Please, whatever you do, do not raise your child as a Chicago Cubs fan.

I was raised a Cubs fan since the day I could watch baseball. Some of my favorite memories are watching the Cubs with my dad in our living room.

I was still young at that point, and I didn’t totally understand how much the Cubs sucked and have sucked for 100+ years now.

Initially, being a Cubs fan brought me joy and a sense of pride; but as I got older, especially after the 2003 playoff debacle, I began to see the Cubs as they truly were and are: losers.

But as true fans do, I stuck with them.

Worst decision of my life.

Since 2003 the Cubs have made the playoffs twice (2007 and 2008), and during those stints they failed to win a single game, allowing themselves to be swept in the first round both years. These losses were worse because just 2-3 years prior the White Sox had won the World Series with virtually a no-name team and one of the craziest managers I’ve seen in my life.

Since then, every time the Cubs, or any other Chicago team, goes on a hot streak or fans become excited and think the team is going to start playing well, I don’t join in on the excitement.

I don’t get excited when Sports Illustrated or ESPN predicts that the Cubs or Bears will have a good season; I laugh because I can’t think of anything more stupid to write or believe.

I am not a cynical fan, just one that has become so accustomed to the losing nature of the Cubs that I’ve lost total faith in the franchise.

So parents, please don’t do this your kids.

But if you must, I recommend you sharing this Pearl Jam song to them to calm their inevitable sadness.

At first I didn’t worry too much. Cutler seemed like he wasn’t in pain, he didn’t mention it bothering him during the post game interview, and it didn’t seem to affect his game play. Besides, Matthew Stafford is playing with a messed up throwing hand, so I assumed Cutler would have no problem dealing with the injury himself.

Not 10 minutes later do I see news coming out that his injury will likely need surgery, forcing Cutler to sit out for at least the regular season with hopes of returning in the playoffs if the Bears do make it in.

And just like that my heart sank, and I remember why sports suck sometimes.

I remembered how terrible it was to see all the White Sox fans celebrating after their team won the World Series in 2005. For years they had made fun of Cubs fans for, well, you know what; but us Cubs fans at least knew that Chicago was our city. Watching the Sox win the World Series was just a reminder of how much the Cubs suck and how long they’ve sucked for, something I had repressed into the back of my mind for many years (as all Cubs fans must do).

Sure, I was happy to see Chicago bring a World Series championship home, but I wanted it to be my team. It’s the same for football.

I am happy to see the elated fans from whatever city won the Super Bowl that season, but watching the Bears lose to the Colts in 2006 and being too young to see them win in 1985, I thought this team – though I had my doubts – had a chance to win the Super Bowl this season.

Now I am forced to face the facts.

The Cubs still suck, the Blackhawks have gotten killed on the ice their past two games, the Bulls aren’t even going to play this year, and now the Bears’ season, which had so much promise, is in jeopardy.

Out of all the chances Cutler had to become injured, (trust me, there were a lot) why does he has to do it now? The Bears have so much momentum and a pretty easy schedule which they could have won out if they continued this level of play.

Now all that has changed.

Caleb Hanie is now probably going to be the starting quarterback. I have nothing against Hanie, but I am not sure how well the Bears are going to adjust the offense. They can no longer throw 30 to 40 times a game. The Packers won’t stop winning, and the Lions, though they’ve looked really bad and unlike a playoff team at some times, are still a 7-3 team and now pose a bigger threat to the Bears with Cutler gone.

Bears’ fans are going to realize just how much the team needs Cutler. Let’s just hope it’s not too painful.

But who cares about all that? I just stumbled upon (hat tip to Deadspin) a video of a decades-old appearance that Tony La Russa made on the game show “To Tell The Truth”. So quit second-guessing the tinkering, feline-loving La Russa and take a few moments to watch this video, shot way back in the days when La Russa was mixing up his mad baseball chemistry on the South Side.

Okay, now feel free to return to regularly scheduled second-guessing of La Russa.

Patrick inquired as to whether AJ and any of his teammates had ever done the same, and AJ responded, well, he responded like really only he can or would; thusly:

“Yes, absolutely I have before,” Pierzynski told “The Dan Patrick Show.” ”Sometimes you’re just really struggling and you just say, ‘Hey, you know what, I need something to calm me down and let’s have a beer.’ A couple of us will do it together, and sometimes it works out.

“It’s just, sometimes you just need a rally beer. If you’re in extra innings and you’re in about the 15th inning and you really need to get going again, that sometimes works for you.”

He apparently clarified that he wouldn’t have a whole beer, just a few sips. (Yes, because a few sips of a beer for a guy of AJ’s size will have a relaxing effect…)

Look, I’ll admit that the White Sox have driven me to many a rally beer during my days watching (mostly suffering) this constant enigma of a franchise. But I have to say that I’d never considered the players doing the same thing during a game.

There was also this from AJ:

He also said that he and other Sox players drank shots before one of the 2008 Division Series playoff games in Tampa.

For the record, the White Sox lost that series in four games, but AJ went 5-13 (.385). Maybe everyone should have been taking shots!

I don’t really have a whole lot of analysis to add to this post. I’ve never been in a baseball clubhouse before, so I don’t know what the typical rules, regulations, and norms are, but I do think it’s a bit jarring to hear a professional athlete admit to grabbing a beer during competition. Maybe this is more common than we/I thought? I don’t know.

Whatever.

