The Sox have lost eight out of nine after Monday's 4-1 loss to Minnesota. They sit six games out of first with 30 to play, and there's no legitimate reason to think they have a run in them.
GM Kenny Williams agrees, and he shipped out a couple of veterans late tonight just before the deadline to make waiver-wire deals.
Sox fans will always remember Thome's home run that beat the Minnesota Twins (pictured) and clinched the AL Central Division championship in 2008. Contreras was the ACE of the 2005 World Series champions.
These two guys are both class individuals, and they have been good players for the Sox. However, they were not likely to return to the team in 2010. Time marches on, and I wish both Thome and Contreras good luck with their new teams.
After all the hype surrounding last night's exhibition game between the Bears and Denver Broncos, this seems to be an appropriate time for a public service announcement to remind the football-mad nation that preseason games don't count.
I can't say that I'm surprised that people got all hot and bothered about new Bears QB Jay Cutler's return to the Mile High City. We have a tendency to blow things out of proportion. But the spectacle itself and the amount of column inches devoted to this game still left me shaking my head.
As the NBC broadcast began, play-by-play man Al Michaels told us that this matchup would have "more drama than your average preseason game." Really? I didn't think it was that compelling. The Bears won 27-17 in a contest that was generally a snoozer, like most preseason games.
There were two reasons why people felt this game would hold a lot of "drama." First, they wanted to see how the fans would react to Cutler. Secondly, they wanted to see how Cutler would play in a hostile environment. However, things unfolded exactly as I expected them to, so I didn't really see much in the way of "drama."
I knew the Denver fans would boo Cutler loudly and lustily. I wasn't disappointed. They let Cutler have it, and who can blame them for being upset? After all, Cutler is a franchise quarterback. The Broncos finally had their successor to two-time Super Bowl champion John Elway. And what did new Denver coach Josh McDaniels do? He traded Cutler to the Bears for Kyle Orton and draft picks. If I were a Broncos fan, I'd be pretty pissed about having the mediocre Orton (above, left), guiding my team. The former Bears QB has been struggling this preseason. I get ulcers just thinking about what Broncos fans are going to deal with this season.
I also knew that Cutler would play well in last night's game. He completed 15 of 21 passes for 144 yards and directed a 98-yard drive in the second quarter that gave the Bears a 17-3 halftime lead. Then, he took a seat on the bench in the second half because, ya know, preseason games don't count. I know Bears fans aren't used to expecting their quarterback to play well under pressure. It's time to change that mentality. Cutler is legit. For the first time in my life, quarterback is the least of the Bears problems.
Today, everyone is throwing rose petals at Cutler's feet because he played well. No rose petals are forthcoming here, because Cutler merely met my high expectations. I would have been disappointed if he had played poorly.
Of course, come to think of it, if Cutler had gone 3-for-21, I wouldn't have let it bother me too much. After all, preseason doesn't count. It starts to matter Sept. 13 in Green Bay. Until then, who cares?
As the White Sox "make-or-break" road trip begins to resemble an express elevator straight to hell, it's always good to have an Ozzie Guillen tirade to break the monotony.
The White Sox fell to 1-5 on their current 11-game roadie with a 10-0 loss to the New York Yankees Saturday. The Sox had just one hit against Yankee "greats" and former Cubs rejects Sergio Mitre and Chad Gaudin (who?), and they committed three errors. It was one of those games where it was so bad that I never really got upset. I just shrugged, turned the TV off after the sixth inning and went on to the rest of my Saturday afternoon.
Guillen doesn't have that luxury. He has to stay and watch that crap, and his postgame press conference was the stuff of legend:
"I'm embarrassed," the skipper told the S-T's Joe Cowley. "And everybody in that room should be embarrassed. If they're not embarrassed, they got the wrong job or they're stealing money from baseball. I feel like I'm stealing the money from (board chairman) Jerry (Reinsdorf). And that's a shame. When you got more errors than hits, you better look yourself in the mirror and start second-guessing yourself. But I'm second-guessing myself right now, making the wrong lineup every day. I second-guess myself bringing in the wrong guys to pitch. Second-guess myself like we work so hard to put this team together, all the way from spring training and when I look on the field....
