Since the Phillies clinched the NL pennant Oct. 21, I've been eagerly anticipating a Yankees-Phillies World Series matchup.

Of course, most had hoped to see the Yankees take on the Dodgers, especially Fox and Bud Selig. The obvious storylines were there with that matchup: Los Angeles vs. New York, Joe Torre vs. the Yankees, Manny vs. the Yanks.

The intrigue would have been there, but would it have been a competitive series?

The Dodgers didn't look as if they belonged on the same field as the Phillies, and they most likely wouldn't have stood much of a chance against the Yankees, either. None of the Dodgers' starting pitchers put any fear in the opposing team's lineup. I thought Clayton Kershaw had a chance of stepping into that role in the postseason; he didn't, but he's still young and will have plenty of time to grow into the role of dominant starter the next few seasons.

Manny Ramirez has looked like a completely different player since returning from his suspension, and he failed to take it up a level in the playoffs. I'm not sure whether it's the fact that he no longer is using performance-enhancing drugs, just the natural aging process or maybe he's hiding an injury, but Manny is no longer Manny.

The bottom line is a Dodgers-Yankees series might have drawn more buzz and higher ratings, but a Phillies-Yankees matchup looks as if it will be much more competitive. In fact, the similarities between these two World Series combatants are eerie. Let's look at those similarities and see who comes out on top in each one.

Pair of aces: CC Sabathia is the Yankees' ace and has been pitching like it all season, especially in the playoffs. He also won the Cy Young Award while pitching for the Indians in 2007. Hmm … sound familiar? Cliff Lee, the Phillies' ace, has been money in the postseason and also won a Cy Young with the Indians, his in 2008. Both are southpaws, which becomes an even bigger factor as both teams boast an abundance of power from the left side. Keeping these lefties off balance will be key in the series, especially in the games played in Yankee Stadium with its short right-field porch. This is extremely close as Sabathia and Lee both seem to be pitching at their peak at the moment. I just feel that Sabathia's peak is a little higher than Lee's.

Advantage: Yankees

Pedro and Pettite: Sure, Pedro Martinez and Andy Pettitte are past their primes, but they are also playoff-tested surefire future Hall of Famers. Pedro is starting Game 2 of the Series, and in my playoff preview, I wrote, "I have a feeling the Phillies are going to be looking to Pedro to pick them up at some point during the playoffs. The results won't be pretty." I stand by that statement. Look for the Yankees to rough up Pedro pretty badly. The one positive for the Phils is that their offense is good enough to keep up with anyone's, even the Yankees'.

Advantage: Yankees

Injured or incosistent? That's what I always wonder when I see A.J. Burnett or Cole Hamels on the mound. Both guys have the ability to dominate when pitching, but both also can look like a regular middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. We know Hamels has the ability to take over in the postseason, and, as I wrote last week, I don't think Burnett has what it takes to shine when the pressure is on. However, I don't trust Hamels at all right now. If I had even the slightest faith that he could return to his '08 form for this series, I'd give him the edge, but I don't see it happening.

Advantage: Even

Superstar slugger: Both teams are loaded with All-Star caliber players, especially on offense. However, if asked who the most feared hitter on each team is, I think the runaway answers would be Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard. Both are coming into the Fall Classic red hot, and it's going to be difficult to pitch around either because they're so well protected. However, it looks as though this is going to be remembered as the Postseason of A-Rod. Look for him to continue to come up big in the clutch.

Advantage: Yankees

Of course, there are other factors involved in this series that I haven't discussed, perhaps the most important of them being the huge advantage the Yankees have with their closer. Sure, Brad Lidge looks as if he might have turned it around, but you can't tell me that every Phillies fan isn't terrified of his coming into a one-run game and facing Mark Teixeira or A-Rod. Besides, there is no closer I would take ahead of Mariano Rivera, especially in the postseason. I don't care if he is pushing 40.

The only way I see the Yankees blowing this is if Joe Girardi goes to that ridiculous binder again and starts making insane moves with his bullpen. Just like in a horror movie when the audience is screaming at the innocent young teenage girl, "Don't open the door, don't open the door!" as the crazed ax murderer waits on the other side, I can see Yankees fans screaming at their TVs, "Joe, don't open the binder! Don't open the binder!" as Alfredo Aceves warms up in the bullpen. It really is a terrifying thought. Still, I'm taking the Yankees in six, as A-Rod gets the MVP … and gets that monkey off his back.

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Some quick house-cleaning before I get to my thoughts on Game 5 of the ALCS.

For some reason when I was writing my playoff preview, I thought that A.J. Burnett was part of the Marlins 2003 staff and claimed that he had previous postseason experience. Of course he was injured for most of that season and never pitched in the playoffs. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but that's what happens when you're rushing to finish a blog and doing about four other things at the same time.

I pride myself on my baseball knowledge, but I always double check that my memory is accurate; however, in this case, I was sloppy and didn't take the time to check Burnett's history. I'll be sure to be more thorough in the future; I never want to throw out misinformation to those of you that take the time to read my work.

I'll get back to Burnett in a moment, but first I want to discuss the art of handling a pitching staff. It's the little things that remind why I love this game so much. The little decisions that a manager has to make throughout a game are what make baseball so amazing. Some people can't stand how slow the game is, but every decision a manager makes can eventually have a huge impact on the game and depending on the result of said decision, can make that manager look like a fool or a genius. Watching the ALCS and seeing how every move by both managers is swinging each game continually reminds me why playoff baseball is so exciting.

I remember a discussion I had with my buddy Roth in which we decided that almost no managers really know how to use their bullpens. I have always felt that a bullpen is a total crapshoot; the only pitchers you can trust on a consistent basis are the shut-down closers, and there are very few of those. When one of your bullpen guys is hot, you just stick with him; it's too dangerous to go to another random middle-of-the -bullpen arm. That's why Joe Girardi's handling of his bullpen in Game 3 was so atrocious. David Robertson was mowing batters down; there was no need to overthink the situation and bring in Alfredo Aceves.

Anyway, back to my discussion with Roth. I threw out the idea that maybe only former catchers would be any good at handling a bullpen, going on the theory that catchers usually make the best managers and the fact that they spend their whole career learning every little nuance about all the pitchers on their staff. Well, in one series, maybe even one inning, Mike Scioscia and Girardi completely killed my theory. Scioscia's decision to pull John Lackey with two outs and the heart of the Yankees order coming up made no sense to me. Sure, he had 104 pitches, but this is their horse, their No. 1 starter; Scioscia has to have more faith in him than anyone in a shaky Angels bullpen, right? Apparently not. Apparently, he thought bringing in the veteran lefty, Darren Oliver, was the right decision, even though Mark Teixeira is better in nearly every offensive category against lefties than versus righties.

