My Heart Is Broken, and I Blame the Sox

Ah being home.  Means more time to actually whip out some blogs.  Going from blogging every day to having eight blogs so far this month is actually a killer on me.  I don't like it.  So it's back to some regular blogging for about a week before I head up to Michigan with one of my best friends for a week or so.  Then I'll really be back on the blogging.  I promise.  And the commenting.  I've been slacking on that.  Also, if you missed it, check out yesterday's blog.  I covered Buehrle's perfect game.

Soxy Goodness
It's been five days since Mark Buehrle's perfect game.  I don't know about all the other White Sox fans, but I'm still on a high from that game.  And I didn't even get to see it live.  

The Sox faced the Twins tonight.  Mark Buehrle vs. Scott Baker.  So how did Buehrle follow perfection?

Quite well for 5.2 innings.  In fact, through that span of time he was perfect.  Also in that span of time, he set the Major League record with 45 consecutive outs.  That streak began on July 18 when Nick Markakis flew out, and it ended when Alexi Casilla walked in the sixth inning.  Once Casilla walked, it turned into another horrible outing at the Metrodome.

The Sox don't play well in the Metrodome.  Which is why Sox fans are counting down the days until they no longer play there.  Maybe Target Field will be kinder to them.  We'll see next season.  In the top of the sixth, the first run of the game was scored.  Jermaine Dye hit a solo home run.  And until the ninth inning, that was the only Sox run scored.  In the ninth, Carlos Quentin and Chris Getz both reached base.  Gordon Beckham singled them both in, but that was the last of the Sox scoring and it wasn't enough.

After Buehrle walked Casilla, the Twins would score five runs off of him.  Right after he lost the perfect game with the walk, he lost the no-hitter when Denard Span singled in the next at-bat.  Joe Mauer then hit a ground-rule double, driving in Casilla to tie the game at one.  In the seventh inning, Buehrle started losing it.  He hit Michael Cuddyer, gave up a single to Joe Crede and Brendan Harris, and got an out when Carlos Gomez hit a sac bunt.  Nick Punto then singled to right, and Crede and Harris scored.  Ozzie Guillen pulled Buehrle, and the Metrodome gave him a standing ovation as he left the field.  Thank you, Twins fans, for being classy.

Octavio Dotel came on in relief and promptly walked Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer.  That loaded the bases after Punto moved to third.  Oh hey, then he walked Justin Morneau, so Punto scored the fifth run for the Twins.  The Sox went on to lose 5-3.

I like watching David Letterman if I'm downstairs with my dad when it's on.  Otherwise, I usually forget about it.  Last night, I stuck around through the Top Ten.  That's my favorite part of the show, and last night was AWESOME.  Mark Buehrle, Josh Fields, and Dewayne Wise were on presenting the Top Ten Things Going Through Mark Buehrle's Mind During His Perfect Game.  You can click here for the article about it, which also has the video of the Top Ten.  For those of you who don't wanna click, here's the Top Ten:

10. I did it!  I did it!  Oh wait, it's only the fourth inning.
9. If this doesn't get Kate Hudson to notice me, nothing will.
8. Too bad I'm not on my own fantasy team.
7. My brother-in-law bowled a perfect game.  (Buehrle immediately started cracking up.)
6. [Josh Fields and Dewayne Wise]: We're going to Disneyworld!  [Buehrle]: And I'm running for the governor of Alaska.
5. Did I remember to TiVo "So You Think You Can Dance"?
4. I'm leaving after the seventh inning to beat the traffic.
3. Should I shave my back?
2. Sunflower seed...lodged in my windpipe...get help!
1. Maybe I'll give up one hit so I don't have to appear on Letterman.

My favorites?  Six and seven.  Those were great.  Having Fields and Wise in there for number six was a nice touch since they were both instrumental in getting runs on the board (Fields's grand slam) and saving the perfect game ("The Catch").

I'm obviously a die-hard AJ Pierzynski fan.  Even though this basically bashes him, it's still pretty hysterical.  I love you, AJ, but I can't help but laugh.

