 

That was a crazy stretch, hated that game when Jose drop the freaking fly ball. But this is a new year, new look and new philosophy. That team failed since 2000, change for a better result is what Im hoping.

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Ahh memories, I want to vomit. I was at the Torii Hunter game, but had left early (once I realized my team was not going to take the division, about the 7th inning). As I got to the parking lot, I heard all the commotion and we were wondering what the hell happened. What really sucked is that I had tickets to see them on Wednesday as well, and after monday's game, I could just see we did not have the stuff to compete with the twins. It was sad to have to admit that we were not good enough and that we lacked the heart and fire that the Twinkies had.

 

This year will be different. I can't wait to see the Go Go Sox Part II! See you in Hell Twinkies! :finger

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