July White Sox Catch-All Thread

[flavum]

81 Game Comparison:

 

Det 44-37

Min 44-37

Sox 43-38

 

Tigers-

Runs Scored: 373

Runs Against: 370

Team ERA: 4.33

Starters 27-30, 4.87 ERA

Quality Starts: 37 (24-13)

Bullpen ERA: 3.31

 

Twins-

Runs Scored: 378

Runs Against: 328

Team ERA: 3.91

Starters 37-29, 4.18 ERA

Quality Starts: 45 (34-11)

Bullpen ERA: 3.06

 

White Sox-

Runs Scored: 355

Runs Against: 352

Team ERA: 4.19

Starters 33-30, 4.37 ERA

Quality Starts: 49 (33-16)

Bullpen ERA: 3.77

 

Trend is our friend.

Edited July 6, 2010 by flavum

[southsider2k5]

Wow the Twins are WAY under pythag this year. +50 runs and only 6 games over? That is awful.

[PMD1124]

Game recap - Sox vs. Angels July 5, 2010

 

Okay, I am pretty sure I am now my niece's hero. Or heroine. Or however you want to say it. She was decked out in kind of generic Sox gear-- no player names or anything, which was fine. As per my usual, I was wearing my AJP jersey and black pants. Luckily we were not out in the sun or I would have roasted. And can I say that I have never seen the G lot so friggin packed??? It took forever to get in-- and tailgaters were everywhere. I loved it!! My niece stopped at one of the souvenir trailers in the parking lot and wanted a hat (even though I already got one for her-- apparently she wanted to pick one out on her own). The twenty bucks her grandma and grandpa gave her for the game disappeared instantly. I took her to one of the jersey shops inside the park, and I asked her what she wanted. She took a look around, and picked out an Alexei Ramirez t-shirt. I was sort of wondering why... and then she explained she likes his number because she is 10 years old. And because one of the guys on her Area 51 video game is named Ramirez. I think I need to try playing video games one of these days. I wanted a Danks t-shirt (having met him and knowing that he is an awesome human being, I'm a huge fan). So two t-shirts plus some little "kooky pens" and you can rack up 70 bucks on my Visa card... and the game hasn't even started yet. Luckily Auntie has budgeted for this excursion.

 

We got inside the ballpark and I have to say right up front that I love-- absolutely LOVE-- Sox Park. The sights, the smells, the air itself is intoxicating. My niece is a shy kid, not really much for letting her hair down, and since this was her first game, she really didn't know much about what goes on in a baseball game outside of the game itself. She kind of sat there, took it all in, and tried to pretend I wasn't embarrassing her when I started headbanging to the AC/DC.

 

I will say that she was THRILLED that her man Alexei knocked one right out of the park in the first inning. She is now his good luck charm and should be given scout seats to every home game. I, of course, will happily chaperone her.

 

She also pretended not to notice that I could not help but start dancing whenever Lillibridge's at bat music came up. I couldn't help myself. Sorry. We discovered that she needs to learn the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Na Na Hey Hey," and "Let's Go White Sox." Being the awesome aunt that I am, I will work on this with her. She did, however, concentrate on the game, and I was proud of her for looking like a miniature die-hard, baseball-savvy Sox fan. The reality was that I probably embarrassed the hell out of her, but I can live with that.

 

My man AJ couldn't catch a break tonight, and for that I am sad. But the Sox kicked some LA Angels of Anaheim booty, and I don't think I will have much of a voice tomorrow. We stayed for the fireworks-- I always do-- and by the time we got back to the car, she looked at me and gave a little smile and said "That was AWESOME."

 

I lost track of how much money fled my purse tonight, but it was totally worth it. The Sox won, I lost my voice, my niece had a ball, and it was one helluva night. And THAT'S a White Sox Winner!!! YESSSSS!!!!

 

PMD

[PMD1124]

What a great uncle you are. I feel s***ty that I don't live in Chicago and missed out on those great moments of taking my nephews to games, etc. Oh well, got to put bread on the table.

