The Sox Plan To Be Buyers This July

Winning 12 of 13 games can do a lot of things for a baseball team. It can help you move from third to first place in only a few short weeks, and it's possible that it could also lead to a boost in attendance at home games, which help the bottom line.

It looks like winning can also lead you to throw that rebuilding plan away.

White Sox 4 Rays 3: Hawk Gets Angry, Hawk Leaves Happy

I'm starting to think that no matter what happens in any White Sox game, this team is never going to lose again.

Game #51: White Sox at Rays

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	28-22	Jose Quintana	1-0 1.54 ERA	12:10 PM CT
RAYS	29-21	Alex Cobb	2-0 2.25 ERA

This afternoon your FIRST PLACE White Sox look to finish a sweep of the Rays and stay in FIRST PLACE.

Today's Bet: White Sox +117
Total: $106.12

White Sox 7 Rays 2: First Place Is Ours

We were supposed to lose this game. I mean, James Shields versus Phil Humber? The Tampa ace against the guy with an ERA over 8.00 since throwing a perfect game?

But that's the thing about this White Sox team in 2012. They don't know they're supposed to lose.

Game #50: White Sox at Rays

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	27-22	Phil Humber	1-2 5.80 ERA	6:10 PM CT
RAYS	29-20	James Shields	6-2 3.63 ERA

I can only assume that Phil Humber saw Chris Sale strikeout 15 Rays on Monday and has decided that he will strike out 16 tonight. I can also assume that Phil Humber is delusional.

Today's Bet: White Sox +152
Total: $104.60

Week 7 Pitchers Poll: And Here Comes Chris Sale

Snoop did not break into the rankings this week, though his first pitch was better than many Sox hurlers threw

Just last week I wrote that Jake Peavy was likely out of reach to the rest of the pitchers on this staff. Well, apparently Chris Sale took exception to that.

He also took advantage of a couple of bad Peavy starts and a Rays lineup filled with guys you've never heard of.

Week 7 Hitters Poll: So Many Points

The man is hitting damn near .400, and he's been hitting over .500 for the past week, so it's not exactly a surprise that Paul Konerko is atop the rankings.

Still, just because there isn't any mystery as to who the best hitter on this team is, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of reason to check out this week's poll. No, the odds are we won't see a week with as many points scored by so many different players again this season.

White Sox 2 Rays 1: Chris Sale Struck Out Four Guys While I Wrote This Headline

Chris Sale sat in the dugout the last few days and saw his fellow pitchers giving up a ton of runs and watching the team's ERA rise and decided he needed to put an end to the trend.

And boy did he.

Game #49: White Sox at Rays

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	26-22	Chris Sale	5-2 2.50 ERA	2:10 PM CT
RAYS	29-19	Matt Moore	1-4 5.07 ERA

Happy Memorial Day.

Today's Bet: White Sox +102
Total: $103.58

Would The White Sox Be Interested In Kevin Youkilis?

With the emergence of Will Middlebrooks at third base, and the decline of Kevin Youkilis, all signs point toward Boston deciding to part with Youkilis. Odds are, as long as Boston is willing to eat most of the $12 million he's due in 2012, there will be interest in him.

But will the White Sox be one of the teams interested in him, and should they be?

White Sox 12 Indians 6: Runnin' Down A Team

Athletes will tell you that when they're in the zone, the key is not thinking about it, or to think about anything really.

That's kind of how I feel about the White Sox right now.

Game #48: White Sox vs Indians

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	25-22	Gavin Floyd	3-5 4.66 ERA	1:10 PM CT
INDIANS	26-20	Ubaldo Jimenez	5-3 5.02 ERA

So, let's see. Yesterday's game involved two starting pitchers who had a couple of the best ERAs in the American League, and the final score was 14-7. Today we have two pitchers who have ERAs over 4.50.

First team to score is going to win 1-0!

Let's get the sweep.

Today's Bet: White Sox -154
Total: $102.93

White Sox 14 Indians 7: This Offense Is Just Insane Right Now

I've been doing a lot of joking about it on Twitter, but seriously, ever since Orlando Hudson joined the starting lineup on Tuesday, the Sox have outscored opponents 40-18 in four games. Even though he's only driven in 1 of those runs, I feel like that's enough for him to be mentioned in the MVP race.

Or, if not Orlando Hudson, maybe Paul Konerko.

