One of the statistics that will jump out at you this year concerning the Chicago White Sox is their RISP (runners in scoring position.)  The Sox are currently 13th in the AL in both average with runners on and average with runners on and two out. 

This inability to get a clutch hit is a total departure from both 2005 and last year when it seemed there was always a hero that would step up and get it done.  And this is probably one of the things that the Sox are willing to pay for next year to improve upon.

The Sox are dead last in the AL in batting average from the seventh inning on.  This indicates that  there are few comebacks and that most of their scoring occurs early in the game (thank-you Captain Obvious.)  With the bullpen being so porous this year, scoring late in the game would have been an essential ingredient in getting out of the funk that they've been in.

There are a few ways to fix this problem including more team speed, but the biggest thing I've noticed this year is hitters looking for walks.  The Sox hitters will go deep in the count (except for Juan Uribe) and then try to work a walk.  What inevitably happens is they get called out on strikes.  I love plate discipline, but every once in awhile you have to protect the plate.  It's enough to drive a fan nuts.

Lightning Round

• Yesterday's loss in Oakland is 29 out of the last 33 for the Sox out there.  Seattle, which is in the thick of the wild card race, won't be much easier.  Jose Contreras starts the road to redemption tonight.
• Kenny Williams called a team meeting in Oakland.  Glad it did some good.
• 
  In the wacky NL Central, the Cardinals and Cubs square off this weekend in a critical series for both teams. The Cards are now only 3½ games out after crushing the Brewers yesterday while the Cubs pulled to within ½ game after waxing the Reds, who will be in Milwaukee tonight.  If the Cards sweep the Cubs and the Reds sweep the Brewers, the Cards would be ½ game out and tied with the Cubs (behind the Brewers) come Monday.
  
• Michael Vick's attorneys  are advising him to take the government's plea offer.  He may get one to two years in prison, but the seriousness of this has nothing to do with the dogs.  It's betting on the dogs that is the concern.  It is doubtful that he will get a lifetime ban from the NFL, but significant jail time and a tarnished reputation may kill any chances he has of regaining his star status.  Which, by the way, is his own damn fault.
• Jose Offerman says he didn't hit anyone with the bat, he just "went a little nuts." 
  
• The Big Ten needs to get over itself and work out something realistic with the cable companies.  To be honest, I'm not going to cry if I can't get the Purdue-Northwestern game on my local cable system and I am certainly not going to get a dish to do that.
• I've heard that crossing the boarder into Canada can be a big pain these days, but when Canadian citizens are turned back and their dads are big time hockey coaches, that makes it even more interesting.
• Pokey Chatman is going somewhere where she can get away from the LSU fallout: Russia.
• For your Friday: The worst sports unis ever!