Scott Feldman? Who knew?

The best Cubs starting pitcher the last couple times through the rotation has been .... Scott Feldman?

Yes, Scott Feldman.

I can't even find a photo of Feldman in a Cubs uniform, so you'll have to settle for this picture of him from his time in Texas. The right-hander had a strong outing against his former mates Monday, firing seven shutout innings in the Cubs' 9-2 victory over the Rangers.

In his previous start, Feldman struck out 12 and tossed his first career complete game in picking up a win against the San Diego Padres. With Monday's win, Feldman evened his record at 3-3 and lowered his ERA to 2.70.

This hot streak has come at a fortunate time for him because Matt Garza will be coming off the DL soon, and that means one of the Cubs starters is headed to the bullpen.

If decisions were made strictly on performance, Edwin Jackson would be the starter destined for a demotion. The right-hander has been the biggest North Side disappointment this side of Carlos Marmol so far this year, compiling an 0-5 record to go along with an unsightly 6.39 ERA.

But we all know these choices aren't made strictly on performance. Jackson is being paid $13 million to be the Cubs' supposed No. 2 starter. He's been a starter his whole career, and he's got three years left on his contract after this one. No way the Cubs pull the rug out from under him this early in the season.

Feldman and Carlos Villaneuva have spent their whole careers alternating between starting and relieving. It's inevitable one of the two will draw the short straw when Garza comes off the DL. Feldman has been on top of his game lately, while Villaneuva has given up four runs in each of his last two starts.

Villaneuva has pitched better than Jackson, but the realities of the situation make it likely he'll be the odd man out. Perhaps manager Dale Sveum will use Villaneuva in a short relief role when the Cubs have the lead late in games. Hey, he's a better eighth-inning option than Marmol, right?

Reed bounces back for White Sox

I liked what I saw from White Sox closer Addison Reed in the South Siders' 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals Monday.

In case you missed it Sunday, Reed was absolutely awful in blowing his first save of the season. He walked the No. 8 and No. 9 batters in the Kansas City lineup, then hung a 3-2 slider to Billy Butler, which the Royals' designated hitter deposited in the right-center field gap for a game-tying two-run double. The Sox went on to lose 6-5 in 10 innings.

Reed was right back on the hill Monday, summoned to protect a one-run lead in the bottom of the 11th inning. He had to face the best three hitters in the Kansas City lineup: Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar and the aforementioned Butler. He retired them all to earn his 11th save in 12 tries this year. Reed displayed the kind of short-term memory every closer needs -- forget about yesterday, pound the strike zone, don't beat yourself. It was an impressive inning by a 24-year-old reliever who is still learning how to pitch at the big-league level.

I can make a case that Reed is the Sox team MVP this year. The club has only 13 wins in its first 30 games. Reed has one win and 11 saves, so he's played a critical role in 12 of those 13 victories.

 

Freddy Garcia and Jose Contreras: Back from the Dead

Back when Jose Contreras was the ace for the 2005 World Series champion White Sox, I assumed he was about 50 years old. He was a terrific pitcher at that time; he just looked like he was old enough to be my grandfather.

Freddy Garcia was a starting pitcher on that team, too. The following year, in 2006, he looked like he was pitching injured. Sure enough, by midseason 2007 he was on the shelf with shoulder problems. I figured his career might be over then.

Well, I was wrong about that. Can you believe both these two men are back in the major leagues? Both were recalled within 48 hours of each other this week.

Garcia made an immediate contribution to his latest team, the Baltimore Orioles. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Saturday against the struggling Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before running out of gas. As a matter of fact, Garcia faced the minimum 18 batters through the first six innings. He ended up allowing two runs in 6.2 innings and received a no-decision in Baltimore's 5-4, 10-inning win.

Contreras, meanwhile, has made it back from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he had done last June 20. He'll be a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday. Contreras is listed as being 41 years old. Believe that at your own peril. He might have been older than that during his White Sox heyday.

I'm really surprised these two guys have hung around for this long. It just goes to show that guys who know how to pitch can enjoy long, long professional careers.

Random thought: Will the Braves trade Brian McCann?

Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann has missed the first month of the season while rehabbing a torn labrum in his right shoulder. But, the six-time All-Star is expected to return to the Atlanta lineup within the next week.