Game #47: White Sox vs Indians

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	24-22	Jake Peavy	5-1 2.39 ERA	3:10 PM CT
INDIANS	26-19	Derek Lowe	6-2 2.15 ERA

Surely Derek Lowe cannot be as good as his numbers suggest, right? I mean, he's still Derek Lowe, isn't he? At some point he's going to regress back toward his career numbers, and hopefully that point will be this afternoon.

Screw drama, let's win this series today.

Today's Bet: White Sox -164
Total: $102.32

White Sox 9 Indians 3: Keep On Keepin On

I'm not going to lie to you, this was a game I was sure we'd lost. Not just because Jose Quintana was on the mound, but because the last few years this team has conditioned me to expect it. The Sox had played well for the last week against bad teams, and now had momentum heading into a series against the first place Indians.

Game #46: White Sox vs Indians

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	23-22	Jose Quintana	0-0 0.00 ERA	7:10 PM CT
INDIANS	26-18	Jeanmar Gomez	3-2 3.19 ERA

It's been over two weeks since the Sox played the Indians, and I was suffering some sort of Tribe Withdrawal, so thank god they're back in town this weekend.

Seriously, though, this is the last time the Sox are going to see Cleveland until September 24th, which means we may as well close the gap on them right now to cut down on scoreboard watching over the next three months.

Today's Bet: White Sox -118
Total: $101.47

American League Power Rankings: Week 7

The Texas Rangers are still your god, and you must bow before them and offer gifts while hoping they don't find themselves bored and in the mood to see somebody's head chopped off.

Behind them, however, there was some shifting in the rankings this week, including one team that this blog spends a lot of time thinking about climbing a few spots. Games against the Cubs and Twins will do that for you.

White Sox 11 Twins 6: The Wind Giveth And It Keep On Givething

So many crazy things to wrap our heads around in this one. Not only did the White Sox win a series at home, but they won a series against the Minnesota Twins. You can have all your sweeps against the Cubs, nothing is more fun for me than seeing the White Sox beat the Twins.

Especially when they're hitting five home runs along the way.

Game #45: White Sox vs Twins

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	22-22	Phil Humber	1-2 5.31 ERA	7:10 PM CT
TWINS	15-28	Cole De Vries	0-0 0.00 ERA

Wouldn't it be nice to not only win a series at home, but to do so against the Twins? It won't be easy because the Twins are starting some guy named Cole De Vries that we've never seen before. But don't worry, just because we've never seen him, that doesn't mean I can't tell you about his stuff.

He's a righty on the Twins, so he'll have a 92-93MPH fastball which will be straight, yet for some reason, completely undetectable by White Sox hitters.

Today's Bet: White Sox -141
Total: $100.76

White Sox 6 Twins 0: Chris Sale Is Twins Proof

First, let me start off by saying that I really wanted Orlando Hudson to have a huge night in this game, possibly even supplying the game-winning hit. All so I could title the post "O-Dog Day's Night" but sometimes fate can be a real dick and screw things up.

Brent Morel Doesn't Need Surgery

While Brent Morel was officially placed on the disabled list Tuesday, he did get some good news on Wednesday.

Game #44: White Sox vs Twins

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	21-22	Chris Sale	4-2 2.91 ERA	7:10 PM CT
TWINS	15-27	Scott Diamond	3-0 1.40 ERA

Wasn't it exciting to finally play the Twins for the first time in 2012 last night? You're damn right it was! And now we get to do it again! With Orlando Hudson!

Today's Bet: White Sox -150
Total: $100.09

Twins 9 White Sox 2: Twins'd

Tonight was a perfect storm of Twins Game, where all the elements came together against the White Sox. The most important element being the Twins.

White Sox kryptonite.

Game #43: White Sox vs Twins

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	21-21	Gavin Floyd	3-4 3.44 ERA	7:10 PM CT
TWINS	14-27	P.J. Walters	1-1 3.65 ERA

And now the White Sox meet their real rivals for the first time in 2012. Could Orlando Hudson make his White Sox debut? He's not in the starting lineup, but maybe! The suspense is killing me!

Today's Bet: White Sox -143
Total: $101.09

Sox Officially Sign Orlando Hudson, Place Brent Morel On The Disabled List

In things that hadn't happened yet but we all pretty much new were going to happen at some point, the White Sox announced on Tuesday that they had officially signed Orlando Hudson.

While making the announcement the Sox also announced that Brent Morel had been placed on the disabled list. Morel's disabled list stint is retroactive to last Friday, so he's technically been on it for five days already.

Week 6 Pitchers Poll: Peavy Pulling Away

It's May 22nd and I feel confident saying that barring an injury or a month from hell, there's no way Jake Peavy is going to give up the top spot in these rankings for the rest of the season. No, it seems that everybody else is playing for second place.

