The Last Stand

Now coming to a theater near you - the end of a fun ride.

I want to be supportive at a time like this. In fact, you need to be supportive at a time like this. But the time for hopes and kisses has long since passed.

Here's the reality, about to be written in stone during the final 13 games: in 2006, the Chicago White Sox were good, but nowhere near good enough.

If it wasn't a letdown from the starting pitching, it was a complete meltdown in the bullpen. If it wasn't suspect defense by players who don't belong on the field to begin with (Rob Mackowiak, please pick up the white courtesy phone), it was the offense completely forsaking the concept of a clutch hit.

Here's where the SOX STANDINGS are as of now, before the start of play on September 18th:

WHITE SOX, 84-65
4 games back in the Wild Card, 5 games back in the Central
Magic # for the Playoffs: 18

The sliver of good news: the Sox begin a three game set with Detroit tonight and have a three game set with Minnesota to finish the season. Sandwiched in between are 4 games with the last-place Mariners and three with fourth-place Cleveland.

13 games. To have any chance the Sox need to go 11-2, maybe even 12-1 or hit the jackpot with the Baker's Dozen. It would be damn near impossible for a club playing out of its mind, and the Sox just aren't anywhere close to that this year.

And here's something else. If I pulled away anything from this weekend, in which Notre Dame got spanked and Frank Thomas delivered what will probably be looked at as the finishing blow to the Sox playoff chances, it's this: players come and go. Managers, owners, media pundits, hypesters, they come and go. But the fans remain. Fans give a program some measure of pride, confidence, a sense that no matter what, they'll always have somebody in their corner.

When I go down, I go down swingin', and I know what I went down for. Let's "give 'em a finish", as the Hawk would say.

SOX PRIDE

Can't ever take it away...