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White Sox 6, Cubs 0

The last time I attended a Crosstown Classic game, I vowed I would never go to another. These games are not for those looking for a relaxing day at the ballpark. The atmosphere is far too tense for that to occur, seeing as fights are likely to break out at anytime, anywhere around you. This year, adding to this pumped up bravado, is the introduction of a trophy called the BP Crosstown Cup (talk about bad timing), which is awarded to the team that wins the best out of the six game series. So, I was planning on staying as far away from this game as possible. That is, until my buddy called me up again and said he an extra ticket. So, off to the Cell I went!

Luckily, all the drama this year (or at least this game) occurred on the field and not in the stands. This was the game that troubled Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano had another meltdown after the Sox scored 4 runs on him in the 1st inning. If you didn’t see it, Zambrano stomps on first base, getting the last out of the inning, and then proceeds into the dugout screaming at his teammates, particularly Cubs first baseman Derek Lee. Apparently, Big Z thought that Lee cost him a run when Lee didn’t make a good enough effort at a ball that was smashed right down the first base line. After the two are separated by Cubs manager Lou Piniella, Big Z knocks over a water cooler and exits the dugout through the tunnel back to the lockers. He wouldn’t return to the game. More on the tirade here.

Where I was in the stands, I saw none of this crazy altercation. When Big Z was staring down Derek Lee in the dugout, I did hear a section of the crowd going crazy, but I merely assumed that there was a fight breaking out. So, surely some of the fans had a good view of what was going down. Not I. Instead, I was left dumbfounded when Big Z didn’t return for the 2nd inning. Sure, he gave up 4 runs but that’s no reason to sit out a starter. I was very confused. It wouldn’t be until after the game that I would realize what had happened. The local media sure had a field day with it.

On the mound for the Sox was the 2007 Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy. Peavy was acquired late last season from the San Diego Padres at a time when he was injured and couldn’t provide much help to the rotation. The gamble was for Peavy to shine this season, and even though Peavy had a rough start, the gamble has finally started to pay off for the Sox (even though he got injured in last nights game against the Angels). On that day, Peavy was amazing, pitching 7 straight innings, and allowing only 3 hits while striking out 9 batters!

Along with the great pitching, we saw home runs from Carlos Quentin and the struggling Georgia kid Gordon Beckham. I even have video of Quentin’s home run has it happens! See below (click on the video to make it larger):

Easily, the Sox won that day, bringing their streak to 10 games. The Sox would win the next day as well. Unfortunately, the streak would stop at 11 games, as the Cubs finally managed to scrape a win by during a pitchers duel between Ted Lilly and Gavin Floyd, where the Cubs came out on front defeating the Sox 1 – 0. For a moment there, though, the Sox were the hottest team in baseball. And I was a part of it.

White Sox 4, Braves 2

The White Sox versus the Atlanta Braves?!? It seemed like such a strange, fortuitous match up that I had to research when the last time these two teams played against one another. The answer: June 13, 2004 (the Sox won 10 – 3). At the release of the 2010 schedule, when I learned that these two ball teams were going to be matched up during Interleague Play, I knew I was going to be at The Cell.

You see, the Braves were my boyhood team. Those were the days when the Braves seemed to be on a continual loop on the tube thanks to Ted Turner and TBS Superstation. It was also the days when my baseball hero Dale Murphy caught flyballs in the outfield while batting mid .200 averages. The Braves weren’t a very good team then. For some reason, it always seemed like they would lose the game in the 9th inning, usually due to poor pitching or a fielding error. During those years, the Braves were lucky if they won 60 games a season. Plain and simple, they stunk. But I didn’t care, I loved them anyway. And then I “grew out” of baseball, and all of a sudden the Braves stopped stinking. Between the years of 1991 (the first season I stopped religiously following the team) – 1999, the Braves made it to 5 World Series, winning one in 1995. I still remember the win because I watched it in a bar with my dad. The first time I had ever been in a bar with my dad. I had a coke.

So before the 2010 baseball season even started, I knew that I was going to an Atlanta Braves game. But this time, I would have to root for them to lose. I had planned to go to a day game using my gift card from Steph and Adam, but got invited to the June 13th night game at the last minute from a buddy of mine. We met up at a the Wabash Tap before the game for a few beers and a burger. While we were hanging out inside the bar, the bottom fell out as a mighty storm raged through the area. On the television over the bar, we watched as the tarp was being put over the field, a the long rain delay started. No worries. We ordered a few more beers and waited it out. As soon as we saw the ground crew take off the tarp, we knew it was safe to head for the ballpark.

