And the Other Guys?

That A-lineup the White Sox used yesterday in Cleveland was good enough for a 7-2 win, which clinches the AL Central for the Sox. Had manager Tony La Russa cared enough to field a B+ squad for game two, he could’ve picked up 1-1/2 games on the Astros in the race for for homefield advantage. Instead, La Russa scraped the bottom of his bullpen to trot out Mike Wright Jr., Matt Foster and Jose Ruiz, and that’s pretty much why they lost 5-3 on a two-run walk-off homer Ruiz placed out on a tee for Oscar Mercado. Michael Kopech started the game, striking out four of the six Cleveland batters he faced. But rules are rules, and Sox players have to rest per the doctor-manager’s orders, so Kopech was pulled after two innings. Did I mention the Astros actually lost to the Angels last night? Everybody’s celebrating—Sox players in the clubhouse and all the folks in Chicago media. On our walk with Satan the wonder basset today, we even saw someone flying a combination Sox-American flag, all of which is very nice. Now, answer me this: What about the other guys? You don’t think the Rays celebrated clinching their division or the Astros will when their time comes? You don’t think players for other stared into the nearest camera and shouted some champagne-fueled vow to “go all the way”? You don’t think the owners of other teams gave interviews for the first time in years? Okay, that last one would be unique to the Sox, given Jerry Reinsdorf’s disdain for the media. The point is, the Sox can claim to be better than the Indians, Tigers, Royals and Twins, and, right now, nobody else. Ambition goes further when mixed with a little realism and a pinch of humility, I think.