The offseason has been so boring thus far.  Like, ridiculously boring.

Winter Meetings need to hurry up and get here.  That's when the REALLY strange rumors start coming out of the woodwork.  Like last year when there was the rumor the Sox were trading Jermaine Dye for Homer Bailey straight up.  That was just NOT gonna happen.  Not straight up anyway.

I've already heard a Sox rumor this offseason that's a little...out there, to say the least.  I don't know all the particulars, but it involved a three-way trade with Paul Konerko going to the Angels, a bunch of Angels prospects going to the Padres, and Adrian Gonzalez coming to the White Sox.  Pretending this rumor had any basis in reality (apparently it was semi-rumored a while back and was completely shot down), why would the Padres let their star go?  Gonzalez is REALLY good.  Like for reals.  I watched him enough in San Diego to know he's REALLY good.  Would I like him on the White Sox?  Of course.  Who wouldn't want him on their team?  But just because the Padres are dealing with all the stuff they're dealing with doesn't mean they're gonna get rid of ALL of their stars and fan favorites.

But until such time as Winter Meetings start, we have awards.  Hooray and such.

Since my team of choice is an AL team, I don't follow the NL super closely, so I can't really comment on their Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.  But it's nice to see players I like on both of those lists.

But I can comment on the AL winners.  I don't really have anything to say on the Silver Slugger winners other than I'm soooooooo not surprised by Joe Mauer's win.  He's pretty much awesome...damn it.  :)

Now for Gold Gloves.  I'm not at all surprised that Joe Mauer, Derek Jeter, and Ichiro won.  I didn't really have a favorite for second and third base, so I guess I can go along with Placido Polanco and Evan Longoria.  I don't think Torii Hunter is THAT elite anymore, but apparently he is.  Do I have another choice for that winner?  No, not really.  So I guess Torii can have it.  It's pretty cool to see Adam Jones of the Orioles win it for the outfield.  That's great considering the Orioles didn't do so hot this season.

The other two winners I'm gonna comment on a little more extensively.  OK, so not super extensively...whatever.

I don't doubt Mark Teixeira is a good fielder.  I'm sure he is.  But I need to state that I'm pretty bitter that Paul Konerko didn't win it.  Honestly, did you SEE our middle infield?  Alexei Ramirez made a ridiculous amount of errors, and he could have made a whooooooooooooole bunch more.  But Paulie saved him.  TOTALLY saved him on numerous occasions.  Meh.  I can complain all I want...doesn't change anything.

But I LOVE the AL pitching winner.  MARK BUEHRLE!!!  YAY!  Mark is not only an awesome pitcher, he's an awesome fielder at his position.  There have been many years when Sox fans have felt he's been jipped.  I have a tendency to agree with them, considering Mark is just plain awesome.  I love Mark Buehrle, and I'm glad he's getting the recognition he deserves for being such a great pitcher.  (Speaking of Buehrle, if you're in Chicago on Thanksgiving, Comcast SportsNet is replaying his perfect game at 7pm.  Yes, my DVR is set to record it.  And I'll FINALLY get to see it!  I'm ridiculously excited for that.)

The Rookie of the Year awards were given out too.  While Andrew Bailey and Chris Coghlan are great players since they were in contention for this, I wonder something.  How are the BBWAA awards so different from The Sporting News and the MLBPA Players' Choice awards?  Despite that, congrats to both players.

Now let's pretend I'm not ridiculously biased toward Gordon Beckham.  Let's pretend I don't think it's utter BS that he came in fifth in voting.  In fact, for this scenario, let's pretend he was never in the running in the first place.  For this scenario, it was just Bailey, Elvis Andrus, Rick Porcello, Jeff Niemann, and Brett Anderson.  Of those five, I'd pick Andrus first.  He was great.  Not saying Bailey's not great, but Andrus had a better year, I think.

End that scenario.  Bring Beckham back into the mix.  I'm highly HIGHLY biased towards Beckham.  In my ridiculously biased mind, he should have won hands down.  Considering The Sporting News and the MLBPA agree with me, I think I have a little bit of a point.  But that aside, let's pretend I don't think he should have won.  I do think fifth place is a little ridiculous.  Beckham was called up in June and put together this amazing season.  So awesome that even though he started the season in Double A, he still ended up in ROY contention.  He should have been at least third, I think.  Unfortunately, I can't change the outcome, but I have a feeling Beckham is gonna come back and beat the crap out of the AL.  And it'll be awesome.  One of my Twitter followers mentioned a while back that he wanted to get stronger so he can hit more homers.  I fully support this idea.  I adore adore adore Beckham, and the better he gets, the better the Sox get.  And we all know I want the Sox to win everything all the time.  :)

Even though I think the BBWAA got the ROYs wrong, they did get the AL Cy Young right.  Zack Greinke had one hell of a season, and he totally deserves this.  Congrats Zack.  I'm interested to see who they pick for the NL Cy Young.  It seems like Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are the favorites.  I'd pick Waino of those two.  It also looks like Tim Lincecum, Javy Vazquez, and Jorge De La Rosa are also in the mix.  I'd still pick Waino.  But please note I'll vomit all over myself if Javy effing Vazquez wins that award.  He's not THAT great of a pitcher.  This is what I've noticed with Javy: when the team he's on is either mediocre or full of fail, he's an AWESOME pitcher, but when the team he's on is a good team, he suuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

Until such time as ridiculous rumors fly around, I have to sit and deal with the crap my NFL team puts out.  Luckily my NHL team is good, and it looks like my NBA team is good as well.  We'll see what happens with my college football and college basketball teams.  (For those who don't know my teams, NFL = Chicago Bears, NHL = Chicago Blackhawks, NBA = Chicago Bulls, college football = Florida Gators, and college basketball = Loyola Chicago Ramblers and Florida Gators.)

Photo credits: all AP

Kenny Williams wastes no time.

The World Series ended on Wednesday, and when I woke up Thursday morning to get ready for a volunteer event, I heard buzzing on Twitter that Kenny had traded Chris Getz and Josh Fields to the Kansas City Royals for Mark Teahen.

Initial reaction: quoi?!

(Yes, many times I think in foreign languages that I don't speak fluently.  It's why you love me.)

Then when I woke up on Friday, that rumor was no longer a rumor.  Josh and Chris are gone, and the Sox have Mark Teahen.

I understood completely why Josh was going.  He was becoming unhappy here because he didn't have a starting position, and before the trade deadline, he requested a trade.  Josh had a good 2007 season when Joe Crede was out after having back surgery.  I think a lot of people had high hopes for him after that season.  When Joe came back in 2008, Josh was a backup again.  Not a lot of playing time unless Joe was hurt or needed a break or something.  So Josh worked with what he got.  Then in 2009 when we needed him at third, he was plagued by injuries, leading to Gordon Beckham being called up.

Looking through my past blogs, I'm sure you know how much I love Josh Fields.  It hurts me a bit to know that he's gone, but I know it's for the best.  I hope that Josh becomes the player that everyone hoped he would be.  Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs to break out again.  And although a lot of Sox fans were down on Josh, I was always a fan.  Probably because he combined three of my favorite kinds of people in the world: Southern, baseball player, and third baseman.  LOVE them.  And he called me "darlin" at SoxFest in 2008.  :)  I hope you do well in KC, Josh.  Just not against us, of course.  :)
The part of that Teahen trade that really surprised me was losing Chris Getz.  Chris was a rookie in 2009, but I think a lot of people forgot that, especially after Gordon Beckham was called up.  He had a .261 average, stole 25 bases, was only caught stealing twice, and committed seven errors for a .986 fielding percentage.  He didn't have a horrible season.  He was plagued by a couple injuries, but he still played 107 games.  Honestly not a bad season at all.  Yet I still heard a lot of people criticizing him for various reasons.  Prior to 2009, Chris had played seven games for the White Sox.  Chris was a rookie.  Knowing all that, I think he was unfairly criticized.  The Sox had two awesome rookies, although Beckham probably stood out more due to being phenomenal in college and excelling in the minors.

