Well, I Guess I Jinxed it

Less than 12 hours after I muse about the possibility that Joe Crede's ongoing contract negotiations with the Twins is just a devious ruse orchestrated by puppet master extraordinaire Ken Williams, does Sports Illustrated and Twins blogger La Velle Neal report that now the two sides seem to be agreeing a whole lot more. No surprise that Crede would have to accept a little less than the guaranteed $7 million he was looking for.

If Joe indeed signs with the Twins, I certainly hope it doesn't tarnish his legacy with the Sox. No, he never quite lived up to the hype, but was an above average hitter, an excellent defensive third baseman, and when the lights shined brightest on the White Sox, he brought his A game. He slugged .622 during the 12-game play-off run in 2005, 180 points above his career average. He hit 4 home runs, drove in 11 runs, and easily could have been named ALCS MVP.

Shockingly, Joe only played 4 full seasons in Chicago. He didn't win the job until 2003, after the Sox released Royce Clayton and Jose Valentin shifted back to shortstop. It seemed like a lifetime, from his pair of minor league MVP awards and coronation as the next Robin Ventura to the bitter contract dispute that irreversibly damaged the relationship between the team and its third baseman.

Thanks for the memories, Joe. Thanks for the World Series. If you sign with Minnesota, I'll wish you the best of individual luck, but I hope you finish dead last every year.

UPDATE: Mid-post, Mark Gonzales is reporting that Crede and the Twins have agreed to a deal. Get your tickets for April 10!

Elsewhere, the Fort Worth Star Telegram again revisits the Danks-McCarthy deal, apparently, just to twist the knife a bit more on Ranger fans. This trade has been so ludicrously one-sided now, I feel bad for Brandon McCarthy. I wonder how athletes deal with being that level of a disappointment on a personal and organizational level. That said, I don't mind the Sox being on this side of these deals.

A great post at South Side Sox exploring the "Masset Theory," which states that no matter how much you rid yourself of expendable bullpen arms, there's always plenty to be had. Good for a laugh as well as a brief introduction to several names you'll likely utter in disgust when they serve up a late-inning homer.

Despite the seemingly endless barrage of trade rumors, Jermaine Dye still enjoys playing in Chicago and even went so far as to say he'd "like to finish his career here." Not sure how likely that situation is to play out, Dye is probably going to have to take a hometown discount to stay with the Sox, but with Jim Thome's $13 million coming off the books after 2009 and Paul Konerko's $12 million coming off after 2010, there might be extra money Dye, especially if he's willing to become a full-time DH. Specifically, Jermaine noted that he likes playing for Ozzie.

Finally, if you're in a betting kind of mood, Bodog.com, one of the largest online sports books released its pre-season odds for all sort of futures stakes in the 2009 MLB season. As for the Central division? Currently the odds are:

1. Twins, 7/4
2. Indians, 2/1
3. Tigers, 7/2
4. White Sox, 4/1
5. Royals, 14/1

Also, if you're wondering, the Sox are 14/1 odds to win the American League (somehow, besting the Twins' 15/1 odds) and 30/1 odds to bring home the title. Decent odds, if you believe in this team.

Perhaps Joe Crede is Still Employed by the White Sox

There's no other rational explanation for why Crede and Scott Boras, his agent, refuse to accept anything less than a $7 million base salary and an added $4 million in incentives for Crede to sign on anywhere in 2009. Are these guys serious? Do they have no concept of the current market for baseball teams? Manny Ramirez is still unemployed. Ditto for Orlando Hudson. Bobby Abreu had to settle for a 1-year, $5 million deal with the Angels and, unlike Crede, has been healthy and productive the last few seasons.

Therefore, the only thing I can come up with is the Sox are shrewdly paying Joe under the table to temptingly dangle his services to the Twins, but never sign on the dotted line. I mean, if he's as healthy as Boras claims, Crede is just what the doctored ordered for the Twins. He's not that old. He's an everyday third baseman and he's got some pop left in his bat. Yet, despite the fact he's a career .219 hitter in the Metrodome and he's only played in 144 games the past two years due to back problems, he's not accepting anything less than a contract that will make him, at least, the Twins' third highest paid player.

