Big Papi strikes again

Another day, another walk off home run for David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox. With a three-run shot to center field Monday night, Papi gave the Red Sox a 9-8 win and kept them in first place in the AL East.

Did you know that Ortiz is Spanish for "Game over man! Game over!"

On Saturday afternoon Ortiz had a walk off game winning single against the Angels. It's gotten to the point that if Ortiz is at the plate with the game on the line, and that game is on national television (Saturday was on FOX, Monday on ESPN) the odds of Papi winning the game are 99.99999999%.

When the game is only on local television, the number drops to 98%.

He has 5 game winning hits this year, and 12 in only four seasons in Boston. There is no greater clutch hitter in baseball.

Ortiz's walk off tonight was his second home run of the game, he had a solo shot in the third. David will enter August with 37 HR and 105 RBI.

Do you think this ever gets old? I'll tell you. No...no it doesn't.

He's on pace to hit 58 HR with 163 RBI. Will he be the first DH to win the MVP award? I've long been of the thought that DH's shouldn't win MVP's because all they do is hit. Papi though is proving to be the exception to the rule.

Right now if I had a vote, and I don't (bastards!), I would cast it for Big Papi.

Thome misses White Sox game with tendinitis

While the White Sox were busy beating the Kansas City Royals 8-4 Monday night, slugger Jim Thome was back in Chicago having his wrist examined.

White Sox trainer Herm Schneider says there's no reason to worry, though.

"It's just tendinitis, a lot of swinging, that's all. It's not a big deal. He'll be in there [Tuesday], probably."

The problem isn't a big deal but playing Thome while he was suffering from the injury could make it one. So Ozzie and the team felt it best to rest Jim on Sunday in Baltimore and Monday in Kansas City, instead of letting it linger and possibly get worse just in time for the Yankees and Tigers to come to town.

Jim Thome has seen a lot of balls fly off his bat this season

"When you have Thome in the lineup, it's a lot different," Guillen said. "But we have people here who can replace him for a couple days. To me, I'm not in a hurry. I'd rather lose him for a couple days than months. He's got this problem for a little while. He didn't want to be on the bench [Sunday]. But it's fair for us to get him a couple days rest and don't try to hurry. I don't worry about him. I think he's been dealing with this for a while."

Though the team and Ozzie say there is no need to worry, I do a little bit. After all Jim only played in 57 games last year due to injury, and with the way that the White Sox have struggled lately they can't really afford to be without him for a long haul. Monday's victory moved the Sox into a tie with the Yankees for the AL Wild Card, and to within 7.5 games of the Detroit Tigers-who lost to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays Monday.

Matt Leinart a no-show in Cardinals camp

Training camp opened for the Arizona Cardinals on Monday without first round pick Matt Leinart. The team still hasn't been able to come to terms with the former Heisman Trophy winner out of USC.

Holdouts are never a good thing for rookies in the NFL but the problem is magnified for quarterbacks. Cardinals Head Coach Dennis Green wanted Leinart to battle John Navarre for the position of backup QB to Kurt Warner. So for every day of camp that Leinart misses, he loses more ground on that job.

"As a young quarterback, you never want to miss any time, especially as short as training camp is and the limited number of snaps that are there to be had," said Cardinals starter Kurt Warner. "I know he wants to be here, and we all want to have him here. I'm sure he's only a couple of hours away, just waiting for that call to come up. Hopefully it won't be too long."

The good news for both Leinart and the Cardinals is thatthe picks before Leinart (#9 Ernie Sims-Detroit) and after Leinart (#11 Jay Cutler-Denver) have signed, so the team and Leinart's agent Tom Condon have a structure to work off of.

Also Tom Condon, whose firm is Creative Sports Agency, has five other clients that were drafted in the first round this season. All are in camp.

"Like all of our other clients, we want to get Matt in as quickly as possible. We always work toward that end. We're football fans like everybody else. We're anxious to see him on the field."

Nobody is quite sure what the holdup is. But whether it's a few guaranteed dollars here and there or a clause allowing Paris Hilton to bring her dog with her into his luxury suite, it's important both sides get the deal done.

Leinart at a Cardinals mini-camp this spring

With the off season signing of Edgerrin James, and two young studs at wide reciever in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals fans are excited about their team for the first time in a while. There's talk of the playoffs going on in Tempe this season, and in a pretty weak NFC West, it's not out of the question. One hindrance to the Cardinals making the postseason would be the health of Kurt Warner, who has an injury-prone past and is playing behind a suspect offensive line. Should Warner get hurt, it would be nice if Matt Leinart were ready to go in and take over the reins.

With each day of camp that Matt misses, that becomes less and less likely.

Source

• Cards open camp without Leinart (Sports Illustrated)

Javy Lopez-"I cannot be happy here."

Well while some players like Miguel Tejada and Alfonso Soriano expressed happiness about not being traded on Tuesday, at least one player wasn't.

Baltimore Orioles backup catcher Javy Lopez is not happy to still be in Baltimore.

"I've got no position on this team. I don't see why they really need me. I'm not meant to play once a week. ... I cannot be happy in this situation. They probably have their plan, and I don't think they're going to keep me like this until the end of the season. They're probably going to do something sooner or later."

Would that something be a release?

"That would be a better option for me, since I didn't get traded. I don't want to get released -- I'm just saying it would make more sense. The last thing I want to do here is not even play."

I can't blame Lopez. He has been replaced behind the plate by Ramon Hernandez, and his spot at DH been taken by Jay Gibbons, returning from off the disabled list. That means at bats will be few and far between for the 35-year-old catcher.

There haven't been many smiles for Javy Lopez this season

Also contributing to Lopez's dejected state: he's a free agent at season's end. It's hard to earn money when sitting on the bench not playing. More than likely, his next contract will be his last as a Major Leaguer. Remember in Lopez's last contract season in 2003 with Atlanta he hit .328 with 43 HR and 109 RBI.

It resulted in the 3-year $22.5 million deal he signed with Baltimore that offseason. Thisyear he's being paid $9 million, batting .269 with 8HR and 31 RBI. That's a lot of money for a guy who you're not even playing, and it's a lot more to pay a guy you release.

I don't think Baltimore will release Lopez, but he could possibly get through waivers if the O's can work out a deal with somebody. It's highly doubtful anybody is going to claim a 35 year old catcher who's still owed $3.3 million this season, so he should get through.

The real question is, does anybody want him?

You'd think that if a team did they could have easily gotten him in a trade for some prospects. Then again, maybe teams did try and the Orioles didn't think the deal was good enough. I mean the Orioles didn't think Roy Oswalt, Morgan Ensberg, Adam Everett and a couple minor leaguers were good enough for Miguel Tejada, so it wouldn't be the first time they overvalued one of their players.

Source

• O's lack of moves leaves Tejada happy, Lopez upset (ESPN)

Baseball Tonight 7-31-06

Cuz the deadline has passed, so there's nothing else to do.

