Nba kiffin team in al davis picture

First things first: Despite Kobe’s picture here (he is the next item),
first up is Lane Kiffin, Lane Kiffin, Lane Kiffin (shown at right).
Enough already. Dan Patrick today on his radio show called it
hysteria. Yep. Raiders owner Al Davis seems to be preparing to do what
so many sports talks hosts have been begging him to do: If you’re
going to fire Kiffin as head coach, do it now while the team has a
week off. But come on, Al. You wanted this guy. And now you let him
dangle like this, which is how you do things. Well, whatever Davis
does, our own Sam Farmer is closely monitoring the situation and
reported last night that the mercurial owner of this once-great team
with potential replacements.

NBA, NBA, NBA: Thanks to the Olympics, it seems as though the guys
haven’t been away at all. I’ll predict the two most-watched parts of
the season will be: that poor Mike already has a problem courtesy of
star player Stephon Marbury.

Say what? This morning I found a “sports blog” item posted on Yahoo
featuring the new jerseys from an NBA team and paying homage to a TV
station (plus stating its motto) for breaking this news. And then at
the end of the item, she writes urging readers to go buy the jerseys,
with a link of course. Hmmmm. Reads like an ad. Looks like an ad. Must
be …. Sorry, but I’m not offering a link to this one.

On a brighter note: If you are a Chicago baseball fan in general, you
gotta love what is going on right now. The White Sox on Monday beat
Detroit behind Alexei Ramirez’s grand slam and today (4:30 p.m.
Pacific time on TBS) host the Minnesota Twins for the final AL playoff
spot. Meanwhile, the Cubs host the Dodgers tomorrow and .

Top photo: Kobe Bryant has a basketball tossed his way while being
videotaped during Lakers Media Day. Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles
Times

He’s twins it’s in jim thome contract

2008 – 41 131 16 34 10 0 3 18 17 25 0 0 .260 .347 .405

Who saw THAT coming from John Danks tonight? Not even White Sox fans
in their right minds–on three days rest, throwing eight shutout
innings and more than 100 pitches? If you’d guaranteed me that before
the game I’d have laughed in your face. Whatever I thought would
happen certainly didn’t tonight, and the ultimate hero, without a
doubt, was Danks. He had issues early on with finding the strike zone,
but that was the case for both pitchers with a tight zone being called
on both sides. Able to fight off some tough calls he fought through a
trio of walks and what looked like a big double from Michael Cuddyer
to lift Chicago to the division title.

“Maybe this is justice, who knows,” he said. “Maybe this is the way
it’s supposed to be. The two best teams in the division all year have
to play one game to see who goes [to the postseason].”–Tigers manager
Jim Leyland

This is it. This is for October. One final contest with the world of
baseball watching to see who comes out the victor. Oh, and if you were
asking yourself: “Why are the Twins in Chicago for this game instead
of the other way around?”, you’re not the only one. The Twins are in
Chicago because of a coin flip. Apparently head-to-head results matter
nothing–huzzah.

Chicago White Sox (88-74)Home: 53-28 / VS Twins: 8-10 / VS Twins @
Home: 7-2CWS @ Home: .273/.347/.483 / 754 IP, 7.58 K/9, 1.24 WHIP, 83
HRCWS vs MIN: .289/.341/.486 / 155.2 IP, 6.65 K/9, 1.48 WHIP, 15 HRCWS
vs RHP: .268/.333/.444

Minnesota Twins (88-74)Away: 35-46 / VS Sox: 10-8 / VS Sox away:
2-7MIN Away: .270/.335/.391 / 707 IP, 6.03 K/9, 1.50 WHIP, 100 HRMIN
vs CWS: .283/.341/.440 / 156 IP, 6.00 K/0, 1.47 WHIP, 30 HRMIN vs LHP:
.277/.334/.401

John Danks: Danks started four games against the Twins this season,
three of those occasions were in Chicago. Only one of those contests
in Chicago saw him pitch effectively, when he threw five innings of
six-hit, two-run ball back on May 8th. Some of the Sox advantage for
playing at home disappears by starting Danks, although on the whole
the 23-year old southpaw did have a fine year.

Strengths: Good fastball with movement, strikeout threat, keeps the
ball in the parkWeaknesses: Familiar to opponent, experience, can get
away from his breaking ballRed Alert: Justin Morneau (1.675 OPS, 16
AB), Joe Mauer (1.381, 12), Michael Cuddyer (1.393, 12), Brendan
Harris (1.315, 10), Jason Kubel (1.500, 7)

Nick Blackburn: Sandwiched between three ultimately effective
September starts were two pretty bad ones, and they’ve thrown off his
numbers for the month. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen him at his
best. This year he sqaured off against the Sox five times, plenty by
any measure. Two met requirements for a Quality Start, but only once
did he allow more than three earned runs; on June 6th he allowed seven
runs on eight hits through four innings. Tonight will be his fourth
start of the season in Chicago, so at the very least he’s not walking
into this situation blind.

Strengths: Control, good breaking ball, keeps the ball in the
parkWeaknesses: Familiar to opponent, experience, recent track
recordRed Alert: Jim Thome (.929 OPS, 12 AB), A.J. Pierzynski (1.145,
10), Joe Crede (1.200, 10), Nick Swisher (.944, 9), Carlos Quentin
(1.067, 9), Juan Uribe (1.000, 9)

C X Joe Mauer is about to win his second batting title in two years.
Sorry, A.J., but you can’t hold a candle, in any aspect of the game.
Except probably trash talking.

1B X Paul Konerko is good, but not as good as Justin Morneau. For
years I was envious of a big, powerful first baseman. Not anymore.

X 2B This is a close one, because both Alexei Ramirez and Alexi
Casilla have edges in different categories. Ultimately Ramirez won due
to his power and better ratings for range in the field, but in the
long run I can see Casilla evening the score with high yearly OBP.

3B X If we were looking at Joe Crede instead of a bloated Juan Uribe,
this wouldn’t even be a conversation. But whether you’re looking at
Brian Buscher or Brendan Harris, I’d happily take either of them over
the all-or-nothing Uribe.