But that shouldn't even matter. Even without looking at the stats, sticking with your starter, who had allowed absolutely nothing all game, is the right decision in that situation. Bullpen pitchers are in the bullpen for a reason, they're just not as good as starters. Especially in the playoffs, middle of the bullpen arms should not become major factors in a game. The playoffs are when pitch counts and innings pitched get thrown out the window; that's part of the reason why they're monitored ad nauseam during the regular season. Scioscia made a mistake; however, he's not the only one who is making questionable moves with his staff.

Currently, the in thing to do is question Girardi's handling of his pitching staff and of course after Burnett allowed the first two batters to reach to start the bottom half of the seventh, everyone was wondering why he was even allowed to start the inning. Burnett was terrible in the first inning of the game, immediately putting his team in a 4-0 hole. This had Burnett pitching with much less pressure since he'd already put his team behind, and for the next five innings, he shut down the Angels. Of course, since he's pitching for the Yankees, the game was never out of reach and the Yankees came back with a roar in the top of the seventh.

While I completely agree that Girardi made some mind-numbingly ridiculous decisions with his 'pen in the past few games, keeping Burnett in the game was not one of those moves. Entering the seventh, Burnett had thrown only 80 pitches and he was facing the No. 8 and 9 hitters to start the inning. No, this was not a case of a manager pulling his pitcher too late, a la Grady Little and Pedro Martinez in 2003, it's a case of a pitcher not being able to do his job when the pressure is on (making my mistake of thinking Burnett had previous postseason success even more misleading). Burnett had the opportunity to help take the Yankees to the World Series for the first time in six years. If he could have just gotten through one more inning, Mariano Rivera, who hadn't pitched since Game 3, could have come in for a two-inning save.

However, Burnett's failure to close out the seventh has given the Angels renewed life. Sure, everyone knows that in baseball momentum is only as good as your next starting pitcher, but if the Angels push this series to a seventh game and the Yankees were to survive that game, CC Sabathia would not be available to pitch Game 1 (as well as Game 4 and a possible Game 7) of the World Series. This turn of events would greatly swing the advantage from the Yankees to the Phillies in the World Series.

NLCS notes:

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With the Minnesota Twins holding off the Detroit Tigers in an amazing Game 163 to win the AL Central crown, the playoff field is finally set. Thus, it's also time for me to break out my playoff preview. When it comes to postseason baseball, there are three things I look for when deciding the favorite to win it all.

First and most important is starting pitching. There are different ways starting pitching can help lead a team to a championship. One way is if one or two dominant pitchers take over a series, like Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson with the 2001 Diamondbacks, or like the Phillies did last year, riding a red-hot Cole Hamels and getting good enough performances from the rest of the starting staff. The other way is that the whole staff hits its stride at the perfect time, the obvious example being the 2005 White Sox. No name on the South Siders' 2005 starting staff really jumps out at you, but they had what was possibly the most dominant stretch of pitching in the history of postseason play, which ultimately led to a World Series victory.

The second key to postseason play is clutch hitting, something the Cubs have failed to grapple in the past two postseasons and the biggest on-field reason they aren't making a return trip to the playoffs in '09. Since pitching is so important in the postseason, it's not always the best offense that manages to score the most runs; it's the team that can get that clutch hit against a tough pitcher in a key situation.

The final key is the closer, something that wasn't as important 25 years ago, but has proved to be essential in the recent past. A closer can set the tone for a series, something Mariano Rivera did for the Yankees in the late '90s in a positive way and Dennis Eckersley did for the A's in 1988 in a negative way. Other than a dominant set-up man (think K-Rod in '02), the rest of the bullpen shouldn't be a factor in postseason play. If someone like Dave Veres or Mark Guthrie is trying to get big outs in the playoffs, the manager of that team doesn't know what he's doing. And yes, clearly I'm still bitter about Dusty Baker's handling of the Cubs' bullpen in the 2003 playoffs.

All right, so if those are the keys to postseason success, who has the advantage this year? Let's rank each team in each category by league and figure out who's going to match up in the World Series.

Closer (AL)

1. New York Yankees
Do I really need to explain myself here? Rivera is not only the greatest closer ever; his postseason résumé speaks for itself. He owns an 0.77 ERA, 0.75 WHIP in 117.1 innings pitched. Also impressive are his 5.81 K/BB ratio and the fact that he's only allowed two home runs. Granted, he's blown five saves (while converting 34), but three of them came in 2004, including two against a destiny-driven Red Sox team.

2. Boston Red Sox
I do have my worries about Jonathan Papelbon and his inconsistent velocity. But he's proved himself in the postseason and that's enough to put him in the No. 2 spot on this list.

3. Minnesota Twins
I'm not sure if it's just coincidence, but every time I've watched Joe Nathan this season, he seems to be creating trouble for himself in big games. As long as he continues to get out of these jams, it won't really matter. But closing in the playoffs is not only about getting the job done -- it's about instilling a fear in the opposition that once this guys steps on the mound, they're going to need a miracle to come back. Nathan does instill that fear, but any sign of weakness can help build the confidence of the batter.

4. Los Angeles Angels
I don't have much faith in Brian Fuentes and he definitely doesn't deliver the "fear factor" the previous three closers bring to the table. However, setup man Kevin Jepsen, despite some recent hiccups, could be an impact reliever for the Angels.

Closer (NL)

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
Jonathan Broxton comes into the playoffs red-hot with a 1.16 ERA in his past 23 appearances, while converting 11 of his past 12 save opportunities. During that time, he only allowed three runs, all during one bad outing.

2. Colorado Rockies
I really don't consider Huston Street to be dominant by any means, but he's performed quite well closing out games for the Rocks this season, blowing only two of the 37 save opportunities. The Rockies really get the second spot here by default.

3. St. Louis Cardinals
When Ryan Franklin took control of the Cards' closer role early in the season, everyone seemed to wonder how he was doing it. I kept waiting for him to look vulnerable, but it looked like it was going to be one of those magical years for him. He's a closer who doesn't really have a blazing fastball or a devastating out pitch like many great closers, but he was getting the job done. However, a 6.75 ERA in September and October has him looking a little shaky heading into the playoffs.

4. Philadelphia Phillies
Shocking how a year ago at this time I would have ranked the Phillies No. 1 as far as the closer role, as Brad Lidge was lights-out in 2008. However, it now looks as if after a horrible 2009 for Lidge, (7.21 ERA, 11 blown saves) manager Charlie Manuel will be using Ryan Madson in save situations. The closer situation is the Phillies' biggest question mark heading into the postseason.

Clutch hitting (AL)

1. New York Yankees
This isn't even close. A-Rod is coming into the playoffs scalding hot and surely is on a mission to rid himself of the label of a playoff bust. Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter are both in the hunt for AL MVP, and a reborn Jeter is known for his clutch postseason abilities. It will be interesting to see if dominant starting pitching will be as much of a factor this postseason at games played in new Yankee Stadium.