Had Beckham not been called up, I don't think there would have been as much criticism of Chris.  People forget that he made numerous plays in the infield that a lot of second basemen would have given up on.  Chris gave everything and then some.  Which is why I'm sad he's gone.  I was lucky enough to meet Chris twice.  Once at spring training when he signed a baseball for me the day he was named the starter at second, and once about a month ago when he did a free autograph signing at Field of Dreams at Woodfield Mall.  (Note: that was the first free signing EVER at that place.)  Not only did we lose a guy with enormous potential, but we lost an incredibly nice and friendly guy.  Like I just did with Josh, I wish you all the best, Chris.  And like with Josh, just not against us.  :)
The final part to this trade was acquiring Mark Teahen.  Honestly, I don't know a lot about him.  I obviously know who he is since the White Sox and Royals play in the same division.  I know he made his major league debut in 2005.  I know he has a dog named Espy, and I follow him on Twitter.  So I had to go to my favorite place for White Sox news, other than WhiteSox.com: White Sox Interactive.  Seriously, the people there are incredibly knowledgeable.

So I went there to get their take on the trade.  Some people are pleased.  Some are not.  Some people think Teahen is a cheap and crappy Jermaine Dye replacement.  Some think Getz is crappy and we got an awesome deal.  And then there are those who think this is a prelude to something bigger.  Either way, I still don't know much about him.  He hit .271 in 2009 and has a career average of .269.  So right now it looks as though he's an average player.

After the trade was confirmed and Kenny was talking to the media, he said that Teahen would be our starter at third, and Gordon Beckham would move to second.  Do I mind Teahen at third?  Meh, not really.  He's played there more than anywhere else since 2005.  What bothers me about that is Beckham has never played second base.  Why not move Alexei Ramirez back to second and put Beckham at shortstop?  Alexei committed thirteen errors in 2008 as a rookie: eleven at second, one at short, and one in the outfield.  In 2009, he committed 20 errors at short.  And if we didn't have Paul Konerko at first, he would have AT LEAST 40 errors.  (OK, I have no proof of that, but it's what I think.)  Paulie saved Alexei on NUMEROUS occasions.  Sometimes I marvel at how awesome Paulie was last season.  He deserves a Gold Glove for that.  Anyway.  Why have Beckham play somewhere he's never played before again?  And why keep Alexei at a position where he makes me ridiculously nervous?

Cliff of Rays Renegade gave me a nice perspective on Twitter while I was still in my initial shock stage.  He said that with Teahen at third and Beckham at second, we're more solid up the middle.  He also let me know that Teahen is multi-purposed.  Since he knows his stuff, I'm a bit more comfortable with this trade now.  Thanks, Cliff!

While the Teahen trade rumor was swirling, the Sox actually made a move on Thursday.  The White Sox signed Mark Kotsay to a one year deal worth $1.5 million.  Kotsay provided a great bat off the bench.  Ozzie sang his praises and rightly so.  It's great to have a back up first baseman and an additional outfielder in one player.  Kotsay provided us with a spark late in the season, and I look forward to seeing what he can bring us this season.

In addition to confirming the Teahen trade on Friday, the White Sox also bought out Jermaine Dye's option for $950k, making him a free agent.  This hurt my heart a lot.  JD has been a huge part of this team.  He fell off quite a bit for whatever reason at the end of last season, but he's been good for us for so long.  He said he wanted to finish his career in Chicago and that he'd take a discount to stay here.  Knowing that, it makes it harder to believe he won't be back this season.  *sigh*  But such is life.  Wherever you end up, JD, they're lucky to have you.  Good luck!

I feel like this entry has been uber depressing.  I feel like I need something positive to write about.  I know we're barely into the offseason, and pitchers and catchers don't report for a while, but in keeping with Elizabeth's tradition, I've already picked two projects.  :)  I need new ones considering my two from last year are either gone (Brian Anderson) or in the majors now (Gordon Beckham).  I'm going with CJ Retherford, who is currently with the Class AA Birmingham Barons and plays second, and Jordan Danks, also with Birmingham and place center field.

Throughout the season, I'd heard a lot about Retherford.  He seemed to be doing really well throughout the season.  He hit .297 at Birmingham with 10 home runs, 46 doubles, and four triples.  He stole three bases as well.  Since it looks like he has some talent, I've decided he's a good player to follow and see how his career blossoms.

Jordan Danks is my other project.  Yes, he is John's brother.  Yes, John is my absolute favorite pitcher.  No, I'm not playing favorites.  Jordan has a lot of potential.  He started 2009 at Class A Advanced Winston-Salem and moved up to Birmingham.  At Winston-Salem, he hit .322, and at Birmingham, he hit .243 for a combined average of .266.  Not too bad, Jordan.  I've heard a lot of positive things about Jordan since he was drafted for the second time by the White Sox.  After Jordan graduated from high school, he was drafted by the Sox but opted to attend the University of Texas.  After graduating college, he was again drafted by the Sox, and now he's playing at Birmingham.

Both CJ and Jordan are playing in the Arizona Fall League for the Peoria Javelinas.  Jordan played in the Rising Stars game on Saturday, going 1-for-5, a single to lead off the seventh.  Overall in the AFL, Jordan is hitting .343, and CJ is hitting .255.  I'm anxious to see how they progress, especially if they're both at spring training.

Speaking of Danks, John is hoping to sign a multi-year deal with the Sox this offseason.  The weekend I was in Arizona for spring training was the weekend John turned down the same deal Gavin Floyd signed: four years, $15.5 million with a $9.5 million option for 2013.  When asked why he turned the deal down, John stated that his agent said the timing was wrong.  White Sox fans have watched him blossom the past few years.  He went from a 6-13 record with a 5.50 ERA in 2007 to a 12-9 record with a 3.32 ERA in 2008 and a 13-11 record with a 3.77 ERA in 2009.  This season he threw his first complete game and reached 200.1 innings pitched, the first time he topped 200 innings in his career.  John probably would have had more wins this season if the offense provided some run support early on.  I don't see why the Sox wouldn't offer him another deal this year, especially with his improvement.  He's well on his way to being an elite starter.

With the offseason starting, I decided to check out Cot's Baseball Contracts to see who's deals have run out already and who has deals ending after the 2010 season.  Octavio Dotel's deal has run out.  Part of me wants to send him packing because he can be flaky sometimes.  But part of me wants to keep him around because he can definitely be a dominant pitcher.  Bobby Jenks ran out too.  I don't know what's gonna happen with Bobby.  He struggled a lot this season, so I don't know if he's worth keeping on the Sox, even though I love Bobby.  Matt Thornton's option was picked up for this season, and he's ridiculously awesome.

Paul Konerko's deal runs out after this season.  Matt Thornton has another option for 2011 that the Sox can pick up.  Freddy Garcia's 2010 option was picked up, but he doesn't have anything after that.  But the one that I'll be watching like it's my job will be AJ Pierzynski.  Holy crap will I be watching him next offseason.

I still don't really know how arbitration works, and looking at Cot's contract site doesn't help me either.  If I'm reading this correctly, Carlos Quentin and John Danks are arbitration eligible in 2011.  I really want them both signed, although I want John signed more than Carlos.  The only reason I want John a little more isn't because he's my second favorite on the Sox right now, but because Carlos's career has been injury-laden.  It's not that I don't think he can be effective; I just worry about the injuries.

