Bleacher Report - Articles by Josh Warren

The Crosstown Showdown: John Danks Outduels Ryan Dempster, Sox Win 4-1

Josh Warren — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:23:37 -0400

The Chicago players say that they try to approach this series the same way that they would any other, and I'll try to do the same old White Sox recapping I've always done.

With that said, no one can deny the added feeling of fire in their bellies when they watch the White Sox and the Cubs go at it.

Perhaps John Danks is no different. Having been sub-par this season, at least as far as expectations were concerned, the southpaw came out to Wrigley Field sporting his A game, as did the rest of the Sox pitching.

Danks gave one of his best outings of the year on the north side, offering up seven innings of shutout baseball, before giving up just the one earned run, an RBI groundout by Alfonso Soriano. Danks didn't walk a single batter, struck out nine, and only surrendered five hits.

Ryan Dempster gave his best effort for the Cubs, looking spotty at times with a nearly fifty/fifty balls to strike ratio, but he managed to hold the Sox to only four hits. However, he gave up six walks as well, and got tagged for three earned runs, which was just a little too much.

Neither offense was stellar in the outing, but the Sox played some great small ball to get in a few runs. Danks even helped his own cause by advancing runners on a sac bunt, Scott Podsednik got a bunt single that scored a run, and only one Sox player went deep, when Alexei Ramirez homered in the first inning. Chris Getz added an RBI triple.

Scott Linebrink pitched a solid inning of relief for Danks, and Bobby Jenks looked to be over his minor side injury, picking up his fifteenth save.

Some Fun Facts: The White Sox now lead the Crosstown Classic series record, 34-33. Of all the times these two teams have met in inter-league play, neither has ever swept all six games.

White Sox Work the Small Ball and Squeeze by the Royals, 5-3

Josh Warren — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:30:03 -0400

I can't remember the last time I saw the White Sox get two bunt singles in an inning.

That said, there were plenty of things to see on Saturday night.

In homage to the Negro Leagues, the White Sox wore the classic jerseys of the Chicago American Giants, and The Royals took on the dress of the Kansas City Monarchs.

If you're not a history buff, however, there was plenty of fantastic baseball to see on Saturday, as the battle between the Sox and Royals came down to the wire.

Mark Buehrle kept up his fantastic pitching spree, going 7.1 innings for the Sox, staying in stride with Royals starter Gil Meche until Miguel Olivo hit a home run in the eighth.

He scattered seven hits and struck out six, and did not receive a decision. He did not issue a walk.

The White Sox offense was on fire Friday night, and the coals were still burning just enough on Saturday to get a eke out a win.

The South Siders tallied up ten hits, five coming off of starter Gil Meche, two off of John Bale, and three against Juan Cruz.

Instead of swinging for the fences, Chicago managed three bunt singles, Josh Fields got his fifth double on the season, and Jermaine Dye picked up his first triple.

Jim Thome led the attack with two RBI, though he didn't tally a hit.

Bobby Jenks picked up his 11th save on the season, giving up just a hit in the ninth, and striking out one.

The White Sox look to sweep the Royals tomorrow night, but they'll have their hands full with Zack Greinke, who has been the most dominant pitcher in the baseball this year.

The Sox counter with John Danks, who has plenty of big game experience, and he'll need to employ all that he knows to help the Sox complete a crucial three-game sweep.

White Sox-Twins: Jermaine Dye Is Feeling Grand, White Sox Beat Twins, 7-4

Josh Warren — Thu, 21 May 2009 05:00:28 -0400

Typically, the Twins give the White Sox all kinds of problems, be it at home, or in the Metrodome.

This year has been different, however, and while anything can still happen in this young season, the Sox currently hold the series lead over Minnesota, four games to one.

Perhaps just as surprisingly, the White Sox offense has been on fire against the Twins this year, scoring at least five runs in all of their outings so far.

Jermaine Dye epitomized the White Sox suddenly potent offense tonight when he sent a bomb well over the dugout in left field, absolutely crushing an offering from Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano, who gave Dye his eighth grand slam.

Paul Konerko also homered for the second time in as many games, Scott Podsednik picked up his third stolen base, and Alexei Ramirez and Corky Miller each picked up a double.

Liriano gave up all seven of the Sox scored runs, walking three batters and striking out only one in four innings. He moves to 2-5 on the year.

John Danks was trying to follow up a fantastic performance by fellow southpaw Mark Buehrle with one of his own, but it was a good thing that the offense finally came through for him.

Danks was spotty against Minnesota, giving up five hits and four runs in five and two-thirds innings, but just two were earned. He walked three batters and struck out seven, and dropped his ERA slightly to 4.60. He moves to 3-3 on the year.

Octavio Dotel, Matt Thornton and Scott Linebrink each picked up a hold in relief of Danks, and Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his ninth save on the year.

The series finale kicks off tomorrow with Bartolo Colon starting for the White Sox. The game starts at 2:05 central time.

John Danks Win Counter: Three wins and climbing!

Chicago White Sox-Minnesota Twins: A South Side Turn-Around

Josh Warren — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:09:55 -0400

They say there's no place like home, and on Tuesday night the White Sox proved it—finally breaking their losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Twins.

After getting swept out of Toronto by the Blue Jays, the Sox traveled back to U.S. Cellular Field ready to open up a three game series against AL Central rivals, the Minnesota Twins.

As if being at home wasn't an advantage enough for the South Siders, Mark Buehrle was on the bump, and any Sox fan knows that he's the magic man in black this year.

Coming off of his latest victory Tuesday night against the Twinkies, Buehrle now sports a 6-1 record.

He pitched a full seven innings, and even though he gave up eight hits, he only allowed two runs to cross home plate, and only one was earned. Buehrle walked just one batter and struck out four. His ERA has dropped to a very respectable 2.77.

While Buehrle used to be the hard luck pitcher for the Sox, rarely picking up the run support he needed or deserved, the fireworks flew at U.S. Cellular field on Tuesday.

Paul Konerko sent a deep, two run bomb into left field for his fifth home run of the year, and Jermaine Dye followed suit, picking up his ninth on the year.

Jim Thome and Alexei Ramirez also threw in a double a piece, and Scott Podsednik got a stolen base thanks to an off throw by Michael Cuddyer.

John Danks hopes to cure his pitching woes and keep the Sox on a winning path as he heads to the bump tomorrow, taking on Francisco Liriano at 7:11 central time.

Trouble on the South Side: How the White Sox Can Right the Ship

Josh Warren — Fri, 15 May 2009 01:16:26 -0400

Long time fans of the Chicago White Sox are used to seeing the South Siders go into a bit of a slump in the second half, which occasionally brings about a dramatic finish for the AL Central.

In 2005, when they won the world series, they almost got caught by the Indians.

In 2006, they actually lost out a playoff spot to both the Twins and Tigers at the very end, despite winning over 90 games.

In 2008, we can all remember the nail-biter ending that brought the season to a close, with John Danks pitching a gem, and Jim Thome driving in the only run needed to vault the Sox into the post season.

However, the last thing any Sox fan wants to see right now is a repeat of 2007, where they only won 72 games, and weren't even a thought for the postseason race.

With the AL Central still looking mostly wide open, and plenty of the season left to go, one has to wonder what the White Sox can do to get themselves back into the thick of the race.

What is to be done about the fifth rotation spot? How can the Sox get some offensive consistency? What about the return of Brian Anderson?

Here are just a few (among many) options that might work out for The South Siders.

1. Fill the Fifth Rotation Spot with someone other than Jose Contreras.

Yes, his recovery from the torn Achilles was miraculous, but there has been nothing noteworthy about his pitching, except that it's been terrible.

I believe just as much as anyone else that Jose Contreras deserved a shot at the fifth rotation spot, especially given his speedy recovery, but the season is underway, and Contreras simply doesn't have what he used to.

What is likely frustrating for the Sox is that it's difficult to figure out what is holding him back. He lost the weight, made a great recovery, and even seems to have all of his stuff in tact. Whatever the case, however, Jose is not fit to be a starter any longer, and he may never get back to that status.

