Twins postgame: From the White Sox clubhouse
Posted on September 23rd, 2008 – 11:25 PMBy La Velle
The White Sox can send the champagne home after losing on Monday. They won’t be able to clinch the AL Central title here after the Twins beat them 9-3 to move within 11/2 games of first place with five to play - possibly six for the Sox if they have to make up the rained out game with Detroit on Monday.
“We played a bad game all around,” White Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen said.
Chicago didn’t get any timely hits. The big missed opportunity came in the fifth when the White Sox loaded the bases for A.J. Pierzynski, who grounded out to short to end the inning.
Pierzynski is batting just .186 this month.
“I’ve messed us up this month,” he said. “Hopefully, somebody is going to pay. Hopefully it starts tomorrow.”
Never count out Pierzynski. When he falls 0-2 in the count, it seems like the at-bat is just beginning.
Other Sox notes:
- They are 5-10 in their last 15 road games.
- They are 1-6 at the Dome this year.
- Ken Griffey, Jr., hit his 610th career homer, moving past Sammy Sosa and into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time list.
- Justin Morneau was a guest on ESPN’s, `Baseball Tonight.’ A few moments after Morneau was off, Karl Ravech said that the Rays would play the White Sox in the first round of the playoffs if Tampa Bay wins the division…..
74 Responses to "Twins postgame: From the White Sox clubhouse"
Today’s Tuesday LEN3 
and also I think Ravech was implying that currently the matchup for the Rays would be the Sox, as in the Angels would play the WC team (most likely Boston) and the Rays would play AL Central winner.
“A few moments after Morneau was off, Karl Ravech said that the Rays would play the White Sox in the first round of the playoffs if Tampa Bay wins the division…..”
Put it on the bulletin board!
Let’s string a couple games together against the hated White Sox
Karl Ravech is an idiot…
The big question here is whether this game will inspire the sox to play better tomorrow, or if they will question their ability to win in the Dome.
I was killing time looking at the ESPN MLB stats (a terrible thing for a middle-aged guy to admit), when I saw that Carlos Gomez was hitting .311 with runners in scoring position!!
How could this possibly be true and what in the world could it mean??
I’ve met Karl Ravech, he is not an idiot.
“I was killing time looking at the ESPN MLB stats (a terrible thing for a middle-aged guy to admit), when I saw that Carlos Gomez was hitting .311 with runners in scoring position!!
How could this possibly be true and what in the world could it mean??”
It means Gomez has the makings of an RBI man if he can learn to drive the ball and SO less. I think he projects better as a speedy RBI guy than a leadoff hitter…He just has those instincts
karl ravech actually always stands up for the twins. at least when i watch baseball tonight anyways. i saw the conversation too and it seems like he was rushing to fit a lot of talk in a short amount of time, so i don’t think he was implying the twins wouldn’t make it. he probably ment to say the central winner, not the white sox. he did say, “anyone who doubts the twins at the beginning of a season is not smart” or something like that while talking to morneau and it seems like he likes the twins a lot whenever i see him on baseball tonight.
Ravech was definitely not 100% accurate. At one point he said the Twins were 2 games back which they are not after tonight. I think maybe he’s forgetting that for most of the season including right now we have played more games than the Whities. He has forgotten that rainout makeup game which hopefully won’t be necessary because the TWins will go 6-0!!!!
what a huge win for the twins. tomorrow that dome will be empty seat-less. that place is going to be as loud as it’s ever been, and hopefully blackburn feeds off that and off the last two dominant starting pitching performances and gives the twins a chance to win. hopefully, the dome is also handing out homer hankies for the crowd.
Whale, a lot of people are saying don’t ever count the Twins out when they did in the Spring. While the Rays are amazing because they have been bad forever until this year, at least they have won by addition. Only the Twins could get this far by subtraction (Hunter, Santana, even the old edition Silva).
Whale, who knew that the Twins would actually generate the homers for those hankies tonight and the Whities would be kept out of the seats until the very end??!!!
“Carlos Gomez was hitting .311 with runners in scoring position!!
How could this possibly be true and what in the world could it mean??”
Del, it means Punto had better be standing at 2nd!!! 
Interesting stat:
Twins pitchers have the best pitches/inning ratio in the majors at 15.71.