"I was looking at the Little League game this morning, 11 to 13 (years old), and they were playing better than we did. It was more fun ... this is not major-league baseball, sorry."
"If we had a B Game against us, we might tie," Guillen continued. "Nobody is going to win. I feel that way, and I hope my players and coaches feel the same way.
"If they don't feel the way I feel right now, they're full of (crap) because there's no doubt in my mind we're better than this. But it gets to the point where it is what it is. And my hope is getting less and less. It's a long mountain, and the mountain is getting higher and higher every night. And if we're going to climb to the top, maybe they need a cable car to get up there. But they're not going to walk up there. (Bleep) it. They don't. I'm not a loser or a negative guy, but I'm really realistic. That's my problem in the past when I'm so realistic and people get mad at me and they don't like the way I do stuff or the way I talk. Well, if you don't want me to talk that way, (bleepin') play better.
"And I'm getting paid a lot of money to manage this club and I truly believe this -- I'm stealing money from Jerry Reinsdorf right now. I come here, make the lineup, go to sleep and watch (bleeping) Little League games.''
No disputing any of these comments. The Sox suck right now. Amazingly, they are still only five games out of first place. That's proof that the AL Central is terrible this season.
With the outcome no longer in question, Boston manager Tony Francona summoned utility infielder Nick Green to pitch against the White Sox in the eighth inning Thursday night. Obviously, this was the first time the Sox had ever faced Green -- and as you might expect -- he fired two shutout innings.
Quite a few fans on White Sox Interactive were outraged that the Sox failed to score runs against a position player, but I was more amused than anything else. After all, the Sox won 9-5 and victories have been scarce this week.
We were wondering in the newsroom tonight, who was the last position player to pitch in a game for the White Sox? The answer is Dave Martinez. Martinez, a former outfielder, worked a scoreless, hitless inning (with two walks) on Aug. 4, 1995, in a 13-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians. You may recall that the 1995 Indians went 100-44 and won the American League pennant, so even good teams fail to score sometimes when hitting against position players.
For the record, the last Cubs position player to take the hill was the ancient Gary Gaetti, who gave up two runs on July 3, 1999, in a 21-8 loss to Philadelphia. Gaetti was ancient back then. Imagine how old he is now.
In any case, the Sox are taking my advice and showing extra caution with Jake Peavy. He won't pitch Saturday after getting struck by a line drive during his rehab assignment start Monday night.
The options for the Sox on Saturday include starting swingman D.J. Carrasco, which worked once before (sort of) against the Yankees, or dipping down into the minor leagues for Carlos Torres or phenom Dan Hudson.
If it were my call, I think I would just go with Carrasco. He's a veteran who won't be intimidated by the environs at Yankee Stadium. The last time we saw Torres, he refused to find the plate in a game against the Cleveland Indians.
Hudson is an interesting guy -- he started the year at low-A ball and has pitched at four different levels this season. He's been effective at every level and possesses a 2-0 mark with a 3.43 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Charlotte. But I don't think I'd make the kid make his first big-league start at Yankee Stadium against a hard-hitting New York club.
In any case, Jose Contreras won't be starting Saturday. I have to believe most Sox fans are pleased by that.
When I walked into the office Tuesday afternoon, my colleague D.J. Wanberg said to me, "You know what I hope? I hope people don't get all excited again and think the Cubs are on their way if they beat that Nationals."
Just for the record, those plucky Cubbies are 8-13 since Billy the Marlin paraded a goat in front of their dugout on July 31 in Florida. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.
It's hard to argue with the White Sox decision to put struggling right-hander Jose Contreras in the bullpen. After all, Contreras was an embarrassment in Monday's 12-8 loss to the Red Sox.
The Sox offense staked him to an early 4-1 lead. Then, Contreras gave up six unearned runs on just two hits in the bottom of the third inning to put the Sox in a hole they could never quite recover from.
The sequence was straight out of "Bad News Bears." Contreras gave up a leadoff single before retiring two hitters in a row. After that, all hell broke loose. Victor Martinez walked. Kevin Youklis was hit by a pitch. Contreras booted a David Ortiz grounder that my dead grandma could have fielded, allowing a run to score. Jason Bay drew a bases-loaded walk. Contreras uncorked a wild pitch to allow Boston to tie the game. Then, Mike Lowell unloaded for a long 3-run homer to complete the debacle.
