Bleacher Report - Articles by Chris Pennant

White Sox Week in Review: Where Do We Go from Here?

Chris Pennant — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:32:13 -0400

Since May 18, the White Sox are nine games over .500.

They have had three winning streaks of four games or more.

They have worked their way up from six games behind the division-leading Detroit Tigers to a mere three and a half.

But are they for real?

They have a solid batting order.

Scott Podsednik is looking for a Comeback Player of the Year award, and Alexei Ramirez has found his stroke over the last two months.

Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko are hitting like the veterans they are, and Gordon "Bacon" Beckham is every bit the cocky rookie we hoped he'd be.

But are they for real?

The pitching staff that looked feeble in May has turned in some masterful performances. Mark Buerhle has been Mark Buerhle (even today's performance was Buerhle-esque).

Gavin Floyd and John Danks have been very solid. Jose Contreras took the humble route, demoted himself, and came back strong.

But are they for real?

That's been the question for the whole season: Are the Sox for real?

Can this club contend?

Should we pack it in early and wait 'til next year?

A tough loss against the Twins today seems easy to shake. The Sox are only 3.5 games behind Detroit and a half-game in front of Minnesota. With KC and Cleveland out of it, the AL Central is officially a three-team race.

So, where do the White Sox stand?

Where does Kenny go from here?

In my opinion...

"Win, Or Die Trying": Why the White Sox should be buyers at the trade deadline

The Sox could have rolled over in early June.

June 11 to be exact.

They had just dropped their third straight game to the Oakland A's, a team that was double-digits under .500 at the time.

To make matters worse, every Oakland starter in the four-game set was a rookie. A Jim Thome homer in the first game saved the Sox from the ignominy of a four-game sweep.

The weekend before, the Sox lost two of three to the Indians, who were a few weeks short of trading Mark DeRosa. The nine of 12 winning streak at the end of May looked like a fluke.

Things were looking down.

Now things are looking a bit brighter.

The Sox are in second place within shouting distance of the Tigers. Before losing two of three to the Twins this weekend, they hadn't lost a series since Jun. 11-14 versus the Tigers (6-0-2 in that span).

That series against the Tigers was make-or-break for the season, and while the Sox couldn't win the series, they played well.

Now, the Sox are going to Detroit for four games after the All-Star Break with a chance to really put some heat on them. But they need to stock up, and just in time: Roy Halladay's on the market, and you can bet Kenny Williams is gunning for him.

What package he's putting together, I'm not sure, but rumors have been swirling about Bobby Jenks and Josh Fields.

While Toronto has a great crop of relievers, Jenks could give them a boost, and Fields' bat would be solid off the bench for the Jays. Either way, having Halladay would be great for the Sox in the dog days of July and August.

On the batting side, another right-handed bat off the bench could be a boon late in the season.

Possible candidates?

We'll see.

The main point is that the Sox need to keep the team together. No more talk about blowing up the team. This club can make the playoffs, without question.

Voices from the South Side

Now that I've said my piece, what do you think?

Should the Sox be sellers at the deadline and play for next year?

Or should they be looking to add the proverbial "missing piece"?

And who should that missing piece be?

Write an article about what the Sox should do and what the near future holds for them, along with any key matchups for the rest of the season. Publish it under the heading of "Voices from the South Side".

I look forward to seeing what the Sox community has to say.

(Note from Chris P.: I will be in Italy from today, July 13 until July 23 with my college jazz ensemble, so I obviously won't be able to see or listen to any games. I will check scores daily and try my best to get a "Week in (P)Review" done while I'm there.)

Well, that does it for the first half of the regular season. Until next time, let the sock fly on.

White Sox Week In (P)Review: Coming Back, Looking Up

Chris Pennant — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:21:04 -0400

The slow play.

I won a $20 in a poker tournament with my friends on Sunday night, as the White Sox departed for Cleveland after their win over the Cubs.

I didn't win any big hands. Probably never more than 40 chips at a time. But after a while, it was the final two and I was leading big.

The slow play. It's a killer.

The White Sox got out of the gates as if they were climbing a hill covered in molasses. No one on the pitching staff could get a strike except Mark Buerhle and the bullpen, and they were usually pitching with a five-run deficit.

The offense was inconsistent, to be polite. Sox fans everywhere were wondering if they could compete in time for the trade deadline.

Now, after a win at Cleveland and a 4-2 week, the Sox are back at the .500 mark. And after a Tigers loss late in Oakland, they're only four games back.

The slow play.

What clicked?

There's no carefully guarded secret to the South Siders' success. It's not a trick question, not something unexpected. However, it has come from a few unlikely sources. It's come from people who's names weren't in papers at the beginning of the season.

Scott Podsednik was released by the Rockies after Spring Training, and was probably considering his options outside of baseball. Then, the ChiSox signed him to a minor league contract and brought him up to the big club in May.

The move paid instant dividends. Pods has batted .313 with eight doubles, three homers and 12 stolen bases. That's one more than Alexei Ramirez and Chris Getz, who played a month longer than Podsednik.

Podsednik's greatest contribution to the team?

He ended the search for a dependable lead off hitter. With that spot taken care of, Chris Getz and Dewayne Wise have less pressure and can get opportunities to be dangerous at the bottom of the lineup.

Gavin Floyd and John Danks both had rough starts to the season. In May, Floyd was a dismal 1-3 with a 6.68 ERA. Danks was lights-out early in the season, but faltered in May as well (2-2, 6.32 ERA).

However, both young hurlers seem to have righted the ship. Danks sparkled in his last four starts, allowing no more than three runs in any of them, while recording a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Floyd hasn't just looked good; he's been excellent. On May 17, his ERA reached a season-high of 7.71. Since then, over eight starts, he's allowed nine earned runs in 68.1 innings.

In that span:

He hasn't walked more than three batters a game (15 total).
He's pitched at least six innings every start.
Floyd was 3-0 with a 1.28 ERA in June.

These two guys were key to the Sox' success last season, and they will be this season as well. They must keep up their current level of pitching.

Tunnel vision

I said last week's games were the greatest of the season. If the White Sox came out with a losing record, Kenny would have more impetus to start shopping name players.

However, the Sox played the Dodgers tough and won two of three, and did the same against the Cubs. I believe they were a bad call away from winning five of the six contests, as Hiroki Kuroda handcuffed the Sox on Tuesday night.

Now, I'll say it again: this week is the moment of truth.

With two straight series against the bottom of the division, the White Sox must win these games to keep pace with the Tigers.

Even more at stake is their physical rivalry with Kansas City.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: the Sox must scrap with the Royals—much like the Bulls did with the Pistons. They have to throw a hard shot like a takeout slide, a purpose pitch, even a well-placed glare or some words from the dugout.

If the White Sox want to compete in this division, they must stay focused. Focused on the task at hand. And that is to win, one game at a time. Stick with the leaders and wait for one mistake to climb into first place.

The slow play. It'll get you every time.

As always, let the sock fly on.

White Sox Week in (P)Review: The Moment of Truth

Chris Pennant — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:22:26 -0400

Things are trying to fall into place.

The White Sox rain-shortened road trip was a modest success as the South Siders return home with a record of 5-3. They went 3-2 over the last week (Monday to Sunday) and both losses were by a single run.

On Saturday night, they withstood sloppy fielding (four errors), a determined Reds team, and a shaky ninth inning from Bobby Jenks to nail down an ugly 10-8 win.

On the other side, a bullpen meltdown Thursday cost the Sox a Wrigleyville sweep, and a lack of offense on Friday gave Jose Contreras his first loss since returning from the minors.

Things are trying to fall into place, but the Sox still have no identity.

With the best team in baseball coming into Chicago and Round Two of the Crosstown Classic this weekend, the Sox are facing what Ed Farmer likes to the call "the moment of truth."

Is this ballclub set up to make a run at the divisional title, or is a summer fire sale in the near future?

The good

Interleague play is over, so the Sox can rest easy: no more pitchers in the batting order. Although Mark Buerhle showed his muscle in Milwaukee, Ozzie Guillen would much rather have Jim Thome getting regular at-bats and hitting balls the other way.

Also, the top of the order is clicking.

Scott Podsednik and Alexei Ramirez combined to go 16-43 (.373) with 10 RBI and eight runs scored last week. Ramirez had three home runs in four days, two to give the Sox the lead after the fifth inning.

With a good 1-2 punch setting the table (Pods has 10 steals since entering the Sox lineup in late May), opposing hurlers will have to pitch the middle of the order very carefully.

The bad

Clayton Richard is looking like a flash in the pan. He only lasted three innings in his start at Cincinnati, and his sixth-inning error opened the door to Sox's only loss to the Brewers.

The rest of the rotation has looked solid in the last two weeks, but with Richard faltering, the No. 5 spot is becoming a black hole once again.

The bullpen is also hitting a wall.

The lack of success from the starters in May and early June means their workload has increased to the point where only D.J. Carrasco and Matt Thornton can be counted on.

Scott Linebrink blew the save to the Cubs on Thursday, and Bobby Jenks gave up a run and two hits Saturday night to make a close game closer.

This week's starting pitchers need to last at least six innings and hold down a pair of good offenses this week so the bullpen can get some rest.

What's at stake

The Dodgers have the National League's best pitching staff and a great offense that has run even without the presence of Manny Ramirez. Matt Kemp is a double threat that can hit and cover ground in center field, and Joe Torre's wizardry has made Juan Pierre into a good ballplayer again.

All this has led to great early season success as the Boys in Blue are the only team 20 games over the .500 mark.

As Jim Thome has said, this series is a great litmus test for the White Sox.

John Danks, who is starting the opener against Randy Wolf, has pitched well lately. Clayton Richard (who is pitching the rubber match) has not. If both lefties can go deep in the ballgame, the Sox have a better chance than most people think at winning this series against Los Angeles.

The Cubs, due to mad pole jocking by ESPN and some thrilling comeback victories, might have turned a corner. Their offense had let down a good pitching staff most of the season, but they swept the Indians over the weekend after beating the White Sox in the last of the ninth on Thursday.

The downside?

They swept the Indians, a last place team who is fast falling out of contention. Add that to a demoralizing loss against the Braves tonight (a 2-0 defeat in which they recorded 10 hits), and the Cubs are about where the Sox are: a middle-of-the-road team looking for a spark.

The impact players

Gordon Beckham has truly arrived.

The youngster recorded his first major league home run in Saturday's win over the Reds, and he has hit well enough to raise his average from sub-.100 to just under the Mendoza line.

However, his fielding (two misplays in the Saturday game) shows that he might still be nervous. Beckham will be put to the test this week. It will be huge for the team if he can deliver in the clutch.

Dewayne Wise is still one of my favorite Sox players, but, save for the last two games, he has been playing his way off the team. Since returning from the disabled list, D-Wise's average has dropped to .176, and that includes his three hits in the last two games.

Five right-handers pitching against the Sox combined with Brian Anderson's low BA against right-handers means Wise will get playing time. With Podsednik playing well and Jermaine Dye returning to the lineup, Wise needs to stop pressing, get quality at-bats to help the team, and (as much as I hate to say it) increase his trade value.

Scott Linebrink is not invincible anymore.

He was in the early part of the season, but now, Sox fans get nervous any time he takes the hill. He did a fine job in the Saturday game, but allowed a late run in a close game on Sunday.

Ozzie will be watching Linebrink closely, but he is needed to take the pressure off Matt Thornton and fellow setup man Octavio Dotel.

This week is the White Sox's "moment of truth." With three tough pitchers to face in the Dodgers series and the emotional rivalry of the Crosstown Classic, I believe these six games will decide the fate of this team.

Will the ChiSox measure up, or will some familiar faces be sent packing in another "White Flag Trade"?

White Sox Week In (P)Review: "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This."

Chris Pennant — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:08:49 -0400

Last week (Sunday to Sunday), the Chicago White Sox went 4-5. They missed opportunities, failed to execute, and threw away a chance to gain meaningful ground on the division-leading Tigers.

Then they went into Milwaukee and took two of three from the division-leading (albeit slumping) Brewers.

This week, that doesn't matter. The division race can take a backseat.

It's Crosstown Classic time.

Last year, the Cubs and Sox were on top of their divisions, and the newspapers were talking about a potential World Series matchup come October. The city was dreaming.

This year, both teams are scuffling and struggling to stay around break even. But that doesn't matter.

It's Crosstown Classic time.

Getting the picture yet?

Don't Believe the Hype?

As I said before, the White Sox had a great chance to show what they were made of against the Tigers. Ultimately, they did: they are a team that has not done the little things or gotten the timely hit all season long.

They had chances to win games in late innings on Sunday (against Cleveland), Monday afternoon, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but ended up taking the loss. On Friday, an error in the sixth opened the door to an eventual Brewers win.

The Sox have had glimmers of hope that they can withstand a late rally from the opposition, most recently in their ninth-inning triumph yesterday. However, they haven't been consistent in anything except the bullpen.

The offense is streaky at best, and only two and a half starting pitchers can be counted on to go seven innings every start (too early to call on Contreras).

Combine that with the absence of Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko's thumb injury, and the Jake Peavy fiasco, and you can see why the Sox might be yearning for the All-Star Break.

Across town, Cubs fans are blustering, but they've had problems as well. Aramis Ramirez has been down since early May, everyone in the lineup not named Ryan Theriot or Derrek Lee has been struggling, and the revamped bullpen has performed below expectations (Kevin Gregg, anyone?).

A win against the Twins yesterday pushed the Cubs back to the .500 mark, but they are still a few games back of the Brewers (through no fault of the ChiSox).

I've heard from many people that this year's edition of the Crosstown Classic is going to be nothing exciting to watch. Don't believe it.

Always a New Hero (Or Goat)

Brant Brown. Sean Lowe. Dave Hernandez. Ray Durham. Eric Patterson. Tony Graffanino. Fred McGriff. Mike Caruso.

Remember those guys? 'Cause only a few have had successful major league careers.

But all of them contributed something special to the Cubs-Sox rivalry.

Now, both teams have a slate of new players on the roster, ready to get a big hit or make a big pitch during this series and etch their names into Chicago baseball history. Chris Getz? Young Gordon Beckham? Jake Fox? Randy Wells?

Who's next?

The point is that this series is always exciting. Last year, the Sox held leads in the first two contests only to have the Cubs come back and win before Ryan Dempster shut down the South Siders in the rubber match on Sunday.

Then the Sox exacted their revenge at Comiskey, blowing out the Cubs on Friday and riding a Carlos Quentin home run to victory on Saturday before finishing a sweep on Sunday night.

So even though the current stakes might not be as high this season, the intensity will be the same. Two fiery managers, two clubs looking for the spark of momentum, and two groups of fans itching for bragging rights.

As Ed Farmer said, it doesn't get any better than this.

The Impact Players

John Danks pitched great against Detroit in his last start to take the tough-luck loss. He's looked better in his last few games, so look for him to pitch a good game against Big Z in the opener.

Gordon Beckham's defense has been top notch, and he's had two-run doubles in back-to-back games. Count on the Crosstown Series to hype the young man up and deliver a big clutch hit—or maybe his first home run?

Jose Contreras has had two masterful starts since his return from self-induced exile, and Ozzie moved up his start to give him a chance against the Cubs on Thursday. With any luck, it'll be the Bronze Titan giving the White Sox the road sweep at the (Un)Friendly Confines.

Ah, the Crosstown Classic. The most wonderful time of the year.

As always, let the sock fly on.

White Sox Week In Review: Falling Up

Chris Pennant — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:03:58 -0400

It seems my mind was playing tricks on me.

Last week, the White Sox's awful road trip (1-6 through Cleveland and Toronto) had me thinking the season was just about over. The injuries were mounting quickly, and the starting pitchers looked completely ineffective (unless Mark Buerhle took the mound every three days). And analysts were using the hated "home-run-or-nothing" label for the offense.

It felt like it was time to pack it in.

Even the sparks of hope were quickly extinguished. Last week, Jake Peavy was a sure bet to come to the South Side and the Sox looked great in winning two in a row from the Twins. But word came through: Peavy nixed the trade, and the Twins mopped up in the rubber game by the score of 20-1.

20-1?

That's a bad score in Little League.

Now, as if that weren't enough, I caught the flu. (No guys, not the swine flu. We hope.) But since last week, the Sox have won eight of their last eleven.

Is it the team showing signs of life, or just an aberration? What's turned things around?

The hits, they keep on coming

It's been said over and over again by armchair analysts such as myself, but a key to the 2005 White Sox success was Scott Podsednik leading off. Now that Pods has returned to the South Side, it seems he has shaken whatever was keeping him off a major league roster.

