Finding the Cloud in the Silver Lining

Yesterday we showed you how the Tribune, equipped with the same information as three other newspapers, spun it negative. Today we'll show you another piece of Tribune artifice that makes the White Sox look bad, stemming from the same press conference with Aaron Rowand.

In a story published yesterday Mark Gonzales writes,

PHILADELPHIA -- The White Sox's offensive struggles are so obvious that even one of their biggest supporters can't hide the truth.

"I'm not surprised at how poorly they're playing," Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand said of his former team after it suffered a 3-0 interleague loss Monday night at Citizens Bank Park.

"I think everyone in baseball is probably surprised how they haven't hit."

The two quotes from Aaron Rowand contradict each other. Is Aaron surprised the Sox are playing poorly, or is he not surprised? The first quote is particularly negative, controversial, and insidious — it suggests a real rift between Aaron and his former team. It's also dubious, because three other newspaper reporters and an MLB reporter attending the same press conference with Aaron Rowand did not have that quote. They only had the more positive one. Both Nathaniel Whalen of the Daily Southtown and Scot Gregor of the Daily Herald had exactly the same quote from Rowand:

“I think everyone in baseball is probably surprised how they haven’t hit,’’ Rowand said before the Sox were shut out for the fifth time. “There’s so much talent over there. Between (Jim) Thome, J.D. (Jermaine Dye), Paul (Konerko), Joe (Crede’s) been hurt, A.J. (Pierzynski), everybody, Darin, the talent over there is unreal.

“I’m sure it’s surprising they haven’t hit the way they were expected to. The starting pitching looks like it’s done pretty well, keeping them in games. If you didn’t have the starting pitching and you have a team batting average of whatever it is (.232), you wouldn’t think they’re just a couple of games under .500. You think they’d be like the Devil Rays of (2001).’’

Or maybe Gonzales had a big scoop? As we've learned, some Tribune scoops turn out to be works of fiction.

Finding the Silver Lining in the Cloud

So the Tribune is going out of its way to make the White Sox look bad, as if they need any help with that right now, and meanwhile, it's going out of its way to make the Cubs look good. Ten days ago, when the Cubs were 22-31, Tribune Columnist Rick Morrissey said they had to go 7-3 in the next stretch to merit attention.

They have gone 6-4. I guess they're toast, right?

Wrong.

In today's Tribune, Morrissey says the Cubbies are still in it. But not for the reason anyone else would offer right now, that the NL Central appears to be heading toward a sub-.500 division winner.

No, Morrissey's Cubbies are still in it because they fight in the dugout.

That's right, the single-most embarrassing moment in recent Cubbies history — and that is saying a lot — is now a point of pride and a rallying cry for the Cubune empire. Even if it really isn't, given the recent 6-4 stretch.

Morrissey's main source for his inspiration? Quotes from 175-pound rookie Ryan Theriot. Excellent. Can't wait to see Theriot take on Barrett.

Brett Ballantini contributed to this post.