Image of...Greatness?

The White Sox enjoy another convincing win. They retake sole possession of first place. And the once-suspect offense clobbers four more home runs to add to their major league-leading total, forcing even those Central Scrutinizers of the South Side, Tribune sports, to admit the game was a "home run parade" for the club.

You wouldn't know it from Mark Gonzales' lede in his game story. After pulling out his magnifying glass to find the weak spot in an otherwise stirring win for the White Sox, his calloused hands typed this gem:

Mark Buehrle got picked on at home Monday night for one of the few times this season.

And it gets so much worse from there. In just another example of snatching joy from doom, what's the subhead on Gonzo's game story?

Quentin hits another HR, defends image

Hmm...sounds like quite a scoop. Wonder what the dirt may be. Quentin has been found to be dropping his vulnerable left elbow over the plate to score more of those coveted hit-by-pitches? His rebuilt shoulder includes tendons culled from a newborn calf? His fabulous coif is the product of visits to the Hair Club for Men?

Nope, apparently this is yet more Gonzo Journalism, where he inserts a fake ("testing the GM's patience") storyline to keep the negativity fresh. Nowhere in his story (a game story, mind you, about a first-place club clobbering four homers and trouncing its opposition) does he reveal what "image" Quentin is defending.

It's truly guesswork, because no one at the Chicago Tribune Watch studied Gonzo Journalism while in J-School, but it appears that the "image" Quentin must defend is his tendency to provide guarded answers to questions.

Scandalous.

How many statues of a certain Flintstones-aided home run champ from the north side's past would already stand outside of The Shrine if that was the only image scrubbing he had to do?

Only in the Tribune's twisted world can arguably the clear-cut AL MVP through August 19, who just happens to play on the South Side, be feted with such a weak-kneed knock of a headline?

In the article, Gonzo mentions that Quentin has reached safely in 13 straight games, has been hit by 20 pitches, and has only had two streaks of two straight games without a hit all season long. Oh, and he's the top home-run hitter in the majors.

The only "image" portrayed in Gonzo's own copy is that of an MVP. Quentin has to defend that? From what? From who?

From the Tribune, of course, which consistently does a horrible job of acting indifferent to--much less objective toward--anyone on the South Side outplaying a cuddly Cubby.

Think this biased fish wrapper will give one-tenth its space and attention toward pushing Alexei Ramirez for AL Rookie of the Year as it will (and has) done so for fellow employee Geovany Soto in the NL?

--Brian Dykes and Brett Ballantini

Who's Got the Power?

A week ago in Phil Rogers' "Power Poll" feature on ChicagoSports.com's "Hardball" blog, the 14-10, first-place White Sox ranked No. 4. The 16-9, first-place Cubs ranked No. 3.

Both teams had a rough week. The White Sox took the collar, losing the five games between polls, and falling to second place. Dr. Phil rightfully spanks the punchless Sox down to No. 11 in his poll. He also makes the incongruous comment that the White Sox have no run producers in the minors save for Josh Fields.

Dr. Phil, there's a guy on the White Sox named Carlos Quentin. White Sox GM Ken Williams acquired--the overeager might go so far as to say stole--him from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a Single-A first baseman, Chris Carter. Well Phil, on Sunday there were 11 players in the majors with an on-base + slugging percentage of better than 1.000. Astoundingly, only one of those players was in the American League.

His name? Carlos Quentin.

Quentin's the guy who made a preposterous throw from left field, on the fly, to double off a Tiger at first base early this season. He's already been hit by seven pitches this season, but he's such a bad-ass he doesn't wear any of that Barry Bonds armor to the plate. If Quentin was on the north side, fans already would be wearing some form of offensive T-shirt to "celebrate" him. So Phil, look him up; he's in the White Sox media guide, really.

Quentin is brought up not to deflect attention from the hapless White Sox offense. After all, saying this ballclub is the 11th-best in the majors is a fairly big stretch at the moment. But Rogers and his gratuitous shots at the White Sox GM are way out of line. Even in a short skinny as part of a space-filler of a power poll, Rogers can't resist letting loose on Sox brass.

The purpose of competing in the majors is to have the best major league roster you can. A terrific Single-A hitter like Chris Carter is an asset, but he's not a major-leaguer who earns you major league wins. Quentin's OPS+, is 177, essentially meaning he's hitting 77% better than the average American Leaguer. The next-best White Sox hitter is Joe Crede, whose OPS+ is 119. Quentin is by far the White Sox's best hitter through the first month, and he was essentially shoplifted out of the Diamondbacks organization. But your readers would probably rather read your fiction pieces about win-win trades with Arizona you're spinning as lopsided, so keep the cheap shots coming, Phil.

Oh, and the Cubs? They didn't have a very good week, either. They went 2-4 (and then lost Sunday night's game, which was completed after Phil posted his power poll), falling to second place. Funny, while Rogers admits the Cubs are "spinning their wheels" and have no closer, he can't see dropping the Cubs even one spot in his poll. His beloved bumblers choke away two series, one home and one away, to their two closest division rivals, but they're still the third-best team in the majors.

Another crisis averted. This is a the guy who Cubs manager Lou Piniella referred to as irreplaceable in the Tribune lineup?

--Brett Ballantini