• Boston Red Sox (62-41 1st AL East David Wells 0-1 8.64) vs. Cleveland Indians (45-58 4th AL Central Paul Byrd 7-6 4.71)-David Wells decided he didn't need a minor league rehab assignment, he's ready to face Major League competition now. Wells has only pitched 8.1 innings this season because of injuries. He faces a Cleveland club he's 20-4 with a 3.52 ERA against in his career. Word is Wells was out drinking all night last night, and has a good hangover going, so there's a possible no-hitter in the works tonight!! Oh wait, no there isn't. Wells will get rocked, and the Indians will win. (TV-ESPN 7:05PM Est.)
• Chicago Cubs (43-61 5th NL Central Mark Prior 0-4 6.60) vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (53-51 2nd NL West Brandon Webb 11-4 2.64)-The Cubs just swept the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4 game series. Unfortunately for the Cubs, the Cardinals have now left town, and they will probably return to their losing form. They also traded Todd Walker and Greg Maddux today. They do have Mark Prior going to the mound tonight, who was pulled from a game last week in which he had a no-hitter going against the Mets. So maybe Mark is finally turning things around. The Diamondbacks send out NL Cy Young front runner Brandon Webb to stop the Cubs run. Webb was knocked around a bit by Philadelphia on Wednesday, but is 3-0 with a 1.88ERA against the Cubs in his career. I'm taking the D-Backs tonight. (TV-Local 8:05PM Est.)
• Los Angeles Angels (54-50 2nd AL West Ervin Santana 11-4 4.25) vs. Oakland Athletics (55-50 1st AL West Dan Haren 7-9 3.89)-The AL West has become the closest division in baseball, with the last place Mariners only 3.5 games back. This series in Anaheim will have big implications as to which team will go to the playoffs, as Oakland holds the narrowest of margins over the Angels right now. The Angels roughed up Curt Schilling and the Red Sox last night on ESPN,and took 2 of 3, but failed to add a Miguel Tejada or Alfonso Soriano today. Still they have been playing very well lately and send one of their best pitchers to the mound tonight. The A's won yesterday's game against the Blue Jays thanks to a three run homer by Milton Bradley in the bottom of the ninth after Huston Street blew a save in the top of the ninth. I think tonight will be a low scoring game with the Angels just edging out Oakland and taking over first place....for now. (TV-Local 10:05PM Est.)

Last Night:0-3 (L-White Sox, Tigers, Cardinals)

Season:20-19

Good Lord What's Happening to Anna Kournikova?

Sports bloggers around the globe are concerned about one very pressing issue. No it's not where is Alfonso Soriano going to go, or who the favorites are to win this year's Super Bowl XLI.

It's what the hell is happening to former tennis player Anna Kournikova?

Remember when Anna looked like this?

Athletic, curvy, supple, just plain hot.

Well, look at Ms. Kournikova now.

Somebody get this girl a hamburger or 25 quick! I understand that since she's not playing tennis at all anymore, her body is bound to change a little.

But this is Lara Flynn Boyle/Nicole Richie nasty territory. Anna needs help here, there is something definitely wrong.

To quote the System of a Down song, Needles,

"Pull the tapeworm outta your ass!!"

Source

• The Incredible Shrinking Frame of One-Time Goddess Anna Kournikova (The Big Lead)

Thanks For the Memories-Greg Maddux to the Los Angeles Dodgers

Greg Maddux HAS been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. No details have been released yet, but ESPN 1000's (Chicago) Bruce Levine reports that deal has gone through. It's still pending MLB approval since there will be more than $1 million in cash exchanged.

Shortstop Cesar Izturis is the player coming to Chicago from the Dodgers.

Also as part of the deal, the Cubs sent the Dodgers $2 million according to Maddux's agent, Scott Boras.

Maddux started the season 5-0 for the Cubs, but has only won 4 games since. His record is now 9-11 with a 4.69 ERA. His numbers should improve at Dodger Stadium, where balls that are home runs at Wrigley Field become flyouts at Chavez Ravine.

Cesar Izturis missed the first three months of this season due to Tommy John surgery last September. He is hitting .252 in 32 games so far this season with a .302 on base percentage.

So in other words, he's the perfect Cub. He can't get on base, and he can't hit for power or drive in runs.

How is Izturis an improvement over current shortstop Ronny Cedeno? I'm guessing the team is planning on moving Izturis to second base, where he made the first start of his career there on Sunday.

This is the second time Cub fans have had to say goodbye to Maddux, who started his career with the Cubs before leaving for Atlanta as a free agent in 1992. While in Atlanta he won 3 of his 4 Cy Young awards. All 4 were in consecutive seasons. (1992-95)

Cubs Trade Todd Walker

Well it may have come about 5 months too late, but the Cubs have finally traded second baseman Todd Walker.

This comes as no surprise, as it was pretty much inevitable that Walker would be moved. In return the Cubs get 19-year-old right hander Jose Ceda, a non-drafted free agent the Padres signed in 2004.

Ceda has a 99 MPH fastball. That's all I know about him.

The Padres are probably going to use Walker at third base, seeing how Josh Barfield has performed very well at second. Walker does have experience at third, as he played there for the Twins in the mid 1990's.

Walker on the year is hitting .277 with 6 HR and 40 RBI.

Source

• Padres get Walker from Cubs (CBSSportsline.com)

What the Hell is Wrong with the Houston Astros?

In the last two days there have been some crazy rumors coming out of Houston. First, it was reported yesterday that there was a deal on the table between the Astros and the Orioles with the Houston sending Morgan Ensberg, Adam Everett, and Roy Oswalt to Baltimore for shortstop Miguel Tejada.

Apparently it was the Orioles who rejected the deal.

HUH!?

It's said their concern was that Oswalt is a free agent after next season, and will leave. That's a reasonable concern too, but how easy would it have been for the Orioles to ship Oswalt somewhere else?

Apparently there are numerous teams interested in Oswalt, including the Red Sox and Texas Rangers. Maybe the Red Sox would part with Mike Lowell and a Jon Lester or Craig Hansen and others for Oswalt. The Rangers could package Hank Blalock, Brad Wilkerson and a prospect or two for Oswalt.

Anyway you look at it, the Orioles could have finally unloaded Tejada's contract AND gotten a considerable amount of Major League-ready talent, not to mention a couple good young pitching prospects to put behind Erik Bedard in their rotation.

But the craziest part of this whole thing: WHY IN THE HELL WOULD THE ASTROS DEAL ROY OSWALT!?

Yes he's a free agent after 2007 but it's pretty likely Oswalt would return to the Astros - well, it was BEFORE you tried to trade him. Now Oswalt is definitely going to seriously explore his options.

Wouldn't you?

Do the Astros think that Roger Clemens has another five to six years in him? Is Andy Pettite getting younger? Maybe this offseason, instead of pumping another $20 million into Clemens' bloated pocket, you can use that money towards signing Oswalt to a multi-year deal?