I think that was probably Contreras' last start in a White Sox uniform. But now who starts Saturday against the New York Yankees? Apparently, the Sox are thinking of rushing back Jake Peavy. Sigh.
Peavy pitched five scoreless innings at Charlotte Monday night, but he was hit on his pitching elbow by a line drive at the end of his outing. And before last night, the conventional wisdom was he needed two more starts at Triple-A before making his return to the big leagues. But since Contreras sucks, it's time to hurry him back.
All I can say is, this better work. The reason I liked the Peavy trade so much was because it solidifies the Sox rotation for 2010. I don't care so much about this year, because I don't think the Sox are legitimate World Series contenders here in 2009. If they win the division this year, well, that would be nice. But the team has yet to show it can play consistent, winning baseball. The inconsistent play has continued even with Carlos Quentin's return from the DL and the waiver-wire addition of outfielder Alex Rios.
No way I would risk Peavy trying to save this season. NO WAY. For me, he doesn't pitch until he's 100 percent ready. I don't care how bad Jose Contreras and Freddy Garcia are. I don't care if there are no better options in the minor leagues. There's too much invested in Peavy. Use caution with him, please.
We haven't had a good tirade on this blog in awhile. Rest assured, this one has been building up for most of the baseball season. Maybe I've gone too easy on the mediocre mental midgets known as the 2009 Chicago White Sox, but it's open season now after I read Paul Konerko's comment in the Sun-Times this morning after last night's lay-down-like-dogs 5-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
"Baltimore has played us tough this year," Konerko said. "We just have to win series, but the first game is always the most important of the three. One day at a time. I know it's a cliche, but we can't play Boston or New York before we play Baltimore."
"Just win series." God, I hate this mentality. I've been hearing this crap all year. Not just from Konerko. A.J. Pierzynski and Jermaine Dye have said it too. Ozzie Guillen, Don Cooper and Greg Walker as well. Even Gordon Beckham has talked about the "importance of winning series." Great. We've already infected the best young player we've had since Frank Thomas with our mental cripple bullcrap.
It's OK to give away a game to last-place Baltimore. We're just trying to win series. It's OK to give Jeremy Guthrie his first win since July 19 (which, BTW, was also against the Sox). We're just trying to win series. It's OK to wait until tomorrow to play well. We're just trying to win series.
Now you know why the Sox have swept only two series all year. The Sox are 2-9 this year when trying to sweep a series. They should have been able to go 4-7 just on accident. You can't help but wonder if there is a correlation between that failure and this "just win series" mantra they've been chanting all season.
There's a few things the White Sox need to understand:
1) The teams that win the most games go to the playoffs, not the teams that win the most series.
2) 3-0 is a much better record than 2-1. You think there is a difference between three games over .500 and one game over?
3) You can't win every series. It's not realistic.
4) You can make up for not winning every series by sweeping someone every now and then.
This last road trip was a great case in point. The Sox took the first two in Oakland, and then laid down and died on Sunday, despite a great effort from pitcher John Danks. "Oh, well. We took the series. No matter that we lost two out of three in Seattle, and could have made up for it by sweeping Oakland. We'd rather 'just win series' and settle for mediocrity. Hooray for second place!"
Despite all their sins and their pedestrian 62-60 record, the Sox still have a chance to go to the playoffs. They are only 3.5 games back of a mediocre Detroit Tigers team with 40 games to play. But every game is crucial now. EVERY GAME. You can't just brush off bad losses to bad teams because you're trying to "win series." Whether you won or lost last night's game is immaterial. All that matters is THAT DAY'S GAME.
My patience isn't wearing thin. It is gone. I received the invoice for playoff tickets in the mail last week. The money is due Sept. 2. The White Sox aren't going to see a dime of my money until Sept. 2. And they might not see a dime if they don't show me something in the next week or 10 days. Enough with the mental mistakes and enough with the pissing away of winnable games. It's time to get it together and play the game right.
Let's all laugh and point at Memphis. Those idiots had their 38 wins and 2008 Final Four appearance vacated by the NCAA Thursday for using an ineligible player, reportedly current Bulls star Derrick Rose.