I’m just waiting for the report that Adam Dunn was shooting heroin, smoking meth, and dissolving LSD on his eyelids in between at bats. That remains the only logical explanation for his complete tumble off the cliff this year. (Unless the sips of beer did it. Hmm…)

Update: I don’t know why I found this so funny, but this is what I saw just now upon doing a Google search for A.J.’s name:

I wonder if the second headline is related at all to the first? Obviously not, but the juxtaposition made me chuckle. (Leave me alone, it was an awful season and I’m still bitterly trying to find ways to laugh about it.)

In closing, here are some random pictures of AJ Pierzynski enjoying drinks with some blonde at a bar. (No word on if these are “rally shots” or not.)

Image source: Sportress of Blogitude

Image source: Flickr via MopUpDuty.com

Image source: Here

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that the White Sox have named Robin Ventura to replace Ozzie Guillen as manager.

GM Kenny Williams says Ventura topped his managerial wish list.

“I wanted someone who met very specific criteria centered around his leadership abilities,” Williams said in a statement. “Robin Ventura was that man.”

I didn’t even know that Ventura was in the running for manager. I’d heard Dave Martinez, Sandy Alomar, and other such names. But not Robin’s. Hell, I didn’t even know that Robin was in the organization, but it turns out he has been since June of 2011 as a special advisor to director of player development Buddy Bell.

Interesting. I’ll have more thoughts once I can read more about KW’s decision-making here. But this is the guy who signed Adam Dunn, traded for Jake Peavy, and claimed Alex Rios off waivers…so I have complete trust in him.

Obviously I loved Robin Ventura as a player, so it will be exciting, at least at first, to still have a former on-field legend calling the shots from the dugout. Time will tell if he can be as successful at is as Ozzie was (for a while, anyway).

My final thought before I sign off to go read reports of this is: for obvious reasons, let’s just hope the White Sox never face the Rangers, and their legendary team president, in a playoff series…

Update: Ventura as White Sox manager is also being reported by ESPN. Apparently this out-of-nowhere hire is true.

If you haven’t heard yet, Ozzie Guillen is out as White Sox manager, effective immediately, with all signs pointing to him becoming the next manager of the Miami (yes, Miami…like in Back to the Future 2) Marlins.

As I said on Twitter earlier tonight, it’s a rather bitter end to what was, all in all, a pretty damn sweet tenure for Oz in what will always be his baseball home: the South Side of Chicago.

There are tons of things to say, plenty of analysis to be done, emotions and feelings to express. I won’t get into them tonight, save for a couple.

As when Bob Knight was fired my freshman year at IU, the departure of a champion, a legend, and a character like Ozzie isn’t easy. And though a part of me thinks it may be time for a change, and that Ozzie wants a fresh start for himself anyway, I can’t help up but feeling that with Kenny Williams staying on the White Sox are losing the wrong guy.

The city of Chicago has only had one baseball champion in the last 200 combined years. Ozzie Guillen was the man who steered the ship. There have been plenty of ups and down since then, but this isn’t New York. In so many ways, ’05 still feels fresh to me, and you cannot separate the team from its manager.

Anyway, I don’t want to ramble, and at 11:00 at night that’s about all I’m capable of doing; but I wanted to write something about Oz before I went to bed. He was a very good manager for one of my two favorite sports teams for close to a decade. I’m sad that things have to end this way, but hopefully the White Sox can make a good hire and Ozzie sees success in Miami. I’ll be rooting for the Marlins in hopes that Ozzie does well in his other U.S. home.

It should also be noted that Don Cooper is expected to stay on with the White Sox. So we can all breathe a sign of relief on that one. I doubt Joey Cora or Greg Walker will be hanging around.

With that, I’ll just leave everyone with the following two videos. They still gives me chills every time I watch them, and getting to live through moments like these with my teams is why I keep paying attention to these silly games year after year. That ’05 team, along with my beloved 1992-93 Indiana Hoosiers, are my two favorite sports teams of all time. Ozzie was the leader. I’ll miss him being on the side of the Good Guys.

But all is not lost in 2011, at least for someone like me who considers Mark Buehrle to be on his Personal Sports Mount Rushmore. And it’s all thanks to Reva Friedel, my new #1 favorite White Sox fan. (Sorry Josh and KVB.)

And why did Ms. Friedel (@RevaFriedel on Twitter) skyrocket up my personal White Sox fan rankings? Because she sent me this in the mail today, for no reason other than to brighten up my dark baseball summer:

This was the giveaway a few weeks back at U.S. Cellular Field. Living in Dallas on a blogger’s salary, I obviously could not just pop up for the day. But after seeing me tweet about my admiration for Buehrle and everything he’s meant to the White Sox over the past decade, she took it upon herself to find me one. Reva, it is very much appreciated.

And the best part is that it comes during a season in which Buehrle has had a nice little renaissance. He’s 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA (which was much better before he got shellacked by the Tigers Sunday night) and did everything he could to help the White Sox fulfill the promise we all thought 2011 had.

Alas, Buehrle could not swing the bats of Alex Rios, Adam Dunn, and Gordon Beckham, and so here we sit, way far away from a playoff spot, with but a few weeks left before October. But now, every time I think about how crappy 2011 has been, I can look to my right and see Mark Buehrle’s bobbling head and smile at the kindness of a stranger who, through sport and social media, is no longer really a stranger at all. And that’s pretty damn cool.

Thanks again Reva!

This week it’s time for Episode #10 of the MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast, which features Jim Margalus of South Side Sox.

I was not able to post a standings update last week, but here are the updated standings heading into Episode #10.

