Going 9 questions with our baseball writers on the eve of the city series
Hey, did you hear the Cubs and the White Sox are playing each other this weekend?
If you've picked up a newspaper or tuned into sports talk radio this week, you've been bombarded with insights from every conceivable corner -- players, fans, analysts.
Today we let you hear from our experts -- Daily Herald baseball beat writers Scot Gregor (White Sox) and Bruce Miles (Cubs), who chat about both teams, the City Series and what the future holds for a pair of first-place teams that have a city on the edge of its seat.
Q. When you look at your cross-town rivals from afar, what kind of team do you see?
Miles: I see a team that looks like it can win its division, and at this point of the season, the Sox probably should win the AL Central. I know the lineup has been streaky, but there's a lot of hitting talent there.
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Gregor: I see a team that is pretty similar to the White Sox. The Cubs are hitting better, but they seem to be winning with pretty solid pitching, especially out of the bullpen, and good defense. Like the Sox, the Cubs usually make teams beat them.
Q. The players always seem to downplay this series. Is that how all of them really feel, or is it a ploy to keep them from getting too amped up?
Miles: Most of the players feel it's no big deal in the days leading up to the series. But once the games start, the crowds get into it and the adrenaline gets flowing, they get caught up in it as much as anybody else.
Gregor: The Sox-Cubs stuff has been coming up the past 2-3 weeks. Some of the new guys, particularly Nick Swisher, are really fired up. And now that Part 1 of the series is here, the guys who have been around are getting up for it.
Q. If your team could pluck one player off the other's roster, who would it be and why?
Miles: As much as Lou Piniella would like another lefty in his rotation, John Danks would look pretty good. The poor performance earlier of Rich Hill has really left a void in the rotation.
Gregor: The White Sox' bullpen was ranked first in the American League in ERA (2.62) and strikeouts per 9 innings (8.74) heading into Thursday, but they'd gladly make some room for Carlos Marmol. First baseman Derrek Lee would also be welcomed.
Q. Has interleague play lost its luster? If you could make changes, where would you start?
Miles: The fans seem to like the big matchups, so those certainly haven't lost their luster. But there sure are a lot of yawners. I'd limit the number of interleague series because interleague play has destroyed a lot of the Cubs' older rivalries, with teams like the Mets and Dodgers. As long as we're going to use a DH, I'd use it in the NL parks, just for a change.Gregor: Why did the White Sox just finish playing the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third time in the last three seasons? Why haven't they played their former rivals -- the Milwaukee Brewers -- since 2001? There are some odd scheduling decisions, but interleague play is pretty good overall.Q. Alfonso Soriano and Paul Konerko are out this weekend. Which team will that affect the most, and why?Miles: As maddening as Soriano's play can be, the Cubs miss his power at the top of the lineup, especially when the other hitters, such as Derrek Lee, go into home run droughts.Gregor: I'd have to say it's even. Even though Soriano had better numbers, Konerko was starting to come around before going down with a strained left oblique muscle.Q. Who has been the most pleasant surprise and who has been the biggest disappointment on your team?Miles: Ryan Dempster is the most pleasant surprise for the Cubs. He's living proof that you can't underestimate the human spirit. He was determined to be a starter, and so far, he's succeeding. Felix Pie and Rich Hill are the biggest disappointments. They earned their demotions to Iowa.Gregor: He's been struggling lately, but left fielder Carlos Quentin has put up some pretty impressive numbers. Not bad for a guy who had a 50-50 shot to make the team out of spring training. Let's go with Konerko (.215) as the biggest disappointment.Q. At nearly the halfway point of the season, what have you learned about your team, your manager?Miles: Lou Piniella is among the best in the game, and maybe the best, when it comes to using his roster, adjusting to injuries and situations and putting players in position to succeed. There was little way of knowing the Cubs would be at or near the top in on-base percentage this year.Gregor: The White Sox have been in first place for 60 days so far, but it still doesn't seem like they've put it all together. Ozzie Guillen gets a lot of the credit, because he's already laid into this team a few times for lackluster play.Q. If there is one thing your team needs down the stretch, what would it be?Miles: The Cubs need a starting pitcher, preferably a lefty. Maybe they can pry Randy Wolf from the Padres.Gregor: A legitimate leadoff guy, but they are really hard to find. Maybe Class AAA Charlotte center fielder Jerry Owens finally gets himself healthy and starts hitting like he did in spring training.Q. OK, now the big one: Will there be a third cross-town series come October?Miles: Sure, why not? Chicago's got one coming.Gregor: Yes. No. Definitely maybe.