The Fix: Don't give it to Lance Broadway. The only team he was really able to tangle up was the Royals of yesteryear, and now that they've gone away, Broadway has little in his favor. Digging up a free agent seems highly unlikely,

Clayton Richard seems to be the only option for the short term, but why not give Aaron Poreda a shot? The kid might be ready.

2. The Kids Can Play, So Let Them!...Sometimes.

Youthful talent like Wilson Betemit, Brent Lillibridge, and Jayson Nix has made a big break into the White Sox offensive line up this year, and each brings along a good amount of utility range with them, making it difficult to let any of them go at this point.

However, there is a reason that the big boys get paid the big money, and some of them are showing it this year.

For instance: Paul Konerko is batting .303, with an On-Base Percentage of .351, three home runs and 10 doubles. Not bad.

Brent Lillibridge, on the other hand, is batting .154 with an On Base Percentage of of .247, no home runs and two doubles. That's troubling.

Nix and Betemit are a bit better off, hitting .300 and .257 respectively, with a combined two homers and six doubles. Nix actually leads the team in On Base Percentage, at .375.

The Fix: Brian Anderson would be a good one. Lillibridge has done well defensively while filling in positions, but doesn't have the offensive spark that Anderson does.

Keep Betemit and Nix around to give guys a spell, and keep everyone as fresh as possible, but it needs to be done sparingly, so everyone can get into a groove, and this offense can click on a daily basis.

3. Shake up the Line up a bit more.

If there is one thing I've always wanted to see, it's a batting order that mixes things in really, really well. It's hard to do, obviously, and even harder to define what that is, but here's a thought.

Speed gets you aboard. A high average hitter gets him over. A power man gets him in.

When hitting fails, a speedster can help by stealing bags. Between the Sox average lineup, they've stolen 16 bases. That's not a ton, but it definitely says that they can make plays for the bases. If timely hitting is going to be a problem, then the speed needs to get something done.

The Fix: Mix speed and power in such a way that you're always given a chance to make a play. Here's just one of many potential batting orders that might do wonders for the White Sox, with an explanation of each spot.

Note: The batting order, theoretically, would work this way: Leadoff man, set-up man, power hitter, repeat. There is no clean up.

1. Chris Getz: Has an average of .256, which is about par for the course for the Sox line up. Also has three stolen bases, and the potential to have plenty more. He's quick, youthful, talented, and does best batting leadoff.

2. A.J. Pierzynski: Has an average of .289, and you need a high average in the two spot. He doesn't have great speed, but he's got enough, and he's done well out of the two spot before.

3. Carlos Quentin: His average is dropping a bit, down at .235, but lets face it. When this guy is on, he's on, and he's as powerful as anyone in the league. He already has eight homers and 18 RBI.

4. Alexei Ramirez: Now, I know that traditionally, the fourth man in the lineup is called the "Clean Up" hitter, and is just meant to be a big power guy, but this is a new batting order, resetting every third batter. Alexei has it all, though; he's fast, already has six stolen bags, and he can hit the ball a mile. Essentially, it makes him the second leadoff hitter.

5. Paul Konerko: Paulie becomes the second set up hitter, for his impressive .303 average and .351 OBP. Also, he can hit for power or average, and while he's not overly fast, he is a very timely hitter.

6. Jermaine Dye: JD moves into the second power spot, batting .283, with 7 home runs and 17 RBI. Also, he isn't the fastest guy in the world, but he's fast enough to get around.

7. Brian Anderson/Scott Podsednik: We don't know who will be here when Anderson gets healthy, but either option is good. Podsednik can still steal 20 or 30 bases a year, and Anderson has already stolen two. Pods has a .273 average, and Anderson is hitting .288. Both would be great options for the third lead off spot.

8. Josh Fields: Fields started off on a hot streak, but has definitely settled down. Still, he's shown he can play small ball and get base hits when necessary, and has a decent mix of speed and power, perfect for the third set up role.

9. Jim Thome: Normally, this would be considered an insult, but Thome would be the anchor of the line up at the ninth spot in this batting order. He'd be the final power hitter, with his six home runs and 18 RBI.

It may not be a perfect idea, but it's definitely worth a try, and sets the Sox up with a mix of speed and power every cycle through the batting order. And obviously, I'd never complain about seeing one of my ideas used by Ozzie Guillen.

4. Play Ozzieball.

The White Sox "Win or Die Trying" attitude needs to make a come back this year. If all else fails, nothing works better to fix a broken baseball team like a change of attitude.

The Fix: Ozzie, you're my man for this one. Get the players to play with that Win or Die mentality like you always have. It's always been a blast to watch.

The Sox rest at a record of 15-18 as I write this, sitting in fourth place in the tough, gritty AL Central. Their series starting tomorrow against the Blue Jays is a crucial one, as first place in the Central is always just one hot streak away.

Could the White Sox catch the first place Royals, who are at 18-16, before the next week begins?

That's the best thing about baseball. Anything could happen.

The White Sox Beat Out The Rangers In a Fight to The Finish, 3-2

Josh Warren — Sat, 09 May 2009 22:23:44 -0400

I've said it once, and I'll say it again.

If John Danks didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all. Still, Danks didn't let that stop him from rebounding from his two worst starts of the year.

After getting roughed up in his last start, which also came against the Rangers, Danks got a little bit of revenge, pitching six strong innings, giving up just four hits, and one run, earned. He walked just one batter, while striking out ten. His ERA sits at an impressive 3.41.

As per usual, though, offense was not in heavy demand with John on the bump, as the South Side Hit Men racked up just seven hits on the day, all coming of off Rangers starter Kevin Millwood.

Jermaine Dye and Carlos Quinten each picked up an RBI for the Sox, but the all important final run came off of the bat of Paul Konerko, who took a 3-2 count slider into center field, just deep enough for Quinten to score from third base.

It was a bittersweet situation, as the Sox drove in the winning run, but only managed to get one run in with the bases loaded.

Bobby Jenks came on in the top of the ninth, striking out two batters en route to his seventh save, but not before getting a warning from home plate umpire Barksdale, for a pitch that got away from him.

Big Stat of the Game: Carlos Quinten had two hits in tonight's game, both being doubles. They were just his second and third doubles of the season.

John Danks Win Counter: Still at just two, as Linebrink picked up the win tonight.

Mark Buehrle Flirts With Perfection: The White Sox Beat The Tigers, 6-0

Josh Warren — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:36:53 -0400

Mark Buehrle was jovial after the sixth inning.

He was content enough with his situation in the game that when a fellow player asked how he was feeling in the dugout, he simply replied, "I've got a no-hitter."

Most pitchers treat talking about a no-hitter during a game the same as saying Macbeth before actors put on the play, but Buehrle didn't seem to have a care in the world. He was acting invincible, and he certainly looked like it, until the seventh inning.

Buerhle pitched six innings of perfect ball, before his words came back to haunt him in the seventh. He gave up a double to Placido Polanco, and then issued two walks, before getting himself out of a bases loaded jam.

He ended up pitching eight innings on the night, with just the one hit, and two walks.

The Sox offense proved that it could be feast or famine not just for a stretch, but for a single game, as well. In the first inning, the South Siders put up five runs, two coming off of the bat of A.J. Pierzynski, who hit a two-run homer into deep right.

Paul Konerko put up a two-run double in first two drive a couple more across home plate, along with Jermaine Dye's RBI single, but then the famine kicked in.

The Sox wouldn't get another run until Jayson Nix came up to the plate, and hit his first career home run, a bomb into right field, up into the bleachers.

The six run cushion seemed to be plenty enough for the Sox to cruise to a victory, and Bobby Jenks was put in to pitch the ninth, but he managed to scare a few fans, allowing Curtis Granderson and Placido Polanco to get on base, before getting himself out of a jam, striking out former White Sox player Magglio Ordonez.

Big Stats To Note: This is the best start Buehrle has in his whole career, finally going 5-0, and since 2001, he has the most quality starts of any major league pitcher, with 175.