Now that the offseason has officially started, I can only sit here and hope time flies by.  I love football, I'm getting back into basketball, and I'm learning hockey.  But it's not my true love.  It's not baseball.  I've got a lot to look forward to next season.  As many Sox games as I can afford, a weekend road trip to Colorado to catch a Rockies game with some of my most favorite people, a trip to St. Louis for a Cardinals game, and hopefully a trip to Cleveland when the Sox are there.  I can't wait.

I hate when the White Sox aren't playing baseball.  The offseason is horrible, the postseason when they aren't in it is usually worthless to me.  I just hate it.  I'm not saying the teams in the postseason are worthless.  I just hate when the Sox aren't playing.  Which is one of the reasons I haven't blogged since the postseason started.  There's nothing really to talk about until Kenny Williams starts making some offseason moves.

This Year in Baseball Awards
I guess there are a few things I can talk about.  MLB.com has their "This Year in Baseball" awards up for voting.  A few of my Sox are up for some awards.  Matt Thornton is in the running for Setup Man of the Year.  Matt had an amazing season.  24 holds with a 2.74 ERA.  And 87 strikeouts.  Matt is pretty much awesome.  I'm glad we have him.  I never worried when Matt came in, although there were a few times when he slipped up.  He is human, so I don't expect perfection out of him.

Speaking of perfection, Mark Buehrle's perfecto is up for Performance of the Year.  As is Paul Konerko's game July 7 against Cleveland.  He went 3-for-4 in that game with three home runs (including a grand slam) and 7 RBIs.  While Paulie's accomplishment is completely awesome, I'd be veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery surprised if Buehrle doesn't win this.  And nothing against everyone else in that category, but perfection is more amazing than all these other performances.  Although aside from my Sox performances and Jonathan Sanchez's no-hitter, I think Chris Carpenter's performance is the coolest.  It was the October 1 game against the Nationals where he pitched five innings with no earned runs and hit a grand slam and batted in six runs.  When I think "pitcher," I don't think of one HITTING a grand slam.  So that's a cool performance.

The Sox also have a Play of the Year nominee.  I'm sure you can guess what it is.  Yeah, it's Dewayne Wise preserving perfection.  I'm still upset that I didn't get to watch or listen to the game live, but I saw numerous replays of "The Catch."  Honestly, who DIDN'T see replays of that?  It might be the best catch I've ever seen.  Sure, I'm probably biased, but come on.  How awesome was that catch?  I still get chills when I watch that.  He came off the bench RIGHT before that batter as a defensive replacement.  That was absolutely amazing.

The final Sox nominee is Gordon Beckham as Rookie of the Year.  I think by now you all know how much I adore Beckham.  He greatly exceeded my expectations.  When he was drafted, I had heard people say he was gonna be a great addition to the Sox and how they couldn't wait for him to climb through the minors and make it to the big leagues.  Little did we know that a year after he was drafted, he'd debut for the Sox.  And Gordon was better than people said he was.  He started off a little slow, but I think that was more due to nerves and the high expectations placed on him.  I was at the game against the Tigers where he got his first Major League hit.  I've been to games where the Sox have won.  I've been to games where the Sox have hit huge game-changing home runs.  But I've never personally been to a game where the crowd cheered SO LOUDLY for a hit.  Not only did Gordon come out and exceed the expectations I had for him based on others' opinions, he came out and, for a while, carried this team on his back.  He emerged as a leader, and I know he'll be a great addition to this squad for years to come.

Rookie of the Year
While the official Rookie of the Year award won't come out for a little while, Gordon Beckham has already been recognized twice as an amazing rookie.  The Sporting News and the MLB Players Association both named Beckham as Rookie of the Year/Outstanding AL Rookie.  The recognition from the MLBPA allowed Beckham to give a grant to the charity of his choice.  Beckham chose to split it between the National Parkinson Foundation and the Children's Hospital of Illinois.  He chose the National Parkinson Foundation because his father's stepfather has been suffering from the illness, and "it's a diseased that [he] would like to see get out of here."  He chose the Children's Hospital of Illinois partially because he respects Jim Thome, who has worked with the hospital for a while.  Beckham has said Thome has been a big inspiration to him, so he is trying to return some kindness shown to him by Thome.

I know I'm biased since I'm a Sox fan, but I really hope Beckham gets the Rookie of the Year award.  Considering he was in the minors for the first two months of the season, it's awesome that we had such a great rookie on our team.  Beckham was asked who he would vote for as Rookie of the Year, and his choice was his teammate Chris Getz.  Chris had a great season as well, and I think he was a bit overshadowed by Gordon coming up and being phenomenal.  Not only is Chris an excellent player, he's an amazingly nice guy.  I got his autograph at Field of Dreams at Woodfield at the beginning of the month.  Like, a few days after he had surgery for his sports hernia.  When I went into Field of Dreams about a week before the signing, I bought a couple of pictures for Chris to sign, and I found out that this was the first free signing they've ever had.  Yes, Chris Getz came out to Schaumburg and signed autographs for an hour and a half FOR FREE.  I'm so glad we have such wonderful players on our squad.  They give back to the community, they sign autographs at the mall for free.

SoxFest 2010
I'M GOING!!!!  I purposely set an alarm for 9:50am on Monday so I could be up and awake so I could buy SoxFest tickets when they went on sale at 10am.  :)  Rachel and I will be spending January 22-24 at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, getting autographs, taking pictures of and with Sox players, listening to seminars, and having an all-around wonderful time.  I really hope I can afford this every year because when I went in 2008, it was literally one of the best weekends everrrrrrr.  Not just because it was the weekend AJ Pierzynski told me I was pretty.  Although that helped hahaha!

Final Musings
It's a Phillies-Yankees World Series.  I don't think I've ever been so bored with a World Series since I started actively watching in 2004.  Meh.  What can you do.  They outplayed everyone in their leagues, so here they are.

A lot of people I follow on Twitter are making a big deal about Nick Swisher being benched for Game Two tonight.  Why?  Do we think he's gonna pout and act like a whiny b*tch like he did when Ozzie benched him at the end of the 2008 season?  I'd bench him too cuz he's got a pretty crappy average for the postseason.  If Jerry Hairston can hit better, why keep him out of the lineup?

Speaking of Ozzie, he's doing the pre- and postgame shows on Fox for the World Series.  I love Ozzie.  Hence the reason I'm trying to watch all these shows.  :)

Albert Pujols says he wants to spend the rest of his career with the Cardinals.  I fail to see why this is surprising.  I can't see him in any other uniform but a Cards uniform.  Then again, I said the same thing about Brett Favre and the Packers and look how that turned out.

Speaking of Brett Favre, can we stop with the "Brett Returns to Lambeau" coverage?  I understand this is the first time he'll be back there and he's no longer a Packer, but STOP IT.  Every time I turn on ESPN it's Brett Favre this and Brett Favre that.  I'm sure Shannon enjoys the excessive Favre coverage, but it's way too much.  (UPDATE: Shannon does not like the Favre coverage.  She says, "I actually, surprisingly, do not like all the Favre coverage. It just makes me more nervous. And makes more people hate him.  Seriously, if they lose to the Pack..I will probably cry and be pissed and lose sleep..we don't want that.  Then ESPN will be replaying THAT over and over again. The loss and how Packers were right and blah blah.")

Apparently some Cleveland Browns fans are encouraging other Cleveland Browns fans to show up late for the November 16 Monday Night Football game against the Ravens in protest of how crappy the team has been playing.  Ummmm...wouldn't it be a bigger protest if you didn't show up at all?  Just eat the money you spent and just don't go.  I think that'll send a bigger message than coming in late.  Besides, they'll probably still only have one win by then.  Actually, let me rephrase that.  They BETTER still only have one win by then considering they play my Bears this week and have a bye next week.

