scenario

The Warthogs finished the season winning 15 out of their last 19 games, including a 3-game sweep of Myrtle Beach the last time we played them. I like our chances.

Milb.com preview below... Mississippi Braves (73-66) vs. Birmingham Barons (74-63) Best-of-5 series begins Thursday, Sept. 4 In 2007, the M-Braves were beaten in the first round of the playoffs by the Montgomery Biscuits. To avoid this fate in 2008, they'll have to defeat a Barons team that limped to a third-place finish in the second half after cruising to the playoffs with a 40-30 record in the first. The Braves have not won a title since relocating from Greenville after the 2004 campaign. The Barons, meanwhile, are one of the most esteemed franchises in Southern League history. The club's current incarnation has won five championships, the most recent of which came in 2002. HEAD-TO-HEAD The Barons won the season series, 11-10, but that hardly tells the whole story. Birmingham won eight straight against the Braves to start the season, but then dropped 10 of the final 13. 1B Brandon Allen hit the Braves well in the five games he played against them, compiling a .313 average and .750 slugging percentage. Third baseman Javier Castillo collected 11 RBIs over 52 at-bats, while 2B Victor Mercedes knocked in 10 over 72. Right-hander Justin Cassell went 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA in a team-leading 29 innings, while closer Jon Link notched seven saves in eight opportunities. ... CF Jordan Schafer has been a one-man wrecking crew against the Barons, hitting .404 with 13 RBIs over just 52 at-bats. 3B Van Pope has been no slouch either, accumulating 11 RBIs in 51 at-bats while hitting .373. Ace right-hander Todd Redmond faced off against the Barons five times and went 1-2 with a mediocre 5.34 ERA. Luis Valdez converted four saves in as many attempts. PLAYERS TO WATCH Birmingham: Allen has been a key offensive contributor since arriving from Class A Advanced Winston-Salem, as the 22-year-old Texan has slugged .614 over 153 at-bats. CF Miguel Negron leads all current Barons in runs (72), hits (143), walks (63) and stolen bases (25). ... Cassell's 3.11 ERA is the Southern League's best, as are Link's 35 saves. Right-hander Kanekoa Texeira and lefty Joseph Torres have been effective out of the bullpen, accumulating ERAs of 2.01 and 2.68, respectively. Mississippi: Kala Ka'aihue leads all current Braves in games played (126), runs scored (63), total bases (172), doubles (23), home runs (14) and RBIs (61). Schafer has driven in 51 runs over just 297 at-bats. ... Redmond leads the Southern League with 13 wins, while his 3.52 ERA is tied for fifth with teammate Kris Medlen. RHP Tommy Hanson has gone 8-4 with a 3.03 ERA over 18 starts with the Braves and has struck out 114 batters in just 98 innings.

Article below is from milb.com... linked to source Myrtle Beach Pelicans (88-51) vs. Winston-Salem Warthogs (70-68) Best-of-3 series begins Wednesday, Sept. 3 The last time either of these teams was in the playoffs was 2005, and the Warthogs were quickly swept by the Kinston Indians, managing just two runs in two games. Winston-Salem last won a championship in 2003, and the Pelicans haven't triumphed since 2000. Myrtle Beach will certainly enter as the favorite, having won the Southern Division by 9 1/2 games in the first half and two games in the second half. However, the Pelicans can't sleep on Winston-Salem, who had a 19-11 record in August. HEAD-TO-HEAD In a season that has been this dominant for the Pelicans, it should be no surprise that even the second-best team in their division has posed little problem. Myrtle Beach is 14-6 against the Warthogs this season, with the pitching staff striking out 150 Winston-Salem batters in 20 games. Winston-Salem's staff hasn't had the same success, posting a 5.08 ERA against the Pelicans. Rocket Wheeler will no doubt send Ryne Reynoso to the mound against the Warthogs -- the right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA against Winston-Salem in three starts. The Warthogs pitchers, on the other hand, have struggled against Myrtle Beach. The lone exception is Matthew Long, who allowed just two runs in 10 2/3 innings. He'll need to stop Gorkys Hernandez at the top of the lineup to have any success, as Hernandez hit .368 against the Warthogs in 15 games. Catcher Tyler Flowers was also dominant, with a .472 on-base percentage against Winston-Salem. On the opposite side, keep your eye on outfielder Salvador Sanchez, who had eight extra-base hits against Myrtle Beach this season in just 17 games. PLAYERS TO WATCH Myrtle Beach: Their 152 team home runs, which led the league by 36, is proof of the Pelicans' talent at the plate. Perhaps the most encouraging performance has been from catcher Tyler Flowers, who has logged 86 games behind the plate while hitting 16 homers and drawing 98 walks. Outfielder Gorkys Hernandez might not be the team's best power threat, but he's a bona fide leadoff presence with a .349 on-base percentage and a team-high 20 steals. On the mound, the team promises to be reinvigorated by LHP Cole Rohrbough, who has some of the best stuff in the Atlanta system. Rohrbough has pitched 145 1/3 innings in two seasons in the Braves organization and struck out 193 batters. Winston-Salem: There might not be a better combined power and speed threat in the Carolina League than Warthogs center fielder John Shelby. The outfielder has a solid baseball pedigree from his father, John, who played 11 seasons in the Majors. The younger Shelby shows just as much potential, with 58 extra-base hits and 33 steals this season. The White Sox are also high on RHP John Ely, their third-round pick in the 2007 Draft. Ely's 134 strikeouts lead the team, and with just 46 walks on the season, he promises to not give away free passes. Also keep an eye on RHP Jacob Rasner, acquired with John Danks when the White Sox traded Brandon McCarthy. Rasner has been hot and cold all season, but it's been all hot in August, with a 1.57 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings.