Recently, Pods has been doing well at the plate, recording a hit in all but two of the last 11 games since the Sox ended that terrible road trip. Tonight was his eighth multihit game since returning to the White Sox uniform.

Alexei Ramirez has also found his stroke and rebounded from a bad start to the season. Three hits tonight raised his average to .261, almost 70 points higher than three weeks ago. He and Podsednik had four hits apiece when the Sox whipped the Angels 17-3 on Monday, and they picked up the go-ahead and insurance RBI in the ninth tonight.

With Carlos Quentin on the 15-day DL, it will be important for the top and bottom of the lineup to continue hitting at a solid pace.

Get 'em on, get 'em over, and get 'em in

I'm sure they would love for more home runs in San Diego (to be fair, they just want more wins.) But for White Sox fans, we crave one thing: the sacrifice fly. Tonight, when Jim Thome sent a deep fly to center field in the fourth inning, Sox fans probably breathed a collective sigh of relief: "Yes, a sac fly! He got the run in, and no homer."

Last year, Harold Reynolds (somewhat derisively) called the Sox "a softball team" during the playoffs. During a game at Progressive Field this year, one of the Indians announcers remarked, "Man, are they slow," as Jim Thome rounded third on an RBI single. The general view around the league is the Sox can't--and won't--run.

Now, things are changing. With the addition of Pods, plus the quick feet of Chris Getz, Brian Anderson, Ramirez, and Dewayne Wise when he's in the lineup, the Sox have some threats to steal. Plus, they become a much better team at going "first to third" on a single. Last night's six-run sixth inning was a prime example of this.

With more runners in scoring position and more offensive threats, the Sox will be able to get those singles or doubles to drive runners home and won't have to worry about the big home run. And that's great news for fans and Ozzie alike.

Strike first (then strike second and strike third)

A three-fold test awaits John Danks and the Sox tomorrow, when he faces the best pitcher in the American League, Zack Greinke.

One: Danks must pitch to his capability. After his third start, Johnny D was 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA. Since then, he's 2-3 and his ERA has ballooned to 4.59. More telling, he's only pitched seven innings in one start this year.

Danks gutted out a win last Monday at Anaheim, allowing only four hits and three runs in six innings while walking a season-high six. He was able to limit damage, but to beat Greinke, he must be sharp and have the pinpoint control we've seen him have in the past.

Two: win the third. In the last four series they've played, the Sox have won the first two and dropped the third. The last two were close losses versus the Angels and the Pirates, and tomorrow shouldn't be an exception. All the little things that have been working lately need to happen tomorrow: great defense, timely hits and a good effort from the SP.

Three: extinguish the legend of Greinke. Zack Greinke is no fluke, and don't let anyone outside of Bristol tell you so. He's had great stuff for years, and while he's bounced from the bullpen to the starting rotation, he's worked himself to this position.

And not only is he lights out this season, he's challenged the White Sox on multiple occasions. He's hit Sox players and in a game earlier this year, he threw behind Ramirez twice. He's the main reason the Royals have risen from their former post as doormat of the division.

It's hard to fight back in the batter's box, but the surest way to take a pitcher out of his game is to hit him and hit him hard. Greinke's ERA is 0.41, so knocking him around won't be an easy task. But a win over Greinke, combined with some well-placed trash talk, should send him a message.

To the future

I don't think it's an aberration. The White Sox are looking much more cohesive and polished in their play. My fellow writer and Sox fan JJ Stankevitz recently posted an article criticizing the Sox defense and limited infield range, but they have looked better in that area over the last few games. As an added bonus, they are turning more double plays (which Ed Farmer mentioned they were not doing earlier in the year.)

If the Sox can sweep the Royals tomorrow, they will have dispelled memories of their bad stretch at the beginning of the month. They will also have momentum going into June, and as I always say, June is when the Sox bats (and those Comiskey Park fireworks) start warming up.

Until next time, let the sock fly on.

White Sox Week in Review: As if That Weren't Enough...Part One

Chris Pennant — Sat, 16 May 2009 23:58:16 -0400

"It's only going to get worse."

That's what my mind is telling me.

It wasn't like this last year, when the Sox started fast and then spun their wheels in May. It wasn't the same last year, when Carlos Quentin was the only guy hitting consistently, Jim Thome and Paul Konerko could only hit homers and Nick Swisher couldn't hit anything.

It wasn't like this, even though the Sox were dropping 1-0, 2-1 decisions to the Blue Jays this time last year.

Something was a little different. Something gave me some hope for optimism. Something had me saying, "We still have a chance."

The pressure's on

Last year, the Sox were picked to finish near the bottom of the division. No great surprise, as the moves Kenny Williams makes rarely send the baseball insiders into any kind of frenzy.

He was sticking with Javier Vazquez (who always seemed to disappear in the clutch), and Gavin Floyd and John Danks, who had gone through intense growing pains in 2007.

And no one knew the new faces on offense: Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin were unproven guys last April. So other than in Chicago, there was really no pressure on the team.

Sure, the expectations are heavy in the city you play in (unless you play in San Diego), but the baseball world didn't expect the Sox to do much. It was all about the Tigers (as usual), the Twins (as usual), and maybe the Indians (as usual).

That lack of pressure and the upbeat clubhouse attitude Swisher brought to the team put the Sox in a position they always enjoyed: surprise.

The Sox in '05 were the surprise of the first half and became the surprise of the year. The Sox in 2000 surprised the league because of their overachieving pitching staff. The 1983 squad wasn't even in first place at the All-Star break.

So now, with expectations high after a division championship, the Sox are flat. Check that, they're worse that flat in Chicago terms—they're mediocre. Good enough to win every couple of days, then lose the next two or three.

Plenty of blame

In Chicago, fans are used to their teams losing. (It's probably why we have such a bad case of Packers fans; people got tired of the Bears being bad.) Long losing streaks are fine, because we're used to it. "Oh, it's just a slump," fans say. "We'll shake it any day."

However, the current pace of the Sox isn't a simple losing streak. They'll lose a couple, then have everything click for a blowout win or even a close, late-inning nail biter such as last Saturday versus the Rangers.

Nope, the Sox are just losing. Or as my mom likes to shout when she passes me in the living room: "They're LOO-SERS!"

(She's not a Cubs fan. She just enjoys making fun of me when the Sox are losing.)

But who's the culprit? Who gets the full blame for the South Siders' current slide? And is there anything that can be done before the Royals (Really? The Royals?!) and Tigers pull away?

Answers tomorrow in the second part of the "Week in Review."

Until then, let the sock fly on.

(Side note: I apologize to the White Sox B/R community for being nonexistent for the first month and a half of the season. I got caught up in schoolwork and finals at the end of the year and so haven't had the time to write a weekly wrap-up until now.

I will try to begin doing the week in review on Sunday nights instead of Saturdays to fit in the usual weekend series. Again, my apologies.)

Division Debate: Crede Trade Could Be More J's Than Sox Can Handle

Chris Pennant — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:57:30 -0500

Say it ain't so, Joe.

First we had to deal with Justin, A.J. and Eddie Guardado. That was bad enough. Then they brought up that Mauer kid and the Neshek guy with the funky windup. Worse, but we could handle it.

But not Joe. Anyone but Joe.

Remember all those miracle home runs Joe Crede hit in crunch time? The line shots to the left field corner that just barely made it out of the park? The diving stops and double plays down at third?

Not Joe. Why you? Moreover, why the Twins?

Goodbye, Mr. Clutch

It's unfortunate, but we knew it was coming. The writing had been on the wall since 2007, when Crede went down and Josh Fields hit 22 homers in half a season. Sure, he batted way below .270 and didn't have the defense, but oh, the potential.

(Keep that in mind: potential.)

Then, the White Sox picked up Alexei Ramirez and Gordon Beckham, and Chris Getz's name started popping up in conversations everywhere. The writing was on the wall.

Joey C, Mr. Clutch, the best third baseman of the last four years not to win a Gold Glove, was leaving town. It was sad, but it was okay, because he was going to some faraway place—San Francisco or Seattle maybe.

But not the Twins. Crede would never play for the Twins. He wouldn't ever betray Chicago like that.

And Crede himself, the kid from central Missouri? He probably wouldn't. But you know Scott Boras would.

Now the Twins are like this decade's version of the Killer B's, except with J's—Justin, Joe and, well, Joe.

Imagine, if you will...

Mark Buerhle said himself he didn't know how Crede's back would hold up on AstroTurf. Brian Anderson wished him good luck and a 40-homer season (except against the Sox, of course.) And Ozzie Guillen reminded all the potential haters where the White Sox would be today without Crede. And that's all well and good.

But what happens when Ron Gardenhire and the Twinkies take our good-old Joe and mold him into that "Piranha" system of bunts and "get-'em-over" singles and groundouts?

Worse yet, what happens in September? Can't you see it now: a close, late-inning game at the Metrodome, men on base, Octavio Dotel on the mound to put out the fire, and Crede walks to plate representing the winning run?

Oh, the humanity.

In reality, it's way too early to tell what will happen. The White Sox had a tough enough time dealing with the Twins pitching staff, which has had a year to mature. Glen Perkins, Kevin Slowey, and Nick Blackburn are no doubt going to be even better than they were last year.

I predict they'll hit that sophomore wall around August, but the Sox will have to be tough on them, especially in Minnesota.

Besides that, Crede's back has been an albatross on his back (no pun intended) for a few years now. I never had to deal with it, but all the players say AstroTurf is no joke. If the Twins lose Crede, that would be a boost for the Sox, as the Brian Buscher/Brendan Harris platoon can't match a healthy Crede.

Right now, with the Sox picked to finish last, I think they'll come out and surprise critics for at least the first half of the season. It's just a given by now that the prognosticators don't believe in the South Siders.

But still, Joe, the Twins?

Say it ain't so.

Voices From The South Side: With The End in Sight...

Chris Pennant — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 13:22:15 -0400

I know we're a little late folks, but blame it on the rain.

Voices from the South Side is back again with your smartest baseball minds and their thoughts on Chicago's "other" major-league team. This week, Thomas Barbee, Collin Whitchurch, and Chris Pennant talk about the recent spate of Sox injuries and the upcoming road trip for the Sox and Twins.

Now, if there are no more interruptions, it's time to talk Sox!

1. After having to deal with the playoff-desperate Blue Jays in back-to-back weeks, the Sox and Twins look a bit bedraggled as a road trip looms for both teams in the near future. Who has the tougher draw? and...

TB: The Twins have a much tougher schedule ahead of them. They're facing an O's team that's much better than their record and a Rays team fighting for the top of the division. The only real threat for the Sox are the Yankees—they should beat everyone else they play.

CW: I honestly think the Twins have the tougher schedule. Both the Orioles and Indians have proven to be teams itching to play spoilers and have a bunch of young players fighting for spots. Couple that with the fact that the Rays are incredibly tough at home and have proven they can win important games in their series in Boston, and I think they have it tougher.

The White Sox are playing the fading Yankees (who don't seem to be playing with any type of energy of a team looking to make a playoff run OR play spoiler) and the Royals. I know the Sox have struggled with the Royals this season, but they always seem to beat them in the clutch. I think, if the White Sox get it done against those two teams, that they will be able to go into Minnesota with a lot of confidence.

CP: The Twins have a rough time of it, as those four games against the Rays are staring them in the face. The three with Cleveland at the Jake won't be a cakewalk either, especially with Travis Hafner back from his season-long injury. Still, the Sox have those four with New York (in their last trip to Yankee Stadium) and the three with the Twins. So right now, you could flip a coin.

2. ...How many do the Sox need to win on their trip?

TB: If the White Sox go 10-6 in the last 16 games, they should clinch the division. This should be attainable since Ozzie's going to have his 1-3 starters pitching in key series games.

CW: Out of the 10 games, I think the Sox NEED to finish 5-5, but I think they CAN finish 6-4. As I said before, the Yankees aren't playing with any energy and I think that worst-case scenario is 2-2 vs. the Yankees, 2-1 vs. KC, and 1-2 vs. Minnesota, which adds up to 5-5. But I still think they can do better then that.

Then again, maybe I'm just way too optimistic.

CP: These two with the Tigers today are big, and the Sox have already won the first one. Past that, the Sox need a 7-3 road trip to have a few steps on Minnesota. 6-4 or 5-5 is more likely, but 7-3 would be absolutely huge. 3-1 with the Yankees, 2-1 (3-0), and then 2-1 against the Twins is very possible.

3. With Quentin down, Konerko out, and Crede off the radar, someone has to step up and carry the offense over these last two weeks. Will it be one guy, or will it be a carousel of heroes every night?

TB: It'll have to be a carousel of players, but Ken Griffey Jr. is the one guy that must step up now. He was the big-money player that Kenny Williams (and many Sox fans) have wanted for a long time, and he's got to step up and show his worth.

Brian Anderson is another guy that I think will be making the most of his at bats (if Ozzie could ever get over his man-crush on Dewayne Wise). Last, but not least, Thome and Pierzynski have to continue to provide their veteran leadership and timely hits as well.

CW: I think it's pretty clear that Jim Thome has stepped up his game immensely and is ready to carry this team down the stretch. No disrespect to Jermaine Dye, who has carried the team through a number of stretches throughout the season, but Thome looks poised to get in the playoffs.

He's hitting the ball to all fields, something he hasn't done a lot of this season. He's also hitting clutch home runs and racking up the RBI.

CP: I've always been in favor of the "revolving door" of heroes, but I see Jimmy T, JD, and (surprise, surprise) Juan Uribe really getting the big hits for the team down the stretch. Juan seems to have found a stance that works and Thome is mashing the ball right now.

4. Speaking of injuries, the White Sox website reported that both Quentin and Konerko were willing to get back out on the field before their injuries had fully healed. Do you agree with this strategy, or would you rather have them shut it down and get back to 100 percent?

TB: Especially in the case of Quentin, there is no way I'd let him play again unless he's 100 percent healthy. Considering the guy is just starting to reach his prime, the last thing you want is for him to suffer a more serious injury.

Let him get healthy first and then we'll talk. With Paulie, I could see Ozzie wanting to use him as a DH or pinch hitter in late-inning situations, but once again, I wouldn't chance it.

CW: It's not often that a team gets a chance to win a World Series, so when you do, you take it no matter the costs. You couldn't blame Konerko or Quentin if they wanted to shut it down for the sake of their career, but if they're willing to do whatever they can to make the playoffs and give the team a chance to win a World Series, you take it and run.

You have to play this year as if there is no next year, and that's exactly what Konerko and Quentin's mindsets are in making these decisions.

CP: As much as I'd like to see them back, it wouldn't be productive with CQ and Konerko at less than 100 percent. Carlos Quentin has a lot more seasons to win MVP awards and if he rests, he can be back for the postseason. So I would rather see them take the full time and get healthy. Besides, it's looking more and more like Paulie will be back for the final week of the regular season.

5. I picked 92 games to win the division when the season started. In your estimation, how many games are going to win the division now?

TB: I would say that 92 should still stand as the target number of wins, but even 90 could end up being enough to win the division.

CW: I honestly think it's going to be between 88-90 games. If you look at the schedule, say the White Sox go 5-5 on their road trip. That puts them at 86 wins with three games remaining; two of three from Cleveland and they're at 88 wins. If they improve that 5-5 mark by a few games it could hit 90, and if they're any worse then the 5-5 mark, they don't win the division.

CP: 91 is never a popular number. But taking into account the second Sox-Tigers game tonight, the Sox need to go 9-5 over these last 14 games. That puts them at 91 wins and a division crown.

Bonus: After last night's loss, the Toronto Blue Jays were 12 games over .500 and 5.5 games back of Boston for the Wild Card spot. Based on what you've seen this week, will the Blue Jays make the playoffs?

TB: If the Blue Jays had played this level of ball earlier, I would say yes, but like the Houston Astros in the NL, they're just trying to leap frog too many teams to stand a chance. The Red Sox have gotten their act together and the Rays would never fall off enough to allow either the Blue Jays or any other team catch them.

CW: The Blue Jays are a really fun team to watch. They're led by Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, and Adam Lind, and their pitching staff is unbelievable. Their chances to win the wild card are not horrible, but they must at least split the four-game series they have with the Red Sox at Fenway.

If they do that, they have the next nine games at home, including three against the Red Sox. If they take care of business on that home trip, they can do it. But it's also likely that they come down to earth sometime in the next couple of weeks.

CP: The Jays have the pitching and talent to be a force in the AL East year after year, and year after year, they tank midseason and take themselves out of it. The AL wild card is not as weak as the National League, where the white-hot Astros have played themselves back into playoff contention. So unfortunately for Toronto (and fortunately for the White Sox), there will not be October baseball in Canada.

