ode to veeck
04-27-2002, 02:41 AM
So, Parque was nearly the last effective starter standing left on the Sox last year, and an effective and tough competitor at that. But why all the whining you ask, during his obviously needed rehad in the minors after his mid-season trip to the surgeon last year? Why no other better reason than to convince Spineless Jerry Manuel to send down another not quite over his third shoulder surgery Barcelo and bring up the whining Parque. He took some pitching practice before the game and we asked, please don't let him pitch tonight! Little did we know how sadly prophetic those pre-game thoughts were.
Skyscraper Rauch was working his way surprisingly well through a rough start, allowing no runs until his own throwing error slash missed signal from Konerko. Jose Valentin's mishandled hot grounder and toss towards the Sox dugout only left the Sox tied at that point, through 5 . But here's where Spineless Jerry took over and just decided to forefit the game. What better way to deal with Parque's whining from the minors than to throw him into the late innings heat of battle with the first real contender the Sox have played since Seattle.
No matter that the whining Parque has been getting just shelled in his rehab in the minors and that his curve ball barely registers 70MPG, while his heat topped out at batting practice 80 - 82. Long waited his pitches until the count grew heavy in balls, actually scowling as Parque put ball three low and out of the strike zone, because he was already measuring , no actually drooling, for the chance to make the batting practice HR stroke he put away on the first (and very fat pitch) that was all Parque could muster down over the plate. Before Long's HR, West bet me it would be at least four runs before the inning was over with Parque in there, and he was wrong. Though the very next pitch to Hernandez was also another batting practice HR stroke, Parque somehow managed to get pesky for Menechino out for the first time all night, making the third out and losing West's bet , albeit by the shade of a nipple if measured by any practical purposes.
Nonetheless, the game was, more or less over at that point. Having Jerry Manual essentially forefit the gam before our eyes by pitching Parque, against the first contender we'd faced in weeks was quite disturbing. Seeing no one up in the pen while the Sox laid down in the 7th was even more disturbing.
The Sox managed a threat in the 8th but lay down again for the A's bullpen, as they'd been doing all night againt winning pitcher Lidle. Lidle came into the game with something like a 14. 0 ERA, and pitched eight Ks to no walks and retired 16 straight Sox at one point with barely two balls out of the infield; and even Konerko's 1st inning, two run scoring single was barely more than Ducksnort. Mark Johnson just teased us in the 9th with his 2 run dinger and Royce (the "Babe") Clayton got the tying run to the plate with a 2 out walk in the ninth, but alas it was just a teaser and the Sox whimpered home again, missing yet another great chance against a legitimate contenter while the unbiased fans everywhere asked "why , Jerry, why ...???"
Maybe someday, we'll wake up and Jerry will have a spine and he will take the reins and lead the Sox to victory again (or lose that brain tumor that's obviously working its way into some frontal lobes). Sending Nardi in to calm down Rauch, who'd already had Mark Johnson out to the mound to calm him down after the missed signal blunder just added to woes that happened to the Sox in the 5th. But Jerry made the biggest brain fart of them all by bringing Parque into a tied game in the 6th.
Why can't Jerry spend his time reading the riot act to Parque about his whining and send him right back down the minors where he needs more time to complete the physical rehab, and yes, maybe grow up a little. Maybe Canseco can give Parque some coaching on that one. In fact, I would just as soon leave one more of our ailing pitchers down in the minors and have one Jose Canseco on the bench for a late inning PH, but that would take all that exciting base running out of Charlotte for now
...Hopefully, Burly-mon can come through yet one more time tomorrow against Hudson and the A's with all the weight of the (Sox) world on his shoulders ...
Skyscraper Rauch was working his way surprisingly well through a rough start, allowing no runs until his own throwing error slash missed signal from Konerko. Jose Valentin's mishandled hot grounder and toss towards the Sox dugout only left the Sox tied at that point, through 5 . But here's where Spineless Jerry took over and just decided to forefit the game. What better way to deal with Parque's whining from the minors than to throw him into the late innings heat of battle with the first real contender the Sox have played since Seattle.
No matter that the whining Parque has been getting just shelled in his rehab in the minors and that his curve ball barely registers 70MPG, while his heat topped out at batting practice 80 - 82. Long waited his pitches until the count grew heavy in balls, actually scowling as Parque put ball three low and out of the strike zone, because he was already measuring , no actually drooling, for the chance to make the batting practice HR stroke he put away on the first (and very fat pitch) that was all Parque could muster down over the plate. Before Long's HR, West bet me it would be at least four runs before the inning was over with Parque in there, and he was wrong. Though the very next pitch to Hernandez was also another batting practice HR stroke, Parque somehow managed to get pesky for Menechino out for the first time all night, making the third out and losing West's bet , albeit by the shade of a nipple if measured by any practical purposes.
Nonetheless, the game was, more or less over at that point. Having Jerry Manual essentially forefit the gam before our eyes by pitching Parque, against the first contender we'd faced in weeks was quite disturbing. Seeing no one up in the pen while the Sox laid down in the 7th was even more disturbing.
The Sox managed a threat in the 8th but lay down again for the A's bullpen, as they'd been doing all night againt winning pitcher Lidle. Lidle came into the game with something like a 14. 0 ERA, and pitched eight Ks to no walks and retired 16 straight Sox at one point with barely two balls out of the infield; and even Konerko's 1st inning, two run scoring single was barely more than Ducksnort. Mark Johnson just teased us in the 9th with his 2 run dinger and Royce (the "Babe") Clayton got the tying run to the plate with a 2 out walk in the ninth, but alas it was just a teaser and the Sox whimpered home again, missing yet another great chance against a legitimate contenter while the unbiased fans everywhere asked "why , Jerry, why ...???"
Maybe someday, we'll wake up and Jerry will have a spine and he will take the reins and lead the Sox to victory again (or lose that brain tumor that's obviously working its way into some frontal lobes). Sending Nardi in to calm down Rauch, who'd already had Mark Johnson out to the mound to calm him down after the missed signal blunder just added to woes that happened to the Sox in the 5th. But Jerry made the biggest brain fart of them all by bringing Parque into a tied game in the 6th.
Why can't Jerry spend his time reading the riot act to Parque about his whining and send him right back down the minors where he needs more time to complete the physical rehab, and yes, maybe grow up a little. Maybe Canseco can give Parque some coaching on that one. In fact, I would just as soon leave one more of our ailing pitchers down in the minors and have one Jose Canseco on the bench for a late inning PH, but that would take all that exciting base running out of Charlotte for now
...Hopefully, Burly-mon can come through yet one more time tomorrow against Hudson and the A's with all the weight of the (Sox) world on his shoulders ...