I think the game hinges on the Sox ability to resist swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. Patient teams can coax alot of walks out of Carmona. If we're up there hacking instead, like we have a tendency to... we could be looking up at the Twins tomorrow.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 11:53 AM) Hmm, I was unaware of this second base dilemma. Haven't been following the minors. Now I feel like a damn momo. Ohh man... Now you're almost making me feel guilty for taking a shot a you. Almost.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 10:52 AM) I know many probably don't care around here, but someone from the Tribune or Sun Times should write a story on this. Whether it's Williams signing his son in the 6th round, the Wilder fiasco, or talentless Oney finding himself in Charlotte, it seems to become more apparent every day something just isn't right with our system. I'm supposed to take the aforementioned points and somehow believe we'll do well developing Beckham, Danks, or any other player? It seems to me the lack of success we've had drafting and developing quality players fits in just well with how everything is run. It's ridiculous that Oney can find himself promoted three levels, obviously on nothing more than his daddy's name. If I were any player below him in the system I'd be insulted to have worked my ass off for years only to have some hipster dufus pass me up. I'm not sure this move justifies a phone call to Oliver Stone. Birmingham and Winston-Salem are both in the playoffs, which start this week, so nobody from either of those squads was going to be called up to Charlotte for one meaningless game. So... next you look at the Kannapolis lineup. You need a second baseman. Flip a coin. Bring up Eduardo Escobar or Ozzie Guillen's kid. They chose Guillen. What a shock. Is it a violation worth a Tribune article to make that decision? Please.... Like Chisox-Sonix said... it's a non-issue.

(1) 500 (2) Horse (3) 3-on-3 football... but only if I got to be the quarterback (4) Street hockey

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Sep 2, 2008 -> 06:29 AM) Picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines? Nah. Just need a stronger dose to avoid lapsing into a comatose state I guess.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 03:36 PM) West Virginia is a Brewers affiliate. Funny... as soon as I read that, I remembered it. I remember some of the players from Helena in the Pioneer League last year.... and that's a Brewers' farm club. Thanks for straightening me out JPN. I don't know what I was thinking.

I like the Slingbox recommendation. I'm going to be doing that pretty soon myself. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet. I've seen some pretty good deals on newegg.com

Link Linebrink's simulated game By Mark Gonzales, 1:39 p.m. CLEVELAND - White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink threw a simulated game Monday at Progressive Field and didn't appear to have any setbacks, although his control didn't appear extremely sharp. Linebrink threw 29 pitches to Jerry Owens and Brian Anderson -- all from the stretch position. This was the closest Linebrink has come to live competition since July 22, his last appearance before he was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of tendinitis behind his right shoulder. Owens and Anderson watched most of the pitches while standing in the batter's box. Owens swung at four pitches, fouling off three and hitting a grounder to second base. Manager Ozzie Guillen watched the simulated game from behind the backstop, and pitching coach Don Cooper observed while standing behind Linebrink. We'll have more details later, as the clubhouse opens in about an hour.

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 01:40 PM) Morel with another HR. Power stroke really coming on,. Yep. 4 in the last 10 games. Gotta like that.

Lots of day games today... Charlotte beat Durham 6-1 Charlie Haeger with a very nice performance and the win. Complete game; 1 run on 6 hits; 7 K's and 0 BBs. Winston-Salem @ Frederick Anthony Carter pitching Warthogs were losing 3-1 in the late innings and came back to win 6-4... Closing out their season with 15 wins in their last 19 games. A good time to be hot... Hopefully they can keep it going against 1st place Myrtle Beach when the playoffs start on Wednesday. Kannapolis @ West Virginia Jason Rice pitching The Twins Brewers A-league team beat us 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th by scoring a guy from 3rd on an infield grounder (after two guys singled). Damn Piranhas Cheeseheads. They start 'em young, don't they? Great Falls @ Billings - tonight Dan Hudson pitching Postponed due to rain

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 01:07 PM) The only way I'd say its an error is if you actually go by the "the first hit must be a perfectly clean hit" rule of thumb. If it wasn't the first hit of the game, I would think it would be ruled a hit without a question. I'd be willing to bet that if it was a Pittsburg pitcher in that same situation, it would have been ruled an error.

