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.

To make the case that Verlander is one of only two players deserving of the AL MVP, Pat enters the debate that arises whenever a pitcher arises as a legitimate MVP candidate: is a starting pitcher, who only plays every fifth game, as valuable to his team as a position player who plays every day?

Would it really be fair to the other players if you won the Cy Young and the MVP? (Photo: Wikipedia)

Pat says, “Yes,” and compares the number of batters a pitcher faces to a position player’s plate appearances. Thus far this season, Justin Verlander has faced 830 batters. By comparison, Jose Bautista has made 529 plate appearances; Dustin Pedroia has made 602, tops in the AL. Based on batters face/plate appearances alone, Verlander has had a much greater impact in the Tigers’ season than either Bautista or Pedroia have had on the Jays’ or Red Sox’ seasons.

But position players are more than just batters. They play a position. While they might only step up to the plate five times in s given game, they spend half of every inning in the field. As of this writing, Pedroia has had 596 defensive chances (put-outs + assists + errors); Bautista has had 292 (211 in right field, 81 at 3rd base).

(Based on these numbers alone, one could argue that infielders have a greater impact on the game than outfielders and that outfielders aren’t viable MVP candidates.)

If you include fielding, Bautista has been involved in 921 plate appearances; Pedroia in 1198. When you add Verlander’s four plate appearances as a batter in interleague play, he has been involved in 834 plate appearances. That’s not far off Bautista’s 921, but it’s nowhere close to Pedroia’s 1198. But these numbers are devoid of context.

In the majority of plate appearances in which a batter puts the ball in play, the pitcher does more work than the fielder who makes the out. And who is more responsible for an out, the fielder who catches a routine pop fly or the pitcher who gets a batter to swing at a bad pitch resulting in the pop fly? If one could devise a statistic that combined the number of plate appearances involving a given player (whether as a pitcher, batter, or fielder) with the degree to which that player was involved in each plate appearance, I suspect that Verlander and Pedroia’s numbers would be much closer.

Then again, when a batter gets on base, he likely will be involved in subsequent plate appearances as a base runner. Curtis Granderson (582 plate appearances as a batter, 309 defensive chances, for a total of 891) has scored 122 runs so far this season. He scored 38 on home runs; the other 84 involved staying busy while his teammates were at the plate. Of course, pitchers must also account for base runners, keeping them honest and such.

There is also the every-fifth-game issue. Who is more valuable: a player who, for 33 games, is the most important person on the field or a player who, for 155 games, makes a handful of plate appearances and defensive plays? It’s an open question.

So who has a greater impact on a team’s season, a pitcher or a position player?

Depending on how you use and interpret the numbers (and depending on which position the position player plays), you could make a convincing argument either way. But keep this in mind: If you follow this line of thinking much further, you will arrive at the conclusion that every league MVP award should go to a catcher.

This card is worth $1.50, in mint condition.

Like pitchers, catchers have work to do every time an opposing batter steps to the plate. Unlike pitchers, many catchers are expected to play every day and to affect the game with their bat. In 2008, Joe Mauer spent 1,203 innings behind the plate, in addition to 633 plate appearances as a batter. If you assume an average of 4 batters per inning, which is low, Mauer was involved in about 5,400 plate appearances that season. (He finished fourth in MVP voting.)

In the summer of 1986 I took up card collecting. The 1986 Topps cards included stats through the 1985 season. After a summer of studying the previous year’s statistics, I decided that there was no way that Ozzie Guillén, with his pedestrian offensive numbers (.273/.291/.358), deserved to win AL Rookie of the Year over Teddy Higuera, who won 15 games as a starter for the Brewers. (I didn’t account for Guillén’s value as a defender since Topps cards didn’t include fielding statistics.) When I complained to my dad about this injustice, he explained to me that comparing pitchers and position players is a fruitless exercise.

Perhaps that’s the real lesson here. Comparing pitchers to position players is like comparing apples to falafel. (For that matter, comparisons between catchers and shortstops or second basemen and outfielders are likewise flawed. And I’m not even going to get into designated hitters.) But until Major League Baseball replaces the league MVP with the Henry Aaron Award for best offensive player (which would be kind of awesome), baseball writers will have to weigh the contributions of unlike players.

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Josh Tinley is the author of Kneeling in the End Zone: Spiritual Lessons From the World of Sports. Follow him at twitter.com/joshtinley or send him an e-mail.

We know you’re busy, we know you’re on the go, and we know that attention spans on the web are short. MSF QuickCasts, quite simply, will be rants and raves about sports (and the occasional non-sports topic) that start and finish in less time than it takes to check your email.

That’s it. Quick, concise, and convenient. Like everything on the web should be.

And I’m leading off with the first QuickCast today. The topic: the MLB All Star Game.

We know Bud Selig needs to get rid of the silly rule that awards World Series homefield advantage to the league that wins the Midsummer Classic, but I’ve got another simple, noble way that the Commish can easily and profoundly improve the best of the major sports All Star extravaganzas.

Listen:

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For those of you who would rather read than listen, here is the transcript for this quickcast:

One Simple, Noble Way to Improve the MLB All Star Game

Personally, I enjoy the MLB All Star Game far more than the NBA All Star Game, certainly more than the Pro Bowl, and I don’t really follow the NHL so I have no reasonable basis for comparing its All Star game to baseball’s.

But despite my affinity for the show MLB puts on each July, it could be better. Much better.

The first improvement is obvious: end the silliness of making it, quote, count. This point is so widely accepted now that I need not expatiate on it further.

There are plenty of other ways to make the MLB All Star Game more compelling though, and today I’m going to talk about one in particular:

Let’s do away with the previous season’s World Series managers managing the AL and NL teams.  I’ve got a much, much, much better way to do it.

Ron Washington and Bruce Bochy are good managers, solid baseball men, and interesting in their own way – especially Wash – but let me ask you this: wouldn’t it have been more interesting this year to have Bobby Cox manage the National League and Joe Torre manage the American League?