Week 6 Hitters Poll: Return Of The King

After yielding to Adam Dunn for the first time all season last week, Paul Konerko decided it was time he climbed back to the top of the Hitters Power Poll this week. Turns out he was just being a team-player by letting someone else experience greatness for seven days.

A Quarter Of The Way Through The Season, What Have These Sox Taught Us?

With their sweep of the Cubs on Sunday afternoon, the White Sox had finished their 42nd game of the season. That means the Sox are a quarter of the way through the 2012 season.

Okay, they're 25.9% of their way through the season, but you understand what I mean.

Besides, since today's an off day it makes it that much more convenient to mark this as the quarter point.

White Sox 6 Cubs 0: The BP Cup Is Ours Once Again

The White Sox have tried a variety of offenses in the last two seasons. Last year saw the rise of the Wild Pitch Offense, that while exciting, wasn't the most consistent style of play, and was too dependent on the opposing pitcher and catcher.

Game #42: White Sox at Cubs

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	20-21	Jake Peavy	1-2 5.77 ERA	1:20 PM CT
CUBS	15-25	Paul Maholm	4-2 4.35 ERA

The White Sox look to do something today that they have only done once all season: sweep a series. The last time the Sox did this was against Seattle in April. That series was also a weekend series that featured a nationally televised broadcast on Fox, as well as Phil Humber's perfect game.

So if history is any indication, not only will the White Sox win today, but Jake Peavy will throw a perfect game. You heard it here first.

Today's Bet: White Sox -120
Total: $100.20

White Sox 7 Cubs 4: Bombs Away

That score is misleading. All four of those Cubs runs came in the ninth inning on a set of two-run homers off Zach Stewart that made this a lot closer than it ever was.

No, homers were the order of the day, as both teams combined for 5 of them on the night, accounting for 8 of the runs scored on the evening.

Game #41: White Sox at Cubs

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	19-21	John Danks	2-4 6.46 ERA	6:15 PM CT
CUBS	15-24	Ryan Dempster	0-1 1.74 ERA	FOX

And now for round 2 of the Battle For The BP Cup. Surely the most important battle in the history of battles.

Who will get beaned in the face today? Who will be tackled by an angry Gordon Beckham?

Who will be the first side to complain about the Fox broadcast!?

Today's Bet: White Sox +132
Total: $98.88

Orlando Hudson To Sign With The White Sox

I wrote about this possibility on Thursday, and now it looks like it's actually happening. Orlando Hudson is going to sign with the White Sox after being released by the Padres this week. Kenny Williams has long been a fan of Hudson's, so this is not a surprise.

I would guess that this move is being made with the idea of trying Hudson at third base, though it's possible the Sox could have other plans. This is the same team that moved Chris Sale to the bullpen for a week after all.

As for whose spot he'll be taking on the roster, I'd look for Eduardo Escobar to go to Charlotte.

Was Samardzija's Pitch Intentional?

That's the key question about the pitch that Jeff Samardzija threw that hit Paul Konerko just above his left eye.

Did Samardzija throw the pitch on purpose?

White Sox 3 Cubs 2: That Was Physical, Wasn't It?

Why am I not a fan of this series? Well, let's just say I don't like seeing things get as intense as they do for a three-game series in May. Which is exactly what happened on Friday afternoon.

Game #40: White Sox at Cubs

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	18-21	Phil Humber	1-2 5.77 ERA	1:20 PM CT
CUBS	15-23	Jeff Samardzija	4-1 2.89 ERA

And so it begins....

Today's Bet: White Sox +120
Total: $97.68

American League Power Rankings: Week 6

Good news, everybody. I didn't forget to do the rankings this week. While there aren't many big changes, and the Texas Rangers are still on top, there has been shuffling behind them.

So let's just get to the rankings.

White Sox 6 Angels 1: Walks + Pop Ups = VICTORY

So it turns out that Billy Beane and the sabermetricians were half-right. While walks are definitely an important aspect of any offense, they do not provide the sheer force of the pop-up.

And that force was one the White Sox were able to harness to full effect on Thursday afternoon.

So It Has Come To This: Can Orlando Hudson Play Third Base?

We're over halfway through May with interleague play starting this weekend, and if you're like me, you're a White Sox fan that has grown rather tired of seeing Brent Morel in the lineup every day. While Brent has continued to prove himself more than capable of playing third base, but his bat, even at the back end of the lineup, has proven to be a bit of an albatross.

