10 Reasons why the Chicago White Sox winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

With about a month and a half left to the season, the number of legit playoff contenders are winding down. And the staff here at Sully Baseball decided to look at each contender and see what would be positive about their potential World Championships.



Which players or managers would benefit the most from a title. Which fan bases would savor it. And how the perception of each franchise would change slightly. Remember, this isn't a numbers crunching site... this is all about emotion and things that strike my fancy.



The first potential World Series contender will be the Chicago White Sox. Why the White Sox? Because they are so unpredictable that they could either be in first place by next week or fall totally out of contention. So if I want to include them, I had better do it NOW!

10 Reasons why the

Chicago White Sox

winning the 2011 World Series

would be good for baseball

1. Another World Series title moves Ozzie Guillen closer to Cooperstown



Ozzie Guillen's Hall of Fame resume is a long shot at this point. 2 post season appearances, even with a World Series title, isn't going to cut it. (Ask Cito Gaston who won back to back World Series titles and two other Division Titles. Forget the Hall of Fame, he couldn't get hired.)



But another World Series title, and this one with almost a brand new cast of characters would add to his luster that the team plays Ozzie's brand of baseball. And when (not if) he takes over the Marlins and wins with them, he'll get even closer.



The idea of Ozzie giving a Hall of Fame speech is a wonderful concept, if for no other reason than for the need of a 7 second delay.

2. It would justify Kenny Williams' wild GM style



In an era of calculators, bizarre new stats and hoarding prospects, it would be nice to see Kenny Williams methods be rewarded again.



He's always willing to bring in a free agent, even an ill fitting one. He's willing to say "prospects be damned, we're winning NOW!" And he has taken some chances in Cuba and by bringing up prospects super fast and throwing them into the fire.



Is it sometimes irresponsible? Sure. Does it blow up in his face sometimes? Ask Adam Dunn.



Is it cool to see a GM always trying? You bet.

And to see that GM win a SECOND World Series spitting in the face of convention... that would be too cool.





3. A Championship could justify the Adam Dunn signing

Speaking of Kenny Williams' style, let's talk about Dunn. Right now Adam Dunn looks like one of the biggest busts in Free Agency history.



I mean he is so terrible right now that you have to wonder if he had a twin brother that he suited up in his place. And they've got 3 more years of this.



But imagine if he got a big hit in the post season. Or clubbed a big homer off the bench in the World Series. Then it would be kind of like J. D. Drew... an injury filled disappointment overall, but contributed big to a ring.



Besides, he seems like a likable accountable guy. I'd like to see him happy. (As if $56 million wouldn't buy happiness.)





4. Multiple Rings will help people remember how to spell Konerko and Buehrle



I wrote a blog post that was basically a love letter to Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle.



Guess what? I spelled in Kornerko every single time.

And I had to double check Buehrle whenever I typed it. I double checked it when I typed the previous sentence. Is it B-E-H? B-U-E? B-E-U?

None of it is instinctual.



Maybe another title will seal that.





5. Everyone loves seeing A. J. Pierzynski happy!



Speaking of members of the 2005 White Sox with difficult names to spell...



Sure you might not like A. J. Pierzynski. Sure he seems like he might be a jerk. But look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn't want an obnoxious pest like him on YOUR team.







6. If the White Sox win, maybe Juan Pierre will do another unbelievably awful rap



There are few subjects I know less about than rap. But even as a total NON authority, I can tell you that the rap Juan Pierre did at the 2003 Florida Marlins World Series celebration was awful.



He called it rap. For me? The C at the beginning was silent.



Maybe he will improve in Chicago. Or maybe it will be just as bad.



Take a listen. Tell me how it is good.









7. A ring for Omar Vizquel



Vizquel is making one of the least likely runs at 3,000 hits and may have already have punched a ticket for the Hall of Fame.



The greatest defensive shortstop of his generation has played over 4 decades, won 11 Gold Gloves and played on 6 Division Champs and in the 1995 and 1997 World Series.



A ring would be nice.







8. The President needs a Pick Me Up!



There have been lots of ups and downs for the President this past year and no doubt 2012 will be one tense year for him.