X SS X This is a split to me. Because while Nick Punto is maddening in
so many frustrating ways, he’s not only having a better year at the
plate for a shortstop than Orlando Cabrera, but if you pro-rate for
innings at the position Cabrera isn’t making that many more plays
outside of his zone. Also, Cabrera’s been a real dick lately. In the
end this isn’t a Twins advantage because Punto still doesn’t have
Cabrera’s range.

X LF This is Nick Swisher over Delmon Young and Jason Kubel combined.
In spite of a pitiful batting average, Swisher can still reach base
and hit the hell out of the ball. If Carlos Quentin were available,
this would be an across-the-board victory for Chicago, instead of a
categorical victory.

X CF I know Ken Griffey Jr. is having a down year, perhaps because
he’s getting up there, but in spite of his diminishing range in the
field he’s still a better and more reliable player than Carlos Gomez.
Gomez could neutralize this disadvatage by taking a couple of hits
away from the Sox in the gap or at the wall, but that’s not something
you can rely on.

X RF X This isn’t as big of a blow-out as I thought it’d be; I was
thinking there’d be no conversation here. But Denard Span’s OBP is 43
points higher than Jermaine Dye’s, and he’s markedly out-performing
him in the field. Dye’s experience and power forced an ultimate tie to
stave off what could have been an upset.

X DH Jason Kubel has had an excellent season, but he’s still no match
for the savvy and powerful Jim Thome. Not yet, anyway.

Bench X The Twins have a reliable backup catcher who can hit, and
Michael Cuddyer, and defensive versatility. The Sox have no Joe Crede
or Carlos Quentin which has depleted their depth, and Dewayne Wise as
the only option with good offensive numbers this year.

X Bullpen In spite of a pen that’s let them down recently, and game-
saving performances from Jose Mijares or Craig Breslow, the White Sox
are still edging the Twins here. Bobby Jenks, Matt Thornton and
Octavio Dotel make for a formidible threesome, and Joe Nathan is the
only Twin I’d rank above any of them. Sadly, this is not a comparison
of closers.

One way or the other, tonight should hold in store one helluva game.
For the 19th time this season…Sox VS Twins.

One last thing, for a slightly more…enthused…reaction to last
night, and expectations for today, don’t forget to check out . SSS is
the best Sox site on the net, and it’s got a rabid fan base. Check it
out.

This will be the third time I’ve done a series preview for a set with
the , the Twins were 57-47 (and losers of five straight, meaning
they’d been 15 games over .500 in the midst of July…sad how fortunes
haven’t improved). Amazingly enough, at that time the Twins were STILL
two and a half games behind the Sox. Since then Minnesota has gone
27-25; Chicago 27-25. These two clubs, who looked so promising as the
summer was coming into full bloom, have been decidedly mediocre every
since.

At 84-72, the Twins are just 7-12 in September and are doing
everything they can to let the White Sox back into the division title.
Chicago, meanwhile, at 86-69 is having an identity crisis of its own,
playing like a third place team with a 9-10 record this month. Sadly,
the Cleveland Indians mounted their charge too late; a 13-7 record in
September and a 23-10 record since August 17th is just too little too
late. It’s a shame too, because right now they’re far and away the
best team in the AL Central. Honestly, whether it’s the Twins or White
Sox that sneak into October’s post-season extravaganza, Cleveland
still looks like the division’s best team right now.

At any rate, the Indians will still be watching the playoffs from
their couches. This week it’s all about Minnesota and Chicago, and
thankfully there are no ties in baseball because one of these teams
will have to win the division whether they like it or not. Here’s the
side-by-side team glance:

Javier Vazquez: It’s been a bit of an up-and-down year for Vazquez.
After a bit of a career resurgence in ’07 he’s slipped back toward his
career averages again, particularly where baserunners are concerned.
He’s still more than capable of having a big night striking hitters
out, but we’re getting him in the Dome, and he’s a significantly worse
pitcher away from Chicago. With lefties getting to him easier than
right-handers, Gardenhire should layer the lineup with Jason Kubel,
Brian Buscher and even Nick Punto. With the uncertainty regarding our
starters getting out of the early innings, any offense is good
offense. I’d be starting Denard Span in center, with Michael Cuddyer
starting in right and Carlos Gomez getting the night off. Vazquez
throws a good fastball with movement in the low 90’s, a mid-80’s
slider, a low-80’s changeup and a curve that can tie hitters up with
the change in speed, coming in around 75 mph.

Mark Buehrle: Over his last four starts he’s been for Chicago, lasting
25.1 innings and allowing just six earned runs. Over the years he’s
been Mega-Man for Chicago against the Twins–he’s an arch nemesis
that’s familiar and leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and only a win
can wash it away until the next time. Much like Vazquez, he’s tougher
on righties and he’s tougher at home, which means that in a world
where I’m looking for any possible edge to give the Twins I’m coming
up with another easy one. No surprise to anyone, Buehre is having a
good season, but there are two things I’ve noticed that are much
different than last season. First, he’s throwing harder; every one of
his pitches has a bit of extra kick this year. Second, he’s getting
more ground balls (48.7%, up from 43.2% in 2007). For what it’s worst,
he’s 1-2 against the Twins this season–one great start and a pair
that he’d probably like to forget.

Gavin Floyd: Having the best season of his career, the seemingly over-
achieving Floyd has been a bit more human since the beginning of
August. The home runs have started to haunt him again, because while
his homer-to-flyball ratio is still far below what it’s been the past
couple of years, it’s creeping back up. With an average in baseball
around 11%, give or take a tenth here or there, Floyd’s back up to
12.2%. Looking at it another way, it’s 1.39 HR/9…and that’s not
good. On a bit of a skid and with the Twins (hopefully) breathing down
his neck, maybe the pressure gets to him; he’s still relatively young
in this league in spite of his service time, and he definitely hasn’t
been “himself” over his last few starts. If the Twins can get to him
early, they might have a golden opportunity. Just like Vazquez and
Buehrle, he’s not as sharp versus left-handed hitters (.828 opponent
OPS), so here’s hoping we see a lot of Kubel this series.

