Pierzynski, Guillen tossed
A.J. Pierzynski didn't reveal what he said, only that it wasn't what home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez wanted to hear.
Whatever the magic words, they earned him his fourth career ejection, and the first since one of the most memorable of all White Sox-Cubs interleague games May 20, 2006.
The frustration of another struggle against Los Angeles Angels starter Jered Weaver boiled over for the White Sox in the ninth inning Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field.
First Pierzynski and then manager Ozzie Guillen were tossed after Pierzynski struck out swinging.
Neither of them were that bothered by it afterward.
"I said the wrong thing, I guess," Pierzynski said.
It was Guillen's second ejection this year and 14th of his career.
"No biggie," Guillen said. "I had to protect my players. I saw some inconsistency out there. You're never going to be right out there and it's my job to protect my players."
Bright lights: The national spotlight -- which is what the White Sox find themselves in with their battle of first-place team against the Angels this week -- is better suited to some than others.
Clubhouse comedian Nick Swisher ate it up. He came up with a nickname for each of his teammates while announcing the starting lineups for Fox, including Jim "Big Fellow" Thome, Joe "Apollo" Creed(e) and Ozzie "the Bus Driver" Guillen.
Guillen wasn't nearly as embracing of national TV games, including tonight's in front of an ESPN audience and June 22 at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.
While Guillen sat at one end of the White Sox dugout explaining -- in his typically colorful and off-color way -- what he thought of ESPN, Swisher pumped his fist at the other end after he finished taping his Fox intro.
"I'm so good at that," Swisher said smiling as he ran past the media and out to take batting practice, trying to break out of a 20-for-113 (.177) skid in his last 32 games.
Feeling better: Manager Ozzie Guillen said he expects Paul Konerko to return soon --possibly today -- after his struggling first baseman received a cortisone shot in his ailing right hand Friday.
"Hopefully for tomorrow he should be ready," Guillen said."He tried to play through it and it was not working. Hopefully this will make him (have) better at-bats."
Konerko hasn't played the past two days. He's hitting .212 this year and has no home runs in his last 22 games.
The Sox want Konerko ready before going on the road next week to Cleveland and Tampa Bay.
"Hopefully with the treatment he got he'll feel a little bit better," Guillen said. "That's why we made that choice. It's easier to get that treatment here in Chicago than going to Tampa or Cleveland."