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Open Thread: Cubs vs. White Sox, Friday 5/18, 1:20 CT

By Al Yellon

You didn't really want to talk about this game, did you? Good, I didn't think so. Instead, I have for you this morning these choice comments from one of our old faves, Dr. Tightpants:

New York reliever Kyle Farnsworth thinks no one on the Yankees, not even Roger Clemens, should be allowed to leave the team when they aren't pitching.

Farnsworth was on Chicago's 670 AM The Score on Thursday morning when he first criticized the so-called "family plan" clause in Clemens' one-year, $28 million contract that allows the right-hander to leave the team for personal matters when he's not pitching.

Farnsworth reiterated his beliefs in the clubhouse before the Yankees' 4-1 loss to the White Sox.

"As far as a teammate and a player, I think everybody should be here whether they're pitching or not," he said. "You don't see guys who are hurt not sit on the bench. They're always there."

What a guy, Kyle. Remember? You were one of the Cubs accused of sleeping in the clubhouse during the disastrous 2002 season. Read between the lines of that article and you can see that Farnsworth was almost certainly the culprit.

And he's part of a Yankee bullpen that's the worst in baseball -- yes, even worse than the Cubs' -- they have only three saves in 12 opportunities.

There! That ought to make you feel better.

Today's Starting Pitchers
Ted Lilly
T. Lilly
Cubs		 vs. Mark Buehrle
M. Buehrle
White Sox
3-2 W-L 2-1
2.53 ERA 3.61
48 SO 32
8 BB 11
6 HR 2
vs. Sox -- vs. Cubs
I'd expect a fast game today -- neither of these pitchers walks many batters, both work quickly, and both are terrible hitters (Lilly: 3-for-41 in his career, 20 strikeouts; Buehrle: 2-for-25, 13 strikeouts), and the White Sox are the worst-hitting team in the major leagues (last in BA, .222; last in OBA, .302; 28th in runs, 141).

Once again, as I suggested a year ago, Jacque Jones needs to sit today. He is 1-for-27 lifetime vs. Buehrle with 12 strikeouts. Mark DeRosa, if he's healthy enough to play, is someone who needs to be in the lineup -- he's 6-for-15 with three doubles and a HR. The Cubs beat the living daylights out of Buehrle last July 2 at Wrigley Field; he was so bad that even Neifi Perez homered off him that day. But Buehrle has thrown much better this season.

Lilly, who pitched most of his career in the AL, has faced quite a few White Sox. Toby Hall, the White Sox backup catcher who is expected to be activated from the DL and start today, is .368/.455/.526 in his career vs. Lilly. Lifetime Lilly is 4-2 in eight starts vs. the White Sox, but with an unsightly 6.64 ERA.

If Lou Piniella hasn't pulled his head off yet after the last road trip, he's likely to do so after the intensity of this series. Time to win some games.

Today's game is on both WGN and CSN; Len & Bob will be on WGN today. It's also, as always, at the Mediacenter.

MLB.com Gameday (2007 version)

MLB.com Gameday (2006 version)

And, you can see what Sox fans have to say at our SB Nation Sox counterpart, South Side Sox.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

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