Paul Konerko: While it’s too late to turn around his season line
completely, he’s doing a fine job of helping Chicago out with his bat.
In August he hit .333/.483/.591; so far in September .298/.353/.600.
The nine homers he’s hit in that span (113 AB’s) equal how many he hit
from April to the end of July (175 AB’s). Under no circumstances
should he face a southpaw: .375/.412/.875 in September. Better yet,
since he’s basically a hitting machine right now, it wouldn’t be a bad
idea to pitch around him in appropriate situations. Otherwise, it’s
still important to be aggressive and have confidence in how he’s
pitched to; he’ll destroy mistakes against familiar pitchers.

Jermaine Dye: Seriously. I run out of good things to say about
Jermaine Dye. He’s 34, he’s hitting .290/.344/.542 with 32 homers and
41 doubles, and he just comes out and plays, period. He’s been a bit
off his game in August and September, hitting just .244/.286/.465, so
many there are a few more weaknesses that Twins pitchers can exploit
at this juncture of the season, but generally speaking he can’t be
taken lightly. This is a dangerous lineup.

Jim Thome: 33 homers, 125 OPS+ and no way he moves better than the Tin
Man from Wizard of Oz. Excellent strike zone judgement but still
strikes out a lot. Used to hit fifth until Quentin got hurt, which was
probably a better spot for him considering the options Ozzie Guillen
has for his lineup card, but he’s 38 and still a great cleanup hitter.
In any era of baseball, Thome would rake.

Dewayne Wise: A 30-year old journeyman outfielder who’s been thrust
into a center field job for a playoff contender and division leader,
he’s making the most of his opportunity. Wise is a career
.221/.258/.402 hitter in 443 at-bats over parts of six MLB seasons
between four different teams, but right now it’s simply that he’s the
Hot Bat. Since September 9th he’s 11-for-38 with four homers, two
doubles and a pair of walks, and as far as short term solutions for
the replacement of Carlos Quentin’s offense goes, that’s pretty damn
good. He’s an aggressive swinger who’s made good contact recently, but
with his track record he’s likely to chill out at any time–he swings
at 33% of pitches outside of the strikezone, he strikes out on 25% of
his plate appearances, and even in the minors he struggled until he
was old enough to dominate younger competition. In 12 minor league
seasons he’s hit .259/.310/.422. Of course now that I’ve played him
down, he’ll hit two homers this week en route to a 7-for-11 series.
Just my luck.

Ken Griffey Jr.: He’s hit fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh for the Sox,
and as much as I hate to say this…I’m glad he’s not tearing it up
right now. Griffey isn’t providing any more power for the Sox, belting
just one homer since coming over from the Reds. His OPS is .678; I
can’t help but wonder if all those innings in center field are eating
him up a little bit. Sure, he was playing in right in Cincy, but
there’s a lot more ground to cover in center, and a bit more going on.
And even though it’s The Kid, well, The Kid isn’t getting any younger.

W-L G GS CG SHO SV BS IP H R ER HR BB K ERA WHIP

0-0 15 0 0 0 0 0 15.1 16 3 3 0 9 10 1.76 1.63

3-0 54 0 0 0 29 2 57.1 47 16 16 3 15 34 2.51 1.08

5-3 70 0 0 0 1 5 64.0 45 19 19 5 19 75 2.67 1.00

0-0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3.0 3 2 1 1 0 1 3.00 1.00

2-2 47 0 0 0 1 3 44.0 36 16 15 8 8 35 3.07 1.00

11-8 31 31 0 0 0 0 183.0 173 67 65 13 53 150 3.20 1.23

1-0 28 0 0 0 0 1 37.0 29 15 15 1 13 28 3.65 1.14

16-8 31 31 1 0 0 0 194.2 174 101 83 30 67 133 3.84 1.24

14-11 32 32 1 0 0 0 204.2 223 102 88 21 47 131 3.87 1.32

4-4 70 0 0 0 1 4 64.0 52 34 28 12 29 88 3.94 1.27

12-14 31 31 1 0 0 0 200.0 202 101 96 23 58 192 4.32 1.30

7-6 20 20 1 0 0 0 121.0 130 64 61 12 35 70 4.54 1.36

4-0 21 0 0 0 0 0 25.2 30 15 15 1 10 22 5.26 1.56

2-3 54 0 0 0 0 1 42.0 55 29 26 5 14 42 5.57 1.64

2-5 11 8 0 0 0 0 42.2 55 34 29 5 12 29 6.12 1.57

1-0 6 1 0 0 0 0 13.1 19 11 11 4 5 7 7.42 1.80

1-2 23 0 0 0 0 0 19.1 27 19 17 0 13 8 7.91 2.07

0-3 15 0 0 0 0 0 11.1 22 10 10 0 8 2 7.94 2.65

I blame of the Ibanez sweepstakes. Initially saying they didn’t place
a claim at all, Christensen updated his blog later as it turns out
Minnesota did make a move, but were merely out-done by a team higher
on the waiver wire pecking order (also known as the Detroit Tigers).

What’s interesting about yesterday was that the Twins placed, and WON,
on Jarrod Washburn. As we all know, teams often make this kind of a
snide move in order to screw things up for another team, in this case
speculation indicates it was done to block a Washburn-to-Chicago
situation. That’s not a bad thing, it’s always nice to see the Twins
doing something proactive. But THEN came the report that Minnesota was
actually considering bringing Washburn and his hot streak to the Dome.
Says Joe C.:

In Washburn’s case, it sounds like the Twins did indeed win the
claim and had extensive talks with the Mariners. The Twins were
willing to take on Washburn’s contract, and Seattle could have
dumped it on them. But the Mariners also wanted the Twins to throw in
one of their current starters.

Over the last couple of months, Washburn had been quite effective. But
in the short (and long) term(s) I’m not sure how he fits, unless the
Twins were thinking about moving Glen Perkins or Kevin Slowey into the
bullpen. Which, again, doesn’t make all that much sense for either
Perk (there’s already a bit of doubt that the Twins would put a
legitimate reliever, much less a starter, into the ‘pen if he’s
“another” southpaw) or Kevin (he’s been pretty effective this year).

