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Well, the Sox (or The Good Guys as the fans call them) got their first win of the season! Only, it was a bit anticlimactic. The set up: the game is tied 3-3 going into the bottom of the ninth. The Sox are up to bat, and the bases are loaded. Sounds like every baseball movie cliche, huh? Up to bad is A.J. Pierzynki who is 0-3 for the day. Time to be a hero. So what happens? Pierzunki got knicked (and I do mean knicked) by the pitch as he attempted to check swing. I don’t think the umpire even noticed until Pierzunki pointed it out to him. Thus, the runner on third scored and off went the fireworks. My favorite comment on the South Side Sox blog was, “He pulled a Homer!” Still, a win is a win, and it feels good to finally have a “W” under our belts (the Cubbies, on the other hand, are still looking for win #1).

Now, since I’m sure most of our readers could care less about my attempt to get back into baseball, I will keep these Sox posts brief, and only post on TV game days (which there are 60 on our basic cable plan). Below, are my nine (get it?) observations about TV Game #1:

1. The baseball injury I fear the most occured in the second inning when Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle was pelted in the upper arm (pitching arm at that) with a line drive from Ryan Garko. Ouch! Luckily, the xrays showed that the arm is not broken.
2. Watching the game on TV is great not only because there is the visual, but also because you can hear how to pronounce player’s names like Tadahito Iguchi.
3. Nickname: Tadahito Iguchi = Gooch (Forget correct pronunciation.)
4. Nickname: Scott Podsednik = Pods
5. Why do people get tickets in the lower box only to jab away on their cellphone during the entire game?
6. Sox fans are a rather pessimistic bunch.
7. After the 400th time, that same Comcast commerical really starts to get on ones nerves.
8. My first attempt at actually watching the entire game was going very smoothly. I thought this is really isn’t that slow pace of a game. Then, I realized it was just the 3rd inning.
9. Actually, the game was pretty exciting due to the tight score. I only wish the game could have ended with a grand slam rather than a “D’oh”!

Pierzunki pullin’ a “Homer”!

The Good Guys win!

I wonder if Apryl could hear the fireworks at school?

(1901 American League Champions – Chicago White Sox)

Much to the chagrin of Apryl, I’m going to make an effort to follow baseball this season. It’s been a LONG time since I’ve really taken an interest in America’s favorite pastime (not since Dale Murphy was wearing #3 for the Atlanta Braves). But since we’re living in a city that’s large enough to house two major league teams, I feel I should give it a shot. Sox or Cubs? Well, since Apryl’s school is literally across the street from U.S. Cellular Field, we’ve already claimed the Sox as our home team. It’s just going to be strange getting used to the American League after all those years following the Braves in the National League. I mean, DH? More than that, it’s going to be a challenge to care about a season that stretches 162 games long (a long season is also my main complaint about professional basketball). And of course, there are those games that move at a snail’s pace. Not really making this sound very attractive, huh? Well, to get into the spirit, I have been visiting a fan’s Sox blog. Yesterday, his Zen and the Art of Roster Construction post received 80 comments! So far, the Sox have been playing some rather lousy ball in the Spring Training preseason. I guess we’ll see whether this lackluster effort is indicative of what’s to come during the regular season. Opening Day is April 2.

So Pau wants out, huh? Well, I understand the frustration that all my Memphis friends (at least the Grizzlies fans) must be feeling right now. Quite the let down. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the game. I think Jerry Seinfeld said it best, “when it comes down to it, basically we’re rooting for laundy”. I heard early rumors of Gasol being traded to the Bulls for Ben Gordon and Loul Deng. No way the Bulls are giving up Gordon. That’s laughable. But what type of trade would make us Grizzlies fans happy? Personally, I hope the trade with the Bulls doesn’t transpire, since it would be difficult to support Gasol alongside Gordon, Wallace, and Hinrich.

Check out this link for a mp3 of the hilarious “Ode to Pau” from Chris Vernon. And since Vernon is a big fan of the Makeshift label, perhaps we’ll see a souped up version on the next Makeshift compilation.

Note: Does Pau deserve all the backlash? Read article. Will this stop booing this Saturday?