Up for reelection, the markets are going nuts, lots of people still out of work and maybe he needs a little reminder of how good "Hope" feels.



Maybe his team winning the World Series can kick start his campaign!

Do it for AMERICA, White Sox!





9. Another World Series title could help the White Sox enter the "Big Bad Bully Club".



The White Sox are consistently among the top payrolls, they bid for free agents and they act like one of the "Haves" instead of the "Have nots."



AND they play in a big media market! But they never get mentioned as one of the big bad franchises.



Another title will tie them with the Yankees and Red Sox in the 21st Century. That sounds big and bad for me.





10. It would make the White Sox and Cubs fan dynamic more interesting



Would the White Sox finally the choice of the casual sports fan in Chicago? Would the winning of the South Side out weigh the cute and cuddliness of Wrigleyville?



Two things are for sure.



- White Sox fans hold ALL the bragging cards. Another World Series title would mean the White Sox would have won as World Series in the 21st Century as the Cubs did in the 20th Century.



- If what doesn't destroy you only makes you stronger, then Cubs fans must be damn near invincible!







So there you have it for the White Sox... Hall of Fame credentials, inter city rivalries, spell check and a Presidential race could all be improved.



They are all good reasons.

But there are other teams in contention too.



And I will get to them all!





If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.



NEW YORK YANKEES

Hey Giants... what's with the gum at the White House?

The Giants visited the White House yesterday. As always no matter who is President, the World Champion ceremony is always fun and a moment of celebration and shows a lighter side to the Commander in Chief.

But take your gum out of your mouth!

I know you are athletes and the Giants have the reputation of being rough around the edges.

And no doubt some of the players DIDN'T vote for Obama.

BUT TAKE THE GUM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

What the hell is the matter with you?

It's the White House! You aren't meeting a Fantasy Camp participant nor some guy Kayaking around McCovey Cove! It's the President of the United States.

It doesn't matter if it is Bush, Clinton, the other Bush or Obama.

Put your gum in the Zachary Taylor Memorial Spittoon and show a little respect!

Welcome To The 2011 MLB "Some"-Star Game

Tonight, when you get ready to watch the All-Star Game with your cold drink in hand and bowl of chips about to tip over onto the carpet, you'll probably be taken back to your childhood, when you used to watch players such as Gary Carter, Cal Ripken, Jr., Ozzie Smith and other future Hall of Famers take the field in a matchup of the best baseball players in the majors.

But this year, instead of seeing guys such as Ryan Braun, Felix Hernandez, Mariano Rivera and some guy who just reached a thousand hits for the third time, we'll be treated to the likes of Scott Rolen (.241, 5 HR, 36 RBI), Russell Martin (.220, 10 HR, 36 RBI) and Brandon League (1-4, 3.44 ERA).

In other words, we're not seeing the All-Star Game. Rather, we're seeing the Some-Star Game, where some stars will make courtesy appearances and the rest of the players will need to wear name tags for anyone to recognize them. (Aaron Crow? Jordan Walden? Kevin Correia and his 4.01 ERA and .270 opponents' batting average?)

Things weren't always this way at the Mid-Summer Classic. The 1971 All-Star Game featured nine future Hall of Famers in the outfield alone. No one needed to be introduced to Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, Lou Brock, Frank Robinson, Carl Yastrzemski, Al Kaline or Reggie Jackson. They let their résumés speak for themselves. In all, there were 20 future Hall of Famers who played in that All-Star Game, including Rod Carew, Brooks Robinson, Luis Aparicio, Harmon Killebrew, Jim Palmer, Johnny Bench, Willie McCovey, Steve Carlton, Ferguson Jenkins, Juan Marichal, and "The Franchise" himself, Tom Seaver. In addition, both managers (Earl Weaver and Sparky Anderson) were elected to the Hall of Fame.

None of those players called in sick (I'm talking to you, Mariano Rivera). None of the pitchers needed the extra rest because they pitched on the Sunday before the All-Star Game (that's a silly new rule) and none of them were physically or emotionally exhausted (you figure it out).