Speaking of my Bears, they need to get their sh*t together.  Did you see that craptacular performance last week?  I mean, holy crap!  45-10 loss against the Bengals.  They need to shape up and fly right otherwise the city of Chicago will be angrier than they already are.  So Chicago Bears, can you PLEASE bear down this weekend?  Especially because Sunday is the 10th anniversary of Walter Payton's death.  Win it for Walter.  (Also, you should probably follow Payton's son Jarrett on Twitter.  He's a great guy, and when I was at the Bears Expo in May, he and his sister Brittney signed a copy of the book they wrote with their mom.  Thanks again, Jarrett!)
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Scott Merkin for his article on Beckham.
Photo credits: AP; AP; SunTimes.com; ESPN.com

The 2009 White Sox season is over.  The Sox finished the season at 79-83.  But like I did last year, I'm writing my end-of-the-season letter to the White Sox.  Enjoy, bloggers.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Dear 2009 White Sox,

My letter to you last season started off full of worries about players coming back and/or leaving the 2008 team.  But as we all know, 2008 was a pretty good season.  We made the playoffs, which is always a goal.  After losing in the ALDS, we all started prepping for the 2009 season.

At the end of October, Joe Crede and Juan Uribe filed for free agency.  I wanted Joe back.  I felt like this team needed him back, even though his back started causing problems that the team didn't really want to deal with.  But I knew there wouldn't be an offer made.  Partly because of the back problems, but mostly because of Joe's agent, Scott Boras.  Sox fans know how Jerry Reinsdorf feels about Boras, so it was unlikely Joe would come back.  Part of me was OK with Uribe leaving.  Not that I didn't appreciate what Juan did with this club, because I did.  But 2008 was only a so-so year for Juan.  Eventually in the off-season, Juan signed with the Giants.  The Giants are my NL team of choice, so I was happy to see a former player on my other favorite team.  But it was Joe's arrival in Minnesota that hurt my heart in ways I can't explain.  But I knew you would work through it, White Sox.

Also at the end of October, you declined the options of Ken Griffey, Jr. and Toby Hall.  I understood why you didn't keep Griffey.  I love him and I always have because he's a great guy.  One of the best in baseball.  While it would have been great to have him on the team again, I understand that there were other options we had.  I was disappointed that you didn't keep Toby.  He was such a great guy, and for a backup catcher, he wasn't bad at all.  But I always trust Kenny Williams, even if I don't understand the moves he makes.

With those four guys leaving, I was wondering what was gonna happen with this team.  Guys called up from the minors?  Signing free agents?  Then you announced you had signed Jayson Nix, a Minor Leaguer from the Rockies organization.  I wasn't sure what to make of this signing, but I went with it.  With Uribe and Crede gone, we needed some infielders.  And if Jayson couldn't cut it, he could stay in the minors.

Then Orlando Cabrera filed for free agency.  We offered him arbitration which he declined, so we got some draft picks in return.  That was cool considering I had made it known that I really wasn't a fan of Cabrera.  Yeah, he's a decent player, but his personality irritated me immensely.  I can deal with pr*cks and *ssholes; many consider my favorite player to be both of those.  But there was something about Cabrera that was more than that.  So I was glad he left.

In the middle of November, you sent Nick Swisher to the Yankees for Wilson Betemit, Jeff Marquez, and Jhonny Nunez.  The outfield was pretty much overfilled, so sending Swish away was probably best for both parties.  Swish was fun, yes.  But he kinda sucked in 2008, and there was no way of knowing whether he would bounce back or keep sucking.  Turns out, he bounced back a bit, but I think you were better off without him.

You then announced that you signed Dayan Viciedo from Cuba and gave both Dewayne Wise and Wilson Betemit contracts.  And you also announced something that pleased me: Javy Vazquez was sent to the Braves with Boone Logan for Tyler Flowers, Brent Lillibridge, Jon Gilmore, and Santos Rodriguez.  I was never a Javy fan because he was good when you were bad, and he was bad when you were good.  I didn't want that anymore.  You also announced you signed Bartolo Colon to a one-year deal.  That confused me because I didn't hear good things about him since his Cy Young season.  But I still trusted Kenny.

The World Baseball Classic came around.  Several of you guys were invited.  Many of you turned down the invitation.  Matt Thornton went, and he was still highly effective.  Both John Danks and Carlos Quentin declined the invitation, stating their obligations were to the White Sox first.

Spring training was battle after battle for Sox players.  Second base, center field.  Eventually decisions were made, and the season began.  I wrote you guys an epic Opening Day blog.  It may be one of my favorite blogs I've written.  April and May worried me a little bit.  You guys didn't play suuuper well, and after two months, you had a 24-25 record.  But things couldn't stay bad for long, could they?  You brought back one of my favorites from the 2005 championship team: Scott Podsednik.  Pods brought a spark in May that we sorely needed.

In June and July, you went 29-25, but you stayed near the top of the division, fighting with the Tigers and Twins.  For a while, it looked like you could take the division.  In June, Gordon Beckham made his debut.  And one of the greatest days in my sporting life occurred on July 23 when Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game.  Dewayne Wise and that catch...wow.  But things started slumping after the perfecto.

You finished the season, August through October, 26-32.  This is when the bandwagon fan would have run screaming.  This is when new fans might stop watching games.  This was the beginning of the end.  But I stayed.  I stayed through all 162 games, no matter how excruciating they may have been.  Because you are my team, no matter what.  You may make me angry sometimes, but I always come back because there is always some point I can look to in the season that alleviates that anger.

I can look to highlights from early in the season.  Like April 13.  At 12:23pm CT, Jermaine Dye hit his 300th career home run.  At 12:26pm CT, Paul Konerko hit his 300th career home run.    This was the first time in Major League history that teammates reached a century mark of 300+ home runs in the same game.  How can I not look back at that and smile?  Later in the season, Jim Thome hit his 550th career home run.  Then we had rookies hitting homers.  Jayson Nix, Chris Getz, and Gordon Beckham each hit their first career home run.  Even Mark Buehrle hit his first career home run!

Then you brought back my Scottie Pods and brought up Gordon Beckham, both providing something that we needed.  Beckham has been in consideration for AL Rookie of the Year, and Pods brought back what we loved in 2005 with his wheels on the base paths.  Both of these guys proved to be incredibly valuable, and Pods was better than we expected.  Eventually you brought Freddy Garcia back, and he did better than expected as well.  The end of July marked the trade deadline.  Lo and behold, you come away with Jake Peavy.  After the deadline, you claimed Alex Rios off waivers.  Two additions to the team that will greatly help us in 2010.

I have to have an entire paragraph devoted to my favorite: AJ Pierzynski.  On April 29, he hit his 100th career home run, and he finished the season with a .300 batting average.  He is the first White Sox catcher to end the season with a .300-or-higher batting average.  AJ has truly gotten better this season, and although he'll be 33 in December, I don't see him on a decline for a while.  Congrats on a great season, AJ!

But my dearest White Sox, you provided me with the second greatest thing in Major League Baseball this season.  The greatest thing is a World Series championship.  While you fell short of that, you gave me July 23.  That was the second greatest day in my baseball life...second to October 26, 2005 when you won the World Series.  You gave me Mark Buehrle and his perfect game.  Unfortunately I didn't get to see it live because I was moving back to Chicago, but thanks to MLB.TV, I got to see the wonder that was a perfect game.  When I watched the game in a hotel room that night, I cried.  I was so happy to see Josh Fields hit a grand slam, I was so happy to see Dewayne Wise's catch, and I was so happy to see Mark and the team so happy.  That game was the highlight of a relatively mediocre season.