What could have made things even worse is, imagine the PR nightmare had the Orioles then turned around and shipped Oswalt to the cross state rival Texas Rangers? Remember when Nolan Ryan left the Astros for the Rangers? How did that go over with Astro fans again?

Finally, what the hell would Miguel Tejada do for the Astros? Do GM Tim Purpura and owner Drayton McLane really think that adding Tejada and his baggage would help the team more than Roy Oswalt? Yes, the Astro offense is horrible, but if I remember correctly the Astros got to the World Series with the same horrible offense last season.

The reasons? Clemens, Pettite, and OSWALT.

Brad Lidge didn't hurt either, which is what makes this next story so interesting.

According to the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice, Houston owner Drayton McLane has ORDERED Brad Lidge to be traded before the deadline today. He got the information from an official on another team.

Wow, talk about a fall from grace. First Lidge was considered the penultimate closer in MLB last season, and then this happened....

Followed by this his next time out.....

Then Lidge gave up the Series winning hit to Jermaine Dye in Game 4 of Houston's 1-0 loss.

This season Brad has fallen out of favor in Houston. He's 0-3 with a 5.77 ERA, but he still has 23 saves in 27 chances. Plus, he's struck out 67 batters in only 48.1 IP.

Some believe that his struggles are directly related to his postseason failures last season, but on the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio this afternoon Lidge gave other reasons.

"I still feel confident, but I've had problems with mechanics, and therefore have given up home runs to hitters I should get out. Even if I did well last October, I gotta believe those pitches would still be getting hit for home runs this year."

If you're the GM of another team wouldn't you take a chance on Lidge as long as the asking price was reasonable? The Rangers (again!) were reportedly interested, but pulled out when the Astros started asking about new Ranger Carlos Lee.

Still, Lidge is only 29, and has proven he can do the job. With the right pitching coach, a change in mechanics and a nice change of scenery who knows how far Lidge could turn everything around?

Now, here's my favorite part of this whole inexplicable Astro thing. When asked why he thinks Houston is suddenly so eager to get rid of its best players, Richard Justice said he thinks it has something to do with Roger Clemens telling McLane that "changes need to be made around here."

Apparently McLane is willing to gamble with the future of his franchise because a 43-year-old pitcher who most likely won't be around for that future wants him to. So, Roger thinks the team winning this year while he's there is more important than what they do after he's gone.

Gee, Roger Clemens putting himself before the best interests of his team. Never thought I'd see that.

In other trade deadline news.....

• The Cubs are reportedly about to send Todd Walker to San Diego for some minor leaguers. Greg Maddux will probably be staying put.
• The White Sox are very interested in Orioles reliever LaTroy Hawkins.
• If your a Phillies fan, how sore does your ass feel right now? The Yankees just absolutely fleeced you. They got a corner outfielder they need, and a starting pitcher for a guy they saw as maybe being a middle reliever in the future and cash. The Phillies got none of the Yankees top prospects, just Abreu off the books.
• SI.com is reporting the Mets have sent OF Xavier Nady to the Pirates for lefty starter Oliver Perez, and righty reliever Roberto Hernandez.
• Remember in April when Detroit's Chris Shelton had 9 HR in the first week of the season? Then everybody got on the Pirates case for exposing him in the Rule 5 draft? Well Shelton has been sent down to the minors now for newly acquired first baseman Sean Casey, whom the Tigers got from the Pirates. Isn't it ironic? Dontcha think?
• Buster Olney says Alfonso Soriano WILL be traded, but nobody knows where yet. The Twins are considered a darkhorse favorite.
• The Red Sox offered Coco Crisp to the White Sox for Mark Buerhle, and were swiftly turned down. The Red Sox then offered Crisp and young fireballer Craig Hansen to the Braves for Andruw Jones. The Braves say they want Jon Lester instead. Funny how Theo Epstein was looking to make a few minor deals, then the Yankees get Abreu, and now he's after Andruw Jones and Mark Buehrle.
• I was surprised the Cardinals traded for Ronnie Belliard. A second baseman who is all hit and no field just doesn't seem like the kinda player that Tony LaRussa or Walt Jocketty would want on their team.
• The Reds added their 4th and 5th reliever to their bullpen in the last month by getting Rheal Cormier from the Phillies and Kyle Lohse from the Twins. I'm sure my boy Hrbek did his happy dance upon hearing of the Lohse deal.

That's it for now, and there's still 25 minutes until the deadline passes. I'll keep the site updated until all deals are in.

Sources

• Astros offered Oswalt (Baltimore Sun)
• Sports Justice (Houston Chronicle)

Baseball Tonight 7-30-06

Cuz football starts soon and you need to get into Sunday morning game shape.

• Baltimore Orioles (47-58 4th AL East Bruce Chen 0-6 7.09) vs. Chicago White Sox (61-41 2nd AL Central Javier Vazquez 9-6 5.31)-After a game-winning Ross Gload grand slam on Friday night, and outslugging the Orioles 13-11 yesterday, the White Sox are back in the AL Wild Card lead. Today they look to complete the series sweep against a guy who hasn't won yet this season, Bruce Chen. These games are must-wins for the Sox, cuz after their next series against the Royals, it's back to the Yankees, Tigers and Twins. The Sox get it done today. (TV-Local 1:35PM Est.)
• Minnesota Twins (59-43 3rd AL Central Johan Santana 12-5 3.04) vs. Detroit Tigers (70-33 1st AL Central Jeremy Bonderman 11-4 3.66)-I told you the Tigers would win this series. The Twins look to salvage at least one game in this series, and they send Johan Santana out there to do it. The Tigers though will counter with Jeremy Bonderman, making this game the day's best pitching matchup. Bonderman has won his last 7, and the Tigers are 9-2 against the Twins this year. I'm going with Detroit. (TV-Local 2:10PM Est.)
• Chicago Cubs (42-61 5th NL Central Carlos Zambrano 11-3 3.27) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (58-45 1st NL Central Chris Carpenter 10-4 2.68)-If the Cubs played the Cardinals everyday they would be World Series bound. The Cubs are 9-3 against the Cardinals this season. Today they look to complete their first four-game sweep of the Cardinals at Wrigley Field since 1921. They have the right pitcher to do it too, Carlos Zambrano. He has won his last eight, but today runs into Chris Carpenter. Carpenter is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last six starts. The team that makes the least mistakes wins this one, and the Cubs haven't made many mistakes the last few days. That means they're due. I'm taking the Cardinals to avoid the sweep. (TV-WGN 2:20PM Est.)

Last Night: 1-2 (W-Phillies L-Twins, Rangers)

Season: 20-16

I'm struggling lately, I've gone 3-6 the last three days.

Also, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Bruce Sutter is on ESPN Classic today at 1:30PM EDT, if you'd rather watch that.

When the Saint Came Marching In

Reggie Bush has finally agreed to a contract with the New Orleans Saints. It is reportedly a 6 year deal, worth $51 million.

