Nothing says frustrating like losing a one run game to the Seattle Mariners.  The Chicago White Sox, a team that can't seem to find itself offensively, continued it's struggles Wednesday afternoon dropping a 3-2 decision at Safeco Field..  As has been the custom, the Sox wasted yet another quality start (this time from rookie John Danks) and ended the game hitting into a double play.  And the indignity of being shut down two nights in a row by a guy named Putz.

Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye hit solo homers for the Sox, but the rest of the lineup was pretty quiet (again).  Sox fans continue to mutter under their breath until the offense can jump start itself.  And don't look now, Sox fans, but here come the north side boys in blue.

If you are going to compete in the toughest division in baseball, you have to run with the pack.  The Tigers are getting hot and Gary Sheffield, who struggled in April, is over it in May.  The Twins are playing good baseball. The Indians are playing good baseball.  So, losing five out of six is not going to get the job done.

I have no answers.  The situation will correct itself.  The Sox have a talented hitting coach in Greg Walker and an able assistant in Harold Baines.  And, again, we're at the point where everyone wants to hold the hitting coach accountable because they are not hitting.  But usually, that's not the case.  Usually, when you have a team wide slump like this there are too many players pressing and too many players wanting to step up and trying too hard.  This team needs to take a deep breath, relax and just make it come to them.  It's still too early in the year for anyone to panic.

One other note.  M's manager Mike Hargrove now has facial hair and appears to have gained several pounds.  He looks more like a tug boat captain than a baseball manager.

Lightning Round:

• The Ottawa Senators look poised to move on to round three of the chase for Lord Stanley's cup.  They outlasted the Devils 3-2 Wednesday night to lead their series 3 games to 1. Martin Broduer, who has been a shadow of himself in this series now falls to 2-7 in playoff games played in Ottawa.  By the way, when you go down three games to one, you have a scant 8% chance of moving on to the next round.  San Jose and Detroit are still playing, but it does not look good for the Dead Things.
  
• So that's why the Yankees aren't winning.  They must be out of condition.  That's it, problem solved.
  
• Alycia Lane, the Philadelphia anchorwoman who sent Rich Eisen those pictures of her in a bikini (to an e-mail account he shared with Mrs. Eisen)  swears they are "just friends" and that she "didn't want to ruin Eisen's marriage."  This woman doesn't make enough money to be able to afford a clue.
  
• The NCAA has released a list of schools that are being docked scholarships due to poor academic progress (there are academics involved in college athletics?  Since when?)  The interesting part is the majority of the schools are in non-BCS conferences, which means that they don't have the revenue to have the staff that the big schools do.  Again, college sports is not a level playing field.  If the NCAA is serious about improving academics for non-BCS schools, then they should use some of the gazillion dollars they get for TV revenues and licensing revenues and help fund it.  Look, Florida, Notre Dame and Cal all make a lot of money on their athletic programs where Middle Tennessee does not.  So, is the NCAA attempting to weed out member schools now, thus leaving all of the revenue to the BCS schools?  I wonder.
• It must be way cool to be Tiger Woods.  And I don't even play golf.
• UC-Riverside has hired former Kansas State head basketball coach Jim Woolridge to run their program.  Woolridge is another one of those guys that did not have a winning record in his previous job, yet gets another chance.  I guess I should have been a basketball coach.
  
• Baseball hall of famer Orlando Cepada was stopped for speeding in California.  Upon approaching his vehicle, the arresting officer smelled pot.  He also found white powder.  He also found a syringe.  If you are my age, you remember when Cepada was convicted in 1976 of smuggling marijuana and sentenced to five years in prison in San Juan, Puerto Rico,  And you remember when he came out, how contrite he was and how he finally convinced the Veterans Committee, the same one that won't elect Ron Santo, that he was clean and sober and deserved to be in the hall.  He's also a community representitive for the Giants preaching to youngsters about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.  And, obviously laughing his ass off every time he drove away from the school.  Cepada was a great player in his day and even given a second chance, he tosses it away.  Very sad indeed.
• Good for you, Lou Dobbs.  You have the guts to tell the truth.
• The feds have dropped charges against a man who was attempting to extort money from Oprah.  No, we do not mean Dr. Phil.
• The guy who was driving the tanker truck on the bridge in Oakland that blew up and took out some of the bridge shouldn't have been driving that tanker truck.  And I still can't find work.
  
• Looks like Isaiah Washington isn't done taking it up the backside. Isn't sorry enough anymore? How believable a spokesperson is he going to make?  "Hi, I'm Isaiah Washington and I'm here to say that I've said some mean things about gay people.  But thanks to my friends at ABC, who threatened my job and career unless I humiliated myself by going to rehab and did public service announcements against everything I believe, I've seen the light and I love the little buggers like they were my own children."
• Princess banks at Waukesha State Bank.  I bank at Fifth Third Bank. Others keep their money in the Bank of Bob (non-member FDIC).
• And now a special message from Butkus D. Dogg: Today the Senate voted 94-0 for stronger standards on pet foods.  Now as a pet, I appreciate this, because let's face it, no one, be it a dog or be it a human likes to eat poison.  Some of the things the loud teenager who lives here eats may be poison, but that's a different topic.  Anyway, the part that makes me lift my leg is once again the congress is doing what the bald guy likes to call "grandstanding."  I mean, all of you humans love us pets.  We sit on your lap, we lick your face, we entertain you and you don't have to tuck $50 in our g-string.  A milk bone would be nice, but I digress.  See, congress knows that by doing something for pets wins them votes with animal rights people.  And coming into an election year, you will see more of these bills that are emotional not legal.  Look, Senators.  I lick my own nuts so ratcheting up the standard on my diet isn't really going to do all that much.  If you really want to do something, get the hell out of Iraq, provide some tax relief for the middle class people who do all the work in this country and hire ten thousand more border patrol agents.  Well, I have to find a nice dark place in the basement to take a dump, so back to you bald guy.
  
• A friendly reminder to keep your cell phone off during important meetings.