Cuba Is In the World Baseball Classic

as it should be. The geniuses in Washington finally got one right.
Politics and baseball don't mix.
You give Castro more currency by exclusion than inclusion.
Let them come over here, take their ass whuppin' like men and leave a few of the young diamonds behind for Messrs. Steinbrenner, Moreno, et al.
Then they can go home and dominate every other men against boys "amateur" baseball tournament out there.

On the field, I worry more about the Dominicans and the Peurto Ricans, not so much on better playing ability or depth, but on playing more for the name on the front of the jersey than the name on the back. For national pride, we may pull a Dream Team III or IV instead of Dream Team 1.

Good way to kick off the season maybe keep the focus on the field instead of all the off-field nonsense that bored media types can conjure up during the normal spring training lull.

USA..USA..USA.

Are the Giants becoming AARP's Team?

Finley for Fonzie? Was it possible to move this team's average age higher going into next season?

Bonds, Alou, Finley in the same outfield means you better have lots of backups and Geritol to say the least. With Vizquel as the anchor of the infield, you have lots of older men at key positions.

Oi vey, this could be a(nother) long season for the G-Men.

Damon to the Yankees.........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK

Is Brian Cashman trying to assemble a championship contender here or a boy band?

Are they trying to reach the demographic girls ages 11-15, that baseball has coveted for so long yet failed to reach?

Derek......Alex........Jorge...........Johnny..........OH MY!!!!!

Can't you just hear the shrill squeals of young girls across the major leagues? The Yankees are going to lead the majors in at least two categories, panties peeld and women's undergarments hurled (men's included if interleague play brings them to San Francisco).

I pity the poor field level box season ticket holders in Tampa Bay (both of them) when the lingerie starts flying. Oh, the humanity!!!

No wonder the Yankees suck lately. How'd they let Nomar get away, he's not cute enough? Too married to fit the image? Maybe Mia put her foot down, or threatened to reinjure his groin if he went with the Pretty Boys, uh Yankees. I guess she would know where the groin lives.

The media guide for '06 is going to look like Tiger Beat magazine. And the press entourage will certainly have to include a gossip columnist or two. This will give new meaning to the question, Who's hot on the Yankees? I mean who cares about batting averages, right? Overrated stat anyway. It's gonna be all about who's scoring on this team, baby.

That's the hot stove report, yes indeed, getting hotter.

Hot Stove League Heating Up and Could Get Hotter

Beckett and Lowell to the RedSox for some major prospects, so the Marlins get younger and cheaper. The RedSox look good here, getting brittle-armed, Yankee stopper Beckett.

Thome to the ChiSox for Rowand and a minor leaguer not named Brandon McCarthy. Still don't like this deal for the Sox. A roll of the dice at worst, a hedge against losing Konerko at best. Don't like to hear the words power hitter and back trouble in the same sentence. I'm not sure when that's ever turned around where the player regains his former self for a prolonged period of time.

Delgado to the Mets-ies? Much like our representatives in Washington the Mets act as if throwing enough dollars around will fix the problem. Deja-vu. And he can't pitch.

The Manny trade should be a blockbuster and I can't believe the Rangers would do anything but laugh at offers for Hammerin' Hank Blalock. The kid can flat out mash.

To the Victors...

A champion's celebration Chicago style. It's great to see how much an event like this, winning a World Series or any championship for that matter, means to it's fan's and the city itself.

The euphoria is overwhelming, all the years of pent-up frustration are finally released. The White Sox adopted song, Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" conicidentally was the song I personally identified with when the NY Football Giants were slowly building towards they're Super Bowl in 1986. The classics never go out of style.

"Chicago, second city no more," said Paul Konerko, during the players introductions. Good to see Paulie is taking the time to read my blog (see a couple of posts down).

Konerko brought team owner Jerry Reinsdorf to tears when he presented him the ball he caught for the last out of the fourth game of the series to complete a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros." Getting this ball from Paul Konerko is the most emotional moment of my life," Reinsdorf told the crowd.