I propose that during Spring Training each year, the commissioner appoint two legendary, retired managers from each league to head up that year’s All Star managing staff. Not only would it give these men a chance to be honored and remembered by players and fans alike during the All Star weekend, they would be able to make more informed choices on reserves.

With today’s setup, players and managers are choosing reserves. While I’m sure some take it seriously, during the season most have to have tunnel vision on their own daily duties for their team, which is why no-brainer All Stars like Paul Konerko and Andrew McCutchen have to back into the All Star game as a, quote, “last man” or injury replacement. If veteran baseball men like Torre and Cox paid attention all year to the entire league, my guess is they would make much better choices than we currently see.

But selection fairness is far less of a reason to implement this system than simply how much more compelling it would be.

Imagine the intrigue of Joe Torre being back in a dugout with Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez (assuming that they had been healthy enough to play, of course).

Imagine getting to see Bobby Cox manage, for a night, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Cliff Lee…the present day version of his 1990s Braves staffs.

Imagine once Ozzie Guillen retires from managing, bringing him back to the dugout for an evening. His antics are often criticized and lambasted now, but they’ll be romanticized and missed once he’s gone, and his presence would interest baseball fans in general.

How about a retired Tony LaRussa bringing his unique style back for a night and getting to write “Albert Pujols” on a lineup card again? Or Jim Leyland getting to rah-rah the troops for one more big game after he hangs up his stirrups for the final time?

I could go on and on.

Baseball managers are the most interesting head men in professional sports. Many of them never went to college, all of them are “baseball lifers”, and so many of them are quirky and idiosyncratic and endearingly unpolished in ways that just are not, nor could be, appreciated in other sports.

Guys like Ron Wash, and Charlie Manuel, and Tito Francona. These men, like so many before them, are baseball treasures, part of the unique fabric of America’s pastime that links today’s managing characters to the Lou Piniellas and the Sparky Andersons and the Earl Weavers and the Connie Macks of years gone by.

But in today’s 24-hour sports attention span, the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” has never been more apropos. And that’s a shame.

I miss Bobby Cox and the consistent excellence be brought to the game. I miss Sweet Lou and his emotional distress.  I miss Joe Torre and his steady hand in the eye of the omnipresent New York storm. And I’ll miss Wash, Oz, Tito, and so many more once they are gone.

So for one night each season, let’s bring a couple of these legendary old boys of summer back into the spotlight. It will be more interesting and educational for fans, it will be good for the fairness of the rosters and the integrity of the game itself, and, most importantly, it will honor deserving men who spent a lifetime dedicated to the game of baseball.

Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, and so many others deserve one more nostalgic, loving curtain call, and the fans deserve one more appreciative, damp-eyed hat tip.

Image source: AP via PinstripedBible

Memories and emotions are what making something compelling, what make something, quote, count; not the location of the games with the most important outcome being determined by the game with the least important outcome.

Hey Bud, want the All Star Game to count? This is how you do it.

Final thought:

Remember the old saying it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game? That should be the guiding principle of the MLB All Star Game. And what better way to keep that in mind each year than by honoring the best to ever teach players how the game should be played.

In the video, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is asked what he would say to Steve Bartman. Ozzie’s response? Initially, it’s exactly what mine would be:

“It’s not your fault. The Cubs suck.”

Wake me when it’s over.

Report: Guillen Could Leave White Sox If He Doesn’t Feel Wanted — CBS Chicago

Excerpt:

Guillen recently bought a house in Chicago, but he told the newspaper it wasn’t because he had made any commitment to stay in the city forever. And when asked about loyalty, his response to the Sun-Times was: “F**k loyalty. Like Juan Uribe says, ‘Twenty-one million is more than $20 million.’”

The article also delivers an unintentionally (I assume) hilarious picture choice under the headline “Sox have kid-friendly workplace”.

Image credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo via Chicago Tribune

There just seems to be something a bit wrong about discussing how someone makes kids feel welcome in the clubhouse and then choose an image of said someone lifting up there shirt and caressing their belly. What is this, Neverland?

Anyway, all joking aside, it is a good article. Here is an excerpt:

The supposed adult would be Ozzie Guillen, the White Sox manager whose heart melts like a fudgesicle in summer when he sees players’ children waiting outside the home clubhouse.

It is a side of Guillen the public never sees. Or hears.

Moments after throwing swear words in the media room at the Cell, Guillen walks down a hallway and emits a shrill whistle, and the kids come running to his arms, to be toted or led to their fathers inside.

It is the fastest personality switch in sports.

“I can be very very mad. I can be on fire, and I see (Mark) Buehrle’s kids and I see (Alex) Rios’ kid and it’s over with,” Guillen says. “They lighten up the clubhouse and (put it) in a better mood.”

Some managers begrudgingly allow children in the clubhouse. Guillen heartily endorses it.

The man is by no means perfect, but he is unabashedly all about family, and I think that’s something every can relate with and respect.

Ozzie’s latest batch of nearly incomprehensible tweets is a rather inspirational soliloquy on perseverance and belief in oneself. It’s the Ozzie Twitter account at its finest.

Screenshot:

Update: And as Tom Fornelli points out, this is quite likely in response to Ozzie’s son Ozney not being drafted.

Since I do everything with an editor mindset, I tend to read things rather literally the first time through. As you can clearly see, that provides both its challenges and its unbridled hilarity when it comes to deciphering the tweets of my favorite manager.

So for the record: yes, I realize that Ozzie is making a general statement applicable to us all when he says “God grab your neck but never choke”; you’ll have to forgive me if I decide to indulge in the funnier, more literal interpretation that suggests Ozzie is trying to talk God out of choking himself.

Never change Ozzie.

Who will come out on top in what has historically been one of baseball’s most competitive divisions? Can the Twins repeat? Will the reloaded White Sox reclaim the throne? Can the Tigers rebound from last year’s disappointment?

