Cubs-Sox Series? Obama? Guillen offers his thoughts

BOSTON - You'd never know it by the way they played against the Red Sox on Friday night, or by the way they played in an 11-3 loss at Baltimore on Wednesday, but the White Sox are a team with serious playoff aspirations.

The question has already been asked, but Sox manager Ozzie Guillen addressed the possibility of a cross-town World Series against the Cubs.

"It would be great for the city," Guillen said. "I think if that happens, the Chicago mayor (Richard M. Daley) would have a really good chance to have the Summer Olympics there (in 2016), I guarantee you, because that city's going to go crazy.

"Playing the Cubs, why not? They have a good ballclub, I think they have a lot of talent. For the city, I think it would be outstanding."

If the Cubs were the lone Chicago team to reach the Series, would Guillen be pulling for them?

"I'm going to root for a few people," Guillen said. "I'm a big-time Lou Piniella fan. (General manager) Jim Hendry is a good friend. I've got Derrek Lee, (Henry) Blanco, (Carlos) Zambrano, (Mark) DeRosa, I've got a lot of guys there that are my friends. I will root for my friends. I cannot say I will root for the Cubs because you're a South Sider or you're not."

Presidential candidate Barack Obama is a South Sider, and last week he came out as a full-fledged White Sox fan.

"I love it," Guillen said. "He has to be our president."

Guillen gained his U.S. citizenship on Jan. 20, 2006, so he'll be voting in his first presidential election in November.

"I've never had an opportunity to vote in the United States, but I appreciate (Obama's) opinion," Guillen said. "That man's a true Sox fan. I have to tell people in Chicago, don't misunderstand what he wants to say.

"Some people out there are ignorant and say, 'We're not going to vote for him because he's a White Sox fan.' That will happen. I don't think he needs the White Sox fans' vote. He just told the truth. He likes the White Sox, he's always been a South Sider, and I guarantee you a few people here like him, too, like myself."

Bowden gets the call: The Red Sox on Friday night announced Michael Bowden is coming up from Class AAA Pawtucket to start tonight's game against the White Sox.

Bowden, a Waubonsie Valley High School product, will be making his major-league debut.

Boston's first-round draft pick in 2005, Bowden was 0-3 with a 3.38 ERA at Pawtucket. The right-hander opened the season at AA Portland and was 9-4 with a 2.33 ERA.