Just out of curiosity what does an uncle do if his niece is 4 and has to go to the bathroom? You can't let her go in there alone. Do you get a stranger to take her in there? The questions that pop into one's brain.

 

Anyhow. Good luck at the game!!! Go Sox!

 

 

I suppose if you're the uncle, and your niece is 4, you have to let a stranger take her in there. If you're single, this could totally work to your advantage. Just whip up some charm and a puppy-dog look and you'll have hotties swooning over you.

 

 

[Heads22]

So.....at 70 bucks or so per home game....how many more can you afford to bring her to? I mean if you two are going to be good luck and all....

[iamshack]

Game recap - Sox vs. Angels July 5, 2010

 

Okay, I am pretty sure I am now my niece's hero. Or heroine. Or however you want to say it. She was decked out in kind of generic Sox gear-- no player names or anything, which was fine. As per my usual, I was wearing my AJP jersey and black pants. Luckily we were not out in the sun or I would have roasted. And can I say that I have never seen the G lot so friggin packed??? It took forever to get in-- and tailgaters were everywhere. I loved it!! My niece stopped at one of the souvenir trailers in the parking lot and wanted a hat (even though I already got one for her-- apparently she wanted to pick one out on her own). The twenty bucks her grandma and grandpa gave her for the game disappeared instantly. I took her to one of the jersey shops inside the park, and I asked her what she wanted. She took a look around, and picked out an Alexei Ramirez t-shirt. I was sort of wondering why... and then she explained she likes his number because she is 10 years old. And because one of the guys on her Area 51 video game is named Ramirez. I think I need to try playing video games one of these days. I wanted a Danks t-shirt (having met him and knowing that he is an awesome human being, I'm a huge fan). So two t-shirts plus some little "kooky pens" and you can rack up 70 bucks on my Visa card... and the game hasn't even started yet. Luckily Auntie has budgeted for this excursion.

 

We got inside the ballpark and I have to say right up front that I love-- absolutely LOVE-- Sox Park. The sights, the smells, the air itself is intoxicating. My niece is a shy kid, not really much for letting her hair down, and since this was her first game, she really didn't know much about what goes on in a baseball game outside of the game itself. She kind of sat there, took it all in, and tried to pretend I wasn't embarrassing her when I started headbanging to the AC/DC.

 

I will say that she was THRILLED that her man Alexei knocked one right out of the park in the first inning. She is now his good luck charm and should be given scout seats to every home game. I, of course, will happily chaperone her.

 

She also pretended not to notice that I could not help but start dancing whenever Lillibridge's at bat music came up. I couldn't help myself. Sorry. We discovered that she needs to learn the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Na Na Hey Hey," and "Let's Go White Sox." Being the awesome aunt that I am, I will work on this with her. She did, however, concentrate on the game, and I was proud of her for looking like a miniature die-hard, baseball-savvy Sox fan. The reality was that I probably embarrassed the hell out of her, but I can live with that.

 

My man AJ couldn't catch a break tonight, and for that I am sad. But the Sox kicked some LA Angels of Anaheim booty, and I don't think I will have much of a voice tomorrow. We stayed for the fireworks-- I always do-- and by the time we got back to the car, she looked at me and gave a little smile and said "That was AWESOME."

 

I lost track of how much money fled my purse tonight, but it was totally worth it. The Sox won, I lost my voice, my niece had a ball, and it was one helluva night. And THAT'S a White Sox Winner!!! YESSSSS!!!!

 

PMD

 

 

Congrats on a great time, PMD.

 

This is something Brooks would love to hear...