Some locals already know signing Crede would be a roll of the dice, and don't blame the Twins for not giving in to his ludicrous salary demands, but they keep sending scouts to watch his workout and batting practice sessions. You just have to know they know how much a healthy Crede would help their team, and yet, they can't come to an agreement. I don't know if stalled negotiations like this have any effect on a clubhouse or team morale, but it's still hilarious to sit back and watch the drama unfold as the immovably thrifty Twins collide with the unstoppably overpriced Crede.

Joe Crede, You are Dead to Us

The White Sox recently updated the Roster section of the official page, revealing the number assignments for the newbies. The new numbers of note are:

• #5 - Jayson Nix
• #15 - Wilson Betemit
• #17 - Chris Getz (a change from last year when he donned #39)
• #18 - Brent Lillibridge
• #38 - Cole Armstrong
• #40 - Bartolo Colon
• #48 - Jeff Marquez
• #57 - Kelvin Jimenez

However, one of the new numbers that really caught me by surprise was Dayan Viciedo taking #24. Take that Crede, you haven't even found a new team yet and we're giving your number to a guy who plays the same position as you. Seems like one last dig at Joe for their messy divorce. Now, I'm probably overreacting and I probably take number assignments too seriously, but my immediate reaction was still, "Wow, that was fast." Of course, upon further research, I remembered that the Sox gave away Aaron Rowand's number the first season after his trade to Philadelphia, even though he and the Sox seperated amicably. But at least Javier was an established vet who didn't play center field.

Keeping Tabs on Free Agents of Interest

As anyone who follows baseball knows, this has been one of the strangest off-seasons in quite some time. We're just a few days from Spring Training and a plethora of quality players remain unemployed, struggling to find work in a sport that clearly was unprepared for the effect this down economy would have on it (nice giving Raul Ibanez that 3-year, $30+ million contract, Philadelphia. No way does that deal look terrible now). The the White Sox have repeatedly said they're not interested in adding more dollars to their self-imposed budget, they've still been linked to a number of free agents in the recent months and weeks. Plus, there are still several high-profile former Sox free agents out there whose decisions have very real consequences for the organization.

BOBBY ABREU
No more than a week ago, multiple sources had the Sox floating an $8 million offer to Abreu, but that deal always seemed to hinge on the Sox's ability to move Jermaine Dye, a task that has probably proved to be impossible as the corner outfield market is completely oversaturated.

• The Mariners had also always been discussed as a possibly landing spot for Abreu, but even local Seattle writers have come to terms that the M's will most likely have to look at cheaper options like Ken Griffey, Jr. (more on him later) or Garret Anderson
• Both Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal and some guy at Yahoo! Sports agree that the Angels and Abreu have just about agreed on a deal, even though Los Angeles seems to already have 10 other outfielders.

ORLANDO CABRERA
As the only Type A free agent the Sox lost this off-season, we've all be anxiously awaiting for Cabrera to land somewhere to resolve the question of what draft pick compensation we'd get. After waiting and waiting, there was even some speculation that Cabrera wouldn't sign anywhere until after the June draft, nulling the Sox's compensation and fittingly ending his turbulent time on the South Side with one final "screw you."

• Though nobody's talking, it looks like there is a renewed interest between Cabrera and the A's, but uh, good luck landing a contract in the range of $10 million.
• At least this guy's on our side: Local writer Bruce Jenkins points out the reasons why Cabrera would be a good fit in Oakland. Really, I just want someone to sign the guy.