Of the $51 million, the Saints estimated that $26.2 million are guaranteed. This amount is slightly less than what Mario Williams (1st overall $26.5 million) received from the Houston Texans, and more than Vince Young (3rd overall $24.75 million) got from the Tennessee Titans.

The 2nd overall pick out of the University of Southern California has already missed the first 2 days of the Saint's training camp in Jackson , Mississippi.

There were reports that talks were heating up and making progress as Saturday wore on, but it was not expected that both sides would agree to the deal before Sunday at the earliest.

The agreement puts to rest all the nonsensical talk that Bush was considering sitting out the season and re-entering the NFL Draft next season. Considering the fact that the city of New Orleans has embraced Bush, and that he has already put a significant amount of money into the city's hurricane relief fund, to seriously believe he was going to leave the city was ridiculous.

As for when Bush will join his teammates at practice, it probably won't be until Monday. With having to fly across country tomorrow, and dot the I's and cross the T's, it's unlikely he will suit up Sunday.

Baseball Tonight 7-29-06

Sorry it's so late, I had to work this morning. Quick weekend edition!

• Philadelphia Phillies (46-54 4th NL East Cole Hamels 2-5 5.98) vs. Florida Marlins (48-53 2nd AL East Dontrelle Willis 6-7 3.97)-Hurry Philly fans, boo Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Jon Lieber and Tom Gordon while you still can!! After Monday, they probably won't be a part of your team anymore. Also, Chase Utley looks to extend his hitting streak to 29 games. I didn't even realize he had a streak going until Thursday when he hit 27. But it won't be easy for him as he'll have to do it against the D-Train, Dontrelle Willis. I'm picking Utley to extend the streak, and the Phillies to win. (TV-Local 7:05PM Est)
• Minnesota Twins (59-42 3rd AL Central Brad Radke 9-7 4.74) vs. Detroit Tigers (69-33 1st AL Central Nate Robertson 9-6 3.70)-The Tigers were able to get to Francisco Liriano for 2 runs in the first inning last night, before being completely shut down. Unfortunately for the Twins, those 2 runs were enough to get the game to extra innings where the Tigers would win it in the 10th, 3-2. So my prediction of a Twins sweep is null and void. I still think the Twins win tonight, Radke has been pitching very well, while Nate Robertson has struggled a bit lately. (TV-Local 7:10PM Est.)
• Texas Rangers (51-52 3rd AL West Kevin Millwood 10-6 4.53) vs. Kansas City Royals (36-66 5th AL Central Jorge de la Rosa 2-2 8.60)-It's a matchup of two teams featuring their newest former Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Lee went 2 for 3 for the Rangers last night, just hours after being acquired in a 6 player deal. It didn't matter, as the Royals still beat up on the Rangers 11-3. The Royals send their new pitcher Jorge de la Rosa to the mound, who was just acquired from the Brewers on Tuesday. The Royals won yesterday, and scored a bunch while doing it. That means they lose tonight, take the Rangers. (TV-Local 8:05PM Est.)

Last Night:1-2 (W-Mets, L-Red Sox Twins)

Season: 19-14

Ross Gload Goes Big Time

Watching the first eight innings of the White Sox game Friday night, you may as well have been watching any Sox game from the last few weeks.

Freddy Garcia pitched six mediocre innings, giving up four runs, three of them earned.

The Sox were 1-6 with runners in scoring position, netting two runs, one, on a sacrifice fly by Tadahito Iguchi, the other on an infield groundout by Brian Anderson.

As usual the Sox were getting their hits but leaving everyone on base, stranding 9 runners total.

Orioles starter Erik Bedard didn't have anything near his best stuff, but somehow had managed to strike out 7 and hold the Sox to 2 runs.

Then, to make things worse for Sox fans Paul Konerko fouled a ball off his left shin in the 5th inning.

He was replaced by Ross Gload in the sixth.

Paul Konerko does not take himself out of games unless he has too. So now, mired in a slump, the White Sox and their fans were left wondering if they were going to be without their captain for a while to top it off.

Trailing 4-2 in the 9th inning, the White Sox had to face Orioles closer Chris Ray. Ray had converted 26 of 27 saves this year and had a nice 2.88 ERA.

Scott Podsednik pinch hit for Brian Anderson and singled into left.

Rob Mackowiak pinch hit for Pablo Ozuna and singled into left.

Tadahito Iguchi executed a less than stellar bunt, but it was good enough to get the runners over. The way the Sox have bunted this year, they'll take anything.

Jim Thome came to the plate, and was intentionally walked.

Ross Gload, the seldom used White Sox reserve first baseman came to the plate. The only reason he was in the game was the contusion on Konerko's left leg.

After starting with three straight balls, Ray came back, and worked it to a full count.

And then this happened. (Sorry for the quality. Take what you can get!)

Just like that it felt, as if a two-ton gorilla had been lifted off my back. Now it's just one game but it was an important game. The White Sox have 6 straight games against the Orioles and Royals before returning to a diet of the Yankees, Tigers and Twins.

Winning these six games would be huge as far as restoring the confidence and swagger that this team seems to have lost the last few weeks.

It was only one game and one home run, but by the time October rolls around it might just prove to be the most important home run of the year for the White Sox.

The Rangers Hope to Ride El Caballo to the Postseason

There were a few trades made today, just 3 days before MLB's July 31st trade deadline. The Brewers were involved in two of them.

There was the minor deal in which the Brew Crew got third baseman David Bell from the Phillies for a minor league pitcher.

The trade that didn't involve the Brewers was between the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Braves added another arm to their bullpen after last week's deal to get Bob Wickman from the Indians. They sent utility man Wilson Betemit to the Dodgers for set up man Danys Baez.

Then there was the big trade, well, as big as it may get this season.

Convinced they weren't going to be able to re-sign left fielder Carlos Lee this offseason - hearing only silence in response to their 4 year $48 million offer to him - the Brewers completed a six-player trade with the Texas Rangers.

So far this season Carlos Lee is batting .286 with 28HR and 81RBI. Lifetime, in his eighth season with his third team, Lee has 212 HR with a .285 career average. In other words, the man can hit.

Still, I'm not sure if it's what the Rangers really need.

They sent three Major League players (outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix and reliever Francisco Cordero) to the Brewers for a bat they probably don't even need. Of course, Rangers GM Jon Daniels sees it a different way.

"Carlos is an impact bat that we need right now. He's a middle-of-the-order hitter, a run producer, big makeup, leader, just entering
his prime. We feel strongly he can be a big piece for us as we make a run at the pennant."

Well, the Rangers are batting .278 with 108HR and 507 runs as a team. Not exactly lighting it up, but not struggling either.

On the other hand, the Rangers have a team ERA of 4.60, and opponents are batting .275 against them. The starters' numbers are even worse with a 5.05 ERA and a .291 average against them.

That's getting lit up.

