Since this blog tends to take on a critical tone even in victory, let's shoot for pure optimism this time after
the Sox's 5-2 loss to the Tigers Friday night. Especially since a loss this afternoon would drop the Sox back to .500.
That didn't last long. Take two:
Ozzie Guillen,
fresh off writing a big, fat check to Major League Baseball for
his critical comments of umpire Phil Cuzzi, unveiled the most unusual lineup of the young season thanks in part to
Nick Swisher's sore hip flexor. Three positive developments:
No. 1: Carlos Quentin in the leadoff spot.
This is the second time Guillen has taken a non-traditional leadoff hitter and started him in the No. 1 spot for the first time in his career. Quentin responded by being one of the few bright spots in a listless White Sox attack, drawing a leadoff walk and coming around to score in the first inning, driving in the Sox's other run of the game, and earning his second HBP of the season.
On one hand, you could say Ozzie didn't have many other options with Swisher out. Orlando Cabrera prefers hitting second, and with Low-OBP All-Stars Joe Crede, Brian Anderson, Toby Hall and Juan Uribe bringing up the rear, Quentin was really the only choice.
On the other, this would normally be the type of game where Guillen gives Pablo Ozuna a start at the top of the order due to said lack of alternatives -- especially with a lefty on the mound and a slumping Uribe playing second. So even if Quentin was the cream of a thin crop, it's great to see Ozzie embracing guys who can make pitchers work at the top of the order, even if they don't have remarkable speed.
Uribe went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts tonight, so Ozuna is probably due to step in soon. But it's better to see him in the ninth spot -- if he scratches his way on base, it gives Swisher somebody to drive in.
No. 2: Anderson producing in a spot start.It's safe to say Quentin owns the left field job, so when Jerry Owens is 100 percent, either Anderson or Alexei Ramirez will be taking a flight to Charlotte.
Ramirez hasn't shown anything at the plate, aside from the ability to break his bat and swing massively over curve balls. With that in mind, all Anderson has to do is contribute just a little bit to the Sox offense, theoretically.
He did plenty tonight, going 1-for-4, advancing from first to third on a single and scoring the Sox's second and last run of the game. With his ability to play an above-average outfield at all three positions, he could be a valuable member of the Sox as long as he doesn't string together 0-fers when he does playing time. He's off to a good start with two hits in his first eight at-bats.
No. 3: Hall is off the schneid.With a looping opposite-field single in the second inning, Hall and his platinum-blond soul patch are batting a cool .143.
Laugh if you will, but last year, it took a month and a half for a White Sox backup catcher to get his first hit. On
May 16, 2007, after nine starts and 20 plate appearances, Gustavo Molina hit a soft single to left off Chien-Ming Wang, pumping his first in jubiliation as he ran down the first base line.
Molina was then erased five pitches later when Darin Erstad grounded into a double play. Looking back on it, I don't think we appreciated the dark comedy of the 2007 season enough.
******************************
Speaking of dark comedy, I laughed when reading
Scott Merkin's lede:
CHICAGO -- Strange happenings took place Friday at U.S. Cellular Field,
on a 46-degree night when the White Sox and Tigers' on-field attire was
more befitting of skiing than playing baseball.
After last season, I can't take any weather references seriously -- at least as the crux of a story.
******************************
Two facial hair updates:
*Boone Logan bid
farewell to his Abraham Lincoln goatee after Carlos Guillen came around to score in the eighth inning, ruining his 0.00 ERA:
Boone Logan relieved Contreras in the seventh, and he allowed one
inherited runner to score. Logan then gave up his first earned run of
the season in the eighth. His outing meant an end to his Abraham
Lincoln-looking black goatee, which was cut off by Mark Buehrle in the
home dugout after Logan left the game.
*Nick Swisher didn't have an easy time dying his goatee,
according to his Web site:
Okay…let’s cut to the chase ... I’m sporting a blonde goatee ... don’t worry
folks ... it’s temporary. You know, it’s not easy to bleach dark
brown/black hair to blonde without turning that orange color ... how do you
ladies do it?
In the same entry, Swisher says each of his homers will be worth a $900 donation to his charity.
Your move,
Alex Snelius.
******************************
Minor league round-up:- Charlotte 4, Columbus 1
- Josh Fields had his first monster game of the season, going 4-for-4 with a double, a homer, two RBI and two runs scored.
- Royce Huffman went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.
- Lance Broadway tossed seven strong innings, allowing his first run of the year on five hits and three walks. He struck out four.
- Ehren Wassermann worked an adventurous ninth, walking the first two batters he faced. He struck the next batter out, then started a 1-6-3 double play to end the game.
- Birmingham 5, Chattanooga 3
- Thomas Collaro drove in four of the Barons' five runs on a 3-for-5 day, with two singles and a double.
- Miguel Negron also had three hits, and Robert Hudson went 2-for-4.
- Starter Justin Cassell allowed two runs on three hits and three walks over five innings, striking out two.
- Derek Rodriguez picked up the blown save and the win, allowing a run over two innings, during which he struck out four; Jon Link picked up the actual save.
- Winston-Salem 5, Salem 4
- Javier Colina went 3-for-4 and fell a double short of the cycle.
- C.J. Lang, Salvador Sanchez and Lee Cruz each had multi-hit games.
- Jacob Rasner allowed a run over five innings, but Matt Long promptly squandered the lead (1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER).
- Ryan Rote picked up the win with two hitless innings.
- Hickory 5, Kannapolis 2
- Miguel Socolovich stuffed the box score in a bad way (5 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR).
- Nathan Jones (3 IP) and Leroy Hunt (1 IP) kept Kanny in the game with four scoreless innings combined.
- Greg Paiml, Christian Marrerro and Logan Johnson had two hits apiece; Andrew Mead added his first homer, a solo shot.