A 20 Game Check-Up: Grading the Chicago White Sox on Their First 20 Games

Josh Warren — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:32:11 -0400

I was a day late on writing this article. Unfortunately, work and a heavy class load right before finals kept me from doing so, so I guess we'll just have to go with 21 games. I meant to do it at 20 and make it a milestone, but we can still make this work, right?

I'm sure no one would complain if I included the 21st game this time, with Matt Thornton picking up a win, Bobby Jenks getting a save, and the White Sox improving to 11-10 on the year in a 6-3 victory over the surprising Mariners.

Now, all kinds of professional sports columnists try to make bold predictions early in the season, and deny what they said a few months down the road, when their words flop on them.

As such, I feel that the first 20 games do not say enough about the Sox to get an accurate gauge on their success to come, but there are a few things that have revealed themselves.

1. Paul Konerko is healthy.

So much for letting a thumb injury bother the team captain. Konerko has come back in force this year, batting .338 on the year, and leading the team with 18 RBI, including today's game. I know it's unrealistic, but wouldn't it be nice to see him put up 18 every 20 games?

That's around 144 RBI on the year for you math nuts. It's a good dream, but Konerko could realistically crack into the high 90's and even the 100's for RBI's.

2. Speaking of health nuts, hello Carlos!

I remember the despair I felt last year when Carlos Quinten went down last year. It was great to see his ferocity as a player when he struck his own bat. It was a nightmare to find out the same thing broke his wrist.

Whatever was bugging him before has been channeled into home-run hitting power. He already has eight on the season, and looks like he's ready for another breakout year. He's on pace for a 40+ home run season, and that would be just fine.

3. John Danks is mortal (barely).

I know I brag this guy up a lot, but I think there is good reason to. Unfortunately, Danks just still can't seem to get the run support he needs to win every time. Considering that he had a sub-one ERA until his last start at the Mariners, I think he deserves a little credit for trying to emerge as a future ace.

He still leads the team in ERA after his loss to the Mariners, but don't let that loss shake you. Every pitcher has a poison team, and for Danks, the Mariners are deadly. Look for him to rebound next time out, and start dominating line-ups for quite some time.

Hopefully he hits that 20 win mark for me.

4. Bartolo Colon can be an effective starter.

There were all kinds of concerns going into spring training for the White Sox. As time drew near for the season to start, plenty still remained; who would bat lead-off, who would be in center field, who would stay on reserve, and most notably, who would round out the rotation?

Jose Contreras hasn't quite gotten back to form, but Bartolo Colon is making a good case to keep him in the starting rotation for the rest of the season. His win against a strong Mariners team is just one example of a case he's made for himself this year, in an impressive recovery from the bone chips being removed from his elbow.

5. The White Sox have a fair chance at the AL Central.

So does everyone else.

The Royals have Greinke. The Tigers are starting to look more like their old, power-offensive selves. The Twins...well, the Twins are the Twins. And even the Indians, who are down on their luck, could make a run at first place, should another team hit a slump or have injury issues.

This is going to be a brawl all season long, and the close records make inter-division play all the more important.

I don't have any bold predictions to make or anything to that effect, but it's been a blast watching the Sox play so far this year, and a ton of fun writing the game recaps for all of you White Sox faithful.

I'll catch you all again at Game 40, and hopefully a lot more games in between!

White Sox Offense Clicks in 12-2 Blowout of Rays

Josh Warren — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:00:15 -0400

When it rains, it pours, and when the White Sox offense is on fire, it's an inferno.

In all fairness to the White Sox pitching staff, Gavin Floyd did his best not to be outdone by the great starts of Mark Buehrle and John Danks, or the suddenly explosive offense.

Floyd threw seven strong innings, keeping a shutout all the way into the seventh inning. His control was back in a big way, striking out seven and not walking a single batter. He did give up six hits, but he spread them out well, and only yielded two earned runs.

Now, for any Sox fans, or fantasy baseball players who were worried about Carlos Quinten making a full recovery, it's safe to say you can put your fears to rest.

Quinten hit his seventh homer of the season for the South Siders, while Jim Thome and A.J. Pierzynski added a home run to the board a piece. The offense racked up an impressive 17 hits in the offensive rout, with every player on the squad picking up at least one hit, except for Jerry Owens, who got one at bat in the game, while Jermaine Dye was allowed to rest.

Clayton Richard and D.J. Carrasco each got in an inning of scoreless relief, as the White Sox pitching staff held the Rays to only two runs on the day.

Overall, the White Sox finished their first brush with the reigning AL East Champions with a record of 3-1, and a huge morale booster, as they exacted a little revenge on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.

Heroes of the Series

1. The Offense. Holy cow. Sure, three runs in the first game isn't too impressive, but following it up with five, eight, and then twelve? That's 28 runs in four games. When you're averaging seven runs a game for a series, you're almost definitely going to win it, and it makes it a lot easier on my next heroes.

2. Starting Pitching. I know I nominate these guys a lot, but they've definitely earned it so far, this year. John Danks has been outstanding, Mark Buehrle found his groove, Gavin Floyd got his control back, and even Bartolo Colon was decent, until loading the bases in his start.

Now if only we could get Jose Contreras back into 2006 form, we would see a starting lineup for the ages.

Zeroes of the Series

1. Bartolo Colon/Matt Thornton. It's kind of harsh of me to put this on anyone for a series that the Sox played so well in, and I know I just put Colon in the "heroes" column, but he was a zero in his own way, loading the bases against a potent Rays offense, only to have Matt Thornton come in and give up the grand slam. Thornton had been exceptional this year, thus far, and I don't expect that to change just from one bad pitch.

Keys to the Next Series

1. Offensive Consistency. The White Sox get the Baltimore Orioles next, who have been a surprisingly upstart team this year, especially in a tough AL East. The White Sox starting pitching is a proven group now, but the offense needs to prove it can keep bringing the lumber to the yard.

2. Bobby Jenks. Jenks is one of the most reliable relievers in the American League, if not all of baseball, but he does seem to have on Achilles' heel. For whatever reason, in the very few saves that he's blown, five have come against the Orioles, so the Sox need him to pitch his very best stuff, if a save situation comes up.

The White Sox and Orioles face off on Tuesday night, at 7:05 p.m. ET.

White Sox-Rays: Bobby Jenks Escapes a Nail-Biter to Outlast Tampa Bay

Josh Warren — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:12:41 -0400

Many people believe that the White Sox offense works on a feast-or-famine basis.

What do you call it when the offense gets 14 hits, and can only manage to bring around three runs?

For pitcher John Danks, it was almost a travesty.

Danks had his second strong outing of the year, in as many starts, picking up his first win after pitching six innings, and taking a shut-out attempt deep until Carlos Pena Jr. sent a blast out into right-center field.

Danks struck out eight batters, and only gave up two hits, but he also walked four. His control still needs a little work. He also had the advantage of not facing Evan Longoria, who has been dangerous at the plate this year.

While Danks had a pleasing performance, the White Sox offense made manager Ozzie Guillen scratch his head at the end of the day.

"It's hard to believe," Guillen stated in his post game report, and he was justified in saying so, with his offense having the chances it had.

Five times on Thursday night, the "South Side Hit Men" had a man in scoring position with less than two outs, and they only managed to score on the final occasion which gave the Sox a 3-1 lead.

The other two runs came off of the bat of Jermaine Dye, who hit a two-run homer in the second inning.

Octavio Dotel and Matt Thornton both came in and picked up holds on the night in relief of Danks.

Then things got really interesting for Bobby Jenks.

The Sox closer got himself into a bit of a jam, after getting the first out. He then gave up a walk and a base hit, and ended up giving up an unearned run before he managed his way out of trouble, getting a grounder to Konerko for the final out of the game.

The Sox and Rays meet up again tomorrow night at 7:38 Eastern Time.

Oh, and for all of you people who liked (or didn't like) my suggestion that John Danks could win 20 games this year, I'll be making a special note each time he makes a start.

