Konehead da man!

(August 24)

Short take:  Walnuts hot, Buehrle human

If it seems like an eternity since the Sox last played in Tampa, it's because it has been an eternity.  A week short of Labor Day, our Pale Hose make their first appearance at Tropicana Field. It would have been nice to schedule some games against the patsy Devil Rays when the final score might have meant something in the standings.  Sox Fans just have to chalk up another "what if" to this season.   Sox win 5-4.

It's good to know Tanyon Sturtze still isn't worth any more than utilityman Tony Graffanino which the Sox traded for last year.  Sturtze is Tampa Bay's #1 starter with eight wins, went into the ninth inning but got nothing but a loss for the effort.  

If Tropicana Field were a prison (and the dark dank atmosphere isn't too far removed from a lock up), then Paul Konerko would own Tanyon for the price of a pack of smokes.  Paulie Walnuts went 3 for 4, getting the Sox started with a second inning solo dinger, gave the Sox the lead again in the third inning with a bases clearing 3-rbi double, and a leadoff single in the sixth, scoring the game's deciding fifth run.

Sox Fans, can't you can just imagine Sturtze wearing prison stripes, his pants pocket turned out, and that silly look on his face?

Meanwhile Mark Buehrle was proving himself human.  He went 6.2 innings allowing eight hits and four earned runs.  His ERA got fluffed up to 3.06 en route to his team-leading twelfth victory.  Kip Wells and Keith Foulke earned a hold and save respectively for shutout performances to preserve the win.  

Jerry Manuel broke up the SS/2B combo of Jose Valentin and Ray Durham again.  It's obvious the man will never learn.  His slumping leadoff man won the game Wednesday and his long-forgotten shortstop won the game yesterday, but no winning solution is beyond getting ruined by Jerry the Tinkerer this season.

Royce Clayton struck out three times, managed to get a hit in the fifth for a ridiculous 1 for 4 performance, thus raising his anemic .231 average.  Next we'll have to hear Hawk Harrelson tell us how hot Royce has been the last two months.  Too bad the Sox have been playing for over four.  What a joke.

Who do these two idiots think they are fooling?  We aren't Cubs fans, you know.

The Sox are 64-63, a game over .500 and just a 2.0 games from second-place Minnesota.  Too bad Cleveland is eight ahead.  What if...

Hey Sox Fans!  

Be sure to check out WSI's retrospective on the 2000 championship season!  Now complete through July, it's the Sox coverage nobody but White Sox Interactive provided of the glorious Sox championship quest.  Check it out by clicking here!