What do the Sox have left in them?

One has to be thinking about that question posed in the title of this entry. Really, what do they have left in them? This past series against Detroit this weekend was supposed to be one the Sox were supposed to win, especially considering that they took three of four from them on the road a little over a week ago and because Detroit has been reeling since the All-Star Break. Unfortunately, that did not happen, as the Sox lost two out of three to the Tigers, including an uninspiring 13-8 loss yesterday.

Now the Sox are entering what could be their most important series of the season, as they begin a three game set in Minnesota on Tuesday. The Sox sit three games behind the Twins entering this series, and it's not a stretch to believe that if the Sox lose this series, their playoff chances could be in jeopardy. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm just being realistic. There's no getting around this one, the Sox NEED to take this series. If they lose two out of three or get swept, they could be looking at either a five or six game deficit with 41 left to play. On the flip side, if the Sox take two of three from the Twins or sweep them, they could be just one game out or tied with them with the same amount of games left.

I know a five or six game deficit with 41 left is not insurmountable. Bigger deficits have beeen overcome in a shorter amount of time (just look at last year's Twins for proof). However, when you consider how hot the Sox had to get in order to make their way back into contention, one has to wonder if they will have one more big run left in them if the worst case scenario happens. Can they reel off one more furious push toward the division crown? Especially when they still have a whopping seven games left against Boston and another three left with New York?

Even though the Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games, I'm still very optimistic about the Sox's chances of taking this series. I already like the fact that our three best starters (Danks, Floyd and Buehrle) are lined up for those three games. The Sox usually don't play well in Minnesota, but I figure they're finally due for a series win up there. Plus, they don't have to worry about that wretched dome anymore, either. So how about it? Two out of three won't be bad, but a sweep will be nice.

The Ryan Express defeats the Maverick

As you might have already heard, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg finally won ownership of the Texas Rangers early Thursday morning, after a lengthy auction against high-profile Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. By all accounts of those who were there, the auction was drama-filled, contentious, and most of all, captivating. I'm not sure if I should be considered gullible for thinking this, but Nolan's victory came as a relative surprise to me. Cuban seemed like he was willing to spend like a drunken sailor on shore leave in order to purchase the team, and with each Cuban bid, Ryan appeared as if he was barely able to outbid him. Since I'm no financial expert, all I know is that for some reason or another, Ryan was able to come up with more money up front, and that appeared to be good enough for the judge.

While I am not opposed to Cuban owning a MLB team, I do not think the Rangers would have been the right fit for him. First of all, Nolan Ryan is a Texas legend, and despite Cuban's recent run in popularity, he doesn't hold a candle to the Ryan Express in terms of appealing to the fan base. Second of all (and most importantly), it is because of Ryan that the team is where they are in the standings right now. If Cuban would have won ownership of the team, there would have been the risk of Cuban cleaning house and putting his own people in there, which likely would not have sat well with Rangers fans. Also, his ownership would have probably resulted in Nolan Ryan leaving the team, which would have been a PR disaster from the Rangers' standpoint.

Don't get me wrong, I really think Mark Cuban would be great for baseball. Unlike many of the stodgy old owners that are in the game, Cuban would be a breath of fresh air. He's funny, he's vocal, he's visible, and most of all, he would be very willing to spend whatever amount of money it would take to put a winner on the field. Unfortunately, Cuban's outspokenness and his iconoclastic nature does not sit well with many owners in baseball, so it will be very difficult for him to gain approval of being a majority owner of any team in MLB, and that is a shame. However, one can only hope that he can eventually get the opportunity to purchase a moribund franchise like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, or Baltimore and bring them back to their former glory. In the meantime, I am pretty sure that many Rangers fans are content with the Ryan Express owning the franchise.

Sox win...barely

A win is a win, right? After the Sox hung on to defeat Detroit 6-4 in 10 innings today, they are still sitting comfortably atop the AL Central, a game and a half ahead of the Twins. The win also ensured a series win for the Sox over the Tigers, taking three out of four in a very important series.

While I am still very happy that the Sox pulled it out and took the series, I am NOT at all happy about how it ended up getting accomplished this afternoon. This all rests squarely on the shoulders of Bobby Jenks. In case you haven't watched the Sox during the second-half, or heck all year for that matter, Big Bad Bobby just ain't what he used to be. From 2005 through last year, he was a force out of the 'pen. Once he entered the game, you could all but count on him closing it out in quick fashion, using his blazing fastball and knee-buckling curve to shut down the opposition. However, Bobby's expiration date as a closer seems to have passed, since he has been blowing games in spectacular fashion lately.

Let's just begin with the last three he has failed to close out, shall we? The first one was back on July 18 in Minnesota. With the Sox leading the Twins 6-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, it appeared as if they were primed to leave Target Field with a series split, which is really the best you can hope for whenever you play a four-game set with the Twins. Jenks had already had his shaky moments earlier in the season, but after a solid month of June, my confidence was restored in him once again. Unfortunately, that confidence was soon broken as he immediately walked the first two hitters he saw before giving up back-to-back RBI singles to Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer to cut the lead to one. Ozzie wisely yanked him from the game after that, but the damage was already done, as the Twins would eventually win on an Alex Rios throwing error a couple of batters later.

