White Sox

Didn't see this posted, but Harbaugh got some pretty good heat on his first pitch at the White Sox - Cubs game Wednesday. Looks like he's been practicing a bit since his first pitch for the Tigers.

Will attempt to embed video in comments, but here is the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9v-MWG2JkA

and another from MLB.com

http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/8878538/v978768983/cws-chc-jim-harbaugh-throws-out-first-pitch

Edit: Looks like he also borrowed Matt Szczur's shoes? You can see him taking them off at the end of the second video.

After finally becoming relevant the Royals have decided to have to develop a Napoleon complex and it's starting to become quite the issue as they're picking fights every series. 

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/120176696/tensions-boil-over-in-royals-white-sox-fracas

 

The betting line slightly favors the White Sox over the Tigers tonight, with Fister (8-8) scheduled to pitch versus Peavy (10-10.) Dunn is still out with a strained oblique.

I could see this going either way, but the mood in Chicago is to go for the kill by winning tonight.

Do the Tigers still have some fight, or are they dead men walking?

I don't know if this qualifies as a "snowflake" post. If so, I'm fine with Bisbino sending the post over to oblivion in the moderator action board. Nonetheless, I'm curious what Tiger's fans are predicting for the 4 game series with the Sox beginning today, and also what they predict for the Central Division. As a Sox' fan, I watched them wither away to the Tigers last year. I pretty much expected the same thing this year, but have been pleasantly surprised by how well the White Sox have done.

Here's what I like about the Sox.

• Young pitching. Sales came out of seemingly nowhere, Quintana has been good, and Reed isn't a bad closer.
• Comeback years. With Dunn and Rios hitting so much better than last year, it has made a huge difference in the lineup.
• Defense. The Sox have been a very good fielding team this year.
• Management. The biggest difference has been Ventura instead of Guillen.

However, I have no confidence in the Sox finishing out the season well. The Tigers have had the White Sox number this year. The only thing helping is that the Sox don't play any more games in Detroit, and they have a two game lead.

Tonight is critical. If the Sox can win with Quintana to get a 3 game lead, and either Peavy or Sales can win, I like the Sox' chances. What do you predict for the Tigers?

I'll predict that they win tonight, split the series, and the Sox end the season one game up over the Tigers.

Jake Peavy was traded to the White Sox for four prospects.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/mlb_trade_talk/posts/72805-padres-agre...

CRAP

Despite Peavy being on the DL, he is still a huge boost to the White Sox rotation, particularly as his injury is an ankle injury and will likely have no effect once he leaves the DL.

EDIT: Actually, the White Sox traded Clayton Richard and three prospects...

Got home to the land of the Blue Water for a few days!  Whew!  I needed some sun and boating and fishing and all that is the glory of Michigan in the Summer.  Hey, if you haven't taken a little time off, call in sick.  Hit the water.  Enjoy your surroundings.  You won't know how much you miss it if you ever have to leave!   

A few observations: I was surprised at the lack of Media Days coverage on some of the TV newscasts I saw.  It was there it was just short.  Even one local daily paper I read had an AP story from the event instead of a byline from a local writer.  I assume that since it wasn't the Freep or Det News that it was mainly a cost thing. 

I did wonder though if it's really been decided in newsrooms that there are tons of college football websites and stations like BTN and ESPN and any other number of speciality publications so we got to see the simple 45 second story with a soundbite.  Seriously, if I'm a daily with maybe 20,000 readers and I have like 2-3 sports people - do I want to waste time going head to head with MGoBlog?  Nope.  Grab the wire copy and roll the presses! 

Then again the Tigers had a huge series with the Pale Hose and there was a lot of coverage on that.  Too bad they blew it in at least the first two games.  (Haven't checked the scores yet on the Sun game).  I guess that really is a big story.  So much for good pitching beats good hitting all the time.  And of course that's when sports gets ANY time in between Mayor K2's flashbacks to his football days, tossing deputies around like freshman quarterbacks. 

Looking around my part of the Mitten (SE) I saw plenty of Tigers shirts and hats.  Hey, it's baseball season.  I saw one Spartan T-shirt on a kid in a store but any other football stuff I saw was clearly Wolverines material.  To be expected I suppose.  I knew a LOT of State people growing up but they just never seemed to be as rabid and never did any one of them ever "reach out" as in "come to our games!"  "Join us!"  M fans sure did!  Probably why I am the way I am. 

In the meantime I have to say that the roads are as bad as I recall.  I think when the defense stops everything coming it's way we should call it "an I-75 job."  The closures make NO sense.  I guess that shouldn't be a big surprise either.  They direct you on a detour of one Interstate that puts you into a construction zone on another Interstate and the traffic reports on radio "on the 8s" are saying: "Smooth sailing out there."  WTF? 

Drove right through C-Bus on the way back to the Land of Rich, right past their vaunted "horseshoe" which is more like a donut with cracks.  Despite getting a cold chill up the back of my neck, it did send a wave of anticpation across the old brain.  Football is almost here.

Thank goodness I can afford a trip to my homeland every now & then.  Hopefully some time soon it will be with M tix in hand!  :)

GO BLUE!