Despite the fact that the season was less than stellar, there are many positives I see for you, dear White Sox.  Jake Peavy will be here for several seasons.  As will Alex Rios.  Gordon Beckham and Chris Getz are phenomenal.  John Danks, Gavin Floyd, and Mark Buehrle are epic.  And today you picked up the options of Freddy Garcia and Matt Thornton.  Carlos Quentin is getting back on track after his bout with plantar fasciitis.  There are so many pieces in place that I know we'll be a threat for years to come.  I wonder what will happen with Jermaine Dye and Scott Podsednik in the offseason.  Lord knows I want them to come back, but Kenny Williams knows what is best for this team.  I trust him implicitly.

My White Sox, you give me a reason to look forward to the future, even after a season no one really enjoyed.  Opening Day 2010 is 181 days away.  While I won't dwell on how many days away it is because it makes the time pass more slowly, I know there are good things in store for you.  I know you'll make the appropriate moves to complete this team.

Thank you for the memories, and I can't wait to see what memories you'll have in store for me next year.

Always and forever a fan,
Jen
---------------------------------------------------------------

Postseason Goodness
Today was the AL Central tiebreaker.  I don't need to recap...I'm sure you watched.  The Twins took it in 12 innings.  Meaning I can give you my divisional picks!  WOO!

NLDS: Colorado vs. Philadelphia
My heart says Colorado, but my head doesn't really know.  The Phillies are the defending champs, but that doesn't mean squat.  The Rockies have been hot as of late, so they could shock people who may possibly be counting them out.
Rockies in 5

NLDS: St. Louis vs. Los Angeles
My heart says St. Louis.  So does my head.  The Cards have done really well against the Dodgers this season.  Both teams have slumped a little in the final weeks of the season, but the Dodgers have slumped more, I think.
Cardinals in 4

ALDS: Red Sox vs. Angels
Honestly, I'm not a fan of either team.  Both teams are really good and play really well.  Since it could go either way, I think this series will take five games.
Angels in 5

ALDS: Twins vs. Yankees
You fought hard tonight, Twins.  But I think you're getting swept.  Sorry.
Yankees in 3

Photo credits: art.com; AP; Getty images; AP; unknown; Rachel Hassard on my camera

Earlier today, Mark linked to Diamondgirl55's blog on Twitter.  I'm a slacker to the max, and I always forget to actually comment on people's blogs.  Which means I forget to read them sometimes.  I feel bad.  I apologize.  I'll start again soon.  Back to the topic at hand.

Recently, Diamondgirl55 wrote a blog called "Major League Studlies ♥".  She mentioned that when she first started her blog, a guy commented on one of her entries that she was writing her blog to get male attention, how she doesn't know baseball, etc. etc.  It reminded me that I have to deal with this kind of thing offline all the time.  And I'm sure many of the female MLBloggers do too.  So I was inspired to write my own entry on the same topic.

I can talk baseball about as well as any man.  Actually, I can talk baseball and football about as well as any man.  I have a fan profile on ESPN because I did that Streak for the Cash thing for a while and then started fantasy baseball with some MLBloggers.  But I actually get on there and talk sports with a bunch of people.  Yeah, I've been hit on by a few pervs, but it comes with the territory.  But the people I talk to most often really know their sports.  And I can engage in a d*mn good conversation with them and hold my own.  I rattle off stats like no other.

I've been out at a bar with my friends or my dad and his friends or whatever, and sports will occasionally become a topic of conversation within the group or with other random people.  And there I am again, holding my own, making valid and factual arguments and backing them up with stats and general observations about the game as a whole.

My expertise is obviously White Sox baseball, but the fact that I can hold my own in a conversation about any team, any player, whatever means I know my sh*t.  The fact that I continually get put down because I'm a girl is ridiculous.

Diamondgirl also made another point that is so true.  The guy who commented on her blog said females only love baseball because of the tight uniforms and players.  She said it's not unprofessional to like what we look at.  She mentions cheerleaders and that guys stare at them too.



So why can't I sit there and stare at AJ Pierzynski, John Danks, Gordon Beckham, and other ridiculously hot baseball players?  If men can ogle cheerleaders and female athletes, why can't I drool over my boys?  I'm gonna continue with my chick comments, and if people don't like it, they can stop reading my blog.  But they'll miss out on some great baseball commentary.

The last thing that guy mentioned in Diamondgirl's blog was that females only learn baseball to get a guy's attention.  Which she promptly disputed.

When I go to a game, I always sit as close to the field as I can for a few reasons.  1) I can see the game better.  2) I want autographs.  3) Closer to the field = better pictures.  I could pay, like, $20 and get cheap seats, but I shell out more money so I can see my players better, not because I want male attention...unless it's from my players.  When I go to a game, I almost always wear the same thing: a jersey with either a Sox tee or black tank top under it, jeans, gym shoes, some makeup, and a Sox hat.  I wear makeup because I don't wanna look like crap if I get to talk to a player.  And it's not the same makeup I wear when I go to a club or something.  Foundation and concealer because I have acne, sometimes eyeliner, and mascara.  I don't wear it because I want some guy in the seats to hit on me.  I don't learn everything I can about my team and players because I'm looking for a boyfriend.  I don't learn about other teams and players because I want some guy to talk to me.  I learn it for me.  I learn it because I don't wanna sit in the stands like the stereotypical chick who's there for male attention.  I AM NOT THAT GIRL!

I love MLBlogs for many reasons.  One of them is the fact that most of the people here know I'm not that girl.  And they put up with my tendency to swoon over players because they know I know my sh*t.  I love you guys for that.  Seriously.  Don't ever change.

Final Musings
My friend Amy curled my hair with a straightener last night.  My hair is naturally stick straight.  Doesn't hold a curl with product in it, doesn't hold a curl without product in it.  It holds for, like, five minutes and falls flat.  But yesterday, it held!  I slept on it, woke up this morning...STILL CURLY!  I know how I'm curling my hair forever now.

I watched the Sox-Tigers game.  Hawk wasn't in the booth tonight, and it was weird for me.  Although Steve Stone and Mike Huff aren't bad.  I do miss Hawk because he amuses me.

I saw some White Sox tweets before the game about the Sox having an elimination number of one.  Technically true, but they were out of it when the Tigers won yesterday.  How you ask?  Well, I shall tell you.  Quoting gjdodger at WSI who put it incredibly simply, "Four of Detroit's games are against the Twins. If they lose all their games, Minnesota wins at least 83. The best the Sox can do is 82."

I've decided who I want to win the AL Central.  I have a strange reason for why I want this.  I want the Twins to win because they've had Joe Crede this season, and I adore Joe.

From regrets and failure I arise
To redefine all they expected of me

Sometimes I feel like I put too much of myself into this team.

There is so much talent on this roster.  We have at least two young pitchers who are ridiculously good at what they do.  We have a pitcher who threw not only a no-hitter in 2007 but a perfect game this season.  We have two players who have hit over 300 home runs, and up until the end of August, we had one that hit over 500.  Recently, we acquired the 2007 NL Cy Young winner.  We have the 2008 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up.  We have a rookie who is in serious contention for this year's award.  We have a player who would have won, in my opinion, the AL MVP award last year had he not broken his wrist.  And we have a catcher that's amazing at what he does that most everyone else hates.

But we've done very little with all that talent.

There was very little run support all season, and the team floundered more or less ever since Mark Buehrle's perfect game.  Gavin Floyd and John Danks have had so many wonderful outings that have been recorded as losses due to either no run support or a horrible bullpen outing.  Mark Buehrle has pitched well in several games after his perfecto, yet he was tagged with a loss.