JOE CREDE

• I have no idea what planet Joe Crede or Scott Boras live on, but the snag in Crede's negotiations are supposedly because Crede has been asking for a deal worth around $7 million/year. What! So far, the only teams that have looked remotely interested are the Giants and Twins, but even the Yankees would laugh off giving a guy whose chronic back problems have cost him over 1/2 his games the past 2 seasons $7 million per year.
• That said, this guy from Minnesota thinks the Twins should still try and sign Crede. When healthy, Joe can still hit and the Achilles' Heel for the Twins lately has been the lack of power in their lineup.

ORLANDO HUDSON
Before last season ended and even into this off-season, Hudson was consistently linked to the White Sox and for natural reasons, he would be one of the high OBP guys that could hit at the top of the order that we're sorely lacking, plus he plays a defensive position that we have no real answer for. The main concern was some nagging injury issues, but it seemed like a classic KW "wait and swoop"-type deal; Hudson would sit around, let his value depreciate a bit and the Sox would come knocking with an offer to help him redeem himself.

• About a week ago, Hudson was a guest on MLB Network's Hot Stove and he named four teams that have been showing him interest; the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Nationals.
• Earlier today, the Cardinals released Adam Kennedy, their starting second baseman for much of the past 2 seasons. Despite not having any real solution to their now void second base position, the Cardinals don't seem interested in bringing in any veteran players. Still, this feels like a developing situation that may yield some news yet.
• And finally, tonight, the Dodgers reportedly were set to make a big splash in the free agent market and could possibly sign deals with both Hudson and Manny Ramirez by the end of the week.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR

• Still feeling the effects of the incredible amount of available outfielders, but he's still waiting. As noted earlier, there's a strong possibility he'll return to Seattle.

FRANK THOMAS

• There's been so little interest in the Big Hurt, the best I could find was this post from a Yankees' fan blog that is roughly 95% not about him. After hitting only .240/.349/.374 in 71 gamed between Toronto and Oakland, it looks like the well may have finally run dry.

RAY DURHAM
Obviously, a former Sox All-Star but the free agent second baseman has been getting very little looks, which is surprising. He's not a Type A or B free agent, so he won't cost you draft picks and aside from his down year in 2007 (that now looks very much like a fluke... there's a good article at Fangraphs that backs my argument), Durham has been a consistent and productive offensive player. Can you think of any teams that are in need of a second baseman who can do a little with the bat? I can, the White Sox!

• The best offer it seems that Ray has recieved was a minor league deal to come to the Nationals' Spring Training to compete for a roster spot. The deal, worth $850,000 if he made the Nats' 25-man roster, was rejected and Durham has openly mulled retirement if he doesn't get an offer he feels is worth his time.
• The only other person I can find that seems to think Durham would be a nice fit for his 2B-less team is Bob Dutton, the Royals' beat writer over at the Kansas City Star.

IVAN RODRIGUEZ
I'm not sure how true the rumors ever were that linked the 1999 American League MVP to the Sox; most of them seemed to be the work of guys who noticed the fit between the two parties; the Sox have no real concrete options to backup AJ Pierzynski and Rodriguez is a veteran catcher, struggling to find work, who also happens to hit on the opposite side ot the plate as AJ.

• There were originally some reports that said the Marlins were not interested in brining back Rodriguez, but that's not true says Marlins' owner Jeffrey Loria.
• Because they're still the Marlins, though, a few days later is was reported that the Fish would indeed be willing to bring in some veteran talent, but couldn't spend more than $400,000 on them.

SCOTT PODSEDNIK

• Will be in Tuscson next week, trying to earn a roster spot with the Rockies again.

BEN BROUSSARD
Remember this guy? Three years ago, he hit 21 combined home runs with Cleveland and Seattle but since his power has mysteriously vanished (I'm not saying, I'm just saying) and his career has crashed and burned. He's played only 125 games in 2007 and 2008 combined, and had signed minor league deals with both the Cubs and Yankees in 2008, getting released soon thereafter both times.

• Well, the White Sox brought him abroad today, inking Broussard to a 1-year minor-league deal. I actually don't mind the move, it gives the Sox good organizational depth at 1B/DH in case Jim Thome or Paul Konerko break down, allowing more promising youngsters like Brandon Allen the chance to continue their development in the minors instead of being rushed to the Majors.
  