Voices From the South Side: Volume Two, Issue Two

Chris Pennant — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:03:56 -0400

Another week, another name change. Welcome back to the "Voices from the South Side," once upon time known as the White Sox Weekly Roundtable. We've got a few important issues on our plate, from the most important series left this season to Jermaine Dye's vice-presidential qualities.

This week, we welcome "The Shaman of the South Side" Sam Brown to the panel, to add another insight to the inner workings of the White Sox. So without any further random words, let's talk Sox.

1. Which of the September call-ups do you see having a positive impact for the Sox as the season heads into the home stretch?

Collin Whitchurch: The most obvious candidate is Jerry Owens, as he was pegged as the starting center fielder in Spring Training before going down with an injury. His speed should help the team tremendously, as he'll fill the void left when the team released Pablo Ozuna.

However, with the news today that Joe Crede may miss the rest of the season, Josh Fields' role becomes more prominent then ever. Although it's likely that the more experienced and defensively-stronger Juan Uribe will get more playing time down the stretch, Fields' bat will be crucial in getting hot with Crede out.

Sam Brown: The first name that jumps to mind is the great phantom of 2008, UCLA’s own Jerry Owens. He instantly becomes Ozzie’s best option as a late game pinch-runner, and, if Griffey stays hurt and Swisher’s bat stays cold, he may be able to grab a start or two in center. But the biggest impact players come out of that bullpen.

If Linebrink can’t make it back to form, the bullpen remains a place where any pitcher that can come in and have success may be relied on to make big pitches down the stretch.

If the likes of Boone Logan (unlikely, considering his gutless effort Tuesday night) or Mike MacDougal can impress Ozzie in limited opportunities, you may just see them in important situations in the fifth and sixth innings, or late in games if the Sox go to extra innings.

Thomas Barbee: Mike MacDougal and Josh Fields. MacDougal, as everyone knows, has a ton to prove. That works in his favor though, as he'll likely start out in a mop-up role, based on the incredibly low expectations. If he gets going, I'd expect his confidence to be back, which should really be enough to put him over the top. Don't be surprised if he takes someone's bullpen spot come playoff time.

Josh Fields needs to have a big month more so than any of the other September call-ups. With Crede hurt once again, Fields will need to make the most of his playing time and prove to the front office that there was a reason that they guarded him so tightly during trade talks.

JJ Stankevitz: I'm not sure any of them will have a really positive impact, but out of them, I'd say Jerry Owens is the most likely to contribute, with Dewayne Wise on the disabled list. As long as Owens stays in that role and doesn't start—like he did the other night in Cleveland—he'll be a fairly important piece in the stretch run.

Chris Pennant: I'm interested to see what Jerry Owens can do. Hopefully, he's been thinking about this September since Spring Training and has been hungry to get the chance to prove himself. He's changed his stance up, but otherwise, I haven't seen any different plate approach. He will be important for the Sox as a late-inning pinch-runner or defensive replacement in the absence of DeWayne Wise.

Past that, Mike MacDougal has looked pretty good and could be a valuable asset out of the bullpen.

2. Other than the Minnesota series, what are the three biggest games for the Sox this month?

CW: Without a doubt the most important games aside from the Minnesota series are the next ones: three home games against the Angels. The Angels are one of the best teams in the American League, and the Twins will be playing AT HOME against THE TIGERS at the same time.

It is crucial for the White Sox to play well in an environment they have succeeded in (at home) against a premier team, because it's likely that the Twins will AT LEAST take two of three from Detroit.

SB: I will go ahead and say this weekend against the front-running Angels. Not only do the White Sox need to get back to their dominant home ways, but they also need to prove that they can win a series against a playoff contender. That is something they haven’t done for a long time.

TB: I'd say the series against the Yankees is just as important as the Twins matchup. That four-game series opens the road trip, and a solid series against the Yanks really builds some much-needed momentum to carry into KC and Minnesota.

The Yankees are fighting for pride and (possibly) a wild-card spot at this point, so playing in front of their home crowd will not be easy. But it will be a good test for the Sox.

JJ: The three games in Kansas City leading up to the series in Minnesota. It's looking more and more like the division will be decided by that three-game series, and I won't feel comfortable unless the Sox go into it with a four-game lead.

At the least, this team needs to build up an advantage before that series, because coming in tied or down could spell certain death in the Metrodome.

CP: I'm going to switch my vote up and say the four with the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The cathedral is coming down a few weeks after that, which means fans will be out in force.

Also, I think the Yankees will still have a mathematical chance to make the postseason. Either way, it'll be a tough series, even with Joba out. The Yanks are in and out, but they can jump up any day of the week.

3. Do you see Ozzie shuffling the pitching rotation to set up his three best for the series at the Metrodome? If so, who should get the call?

CW: I would like to see Ozzie shuffle his rotation for the Twins series. But it's really hard to say who should get the nod. Just two weeks ago I would have said that John Danks should pitch the first game of that series, but after his last two starts, I'm really not sure.

The safe bet would be to go with Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, and whoever's pitching better at the time between Danks and Javier Vazquez. Another factor in Ozzie's decision for that series should be whom the Twins run out there.

SB: With an off day that Monday, it is certainly possible that Ozzie will have that option. I think, at this point, the only two guys that you would want to go to any effort to get into that series are Gavin Floyd, (who has the only win in the dome this year) and the suddenly consistent Javy Vazquez.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Guillen stuck with a guy like Broadway or Richard instead of throwing a tired Danks or the up-and-down Buerhle.

Remember: They may still need to win a few games back home against Cleveland to close out the division. They can’t afford to go for broke in the dome.

TB: I wouldn't think so, only because it's been someone different stepping up every time. The only guarantee is that you won't see a fifth starter in any of those games (Richard, Broadway, etc.)

JJ: I think it would be a good idea, considering that after the series in Minnesota, there are only three games left in the season. If Clayton Richard/Lance Broadway's spot is slated to come up in the Twins series, Ozzie should push that spot back or just drop it from the rotation altogether, considering the Sox have an off-day the Monday before the Twins series.

If I had to pick three starters to go in that series, I'd have to say it should be Floyd, Vazquez, and Danks, but I'm not sure how much of a difference they'll make, considering where the series is being played.

CP: I hope he does. The leading margin in the AL Central hasn't been more than two games since July 28, and the three games in the Metrodome are going to be absolutely huge. You can't afford to trust even one of those games to the Richway tandem, not at this point in time.

I'd go with Vazquez, Floyd and Danks; no Buerhle, just because some of his groundballs might go for hits in the dome.

Bonus: In the wake of the vice-presidential choices, I was surprised to see that Jermaine Dye did not get the Democratic nod for veep. Just for fun, come up with a good "JD for VP" slogan.

CW: Man, I'm not really clever enough to come up with anything like that. The only thing I can think of is trying to play off of the 2005 World Series MVP and say something along the lines of "He's already conquered the World (Series), running the country should be a cinch."

SB: World Series MVPs don’t lie;
Come November: Vote Barack and Dye.

JJ: Why should JD be the VP? Because if Carlos Quentin (the MVP) were to get injured, Dye is more than capable of filling in for him.

CP: I've been working on this since mid-summer, and I think this might be a winner:

"What better man to have as your veep/than the six-five guy with the scar on his cheek.

Jermaine Dye: Barack-ing the vote since 2005."

Hope you enjoyed this week's Voices From the South Side. As always, leave your comments and kudos. If you want to get on the panel, shoot me an email at jakestanley17@yahoo.com.

Sox Talk: Volume Two, Issue One

Chris Pennant — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:18:45 -0400

Well folks, the White Sox Roundtable is back in action. With the South Siders in the playoff hunt and jousting with the Twins for the AL-Central lead, things get more interesting every day.

Fortunately, we have our Sox Talk panel to clarify things for us. Thanks to Tom Barbee, Collin Whitchurch, and my fellow community leader JJ Stankevitz for contributing to this week's edition of Sox Talk.

So without further ado, let's get into it!

1. After Kenny Williams' surprise trade at the July 31 deadline, my friend had this to say: "Griffey is iffey." It's been almost a month since Junior arrived. Grade the trade.

Collin Whitchurch: Due to the fact that the White Sox gave up absolutely nothing for Griffey, this grade can get no less then a C from me. Unless, somehow, Griffey finishes the season with less then a .215 batting average (Paul Konerko's average at the time of the trade), it can't possibly be a bad trade.

While Griffey hasn't exactly lit up the world since arriving on the South Side, he's still come up with a few timely RBI and hasn't hurt the team defensively yet. Couple that with the fact that the trade seemingly lit a fire under Konerko (average jumped from .215 to .227 in 16 games since the trade), and I can't give the trade any lower then a "B" right now.

JJ Stankevitz: I wasn't sad that the Sox parted with Richar, seeing as he's blocked by Alexei Ramirez and Chris Getz, with Gordon Beckham waiting in the wings. Even though the bullpen has been stretched lately, Masset was part of the problem, and getting rid of him was addition by subtraction.

The problem with getting Griffey is that he hasn't added a whole lot—his defense has been atrocious, and he hasn't added a whole lot on offense. I'd much rather see Nick Swisher (or better, Brian Anderson/Dewayne Wise) in center than Griffey, as the loss of defense we have with Junior in center has definitely hurt us.

I guess if I had to grade the trade, I'd give it a C—it won't cripple us in the long run and it didn't cost us a whole lot. However, the trade hasn't helped the White Sox a whole lot, either.

Thomas Barbee: My honest grade of the Griffey trade is an A-. The numbers for him haven't been great, but the benefits are beyond the numbers. For one, it lit the respective fires under Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko, and Jim Thome, who were struggling prior to this trade.

By giving Ozzie a full arsenal of power bats, he can plug one of the four into the lineup, based on who's hitting. Another plus is that it gave the Sox some proven depth in the OF—not to mention Reinsdorf will be happy about the additional seats that Griffey will fill.

Truth be told, the analysis of this trade has been a bit overblown. Did the Sox need bullpen help? Yes, desperately. But Kenny Williams didn't want to pay a king's ransom for a guy that may not last past this season. Instead, he gave up two guys that are essentially spare parts (Richar has been bested by Chris Getz in the farm, and Masset never got himself together) for a future Hall of Famer that is, even at this stage of his career, very good.

Chris Pennant: For me, the trade gets a C+. Junior has a double in tonight's game against the Orioles and hit his first Sox homer this past week. I think he's gone through whatever adjustment period he needed and will really start hitting soon.

On the other side, I do not want to see him in center with the defense that Brian Anderson provides, and he didn't contribute much prior to this week (except for his first game against KC).

Junior provides another veteran presence, to be sure, but to this point, he hasn't been the big bat that the Sox could use.

2. The Sox are 20-28 against this season against teams that currently have a winning record (Twins, Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays, Cubs). However, in road games against winning teams, they are 4-18. Can the Sox maintain this trend and still make the playoffs?

CW: I'm not quite sure how much to put into this stat. In 2005, the White Sox were 38-32 against teams with winning records (Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Twins, Angels, and Athletics). However, they were 14-5 against Cleveland and 11-7 against Minnesota, meaning that against teams outside of their division with winning records, they were only 12-20.

Perhaps I'm looking too much into it, but I guess what it all boils down to is that if they can get into the playoffs, despite their atrocious record against winning teams, anything can happen. (3-4 against Boston in '05 regular season and 4-6 against Angels.)

The White Sox have 16 games remaining against teams with winning records and only seven are on the road. The Twins only have 10 games remaining against teams with winning records and seven of them are on the road (the only home series is against the White Sox).

I know, I've gone a little stat crazy here, but I think that if the White Sox continue on their current trend (beat up on the bad teams and hold their own against the good ones), they'll be fine. They've done it all season long and still sit just one-half game out of first place.

JJ: I don't think so. They still have to play Boston (three games), New York (four games), and Minnesota (three games) on the road, in addition to three games against a hot Cleveland team. They're going to have to win these games if they want to make the playoffs, especially the ones against Boston and Minnesota, the two teams the Sox will be battling for a playoff spot down the stretch.

If they can't win those games, they aren't going to make the playoffs.

TB: Well, considering the only team in the A.L. with a winning record on the road is the Angels, I don't think the numbers are particularly startling. Everyone's having a hard time on the road this year and playing top-tier teams makes it that much more difficult. What it comes down to is that the Sox need to simply beat teams that they should beat and try to split/win series against the stronger teams—no matter if it's at home or away.

CP: No matter where you are, I want to win. That's just me. I understand that everyone in baseball is choking on the road this year, though, so I would be happy with the Sox going .500 on the road for the season. To do that, they need to beat the bad teams, as Collin said, and make a strong showing against good teams.

Having said that, I think the Sox can take two of three from the Yankees and the Twins, and possibly win the four-game set with the Angels (as I don't think Ervin Santana's as dominant as he has been.)

3. The previously unknown or forgotten men have come up big for the Sox this year: Carlos Quentin, Alexei Ramirez, Jim Thome, and recently Javier Vazquez and Juan Uribe. Who will have the largest impact for the team down the stretch?

CW: The biggest impact players for the White Sox this season will be the guys whom the team expected to depend on when the season began. Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Javier Vazquez, and Mark Buehrle will all play pivotal roles in getting the team back to the playoffs.

As good as John Danks and Gavin Floyd have been, I'll still trust Vazquez or Buehrle more than them in a season-deciding game. Likewise, while Ramirez, Quentin, and Jermaine Dye have carried the team throughout the season, and I don't expect any of them to dwindle down the stretch, I still fully expect both Konerko and Thome to carry the offense down the stretch.

And with an offense that has those two hitting, coupled with our three stars, it could be an offense to be reckoned with.

JJ: Scott Linebrink, and it may not be in a good way. Octavio Dotel has really struggled since the start of August, as has Matt Thornton. Getting Linebrink back would take a lot of pressure off those two, in addition to D.J. Carrasco, but if he stays out for the rest of the season, the bullpen will continue to struggle to get to Bobby Jenks.

TB: Vazquez and Uribe still have a lot to prove in my opinion. Javy's been pitching better, but that last start against the Rays definitely left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. He needs to be one of the guys that steps it up and pitches late into games, as he's the only other innings-eater besides Buehrle.

With Juan Uribe, I have to believe that as his defense continues to improve, and as he gets more comfortable playing third, that bat will start to come back. When it does, watch out.

CP: Javier Vazquez. He's very close, but he hasn't reached his true potential yet. Earlier in the year, I said that Gavin Floyd would be the X-factor down the stretch. Now that the Sox have switched to a four-man rotation (so I've read on the Sox website), Vazquez has to really turn it on in September. He's turned a corner; he's still vulnerable to a big inning or two.

4. Of the American League teams with a shot at the playoffs, whom would you rather play (or not play) in October?

CW: Even though the White Sox beat them in 2005, the possibility of playing the Red Sox still scares the crap out of me. The team just flat-out knows how to win in October, and Terry Francona is the best big-game manager in baseball right now.

At the same time, the scrappy Rays are to be avoided as well. Sure, they don't have a lot of big-game experience, but they remind me too much of the '05 White Sox, in that they just play the game well and don't get rattled in big moments.

I would absolutely love for the Sox to play the Twins in the playoffs, if both teams make it, as Minnesota has a propensity for choking in the playoffs. The Angels, as good as they've been this season, are also a team I think the White Sox could have success against come playoff time.

JJ: The Rays, no question. I wrote an article during the three-game series over the weekend.

TB: Crazy as it is to say, I'd have to go with the Angels as the team I'd rather see the Sox play. They match up well against them and can also hit their pitching pretty well. So long as they don't try to rely on late-inning heroics, the Sox could take them in a series.

CP: I would much rather see the Red Sox or the Twins than the Angels. If the Yankees make it, I think the Sox could take them as well, but the Angels are way over .500 for a reason. They've been able to win against a loaded offense in the Rangers, and I'm not sure if the Sox could beat them with their recent reliance on the long ball.

The Red Sox have a good team and their pitchers have a propensity to be lights out in the postseason, but I still think the BoSox would have a tough time of it against the ChiSox, as the series in Chicago showed.

The Twins have Perkins and Liriano on right now, but one of them is going to lose it by the end of the regular season. And my goodness, how sweet would it be to send the Twinkies packing?

Bonus: On 670-AM this past Thursday, Boers and Bernstein said they would take the Cubs' "Big Three" of Dempster, Zambrano, and Harden over any of the four starters for the Sox in a playoff game. Do you agree? If not, whom would you switch out?

CW: Even though he's had his playoff struggles, I think I'd still take Carlos Zambrano over any of the White Sox pitchers. Mark Buehrle would be my second choice, over both Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden.