I have to discuss something that hurts my heart.  Elizabeth will understand why my heart hurts.  Brian Anderson has been traded to the Red Sox for Mark Kotsay and cash.  Brian Anderson was one of my projects.  Despite the fact that his bat has been up and down, I loved Anderson and loved watching him play.  I remember in the 2005 World Series when he and Aaron Rowand were miked up.  It was Game Two, and he and Rowand were in the dugout while Scott Podsednik was up to bat.  Brad Lidge gave up a walk-off home run to Podsednik, and from the dugout, you hear Brian Anderson yell "OH MY GOD" while Rowand said "NO WAY" since Podsednik hadn't hit a home run all regular season and that was his second of the postseason.

Another favorite Brian Anderson memory occurred last September.  It was the Blackout game against the Twins that got us into the playoffs.  Bobby Jenks came on for the save.  He struck out Jason Kubel, and he got Denard Span to ground out to first.  Alexi Casilla came up and hit a ball to center.  Anderson dove to make the catch, ending the game with a White Sox winner.

But my favorite Brian Anderson moment came in 2006.  It only needs a picture.
Brian Anderson, I love you.  I'll miss you ridiculously.  Best of luck to you in Boston.  When I make my way there on my journey to all the ballparks, I hope to meet you.  You've always seemed like such a wonderful guy.

And in order to make room for Kotsay on the roster, Josh Fields has been sent to Charlotte and is requesting a trade.  How much more can the Sox kill my heart today?

Non-Sox Stuff/Non-Baseball Stuff
The San Francisco Giants have acquired Ryan Garko from the Indians.  I dunno if he'll help the Giants, but it's nice to have him leave the AL Central.  He's pretty much a Sox killer, so that will make life easier for the Sox.  I think Garko's a pretty good player, so hopefully he'll give them the boost they need to make the playoffs.

Randy Johnson has tearing in his rotator cuff.  Not good news for Giants fans.  Johnson was placed on the DL at the beginning of July, and it doesn't seem likely that he'll return from the DL before September.  I hope he can return in September and pitch effectively, as I've always thought he was a good pitcher.  And since he's on the Giants, and the Giants are my NL team of choice, I want good things for that team.

The Astros placed LaTroy Hawkins on the DL with shingles.  The article I'm reading as I write this says, "The Astros placed relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with shingles that are a result of back problems."  Ummm...shingles are caused by the same virus as chicken pox.  Basically it's the adult version of chicken pox.  So how is that caused by back problems?  Unless Hawkins is some kind of mutant, which I doubt.  His immune system is vulnerable, so he got sick.  And it makes his back hurt.  Come on, MLB writers.  It's not that hard to Google shingles and get it right.

Joe Crede was back in the Twins lineup tonight as the DH.  He hasn't played since July 21 due to an inflamed AC joint in his right shoulder (so says this article I'm reading on MLB.com).  I absolutely adore Joe Crede, even though I will never forgive him for going to the Twins (maybe I get some of the hatred towards AJ now), but I knew Joe was gonna be hurt a lot.  The Sox play on grass, and he was injured a lot the last two seasons in Chicago.  How could it be any better on Astroturf?  That stuff's not comfortable at all.  But as usual, I wish Joe the best...except against us.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has partially reinstated Michael Vick.  I've made my opinion about Vick known in the past (see the end of this post of mine).  And it hasn't changed.  I don't want to see him in the NFL, even though I know he's a good quarterback.  Honestly, I'd rather bench Jay Cutler and bring back Rex Grossman as the quarterback for my Chicago Bears than see Vick play another day in the NFL.  For a baseball related analogy, I'd rather trade AJ Pierzynski to the Cubs, beg and plead for Kenny Williams to sign Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, and personally bring them steroids.  But I have a sneaking suspicion that someone will be desperate enough for a quarterback that they'll sign Michael Vick, even though he can't play until Week Six or something like that.

Final Shoutout

I expect nothing less from Jeff at Red State Blue State.  After all, I follow him on Twitter.  ;)