A Very Special 3 Up, 3 Down... From Sick Bay

I hope you all don't think I've been conspicuously absent these past few days because the Sox have been taking lumps from the Twins and I'm only back because they walloped Minnesota, 8-3 tonight to assure that, at very worst, they will leave the Little Dome of Horrors with sole possession of 1st place. Nope, just been a busy week; caught the Peoria Chiefs game tonight and no, there was no onfield brawl/felonious assault this time (Editor's note: Drats).

Anyways, let's get down to the nitty gritty...

1 UP - Bobby Jenks' Shoulder

While I have no formal evidence to back this up, I don't believe there's much of a coincidence by the fact that as soon as Bobby Jenks landed on the D.L. and the comfortable positions the rest of the bullpen had settled into became disrupted that everything fell apart. While I can't say if Boone Logan would be struggling, or Scott Linebrink would be hurting, or that Ehren Fucking Wassermann would be back up (Seriously!), but at least since his return Jenks hasn't missed a beat. While he's only pitched in 4 games since the All-Star Break, he's been lights out, allowing a single hit and single walk in those 4 innings for an Opponents' OBP of .143 and 3 saves in 3 chances. True the rest of the bullpen is in various stages of "tatters" right now, at least Jenks has firmly reestablished himself as the rock in the 9th inning that everything builds on from there.

1 DOWN - Joe Crede's Back

On a personal level and team level, Crede's recent stint on the D.L. is very disheartening. For Crede, this injury probably cost him a fortune and perhaps his time in Chicago is truly winding to an end. When he erupted for a sizzling open to the season, there were shouts for a contract extension, but now that Crede's durability questions have raised from "troublesome" to "ORANGE ALERT," the megadeal he was looking to cash in on may never come. Added that, the Sox still have Josh Fields in the background, lurking and waiting to take over at third base, no matter how little sense that seem to make. You really have to wonder if they'd consider talking to a now oft-injured Scott Boras client who still can probably sucker some team into giving him more than he's realistically worth.

However, at the team level, Crede's injury sucks ass because now Fields and his lack of defense will patrol the hot corner (or it will be Juan "No Bat" Uribe). Though Crede says it's no big thing, that's awfully hard to fully believe. We need you back, Joe.

2 UP - Carlos Quentin's Shoulder

Though Quentin has had no injury problems in Chicago, his durability was one of the reasons he was shown the door in Arizona and why he almost missed the bus ride north from Tucson (at this rate, Jerry Owens' groin should be enshrined in the White Sox Hall of Fame). Regardless, Quentin's been a beast all season long, his first full one at the Major League level and shows no sign of letting up. Even before tonight's 3/5, HR, 4 RBI performance that paced the Sox to this important victory, Quentin's been hitting .302/8/18 over his last 16 games with a .397 OPB and a .746 slugging percentage.

Quentin's durability concerns have always been in the back of my mind, especially considering he's been plunked 14 times now, tied for the most in the American League, but his steady hitting has been one of the few constants for the White Sox this season.

2 DOWN - Whatever the Hell is Wrong with Paul Konerko

It's been a rough year for Konerko. From that mysterious thumb injury that he tried to play through for way to long to whatever physical and/or mental ailment is bringing him down now, Konerko's having a season to forget on a personal level. Do you realize now that he's slugging worse than anyone who is still in the White Sox organization and has more than 20 at bats? .351, yikes. As a means of comparison, here's the production the other division leaders in baseball are getting from their first basemen:

• Carlos Pena, Tampa Bay Rays: .236 (eww)/.340/.447
• Casey Kotchman, Los Angeles Angels*: .287/.327/.448
• Carlos Delgado, New York Mets: .263/.347/.497
• Derrek Lee, Chicago Cubs: .298/.359/.495
• Connor Jackson, Arizona D'backs: .321/.404/.507

*I know Kotchman was just dealt to Atlanta, but he played 100 games for LA this year, so he still counts as "the regular."