Perhaps I have a White Sox-bias in my decision, as both Dempster and Harden have been unquestionably better then Buehrle this season, but he's always been a big-game pitcher, and I have the utmost confidence that he'd get it done in the clutch, where Dempster and Harden both have yet to prove that.

JJ: I would agree, simply because Zambrano, Dempster, and Harden are all far more consistent than the quartet of Danks/Vazquez/Floyd/Buehrle. In any given week, those four can all be dominant, or three of them can have awful starts.

In the postseason, you really only need three starters, and Zambrano/Dempster/Harden can match up with anyone in baseball, save the Rays at Tropicana Field.

TB: It's hard to disagree with that argument, seeing as the Cubs' "Big Three" are the best in baseball. I'm not as big on Dempster as I am Harden and Zambrano, but the only Sox starter that can possibly compare is John Danks. Even so, Danks doesn't really intimidate hitters the way the Cubs' starters can.

CP: I wouldn't call the Cubs' starters the best in baseball (not with Lackey, Santana, and Saunders killin' it in SoCal), but they are better than the Sox's top four right now, no question.

However, based on the way John Danks pitched at Wrigley, along with the whole year, I would take him over the Cubs' trio. Call me crazy and biased—you'd be right.

That's it for this week's edition of Sox Talk. If you'd like to join the panel, post on my wall or send me an e-mail at jakestanley17@yahoo.com. Thanks, and as always, Go Sox!

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: Sticking and Moving

Chris Pennant — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:38:01 -0400

Amazing, isn't it?

It's crazy how the Sox do so well when they just do what I tell them to do.

Last week, I said that they needed to sweep the Royals—and they did.

I said that a road-series win in Oakland was absolutely necessary. So they went out west and won two of three (and came very close to a sweep).

A 5-2 week has the Sox moving forward with a little speed now, which is always good. But they have a large obstacle to overcome.

They have to win without...Michael Phelps.

What? Did you see the kid this weekend? I'm fairly sure Michael Phelps would be a good arm to have in the fifth-starter's spot.

"Known unknowns" stepping up

As Donald Rumsfeld (or Gin Rummy, if you watch The Boondocks) said, there are such things as "known unknowns," things that we know that we don't know. As confusing as it sounds, we can relate this to the Sox.

For example, we know that Joe Crede's return is unknown. We also know that we don't know how Juan Uribe will perform in his absence. But there was Uribe, getting a critical RBI double on Saturday night and hitting a two-run homer in Sunday's slaughter.

The big man has been playing great defense, while getting on a small, hot streak at the plate while filling in for Crede.

Another known unknown? Javier Vazquez. After the season-ending injury to Jose Contreras, the Sox were without a fifth starter. With that hole, and Vazquez's long slump, the future seemed uncertain. However, Javy has picked it up in a big way lately.

In three of his last four starts, he's allowed three runs in 22 innings while striking out 21. In the month of August, he's 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA, a far cry from the two previous months. Good thing, too, because with the unsteadiness of Gavin Floyd and the loss of Contreras, Vazquez needs to join Mark Buerhle and John Danks as the anchors of the pitching staff.

Before I forget, Lance Broadway turned in a good start against the Royals Thursday afternoon. Before anyone says, "Ah, it was only the Royals," those were the same Royals that crushed the Sox two Sundays ago and won the last series. While the youngster benefited from good defense, he did his job. It would be nice to see him get another few starts in the last month of the season.

No coasting

Just as I said last column, the Twins aren't going away. They toughed out a sweep over the Mariners and hung with the Yankees at home, earning a first-place tie with the Sox going into today's contests. Glen Perkins has stepped his game up in the last few weeks, and as always, Francisco Liriano is Francisco Liriano. They'll be playing as hard as the Fighting Sox these next 39 games.

What's this mean? It means we're going to see a classic division race in these last weeks of the season, one that could be talked about for years to come. While the three games between Minnesota and Chicago are going to be huge, the Sox also have some key series between now and then:

Aug. 22-24 vs. Tampa Bay

The last time the Sox locked up with Tampa Bay, Ozzie had some choice words for the team afterwards. The Rays aren't the same team on the road as they are under the Teflon roof (who isn't?), but they'll be a good test for the Sox. Look out for the Rays' pitcher Edwin Jackson; he has a better ERA away from St. Petersburg and has been throwing better lately.

Aug. 29-31 at Boston

No Manny? No problem for the Red Sox, who have remained in the AL East race due to the acquisition of Jason Bay and a continued run of good baseball. The White Sox stood toe-to-toe with the Red Sox last weekend at Comiskey, but it could be different at Fenway; Boston has a 43-18 record at home.

Sept. 1-3, 29-31 vs./at Cleveland

In 2000, the Rock was screwed out his WWF Championship opportunity by the combined forces of Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, the Big Show, and Shane McMahon. So the Rock had nothing to lose and demonstrated this by becoming a thorn in the Coalition's side for two months.

So it goes with the Cleveland Indians, who are out of playoff contention and have nothing to lose. The Sox need to keep their heads up when they step into the ring with the Tribe, lest they get surprised and lose ground to the Twins.

Sept. 5-7 vs. Los Angeles

The best team in baseball comes into town at the beginning of September, and it would be a huge statement for the Sox to knock them down a bit. The White Sox haven't seen the Angels since May, before they became a juggernaut, and before they acquired Mark Teixeira. This series will be a serious challenge for the White Sox's pitchers, who have to match Joe Saunders, Edwin Santana, and the Angels' bullpen step-for-step.

Stay on your toes

It's popular for a race to the playoffs to be compared to a heavyweight boxing match. However, the Sox and Twins more closely resemble a 15-round middleweight contest.

Both these teams aren't the absolute best in the business, but they can hang with anyone. They are tough, they are resilient, and they will always bring their best.

The difference between them is that the Sox have a lot of power in their arsenal. It seems that they could unleash that devastating knockout blow in any contest with a big home run or long, offensive outburst.

The Twins are better over the long run. They can weather early blows and big shots, hang around, and then unleash a combo in the late innings to lay their opponents down for the count (as evidenced against the Yankees and Mariners).

Basically, the Sox have to play the Twins' game for the first six innings, then look for the long one to knock the Twins on the canvas. They must stay on their toes, keep scoring, defend well, and hit big shots when they can.

No matter what happens, this race is setting up to be a classic fight along the lines of Ali vs. Foreman, the fast vs. the powerful.

And these White Sox? Well, you know they love a fight.

Beast of the Week: Carlos Quentin. He was 6-9 with two homers and five RBI at Oakland, and getting hit six-straight games and not charging the mound? That's a beast.

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: By the Tip of a Finger

Chris Pennant — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:50:32 -0400

Some of you are thinking about this picture.

Some of you are wondering what this picture is doing attached to a baseball article.

Some of you might think I'm a little off for this one.

You're wondering, "Why, Chris, do you have a swimming picture up for this White Sox piece?"

Why?

Because Sunday night's men's 4x100 meter swimming relay serves as a poignant and timely analogy to the AL Central division race—for both teams.

It was all over...

Admittedly, I have not been as excited for this year's Summer Olympics as I have been in the past. I'm a runner, a track athlete by trade, and as a young kid, I followed with interest the victories of Carl Lewis, Marion Jones, Michael Johnson and his gold shoes, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and decathlete Dan O'Brien.

I was glued to the TV for every event, no matter if the U.S. was the favorite or not.

This year, however, I just haven't been interested. Until now.

On Sunday night, at Beijing's Water Cube swimming facility, the American 4x100 meter relay team looked finished. Michael Phelps' first leg time put the U.S. in second, and while Garrett Weber-Gale swam like a man possessed, third man Cullen Jones was soundly outpaced by Frenchman Frederick Bosquet.

Going into the anchor lap, Jason Lezak was a full body length behind Alain Bernard, who looked to deliver on his promise and "smash the Americans."

At the same time, Phelps' quest of eight gold medals looked to fading away.

But a strange thing happened on the way to defeat. As the swimmers reached the final turn and the announcers gave the French the victory, Lezak, for some odd reason, continued to swim his hardest. He didn't coast in, even though Bernard had him by a quarter-second. He didn't cash in his chips. He kept going.

Matter of fact, he started to swim faster. And faster. And faster. And as the wall came into view, he pulled one more time, kicked as hard as he could and touched the wall—hundredths of a second before Bernard.

The U.S. had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, and won the gold medal.

These are the times

"So what, Chris?" you're asking. "What does this have to do with the playoff race?"

As the Twins hold that slender half-game lead over the White Sox heading into tonight's action, we see a pair of teams who have had similar seasons, almost in reverse.

Twins' ace Francisco Liriano just returned from surgery and rehab a few weeks ago, while Sox pitcher Jose Contreras just had his season end due to a major injury.

The Twins had injuries to position players early in the year, leading to the emergence of Denard Span. The White Sox's recent run of injured players has led to the breakout season of Alexei Ramirez and the return of Juan Uribe.

And most importantly, in a division where they were predicted to finish third and fourth, the Sox and Twins are fighting it out for the division lead. And much like the race on Sunday, it doesn't matter how they got there or who's in the lead on the final day.

All the matters is who touches the wall first.

How it all stacks up

I came to write about the White Sox, but when you have a history dating back to the beginning of the decade, you have to talk about the Twins. And to the untrained eye, it would appear that Minnesota has the advantage.

Their young pitchers (Slowey, Blackburn, Perkins) have done well their last few outings, and Liriano is Liriano. They've made good showings against the Sox this season, and all the rest of the games between the two teams will be on Twins' turf—literally.

But the White Sox have shown that they have no quit in them. Twice in the past three weeks, they've been on the canvas versus the Tigers, one strike away from defeat, and twice, they've pulled out a victory.

After last year's debacle versus Boston, the White Sox earned a series split with the so-called "Right" Sox (as the signs said), and had John Danks gotten out of the seventh inning, they might have won the four-game set.

The Fighting Sox will not give up. Even with their starting third and first basemen out or struggling, pitchers on the shelf, and Ken Griffey Jr. not living up to his billing as a hot bat late in the season, the Sox are still contending.

After breaking even last week at 3-3, and especially after losing the weekend series to KC, some (including myself) are questioning whether the Sox are cut out to finish strong and put the Twins in the rear-view mirror.

I have resolved that the Twins will not be in the rear-view mirror anytime soon, and neither will the Sox. Last week, I said that the ChiSox needed a winning streak or a run of 7-3 or 8-2 to set the Twins back on their heels. This week, they have a prime opportunity to do just that.

While the Twins do have the tough Yankees for two more (and an uphill battle versus Mike Mussina tonight), they are at home until next Thursday and have a great opportunity to get hot.

The Sox have been matching Minnesota step for step, and winning three versus Kansas City would put the Twinkies on the hot seat for sure. Plus, a road-series win this weekend versus the A's would be good for the team and the fans, who are always uneasy under the lights of the Oakland Coliseum.

"We got 'em right where we want 'em!"

Those words spring to mind when thinking of that iconic swimming race from Sunday night. I don't know if Jason Lezak is a Broncos fan or not, but Keith Bishop's quote surely rang true as Lezak stunned the French in Beijing.

The White Sox have can do the same in the last month and a half of the season. It would be easy for the Twins to see the Sox as banged up and out of it at this point. They have the home-field advantage when it counts, and the Sox have been hard-pressed to win at the Triple H Metrodome.

However, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Nick Swisher has a sign up somewhere in the Sox clubhouse with those words on it.

"We got 'em right where we want 'em."

Beast of the Week: D.J. Carrasco. While the Sox made an easy choice in his entrance music (Lil Wayne's "Go DJ"), they might need to pick a new Weezy song soon: "Fireman." Carrasco has been just short of stellar for the Sox in holding down the opposition.

He came in and did his job Saturday night against Boston after Contreras went down, and kept the South Siders in the game. Let's hope the Vinyl Spinner can get a quality start Thursday against the Royals.

Until next time, let the Sock fly on and as always, keep waving the Pennant.

What's Good: The Man Who Said Too Much, Part Two

Chris Pennant — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:04:20 -0400

We've all got that friend.

You know what I'm talking about. The friend whom you love hanging out with, but you try to keep away from other people.

The friend whom you know might raise a few eyebrows or rub certain people the wrong way.

Yes. I see you know what I'm talking about. You probably just rolled your eyes and said, "That friend."

Well, for the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie Guillen is that friend. And once again, it looks like he's getting on other people's nerves.

Here we go again

I didn't pick up today's Sun-Times. Mostly because I didn't have time, but partially because the Sox hadn't played the day before.

In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't, as Jay Mariotti probably would have had some more to say about Sunday's game against Kansas City. Seeing as how Jay has made many of his checks by hating on the Wiz, there was no doubt a double feature about how Guillen is a classless individual that's ruining the already sordid image of America's pastime, throw in a Barry Bonds reference, talk about the time he called me a 'fag', blah blah blah.

This is not to diminish the event. I am not a proponent of fighting, and even though I still crow about the haymaker James Shields threw at Coco Crisp on my birthday, I never want to see someone get seriously hurt playing baseball, which is, at its core, a child's game.

But the facts are out there: Fighting happens in baseball. Players get hit all the time. Some of them think it's for a reason. Words are exchanged, punches fly, benches clear, and SportsCenter has its lead for the late show. It's a circle of life kind of thing.

What happened to the old school?

The big story out of this is not just that players fought and suspensions were handed out. The big story was that Ozzie publicly admitted that he has ordered pitchers to throw at people.

It really wasn't a secret to Sox fans. You listen on the radio or watch on TV, and you'll hear Ed Farmer or Hawk Harrelson say some equivalent of, "Well, you knew that was coming." They're former ballplayers; they know the score. In fact, they've mentioned many a time that you used to see it way more often than you do now.

When I was younger, I couldn't believe it. In little league, I got hit in the knee once and after that, I was a little cautious (to put it mildly) about leaning over the plate. So why would a major league manager order a purpose pitch?

Now that I'm older, I realize that it serves just that: a purpose. Goose Gossage was quoted last week, before being inducted into the Hall of Fame, that he would throw pitches way inside to keep batters honest and scare them a little. That intimidation factor kept opposing hitters from getting comfortable against him.

Sure sounds like a good strategy.

Besides that, Farmer will mention from time to time that if you were to hit a homer off Don Drysdale, you were getting plunked in your next at-bat. It was that simple. What's more, players knew it was coming and accepted it. They might take a trip to the mound and have a "discussion" with Drysdale, but it was part of the game.

Now, you have warnings, ejections, suspensions, and all kinds of policing measures. And I'm not sure why or when things changed.

To punish an honest man

I just read an article by fellow BR writer Jerry Burnes, saying that Ozzie needed to be punished more severely by the White Sox for his actions. He also said what many people throughout the sports media have been saying since he was hired: Ozzie is a distraction.

One, I don't see him as a distraction. I see Ozzie as a passionate, in-the-game manager that knows when to step back, and who knows when to fire his team up. He's said over and over that the Sox flopped when he mellowed out last year, so he was not going to hold back this year.

Two, I don't believe it's fair to punish Ozzie for being honest. There are other managers in baseball that have had a longer career that Guillen, and I guarantee you they've ordered some purpose pitches in their lifetime. But to single out the one person that was forthcoming? Wrong.

Ozzie Guillen deserves better treatment than he has gotten from the Chicago, and national, media. They treat him like a clown or a carnival sideshow. I've heard many people deride his accent before they criticize his managing style, which is wrong as well.

But I like Ozzie for his forthrightness, honesty, and unwillingness to sit back and let things happen to him or his team.

He's made mistakes. He shouldn't have called Jay Mariotti a fag. He shouldn't have screamed at Sean Tracey. He shouldn't have come at Dave Duncan's head. He's made mistakes.

But so have you and I. The only difference is that our mistakes aren't headline news the next day.

Besides, you haven't heard the players come out and say that Ozzie is bad for the White Sox. If they don't mind him leading them, why should we?

In the end, that's what's good.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: To Win or Die Trying? That Is the Question

Chris Pennant — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:41:47 -0400

Obviously, I shouldn't have gone to Lollapalooza.

While it was a great weekend of music, and definitely deserved the title of "concert event of the summer", the White Sox went 0-2 while I was at the festival.

Sorry, guys, my bad. Rage Against the Machine and Kanye West (among others) were just too good to pass up.

All joking aside, it's getting tense. It's always tense when you're out of first place after sitting at the top for so long. It's always tense when you're losing important games to the long-time bottom feeder of your division.

It's always tense when that same team that you've been battling against for so long starts to heat up and gets their best pitcher back.