I know it kind of goes without saying, but a huge difference between these teams when they play head’s up is the HUGE edge in team speed the Twins have. Even Mauer was able to score easily on Morneau’s double. The triple Kubel hit would have been an out if Gomez played center for the Sox. The Twins simply have the ability to change games with speed, and there isn’t much the Sox can do to defend that.
“Pierzynski is batting just .186 this month.”
Wehhhhhlll, there it IS.
“Ken Griffey…into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time list.”
And Justin Morneau (the HR Derby guy) sets the Twins record for doubles.
Gatty I have no idea what that stat means. Because we don’t walk anybody?
Whalefeet I will back you on the Ravech bit. He messed up a few times but he does stand for the Twins probably because they are in Web Gems all the time. I think the grab Delmon had on AJ in the late innings in foul territory was the ‘08 Delmon Web Gem.
All in all a very nice comforting win.
“The White Sox can send the champagne home after losing on Monday.”
Great line. Thanks.
AJ, Dye, Griffey, and Konerko are all pretty old. The palehose will finish in 4th place next year…….maybe 5th.
Romer I don’t care where the W Sox finish next year. I want them finishing second this year.
ESPN and BBTN are big city homers. Then don’t know jack about the Twins. I guess they get to pat themselves on the back for thinking that the Rays are the greatest thing ever. Ever notice that Josh Hamilton hasn’t received one bit of coverage after the All Star break, though he “lost” to “Jason” Morneau? Once a small market story goes away for even 10 seconds, ESPN acts like it never existed.
ESPN hates to have small market/West coast teams (MN, Tampa, Angels, Dodgers) in the playoffs because it messes up the TV schedule for the east coast.
Create havoc–go TWINS!!!!!
Step 1 of 3 completed. Step 2 tomorrow- against a tough(er) (on the Twins) pitcher. Look for a lower offensive game tomorrow.
I was at the game…pure awesomeness.
Pierzynski is batting just .186 this month.
Any chance you can bold face that and maybe up the font size a bit? There are certain people round these parts that need to read the stat a bit more closely.
Another note: Ozzie Guillen is a moron.
All last week we were hearing about how he was a juggling the rotation to make sure his rotation looked the way he wanted it going into the series.
Then within 24 hours of the first game, he comes out and says Vazquez isn’t a “Big game pitcher” ?
So then, Ozzie ol buddy, what are you doing juggling things to make sure he pitched Monday?
If Guillen thought that, not only is he a moron for throwing his guy under the bus, but he’s a moron for lining up a pitcher to start a game he didn’t think he could win.
“ESPN and BBTN are big city homers. Then don’t know jack about the Twins. I guess they get to pat themselves on the back for thinking that the Rays are the greatest thing ever. Ever notice that Josh Hamilton hasn’t received one bit of coverage after the All Star break, though he “lost” to “Jason” Morneau? Once a small market story goes away for even 10 seconds, ESPN acts like it never existed.”
That’s because Hamilton has virtually disappeared in the second half. Look at the AL leaders in HR’s and RBI…he’s not there.
Actually Karl Ravech is up there among the least annoying of the Baseball Tonight guys. I’ll let him slide on this slip-up. If it was Kruk, on the other hand…
Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson said it best last night: When [the Sox] can’t get a man in from second base on a single, or can’t go from first to third on a single, and the other team (the Twins) can, it’s going to be a long night.
Yeah Karl Ravech seems like a decent guy, but after a comment like that I kind of want to take a dump on his driveway.
Karl Ravich has a lousy wig like LaPanta’s. But it’s not as bad as Mark Schlereth’s or whatever his name is. I could spot that thing a mile away.
“Another note: Ozzie Guillen is a moron.” a moron with a World Series ring.. what does that make Gardy then?
Just because someone does not hold/wear a World Series ring doesn’t mean that they are a moron. So Gardy will be a moron until he get’s a WS ring?
“Another note: Ozzie Guillen is a moron.” a moron with a World Series ring..
And what has he done since?
I guess that every manager in MLB who is in the game now or has ever been in the game is a moron if they haven’t won a WS. Interesting!
“Just because someone does not hold/wear a World Series ring doesn’t mean that they are a moron. So Gardy will be a moron until he get’s a WS ring?”
that wasn’t the point now was it.. it was stated that Ozzie is a moron, well I said he is a moron with a WS ring, he must be doing something right? so if rubes think Ozzie is a moron and has a WS ring what do they think of Gardy who has 6 playoff wins in 21 games?