After an hour and an half delay, the ballgame was underway. Just like the last time the Sox played the Braves back in `04, Mark Buehrle was pitching. I was excited about this because I hadn’t seen Mark pitch yet this season. At the time of the game, Buehrle had a 5-6 record, and it didn’t seem like he would going to .500 the way the Braves were hitting of him. While the Braves have had some off seasons of late, the team now has one of the best records in the National League. Still, despite the multiple hits, the Braves weren’t scoring.

While the Braves may have had a strong position in the National League standings, they were going against the hottest team in all of Major Leagues. You see, the White Sox had won the last seven games. In the previous 15 games, they had only lost twice. They had swept the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Washington Nationals, and were now looking to do the same to the Atlanta Braves. In the 5th inning, slumping Carlos Quentin jacked a two-run homer over the right field wall, directly into the Braves bullpen. In the 6th, the Braves answered back with a single run. The game was 3 – 2, in the Sox favor. In the 7th, Carlos again hit a homer, this time over the left field wall. It was all the Sox would need, as Bobby Jenks would close out the win for Mark Buehrle. Afterward, we took in the fireworks show, as we all celebrated the Sox 8th straight win.

Two days later, I would witness the 10th straight win against the Cubs during the Crosstown Classic. More on that later…

If you haven’t heard, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers for the Stanley Cup. Today, there is going to be a parade in which 400,000 people are expected to turn out. I think I’m going to just watch this one on the tube. For those back home, you can catch the celebration and madness streaming live on WGN.

UPDATE: It is being estimated that there were 2 million strong at the parade! If you missed it, it’s worth checking out the recap.

White Sox 0, Marlins 13

Wow, the Good Guys sure took a beating. After winning the last two games against the Florida Marlins, the Sox were looking to sweep the series. A feat they have yet to accomplish this season. Unfortunately, the team that is the White Sox showed up to play.

While starer Freddy Garcia was fantastic in the last game I attended, he was taken out of today’s game after only pitching 3 innings and giving up 7 earned runs. The offense was just as lousy, leaving 11 men on base, including several men stranded at third and a failed attempt with the bases loaded. In the 9th, down by 13, the Sox had one last chance to prevent a shut out. With 2 out and Alexei Ramirez on third, A.J. Pierzynski hit a ground ball straight to the first baseman. Ballgame over.

Luckily, I didn’t have to pay for such a game. While I was in line at the ticket window, ready to purchase a ticket with my Sox gift card (thanks Adam and Steph!), I noticed a guy in a Cubs hat asking a couple if they wanted a single ticket. When they turned him down, I accepted the offer with a smile and a handshake. My newly acquired seat was in the upper deck, above the right field.

While it was a rather rough game to sit through, there were some moments that stick with me. Like when a girl behind me said, “Bring in Bobby,” and her boyfriend responded with “Why?” Or when a chant started above me in the upper decks that ended with “Bring back Uribe!” Or when a frustrated and disgruntled fan started yelling at Carlos Quentin in right field, “You suck!” (Q went 0 – 4 with a strikeout and left 4 men on base). It was so loud there wasn’t a way Carlos couldn’t hear him. After the rant went on for a few minutes, a fan behind me finally “stuck up” for Carlos, screaming at the misguided fan, “Hey, they all suck! But you need to calm down.”

Perhaps, my favorite moment of the game was when Paul Konerko hit a foul ball right in front of him. When he reached down and picked it up, he turned around looking for someone to throw it to. Mark Kotsay, who was in the batter’s circle, lifted up his hand and signaled for the ball. After Konerko tossed it to him, Kotsay turned behind him and handed the ball to a kid in the stands. Class act.

Still, that’s hardly what you want to be the highlight of your game. And to add insult to it all, I wore my black Sox cap instead of my blue one, to prove that I wasn’t superstitious about my attire affecting the outcome of the ballgame. I still don’t believe that. But my two game winning streak did come to end today. As did the Sox.

Thankfully, the folks at the Cell realized that the real game wasn’t being played on grass but on ice!

White Sox 9, Royals 2

On Wednesday, I attended my second game of the season. This time I was with Apryl. The last time we had gone to a game, just together, was two years ago on my birthday, where it rained the entire game. Remember?