With those 38 wins wiped away, that puts Dee Brown (left) and the Illini back in the record books. Illinois went 37-2 in 2004-05, and that 37 figure now stands as the single-season record for wins in a college basketball season.
Is there really any doubt that former Memphis coach and current Kentucky boss John Calipari is dirty? He's had two Final Four appearances vacated at two separate schools now. Calipari's 1996 Final Four run at UMass got wiped off the books when Marcus Camby took money from an agent.
It takes a special skill to get everything you've ever accomplished thrown out the window by the NCAA, but Calipari seems to be quite good at it.
As a child, I remember watching a program called "You Can't Do That On Television" on Nickelodeon. One of the gags on that show was this thing called an "Opposite Sketch," where everything was the opposite of its norm.
Well, that's how I feel about this 2009 season of White Sox baseball. Put this team up against juggernauts like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels, and you'll get some impressive victories. Put the Sox up against the lowly Cleveland Indians, and they'll tank. Just the opposite of what you'd expect.
Give Jose Contreras a 6-0 lead against last-place Oakland, and he'll blow the whole thing in two innings. Put Contreras up against the best pitcher in the league, and he'll win 4-2. Such was the case Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field as "Grandpa" Contreras fired seven innings of three-hit ball and outdueled Kansas City ace Zack Greinke. Go figure.
Right now, the Sox are trying to survive with basically three starting pitchers: Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks. Freddy Garcia was ineffective in a loss Tuesday night, and this was Contreras' first win since July 8. It sounds like Jake Peavy is going to need at least two more rehab starts before he can join the major-league club. That makes it almost a must that Contreras start providing some quality innings.
The next time through the rotation, Garcia and Contreras will be pitching at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox, who are fighting for the wild card in the American League this year. There's every reason to believe those games will end poorly for the White Sox. But then again, people though Contreras vs. Greinke would be an automatic loss for the Pale Hose.
I guess everyone forgot this is an Opposite Sketch.
I thought it was pretty clever of the weather folks to name a major hurricane after legendary former Beacon News sports editor Bill Kindt. Apparently, Bill's winds have strengthened to 110 mph -- and he still has time to write the occasional column about gawf.
I can just hear Bill now:
"Ehhhh....I'll be making landfall shortly. And you better keep Kevin Gregg's ass out of my way. I'll show no mercy if he gets in my path."
With Freddy Garcia being activated to pitch tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals, I figured maybe the White Sox were finally going to designate Dewayne Wise for assignment.
Once D-Wise is eligible to come off the disabled list, we will be past the Sept. 1 roster expansion. That means we've got Dewayne for the rest of the year, Sox fans!
Every time it looks like the Cubs are in trouble, the Pittsburgh Pirates seem to magically appear on their schedule. It's uncanny. Poof! The Pirates come to town; the Cubs problems are solved!
It's hard to play any worse than the Cubs have been playing for the last week. They dropped three out of four in Colorado, then got hammered three straight at home by the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cubs haven't won a series against a winning team since April, and Thursday's loss to Philly dropped them 4.5 games back of the first-place St. Louis Cardinals.
But never fear! The Pittsburgh Pirates are here!
The Cubs took the field at 1:20 this afternoon carrying a five-game losing streak. By 1:40, it was apparent that skid would soon be over. Kosuke Fukudome's 3-run homer in the bottom of the first gave the Cubs a 4-0 lead, and you knew the Pirates were toast.
Boy, were they ever toast. The Cubs batted around in the second inning before Pittsburgh could record a single out. By the time that inning ended, the Cubs had a 14-0 lead. Final score: 17-2. The Pirates gave up 17 runs on 18 hits to a Cubbie team that hasn't been able to do diddly squat for the last week.
Pittsburgh falls to 6-19 over the last two seasons against the Cubs and 40-67 since 2003. The Cubs still have eight remaining games against the Pirates, including two more at Wrigley this weekend. That gives the Cubs a fighting chance of catching the Cardinals down the stretch.