And of course there’s the whole snafu of having the Mariners still
asking for one of our four young starters not named Francisco Liriano
in return…although I have it through reliable sources that that part
of the conversation went something like this:

Bill Smith: Yeah, sure, we’ll take Washburn off your hands and make
him fit somehow.Not Bill Bavasi: Okay, cool. Oh, by the way, it’ll
take Baker, Perkins, Blackburn or Slowey to get him.Bill Smith: Up
yours, smartass. (Click.)

At any rate, at least the White Sox won’t be ending up with Washburn.
Unlike the Ken Griffey Jr. acquisition, he actually might have
improved their team.

Anyway, to wrap this up (sort of), insists the Mariners and Twins
could still work something out by placing Washburn back onto waivers
again…although this time that would mean he’d be irrevocable and
would go to the first team in the pecking order that claimed him, even
if that wasn’t the Twins. Either way it’s a no-lose situation for the
Mariners who would, at worst, save on dishing out the rest of
Washburn’s salary.

Personally, I have a hard time believing this organization will let
any of their starters walk for a guy like Washburn, but since Seattle
is the worst team in the American League they could work something
else out for someone on the Twins 40-Man roster, since they’d have
first dibs on waivers. And of course there are also those players who
aren’t on the 40-man.

No matter what Washburn’s cost, even if it’s peanuts, I’m just not
convinced wedging him into the rotation is the best thing to do. Even
thinking of October, I’m happy picking a three-man rotation from
Liriano, Baker, Blackburn, Slowey and Perkins (and probably in that
order, too).

Editorial Update: We offered Boof Bonser? No. No, not even for Boof
Bonser will I take Jarrod Washburn…like I said, I’d have a hard time
convincing myself it’d be a good idea for peanuts. Good lord, Seattle,
if we were foolish enough to offer you ANYTHING other than salary
relief…I’m not sure who gets Das Failboot points for this: the Twins
for offering Bonser or the Mariners for turning it down. Let’s just
hope this fiasco is done.

TT is an SB Nation blog of, by and for the fans. We strive to be the
best Minnesota Twins blog by providing quality content and analysis,
as well as daily news and notes on the team. We hope you’ll make
Twinkie Town your home for all things Twins!

The jim thome contract white sox tigers

CHICAGO — Alexei Ramirez spread his arms wide, raced around the bases
like a little kid and jumped into Paul Konerko’s embrace at home
plate.

Ramirez set a rookie record with his fourth grand slam this season,
and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 8-2 in a rainout makeup
Monday, forcing a one-game tiebreaker against the Minnesota Twins for
the AL Central title.

The Twins will visit Chicago on Tuesday night, with John Danks
starting for the White Sox on three days’ rest against Nick Blackburn.
The division champ begins the playoffs in Tampa Bay on Thursday.

“Tomorrow, 162 games mean nothing. It’s only about one game and that’s
great,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “A good feeling.”

When Guillen told Ramirez to relax before batting with the bases
loaded, the 27-year-old infielder made a promise.

“I told Ozzie to have confidence in me. I’m going to go out and get
these runners home somehow,” he said.

“My team in Cuba was always in the playoffs and I played in the
Olympics and international games. I’ve been in tougher situations, I
feel,” he said through an interpreter.

Washed out earlier this month, the White Sox and Tigers waited through
a rain delay of more than three hours before starting. Gavin Floyd
(17-8) won on three days’ rest — short rest has been a successful
trend for many teams in the stretch.

The loss left the Tigers in last place, capping a season they began
with hopes of reaching the World Series.

“It’s been a tough year,” manager Jim Leyland said. “Today pretty much
sums up what’s gone on all year, really. It hasn’t been a very good
year and it wasn’t a very happy ending.”

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead into the sixth. But former White Sox ace
Freddy Garcia, who’d allowed only two hits to that point, had to leave
with tightness in his right shoulder with a runner on second and none
out.

Leyland summoned Armando Galarraga (13-7) — the team’s best starter
this season — and he threw two wild pitches that allowed the tying
run to score.

Jim Thome struck out, but after an intentional walk to Konerko, Seay
also walked Ken Griffey Jr. to load the bases.

Ramirez sent the first pitch from Gary Glover, another former White
Sox pitcher, into the left-center field bleachers, setting off a happy
trip around the bases for the rookie whose nickname is “The Cuban
Missile.”

Floyd gave up five hits and one earned in six innings. He struck out
eight and walked two while throwing 118 pitches.

“He admitted he was nervous, which was good because if you’re not
nervous in that situation, there’s something wrong with you,” White
Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but
he battled and made pitches when he had to to get through it.”

Floyd was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the White Sox for
Garcia after the 2006 season. Garcia signed a minor league contract
with the Tigers on Aug. 14.

a-struck out for Ryan in the 9th. b-struck out for Santiago in the
9th. E–Raburn (10), OCabrera (16), GFloyd (2). LOB–Detroit 8,
Chicago 5. 2B–MiCabrera (36), Inge (16), Pierzynski 2 (31). HR–
AlRamirez (21), off Glover. RBIs–Inge (51), Dye (96), AlRamirez 4
(77), Pierzynski (60). SB–Granderson 2 (12), Sheffield (9), Raburn
(3), Wise (9), AlRamirez (13). GIDP–Thames. Runners left in scoring
position–Detroit 5 (Sheffield 2, Ordonez, MiCabrera, Ryan); Chicago 2
(OCabrera, Griffey Jr.). DP–Chicago 1 (OCabrera, AlRamirez and
Konerko).

FGarcia pitched to 1 batter in the 6th, Galarraga pitched to 1 batter
in the 6th. Inherited runners-scored–Galarraga 1-1, Seay 1-0, Glover
3-3, Dotel 1-0. IBB–off Seay (Konerko) 1, off GFloyd (Inge) 1. HBP–
by GFloyd (Sheffield). WP–Galarraga 2, Seay, ALopez. Umpires–Home,
Mike DiMuro; First, Tim McClelland; Second, Larry Vanover; Third, Mike
Everitt. T–3:14. A–35,923.

