Thanks to fellow SweetSpot blog Memories of Kevin Malone for the animated .gif of Ozzie Guillen reenacting David Ortiz's bunt attempt on Wednesday night. If Guillen ever goes, these are the antics I would genuinely miss.
News and notes in the wake of a series win:
*The White Sox went 6-1 against Boston in 2010, their first season-series victory since 2002. In the seven years after, the White Sox went 19-32 against the other Sox.
*Mark Buehrle is still leaning toward retirement after next season, but I wouldn't hold him to that, and neither would he.
*A.J. Pierzynski would like to return to the White Sox, citing the talented young pitching staff as a big reason why.
*Bobby Jenks plans to throw a simulated game today to see if he can appear in one more game for the White Sox, but Brent Ballantini said that Jenks has been emptying his locker over the last two weeks. That reminds me of the quiet exit of another World Series hero, Joe Crede. But if does make an appearance in the final series, I hope fans give him a standing ovation.
*That's one reason to catch one of the final three games, and Big League Stew offers 25 more reasons why you should go see an out-of-contention team in the final week.
*Brent Morel has made 14 consecutive starts at third base. His game is beginning to represent what we can expect from him in 2011, and he had his version of a complete game on Thursday -- a run-saving defensive play, a single, a walk, and a heads-up baserunning decision that prevented a double play.
*Team cancer Orlando Cabrera has now reached the playoffs in four straight seasons with four different teams, as he reminds us in a message relayed through Larry.
*Carl makes everybody sad.
*White Sox Observer has 1,000 words on Scott Linebrink's hopefully abbreviated future on the South Side.
*Get ready for a different look for the offseason, as Major League Baseball expedited free agency. In exchange, the Players' Association dropped collusion charges.
USA Today has a great rundown of the deadline changes, and a few of the most applicable ones for the White Sox:
- A free agent's original team has exclusiverights to sign him for only five days after the final game of the WorldSeries instead of 15 days.
- Teams must offer salary arbitration to free agents by Nov. 23 instead of Dec. 1.
- Teams must tender contracts to all players by Dec. 2 instead of Dec. 12 in 2010. It will revert back to Dec. 12 in 2011.
There are also restrictions in how teams can use the media, so it will be interesting to see how MLB Trade Rumors copes.