As for the Pirates, well, I guess I don't feel too sorry for the Pittsburgh fans. After all, they have the Super Bowl champion Steelers and the Stanley Cup champion Penguins to cheer for. But the Pirates -- watching that team everyday might be enough to cause a man to go on a killing spree and then turn the gun on himself. This Pittsburgh team really is that bad. Worse team in baseball year in and year out, without a doubt. Even the Royals are more competitive.
Jake Peavy took his next step toward joining the White Sox starting rotation Thursday night, as he made a rehab start with the Charlotte Knights. He went three innings, struck out five and gave up no runs on one hit with one walk in a 5-3 win over Pawtucket. He threw 43 pitches, 26 of which were strikes.
Of course, the results really don't matter for Peavy at this stage. His health is what's important. We'll see if he remains on schedule to make his next rehab start, which would come next Tuesday night.
Peavy's target return date is Aug. 28 against the Yankees. Can the Sox stay close to the top of the division until then? They currently sit 2.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers, and their next nine games are against last-place teams: Three at Oakland, three vs. Kansas City and three vs. Baltimore.
Normally, I would say that is favorable scheduling, but the Sox have been terrible versus these bad teams.
Sox vs. Oakland: 1-3 Sox vs. Kansas City: 6-6 Sox vs. Baltimore: 3-3 Total: 10-12
The Sox are almost better off playing good teams than playing against these dregs. Nevertheless, I'd say the Sox better go at least 6-3 during this stretch if they have designs on winning a division title this season.
We were discussing this in the office last night. ESPN is celebrating 20 years of covering Major League Baseball, and the network is asking fans to vote for their all-time team of the last 20 seasons.
OK, I'll bite. I went ahead and filled out the form, and not surprisingly, I have my fair share of disagreements with the pulse of "Sports Nation."
Let's break it down position by position, shall we?
Catcher JB's vote: Mike Piazza ESPN says: Ivan Rodriguez Comment: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a defensive position. But Piazza is the best hitting catcher of all time. I'll take his 427 career home runs behind the plate.
First base JB's vote: Frank Thomas ESPN says: Albert Pujols Comment: Pujols is the best player in baseball right now, so everyone automatically votes for him. He's in the public consciousness at this moment, while most have forgotten how good Thomas was for most of the 1990s. If Pujols does what he's doing right now for a couple more years, he'll surpass Thomas in my eyes.
Second base JB's vote: Roberto Alomar ESPN says: Roberto Alomar Comment: We have agreement, although Alomar is only 0.7 percent ahead of Ryne Sandberg in the national voting. I think Alomar's defense was much better than Sandberg's, and Alomar was a money hitter in his prime.
Shortstop: JB's vote: Omar Vizquel (pictured) ESPN says: Cal Ripken, Jr. Comment: Vizquel is only getting 3.2 percent of the vote, so this is one where I really disagree with the rest of the world. Ripken is a great ambassador for baseball and all, and his consecutive games record will never be broken. But Vizquel is the best defensive player I've ever seen at any position, and he was a little terrorist at the plate. I HATED it when the Sox faced him when he was with Cleveland. No doubt, if I had to win one game to save my life, I'd want Vizquel in the middle of my infield.
Third base: JB's vote: Wade Boggs ESPN says: Alex Rodriguez Comment: C'mon now! A-Rod's best years were at shortstop. Wade Boggs had over 3,000 hits. Honorable mention to Chipper Jones, who has had an underrated career.
Left field: JB's vote: Rickey Henderson ESPN says: Barry Bonds Comment: I'll take the greatest leadoff man of all-time, the greatest basestealer of all-time as well, over the home run king. No one could beat you more ways than Henderson. He was the total package of power, speed and plate discipline. Great clutch hitter, too.
Center field: JB's vote: Ken Griffey Jr. ESPN says: Ken Griffey Jr. Comment: No-brainer. Junior in his prime was the best baseball player I've seen in my lifetime.
Right field: JB's vote: Tony Gwynn ESPN says: Tony Gwynn Comment: We're talking about Tony Gwynn Sr., not the kid currently playing for the Padres. Gwynn Sr. had a lifetime .338 batting average. Another easy choice.