John Danks Win Counter: 1

Keep 'em coming, Johnny.

Minnesota Twins-Chicago White Sox: Mark Buehrle Pitches a Beauty

Josh Warren — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 01:09:00 -0400

A series win is a series win, even if it has an ugly start.

The White Sox got pummeled by the Minnesota Twins in the first game of their three-game set, losing 5-12. Sadly, it was as many runs as the organization had mustered in their whole first series against the Royals, and the pitching decided not to show up.

On Saturday, however, they redeemed themselves in a big way when Bartolo Colon threw a gem of a game, not giving up a single run in his first big league start for quite a few months, due to the bone chips being removed from his elbow.

Mark Buehrle, not one to be outdone, showed up to the Cell on Sunday with his best stuff. He looked like a completely different pitcher than he did on Opening Day, enough that one might really believe he just had the "first game jitters."

Buehrle pitched just over six innings and gave up only one run and just two hits, while striking out five and not walking anybody.

The White Sox offense came alive again against the Twinkies, who always seem to find a way to give Chicago trouble on both sides of the game.

Jim Thome had a repeat performance of game 163 against opposing pitcher Nick Blackburn, sending a ball deep into the seats.

Jermaine Dye also took out his first home run of the year, and Dewayne Wise finally started to find his groove, with two hits on the day.

The South Siders piled up nine hits on the day, and committed no errors.

Offense and pitching balanced out at just the right time, putting the Sox on a two game winning streak as they head into a tough road trip, featuring stops in Detroit, Tampa Bay, and Baltimore.

Heroes of the Series

Starting pitching

I know Jose Contreras didn't give his best outing, but the relief that came in to finish the game after him was much worse. Bartolo Colon was stunning in his first outing back, however, and Mark Buehrle pitched a great one as well.

The entire offense

The Sox played great offensive ball in all facets, hitting home runs, driving in RBI singles, and getting a lot of players back into a good grove. This needs to carry over into the next series for the Sox to succeed.

Zeroes of the Series

None

I try to name two heroes and zeroes for the team each series, but I found myself hard pressed to do this in this series. I could go after the relief pitching for their first game debacle, but look at how well they cleaned up shop after that!

Keys to the Next Series

Consistency

If the Sox simply keep on playing the way that they have the last two games, they should do just fine.

Starting Pitching

Detroit always seems to have a potent offense, so the pitching staff has to eat up some innings before giving way to relief. With Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Jose Contreras lined up, things are looking good for the Sox chances.

The Sox and Tigers face off tomorrow at 1:05 Eastern time.

White Sox-Royals: Bobby Jenks Falters, White Sox Lose 2-1

Josh Warren — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:22:44 -0400

While it would be unfair to put all of the credit for a loss on one player's shoulders, Bobby Jenks was the only individual player responsible for a run in the White Sox 2-1 loss to the Royals on Thursday.

John Danks was on the mound for the South Siders, and he had a lot of problems similar to fellow southpaw Mark Buehrle. His control wasn't quite where he wanted it to be, but he still managed to escape the game without giving up a run.

He walked three, but he struck out five, and only gave up three hits. He made it to the end of six innings.

Unfortunately for Johnny, the Sox offense was as bad as it had been the day before. The team only managed to rack up four hits on the day, and drove in just one run, off the bat of Jermaine Dye. Quinten, Dye, Konerko, and Fields were the only players to tally a hit.

Dewayne Wise was taken out of the game after two more consecutive at-bats without a hit, making him still hitless on the spring. Brian Anderson and Wilson Betemit took turns spelling center field.

The Royals pitching staff looked extremely good again, though it's still yet to be seen if their staff is that good, or if the White Sox offense is really going to be that bad this year. Kyle Davies pitched seven innings of three-hit ball, striking out eight and walking just two.

All of the damage was done in the ninth inning, when Bobby Jenks gave up a two-run blast to Coco Crisp. Jenks picked up the loss as a result, and that was all the Royals would need to seal a victory.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Sox made an effort to come back, scoring a single run off of Royals closer Joakim Soria, but Wilson Betemit struck out as the Sox final bullet. Soria picked up his second save of the year.

Again, it's tough to blame Jenks alone for losing this game. In order to get a close look at why, we'll turn to a new feature in my game recaps: The Hero and Zero of the series.

Heroes of the Series

1. Jim Thome. His three-run blast in the home opener gave the White Sox their only win of their opening series.

2. White Sox Pitching. In three games, the White Sox gave up a total of six runs. Just six. A team with even a well balanced, decent offense should be able to win when the opposing team only averages two runs a game, and, coincidentally, the Royals scored just two runs in all three games.

Zeroes of the Series

1. White Sox Offense. Again, the term 'anemic' comes to mind when describing the White Sox offense over the series. Managing just five runs in three games is not a winning formula, and while the youth movement seems to be showing up, the speed has yet to arrive.

2. Dewayne Wise. Wise went hit-less through three games, and picked up four strikeouts along the way. The Sox don't necessarily need a lightning fast guy leading off, but they definitely need someone who can hit.

Previewing the Next Series

The White Sox pick up tomorrow at home, taking on their AL Central rival Minnesota Twins. If they want to get off to a strong start early on, they'll need to win this series, if not bust out the brooms for a sweep.

Contreras and Colon will make their first starts of the season, and fans can only hope that they manage to shake off the rust before game time comes about. Buehrle gets game number three on Sunday, assuming there is no more postponement.

Big Jim Thome Pulls Through: The White Sox Claim Home Opener, 4-2

Josh Warren — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:21:56 -0400

White Sox fans, REJOICE!

It feels so good to actually be able to post that and have a proper meaning behind it. Worry not, this isn't some kind of a joke article about how to pass the time during the long season.

This is an article about the White Sox dramatic victory in their home opener against the Kansas City Royals, squeaking out a win right at the end of the game, coming behind Jim Thome's three-run blast into center field.

Thome was 3-4 on the day with two singles and the three-run homer that got the Sox a victory to get the season rolling. Josh Fields also impressed in his first game starting at third base, going 2-3.

Carlos Quinten and Dewayne Wise suffered at the plate, each going 0-4, and picked up a combined four strikeouts.

Mark Buehrle didn't pitch his best game, but was still miles better than his performance on opening day in 2008. The southpaw only yielded two runs over the course of five innings, but his pitch location was slightly erratic and he walked three batters. He earned three strikeouts, but also hit two batters on the day.

Gil Meche out-dueled his counterpart, throwing seven innings and giving up just the one run, with no walks and six strikeouts. His control was spot on, and he pitched a great game, but the Royals offense just couldn't squeeze out enough runs.

Things got hairy for Meche in the second inning with three consecutive singles by Thome, Dye, and Konerko, but the Sox took a golden, bases loaded, no-out opportunity, and followed it with two pop outs.

Josh Fields managed a single, and the Sox scored their first run.

They went scoreless after that until the eighth inning, where Jim Thome brought the fireworks for the White Sox. After Fields put down a fantastic bunt and Chris Getz got himself aboard with a single, Thome blasted a ball into center field off of Farnsworth.

Bobby Jenks came on in the ninth inning for the Sox to close up the game, picking up his first save of the year, as if last season never ended. Dotel picked up the win for the Sox, and Farnsworth took the loss.

The Sox and Royals meet up again tomorrow at 7:11 p.m., where Gavin Floyd looks to start off the year on the right foot, and mimic his success from 2008. He'll be facing off against Zach Greinke.

Surviving The White Sox Postponed Season Opener

Josh Warren — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:59:08 -0400

Fellow White Sox fans, REJOICE!

This is how I wanted to start this article. I was rearing to go, ready to pump out another year of game recaps, and start it off on the right foot with the lefty Mark Buehrle taking the mound.

Unfortunately, (or luckily, if you're crazy like me,) the state of Illinois has some odd weather patterns, and one of these is the phenomenon of snow in April.

I guess, I shouldn't call it a phenomenon, though, since this actually seems to be a pretty common event for those of us near Chicago, even though we're technically in the swing of spring.