The Rangers bullpen on the other hand has been one of the better pens in the American League. They have a 3.81 ERA with battershitting only .241 against them. In fact, the Rangers probably wouldn't be in contention right now if it weren't FOR their bullpen.

So getting rid of Cordero for Lee could end up biting them in the ass.

Now, it's no mystery that Cordero hasn't been the same pitcher this year as he was for the Rangers last two seasons, racking up 86 saves.

He lost his job in April to Akinori Otsuka after blowing 5 saves. Still, he had proven to be pretty reliable as a setup man for the Rangers.

The Texas Rangers have only reached the postseason three times in their history (96, 98, and 99) and have never won a series. In fact they are 1-9 in the postseason. The reason? While the Rangers have always been a team that can hit the ball, they've never been a team that could pitch it.

Pitching is what wins championships in this game, and it seems the Rangers still have not figured that simple fact out yet.

The Brewers on the other hand did pretty well for themselves. After acquiring Lee from the White Sox before the 2005 season started for Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino, they were facing the prospect of losing Lee for nothing.

Instead they were able to get three players they can use right away as they wait for some of the youth in their prospect-rich minor league system to develop. So while they may be conceding the fact that they won't make the playoffs this season, they're setting things up for a possible run in 2007.

Source:Unable to sign Lee, Brewers deal slugger to Rangers-ESPN.com

Baseball Tonight 7-28-06

Cuz it's Friday, you ain't got no job, and you ain't got shit to do.

• Boston Red Sox (61-39 1st AL East Jon Lester 5-0 3.04) vs. Los Angeles Angels (52-49 2nd AL West Kelvim Escobar 6-9 3.88)-Jon Lester, a rookie lefthander, has yet to lose a game for the Red Sox this season. He's been a huge reason why the Red Sox have been able to hold onto first place in the AL East. Tonight, he goes against one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Angels. The Angels have won 17 of their last 22, and are now within a half game of the Oakland Athletics. The Angels have Kelvim Escobar on the mound who, despite a 3.88ERA, is only 6-9. The Angels still need to add a bat to their lineup. I'm taking the Red Sox tonight. (TV-Local 7:05PM Est.)
• Atlanta Braves (48-53 2nd NL East Horacio Ramirez 5-3 4.04) vs. New York Mets (60-41 1st NL East Pedro Martinez 7-4 3.45)-Tonight is Pedro's first start since his annual midseason vacation. Pedro needed the break after starting the season 5-0, and going 2-4 after. The Mets haven't been playing as well as earlier this season, just avoiding being swept at home by the Cubs. The Braves have cooled off after a 5-0 start after the break, losing 4 of their last 7. Still they are only 5.5 games out of the Wild Card spot, a pretty admirable feat considering their start this year. Tonight I think the rest helps Pedro, and the Mets take the win. (TV-TBS 7:35PM Est.)
• Minnesota Twins (59-41 2nd-t AL Central Francisco Liriano 12-2 1.93) vs. Detroit Tigers (68-33 1st AL Central Zach Miner 6-2 4.07)-MLB's best team faces its hottest team tonight at the Twinkie Dome. Just over a month and a half ago the Twins were written for dead, and now they're a half game out of the AL Wild Card spot. They send their three best to the mound this weekend (Liriano, Radke, Santana) starting with Liriano tonight. The Tigers will go with their own youngster, Zach Miner, who has done an excellent job since being called up to replace Mike Maroth after Maroth was put on the DL. I honestly think the Twins are going to sweep this series. Not only are they playing excellent all around baseball right now, but they're getting all the breaks too. Which of course is what happens when you're going good. Oh, and they're phenomenal at home. Liriano leaves the Tigers lineup shaking their heads tonight. (TV-Local 8:10PM Est.)

Last Night:1-2 (W-Orioles, L-Cardinals Blue Jays)

Season: 18-12

Baseball Tonight 7-27-06

Not too many games to choose from tonight.

• Chicago Cubs (39-61 5th NL Central Rich Hill 0-4 9.31) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (58-42 1st NL Central Jeff Weaver 4-11 6.32)-One of baseball's best rivalries continues tonight at Wrigley Field. Like most of the previous times these two teams have met, the Cardinals are in first and playing for something and the Cubs are the Cubs. Still, the Cubs tend to play the Redbirds well and are 6-3 against them this year. Yesterday, Mark Prior had a no-hitter through 5.2 innings before being pulled by Dusty Baker. The no-hitter was lost in typical Cubbie fashion, when a pop-up was misplayed and the Cubs went on to 1-0 in 10. The Cardinals on the other hand have won 14 of 17, and seem to be back on track after a horrible performance in interleague play. Tonight's game features two pitchers who are sure to have the opposing team's players fighting to get some at bats. Jeff Weaver did pitch well in his last outing, a win over the Dodgers in which he lasted 5.2IP and only gave up 1ER. Rich Hill on the other hand hasn't been seen since that fateful day of May 20th in which Michael Barrett punched AJ Pierzynski. Hill was demoted after that game partly because he sucks, and also because he opened his mouth about the incident. Dusty Baker responded to his young pitcher by telling him to win a game in the Majors before forming an opinion on anything. I like the Cardinals tonight. (TV-ESPN 7:05PM Est.)
• Kansas City Royals (35-65 5th AL Central Jimmy Gobble 3-3 4.88) vs. Baltimore Orioles (46-56 4th AL East 6-11 6.73)-I told you the schedule was less than desirable tonight! Seriously though, Minor League baseball is fun too. Give it a chance. Also how many times during the season are the Royals actually FAVORED to win? You gotta take the Orioles!! (TV-Local 8:10PM Est.)
• Oakland Athletics (52-49 1st-T AL West Joe Blanton 10-8 4.90) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (56-45 3rd AL East Ted Lilly 9-8 3.89)-Geography is killing the Blue Jays. They sit in third place in the AL East, yet if they were in the AL West they'd hold a nice little 4 game lead over the A's and Angels. The Athletics are now tied with the Angels for first in the AL West after losing 2 of 3 at home to the Red Sox. The Blue Jays beat the A's in the 1992 American League Championship Series, and they will again tonight. (TV-Local 10:05PM Est.)

Last Night:2-1 (W-Tigers, Athletics L-Dodgers)

Season: 17-10

Baseball Tonight 7-26-06

Cuz they don't televise NFL mini-camps.

