On August 12, 1991, the Chicago White Sox were playing the final game of a four game, wrap around series against the Baltimore Orioles.  The White Sox, infused with new talent, were a surprise team in the AL West (there were only two divisions then) and led the division by a game.  The Sox took the first three games of the series and the game played the day before was a no-hitter tossed by  rookie Wilson Alvarez. 

After six years of struggling, White Sox fans had visions of their first division title since 1983.  And then, something went horribly wrong.  With one out in the bottom of the eleventh, Sox reliever Donn Paul served up a fat one to Orioles third baseman Leo Gomez who took it out of Memorial Stadium for a walk off home run and a 5-4 Orioles win .

The Sox then went into a nosedive, losing 14 of 18 during the rest of August and eventually finishing in second, eight games behind the eventual world champion Twinkies.  But those who remember 1991 remember that moment as the time and place that the Sox ran aground that season.

Fast forward to last night and Brian Roberts ending the game in the eleventh inning in a similar fashion.  One wonders if a similar fate awaits the 2010 White Sox as they open a critical first place series tied with Minnesota.  Can the Sox regroup after a horrible weekend in Maryland to take the Twins and reclaim sole possession of first place or is this where the worm turns and this team begins the rapid descent to "thank you for coming?"

We'll know more by Thursday night.

Lightning Round

• Along with his former employers the Mets, Ramon Castro is named in a lawsuit from a fan who was hit with a bat during a Mets game a couple of years ago.  That despite the fact that every major league ticket sold warns fans about flying balls and bats and reminds them that the team can't be held actionable if something happens.  What makes this lawsuit even more despicable is that in it, he claims his eleven year-old son, who was sitting with him when he got whacked, was "traumatized."  It's bad enough to try and sue a major league baseball team for something they warned you about in advance, but to then exploit your own child, is even worse.
• I didn't listen to the post game show on the Score last night, but I am 100% positive that there were calls saying Ozzie's handling of the bullpen led to J.J. Putz being tired and giving up a home run to Brian Roberts. It's not true of course, but there are a lot of conspiracy theorists out there.