There's no need to fear, though! Being the courteous writer that I am, I devised a few methods to burn off the time for the next White Sox postponed game, as I'm sure we'll be having at least a few more as the year goes on. Lets hope not, but...hey, what can you do?

If anyone is curious as to why these came out so late, it's simply because I decided I should test them so that you might avoid any negative results coming from your leisurely activities. But, without further a do...

Here's a few activities you might want to try during the next snow out, or rain delay!

1. Playing Catch With a Video Rocker.

Desperation Level: 3/10.

To actually attempt to play catch with a chair, one might think you to be pretty desperate for the season to start, but because we've been waiting, through all of spring training, for a real baseball game, it's fair to cut someone a little slack if they try this.

Pros: If you have ever sat in a video game rocker, you'll find that they're often as tall as the top of a major league strike zone, or at least near to it, and they handle the force of a baseball remarkably well.

Cons: If you get too complacent, you'll miss the chair completely, and have to explain that baseball sized hole in the wall to your friends and roommates, who will undoubtedly be pissed off at you.

2. Watch Another Team Play Baseball.

Desperation Level: Varies by team watched.

If you live in an area that has enough major market teams nearby, it's likely that you'll catch another team on a national sports channel. Of course, if you already get those channels, you're set, unless the only other team available happens to be your least favorite one.

Pros: You still get to see a baseball game.

Cons: It might also get rained out, the game may be horribly boring, or you could be stuck watching the Cubs.

3. Play a Baseball Related Video Game

Desperation Level: 1/10.

Some people do this for fun. Since I don't own any new enough consoles to really have a concern about it, it's hard to consider it a desperate thing. Wii Baseball is great, but you don't have any actual teams on it, and that kind of kills the emulation of playing as your favorite team; in this case, the White Sox.

Pros: Anyone can do it, though the amount of fun does depend on your skill level.

Cons: Regardless of skill level, Ken Griffey Jr's. Winning Run is an incredibly difficult game, and may result in a broken computer screen.

4. Argue with a Cubs Fan About Baseball

Desperation Level: 10/10.

From personal experience, I find this to be one of the most harrowing trials a Sox fan ever has to undergo, because a Cubs fan simply doesn't listen. I've had baseball discussions and arguments with Yankees fans that I enjoyed far more.

Pros: If you're lucky, you'll find a civilized Cubs fan who will admit when he's been beaten in an argument, and the two of you can go about your lives.

Cons: This has happened to me once, and only once. It's easier survive jumping off the Sears Tower than it is to get a Cubs fan to admit they're wrong.

5. Write an Article About How Bored You Are

Desperation Level: 7/10.

I think that the desperation level might be a little bit high, but at least writing is a generally productive thing to do, and it keeps you fresh so that when there are games to recap, you can be ready to go. Beyond that, it makes for a humorous little article, when all is said and done.

Pros: It takes up time, just like it's supposed to.

Cons: Some people who read it will think you're a little bit crazy.

Hopefully these five ideas will give people a better insight into some not-so-conventional ways to cure their boredom while waiting for the White Sox to finally play their home opener.

Lets hope that the weather stays clear so I can write you guys a real game recap tomorrow!

An Embarrasment For The Orange as Illinois Loses In First Round to WKU, 72-67

Josh Warren — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:35:48 -0400

You can say that Chester Frazier was injured. It's true, he was.

That does a lot to Illinois. It takes away possibly the best defensive player on the team, and one of the best in the Big Ten, no less.

It hurts their confidence, since Frazier is a natural born leader, and has a great ability to take control of the pace of the game when things get rough.

What it doesn't do is make the referees call a terrible game.

The Illini played decently. Considering that they were cold and coming off a three game losing streak, playing against a team that was on a seven game winning streak in Western Kentucky, they put up a good effort. They really did.

So why would I call this a black and white embarrassment?

The same reason I would've called it the same thing back in 2005, when Sean May and The Tar Heels got the same wonderful referee treatment in the title game of the NCAA tourney.

At least back then, they had a decent excuse. It was Sean May's birthday, so why not call a terrible game to give the victory to a less deserving team?

More importantly, if the NCAA referees had done it for a terrible reason before, why not do it for no reason at all a few years later?

Makes perfect sense to me.

Not surprisingly, it was kind of difficult to get the exact numbers on free throw shooting for the game. It wasn't difficult to see players falling over before they were even touched when defending the hoop, and offensive fouls being called for it. Whatever happened to letting the kids play?

However, lets be fair and look at those shooting numbers.

Western Kentucky got to take 21 free throw attempts, and only made 13.

The Fighting Illini were somehow only fouled seven times, and made five of their attempts.

Now, I know a lot of you college students out there just got back from break, and probably aren't wanting to do any math, so let me do it for you.

In a theoretically fair game, the free throw totals should be as close to even as possible. Granted, Illinois plays in the defensive heavy Big Ten, and it would seem that they get less leniency for fouls because of it, but...

If you make the seven free throw attempts by Illinois equal to the 21 of Western Kentucky, at the same pace they were making them, they'd have put down 15 free throw points.

Now, Western Kentucky won by four points. They made 13 points off of free throws. At their 13-21 ratio, if the game had been fairly officiated, how could would it have been?

If both teams got seven free throws, Western Kentucky would've made about four free throws, since you can't divide 13 and three evenly. Illinois would've gotten five.

So how does the rest of the scoring break down, then?

Well, without that, Western Kentucky already loses. It cuts off nine of their points, and the Fighting Illini win the game, 72-67.

Though it may not sound like it, I could've lived with Illinois losing this game, if it had just been a bit more fairly called. But it just didn't happen.

And every other article I've glanced so far has neglected to mention a key moment where the Illini got jipped just one more time, the one that may have changed it all.

After Jeff Jordan got his shot goal tended to make the score 71-68, it looked like the Illini had a fighting chance. They'd regained the momentum, they were looking fresh, and the fans were alive. This turn around was really going to happen.

Fast forward just a few moments. The Illini get the ball back, Demitri McCamey takes advantage of the turnover, drives the lane, Steffphon Pettigrew hits his shoulder, jumps into him...doesn't...draw a foul?

What?

This Time Around: A More In-Depth Look at the White Sox's 2009 Rotation

Josh Warren — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:28:29 -0500

I admit, I made a mistake that all sports writers make sometimes in their writing career. I'm still a teeny bit embarrassed with myself. Just what did I do?

I allowed myself to dream a little bit too much.

However, I figured out a very quick fix for the situation, and decided it was time to get more serious about the upcoming season, just as the White Sox are doing right now.

In my most recent article, I made a few pitching "predictions" that may have been just a little bit far-fetched, so I think it's time to set the record straight on what I really think is going to happen to the White Sox rotation in 2009.

Projected Order:

1. Mark Buehrle

2. Gavin Floyd

3. John Danks

4. Bartolo Colon

5. Jeff Marquez/Clayton Richard/Lance Broadway/Jose Contreras

Mark Buehrle

Original "Prediction": 18 Wins, 5 Losses.

Real Prediction: 15 Wins, 9 Losses.

Mark has the ability to be a consistent team ace once again. His defense at the pitching position is top notch, and it does save him the trouble of some plays that other pitchers would never be able to make, but at the same time, he doesn't always get the run support that Gavin Floyd received last year, or even Javy Vazquez did.

Still, look for him to dominate unsuspecting hitters with his quick pitching pace and smooth delivery. Don't forget that his pick-off move is still one of the better ones in the league.

Gavin Floyd

Original "Prediction": 17 Wins, 7 Losses.

Real Prediction: 10 Wins, 8 Losses.

Gavin Floyd had a very good year last year for the White Sox, and it was one that many people just didn't see coming. Granted, he got some of the best run support that a pitcher has ever seen, but it is still hard to take away from his win total for the Sox last year.

His fastball still catches some hitters off guard, but he's really going to have to have improved over the off-season in order to have anything close to my original prediction. To be a bit more fair, I'm putting him at only 10 wins, then, to give him some room to improve, and hopefully, he'll do just that.