• Cleveland Indians(44-55 4th AL Central C.C. Sabathia 7-6 3.73) vs. Detroit Tigers (67-33 1st AL Central Justin Verlander 12-4 2.77)-Things are getting quite comfortable in the Motor City as the Tigers have built up their division lead to 7.5 games. Today, they start Justin Verlander, who's 5-0 with a 1.77 ERA in his last 7 starts. The Indians counter with their ace, C.C. Sabathia. With an ERA as low as 3.73, Sabathia has run into some tough luck, getting little help from the bullpen and little run support to only be 7-6. So far, this series has been high scoring. On Monday the Tigers scored 5 in the first inning en route to a 9-7 victory. Last night the Indians scored 7 in the first, and went on to win 12-7. What that means is this afternoon's game will be a 3-1 affair. The Tigers get the three, and the victory. (TV-ESPN 12:05PM Est)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (47-54 5th NL West Brad Penny 10-4 3.23) vs. San Diego Padres (53-47 1st NL West Jake Peavy 4-10 5.15)-The Dodgers have lost 7 in a row and are in danger of knocking themselves out of the NL West race. The Padres have won three in a row since temporarily surrendering the NL West lead to the Giants for a day and are now back out in front. The Dodgers will rely on NL All Star starter Brad Penny to put an end to their slump. Penny lost his last start, but only gave up 2 runs in 6IP in a 2-0 loss to St. Louis. Peavy, meanwhile, has been awful this season. In his last eight starts he's 0-5 with a 6.52 ERA. Still, the Padres have won 7 of 10 with the Dodgers this season, including all 4 games at Chavez Ravine. However, you're only as good as your next starting pitcher, so I'm taking the Dodgers this afternoon. (TV-Local 3:10PM Est.)
• Oakland Athletics (51-49 1st place (t) AL West Danny Haren 6-9 4.02) vs. Boston Red Sox 61-38 1st AL East Kyle Snyder 2-1 7.02)-The Athletics are currently on a 3-game losing streak, and because of it are in danger of falling from first to third place with a loss today. They are tied with the resurgent Angels for first, and only a half game ahead of the Rangers. Haren has been pretty shaky of late, going 0-3 with a 8.47 in his last three starts. The Red Sox counter with Kyle Snyder, who has done pretty well since being acquired from the Kansas City Royals. Though last week the A's roughed Snyder up for 5 runs in 4.2IP. It's incredibly tough to sweep a team, especially at home, and I see the Oakland lineup celebrating the fact that neither Beckett or Schilling are on the mound and simply outscoring the Red Sox today. Taking Oakland in a slugfest. (TV-Local 3:35PM Est.)

Last Night:3-0 (W-Cubs, Twins, Reds)

Season: 15-9

What Else Is On?

• Dazed and Confused (8PM Est. E!)-"That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age." Seriously, Matthew McConaughey IS Wooderson. He didn't even realize they were filming this movie. He just thought he was hangin out.
• America's Got Talent (8PM Est. NBC)-Cuz you need your daily fix of The Hoff!

That's it. TV sucks.

Baseball Tonight 7-25-06

Cuz Harold Reynolds would want you to.

• New York Mets (59-40 1st NL East Tom Glavine 11-3 3.52) vs. Chicago Cubs (38-60 5th NL Central Carlos Zambrano 10-3 3.11)-Two teams going in two very different directions sending out two very good pitchers at different points of their careers. I look for my "Zambrano for the Cy Young campaign" to carry on tonight. He's won his last 7 decisions, and has a 2.73 ERA doing it. On the road Zambrano is 6-0 with a 2.24 ERA. Glavine, meanwhile, has found his old form this season for the Mets, and is one of the big reasons they have such a large lead in the NL East. Still when the Glavine faced the Cubs last week, he lost 9-2. The Cubs won last nights game 8-7, and though I wouldn't expect as many runs tonight, I do expect the Cubs to win again thanks to Carlos Zambrano. (TV-WGN 7:10PM Est)
• Chicago White Sox (59-39 2nd AL Central Jose Contreras 9-2 3.43) vs. Minnesota Twins (57-41 3rd AL Central Johan Santana 11-5 3.00)-I know, "Stop with all the Chicago games, you homer!" Cut me some slack though, this series could be huge when it comes to who makes the playoffs this season and it has a somewhat decent pitching matchup. It doesn't get much better than Santana vs. Contreras in the American League. The White Sox got a rare victory against Santana earlier this season, winning 7-1, but Santana has dominated the Sox throughout his career. With the way the Sox are playing right now, I wouldn't expect that to change. The Twins are within two games of the AL Wild Card thanks to their 7-4 win last night. They'll win again tonight but through no fault of Jose Contreras. Oh, and if you're wondering, I'm still being a homer. Everytime I pick the Sox, they lose. Maybe if I pick them to lose, they'll win. (TV-Local 8:05PM Est.)
• Houston Astros (47-52 4th NL Central Roger Clemens 2-3 2.43) vs. Cincinnati Reds (52-47 2nd NL Central Aaron Harang 10-6 3.72)-Still waiting on the Astros to make their annual second half run. They trail the Reds by 5 games in the NL Wild Card, and this three-game series seems as good a time as any. They're hoping the Rocket can help get them started. He faces Aaron Harang who has been a nice surprise for the Reds this season. He's 2-0 against the Astros already this season, and the Reds are 5-1 against them overall. I don't expect that to change much tonight. Look for Clemens to shut down the Reds for 6 innings, leave the game then watch the bullpen give up the lead and the Astros' impotent offense fail to score any runs. Reds 4, Astros 1. (TV-Local 8:05PM Est.)

Last Night:1-2 (W-Yankees, L-A's, White Sox)

Season: 12-9

What Else Is On?

• World Series of Poker (8PM Est-ESPN)-Two more circuit events tonight before coverage shifts to the actual WSOP in a few weeks. One from Atlantic City, the other from Vegas. As far as I know, I don't know either of the people who win tonight.
• Real World Key West (10PM Est-MTV)-Jannelle's ex-boyfriend visits and is quickly thrown out of the house! Also Svetlana is still stupid but totally hot, and Tyler is still flamingly gay.
• Jaws (8PM Est.-AMC)-This movie made sure that I was absolutely terrified to go into the ocean until I was about 15. Don't get me wrong, I'm still petrified, I just hide it better. "I'm not crying!! I just have salt in my eyes!"

ESPN Busted with Their Hands Down Joe Mauer's Pants

I was at last night's 7-4 Twins victory over the Chicago White Sox at US Cellular Field and got to see the great Joe Mauer live and in person.

Mauer is currently batting .380 with 8HR and 53 RBI. One of those home runs and three of those RBIs came last night.

In the seventh inning Mauer, with a 3-1 count(I think I read somewhere yesterday that Mauer is hitting .586 when thrown a fastball on a 3-1 count), sent a belt-high fastball over the centerfield wall off lefty Neal Cotts. It was Mauer's first home run off a left hander this season.

Now don't get me wrong, I think Joe Mauer is a terrific young baseball player. He has a swing that would probably make Ted Williams say, "Ooooh."

Well, if his lips weren't frozen, anyway.

But is he going to be the Greatest Hitter of All Time?

ESPN thinks so. They've basically started clearing a space in Cooperstown for him. The last few days at ESPN.com have been a virtual Mauer Lovefest. Take, for instance, this quote from Keith Law:

"The problem with Joe Mauer is that there are no problems with Joe Mauer. I'm not sure he's the perfect player, but he's pretty close. I wish to marry him and have 8 of his children."

Ok, so he never said he wants to marry him, or father his children, but he may as well have.