Yesterday we analyzed the AL East. Let’s take look at the AL Central.

Minnesota Twins

Justin Morneau looks to return to the lineup after missing half of last season with a concussion that lingered into the off season. Joe Mauer will look to get back to 2009 AL MVP form when he hit .365 and hit 28 homeruns. Japanese All Star Tsuyoshi Nishioka will start at second base, Alexi Cassilla will be given a chance at shortstop, and Danny Valencia will play third. If Cassilla falters, Nishioka will move to short and Luke Hughes will play second. Trevor Plouffe could also figure into the middle infield equation with a solid spring.

Michael Cuddyer will be the opening day starter in right field, Denard Span will play center, and Delmon Young left. Jim Thome and Jason Kubel will be the DH, with both capable of playing first base. Jason Repko will be the fourth outfielder. Drew Butera will possibly make the team as the backup catcher.

Minnesota’s starting rotation will start with Francisco Liriano, followed by Carl Pavano, Scott Baker and Brian Duensing. Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey will use the spring to figure out who will get the fifth spot, the other likely going to the pen as long reliever. Joe Nathan (possibly ready for opening day) will be back as closer; Matt Capps will fill in if he isn’t ready by opening day.

Ron Gardenhire will manage the Twins for his 9th season, and will look to win the division again. He has some younger players, and winning it again could be a sign of successful years to come.

Prediction: I don’t see the Twins repeating 2010′s 94 wins, but I think they win 80-85 games this year, and fight the White Sox for the division all year, likely finishing in second.

Chicago White Sox

Ozzie Guillen and the Chicago White Sox finished last season seven games behind the Twins, so this off season they signed Adam Dunn to get some support around Paul Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios. The Sox will score some runs, and will hit a lot of homeruns this year if all the players mentioned can stay healthy.

Gordon Beckham and Alexi Ramirez will play second and short, Konerko will start at first, and Dunn may get some time there as well. Brent Morel, a rookie of the year candidate, will be given a shot at being the everyday third baseman. Mark Teahan and Omar Vizquel will fill the bench as backups. Brent Lillibridge and Alejandro DeAza could find their way onto the team with great springs.

Juan Pierre, Rios and Quentin will fill the outfield from left to right. Non-Roster invitee Lastings Milledge could find his way onto the team because the Sox don’t have much outfield depth. A.J. Pierzynski will start at catcher, with Ramon Castro his backup.

The White Sox rotation is one of the best in the majors. Mark Buehrle heads a rotation consisting of Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Jake Peavy (possibly out opening day) and Edwin Jackson. Chris Sale will start the year in the bullpen and will be first up if injury occurs to any of the starters. Matt Thornton, the hard throwing lefty, will be given the closers job as Bobby Jenks left for Boston.

The White Sox will be exciting in 2011, and Ozzie wouldn’t have it any other way.

Prediction: The ‘Good Guys are’ primed to win 90 plus games this year. They will fight the Twins and Tigers to the finish, and if the rotation stays intact, Chicago will win the Central.

Detroit Tigers

The Tigers finished 13games behind the Twins with a record of 81-81 last season. Magglio Ordonez had a disappointing season due to injury, and looks ready to produce this year. The acquisition of Victor Martinez will help give Ordonez and Cabrera protection in the lineup. Carlos Guillen ( ruled out opening day), who has not played more than 100 games in a season since 2008, will try and reach that plateau this season. Jhonny Peralta will start at shortstop and Brandon Inge will play third.

Austin Jackson will start in center field while Ryan Raburn and Brennan Boesch battle for the left field spot. Don Kelly will make the team as utility specialist. Will Rhymes, Ramon Santiago and Casper Wells will use spring to see who makes the team as backup. Alex Avila will get the majority of starts at catcher, with Martinez being the teams primary DH.

Justin Verlander, Max Sherzer, Rick Porcello, Phil Coke and Brad Penny will fill the starting rotation. Jose Valverde will be the closer, and Joaquin Benoit, who had an awesome 2010 in Tampa, will be the setup man.

Jim Leyland will try to get his team to avoid the distraction created by Miguel Cabrera, who again is having problems with alcohol. Cabrera will be ready for opening day, and will be monitored throughout the year.

Every win will count for these three teams, and the winner will get the division; the loser will miss the playoffs, as the Wild Card will come out of the American League East.

Prediction: If they can avoid the distractions, Detroit will win 85-90 games, and be in a battle with the White Sox and Twins all season long.

Cleveland Indians

Manny Acta will return for his second season as manager of the Indians, who finished 69-93 last season. Cleveland has a lot of questions going into spring training, and hopefully can clear some of them up. Grady Sizemore (possible mid May return) hopes to be ready and play center field, while Carlos Santana, who started team activities last week, could be in the lineup opening day. Matt LaPorta will be given the opportunity to get the majority of starts at first base, with Santana also getting some time to save his knees.

Travis Hafner will be the DH, and the Tribe will look for him to put up better numbers. Orlando Cabrera will start at second, and Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop. Jayson Nix will be given the chance to hold down the starting third base job, if he falters Jason Donald will take over. One of the game’s best kept secrets, Shin-Soo Choo will start in right field,  looking to continue his rise in the majors. Michael Brantley will start in center, and will stay there until Sizemore is ready. Austin Kearns and Trevor Crowe (possible for opening day) will be on the bench until Sizemore returns, then one may be out. Luis Valbuena will be the other bench player and infield backup.

The starting rotation is young, and will make or break the season for the Indians. It consists of Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Mitch Talbot and Carlos Carrasco. Josh Tomlin will be the fifth starter with a solid spring, and is the lead candidate ahead of Jeanmar Gomez and David Huff. If the staff has troubles, the Indians will have another disappointing season.

Prediction: Winning more than last year’s 69 games will be considered a success.