Remember: the overall winner at the end of the season gets an iPad and a subscription to MLB.tv for next season. And if you’re just finding out about the challenge now, you can always catch up on all the old podcasts and quizzes here. Scores are cumulative and entries can be submitted until the end of the season.

Now onto Episode #10.

The format is the same as always. Jim and I team up to answer another fun, challenging round of questions from Ari, and then we discuss some of Jim’s more unconventional opinions about baseball. He believes that defining a “closer” is not always the best idea for optimal bullpen management, and he also sees numerous flaws in managers who use the sac bunt with no outs on a runner on first. And there are other topics as well.

Have a listen. Just click play on the player below.

Click here to take MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast Quiz #10

The link above skips you to the bottom of this page where quiz is embedded. Podcast will continue playing.

A few quick notes:

• The MLB Trivia Challenge is available on iTunes. Listen and subscribe here.
• Be sure to follow the MSF Trivia Challenge Podcast on Twitter: @MLBTriviaMSF.
• If you like the intro and outro music, and I know you will, it was provided to us by the Twin Cats out of Indianapolis. We encourage you to like them on Facebook or check out their music here.

REMEMBER: The grand prize of an iPad and a subscription to MLB.tv is given to the person who tallies the most points throughout the season. Even if you missed the first four quizzes, you can go back and take them now:

• Episode 1 with Ken Rosenthal
• Episode 2 with Will Carroll
• Episode 3 with Big League Stew
• Episode 4 with Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors
• Episode 5 with Derek Schultz of XL950 in Indianapolis
• Episode 6 with Deadspin founder Will Leitch
• Episode 7 with Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports
• Episode 8 with Scott Sargent of Waiting For Next Year
• Episode 9 with Jonah Keri of Grantland
  

Your Turn to Compete and Win Prizes

Now onto the fun stuff: your chance to match wits with the “experts” and win prizes.

As explained on the rules and information page, we will be rewarding one winner each time a new MLB Trivia Challenge Podcast and quiz are posted. This winner will be awarded as follows:

• Each correct answer nets you one point. Most points wins.
• In the event of a tie, we will choose from the top group at random.
• The winner receives a $20 gift certificate to Chili’s*, which is perfect for a Chili’s Lunch Break.

• Weekly winners can go bold with the new six-dollar lunch break combo at Chili’s. Choose a house made soup or salad and then pick a half Texas Toast sandwich like the Southwestern BLT smothered in cilantro lime mayo.
• See all the great Lunch Break combos at Chilis.com.
• Note: You have ONE WEEK from today to submit yours answers and be eligible for the weekly prize. Next Thursday at 11:59 pm CT, entries are closed and we award a winner.

In addition to the weekly prizes, a grand prize winner will be chosen at the end of the season. Simply put, the grand prize winner will be the person who tallies up the most points throughout the season, regardless of when the quiz is taken.

A few final notes you need to know before we let you have at it:

• LISTEN to the podcast; each week we will be including one bonus question taken directly from our discussion.
• ONLY your first entry counts, for the weekly prize and grand prize.
• MAKE SURE you use the same UserID throughout the season. This is how we will keep track of your scores.
• PAY CLOSE ATTENTION to the instructions after each question. Due to the parameters of the quiz program we are using, and our inability to hand-grade thousands of quizzes each week, we must request that you very specific and particular in how you answer the questions. Thus, you MUST spell names correctly. Think of it this way: attention to detail is paramount in baseball, so shouldn’t it be part of the challenge? Absolutely.

And now, drumroll the please, we give you your chance to answer. Have fun!

**********

Obviously we cannot post the answers because this is an ongoing trivia challenge.

Check back in two weeks when we’ll post the 11th episode of the MLB Trivia Challenge sponsored by the buyer ready experts at Generational Equity. Remember: someone is winning an iPad and a subscription to MLB.tv when this is all said and done…it might as well be you.

* – Chili’s gift certificate good in U.S. only.

I figured I might as well do monthly updates on these “predictions,” so as to capriciously praise or condemn myself.

Underrated

Miguel Cabrera

Here is a real superstar. Top 10 in the three major offensive categories, and as a bonus, only 72 strikeouts in 123 games. Cabrera is second in OPS, the most telling category in baseball, and second in On Base Percentage thanks to 80 walks (also 2nd in the AL).

That’s what makes a great ballplayer: consistently good all around. And still, few notice him amongst the Jose Bautistas, Paul Konerkos, Adrian Gonzalezes, Mark Teixeiras, Robinson Canos and Curtis Grandersons of the AL world who garner our attention. Cabrera’s a legit MVP contender again. {Grade so far on my prediction: PASS }

Paul Konerko: 

Pauly continues to be under-appreciated, even in his own city considering Carlos Quentin has reverted back to stellar 2009 form. I will keep praising Paul — even though I despise the ChiSox — because there are people who actually think Ryan Howard is a better player, despite Konerko being better in nearly every category, and by a long shot in most.

Howard will never get 2000 hits, and 400 HRs is questionable. Konerko, just three years older than the Philly first baseman, will likely roll past that first milestone this weekend, and the other next month. And unlike Howard and most others, the White Sox first baseman somehow gets better with age.  He’s now top 5 in all major offensive categories, sans average and RBIs, where he’s 6th. {Grade: PASS}

Adam Dunn:

I often compare the media love for Ryan Howard to Adam Dunn, as I feel they’re basically equal players (same age, same style, Howard higher average, Dunn better power numbers, etc), but if I’m to call out Ryan, Adam needs the same treatment.

You can’t spin this anymore now than you could a month ago: he’s been a disaster! 