Rob Neyer also joined in on the Mauer reach-arounds, basically proclaiming him the greatest offensive catcher of all time.

Yes, Mauer is good but I don't think he's anything near perfect.

First of all, I'm pretty sure last night he struck out twice and grounded out, meekly too.

Also, for someone his size (6'4", 220 lbs) he doesn't produce very good power numbers. The Twins believe he'll grow in time and so will his numbers. But that will affect his catching. Mauer already is a little bit too big for the position; that large frame of his will eventually be hell on his back and knees.

Which means, I believe, that at some point Mauer is destined to become a first baseman. And then will we still consider him to be so great? It's easier to get noticed as a great offensive catcher because there aren't that many. A big-hitting first baseman on the other hand, very common.

And finally, yeah, Mauer has all the tools and is fully capable of being a Hall of Fame hitter in his career, but for Christ's sake people, he's 23.

He hasn't even played a complete Major League season yet!

So can we please slow down on his coronation as the Greatest Hitter of All-Time?

If you want to put this in perspective, just look at the guy drafted after Mauer in 2002: Mark Prior. He pitched one season, was heralded as a Messiah and the greatest pitcher of all time, and has done absolutely nothing since due to injuries.

A lot can happen to a baseball player in his career, let alone when that player plays the most demanding position in the game.

Texas Losing Ground (Game)

Ever since their thrilling 41-38 victory over USC on January 4th in the Rose Bowl, the National Champion Texas Longhorns have been regressing.

First, they lost Vince Young to the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Young basically WAS the Longhorns offense. Besides his passing numbers, he was also responsible for 1,050 yard rushing and 12 rushing touchdowns.

Tuesday, the Longhorns running attack suffered another loss.

Ramonce Taylor announced he would be transferring to a new, as of yet, undetermined school. Taylor had already missed spring practices to focus on his academics. Then in May he was arrested for possession of marijuana.

He didn't have a prescription, in fact he probably got it from Texas alumni Ricky Williams.

It doesn't appear that the transfer has anything to do with the arrest though, just academics. Taylor only had nice things to say about his time in Austin:

"I want to thank my teammates who supported me through any struggle. I also need to thank coach Brown for always being honest and never changing. He always treated me as a person first and not just a football player. I'll always respect him for that."

Taylor didn't have a big game in the Rose Bowl - Vince Young never let go of the ball (why would he, it's not like the Trojans showed any signs of stopping him) - but he did manage to score a touchdown. And he was an all around threat for the Longhorns offense, lining up at both running back and wide receiver. He combined at both positions for 778 yards and 15 touchdowns.

But while Texas has lost a lot of its 2005 production in the backfield, the cupboard isn't exactly bare. The returning trio of Jamaal Charles, Selvin Young and Henry Melton combined for 1,771 yards and 29 TD's, led by Charles' 878 yards and 11 TD's.

So while the Longhorns won't be expected to repeat their National Championship performance of last season, they won't exactly be suffering either.


SOURCE: Texas RB Taylor to transfer-ESPN

Anyone Need A Baseball Analyst?

In a completely unexpected move ESPN fired longtime analyst Harold Reynolds last night. Reynolds had been with ESPN for 11 years, working on Baseball Tonight, the College World Series and the Little League World Series.

No reason has been given or discovered at this point. The only thing anybody can think of is when HR and fellow analyst John "One Nut" Kruk got into a heated discussion about what the Yankees should do with A-Rod. It was nothing major, and certainly not the only time these two have gotten on each other's nerves.

If that was the case, ESPN made a big mistake. Fire Kruk. Harold Reynolds and Peter Gammons have always been the two main reasons I watch Baseball Tonight. Now neither are there. (Gammons is still recovering from a brain aneurysm. Once he hears about Reynolds, he may have another.) Instead I'm going to be subjected to Steve Phillips, Jeff Brantley, Orestes Destrade, Tino Martinez and Orel Hershiser.

Of that list the only one I don't want to punch in the face repeatedly is Hershiser.

I know Reynolds was a little bit too player friendly, but he was still the smartest guy on that show, along with Gammons.

So on a network that continues to pay annoying morons (Chris Berman, Steven A. Smith, Stuart Scott), a guy who failed miserably at his last job too (Steve Phillips), and a cokehead (Michael Irvin), the good guy-Harold Reynolds-gets fired unexpectedly and with no reason given.

Way to alienate your viewers, ESPN.

(Edit:Now according to Deadspin.com, sexual harrassment seems to be the leading theory as to why Reynolds was relieved of his duties at ESPN.)

SOURCE: Say Goodnite, Harold-Deadspin

Your Newest (And Oldest) Chicago White Sox

While reports indicate that the White Sox are close to pulling the trigger on a deal that would bring Alfonso Soriano to the defending champs, they've already made two smaller moves.

First they acquired Sandy Alomar Jr. from the Los Angeles Dodgers,

and they just added reliever Mike MacDougal from the Kansas City Royals.

In both deals the Sox gave up minor league prospects - BJ Lamura for Alomar and Tyler Lumsden/Daniel Cortes for MacDougal.

As I said earlier, I like the Alomar deal, both for he knows our pitchers and, despite limited action, he's batting .323 so far this season.

As for MacDougal, he's had a history of arm trouble - just recently returning from the DL this season - and control problems. Still, he has a 97MPH fastball and a pretty nice hook to go with it, and White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has a history of fixing those same types of problems. One need not look past what he's done for Matt Thornton this year.

As far as Soriano, I don't know that I like the potential deal. The Sox don't really need another bat in the lineup, and having to give up Brandon McCarthy isn't an idea I like too much. Plus there's the fact that Soriano is a free agent after the season, so it's not like it's a guarantee we'd keep him. Also what would they do with Scott Podsednik? Move him to center and bench Brian Anderson? This would cause the outfield defense to suffer. Unless they were planning on moving Pods I don't think it makes any sense.

Still there is speculation that the Sox are only trying to get Soriano to keep him from the Tigers, and once they acquire him, will ship him somewhere else for pitching help. THAT idea I like.

Sox Go For Twin Killing

You generally don't want to put too much stock in one victory but the way the White Sox have been playing the last few weeks, it's hard not to. With Sunday's 5-0 shutout of the Rangers, the White Sox did a few things they haven't done in weeks.

They sacrificed runners along, got RBI hits with 2 outs, and generally just played solid fundamental baseball. Of course, the Sox did that last time Jon Garland pitched too, when the Sox beat Detroit 7-1 in the opener of a pivotal series. Garland was even better on Sunday, lasting 8.1 innings, while giving up 6 hits and no runs. He has been the White Sox only reliable starter for some time now.

Still, there are many things a single victory cannot erase. The middle of the Sox lineup is still struggling and any starter not named Garland in the rotation is still struggling. By losing 2 of 3 to the Rangers the White Sox have now lost their last four series. They are only 2-7 since the All-Star break and are losing ground on the Detroit Tigers.