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The jim thome stats team steelers twins

Welcome back to Around The Dorm, where our best players can still
finish the season with a torn ACL. This week, defending ATD champion
Duncan Slobodzian, staff writer Justin Jez and Opinions Editor Michael
O’Donnell pass judgment on the AL Central race, next week’s Steelers-
Eagles contest and whether or not LeBron James can be a Yankees fan.
Sports Assistant and part-time ninja warrior Bobby Olivier will ref.
1. The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are battling for the AL
Central division. Who will come out on top and why? JJ: It’s hard for
me to say the White Sox will be playing in October, mainly because it
would be too weird to see both Chicago teams in the playoffs. The
universe might implode on itself. But I have to say, I really do think
they’ll edge out the Twins. As of now, they are deadlocked with the
Twins at the top of the division. They have a series with the
disappointing Yankees and the dismal Royals, which should give them
momentum going into their decisive three-game series with the Twins. I
just don’t see Chicago coming out of those two series without a two-
or three-game lead, putting all the pressure on the Twins. Also, in
the event of a tiebreaker game, the White Sox would have home-field
advantage. Neither team is playing well right now, so it very well
might end in a tiebreaker, with the home team limping into the
playoffs. DS: As I write this, the Sox and Twins are tied atop the
division with less than 20 games to play. The two teams look fairly
equal on paper, and the three-game series in the Metrodome from Sept.
23-25 will go a long way in deciding the division crown. I’ll give the
Twins the slight edge, but not just because they have home field in
that late September series. The Twins have four starters who, while
not overwhelming, have double-digit win totals. Pitcher Joe Nathan has
been solid this year, boasting a 1.03 ERA and 36 saves in the closer
role, and pitcher “Everyday” Eddie Guardado brings some veteran
presence. Catcher Joe Mauer (.322, eight home runs, 73 RBIs) and first
baseman Justin Morneau (.310, 23, 120) are the cogs in the Minnesota
offensive wheel. Steady pitching from start to finish, coupled with
timely hitting from young studs, should prove to be a winning formula
for the twinkies. MO: The White Sox will easily take that division.
Minus the freak injury of left fielder and MVP candidate Carlos
Quentin, who’s still leading the AL in home runs after two weeks on
the DL, the Chi-Sox have several proven commodities on offense,
including right fielder Jermaine Dye, designated hitter Jim Thome,
center fielder Nick Swisher and right fielder Ken Griffey, Jr. The
quartet has combined to lead the AL in home runs and stand at third in
RBIs and slugging percentage. As far as pitching goes, the team is in
the top half of the AL in ERA, walks and hits allowed, strikeouts and
WHIP. Four Sox pitchers have 10 wins or more, and all but one are
below the age of 30. Young hurlers John Danks and Gavin Floyd have
breathed new life into an older franchise, while Mark Buehrle and
Javier Vazquez have solidified the more-veteran presence of the staff.
Besides, how can the no-name Twins stay in it anyway? Answer: They
can’t. BO: Duncan gets the 3 with good facts about the schedule and
some good stats – don’t call them the twinkies ever again though. Jez
gets the 2 for discussing the momentum swing and O’Donnell gets 1 for
stat vomit. 2. Next Sunday, it’s a battle for Pennsylvania when the
Steelers march to Philly to play the Eagles. Who ya got and why? JJ:
While both teams looked impressive in their openers, I’m going to have
to take the Steelers. The Eagles were a questionable team coming into
the season and benefited from a 38-3 stomping of the Rams. But what I
took away from that game was the Rams are worse than people thought. I
really doubt quarterback Donovan McNabb will be able to duplicate that
kind of 350-plus yard, no-pick performance against a solid Pittsburgh
defense. Pittsburgh’s win over the Texans was a little more
impressive. Running back Willie Parker ran for 138 yards against a
good defensive team. Also, the tandem of quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger and wide receiver Hines Ward seems to have the
chemistry that led them to a Super Bowl title. We will definitely know
more about the Eagles after they square off against the Cowboys this
week, but my prediction after Week 1 is 27-14 Steelers. DS: I’m going
with the NFC team here: Eagles in a surprise double-digit win.
Although the Birds looking impressive against a down-on-its-luck Rams
defense doesn’t tell us too much about Philly’s makeup, they clearly
have all the pieces in place to be a successful football team this
season. They have plenty of weapons on offense (running back Brian
Westbrook is a more versatile threat than Pittsburgh’s stable of
running backs), and their young front seven complement their seasoned
secondary nicely. Some are handicapping the Steelers as AFC favorites
after Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady’s injury and San Diego and
Indy’s lackluster Week 1. I’m still not sold on the Steelers,
especially with the knowledge that Big Ben’s shoulder is bugging him
early in the season. I think the Eagles will set the tone early and
capitalize on the rabid home fan base to outscore the Steelers. MO:
The Steelers will come out on top. Since the defenses seem to be even,
the reason lies in the offense. The Eagles have few weapons on
offense, with rookie and unproven receivers trying to take the load
off of overworked Westbrook’s back. The Steelers, on the other hand,
have a wide array of weapons. Wide receivers Ward, Santonio Holmes and
Nate Washington lead the receiving core, while rookie running back
Rashard Mendenhall lightens the load for perennial All-Pro Parker.
McNabb has certainly proven he is back in top form, but Big Ben has
shown he is playing at as high a level. The Steelers just smoked a
much-improved Texans’ defense in Week 1, while the Eagles romped the
less-than-stellar Rams’ defense. This leaves a huge question mark for
the Eagles: They’re good, but are they that good? BO: Jez gets the 3
on this one for talking about the chemistry between Big Ben and Ward;
I think that’s going to be the key. O’Donnell gets the 2 for
mentioning Mendenhall, a guy no one is talking about. Duncan rounds
out the round with the 1 for not making a strong enough argument. 3.
LeBron James got some crap from Cleveland fans when he wore a Yankees
hat to the Cowboys game last week, and Tom Brady has gotten crap for
similar occurrences last year. Should stars of that magnitude be more
careful with what they wear? JJ: This is the first I’ve heard about
this, so let me analyze this situation. LeBron (a basketball player)
caught flack for wearing a Yankee hat (baseball) to a Cowboys game
(football). Just who exactly had a problem with this? It had to have
been those damn Red Sox fans from Cleveland. Honestly, this is absurd.
LeBron, or any other professional athlete, should be allowed to wear
whatever piece of sporting wear he chooses to a Cowboys game – well,
almost anything. He should be prepared to defend himself if he wears
Cowboys attire to a game in Cleveland. That’s just bad public
relations in Cleveland. Otherwise, it really shouldn’t matter what he
wears. A Yankees hat is more of a fashion statement than a declaration
of fanhood anyway. Professional athletes should be treated like anyone
else when it comes to their fashion choices while they are simply fans
at a game. DS: If you’re a celebrity of LeBron or Brady’s stature, you
have to understand the paparazzi are going to find you when you’re in
public. It’s their job, after all. I feel like those two guys are more
New York (the city) fans than they are actual Yankees supporters. That
said, the distinction is pretty transparent if you’re a devoted
follower of Cleveland or Boston sports. You want your city’s
superstars to care about the home front. Even if LeBron isn’t the
biggest Browns fan in the world, what’s he got to gain by wearing a
Yankees cap on field, under the watchful eye of the Dog Pound? Overall
I would say yes, those kinds of guys should be more cognizant of what
they’re wearing in public since the level of exposure is inarguably at
an all-time high right now. MO: This does not matter one bit. The only
allegiance an athlete has is to his own team. Sure, athletes do
community service and live in their towns at least part-time. And yes,
the athlete is also a firm representation of the city he/she plays in.
But does signing a contract to play for one team revoke the right to
show their love for a team in a different sport? Absolutely not. Not
one athlete is contractually obligated to root for a team in their
city. If LeBron James likes the Yankees, then he likes the Yankees.
Cleveland fans may not like it, but King James is not going to root
for the Indians because the people want him to. Not one person on this
planet is going to change team allegiances because someone else wants
him to. Same goes for all professional athletes, and this is, in all
seriousness, not a big deal at all. BO: O’Donnell makes a good point
about not signing a contract to root for certain teams and gets the 3.
Jez gets the 2 for talking about fanhood and Duncan gets the 1 for
questioning King James’ Yankee hat. Jez wins his return bout 7-6-5