The smiles are gone, the muscles are tight, and the strain is evident in the White Sox. They're close to cracking, and it's going to take more than a stick of Kid Dynamite to get the ChiSox back to the top of the AL Central.

Hard times on the road

The White Sox have gotten rid of their streakiness as of late and become a consistent team. Unfortunately, that consistency is on losing side of the score sheet.

They're consistently making errors, getting less-than-solid pitching, leaving runners on base, and giving away leads late in games. This all adds up to consistent losing.

Is this true? Can it really be? Could I really be this down on the Sox when I've been so optimistic, even back in April when they lost seven in a row on the road?

Yes.

This is not what you want to see from a contending club, especially on the road. After starting out well and taking two of three from Detroit, the Sox flopped in Minnesota and gave the Twins momentum before losing to the Royals, who are quickly becoming a more annoying and prickly adversary for the South Siders.

It's hard for me to say what's more aggravating: The Twins taking over first place, the Sox's inability to win on the road, the superball Astroturf of the Metrodome, or the complete bitchassness (credit to Diddy for that one) of Zack Greinke.

These days, any one would be enough for me to immediately frown and utter the words "those lousy Cubs" over and over.

I just can't help it: It hurts so much to see the Cubs succeed while the Sox are floundering.

When the going gets tough

However angry I am, I do realize that nothing has been decided yet. It's only Aug. 5, and there are more than 50 games left in the season. Now it's up to the Fighting Sox to keep that mind as well.

They have a good amount of games on the road, and even though the just-finished road trip wasn't great at 4-6, they have a couple of wins to hold on to as good examples.

Obviously, the Twins have been on a roll as of late, and they drew the easier stick this weekend in playing the down-and-out Indians. With Francisco Liriano finally back in their rotation, they'll be tough.

However, they're embarking on a road trip of their own to Seattle and Kansas City before coming back dome (I meant the pun) to face a rejuvenated New York squad. Time for them to watch the scoreboard.

But you can't let the other team do the work for you. The Sox need to start doing the little things right, and it starts with the pitching and the defense. Sending Clayton Richard down was a statement move, but with Contreras still rehabbing, no one's a lock to be the fifth starter.

The defense gave way in a close game against Minnesota last Thursday, and the Sox need to prevent that from happening this week against Detroit and the onrushing BoSox. Both Detroit and Boston are good teams, and good teams will punish mistakes.

The time is now

John Cena's catchphrase may immediately draw boos from WWE fans, but the Pale Hose should use it as a rallying cry. A run of wins early in the month might not set the Twins back on their heels, but it will make them pay attention to the Sox and the scoreboard each night.

More to the point, a couple of good winning streaks would give the Sox some much-needed confidence, something they didn't have on the road this week. While they always step it up at Comiskey, they'll need something extra with home series against the Red Sox and Rays this month.

Plus, the Royals come into town next Tuesday. If that doesn't light a fire under the Fight Sox, the pinwheels will be dark come October.

And Lupe Fiasco's prediction of a White Sox-Cubs World Series will fade away as quickly as the weed smoke from Lollapalooza.

Let the sock fly on, and until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

Manny Ramirez Traded to Chicago Bears for Rex Grossman, Landmark Status (Humor)

Chris Pennant — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:17:09 -0400

The Chicago Bears have finally added the arm they have needed in their backfield.

And no, it's not Brett Favre.

After Manny Ramirez made it clear that the Boston Red Sox were considering making a deal with the Green Bay Packers (see above photo), the Bears swooped in and traded star-crossed quarterback Rex Grossman to Boston for the 12-time MLB All-Star.

The Bears will assume the duration of Ramirez's contract—however, they will not exceed the salary-cap limit for this year.

"It's a great move for both teams," said Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, at the team's press conference.

"We needed a quarterback that could effectively lead the team and could throw the deep ball. Although Manny's had an easy time of it playing in front of the Green Monster, we believe that he'll soon be hooking up with Devin [Hester] regularly on deep routes."

The move will make both Grossman and Ramirez the first two-sport athletes since Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson in the early 1990s.

"It was just time for Manny to move in a different direction," said Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, in a written statement. "He wasn't happy here, and hopefully he'll be able to better showcase his talents and personality on the football field. We wish him all the best."

Both Chicago and Boston players seemed surprised but satisfied with the deal.

"This kid Grossman's got a cannon. Forget the cutoff man—he can get it into the catcher from the base of the wall before the runner's rounding third," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "I did hear that he had some accuracy problems though. Any word on that?"

"Well, he's not a scrambler—from what I've seen when he hits a home run, he'll be a pocket passer," said Bears veteran center Olin Kreutz. "Still, he'll be a leader on this team, and he should feel right at home. I think he said that Kyle Orton's beard reminds him of playing with Johnny Damon."

Also included in the deal were the extra seats the Bears added in their 2003 stadium renovations. With the removal of the seats, Soldier Field will return to its former national landmark status.

The Red Sox organization plans to divide the seats among Fenway Park, TDBanknorth Garden, and Gillette Stadium. Team insiders said that while some seats would be added to the exclusive "Monster Seats" in left field, one special seat would be situated atop Pesky's Pole down the right-field line.

When asked how the usually strait-laced Bears would work with Ramirez, Angelo responded with a surprising comment.

"In a place like Chicago, they'll love him and we'll love him, too. Who wouldn't want to see a quarterback high-five one of the fans after he throws a touchdown?"

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: And the Sock Flies On

Chris Pennant — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:30:51 -0400

I worked the late shift today at the Millennium Park Grill concession stand. It was a usual Friday: tourists, families, and concertgoers descended on the park and stretched out our closing time. Surprisingly, this turned out to be a boon for two reasons.

One, I would get more hours on the clock (which I desperately need; schoolbooks and Lollapalooza tickets ain't cheap).

Two, I would be able to catch most of the Sox-Twins opener at 7 PM.

Unfortunately for me, the Sox were playing Detroit at 6 PM. As such, I missed the first inning and a half. And by the time we finally packed up the stand, the Sox were down 5-4, courtesy of a Carlos Guillen home run.

AM radios don't work underground (as we all know), so I was forced to believe the awful, awful truth: the White Sox had lost.

After all, it was a road game against the Tigers. The Sox have been less than great on the road this year, and they were swept by Detroit on their last visit to Comerica Park. So what else was I to think?

More than just a throwback jersey

When I watch this year's edition of the Sox, I'm reminded of Richard Roeper's quote about his beloved 1977 "South Side Hitmen":

"They had barely any pitching. Their defense was sometimes frightening. But oh, could they swing the bats."

The 2008 Sox can pitch, but the guys who were solid in the first half seem to be losing their luster (see: Gavin Floyd, Boone Logan). Their defense, aside from the play of Orlando Cabrera, Alexei Ramirez, and Jermaine Dye, is another bobbled ball away from porous.

But oh my, can they swing the bats.

The Fighting Sox are seemingly set-up to stage late rallies and pound on teams when they least expect it. The big boppers are doing most of the damage at the moment, but with Crede and Ramirez hiding out in the bottom of the lineup, anything can happen at anytime with this team.

Winning ugly is still winning

The ChiSox did not play well tonight. They didn't play well against Texas, and they really didn't play that well against Kansas City. But here they sit, with a 4-3 record in their first seven games after the break and a three-and-a-half game lead over the Twinkies.

Granted, the Twins ran into a hot Yankees team during the week, and had to deal with the enigma that is Cliff Lee tonight, but the Sox have been winning enough to further cushion their cushion.

The defense has been betraying the team since at least the beginning of June. I was noticing that the Sox were committing errors at a faster pace; it seemed somewhere around two or three a game. However, they stayed in the lead due to a good top three in the rotation and a power-packed offense. That is where they stand today.

The Sox haven't been winning with style and grace, but even at 4-3 over the last week, they've been winning.

A late show

Hopefully, not all the wins will be in the later innings, but the Sox have shown a tendency to come through in the clutch. The two extra-inning efforts over the Royals in early June were key, as well as the payback win over C.J. Wilson and the Rangers on Wednesday.

Even the rallies that come up short, such as the one on the 13th in Texas or on Throwback Jersey Day this past Sunday, are confidence builders for a team. Those games give a ballclub a feeling of "okay, we've been here before" if they're trailing into the last three innings.

It's going to take more than just the Dynamic Duo of Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quentin to carry the team, though. As always, here's what the Sox need to continue their winning ways.

More drama in the OC

Orlando Cabrera is probably a one-and-done player for the black pinstripes. But as long as OC produces, I don't care. He's been hitting well out of the leadoff spot, he's a baserunning threat (which the Sox don't have otherwise), and he's an ace in the field.

'Lando and the Real A-Ram (I just keep hanging nicknames on this kid) have combined to make the Sox infield very solid for the last two months, and Nick Swisher is above average at first. As long as Cabrera continues to set the table, the Sox have a good shot at scoring.

The Terrific Tandem, the Dynamic Duo

By which I mean Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye. All season long, I've switched my tune back and forth: "Carlos Quentin is a beast." "Jermaine Dye is a beast." Well, they both are, and right now, they're both on for the White Sox. You need evidence?

How about CQ delivering a single with the Sox down to their last strike and then JD crushing a homer in cavernous Comerica Park with Todd "I'm Channeling Goose Gossage's Beard" Jones on the mound?

These guys are doing work, son. As the Hawk might say, they should be All-State in two states.

The best defense...is a good defense

Make plays. Period. I'm tired of seeing errors in the box score every time I buy the newspaper—and I only buy the paper if the Sox won the night before. I like Josh Fields, but I didn't like him botching a surefire double play in the fourth tonight.

He and the rest of the infield, Cabrera and Ramirez included, need to hold the errors down and keep the pitchers in a rhythm.

Pitching is a part of the defense as well, and the Sox pitching staff has fallen into a bit of a slump. Gavin Floyd battled tonight, but he hasn't looked great in his last few starts.

Javy has been out of it since the beginning of June, and Contreras is on the disabled list (take that however you like.) Combine that with the absence of Scott Linebrink and Boone Logan's climbing ERA, and you have a recipe for trouble.

D.J. Carrasco has been a nice addition to the roster, however. He's successfully put out two fires by my count and picked up the win tonight with a scoreless two-thirds of an inning, lowering his ERA to 1.64. Logan also struck out the only batter he faced. But it's getting to the point where arms get tired, so the pitchers have to dig deep.

And as the sock flies on...

As we finished cleaning equipment and preparing for tomorrow, my friend Nick came in with some unbelievable news. Apparently, the Sox had won 6-5, on a Jermaine Dye homer. The thought was almost impossible: the Sox, a comeback win on the road?

Lo and behold, it was more than a thought. These are the Fighting Sox, who go out and battle to the finish line every night. With some key guys doing the right things and a little bit of luck, they might just fight their way into October.

Welcome to baseball on the South Side of Chicago. Keep a bottle of Tums handy and enjoy the ride, Sox fans.

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

White Sox Week in Review: The Fighting Sox (Part Three)

Chris Pennant — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:11:21 -0400

So we're finally here. Friday, July 18.

Baseball is back in Chicago.

I can hear the collective sighs of relief...and the underlying apprehension.

After all, when you live in Chicago, and your team is in first, you don't usually have the mindset of, "Wow, it's really nice to be in this spot! Let's start buying up playoff tickets!"

It's more of a, "Man, these guys are banged up; they're due for a letdown any day now. Hey you, quit hitching that bandwagon up!"

So baseball is back on the South Side of Chicago. Where do we go from here?

Buy or sell?

The big questions all year for the White Sox have been Paul Konerko and Jim Thome. They both got off to slow starts, which everyone said was excusable. But then Paulie K went on the disabled list and Thome still wasn't hitting.

The murmurs could be heard on every postgame show, every message board, and every White Sox blog: Is it time? Is Paulie done? Should we trade Thome?

Of course, since it's Chicago, those questions were actually definite statements, usually heard with that unique Chicago accent (you remember how the Superfans used to say "sausage"? People in my town really talk like that).

Either way, Paulie went on the DL and Jim Thome looked like he could only hit home runs. Heading into the break, Jimmy T started to heat up and Konerko came off the injured list, but the questions were still in the air.

Were the two sluggers dead weight for the Sox? Would they ever turn the corner?

My take is this: Paul Konerko does not look like he'll regain his '04/'05 form. He has half a season, and who knows what could happen. But there are many doubts in my mind as to whether we'll see the Sox captain start to really hit.

Jim Thome will cool down with the weather, I think. I hope I'm wrong, but he's that kind of streaky. I am glad that he was paying attention to me, though; did you notice how Thome started to hit more doubles?

Bottom line: I wouldn't let either of them go. The intangibles of both players are too large to ignore. Imagine a three through six of Dye, Thome, Quentin, and Konerko? Along with Alexei Ramirez in the two-spot and Joe Crede in the seven-hole, that's a formidable lineup on any day.

How to stay on top

There are a lot of things that have to happen for the White Sox to take the crown come October. Even with the batting slumps and pitching inconsistencies, they've dealt with few injuries. But a letdown at any time in August, or even the end of this month, could spell the end, especially with those lousy Twins right behind the ChiSox.

What's the formula to success?

Five parts seven-inning starting pitchers

The Sox bullpen has been absolutely top notch this season. But there is always the inevitable point in time where arms get tired and control gets less than pinpoint. To keep the relievers at peak condition, the Sox starters have to stay at the top of their game and go deep into games.

With Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel, and Boone Logan able to safely pitch one inning each, the seventh and eighth innings are taken care of. All the starters need to do is go at least six or seven innings every start, even without their best stuff. This goes strongly for Jose Contreras, Javy Vazquez, and Gavin Floyd.

A few cups of good defense

In '05, it was Juan Uribe and Joe Crede. These days, it's Jermaine Dye and Alexei Ramirez.

They have been throwing the leather around the field as if baseballs were in short supply, and the rest of the team needs to follow suit. Carlos Quentin looks like he's receiving a crash course in playing left field, and Joe C's old glove might be on its last legs (or webs.)

The defensive effort has to be better. The White Sox are simply allowing too many four-out innings.

Sprinkle in the timely hits

You know why the All-Star Game didn't end on Tuesday night? It wasn't because Bud Selig conspired with the umps to stretch things out for ratings (helllooooo, Tim Donaghy!). It was because that timely hit wouldn't come. Carlos Guillen's leadoff double in the 12th was left out there, and the same happened when the National League got runners on base.

The White Sox can't afford to strand runners on base. I'm going to keep saying it: Comiskey Park plays like launch pad in July and August, and take it from me: It's way past the point of heating up in Chicago.

No lead is ever safe, and the Sox need to improve their team batting average with RISP.

Stir with managerial discipline

Ozzie's been worked over the coals a lot this season, due to the White Sox's well-publicized internal disputes. He's the lightning rod of the team, but he's stated that he likes it that way, as it takes the spotlight off the players.

The Wiz is no rookie skipper, but this summer is going to be more under the microscope with the implications of the Sox and Cubs potentially making the playoffs.

The professional sportswriters (along with the likes of you and me, of course) are going to be armchair managing every move Ozzie Guillen makes, so it's up to him to make the right ones.

And finally, add in a pinch of the X-factor!

It's hard to decide who could step out and just propel the Sox to the postseason. "The Quiet Storm" A.J. Pierzynski has been much less vocal that previous seasons, so it could be him. It could be my favorite bench player, Dewayne Wise, or maybe even Brian Anderson finally having a real breakout half.

But the real X-Factor of the team? Gavin Floyd.

He can either be unhittable in the second half or completely fall apart. He was the biggest surprise for the Sox coming out of the gate, but it's up to him to maintain his success. As everyone's said, Gavin's a flyball pitcher and that didn't serve him well down at Texas last Friday. Will he be able to win at Comiskey?

"Let's cinch it up and hunker down..."

Nothing is easy from here on out. Everyone's gunning for the Sox: the teams in the Central division, their potential postseason opponents (watch out for the Angels), the prognosticators who picked everyone but the Sox, and the people who just think we're destined to fail (paging Jay Mariotti).

It's going to be a real fight to the finish.

Thank goodness these are the Fighting Sox, ay?

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

White Sox Week In Review: The Fighting Sox (Part Two)

Chris Pennant — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:58:03 -0400

Wednesday is not my favorite day of the week.

After all, the best night of primetime TV programming just passed. The weekend is still two days away. And being that Wednesday is the exact middle of the week, it just seems to take the longest time to pass by.

I can honestly say that I'm not a fan of Wednesdays.

But today, Wednesday is especially aggravating. Today, Wednesday is as annoying as bird poop on the shoulder or the shirtless fans at football games.

Today is the Wednesday after baseball's All-Star Game. Today is Wednesday, July 16.

Today, there is no baseball.

And I hate it.

