Hit by a Pitch

Guess which old friend plays for the Florida Marlins and is in Denver right now? DeWayne Wise. If you don’t know who DeWayne Wise is, he’s the guy who made a spectacular catch during the ninth inning of Mark Buehrle’s perfect game on July 23, 2009.

Here’s an MLB video (click to watch it on mlb.com if it’s not working here) and a boisterous fan video of the catch. Good times!

You can see more on Flickr.

One of my last expenditures before the spending fast kicks in was for one ticket to Wednesday’s Rockies/White Sox game at Coors Field. I got the best seat I could find for a price that didn’t make me cry (it’s much easier to find one ticket than two). Soren and Ben are staying home. I’m going to be that asshole who goes to the game by myself and acts a fool because Mark Buehrle is pitching. OMFG you guys, and it pains me to type “OMFG” here and make you read that kind of ridiculousness. Mark Buehrle is one of the last remaining Sox players who was there for the 2005 World Series. Mark Buehrle wishes Michael Vick would get injured (granted, Mark Buehrle also hunts so this is somewhat hypocritical, but still). I’m sitting kind of between home plate and the visitors’ dugout. OMFG you guys. This is one of the most exciting things, ever. I’ll take lots of pictures, because I believe that is the proper course of action when you go to a game by yourself like a big fat dork. (But seriously, I’d rather be a big fat dork at the White Sox game than go with Ben and my kid, no offense, because when you go to the game with a toddler, you don’t get to actually watch the game. And also no offense, but I can’t go with anyone who doesn’t love the White Sox, which is pretty much everybody I know, because then you just sit there and talk and don’t pay attention to the game.) OMFG you guys.

P.S. If you’re a White Sox fan in Denver and you’re going to the game on Wednesday, email me now!!!

Updated 6/21/10: The videos I originally posted were removed from Youtube, but you can watch the play on mlb.com here, complete with the call by Hawk Harrelson.

Holy crap, check out this awesome play by White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle.

Here’s another video. In this one, you can see the ball hitting him before he went after it.

I’m going to admit something right now that I should’ve admitted a long time ago and will make me lose whatever credibility I might have had with sports fans. Are you ready?

Read the rest of this entry »

The White Sox and Mark Buehrle finally worked out a deal yesterday, ending a little bit of the pain Sox fans have been suffering this summer. Buehrle agreed to a 4-year, $56 million contract that lacks the complete no-trade protection he wanted, but he says he’s happy with the deal. So are we, Mark. So are we.

In Rockies news, Matt Holliday will participate in tonight’s Home Run Derby. My money, if I had any, would be on Justin Morneau to win the thing, not that it really matters.

Jose Mesa pitched his 994th game on Friday against the Rockies. Of course he didn’t play when I was at Coors Field (sitting next to the bullpen — pictures coming soon) on Saturday, but we were treated to a rain delay and some minor tarp drama (nothing like yesterday’s tarp drama, though).

I’ve been neglecting Jose Mesa. He was released by the Tigers on June 3 and signed by the Philadelphia Phillies on June 9. He played for Philly from 2001-03 and is the team’s all-time save leader. That said, his ERA is a lofty 12.34. The White Sox are at Philly for three games starting tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll get to see him in action.

Mark Buehrle finally got his 100th win today, so that was pretty sweet. He pitched eight innings, allowing only one run. The crappy bullpen almost ruined it in the ninth inning — Day and Logan walked three to load the bases, but Bobby Jenks got the save and the Sox won, 6-3. Good thing the Sox had a little offense today.

Jason Hirsh of the Colorado Rockies pitched his first major league complete game in the Rockies’ 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. The Rockies are 31-32 (they’re better than the White Sox right now).

You know what would be cool — if the Rockies and the White Sox could trade bullpens.