I'll tell you what.

It's never fun getting your butt handed to you.

And it's even less fun when you get your butt handed to you by the Minnesota Twins.

In the early goings, it looked like we actually stood a chance against a Twins ball club that hadn't changed much in the off-season. Other than the acquisition of former Sox star third baseman Joe Crede, it's very similar to the team we beat last September to clinch a playoff spot (one of my most cherished memories as Sox fan). But then the seventh inning rolled around. Justin Morneau began a 7-run inning with a lead off home run, then had the chance to do it again his second time up in the inning... with no outs... and the bases loaded.

I felt really bad for relief pitcher D.J. Carrasco. He came on to try and fix what Clayton Richard had done -- Richard walked two batters in eight pitches -- but had to endure the longest most dreadful inning I could possibly imagine.

Good Things That Came Out of This Game

• Dewayne Wise got 2 hits in 4 at-bats, bringing his '09 average up to .142!
• Paul Konerko hit his first home run of the year. A solo shot off of R.A. Dickey in the 3rd inning.
• Carlos Quentin hit his first home run, driving in a pair, in our half of what will forever be referred to as "The Dreadful Seventh."
• Jose Contreras ran to cover first base without injury. Thank goodness!

For those of you who don't know, I can't watch most of the games on TV so I listen on the radio. I'm always very amused by the conversations Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson have, and tonight was probably the best night for them to goof off. Here's an example of what was discussed tonight.

Ed: Did you ever wear one of the helmets with two ear flaps?
Darrin: To tell you the truth, no.
Ed: I don't understand why you would need two of 'em. Isn't one enough?
Darrin: Well... I guess it's a matter of personal preference. Some batters, like switch hitters, use it because it's just one helmet -- no need for a second one. Other people use one because they're knuckleheads.

I found that endlessly entertaining and now am going to make it a point to report their hilarious conversations whenever one should arise.

First pitch is scheduled for around 3:05 tomorrow. Francisco Liriano will take on Bartolo Colon in his White Sox Re-debut. This game I will be able to watch on TV because it's being aired on FOX.

Hopefully we can come out on top.

Go Sox!!

Last night's game was yet another example of an offense not showing up for a game. John Danks was spectacular through his 6 innings of work, allowing only 4 hits, striking out 5 and walking two (7 combined walks from starting pitchers so far). Our bullpen was, once again, stellar up until Bobby Jenks made his second appearance of the season.

Here's a rundown of the Sox 'pen from the Royals series.

Sox Relievers in Game 1

• Clayton Richard | Threw 2 innings, struck out 1 with no hits.
• Octavio Dotel | Struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced. Yeah, I said 4.
• Bobby Jenks | One strike out in his only inning of work for his first save.

Sox Relievers in Game 2

• Matt Thornton | One inning pitched, 1 strike out.
• Scott Linebrink | Struck out the 3 batters he faced in the 9th inning.
  

Sox Relievers in Game 3

• Mike MacDougal | Pitched one third of the eighth inning, giving up 2 hits.
• Matt Thornton | Mopped up Mac's mess with a ground out and a strike out. 
• Octavio Dotel | Faced 4 batters, punched out 3. 6/6 in K opportunities. 
• Bobby Jenks | Gave up the winning 2-run homer to Coco Crisp.

Dewayne Wise didn't help us in any way last night. I'm not laying the blame entirely on Dewayne's shoulders because the team only collected 4 hits in total so it's everyone's fault that we lost. One thing I always like to remind people is that players don't win and lose games. They can influence a win, but they can't do it all themselves. If a player hits a walk-off grand slam he doesn't score all 4 runs -- there were 3 guys who got on base before him to to put the batter in the situation where a home run would win the game. It works the other way as well; a single player can't lose the game. It's impossible for one player to make 27 outs. You win as a team and you lose as a team -- simple Little League philosophy.

Tuesday, April 8th - Game 1 vs. Royals
Mark Buehrle (0-0, 0.00) vs. Gil Meche (0-0, 0.00)
Game one of the opening three-game series was an Opening Day to remember! The game was originally scheduled for Monday but was postponed due to the high chance of snow. Boy were we happy when there was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature on our computers read near 50 degrees. Starting left-hander Mark Buehrle cruised through his 5 innings pitched with the only significant bump being a solo shot off the bat of Royals' third baseman Alex Gordon. With the score at 2-1 Royals in the 8th inning, Josh Fields led off with a single. Second baseman Chis Getz placed a grounder in between the second baseman and short stop after a Dewayne Wise pop out to center. Carlos Quentin struck out with runners on first and third and walked to the dugout with his head hung low. However, designated hitter Jim Thome saved his skin by slamming a 2-1 pitch into the batters' eye in center field, giving the Sox the 3 runs they needed to win the ballgame. In the top of the 9th Bobby Jenks logged his first save of the season. Sox 4 - Royals 2.