However, there is a silver lining to the lack of America's Pastime today: it gives me ample time to get back to writing about the fortunes of my beloved White Sox.

"And we're halfway home!"

As I said in my Part one article, these are the Fighting Sox. Call them what you want: the Fighting Sox; the Chicago Whine Sox; the South Side Hit-Each Others. The bottom line is that these ChiSox have made it to first place and staked their claim to contention.

They got to this spot with good starting pitching and an amazing bullpen. John Danks and Gavin Floyd were the two big question marks heading into the season, and they have dazzled hometown fans and opponents alike.

The bullpen, which was just a bit less than solid in 2007, has made a 180-degree turn this year. Scott Linebrink has been solid (save for his few opportunities to close), and along with Matt Thornton, Boone Logan, and Bobby Jenks, the Sox bullpen has been shutting the door on teams from the seventh inning on.

At this point, I feel it's time to give some first-half awards. After coming up with the prized Beast of the Week Award, I figure it's time to give the guys some spotlight who don't often see it.

So while you'll see some predictable names here, some of these players have had a larger impact on the White Sox than you'd think.

The "Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick" Award goes to...Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye

As the Sox offense began to cool off at the end of April, CQ shouldered the weight and quickly began a fan favorite around Chicago.

His "I'm glad to be here to play baseball" attitude can come off as a bit aloof and prickly, but hey, he's glad to be here and playing baseball.

But Carlos couldn't stay hot the whole season and when his batting average took a slight dip, Jermaine Dye began to heat up. In a season filled with inconsistency at the dish, these two guys really picked it up in the clutch.

JD has been the big man the last month and a half, starting during interleague play.

The "Who Is That Masked Man?" Award goes to...Toby Hall and Nick Masset

Way, way back in May, someone called into the Sox postgame show and complained about Toby Hall. They said that they'd like to see someone with more offense backing up A.J. Pierzynski.

This led me to check Toby's stats, and at the time, he was batting somewhere north of .350. The next day, he had four hits in four at-bats. Hall's average has dropped off to this point, but he's still batting in the .270s, very good for a guy going out every three or four days.

The big guy doesn't run well, but what catcher does? (If their name isn't Mark Johnson...)

Nick Masset's theme song should be "Fireman" by Lil' Wayne. In June, Javier Vazquez and Jose Contreras just about wilted in the Chicago heat, and Masset was the guy who had to come out and keep the opposition from scoring six more runs or whatever the case might have been.

Needless to say, he came out and did the job. He doesn't have the stuff to be a starter, but Nick Masset can come out and give the Sox bullpen a rest when needed.

The "Kenny Williams Got Moneyballed by Who, Exactly?" Award goes to...Alexei Ramirez

Ah, the Cuban Missile. The kid is like baseball's equivalent of Rey Mysterio. Rudy from Notre Dame might have told Ramirez that he was too small to play baseball (at least until he met David Eckstein.)

He sure didn't look like a big pickup when he was batting .140, but since Juan Uribe went on the shelf, the Answer has made a big impact on the White Sox. His defense is absolutely stellar, he can make contact, and he has power hidden somewhere in that 175-pound frame.

Bet you Billy Beane wouldn't mind Alexei Ramirez on his team—or having Nick Swisher back, for that matter.

The Employee of the Month Award goes to...A.J. Pierzynski, John Danks, and Dewayne Wise

A.J. Pierzynski should have made the All-Star team. John Danks should have 10 wins by now. Dewayne Wise is a utility player that I'm sure a few other teams would like to have right about now.

It's just about as simple as that. These are the guys who just go out and play. They don't make headlines; they just do their job and do it well.

I'm sure there are a few other names that should be on here, and it's up to you to include them. Comment with some other creative awards and who should get them!

Now, it's time to get down to business. The season is not close to being over, but a bad finish to July could put the Sox in a deep hole.

What do the Sox need to do to stay on top? Who should stay and who should go? Will the Twins be the main ones in the fight, or can the Tigers make a run as we head towards August?

All this and more in Part Three of the White Sox Week in Review. Until then, keep waving the Pennant!

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: The Fighting Sox (Part One)

Chris Pennant — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:02:11 -0400

The Fighting Sox are in first place.

They fought and fought and fought. They fought the critics who said they would finish fourth and wouldn't even contend. They fought the rain and the cold early in the season.

They fought the hitting slumps. They fought the road trips. They fought the early favorites, and they fought the Astroturf infields.

A lot of the time, they fought with each other.

The Fighting Sox, as I've dubbed them, pointed a lot of fingers and called each other a lot of names. The local media ate it up, splashed it on the sports pages, and laughingly compared the Sox to the "above it all" Cubs.

Frankly, things didn't look good.

But while the Sox fought with each other in the dugout, and the offices, and the newspaper headlines, they also fought on the field. They fought through the early-game deficits and the late-inning nail-biters, and they've fought all the way to first place.

First place at the All-Star break.

Where do we go from here?

I was asked if the Sox should be buyers or sellers at the All-Star break. I've been thinking long and hard about this question since it was posed, and the major obstacle to any conclusive answer is team chemistry. Every day, Ozzie's telling us that the team is close, then they go out and start yelling at each other again.

And when Jermaine Dye is reported to be having words with someone, something has to be up.

Pitching-wise, the Sox should be fine. I wouldn't want the team to spend the boat on a big-name free agent anyway. As cold as it may sound, I want to see the pitching staff sink or swim.

Aside from that, it's difficult. Whom should the ChiSox cut loose and who should they bring in? A big bat to protect the heart of the order? A speedster with solid defense? Or a role player with intangibles, a la Geoff Blum?

I wish I could answer this question, but I have work at 9 AM. And as the All-Star Game just doesn't want to end, do it like Kirby and the Twins:

We'll see you tomorrow night!

Until then, keep waving the Pennant.

Open Mic: What's Good: The "Sport" Of Bowling, Or Why I Love Rolling (the) Rock

Chris Pennant — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:14:24 -0400

I leave for Detroit in about 10 hours. I'm going to pack up my bags, hang out with my girlfriend one more time, sleep on the bus home and then catch a ride with my good friend to Detroit.

Why?

A bowling tournament.

Quick: hold the face you just made and go check it in front of a mirror. Is it a look of shock? Perplexity? Downright mirth?

Tournaments can be held for anything from pool to horseshoes to competitive eating (speaking of which, congratulations to all the participants in the Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.) But just because it has a tournament, a trophy, and a winner doesn't mean it's a sport.

Bowling has all these elements. It also has a pro tour, a governing body (both internationally and in the U.S.), regulated equipment, a wide fan base, and is easy to play. Yet, people scoff when us rolling-rock kids contend that bowling belongs on the same perch as basketball, baseball, and your other well-recognized sports.

Unfortunately for all you naysayers, bowling is a sport.

More than just fooling around

This tournament I'm heading to is the USBC Junior Gold National Championships. Over 1700 youth bowlers from the age of 13 to 22 have been preparing since last August to bowl for $100,000 in scholarship money and a spot on Junior Team USA.

And a trophy, of course.

"But it's bowling," you say. "You pick up the ball and roll it. I could do this. Where do I sign up?"

Consider that an estimated 75 percent of the players (no, make that 85) at this tournament has rolled a 300. The perfect game. 12 strikes in 10 frames. In a sanctioned league, no less, while bowling in an alley filled with noisy kids, a smoky-bar, and bar-hoppers.

Don't forget about overpriced food and games if it's a Brunswick Zone.

Still think you can win this tournament?

All-around greats

Bowling has been around since who knows when. There are probably hieroglyphs of pharaohs rolling the heads of defeated enemies into their dismembered limbs, seeing as that's how every sport seems to have started. In those thousands of years, it has advanced technologically to the point where pinsetters are electronically-controlled, the oil machines are computer-controlled, and the balls are manufactured down to the tiniest detail.

It takes of years of lessons and practice (not to mention a good amount of money) to make it onto the PBA (Professional Bowling Association) Tour, and even then, the best can have a bad day and shoot 150.

"That sounds like a good score," you say. "I can barely make 100."

Well, the difference between Pete Weber's 150 and your 100 is that his might cost him $50,000. Yours only cost you three dollars.

Still think this is an easy game to play?

The best of the best

It's funny that everyone knows how hard it is to shoot a 300 or convert a 7-10 split, but no one thinks that bowling is a sport. Even if you do absolutely everything right on that perfect game or spare conversion, something could go wrong.

You could pull the ball at the bottom of the swing. Some overzealous fan could start cheering too early. A light could blink in your line of vision, and POOF! That perfect strike is a seven-count, and that 7-10 split is rolling down the gutter.

Simply put, bowling is a sport of mental toughness. One has to be able to rise above the small distractions, the aches and pains or the stigma of last week's loss. That, like any other sport, is what separates the best from the best.

Plus, pro bowlers aren't old, fat guys with tacky shirts and blue-and-red shoes. The Hall of Famers? Pete Weber has never tipped the scales at any more that 175 pounds. Norm Duke looks like one of Santa's Little Helpers, and Parker Bohn III resembles a sitcom dad from the '80s, not a man with over $2 million in career earnings.

Point is, these guys stay in shape and prepare week in and week out to be the absolute best they can be. Even if they aren't, so what? Albert Pujols doesn't get a hit every night.

Imagine...

So the next time you head up to the alley with your friends on a Friday night, imagine this scene.

The TV lights are blinding. The oil runs forty feet down the lane, and Pete Weber is up in the tenth. If he strikes out, you need to throw three in a row to beat him.

PDW, sunglasses hiding his eyes, takes three, four, five steps to the line and whips a tumbling ball down the lane. The eyes of the crowd follow it as it hangs right until three feet before the pins, until.....WHAM! A bone-rattling, fear-inducing strike.

Weber screams at the frothing audience, turns and stares you down, then raises his arms and gives you his patented "D-Generation-X" crotch chop.

"Suck it, bitch," he whispers to you as he walks back to his seat.

Now open your eyes, take a deep breath, and try to throw that strike.

Still think bowling is easy? Or is it what's really good?

Back on July 14th. Until then, keep waving the Pennant.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: That's What!

Chris Pennant — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:25:16 -0400

No one thought it was gone.

The big-spending fans in the Scout Seats behind the plate didn't think so. Hawk and DJ didn't think so. Farmer and Stoney didn't think so.

No one in the ballpark tonight thought that Alexei Ramirez's home run was a home run. It was too high. It was nighttime. It was against Cleveland and Joe Borowski was on the hill. It was a 2-1 Indians lead in the bottom of the 10th.

Most of all, it was the White Sox, the team that wasn't supposed to be here.

They weren't supposed to be in first place. They weren't supposed to challenge the Tigers or the Indians, never mind the Cubs.

No one thought it was gone. Except Alexei Ramirez, of course.

Just a Slip

Two weeks ago, the Chicago White Sox went 3-3; 3-4 if you count the following Sunday's loss to the Cubs. They looked like the season's version of the White Sox: blowing out the bad teams but completely unable to beat the good teams (save for the series loss to the Rockies).

Last weekend's sweep at the hands of the Cubs had this writer down in the mouth, but more so because it looked like this might be the start of the end for the "Fighting Sox".

As I was told by a Cubs fan after Friday's game: if we couldn't beat Ted Lilly, who could we beat?

Well, this past week was a different story. There was no big letdown from the Wrigley Massacre. The ChiSox just seemed to take it in stride, fly out to Los Angeles and take two of three from the somewhat-hapless Dodgers (Eric Stults notwithstanding).

Then, they did what every White Sox fan hoped they would: return the favor to the Cubs. And they did it in commanding fashion, outhitting, outhomering, and outscoring the Cubs.

Who's the spark?

So who's the big name? Who gets the credit for keeping the White Sox on track after a bump in the road in the middle of the month? Jim Thome, the big man? Paul Konerko, the stalwart first baseman? Javier Vazquez, the hard-throwing staff ace?

Not this time. Let me introduce you to the White Sox Heroes of the Month:

Jermaine Dye

Being left off the list for Chicago's "All-City Team" (which was a joke in itself—Fukudome? Really?) must have burned J.D.'s grits more than he lets on. Dye earned the coveted (yes, coveted) Beast of the Week award for his .385 performance in last weekend's series, and hit .330 for the month of June, carrying the Sox offensive load as Carlos Quentin sought to regain his stroke.

Alexei Ramirez

"The Cuban Missile"? How about "The Answer"? After all, Kid Dynamite's (yes, I'm coming up with a lot of nicknames for a rookie, I know) slight frame will not put him on a list of must-have fantasy players. But Alexei Ramirez has Allen Iverson-like abilities on a baseball scale.

Since he moved into the starting slot at second, the Sox have a 28-12 record, and he batted .337 in June. Ramirez's defense has also aided the Sox; his backhanded flips to second are becoming routine, and he covered a lot of ground to pull in a sinking fly tonight against the Tribe. Look for Ramirez to be a key to the Sox's success the rest of the summer.

Nick Swisher

Well, well, well. After fading into obscurity for two-and-a-half months, Nick Swisher is finally living up to his commercials. A pair of grand slams in under a week and a .311 batting average for June have me thinking up a slogan to put on a cardboard sign for Kid Swish.

If that wasn't enough, he's the ideal teammate and has covered nicely at first for Paul Konerko. Besides, who can hate on the "Captain Morgan" handshake and the "jump and bump"? Anyone?

Dewayne Wise

I know, I know. You're having Mike Jones flashbacks: who is Dewayne Wise? Well, he's a minor-leaguer who's played on some major-league teams. He was brought up earlier in the year when Juan Uribe was on the DL, and he was brought back up when PK went down.

Since being called up, D-Wise has hit .400 in part-time duties and stolen four bases. Nothing close to astronomical, but for a non-running team like the Sox, he brings a baserunning threat to the table when he gets on. And of course, he had the big single, stolen base, and run in tonight's extra-inning victory.

Mark Buerhle, John Danks, Scott Linebrink, Matt Thornton

While Vazquez and Contreras struggle and Gavin Floyd slowly falls back to earth, the two southpaws in the rotation have been getting it done. Buerhle had a bad May, but then sparkled in June, finishing with a 4-0 record and a 1.15 ERA.

More telling, he walked the same number of batters he struck out over his last four May starts (10). In June, he walked 10 while striking out 25, and never walked more than two batters in a game.

Danks' ERA dropped to 2.50 after tonight's start, and he's allowed two earned runs in his last 26 innings while striking out 22. The kid has good stuff and is a true gamer. My only question is: can he legitimately be a seven or eight-inning pitcher?

Out of the bullpen, Scott Linebrink has been masterful. He allowed one earned run over the month of June, and he hasn't given up a hit since then (albeit over only five innings). Matt Thornton has been nearly as sharp. Both his and Linebrink's June ERAs were under one (0.77 and 0.90 respectively), and Thornton has K'd 13 batters in eight-and-two-thirds innings since June 9.

Now, to July

The keys for the Sox? The role players and little-known names. While Thome and Konerko struggled, Carlos Quentin picked up the slack. When he cooled off, the workload fell to Jermaine Dye. Now, more guys on both sides of the ball are beginning to heat up. Just in time for a scorching month of July that will test the team.

I said the Sox would show their true colors this month, and they did—their colors are very streaky. They were swept twice and lost four series in all, but two sweeps of their own and a seven-game win streak propelled the Sox to a 17-10 record in my favorite month (my birthday's June 5). Now, they have to keep it going into July and through the All-Star break.

Who'll be the next hero for the Pale Hose? It's anyone's guess.

Until then, keep waving the Pennant.

What's Good: Whatever Happened to Mike Beasley?

Chris Pennant — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:41:02 -0400

"It's been a long time since a brother could eat."

So said Kimbo Slice at the beginning of one of his YouTube fights. I believe it was "Kimbo vs. Dreads."

Either way, the Chicago Bulls have to be feeling a lot like Kimbo Slice these days. It hasn't been that long since the Bulls were in the second round of the playoffs, but it seems like ages ago for fans.

Kirk Hinrich went from the face of the franchise to the weakest "point" guard in the league. Chris Duhon probably wishes he could still play at Duke, and Andres Nocioni's stock has fallen so far that I'm sure more than one person is wondering why the team lost Darius Songaila.

Yes, it's been a long time since the Bulls have "eaten." But like Kimbo Slice, who's the hottest thing in MMA, they are in position to feast now.

Even with all of the Jerry Reinsdorf drama, even with John Paxson being derided all over the news due to the botched coaching search, even with all the lows since the end of the Jordan Era, the Bulls STILL HAVE THE FIRST PICK OF THE NBA DRAFT.

1.9 percent. That is the chance that the Bulls would get the first pick. 1.9 percent. Somehow, the ping-pong ball came up in their favor.