2. Boston Red Sox
These last three teams are very close as far as their offenses go, but since I'm talking about "clutch" hitting, I'm picking the Red Sox to edge both the Angels and Twins on my list due to their postseason experience. The addition of Victor Martinez to this offense makes me feel more comfortable putting them in this spot. With Kevin Youkilis' consistent bat, Jacoby Ellsbury's solid second half and Jason Bay and J.D. Drew providing the power, this offense is once again looking dangerous. Even though Big Papi seems to have once again found his power stroke, the Red Sox don't have to rely on him having a big postseason if the rest of the offense does their job.

3. Los Angeles Angels
This is a team full of surprises, as guys like Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar are leading the offense, but the bigger names like Bobby Abreu, Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter are also having very good years at the plate. Howie Kendrick is hitting .358 in the second half, Juan Rivera is an underrated power hitter (25 homers on the year) and Chone Figgins seems to make a living by crossing home plate (114 runs scored, good for second in the AL). Like I said, a surprisingly great offense, but until I see it done in the playoffs, I have to put them slightly behind the Red Sox.

4. Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer is turning out to be one of the best hitters of this generation. That much is clear. What had not been as clear is who would step up after Justin Morneau was sidelined with a back injury Sept. 14. Everyone assumed the playoffs were a pipe dream for this team with Morneau out and the Twins 5½ games back. But Michael Cuddyer has hit .333 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in 20 games while playing first base in place of Morneau. Jason Kubel has batted in Morneau's clean-up spot and has driven in 20 runs in his last 19 games. Both have more than picked up the slack in Morneau's absence. However, the most overlooked Twin has probably been Denard Span, who is hitting .331 in the second half.

Clutch hitting (NL)

1. St. Louis Cardinals
Two words: Albert Pujols. Pujols is easily the best clutch hitter playing right now. There is no one else in the league an opposing pitcher fears more when coming up to the plate in a pressure situation. His presence alone would have the Cardinals near the top of this list, but the added protection Matt Holliday provides, with his .353 batting average in a Cardinals uniform, makes this offense scary for any opposing pitcher.

2. Philadelphia Phillies
Their overall numbers this season actually put them in the bottom half of NL teams, but they've been here before and have proved they can get the big hit. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino … nobody's individual numbers really stand out from the regular season, but they scored runs and I expect that to continue in the postseason.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Batting average-wise, the Dodgers were the best offense in the NL but they're No. 3 on this list. Matt Kemp is a legit star. He may finally become a household name if he can deliver in the postseason. The presence of Manny Ramirez in this lineup is what keeps me from dropping them to No. 4. While he hasn't had his best season, he always manages to deliver in the spotlight.

4. Colorado Rockies
Troy Tulowitzki (.344 BA, 16 HR, 55 RBI) has been a beast in the second half. Todd Helton is having another great season to add to his Hall of Fame résumé, and youngsters like Brad Hawpe, Seth Smith, Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler all look like they can be major contributors now and in the future. The Rockies' offense is legit and I could easily put them higher on the list, but the above teams have more postseason experience, despite the Rockies' magical 2007 World Series run.

Starting pitching (AL)

1. Boston Red Sox
Josh Beckett may be one of the most dominating postseason pitchers I've had the pleasure of watching (I use the word "pleasure" lightly as I recall the one-hitter he tossed against the Cubs in the 2003 NLCS while with the Marlins). Jon Lester was my preseason pick to win the Cy Young, and after a slow start he seems to have really turned it on of late. I have some questions as to how Clay Buchholz will perform in the playoffs, but I know the talent is there for him to be a dominant presence on the mound.

2. Los Angeles Angels
There is nobody really dominant in this rotation, but the Angels have some '05 White Sox potential if they all get hot at the same time. John Lackey, Jered Weaver and Scott Kazmir will start it off, and Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana will both be ready if called upon.

3. New York Yankees
After CC Sabathia, I don't have any faith in this rotation. A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte both have postseason success in their past (while Sabathia has struggled in the playoffs), and they're going to have to relive that success if the Yankees expect to win their first World Series since 2000.

4. Minnesota Twins
Oh my. This was not the rotation I was expecting from the Twins when I picked them to win the Central in the preseason. I thought they would be led by Francisco Liriano and Kevin Slowey, but now they're relying on the likes of Brian Duensing, Nick Blackburn and (ugh) Carl Pavano. It would take a complete collapse by the Yankees offense for the Twins to get past New York with this starting rotation.

Starting pitching (NL)

1. St. Louis Cardinals
I hate to say it, but Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright combine to form the best one-two punch in the majors. Joel Pineiro had a surprisingly great regular season, but he is coming into the playoffs on a bit of a down note, allowing four or more runs in five of his final seven starts. Having John Smoltz at the back of the rotation isn't going to hurt either. He's 15-4, with a 2.65 ERA in 207 postseason innings. Sure, he's not the same guy he was four years ago, but the Cardinals aren't relying on him to carry the staff. It will be a bonus for this staff if Smoltz recaptures some of the postseason magic he's had during his 21-year career.

2. Philadelphia Phillies
Cole Hamels has shown he can dominate postseason play, as demonstrated during the Phils' '08 championship run. If he's healthy, he can do it again. Cliff Lee has shown he can dominate both AL and NL batters. Just check out his 2008 AL Cy Young for proof. After that, the Phillies have a bit of a question as J.A. Happ struggled with a 4.84 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in September. Pedro Martinez has dominated before in the postseason, but like Smoltz, he's not the same pitcher he once was; unlike Smoltz, I have a feeling the Phillies are going to be looking to Pedro to pick them up at some point during the playoffs. The results won't be pretty.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers
Randy Wolf did a tremendous job for the Dodgers this season, but if that's who the team is trotting out to start a playoff series (when they have their pick of any starter) then I can't justify putting them any higher on my list. Chad Billingsley was in line for that No. 1 spot but followed up a strong first half by going 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA in the second half -- not exactly the best way to earn your manager's trust. I'm really interested to see how the 21-year-old Clayton Kershaw performs when he makes his first career postseason start. I've been following him since he was 18 and hope he can step up on the big stage and deliver a memorable performance.

4. Colorado Rockies
The Rockies' downfall is that they have the offense to compete with anyone in the playoffs, but their starting staff is a real problem. Ubaldo Jimenez has all the talent in the world, but he'll be facing a playoff-tested Phillies team that is not going to give him any breaks. After that, the Rockies have some pitchers coming off career seasons including Aaron Cook, Jason Marquis and Jason Hammel. However, I don't expect any of those guys to be dominant forces in the playoffs.

Okay, so that's where these teams rank in the important playoff categories, but where does this leave us as far as who is going to make and win the World Series? I expect the Phillies and Yankees to easily dispose of the Rockies and Twins (respectively) in no more than four games in either series. The Yankees should sweep. The Dodgers could give the Cardinals some problems, but I expect Wainwright and Carpenter to be pretty dominant and carry the team past the Dodgers in four.