Our bullpen has fluctuated so ridiculously all season that it worries me a bit.  DJ Carrasco has been awesome, Matt Thornton has been great, and Octavio Dotel has even been pretty good.  But Scott Linebrink and Tony Pena drive me to drink, and Bobby Jenks has been consistently worsening, and now he's out for the rest of the year with a torn calf muscle.  I have no idea what to do with this bullpen.

At the beginning of the season, it looked like this team was stacked with talent.  They played relatively well, then faltered a bit.  Then they brought up Gordon Beckham, and this team got hot again.  They played so well before they fell apart completely.  I was hopeful for this team.  I thought they could go far and be a great team.  But something didn't mesh, and everything fell apart.

But then I realize it could be worse.

(Note: this is where I potentially bash your team...sorry.)

I could be a Washington Nationals fan.  They currently have the worst record in baseball at 52-99.  The last time they were in the postseason was 1981.  (I wasn't alive yet.)  They've never won a World Series.  And it looks like they're investing all their hope in Stephen Strasburg.  Good luck, kid.

I could be a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.  This season, they set the record for most consecutive losing seasons in all of sports with 17.  They haven't won a World Series since 1979.  The last time they were in the postseason was 1992.  (I was six.)  They traded away some good players this season, so I don't even know what's happening with them next year.

I could be a San Diego Padres fan.  (Well, I sort of am.)  Their owners (I think) are going through a divorce, so this team is all kinds of messed up.  They traded Jake Peavy, their ace pitcher, to the Chicago White Sox (thank you!).  They've never won a World Series, but at least they had a recent postseason appearance when they made it to the 2006 NLDS.  They have Adrian Gonzalez, so at least there's that.  Once this divorce is over, I think they'll be better off.

I could be a San Francisco Giants fan.  (Well, I am a Giants fan.)  The city itself has never won a World Series, but the last title for the franchise was in 1954 when they were still in New York.  Their last postseason appearance was at least in this decade.  They made the 2003 NLDS, and that's about it.

I could be a Kansas City Royals fan.  Last World Series title was in 1985.  Their last postseason appearance?  Also 1985.  The only positive I see with that team is Zack Greinke unless he flounders atrociously next year.

I could be a Cleveland Indians fan.  Their last World Series title was in 1948, but they did make the 2007 postseason.  They lost a bunch of players to injuries this season, and I don't know what bright spots they have.  Well, Grady Sizemore is a bright spot when he's healthy.  I hate facing him.

After all this, I think of many people I know.  I think of my family.  Because it could be worse.  I could be a Chicago Cubs fan.  Their last World Series title was in 1908.  They were swept out of the postseason the last two seasons.  They haven't even been to the World Series since 1945.  They have to deal with players like Alfonso Soriano and Milton Bradley.

But I would NEVER be a Cubs fan.  Because I hate most of their fans.  Is my hatred of those Cubs fans excessive?  Maybe.  But I only hate the ones who consistently treat me like sh*t because I'm a Sox fan.  And the ones who go to Wrigley and basically turn it into a frat boy infested bar that happens to have live baseball in the middle of it.  And the ones that assume I know absolutely nothing about baseball because I'm a girl.  (Actually, that last one goes for all baseball fans, but it happens more often with Cubs fans because I live in Chicago.)  So I hate most of them.  Don't get me wrong; I know some awesome Cubs fans.  In fact, I'm related to some of them.  But unfortunately, the Cubs have more than a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.  The good apples are few and far between.

When I think of how many ups and downs the White Sox have had, it hurts my heart a little.  OK, more than a little.  It hurts a lot.  But then I think about 2010 and know we have a lot of pieces in place.  And then I read stories like this one.  The White Sox helped a young fan's wish come true, and her brother is a frequent poster at WSI, so he attested to how happy this made her.  We have a bunch of great guys in Chicago.  They do a lot of great things for people in this city, and I wouldn't change them for the world.

And yes, I'm jealous that she got to touch AJ's hair.  ;)

Photo credits: Getty images; AP; AP; Ron Vesely, White Sox

Semi-regular blogging returns!  Commenting will as well.  I can tell you're excited.  :)

Halfway to St. Patrick's Day
Final: 11-0 Royals

Friday night was Halfway to St. Patrick's Day at the Sox game.  So Rachel and I went.  Of course.  And because we're so full of awesome, we wore the exact same outfit.  :)  Our green Beckham t-shirts with the same long-sleeved white Sox shirt underneath.  And dark jeans.  We were adorable, no lie.  :)

In addition to Halfway to St. Patrick's Day, it was also the first White Sox Tweet-Up.  We got a free t-shirt that said "@whitesox, @whitesox.  Go go @whitesox." like the awesome Sox song.  :)  We got to meet some people from Twitter, and we enjoyed free food and drinks before the game.  It was pretty sweet.  Ron Kittle was there too, and I got a picture with him.  Awesome!  In addition to the free shirt, we got to put our names in for a raffle.  There were some signed pictures and a couple signed baseballs.  I was lucky enough to get a signed Gordon Beckham picture!  YAY!!!  Considering I, like, never win anything, this was awesome.  But poor Rachel hahaha.  EVERYONE around us won something except Rachel.  She was sad.

So after the Tweet-Up, we went to our AWESOME seats.  Section 137, row 13, seats 9 and 10.  That section is behind the Sox dugout, and it starts at row five.  So teeeeeeechnically, we were 8 rows up.  And really close to home plate.  Sweeeeeeeeet.  Stub Hub for the win, baby.  And Rachel for getting the tickets.  Yay.  There's a whole photo album of pictures from that night, and here's the link.  Rachel took all the pictures, and I stole them hahaha!

We have videos too!  And here they are!







OK, so the actual game.  It was a giant trainwreck.  We lost to the Royals.  Not only did we lose to the Royals, we were beaten like a rented mule.  11-0.  Yes, zero runs.  Zero.  How many hits did we get?  THREE.  In Ozzie's press conference afterwards, he said we got two.  Two of the hits were infield singles, and he said those count as half a hit.  Hahaha I love Ozzie.

I honestly don't even know what else to say about the game.  I mean, I had to "enjoy" that game sober because the margarita man never ever ever came down to our section.  I had to get up and get my own, which was weird.  So I only had one.  Hence that last video.  Oh, and Vince Vaughn was in the next section over.  People were getting kinda obnoxious about getting his autograph.  Just let the guy enjoy the game.  And let me enjoy the game too because you're not transparent.  I can't see through you.  Go sit down.  Thanks.

It's Peavy Time
Final: 13-3 White Sox

I missed watching the first few innings of Jake's debut because I was driving home from Burr Ridge.  Which isn't relatively close.  But I listened to the game on the radio, so I heard Jake's start.

It was worth the wait.

Peavy pitched five innings.  He gave up three earned runs on three hits, one of which was a solo homer to Billy Butler in the third.  He walked two and struck out five, and he threw 47 of his 73 pitches for strikes.  He did well, and I can't wait until his next start on Friday night against the Tigers.

From what I read, his location wasn't perfect, but considering he hasn't pitched in a Major League game since June, it wasn't bad.  His fastball reached 94mph and stayed in the 92-93mph range through his outing.  And apparently his slider was killer.  Good times, good times.

Per Scott Reifert's Twitter (@InsideTheSox), I have a Peavy quote.  And I'm so glad to hear it.  "The fans were great. That's fun. I'm proud to be a Chicago White Sox. They're going to have every bit of me that I can give."

