Mike Cameron Helps "Steal" A Win

"I don't know how long this is going to last, but let's just keep it going. This is a big series for me so let's go out there and take it to the White Sox." –Mike Cameron, who was traded by the White Sox to Cincinnati, on the plane’s intercom when they landed in Chicago.

And take it to them they did. So I’m watching the game with my dad, and it starts with a little commentary from the beloved Dave Niehaus, looking quite dapper in his red jacket I might add, and in the first inning, I am immediately distracted from Ichiro leading off by the huge wad of chew that Chicago pitcher James Baldwin is working on, so much so that I barely notice when Ichiro makes an out as I am busy trying to figure out how James keeps from yakking with all that tobacco in his mouth, I mean, seriously, we aren’t talking a little pinch here and I can only imagine the horrors Aaron Sele is going to have to face on that pitcher’s mound with what has to be a gallon of spit the way Baldwin is going. So anyway, I manage to look away and Mike Cameron walked, and then Edgar stepped to the plate, much to the delight of a Mariner fan there at Comiskey Park who was all yelling, "C’mon Edgar, let’s go buddy!" and then Baldwin made about 80,000 throws to first to try and keep Cammie on, and then he got Edgar out and then made what seemed like another 80,000 throws to first base and Mike went right on ahead and stole second with two outs, but we were unable to score him. Aaron Sele sat the Chi-Sox down in order, so we enter the second with no score.

Second inning, two outs, nobody on, and Tom Lampkin reaches on an infield hit, and then David Bell walked and then Carlos Guillen walked and here we are with the bases loaded, when Ichiro gets a double that scores two as it also takes Frank "10 Million Is Not Enough!" Thomas out of the game as he tries to stop it, lands hard and doesn’t get it. He hurt his arm in the fall, I guess. Anyway, Mike Cameron walked again and Carlos scored on a wild pitch by James Baldwin, which also got Ichiro to third. Then, Mike Cameron stole second for the second time that night, but the three runs are all we manage. 3-0 Mariners going into the bottom half, where Sele gives up a harmless hit, and off we go into the third.

Ichiro is batting .600 with RISP, by the way.

John "I’m Goin Yard" Olerud leads off with a homerun, and then we get two outs which doesn’t seem to phase Tom Lampkin who doubles or David Bell who singles to score him or Carlos Guillen who singles to move Bell to third. Seattle 5, Chicago 0, as Sele gives up another harmless hit in the bottom half, which was a one-out "bunt-single" by Josh Paul which was immensely irritating because I, along with my dad, David Bell, Aaron Sele and Tom Lampkin, were waiting for it to roll foul which it didn’t because of the way the groundskeepers work the foul lines there, tapering them up or something, but then Ray Durham grounds into a double play to end the inning and my dad says, "Take that, Bunt" to Josh Paul which made both of us laugh uproariously.

Fourth inning. Mike Cameron singles, and then for the third time in four innings, steals second base and evidently tore his pants in the process because there is all of a sudden a great big rip in the back which I point out and then my dad and I crack up when he’s all "That’s what Cammie thinks of Chicago" in regards to the view the fans are getting from said ripped pants because we’re just dorky like that and then Edgar flies out to get him to third and Olerud hit a sac fly to score him, and we head into the bottom half leading 6-0. Sele faltered a little bit here, and gave up two homeruns, one of which had a man on base, so the White Sox get three back. David Bell makes an excellent defensive play, and all I can say is that man can really play third base.

"He left a fastball up and hung a changeup and they got three runs. But they didn't get any more." -Lou Piniella, on Aaron Sele’s pitching

So moving along to the fifth, now leading 6-3, we face the first of what would be several relief pitchers, and Al Martin says hi with a lead off single and then steals second, and then Lampkin reaches on an infield hit which advances Al to third, and then David Bell flied out to rightfield and as Al Martin tagged up to score, Tom Lampkin ran down to second since they threw to the plate and while we were unable to score on it and Al went back to third with Magglio Ordonez’s strong arm, we got another runner into scoring position which I thought was pretty impressive, and anytime the name "Magglio Ordonez" is mentioned, I think back to last year during the playoffs when Jay "Laura’s Hero" Buhner was running in from rightfield right after we made a crucial out and accidentally threw up a little bit on the field while he was yelling during the excitement of it all and then Magglio had to go out and play in that field and I thought it was hysterically funny that Magglio had a little "surprise" waiting for him out there and it still brings a smile to my face if you want to know the truth, and I have to say that I miss Jay so much I can’t hardly stand it and it may very well kill me next year when he retires because I can’t even IMAGINE a Mariner team without him. So then Sean Lowe throws a wild pitch that scores Martin and moves Lampkin down to third and Carlos walked, and with Ichiro up, the announcers announce that Ichiro is the toughest guy in the leagues to get to hit into a double play, but he unfortunately does just that, so we come away with only one more run. I also have to give a snap to Ray Durham who turns in an excellent play this inning, and I won’t even do that begrudgingly, since Sele gives up two harmless hits in the bottom half, and we move to the sixth, leading 7-3.

