Who predicted record offensive outputs from Cleveland and Detroit in the greatest division evah.

no idea how.

been a solid backup catcher this year, but apparently he also carries injured children into the dugout to receive medical attention:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-baseball-injury_both_20jun20,0,4082027.story

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=gallo/080620

quality.

The division which you guys rated the toughest in baseball (Twice) is decidedly mediocre, and looks like it will be a cripple fight into September.

Didn’t take you long to distance yourself from the masses, Boss. Cast aside the first day of summer….

Has an OPS+ above 100, he has sucked for his standards, but isn’t doing that poorly.

I’m no Cubs fan, but I have sort of picked them as my favorite to win the pennant, so I have been following them a bit closer than I normally would this year. Last night I even went so far as to wade into the game threads over at the estimable Bleed Cubbie Blue. Just to lurk, mind you. The takeaway: Cubs fans are a little scary. Great fans, mind you. Knowledgeable as all get-out. But scary in the lets-analyze-a-groundout-from-15-directions kind of way. I have had some people ask me why I don’t link to more team-specific blogs. Nothing personal or particular to BCB, but I think that live-or-die on every pitch dynamic has something to do with it. I’m pretty obsessed, but I just can’t get that passionate or involved in the moment-by-moment like those guys do.

yeah, people on sites like SSS are fucking crazy.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/tht-daily-swooning/

Is like SSS on roids. They have factions and their factions have factions. I guess going 100 years without a WS win will turn people crazy like that.

I was pretty into the shuadenfreude thing back in ‘05 but haven’t read BCB or NSBB since then other than for a brief foray every couple months or so.

Matchup: White Sox (41-31) at Cubs (45-28), 1:20 p.m. CT
Probable Starters: John Danks (80 2/3 IP, 3.01 RA, 1.25 WHIP, 61 K) vs. Ted Lilly (85, 5.08, 1.33, 83)
Pythagorean Record: White Sox, 44-28 (356 RS, 274 RA); Cubs, 46-27 (396 RS, 295 RA)
Hit List Rankings: White Sox, #4; Cubs, #1
Prospectus: The Southsiders have already thrown down the gauntlet, courtesy of pugnacious White Sox general manager Kenny Williams, who had this to say about the difference between the rooting loyalties for the two Windy City teams: “You might as well build a border, a Great Wall of China on Madison, because we are so different. We might as well be in two different cities. The unfortunate thing for me when I look at a lot of this is it’s a shame that a certain segment of Chicago refused to enjoy a baseball championship being brought to their city [in 2005]. The only thing I can say is, happy anniversary.” Although it is the 100th anniversary since the last year the Cubs won a World Series, they’ve cruised into June with the best record in baseball, the first time they have been in such a position since that 1908 season. Williams hardly needed to provide a spark in order to ignite passions—both teams are in first place, the first time that has been the case since their cross-city battle started counting in 1998. The series stands 29-28, advantage Cubs, so the Sox will have a chance to draw even by taking two of three in Wrigley, or pull ahead with a sweep.

Perhaps Williams is bitter because Chicago’s loyalties have been so clearly manifested in the attendance totals of the two teams. The front-running Cubs are drawing 40,345 fans per game to the Friendly Confines this season, while the White Sox, who have the largest cushion of any of the six first-place teams in the majors (4.5 games), are averaging only 27,492 fans per game at U.S. Cellular Field (down from last year’s average of 33,141), perhaps a product of their disappointing 72-90 record in 2007. The average figure for the Cubs is the highest in franchise history. Back in 1908, when the Cubs won their last title, the team played at the West Side Grounds, and averaged just 8,422 fans per game—which nevertheless ranked second among the eight teams of the National League.

The Seattle Times reported in Friday’s editions that White Sox bench coach Joey Cora could be a candidate for the Mariners’ managerial position if ownership elects not to retain interim manager Jim Riggleman. ...