You Must Be Joking
Final: 2-1 Royals

I didn't watch this game.  I was flipping between the Bengals-Packers game and the Vikings-Lions game.  But I got scoring alerts.  And I read Twitter.  And I know the only Sox RBI was an AJ Pierzynski single that scored Scott Podsednik.  Really, guys?  I don't even know what else to say (mostly because I didn't watch the game).

The Rest of the Season
Today starts a three-game set with the Twins, our last of the season.  We're sending out Daniel Hudson tonight (since Gavin Floyd's start is being skipped because of his hip), John Danks tomorrow (I wanna go to this game not only because I adore John Danks but also because it's country music night...too bad I can't afford tickets), and Mark Buehrle on Wednesday.  The Twins are sending out Nick Blackburn, Jeff Manship, and Brian Duensing.

We're 3.5 games behind the Twins, and 6.5 behind the Tigers.  We COULD gain some ground in this division since it seems like no one really wants to win it, but part of me doesn't think it'll happen.  It's not that I don't believe in my team.  I know they have the talent to be a great team, but the talent seems to be hiding right now.  That seems to be the story with most of the teams in this division.  They have the talent, but the talent decides to play hide-and-seek.

In addition to this three-game set with the Twins, we have another six games against the Tigers, three this weekend at home and three the last weekend of the regular season in Detroit.  We also play Cleveland for three games the 28th through 30th.  I don't know what's gonna happen.  In these last twelve games, we're either gonna suck massively or we're gonna play super spoiler.  There's no in between.  Technically, there's still a chance that we win the division.  But I think that would require a twelve-game sweep and an epic meltdown from both the Tigers and Twins. Possible, yes.  Probable, no.

I may be one of those crazy White Sox fans, but I'm not giving up until there is an E in the "Elimination Number" column on MLB.com.  My liver may not be pleased, my mental stability may be in jeopardy, but these are my White Sox.  These are my boys.  They may drive me crazy, but I love them.  I can't turn on them.  I can't bail on the season until there's no mathematical way they can win the division.

Final Musings
Apparently Joe Crede is done for the season and is having another back surgery.  I can't say I'm surprised since he had problems when he was with the Sox.  But I hope he can come back and play next season.  I love Joe Crede.  I will always love Joe Crede.  I don't want his career to end this way.  It makes me sad.

The Bears beat the Steelers yesterday.  I watched part of the game, but I was outside in my neighbor's backyard for most of it.  I did come in to see the last, like, 30 seconds with the Robbie Gould field goal to win it and the lost fumble by the Steelers to ice that win.  Bear down, Chicago Bears!!!

It's starting to get chilly in Chicago.  Which makes me happy because I get to wear cute sweaters.  I love sweaters.

Photo credits: mouthpiecesports.com, nothingbutballs.com
Video credits: Rachel Hassard

Now that you've had some time to digest my last blog, here's the good stuff.  Here's my game recaps and my review of Angels Stadium.

But before I begin, I forgot to mention that my dad and I got lost in the ghetto of not one but two cities.  First it was Santa Ana, then it was Anaheim.  It wasn't scary, but you could tell that wasn't a place you wanted to be.  OK, now baseball.

Friday's Game
Final: 7-1 Angels

I told you I left a note at Nick Adenhart's memorial, so we can skip directly to me going to BP.  I was hoping for some autographs, so I headed over to the right field corner.  I'm glad I did.  I didn't get any autographs, but about 10 feet in front of me for about 45 minutes or so was John Danks.  You all know how much I adore John Danks.  So to have him RIGHT THERE tossing a ball with Mark Buehrle was phenomenal for me.  Honestly, I could barely breathe.  I had to delete the first couple pictures off my camera of him because I was shaking so badly from sheer excitement that the pictures were RIDICULOUSLY blurry.  But I stopped shaking and took some great pictures.  I learned something about my favorite Sox pitcher Friday night: he is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much hotter in person than on TV.  I mean, he's ridiculously gorgeous in general, but he's way better in person.  Watching him throw the ball around on Friday got me super stoked for Saturday since he pitched that game.  And it made me hope that he comes to SoxFest this year.  So since I have no idea if players actually read my blog, I'll put this out there anyway: John, please come to SoxFest this year.  You're my favorite, and I really want your autograph and a picture with you.  It'd make me super happy.  Thanks in advance!

After watching most of the pitchers tossing the ball around, I moved over to left field when BP started.  Partly because John moved over there and I wasn't done with my pictures, but partly because homers were being hit over there.  And Carlos Quentin was over there too.  A few homers bounced near me, but none were close enough for me to snag.  It made me kinda sad.  One of these days I'll snag one with my glove, and I'll tell you all about it.  :)

BP ended, and I made my way over to my seats.  My dad was wandering somewhere, so I had to be giddy over the seats by myself.  I'm sure many of you have watched Angels games.  You know in right field how they have the out-of-town scoreboard, an Angels A, and an ad for the Angels Foundation and Carl's Jr.?  I was in the front row of section 237, which is RIGHT above the point in the A.  It was pretty awesome.  I gave my dad camera duty so I could catch a home run ball (that was never hit to me), and he only took one picture during the game.  It was of Jermaine Dye since he was directly in front of us.  I'm not too sad I didn't get a lot of pics during that game because 1) they lost, and 2) I'd only have good outfield pictures.

The game itself was not pretty.  Gavin Floyd didn't have his stuff, and the only run the Sox scored was on a Jayson Nix solo homer to left.  In five innings, Gavin gave up five runs, two walks, and six hits.  DJ Carrasco came on in relief and pitched two innings, only allowing one hit.  I would have preferred it if he stayed in for the eighth inning, but Ozzie put in Scott Linebrink, and I actually sunk into my seat and put my glove on my face.  I always get scared when Linebrink comes in.  I WANT to believe he won't blow up, but he usually does.  Friday was no exception, as he came in and walked one, gave up three hits, and allowed two runs, both earned.  The one walk was intentional to Kendry Morales.

The game was a little disappointing, I admit.  But the atmosphere was a new experience for me.  I've never been in the minority at a Sox game, as this was the first time I was seeing them away from US Cellular Field.  Luckily the majority of the fan base was really nice.  There were many people who are still bitter over Game Two of the 2005 ALCS where Doug Eddings awarded AJ first base on a dropped third strike call.  And they made it known every time he was at bat.  The boos were always loud, no matter if it was his first at-bat or his last at-bat.  And that amused me to no end, so I was always laughing when he was announced at the plate.  There were a few people around me who yelled to hit Pierzynski in the head, AJ's a jack*ss, and similar insults.  But the one I didn't understand was one directed at me personally when my dad was gone.  Some guy a few rows behind me yelled "Hey Pierzynski girl in the front.  AJ deserves to die."  I know this was at me, as I was the only girl in front of him that was 1) a Sox fan, and 2) wearing a Pierzynski jersey.  Now, I understand you may still be angry over that call that happened four freaking years ago, but you're gonna hurl a death threat about a player at me?  There was one other thing yelled at me and the Sox fans behind me that confused me: "Chicago as a city in general sucks."  Really?  Have you been there?  I happen to like my city, thanks.

After the game, my dad and I headed over to the sports bar next to our hotel.  Which by the way was across the street (more or less) from the stadium.  Yay no parking charges!  There were a bunch of Sox fans there, and I got a thumbs up from one of them.  Good times.

Saturday's Game
Final: 4-3 White Sox in 10

Saturday's game was on Fox.  I have yet to check and see if I was on TV.  I might have been because I was in the row directly behind the camera well on the first base side.  Good times.