Adam’s still hitting well under .200; just 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 102 games; leads the league in strikeouts (149), and a startling 3 for 80 versus left-handed pitching. Yes, that’s a .038 clip! {Grade: FAIL}

Ryan Zimmerman and Shin Soo-Choo have missed too much time for evaluation right now. Neither have been extremely productive, though Zimmerman is hitting .300; and Choo, fresh off the DL this week, shall be a necessary contributor if Cleveland wants a shot at the playoffs. He had five hits in three games during the Indians’ just-completed series win in Chicago.

Overrated:

Ryan Howard:

The “centerpiece” of my article was the Phillies’ big first baseman, who’s been at the top of my list (and emails, texts and tweets) of overhyped ballplayers for years. I’ve see absolutely nothing in 2011 to change my mind; in fact, no matter what ESPN or the media says, I’m more confident in my views than ever.

There was a devastating critique of Howard’s absurd $25 million/year salary and declining stats in Yahoo Sports last month. It hit every angle statistically and factually. While some commenters applauded, most called the writer names and used profanity. It was classic to read his backers getting so desperate.

Though his RBI and home run numbers remain relatively high, vital categories (and overall power categories like slugging, OPS and OBP) continue to fall, while his strikeouts remain 2nd in the National League (on pace for over 180 again).

Ryan has TWO homers off a lefty in 143 at bats this season, and no clutch hits that anyone can recall. (I won’t get into past postseason futility since I covered it last fall)

Howard’s OPS — the most relevant category for a power guy — is an abysmal 23rd in the NL. Despite his power numbers, he’s still a distant 20th in Slugging. His On Base Percentage barely cracks the top 50 on the Senior Circuit. Very telling.

Unless you’re looking for a player on the back-end of his career; less durable than in the past; is quite replaceable; who doesn’t get on base enough; whiffs a lot; is slow; suspect with the glove, but will get you 30-35 HRs with 100 RBIs and a .250 average, he’s not your man.

{Grade so far on my prediction that Howard is overrated: PASS}

Carlos Pena:

The Cubs first baseman has 23 bombs, but that’s around his career average. He’s still at his customary .225 and a putrid .141 off lefties; yet this overpaid 33-year old is a lifetime .239 hitter, so what do we expect? Losing player, losing teams. He doesn’t strikeout quite as much as Howard or Dunn, but that proves little. He’s still overrated. {Grade: PASS}

BJ Upton: Upton rightly doesn’t get the love he once received, but still, when you think of the Rays, after Longoria, BJ’s name comes up. Why?  You like .230 hitters who strikeout WAY too much (5th in AL), with mediocre power and bad attitudes? Until his average improves…{Grade: PASS}

Jeff Francoeur:

Has expectedly cooled considerably after a surprisingly hot start. Jeff’s still at .275/15/66, but he’s not an old player; KC expected him to produce, which is why they extended him through 2013 yesterday. That said, I don’t expect him to get hotter as the summer winds down. Twelve of his 15 dingers and 56 of his 66 RBIs were pre All Star Break. {Grade: MIXED}

Mark Reynolds:

His average has dropped back down to .214, which is apparently impressive for a guy coming off a .198 season. “Only” 142 whiffs in 120 games, but Reynolds is technically on pace for close to 40 homers and 100 RBIs. The Orioles aren’t winning at all, so I’m really not sure what he brings to Baltimore, but I could say the same about Pena, Dunn and many others right now. {Grade: PASS}

So I’m looking at decent grades (80% or so)…

Agree/disagree? Bring facts, not conjecture nor ad hominem attacks. Thanks.

In Zambrano’s exit, and juxtaposed against the disappointment of the Wood-Prior-Zambrano trio, I find yet another way to appreciate their underappreciated contemporary: Mark Buehrle.

Click play on the player below to listen:

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For those who would rather read than listen, here is the transcript:

As Carlos Zambrano Exits, Ol’ Reliable Mark Buehrle Stands Alone in Chicago

Last night, Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano did something that is starting to become such a Chicago Cubs thing to do: he walked out on his teammates.

Like Sammy Sosa before him, Zambrano has gone from a beloved Cubs superstar to an overpaid, underachieving, volatile pariah. And like Sosa, Big Z hasn’t been able to stand the heat…so he showed himself out of the kitchen.

When I heard about Zambrano’s selfish, impetuous act, two thoughts immediately flashed into my mind:

One, this probably, mercifully, signals the end of one of the most star-crossed and disappointing pitching phenom trios in baseball history.

And two, I somehow found a new way to appreciate Mark Buehrle.

Let’s deal with number one first.

In 2003, the trio of Mark Prior, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Zambrano went a combined 45-28 in 94 starts with an average ERA+ of 151.3 and more than a strikeout per inning. They were, simply put, the most fearsome trio of pitchers in Major League Baseball. Prior and Zambrano were both 22. Wood was 26. Finally, there was realistic hope for broken curses on North Side.

I don’t need to rehash the excruciating details of what happened to this trio in the seasons that ensued after Steve Bartman’s unfortunate rise to infamy. Simply put, it would not be an overstatement to call the fall of Wood and Prior one of the more extreme examples of unfulfilled potential in my lifetime as a baseball fan.

Big Z, on the other hand, stayed physically healthy and became the Cubs’ ace. From 2004-2007 he finished in the top 5 of the Cy Young voting three times. He’s won a total of 125 games while never making fewer than 28 starts in a season before last year. He was, I think, one of the 10 or 15 best pitchers of the aughts when you look at his entire body of work.

