It's no secret I don't like interleague play. I realize it's here to stay because the casual baseball fans LOVE it. But I've always looked upon the annual crosstown series with the Cubs as summer nuisance.
Even though I'm a White Sox season-ticket holder, I rarely attend the Sox-Cubs games at U.S. Cellular Field. Almost always, I sell those tickets or let somebody else have them. That series brings out the absolute worst in both fan bases. I simply don't enjoy going because I want to watch baseball, not listen to a bunch of meatheads get an argument over an infield single by Jim Edmonds (yes, that actually happened at the Cell in 2008).
The crosstown series is nothing more than six games in June. Those games don't carry any more weight in the standings than any of the other 156 regular season games. Yet everyone makes a big deal out of it. When the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, the fact that they lost two out of three to a mediocre Cubs team in June was a faint memory. Sorry, folks, that series doesn't matter that much in the big picture.
Now, the crosstown series is going to be even more ridiculous because the teams will be playing for the "BP Crosstown Cup." Whichever Chicago team wins more of the six head-to-head meetings in June is going to get a goofy trophy. I'm supposed to be excited about this?
Maybe the drunken dopes in town will be excited about this crap, but I don't care. There's only one trophy that matters -- the World Series trophy. The Sox raised it in 2005. I want to see the team get back to that level someday. Why the hell should you get a trophy for beating the Cubs? Lots of people have beaten the Cubs through the years. This is just dumb, dumb, dumb. It's an embarrassment to Chicago, frankly.
Since BP is sponsoring this thing, I'm sure both the Sox and the Cubs are making a fair bit of money. That's really what this is about. I know most Sox fans aren't excited about this new trophy. I can't imagine Cubs fans are all that hyped up about it either.
That was my exact reaction about the Crosstown Trophy.
C'mon. I thought Chicago is supposed to be sophisticated. This is lame. Not even NY or LA does this. I figure Chicago would not do this. It's stupid. Seriously. What does beating Da Cubs do to anyone? It's one thing if the Cubs were an elite team, but that's not the case.
I have to think the White Sox are not into that type of thing, but when it comes to making money, they will take part of it.
Well with the way our Chicago baseball teams have played so far, BP should be embarrassed for being the sponsor of the least coveted trophy. Talk about watching the Loser Bowl in watching Da Cubs and Da White Sox.
I find it amusing at WSI and Jay the Joke mock the Cubs for being a loser franchise. I laugh when both sites mention White Sox as the model franchise for winning. This has to be a joke, right?
What exactly have the White Sox won outside of 2005? Nothing. Since 2005, they choked a division lead in 2006 and follow that up by having a losing season in 07 and 09 with a clinched playoff berth assisted by Bud Selig in 08. The White Sox will have another losing season this season. They ain't winning the division either. This is a franchise that loses to the Twins every time never mind they had the better talent, resources and the budget. The White Sox should be leading the AL Central almost every year yet for some reason, the Twins treat them as their daddy all the time. What exactly is special? For all the talk about the White Sox playing the Yankees and the Red Sox "tough", last I checked the AL East teams embarrass them all the time.
During the Jerry Manuel years, they sucked.
Under Ozzie, they sucked.
During the Jeff Torborg years, they sucked.
They only had success during the Terry Bevington years.
Sorry, but this does not strike me as a successful franchise.
There's no excuse to miss the playoffs year after year.
Honestly, the White Sox are no better than the Cubs.
Keep deluding yourself if you like to think that way.
Reading through WSI and Jay the Joke this weekend, I am supposed to start worried about the White Sox because of their four-game winning streak this past week, which resulted to them gaining two games in the standings.
I am not sure how beating the Cubs is something to get excited. The Cubs are a terrible baseball team. That's a dysfunctional team managed by a manager that is out of touch going back to last year. They are supposed to beat the Cubs. After all, I hear the White Sox are the team in town not Da Cubs. The White Sox get their win total inflated every year thanks to playing Da Cubs six straight times this season, and one wonders why Interleague rules is not fair with the White Sox playing the Cubs while the Tigers, Twins, Royals and the Indians play tough competition.