Kansas City Royals

Finishing out the Central is the Kansas City Royals, who finished in the cellar with a 67-95 record. Manager Ned Yost is expecting stronger pitching and better defense this year. With new arrivals Jeff Francouer (expected to be everyday right fielder) and Melky Cabrera, who will be the same in center, the outfield will be better. Alex Gordon will man left field, and be counted on to continue to improve his numbers. Kila Ka’aihue, a minor league masher, will get the opportunity to start at first base and hit in the middle of the lineup.

Chris Getz, Alcides Escobar and Mike Aviles will start from second to third. Billy Butler will be the DH and could get some time at first base if Ka’aihue can’t handle the lime light. Veteran Jason Kendall (out indefinitely with shoulder surgery, possible April return) will eventually be the team’s catcher, but Brayan Pena earned a job with a productive season last year, and will start until Kendall is ready.

Wilson Betemit will be the team’s utility infielder, and non-roster invitee Pedro Feliz will compete for a bench spot. Mitch Maier, Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson with fight for the fourth outfield spot, with Gregor Blanco more than likely being the odd man out.

The Royals also have a young rotation, with Luke Hochever, Kyle Davies, Vin Mazzaro, Jeff Francis and Sean O’Sullivan the likely candidates. Bruce Chen could also make the rotation; if not, he’ll be the long reliever.

The Royals may play better defense, but the offense is what they are going to need.

Prediction: Kansas City will battle it out with the Indians for last place, possibly winning 70 games.

And, of course, it will all likely come down to money and contracts. What doesn’t?

Here is an excerpt from Rosenthal’s article:

A week ago, I wrote about talk of Ozzie Guillen leaving the White Sox to manage the Marlins, citing buzz among scouts.

As it turns out, the talk is more than just idle speculation.

Guillen wants assurances that the White Sox would like him to remain manager long-term, according to a source with knowledge of his thinking.

The source even outlined a scenario that could lead to Guillen’s departure from the club:

Read the entire article: Extension for Ozzie or off to the Marlins?

Rosenthal goes on to discuss the infamously volatile relationship between Guillen and White Sox GM Ken Williams, and goes through a few scenarios for how owner Jerry Reinsdorf might deal with it. He also mentions a few names – Tony LaRussa, Dusty Baker, and Joey Cora among them – that the White Sox would have intest in should Guillen leave.

I like Ozzie Guillen. A lot. Always have. He’s been with the White Sox organization for a long time as a player and manager and overall has done a good job in Chicago. He hasn’t been perfect, and the White Sox have had some disastrous time periods under his watch (2007 comes to mind, as does September of this year), but he’s won more than he’s lost and did what no other manager could do in 200 seasons of baseball in the city of Chicago before 2005: deliver a World Series title.

Still, something has seemed off this year watching from afar, and perhaps a lot of that has to do with the souring of Ozzie’s relationship with Williams. Certainly if Ozzie stays those two need to mend some fences and get back on the same page for the White Sox to move forward.

Despite this season’s September collapse, the White Sox should have an Opening Day rotation of Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, and Edwin Jackson next year. That is outstanding. Assuming some positive tweaks can be made to the bullpen and lineup during the offseason, there is no reason White Sox shouldn’t be competing for an AL Central title next year. (By the way, anyone in Chicago up for revisiting those Twins contraction talks from a decade ago? Anyone?)

I hope Ozzie is still the skipper, and I expect he will be, though it is clearly far from a foregone conclusion. And I do have to admit that Ozzie seems like a great fit for the Marlins. At some point I expect him to manage there. With the team opening up a new stadium, and Ozzie’s popularity with the massive Latin fan base in Miami, the timing could no be more perfect from the Marlins’ perspective to swoop in and grab Guillen. And I think he’d be happy there. Will Reinsdorf left it happen? We’ll see.

As Kenny Williams said on The Club, “We [the White Sox] are a lot of things around here, but we are never boring.” That’s for sure. And it sounds like unless Ozzie’s contract desires are mollified, a 2010 season that is ending with a whimper may simply be a precursor to yet another event-filled offseason on the South Side.

The controversy wasn’t about the team on Chicago’s south side, however; rather, it had to do with the team that plays its home games on the city’s northern end, which just happens to not have a manager lined up for next year, and which also just happens to be Girardi’s former stomping grounds.

As we were when LeBron was making his Decision, and when Brett Favre was trying to decide whether or not to retire, MSF was there with our camera to capture the most important moments:

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It’s been a rough season for Cubs fans, and the best bit of news from 2010 may have come this weekend. Obviously Girardi isn’t going to make any decisions about his future while his Yankees are angling for a second straight World Series title, but he’s already got people like Mike Lupica riled up that he could have one eye focused on the Midwest:

And while Joe Girardi didn’t say on Friday in Chicago that he is leaving after this season, he sure didn’t say that he wanted to be the manager of the New York Yankees as long as they will have him. Girardi did not say that he will be wearing No. 29 next season in New York if the Yankees win him another World Series this season.

Girardi, in fact, was more brilliant than a politician – from either Chicago or New York – giving nuanced but always respectful answers to the questions without giving up all the leverage that he has if the Yankees win again and he is a free-agent manager coming off back-to-back Series victories.

And why wouldn’t Girardi entertain the thought, especially if his Yankees are able to win back-to-back crowns? As Lupica points out, at the very least, Girardi will use the open opportunity in Chicago as leverage for a better deal from the Yankees.

The way I see it, Girardi should head to Chicago, assuming that is where his family wants to be.

Regardless of whether the Yankees win this year or not, Girardi has already won a World Series in New York. So he has already climbed that most difficult of sports mountains – winning in New York – and no one can ever take that away from him. But just to escape the shadow of predecessor, Girardi would need to win three or perhaps even four more World Series crowns. With the Jeter-Rivera-Posada-Pettitte era coming to a close, and no obvious replacements waiting in the wings, does anyone think the Yankees are going to recapture their late-90s magic anytime soon? Maybe, but the last decade suggests it’s doubtful.

