Chicago Sun-Times

13 White Sox moments to forget in 2013

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:21:31 -0500

Mercy! The White Sox’ 2013 season came to a merciful end with a 4-1 loss against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field. The 63-99 record is the worst since the 1970 Sox finished 56-106, and it’s the first last-place finish since 1989. A baker’s dozen doesn’t do proper injustice to what’s been witnessed since April 1, but here are 13 lowlights of 2013. Read ’em and weep: ◆ May 13: In a 10-3 loss at Minnesota, the Sox make one error and short-hop throws to intended targets, miss cutoff men and misplay pop-ups causing, manager Robin Ventura …

Paul Konerko will put off retirement decision for a month

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 21:43:56 -0500

Paul Konerko isn’t good at farewells or farewell maybes. The uncertainty of it all always keeps him subdued. Next year, “look out. I might do a lap around the field because then I’ll know and it will be for real,’’ he joked Sunday. The Sox season ended Sunday with Konerko fouling out in his only at-bat before coming off the field during the second inning to his standing ovation of the day. A tight back prompted the short appearance in what could have been his last one in uniform. After the Sox’ 4-1 loss to the Royals, Konerko thanked the …

Paul Konerko will take a month to decide if he wants to play in 2014

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 02:13:09 -0500

Paul Konerko knew he was going to take some time after this season to weigh his options for 2014, he just didn’t realize what kind of season 2013 would turn out to be. ‘‘You come in, you have a way you want to work and a vision of how the season is going to go,’’ Konerko said Friday. ‘‘Pretty much all of that was destroyed as the season went [down] piece by piece. But one of the things I did want to do, no matter how the season was going to turn out, was to go home after it and …

Sox avoid century mark with win

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:43:07 -0500

Rookie Erik Johnson was cruising through the first four innings Saturday, holding the Kansas City Royals without a hit. But that ended with one out in the fifth when Mike Moustakas homered. Johnson didn’t finish the sixth, giving up another two-run homer to Billy Butler. But the game ended in a 6-5 White Sox victory for Johnson — and an assurance that the Sox will avoid a 100-loss season. Johnson improved to 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA while Addison Reed earned his 40th save, tying him with Bobby Jenks (2007) for fourth most in a season. Giveaway days Terrible defense …

Sox’ seasonlong scarcity of runs leads to firing of hitting coach Jeff Manto

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 02:42:44 -0500

The first staff casualty of the White Sox’ terrible season is hitting coach Jeff Manto, who was let go Saturday before the Sox secured a 6-5 victory over Kansas City — ironically with the benefit of four home runs — to avoid a 100-loss season. The lack of runs through the season was the most telling part of the team’s struggles, with Manto held responsible. “It’s sad because you don’t fire a team, but he takes the blame for all of us for what we did,’’ said Adam Dunn, who often had praised Manto for trying to help him through …

Chris Sale ends strong season on down note

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 01:50:00 -0500

White Sox All-Star Chris Sale established himself ‘‘with the elite pitchers in the game’’ this season, manager Robin Ventura said Friday. But Sale’s season ended in a 6-1 loss to Kansas City, dropping his final record to 11-14 and his team’s record to 62-98 with two left to play. ``It’s kind of a recurring thing every year,’’ Sale said of a loss to end the season. ``My last one is always a bad one. Maybe next year I can fix that and end on a happy note. I just didn’t have it tonight.’’ Sale worked 5 1/3 innings, giving up …

Broadcaster Stone didn’t think Sox would be this bad

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 22:43:37 -0500

You won’t hear Steve Stone say he’s disappointed in the White Sox because he didn’t think they had a realistic shot to begin with. Frustrated? Now that’s a different issue, but only because the Sox took bad baseball to unforeseen lows during his sixth season working on the South Side. “This is a very frustrating year,’’ Stone said. “Not because I thought the Sox had any chance to be up there with Detroit. I said to a number of friends during spring training that the Tigers were 15 games better than the Sox. Man for man, we didn’t match up.’’ …

Konerko may have hit his final home run with the White Sox

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 22:42:35 -0500

The White Sox sent a representative to fetch the home run ball Paul Konerko hit in the team’s 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. It might be one the franchise’s No. 2 home run hitter of all time might want to keep. If Konerko doesn’t homer in the last three games of the season, it could be the last of his White Sox career, or his baseball career should the 37-year-old decided to retire. His contract is up in a few days. Konerko is expected to shed light on the subject when he formally meets the media before the …

Pitching coach Don Cooper on Sox’ 2013: ‘Embarrassing’

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 00:12:31 -0500

CLEVELAND — Name your adjective for the 2013 White Sox. Pitching coach Don Cooper has his. “Embarrassing,’’ Cooper said Wednesday. “I’m embarrassed about what we got done. And I’m saying everybody. Our group, coaches, players, everybody.’’ The 2005 postseason, when Cooper’s pitching staff reeled off four consecutive complete games in the playoffs and carried the Sox to a World Series championship, never seemed farther removed from the franchise than this season. Only Paul Konerko, who’s expected to shed some light on his plans for next season on Friday in Chicago, remains from that team. Cooper usually enjoys watching the postseason, …

Dunn: Please no ‘ambush’ if Sox don’t want him back

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 22:34:21 -0500

CLEVELAND — If Adam Dunn isn’t part of the White Sox’ plans in 2014 — and he hopes he is — all he wants is some advance warning. ‘‘They don’t owe it to me; I just hope the communication line is there,’’ Dunn said Tuesday. ‘‘I don’t want to come into spring, everything fine and dandy, and then, ‘Oops, see ya. Up and gone.’ But I don’t think it will be like that.’’ Dunn will be owed $15 million on the fourth year of a $56 million contract. Only John Danks at $15.75 million is set to make more. That’s a …

Spotlight on rookies, Konerko in final week as Sox edge Jays 3-2

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 02:20:05 -0500

Games like Monday’s are why Paul Konerko might decide he has had enough after 15 major-league seasons. The White Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 in the makeup of a June 12 rainout. At most, a third of the announced crowd of 19,122 was in the stands at U.S. Cellular Field, and no wonder — the teams are a combined 46 games under .500 and 52 games off the lead in their respective divisions. But it was a night to remember for 23-year-old infielder Marcus Semien, who hit his first major-league home run in the second inning, legged out …