Yeah, Right

Another game, another loss, another record. The White Sox dropped their third straight to the Phillies on Sunday, 8-2, to fall to 3-18 on the season, or 12-38 since the start of spring training. No Sox team has ever done worse in the first 21 games of a season. But there’s manager Mickey Mouse talking Mickey Mouse jibber. Things will get better. “All I can do is learn from what’s happening, teach, continue to have an environment in here where guys can perform and feel free to perform as opposed to creating an environment of pressure. [story in today’s Sun-Times]” Yeah, right. Take catcher Martin Maldonado, please. GM Chris Getz signed the 37-year old veteran to a one-year deal at $4.25 million. In return, Maldonado has given the Sox nothing, nada, zippo, or as close as you can get to in three dimensions. Another 0-fer at the bottom of the order leaves Maldonado with an .053 BA. That’s what 2-for-38 comes out to; do the math, which Mouse seems incapable of. Maldonado could never hit; his game was all about defense. Not anymore, at least where base-stealing’s concerned. Yesterday, four Phillies stole. On the season, Maldonado has thrown out one out of fourteen runners. Unless Sox pitchers can throw perfect games (if only they could face Sox hitters), that’s a stat for disaster. Mouse also said, “I’ve been in this game a long time, and I’ve been part of streaks like this. But I’ve been a part of the other side, as well, the 17-3s and 20-5s, and those are really fun. Why can’t we have one of those?”