Even though that loss sucked, you would think it was just an isolated incident against a good team. If it was a sub-.500 team he was pitching against, it would have been game over, right? Wrong. Let's fast forward three days later to July 21 in Seattle, when Jenks entered the game after the Sox took a 1-0 lead on the Mariners in the 11th inning. Jenks coming in against a sorry Seattle ballclub that's already playing out the string? I was thinking that this would be easy work for Bobby, and a nice confidence boost as well. Once again, I was wrong though, as Jenks gave up two runs in the bottom of the 11th for the Mariners to win 2-1, and avoid a three-game sweep. Making matters worse, the Twins won earlier that night against the Indians to gain a game on the Sox. Damn, damn, damn.

So with those two incidents already in the back of many Sox fans' minds, Jenks enters today's ballgame with the opportunity to slam the door on the game, and on the series. What does he do though? After getting the first out, he surrenders a single to Don Kelly, then hits Ramon Santiago to put two men on with one out. He strikes out Austin Jackson for the second out, then gives up a three-run homer to Ryan Raburn to tie the game at four. Ryan @#$&^%* Raburn. The same Ryan Raburn who has only hit two stinking home runs all year before that at-bat. Thankfully, Mark Kotsay got Jenks off the hook in the 10th inning, as he hit a two-RBI triple off of Jose Valverde to give the Sox a 6-4 win.

How mind-numbingly aggravating have these recent struggles by Jenks been? Ozzie Guillen was nearly speechless after the game as to what to do about him. When do you EVER see Ozzie speechless?

While I can understand the loyalty Guillen might have toward Jenks, you have to wonder how much rope he'll leave for him before he decides to make a change in closers. When you're in a tight pennant race, you don't have much room to simply hope that Jenks will snap out of his funk. Those games could potentially end up being the difference between playing in October or going home. There are three other viable options for closers in the 'pen, including J.J. Putz (who already has experience with closing games), Sergio Santos and Matt Thornton. All three are hard throwers, with good off-speed pitches to keep hitters off balance. After today's meltdown, it might be time to hand the ball to one of those three to close out games instead of Jenks.

Good stuff Edwin

Before a nationwide audience on ESPN tonight, Sox starter Edwin Jackson pitched seven effective innings, scattering nine hits while striking out six and allowing just one earned run, helping the Sox cruise to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers. While I most certainly appreciated his pitching performance tonight, I can also see some of the reasons why so many teams gave up on him. ESPN color analyst Rick Sutcliffe did a great job of breaking down his delivery by pointing out the flaws in it, which often times will lead to his erratic and inconsistent starts. However, he showed a lot of poise in being able to work out of each tough jam he got himself into tonight. Keep him in the five slot in the rotation, and I think he's going to be just fine.

Tonight's win was nice, and it will be even better if the Sox can put the nail in the Tigers' coffin tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, congratulations to Edwin Jackson for getting his first win in a Sox uniform, and may it be the first of many more to come.

Time to take out the Tigers

After the Sox's solid 4-1 win over Oakland yesterday, they finished their seven game home stand with a 6-1 mark, and they improved their overall record to 59-45. The only problem is that Minnesota refuses to lose, as they won their eighth in a row yesterday, shutting out the lowly Seattle Mariners 4-0. The Sox's hold on the AL Central remains at just a half-game, as they enter a big four game series with Detroit beginning with a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.

Since the Sox are already seven games up on the third-place Tigers, it is absolutely imperative that they put the final nail in the coffin of the Tigers' season. This could have the potential to be a big statement series for the Sox, because if they can finally wax off Detroit, they can concentrate their energy solely on Minnesota, and not have anybody else in the division to worry about. What better way is there to do that other than humiliating them in four straight games at Comerica? Even though a four-game sweep against Detroit might be wishful thinking, was it not wishful thinking back in June that the Sox would be in first this late in the season?

Want to know another cool thing about this four-game set? All four games will be nationally televised. Game one of tomorrow's doubleheader will be on WGN, while Game two of the DH will be on MLB Network. Game three of the series will be on Wednesday Night Baseball on ESPN, and game four will be back on WGN on Thursday. It's always nice to see the Sox get some extra attention on the national stage. Let's hope they can make the most of it.

Are you @#$#&^% kidding me?!?

Since I was working most of the day, I missed the 4 pm trade deadline, and all of the excitement (or disappointment, for some) it brings. Lance Berkman was traded from the Houston Astros to the Evil Empire, Ryan Ludwick ends up in San Diego as part of a three-team deal that also sent Jake Westbrook to St. Louis, and the Yankees also added another bullpen arm in Kerry Wood. While some of the more flashy deals did not go down, one of those in particular caught my eye.