DH: JB's vote: Paul Molitor ESPN says: David Ortiz Comment: Ah, bloody hell. Here we go with the Boston bias. Ortiz? Pffffttttt. That guy wasn't even the best hitter on his team. What has he ever done without Manny Ramirez hitting behind him? Molitor is another guy that people have forgotten about. The guy was a hit machine.
LHP: JB's vote: Randy Johnson ESPN says: Randy Johnson Comment: All those strikeouts, the perfect game, 300 wins, incredible performance in the 2001 World Series. The Big Unit is a pretty surly dude, and there's no arguing with his accomplishments.
RHP: JB's vote: Greg Maddux ESPN says: Nolan Ryan Comment: Give the Ryan Express props for longevity, but Maddux won the Cy Young four years in a row. He was the master of his craft.
Closer: JB's vote: Dennis Eckersley ESPN says: Mariano Rivera Comment: Rivera has a great postseason resume, but I always felt like the White Sox had ZERO chance when they faced Eckersley back in the day. I once saw him retire the Sox in order on four pitches in the ninth. He walked somebody about once every two years, and it was usually intentional. Eckersley is another guy that most people taking this poll have probably forgotten about.
Manager: JB's vote: Mike Scioscia ESPN says: Joe Torre Comment: Another unpopular selection on my part, but I've considered Scioscia the best manager in the American League for many years. His teams are always fundamentally sound. They always pitch and play defense. Scioscia-managed teams are generally just a pain in the ass to play against. That's the best compliment I can give a manager.
All right, I'm done. I generally don't like ESPN polls, but this one provoked some thought and some discussion. So much so that I wrote a crummy blog about it!
It seems likely the White Sox will soon dust off the corpse of Freddy Garcia and give the 33-year-old right-hander a shot at solidifying the problematic fifth spot in the starting rotation.
Garcia pitched six innings last night at Charlotte, giving up two runs on eight hits in a 4-0 loss to Pawtucket. Garcia fanned nine and walked none. Notable among the nine Ks, he struck out beloved former White Sox outfielder Brian Anderson three times. As a matter of fact, Anderson was 0-for-4 with 4 Ks in the game. It's comforting to know that some things never change.
And, hey, you can never miss an opportunity to include "The Greatest American Hero" in a blog entry!
Before the start of the season, I had a conversation with my friend, former colleague and fellow Sox fan Chris Pummer. It went something like this:
Chris: So, who do you think will keep his job the longest? Me or Dewayne Wise? JB: Wise. Chris: Yeah, you're probably right about that.
Unfortunately, Chris got laid off in May, but Wise just keeps on going and going. I thought for sure Monday's acquisition of Alex Rios would signal the end of Wise's tenure with the Sox. Denied.
The Sox optioned right-handed pitcher Carlos Torres to the minors this afternoon to make room for Rios. Wise remains on the roster as a SIXTH outfielder behind Jermaine Dye, Carlos Quentin, Scott Podsednik, Rios and Mark Kotsay.
So, Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane got arrested for fighting with a cabbie in Buffalo over the weekend. He was initially charged with felony robbery, but I don't think that dog is going to hunt. Even the cabbie's attorney admitted that today.
I think Kane is guilty of tremendous stupidity. He should be embarrassed that he put himself in this situation. He's done severe damage to his reputation. Beyond that, I think this whole incident is rather trivial.
Getting in a fight over a silly cab fare is idiotic. But there are other idiotic things at work here as well, such as the Sun-Times asking whether Kane is still a part of the Blackhawks future. The answer to that question is an emphatic 'yes.' He may not be as big a part of their marketing efforts, but he's still a big part of what they want to do on the ice.
The media and public reaction to this thing has also been absurd. Even the cabbie's attorney admitted it was way overblown. If this is such a big deal, why are the cabbie and his attorney not pursuing the felony robbery charges? Probably because this is a trivial matter.
It was a dispute over pocket change. Nobody died. Nobody was seriously injured. The cabbie had scrapes and a broken nose, but he was sufficiently recovered to make the rounds on Chicago talk radio today. He seems to be enjoying his 15 minutes of fame. He'll also enjoy the check Kane cuts him as part of a settlement. This will likely all be forgotten in a matter of days.