So now, the draft is upon us. In Chicago, the wait has been feverish and everyone has been debating the same question: Beasley or Rose?

At least, they were debating it. Nowadays, if someone was to suggest that the Bulls take Beasley, they would probably get a sideways look at the very best.

At worst, someone might get that little flashlight that doctors have and check to see if your pupils were dilated.

The overarching opinion is that Derrick Rose is the no-brainer, can't-miss pick. He's a local product, as a star at Beasley Elementary (seriously, no pun intended) with big man Tim Flowers before moving on to Simeon Vocational (with Tim Flowers).

He's a point guard who's unselfish with the ball. He has the raw talent to score when needed. He seems to have kept out of trouble (no mean feat at Simeon), looks to be well-spoken, and is smart enough to do the right things. You know that keeps David Stern happy.

With Chris Paul exploding on to the scene, Steve Nash's two Most Valuable Player awards, and Deron Williams revitalizing the Jazz, point guards are the new hot commodities in the league.

But what about Michael Beasley?

The kid's 6'11", which would satisfy the Bulls' need for a big man. He's a low-post scoring threat, something the Bulls haven't had since Elton Brand, and really since Scottie Pippen. If selected, his ability to shoot outside and in could potentially take the scoring pressure off of Ben Gordon.

So why has everyone completely dismissed him?

There's a few reasons: His behavioral record is not the best. His true height has been questioned. He went to Kansas State. Derrick Rose is from Chicago and would be a better fit. He always has that same expression on his face. That one tattoo he has is not fit for kids to see. I could go on and on...

For the most part, I believe that the local media decided that Derrick Rose was the better option and that slowly ended the debate. More people who were undecided heard the sportswriters' opinions and agreed with them on Rose.

This is not to say that people didn't think for themselves, but I'm very surprised that the public opinion has so singularly picked Derrick Rose as the next big thing.

People, be cautious. Sebastian Telfair was supposed to dominate, remember? Sam Bowie was going to take Portland to the next level. Michael Olowokandi. And how could Chicagoens forget about Eddy Curry?

Besides, with everything that the Bulls have had go wrong for them since 1998, it's very probable that they would turn the tables on everyone and pick someone else—someone with "potential."

Think D.J. Augustin or Jerryd Bayless—someone that would leave everyone scratching their heads and wondering why Jerry Reinsdorf is pulling Paxson's strings.

I'm not saying that Rose isn't the future of the franchise. I just think everyone should at least give Beasley a chance.

It would be a shame if the Bulls had to wait even longer to eat.

That's what's good. Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

White Sox Week in Review: A Tale of Two Teams

Chris Pennant — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:35:03 -0400

Basketball, they say, is a game of runs.

The momentum will swing this way and that, with each team going on a hot streak before cooling down and giving the other team the room to make a push.

Baseball is also a game of runs. Simply, score more runs than the other team.

Last week, the White Sox did that with room to spare. This week, they didn't.

After winning seven straight at home and making the Twins look like, well, the Twins, the Sox bats fell silent once again as the South Siders lost all three games in Detroit and two of three to the "Back from Holliday" Rockies.

There have (so far) been no managerial tirades. After all, that would be pulling out the same trick too soon. But the season is on a see-saw pace that would make a sugar-happy grade-school kid feel a bit sick.

This season, the White Sox have winning streaks of five, eight, and seven games. They also have a six-game losing streak to their credit, and they have lost three games in a row three times. Which goes to show you that the Sox are as streaky as a badly washed car windshield.

Yes, I know: I'm using way too many similes.

I've detailed what the Sox need to do to win. They did what they needed to do in May to get to the top, and last week's blistering offensive pace helped the Sox cause in spades. But as the summer stretches out, those losing streaks are going to outlast the winning ones.

Here are the reasons to believe that the Sox will fade:

1. Carlos Quentin's drop-off: As luck would have it, I jinxed CQ. Right about the time I wrote a column singing his everlasting praises, he began to cool off. Saturday night's game was the low point, as Carlos was thrown out of the game by Joe West after slamming his bat in frustration. It's possible that shouldering the offensive load for the first quarter of the season took a toll on the youngster. Carlos needs to get his batting-eye back and put some RBI up for the team.

2. Paul Konerko's injury: Though PK definitely wasn't scorching the ball by any means, he had shown some signs of turning his season around. But after suffering a minor muscle strain (combined with the lingering effects of his thumb injury), the Sox captain might not be a big factor at the plate before the All-Star break.

3. The AL Central: Laugh if you will, but the big dogs can't stay down forever. The Sox were coming off a monster homestand and then scored only six runs in three games at Comerica Park. Don't be fooled by their respective starts; the Indians and Tigers know the score, and they will be waiting to make a second-half push. If the Sox play on the road like they have the last two trips, I can't see them maintaining a lead in the division.

In addition: Javier Vazquez is falling off. His ERA has risen almost half a run since the end of May, and his June ERA is 7.15. With the weather at Comiskey heating up, Javy has to figure out a way to minimize the damage in his starts, as he'll often be facing the opponent's No. 2 or possibly No. 1 starter.

Doom and gloom indeed, but for you optimists, here's some reasons why the Sox will hold on to the lead:

1. The Wizard is here: Everyone can hate and make his decisions for him (we fans included), but at the end of the day, Ozzie Guillen is a pretty good manager. He looked like a genius when he started Juan Uribe on Friday night, and the guys believe in him. Orlando Cabrera's name hasn't been in the news in weeks, and the "South Side Circus" seems to have packed up and left down. When the Sox are winning, Ozzie makes sure they keep their foot on the gas.

2. The AL Central: "But wait, Chris," you're saying. "Didn't you just say the rest of the division was locked and loaded?" Sure, they are—but not right now. No one else in the Central has a record of .500 or better (though the Twinkies have started to move.) The Sox have at least 16 more games with the Royals and almost as many against the Indians. They can take advantage of those games to put some distance between themselves and their rivals.

3. The (F*@$in') Cubs: For six games in July, the city will watch the most hotly contested regular-season games in baseball. Red Sox and Yankees can eat their hearts out; it's huge when the Sox play the Cubs. With both teams in first place (Cubs have the edge here, I hate to say), all six of the games should be marquee battles. They'll be a test for both teams, but more so for the Sox, who will be hard-pressed to get the offense going against Ryan Dempster and the Cubs' bullpen.

Also on the good side: Not to be premature, but Mark Buerhle seems to have turned a corner. He was spectacular last Friday against the Twins, and he held the Tigers to one run over eight innings in his next start. In his three starts this month, Marky B is 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA.

Beast(s) of the Week: Scott Linebrink and A.J. Pierzynski

Linebrink hasn't been touched for a run since giving up Cliff Floyd's homer in Tampa Bay, and he leads the league with 15 holds. A.J. got two of the three White Sox hits as they were shutout Saturday night, and he is the only regular starter with a batting average over .300. These two guys have been a key to the Sox's recent success.

There are two paths for the South Siders: the one of digging in and standing their ground, or the one of getting swept away. It's anyone's guess as to which one they'll take, but this week will be a good sampling as they take on the Pirates at home and the Cubs up north.

This is a game of runs. Hopefully, the Sox won't find themselves run out of first place anytime soon.

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

It's Like That, and That's The Way It Is: Until The Final Buzzer

Chris Pennant — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:45:31 -0400

"It ain't over 'til it's over." - Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra was never known for his spot-on usage of the English language. But those six words have transcended baseball and sports as a whole to mean something completely beyond (or possibly exactly what) Yogi was trying to say.

It ain't over 'til it's over.

You never know...

My good friend bought me tickets to the White Sox-Twins game this past Friday, June 6. Even though my birthday is on the fifth, I figured it would be better than watching the Sox pound on the Royals (even though they ended up pounding on Minnesota).

During the seventh-inning stretch, I met up with another few friends that were attending the game. One of them asked me how long I was going to stay.

"Until the final out," I replied.

I was taught somewhere by someone as soon as I became a baseball fan that you always stay until the final out. Part of this is that fan superstition that you can affect the outcome of the game just with your positive energy, but part of it is that you never know what can happen. You just never know.

"We start over again!"

On June 25, 2006, the Chicago White Sox were down 9-2 to the Houston Astros after seven innings. I was listening at home on the radio, disconsolate that the Sox couldn't get anything going against Roy Oswalt, but still hoping for some kind of rally. Even after Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run homer in the eighth, they were still down by four runs (putting the Sox "within a slam," as Ed Farmer says.)

Somehow, the Sox loaded the bases in the ninth against Brad "I Should Have Jumped Off A" Lidge. And miraculously, Iguchi came up again.

"Fastball! Left-center field! That one, way back there...IT'S TIED UP! Can you believe it?! We start over again!" - Jon Miller, calling Tadahito Iguchi's grand slam on 6-25-06

"They get it to Fisher..."

Everyone knows the Spurs and Lakers had their rivalry in the early part of this new millennium. It was a blow-for-blow affair, with the Shaq, Kobe and Phil Show going almost even with the Spurs' Big Three of Timmy D, Tony "I'm Married to Eva Longoria-" Parker and Manu Ginobili.

The Spurs were down one with 5.4 seconds left. The inbounds pass came into Tim Duncan, who looked to give-and-go with Ginobili. Manu was knocked down, however, so Duncan dribbled to the top of the key and threw up an off-balance fadeaway with Shaq in his face—and scored, leaving with 0.4 seconds on the clock.

To the players, the announcers, to everyone in San Antonio and watching at home, the Lakers were dead.

That's when Derek Fisher became a legend.

"Here [the Lakers] go. They get it to Fisher...HE SCORES! Derek Fisher scores at the buzzer!!!" - Al Michaels, calling Derek Fisher's miracle shot over the Spurs

The story of "Big Shot Rob"

Robert Horry may not be liked everywhere in the NBA (mostly in Phoenix, Detroit, or Sacramento), but he is a good player with a substantial resume: Horry has been in the playoffs every single year since he came into the league, and as the picture shows, he has won seven championship rings. Seven rings.

Jordan won six. Kobe's won three. Magic? Five. It's not fair to compare Horry with the greats, but he's been in the right place at the right time.

More than once.

"Ball tipped out to Horry; a straight-on three...GOOOOD! The Lakers have won! Robert Horry's greatest hits tour continues!"

Just in case

There are countless other comebacks. Jordan's "Shot" over the Cavs in '88; Elway and Co.'s "Drive" to beat the Browns; "The Play" that made Cal announcer Joe Starkey an icon. You just never know what's going to happen.

This phrase doesn't only hold true for sports. This holds true for life. There's a reason I get chills when I watch Iguchi's grand slam or when I hear the Trinity College announcers scream into the microphone.

Celebrated sportswriter Frank Deford came to my class this past semester to do a question-and-answer session. I tried hard to think of a good question, and I asked him why he thought sports were important.

"Sports are a microcosm of life," he said.

At a deep level, we see sports as a "movie" of our daily lives. Triumph, defeat, drama, setbacks, advances, heartbreak, courage, perseverance—it all plays out on the proverbial "field of battle."

Those setbacks and narrow defeats might hurt us inside as fans, but those come-from-behind victories give us hope and inspiration that we might win out over the obstacles that face us in our daily lives.

So the next time you're at the game and your team is down at the last out or with the final seconds ticking away, don't head for the exits just yet.

Miracles can happen. And not just on ice.

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

Photo courtesy of Suprizymurta.blogspot.com.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review: Now It's Time To Get Serious

Chris Pennant — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:04:53 -0400

In July, I'm going to Detroit (I know, go ahead and boo) for the USBC Junior Gold Championships.

For those of you saying "what?": It's a national youth bowling tournament. Three days, six games a day, bowling on the oil patterns the pros bowl on—and that's if you don't get knocked out after the first round. Norm Duke might be short and Pete Weber might be crazy, but they know how to bowl. Those lane conditions are no joke.

The point of this aside is that lately I've been criticizing for myself for being a good bowler, instead of a great one.

Good enough to bowl 200s on a house shot, but not great enough to pick up spares and post decent on scores on the PBA patterns.

Such is the story of the 2008 Chicago White Sox as we step into June—good, but not great.

The Sox are good enough to lead the division, but not great enough to win close games and beat other good teams. They are a combined 10-17 this season against teams who currently have winning records (A's, Twins, Rays, Blue Jays, Angels). In 16 of those games, they scored three runs or less. Not great baseball, but good enough that the Sox are on top of the AL Central.

Well, the time has come—both for the Sox and myself. Junior Gold starts July 7, and the MLB All-Star Break is seven days after that. Between now and then, both of us need to get our collective acts together. Since I know you didn't come to hear me talk about what I need to do (pick up spares and get a new ball or two), here's what the Sox need to do to win in June:

Be more than One-Hit Wonders

The Sox showed that they could play with the Rays this weekend, but the Rays showed that they could beat the Sox. The same thing was going on back on the North Side, as the Cubs posted come-from-behind victories over the "On Holliday" Rockies.

The Sox need to follow the example of both those teams and make the most of their scoring chances. Too many times, they'll have a one- or two-run inning, then fail to score for the rest of the game. You can't drive in every potential run, but consistently leaving runners stranded in scoring position with less than two outs is unacceptable. As Ed Farmer always says, keep the line moving.

You can't spell fundamentals without "fun"

Winning is fun, and you can't win without executing the fundamentals. Lay down the sacrifice bunts, move runners over, and—for the love of everything good—hit sacrifice flies. A sac fly in the 10th inning would have given the Sox the lead in Sunday's game, and I wager that they would have won if Pablo Ozuna scored the go-ahead run. The Sox have been lax on fundamentals, and that has added up to a lot of losses.

Own your yard

The Sox have seen a lot of charter buses and hotels in the first two months of the season. Now, they get to enjoy the comforts of home for most of June, and they must take advantage.

The top teams in this young season are making a killing at home, and playing at Comiskey is a great scenario after the ChiSox dropped the last three in Tampa Bay. The warm weather, combined with the hitter-friendly makeup of Comiskey Park (not to mention three games with the down-and-out Royals) should be a tonic for the homer-happy Sox offense.

Ignore what that "other" team is doing

This is for us fans as well as the team. The Cubs, being the Cubs, are going to get publicity in droves as long as they continue their winning ways. The Sox (and the fans) need to ignore the North Siders and concentrate on winning these next games. The Cubs shouldn't be on the radar until the Good Guys and the Boys in Blue lock it up for the Crosstown Showdown. Until then, as James Hetfield so eloquently said, nothing else matters.

This week's Beast of the Week Award goes to the White Sox pitching staff, for the sole reason that they held the Rays to nine runs in the four-game series. And don't go saying that the bullpen lost two games—home runs can come at anytime.

I've said that the Sox offense heats up with the weather. Chicago is heating up every day, and it's time for the big bats to follow suit. June will be the unmasking of this team, as every good Sox team I've seen posted a good record in the sixth month.

Are these the Fighting Sox that I think they are? Or will they go quietly into that warm summer night, with so many other Chicago also-rans?

More importantly: can I pick up my spares consistently?

We'll find out come July. Until then, keep waving the Pennant.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review (5/18-5/25): Carlos Quentin—Kid in Left Field

Chris Pennant — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:52:57 -0400

Before the MLB season started this year, I was already excited to be a White Sox fan.

Not because WGN put together a great Sox/Cubs montage. Not because the Sox picked up some mid-level role players/gamers/young guns to fill out their roster (see Nick Swisher, Alexei Ramirez, Carlos Quentin, Octavio Dotel, Scott Linebrink). Not because I'm always excited to be a White Sox fan.

I was excited because it wasn't 2007.

2007 was the worst season that the ChiSox have played since New Comiskey Park opened. The Terry Bevington/Nardi Contreras years were difficult, but the Sox were still at least slightly competitive then. Last year, however, was a debacle of epic proportions, and it pushed me to the edge. I quit watching and listening to games and in a moment of severe desperation, had a vision of switching my allegiance to the Cubs.

Yeah. It was that bad.

Now, it's May of 2008. Nothing's going as the pundits and prognosticators said it would. The baseball world is topsy-turvy, which is fine with me, as the Sox are on top of the division.

The question is who gets the credit? Kenny Williams, for making moves like Jay-Z? Ozzie, for managing well and pushing the right buttons? Jay Mariotti, for criticizing the Sox at every turn and giving them the fire to win?

No, the credit in this situation goes to the White Sox pitching staff and a little-known young man named Carlos Quentin.

