White Sox

Where the next curse is Dom Amore Hartford Courant The Cubs are bedeviled by the most hideous curse in sports, so what do they need? A manager who has proven he can break such things. There are only two out there who have proven then can win with organizations that haven't in 80 years or more — and the Cubs let Ozzie Guillen slip out of town. Terry Francona, like most fired managers, will land in a place where he represents the opposite approach to his predecessors.

Most of us have never caught a home run at a Major League Baseball game, which is why it's absolutely amazing that a 17-year old Orioles fan named Tim Anderson caught one in three straight games during this week's series against the White Sox at Camden Yards. The leaping grab he made to secure Alexei Ramirez's homer on Thursday night was very impressive, and the feat caught the eye of MLB.com and the "SportsCenter" crew. [ Via D.C. Sports Bog ]

What's kept right-hander Chris Tillman from sticking in the majors, and what has frustrated everyone who has watched the talented young right-hander in his three seasons with the Orioles, is his maddening inability to maintain consistency from one start to the next. It was a trend the Orioles were hoping Tillman would buck Thursday night against the Chicago White Sox after turning in arguably his best performance of the season Saturday, allowing two runs in seven innings in a victory against theToronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles so badly needed to avoid the sting of another close loss that it wouldn't have mattered who got the game-winning hit. But it was particularly satisfying for them to gather around home plate in the 10th inning Wednesday night, awaiting Nolan Reimold's helmet-tossing arrival. Reimold, who has struggled since getting the opportunity to play virtually every day, slammed Jason Frasor's first pitch into the visitors' bullpen, the two-run shot ending the Orioles' 6-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox in front of an announced 18,747 at Camden Yards.

When third base umpire Phil Cuzzi incorrectly called Nick Markakis out at third base on a steal attempt in the fifth inning of the Chicago White Sox's 4-3 victory Tuesday night, the Orioles began an inevitable limp toward their ninth defeat in 11 games. Cuzzi's mistake, though, didn't really cost the Orioles a fleeting chance at victory, not when stacked against all the other miscues that have become the norm at Camden Yards this season. Orioles second baseman Robert Andino missed a key tag in the third inning, Markakis failed to dash home from second on a liner to center in the fourth and the Orioles twice couldn't score after their leadoff hitter doubled.

August 24, 1977: Every Orioles starting position player scored a run in a win over the White Sox.

Matt Thornton provided the model. Gavin Floyd reaffirmed it, reaching his potential for the White Sox after frustrating the Phillies. General manager Ken Williams had those success stories, and others, in mind when he read scouting reports from one of the White Sox's pro scouts last summer. Philip Humber intrigued Bill Scherrer. Humber got a quick look in the Royals' bullpen after spending most of 2010 starting for Kansas City's Pacific Coast League team. Pitching coach Don Cooper, on Williams' alert, watched closely when Humber started against the White Sox last August, and again when he came out of the bullpen at U.S. Cellular Field in September.

Firing Ozzie Guillen isn't going to fix what's wrong with the White Sox, not in 2011 and certainly not in future seasons. To sack him and leave general manager Ken Williams in charge would be a mistake, as Guillen consistently has found a way to stay competitive without the homegrown studs who ruled Comiskey Park when Ron Schueler was the GM. But there's no easier "fix" for a team than changing its manager, and in the Williams era...

Jeremy Guthrie, whose talk with reporters after his previous start included jokes about his struggles against the Boston Red Sox and his admiration for former BYU basketball star Jimmer Fredette, spoke in measured tones with his eyes fixed on the floor. Normally verbose and engaging, Guthrie's answers after the Orioles' 6-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday night before an announced 18,007 at U.S. Cellular Field were short and indirect. "I had chances to finish people.