The Red Sox and Angels are going to be the best first-round series, and truthfully I don't feel strongly either way in this set. But since I picked the Red Sox to win the World Series, I have to at least pick them to make the ALCS, scraping past the Angels in five.

That leaves us with the two pretty exciting LCS matchups, where I expect the Yankees' offense to overcome the Red Sox's great pitching (like I said earlier, it's going to be very interesting to see what kind of impact new Yankee Stadium has on these games) and the Cardinals pitching to shut down the Phillies. Both series will go deep, as the Yanks take it in six and the Cards get by in a great seven-game set. Unfortunately for me, that leaves us with a Cardinals-Yankees World Series matchup. The Cardinals' pitching will overcome the difficulties pitching in new Yankee Stadium will pose and take the series in five games, as Pujols gets his second ring in four years.

Of course, all my analysis can go down the tubes if a team catches a few lucky breaks or certain players get hot at the right time. The 2006 Cardinals are a perfect example of this. They somehow snuck their way into the playoffs and got hot enough to make the World Series and we all watched as the Tigers handed them the trophy, seemingly making errors at every key point during the series. Like I always say, all it takes is one hot streak, and anything can happen in this game. The way I see it right now, it looks as if Cardinals fans are going to celebrate come early November. Looks like the offseason just got a little worse for us Cubs fans.

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A year ago today, the Cubs and White Sox were on their way to winning their respective divisions and fans were giddy with Chicago playoff baseball on the horizon.

If the two teams had faced each other last September, it would have been a media frenzy, fans would have been at each other's throats arguing as to which side rooted for the better team and we could have witnessed a true Crosstown Classic.

But alas, it is 2009, not 2008, and instead of getting a Crosstown Classic on Thursday, we're stuck with a Crosstown Clunker.

Both the Cubs and Sox have completely underachieved in a season in which the teams ahead of them have given them ample opportunities to get back in the playoff race. I really can't remember beginning a September when both fan bases were so utterly disgusted with the way their team was playing. The last time both teams really had nothing but a miracle to hang their hopes on this late in the season was 2002. The fact is this season was uncharted territory for Chicago baseball fans; for the first time in a while, both teams were coming off playoff seasons and many expected them to do the same this year.

However, their play has left most so disappointed that it's reached the point of apathy in Chicago. I'm so used to my White Sox fan friends giving me hell when the Cubs struggle like they are now. However, all of those people have completely checked out of the baseball season and moved on to drooling over Jay Cutler (not that I blame them -- I'm also looking forward to Sept. 13, when the Bears face the Packers in the regular-season opener).

So while I'm ready to give up on the Cubs, I'm not as eager as others to turn the page on the baseball season. Cubs fans have been spoiled by being lucky enough to watch our team in the postseason in three of the previous six seasons. (Believe me, I'm not using this as rationale for it being acceptable that they're not in the chase this year -- there are absolutely no excuses for the uninspired play of either team in this town.) However, I'm used to rooting for a team that's hopelessly out of the race by September, if not earlier, and as a baseball fan, I've trained myself to look for other things in the sport that piques my interest. This season, it would have to be the emergence of talented young pitching.

Over the last few years we've had a mass exodus of Hall of Fame pitching talent that has either retired or regressed due to age and injuries. From 1991 to 2004, 19 of the 28 Cy Young awards that were handed out were given to Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine and Pedro Martinez. That's more than two-thirds of the Cy Youngs spread over five pitchers. With those five out of the limelight, fans of dominant pitching had to focus their attention in a different direction. Luckily, there are a number of pitchers who have developed over the past season or two.

The Giants' Tim Lincecum is coming off a Cy Young season and looks like he'll be adding another to his mantle after he bounced back from a slow start to once again dominate opposing batters. (Remember Lou Piniella's ill-fated decision early in the season to start a second-rate lineup against Lincecum? That didn't work out so well.) Lincecum's teammate, Matt Cain, has catapulted himself into the elite level as well as he's finally lived up to the hype that was bestowed upon him when he debuted four years ago. Speaking of living up to the hype, the Mariners' "King" Felix Hernandez is doing just that.

King Felix's much ballyhooed debut came in 2005 at the tender age of 19 years old, and though he's never really had a bad season, he wasn't able to reach the point of consistent dominance that was expected of him. Now, at 23 years old, he seems to have fully reached his potential, as he's being mentioned among the Cy Young candidates in the AL.

Speaking of AL Cy Young candidates, the leader in that department is 25-year-old Royals pitcher Zack Greinke. Though he's stuck on a terrible team, Greinke deserves the award. Not only is he a great pitcher, but what it took for him to get to this point is just as amazing as what he does on the mound.

The list goes on of great young pitchers; including Adam Wainwright (a one-two punch of him and Chris Carpenter, along with the Cardinals' offense and closer Ryan Franklin, elevates St. Louis as the NL favorite).

Also on the list of great young pitchers are Jair Jurrjens, Clayton Kershaw and Edwin Jackson (boy was I wrong about him -- I actually said the Rays won that trade with Detroit; Matt Joyce could still turn out to be a solid player, but Jackson would have been a huge boost to the Rays' inconsistent starting staff).

Then there's Josh Johnson (a personal favorite of mine -- I remember him facing the Cubs early in his return from Tommy John surgery and being pretty impressed by his performance against such a strong offense), Justin Verlander, Yovani Gallardo, Jon Lester … must I go on?

That list doesn't even include the impressive crop of rookies we've seen this year like Tommy Hanson, J.A. Happ, Randy Wells, Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz, Neftali Feliz and Mat Latos. And let's not forget that the ultra-talented and super-hyped Stephen Strasburg will be making his major league debut next spring.

The point is that baseball is filled with young talented pitching, and over the next month I'm going to concentrate on watching them continue to develop into the stars of the game. It's a personal passion of mine to follow players as they go from prospect, to rookie, to All-Star, and finally superstar, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll still watch the Cubs as they scuffle through the rest of the season against mediocre competition, but I'm done looking for the subtle glimpses of a turnaround and getting excited when I see them. That ship has sailed, along with any chances of a Chicago baseball team making the 2009 postseason.

After that, I'm turning to Cutler, Juice Williams, Bruce Weber, Derrick Rose and Jonathan Toews to provide entertainment and fulfill that desire to witness my team do something special; that is until next April, when once again, hope springs eternal.

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Do you hear that? It's the collective groan of the rest of the National League teams as they realize that the Cubs' offense is finally hitting like it did in 2008. It took 3½ months, but what everyone expected to see from the start (and what some had begun to fear might never come) has finally arrived: runs, and en masse. The Cubs are sending a message to the rest of the league that the times of a struggling Cubbies offense are a thing of the past.