Reinsdorf also has gone on record locally as saying he would have given up the six Bulls championship rings for One World Series ring. Well, he's got one now, but this illustrates the enormous power baseball has once it gets in your blood.

Konerko talked about the team's lack of respect nationally throughout the year and added. Maybe we'll have to do this one more time next year." Reinsdorf should have put down the ball and pulled out a contract right then and there. Hopefully, the team will be able to defend the title with the major components in place.

Wait 'til next year has a whole new meaning for Sox fans now.

Sox Win...Sox Win

Maybe not as romantic a sound as some aroundhere would like, but the Chicago's little-brother team now has something big-brother who lives a bit further North can only dream about.

The White Sox just buzz-sawed through the Astro's lineup again with it's own offense providing just enough runs to keep it interesting. Well, maybe not so interesting if you believe the TV ratings numbers. But honestly, if you were tuning in to Desperately Slutty HoesBags at the expense of the World Series, you're not really a baseball fan.

Poor Brad Lidge was called upon again to take a bullet for the Astros and he did, this time dying a death of a thousand slices. Really, only a slap, a bunt and a bleeder but hey, they all count.

Pitching and Defense, the White Sox led with it and ended in style with it. SS Juan Uribe's two defensive gems to end the game were truly remarkable. The Jeter-esque dive in the stands would have been great as a walk-off P6, but you can't be too picky here.

With any luck, Sox fans will be able to enjoy the moment before the Paulie Sweepstakes lead the hot-stove chatter around here. After all, the next championship might not come around for another 88 years or so. Who knows?

Congrats to the White Sox. 2005 World Champions. I don't care what Bobby Valentine says.

Chicago not Second City in this Series

It seems like the White Sox are the team of destiny in this Series after all. Everything's going right, although the umpires bad calls do seem to be balancing out, the Astros are just not cashing in on thier opportunities, unless the umps rule the ball over the fence in error. If it makes any sense, I would say this is the most evenly matched 3-0 series, I think I've ever seen. Think about it, this could be 2-1 Astros, 2-1 White Sox, maybe not 3-0 Astros but there really doesn't seem to be much separating these two teams. White Sox are getting more timely hitting and better bullpen help lately.

Some questions:

Is it just me or do we now need to look closely at American League domination in both the World Series and the now-meaningful All-Star game? I think the DH may have at least some role in this and now is the time for MLB to address the issue. Either both leagues play with the DH, or both leagues play without it. You know, level playing field and all.

But does the presence of the DH in the AL lead to the leagues better hitters being drawn to the AL over th NL? Does having to pitch to a more stout lineup throughout the year lead the AL pitchers to become more prepared to pitch later in the year? When was the last time a pitcher went from the NL to the AL and dominated?

And speaking of level playing fields, is it just me or does it seem as if the $85-90 million dollar and under payrolls all reside in the NL? While the $100 million dollar plus payrolls are all in the American League. Again, level the playing field.

The Mets, Philies, Dodgers, Braves and Giants who probably could spend some bucks, do not. The Diamondbacks reached thier credit card limit, so they're spent out. The Rockies don't seem willing to join the fray. In the AL, the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels and Orioles all spend like they have the keys to the printing press at the U.S. Treasury. Both factors are leading to a World Series where the NL is on the brink of being swept for the second year in a row. That can't be good for the ratings. And the All-Star games result is getting to be fairly predictable lately.

There just seems to be a de-facto salary cap in the National League lately. Or maybe my conspiratorial juices are flowing again. Next, I'll be speculating about the recent trend of Bud's cronies (Red Sox, Marlins, White Sox) winning the World Series the last coule of years and the link to MLB taking over control of the umpires from the two individual leagues. If the Brewers win next year, I'll know I'm on to something. But that's for another rant.