A WS ring has nothing to do with being a moron. They are mutually exclusive. Two totally separate items that have no relevance to each other.
again you and T and off point.. if your criteria for being a moron is what Ozzie does and he has a WS ring.. Gardy does much the same antics and is 6 - 15 in the playoffs then by your definition Gardy is a bigger moron!
Well, maybe Ozzie had better players than Gardy during that time. I think Gardy or anyone could have managed the Yankees of 1998-2000, as an example, as they had a boatload of talented players. Remember, the managers don’t pitch, bat, run bases, chase down fly balls…it’s the players.
“I think Gardy or anyone could have managed the Yankees of 1998-2000, as an example, as they had a boatload of talented players. Remember, the managers don’t pitch, bat, run bases, chase down fly balls…it’s the players.”
see manager’s mean nothing hmm.. I give you exhibit A - this year’s Tiggers
I heard my mama cry
I heard her pray the night Chicago died
Brother what a night the people saw
Brother what a fight the people saw
Yes indeed!
Gardy’s WS ring as a 3rd base coach is huge… as an aside. He showed it to me once.
see manager’s mean nothing hmm..
Now who’s missing the point.
The managers are the ones who have to assemble the lineups and make sure the right pitching decisions are made. But beyond that a lot of the game comes down to the players.
The example of New York comes up because it’s a great one. The Yankees for the longest time went out and handed Joe Torre a constant stream of proven players.
Compare the options Torre had to work with comparred to Guillen comparred to Gardy and you see that Torre had a bit more “wiggle” in terms of who he could go to in a pinch.
But to get back on point:
if your criteria for being a moron is what Ozzie does and he has a WS ring..
Ozzie won his ring in 2005. The Sox haven’t even SNIFFED a postseason until this year and they’re on the verge of surrending that in the final week here.
I can’t remember Gardy ever making a comment about a player such as the one Ozzie made about Vazquez. Gardy has commented about struggles after the fact, but I can’t remember hearing him say that he didn’t have faith in a guy right before he was set to go out and play.
What makes the comment by Guillen even moronic is when you consider he shuffled the rotation in the past week to lineup his pitchers for this series.
Which means Guillen took a pitcher he admittedly has no faith in and put him out there in one of the biggest games of the season.
That is moronic. End of story. I wouldn’t be surprised if Vazquez simply said “Well F’you Ozz” and served BP to the Twins.
Chicago was close to the playoff race until the final few days of 06
Chicago was close to the playoff race until the final few days of 06
I remember the three team race around midseason. Once the Twins moved into second though wasn’t it essentially Detroit vs. Minnesota with Chicago trying to keep pace but never catching the Twins?
Okay, I see what Shaun was talking about. As of Sept 1 2006, the Sox were second with a half game lead over the Twins.
By the 15th, Minnesota was in second two games up on Chicago. I don’t think they manged to get back at that point.
So I was mistaken there. I had forgotten about Chicago in the midst of the Twins/Tigers chaos.
I still stand by my comment however, Guillen was a MORON for how he handled this Vazquez thing.
Peter Gammons did/said the same thing. No credit given to the Twins (as usual). However; later in the show, Gammons did say the Joe is the most indispenable “non-MVP” candidate in the AL. That was cool
“I can’t remember Gardy ever making a comment about a player such as the one Ozzie made about Vazquez.”
go back to Gardy’s comments about Kubel and Casilla earlier this year when he thought they were not play well.. just because Gardy is more “PC” in his word choice doesn’t mean he wasn’t calling them out too..
IMO Ozzie said what he said to fire up his pitcher, who had just laid an egg,a pitcher that until last night had beaten the Twins in his last 5 starts against them.. sounds like sound reasoning to start him against Twins using “the numbers” like what Gardy does all the time.
did Ozzie’s plan backfire? maybe so but it means nothing if Twin’s don’t win the next 2 games.. Ozzie took a calculated risk knowing he had plenty margin for error
“IMO Ozzie said what he said to fire up his pitcher”
I thought he said it to see if my opinion of him could get any lower.
I’m not the biggest Gardy fan, but I’m glad Ozzie isn’t managing the Twins.