There have been some pretty obvious reasons for the sudden scoring surge, most notably the return of Aramis Ramirez from a dislocated shoulder. Ramirez started off a little slow upon his return, looking rather tentative at the plate. But in the past week he seems to have let loose, swinging the bat with authority. The results are clear as he's hitting .517 in his past seven games with five doubles and four home runs. He's even made some strong plays defensively, proving that not only is he unafraid to dive for a ball, but that his shoulder can handle the rigors of playing third base on a regular basis.

Alfonso Soriano has finally awoken from a nearly two-month slumber at the plate, during which he batted .175 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 37 games. Since moving out of the leadoff spot, Soriano is batting .355. He has once again found his power stroke, slugging five home runs. He is consistently batting with men on base and cashing in on those RBI opportunities.

Previously, I said there was a glimmer of hope while watching Kosuke Fukudome bat. He made solid contact, but had nothing to show for it. That glimmer has turned into a bright shine. Since being made the leadoff hitter, Fukudome has excelled in his new role. He is forcing pitchers to run up their pitch counts and has reached base at a .437 clip. His newfound consistency really softens the blow of the news that Reed Johnson could miss up to a month with a broken foot.

Of course there is still the enigma that is Milton Bradley, someone whom many question why I refuse to bash. The fact is that he's hitting woefully below his career average, especially from the left side of the plate. In recent days, Bradley has finally shown signs of turning it around from the left side, and has homered twice in the past week. Bradley's history with the bat compels me to believe that he's bound to have a monster final two months of the season. Besides, I've stuck with this guy for nearly four months. I'd be a fool if I turned my back on him now and he became the hitter he was last season.

Right now with Fukudome, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee, Ramirez, Bradley and Soriano batting one through six, the Cubs have to be one of the most feared lineups in the NL, if not all of baseball. Once Geovany Soto returns and is plugged into the seven spot, things will only get better. With an 11-3 record since the All-Star break, the Cubs are once again attempting to reclaim the spot of the team to beat in the Senior Circuit. Consider this fair warning, National League rivals.

One Last Thought ...

While everyone has been focused on the recent surge of the Cubs' offense, something that has been overlooked is Carlos Marmol's triumph over his struggles with the strike zone, which seem to be a thing of the past. In his past six appearances, he has allowed no runs while striking out 11. Most importantly, he has allowed only one walk. With a dominant Marmol to go along with Angel Guzman, Sean Marshall (1.31 ERA, .171 BAA as a reliever) and newly acquired John Grabow all setting up for the suddenly shutdown closer Kevin Gregg (yes, I said shutdown, since his blown save against the Tigers on June 23, Gregg is 10-for-10 in save opportunities with a 0.00 ERA), the bullpen has gone from a glaring weakness to a major strength.

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Not as Simple as AL Better than NL

"The Cubs aren't a major league team, right? Don't they play on some lower level?"

This is an actual question from my grandmother over the holiday weekend. I just glared at her, unsure if she had been prodded by my South-Side-loving brother to say this or if she was genuinely asking me the question. I responded with an annoyed, "No, they're a major league team," and quickly went back to watching the Cubs eke out a 2-1 victory over the Brewers.

However, with the way the Cubs have been playing, I guess the question wasn't as absurd as it first sounded. With the All-Star break approaching, my grandma's query got me thinking about how everyone loves to say that the AL is so much better than the NL, a line trumpeted by White Sox fans whenever they're engaged in an argument with a North Sider.

However, the argument, while seemingly accurate, is flawed. It's not just the NL that is subpar, it's all of baseball, excluding four teams, and three of those teams reside in the AL East. People love to complain about the constant national coverage the Yankees and Red Sox get, but the fact is, along with the Rays and Dodgers, they're the best teams in baseball and deserve any attention they receive.

People may wonder why I mention the Rays in this elite group when teams like San Francisco, Texas and Detroit have comparable records. But if you look at the numbers beyond the records, particularly the Rays plus-76 run differential at the break (third in the majors), you see they are playing at a level above most. Tampa had a slow start to the season, but ask Red Sox or Yankees fans who they fear the most, and in most cases it wouldn't be their New England rival, it would be the Rays. So, in essence, it isn't an AL vs. NL argument, it's a battle of the AL East and everyone else.

Right now, outside of the aforementioned four teams, baseball is full of average to bad teams. In the NL, after the Dodgers, the Giants may be the most feared team. This holds true despite having an offense that has struggled to score runs all season. If the Giants snag a wild card berth, they would be able to start a playoff series with a one-two punch of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, making them a favorite to advance to the NLCS.

In the AL West, the division-leading Texas Rangers seem to be the antithesis of the Giants. They have an offense that any team would covet while their pitching staff is nothing to fear in a playoff series. Part of the Rangers' success can be given to Mike Maddux's ability to get the best out of his pitching staff, but most of it is due to the fact that we're watching a league full of average teams.

Call it parity, call it bad baseball, the bottom line is that right now, 21 of the 30 teams in baseball are too close to a playoff berth to give up on the season. Frustration is a feeling that I have felt all season while watching the Cubs, as I'm sure Sox fans have felt the same way. But as South Siders can attest, all a team needs is a hot streak and strong starting pitching and a World Series run isn't out of the question. This is something that both teams in our city are capable of and the reason why, despite numerous pieces of evidence to the contrary, neither fan base should stop believing that this is their year. But until that happens on the North Side, it looks like I'll have to search for another way to prove to my grandma that the Cubs indeed do play in the majors.

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Trying to find bright spots in the Cubs' 2009 season is as difficult as sitting through an entire episode of "The Bachelorette" without making sarcastic comments. Let me answer why I'm watching "The Bachelorette." For all the sports I watch, it's inevitable that I watch a minimum of one girly show a week to appease my wife. There are actually some I enjoy, but she must never know.

As for the Cubs, mildly put, their season has been a disappointment so far. I've racked my brain and come up with a short list of positives from the first three months of the season.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Randy Wells has a strong mound presence and has an uncanny ability to locate his pitches with ease.

1. The Starting Pitching -- This is the most obvious plus for the Cubs. The starters have all been great this season; they've had some rough outings, but for the most part they've proven to be one of the best rotations in baseball. Unfortunately, the offense has been a no-show. The Lovable Losers sit at two games under .500 entering Wednesday night's game in Pittsburgh. Special props go to Randy Wells, who has come out of nowhere. Wells has been stellar nearly every time he toes the rubber. He doesn't seem to have dominating stuff, but he has a strong mound presence and an uncanny ability to locate his pitches with ease.

2. Andres Blanco -- Blanco's defense has been nothing short of perfection, and he clearly has the ability to be a Gold Glover in the middle infield. He currently is starting out of necessity since the Cubs' other options, Aaron Miles and Mike Fontenot, are not producing offensively. Blanco handles the bat pretty well; he's proven to be the team's best bunter as well as one of the few players who understand the meaning of situational hitting.