To make things worse, the White Sox old friends - the red-hot Minnesota Twins - are coming to town. Since June 8th the Twins are 31-8. (9-1 since All Star break) Just two months ago the White Sox were a game behind the Tigers, and 11 games ahead of the fourth place Minnesota Twins. Today, the Sox trail Detroit by 6.5 games, and their lead on the Twins has dwindled to only 3 games.

That means if the Twins pull off a sweep in Chicago this week, they will be tied with the Sox for the American League Wild Card spot.

Why the sudden resurgence for the Twins? Three reasons.

1. Pitching
2. Pitching
3. Pitching

Ever since the Twins finally moved Francisco Liriano (12-2 1.93ERA) from the bullpen to the starting rotation (May 19th), things have completely turned around. Liriano's emergence has also helped the entire rotation. Johan Santana didn't need any help but Brad Radke and Carlos Silva have both turned their seasons around.

Radke, who just recently announced he will retire at season's end, is 4-0 with a 2.67ERA in his last 7 starts. Carlos Silva hasn't seen as big a turnaround as the rest of the staff, but is still 3-1 in his last 7 starts. His ERA is still a robust 6.91, but it is on the decline.

The big hole for the Twins has been the 5th starter. It will be hard for the Twins to continue at this pace for the rest of the season without addressing this problem.

Of course, the Twins won't be sending their fifth starter to the mound against the Sox (or Liriano, THANK YOU VERY MUCH), so the White Sox are going to have to play their best baseball the next three days to try to put a hold on the Twins' uprising.

With the recent struggles and the trade deadline fast approaching, rumors are flying on the South Side. The latest: the Sox are one of 4 finalists in the Alfonso Soriano sweepstakes.

Personally I think the only reason Kenny Williams is showing any interest in Soriano, who is now saying he wants to stay in Washington, is to drive up the price for him and potentially knock the Tigers out of a possible deal for the left-fielder. (EDIT:As soon as I post this piece I find this over at ESPN.) I have no idea if the White Sox are going to do anything major at the deadline, as Williams generally does everything behind closed doors, seldom revealing his hand. He did make one minor move this weekend though, getting Sandy Alomar Jr. from the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor leaguer B.J. LaMura. It will be Alomar's second stint with the Sox. Catcher Chris Widger, who's struggled at the plate all season, was designated for assignment.

Kenny Williams says the coaching staff has been asking for Alomar for some time now, while Ozzie suggested he was surprised by the deal. So why did the deal get made? Well, most of Alomar's previous stint on the South Side was seriving as Mark Buehrle's personal catcher. I think the Sox reacquired Sandy as an effort to help Buehrle sort through his recent struggles on the mound. The fact that Alomar can handle himself at the plate better than Widger could will also help.

I've never had anything against Chris Widger, but I can't count how many times he would come to the plate and play the role of "One-Man Rally Killer."

If the White Sox are going to win the AL Central, as is their stated goal, they are going to have to win games within their division. They have 12 games left against the Twins, and 10 left against the Tigers. They cannot afford to lose too many of these games while they're chasing one and trying to fend off the other.

Yesterday the White Sox showed signs of turning things around. Let's hope it wasn't just smoke and mirrors.

Baseball Tonight 7-24-06

Cuz in baseball, there is no Case of the Mondays.

• Texas Rangers (51-48 2nd AL West Kevin Millwood 10-5 4.61) vs. New York Yankees (56-40 2nd AL East Randy Johnson 10-8 4.88)-The Yankees are actually considering trading Alex Rodriguez right now. I don't think they'll do it during the season, but offseason I wouldn't be surprised at all. Yankee fans are booing him constantly, and it's obviously affecting him. He's struggling at the plate and has committed five errors in his last five games. Unfortunately for Alex, he won't escape the boos tonight either, as he returns to Arlington to face his former team, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers just took 2 of 3 from the White Sox, and trail the first place Athletics by a half game in the AL West. The Yankees just lost 3 of 4 in Toronto, and have seemingly lost all the momentum they picked up when they won the first 5 games after the All-Star break. The Rangers send Kevin Millwood to the mound, where he has struggled at home this year. He has a 6.59ERA at home this season. Randy Johnson has started to turn around his shaky first half with 6 quality starts in his last 7 games. I'm going to take the Yankees tonight. (TV-ESPN 7:05PM Est)
• Chicago White Sox( 59-38 2nd AL Central Javier Vazquez 9-5 5.20) vs. Minnesota Twins (56-41 3rd AL Central Brad Radke 8-7 4.83)-My, how things have changed. Two months ago the Twins were written off for dead. But 9-1 since the All Star break, the Twins come to town just 3 games behind the White Sox for the AL Wild Card lead. They send Brad Radke to the mound tonight. Radke just announced that this would be his final season, and has been very good as of late. He's 4-0 with a 2.67ERA in his last 7 starts. The White Sox outscored the Twins 23-6 in a three game sweep the last time these two teams played at US Cellular. Don't look for that to happen this time around. The Sox counter with Javier Vazquez, the bane of White Sox fans' existence. He's allowed at least 5 runs in his last 4 starts, yet has only lost one of those games (last week at Detroit). Still, Brad Radke hasn't won a road start since April 5th and is 1-5 with a 6.52ERA on the road. While common sense tells me to take the Twins, the fact Radke struggles on the road, and that I will be at the game tonight (the Sox tend to win games I attend), I'm crossing my fingers and taking the White Sox. Hopefully Ozzie takes Javy out of the game before he blows up. Hopefully. (TV-Local 8:05PM Est.)
• Oakland Athletics (51-47 1st AL West Barry Zito 10-6 3.20) vs. Boston Red Sox (59-38 1st AL East Josh Beckett 12-5 4.78)-The A's just took 3 of 4 from Boston last week at Fenway, outscoring them 28-15. That series also included the A's roughing up Josh Beckett for 7 runs in 4.1IP. It was Beckett's first home loss of the season. On the road this season Beckett has been awful. He's allowed 22 home runs and has a 6.33ERA. Just like when the A's beat Beckett last week, they send Barry Zito to the mound tonight. He hasn't given up more than 3 runs in his last 7 starts. Still he's 0-2 in his last 2 home starts, since the Oakland lineup only scored 1 run total in those two games. I have a feeling Beckett will help them in that department. I'm taking the Athletics. (TV-Local 10:05PM Est)

Last Night:2-1 (Wins-Minnesota, Atlanta Loss-Tampa Bay)

Season: 11-7

What Else Is On?

• High Stakes Poker (9PM Est-Game Show Network)-If you enjoy playing the game, this is a fun show to watch. You get to see actual poker being played, not just the All-in fest that tournaments tend to become.
• Chargers Cheerleaders (8PM Est-NFL Network)-See the process involved in becoming a San Diego Charger Cheerleader. Admire all the, um, hard work these girls put into their craft.
• A Bronx Tale (6:30PM Est-Bravo)-I love this movie.