Of course, I've broken every rule of modern journalism in authoring this blog post. I am downplaying a screamy, sensational story. I am declining to make a mountain out of a molehill, and my rhetoric falls well short of the usual judgmental, self-righteous, holier-than-thou moral bullcrap you hear in situations like these.
I'm going to wait and see what comes of this situation before I condemn Kane and begin the process of trying to run him out of town. I know, I know. That goes against all journalistic code. Might as well fire me now.
The rumors were true: The White Sox did indeed place a waiver claim on Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios. Now, Rios is coming to the South Side for nothing more than the value of his contract. Toronto gets zilch in return, other than salary relief.
Rios, 28, is having a down season by his standards. He's hitting .262 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs. He has $59.7 million remaining on his contract, and he is signed through 2014.
I'm stunned by this move. You don't often get a player of this talent level without giving up something in return. The Blue Jays must have been desperate to unload that salary, after they failed to trade ace pitcher Roy Halladay at the July 31 non-waiver deadline.
You have to like this from the Sox perspective. Rios can play center field, which has been a gaping hole on the South Side for the last three and a half seasons. This move helps for the stretch drive this season, and it will help for years to come.
Much like the acquisition of Jake Peavy, this is hardly a rent-a-player situation. Even if the Sox fail to qualify for the postseason here in 2009, this is an acquisition that can help them get back to the top of the American League in 2010.
Rios, a two-time All-Star, is a lifetime .285 hitter. Coming into this season, he had hit .290 or better and driven in 79 or more runs for three consecutive years. This guy can hit the ball AND play defense, which is a combination the Sox haven't had in center field in a long, long time.
Once Rios joins the team, it will be interesting to see how manager Ozzie Guillen juggles his lineup. The Sox have Rios, Scott Podsednik, Jermaine Dye, Carlos Quentin for three spots in the outfield. Against left-handed pitching, you figure Quentin will DH and Jim Thome will rest. Against right-handed pitching, Guillen will have to make a tough choice somewhere.
I think Rios has to play, because he will shore up the Sox leaky defense. Podsednik has to play, too, because he has solidified the leadoff spot in the batting order. That means Quentin and Dye are going to be getting a little more rest in the days to come.
Illini fans, I guess we can't play the "disrespect" card this year. ESPN's Dick Vitale has our team rated No. 10 in his Preseason Top 40.
Whoa. I'm optimistic for this season, and I definitely think the Illini are an NCAA tournament team. But Top 10? Even I'm not drinking that much Orange Kool-Aid.
I think it is interesting that Vitale has four teams from the much-maligned Big Ten in his top 11. He's got Michigan State at No. 3 and Purdue at No. 6. No surprise there, as those two teams are the consensus favorites to clash for the conference title this year.
Michigan is No. 11 on his list, right behind Illinois. Ohio State (No. 24) and Minnesota (No. 33) also are mentioned.
Vitale has Kansas at No. 1. Again, no surprise. But what the hell is Kentucky doing at No. 2? The SEC sucks, so I can see UK rolling through the regular season, but I'm calling it early: John Calipari will choke in the tournament in his first season at Kentucky. Remember, you heard it hear first. That program didn't make the NCAAs last year. Somehow, I doubt they'll be making the Final Four this year.
Good column by Mike Mulligan in the Sun-Times this morning. Mully correctly points out that the Bears aren't going to live up to their lofty expectations unless their veteran defense returns to form, even if new quarterback Jay Cutler throws for another 4,500 yards.
The Bears ranked 21st in total defense last season and 28th the year before that. That's not nearly good enough, and last season, the defense failed to create the big plays and turnovers it was noted for during the 2006 NFC championship season.
To me, one of the biggest keys to the Bears defense is tackle Tommie Harris (left). When healthy, he's one of the most disruptive interior linemen in the league, but I don't think he's been healthy for two years. Of course, coach Lovie Smith insists Harris is fine, but I don't believe a word that comes out of Lovie's mouth. Harris seems to participate in practices only on a part-time basis, which sounds an alarm bell for me. I wonder whether Harris' creaky knees are going to hold up for a whole season.
Then, there's Brian Urlacher, who is coming off his worst season as pro. The middle linebacker says he's healthier and stronger this year. The Bears better hope so, because Urlacher had no sacks and only two interceptions last year. Also not nearly good enough. The Bears need big plays from their defensive leader.