And Wood and Prior were both considered better than Zambrano. Can you imagine the Cubs’ pitching staff had those two been able to mature into grizzled 200+ inning machines like Zambrano? As a White Sox fan and lifelong Cubs hater, I shudder to think about such a reality.

The problem with Zambrano is that while he stayed physically healthy, his emotional health seemed to deteriorate by the season. Miscast as a #1 starter, the man to whom all pressure goes on a pitching staff, Zambrano routinely melted down. As his meltdowns increased, so too did his ability to confidently and competently take the ball every fifth day for his Cubs.

Zambrano finished fifth in the Cy Young voting in 2007. He made 34 starts. Over the next three seasons Zambrano would start 30, 28, and 20 games. This year he has started 24, but with a career-worst 4.82 ERA. Zambrano has never finished a full season with an ERA over 3.95.

And now, apparently, Zambrano’s career is done. Surely it’s done on the North Side.

With it, gone also are the final vestiges of that once-heralded trio of pitching phenoms that was going to overcome baseball history, billy goats, and Bartman to deliver glory to the partisans of Wrigley. Two thirds of the trio succumbed to injury of the body; one third fell to a failure of the mind.

And then there is Mark Buehrle.

Concurrently with Wood, Zambrano, and Prior pitching their first full seasons in the big leagues (1998, 2002, and 2003, respectively), the team on the south side of the city was breaking in a young, unheralded, soft-tossing lefty who had been a 38^th round draft pick. Mark Buehrle unexpectedly went 16-8 with a 3.29 ERA and a league-leading 1.066 WHIP during his first full season in 2001, but then proceeded to pitch progressively worse in 2002 and 2003.

By the time Buehrle posted an underwhelming 14-14 won-loss record in 2003, with a 4.14 ERA, he had become completely lost in the Chicago pitching shuffle due to the exploits of the aforementioned Wrigleyville Trio.

But just as the tide turned in 2003 for the Cubs’ young pitchers, so too did it turn for Buehrle. He lowered his ERA and went 16-10 in 2004 before having his career year in 2005. Buehrle went 16-8 with a 3.12 ERA while leading the league in innings pitched for the second straight year. It was his lone top-5 finish in the Cy Young voting.

Oh, and powered by pitching, the White Sox won the World Series, the first in the city of Chicago in over 200 combined seasons of baseball.

Since then, Buehrle has just kept on motoring. He had a down year in 2006 while dealing with the fatigue of the deep playoff run, but he has compensated for any inflated ERAs with his reliability. Since 2001 through this season, a span of 11 seasons, Buehrle has never won fewer than 10 games and never pitched fewer than 200 innings, which he is on pace to do again this year. He has pitched a perfect game, a no-hitter, won two gold gloves, set the MLB record for consecutive batters retired at 45, and is currently in the midst of a team-record streak of consecutive starts allowing 3 or fewer earned runs.  He is also the only player in MLB history to start and save consecutive World Series games.

This year, at the age of 32, Buehrle is having one of his best seasons at a time when his team has needed him the most. The White Sox entered this season proclaiming to be all-in. Unfortunately, many of the White Sox high-priced players have floundered. Not Buehrle. His current ERA of 3.06 would be his career best, as would his .667 winning percentage. Because of Mark Buehrle, the White Sox still have life in the AL Central. Without him? I shudder to consider.

I’ve long thought and argued that Mark Buehrle is one of the most underrated and underappreciated baseball players of the current era. Sure, I’m biased, but the list of accomplishments I’ve spouted off during this quickcast speaks for itself.

What’s ironic is that Buehrle has had such a spectacularly steady career on the south side after starting out in the shadows of burgeoning dominance on the north side. But what makes baseball such a great and fascinating game is that in every respect it is a marathon, not a sprint.

At bats can be marathons. Games can be marathons. Series can be marathons. And certainly seasons and careers are marathons. The second you think you have baseball figured out, the game is quick to flip your expectations 180 degrees.

In the case of Prior and Wood, this expectation flip was tragic in the sports sense of the word. In the case of Zambrano, the expectation flip was perhaps inevitable. And in the case of Buehrle, the expectation flip has been relatively anonymous and nondescript.

The best way I can sum it up is this: way back in 2003, Mark Buehrle was unquestionably the tortoise in the race to Windy City pitching immortality. One by one, the much-heralded hares that toed the rubber in Wrigley have fallen by the way side; and just like in the old children’s tale we all know so well, the tortoise has unexpectedly won the race.

I feel bad for Cubs fans today, looking back on what could have been and what ended up being. And such an ugly, ignominious ending; but one that is perhaps appropriate all things considered. As a baseball fan, I would have liked to have seen the greatness that Wood, Prior, and Zambrano would have produced together, even if the Cubs hater in me would have loathed it.

Regardless, I’m just happy that of the four young pitchers who started their big league careers in Chicago back at the turn of the century, the White Sox were the ones who got Mark Buehrle, because he has ended up having the best career of them all. That would have sounded crazy to say at the time, but it’s unquestionable now.

As Rangers manager Ron Washington might say, that’s the way baseball go.

Fellow White Sox fans, today is a good day to stop and appreciate what we’ve had and what we still have in Mark Buehrle. Consistency, reliability, and stability are three of the most underrated traits in a baseball player. Just ask a Cubs fan.

Especially on this day, I’m sure they would agree.

Fortunately, we’ve never forgotten nor stopped developing our inside jokes, and our friendship – built on a firm foundation of constant laughter, random silliness, the White Sox, and yes, grab ass – endures to this day.