He really does need to work on keeping his pitches lower, though. It'll be the death of him at U.S. Cellular Field if he can't do that.

John Danks

Original "Prediction": 20 Wins, 4 Losses.

Real Prediction (Yes, I mean this): 20 Wins, 5 Losses.

Just hear me out on this, people.

John Danks is looking to embark on his best year so far in a White Sox uniform. He opted against pitching in the World Baseball Classic for the fact that he'll likely be pitching his highest number of innings yet this season, and he bulked up about fifteen pounds in the offseason, a sign that he's getting a bit more serious about becoming a big-name pitcher.

As I've said more than once before, Danks avoided the sophomore slump, and really got shorted of a better season than he pitched. With the same kind of run support that Javy or Gavin got, what kind of numbers would Danks have had?

Last year, Danks pitched in six games where the Sox lost by no more than two runs. Those scores (0-2), (0-2), (0-2), (3-4), (7-8), (2-3), all only amount to Danks getting 12 runs of support in six games. That means that he only received two runs of support on average in games where he was the losing pitcher, approximately.

Of the 21 runs the Sox gave up in those games, Danks was only responsible for 11 of them, meaning that he still beats the scoring curve by a run.

Offense and relief lost those games for him. Given his overall W-L last year, (12-9), if you chalk him up those six wins and take away six losses, his totals become 18-3. It doesn't sound too far off now, does it?

Give Danks a chance to be a big game pitcher for the Sox again this year, and to do big things for the South Siders for at least a few years to come.

Bartolo Colon

Original "Prediction": 12 Wins, 13 Losses.

Real Prediction: 7 Wins, 9 Losses.

Because of an injury slowed start to his season, it would be prudent to imagine that Colon won't be making all of his starts this year. This isn't all bad, as whoever doesn't win the fifth spot in the rotation could likely be called up to fill in for him, or even take over the spot, if Colon gets injured again.

However, as much as I hate to see a losing record in a starting rotation, it's going to happen, and this is one area where I see it happening for the Sox this year. I'm not sure Colon can regain the needed endurance to pitch a whole season, or pick up that many decisions this year.

Time will tell, and we may be pleasantly surprised, but for now, don't go too crazy over it.

Jeff Marquez/Clayton Richard/Lance Broadway/Jose Contreras

Original " Prediction": 6 Wins, 9 Losses for the first half, 5 Wins, 3 Losses for Jose.

Real Prediction: A combined 8 Wins and 10 Losses.

This prediction doesn't reflect, in any way whatsoever, that I think any of these pitchers are necessarily bad pitchers.

However, we don't yet know how Marquez will handle The Cell, Clayton Richard didn't have a good enough season last year to inspire too much hope, and Lance Broadway seems to handle the Royals, but doesn't do too well with anyone else.

Look for these three to battle it out for the first half of the year, and when Jose returns, look for him to be back in decent shape, to at least notch up a few wins for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Overall Rotation Record: 60-41.

It's not too crazy to expect 101 decisions out of the White Sox starting rotation this year. It might be kind of crazy to expect them to win 80 or more of those decisions, though.

The bullpen looks like it's going to bring back some proven veterans, as well as work in a few new cogs to keep the relief in Chicago a well-oiled machine, and hopefully, it can pick up as many wins as possible with the remaining 61 decisions.

But that's another story, for a whole other article.

Chicago White Sox Look to Youth in 2009

Josh Warren — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:05:37 -0500

For all of you White Sox faithful out there, rejoice! The wait is over, and spring training is almost underway.

I can't wait to get back to writing game reviews and previews for the Sox, but there is a little more work to be done before the season begins.

For the White Sox, it's finding out who is going to play where, who will be starting, who will be sitting, and who the pitching staff will be. For us writers out there, it's making our predictions on all of the above.

Will Jose Contreras return in time for the '09 season? Who will be starting at second base, center field, and possibly third base for that matter?

Will there be another blow up doll fiasco?

Though we can all hope for more fun, good times and games from the White Sox organization this year, the goal is the same, and the World Series is at the end of the road. Lets take a preview of who the White Sox will be riding down that stretch.

Rotation

1. Mark Buehrle. We all know what Mark brings to the table. The workhorse southpaw can play the game day in and day out on short or long rest, and is defensively as skillful as any pitcher in the game. Look for him to head the rotation.

Projected record: 18-5

2. Gavin Floyd. Gavin turned into a game-winning pitcher last year. He had plenty of notches in the win column, despite that he didn't always throw his best game. He can still improve, and it could be a huge year for him if he does.

Projected record: 17-7

3. John Danks. Still one of my favorite pitchers, Danks avoided the sophomore slump last year, and instead broke onto the scene as one of the better pitchers in the American League. Look for continued improvement, and a rise to the top in 2009.

Projected record: 20-4

4. Bartolo Colon. This one is going to be one of the bigger mysteries for the White Sox rotation, and could make or break the team with his win total. Recent surgery points to injury cautions, but his first stint with the White Sox didn't go too badly.

Projected record: 12-13

5. Clayton Richard/Lance Broadway/Jeff Marquez. No one is quite sure just yet who is going to take over this spot. Clayton Richard had an up and down year in his first year of work.

Lance Broadway shined against the Royals, but really no one else. Jeff Marquez remains yet to be seen in a White Sox uniform. Look for whoever wins this job to be a filler, and to be replaced by Contreras when he becomes healthy again.

Projected record: 6-9 (For the first half), 5-3 (For Contreras).

Starting Lineup

First Base: Paul Konerko. Paulie definitely didn't have his best season last year, but he heated up at the end, when it really mattered, and his veteran presence was one thing that helped to carry the team into the playoffs. Look for him to rebound in 2009.

Second Base: Chris Getz/Brent Lillibridge. I know that Chris Getz is the popular choice to win the job, but I'm not ruling Brent out just yet. Look for this battle to be an exciting one that lasts until the first game of the regular season.

Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez. It's almost sad to see Alexei leaving second base, with the highlight reel season that he put on last year, but if shortstop really is his home position, this season could be one for the record books for the Cuban Missile.

Third Base: Josh Fields/Dayan Viciedo. Josh Fields is considered to be the front runner here, big time, but look at what Alexei Ramirez did with his chance last year. I'm hoping and looking for Dayan to break out in the same way, and win that third base job. You should too.

Right Field: Jermaine Dye. Despite all of the trade rumors, Jermaine is still a member of the White Sox, and he brings a big bat back to the club. It'd be nice to see more speed in the outfield, but his power numbers make him too valuable to lose.

Center Field: Jerry Owens/Brian Anderson/Dewayne Wise. Though my personal pick for the job right now is Jerry Owens, this position could easily go to any of the three. This could be the best battle of all of spring training, so keep an eye on it.

Left Field: Carlos Quentin. Carlos won the job fair and square last year, and with a nearly full year of experience behind him in the organization, he looks only to improve his numbers this season. I can't wait to see him back in action.

Catcher: A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. is definitely going to be the starter for at least another year or two, and he has earned himself the spot. His numbers were fantastic early on last year, and he didn't fizzle as the year went on. Definitely a solid player.

Designated Hitter: Jim Thome. Big Jim is back in the starting spot as the DH once again, but look for any number of players to give him a break every now and again as the year goes on. Look for big numbers out of Jim, as well, if he can stay healthy.

Bullpen

Closer: Bobby Jenks. Barrel-chested Bobby looks to have another successful year as the White Sox closer. He avoided arbitration, and will hopefully avoid any blown saves as he goes through another year closing out games.

Projected saves: 41

Set Up Man: Scott Linebrink. Though he was often a consistent and stable pitcher, Linebrink had moments in his season last year where he got really shaky. Hopefully, in his second year with the White Sox, his shaky nature will have declined, and he'll be a sight for sore eyes late in the game.

Middle Reliever: D.J. Carrasco. D.J. jumped onto the scene last year, appearing when the White Sox desperately needed someone to eat up innings.