Game #39: White Sox at Angels

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	17-21	Chris Sale	3-2 3.08 ERA	2:35 PM CT
ANGELS	17-21	C.J. Wilson	4-3 3.42 ERA

What a memorable west coast trip it's been!

Seriously, at least today's game is in the afternoon. If you're looking for a reason to watch today's game, how about the prospect of Chris Sale coming out of the bullpen to relieve Chris Sale? It could happen!

Today's Bet: White Sox +140
Total: $96.28

Angels 7 White Sox 2: It Was All Mickey Hatcher's Fault

What came first: the fired hitting coach or the White Sox?

Game #38: White Sox at Angels

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	17-20	Gavin Floyd	3-3 2.53 ERA	9:05 PM CT
ANGELS	16-21	Jerome Williams	3-1 4.19 ERA

Nothing like a 36-hour road trip to the west coast, am I right?
I have no idea what's going to happen in this game. I figure either the Angels will finally start playing like the team everyone thought they were, with Albert Pujols going deep four times, or one team will jump out to a 10-0 lead only to lose 13-12 and we'll all be up until 2am.
Today's Bet: White Sox +102Total: $97.28

Tigers 10 White Sox 8: Eight Run Innings Will Kill You

How awesome would it have been if Dayan Viciedo's deep fly ball in the bottom of the ninth inning had carried just a few more feet and landed in the Bullpen Sports Bar?

Week 5 Pitchers Power Poll: The Trials And Tribulations Of Matt Thornton

Two weeks ago I was writing about how starters like Phil Humber and John Danks were in trouble because they found themselves ranked behind Matt Thornton. Something that really shouldn't happen considering how many more innings they've pitched.

Since then Danks and Humber haven't really done anything to climb up the ranks, but Matt Thornton is on a race toward the bottom. After falling from fourth to seventh last week, Thornton drops from seventh to ninth this week.

Game #37: White Sox vs Tigers

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	17-19	Jake Peavy	4-1 1.89 ERA	1:10 PM CT
TIGERS	17-18	Max Scherzer	2-3 5.73 ERA

Wouldn't it be fun to sweep the Tigers, even if it's only a two-game series? Of course it would be because that would mean Jake Peavy continued to be awesome and the Sox had ascended to second place in the division.

Plus it means the team would have avenged Eric Stults.

#NeverForgetStults

Today's Bet: White Sox -112
Total: $98.28

Week 5 Hitters Poll: A Donkey Rises To The Top

Ever since opening day of this season Paul Konerko has held the top spot in my power poll. Considering he was hitting at like a .400 clip those first two weeks, this was not hard to understand.

Still, given the way that Adam Dunn was routinely hitting mammoth home runs and Konerko's slow decline to "really good," it was only a matter of time until The Big Donkey caught up to The Captain and surpassed him.

White Sox 7 Tigers 5: Covering Up For Danks' Mistakes

Listen, there was a ton to like about this game. The fact that the White Sox came back from an early 3-0 deficit and then a 5-2 deficit in this game to not only take down the team that is supposed to be the best in the division, but to do so at home, is fantastic.

Game #36: White Sox vs Tigers

TEAM	RECORD	STARTER	NUMBERS	START TIME
WHITE SOX	16-19	John Danks	2-4 5.89 ERA	7:10 PM CT
TIGERS	17-17	Drew Smyly	1-0 1.59 ERA

Considering how terrible the Sox have played at home (6-11) and how mediocre they've been within the division (9-9) we probably shouldn't be all that excited to be welcoming the Tigers to The Cell this evening, even if it's only a brief two-game visit.

If there is any reason to be optimistic, though, it's that the Tigers are the only team whom the White Sox have won a home series against this season. So they have that going for them. Which is nice. Let's just hope the John Danks from his last start shows up tonight, and not the one from the three starts before it.

Today's Bet: White Sox +118
Total: $97.10

NotHawk's Monday Mailbag: Josh Hamilton Ain't Shit

Every Monday on South Side Asylum NotHawk will answer your questions. Your questions do not have to be related to the White Sox, for NotHawk is the smartest man in the world and has answers for everything. He is also incredibly handsome. Send your questions to NotHawkTwitter@gmail.com or ask him on Twitter.

Royals White Sox: Whither The White Sox Offense

There really isn't a whole lot to say about today's game. Well, actually, there's a lot that could be said about today's game, but to be completely honest, I'm just not in the mood. That game was crap, and the White Sox were crap for the last two days.