Jim thome stats’s sox up twins

House rejects bailout: What should you do now? House rejects bailout:
What should you do now? Vet and wild celebration And I am telling you:
Hudson CD misses mark New medical column prescribes wellness

MINNEAPOLIS — Orlando Cabrera disrespecting his teammates, Juan
Uribe’s ”boat-gate,” the South Side in a panic — there it sat, all
nice and piled up on White Sox general manager Ken Williams’ doorstep
Thursday afternoon.

Nick Swisher reacts after he is called out on strikes by third base
umpire Alfonso Marquez during the ninth inning. (AP)

Listen up Sox fans. Can’t get enough of your favorite team? Follow
Sun-Times Sox reporter Joe Cowley as he covers the Sox like never
before. Keep checking back throughout the day for Cowley’s updates.
So what is Twitter?Twitter is a free social networking service that
allows readers like you to receive updates (or “tweets”) from Joe all
day long via our Web site. Check back all-day long as Joe updates you
on the latest Sox news — from the game and practice to on the road
and from the locker room. You can also get updates sent right to your
phone or IM whenever Joe has news to share — for free.

”I don’t give a [bleep] about any of that,” he said, as his mood
turned from anxious to disgusted with the questioning. ”The only
thing I care about is win tonight’s [bleep]ing game. Whatever they’ve
[bleep]ing got to do to win tonight’s game, so figure it out.”

And the way things looked Thursday night after a heart-breaking 7-6,
10th-inning loss at the Metrodome, they might not figure it out again
this season.

Not only does the clubhouse suddenly resemble a municipal courtroom,
but the Sox spent the last three nights getting outclassed in the
nuances of the sport by a team that now welcomes last-place Kansas
City into its house of horrors.

On paper, sure, it’s far from over. The Sox (86-72) trail the
Minnesota Twins by just a half-game. But in confidence, the teams
aren’t even in the same zip code.

That was evident by the way the Twins stormed the field after Alexi
Casilla’s game-winning single in the 10th off Bobby Jenks (3-2). Even
with the South Siders saying all the right things after their third
straight loss, it sounded like a team trying to convince itself that
it actually has time left. The calendar says the Sox do. The way the
Twins are surging, get your tee times lined up.

”That’s why they’re the Twins,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. ”They
showed up to play this week. We really had one good inning.”

The Sox took time out of their busy schedule of finger-pointing and
sulking to put together that one good inning in the fourth.
Coincidentally, it was sparked by the player who Guillen told the Sun-
Times ”thinks he’s better than what he really is.”

Cabrera tied the score with a solo home run and jump-started the
lethargic Sox offense for six runs. By the time Juan Uribe hit a
comebacker off Kevin Slowey’s wrist, which the pitcher threw away,
allowing three runs to score, the Sox were up 6-1.

Far from piranha-proof, however. The Twins nibbled at the Sox’ toes,
adding two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth. They smelled blood
in the water in the eighth, when Jenks gave up an RBI triple to Denard
Span. With the score tied, it no longer seemed like ”if” but
”when.” That came in the 10th as Guillen stuck with Jenks for 2 1/3
innings. By the end of the night, Guillen almost sounded out of ideas
and motivational speeches.

”I’ve tried to pick these guys up all year long,” he said. ”As a
coaching staff, you have to think positive. It’s hard, but what else
can you do?

”I’m not a quitter. I’ll show up in the clubhouse [today] with
enthusiasm. It’s not easy. Maybe I’ll have to take some sleeping pills
with some vodka [Thursday] night because it won’t be easy to sleep.”