I noted McCann went 2-for-4 with a home run and a single for Class AAA Gwinnett Friday night. In six rehab games between Gwinnett and Class A Rome, McCann is batting .364 with four home runs, nine RBIs and five runs scored. Sounds to me like he's ready.

But here's the problem for the Braves: Rookie catcher Evan Gattis has played well in McCann's absence, belting seven home runs and winning National League Rookie of the Month honors in April.

McCann isn't coming back to the majors to sit on the bench, so what will the Braves do with Gattis? From everything I've read, they intend to use him as a bench bat, maybe giving him some starts in the outfield or at first base. Makes sense. You don't want to demote a guy who has been a productive player for you.

But here's my question: Has Gattis done enough to make the Braves believe he is their catcher of the future? And, if so, will they trade McCann, who is in the last year of a seven-year contract that will pay him $12 million this season?

Or, do they look at Gattis as nothing more than a former 23rd-round draft pick on a career hot streak? Will they look to resign McCann, who is hardly old? He's 29, but he is coming off his worst season in 2012 and a fairly significant injury.

If I were the Braves, I don't think I'd give McCann the $12 to $15 million per year he'll likely command in free agency. That's too much money in my mind for a catcher. That said, if I were the Braves, I would not trade McCann. I'd hang on to him, play for this year and hope he's healthy enough to be a critical piece in a drive toward an NL East championship. If he walks at the end of the year, so be it.

But what if they do decide to deal McCann? Which teams need a catcher?

Well, start with the Yankees, who have half their team on the disabled list and have Francisco Cervelli getting the majority of the starts behind the plate. Anytime a left-hander power hitter becomes available, you have to believe New York will be in the hunt.

Maybe Detroit? Doesn't it seem like Alex Avila always breaks down by the end of the year? Never underestimate Tigers owner Mike Ilitch. The octogenarian wants a World Series title before he dies and will spend any amount of money to get it.

I think Washington could use an upgrade behind the plate, but of course, there won't be any trades between the Nationals and the Braves. Those two teams will fight for the NL East lead all year.

Then, of course, there's the White Sox. I still don't understand why the Sox believe in Tyler Flowers. Through 28 games, Flowers is exactly who I thought he would be. He's hitting .186 with four home runs and 26 strikeouts in 70 ABs. About once a week, he hits a home run, and that's his sole contribution to the offense.

Can you tell I'm tired of the Flowers experiment? First week of May and I'm already looking around to see if there are any real catchers who might be available in a trade. 

John Danks pitches well in first rehab start

The White Sox haven't had much good news on the injury front lately.

Pitcher Jake Peavy was unable to make his scheduled start Thursday night against Texas due to back spasms.

Hector Santiago filled in admirably, pitching the Sox to a 3-1 win over the Rangers, and the injury to Peavy is not believed to be serious. Nevertheless, it's never a positive when your most consistent pitcher has to miss a start.

Also Thursday, Gavin Floyd confirmed reports he has a muscle tear in his pitching elbow. The right-hander is considering his treatment options, one of which is season-ending surgery.

With members of the starting rotation dropping like flies, the Sox can only hope John Danks will return to the active roster soon. The left-hander, who started on Opening Day 2012, hasn't pitched a game for the Sox in nearly a full calendar year.

Danks was limited to just nine starts last season and had surgery on his left shoulder Aug. 6. But he was back on the mound Thursday in a rehab start with Class AA Birmingham. He tossed seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out only one, but walked just one. Fifty-five of his 86 pitches were strikes. His fastball was clocked at 87 mph in the first inning and peaked at 91 mph later in the game, the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzalez reports.

Assuming Danks feels good tomorrow, he'll likely start again next Tuesday for Class AAA Charlotte. I would think the Sox will try to get Danks four starts in the minors before activating him from the disabled list. Just my speculation.

Certainly whenever he's ready, there will be a spot open for him in the big-league rotation.

Happy anniversary, Lee Elia!

30 years later, you still have to love the Lee Elia meltdown.

Best sports tirade ever.

Do The Wave, go to jail

As many of you already know, I write game recaps for White Sox Interactive in my spare time. Sometimes, it can be a therapeutic exercise.

Sunday, I was as angry as I've been all season at this lousy team during the top of the eighth inning of the Sox' 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

This was a half-inning that featured everything that is wrong with the Sox this year. Walks, errors, curious management decisions, and yes, idiotic conduct from an increasingly apathetic fan base.