Carlos Quentin started this year out as "that kid from Arizona." Now, he is known around these parts as "Cansequito," "Team MVP," or my favorite, "A Beast, Like That Mutant From the X-Men." Carlos has carried this team with his clutch hitting (and getting hit by pitches), power, and solid outfield defense. He is, like Cassidy said, a hustler, the likes of which have not been seen roaming Roger Bossard's carefully manicured grass since Aaron Rowand.

Most of all, Quentin is not an attention-hog; he's quiet and modest off the field. He said in an interview that he feels blessed to have made it with the Sox.

On the field, however, Carlos Quentin is the guy your mother warned you about. He plays with fire and passion, and above all else, he wants the team to win. Who else have you seen sprint 'round the bases like that after a home run?

After a 4-2 homestand, the Sox have some holes to fill. The offense still is not up to speed (as the series with the Angels showed), and with Juan Uribe on the 15-day disabled list, second base has become a platoon assignment. But I don't see them falling off like last year anytime soon, solely due to the fact that Carlos Quentin is a beast.

(That will be my answer for most of the problems with the Sox this year. With the world, actually. "Global warming is melting the ice caps! What are we going to do?" "Don't worry, Carlos Quentin is a beast.")

So to end with, Carlos gets my Beast of the Week award, especially after Sunday night's game. 8 for 25 with 8 RBI over the week is good for a .320 average.

Sharing the BotW award with him is the pitching staff, who allowed a paltry 11 runs on the six-game homestand. The Sox lead the AL in the month of May with a 3.02 ERA, 67 earned runs and 12 HRs allowed. They've also allowed 174 hits and 58 walks, both one behind the league lead.

I apologize; I usually put what the Sox need to win in the coming week, but my answer would just be "Carlos Quentin is a beast."

Parting shot: Anyone seen Joe Crede lately?

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review (5/11-5/17): How the West was Won

Chris Pennant — Sun, 18 May 2008 10:19:00 -0400

It's odd how the minds of White Sox fans work.

Consider these facts. The Boston Red Sox won the last World Series, and the New York Yankees are the winningest team in baseball history, with the corresponding postseason hardware to show for it. Add in that the Toronto Blue Jays have a formidable starting rotation; the Baltimore Orioles have a good mix of young guns in their lineup; and the Tampa Bay Rays have surprised everyone, and one would think that the toughest road trip would be one to the AL East.

Yet Sox fans always cringe and shiver when the team plays on the West Coast.

Not because it means games usually start at 9:05 CST, and we'll be up watching (or in my case, listening) to the game until late at night. It's because the White Sox have been mediocre out west for the last four or five seasons, especially at Oakland/McAfee/Network Associates Coliseum.

However, the White Sox got lucky this week: they didn't have to see the A's on this road trip. And though the Sox only managed to squeeze out another 4-3 record over the last seven days, that was good enough to regain the lead in the AL Central.

I was trying to add up the figures in my head, and while going one game over .500 every week doesn't seem like much, it would add up to an estimated 19 games over .500 record at the end of the year. Don't trust my math; that is a very rough estimate. Even so, the Sox have won seven of their last 10, and have the division lead.

What will the Sox need to win the division? Here's a few of the keys to the door marked "October Baseball".

Be Executioners

No, not the Linkin Park-hybrid band. The Sox need to start executing better in most offensive areas. Mark Buerhle failed to lay down a sacrifice bunt on Friday night, and the offense once again stranded double digits in runners on Saturday. Paul Konerko did knock in a two-out run yesterday, giving them an insurance run, but overall, the Sox have to get the fundamentals.

Follow the Drew Rosenhaus system

What does that mean, ask for more money? No, kids: be defensive (Get it? All the "no comment" answers?...never mind). Brian Anderson, Nick Swisher, Carlos Quentin, and Jermaine Dye have been sharp in the outfield, but the infield (notably Joe Crede) has had their share of problems.

Pablo Ozuna did play a grounder badly yesterday, but he and Alexei Ramirez filled in well in the 3-1 Sox victory. The Sox need to keep up that kind of play and hold up the pitchers while the offense begins to pick up.

Keep your head up

One of my biggest knocks on Scott Podsednik in '06 was that he was beating himself down. At least, articles in the sports section made it seem like Pods did not have any self-confidence after the All-Star break.

The Sox hitters can't afford to do that with key series against Cleveland and Kansas City coming up. All signs point to them working hard and staying in it, but it's a long season, and they've got to pull out of this slump quickly.

Find your way home

The Sox are only 9-7 at home. To win in October, you've got to win at home. Simple as that. The summer will be a litmus test for guys like Buerhle and Gavin Floyd especially, who have been getting a lot of flyouts. Some of those might travel into the seats as the Chicago summer heats up.

No "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down" (too generic), so this week's Beast of the Week Award goes to A.J. Pierzynski. I think A.J.'s auditioning for a spot on Dancing With the Stars after his soft-shoe shuffles for doubles in Anaheim. A 9-23 week was good for a .391 average, with five doubles, a triple (ask my colleague Pat Nolan for the slugging percentage), and a six-game hitting streak.

Honorable mention goes to Toby Hall for his three for five evening in yesterday's victory.

Parting shot: Wonder if the Reds'll soften up the Tribe for us on Tuesday.

Until next time, keep waving the Pennant.

Chicago White Sox Week in Review (5/4-5/10): Breaking Out of Hitting Slump

Chris Pennant — Sun, 11 May 2008 16:21:26 -0400

Last week, I said that if the White Sox broke even over the next seven days, we could count the six-game losing streak as an anomaly.

The South Siders finished this first full week of May with a 4-3 record; 4-4 if you count today's loss against the Mariners.

So, according to my earlier contention, the losing streak was just a blip, right?

Yes...and no.

Yes, the Sox did break out of their hitting slump on Tuesday against the Twins. Yes, they did win back-to-back series, and pick up a series victory on the West Coast (albeit versus the slumping M's.) Yes, they did hit a home run with at least one man on base...more than once!

Unfortunately, the pitching faltered towards the end of the week, as Javier Vazquez and Gavin Floyd had less-than-spectacular outings at Safeco Field. Let's not forget that Mark Buerhle was hammered by the Twins on Wednesday night.

There are still concerns that the White Sox need to address as they continue their West Coast road trip. However, they have a couple of things on their side.

One: The Angels are off-balance after suffering a sweep at the hands of the suddenly streaking Rays. The Halos seem to have caught the virus that was afflicting the White Sox; they fell into an offensive slump this past week as well.

Two: The Giants suck. Period. I just hope the Sox face Barry Zito so they can make him pay for all those years when he was in Oakland.

And now, the Thumbs.

Thumbs up to Brian Anderson and Carlos Quentin. When I'm right, I'm right. The young guns I put on the hot seat in last week's column came up aces this weekend. Carlos Quentin's average is back up to .300, and Brian Anderson did a masterful job in the garden. He also had a big three-run homer Saturday night, and judging from his bear hug of Greg Walker in the dugout, his confidence is increasing.

Thumbs up to Juan Uribe. The most expendable piece of the White Sox puzzle showed up this past week. The White Sox infielder was a pedestrian 4-17 over the last week, but he didn't strike out once over the seven days. Not once. Besides, who forgets that takeout slide on Brendan Harris? Mad props to Juan.

Last thumbs up goes to Jermaine Dye. Even after everyone calls him average in the field, a slow runner, and an unspectacular bat, Jermaine Dye goes out and does what he does best: be a beast.

Three straight games with a home run and a .538 batting average from Tuesday through Friday is enough to earn him my....Beast of the Week Award! Don't worry, by the end of the season, I'll make up some sort of trophy.

Thumbs down to Joe Crede. Joe C is looking more like Kid Rock's Joe C these days. The Crede we've come to know and love would have feasted on clutch, bases-loaded situations like the one he saw today. Instead, Joe's average has dipped over the last week and a half, and he only has one hit in his last 14 at-bats with RISP. Crede needs to pick it up if the offense wants to start firing on all cylinders.

Thumbs down to Nick Swisher and the White Sox offense. Is it too early in the season to call Kid Swish a bust? After Brian Anderson had a great defensive series in center, Swisher is still looking lost at the plate. He's still drawing walks, but he isn't hitting the ball solidly. In addition, he had a couple of misplays in right field today. I think all Swish needs is time, but the clock is ticking a bit faster now.

As for the offense, I only need one more bases-loaded situation to go by the wayside for me to put my fist through a TV screen. The middle of the order needs to start getting hits, Paul Konerko especially. Stranding 11 men through the first six innings won't win you games.

Thumbs down to Mark Buerhle and Gavin Floyd. Oh guys, how I've stood by you this season. Mark, you've been in my heart ever since you slid across the tarp with Man-Soo Lee. Gavin, I defended you when Pat Nolan cautioned us against jumping on the bandwagon. Now, I see he was right; it's too early to make up the Floyd's Our Boy t-shirts.

All joking aside, these two need to bounce back after rough outings. Mark Buerhle is the clubhouse guy every team needs; someone to keep things loose. But he was uncharacteristically emotional after his start Wednesday, and I think he needs to pitch with that chip on his shoulder tomorrow. Same goes for Gavin against the Giants at Candlestick...I mean SBC...I mean Pac Bell....oh, whatever it's called now.

Last thumbs down goes to Matt Guerrier. He was thoroughly treated by Ozzie in the dugout, and rightfully so: he looked so goofy running around tagging baserunners. Shame on you, Matt; our organization taught you better.

That's all, folks; I'll see you in a week. Until then, keep waving the Pennant.

Searching for the Spark, or Newton's First Law of Baseball

Chris Pennant — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:13:04 -0400

I seem to have an unshakable case of deja vu. It happens almost every day – as I'm talking to someone or walking somewhere, I'll inevitably stop and say, "I've been here before."

Even though it only lasts for a few seconds, it's always unsettling.

During today's game between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox, deja vu struck again, and I got the chills as usual. This time, however, it was exhilarating.

As the South Siders batted in the eighth inning, Toby Hall hit a tailor-made double play ball to third, causing many fans to sigh in disgust. Second baseman Brendan Harris got the force out but was unable to relay to first, due to his face being rudely introduced to the infield dirt, courtesy of Juan Uribe.

The bases were loaded, a run scored, and the Sox went on to win, 6-2. Just another play in a long season, right? So where does the deja vu come in?

Think back... it was a hot and rainy summer night in late June of 2004. There's a play at the plate; Torii Hunter is racing home; Jamie Burke prepares to take the throw, and BAM! Hunter steamrolls Burke and emphatically steps on the plate.

The next night, Chicago's Carlos Lee slides into second base with all the fury of a Care Bear, and the Twins are off and running. Hunter only scored one run, but the play gave the Twins the all-important talisman – momentum.

In theory, momentum is a principle of physics. As a part of Newton's First Law, it simply states that an object in motion will tend to stay in motion.

Basically, that object has momentum, and unless something with an equal and opposite amount of momentum comes along, that first object will just keep on moving. Simple science, yet every team in every sport is striving for that intangible force of momentum.

Momentum, as I said in my first article, can carry a team for a long time. It enhances talent, overshadows the downfalls, and as Jeremiah Springfield said, "embiggens the smallest man."

Momentum is a virus that gets inside every player on a club and turns them into something dangerous – a believer. When you believe, especially in baseball, it's a scary sight.

The '01 Diamondbacks had momentum. The Dodgers in '88 had momentum. The '04 Red Sox, powered by David Ortiz's home run, were off and running to their first World Series in 86 years. The '05 White Sox? They lost two of three in that pivotal September series with Cleveland, but all anyone remembers is Joe Crede's home run. That was the momentum.

Juan Uribe is almost universally derided by White Sox Nation as an offensive liability who shouldn't be with the team. He's a free-swinger, a pull hitter, and never saw a high fastball he didn't like.

His defense is good, but that doesn't make up for a .230 average(or .190's, if you're looking at this season.) But he's looked good at the plate the last few games, and the play he made in the eighth inning fired up the bench and kept the inning alive, something that the Sox have been struggling to do in the last 12 days.

Will Uribe's play be the spark, the catalyst that gets this team moving? We can't say.

There are still holes; Nick Swisher is living up to his unfortunate surname and Paul Konerko seems lost at the dish. With a trip to the West Coast looming, it's too early to tell. There have been signs of life, however, in this series against Minnesota, and a series win is always good news.

Momentum can come in any form, and today could have been a sign of what's to come. If it is, we'll all be getting deja vu from 2005.

That's a whole lot better than a flashback to 2007.

[Note: As I was editing this article, I got deja vu again, as if I'd written this article before! Weird, huh? No, guys, I'm not crazy!]

White Sox Week In Review: Forget '07, Next Year Is Here

Chris Pennant — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:57:59 -0400

The warning signs are all there.

Hawk Harrelson's moody silence and repeated calls of "Dadgummit!" have you worried. DJ is looking for something, anything, to point out as a positive.

Jay Mariotti is smiling in his sleep, and every Cubs fan you know is literally singing the praises of Kosuke Fukudome on your answering machine.

One week ago, the White Sox looked set up to compete for the summer. The weather had been lousy, but the Sox were sitting in first place after splitting the six games over the last full week of April.

Nothing was going as the experts had predicted: the Tigers and Indians were fighting to get out of the mud at the bottom of the division, while the Royals were surprising everyone with hot bats and decent pitching.

The Twins were sub-par yet again, and our Sox were getting it done with good starting and relief pitching, along with solid hitting and a great on-base percentage.

What a difference seven days makes.

Now, after scratching out a measly two runs in today's loss to Toronto, the Sox are tied in first place with those same mediocre Twins, who never have a great cast of characters (aside from the M&M kids Mauer and Morneau) but always find some way to win.

The Sox bats have fallen silent, Alexei Ramirez can't even cross the border, and Bobby Jenks' beard is getting ever longer as he sits in the bullpen, wondering when he'll blow his next save.

Adding insult to injury, the Sox are near the top of the league in home runs, but lately each one is a lonely, one-man trip around the bases. The solo homers are killing you.

With all this, I offer these words: don't panic.

Not only is the baseball world off its axis (Hello? The Rays are in first place?), but it's way too early to push the panic button. Things change from week to week, day to day, even pitch to pitch in this sport.

So the Sox are 0-2 in May; they started April 0-2 and finished the month 14-10. Not that that's going to keep the Sox in first place; after all, the big boppers of the AL Central are beginning to figure it out.

Remember, there's always those lousy Twins to worry about. But the Sox have a solid five in the rotation.

Gavin Floyd looks almost unhittable these days, Jose Contreras and Javier "VazKKKKez" (Man, I love Nick Swisher's dance on that commercial) are solid, and John Danks is giving the best that a fifth starter can give.

Even Mark Buerhle is making a comeback from last year's dreadful campaign. He just hasn't had the run support.

Here's the three keys for the Sox to win in May:

1: Patience at the plate. Even though everyone is hitting in the .200s, the White Sox have a team on-base percentage of .326, right around the middle of the pack. Early on, the Sox were benefiting from walks, errors, and some infield hits. Now, batters are flailing at the plate.

Get Swisher to keep setting the table, let the pitcher throw a lot of pitches and keep swinging the bat. A lot of base hits were taken away in Minnesota because of their speedy outfield (not to mention that darn Astro Turf.)

2: Defense wins championships. Remember the Year of Our Sox, 2005? All the film clips of Aaron Rowand, making play after play after play in Yankee Stadium, robbing batters of extra bases. Juan Uribe's Jeter-like dive into the stands at Minute Maid Park. Joe Crede's old leather glove, scooping up scalded grounders.

The defense was great the first few weeks of the year, but now Crede has six errors. Swisher did a great job filling in at first yesterday night, but the Sox as a whole have to keep potential runs off base and limit extra bases to singles.

3: The young guns. Carlos Quentin looks like a young Alex Rodriguez at this point in the season: with nine home runs and an average close to .300, he's a spark for the Sox. Moving him up to the second spot and giving Orlando Cabrera a chance to figure it out in the seven hole might not be a bad idea.

Brian Anderson also needs to take advantage of his opportunities. The Sox have been waiting three years for him to reach his potential, and he needs to make every at-bat count. He was the hero a week ago at home against the Orioles, but more extra base hits and stolen bases would give Anderson a solid footing with the big club.

Momentum is a word tossed around by all the experts and writers in sports. Momentum, they say, can carry a team through the summer and right into the fall. The funny thing is, momentum can come in a variety of ways: the manager getting tossed, the ball bouncing on the right side of the chalk, a baserunner beating out an infield single. Anything can turn around a skid. We fans are just waiting for that anything, and I guarantee it will come.

The Sox have two more rounds with the Blue Jays, and things don't get any easier with Roy Halladay on the mound tomorrow. But breathe easy, Sox fans, and repeat the words of John Belushi from Animal House: "Nothing is over until we decide it is!"