There's also the matter of the secondary. Even though Charles Tillman is out after back surgery, I'm not too worried about the cornerbacks. Nathan Vasher, Corey Graham, Zack Bowman, that group can get it done. The safeties, though, are a big question mark. I don't even know who the hell is a strong safety or a free safety anymore, Smith has switched Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz, Danieal Manning and Josh Bullocks around so often that I can't keep it straight. I actually believe safety, not wide receiver, is the Bears weakest position group.
But ultimately, it all comes back to Harris and Urlacher, the two most talented and accomplished players on the defense. The two were dominant when the Bears defense was at its best in 2005-06. Do they still have it in them? The outcome of the season depends on it.
You are now free to resume obsessing over every throw Jay Cutler makes in practice.
White Sox third baseman Gordon Beckham was named the American League's rookie of the month for July. This honor was a no-brainer, as "Bacon" hit .330 with three homers, 10 doubles, 18 RBIs and 11 multi-hit performances over 27 games.
Beckham has only been in the big leagues since June 4, but he leads all American League rookies in batting average (.311), RBIs (36), slugging percentage (.486) and on-base percentage (.374). He's tied for first among rookies with 17 doubles.
The question is, can he continue this for two more months and win Rookie of the Year? Given the fairly weak crop of rookies this season, the possibility can't be ruled out. Here's a list of some other guys who have a shot at winning the award, in no particular order:
Brett Gardner, CF, Yankees: Hitting .275 with 20 RBIs and 20 steals in 85 games. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers: Hitting .263 with 19 RBIs and 20 steals in 90 games. Nolan Reimold, LF, Orioles: Hitting .281 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in 65 games. Andrew Bailey, RHP, A's: 4-3, 2.21 ERA, 14 saves in 18 chances, 69 Ks in 61 IP. Ricky Romero, LHP, Blue Jays: 10-4, 3.53 ERA in 17 starts. 87 Ks in 109.2 IP. Brad Bergesen, RHP, Orioles: 7-5, 3.43 ERA in 19 starts. 65 Ks in 123.1 IP. Jeff Niemann, RHP, Rays: 10-5, 3.62 ERA in 20 games (19 starts). Two shutouts.
UPDATE: Beckham went 2-for-4 against the Angels Tuesday night. He hit a solo home run in the first off John Lackey and tied the game at 4-4 in the seventh with a two-out RBI single. The Sox went on to win 5-4. Beckham now has six homers and 38 RBIs on the season. His batting average sits at .316.
A Sun-Times poll question asks today whether we like the new 7 p.m. start time for Bulls home games. Why, yes! Yes, we do! After all, we have a newspaper to get out the door by 10:30, and we'd like the Bulls game to be over by then.
In any case, the Bulls released their schedule for the 2009-10 season today. They'll open up at the United Center on Oct. 29 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Here's a list of other games of note: Oct. 30: at Boston
Nov. 5 at Cleveland
Nov. 19 at L.A. Lakers
Dec. 2 vs. Detroit
Dec. 12 vs. Boston
Dec. 15 vs. L.A. Lakers
Jan. 2 vs. Orlando
Jan. 11 vs. Detroit
Feb. 6 vs. Miami
Feb. 10 vs. Orlando
Mar. 19 vs. Cleveland
Mar. 25 vs. Miami
Apr. 8 vs. Cleveland
Apr. 13 vs. Boston
Billy the Marlin paraded a goat in front of the Cubs dugout Friday night during the opener of the three-game set between the North Siders and the Florida Marlins. Billy scores zero points for originality, but he succeeded in pissing Lou Piniella off.
Did the gag work? Well, Florida did win two out of three games in the series, including a stunning turn of events yesterday as Dan Uggla and Cody Ross hit homers on back-to-back pitches off Kevin Gregg to turn a 2-1 Cubs lead into a 3-2 Marlins victory.
Be sure to click on the link in my first paragraph. The comments on the PalmBeachPost.com blog on this topic are fairly entertaining.
The Sox have lost eight out of nine after Monday's 4-1 loss to Minnesota. They sit six games out of first with 30 to play, and there's no legitimate reason to think they have a run in them.
