No spoilers, no playoff considerations of any kind, this one takes place between those residing at the bottom of the division. Playing out the string, some may say. Perhaps one of them is even playing to keep from dropping into a triple digit loss season. The last time a South Side squad lost 100 was in 1970. The unrest that season was such that they went through 3 different managers to achieve it. A 36 year-old Luis Aparicio had his most productive offensive season. Beltin’ Bill Melton hit 33 HR to lead the team, though that total wouldn’t be enough to lead the league for another year yet. The team had some nice offensive contributions, more than the 2013 can claim, but they were obviously still no powerhouse, and certainly didn’t have enough to overcome the year’s pitching. Wilbur Wood and Tommy John lead the way with 2.81 and 3.27 ERAs, and pretty much everybody else after that throwing more than 20 innings was in the high 4s, 5s and worse. That team lost 106 games, though, and this year’s squad has thankfully already secured a higher spot in history than the ’70 edition, so enough with memory lane.
Erik Johnson is still yet to make himself stand out from anybody else, albeit in just a pair of starts. In his last, he was cut off in the 4th after 6 runs crossed the plate, though only 2 were charged to him. The good news? His first two shots at big league action came against the Yankees and the Tigers. Tonight’s tilt against the Twins will be his simplest test yet. In theory.
Liam Hendriks is just a year older than Johnson but has considerable more big league experience, and about as much success. His so-so but rarely atrocious outings have been coupled with his youth to keep him in business for a bit longer. Nothing like a starved White Sox offense to finish the job, right? Am I right?
Today’s Lineup:
1.De Aza – CF
2.Ramirez – SS
3.Gillaspie – 3B
4.Konerko – 1B
5.Adam Dunn – DH
6.Viciedo – LF
7.Danks – RF
8.Beckham – 2B
9.Anderson – C
Mmm, yes. Definitely looks starved. Adam Dunn is the highest performer, he’s sitting smack dab at league average production according to baseball-reference. The team’s best hitter is league average, is hated by a large portion of the fan base for being a “bum.” What a season.
Minnesota Twins Lineup:
1.Alex Presley – CF
2.Eduardo Escobar – 2B
3.Trevor Plouffe – 3B
4.Oswaldo Arcia – LF
5.Josh Willingham – DH
6.Chris Parmelee – 1B
7.Josmil Pinto – C
8.Chris Hermann – RF
9.Pedro Florimon – SS
That’s our old pal, Eduardo Escobar! Also some guy named Josmil Pinto…
Where to Watch
Today’s game will be broadcast on CSN and FSN. 7:10 Central start time.