Blaming the immigrant at the old ball game

The White Sox lost an ugly game last night.

Up 2-1 going into the ninth, three Sox relievers couldn't hold back the mighty Royals from scoring four runs. Thorton walked the leadoff man and was yanked. Jenks walked a guy, gave up two singles, then walked another guy, was yanked. Logan walked a guy, then gave up a single. Finally, Politte came in and got out of the inning.

In the Sox half of the inning, the offense came back. Podsednik doubled. After an Iguchi strike out, Thome homered, and it was 5-4 Royals. The Sox weren't done. Konerko then singled, Pierzynski made an out, Crede singled, and we had runners on the corners with two out. Mackowiak flew out to end the game.

I named names to see if you could determine who was to blame.

Shoddy pitching? A few guys that didn't come through in the clutch? An entire first place team that couldn't hold off the Royals, who were minus a couple of their hitters?

Maybe. Whatever. But here's the analysis after the game from a certain old man who runs a certain old-time Sox bar on Halsted (I won't name names, mostly because I'm not sure I have the exact quote):

"If only the Jap had gotten on."

Yeah, it was Iguchi's fault for losing the game. If he had gotten on base before the Thome homer, the game would have been tied. Nevermind that later in the inning, when we had other runners on base, two white players--with Polish last names mind you--failed to get a hit.

The old man could have blamed anyone. He certainly could have said, "If only one of the Pollacks had gotten a hit." But no, in a country where brown immigrants have to march to get respect, it was the Jap's fault. Welcome to the U.S.