Jenks Tagged By MLB

Story Line: Major League Baseball threw a lazy purpose pitch of their own at White Sox closer Bobby Jenks, fining him some $750 for an incident involving Texas Ranger standout Ian Kinsler. In the last inning of a White Sox one run lead, Bobby Jenks threw behind Ian Kinsler causing home plate umpire Lance Barksdale to issue a warning to Jenks. Ozzie Guillen quickly rose from his dugout post to exchange words with Barksdale. Jenks eventually got Kinsler to pop out to end the game, but Jenks wasn't through.

What Was Said: Following the incident, Jenks was adamant that he wasn't trying to hit Kinsler in a one run game. Supposedly, Jenks was sending a message to the Rangers, following Chris Getz and Carlos Quentin being plunked earlier in the game by Rangers' pitcher Kevin Millwood. "I'm not going to put a guy on in that situation," he said. "I was not going to hit him. I made my point with that pitch and it came across the way I wanted it to.

The Problem: In addition to making Sox announcers Ken Harrelson and Steve Stone sound clueless, the incident didn't exactly make Ozzie sound like he was clued in either. If Jenks intention was to pitch behind Kinsler, why not convey that to Guillen prior to the start of the inning? Furthermore, why wait until well after the game to reveal to sources that you delivered a purpose pitch?

What Guillen Had To Say: Prior to Jenks revealing he had thrown at Kinsler, Guillen had this to say:

"The way we're playing, we're desperate to win and I'm not going to hit one of the best players in the game (Kinsler) with the big boys coming behind him," "When I want to hit somebody, I do it right away."

--Not Good. Period.

Overheard By Ron Washington: "They can talk all they want, but we weren't trying to hit anybody," . "If their pitcher says something like that ... that's on him. If my guys get hit six times and one of my guys wants to take care of business, then take care of business. But don't talk about it."

Bottom Line: Kudos to Jenks for protecting his hitters, but his poor communication have the Sox looking just as baffled off the field as they do on the field.

Center of Attention

Are the White Sox truly a team that is moving toward a "youth movement"? They can't be. Not truly, anyway. Along with Chris Getz and Jim Thome, 33 year-old Scott Podsednik will rejoin the Chicago White Sox this evening, when the Sox open up a three game series in Arlington, Texas. Podsednik will most likely be in center field for an ailing Brian Anderson, who is recovering following a strain in his right oblique. Podsednik inked a Minor League deal with the Southsiders on April 14. In 10 games with Tripe-A Charlotte, Podsednik hit .262 and swiped one base.
The Sox have been searching for a reliable lead-off man, since Podsednik went on and off the DL in 2006. "Pods" was very instrumental in Ozzie's "small ball", where he hit .290 in the lead-off spot and grabbed 59 stolen bases. Podsednik joined the Colorado Rockies in 2008. The question many Sox fans are barking is , "Where is Rowand?" Truth is, with Brian Anderson showing promise at the plate, along with his exceptional range in center-field, the White Sox have no room on their roster for Aaron Rowand. While Rowand would be a nice addition for a team lacking character, it cannot come at the expense of the energetic and maturing Brian Anderson. In the meantime, the Sox will get what they can out of Podsednik and hope for the best.

Cuban Missile Crisis. Over?

Alexei Ramirez isn't known for working counts. Ramirez got a free pass only 18 times in some 46o at bats last season. So when the "Cuban Missile" found himself with a 3-2 count and the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth of last night's game, one thing was for certain: strikeout or putout. Batting only .167 coming into the game, the chance Ramirez was going to hit safely in that situation was slim and none. The result: Ramirez took a 3-2 "get me over" pitch from Shawn Camp into the left field bullpen. It was Ramirez's fifth grand slam of his young career.
Giving the Sox a comfortable 8-2 edge was perhaps a side note for Sox manager Ozzie Guillen who is hopeful that his sophomore shortstop may be ending his early season woes. "As soon as the game was over, I saw him and talked to him about the game," Guillen said. "I was excited for him. Hopefully this is a corner he is going to turn."
Both Brent Lilibridge and Jerry Owens provided stellar defensive plays to back up Mark Buehrle (3-0) who provided his third quality start of the season. "You're going to run into some of that once in a while. But if they don't make those plays, it's a different ballgame all the way around," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston. Jose Contreras (0-3)looks for his first win of the season today when he takes the mound at 1:05. Contreras is looking for his win at U.S. Cellular since June of last year when he defeated the Cubs.

Loose Sox: Sox second baseman Chris Getz was 86'd from last night's lineup due to a sore finger. Getz will return to the lineup against Seattle on Monday.
Monday's game against Seattle is a Value Monday at U.S. Cellular Field. All tickets at the Sox box office are half-off the day of game. Game Time: 7:11 pm.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Ramirez reached five career grand slams in the second-quickest amount of time in Major League Baseball history at 152 games, trailing only Rudy York's total of 139.