Kevin lives in Indiana and I live in Dallas, so we don’t see eachother as often, but we do talk on the phone regularly; and these conversations with Kevin always thoroughly entertain me. On the off chance that they entertain anyone else I decided to start a podcast series called Conversations with Kevin.

You should know that I have no plan for this right know other than simply to record some of our conversations and post them here. If it catches on, I’ll keep posting them. If it doesn’t, I’ll probably still keep posting them because it will give me an excuse to talk about the White Sox with Kevin during work hours.

And if you haven’t noticed, I’ve built my career around developing rationalizations to be able to talk, tweet, and blog about the White Sox during work hours. The job I always wanted and now I have it; I rule.

So anyway, here is Episode 1. It is appropriately titled “The Beginning”. I hope you enjoy it. Topic rundown below.

[Note: Podcast does contain naughty language like random f-bombs and "Chicago Cubs". You've been forewarned.]

Click play on the player below to listen:

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• Subscribe to Conversations with Kevin on iTunes (coming soon)
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• Download this quickcast in mp3 format for later: Right-click this link, then hit “save link as”

Music shoutouts:

• Credit for the intro song “Let Me Love You” goes to Austin Bridges, the former band of Davey Heritier, now the lead guitarist for KontraBand Musik.
• The outro song is a cut from “Dax McCarty’s Magic Elixer” by MSF favorite The Twin Cats.

And here is a rundown of the wide variety of topics we touch on in Episode 1:

• How difficult day trading is in with the current market conditions
• The leadership of Paul Konerko
• Why it would be bad if White Sox fans followed the team’s “all in” marketing slogan
• Plans for Jerod’s trip to the Midwest in September
• How this conversation should be used as the first episode of a new podcast called “Conversations with Kevin”
• Kevin’s role as mascot of Midwest Sports Fans – the Midwest Sports Fans.
• The possibility of getting a “Midwest Sports Van” to ride around in and solve sports mysteries (plus other things that rhyme with “fan”…)
• How Trey Parker and Matt Stone could make the world a better place
• The age-old question: was Aesop (the fable guy) actually a Keebler Elf?
• Kudos for Kevin successfully quitting smoking
• The amazing picture of Shaq and his diminutive girlfriend. And other stuff.

Listen:

How to subscribe to the MSF QuickCast

• Subscribe to the MSF QuickCast on iTunes.
• Join the MSF QuickCast Email Digest to get an email whenever a new quickcast is posted
• Follow the MSF QuickCast on Twitter or via RSS to get updates as soon as new quickcasts are posted.
• Download this quickcast in mp3 format for later: Right-click this link, then hit “save link as”

For those who would rather read than listen, here is the transcript:

“All In” White Sox Can (and Should) Improve Their Hand

It is no secret that the mantra for the 2011 Chicago White Sox has been “all in.”

Through 98 games though, things haven’t exactly gone as planned on the South Side.

But that does not mean it is time to abandon the “all in” mindset. It just means the White Sox need to look in the mirror and make sure they have a prudent “all in” thought process to salvage the next 64 games and fight their way into the playoffs.

You see, in poker there are three reasons to go all in.

First, you can go all in when you are short stacked. This is the term for when you have the fewest chips at the table. This all-in strategy is a desperate attempt to stay alive by hoping luck can help you double or triple the few assets you have left. A second reason to go all-in is because you believe you have the best hand at the table, so you have little fear of losing. Neither of these best describes the White Sox all-in strategy before the season started.

The third reason to go all in is when you are pot-committed, meaning you’ve bet so much in the hand already, and the pot total is so large, that it makes sense to see it through. This reason, being pot-committed, is why the White Sox went all in.

After the Peavy, Jackson, and Rios transactions of the last two years, the White Sox had clearly sacrificed the future to win now. Not signing Paul Konerko or making a big splash with a guy like Adam Dunn would not have made sense. If you’ve sacrificed the future to win now, damnit, you better win now.

So while the Peavy, Jackson, and Rios transactions all may have been irrational, ill-advised moves (which they all probably were), they essentially made the White Sox pot-committed to 2011, so pushing the chips to the middle in the offseason made sense.

With a roster full of hungry veterans led by the World Series experience of Paulie, Buehrle, AJ, and Ozzie, and seemingly more questions surrounding the other AL Central teams heading into the season, 2011 was clearly a promising one on the South Side, and going “all in” not only made sense, it seemed like a pitch perfect rallying cry. And despite the team’s struggles, it still is.

With the trade deadline approaching, now is absolutely not the time for the White Sox to wave any white flags or suddenly look towards the future. As bad as things have been, the Sox sit just five games out with plenty of series left against AL Central opponents and the starting and relief pitching to suggest that a strong finish is possible.

But now is absolutely the time to make to make any possible bold moves to impact the here and now. It is the time to shake things up and create a spark, especially in the lineup.

You see, the White Sox may be all in, but they haven’t played all their cards. A baseball season is not so much a game of Texas Hold ‘Em as it is a hand of 5-card draw. So while the Sox may have pushed their chips to the middle, they still have a chance to trade a few cards in and hope the new cards fit a little better.

And I think everyone knows what cards need to be traded in: the deleterious duo of Adam Dunn and Alex Rios.

Rios has not had an OPS higher than .750 since May of last year, and his OPS’s by month since then are: .735, .712, .645, .480, .630, .685, and currently .418 in July. At this point, I’m not even sure divine intervention can turn Rios back into a productive hitter. Certainly Greg Walker and Ozzie Guillen can’t.

As for Dunn, his struggles need not be discussed in specifics. Instead, here is audio of a dying cow.