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Kosuke Fukudome has come a long way since March. Now he's probably the best defensive option the Cubs have in the outfield .

3. Kosuke Fukudome's Defense -- Coming into the season, many people openly questioned whether Fukudome could handle playing center field on an everyday basis. He often seemed to look lost in the field, making mistakes on routine plays daily during spring training. However, since the regular season began, Fukudome has steadily improved his defense. Now he's probably the best defensive option the Cubs have in the outfield (narrowly edging out Reed Johnson). He's definitely come a long way since March; if only we could say the same about his hitting.

4. Angel Guzman -- Guzman has been the most consistent performer in the Cubs' questionable bullpen. He is expected to return from the disabled list next Tuesday to give the team a much-needed reliable arm in relief. With Carlos Marmol struggling with inconsistencies, Guzman's presence has been invaluable to this team. If Kevin Gregg continues to struggle, Guzman may leapfrog Marmol as the logical choice to replace Gregg as closer.

That's it, that's the list. It's all I could come up with as definite positives for the Cubs. One could argue that Derrek Lee is a positive, as well as Geovany Soto's newfound offense and ability to throw out base-runners, but both of those players struggled mightily until recently, especially Soto. When looking at the positives, aside from the starting pitching, none of it really jumps out as something one would see from a contending team. Andres Blanco? Really, that's the best I could do? Yup, that's pretty much all the Cubs have to be happy about at the moment.

So where do the North Siders go from here? What they need most is for Milton Bradley to start hitting. I've been on his side from the start, and he nearly lost me over the weekend with his mini-feud with Lou Piniella, but I'm sticking with him. If he can find his stroke (especially from the left side, where he's hitting an anemic .194; didn't the Cubs get him for his left-handed stick?) and help turn around this struggling offense, all of these "shenanigans", as Piniella put it, will be forgotten.

Another important piece returns on Monday, as third baseman and run producer Aramis Ramirez is expected to come off the DL and join the team. His bat will kick-start a stagnant offense, as long as he is truly healthy and able to swing the bat with authority.

On the plus side, it looks as if Soto is finally starting to swing like he did last season, and Lee's numbers have returned to his career averages. I have absolutely no faith that Fukudome will hit as he did in April and May, but unlike last season, he is actually making solid contact with the ball during this slump. It's not much, but it's a glimmer of hope.

I've finally accepted that Mike Fontenot is just a bench player, one who can give you some pop if he's used sparingly. I also believe that Jake Fox at third and Blanco at second give the Cubs their best chance to win with their current roster.

Alfonso Soriano is a complete mess at the moment, on offense and defense. I see no reason why Piniella doesn't start sitting Soriano with more regularity, giving Micah Hoffpauir, Ryan Freel, Jake Fox and Reed Johnson (when he returns from the DL) some starts in left. I've gone on and on about why Soriano frustrates me and I try to just accept him for what he is -- a very streaky player who at times can put a team on his back. However, he is in the midst of his coldest streak as a Cub. He has hit .179 (with a .248 OBP) in his last 35 games, with 41 strikeouts and only two home runs and seven RBIs. That's nearly six weeks of baseball during which he's given the Cubs next to nothing; after such a promising start, Soriano's performance has been an utter disappointment and completely unacceptable. It's time for Soriano to get on one of his patented hot streaks, when everything he hits is a rocket. If that doesn't happen soon, he has to sit.

As for the bullpen, I think things are starting to fall into place. There are a few question marks, but I believe Marmol will figure things out and return to his role of go-to guy when the team needs to get out of a jam. I've already gushed about Guzman; he and Marmol form quite the formidable duo, assuming Marmol returns to form, to set up for the shaky Gregg.

Hopefully, this time around in the majors is when Jeff Samardzija finally develops an effective slider and figures out how to locate his fastball and split-finger. If he does, the only worry in the bullpen would be Gregg. I still think the team can get by with his high-wire act in the ninth, but there are solid veteran relievers available on the market. These include Danys Baez, Jon Rauch, Chad Qualls and Rafael Betancourt. Any of them would be solid options to shore up the bullpen if either Marmol or Guzman is moved to the closer's role.

I haven't heard any reliable sources saying Joakim Soria or Heath Bell are available, but if they can be had, the Cubs should try to make a deal. That would lock down the closer position for a few years and quickly turn the bullpen into a strength.

The bottom line is that many things must change to turn the Cubs back into contenders. Luckily for the North Siders, neither the Brewers nor Cardinals have capitalized on the Cubs' terrible stretch. With Ramirez's return on the horizon, it would be huge if the Cubs manage to take three games in the upcoming four-game set with the Brew Crew at Wrigley (or even sweep).

Just as with the White Sox, all the Cubs need to do is get into the playoffs. After that, anything can happen. We've already seen what they did in the postseason after a 97-win campaign. In fact, the best we've recently seen from the Cubs in the playoffs came after an 88-win season in 2003. All they need to win the Central is one great month; luckily, they have three more shots at it.

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After an interesting weekend at 35th and Shields, I sat back and tried to figure out what exactly we've learned about both baseball teams in this town. How do the happenings of the past few days relate to what's already happened this season? And what does it mean for the upcoming months? Let's start with the South Siders today, with the Cubs to follow later.

On the offensive side of the ball, there are three key wild cards to the success of the South Siders. We know what we're getting from Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome and Paul Konerko. They're veterans and they're gonna provide power numbers. A.J. Pierzynski is solid with the bat and is probably one of the best minds behind the plate in the game today. But we knew these things going into the season and we see it unfolding on the field.

But with Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham and Scott Podsednik we're still trying to figure out exactly what they'll bring to the table. If I had to pick one of the three to place the "real deal" tag on, there's no doubt I would go with Beckham.

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Jerry Lai/US Presswire

Of the White Sox's X-factors, Gordon Beckham has the best chance to become a consistent star.

The two flaws I currently see are his defense and baserunning. He's still learning to play third and from all accounts he was an above average defensive shortstop, so I expect his defense to improve at the hot corner.

As far as baserunning goes, from what I've witnessed, Beckham shouldn't be given the green light when on the basepaths. He's been caught stealing three times in four attempts and in all three he was out by a mile. In fact, he seemingly slid short of second in each time. Maybe that's something that will improve as he begins to understand how to time the pitchers and catchers in the big leagues, but for right now, I would leave the running to Podsednik, Chris Getz and Dewayne Wise. As far as the hitting goes, it's only going to continue to get better. I strongly believe this kid will be contending for batting titles year in and year out.

Speaking of Podsednik, he has turned out to be an absolute brilliant signing by Kenny Williams. When he has gotten on base he has driven opposing pitchers nuts, as they've had to constantly be wary of what Pods is doing. The obvious question is how long will this last? In the previous three seasons, Podsednik had struggled to get on base, and if those problems return, he is of no value to a major league club, especially considering his sub-par defensive play.