As Sox fans, we like to say we "know more about baseball" than the folks who cheer for the team on the other side of town. But can we really claim that when we've got morons doing The Wave during the eighth inning of a 3-3 game? C'mon. That's embarrassing. What other fan base does that? I know the Sox stink right now, but nothing, and I mean nothing, should provoke fans to do The Wave at a baseball game. What the hell is this? 1986?

For me, the only real question is who deserved boos more. The team on the field or the idiots in the stands? It's a tough call. Anyone who starts The Wave should be escorted directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $250. Just get lost.

Just for the fun of it, here's a repost of my WSI recap from yesterday:

I feel like I've been more than patient with the White Sox this April. Sure this team has stuggled, but it's early, right? There's plenty of time for it to turn around. At least that's what I've been telling myself the first four weeks of the season.

But, every man has his breaking point, and I reached mine in the top of the eighth inning of Sunday's 8-3 loss. With the scored tied 3-3, the Sox gift-wrapped three runs for the Rays. This was a half-inning that featured nothing but Looney Tune crap – on the mound, in the field, in the stands and in the dugout. It was enough to make me lose my lunch, which would have been unfortunate since the hotdogs I consumed before the game were one of the few highlights of my afternoon at the ballpark.

Nate Jones (0-2) had pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He came out to start the eighth and gave up a bloop hit to Sean Rodriguez. He retired Desmond Jennings on a routine pop to shortstop. In my mind, Jones' afternoon should have been done at that point. Left-handed hitter Matt Joyce was due up, and the Sox had Matt Thornton ready in the bullpen. For some reason, Robin Ventura didn't make the move.

Jones uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Rodriguez to reach second. Then he walked Joyce. Um, Robin, Thornton is ready. Still no pitching change. Jones stayed in and gave up an RBI single to Ben Zobrist. 4-3 Rays. Um, Robin, Thornton is ready. Still no pitching change. Jones stayed in and walked Evan Longoria. Bases loaded. Earth to Robin, come in Robin!

Finally, a pitching change. Wouldn't you know, Thornton retired James Loney on a shallow fly to center. None of the runners advanced. Two outs. Just maybe, just maybe, we'll get out of this inning with minimal damage.

Or not. This is the 2013 White Sox after all. Jesse Crain relieved Thornton and ran the count full to Ryan Roberts. After a couple foul balls, Roberts lofted a shallow fly to right field. Alex Rios got a late break, but he still got to the ball in time to make the catch. Alas, he dropped it. Two runs scored. 6-3 Rays. For all intents and purposes, ballgame over.

Oh, and I forgot to mention our moron fans were doing The Wave with the outcome hanging in the balance the whole inning. How about we watch the game, you idiots?

Deunte Heath walked two guys in the ninth and both scored, accounting for the 8-3 margin. It was a fitting end to a lousy 3-5 homestand for the Sox.

You can't blame starting pitcher Dylan Axelrod for the loss. He went six innings, allowing three runs. Being a fifth starter, what more can you ask from Axelrod – especially considering his mound opponent was former AL Cy Young Award winner David Price?

You can't blame Paul Konerko or Adam Dunn either. Dunn had a two-out RBI single off Price in the first inning. Konerko continued his mastery of Price (10-for-20 lifetime) with a long two-run homer in the third. The Sox were in position to win this game going into the late innings. Instead, they blew it with utter stupidity. So typical for this team through the first 24 games.

Mercifully, Monday is an off day, which means the Sox can't lose. They'll start an eight-game road trip Tuesday in Texas. Left-hander Jose Quintana (2-0, 2.78 ERA) will be on the mound for the South Siders. He'll be opposed by Rangers ace Yu Darvish (4-1, 1.65 ERA). Game time is 7:05 and you can watch on Comcast SportsNet.

'We win one tomorrow, that's called a winning streak...'

So, the White Sox defeated Cleveland 3-2 Wednesday afternoon. Then, they beat Tampa Bay 5-2 Thursday night. I'm not a math major, but I think that's two in a row. The Sox (9-12) haven't won three in a row at any point yet this season.

Can you imagine Robin Ventura giving his ballclub a speech like this?

"SO LET'S SEE SOME HUSTLE! LET'S JACK IT UP A LITTLE!"