The remarkable thing is that while the White Sox moribund farm system has very little to offer, the two highest performing players it does have play exactly the positions Dunn and Rios do.

Dayan Viciedo has hit 16 home runs and is slugging .507 at AAA Charlotte. And he has the body and defensive acumen that fit perfectly in a DH role. Viciedo’s teammate Alejandro de Aza plays a solid center field, is also slugging over .500, gets on base at a .384 clip, and has 22 stolen bases. Not only could he step in for Rios, he is probably even a better leadoff option than Juan Pierre.

Are Viciedo and de Aza guaranteed to maintain these levels of production in the big leagues? Of course not. But both have big league experience, and if they’re even 60% as good as they’ve been at AAA, a decent bet, they’ll be better than Dunn and Rios have been.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The White Sox as currently constructed are a sub-.500 team, with a plenty large enough sample size to judge on, so why keep trotting the same group out there?

The White Sox may be “all in” in terms of money and chips, but they are not “all in” in terms of moves and options. In poker, if you bet strongly but then follow it up with weak, passive bets, you’ll get eaten alive. But if you strongly and stay bold, you give yourself a fighting chance.

I know that Alex Rios and Adam Dunn are making big money, but they’re also wasting at bats while showing no signs of turning things around. The White Sox may not have much flexibility, but the two best options they do have could immediately replace the two heaviest anchors on a ship that simply can’t seem to set sail.

If the White Sox really are “all in” – and they are – then now is not the time to worry about feelings or the chips that are already in the middle. Rios and Dunn will make their millions whether they hit or not, whether they play or not, and whether the White Sox win or not.

This season is far from over, but now is not the time for blind hope when obvious action can be taken. The White Sox may end up all out at the end of this “all in” season, but they better at least play all their cards. Otherwise, what the hell was the point in playing the hand in the first place?

I figured I might as well do occasional updates — especially here at midseason —  on these “predictions,” so as to capriciously praise or condemn myself.

Underrated

Miguel Cabrera:

Top 10 in the three major offensive categories, and as a bonus, only 51 strikeouts. That’s what makes a  great ballplayer. And still, few notice him amongst the Jose Bautistas, Paul Konerkos, Adrian Gonzalezes and Curtis Grandersons of the AL world who garner our attention. Cabrera’s a legit MVP contender again — though right now Bautista is the best hitter on earth. {Grade so far on my prediction: PASS }

Paul Konerko:

After his All-Star snubbing, need I even expound upon how underrated Pauly continues to be? Yes, because there are people who actually think Ryan Howard is a better player, despite Konerko being better in nearly every category, and by a long shot in most. Howard will never get 2000 hits, and 400 HRs is questionable. Konerko, just three years older than Howard, will roll past those milestones later this season. And unlike Howard and most others, the White Sox first baseman somehow gets better with age. {Grade: PASS}

Adam Dunn: 

I often compare the media love for Ryan Howard to Adam Dunn, as I feel they’re basically equal players (same age, same style, Howard higher average, Dunn better power numbers, etc), but if I’m to call out Ryan, Adam needs the same treatment.

You can’t spin this anymore now than you could a month ago: he’s been a disaster!  Another Ken Williams bust (see Rios, Alex too)

Adam’s still hitting well under .200; just nine homers and 34 RBIs in 78 games; leads the league in strikeouts (117), and a startling 2 for 64 versus left-handed pitching. Yes, that’s a .031 clip! {Grade: FAIL}

Ryan Zimmerman and Shin Soo-Choo have missed too much time for evaluation right now. Neither have been extremely productive.

Overrated:

Ryan Howard:

The “centerpiece” of my article, as many expected, was the Phillies’ big first baseman, who’s been at the top of my list (and emails, texts and tweets) of overhyped ballplayers for years. I don’t see anything in 2011 to change my mind; in fact, even if the media still think he’s “having a typically excellent year,” I’m more confident in my views than ever.

Though his RBIs remain relatively high, his homerun numbers (and overall power categories like slugging, OPS and OBP) continue to fall, while his strikeouts remain 3rd in the National League (98, therefore on pace for nearly 200).  He has yet to homer off a lefty in 110 at bats this season. Howard’s OPS — the most relevant category for a power guy — is an abysmal 25th in the NL.

The local Philly media naturally lauds Howard for “ceding the limelight,” but to me, unless you’re looking for a player on the back-end of his career, who doesn’t get on base much, whiffs a lot, is slow, suspect with the glove, but will get you 30 HRs with 100 RBIs and a .255 average, he’s not your man. I’m just stating obvious facts. His backers are getting desperate.

{Grade so far on my prediction that Howard is overrated: PASS}

Carlos Pena:  

The Cubs first baseman has 19 bombs, but he’s still at his customary .225 and a putrid .110 off lefties; yet this overpaid 33-year old is a lifetime .240 hitter, so what do we expect? He doesn’t strikeout quite as much as Howard or Dunn, but that proves little. He’s still overrated. I hope the Pirates don’t trade for him. {Grade: PASS}

BJ Upton: Upton rightly doesn’t get the love he once received, but still, when you think of the Rays, after Longoria, BJ’s name comes up. Why?  You like .239 hitters who strikeout too much, with mediocre power and bad attitudes? Until his average improves…{Grade: PASS}

Jeff Francoeur:

Has expectedly cooled considerably after a surprisingly hot start. Jeff’s still at .265/12/56, but he’s around .235 since April ended. I don’t expect him to get hotter as the summer approaches either. {Grade: MIXED}

Mark Reynolds:

His average has risen all the way to .227, which is apparently impressive for a guy coming off a .198 season. “Only” 96 whiffs in 87 games, but Reynolds is on pace for close to 40 homers and 100 RBIs. The Orioles aren’t winning, so I’m really not sure what he brings to Baltimore, but I could say the same about Pena, Dunn and many others right now. {Grade: PASS}

So I’m looking at decent grades (75-80% or so)…

Agree/disagree? Bring facts, not conjecture nor ad hominem attacks. Thanks.