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Game recap - Sox vs. Angels July 5, 2010

 

Okay, I am pretty sure I am now my niece's hero. Or heroine. Or however you want to say it. She was decked out in kind of generic Sox gear-- no player names or anything, which was fine. As per my usual, I was wearing my AJP jersey and black pants. Luckily we were not out in the sun or I would have roasted. And can I say that I have never seen the G lot so friggin packed??? It took forever to get in-- and tailgaters were everywhere. I loved it!! My niece stopped at one of the souvenir trailers in the parking lot and wanted a hat (even though I already got one for her-- apparently she wanted to pick one out on her own). The twenty bucks her grandma and grandpa gave her for the game disappeared instantly. I took her to one of the jersey shops inside the park, and I asked her what she wanted. She took a look around, and picked out an Alexei Ramirez t-shirt. I was sort of wondering why... and then she explained she likes his number because she is 10 years old. And because one of the guys on her Area 51 video game is named Ramirez. I think I need to try playing video games one of these days. I wanted a Danks t-shirt (having met him and knowing that he is an awesome human being, I'm a huge fan). So two t-shirts plus some little "kooky pens" and you can rack up 70 bucks on my Visa card... and the game hasn't even started yet. Luckily Auntie has budgeted for this excursion.

 

We got inside the ballpark and I have to say right up front that I love-- absolutely LOVE-- Sox Park. The sights, the smells, the air itself is intoxicating. My niece is a shy kid, not really much for letting her hair down, and since this was her first game, she really didn't know much about what goes on in a baseball game outside of the game itself. She kind of sat there, took it all in, and tried to pretend I wasn't embarrassing her when I started headbanging to the AC/DC.

 

I will say that she was THRILLED that her man Alexei knocked one right out of the park in the first inning. She is now his good luck charm and should be given scout seats to every home game. I, of course, will happily chaperone her.

 

She also pretended not to notice that I could not help but start dancing whenever Lillibridge's at bat music came up. I couldn't help myself. Sorry. We discovered that she needs to learn the lyrics to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," "Na Na Hey Hey," and "Let's Go White Sox." Being the awesome aunt that I am, I will work on this with her. She did, however, concentrate on the game, and I was proud of her for looking like a miniature die-hard, baseball-savvy Sox fan. The reality was that I probably embarrassed the hell out of her, but I can live with that.

 

My man AJ couldn't catch a break tonight, and for that I am sad. But the Sox kicked some LA Angels of Anaheim booty, and I don't think I will have much of a voice tomorrow. We stayed for the fireworks-- I always do-- and by the time we got back to the car, she looked at me and gave a little smile and said "That was AWESOME."

 

I lost track of how much money fled my purse tonight, but it was totally worth it. The Sox won, I lost my voice, my niece had a ball, and it was one helluva night. And THAT'S a White Sox Winner!!! YESSSSS!!!!

 

PMD

 

 

 

I am pretty excited to take my nephew to a Sox game when he gets older. His mom and her side of the family are all pretty big Sox fans, so I probably won't be the first to be able to take him to a game, but I can't wait to take him regardless. Now, this may sound ignorant, since I am new to this sort of disease, but my nephew has Downs Syndrome, and I am wondering if people with Downs have some sort of information retention or unusual memory of certain things. I wonder this because I think it would be really awesome if he could rattle off all the White Sox players statistics, or info about them, or some sort of spectacular baseball knowledge. I know that my friend's brother has autism, and when he watches the credits for a movie, he never forgets what actor plays what character. He can tell you every voice of every cartoon on TV today. I don't know if Downs people have the same gift, but if they do, I really hope he can be my little baseball expert.

 

 

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Congrats on a great time, PMD.

 

This is something Brooks would love to hear...

 

I agree. They might even send her an autographed Alexei's shirt, a bobblehead, or maybe even a jersey of his. Either way, it's a really nice story and I am sure something he would like to read about.

[greg775]

We stayed for the fireworks-- I always do-- and by the time we got back to the car, she looked at me and gave a little smile and said "That was AWESOME."

 

I lost track of how much money fled my purse tonight, but it was totally worth it. The Sox won, I lost my voice, my niece had a ball, and it was one helluva night. And THAT'S a White Sox Winner!!! YESSSSS!!!!

