White Sox

"Brenda, Marry Me, Tommy!"

The Chicago White Sox went to Toronto over the weekend hoping to get some easy wins against the struggling Blue Jays, who had lost five straight prior to Friday night’s series opener. While the Sox did notch a couple of victories, the Jays played tough for a team in a severe slump.

The White Sox got a rough start to their 11-game homestand Monday night in a 6-3 loss to their foes from last year's ALCS. Although the Los Angeles Angels deserve credit for their great hitting and a solid performance on the mound by starter Kelvim Escobar, they have Sox pitcher Mark Buerhle to thank for their win as much as anyone else.

The White Sox marketing department has come up with a lot of rules for its "Grinder Ball" ad campaign—which actually seems far-removed from the homer-happy, "Go Go" South Siders of this season. With all those rules, the team can be forgiven, then, for failing to remember a few here and there. This week, they forgot number 43: No matter how the Sox are doing, they should never, ever, lose to the Royals.

There were skeptics when Kenny Williams was hired as the White Sox general manager in 2000. There are no more questions. It's clear Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf made the right move when he promoted Williams and his burning desire to win. With a World Series title under his belt and the Sox competing for another, he has become the model for what a GM should be.

Last month, Guillen found himself embroiled in controversy when he called Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti a "fag." This time, however, his putdown will be encouraged.

The White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates put on an offensive showcase for the half-capacity crowd at PNC Park yesterday afternoon, racking up 14 hits each in what turned out to be a surprisingly spirited match up. Even more surprising was the fact that the Pirates actually won a game.