If Girardi goes to the Cubs and somehow delivers a World Series title though? He’s a legend. He’s immortal. He’s what Ozzie Guillen is on the South Side. Whatever happens during the rest of Ozzie’s tenure with the White Sox, he is the man who snapped the South Side drought and delivered a title. Doing it for the Cubs would be even more significant because they are city’s favored child and have a much greater national following. And Girardi, with his history as a Cub, understands this as well as anyone.

In New York, he’s just one of many managers who have done what’s expected of them. In Chicago, he could be the man.

Considering that the Cubs, under new ownership, will likely give Girardi a blank check and tell him to name his price…why wouldn’t he go to the Cubs?

We’ll have to wait until after the Yankees’ season ends to find out for sure, but the questions aren’t going to stop for Girardi, and with good reason. Girardi going to Chicago just makes too much sense. And if I were a Cubs fan, I’d be praying it’s what ends up happening.

As with the White Sox championship back in the Fall of ’05, the Blackhawks winning it all is extra special because of the prodigious cavern of time and seasons in between this title and the franchise’s last.

But that is how things go in Chicago. Teams win a title, then wait a long, long time before winning another. Case in point: the Bulls in ’94 and ’95. They went an entire two years without a 3-peat! It was truly a trying time for Chicagoans.

Okay…so maybe the Bulls are a bad example.

We all know who the big, pathetic elephant in the room is whenever someone mentions the words “Chicago” and “title drought” in the same sentence.

Now that the White Sox and Blackhawks have ended their droughts, the question is: will the Cubs be next? Or will another shorter Chicago sports drought end first?

Let’s analyze Chicago’s professional sports teams in order of shortest current title drought to longest and, on a scale of 1-10 Michael Jordans, assess their chances of being the next Chicago team to win it all.

Chicago Blackhawks

Current title drought: 12 hours

Why they’ll be next:

It’s hard to argue that the team that just won the Stanley Cup isn’t well positioned to do it again next year. This is a team with some young stars that obviously proved they were ready to make the step to champion this year. Why not next year too?

Why they’ll be last:

Defending a title is always more difficult than winning one (or so they say). We can’t just assume the Blackhawks will win it again next year or the year after that. This is a franchise that just went almost an entire half century without winning one remember.

And look at what happened to the White Sox after 2005. Everyone thought they were primed to repeat in ’06, they got off to a great start, and then BAM, reality set in. Their pitchers’ arms fell off in the second half of the season, the bottom fell out in ’07, and now just five years later the White Sox are on the verge of trading the last vestiges of ’05 – Mark Buehrle, AJ Pierzynski, Bobby Jenks, Paul Konerko – to rebuild.

Sorry to pee in your punchbowl there Blackhawks fans, but you never know what’s right around the corner for a franchise.

Final Verdict:

You have to like the Blackhawks as the closest Chicago team to its next title, especially since they are still gang-humping the Stanley Cup as we speak.

8 Michael Jordans

Chicago White Sox

Current title drought: 5 years (counting 2010, because let’s be honest, the White Sox are going nowhere this year)

Why they’ll be next:

Speaking of the White Sox, this probably isn’t the best time to be talking about the team’s World Series chances. A lot of us had high hopes coming into the season, but those have been dashed by 2+ terrible months of baseball in which the AL Central’s expected best starting rotation has sucked beyond belief.

With vets like Mark Buehrle and Paul Konerko aging and probably on their way out the door, plus a lot of money tied up in the pitiful Jake Peavy and resurgent though untrustworthy Alex Rios, plus the struggles of guys like Gordon Beckham, Carlos Quentin, and Gavin Floyd, plus a depleted Minor League system…well, things don’t exactly look all that bright on the South Side.

So let’s just skip to the next section. I can’t think of any compelling reason why the White Sox will be Chicago’s next champion, other than the randomness of baseball.

Why they’ll be last:

Read the previous section. Can you tell I’m not a real optimistic White Sox fan right now?

Final Verdict:

The White Sox have a lot of work to do to get themselves back into contention, but the reality of baseball is that if the White Sox veteran pitchers can return to form next year, if they can add a strong bat or two, and if Ozzie Guillen can push the right buttons to build some momentum, anything is possible. So while things don’t look that great right now, things can change and come out of nowhere in baseball.

And since Michael Jordan once played for the White Sox, I’m giving the Good Guys one extra MJ.

3 Michael Jordans

Chicago Bulls

Current title drought: 12 years

Why they’ll be next:

The Bulls have one of the NBA’s up-and-coming stars in point guard Derrick Rose, along with the kind of do-it-all glue guy in Joakim Noah that you need to win a title. Obviously they need more pieces, but they have a decent foundation started.

Why they’ll be last:

There is no telling what the recently announced decision to bring in the alliterative power of Tom Thibodeau’s defensive wizardry will mean. He has never been a head coach at the NBA level, and wasn’t that one of the criticisms of Vinny Del Negro? It’s possible that the Bulls may have hired a lemon and that they’ll continue to tread water in the Eastern Conference.

Final Verdict:

Some people think T.T. was brought in because it would help curry favor with LeBron James (the two share an agent). If so, and if the Bulls can snag LeBron, then they immediately vault to the front of the Chicago pack. Right now it is still too early to tell, so I have to take a middle-of-the-road view of the Bulls’ chances.

5 Michael Jordans

Chicago Bears

Current title drought: 25 years

Why they’ll be next:

The NFL, like MLB, is a league where quick turnarounds can happen, where teams can come out of nowhere to make surprise playoff runs. Bears fans must hope that is the case this year, because I don’t think many people are expecting a lot out of the Bears this year.

Still, they did add Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor (weakening conference foes in the process), they have a coach who has taken a team to a Super Bowl, and they have a quarterback who at least has the physical skills to be among the league’s elite. And in the absence of a historically dominant D, you aren’t winning a Super Bowl without an elite QB. If Cutler and Martz can mesh well, the Bears could surprise in a pretty wide open NFC.