 

Thanks for sharing. You sound like the kind of person I'd love to go to a game with. Totally upbeat!

Great great story. I'd just send Brooks a copy of your Soxtalk post if I were you.

That's cool you stayed for the fireworks and didn't stress about getting out of the park right away. Good to teach the kids to enjoy every minute of a game.

And great story about Lexi and the Tshirt and homer.

 

This is also a lesson in how much money you can spend at a game. You didn't even talk about food/drinks and you dropped a ton before even getting to your seats.

How much did you 2 eat/drink during the game? Any update on the money there?

Thanks for sharing. I can't imagine a better game for the 2 of you. Tons of home runs. Fireworks during the game and after the game and the great catch in right field. Had to be perfect, really.

Edited July 6, 2010 by greg775

[PMD1124]

So.....at 70 bucks or so per home game....how many more can you afford to bring her to? I mean if you two are going to be good luck and all....

 

 

I am perfectly willing to take up a collection LOL!! You know, if you want to see another Sox World Series win, we ARE their good luck charms...

[greg775]

I suppose if you're the uncle, and your niece is 4, you have to let a stranger take her in there. If you're single, this could totally work to your advantage. Just whip up some charm and a puppy-dog look and you'll have hotties swooning over you.

 

Great post. I'd just be worried in this day and age about letting a kid go with a stranger anywhere that's why I wonder how you handle that.

The responsibility of taking a young niece to a game would be mind boggling. Some lunatic could kidnap her or whatever. Maybe most families don't let the uncles take the nieces to games until she's bout 10.

[PMD1124]

Thanks for sharing. You sound like the kind of person I'd love to go to a game with. Totally upbeat!

Great great story. I'd just send Brooks a copy of your Soxtalk post if I were you.

That's cool you stayed for the fireworks and didn't stress about getting out of the park right away. Good to teach the kids to enjoy every minute of a game.

And great story about Lexi and the Tshirt and homer.

 

This is also a lesson in how much money you can spend at a game. You didn't even talk about food/drinks and you dropped a ton before even getting to your seats.

How much did you 2 eat/drink during the game? Any update on the money there?

Thanks for sharing. I can't imagine a better game for the 2 of you. Tons of home runs. Fireworks during the game and after the game and the great catch in right field. Had to be perfect, really.

 

Well, we were lucky in that there was a barbecue at Grandma and Grandpa's house before we left for the game, so figure maybe 30 bucks for Italian lemonades and sodas. All told, I think I spent a little over 200 (tickets, parking, souvenirs, Italian lemonade, etc.) I'd do it all over again-- it was that much fun.

 

The only time I stressed about anything was trying to make my way down 31st Street to get back on the Dan Ryan, but even that wasn't too awful.

[PMD1124]

Great post. I'd just be worried in this day and age about letting a kid go with a stranger anywhere that's why I wonder how you handle that.

The responsibility of taking a young niece to a game would be mind boggling. Some lunatic could kidnap her or whatever. Maybe most families don't let the uncles take the nieces to games until she's bout 10.

 

Well that was part of the reason I waited until she was about 10, and definitely the reason I haven't taken my 7 year old nephew to a game yet. I can go into the bathroom with my niece, but I would never let a stranger take my nephew into the bathroom. Either the guys in the bathroom would have to deal with a chick in their midst or the boy would just have to pee in his pants. I know with very young boys, it is acceptable to take them into the ladies' room with you if they need to go. But I think 7 is just too old for that, and I don't even want to think about what that might do to scar a little boy's psyche.

 

And believe me, I was watching over my niece like a hawk.

