DBAHO

Crede pops out to 2nd, suprise, suprise. 1 down.

Rheal Cormier in now.

It'll be very interestin to see what happens with him if we do trade for a starter. If he's real impressive he could stay in the bullpen for sum1 like Mike Jackson, but if he's demoted, I wonder if it'll be back to down to B-Ham or Charlotte?

Could be keepin us in the game here, Milton's pitch count at 105, he's prob done for the day.

Why did I think of Utopia and not Utica for a second.

I played Tournament Dreams College B-Ball Trial from .400 Software as Michigan State. I always used to play against Illinois in the Big 10 final, great game that especially with the recruiting aspect of the game.

It usually comes down to a Michigan State vs. Illinois final, but I wouldn't certainly rule out Indiana or Wisconsin.

Are your boys the favs in the Big 10 this season Greasy?

It's quite simple really, White Man can't jump.

How do you feel about the casting in the film BeGood, like Jennifer Love Hewitt as Dr. Liz. I know what Shuf would say.

Ni Hao. Hello. Ni Hao Ma? How are you? Ting hao de I am very good. Ni ne? And you? Ye, Ting hao de. I am also very good.

I'm a walking the dog.

I'm interested Southsider if u've still got an invite available. No Fosters to bribe u with though.

From the Sun - Times, Were they using a tee? Did someone juice the balls, cork the bats, turbocharge the jetstreams? What was advertised as an interleague game between the White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies actually served as extended batting practice Tuesday evening, a popcorn popper of a barrage in which the Sox amassed 11 runs, 10 hits and six home runs before dusk completely fell. All we needed to make the scene whole was the reincarnate Dick Allen, by far the most notable common denominator between the clubs. When you watch so many fireworks explode, when you marvel at the clouting abilities of the Sox, it's only more maddening to ponder how dangerous this team would be if a legitimate closer was in the house. What do we do best in Chicago life, anyway? We close the deal. Some do it in power lunches, some do it at the Board of Trade, others do it under the table. But the deal gets done --unless we're counting the bullpen at the Ballmall Formerly Known as Comiskey Park. It might interest you to know what my Boston pals are telling me, that Keith Foulke jerseys are popping up in the Fenway Park stands. He is pitching well for the Red Sox, just as he pitched well for Oakland last season and just as he would have performed markedly better for the White Sox than the man for whom he was traded. Foulke could have been the South Side closer for years, the one remnant of the 1997 White Flag trade that made an otherwise surreal deal make sense. But Ken Williams dared to engage in business with Billy Beane, the brash Oakland counterpart who made Kenny GM look silly in the best-selling book ''Moneyball.'' Figuring he could save money in the long run -- the pervasive Reinsdorfian mantra -- Williams dumped Foulke before his free-agent season and assumed the contract of a similarly successful closer. Everyone wondered what Beane was up to. And then we saw Billy Koch unravel, embarrassing Williams again. Never, ever forget that the Sox are their worst enemies. They seem to perpetually spin their wheels in counterproductivity, covering up major personnel mistakes with patches. In their latest twist, they will use a Japanese reliever named Mr. Zero and a set-up man by trade, Damaso Marte, to close games while Koch and his $6.375 million salary become merely a part of the late-innings committee. ''I'm going to go with anyone,'' Ozzie Guillen explained rather murkily. ''It's going to depend on how the matchup looks. [Koch] is not out of the picture; he's still in my bullpen. But right now, I'm going to go with my gut feeling.'' As a pre-emptive measure, he may want to line that gut with Pepto Bismol. This is no way to win the American League Central, much less reach the World Series. With Foulke at peak form, I honestly could project the Sox as a clear division favorite and a formidable October team. But with Shingo Takatsu, Marte and anybody else who answers the want ads, Guillen clearly is rolling the dice in a league that features closers such as Foulke in Boston, Mariano Rivera in New York, Troy Percival in Anaheim and even a 15-save retread named Joe Nathan in Minnesota. It's a shame, because few teams match the Sox as an offensive force. The emerging stud is Carlos Lee, who extended his hitting streak to 23 games with an early homer, oddly his first in six weeks. Another week of this, and Lee turns into a national media watch. Indeed, these are heady times for the first-place Sox, assuming they aren't spun into nausea by bullpen woes. The hope is that Williams has found a $750,000 bargain in Takatsu, who earned his nickname because he never allowed a postseason run in Japanese ball. But racking up 260 career saves on the other side of the world provides no assurance that Mr. Zero can deliver in a big-league pennant race, particularly when he barely throws hard enough to knock a beer out of a fan's hand. With a fastball slower than Joe Borowski's, in the mid-80s, he relies on a changeup and a sidearm sinker. Takatsu has had success so far, allowing zero runs in his last 181/3 innings and retiring his last 13 batters. And it was curious to see him peering at Philadelphia hitters from the pen through binoculars, proving he's a student of pitching. But the concern is that hitters will figure him out the second time around. At 35, Mr. Zero wanted the challenge of the sport's highest level and left behind bigger money in his homeland. Sox scouts noticed him during an open workout in California over the winter. True, we've seen enough Japanese players succeed in the majors to believe in Takatsu's credibility. But it remains to be seen whether he and Marte can be consistent in crunch moments. What is known is that Koch can't be trusted, not after his nationally televised meltdown Sunday night. Guillen has given him every chance to regain his command and break a season-and-a-half slump, but Koch has lost his confidence and has become the pariah of 35th Street. ''It's embarrassing'' said Koch, a stand-up guy. ''I let down 24 guys in this room, the coaching staff and the fans of Chicago.'' As it is, Williams has been on the lookout for another starter. Specifically, he has targeted Seattle's Freddy Garcia, who happens to be Guillen's close friend and offseason hangout partner in Venezuela. But other teams want Garcia, including the Yankees and division-rival Twins, and likely have more to offer than Williams. It's doubtful the Sox will get Garcia if they only can offer a package of disappointing prospect Joe Borchard, outfielder Aaron Rowand and pitcher Jon Rauch. With all four starting pitchers developing consistency, Williams should prioritize a closer in trade talks. While chatting with the Mariners, he might want to ask about Eddie Guardado, who has 10 saves, an 0.99 ERA and a 31-7 strikeouts/walks ratio for a losing team. Jose Mesa could be available, but he comes with baggage. So does ex-Sox starter Rocky Biddle, who succeeded last year as Montreal's closer but since has struggled. Did someone say John Smoltz? Whatever Williams' next move is, it better be big and better be good. He's the one, after all, who traded The Solution for The Problem.

What comes with 4 bad outings?

Some records, The Angels pitching staff tied a Major League record for combined strikeouts in a single game with 26. Geoff Jenkins of the Brewers tied a Major League record for futility with 6 strikeouts in a single game.

I've always suspected he wants to rip off sum young new GM with that type of a deal. What bout includin Kenny Williams in it?

Here's your new b**** and moan thread for 2004. I won't hav one for Mark Buerhle since he's now a 6 game winner. Post your rants in here.

Most underrated closer in the league.

It will help sign our other draft picks as well.

Can Matt Kinney close it out? Or will they go to Danny Kolb?

Still 0-0 in the top of the 17th.

Well they'd lost so many times bf in franchise history, mayb even the local press couldn't believe they'd won.

He played in Japan last year.

Sounds like Beastly and Soxnbears had a great night tonight. Can't ask much more from a game, with lots of home runs and a Sox win. Too bad Billy Botch didn't pitch so you couldn't boo him though.