Carrasco did just that, sometimes going as long as five innings of a game, giving up as few as one or no runs in his appearances. He could get even better this year, and figures to.

The rest: Matt Thornton, Octavio Dotel, Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richards.

Yearly Prediction

Overall Record: 92-70, First in the American League Central.

The White Sox were a surprise winner of the AL Central in 2008, and because people don't believe that youth will get the job done in Chicago, they'll be a surprise winner if they take the division in 2009.

However, we've seen what the kids can do for the White Sox, and we know what can be done with strong, youthful players when you mix them in with Ozzie Guillen's grinder mentality.

I still hope and believe that the White Sox will finish in first place and win the division in 2009, based on the same recipe that got them into the playoffs and the World Series in 2005: Speed, great defense, and amazing pitching.

Here's to another year of White Sox baseball!

Grading Scale: How Do the Chicago Bears Rank for Next Season?

Josh Warren — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:12:39 -0500

The Chicago Bears weren't given a chance to make the playoffs in preseason rankings for 2008, and they fell just short of making them in a heartbreaking loss to the Texans, in the final game. Now that their season is over, just how do the Bears stack up for next year? Josh Warren grades the Monsters of the Midway, and breaks down how they can improve for the next year.

Begin Slideshow

The Dating Game: Who Wants to Take Home Rex Grossman?

Josh Warren — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 18:51:27 -0500

There is a very good chance that at the end of the Chicago Bears' season in 2008, Rex Grossman will no longer be on the roster of the Monsters of the Midway.

Whether their season ends this Sunday, or they make a miracle run for the Super Bowl, Grossman seems to be all but gone from the future plans of Chicago.

This leaves us begging the question: Where is he going to end up?

The thought that Grossman is going to have a job in 2009 isn't all that far-fetched. Though he is one of the most maligned quarterbacks in the league, thanks to the local media, he still managed to help the Bears make it to the Super Bowl—only the second Chicago quarterback to have done so.

He also set multiple records for the quarterback position for the Bears franchise, and had quite a few moments of brilliance in the 2006 season.

With all of this in mind, lets take a look at a few places that Rex is likely to end up at for the 2009 season:

Detroit Lions

Okay, I know someone is going to hate this answer, but we need to take a look at the quarterback situation in Detroit before we shoot it down. Daunte Culpepper was not the answer, Jon Kitna is getting old and lacking performance, and Dan Orlovsky has a long way to go before he is anything close to the caliber of an NFL starter.

For the interim, at least, Rex Grossman seems to be a viable answer, especially in a pass happy offense with a number of decent targets. Grossman would probably get along great with someone like Calvin Johnson.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City hasn't had too much luck with the quarterback situation for the last few years. Trent Green and Damon Huard battled it out for the past couple of seasons, but Tyler Thigpen has emerged and seems to be the choice for the starter in Kansas City—at least for the rest of the season.

Still, his completion percentage and QB rating are less than desirable, and it might not be a bad idea to bring in someone to challenge him for the starting spot.

Rex Grossman fits the bill, and would work well with Tony Gonzalez, and get a chance to re-unite with Mark Bradley, who had a nice rapport with Grossman while he was in Chicago.

New York Jets

Before Brett Favre started talking about his arm issues, I never would have thought of this team as one needing a quarterback, or any kind of veteran presence—but they have dug themselves into a hole that Grossman may be able to dig them out of.

Kellen Clemens has some skills and could develop into an NFL starter. But hw may need one more year, and bringing Grossman in would give him that chance.

Rex would also get to hook back up with Thomas Jones, and anyone who watched Grossman and Jones play together on the Bears know that they were a great tandem who could tear apart defenses with the play action, which they sold flawlessly for Chicago.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jeff Garcia is a quality starter, and could land a job on almost any NFL team that needed a starting quarterback. Still, he is getting up there in years, and Brian Griese has proven that he can't carry a team at that position.

Rex Grossman has done so, and he might be able to do it again if he went to play for Tampa Bay. The offensive scheme doesn't always directly fit the way Grossman plays, but Rex had to deal with a number of scheme changes while starting for Chicago, making it a small issue that could be overlooked.

Jeff Garcia may have one or two years left in the tank, but Grossman could become the starter easily, and take over if Garcia was injured, or retired.

Chicago Bears

So far, every team listed has been put on this list under the assumption that they may need help at the starting quarterback position, but there is one team out there that might not mind having Grossman for just another year or two, as a Plan B.

The Chicago Bears know what Grossman is capable of, and he knows the system that they run.

Kyle Orton, after a mediocre season, has cemented himself into the starting quarterback role, and it's unlikely that he'd be overthrown by Rex. Still, the Bears might look into keeping Grossman around as a viable, proven second stringer.

While it's still uncertain where Rex Grossman will end up next season, he has shown that he can throw the deep ball, make passes with touch, and sells the play action as well as anyone else in the game. He should be a steal—and a starter, if he ends up on the free-agent market.

Rex Grossman's True Role for the Chicago Bears? Team Scapegoat

Josh Warren — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:58:00 -0500

As a long-time Grossman supporter, it almost pains me to write an article like this, but the evidence has been piling up since the end of the Super Bowl run in 2006.

Rex Grossman, once considered to be the Bears' quarterback of the future, and the hopes of the entire team, has shifted into a role that is almost as important. To the overall prestige of the team, it may be even more important than his previous.

Every time a team performs well, they're going to hit a few road bumps along the way, even if it takes them all the way till the last game of the season, i.e., the Patriots in 2007.

However, when a team that has been projected to be mediocre starts to perform mediocre, they're going to look somewhere to blame their shortcomings, especially when they had such high expectations for themselves.

Now, the Bears haven't made their blame game a secret, not by a long shot. After their shortcomings in the Super Bowl in 2006, almost everyone had their index fingers poised and ready to point at their former king, the newly nicknamed "Train Rex."

However, Chicago fans, like any other fans, tend to overlook certain details when they've made up their minds. And, though I am a lifelong Bears fan myself, I am going to commit what may be considered blasphemy by some older Bears fans, in my next statement.

We have got to start blaming the defense.

The "vaunted" Bears defense, as it has often been called, has been anything but that so far in the 2008 campaign. While they have had flashes of brilliance, they also exhibit a lack of ability to play all four quarters, and an inability to play both the run and the pass.

Whenever they focus on either function of an opposing offense, they get torched going the other way.

So, almost naturally, when the Bears had to sit Kyle Orton because of a high-ankle sprain, and the Bears defense only played half of the game, before allowing Kerry Collins to absolutely pick them apart, it was no surprise to immediately hear about how Rex Grossman took the team out of the game.

It was even less surprising to see Kyle Orton step in against the Packers, and though he demonstrated in just one drive that he wasn't ready to return to action, Rex Grossman wasn't played until the fourth quarter.

No one can take anything away from what Kyle Orton has done for the Bears this season, thus far, and he does show promise of being a franchise quarterback, but people said the same thing of Rex Grossman in 2006, and it's becoming very clear which one really needs a contract extension and a big raise for what they offer the team.

Rex Grossman deserves that money for being the bailout man for the last two years. If Lovie Smith knows what he's doing, he'll keep Rex around to fill the role that he fills best for years to come.

White Sox-Athletics: John Danks Comes Through in the Clutch For Chicago

Josh Warren — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 19:02:39 -0400

The White Sox have always had trouble in the past when dealing with the Oakland Athletics, with just one exception; John Danks.

The young southpaw kept up his recent success against Oakland, winning his fourth of all four starts against the Athletics. While it's hard to overlook such outstanding success for the emerging pitcher, the greater importance of the victory is that it kept the Sox in a tie for first place, keeping them just neck and neck with Minnesota.

Danks got himself into trouble more than once in his outing, loading the bases in the second and third innings, but he only allowed a single run across his total six. He walked a career high five batters, but struck out five to compensate for his wildness.

The bullpen also repented for their run-allowing sins, inspired not to let another victory slip out of their grasp. D.J. Carassco and Matt Thornton picked up holds, each one working a full inning, before Bobby Jenks came on in the ninth inning, pitching perfectly en route to his 25th save on the year.

