Monday, June 20, 2011

97

There’s been talk lately of a National League club moving to the American League to even up the number of teams in each league at 15. I don’t really care if that happens, but what I would like to see is the White Sox move to the National League. The Sox went into the weekend with a Meat Loafing of the Dodgers to their credit and added a second helping to their plates by taking two outta three from the Diamondbacks to up their Interleague record to 4-2 on the year.
Going back to the World Series season – don’t we all wish that were possible? – the Sox have compiled an amazingly good record against the Senior Circuit. The Good Guys were 12-6 in The Season. A year later, the 2006 Sox posted an even better 14-4 record. The horrible 2007 Sox reversed those numbers, falling to 4-14, but since then, the South Siders have gone back to dominating the N.L. In 2008, they were 12-6; in 2009 (almost as bad as 2007 overall), the Sox were also 12-6; and last year, the Pale Hose were an MLB-best 15-3. That’s a record and winning percentage from 2005 to the present of 73-41 and .640, respectively. Play that out over 162 games and the Sox win 104 games! Maybe the Cubs will agree to switch with their cross-town rivals. The North Siders certainly haven’t taken advantage of being in the National League, so why not let the Sox try?
Enough fantasizing, back to the reality of what happened:
  • Friday, it was a matchup of traded pitchers, and erstwhile Sox Daniel Hudson triumphed over current Sox Edwin Jackson, 4-1. Hudson improved to 8-5 by throwing a one-run, three-hit complete game. Jackson lasted only 6.2 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits. Paul Konerko provided the only Sox run with his 17th home run.
  • Saturday, John Danks continued his reversal of fortunes by hurling 7.0 innings and allowing only one earned run in a 6-2 win. Home runs by Konerko – again – and Alex “I guess he isn’t dead after all” Rios gave Danks all the help he needed to boost his record to 3-8. When is that won-lost slate something to be happy about? When you start out 0-8 like Danks did!
  • Sunday – Happy Father’s Day to all you fathers out there – Phil Humber did it again. The temporary substitute starter solidified his position as best in the rotation by quieting the D-Backs for 7.2 innings, permitting only two runs and seven hits in the 8-2 victory. Paulie blasted his third homer in three days and Rios added his second in two games. Konerko is having an All-Star year, batting .327 (up from .319 just nine games ago) with a .586 slugging percentage. If he makes it, and there’s really no one else from the Sox who really deserves it nearly as much, Captain Crunch will add his sixth appearance in the Midsummer Classic to his resume – having previously been on the A.L. squad in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010. I personally don’t fill out All-Star Game ballots, but if I did, I’d vote for Konerko.
The Sox schedule of games against the N.L. continues with a set against the Cubs, who just got Meat Loafed by the Yankees. If ever there were a time I was rooting for a double forfeit, that series was it. Go Sox! Beat the Cubs!





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