Wednesday, April 9th - Game 2 vs. Royals
Gavin Floyd (0-0, 0.00) vs. Zack Greinke (0-0, 0.00)
Coming off a dramatic Opening Day win the best thing you can look for in the following game is another victory. With Gavin Floyd on the mound it was pretty much a guarantee the Sox would begin the year 2-0. Floyd dominated the Royals over seven innings, striking out nine and walking two while allowing only 2 runs. If it wasn't for the extreme lack of offense, it would've been safe to say the two runs wouldn't matter and the Sox would eventually come back. Royals' starter Zack Greinke surprised everybody watching at U.S. Cellular field, on television or listening through the radio as he completely shut down the Sox bats through his 6 innings. Juan Cruz came out of the bullpen for Kansas City and did a fare job keeping the Sox offense as quite as they were with Greinke on the mound. All-Star closer Joakim Soria pitched an impressive ninth inning for his first save of the 2009 campaign. Royals 2 - Sox 0.

Thursday, April 10th - Game 3 vs. Royals
John Danks (0-0, 0.00) vs. Kyle Davies (0-0, 0.00)
Yet another match-up that looked to be in Chicago's favor going into the start of the ballgame. John Danks had a break-out season in 2008 while Kyle Davies went 3-7 for Kansas City in the '08 regular season.John Danks was overpowering on the mound, striking out 5 of the 25 batters he faced and walking only two of them. The offense, as was the case in game 2, unfortunately was nowhere in sight. Davies mowed down the Sox allowing a mere 3 hits in an effort of seven strong innings. Bobby Jenks pitched the 8th inning for the Sox and the game could've lasted a while longer if he didn't serve up a first-pitch cookie to Royals' center fielder Coco Crisp (teehee... cookie... Crisp...? Anyway...). The White Sox attempted a comeback in the bottom of the 9th inning, and managed to push a run across against Joakim Soria. But that Crisp homer ended up sealing the deal for the Royals as they beat the Sox and took the series two games to one. Royals 2 - Sox 1.

With those games behind us we welcome the Minnesota Twins into U.S. Cellular field for a three-game weekend series, kicking off tonight with Jose Contreras on the mound for the first time since last August.

Let's murder those Twinkies!!

Go Sox!!

I'm glad to know that fellow Sox blogger, and a member of the front office, http://whitesoxpride.mlblogs.com/ posts the lineups about 4 hours before they appear on Gameday! This gives me more time to consider how the team is going to function on that day.

It's games like this that suck the life right out of me...

There was Gavin Floyd; cruising through the first 2 innings when pesky Mike Aviles came up to bat in the 3rd, with two outs, and smacks a double at the center field wall. We attempted a comeback in the 7th inning when Jermaine Dye clubbed a flair into shallow center that resulted in a single. He was stranded, though, and our hopes for a win were smashed, slashed and buried. The Royal's bullpen took over and eventually Joakim Soria (and his insanely awesome facial hair) closed out the ballgame. 2-0 loss for the Sox.

Things I Noticed

• A.J. Pierzynski continues to prove himself as the smartest player in Major League Baseball. From knowing how to block a ball in the dirt to following a runner down the baseline to cover and empty first base -- the dude has brains like no one else in the game.
• Gavin Floyd's curveball = the epitome of nastiness.
  
• Sox fans attending the game boo Wise at the plate but cheer for him in the field. Hypocrites!
• Matt Thornton's dominance went nowhere this off season.
  

Things I Want to Continue

• I'd love to see Fields extend his spectacular play streak to 3 games tomorrow in the rubber match.
• Our bullpen needs to keep dominating opposing hitters. Checking my scorecards, they've struck out 9 of the 23 hitters they've faced and have only allowed 1 hit. That's a .043 average.
• Scott Linebrink is 3-3 in strikeout opportunities. Keep 'em coming, Scott. Keep 'em coming.

Things I Want to See End

• Paul Konerko is 5-38 lifetime against Zack Greinke. When we play them next, Paulie's due for a jack or two. Only thing it'd hurt would be Greinke's ERA.
• Keeping on the topic of Konerko, my dad and I realized it's been taking him awhile to heat up. If he could get going' a little earlier, I'm sure it would help us out a lot. 
• Carlos Quentin... I am loving the intensity, but it's only the second game. Calm down.
  

Gavin Floyd, though he gave up the 2 runs, was amazing tonight. He struck out 9 through 7 innings and walked only 2 (one better than Buehrle's three yesterday). I'd also like to mention that, for the most part, he had pinpoint control of his pitches. There were only three or four times I can remember that a pitch either slipped or took a nosedive into the plate.

