Cubs' hexes heading due south

Hey, isn't this type of thing supposed to happen on the North Side?

You know, things like unlucky goats, black cats and Cubbie occurrences?

As of Tuesday, the White Sox have to wonder whether curses, hexes and jinxes are migrating to the South Side.

This doesn't even have anything to do with the Sox losing both ends of a day-night doubleheader to Toronto.

It doesn't even have anything to do with the first-place Sox' lead over the second-place Twins dwindling from 2 games to 1.

It has everything to do with Paul Konerko's health.

One second the Sox first baseman was making an innocent-enough throw during an innocent-enough rundown.

The next second, he was prone on the infield, holding his right knee and grimacing in pain.

Konerko left the game, casting a pall over Comiskey Park and leaving the Sox to wonder what they did to deserve this.

After X-rays the initial diagnosis was a mild ligament strain. Breaths will be held until results of an MRI are in.

Asked whether Konerko is day to day, Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said, "In my mind he's week to week."

In case you're wondering, it isn't good for a team to lose one of its hottest hitters during the stretch run of a pennant race. Now it might have happened twice to the Sox, the first being MVP candidate Carlos Quentin's wrist injury last week.

Much has been made of the sore-tired-whatever arms of Cubs' starting pitchers Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden.

If those guys aren't at least at serviceable strength for the playoffs ... ouch! Now if Konerko will be out for a while or forever, and Quentin can't return ... double ouch!

Remember, this is in addition to Sox third baseman Joe Crede's season likely being over and pitcher Jose Contreras' definitely being over.

"Sometimes you look around and wonder what will happen next," Guillen said.

All that depth the Sox had after acquiring Ken Griffey Jr. at the trading deadline suddenly has become shallow.

Instead of Guillen being able to shuffle Griffey, Konerko, Quentin, Nick Swisher and Jermaine Dye from day to day, he might be down to the likes of Dewayne Wise, Brian Anderson and Jerry Owens.

Let me clue you into a little inside sports: Injuries do matter. We like to say that every team has injuries and they can't be used as excuses for failure.

Poppycock!

If Konerko is seriously injured and Quentin can't come back and Crede has played his last game for the Sox ... that's not only an excuse for failure but a reason.

If the Cubs enter the playoffs with Zambrano and Harden unable to pitch close to their usual standards ... that's also not only an excuse for failure but a reason.

What a shame either or both of those developments would be in what potentially was going to be Chicago's most glorious baseball season in memory.

"These injuries can't stop the season," Guillen said. "We have to continue to move on and fight with what we have."

Maybe the Sox should position guards along Madison Street to make sure curses, jinxes and hexes aren't heading south.

mimrem@dailyherald.com