The White Sox brought plenty of hits along to the party, racking up 11 on the day, but they only managed to score two runs with all the sparks that they provided. Once again, the Sox showed that they need to hit in the clutch more often if they're going to stay atop the AL Central division. The entire team needs to be in full gear to pick up a win on Sunday, and keep the team in first place.

Mark Buerhle Redeems Himself in Strong Win at Home against Royals

Josh Warren — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:13:38 -0400

The White Sox rotation may be back in the groove that it so desperately needed to reclaim, and Mark Buehrle looks determined to keep it that way.

After their last two series against the Royals came up sour, the White Sox have the series win, and are looking to sweep on Thursday.

Mark Buehrle didn't have his best stuff on Wednesday night, but he managed to make the right pitches at the right times to give himself a shutout through seven innings. He spread five hits over the outing, striking out five as well. His ERA improved, and is now down all the way to 3.77.

Luke Hochevar gave up only as many hits as Buehrle, striking out four and walking one, but the White Sox were hitting in the clutch tonight, bringing the bats to life when it really mattered. Unlike their usual ways of bringing in the big bats, the Sox played small ball, managing four runs in the evening.

The bullpen appears to have found a rhythm again as well, though they still lack Scott Linebrink. Octavio Dotel pitched the eighth for his 18th hold on the season, and Bobby Jenks pitched a perfect ninth, three up, three down.

The White Sox are hoping to keep this current winning streak alive, sending Lance Broadway to the bump for the series finale, and hopefully the sweep. Lance did face the Royals last year in one of his first appearances for the White Sox, picking up a win after six innings of shutout baseball.

White Sox-Royals: Javier Vazquez Fans Ten in a Shut Out Win Over Kansas City

Josh Warren — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:40:52 -0400

The White Sox rotation was starting to look like it had finally come down to earth after putting together a less than stellar effort in the first two weeks after the break. However, Javy Vazquez was the latest pitcher to put out a strong performance as of late, hopefully bringing back the dominance that the rotation brought with them at the beginning of the season.

Everything was going right for the Sox on Tuesday night, with Jermaine Dye picking up a a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to take a strong lead. Even that was enough run support for Vazquez, who was dealing out his best stuff against the Royals. Still, the White Sox decided to give him a little extra breathing room.

As Javy picked apart the Royals lineup, allowing only five hits while striking out ten across 8.1 innings, A.J. Pierzynski and Nick Swisher also picked up home runs on the evening, and Chris Getz picked up his first hit and RBI as a major league player. Orlando Cabrera gave him a bit of a scare, pretending to throw the ball into the stands before handing it down to the dugout.

Ozzie Guillen cautioned his team not to get too comfortable after the game, remembering that the last two series these teams have met, the White Sox won the first game, but lost the next two to drop the series. Hopefully, Mark Buehrle can keep the Sox momentum going on Wednesday night.

Gavin Floyd of the White Sox Stays on Track to Bounce Back Against the Red Sox

Josh Warren — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:45:52 -0400

The White Sox couldn't have asked for a better way for the week to begin on Sunday, with Jose Contreras having hit the DL for the rest of the year, and the club falling into second place behind the Minnesota Twins. An incident like that can take the fight right out of a good ball club and send them straight to the cellar.

Apparently, someone forgot to tell the White Sox.

Gavin Floyd came out and picked up his twelfth victory on the season, in a game that saw two lead changes and plenty of sparks from the bats.

Floyd started out a bit shaky at first, having trouble getting his pitches down, which lead to a double, a walk, and finally, a three run blast from Mike Lowell, all in the first inning. After that, however, Gavin managed to pick up on his control and struck out six across 5.1 innings before he gave way to the bullpen.

Jermaine Dye kept the Sox in the game, hitting his 27th home run in the bottom of the second and Carlos Quentin started the offensive fire as he hit his American League leading 32nd home run in the bottom of the third, followed shortly by a Jim Thome homer, his 24th. The White Sox held a 5-3 lead until the sixth inning, when Floyd gave up his fourth and final run.

Matt Thornton came on in relief and pitched one inning, having an iffy outing. He didn't pitch too well, letting in one run on a wild pitch, before he loaded the bases and it was time for Octavio Dotel to work under pressure. However, Dotel didn't sweat it in the least and threw the right pitch to cause an inning ending double play.

Jenks came in and pitched a perfect ninth inning, getting his 24th save on the year. Dotel picked up his 17th hold and Thornton was also credited with a hold, his 12th.

The White Sox reclaimed first place in the AL Central with their victory on Sunday, as Minnesota fell to Kansas City in extra innings. They look to hold onto that lead a bit longer this time when they send the reliable John Danks to the bump on Monday.

John Danks Pitches a Gem for His Ninth Victory

Josh Warren — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:23:27 -0400

Even with some lagging injuries to key players, the White Sox continue to find ways to win against their divisional opponents. Tonight, the entire team was clicking as John Danks pitched another spectacular performance and got the run support that he deserved in a victory over the Detroit Tigers.

Danks pitched a fantastic game, giving up just one earned run and striking out six, picking up his ninth victory of the year for the White Sox versus just four losses. He worked the Tigers' lineup all the way until the seventh inning, when he gave up his only run.

He gave way to D.J. Carassco, and shortly after him, Octavio Dotel. Both picked up holds on the evening. Bobby Jenks came on to close out the game in the ninth, but was not credited with a save.

Jim Thome turned out to be all the offense that Danks needed to get through the evening, after he blasted a three-run home run into left center field, giving the White Sox a lead they wouldn't give up.

The divisional race is far from over, however, as the Twins also picked up a victory on the night. The Tigers have lost six in a row and are now eight and a half games back from the AL Central leading Sox, who look to complete the sweep tomorrow at U.S. Cellular field.

White Sox-Royals: The Kid is Back—Ken Griffey Jr. Looks Great in Sox Debut

Josh Warren — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:40:29 -0400

With the Minnesota Twins applying constant pressure to the White Sox' division lead, Javier Vazquez picked a perfect night to turn around his recent pitching woes.

Javi had a strong outing, pitching six solid innings with five hits scattered, giving up just two runs while striking out three in a 4-2 victory at Kansas City. But as important as Vazquez's performance was tonight, the real spotlight fell on Ken Griffey Jr., who made his debut for the White Sox, playing in center field.

Batting seventh in the order, Griffey drove in two runs on two RBI singles, and had one ball fall just short of a home run in his first start with the AL Central leaders.

The rest of the offense did its job on the evening, piling up a total of 12 hits and four runs, which was plenty enough for the Sox bullpen, which was as good as gold tonight. DJ Carassco and Octavio Dotel both picked up holds, and Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth for his 22nd save on the year.

The White Sox hold a half-game lead in the division, with the Twins also picking up a win on Friday night.

White Sox-Twins: Mark Buehrle Suffers a Tough Loss to Minnesota

Josh Warren — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:24:14 -0400

As the race continues to heat up in the tough AL Central, the Chicago White Sox are starting one of their most crucial series of the year, a four-game set against the Minnesota Twins.

However, after taking two of three from the Detroit Tigers, the White Sox started their battle against the Twins on the wrong foot, getting shutout by Kevin Slowey on Monday night.

Mark Buehrle had been showing signs of improvement on the season before Monday's game, having found his groove once again as a starter. But the Twins simply found all the right ways to hit the left-hander. He spread eight hits over five innings, but was out-dueled by his Minnesota counterpart.

Kevin Slowey was dominant against the Sox, redeeming himself for his previous performances against Chicago this year. His ERA against the White Sox was over 10 in his previous starts against their team, and he'd only struck out eight batters.

Tonight, he threw a six-hitter and gave the best performance he could to move the Twins within a game-and-a-half of the AL Central-leading White Sox.

In Tuesday's game, Clayton Richard will get another chance to pick up a win for the Sox while filling in for Jose Contreras, who is on the disabled list with tendonitis.