MVN - Most Valuable Network

Sweet Home Cookin’ in Chicago

Hopefully some home cooking for the White Sox players or at the very least a few Chicago dogs or a slice from Uno’s can get this team back on the winning track.

The White Sox begin a ten game home stand tomorrow against the Los Angeles Angels and then they take on the Blue Jays and Tigers.  The Sox are 46-22 at home this year, and this could be the perfect opportunity to build on their one game lead over Minnesota.

The Twins are finally back home tomorrow as well, with three against Detroit and three against Kansas City.  They finish up the final game of their 14 game/15 day road trip tonight in Toronto.

The wind was taken from the Twin’s sails last night in a 5-4 eleven inning loss to Toronto.  It’s been a rough road trip for the Twinkies as they are 5-8 so far.  The White Sox however, did not take advantage and they lost two of three at Boston and two of three at Cleveland.

Neither team has taken control of the division, and it is looking like the three game set at the end of the month in Minnesota will be huge.

There are only 23 games left in the season, and I think it will be a long time before either team starts talking about a magic number.

White Sox Avoid Being Swept Out of Boston

It would have been nice to win two out of three games in Boston this weekend, but at least the White Sox were able to snag the final game from the Red Sox in the weekend series.

Winning two out of three at Fenway Park is not an easy feat, but after losing the first two of the series, the importance of yesterday’s game was magnified.

The series ended with a very dramatic 9th inning in which Big Bobby Jenks struggled to get the final three outs in the 4-2 victory.  He gave up one run and had the winning run at the plate, but he slammed the door shut.

Unfortunately, the Twins pounded the A’s in Oakland 12-4 so the lead remains at a slim half game.  As a baseball fan, I am loving this tug of war in the AL Central, but as a White Sox fan, my blood pressure is on the rise.

Today is the first day of September and it is shaping up to be an amazing stretch run for five out of six divisions in baseball. 

The AL West race has been over for a while and the Angels are just waiting for the playoffs to begin while hoping to stay healthy.

The AL East features a battle between the Rays and Red Sox, with the Rays holding a five and a half game lead.  This is the Rays first ever playoff run and many fans are wondering if they will be able to hold off last year’s world champion. 

The AL Central, of course, is a tight race between the White Sox and Twins.  The Wild Card remains in the balance as well, with four teams fighting for the final three spots.

The NL divisions feature some interesting battles between the Mets and Phillies, Cubs and Brewers, and Diamondbacks and Dodgers.

With the Chicago Bears season looking bleak, and the Raiders (my favorite NFL team) rebuilding, several close races in baseball is just what the doctor ordered.

As any Chicago baseball fan can tell you, now is usually the time when we start looking ahead to the Bears season with our baseball teams out of playoff contention. 

Both Chicago baseball teams are currently in first place on September 1st, leaving many of us to wonder if this is finally the year for a cross-town series.

If that were to actually happen, heaven help the city of Chicago because it will be insane.

One Game Up, With 29 To Go

The Twins are showing signs of weakness on their extended road trip as they have lost four out of the past five games to the Angels and the lowly Mariners (who sport the worst record in baseball).  Minnesota heads to Oakland for four games and then they go back east to Toronto for three.

Although the Twins will most likely struggle to finish the trip, it is not an easy stretch for the White Sox either.  The South Siders head out to Boston for a weekend series against the contending Red Sox, and then they continue the road trip with three games at Cleveland.

The battle between the Sox and Twins is living up to what we all expected and it continues to be an exciting race.  When looking ahead at the schedule, the three game set at Minnesota at the end of September is looking like it will be a HUGE series.

Not good news for Chicago, as they have lost five out of six this year at the dome.  Hopefully the White Sox have accumulated a big enough lead by then, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case.

There is a chance that both teams could make the playoffs, but it all depends on what happens in the AL East with the Rays and the Red Sox.

You have to love September baseball when your favorite team is contending, but it can be really frustrating too.  Just ask Mets fans how they enjoyed September last year.

One More Reason to Hate A.J.

When A.J. Pierzynski was a member of the Minnesota Twins, I couldn’t stand the guy.  He was sneaky, deceptive, and just plain mean.  It was clear that the White Sox players did not care for him and they had every reason to feel that way.

Now that he is on the South Side, he is one of my favorite players.  He plays the game with a chip on his shoulder, and more importantly, with his head in the game.

Everyone remembers the famous drop third strike in the 2005 playoffs against the Angels, and I can see why their fans are still holding a grudge.

Yesterday afternoon, Tampa Bay Rays fans were given a reason to join the long list of people that hate A.J. Pierzynski.

The savvy catcher was caught in a run-down between 2nd and 3rd and it appeared he was tagged out and the Sox were one step closer to being swept out of their own park by the rays.

Not so fast.

A.J. put on an Emmy winning performance by making it look like Willy Aybar made contact with him, and interference was called.

And who made the crucial, questionable call?

Doug Eddings of course, the umpire who made the drop third strike call in 2005.

Alexei Ramirez ended up knocking him in and the Sox were able to gain ground back on the Twins as they lost to the Angels.

Hate him if you must, but you can’t deny that A.J. Pierzynski plays the game with all of his gears grinding.

Also from yesterday’s game:  Ken Griffey Jr. finally made his presence felt in a meaningful situation with a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth.  He was taken out for Brian Anderson to run, and he scored the tying run that sent it into extra innings.

The Sox will actually be the home team today in the first game of a double-header as they make up a game against Baltimore from earlier this year.