Tag Archives: Chicago White Sox

2013 Twins Game Log

2013 Game 35: Pale Hosers at Twins

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I used to love to hate the White Sox, but that fiery passion has cooled considerably in the past few years. Now I just like to dislike them. For this I blame Ozzie Guillen, who somehow against all odds and expectations brought a new level of civility and respect to the formerly fierce and nasty rivalry. I blame Ozzie because this is America, and we all know that in America the way a person feels about anything can never, ever, ever be blamed on the person doing the feeling; it must be either God's will or somebody else's fault. Ozzie's outspoken admiration for the Twins' brand of baseball during his Chicago tenure cowed the South Side trash talkers, and for that I don't think I can ever forgive him.

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2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 135: Land of Sky-Blue Water at City of Native Garlic

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Television - FSN
First Pitch - 6:10pm CDT

Happy Labor Day, citizens. I hope you've been enjoying your day of leisure; it was hard earned by those who came before us. I hope you're having a cold beer with friends or spending some quality time with family or both. Maybe taking in a ball game. And somewhere along the way, if you haven't done so already, perhaps pausing for just a moment to think about the rivers of sweat and the the mountains of toil and the generational expanses of endeavor and industry as wide as the prairies that it took to build this nation. And maybe, if you are so inclined, hoping for better days to come for everyone looking to earn an honest day's pay for an honest day's work but finding the doors of opportunity thrown shut in their faces.

Today the Twins start a three-game set against the team we love to hate. Sam Deduno is on the mound for the good guys, Hector Santiago takes the hill for the White Sox. The Sox are battling the Detroit Tigers for the AL Central title. The Twins are struggling to climb out of the division cellar. What the heck, there's just a month left of Twins baseball this year. We might as well stock up on what's left. Winter comes early in these parts and hangs on like a fat and stubborn tick. Best to enjoy every day of baseball summer has left to offer, there will be precious little autumn ball for the Twins this year.

I find myself feeling a bit poetic for some reason, but in the spirit of the holiday I'm just going to take it easy and toast the work of others who have better saluted in verse the homes of today's natively eponymous contestants:

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2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game Logs: Game 103 White Sox @ Twins

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Francisco Liriano

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Nick Blackburn

Francisco Liriano was probably my favorite post-Santana pitcher, Kevin Slowey excepted. If Johan brought me back to baseball after taking a couple of years off Frankie made me pretty nuts about baseball again. 2006, I think we can all agree, was just about the most magical season for the Twins since 91. No Twins team grabbed the attention of Minnesota fans and made them care like that team.

Report from Baseball-Reference.com.

Look at those numbers. Dude was incredible.

And now he plays for the White Sox.

Tonight's game is going to be probably one of the stranger games I will have watched in the past few years. Seeing Frankie dressed in those awful grey and black colors, hearing Stribbie's boo him like he was Joe Mauer, knowing that he is going to make Morneau look like Adam Everett at the plate. It is going to be weird.

Frankie, it was good to know you. If it wasn't for you in 2006 I probably wouldn't have been so nuts about this team that I would have started google-ing Twins blogs, lurking around some of them (Will Young and this new wpa stat, Seth and his access to minor league players, Gleeman doing Gleeman stuff, and Batgirl being super fun) until I found one that had all of that in one place that I just couldn't resist from posting on any longer.

Thanks again Frankie, because of you I am here. Now leave some sliders hanging for your old pals, will ya?

2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 102: Chicago Quintanas at Minnesota Dudes

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First Pitch - 7:10 p.m. CDT
Television - FSN
Lineups

So the Pale Hosers are leading the AL Central and the Twins are, mercifully, out of the cellar at last (thank you very much Kansas City, Cleveland with the assist). We'd all like that situation to be reversed, of course. After all, the White Sox are to the Twins as Jesus Quintana is to The Dude -- a perverse, repugnant arch-nemesis with nary a redeeming quality who nevertheless demands a miniscule measure of grudging respect. I'd like nothing better than to have the kind of starting pitching that the Sox have enjoyed this year. But sometimes you just have to roll the balls that life gives you and hope it's enough to give the pins a good stir.

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2012 Twins Game Log

2012 Game 72: Stacker of Wheat at L’Etoile du Nord

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First Pitch - 7:10 p.m. CDT
Television - FSN
Game Notes

When you search the internet for images, you get a lot different results with "white socks" than you do with "white sox". But you might want to set your search engine filters accordingly if you search on "white stockings".

If there's a better way to wrap up this round of interleague play than by taking on our most universally despised divisional rival, the Chicago White Sox, I don't know what it is. Oh, wait. Yes I do. Sweeping a series against said Sox would be better. Much better.

The Pale Hose are coming off a weekend that saw them move into first place in the division and acquire Kevin Youkilis from Boston for Brent Lillibridge, Zach Stewart and some cash. Youkilis is expected to be starting at third base tonight, where he will be frequently mistaken for Yukon Cornelius.

ON THE HILL
Francisco Liriano: 1-7, 5.74 ERA, 69 ERA+, 4.36 FIP, 4.18 xFIP, 0.5 WAR
Jake Peavy: 6-3, 2.74 ERA, 155 ERA+, 3.25 FIP, 4.07 xFIP, 2.5 WAR

Play ball!