Here’s a piece by Sox fan Teddy Ballgame. He’s full of opinions and fancies himself an undiscovered sports columnist. You will most likely be seeing more postings by him on The Baseball Zealot in the future.
WHITE SOX vs CUBS, NO BRAINER
Why didn’t I say it sooner? Well I did, but was anybody listening? The White Sox are better than the Cubs. Not only are they better than the Cubs, the White Sox are a very good ball club. People are always saying, “put your money where your mouth is”, well I did. Before this season started I was seeking out obnoxious, cocky Cub fans looking to bet $1.00 a game that the Sox would have a better record than the Cubs. I also placed a bet that the White Sox would win more than they lost this year. In fact I was so confident about this White Sox team that I placed a small wager on them winning the American League pennant. All of these bets were made with the same confidence that existed one year ago when I made some Las Vegas money on the St. Louis Cardinals winning the National League pennant.
I know it’s early in the year and it’s doubtful the White Sox will keep up their 13-4 start throughout the season. But what did I see in this year’s Sox team that so many “experts” didn’t. All the experts talked about was Ozzie Guillen and “small ball”. Last year’s White Sox team hit 235 home runs and it got them nowhere. So they gave up some power losing Magglio Ordonez, Jose Valentin, & Carlos Lee. But it’s not about small ball, it’s about a team addressing every offseason need. This year’s White Sox team improved their defense (middle infield & outfield), got a leadoff man, a #2 hitter, improved their righty/lefty lineup balance (they had too many righty hitters one year ago), picked up some bullpen help, and acquired a 5th starter.
Was it all about being a Cub hater that made me so confident the White Sox would have a better record than the Cubs? Not at all! It was all about the facts and teams addressing/not addressing their needs. The Cubs are a much worse team than they were one year ago. They did nothing to address their off season needs. They came into this season with the weakest middle infield defense in baseball (Nomar Garciaparra & Todd Walker), no leadoff man, lost power in LF & RF, didn’t get a closer, lost a starting pitcher (Matt Clement), and weakened their middle relief (Kyle Farnsworth threw thirty 100 mph pitches, all other NL pitchers threw four 100 mph pitches last year).
Also there’s a perception that Ozzie Guillen is a goofball manager while Dusty Baker is a baseball guru. That’s not however how I see it. Dusty Baker has consistently not stepped up and accepted responsibility for losing control of his ballclub. Baker has instead blamed the media and “problem” ballplayers. This is the same manager who almost had his child involved in a serious home plate collision when he was with the Giants. It’s all been about talent. Ozzie Guillen has his type of ballclub this season and we’re all seeing what he can do. Guillen has been entertaining with his media interaction. He has the White Sox winning & playing loose.
Maybe it’s a little early for me to count my money, but right now I like my chances. The one thing a team can bring to the field day in and day out is speed & defense. Speed & defense don’t go into slumps and they win games every day.
Teddy Ballgame
I was one that took Teddy B up on his $1/g offer before the season. P’rhaps I should have thought better.
What’s that they say about a fool and his money? :)
I thought it was only Cub fans who got “all giddy” in April.
I thought Sox fans were famous for being more realistic.