[PMD1124]

 

 

I am pretty excited to take my nephew to a Sox game when he gets older. His mom and her side of the family are all pretty big Sox fans, so I probably won't be the first to be able to take him to a game, but I can't wait to take him regardless. Now, this may sound ignorant, since I am new to this sort of disease, but my nephew has Downs Syndrome, and I am wondering if people with Downs have some sort of information retention or unusual memory of certain things. I wonder this because I think it would be really awesome if he could rattle off all the White Sox players statistics, or info about them, or some sort of spectacular baseball knowledge. I know that my friend's brother has autism, and when he watches the credits for a movie, he never forgets what actor plays what character. He can tell you every voice of every cartoon on TV today. I don't know if Downs people have the same gift, but if they do, I really hope he can be my little baseball expert.

 

Honestly, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone with Down's having any sort of information retnetion skills-- Autistic folks, yes. But I don't think even the experts can really explain how it all works. There's a lot we just don't know about what the human mind is capable of.

 

If I could have any kind of special gift, though, I would want psychic powers. But just for the lottery.

[Milkman delivers]

I don't even know how much parking costs as I've never driven to a game.

[BigSqwert]

We all need to chip in and get Balta season tickets since the Sox click on all cylinders when he's in attendance.

[Greg Hibbard]

much has been made of this "Quality Starts" run the sox are on (I think it's now 23 in 25 games).

 

Did you guys know that the 2009 Sox led the AL in quality starts and that every Sox team (even 07) going back to 2005 has been in the top 5 in the AL in QS?

 

The 2010 Cubs are second in the NL in quality starts...

 

how much can this stat really mean with results like that? Generally speaking, good teams are at the top of the QS list but the results can be all over the map.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Greg Hibbard

[whitesoxfan101]

much has been made of this "Quality Starts" run the sox are on (I think it's now 23 in 25 games).

 

Did you guys know that the 2009 Sox led the AL in quality starts and that every Sox team (even 07) going back to 2005 has been in the top 5 in the AL in QS?

 

The 2010 Cubs are second in the NL in quality starts...

 

how much can this stat really mean with results like that? Generally speaking, good teams are at the top of the QS list but the results can be all over the map.

 

Well in regards to the quality start point of the Sox and Cubs this year, the QS means a lot more to the Sox than the Cubs. Quality starts not only show starting pitching strength, but they also protect your bullpen. When your bullpen is a good group overall like ours is, that's very important. It means you keep it relatively fresh, and it also means that when you do go to them, you can largely go with the better arms out there and only use the weaker links in blowout situations. The same can't be said for the Cubs bullpen, which is basically Marmol and nothing else at the moment.

Edited July 6, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[Real]

Konerko's road splits concerning

 

[whitesoxfan101]

I'm more concerned about the grass vs. turf splits.

 

In all seriousness though, you bring up a good point. I don't have any numbers in front of me, but it feels like especially lately our offense has just been immeasurably better at home. I guess that's to be expected though when it's The Cell and summer. One thing that has been especially noticeable in the last month or so is the difference in power for our team home vs. away. It's been crazy.

Edited July 6, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[chw42]

Konerko's road splits concerning

 

 

He's always been a good hitter in this park.

[whitesoxfan101]

Yeah, but those road numbers are positively mediocre. You'd like a little better balance in the output.

[BigSqwert]

Quentin's diving catch is currently leading the Monday night web gem fan poll on ESPN.com.

[Harry Chappas]

Well that was part of the reason I waited until she was about 10, and definitely the reason I haven't taken my 7 year old nephew to a game yet. I can go into the bathroom with my niece, but I would never let a stranger take my nephew into the bathroom. Either the guys in the bathroom would have to deal with a chick in their midst or the boy would just have to pee in his pants. I know with very young boys, it is acceptable to take them into the ladies' room with you if they need to go. But I think 7 is just too old for that, and I don't even want to think about what that might do to scar a little boy's psyche.

 

And believe me, I was watching over my niece like a hawk.

 

For future reference there are family bathrooms on all levels I believe that you could use. There is usually no waiting.

[greg775]

Thanks for the family bathroom info. That is important news.

Thanx!!

 

 

Some wild s*** online right now. Lindsay Lohan goin to jail. She's crying like a zombie.

The rich don't win this time.