I had gotten us some pretty nice seats (see above photo) off of Craigslist the prior week, and hoped and prayed I didn’t have to work late that day. Initially, I had tried to time the tickets with probable pitchers from the upcoming schedule, so that I could catch Mark Buehrle pitch. The last time I saw Buehrle on the mound was during a visit from Adam and Stephanie, and the Sox had a shut-out win against the Detroit Tigers. Before that I witnessed Buehrle take care of the Twinkies 6 – 1. So good track record (notice how I’m not mentioning what happened three years ago). Only one thing, I forgot about Freddy Garcia in the rotation.

Oh well, no worries. Garcia pitched a better game than Buehrle has been lately. When you count Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, Garcia is 1 of 3 Venezuelans on the team. Below, Garcia in his wind up:

We actually got to the park a little late, so we missed the early offense in the 1st inning, including a 2-run homer from Andruw Jones. Luckily, the Sox’s offense continued to contribute, giving us the opportunity to catch 5 more runs from the 2nd inning on. We got to see a great double from Paul Konerko down the left field line as well as a home run from Alex Rios. But the most impressive moment of the evening was this great play. And then there was this most bizarre moment.

Away from the game, I had a bit of strangeness happen to me. During the 6th inning, I decided to stretch my legs by walking around the ballpark. As I was getting photos from the outfield…

… a girl, who looked 17 or 18, but could have been older, walked by me and knocked my baseball cap off my head. I was stunned. What had just happened? I picked up my cap, and caught up with her as she was walking away. I asked her if she was drunk. She smiled, and then retreated with an apology. So, this happened because A) I was wearing my Crosstown Collection 1926 replica cap, which is blue and was perhaps mistaken for a Royals cap (which still doesn’t excuse the action) B) She was drunk or C) She’s a jerk. Very odd.

Anyway, I had a great time at the ballpark with the wife. As for the season, I am now 2-0!

Did anyone see this bit of hilariousness from the Hawks/Predators game today?

White Sox 7, Mariners 6

It’s still live or die by the long ball for the Good Guys on the South Side. This despite the fact that Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had made all attempts to build a team around the opposite, small ball. So far, the Sox lead in home runs in the American League, and yet have the third worst record. To make matters worse, half of the starting line up is batting under .200. Along with the poor offensive, the Sox all-star pitching has been under performing. In the past week, the Sox have lost games 0 – 12 and 2 – 10. Not too good.

Still, baseball is baseball, so magic can happen on any given night. And on Friday night, during my first attended game of the season, the wizardry came in the form of Andruw Jones. The DH/outfielder, who was obtained this season from the Texas Rangers, hit a home run in the first inning as me and some work friends were heading into the park. It wouldn’t be his last.

As we settled into our seats, I actually witnessed my first home run of the season from Carlos Quentin. In the sixth, another bomb was provided by the MLB home run leader, Paul Konerko. In the 7th, we saw another one lifted into the stands. Only this time, it was the Mariners’ Jose Lopez with a grand slam. With one swing of the bat, the Mariners had taken the lead, 6 – 5. With so little offense this season, it looked a bit dire for the Good Guys.

And yet, the Sox tied it up in the bottom of the 7th. And the score remained tied until the 9th, thanks in large part to the amazing relief pitching from Matt Thornton. When it came to the bottom of the 9th, it was up to Pierre, Beckham, and Jones to keep this one from going into extra innings. When Pierre and Beckham failed to get on base, it was Andruw Jones chance to become the hero of the evening. After a long stand at the plate with a full count, I noticed on the jumbotron that it was Jones’ birthday. I turned to my friends, and said, “Hey, it’s his birthday.” Immediately afterwards, Jones took a mighty swing, and cranked one into the left field bullpen. Fireworks filled the sky as the loudspeakers belted out The Beatles’ “Birthday” and Jones’ teammates waited for him to cross home plate. As the players left the field and more fireworks took over the night sky as part of Fireworks Night, I leaned over to my friend and mentioned that the game was “magical”. He added, “It’s what baseball is all about.” Agreed.

Check out the magical moment for yourself.

And full recap here.

– As if Friday’s game wasn’t dramatic enough, the Sox win another one in the 9th against the Mariners on Saturday afternoon. After the Sox gave up two runs in the top of the 9th, one of which was given to the Mariners because of fan interference (the fan thought it was foul ball),
the Sox came back to win with a Paul Konerko and an Alex Rios home run. Check out the video.