Tagged: All-Star Game

Ready for the second half of baseball

Well, the first half is done, and now we’re getting to the part where the men separate themselves from the boys. I had a great time at the All-Star Game and I’m happy everyone saw a great game with good pitching and timely hitting. We got to see the best closer ever, Mariano Rivera. He has broken my bat before and probably hundreds of others during his career. It was so amazing to see him go out like that in person. I actually shed a couple of tears.

One of the things I love about this game is that even though we all know Rivera is the best ever, he’s still been beaten and walked off on. That’s why this game is so special; you never know what’s going to happen. I’m glad that something positive came out of the game and the couple of days.

Congrats to Yoenis Cespedes on the Home Run Derby win. And Bryce Harper, wow, that young man has some talent. I wish all the news was positive, but the Ryan Braun news came out, and I fear there will be more. Cheating now with the rules that are in place is just goofy. I think Bud has his hands full, but he will do what’s best for the game. I have no doubt about that.

Looking forward to the second half, I see it as a wide open race. Both Detroit and Texas look good, and the addition of Matt Garza will help the Rangers. In the National League, the Cardinals look like the class of the league, but the playoffs are a different world. Pitching and defense win, every time.

Looking forward to the second half

Well, we are here at the halfway point and obviously not where we want to be. We have suffered through some tough losses in the first half. Any time a team loses in the ninth with a chance to win, it’s very hard to watch and can be a huge hit to a team. It’s something we have dealt with this year and something we have continued to bounce back from.

On the bright side, we have a lot of games left in the division. It starts with four games against the Nationals starting Friday, and it’s important we come out with a sense of urgency. We have enough to be a playoff team, and we need a good start to the second half.

I’m spending my break in Chicago. I still love this town and my house here, but Miami is home until October – hopefully late October. I saw Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby, so congrats to him. I thought those royal blue jerseys were pretty awesome. I didn’t watch the game, but my kids kept me posted as to what was going on. Of course I’m glad the NL won.

I was there in 2006 managing when we won it in Pittsburgh. It’s not an easy thing. You have to win the game, make sure nobody gets hurt and try to play everyone at the same time — a lot of things going on in a manager’s mind.

I want to congratulate all the first time All-Stars on an experience I’m sure they won’t forget. As for us, I just hope we come out of the gates clicking and make a run at this thing.

Staying positive after the first half

I have to admit this is not the most fun blog I have ever had to write, but I’m still trying to stay positive. I think it’s safe to say this wasn’t the way we wanted to close out the first half, but life goes on and so will this season. The good news is we are still in contention and we hold our fate in our own hands. There are several teams around baseball that can’t say that right now.

We have an opportunity to play our division many times coming up early in the second half and it’s up to us to take it to these teams when it starts back up. On that note, kids always have a way to put you in a better mood because they are so innocent and just want to have fun. That’s why I am so excited my kids baseball camps started today. (For more info you can check out BullsSoxAcademy.com). I’m really looking forward to these camps and working with the Bulls/Sox Academy and I know it’s going to be a lot of fun.  Hopefully this is the beginning of many more camps in the future!

Other than the camps, I will spend most of the break relaxing and will definitely hit the golf course a couple of times. The most important thing for us is that our guys clear their heads and come back fresh. I will try and do the same.  I know PK (Paul Konerko) and Carlos Quentin will represent the White Sox very well in the All-Star Game.  And, of course, hopefully they will help the American League win because you never know, maybe it will help us down the road.

I will keep you guys updated on the camps this week on my Facebook and Twitter!

— Ozzie

Happy for my boy Carlos Quentin

I hope everyone had a very happy and safe 4th of July weekend. Happy birthday to the U.S.A., and thank you very much to all the people who serve this country!

Our weekend wasn’t too bad. We took two out of three from the Cubs and won another series. Last night, we won on a balk against the Royals — a “balk-off.” Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good, and right now, I’ll take them anyway we can get them.

The series vs. the Cubs ended on a bad note because we couldn’t score any runs off of Rodrigo Lopez — a guy I felt like we should handle — but this is baseball and sometimes crazy things happen. The All-Star teams were announced over the weekend, and I’m very happy for Carlos Quentin — he deserves it.  I also think Paul Konerko was very deserving because he has been amazing for us the entire season. I know what it’s like to try and pick reserves for the All-Star team and know what Ron Washington is going through. That is not an easy job.

We get the Royals and Twins this week, I think, and yesterday started a stretch of 19 straight games against our division. The Royals always seem to play us very well, and it’s time for us to start swinging the bats a little better to close the gap before the break. The next 3 weeks are either going to have us out of it or right in the thick of things for the home stretch. Hopefully we can make the right adjustments and continue to win ballgames.

See you guys at The Cell!

— Ozzie