We got there early again, but alas, there was no BP.  But I did meet a couple of girls who were Sox fans.  I talked to them for, like, an hour before the game while we were waiting to see if we could get some autographs.  Dewayne Wise came out and signed, but I was too far away from him as he didn't leave the field.  I know I can throw a ball and pen to him for him to sign, but I knew I'd never be able to catch them when he threw them back.  However, one person asked for Brent Lillibridge's autograph.  I was the second.  He was really nice about it, so thank you, Brent.

I took 200 pictures during this game.  The majority are either John Danks pitching, Sox players on first base, or Sox players in the dugout.  They're pretty much amazing, and I love my camera.  And I loved my seat.  I was close enough to hear some of the players talking to fans behind the dugout.  I was close enough to hear Ozzie arguing with the first base umpire.  And I was close enough to hear AJ drop the F-bomb after popping out with runners in scoring position.  I may be completely weird, but I loved the F-bomb.  I love when my players show emotion over their plays, so I loved that AJ showed he was p*ssed.

This game was soooooooo much better than Friday's game.  Gordon Beckham launched a solo shot in the first inning to get the Sox on the board.  Then, in the third inning, Scott Podsednik hit an inside-the-park home run.  I would have taken pictures of that, but I was too busy yelling in my seat, "PODS.  PODS.  OMG.  Triple...no.  ****.  OMG.  He's not gonna...OMG he is.  SCOTTIE HAS WHEELS!  SCOTTIE HAS WHEELS!"  (OK, that's not word-for-word, but it was close.  And I did in fact yell "Scottie has wheels" twice.)  That was completely amazing.  After that play, Beckham singled, and eventually that inning, Mark Kotsay reached first on an error by Bobby Abreu.  That scored Beckham, but Kotsay was thrown out trying to advance to second to end the inning.

John Danks pitched six beautiful innings.  He allowed six hits and two walks, but he didn't give up any runs.  It was pretty awesome.  Octavio Dotel came on in the seventh.  Usually I'm ridiculously nervous when he comes in, but I was rather calm.  He came in and only allowed one hit, which didn't score.  Matt Thornton came on in the eighth, and I was pretty sure we were gonna get a shutout.  But something happened to my Matty, and he gave up four hits and two earned runs in 1/3 of an inning.  What was terrifying for me was Bobby Jenks coming in with only one out in the eighth.  Luckily Bobby threw one pitch and it ended the inning with a double play.  Bobby was back in the ninth, but he blew the save.  The Sox luckily scored in the tenth, and we won.  Hooray!

Oh, and this is my favorite picture I took all weekend long.  I shouldn't have to explain why.
Angels Stadium
I understand why ESPN gave them the best rating of all MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL stadiums.  This place is incredibly beautiful, and prices were relatively reasonable.  I got a huge Pepsi on Friday night for $5.50.  I have no idea how many ounces it was, but it lasted me most of the game.  And if my dad was willing to go back over and over and over for bloody Marys and margaritas on Saturday, those prices have to be reasonable too.

I didn't eat anything there on Friday since I was still full from my crappy Mexican lunch.  (Note: do NOT go to Taco Rosa in Irvine.  Really bad food for what they're charging.  And their margaritas are crap too.)  And I was too excited about my seats on Saturday to actually remember to eat.  So when I come back eventually with Rachel, I'll remember to try some stadium food.

Final Musings
As promised, I have links to my Facebook albums.  Here's the link for general Anaheim area pics and Friday's game, and here's the link for Saturday's game.  The titles are great, I know.  :)

The Chicago Bears may drive me to drink more than the Sox did this season.  If you didn't see that atrocious, crap-filled spectacle on Sunday Night Football, consider yourself lucky.  Jay Cutler did his best Rex Grossman impression, and we lost Brian Urlacher for the season with a dislocated wrist.  For those of you who have no idea how much I love Brian Urlacher, let's put it this way: for my heart, losing Brian Urlacher for the season is the football equivalent of losing AJ Pierzynski for the season.  I ADORE Brian Urlacher.

Yes, it's been a while, I know.  Regular blogging will return soon.  I know I say that all the time.  I wrote most of this blog while on the plane to LA on Friday.  I'm totally stoked.  I finished packing at 1:30am and went to bed.  Good times, I know.  I was gonna get up at 5:30am to shower and get ready to leave, but my body decided that 4am was a much better time.  Luckily I got a bit of a nap on the plane.  That was helpful.

When I woke up from my nap on the plane, I had a brilliant idea.  I was going to Angels Stadium for two games.  I couldn't go and leave without putting something on Nick Adenhart's memorial.  So on a day when our nation was remembering the thousands of lives lost at the hands of terrorists eight years ago, I remembered the young man whose life was lost at the hands of one individual five months ago.  Here's my letter:

Dear Nick,
I have never cried so much over a person I've never met or heard of until the day you died.  When I saw pictures of the accident scene, I was physically ill and cried harder.  You didn't deserve that.  I cried when I saw your agent, coaches, and teammates cry.  I cried for you because you were the same age as me.  I cried because such a promising career was tragically cut short.  I wish I could have seen you pitch.  I hope your family and friends find comfort in knowing the entire baseball world still misses you.  Stay our Angel, Nick.
Love,
Jen Jezierski
White Sox fan

Strangely, writing that out and then retyping it here still gets me choked up.  But talking about 9/11 doesn't.  Maybe it's because Adenhart's death is still so recent.  Maybe it's because we've talked about 9/11, al Qaida, and the war so much more.  Maybe I've become immune to it.  Don't get me wrong.  I'll NEVER forget that day and what I was doing (waking up to go to school since it was, like, 6am in San Francisco).  And I'll NEVER stop remembering all the men and women who have died to prevent this from happening again.  But it seems liken we've been a little desensitized by the media.

OK, that's the end of my somewhat political commentary.  I'll leave that to Jeff and Allen since they do it better than I do.  On to baseball.

The White Sox spiraled a little further into the abyss since I last updated.  They lost two of three in Minnesota, although they won their very last game in the Metrodome.  But then they switched it on for a bit.  They won the makeup game with the Cubs.  Rachel and I and her uncle Jim drove past Wrigley after the game playing Sox-related music because we're horrible people...at least Rachel and I are.  :)  But it was fun.  Then Boston came to town.  The week prior, we lost three of four in Boston.  This week?  We WON three of four.  Mark Kotsay absolutely beat up his former team.  It was pretty much amazing.  That series was followed by a two-game set with Oakland.  We lost the first game, and we would have won the second game in nine innings, but Tony Pena came on and messed that up.  In the 13th, Alexei Ramirez singled and my favorite, my love, my AJ Pierzynski hit an RBI-double to win the game.  Thanks, AJ.  It's like you knew I didn't want to fly into LA with that chip on my shoulder.

I'll give you game recaps from my two games in tomorrow's blog.  Yes, two blogs in a row!  I'll have pictures that I want to share, so I HAVE to blog again tomorrow.  :)  Unfortunately, I'll be missing Mark Buehrle vs. Scott Kazmir.  Which happens to be the same pitching matchup as July 23.  You all know what happened that day.  And when I get home, I'll get the Bears-Packers game on Sunday Night Football.  On that note, BEAR DOWN CHICAGO BEARS!!!

Final Musings
If you read Kylie's blog (which you should if you don't), you'll know she has a pair of pants which have been dubbed The Pants.  They're purple and have the Rockies logo on them.  Well, the Sox have a pair like it.  So guess who bought them on Thursday and brought them with her to LA and dubbed them (with Kylie's help) The Pants The Second or TPTS for short?  :)

I named my car!  I didn't get a lot of suggestions, and I've been calling it The Beast for a long time, so that's what stuck: The Beast.

I've never flown out of the Orange County airport.  My dad says it's an experience.  I'll let you know in tomorrow's blog.

Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I'm on my dad's laptop cuz it's smaller than mine, so I have no pictures to add today.