I'm completely shocked at the way Podsednik has performed. I don't believe it will continue, but then again, I didn't think it would happen in the first place. However, right now he's doing an amazing job and the White Sox must continue to take advantage of it while they can.

Ramirez is the final key to this Sox puzzle, and like Beckham, not only is his performance important for this season, but also for the future of the White Sox. Ramirez seems to have found his stroke, batting .302 and hitting 7 of his 10 home runs in the past 34 games.

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Alexei Ramirez is the White Sox's Alfonso Soriano -- unstoppable when he's on, frustrating when he's not.

Offensively, Ramirez is the South Side's equivalent to Alfonso Soriano. He's going to frustrate the fanbase to no end with the pitches he swings at when he's in a cold stretch, but when he gets hot and is recognizing what's being thrown, he's a near-impossible out. That's what he is and it's what he's going to be. You can either complain about his up-and-down stats or just accept him for what he is and move on.

The pitching has been the most consistent part of the team. Individually, the staff has had its ups and downs, but they haven't slumped all at once, which has helped the team avoid a long losing streak.

My opinion on the staff hasn't changed much in the past few months: Buehrle is as consistent as it gets; Danks has the highest ceiling and is the most likely to become the future ace; Richard is fine for a fourth or fifth starter and nothing more; and Contreras and Floyd have the ability to go out on the mound and dominate or completely flounder without much of a middle ground. As far as the bullpen goes, they're about as solid as it gets. I don't trust Scott Linebrink. He's just a bad second-half pitcher historically, but Aaron Poreda is good insurance in case Linebrink does falter.

So what does this all mean? Are the Sox contenders or should they look to sell and build around an interesting young core of Beckham, Danks, Floyd, Ramirez, Poreda and Getz? John Schuerholz, the Braves GM in the '90s, mastered the art of doing both, as he transitioned from Terry Pendleton, David Justice and Ron Gant to Chipper Jones, Ryan Klesko and Andruw Jones. Granted, he was blessed with one of the greatest pitching staffs of all time, but he still had the ability to see when to let a veteran go and had such a strong minor league system that he could easily replace that veteran. He also was very good at making a seemingly minor move turn into gold.

Kenny Williams has this ability as well, as displayed with his signings of Dye, Pierzynski and more recently Podsednik. Frankly, I think the Sox can sell some pieces and still contend. If Carlos Quentin comes back and stays healthy, Dye becomes someone for whom you can get a lot in return and you still have the ability to win the division with the numbers Quentin puts up in his place.

However, it seems as though right now the Sox are going to be buyers. Their division is weak enough where even though they're a .500 club at the moment, they're definite contenders to win the division. The Sox aren't the same team they were to begin the season, the one that most Sox fans lamented as they solely relied on home runs to win games. With Podsednik and Beckham, the long ball isn't their only option. Right now it's the right move to try and win the division. If there is one thing we've all learned in this game, it doesn't matter how you make the postseason, you just need to get there. After that anything can happen.

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Milton Bradley and the Cubs have struggled of late, but there's reason to suspect they'll soon be out of their funk.

When Aramis Ramirez went down with his shoulder injury, I figured that either struggling hitters like Milton Bradley and Geovany Soto would have to turn it around or things could get ugly. Unfortunately for the Cubs and their fans, not only did Bradley and Soto fail to start living up to expectations, but Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot went into big slumps as well. This led to the Cubs' current losing streak that includes an 0-6 road trip in which they scored a whopping five runs.

The now infamous road trip had an inauspicious start in St. Louis, where the Cubs made Joel Pineiro look like Greg Maddux, as the Cardinals righty threw a complete-game three-hitter while tossing only 92 pitches. Not only did the Cubs fail to draw a walk against Pineiro, they only coaxed two three-ball counts the entire game. I'm pretty sure watching that performance would bring Billy Beane to tears. However, during this abysmal offensive stretch, there were some signs toward the end of the trip that the hitters would start doing their jobs.

In the movie "Little Big League," 12-year-old manager Billy Heywood benches the team's aging star Lou Collins during a tremendous cold streak. While the numbers may have backed up Collins' benching, the immature Heywood was more motivated by the fact that his childhood hero was now dating his mother and he was jealous of the time they were spending together. Blinded by this jealousy, Billy failed to notice (or care) that Lou was killing the ball in many at-bats, but was getting unlucky because they were being hit right at people or he was being robbed by great defensive plays. Right now that's exactly what's happening with Bradley. He's driving pitches and hitting the ball square on the nose, but they've mostly been outs. And yes, I just referenced the movie "Little Big League" to make a point when I could have easily made it without using a fictional example. But I just have to give that movie some major props. While it can be quite corny, for some reason if I flip past it on TV I have to watch it. I guess I just get a kick out of watching a 12-year-old manager use crazy trick plays in a must-win game. I'm pretty sure if this happened in real life, the kid would still do a better job than Terry Bevington. If I had to rank the baseball comedies I watched as a youth as to how they hold up in present times, "Little Big League" would be up near the top right behind "Major League" and "The Sandlot" (keeping in mind that I didn't see "Bull Durham" until I was about 20). It would also be about 500 spots higher than "Hardball" starring Keanu Reeves. OK, so that movie came out in 2001, so I couldn't have watched it as a kid, but that movie was just terrible. Except for the fact that reaching rock bottom for Keanu's character meant betting on the Bulls; I mean, how much of a degenerate gambler do you have to be to bet on the '01 Bulls? Anyway, as we all know, in "Little Big League," Billy made up with Lou, put him back in the lineup and Lou promptly started smacking the ball all over the park. I fully expect Bradley to do the same.

While I continue to support Bradley (I do this even after his recent remarks; I know he has a right to say what he wants, but I just see no benefit in him claiming the umps are conspiring against him), I'm starting to second-guess if Mike Fontenot is capable of being an everyday player. To be fair, he also seems to have had some bad luck as every hard-hit ball turns into an out, but he's also had some at-bats in which he looks completely fooled by the off-speed stuff. If Fontenot continues to struggle at the plate into June, I think the Cubs would be smart to look for help outside of the organization. One player who is seemingly available and intrigues me is Marlins infielder Jorge Cantu. After a red-hot April, Cantu has struggled at the plate in May. But Cantu is a streaky player, and as long as the Cubs don't have to give up too much for his services, he could be a valuable bat in the Cubs' lineup. He could fill in at third and move to second once Ramirez is healthy. If Cantu were to get hot, then the Cubs wouldn't have to worry about rushing Ramirez back to save an anemic offense.

