Just enough to lose.

(September 19)  

Short take:  What is Manuel thinking?

God Bless Gary Glover.  He drew the assignment against Cy Young winner-for-sure Roger Clemens and pitched a whale of a game.  Of course he's not capable of hitting for our guys and he's hardly capable of pitching a complete game, either.  So the outcome is no surprise to jaded Sox Fans.  Two ninth inning runs snuffs out the last bit of life in our Sox, 6-3 losers to the Yankees.

The way we're playing, what are the odds of getting swept tomorrow?

Whatever it is rattling around inside Jerry Manuel's brain these days, scientists ought to be studying it.  Once again the Sox youngsters ride the bench while wash ups, has-beens, and never-weres get at-bats and innings pitched.  Joe Crede is a rumor somewhere inside the Sox clubhouse.  Josh Fogg hasn't pitched in over a week.  Meanwhile Manuel starts at third base out of position (and obviously hurting) Jose Valentin and keeps reaching for guys of dubious future value (Bob Pusipher) and others who just need to forget the entire season  (Bob Howry).  Neither has gotten the job done all season yet Manuel bravely pretends there is something left to play for this season.  The man is an enigma.

Glover lasted six innings striking out seven, which was six more than Clemens.  He left trailing 4-2, the most significant bit of the anemic Sox attack being Paul Konerko's solo shot homerun.  Meanwhile teen heart-throb Derek Jeter was tagging two of his own--the only real mistakes Glover made all night.

Jeff Liefer drew a walk to lead-off the seventh and Chris Singleton batted him home.  The score was 4-3 and the Sox had a real shot of making a run at the world champions.

Not a chance.  Reliable Sean Lowe and Bob Pulsipher pitched a hitless eighth, but Manuel explicably goes to Bob Howry, the guy who is becoming a bad joke amongst Sox Fans for his misadventures in 2001.  

Howry went right to work.  Two hits and a walk to the first three batters faced led inevitably to two more Yankee runs and the sort of deficit the anemic Sox have choked on all season.  Meanwhile "Bullet" Bob's ERA balloons to a grotesque 4.77.  That's no joke.

1-2-3, and the Sox go down easy in the ninth.  Pathetic.  No wonder Manuel doesn't want to play the missed games.  Even watching him manage has become drudgery for Sox Fans. 

Hey Sox Fans!

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"Through Hope and Despair -- A Fan's memories of the Chicago White Sox, 1967-1997"  

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