Disaster in the Motor City

Today was another dismal performance by the White Sox. On the heels of a ten run outburst against Detroit on Monday, they put up a pathetic four hits and not a single run. It seems as if this always happens. Too many times, they bombard a pitcher one day only to come back with a truly feeble effort the next time out. And I refuse to believe, as the broadcasters want you to, that they were just overmatched by the opposing pitcher. I don't believe the mound mastery of Armando Galarraga, who spent eight years in the minors only to accomplish a meager 27-35 record with an above 4 ERA, was the sole reason why the Sox were held to basically nothing today.

During Ozzie's tenure as White Sox manager, the Sox have scored 10+ runs in a game 77 times, with a 70-7 record in those games. The Sox are 40-37 in the next games. If you subtract last season's 14-4 mark, you get 26-33. Six times, they were shut out the next game after scoring ten. Six times they only scored one. Nine times they scored only two. That's 21 of 77 games that they score 0,1,or 2 runs after scoring 10 the game before.

Is it lack of focus? Is it that they're lazy after scoring a bunch, thinking that the next game should be just as easy? Is it that their style of play is too dependent on the longball that if they don't get them in bunches, they don't get anything? Very frustrating.

I personally think the way to become more offensively consistent, it's important to 1.) keep a level swing. 2.) shorten up with two strikes 3.) always take a base when it's given to you (for example, never ever hit right into a shift when you can drop a bunt and jog to first) and 4.) if you're just overpowered, throw off the pitcher's rhythm by taking extra time, and bunting to keep his mind off simply blowing you away.

I think that much too often, the ego of the slugger who is concerned with his image and statistics gets in the way of success. Teams often forget about strategy and the fact that pitchers need rhythm in order to excel. And it is the duty of the hitting coach to get the players prepared for each pitcher.