STUPID EFFORT!

(May 15)

Short Take:  Baserunning blunders sink Sox

If this is the road trip that will make or break the 2001 Sox season, then our Sox just got a flat tire and realized the trunk has no spare.  They played well enough to win this game but literally ran themselves out of victory, 4-3 losers at Seattle.

A pair of first inning homers by Jose Valentin and Carlos Lee (batting #2 and #3 respectively) got the Sox off to the good start they figured to need to beat Aaron Sele and avoid trying to come back against Seattle's tough bullpen.  Alas, Sox starter Mark Buehrle couldn't make it hold up.  He and Kelly Wunsch conspired to toss away the lead, 3-2 in the sixth.

Does this script sound familiar, Sox Fans?  Hold on, it gets worse.

Thirdbasemen Jeff Liefer led off the seventh inning and quieted the rowdy Safeco Field crowd with a monster shot to left-centerfield tying the game.  Sandy Alomar followed with a double.  The game tied and a runner in scoring position with nobody out, maybe the Sox can win after all!

Not a chance.  Jerry Manuel replaced Alomar with pinchrunner Josh Paul.  In a classic bunt situation, Chris Singleton instead lined out to left field.  Way to advance the runner!  Not content to see Singleton wear the goat horns, Josh Paul gets the bright idea to steal third base.  Apparently Josh wanted to go to third base because you can score from there.  Someone please explain to Josh he can score from second base, too.

So of course Paul is out from here to there and the rally quickly dies.  Paul wasn't finished with boneheaded plays.  As lead off man in the ninth, Paul doubled into right field, but thought it would be better if he had a leadoff triple instead.  It's important to be on third base since you can score from there, but second base also, ... well, you know the story!  So Paul is out at third base twice in a single game and don't you know a Ray Durham single and a Jose Valentin double would have easily brought home Paul with the tying run had Mr. Versatility been still on base rather than back in the visitor's clubhouse pouting over being tagged out.

So Bob Howry walks the leadoff man in the seventh inning and of course he scores.  Meanwhile the Sox are clueless how to run around the bases with anything but empty heads attached to their shoulders.

Some of the dumbest baseball ever played by the Chicago White Sox.