Anyway, my point stands that the Sox are getting shortstop-quality production out of a premier power position. I don't know what Paul's problems are. Is this still all physical, or does coming up to bat and seeing that .213 season batting average on the JumboTron make you press a little harder than you should? Its seriously time to question whether or not the Sox would be better off placing Konerko on the bench for a little bit, moving Swisher to 1st (in the time he filled in for Konerko at 1st, he hit .256/.366/.474 with 4 HR and 15 RBI in 24 games) and play Anderson or Wise in CF everyday. It's really come to that; Konerko or Anderson/Wise.

What a cruel, cruel bitch this game can be.

3 UP - Jose Contreras' Elbow

No, I'm not celebrating the fact that Contreras has been on the D.L., I'm just wishing that his struggles as of late have been caused by a sore elbow he wasn't telling anyone about. We all know that when Jose is feeling good and mentally sound, he's downright dominating. His run that stretched from '05 to '06 was incredible and for a while this season, he was arguably the Sox's best pitcher, but since June 10, he's not been able to get anyone out, allowing a .366 BAA in 7 starts.

I don't know if Jose has reached the end of his line, but I can hope that there's still a few more games left in his tank.

3 DOWN - Scott Linebrink's Shoulder

Linebrink's been on the disabled list since July 23rd, but he's only pitched a handful of ineffective innings in about a month now. In the same way Jenks' abesence seemed to reek havoc on the state of comfortable predictability that pervaded the Sox's bullpen, the same can be said for the loss of Linebrink. Truthfully, the answer may be the no bullpen can truly recover from simultaneously losing their set-up man and All-Star closer, but the White Sox bullpen has been really, really bad as of late. Hopefully some extended R&R is what Linebrink needs to come back ready as ever for the final push for the pennant.

Don't fuck with the White Sox & Sobering News from the Infirmary (even more!)

Let's get one thing straight before I begin... These are season-defining wins. This isn't just a "flash in the pan." or "give us some hope for next year," type shit that all of us are so used to (remember Kip Wells' audition at the end of the '99 season when he looked like the stud pitcher we'd been waiting for since Black Jack?).

No, the White Sox aren't just finding exciting ways to win, they're finding ways to win that make you want to believe that they're up to something special. I don't like using the cliche "oh, it's 2005 all over again!" line because there are already so many differences between these White Sox and their World Champion predecessors, however, I'll be damned if this doesn't feel like a little like most other championship seasons I've been privy, too. And of course, as a Chicago sports fan, that's like asking a Martian to describe water and I know that despite the dramatics and improbably comebacks, it's only 2 games, but sometimes two games transcend the standings and calendar because of the way they make you feel. The confidence they instill in you that, no matter how terrible the defense may look or how overmatched they may look at the dish, they're not going to go down until they've played every trick in their bag and ace up their sleeve.

If Quentin's 3-run bomb on Wednesday wasn't clutch enough for you, how about JD tonigt? Bottom of the ninth, down by a run, facing Detroit's closer (who, granted can be a gascan, but does have 319 career saves), and one strike away from ending the game. Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

To douse the party with some cold water, Gavin Floyd had himself a so-so game, but the defense has been atrocious in both wins. The errors and mental mistakes the Sox have been making the field need to be corrected ASAP, but for now, everything is good in White Sox-ville.

Wednesday's recaps: B-R.com Box Score & Play-by-Play | Chicago Tribune | Associated Press | MLB.com Wrap | Soxmachine.com

Tonight's recaps: B-R.com Box Score & Play-by-Play | Chicago Tribune | Associated Press | MLB.com Wrap | Soxmachine.com

Clayton Richard looked good in his MLB debut Wednesday against the Rangers. I mean, he didn't look great, but considering he was starting his first game against the American League's best offense, I can't complain too much. The shoddy defense behind him surely didn't help, but he worked very quickly and looked poised enough to throw his fastball and breaking balls for strikes. Ozzie was impressed, and Richard earned a second start against Minnesota.