So what’s left for the Sox? Well, they return to U.S. Cellular Field
with three games against the Indians and a makeup game with the Tigers
on Monday waiting in the wings. If they somehow can get past Cliff Lee
on Sunday and Freddy Garcia on Monday, they could host the Twins in a
one-game playoff Tuesday.

”It sucks,” catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. ”Hopefully we go home,
win four games and kick their [butts] on Tuesday.”

Up seven innings in jim thome stats

House rejects bailout: What should you do now? House rejects bailout:
What should you do now? Vet and wild celebration And I am telling you:
Hudson CD misses mark New medical column prescribes wellness

Juan Uribe and Jermaine Dye had two hits each, and Jim Thome hit his
31st home run. But the offense showed up too late, managing only three
hits through the first seven innings.

Gavin Floyd will have to wait for his 16th win. The right-hander
pitched seven scoreless innings before the Blue Jays figured him out
in the eighth. He wound up allowing four runs on seven hits in 7 1/3
innings.

With the Blue Jays up 1-0, Ozzie Guillen turned to his bullpen to stop
the bleeding in the eighth. The relievers failed as Matt Thornton
allowed a two-run single, and Ehren Wassermann gave up an RBI double
and a two-run single.

The Sox’ lead in the AL Central remained at one game as the Minnesota
Twins took a 3-2 loss against the Kansas City Royals.

The jim thome stats white chicago sox

Chicago White Sox’s Alexei Ramirez follows through on a grand slam
that scored Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, and Ken Griffey Jr., during
the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers in
Chicago, Monday, Sept. 29, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox
have a one-game playoff tonight to determine the American League
Central Division champion. The winner faces the Tampa Bay Rays in the
first round of the playoffs.

The Twins and White Sox each finished with 88-74 records after Chicago
won yesterday’s make-up game 8-2 against the Detroit Tigers. Alexei
Ramirez set a rookie record with his fourth grand slam of the season
to break a 2-2 tie.

In tonight’s game, John Danks starts for Chicago on three days’ rest
against Nick Blackburn for the Twins.

“Tomorrow, 162 games mean nothing. It’s only about one game and that’s
great,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “A good feeling.”

When Guillen told Ramirez to relax before batting with the bases
loaded, the 27-year-old infielder made a promise.

“I told Ozzie to have confidence in me. I’m going to go out and get
these runners home somehow,” he said.

Did he ever. Then again, his days on the Cuban national team taught
him about big games.

“My team in Cuba was always in the playoffs and I played in the
Olympics and international games. I’ve been in tougher situations, I
feel,” he said through a translator.

Washed out earlier this month, Chicago and Detroit waited through a
rain delay of more than three hours before starting. Gavin Floyd
(17-8) on three days’ rest — short rest has been successful
trend for many teams in the stretch.

The loss left the Tigers in last place, capping a season they began
with hopes of reaching the World Series.

“It’s been a tough year,” manager Jim Leyland said. “Today pretty much
sums up what’s gone on all year, really. It hasn’t been a very good
year and it wasn’t a very happy ending.”

Detroit, with nothing really to play for, took a 2-1 lead into the
sixth. But former White Sox ace Freddy Garcia, who’d allowed only two
hits to that point, had to leave with tightness in his right shoulder
with a runner on second and no outs.

Leyland summoned Armando Galarraga (13-7) — the team’s best
starter this season — and he threw two wild pitches that
allowed the tying run to score.

Jim Thome struck out, but after an intentional walk to Konerko, Seay
also walked Ken Griffey Jr. to load the bases.

Ramirez sent the first pitch from Gary Glover, another former White
Sox pitcher, into the left-center field bleachers, setting off a happy
trip around the bases for the rookie whose nickname is “The Cuban
Missile.”

Floyd gave up five hits and one earned in six innings. He struck out
eight and walked two while throwing 118 pitches.

“He admitted he was nervous, which was good because if you’re not
nervous in that situation, there’s something wrong with you,” White
Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “He didn’t have his best stuff but
he battled and made pitches when he had to to get through it.”

Floyd’s error helped Detroit take a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Miguel
Cabrera doubled with one out before Marcus Thames hit a hard liner
that White Sox third baseman Juan Uribe snagged for the second out.

When Ryan Raburn hit a slow roller between the plate and mound, Floyd
bobbled the ball while reaching down to pick it up and threw high past
Konerko at first, allowing Cabrera to score.

Chicago scored in the first but had a much bigger inning brewing when
the first three batters reached against Garcia. He walked Orlando
Cabrera and DeWayne Wise before Dye hit an RBI single, but retired the
next three batters.

Detroit tied it in the fifth as Raburn singled, stole second and
scored when Brandon Inge doubled to left over the leaping Wise.

After his early struggles, Garcia rebounded, retiring 11 straight
before Griffey singled with two outs in the fourth.

Garcia was 40-21 with Chicago from 2004-06 and won three games in the
postseason of 2005, including the clinching Game 4 of the World
Series. He is close friends with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and
they texted each other leading up to the game.

Garcia was traded to the Phillies after the 2006 season for Gio
Gonzalez and Floyd, and both of the starters wore jersey No. 34 on
Monday. Garcia, who had shoulder surgery in August 2007, signed a
minor league contract with the Tigers on Aug. 14 of this year and was
making his third start for Detroit.

Notes:@ The Twins beat Chicago 10-8 in the season series. The White
Sox were 7-2 at home against Twins, but 1-8 at the Metrodome. … 3B
Inge made a dive into the stands for a great catch of Uribe’s pop to
end the second. … Ramirez’s grand slam was Chicago’s 12th of the
season, setting a club mark. … Tigers star Gary Sheffield finished
the season with 499 homers.

White sox coach in jim thome stats

Thome’s homer gives Chicago White Sox 1-0 win
CHICAGO, Sept. 30 (UPI) — ‘s seventh-inning homer Tuesday lifted the
Chicago White Sox to a 1-0 playoff victory over the Minnesota Twins
for the American League Central title.

(12-9) gave up just two hits with four strikeouts and three walks over
eight shutout innings for the White Sox, who needed the one-game
playoff victory to snare the division.