Apparently, after the deadline passed, news emerged that the White Sox tried to land Manny Ramirez in a deal. That's right, THE Manny Ramirez. The Sox were not willing to give anyone up for him, but they were willing to pay the Dodgers $1 million of his remaining $6.7 million of his contract, which ends after this season. Ramirez is on the DL right now, and wouldn't be available until sometime in August. As you might have expected, the Dodgers said "no" to this offer.

While I cannot blame GM Kenny Williams for trying to make this team better at any cost, why would you go after someone who has as much baggage as Ramirez? He already has a reputation for not necessarily giving his full effort out on the field, and with his numbers being sub-par for his standards this year (.317 average, eight home runs and 39 RBIs), he hasn't exactly earned a free pass for that type of play. Plus, wasn't the goal at the beginning of the year for the Sox to become a more athletic, versatile team? While Ramirez would have been featured exclusively at DH if he joined the Sox, I don't think he has enough power left in him at this point in his career to justify acquiring another base-clogger on the basepaths. While Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay aren't exactly the best hitters on the team, the platoon of those two has been working out just fine so far.

Also, the mixture of Ozzie Guillen and Manny Ramirez has the potential to become very volatile, very quickly. I cannot imagine what would happen if Ozzie felt Manny was not giving his best effort out there on the field (or better yet, on the basepaths). However, the club seems to click in spite of the distractions surrounding them (like the Guillen/Williams near fist-fight over the spot Ozzie's son was selected in this year's draft). Despite that, I'm sure that Manny Ramirez is one more distraction the Sox could do without. We'll see what happens with the Sox in the next month, since the waiver deadline is on August 31.

In the meantime, let's hope that the Sox can pull one out tomorrow and take two of three from the A's heading into this week's big series against Detroit!

Welcome Back!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome you back to this blog. I would like to offer you my sincere apologies for my prolonged absence from here, mainly because school nearly had me in a choke hold over during April, May, and part of June. Now that school has been out for over a month, I can get back to offering you my opinions on the world of baseball, with special attention to the Sox.

A lot has happened since I was last here with you. There have been a whopping five no-hitters, two of which were perfect games. We have also witnessed one of the most agonizing near-misses in the history of no-hitters/perfect games, when Armando Galarraga came within inches of perfection, only to have it snatched from his hands by an errant call from first base umpire Jim Joyce.

In addition to the rash of no-hitters that have been thrown this year, there have also been remarkable stand-outs in the world of pitching. Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies, despite slowing down in recent weeks, has still been one of the best pitchers in baseball, as he continues to sport a 16-2 record, with a 2.67 ERA. Josh Johnson has also been right on Jimenez's heels in the National League Cy Young race, as he is featuring a 10-3 record and a major league-best 1.72 ERA. Other major league pitchers that are having standout seasons include Adam Wainwright and Jaime Garcia of the St. Louis Cardinals, David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays, Cliff Lee of the Texas Rangers and Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Also, who could forget about the dynamic debut of Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals? Before he went on the DL yesterday with shoulder stiffness, he has been rock solid in his rookie year, going 5-2 with a 2.32 ERA and with an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio of 75-15 in 54.1 innings. You could almost make the case that what Bob Costas said during his first start was correct: the performance has exceeded the hype.

Plus, there have been many compelling division races in baseball through this point of the season. There have been many surprises in the National League, including the outstanding performances put on by the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds, who are both leading their respective divisions as of July 30. Also, the Atlanta Braves have returned to their perch atop the National League East, as they continue to lead their division by two and a half over Philadelphia.

There has been just as many surprises in the American League as well. The Chicago White Sox, who trailed the Minnesota Twins by a whopping nine and a half games on June 8, have stormed back to take the division lead, as they are up by a game and a half entering tonight's play. The Texas Rangers, after acquiring ace pitcher Cliff Lee in a trade with the Seattle Mariners, have plowed ahead of the Angels and A's, leading the West by eight and a half entering tonight. In addition to those races, the Rays and Yankees are continuing their battle atop the AL East, as the Yankees lead by two games over Tampa entering tonight.

Also, who can forget about the trade deadline tomorrow? There has already been a flurry of activity, as we have already seen Roy Oswalt get dealt from Houston to Philly, Edwin Jackson get dealt from Arizona to the South Side of Chicago and Matt Capps get dealt from Washington to Minnesota in just the last couple of days. With tomorrow's 4 pm deadline still looming, we should not be surprised to see more big trades go down in the next several hours.

It has been an absolute blast following baseball this summer (as it always is), and it has been even more of a blast watching the Sox make an incredible comeback to take over first place in the Central. With two months left before the postseason, you can all but gurarantee that there will be a lot more fun surprises headed our way in MLB. Rest assured, that whenever those surprises occur, I'll try to give you my thoughts on at least some of them! Once again, I would like to offer you my most sincere apologies for my prolonged absence, and you will definitely hear back from me soon!