Canadian Bacon

If you're a "glass half-full" type of person, last night's 14-0 White Sox defeat at the hands of the Blue Jays may not be such a bad thing. That is of course if you're looking at a "half-full glass." After all, there are still 146 games to play in the season. Truth be told, the 27,103 that were on hand last night at U.S. Cellular will most likely admit that the glass is looking pretty empty at this point.
Gavin Floyd (2-2) worked only 4 1/3 innings, allowing five earned runs. It was Floyd's shortest outing since August 5, 2008 against Detroit. Floyd's command of the plate was his biggest obstacle of the evening. Gavin walked five and threw two wild pitches in his four plus innings of work. Jack Egbert worked just 1 2/3 innings of relief and struggled considerably. In just less than two innings, Egbert was charged with six runs on seven hits.
In spite of a two touchdown defeat by Toronto, one of the biggest 'jaw droppers' of last night's game was the play of Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez, who is hitting .167 this season, committed two errors on the evening and looked completely defeated at times. "When you take your glove to the plate and you take the bat to the field, you are not going to have much success in this game,"manager Ozzie Guillen said. "I don't like what I [saw] today, not because of the error, I'm making it clear, I [didn't] like his attitude today. He was kind of head down and feeling sorry for himself."
The one bright spot for the White Sox has been the young talent of second baseman Chris Getz. In 12 games played this season, Getz is hitting a team high .340 with a OBP of .396. Mark Buhrele takes the mound this evening.

Loose Sox: Following being hit by a pitch on the wrist Thursday evening, Carlos Quentin will not need X-rays at this point.
Jack Egbert was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte following Friday's humiliation. Lance Broadway was recalled and will rejoin the team Saturday.
Sunday's game at 1:05 will be Kid's Day- Dia Del Nino at 'The Cell.' Tickets for kids 12 and under will be only $1 with a paid adult admission. Tickets must be purchased at the park on the day of the game.

"Eaton em' up"

It was a day Bartolo Colon (1-1) didn't need his translator. He knew. After only 63 pitches into the White Sox 6-2 loss at Baltimore, Ozzie Guillen had seen enough. Colon worked three innings, surrendering five runs on eight hits and two walks. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen decided to remove Colon early when it was apparent he didn't have his best stuff. "He was not throwing strikes. The ball was not moving," White Sox Ozzie Guillen said. "You got to throw strikes. Every time he put the ball in the middle of the plate, he got hit." Oriloes starter Adam Eaton (1-2) however, was stellar in his seven inning outing, earning his first victory at Camden Yards. Eaton struck out nine batters, including Jim Thome and Josh Fields three times each. Eaton did not look like the same pitcher who had entered the game with a 9.00 ERA. He had frustrated Sox bats all evening, not allowing back to back base runners. Eaton departed in the eighth inning, following what would be the Sox first batsman to reach base on a extra base-hit. Eaton left the game to a standing ovation of 11,723. "It's been a while since I've been part of an experience like that," Eaton said. "It felt good to be out on the field shaking hands after a something like that." The White Sox now head home to begin a six game home stand which will begin with Toronto this evening. The Sox finished up the 10 game road trip (5-4). They will make up a called game later this season.

Loose Sox: Jim Thome is one RBI shy of the 1500 mark. Thome drove in the Sox only two runs of last night's game.

Dank You Very Much

Coming into the 2009 season both Gavin Floyd and John Danks had some pretty big shoes to fill. Their own. Last season, the pitching duo surprised the baseball world combining on 28 wins. Collectively, they earned an ERA just under 4, with a respectable 3.79. Out of the gate both starters have ignited a pitching rotation that had many in baseball circles speculating just how effective it could be. Last night in Baltimore, John Danks (2-0) helped evaporate some of that speculation. Danks was solid in his third start of the season helping the White Sox to a 8-2 win over the Orioles. Danks pitched a solid seven innings allowing only one run on four hits and no walks. John retired 19 of the final 21 batters. "My job is to go out there and put up zeros on the board," Danks said, "but the runs did help for sure." Chicago only needed three runs to support Danks in his outing, but supplied more. Jim Thome's (4) opposite field solo shot in the fourth was all the insurance the lefty needed in securing his second victory of the season. Chris Getz and Josh Fields both continued to solidify the top of the batting order. Getz had three hits for the game including a two out RBI single in the third and Fields (1) homered in the seventh off Dennis Sarfate. "We don't have to rely on just the big boys. Everyone contributed," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "Getz had a big game and I am excited about Fields." Bartlo Colon will look for his second victory of the season on Thursday, while Baltimore counters with Adam Eaton.

Loose Sox: Jim Thome (545) is three home runs from tying Mike Schmidt (548) for 13th on the all-time list for homers.

In his three starts this season, John Danks has only given up two runs. Both were home runs.

Those Stingless Rays

The only thing looking good for Devil Rays pitcher Matt Garza (1-1)Sunday afternoon was his sideburns. Matt Garza took the loss as the White Sox pummeled the Devil Rays 12-2 on Sunday. Garza allowed seven runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, including a home run to A.J. Pierzynski in the second inning.
The pitching for the Southsiders was solid yet again, as Gavin Floyd (2-1) worked six scoreless innings. Sox manager Ozzie Guillen continues to feels confident with each Floyd start. "He's one of the top pitchers right now in the big leagues, and he continues to throw the ball well," Guillen said.
The pitching was only part of the days highlights. Brent Lilibridge, Chris Getz, Brian Anderson, Wilson Betemit, and Paul Konerko all contributed with timely hits. However, it was the power of the White Sox bats that again made it a difficult day for opposing pitchers. Carlos Quentin hit his third home run in as many games and Jim Thome followed with a solo shot of his own. The White Sox are now heading to Baltimore for a three game set before heading back home for a weekend series with the Blue Jays.
Loose Sox: Paul Konerko has nine RBIs over this last six games, including five in the past two games.
With Jim Thome's solo homer on Sunday, he is now four homers away from tying Mike Schmidt (548) for 13th place all-time.
SOX LEADER BOARD

Jermaine Dye
AVG .370

HR 4

RBI 9

Carlos Quentin
HR 7

OBP .426

RBI 13