Sloppy & Wild

(April 4)

Short Take:  Sloppy Durham and Wild Eldred

What can you say about an effort that started so promising, and just as quickly turned into a mess?  The White Sox looked to sweep the short series with Cleveland.  It would have been the cherry on the cake given that Cleveland's fans proved they would only sellout Jacobs Field to see a Tribe team that was division champs.  Alas, it wasn't to be Sox Fans.  The Sox drop this one 8-4 in a wild and sloppy affair.

Jerry Manuel juggled his line up for the second game of the year.  Jose Valentin sat while rookie Julio Ramirez made his debut in centerfield.  Royce Clayton got promoted in the line up to Valentin's customary #2 slot.  Clayton was decent, going 1 for 3 with a single and a sacrifice rbi.

Better than decent was Sandy Alomar.  Clearly touched by the standing ovation he received by Cleveland's fans in the opener, Sandy let the applause rain down again with a two-out two-run homerun to put the Sox on top 2-0.  The unsung hero was Herbert Perry who managed to be on base for Alomar's dinger by working Cleveland's Chuck Finley for a walk after being down in the count 0-2.

Things got ugly after that.  The Sox gave Cleveland nothing less than five outs in the bottom of the second inning.  Ellis Burks and Jacob Cruz were the beneficiaries of two infield singles which literally bounced off Ray Durham's glove on the fly.  Why these weren't ruled errors is anybody's guess.  Perhaps they hit some air turbulence in-flight?  Eldred got some young punk to strikeout and look a fool for trying to hit a grand slam, but after that things got ugly.

Genius catcher Ed Taubensee was smart enough to let his shirt sleeve hang over homeplate and get hit for the easiest rbi he will ever receive.  Three more singles and the score was 5-2 Tribe.  Cal Eldred was chased in the fifth inning with three base on balls, two hit batsmen, eight "earned" runs ("yeah, right") and nine hits.

The Sox didn't go quietly.  Magglio Ordonez hit a tater in the sixth, and Royce Clayton batted one home with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.  A scary moment was experienced by all Sox Fans when a pitcher wearing jersey number 38 came out of the bullpen.  With nightmares of Jaime Navarro dancing in their heads, it was a relief to know the reliever in fact was Gary Glover who pitched a scoreless inning.

But the Sox really ought to burn that #38 jersey.

Home opener on Friday.  Don't miss the all-century team, Sox Fans.  Get there early!