I think I read somewhere that MLB can't over turn it. And that the only way it can be overturned is for the official scorer to change it. If so, then what good does it do to protest it? Anybody else know anything about this?

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 12:48 PM) I asked that same question when he was sent down and was told that it does. I think the fact that he's not up probably is good evidence that it does also. On the Charlotte roster, Getz is on the "reserve" list rather than active list... Which (I believe) means he's been called up by the Sox but can't play until the 10 day period is over.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 11:49 AM) Saw elsewhere that MacDougal, Wassermann, and Owens got promoted as well. Yep. Good call. Just checked Charlotte's roster. Wasserman, MacDougal, Owens, and Phillps are not on it today. But Oney Guillen is. And he's starting at 2B for the Knights today... and he got a hit (1-3 in today's season finale).

Playing outdoors in the Texas heat all summer zaps people's energy.

QUOTE (knightni @ Sep 1, 2008 -> 12:43 AM) I've done the add-on, deleted all internet files, and used CCleaner. It still crashes. Hmm... I'm assuming you're using FireFox 3. (If not, install the update). Read the notes from the Microsoft site on FireFox/Silverlight conflicts. I bet the solution is in there. Mlb.com sites use Silverlight and other ActiveX controls that the security features of FireFox don't like. Could be that you may have to download a Silverlight update and/or change some security settings in FireFox. Also, if you use the NoScript add-on you'll have to allow both mlb.com and doubleclick.net.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Aug 31, 2008 -> 08:31 PM) I am going to say something that may surprise everyone. I think we are going to take it to Lee tomorrow. You're right... it did surprise me. And I hope you're right about the game.

QUOTE (knightni @ Aug 31, 2008 -> 08:21 PM) Is anyone else having their firefox crash when they go to whitesox.com? I think it's a conflict between Firefox and the mlb.com media player. Try: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1879 Once I installed this add-on, I quit having the problem. Articles with additional info: http://silverlight.net/forums/p/6156/18897.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/ronang/archive/2008/...ilverlight.aspx http://silverlight.net/search/SearchResult...firefox&a=0

Great Falls @ Helena Joshua Billeaud (3-1, 3.21) starting GF losing in the 5th 3-1 Game is currently in rain delay. Great Falls came back with 4 runs in the 9th to send the game to extra innings... then they won it in the 10th. GF wins 6-5. I'm pretty sure winning this game locked up a playoff spot too. Hey, if you're going to do it... do it with style. Kannapolis @ West Virginia Maxwell pitching Kanny beating the Twins A-league team 7-6 going into the 9th inning. Kannapolis ended up winning 9-8. Winston-Salem @ Frederick Rasner pitching Warthogs lost 6-4 Adam Ricks played all 9 positions in this game, including pitcher. Birmingham @ Mobile Canceled due to hurricane Good thinking since most fans have probably evacuated. Durham @ Charlotte Whisler pitching Charlotte lost 10-2. Whisler and Ohka got beat like rag dolls. The 'good guys' got only 3 hits. Probably busy making flight arrangements to leave town, because their heads were obviously not in the game.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 31, 2008 -> 01:03 PM) This was a first hand account, which is a lot more reliable than scouting reports. Was your contact at any of the 7 quality starts he's had in his last 10 games? Or just the game where he did poorly? I'm not trying to bust your b***s... Just trying to provide a little balance here. Egbert has been very good for the last 3 months. He was outstanding in 2007... and in 2006.... and in 2005. And I think trying to characterize his potential based on last night's game where he wasn't doesn't really make alot of sense.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 31, 2008 -> 11:23 AM) As for Egbert last night, he was being clocked at 85 mph and was described as "terrible" by a Tampa front office executive. Seems like every time you post about him, he drops a couple mph off his fastball. He was terrible last night... he gave up 4 runs in the first inning. That doesn't change the fact that he has been very good since June 1st... 3.51 ERA with over a 3:1 K/BB ratio. And I know I've read info on him that has described his fastball in the low 90's. (So unlikely that it's gone all the way down to 85 unless he has arm trouble.)

Saw this on whitesox.com late last night... After Saturday's loss, Lance Broadway was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Boone Logan will be recalled before Sunday's game, making the left-handed reliever eligible for the team's playoff roster.