As far as the Cubs' bullpen woes are concerned, I think there is a way to fix it. First off, the good: Carlos Marmol is one of the best when it comes to cleaning up another pitcher's mess and Angel Guzman has developed into a very reliable option late in close games. While Kevin Gregg looks like he's going to make every save attempt a nail-biter, how different is that than what Rod Beck did in '98, or even what Kerry Wood did the past two years? I have always been a Wood fan, but those of you that are still angry that Jim Hendry let him walk are failing to notice his 1.80 WHIP and 7.20 ERA. The point is, I think Gregg can do the job in the closer's role. Lou Piniella asked for five reliable guys in the bullpen and right now that makes three, and I'm probably being generous by including Gregg. The best course of action to accomplish what Piniella wants would be to move Sean Marshall to the bullpen once Rich Harden returns from the DL. Marshall has done a solid job in the rotation and I'm a big fan of his, but Randy Wells has been great as a starter and right now the Cubs could really use a solid lefty out of the 'pen. Obviously, this means the Cubs would either move Neal Cotts down to the minors or release him altogether. I don't think anyone would be disappointed if either of those things happened. That leaves one more spot to be filled, and it's clear that Aaron Heilman isn't going to get the job done on a consistent basis. Right now, his acquisition is looking like a major blunder by Hendry since both Garrett Olson and Ronny Cedeno would at the very least be solid players to include in a trade. Heilman, on the other hand, pretty much has no value as he continues to get battered when he goes to the mound. So the search is on for one more reliable reliever. Jose Ascanio has shown flashes or maybe someone like Jeff Stevens (acquired from the Indians in the Mark DeRosa trade and sporting a nifty 1.74 ERA and 1.16 WHIP at Triple-A Iowa) can come up from the minors and solidify a shaky part of the team.

Of course, on Monday night, the Cubs' offense briefly awoke and put eight runs on the board, but Ryan Dempster struggled with his control (and in a fit of rage, destroyed the new Gatorade dispenser in the dugout, which didn't even last two month into the season) while the bullpen once again failed to do its job and the North Siders extended their losing streak to eight games. Hopefully the bats can use any momentum created by Monday's offensive outburst, but if things continue to look like they have the previous six games, then maybe it's time Piniella channels his inner Billy Heywood and starts using some unconventional tactics to win some games.

On the South Side ...

I think I may have buried the White Sox a little too early. After watching them the past week, they look like they can make a run at the AL Central. Unlike the Cubs, the South Siders seem to have everything figured out in the bullpen. The offense may be maddeningly inconsistent, but I think they'll get by with what they have now. It really hinges on how bad Carlos Quentin's heel injury is, if Alexei Ramirez is ready to hit like he did last summer and if Gordon Beckham can make a contribution this season. The biggest issue is if they can upgrade the starting rotation. If they do that, they instantly become contenders. I admit that I was wrong on Mark Buehrle. I, along with many others, continue to underrate the crafty southpaw and he continues to prove us wrong. He's looking like an All-Star with a 6-1 record, 2.59 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. If he can keep up those numbers, he's going to get some Cy Young buzz. Even though John Danks has hit a rough patch after some early season success, I strongly believe that by the end of the season he's going to re-establish himself as one of the best young pitchers in the game. Clayton Richard has been a revelation since joining the rotation and looks like he can be more than adequate as a fourth or fifth starter. That leaves Gavin Floyd and Bartolo Colon, neither of whom I have much faith in, but the Sox can still contend as long as they both are at least average the rest of the way. That's what makes the Jake Peavy non-deal all the more heartbreaking for fans of the Silver and Black. As far as this season goes, the Sox would have essentially upgraded from Richard to Peavy, giving them two legit aces at the top (Buehrle and Peavy) one young potential ace (Danks) and two average starters that have the ability to throw a gem here and there (Floyd and Colon). But don't count Kenny Williams out just yet. I would not be shocked to see him continue to be aggressive in his attempts to upgrade the White Sox roster and try to compete in 2009.

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Jeff Samardzija

If used correctly, stats can give you a clearer picture of what's happening on the field. This is especially true in baseball, but sometimes, what you see with your very own eyes is the best measure of a player's value. Right now this seems to be the case with Jeff Samardzija. In my last blog I wrote that 'Samardzija seems to have bounced back after a sloppy first appearance in his return to the big leagues.' Originally, I wrote, "I'm not sure what Jim Hendry saw in his scouting trip to Iowa, but Jeff Samardzija looks to have no command of his secondary pitches and opposing batters are just sitting on his fastball." After writing that, I did a quick double check of the stats to see if my point was valid. Looking at the basic stats, it seemed as though, as Roger Clemens would put it, I had misremembered, thus I incorrectly came to the conclusion that Samardzija had figured things out.

However, I had a nagging feeling that Samardzija just didn't seem right in his other appearances and that his first appearance wasn't the lone stinker. So after Samardzija relieved Sean Marshall in the 8th inning of Tuesday's loss to the Giants, turning a very winnable game into a four-run loss, I decided to look at the numbers a little more closely. First let's just take a look at the basic numbers from Samardzija's first five appearances (keeping in mind that I wrote my blog before his latest bad outing).

Obviously I looked at Samardzija's numbers from games two through four and mistakenly assumed that my initial worries about him were incorrect and Samardzija had turned things around after a bad first outing. The fact is, in his second outing he came in under no pressure as the Cubs were down 7-2 and managed to have a solid one-inning appearance. In his third appearance, he seems to have done fine, but he came in with the bases loaded and one out and that one hit he allowed was a bases clearing double by Justin Upton. His fourth outing he again came in with the bases loaded, this time with two outs and the Cubs' trailing by four, however he managed to get out of the inning unscathed. Of course, in his most recent outing, he came in with two men on and nobody out in a game that the Cubs trailed by only one run, his first high-pressure appearance. Samardzija looked completely lost on the mound, hitting one batter and walking another as he allowed both inherited runners to score and one run of his own to cross home for good measure.

Probably one of the most important statistics to look at for a reliever is percentage of inherited runners scored (IS percent). This is a number Carlos Marmol has kept low over his career and something that Samardzija should do if he's going to be brought in during key situations in the game. However, this season, Samardzija's IS percent is 63 and last season it was 60 percent -- compare this to Marmol's career number of 17 percent. To be fair, Samardzija usually came in at the beginning of an inning last season as he only inherited 10 runners in 26 appearances compared to the eight he's already inherited this season. But that just emphasizes the point that Samardzija can't be expected to be used in a similar role as Marmol. But for some reason there are those that seem to believe he can fill that role. Luckily Jim Hendry and Lou Piniella aren't part of that group, as Samardzija was sent to the minors and Chad Fox was brought back to the majors in his place. It is unclear if Samardzija will return to the rotation in Iowa or work out of the bullpen, but what is clear is that if he expects to make a return trip to the majors, he must develop better command of his secondary pitches.

We've learned two things here. First of all, always trust what you see, if the stats you look at don't back up what you think, then look for the ones that do. Secondly, at this point Jeff Samardzija isn't getting the job done as a late-innings, high-pressure reliever, he fails more than just the eye-test.

Spraying to all fields