Why they’ll be last:

Well, this season needs to go well. If it doesn’t, Lovie Smith will likely be gone (undoubtedly taking Mike Martz with him), confidence in Jay Cutler will be waning, and the entire direction of the franchise will be up in the air. Stability typically wins championships in the NFL. The Bears are holding onto it tenuously right now. A bad 2010 season, however, and it all gets “blowed up” (to quote Emmitt Smith), which could set the Bears back 3-5 years.

Final Verdict:

The thin ice the Bears are walking on, plus the chance of LeBron going to Chicago, means that the Bears have to be behind the Bulls. The fact that the White Sox at least have guys on their roster with World Series title winning experience, while the Bears have a QB in Cutler who has never won at any level, also means that I cannot in good conscience rank the Bears over the White Sox. I’ll call it a draw.

3 Michael Jordans

Chicago Cubs

Current title drought: 102 years

Why they’ll be next:

Because the Red Sox proved that miracles are possible and curses are made to be broken.

Because even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.

Because the law of averages has to work out in their favor at some point, right?

Choose any trite, loosely related cliche you want to make yourselves feel better Cubs fans. Really. I won’t judge. I promise.

Why they’ll be last:

102 years of being losers is a difficult tradition to overcome. Sure, the White Sox did it, but that’s because the power of Steve Perry compelled us. Who the hell is going to supply enough karma to overcome the Cubs’ drought? Not even Culture Club could provide enough.

Final Verdict:

The Cubs organization is in about as poor a shape top to bottom as the White Sox. The sad thing is, both teams are in the top 10 in baseball in payroll. That’s not good. But at least the White Sox are hanging onto the final shards of a championship squad. The Cubs are hanging onto…what, exactly?

The rebuilding process will have to start soon, thus ending one era of losing on the North Side so that another can begin.

Sorry Cubs, but you don’t get measured in MJ’s. I can’t associate his image with so much losing. But your consolation prize is 10 Mariottis…plus, of course, another title-less season.

Yes, unfortunately for this poor girl, who sums up the experience of being a Cubs fan in the iconic image below, the Blackhawks’ victory last night simply means that the Cubs are now even further removed from a title than the rest of the franchises in the Windy City.

And, as usual, there is little hope on the horizon.

Congrats to the Blackhawks and their fans. Whose turn do you think it will be next?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

There, glad that’s settled.

Now, since I complimented a Cubs fan this morning (I still need to shower to feel clean again) it’s time to counterbalance that with some love for someone from the South Side.

Luckily, the White Sox are managed by the incomparable Guillen, who somehow finds a way to do laudable things even in the midst of one of the more disappointing 50 game stretches of White Sox baseball I can remember over the last 10 years.

He recently did two that deserve recognition. And since no one slurps the Ozzie Guillen bathwater more unabashedly than me and KVB, I had to post about them.

First, Ozzie provided his opinion on the hottest story in sports for the next month. He also lobbed an insult grenade at the city of Cleveland that hit where it hurts most.

The pictorial evidence of both are below:

Image Source: The LeBetard Show via Deadspin

Image Source: The LeBetard Show via Deadspin

What can you say about this? What other manager/coach would a) be clever enough to write this stuff on a baseball, and b) have the willingness and sense of humor to put it out there publicly?

Only Ozzie, which is why he’s the best.

(And before you criticize his managing, just remember that he’s the only manager in over 200 seasons of baseball to deliver a World Series title to the city of Chicago…so f–k you.)

And on a related note, Ozzie Guillen getting unfiltered access on Twitter is the greatest thing to happen to Twitter since Conan O’Brien getting on Twitter…which was the greatest thing to happen to Twitter since…?

Now onto the second reason to love Ozzie Guillen: he has his players backs and will call out umpires when they need to be called out. Case in point, yesterday.

Joe West called a balk on Mark Buehrle and then threw Buehrle out of the game because one of the most respected veteran pitchers in the Majors had the audacity to disagree and throw his glove down in disgust. And that warrants tossing him out of the game in the third inning? F–k you Joe West.

Ozzie obviously agrees:

“Because he’s a f—ing a–hole, that’s what he is. I just went out to ask him … I wasn’t asking about the balk because you’re not allowed, anytime you go out there to ask about balk or whatever. The thing I went out to ask him about was why he was embarrassing Buehrle. I’m not going out to argue about the balk because the rule, but I went out to ask him why he’s embarrassing Buehrle and he give me one of this [dismissing him with his hands].”

For his part, Buehrle had a great quote too regarding West:

“I did the same move the toss right before that, and he didn’t call a balk,” Buehrle said. “Once I got tossed I wanted to go say a few words and try to get my money’s worth and just kind of find out what did I do wrong to balk? I think he’s too worried about promoting his CD (West is a country music singer and song writer with his own website) and I think he likes seeing his name in the papers a little bit too much instead of worrying about the rules.”

Ahh…the things that keep you interested in a baseball season when your team – which you thought would win the division – is languishing below .500.

[Oh, and sorry for the language above. What can I say? Writing about Ozzie - and thinking about the White Sox record this year - just brings it out of me.]

WTF?

Perhaps not so coincidentally, the three letters above represent the same WTF number of shots LeBron James made last night.

Really, WTF doesn’t even describe last night’s game. Cleveland and LeBron pretty much rolled over, on their home floor, in a must win game, in a performance that even the Atlanta Hawks would have considered soft.

Every sports news outlet from Bristol to Bangkok will be dissecting LeBron’s poor play last night and assessing what it may or may not mean for his future in Cleveland. I thought I’d throw my two cents in as well, although with a little bit of a difference perspective.

So, since everyone is reacting to last night’s “LeBracle” that made all of Quicken Loans Arena groan, boo, and exit early, we’re counting down the top 10 reactions for you this morning.

