Their season over, the White Sox refused to hang their heads. Instead, the scene inside the locker room was a mixture of hugs and handshakes. Nope, they couldn't make it out of the first round of the playoffs. But they went a lot further than most people expected.
Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. didn't hit any home runs Sunday, yet they were instrumental in the White Sox' win. And you thought the big guys couldn't play a little small ball every now and then.
Mark DeRosa called it a ''do-or-die'' situation for the Cubs. Meaning win -- or else. Then he added a qualifier.
It's all on Carlos Zambrano's shoulders now because the Cubs can't afford to go down 0-2 in this best-five series. But the question of which Zambrano will show up tonight is anyone's guess. Even Zambrano himself doesn't seem to have a clue.
Carol Slezak: Have you heard? The Cubs haven't been to the World Series since 1908. I know, I'm tired of hearing about it, too. The 100-year drought makes for a compelling story line as the Cubs begin a postseason journey they hope will culminate in that long-delayed return to the Fall Classic.
Now, improbably, it's the White Sox' turn. I say improbably because no one expected the Sox to get this far. Yet they're closing in on a Central Division title of their own. I don't know how Ozzie Guillen has done it, but it's time to give him the credit he deserves. Guillen is the Chicago manager of the year.
After a shot of cortisone and 11 days of rest, Carlos Zambrano thrilled us with his no-hitter against the Astros. Yet as Zambrano's pitch count mounted, I wondered how long Lou Piniella was prepared to let him go. On one hand, a manager can't yank a guy in the middle of a no-hit performance. On the other hand, isn't Zambrano's long-term health -- and by long term, I'm talking about October -- more important than any individual achievement?
Carol Slezak: Will the real Chicago Bears please stand up? It seems they were playing possum this summer, luring us into the belief that they were not a good football team.