Cameron singled, Edgar walked and Chicago brought in their next reliever who got John Olerud to fly out. Then, Lou Piniella puts the runners in motion with Bret Boone up, and Bret is safe on what was ruled an infield single, and I have to just gape in awe at yet another splendid call by Lou, who perfectly executed a hit and run, with EDGAR no less, who is not known for his speed. How much do I love Lou Piniella, he is just OUTSTANDING. Unfortunately, we are unable to score from this, but I’m impressed nonetheless. Sele sits the side down in order with two K’s.

Seventh inning. Both sides sit down in order. Eighth inning. We meet reliever number three, who walks Cameron and gives up a single to Edgar. We can’t score them. Ryan Franklin relieves Aaron, and John Olerud made an EXCELLENT play on Jose Valentin to get the first out, and let’s just say: no runs, no hits, no errors… and nobody left, because that’s exactly what happened, and how much do I love John Olerud.

Ninth inning. Reliever number… four, is it? Kelly Wunsch comes in to face Bret Boone, gets him to ground out, and then hits pinch hitter Charles Gipson with a pitch, and then Tom Lampkin grounds out and Gipson gets to second and then David Bell delivers with a single to score him and Carlos walked and Ichiro K’d, which you don’t see very often and we enter into the bottom half leading 8-3. I should also mention that the announcers were talking about Jay and how much he’s missed and how he’ll supply more power to this offense and he brings a lot to the team chemistry as well and I couldn’t agree more and I’ll just prepare you all now for the breakdown I’m going to have when he retires, because seriously, the very thought of it is already freaking me out. So anyway, Paul Konerko went down swinging for the first out, but got lippy with the ump who tossed him right on out of there and then Guillen made an error which made me say bad words and it probably happened because I made a crack about him having less errors than Alex Rodriguez in one of the other game recaps but I’m still not sorry I said it because to be honest, I really just can’t help myself and I think Alex fully deserves that and any other such comment after his horrifying exit to the Texas Rangers which completely broke my heart and some people just don’t get it and are all "anybody would leave for that kind of money" which I have to object to, and which I also take offense at, because you know, $19 million (plus all the millions in endorsements from Pepsi, yogurt, Nike, etc.) in a city that would’ve made me king, on a team that raised me into a superstar, with teammates I loved and a manager I adored and fans that supported me unwaveringly when I batted .085 with runners in scoring position during the second half of last season and who also worried endlessly about me when I slid into Joey Cora’s little brother and not only knocked myself unconscious but gave myself a concussion, and with management that was nothing but loyal and trusting that I led to believe I’d return if they didn’t trade me and they gave me a winner and they showed me their commitment and they let me be a leader WHICH THEY DID, I personally would still be in a Seattle Mariners’ uniform with my loyalty and honor and reputation still in tact and that would’ve been MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR ME but let’s not get me started on that or we’ll be here forever and so anyway Carlos Lee was allowed on first and then Chris Singleton singled which brought up some more profanity from me, and then Franklin promptly beans Herbert Perry with a pitch and I’m yelling, "WE ONLY HAVE ONE OUT AND THE BASES ARE LOADED, [EXPLETIVE DELETED]!!! FRANKLIN IS SHOOK UP, THAT ERROR RATTLED HIM! HELP HIM OUT, HELP HIM OUT!" and then as if Lou senses my distress, he brings in Kazu, who gets the next two outs no problem, and there we were, 19-4 on the season.

"I didn't know about the 19 wins this month, just like I didn't know until a little while ago that we'd won eight games in a row. I knew we'd been playing well, but like most of the guys on this team, I haven't been keeping track. Ask around the clubhouse. We have guys showing up for early batting practice, guys doing all the little things. We're thinking about the season, not the streak." -Aaron Sele

"I've never been on a team like this." –Ichiro

"We're not going to score 10 runs a game, but we score enough because of our pitching and defense. That's what drives this team. It would be nice to have Texas' offense. But do you want Texas' pitching and defense too? No. That's no secret.'' -Norm Charlton