“Ozzie won his ring in 2005. The Sox haven’t even SNIFFED a postseason until this year and they’re on the verge of surrending that in the final week here.”
Ozzie has won a WS in his 4 seasons before this year..
Gardy in 6 seasons coming into this season has won 1 playoff series.
now you tell me what would you rather have a WS or years of “no chance” in the playoffs
it’s silly to compare what Ozzie has accomplished and the lack of what Gardy has done.. now we can say the players Gardy had, the limited payroll all handicapped Gardy.. but in Gardy’s own words he says “no excuses”
I don’t recall if it was also Ravech who, before they went to a commercial, said something like: “Coming up, an interview with the hero for the Twins tonight, Justin Morneau.” Huh? Gee, Justin was fine but I kind of thought if you were to pick a hero last night it would be Baker or Kubel.
Correction…Gardy does have a ring. He was our 3rd base coach in 91.
I think that counts for something.
maybe Karl doesn’t know the difference between Morneau and Kubel??
I supose since Justin’s first name is really Jason, you could easily confuse the two. And they look so much alike too.
go back to Gardy’s comments about Kubel and Casilla earlier this year when he thought they were not play well..
It’s not even close to the same thing, even if you try to claim one is more PC, it STILL is further evidence that Ozzie’s a moron for not knowing how to handle player moral (one of the biggest pieces of being a manager is also being like an HR rep).
If you had a your mid-year review and your boss said “I’ve noticed a dip in the quality of your work”, you’d be sitting far better than if he came to you and said “I don’t think you are capable of working on important projects.”
One speaks to your current attitude and skill level, and suggests that you have the abilities, but aren’t applying them.
The second speaks directly to your abilities, and suggests that you never had the skill in the first place.
And the other point (which you continue to gloss over) is that even when he said himself that he doesn’t think Vazquez can pitch in the “big games” Ozzie still purposefully shuffles his rotation to put Vazquez in one of the biggest of the season.
Which is the equivalent of your boss saying: “I don’t think you’re capable of succeeded on a big project. So here’s a big project for you.”
It’s called “setting up for failure”. Good managers/bosses don’t do that to their players/employees.
Ozzie has won a WS in his 4 seasons before this year..
Gardy in 6 seasons coming into this season has won 1 playoff series.
I’d love to see my team win it all, but then it’d suck to watch them win it all and then go into a hole for the next 4-5 years. (See Twins following 91)
Justin was fine but I kind of thought if you were to pick a hero last night it would be Baker or Kubel.
Yeah, that is weird. I was at the game so I didn’t catch much local coverage, but I’d assume that’s who they went with here in town.
For Baker to pitch like he did considering the importance of the game, as well as what had happened in the previous series…that was HUGE.
I know this is counting my chickens before they are hatched but if the Twins make the playoffs, I think they can probably go with three starters through the first round. Lead off with Liriano, then Baker and then Slowey. I would actually like to lead off with Baker but the rotation doesn’t look like its setting up for that. If Baker has to start Sunday’s game, he may have to be starter # 3. Tonight’s game is a must win not mathematically but as far as momentum. Its too bad the Twins last three games are against the Royals. They have been playing great during the month of September. I would much rather face the Tigers right now. There is some comfort in knowing that the ChiSox have to play the Indians who have been very hot as the Twins can attest.
Ha! Let’s go….
“So I was mistaken there. I had forgotten about Chicago in the midst of the Twins/Tigers chaos.”
And what did the marvelous Ozzie do in the middle of September ‘06 onward with his superior club, on paper, to finish the deal?
T is right. Ozzie is a one-hit wonder….and an idiot.
“…just because Gardy is more “PC” in his word choice…”
Thank you, FIRE, for misproving your point.
I remember a U.S. diplomat telling Sadam Hussein the USA really didn’t have a problem with his little border dispute with Kuwait. Result? The first Gulf War. I remember a certain president saying “Bring it on”. The result? A super-power laid low unable to achieve victory.
PC in the form of diplomacy/friendship is important in EVERY ENDEAVOR OF LIFE, FIRE. Words are important. Period.
Ozzie has made dozens of remarks — a lot of them this year — which prove he’s an idiot-child. He has an incompetent mouth, which he uses to try and cover for his incompetent management capablity.