And now, I need to mention Alexei Ramirez, and not for his 3-4 performance tonight against Detroit but for the play he made Wednesday afternoon against Texas. I'm sure you've seen it, but if not, here it is again. It's jaw-dropping, and as good as any defensive play I can remember someone on the Sox pulling off... From Durham's back-to-the-infield running catch in the home opener of 2000, to Uribe's dive into the stands during the World Series, and Tadahito's gravity-defying assist last season, that ranks up there, and his play has rightfully earned attention and praise both locally and nationally.

More bad news, as you're probably aware, Joe Crede was placed on the 15-Day D.L., Josh Fields was brought up from AAA Charlotte, and he started at third tonight. Josh went 1-3 with a walk and run scored tonight, but he did commit an error. Hopefully Joe is fine for personal reasons, but it's a shame because this injury probably will cost him a fortune; Crede's stellar play at the start of the year silenced the doubters about his surgically repaired back, but now those questions will be raised. Barring a miracle October (which I wouldn't mind), Joe's wallet will be much lighter.

Joe Cowley is also reporting that Scott Linebrink may join Contreras and Crede on the Sox's ever-growing Disabled List. No decision until tomorrow morning.

Elsewhere around the Central, the Twins dropped a 5-4 decision to the Indians at the Prog. Twins centerfielder Carlos Gomez had to be carted off the field in a neck brace after crashing into the left/center wall in Cleveland while making an outstanding catch in the first inning. Luckily, it sounds like Gomez will be OK (or at least, there's no serious nerve injuries), and I wish him the best. Though we're in a tight race with the Twins, you don't want to see it come to that. Cleveland's win keeps them at pace with the Royals for last place in the Central, as the Royals beat the Rays 4-2 in Kansas City. Both the Royals and Twins are 13 games behind the Sox.

Trade rumors continue to swirl around the White Sox, and it's getting to be too much to keep up with, so here's a quick run down of some stories regarding the White Sox:

• The White Sox are believed to be a suitor for Seattle's Jarrod Washburn.
• Don't expect to see the Red Sox and White Sox make a trade involving Juan Uribe.
• The White Sox are making a push for Justin Duchscherer, but an asking price of Josh Fields and Aaron Poreda is way too high.
• Peter Gammons says the White Sox are also looking seriously at Huston Street.
• Finally, the big deal that was being rumored was a deal with the Dodgers in which the Sox would acquire a pitcher like Derek Lowe in exchange for Orlando Cabrera.
  
• Don't get excited/worried about seeing Damaso Marte return to the South Side. Pittsburgh's LOOGY and Xavier Nady were dealt to the Yankees (I'm sure he won't wilt under the pressure).

Despite Kenny Williams' warning that the Sox might be quiet this deadline, they've been very active behind the scenes, but so far nothing to really report. I guess the Sox cut Esteban Loaiza, but that's not really shocking after watching him pitch a few weeks ago with nothing on any of his pitches.

Buehrle Delivers, Good and Bad News from the Infirmary, and Clayton Richard Doesn't Need to Learn Chinese

Mark Buehrle = Gamer. While it would be trivial to constantly harp on the fact that tomorrow he'll be home in Missouri to attend his grandfather's funeral, even he admitted to being emotional before tonight's start. So, even if you take all that out of the equation, and just know that Buehrle opted to pitch on short rest and help his struggling team maintain their slim division lead, you have to admire his huevos. And then all he did was go out and shut down the best offense in the American League. Texas honestly threatened to score once tonight with a few minor threats sprinkled in there for good measure. In the 2nd, only leading 1-0, Buehrle allowed a lead-off triple to Hank Blalock and then proceeded to keep the next three Rangers on the infield, retiring Brandon Boggs, Chris Davis, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia on two infield groundouts and a popout to second. The White Sox offense took care of the rest, pounding Luis Mendoza, the same young righty who shut them down last week in Arlington, to the tune of 10 runs on 12 hits. The offense was fueled tonight by Jermaine Dye's 3-4 night in his return from that nasty looking HBP Sunday against Kansas City, a 3-run bomb by Nick Swisher in the 4th, and Alexei Ramirez's first career grand slam in the 7th inning.