Here they are, along with a hastily made photo collage that I think pretty much sums up last night. (Memo to Mike Brown: when Jose Mesa is trying to kick you in the face – with the full support of the city of Cleveland, I might add – you know you have problems.)

Top 10 Reactions to the Quicken Groans LeBracle:

10. Even former Browns QB Derek Anderson thinks the Cleveland faithful deserved better and were justified in booing.

9. Kentucky coach John Calipari was apparently in the arena last night. After the game, not even Worldwide Wes himself could convince Calipari to add LeBron to his next recruiting class at Kentucky.

8. After the game John Starks called LeBron. He requested royalties the next time LeBron decides to imitate him in a big game. (Note: Legally, LeBron would not be required to pay John Starks royalties because he did not completely infringe on Starks’ patented big stage collapse. Starks, you see, at least went down shooting.)

7. While waddling dejectedly to their cars, multitudes of Cleveland fans sought solace by reminiscing about the less painful and crushing memories of Earnest Byner and Jose Mesa.

6. At halftime, Cleveland native Brady Quinn implored his new teammate Tim Tebow to use his powers of divine intervention to compel a Cavs comeback. Tebow responded that he would, as long as the Cavs showed up to play the second half. They never did.

5. Lost in all the disappointment and finger pointing over Prince James’ woefully underwhelming 3-14 shooting performance and overall lackluster play is the fact that LeBron did actually accomplish something amazing: he made Skip Bayless more impressed with himself.

4. Mike Brown was left speechless for the second time this series…

…wait, never mind, based on the sideline shots of Mike Brown, he is always speechless.

3. The game hasn’t even been over for 12 hours and already LeBron’s elbow is getting sick and tired of answering questions about LeBron. LeBron’s elbow even said that now his kids are asking him “what’s wrong with LeBron?”

The fact of the matter is that LeBron’s elbow said an MRI that had been scheduled for LeBron will no longer be necessary. So see? Nothing to worry about. (LeBron and the rest of the Cavs will, however, be undergoing EKG assessments at the behest of owner Dan Gilbert. He wants to make sure his players still have normal heart activity since they showed none on the floor last night.)

2. We now know why Jay-Z included these lyrics in his epic song “Empire State of Mind”:

Me I gotta plug a special and I got it made,
If Jesus payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,

Although I’m not sure Tim Tebow really wants LeBron on his team after last night’s performance, we can certainly understand why Jay-Z would rather have Wade and his ring. (Hey, DWade may have received a huge assist from the refs in getting his one ring, but at least he attacked the basket and took control of the game to put the refs in a position to hand him a title.)

And finally, the #1 reaction to last night’s Quicken Groans LeBracle:

1. All those New York fans clamoring for LeBron James to come to the Big Apple? They just had a harrowing realization: they already have LeBron, and his name is Javy Vazquez.

Don’t believe me? Read this quote:

“I just want him to be aggressive…knock somebody on their butt…You have to be mean. Go out there and show them we show up to play, show up to kick your guys’ [butts]. And believe me, that will take care of itself.”

No, that was not Mike Brown describing LeBron James after Game 5. That was White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen talking about Javy Vazquez when he pitched in Chicago. After failing under the pressure of the Windy City, then succeeding in the obscurity and absence of pressure in Atlanta last year, Vazquez is now back in New York shrinking on the big stage.

Is LeBron much better at basketball than Javy Vazquez is at baseball? Sure. But could you compare LeBron’s Game 5 performance to a typical Javy Vazquez big game start? Unfortunately, you absolutely can.

Sure you need another Javy, New York? Just sayin’…

(Deep breath.)

(Deep breath.)

(Deep breath.)

Okay.

Now that I have that out of my system, let me close with a little perspective.

Last night’s game was awful. In fact, it was beyond awful. If you’re a Cleveland fan, there is not one positive that you can take from last night’s game other than the knowledge that Shaq can still dunk when left wide open. Hooray.

But…

As bad as last night was, and as epically bad as LeBron James was in a really big spot, the series is not over yet.

Cleveland has already beaten Boston once in the Garden. And LeBron, despite how badly he played last night, has shown us in the past that he is capable of virtuoso performances in big spots. Remember his epic 4th quarter against Detroit a few years back? Remember his tremendous performance as recently as Game 3 in this series?

Though it doesn’t seem like it after last night, LeBron and the Cavs are still very capable of winning Game 6 and forcing a Game 7, although the championship experience, maturity, and momentum of the Celtics certainly will make it extremely difficult.

Difficult…but not impossible.

The unfortunate truth of the matter if you understand the sad history of sports in Cleveland is that if Game 5 does end up being LeBron’s final home game in his hometown, it ended about how it “should” have: in crushing disappointment.

In fact, because such a cursed, downtrodden city has placed so many hopes on this one person to deliver them from sports purgatory, it is almost cravenly predestined that it would end with those same cursed, downtrodden fans booing the man who was supposed to be their sports savior. I really hope that’s not the case, but still less than 12 hours removed from the filth I watched last night from the Cavs, it is really hard to see the silver lining right now.

On Thursday night it will be up to LeBron and the Cavs to burst through the storm clouds hovering over the city and their season to give fans a reason to keep hope alive.

Otherwise, another era of Cleveland sports will be doing its best Cuyahoga River impression…by going up in flames.

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Full Disclosure: I unfortunately listened to Mike & Mike this morning, and Mike Greenberg read something by someone that described last night’s game as a “LeBacle”. I thought “LeBracle” actually sounded better. I’d like to give credit where it is due for coining the idea for that phrase, but I’m not sure where it came from first. If you know, let me know so I can provide a link. Thanks.

Update: I think this was the article. And it’s a good one too, by John Hollinger.