Any chance the Twins could start “Jason” Morneau instead of Justin? As a show of good faith, we won’t play Carlos Quentin. Deal?
Jay, I think I was making the same mistake a couple weeks ago you are now, because…
The playoffs don’t start till the 8th, right? Plenty of time to set any rotation order you want.
calm down guys you’d have thought the twiners blew another last nite, instead of kicking the tails of the sox. as a true twins, and baseball fan you have to love all the great characters, ozzie, and hawk very much included add to our favorite pass time. goooo twins
The Strib did name Kubel the game MVP.
Ryan, “Jason Morneau” won the All-Star home run slugging contest, so we’ll be glad to start him over what’s his name Jason.
Crap, now I’m confused. Either way, as long as Justin’s not around - and who the hell is this Kubel guy, and can somebody make that stop?? - I’ll be able to stop vomiting.
“As a show of good faith, we won’t play Carlos Quentin.”
Ryan, now you know how we felt last year (and in the 06 playoffs) with the loss of Radke, Liriano, Cuddyer for a long time, and more than a handful of other injuries at crunch time. I think I counted a dozen players last September who were limp or unable to play at all.
“I remember a U.S. diplomat telling Sadam Hussein the USA really didn’t have a problem with his little border dispute with Kuwait. Result? The first Gulf War. I remember a certain president saying “Bring it on”. The result? A super-power laid low unable to achieve victory.
PC in the form of diplomacy/friendship is important in EVERY ENDEAVOR OF LIFE, FIRE. Words are important. Period.”
Romer your point was fine until you started fabercating history and making left wing political spins..
Maybe while Griffey stood and stared at his home run for three minutes he could have glanced at the scoreboard and saw that they were down 6 runs…. Classless.
What history was being fabricated I wonder???
Romer your point was fine until you started fabercating history and making left wing political spins…
FIRE, you continue to gloss over the biggest point of the whole discussion.
1) Ozzie calls out Vazquez as not being a big game pitcher.
2) Ozzie shuffles his rotation so Vazquez is pitching one of the biggest games of the year.
That’s why I called him a moron, that’s why he is a moron. Rings, political correctness, and Kuwait have nothing to do it.
Read those two points, then kindly move along.
jedidiah says:
September 24th, 2008 at 8:22 am
“Yeah Karl Ravech seems like a decent guy, but after a comment like that I kind of want to take a dump on his driveway.”
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!!!!!!!
I think most fans would like their team to be competitive every year.Most teams feel that if they can make the playoffs,anything can happen,like it did for the White Sox and the Twins twice!
Today I am basking in the Twins victory in game one and am enjoying every minute of it!!!
“Romer your point was fine until you started fabercating history and making left wing political spins…”
FIRE, I ain’t never fabercated nothin’.
Personally I think Ozzie set up his staff correctly - most likely the Twinks would be incredibly fired up and tough to beat in game 1 - which is just what happened. If he fired his Buehrle bullet in game 1 and lost he’d have to rely on Javy to rescue him in a later game. Tonight is going to be very tough - Blackburn has not had the mojo lately.
The Jemmer hit it on the head I think.
Ozzie had some wiggle-room to work with here. He had a 2.5 game lead with basically the Twins needing a sweep. Obviously the Twins were going to come in with fire in the belly. Kinda hard to maintain that thru a whole series.
If you throw who you would think to be your weak link in game one, it would put forth a mismatch in game 2 and possibly game 3. If you put your best pitcher against the other teams best pitcher, well, your odds of that pitcher getting a win in the series just plummeted compared to if you pitched him against an inferior pitcher.
Give your “inferior” pitcher a chance in game one, put abit of fire into his belly, and, well, you just may get the win anyway. Pretty good use of mind-games if you ask me. If it works, GREAT, if it doesn’t, well, you still have a very, very good chance of winning game 2 and probably even game three.
No matter how you slice and dice this, the Twins have a very, very high road to climb, and the Whities are a good team, and I find it doubtful that they will just lay down.
Twins may sweep the series, and winning game one was absolutely necessary, but the chances of the Twins pitchers imploding in these next games I feel is much higher than the chances of the Whities pitchers imploding. Come-on Twins, prove me WRONG!!!!
My prediction - If Twins lose tonight, they lose tomorrow as well and (obviously) do not make playoffs. If they win tonight, they sweep and make the playoffs.
