Diamond Rios

I'm not sure whether Alex Rios misunderstood the question, or just gave a misguided response because he doesn't know any better, but calling the White Sox the "team to beat in the AL Central" already just simply isn't the case. Historically, the 'team to beat' in the division or league is the team that won it last. At least that's how I've always interpreted it. Such a novel concept, I know. But the consummate 5-tool player from Coffee, Alabama popped off during a meaningless spring training interview and made headlines by belittling the Twins in crowning his own South Side club as the division favorites in 2011. I agree, Spring Training is worthless. It's like syllabus week in the Fall semester of college--just a reason to kick it with your buddies and have a few pops while reminiscing about all of the smokeshows you met at North Beach over the summer that slept over in your parent's basement a few nights (some of the best fabricated stories ever told). It's all peaches until someone lashes out with a story completely over the top, entirely outside of the realm of legitimate possibility, gets called out on it, and then everyone is awkward around said storyteller until he has enough G&T's to fess up and admit he was up to his neck in BS a week or so later. In a way, that's exactly what happened in the case of Diamond Rios.

In case you couldn't tell, Ozzie has the utmost respect for the Twins, and why wouldn't he? They continue to compete at the top of the division every year with in-house talent. Even now that their payroll has expanded dramatically with the signing of Mauer's monster deal, the Twins lived up to the bill (no pun intended) and have won the last 2 division titles. Although you can barely call Ozzie's speech in interviews coherent or entirely lucid, when speaking of the Twins, he usually provides no comments that undermine his rival to the north. In the same breath, however, Ozzie is never going to let his players feel like he doesn't have supreme confidence in them heading into the year, so he made a few comments to Chicago media outlets that reiterated the fact that he definitely thinks the Sox can, in fact win the division, but in no way called them the 'team to beat' just yet.

According to the oddsmakers on the strip, the odds of the Sox winning the Fall Classic are listed at 25-1, which gives them bragging rights in the city (Cubs are 35-1) but not within the Central (Twins are 18-1). With that being said, the AL Central is going to be one of the worst divisions in baseball in 2011. Outside of Minnesota and Chicago, you have the Indians (80-1), who will seemingly follow the same pathetic standard that the Cavs have preceded them with this season in Cleveland, and the Tigers, with Miggy Cabrera as their team leader, a volatile character who is one more DUI or domestic violence dispute away from having an equivalent rap sheet to their city's hero, Slim Shady. (On a side note, that loser is 40 years old. You'd think he would have gotten over thinking cursing incessantly, bleaching your hair and subjecting your child to a horrific childhood would be cool and great fodder for selling records. Sick commercial though, loser.) And lastly you have the Kansas City Royals (125-1), a franchise that can only get people in Kauffman Stadium if they let all the 11-year old die-hards play in the fountains in the outfield during the 7th inning stretch. I think the Sox are safe with at least a 2nd place finish.

Still, I'm intrigued by the Sox off-season and am looking forward to watching their games on a muted television in late spring (Hawk Harrelson is a bumbling idiot). This is Gordon Beckham's coming out party in which he has the chance to prove he's more than just a pretty face with a haircut he stole off Alex Binder from Two-A-Days. Insert Donkey Dunn into the middle of that lineup to protect Paulie and Rios and you have some power from both sides of the dish. I'd be lying if I was to say that the Men in Black didn't have the potential in place to win the division. Nevertheless, it's imperative that the Sox get off to a hot start to jump out to an early lead in the division while Morneau is on the mend in Minneapolis. Otherwise, calling them the team to beat this early in the spring is comparable to some jive talk you'd read on Oney Guillen's twitter page.

As for Pick of the Day, the WMU Broncos couldn't pull out a win in Kalamazoo last night as they dropped one to the Kent St. Golden Flashes by a bucket. For tonight, the Pulse Man likes Bradley covering the +3.5 spread they are getting at ISU. Both teams are bad, the game should prove to be even worse.

Pick of the Day: Bradley (+3.5) @ Illinois St.- BRADLEY

Record:(56-41-0)

Now I'm done. Rack me

Frost

Caught Streaking

At this point, I'm not sure who's consistently hotter--the Minnesota Twins or the Olsen Twins. Although I'm sure Mary-Kate and Ashley would make a formidable double-play combo and provide their skipper with a swift "you got it dude" after every one of his managerial requests, no pair of Twins (not even the ones from the Coors Light football commercials) can compete with the group they have in Minnesota right now. Ozzie Guillen and his White Sox just rattled off 7 straight victories after signing Manny just to keep pace with the club from the Twin Cities and didn't gain any ground. The White Sox are going to be in this pennant race for the long haul and if they suffer too many 8 run losses to the chubbiest MVP candidate since Mo Vaughn in Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers, they might as well buy their homer hankies in bulk so they can root for the AL Central Champion Twins in October.

Every year it seems that the Sox and Twinks are in a dogfight for the AL Central crown (except in 2006 when the Tigers somehow revitalized the city of Detroit and their unemployed fans). In past years, it always perplexed me how the Twins continued to compete in one of the smaller markets in the American League. Of course in recent years, we have learned that having a high payroll is about as relevant as having a one of those virtual pets that were hot in the Clinton era in 2010 (think Rays: 25th, Cubs:3rd). But this year, the Twins have climbed the MLB payroll ladder from 25 to 11, and the results seem to be imminent. Obviously, part of this jump in cashflow going out, is due to their prodigious, 8 year, $184 Million extension they gave Joe Mauer. But, they have still managed to be effective this year with the loss of Justin Morneau to the 60 day DL and the absence of their closer, Joe Nathan for virtually the entire season. By no means am I rooting for the Twins, or supporting them against the White Sox in any way during September. But how do they manage to keep a competitive roster with 2 of their 3 best players on the DL? I understand Joe Mauer has the best sideburns in baseball and has a majestic ability when it comes to hitting a baseball. But still, are they paying their manager (isn't he Dave Thomas from Wendy's?) in triple stacks so they can finance a baseball team? Is the ghost of Bill Haywood and Lou Collins from Little Big League (funny clip, just be patient) that potent?

Perhaps the Twins simply know how to win baseball games. They only have one player hitting over .303 (Mauer-.325) but have 3 starting pitchers with over 10 wins (Pavano-16, Liriano-13, Baker-12). Maybe it's the Jim Thome curse that haunts the Sox when they share the field with the Twins this season. Whatever it is, the Sox have to win the rest of this series with the Tigers, take at least 2 from the Royals at home leading into their 3 game set at the Cell with the Twins. At that point, they should be withing a Juan Pierre relay throw (not very far) of the Twins division lead. If they can somehow find out how to stay within a handful of games the rest of the way, I trust Ozzie in late September. I don't understand what he's saying, but I trust him.

As for pick of the day, The Pulse Man did it again last night as Lincecum held the D-Backs to 3 runs and had 9 K's in way to his 13th win of the season. Riding his 6 game 'pick of the day' win streak like Toby Maguire rode Seabiscuit (I meant confidently, don't get gross), The Pulse Man has opted to go with a player prop and votes that Joey Votto will record an RBI tonight at (+110).

Pick of the Day: Joey Votto (Reds) Will he record and RBI-Must Start: YES (+110)

Record: (17-11-0)