It would have been embarrassing to go to lose to the Cubs to be honest with you. To almost be no-hit by Ted Lilly last night, it would have been embarrassing. It would be a symbol of the team's ineptitude this season. It would be their season in a nutshell.
Quite frankly, the 2008 Al Central Champs* should have swept the Cubs. Don't give me this nonsense the Sox took two out of three. Teams need sweeps during a course of the 162-game season. They blew a golden opportunity to be 6.5 games out of first with couple of creampuffs on the schedule this week in Pittsburgh and Washington. I did not think it was a success.
BTW, the Cubs should have fired Lou Piniella like yesterday. How is Lenny Dykstra or Terry Bevington not getting a phone call is beyond me? Either one would be an upgrade over Grandpa Lou (my nickname for him) right now.
Also, close-circuit to Thomas35forever, I was the "honored guest" the WSI postgame thread from last night, and last I checked the Twins (the team I root for) are in first place in the standings.
Lilly has a 2.90 ERA this season, its not like he's some hack like Blackburn or Baker that almost no hit us.
Yeah, Lilly seems like he's been the hard-luck guy for the Cubs this year. Check out his game log:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?n1=lillyte01&t=p&year=2010
He's given up three earned runs or less in seven straight starts, yet he has only two victories. And both of those wins are 1-0 games. He beat the Dodgers on May 27, then beat the White Sox Sunday night.
He's lost a 3-2 game and a 2-1 game. He had another game where he left after eight with a 2-1 lead, and Marmol coughed it up in the ninth. He's pitched better than his 2-5 record indicates.
The Cubs should think about trading Lilly. He could be useful for a contending team. They might be able to get a decent prospect or two in exchange.
So now we're playing moral victory card for failing to sweep Da Cubs now? Get out of here with this nonsense about Ted Lilly, whitesox901. He ain't Cy Young, and he ain't an elite pitcher. He's Ted FRICKIN' Lilly. A guy that has been in different organizations. A guy that will be remembered for throwing his glove on the mound after a Diamondback homered off him in Game 2 of the 07 NLDS. Sorry, but this does not pass the smell test with me.
When a team gets an opportunity to gain a game after a Twins' loss, they should take advantage of it. The White Sox have proven they can't beat any elite AL teams so they need to sweep an inferior NL team. At least, the White Sox swept the Pirates. They actually did something right, but again, they blew it not sweeping the Cubs.
It's funny you keep referring Blackburn and Baker as hacks, but if they are, how is they get double digit wins these last few wins? How is it they beat the White Sox often? But then again, you aren't exactly bright, whitesox901. You are the same guy that said Joe Mauer would not resign with the Twins. You are the same guy that said the Vikings would go lose in the first round to Dallas. You are the same guy that told Jay the Joke's gasbag Tyrone Briggs about how this team has a capability of winning eight in a row every time out this year. You sure have lot of credibility.
So now we're playing moral victory card for failing to sweep Da Cubs now? Get out of here with this nonsense about Ted Lilly, whitesox901. He ain't Cy Young, and he ain't an elite pitcher. He's Ted FRICKIN' Lilly. A guy that has been in different organizations. A guy that will be remembered for throwing his glove on the mound after a Diamondback homered off him in Game 2 of the 07 NLDS. Sorry, but this does not pass the smell test with me.
When a team gets an opportunity to gain a game after a Twins' loss, they should take advantage of it. The White Sox have proven they can't beat any elite AL teams so they need to sweep an inferior NL team. At least, the White Sox swept the Pirates. They actually did something right, but again, they blew it not sweeping the Cubs.
It's funny you keep referring Blackburn and Baker as hacks, but if they are, how is they get double digit wins these last few years? How is it they beat the White Sox often? But then again, you aren't exactly bright, whitesox901. You are the same guy that said Joe Mauer would not resign with the Twins. You are the same guy that said the Vikings would go lose in the first round to Dallas. You are the same guy that wrote at Jay the Joke about how this team has a capability of winning eight in a row every time out this year. You sure have lot of credibility.
"How is Lenny Dykstra or Terry Bevington not getting a phone call is beyond me?"
I think Dykstra only gets one phone call from prison.
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/lenny-dykstra-sentenced-three-years-prison-223843439.html;_ylt=AlSeSLeTpgXtUXcuw6QCF4c5nYcB