Since I live 15 minutes from Miller Park (at least on the weekend), who better than to give you an "us vs. them" look at the upcoming series between the White Sox and Brewers. So whether you live in the holy land or you are trapped with us behind the cheese curtain, here's our crack analysis (or analysis on crack) of both of this weekends combatants:

First Base
White Sox: Paul Konerko has been the Sox most consistent hitter this season and has played an outstanding first base.  Unfortunately, he tweaked his hand on Wednesday and may not play until Saturday.  If that happens, Josh Fields will play first.

Brewers: Prince Fielder is a beast, near the top of the NL in homers and RBIs.  Defensively, he's not Konerko.

Advantage: w/ Konerko, BREWERS  w/o Konerko BIG ADVANTAGE BREWERS

Second Base
White Sox: Chris Getz is a young player on the rise.  He's a slick fielder and a good handler of the bat.

Brewers: With Rickie Weeks out for the year, the Brewers have turned their fortunes to Craig Counsell.  He's a veteran who has won world championship rings in Florida in '97 and Arizona in '01.

Advantage: BREWERS

Shortstop
White Sox: The Cuban Missile has struggled at time this year and has had a problem recently moving runners over from his number two slot in the batting order.  There's no downgrading his defense.  He's got outstanding range and one of the better arms in the AL.

Brewers: J.J. Hardy is an average shortstop who runs hot and cold offensively.  He's probably the weakest link in their chain.

Advantage: WHITE SOX

Third Base
White Sox: With Josh Fields playing first, the Sox savior, Gordon Beckham has taken over the position.  Beckham will be a good major league player, it just won't be right now.

Brewers:  Matt Gamel is a rookie who is a little more developed at this stage than Beckham, but won't start much with the Sox trotting out two lefties this weekend.  Billy Hall is a decent infielder who is streaky at best offensively.

Advantage: SLIGHT ADVANTAGE, BREWERS

Left Field
White Sox: Scott Podsednik is the straw that stirs the White Sox drink.  He's the tempest on offense, although age is catching up with him and he's certainly not the threat on the bases he once was.  Defensively he's okay with a very average arm.

Brewers: Ryan Braun is the other beast on the Brewers team.  He's a complete player able to go deep against anyone and plays a pretty good left field.

Advantage:BREWERS

Center Field:
White Sox: This by far is the weakest link in the White Sox chain, although Brian Anderson can pick it and throw with the best of them.

Brewers: Up until a few days ago, former White Sox Mike Cameron was having an all-star year.  He's still pretty good.

Advantage: BREWERS

Right Field
White Sox: Jermaine Dye is having another fine season in right field.  Although he can't cover the ground he used to defensively, he's still good with the glove and has a big time arm in right.

Brewers: Cory Hart wants to be Jermaine Dye when he grows up.

Advantage: WHITE SOX

Catcher
White Sox: A.J. Pierzynski is a competitive, in your face, son of a bushwacker who annoys batters with his chatter and pitchers with his clutch hits.  The only people who don't fear Pierzynski are base runners, who he couldn't throw out on a dare.

Brewers: Jason Kendall is a veteran who is a fine handler of pitchers, a decent defensive catcher and a so-so hitter.

Advantage: SLIGHT ADVANTAGE, WHITE SOX

Starting Pitching
White Sox: Clayton Richard is a young lefty with lots of promise.  Jose Contreras is a veteran righty who has just returned from the minors, posting his best start of the year.  Mark Buehrle is a crafty lefty who is the ace of the White Sox staff.

Brewers: Jeff Suppan is a veteran who can look great one start and crappy the next.  Manny Parra is a young lefty who is prone to giving up big innings.  Braden Looper is a converted starter who is average at best.

Advantage: WHITE SOX

Bullpen
White Sox: If the Sox can get to their seventh, eighth and ninth inning guys, they are pretty good.  D.J. Corrasco has been done a good job in long relief.

Brewers: If they get to Trevor Hoffman, it's lights out.  Unfortunately, the bridge to Hoffman has been built with decaying wood.

Advantage: BIG ADVANTAGE WHITE SOX

Bench
White Sox: See that man sitting there that looks like Buzz Lightyear?  He's Jim Thome and he has 553 career home runs.  But he can't play because there is no DH in the minor leagues. Meanwhile, the other brothers of the pine include Dewayne Wise, Jason Nix and Ramon Castro.  It's a shorter bench, because in the big leagues, we have the DH.

Brewers: Casey McGeehe is a utility infielder and cast off from the Chicago minor league organization.  Frank Catalanoto, who tormented the Sox in both Toronto and Texas is a backup outfielder as is former Indian/Pirate/Cub/Padre Jody Gerut who has also tormented the Sox a time or two.  Mike Rivera is a backup catcher.

Advantage:PUSH

Manager
White Sox: Ozzie Guillen won a world championship for the Sox in 2005.  He is the emotional pulse of the team.

Brewers: Ken Macha formerly managed Oakland and looks like Dick Chaney.

Advantage: WHITE SOX (because of 2005 and because we think waterboarding is wrong.)

TV Announcers
White Sox: Foghorn Leghorn sound alike Hawk Harrelson has one of the most distinctive home run calls in the biz.  Steve Stone is highly regarded as one of baseball's top color guys.

Brewers:  Brian Anderson used to work at the golf network.  Enough said.  Bill Schroeder is a former MLB catcher who has good insight.

Advantage: WHITE SOX


Series Prediction: Sox win two out of three.