After reading the countless stories of gloom and doom and destruction, Chicago White Sox fans got a treat last night: A magnificent pitching performance by Mark Buehrle.  If Buehrle is out of shape or if his left arm is bothering him, you'd never know it as the Sox stopped disposed of the visiting Tigers in two hours and two minutes en route to a 6-0 victory.  The fact that Buehrle hurled 6 1/3 innings of perfect baseball was not only a bonus, but a big shot in the arm to a Sox team that in the past few weeks had seriously underperformed.

The Sox offense scored early and often, posting five runs in the first inning including a big double by Paul Konerko and a two run bomb by A.J. Pierzynski.  Fortunately for them, the usually potent Tigers offense took the night off and the outcome was never in question.

Last night's game serves as reminder that this team can compete.

Jayson Nix looked pretty comfortable at shortstop and added a home run.  This is a good thing.

Yesterday, the papers and the Internet were chock full of stories about Ozzie Guillen's threat that some players should "watch their asses" and Kenny Williams rebuke to his pitching staff to get tougher (which, as we documented here (lightning round section) is not necessarily the case.) 

At least there is a feel good victory that maybe will provide a big glass of STFU to several people who can't get enough of bashing this team way too early.  That is until tonight when Jose Contreras gets his one last best chance to stay in the Sox rotation.

Lightning Round

• On the Manny Ramirez deal, if you are a major league baseball player in today's environment, you would think that checking with someone in the league office before getting a prescription drug would be business as usual.  But Manny didn't, maybe because he is naive or maybe because he was trying to mask previous steroid use.  If the "personal medical problem" that Manny had was E.D. and he felt embarrassed or distrustful talking about it, certainly the league would have never divulged it.  My question is what did Scott Boras know and when did he know it.  If you are a conspiracy thinker like me, this could be a tip to a fairy large iceberg.
• The Manny deal sure has Octavio Dotel's tighty whities in a bunch
• What happens when a pitcher struggles?  He gets asked inane questions about his contract status.  Come on, fellas.  Please ask responsibly.
• I've got to believe White Sox marketing guru Brooks Boyer got a woody when he saw this.
• On a personal note, my Dad grew up a Red Sox fan in Brookline, MA in the thirties and forties and often regaled me with stories of Jimmy Foxx, Bobby Doerr and his absolute idol, Ted Williams.  One of my dad's other favorites, Dom DiMaggio, passed away yesterday at 92.