It's Clear Which Chicago Team is Better

The White Sox and Cubs have played 5 of their scheduled 6 games in 2009, and while the Cubs have a chance to earn a series split whenever the last game is made up, it's clear to me who the better team is.


Drumroll please........It's the White Sox.


The South Siders proved, especially yesterday, that they are the better resident in what has become a rather weak baseball city. While both teams are buried in the middle of their respective divisions, I see the Sox as having the better chance to climb their way out of the hole.


The Cubs have all sorts of problems. They can't hit, they can't pitch late in games, Carlos Marmol can't find the strike zone, Kevin Gregg can't see out of his rec-specs, Alfonso Soriano is a terrible defender, Milton Bradley and Carlos Zambrano are big babies, Kosuke Fukudome will drill a hole back to Japan with the way he swings and misses, and Mark DeRosa just got traded to the Cardinals.


The White Sox have their problems too, but they seem to be taking it all much more in stride. Carlos Quentin, who was arguably their MVP last year, is on the DL, but Scott Podsednik has made his return to the Cell and made his impact felt. He's hitting leadoff and making things happen on the bases. They haven't been hitting at home, but it's starting to come around. Their manager likes to make things happen on the field, which is refreshing to see.


That brings me to my next point. It seems the styles of play for the two teams is completely opposite of what it should be. The Cubs, of course, play in the National League, where "smallball" is much more prevalent than in the Sox' home league, the American League. The AL is supposed to be a league of offense. Lots of doubles, lots of home runs. I get the impression that Ozzie Guillen has the Sox playing some smallball, and Lou really isn't.


I wish Lou would make a few more things happen on the bases. The Cubs are having enough trouble scoring runs as it is, and Lou won't bunt, won't hit and run, and the Cubs don't steal many bases. Ozzie doesn't have a problem doing any of that, and we saw it all yesterday. He even put the squeeze on, and it ended up working out even though the batter couldn't get the bunt down.


The Cubs, on paper, have the best team in the NL Central, maybe even the whole NL. They aren't playing like it. They're getting in their own way. I'm sick of watching it as a fan, and I can only imagine how Lou Piniella feels.