Sports

The Truth Shall Finish In Second Place

By Andrew Reilly

It's not their fault they're rapidly losing ground.

It's not their fault they can't move a runner past second base, it's Joe West's fault, because he's a terrible umpire.

It's not their fault the bullpen has been effectively useless, it's modern medicine's fault for allowing two of their most valuable relievers to fall prey to injury.

It's not their fault Alex Rios' bat has turned to stone, it's the Royals' fault for rescheduling Friday's game to capitalize on that sweet, sweet WGN money.

It's not their fault they can't beat the teams they need to beat, it's the other teams' fault for playing good baseball at the wrong time.

It's not their fault last winter's low-rent approach to roster construction has destroyed them, it's Jim Thome's fault for being a great hitter.

It's not their fault the cracks are turning into chasms, it's Delmon Young's fault because he plays dirty.

But whatever.

There's still a month left and it's a long season/grinder/grit/2005/four touchdowns in a single game, but the real problem isn't just the Twins' lead, nor is it the league's conspiracy against them, nor is it the weather gods' spitefulness. Instead, let us look within, into the cold, ugly heart of 2010 White Sox baseball and admit it: they are not very good, and they never were and we know this now because we know that bad teams make the excuses good teams never need.

Week in Review: Steady. Lose-win-lose to the Twins, then lose-win-lose to the Royals for another 2-4 week.

Week in Preview: Mid-Atlantic. The Sox host the O's for three, then say hello to the goddamned Yankees. The White Sox Report would like to extend a warm "Who's this ****in' guy?" to every New Yorker making the trip to Chicago for the weekend. Bensonhurst is that-a-way, man.

Hawkeroo's Can-O-Corn Watch: "That was always the thing, when I was with Boston, about playing against the Yankees, was that you knew they had some players. You look at that tradition, from Mantle and Maris, Reggie Jackson, Paul O'Neill, Ruben Sierra, Nick Swisher now, guys who were just great baseball players who played the game of baseball, but did it in a way that made it so winning was what happened when they played, and there's no one who understands it better than that young man playing shortstop down there with the number '2' on his jersey, that's a guy who's going to do those things Ruth did, Lou Gehrig, even the pitchers, you look at Sonny Siebert who gave me all kinds of trouble in the batter's box, that's the kind of player that the Yankees bring to play, and that's what our Sox need to do to turn this around."

Gordon Beckham Hall of Fame Update: Gordon Beckham triples this season: two. Frank Thomas triples during MVP-winning 1993 season: zero. Advantage: Beckham.

Alumni News You Can Use: Former White Sox reliever Mike MacDougal can still inspire the wrong kind of fear.

The "H" in "DH" Stands For: Hurt, as in The Big Hurt, who hit almost as many home runs between 1995 and 1997 (118) as Mark Kotsay has in his entire 14-year career (121). How awesome. How sad.

The Q Factor: "The number they're retiring," he says, "It exceeds the 'twenty' I wear only in the purest mathematical sense. Nothing more. But nothing less, either."

The Guillen Meter: His longtime teammate and short-time subordinate soon immortalized on the outfield wall, the Guillen Meter reads "35" for "A guy who can hit for extreme power? That's crazy."

Endorsement No-Brainer: White Sox pitching for your fantasy football team: it looks great on paper, and you might get a big week here or there, but it will still going get you surprisingly little in the end.

Cubs Snub: On the occasion of his retirement, The White Sox Report salutes Lou Piniella's achievements with the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. That is all.

The White Sox Report: Read 'em all.

The Cub Factor: It's funny because it's true.

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