As far as our offense went, there's really not much I can say. We went up against, probably, Kansas City's best pitcher in Zack Greinke and got what we should have been expecting. Not that you should go into a game expecting to be shut out, but I didn't think we'd get much done against this guy. Jermaine Dye hit two of our three hits, the other going to Pierzynski in the 5th inning.

Dewayne Wise hit a lot better in today's game than he did yesterday. He struck out only once -- a big improvement over yesterday -- and made good, solid contact the rest of the time. Maybe tomorrow he'll get a hit?

Speaking of tomorrow, 1:05 is the starting time! John Danks will take the bump for the Sox and Kyle Davies will go for the Royals in the third and final game of this series.

Until my preview tomorrow, and forever until the day I die,

Go Sox!!

Yesterday's game, with the exception of a few Opening Day jitters, was the best conceivable way to kick-off a season. There were dramatics, a complete annihilation of the Royals from our bullpen and then, to top it all off, a win! Couldn't have been any better.

I feel awkward saying that I'm glad yesterday's game was postponed. It was a gorgeous day on the South Side (or so I hear, seeing as I wasn't there) for today's ballgame.

The game didn't look so hot in the first couple innings. In the second inning Mark Buehrle served up a home run to Royals' third baseman Alex Gordon, putting them up 1-0 quickly. The Sox came back, though, in the bottom of the inning as Josh Fields drove in Jim Thome to tie it up at 1.

The Royals pulled ahead 2-1 and stayed there until the Sox opened up a can of "Dramatic Comeback" Energy Drink in the eighth inning. Fields led off with a single, followed by a pop fly to center field off the bat of Dewayne Wise (ending his strikeout streak at 3 consecutive). Chris Getz then singled, moving Fields to third. Up comes Carlos Quentin with the chance to put the Sox up by 2 runs with a blast to anywhere he wanted, but he struck out on a 1-2 pitch. That left everything up to veteran first baseman/designated hitter Jim Thome! And, wouldn't you know, Mr. Incredible came through with a 3-run blast to dead center field to put the Sox up for good.

My number one concern going into the game was our bullpen. It hasn't changed much since last year and the 2008 season was one of the worst I can recall for our relief corps. But Clayton Richard was a beast, mowing down all 6 hitters he faced in the 6th and 7th innings -- collecting 1 strike out to go with it. I was really happy to hear Richard dominate the Royals (even though they are the Royals), followed by Dotel's striking out the side in the 8th inning.

On the offensive side of the ball, I was really disappointed with Dewayne Wise's performance. I know it's only the first game but, watching the "highlights," one of the balls he struck out on was obviously outside the zone and he needs to learn to stay away from those. I'll also give him the benefit of the doubt seeing as it was his first Opening Day start and the butterfiels must've been fluttering like crazy.

Chris Getz, on the other hand, really impressed me. 2-4 with a double and a run scored is pretty darn good! Josh Fields went 2-3 with a pair of singles and a run batted in. Thome was, in my mind, the player of the game; going 3-4 with 3 batted in and the go-ahead home run is Opening Day-clutch to the max.

Fields' play in the field also impressed me. Let me just say, real quick, that I think Fields is going to be an intricate piece of our success this year and is going to turn out to be something real special. His experience as a quarterback may turn out to be an advantage not many infielders can wield! He has an acceptional arm and a pretty long range for a young guy.

I could sit here and analyze all day, but I won't. That's boring and doesn't make for a good read. Though it's the job I'm pursuing, I'm not getting payed for it at this point so I'll end my rant here.

Until tomorrow (following the 7:05 game), go Sox!

The stupid snow was the cause of yesterdays cancellation but it looks like this game is going to get played today! I've been waiting since the final out of game 4 against the Rays for this day to arrive!

There are a few questions that are still on my mind. One has been answered as I'm positive Alexei Ramirez will make a smooth transition from second to short, but how will Chris Getz do in his first year? And how will Josh Fields handle being the everyday starting third baseman? We still need a real center fielder (not that Dewayne Wise isn't, he's just not the one I would like to have) and a real backup catcher.

Out starting staff looks healthy and strong! From what I've heard Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon have lost some weight, which is good. The last spring training game I heard was a Colon start and he domintated in that game so that's a good sign of things to come. And with Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks at the top of the rotation, how can you lose?

I'm also happy to see that Mike MacDougal is in the bullpen once again! He's always been one of my favorite relief pitchers and I'm glad to see him back on the roster.

With that out of the way, here are some of my goals for the 2009 season.

1. Listen to every game on the radio!
2. Watch every game on TV that I can get without cable.
3. Keep score of every game. This is a tough one, even though I'm addicted to scorekeeping.
4. Pressure my parents into letting me go to atleast one game. 

If I can accomplish the first three I think the season will have been a success, no matter the outcome.

I'll write another post with my thoughts on the game at some point after we beat the Royals.