The City of Big Shoulders and Tired Arms

HOG Butcher for the World,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,
Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;
Stormy, husky, brawling,
City of the Big Shoulders:

These were the words penned by Carl Sandberg in the poem "Chicago" 92 years ago. If they were reflecting the current state of Chicago today, it might read something more like this:

Owner of Moo and Oink,
Tool Maker, Stacker of Old Autos,
Players with nagging injuries and sore arms;
Stormy, husky, brawling, (and whatever other adjectives that the Sun-Times likes to describe the weather on any particular day. Today? WAN)
City of Big Shoulders..which might need further examining.

Despite both teams leading or owning a piece of their Central division leads, it's ominous times on both the north and south side. Zambrano heading to the othropedist today. Quentin sitting out with a sore hand. Harden capable of breaking at any moment. Danks looking like Big Brown down the stretch at the Belmont.

Yes, it's not looking good right now. While the Sox have "something missing" according to Ozzie on a cut this morning on Mully and Hanley, the Cubs aren't looking that much better. Sure, they have the best record in the MLB thus far, but that doesn't mean they couldn't have an epic choke like the Mets last year, holding a 7 game lead over the Phillies on September 12th before not making the play-offs.



As we look ahead to the final 3 weeks of the season, the White Sox will have 13 games at home, and 11 on the road if you include today. Their second to last series of the year will be a 3-game set in Minnesota which the Sox do not want to be the deciding factor.

The Cubs will spend 16 of their final 23 on the road, two more 3 games sets against Milwaukee (1 in Chicago, other in Milwaukee).

The city with big shoulders and tired arms is accompanied with nervous thoughts, habitual chain smoking and lots of muttered cursing today.

Danger John Danks! Danger!

After watching John Danks last night struggle to hit 91 on the gun last night while throwing the ball anywhere other then A.J. wanted, my personal Sox terror level elevated somewhere to in between guarded and elevated.

With his 27th game started last night (one more then last year), the big concern that popped into my head was this: is Danks starting wear down? Mark Gonzalez apparently was thinking the same after the game and asked Danks the same thing:

"Danks insisted his left arm feels fine after throwing a professional-high 1602/3 innings..."My breaking stuff wasn't there. It just wasn't there. My changeup was up. I was just flat-out bad."

I would believe him at this point; everyone has off nights. But to play Devil's advocate do you really think he would admit to having a tired arm to a beat writer? Yeah Mark, my arm is complete jello right now. I've been working with Coop on how to throw a vaseline ball just like Harris in Major League. I've been wiping my nose but apparently that's not going to work.

The same can be wondered at this point for Gavin Floyd as well. Floyd has also pitched 160 innings to this point, but with far less innings pitched in a season then Danks (70 IP last yr). Despite going 3-0 for August, his ERA over the month (4.97) was a run higher then his previous high water mark this year.

Danks and Floyd have combined for a 24-13 record on the year with a combined ERA of 3.50 which is far beyond I would have imagined heading into the season at this point as well as many other Sox fans I assume as well. But with 5 weeks left in the season, and 5 more starts for each pitcher, their great accomplishments this year will not be remembered if they start to wear down with the "Piranyas" nipping at the Sox heels.

The Sox need Danks and Floyd now more then ever to keep the breathing room they have on not only the Twins, but the Red Sox and Rays for a playoff birth. Let's hope there's still enough fuel in the tank for these two keep it going. The Sox certainly don't need more Clayton Richard's up here running around.