White Sox Bash Verlander, Close in on Tigers

June 12, 2014 @ admin → No Comments

Thursday thoughts (or as close to thinking as we come around here): Don’t look now, but the Chicago White Sox are only 2 1/2 games behind the American League Central division leader Detroit Tigers (whom they defeated Wednesday night at U.S. Cellular Field). And part of the reason not to look is that the Cleveland Indians are the same distance behind the Tigers. And the Kansas City Royals are only two games back. Then again, if you’re a Sox fan, you might as well enjoy being so close to the lead (even if the Sox are closer to last place in the Central where they lead Minnesota by one game).

Video below of Playboy’s June Cybergirl Sarah Summers. Our idea of a public service.

* Speaking of the Sox, they had their way with Tigers starter/staff ace Justin Verlander. Jose Abreu went 3-for-4 with a walk, including a second-inning home run and a single in the sixth to spark a seven-run inning.

* The Sox signed Olympic short-track speed skater Eddy Alvarez to a minor-league contract. In high school, he was a standout shortstop. His signing is not necessarily an indication that anyone is on thin ice.

* Speaking of signings, the Chicago Cubs signed their top draft pick, Kyle Schwarber, the No. 4 overall selection. He will begin his career at short-season Boise, Idaho. Not to be confused with the really long-season Cubs who play at Wriley Field.

* Speaking of the Cubs, Jason Hamel — who entered Wednesday’s game at Pittsburgh with the second-best WHIP (that’s walks + hit per inning pitched at 0.86 — allowed 14 baserunners in five innings in a 4-2 loss to the Pirates. On the bright (?) side, one of those baserunners was a hit batter. His WHIP rose to 0.98. On the bright side (it’s all relative, folks) for the Cubs, their bullpen provided three innings of hitless, scoreless relief.

* If it’s Thursday (which seems likely because yesterday was Wednesday — provided that you are reading this on June 12, 2014, or a subsequent Thursday), then it time once again for “Sports & Torts” on Talkzone.com with co-hosts David Spada and Elliott Harris at noon Central time. This week’s guests are baseball great Brooks Robinson, Playboy’s 2014 Playmate of the Year Kennedy Summers and Chicago-based multi-media threat Alison Moran. The show also will be available on podcast later Thursday at the Talkzone.com web site.

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Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the efforts of the editorial and video departments at ElliottHarris.com):