Paul Konerko – the ONLY player in the AL currently in the top 5 of all three Triple Crown categories – was NOT chosen as an All Star this year. There is not one person who doesn’t think, in the immortal words of Bob Knight, that such a snub is absolute fucking bullshit*.

Luckily, MLB does have a way to write egregious wrongs such as this.

So join me in what I am officially dubbing the “Paul In” campaign (#PaulIn on Twitter) to get Paul Konerko to the All Star Game: http://atmlb.com/k0dHWw.

I just voted 20-some times and plan to vote a lot more.

White Sox fans, fans of baseball in general, and anyone who cares about justice and right prevailing over wrong should be voting for Paul Konerko. Come on. Let’s get Paul in.

(BTW, in case you don’t get the connection, I chose “Paul In” to go with the White Sox season slogan of “All In.” Seems to fit in multitudes of ways. If you agree, let’s roll with it.)

**********

* – I don’t use such strong language on this site very often; so when I do, you can be sure it is for a good and meaningful reason.

Editor’s note: Amanda Lawson is a lifelong Green Bay Packers fan who is getting into baseball for the first time this year. After much deliberation and counsel, Amanda settled on the Minnesota Twins as her team. With “Beginning Baseball” Amanda is documenting her first season of baseball fandom.

It doesn’t matter what sport you are talking about, games against your team’s biggest rival are the ones that get you pumped up the most. Whether the team is awesome that particular season or not, rival games bring out the best trash talk and have a make-or-break atmosphere that keep you coming back for more.

As a new baseball fan, I was excited to find out who the Twins biggest rival was. I never really asked who the Twins’ greatest rival was, but just learned from the smack talk and defensive comments I got from certain fans.

Until one day there was a comment on Twitter that made me think twice about my initial perception.

The Brewers are the Twins’ greatest rival? WHAT?

I am from Wisconsin, and while I may not have paid close attention to baseball, I am 99% sure I never heard much Twins-Brewers smack talk. But I am also new to baseball and the Twins.

I decided to investigate. I asked my followers on Twitter who they thought was the Twins’ biggest rival. I got a lot of responses and many agreed with my initial thought, but I still found people naming a few other teams. So I dug deeper.

Here’s my analysis on the teams in regards to their rivalry with the Twins.

Chicago White Sox

The name just tastes bad when it rolls off the tongue.

The White Sox are in the same division as the Twins. Most years the Sox and the Twins compete for higher rank in the AL Central. This year, they both started out with their feet dragging behind them.

The White Sox are also one of the closest teams in their division to the Twins, allowing the great Midwestern rivalry to run from Chicago, through Illinois, into Iowa, and up to the Twin Cities.

New York Yankees

While the Yankees are in the AL with the Twins, they don’t play in the same division. However, there is a strong tension between Yankees and Twins fans because of last year’s playoff series that has left some fans bitter.

I think Twins fans find some tension with the Yankees because they are spending lots of dollar bills to get big talent. Twins fans take pride in the way the organization raises their own talent. Some Twins fans call it unfair; maybe even stretch it to “cheating”. I wouldn’t go that far, but I definitely have more respect for the Twins overall because they don’t buy out their players. And you can feel the tension.

Milwaukee Brewers

Whoa! Like I said, this idea puzzled me.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Brewers and Cubs fans were always hashing it out, trying to decide who was going to lose more games. The Brewers originally started in the American League, but in 1994 they were realigned into the NL Central. Yes, the Brewers are a Midwestern team similar to the Twins. However, they don’t have the same contending history that the Twins do, making them less of a threat. And since the Brewers no longer play in the same league, it’s hard to line them up as the Twins top rival.

Honorable Mentions

Besides these three teams, I was told to also look into a rivalry with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers are in the same division as the Twins, but they don’t consistently compete from year to year with the Twins for the top spot in AL Central.

I was also told to watch out for the Kansas City Royals. In my search for rivals, I found that more Royals fans found a rival in the Twins, than the Twins found in them. They are in the same division, and while the Royals started off this year strong, they’re slowly slipping—aka, I’m not scared.

My Final Decision

After looking at each team and how they compare to the Twins, I definitely find the most tension and rivalry behavior between Twins and White Sox fans. I have noticed their never ending trash talk (some of which I may, or may have not, have instigated myself) about how much better they are than the Twins this year. Now the Twins might not be smoking this year, but we didn’t almost just lose a series to the Cubs either.

Funny thing about your team’s biggest rival—I find the best rivalries are between two teams that play each other often and hate to lose to the other, yet they still respect the other team. That is something I CAN say about the White Sox. I may talk a lot of trash to the fans, but it doesn’t mean that the team isn’t good or won’t beat my favorite team. I just hope that doesn’t happen, so that my trash talk can be validated.

I am looking forward to watching the Twins take out the White Sox yet again in July! I’ll be at the Saturday game, ready to cheer the Twins on. My fellow MSF writer, Drew Lange, stated earlier, “I feel bad for whoever you have to sit by.”

I feel bad for that poor White Sox fan, too. It sucks getting a loss rubbed in your face.