Losing pitcher (11-11) gave up just four hits and one run in 6 1/3
innings. The Twins had lost two of three at home to the Kansas City
Royals to close the regular season when another win would have
clinched the division.

The White Sox will play the AL East champion in the ALDS starting
Thursday at St. Petersburg, Fla.

The win ensures that both Chicago baseball clubs will play in the
post-season for the first time since 1906, when the White Sox defeated
the 116-win Cubs in six games.

Davis fired Kiffin without pay via telephone and explained the issues
he had with his former coach in a Tuesday news conference.

“I called Lane and told him that he no longer is the head coach of the
Oakland Raiders, and I was dismissing him with cause,” Davis said.

Davis said Kiffin’s firing was not performance-based, because he knew
he had hired an inexperienced coach in Kiffin.

Cable, 43, is the fifth coach in the past six seasons for Oakland.
Cable joined the Raiders as offensive line coach prior to the 2007
season after a one-year stint in the same position for the Atlanta
Falcons.

The move came one day after Haslett replaced , but the Rams still lost
to Buffalo 31-14.

“(Bulger) is going to be the quarterback and he will be the starting
quarterback for the rest of the year unless something happens,”
Haslett said. “I talked to (Bulger) and (Green) about it, and it is
more of a gut feeling on my part.”

Bulger passed for 519 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions
through the first three games. In July 2007, the Bulger was signed to
a six-year, $65 million extension that made him the highest paid
player in franchise history.

STUTTGART, Germany, Sept. 30 (UPI) — Wimbledon champion Venus
Williams highlighted Tuesday’s action at the $650,000 Porsche Tennis
Grand Prix with an easy opening-round win.

In other Tuesday action, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland defeated Czech
Sandra Zahlavova 6-3, 6-2 and Belarusian Victoria Azarenka beat
Hungarian Agnes Szavay 7-5, 6-3.

The jim thome stats white sox game

Jim Thome supplied the power, John Danks provided the solid pitching
and outfielder Ken Griffey Junior furnished the defensive play of the
game.

The Chicago White Sox are the American League Central champs for the
first time since winning the 2005 World Series, beating the Minnesota
Twins 1-0 in a one-game playoff tonight. The victory sends the White
Sox to Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in Game One of the AL
Division Series Thursday.

Danks was superb over eight innings, allowing only two hits while
throwing just 89 pitches. He had a no-hitter until Michael Cuddyer led
off the fifth with a double.

Cuddyer almost scored the game’s first run later in the fifth, but he
was cut down at the plate by Griffey to keep the game scoreless.

Twins starter Nick Blackburn was working on a two-hit shutout until
Thome led off the bottom of the seventh with his 34th homer of the
season, just enough offense for the White Sox to earn their third
straight must-win victory.

Bobby Jenks worked a perfect ninth with help from outfielder Brian
Anderson, who made a diving catch for the game’s final out.

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Jim thome stats’s mankato morneau mauer

Published September 29, 2008 01:29 am – The Minnesota Twins have two
very good candidates to be the American League MVP, but only one
really deserves it. MVP? Think Mauer, not Morneau
Just as in 2006, Justin Morneau’s September at-bats at the
Metrodome are accompanied by a fan chant of “M-V-P.”

Just as in 2006, the broadcasters riddle their accounts of the games
with speculation about the slugger’s chances of winning the
award, and the beat writers opine about it in their Sunday columns.

And just as in 2006, the focus on Morneau overlooks the fact that
there is a better candidate for the title of Most Valuable Player in
the very same lineup: Joe Mauer.

Morneau has the advantage of superior numbers in two of the Triple
Crown categories. He hits more home runs and he drives in more runs.
His batting average, while not high enough to contend for the batting
title, sits comfortably above the .300 line.

But that’s only part of the story. The deeper one digs into the
numbers, the more obvious it becomes that Mauer is as productive a
hitter as Morneau — and far more important when the Twins are in
the field. Here I could cite Mauer’s superiority in a collection
of esoteric stats such as Runs Created per 27 Outs, Offensive Winning
Percentage and Win Shares. These are statistics invented by Bill James
that will never be part of the baseball public’s consciousness
but do a far better job of evaluating a player’s production than
the simple counting stats.

But I know this from arguments in 2006: The people who don’t
already know about the sabermetric stats aren’t going to be
convinced by them, and the few who do know about them don’t need
to be convinced of Mauer’s superiority.

So let’s look at it this way: Morneau, by the measurement of On
Base Plus Slugging, is the fourth-best first baseman in the American
League, behind Kevin Youkilis, Jason Giambi and Miguel Cabrera. He
also ranks behind Aubrey Huff and Jim Thome, who would be first
basemen if they didn’t have the DH rule to hide behind. (Well,
Thome might be retired, but that’s another matter.)

Mauer, by that same measurement, is the best hitting catcher in the
league, and it’s not close. Morneau’s OPS was .879
entering Sunday’s game; Mauer’s, .866.

Considering the difference in position, that’s not much.
It’s easier — a lot easier — to find a first baseman
who hits like Morneau than a catcher who hits like Mauer. The Twins
perspective is skewed because the organization went so long between
Kent Hrbek’s prime and the emergence of Morneau.

And then there’s the defensive factor. Morneau’s a pretty
good first baseman, but he’s not the best in the league there
— and people wind up playing first base because they lack the
speed to play outfield or the arm to play third base. It’s the
least demanding defensive position on the field.

Mauer, on the other hand, is the best defensive catcher in the game,
and that at the most demanding defensive position. (This should be the
year that the Gold Glove voters, who are often a couple of years
behind, catch up to that reality.)

There was a time — the 1950s and early 60s — when this
wouldn’t be an argument. MVP voters used to be more attentive,
perhaps overly so, to the middle of the diamond positions.
That’s how both Yogi Berra and Roy Campanella won three MVPs,
how shortstops like Dick Groat and Zoilo Versalles won MVPs, how
second baseman Nellie Fox won an MVP in a season (1959) in which he
clubbed two home runs and garnered 70 RBIs.

Versalles’s 1965 award marked the end of that era. Since then
the voters have become transfixed by the RBI total.

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