White Sox take 2-0 lead to Houston

No sooner did expert commentator Tim McCarver tell us (with conviction) that the bad taste of the Albert Pujols walk-off blast was no longer in Brad Lidge's mouth, Scott (No Homers during the Regular Season) Podsednik's blast send thes White Sox to Houston 2-0 and the Astros reeling.

Lidge is going to need some awfully strong mouthwash to rinse the bad taste of these bombs from his mouth. And Joe Buck was correct, Astros manager Phil Garner could and should have given Lidge an oppotunity to get back on the mound prior to the Series.

What may keep this Series close and interesting is now Oziie Guillen may have a similar problem with his closer, rookie Bobby Jenks. Jenks spit out the lead that led to Podsedniks heroics.

And where has Dustin Hermanson gone? How far off the bullpen depth chart has this guy plummeted and why? Perhaps his back is in worse condition then anyone is letting on. He doesn't even warm up anymore. He may be on a milk carton before he appears in another game.

Houson's woes are complicated further by the Rocket Man's fizzling performance. He is doubtful in my mind to make another appearance in this Series. If he doesn't feel he can go 100%, he'll protect his legacy before he'll go out on his sword. JMO.

White Sox hold serve and really only have to go to Houston and win one of the three down there. If they come back to Chicago up 3-2, they will be tough to beat. They have been tough on the road all year, so it's not inconceivable they could close it out, but it would be more fun to pop the corks in Chi-town.

Big Boo-Nah to ESPN by the way, who opened the Saturday night Sports Center with College footbal highlights, since it was a Saturday night. A mid-season college weekend versus the World Series? Give me a break. These guys seem more idiotic and full of themselves every day. Oops, visual of Sean Salisbury. Very Bad. Whose running that ship over there now anyway, the Skipper and his little buddy? They must be mad at MLB for not having the Series on ESPN, still a very childish display of network temperment. If you're going to trumpet yourselves as a leader in sports, act like one.

Anyway, off to Houston for the Series....Go, go, go , go White Sox.

Uh...Houston..never mind...proceed to Series

Roy Oswalt shows that momentum is only as strong as your next day's starting pitcher by totally shutting down the suddenly(??) slow, old looking bats of the Cardinals.

Good for baseball. Two new faces in the World Series. A matchup where you could make a fairly reasonable case for either team sweeping or for the Series to go the full seven games. And that's based mainly on how the two teams played at various stretches in the season. Both teams showed long stretches of both dominance and relative mediocrity. I'm not sure when we've had a World Series matchup quite like that in the past.

Chicago is giddy with it's first appearance in the World Series in a long time. Houston now must be equally as excited at it's debut in the Fall Classic. Of course, you never forget your first. Both pitching staffs can throw guys who have shutout capabilities and both have strong, well balanced bullpens. Offenses have struggled at times, White Sox may have an edge here, being more balanced as well as stronger with the gloves.

My guess: White Sox in six or less.

Uh...Houston we have a problem!!

With one tremendous swing by Albert Pujols against Brad "Lights Out" Lidge, the Astros may very well have put themselves in a must-win Game 6 situation. Pujols titanic homerun was so strong, that it has taken momentum away from the already partying Astros and given it back to the Cardinals.

Don't underestimate the scrappy two out at-bat by David Eckstein (my second favorite player in the league) as well as Jim Edmonds walk that set the stage for the game winner.

I have to admit, I too was guilty of loooking ahed to a White Sox-Astros matchup. What a bunch of great pitching matchups that Series would feature. The over-under might be set at four runs for most of the games.

Of course, this is playing into the White Sox hands once again. They should be hoping for a Game Seven in this Series. However, I think Game Six will have all the significance of a Game Seven in this case.

Obviously, if the Astros win, it's over. But by the same token, I believe if the Cardinals can keep Big Mo' on their side and win Game Six, it's over, they'll win Game Seven also.

Was Monday Night Football on last night? I think they used to rule the airwaves on Monday Night back in the day, but I couldn't find them last night.