White Sox

The Pittsburgh Pirates set a new team record against the White Sox Wednesday night, but it wasn't one they'll look back on fondly. The South Siders handed the Bucs their lucky 13th straight loss—the most for the club since the handlebar mustache was in style among baseball players—with a come-from-behind victory.

After getting swept by the White Sox in last year's World Series, the Houston Astros came to U.S. Cellular Field this weekend with something to prove. What they ended up proving, though, is that the Sox—who won the three-game series in dramatic fashion—are clearly the better team.

A key addition to the team in the off-season, White Sox slugger Jim Thome has been even better than advertised. A prodigious hitter, Thome is known as one of the nicest guys in the league. His 2006 is off to a blazing start too, helping the Sox in their title defense.

Well, I lost 10 large betting that less than $25 million of the Cubs payroll would hit the disabled list before Ken Griffey Jr., but you don't win championships in April and you don't make fortunes then either. Rafael Furcal should have his probation revoked for costing me that sort of cash. A successful May will put us on the road to recovery and back in the good graces of our local bookies. Here are Pete's picks for this month:

Despite a rocky couple months peppered with setbacks and controversy, the Chicago Bulls remain guardedly optimistic about the future.

Thank you, Barry Bonds. Now I may have company in the "this guy is such a jerk, we won't elect him to a Hall of Fame that already has Ty Cobb as a member"-class of MLB greats. If you want to grab lunch sometime, give me a call. We can discuss ways to get back at Selig. I've always been a big fan of flaming bags of dog poop on his doorstep, but I'm open to suggestions. In the meantime, let's gamble!

Would you have a gigantic evening of binge-drinking the night before the most important job interview of your life? If you're a Sox fan, you're probably saying, "Why not?"