* – LeBron James photo credit: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images via ESPN.com

* – Javier Vazquez photo credit: Hawk Fantasy Sports

* – Skip Bayless photo credit: ImageShack

* – Mike Brown photo credit: BareNucks.com

* – Kevin Garnett photo credit: FunFunNewsNews.com

* – Earnest Byner photo credit: NYTimes.com

* – Jose Mesa photo credit: DayLife.com

* – LeBron James chalk photo credit: Free-Extras.com

The biggest off-field news in the sports world yesterday involved ESPN, Deadspin, and some pretty lurid tales of sex, ego, and quid pro quo. We discussed this as it was happening, but there have also been new developments in the “ESPN Horndog Dossier” since we signed off yesterday.

But that was yesterday. It’s now Thursday, and we already have the most important news of today and it’s not even 6:30 CT yet: Ozzie Guillen will be working for Fox as a studio analyst during this year’s World Series. Yep, this is going to be great.

And now the rest of What You Need To Read for Thursday, October 22nd, brought to you by…Kate Beckinsale.

Hot topics

It wans’t just Deadspin throwing out the salacious ESPN stories. The Big Lead got in on the action as well, although they weren’t quite as upfront with the names.

Last note about the Steve Phillips’ story. Answer this question honestly: if someone had told you a week ago that one of the three people pictured here would be involved in a sex scandal with Steve Phillips, who would you have guessed it would be? I would have guessed the one on the right.

Times are tough for SEC officials. The crew that blew calls in the Florida v Arkansas game has been suspended.

A-Rod is definitely the story of the playoffs so far this year.

Sam Bradford appears headed for season-ending surgery.

This one shouldn’t surprise anyone: Tiger Woods is the most popular athlete in the world.

It’s NFL Power Rankings time. Go here, here, here, and here.

You’ve probably heard by now that Steve Largent defended his friend Jim Zorn against the crimes being committed against him by Dan Snyder, Vinny Cerrato, and the gods of the NFL. But who really cares. You should click on this link simply for the unintentionally hilarious picture of Largent and Zorn from yesteryear. And if the words “Brokeback Seahawks” or “Brokeback something” don’t pop into your head…well, you’re lying. Or Jim Zorn.

Midwest sports news

In Big Ten news, the Purdue-Notre Dame series has been extended to 2021 while the buzz builds for the Boilermakers 2009-10 basketball team. Also, Terrelle Pryor’s teammates apparently think he has hit rock bottom and Joe Paterno is not intimidated by the Big House.

In Browns news, not only does half the team apparently have the flu, but the good folks at Cleveland Frowns are wondering why Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone is so obsessed with Eric Mangini.

In Bengals and Bears news, former Bears bust Cedric Benson apparently feels emboldened by his strong start to the 2009 season and has forgotten just how bad he sucked in the Windy City. The guy who would now be Benson’s QB, had Benson not sucked so bad and been jettisoned from Chicago, just got an extension that the guys at NQTC think was a good move for all involved.

In Packers news, the team has dipped into its past to sign Ahman Green again. And amazingly, Green is only 46 yards away from setting the franchise record for career rushing yards. The guys at Rumors and Rants regale us with a list of things that were popular back when Ahman Green was relevant.

Blogging, social media, and other stuff

Here is a fun dare — do something different! — from one of my favorite non-sports bloggers.

Ha, ha, ha

There really is nothing more entertaining than walking through Wal-Mart and people watching. The fine folks at Uncoached have compiled some of the best Wal-Mart people photos ever, including gems like a shirt that says “While you were reading this…I farted” and a guy that I would swear is KVB if I didn’t know better.

The guys at Gunaxin have broken down the ten best TV commercials of the always funny Sir Charles.

Tirico Suave gives us other shirts that Jeff Fisher might be wearing soon.

And a little something extra for the fellas

More from Uncoached, some interesting photos of women communing with the outdoors.

Asylum has broken down ten stupid things girls like.

Luckily, Gunaxin counters with the decidedly non-stupid things that guys like: hot girls.

And in case you didn’t know, Kate Beckinsale was recently dubbed the “Sexiest Woman Alive” by Esquire. Here is the video evidence they have put forth in support of their claim. You decide.

And that’s it. Have a great Thursday everyone, and remember to send your tips here.

**********

* – Kate Beckinsale photos credit: Girls.Pic

He is also dealing with a strained right oblique injury that may threaten his ability to battle Rangers shortshop Elvis Andrus mano-a-mano for the award down the stretch.

The injury forced Beckham to leave Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning, and was originally called a “stiff back.” As I mentioned in a previous post, all White Sox fans have become conditioned to fear our third baseman and the term “stiff back” being placed anywhere near eachother.

Luckily for Beckham and the White Sox, the injury does not appear serious and his return is likely this week. Most likely, Beckham will return on Wednesday, but the White Sox could hold him out until Friday (with an off day mercifully coming on Thursday).

Scott Merkin wrote about Beckham’s injury today at his White Sox blog “Being Ozzie Guillen” and says that the manager is going to err on the side of caution with his young phenom, but that Guillen also wants Beckham back in the lineup when he is ready to both help the White Sox finish strong in September and compete for the Rookie of the Year.

From Merkin’s article updating the status of Gordon Beckham’s injury:

“I want him to finish strong,” said Guillen of Beckham. “Hopefully he can get what I want him to get, that award. He deserved and earned it. It’s our job to make sure we do the best for him to get it. We’ll talk to (White Sox athletic trainer) Herm (Schneider) about it. It’s a day game today and hopefully the long day he’ll get better.”

Let’s hope the kid can come back and find his hitting stroke again.  Gordon Beckham struggled out of the gate, then got hot, and has cooled off as of late (7 for his last 36 with only 1 2B). When Beckham was hot, the White Sox were playing their best baseball of the season and threatening the Tigers’ hold on the top spot in the AL Central.

Though another AL Central crown and a return trip to the playoffs seems out of reach for the White Sox in 2009, crazier things have happened. No question, the White Sox need a healthy and hitting Gordon Beckham to have even a prayer of a late September surge.

**********

* – Gordon Beckham thumbs up photo credit: Michael O’Day via MLB.com