The fans vote these players into the All-Star Game because they want to see them play on the national stage among their peers. Let's take a random All-Star and change his name so as not to single out any particular player. We'll call him Dirk Jitters. Mr. Jitters received millions of votes from the fans to start for his respective league in the All-Star Game. But Dirk decided he'd rather take the time off and not even bother to show up to the game that he was voted to start in.

That would be similar to Americans voting Barack Obama into the White House, only to have him say "you know what? I think I'm going to stay home and watch the White Sox instead, but thanks for voting."

Unlike some of this year's All-Star crop, including the aforementioned Dirk Jitters (remember, we changed his name to protect the guilty), San Francisco Giants' closer Brian Wilson actually gets it. He's thankful for the opportunity to represent his league and feels other All-Stars should not take this honor for granted, saying:

“I would say that you (should) show up, unless you need these three days to recover. You are representing your team, so it would be good to be here. I don’t know if (it’s an) obligation, but it’s one of your duties as a player, out of respect, knowing that there was a guy that really wanted to be on the All-Star team, and his stats were right there, and he would have loved the chance to be here."

If I wanted to watch a "Some-Star" game, I'd watch a Mets game, because the Mets have "some stars" on the team. But when I tune in to the All-Star game, I expect to see the best players in the major leagues. I don't want to see players no one voted for. I don't want to see players who were replacements for injured players who were replacements for players who would rather be on paid vacation. I want to see the players who will someday join those members of the 1971 All-Star squads in the Hall of Fame.

As fans, we deserve to see the best players participate in the All-Star Game. If only the players could see the same thing.

Thank Goodness I know Luke Scott's take on Obama's birth

Seriously, it is very important to know this Good Ole Boy's take that he doesn't think Obama was born in America.

It's important for all of us to hear the well researched and relevant take of the Orioles left fielder on an event that happened well before he was alive, let alone an event he was a witness to.

Now there is a birth certificate, announcements of birth and an eye witness to the President's birth in Hawaii... but obviously THOSE ARE ALL FAKE.

The point is where is the REAL proof? You know, like color sound film of it happening... and having that baby branded so we can follow him from the womb to the White House. You never know! They could have been swapping babies in that hospital in a 50 year old conspiracy to get that baby to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

And that's why Luke Scott is famous. For his informed take on politics.

Oh and it is equally important to DIGNIFY those comments with responses.

I couldn't care less what people's politics are.
I don't form my political opinions based on Ben Affleck, Kelsey Grammar or Charo.

But it is always refreshing to hear people's opinions on relevant issues. You know the OPINION that he wasn't born in America.

I'd also love to hear Dan Uggla's opinion on the Kennedy assassination, Troy Glaus' take on Princess Diana's death and Manny Ramirez's dissertation on Area 51.

Actually I WOULD like to hear that last one.

Strasburg makes a run at Rookie of the Year

I've written a bunch about the NL Cy Young race this year. And while at this point Ubaldo Jimenez has the lead, if he stumbles, the likes of Adam Wainwright, Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Chris Carpenter, Johan Santana, Josh Johnson, Matt Cain, Mike Pelfrey and Barry Zito all look like they'll put up numbers that could have WON the Cy a few years ago.

The National League is filled with ace pitchers and they are also showing a great crop of rookie stars as well.

The NL Rookie of the Year race was already crowded.

Jason Heyward, Mike Leake, Ike Davis, David Freese and Jamie Garcia have all made big contributions to their contending teams.

And recently promoted Buster Posey and Mike Stanton both look like impact bats.

But HO-LEE COW!
Stephen Strasburg is somehow actually EXCEEDING expectations.

Forget that his 2 wins. His ERA is 1.86, he's throwing 7 innings a game.
He has 32 strikeouts and only 5 walks in 19 1/3 innings.

Now granted he has faced the Pirates, Indians and White Sox... so he hasn't exactly faced the best teams yet.

But what if he keeps this up?

He might not only win the Rookie of the Year, but he might be mentioned in the Cy Young race as well.

How good is Strasburg so far?

Obama had to go see him last night... even with all stuff going on in the world... and who can blame him?

Oh I am sure someone will.