Its hard to quantify what Mark Buehrle has meant to this team over the years. From the 2001 season, when he went from unknown 22-year-old to the staff ace, to his brilliant season in 2005 that was topped when he came out of the bullpen on short rest to close out Game 3 of the World Series, to his no-hitter, and now to tonight. I don't remember exactly when, but a while ago Mark said he didn't expect to pitch into his 40's the way guys like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine have and he'd never make a serious push at 300 wins. Maybe that's easy to say when you're in your late-20's and maybe minds change over time, but if it's true, its likely we've already seen the majority of Mark's career pass. He's never had overpowering stuff, he doesn't have an eye-popping page at baseball-reference.com, and he's never been a "me-first" athlete that is so typical today. He's been a consistent winner, the consummate team-first player, and a treasure for Sox fans to watch this past decade.

Let's remember to appreciate him while we still can.

B-R.com Box Score & Play-by-Play | Tribune recap | MLB.com Wrap | Associated Press recap | Soxmachine.com recap

Elsewhere, in the Central, the Twins lost again to the Yankees, 8-2 tonight. The loss drops them 1½ games behind the Sox and 21-26 on the road this year. The Tigers, however, kept pace with the Sox by beating Kansas City for the 2nd straight night, 7-1. Cleveland dropped a 3-2 decision to the Angels, keeping them in a statistical tie for last place with the Royals. Both teams are 12 games behind the Sox.


On the injury front, the Sox received mixed news. Joe Crede was a late scratch from tonight's game with back stiffness. Juan Uribe filled in admirably for Crede, going 2-4 with a double and run scored, plus he played a great third base, making a few very nice plays in support of Buehrle. Ozzie said Crede is expected to miss tomorrow's game against Texas, so Crede will have 3 days off with Thursday's travel day, before this weekend's critical series in Detroit kicks off Friday night.

Jermaine Dye was back in the lineup today and didn't miss a beat. As mentioned, Dye was 3-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI on a nice double, just inside the third base line in the 1st inning that scored Carlos Quentin from first base. Jose Contreras also had good news for the Sox, throwing before tonight's game and feeling no discomfort related to the elbow tendonitis that landed him on the 15-Day D.L. The move was retroactive to July 14, so Jose would be eligible to start just before the Trade Deadline, giving the Sox one last look at him before they decide whether or not to put all their chips in with his cards. No word yet, however, if he'll come right back to the Sox or will make a rehab start in the minor leagues somewhere.

I sure hope Clayton Richard didn't invest in that Rosetta Stone language learning software because A) it costs more than $500 per language (!), B) you can find them for half that price on eBay, and C) his call up the White Sox will cost him his roster spot on the American Olympic team. No surprise, of course, and I'm pretty sure almost any player would take a promotion to the Show in the middle of a pennant race over a week-long, meaningless international tournament, but that means now you'll have no need to watch the baseball segment of the Beijing Olympics (if you were actually going to watch them, anyway).

Thoughts on the All-Star Game

A disappointing night for the White Sox representatives, Crede and Quentin. Granted, it's a quarter after midnight and the game is still going on, so TCQ still has a chance to make amends for his current 0-4 night, but Crede went hitless in his one at bat, popping out 2nd.

The worst part of it all was that Quentin's last at bat ended in a strike out at the hands of Carlos Marmol. I guess I would have been asking God for a bit too much for Quentin to get the walk-off shot off a Cub, I guess we'll have to wait for Anaheim 2010 for the next chance.

