"It's so frus-TRATING!"

(May 2)

Short Take:  Where's Navarro when you need him?

Sox Fans, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, the Chicago White Sox prove you wrong again.  The pitching was terrible, the defense was terrible, and the hitting... well, the hitting has sucked all year long.  Sox Fans now question the team's front office leadership as Jerry Manuel once again benches Jose Valentin, presumably because he can't hit lefties.

Oh sure, like Julio Ramirez (.080) and Royce Clayton (.125) ever could!  Gimme a break!!!

The Sox lost to Anaheim 12-5 and there isn't a Sox Fan on six continents that doesn't deserve the Purple Heart for staying up late to watch this mess, or even giving a damned anymore.  Yeah, it really was that bad.

For reasons nobody in the White Sox organization has exactly explained, Jon Garland was brought north to take the spot of the demoted Sean Lowe.  If veteran Jim Parque is going down because of injury, why compound your problems by ditching another veteran arm in the process?  The kid started this game and was an utter basket case almost from the start.  

A fielding error by Tony Graffanino to start the second inning was all it took to break Garland's back.  He wouldn't make it out of the third inning before Jerry Manuel came to get him, six runs (three earned), six hits, and one dinger adding up to a frightful 10.12 ERA.  

Welcome back to the Show, Mr. Garland.  Thank your lucky stars you were only facing the weak-hitting Angels.  It won't be as fortunate next time!

You know the rest of the story; we've repeated the same script all season long.  Carlos Lee hit a two-run dinger in the seventh, but Gary Glover gave up three in the bottom-half of the frame.  Angels pitching fodder Jarrod Washburn (0-3, 7.56 ERA) cut through Jerry Manuel's anemic line up like a hot knife through butter.  

Not even a Keystone cops play by the Angels infield could get the Sox back into this game, a pop up literally falling between five Angels players.   If we're laughing at them for committing such a boneheaded play, what must they be doing in their clubhouse knowing they got away with it in their blowout victory?

As bad as Jaime Navarro was, you could at least expect him to light up his teammates if they ever played this poorly behind him.  Sure, he would conveniently overlook his own shortcomings, but that is still better than what we have now which is simply the entire team walking through the motions.

There's more but it's too painful to recap.  The question Sox Fans must ask themselves now is how we ever won eight games, and how will we ever win another?  There is nobody with their head in the game, including Manuel and the guy he reports to.

That's right, Kenny Williams.  The honeymoon is officially over.