Season’s Over And Still No AL Central Champion

This year? You mean we're still alive?!?!

So there you have it folks, the season is over, and still no AL Central champion. The weekend transpired in perfect-storm fashion for the White Sox, with the Royals winning two outta three in the Dome of Doom, but were not able to capitalize, letting the first two games of the Indians series slip through their pitcher’s hands.

I don’t know if Minnesota deserves it more than the Sox do; I don’t think either team should consider itself a “Cinderella” once they’re in. For all the frustration and humiliation the Sox put their fans through this past week, I wouldn’t want to be a Twins fan watching the Sox do barely enough to drag this thing into season-ending purgatory.

UmpBump readers agree, the Twins should end up winning this thing, but Mark Buehrle did what the Sox couldn’t do this past five days: he was clutch. He pitched on three-days rest after throwing 121 pitches in Minnesota and allowed a lonley run (a home run). Well, not true, Jermaine Dye did a little bit of team-carrying himself, dumping a bloop single that scored two runs. Had Jamey Carroll not booted a double-play grounder in the second, those two runs would’ve been the most agonizing runs scored this year at the Cell. And now, the Sox play Detroit in a make-up game tomorrow, which ironically features two starting pitchers that were traded for each other.

Let’s not sing praises for the White Sox yet. Even though they’re in control of their own destiny, it almost seems like they chose to walk through fire in order to get to the playoffs. Hell, as far as I’m concerned, I’d feel a little bit vindicated if they do; seeing as they chose the longest, and hardest, road (bringing their fandom to the brink of collective colllapse).

As for the Twins, well, they get to watch and wait; they didn’t do much to win this thing either. No, sweeping the Sox wasn’t enough, otherwise they would’ve been crowned champs by now; and no matter how many weak, veiled threats to take it out on Cliff Lee only-because-he-didn’t-pitch are made, they still lost to the Royals twice, so its fitting they do some scoreboard gawking of their own.

Then again, last week they did take the Sox to task, Carlos Gomez found a raîson d’être and if the Sox win tomorrow against the Tigers, then they’ll get another chance to do what they had seemingly accomplished earlier: put the Sox out of their misery.