This game has hit the point that Brandon Webb and Scott Kazmir are being forced to pitch. Both guys started on Sunday (2 days ago) and both threw over 100 pitches in their starts. Its situations like these that remind me why I shouldn't get too upset about Sox pitchers getting snubbed. I'll admit I was peeved when the teams were announced and not 1 pitcher from the best staff in the league made the cut, but watching this trainwreck unfurl, I'm pretty happy that Gavin, John, Mark, Scott, and Bobby are all taking a few days off and will be ready to pitch in their regular roles Friday. I know, I know, "the game counts," but there's no point in having home field advantage in the World Series if you have to handicap your team for half the season to get there.

12:25 AM, we're going to the bottom of the 15th.

Bobby Jenks in A-ball, some Arizonans would like a mulligan on the TCQ trade, and what flavor of ice cream is Joe Crede, really?

I don't know if this is a Sox-only thing, but in Bobby Jenks' 1 inning of rehab work for the Warthogs last night the big guy was sporting his normal White Sox road gray. Though he did don a Warthogs hat, I wonder how common this practice is? I know when Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas did rehab in Charlotte, they wear Knights jerseys, but they were also there for more than one game. I know that when the Cubs send a player to Peoria for a rehab start, they wear Peoria Chiefs jerseys, even in the case of pitchers making only one start.

The Fort-Wayne Daily News really has its hand on the pulse of the Chicago baseball scene. Jeez, guys you're the last folks in the Midwest to wax poetic about a potential Red Line World Series.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were the toast of baseball after they won 28 of their first 44 games, but since then they've posted the 2nd worst record in the Majors, 19-32, and are breaking a game under .500 (albeit, in first place in the ludicrously mediocre NL West). Their primary corner outfielders, Eric Byrnes and Justin Upton, are batting a combined .228 with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs. The Arizona Republic wonders whether or not the D'backs could use a left fielders whose hitting .276/22/70. I wonder where they could find one of those? Anyways, Quentin handles the questions about his departure from Arizona with grace, but you know there's at least a small part of him that's enjoying watching the organization that blocked him behind Shawn Green and Luis Gonzalez have to wipe the egg off their face when discussing trading an All-Star for a first baseman in A-ball.

Everyone in Bristol, rejoice! The White Sox and BriSox agreed to extend their affiliation for 2 more years, meaning Rookie-level White Sox minor leaguers will get to straddle the Virginia/Tennessee state line and play in a high school ballpark until at least 2010.

Here's a real brain-buster op-ed courtesy of the Michigan City News Dispatch. What flavor of ice cream would Joe Crede and Carlos Quentin be? Isn't that supposed to be one of those self-evaluatory (I think I just coined a new term) questions you get asked at a psychiatrist's office? Some highlight: Joe Crede as vanilla? Why not rocky road due to his long road back from back surgery? Carlos Quentin as baseball nut? What the hell flavor is that? I don't understand, are you actually trying to pair the players with the actual flavors of ice cream, or are you just using the names? If so, I have a new flavor for you, I call it "Fleeced from Arizona." It's cream, ice, sugar, a shredded fleece blanket, and some sand. Mm Mm... Delicious! Kosuke Fukudome as World Class Chocolate? How about Totally Overrated Ice Cream that actually sucks balls?

And, to continue a story from yesterday, Gio Gonzalez is on a roll. SportingNews.com ranked Gonzalez the #8 prospect in baseball, up from 27 before this season started. While Nick Swisher has been a welcomed personality in the clubhouse, his mixed results on the field make trading away MLB-ready Ryan Sweeney, and a good starting pitching prospect in Gio for him less and less desirable, especially given the White Sox's lack of starting pitching in the organization and the possible need to make a move for another starter by the trading deadline.

For what it's worth, it doesn't appear the Sox have any players on SP's Top Prospect list, but that's hard to gauge, since the author only goes over some highlights of the list and I'm not paying for a subscription to the site.

Enjoy the All-Star Game, and hopefully someone tapes Ichiro's pre-game pep talk.