Sometime in the early morning hours, Chicago White Sox third baseman Joe Crede went into a phone booth and emerged as the super hero Captain Clutch.  With Carlos Quentin on second, Crede whisted a single over the head of New York Yankees shortstop Derrick Jeter to give the White Sox a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees.  To make the feat even more impressive, Crede's heroic single came against the previously undefeated Yankee fireballer Joba Chamberlain.

I said it in the off season.  I said it during the exhibition season.  I'll say it again: Joe Crede is the best clutch player on the Chicago White Sox.  And if the Sox want to still be playing baseball and not golf in October, they need to suck it up and keep Crede on the roster.

Yes, I know Crede's contract is up at the end of the season and that his agent, the evil Scott Boras wants to "explore the market."  Yes, I know that it's the White Sox way to get some return on their investment, especially when they have an insurance policy named Josh Fields.  But let's face it: If Crede gets traded while the Sox are still in it, it will cause irreparable harm to the psyche of this team.  Sure, major league baseball players say things like "it's a business and we'll just have to get along with out him", but the fact is they are as emotional as fans are and removing a key cog from their midst, especially when they are contention, does not bode well for making a pennant run.

Sure, if they are as out of it as they were last year, trading Crede makes sense, even to me.  But if they are in the thick of the race, you've got to dance with who brung you.  Because good as he is Senator, I've seen Josh Fields and let me tell you something Senator, he's no Joe Crede.

Let's hope the Sox are smart enough to figure this out.