American League Central race reset

There are less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, so let's reset where the American League Central Division race stands.

The White Sox took two out of three from the Minnesota Twins over the weekend at Rate Field, ending any realistic chance of the Twins winning the division.

It's a near certainty the division champion will be either the Sox or the Cleveland Guardians.

The Sox stand at 75-68, three games ahead of the Guardians, who lost 6-4 to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday afternoon. Cleveland's record is 73-72. The Sox have 19 games to play; the Guardians have 17.

Here are the remaining schedules for both teams:

Sox: 3 vs. Pittsburgh, 3 at St. Louis, 3 at Cleveland, 4 vs. Detroit, 3 at Kansas City, 3 vs. Colorado

Cleveland: 2 at Baltimore, 3 at Minnesota, 3 vs. White Sox, 3 vs. Athletics, 3 at Boston, 3 at Kansas City

The series at Cleveland from Sept. 14-16 is obviously an important one, as it will decide the tiebreaker. The Sox currently lead the season series, 6-4, and they will need to win one game in that series to secure the tiebreaker. The Guardians would need a series sweep.

But taking a tie out of the equation, here are some various scenarios for each team to win the division outright:

• If the Sox go 7-12, the Guardians would need to go 10-7.
• If the Sox go 8-11, the Guardians would need to go 11-6.
• If the Sox go 9-10, the Guardians would need to go 12-5.
• If the Sox go 10-9, the Guardians would need to go 13-4
• If the Sox go 11-8, the Guardians would need to go 14-3.
• If the Sox go 12-7, the Guardians would need to go 15-2.

I could be wrong, but I think it's reasonable to believe the Sox will win somewhere between seven and 12 of their remaining 19 games. 

The math favors the Sox at this stage, but we know Cleveland is capable of getting crazy-hot in September. Just last year, the Guardians closed by winning 20 of their final 27 games. They erased an 11-game lead the Detroit Tigers held on Sept. 4 to claim the division title.

Bottom line: The Sox can't expect to back into this. Cleveland will not go quietly. That said, the Sox should be OK if they continue to play at their current pace and, most importantly, win at least one of three in that series vs. the Guardians.

Happy Labor Day from The Baseball KId

 

Tommy Pham is back on the White Sox

Here's my hot take of the day that will make me persona non grata among White Sox fans: Tommy Pham is not a "clubhouse cancer." 

The Sox on Monday acquired Pham from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations. I know what you're saying: Wasn't the trade deadline Aug. 3?

Yes, yes it was. But Pham was not on Philadelphia's 40-man roster, which means he was eligible to be dealt, and he can still be eligible for postseason play if he's added to a roster by Sept. 1, which is ... checks notes ... today. How about that? 

This move sent fans into a tizzy because they are worried the 38-year-old Pham, known around the league as an intense competitor, will upset the apparently delicate chemistry in the Sox clubhouse.

And, you know, Pham slapped poor Joc Pederson (who wasn't even his teammate) in the face in an alleged dispute over fantasy football in 2022. That must mean he's a bad guy, right? What is this? A soap opera? 

A few things: First, the Sox have spent six months building a strong clubhouse, and if it's truly as strong as we all think it is, certainly it can handle the addition of a personality like Pham's.

Secondly, these are grown men playing for money. They are professionals, and they are expected to do their jobs regardless of what they think about their teammates.

Third, Pham was a member of the White Sox just two seasons ago. General manager Chris Getz and other front office members certainly know him, and if they thought he was a bad person, do you really think they would bring him back to the team now? 

Lastly, as fans, we aren't in the clubhouse. But players are, and veteran Andrew Benintendi, who was remembers playing with Pham two years ago, seems happy about the move.

"I enjoyed playing with him. I'm looking forward to seeing him," Benintendi told MLB.com. "Brings it every single day, is passionate about winning. Yeah, I think he'll be a good addition."

Said Sox manager Will Venable, "It means a lot. I'm really excited about Tommy Pham coming. As you look at it broadly, our need for a right-handed bat against left-handed pitching is something that we're really excited about. And then the human being, the teammate, the edge that he brings, kind of who he is as a total player. I think he's going to make a real big impact here."

For me, the problem isn't Pham's attitude. I welcome this kind of player. I just question whether he can still play effectively in MLB at age 38.

Pham played for three organizations this season: the New York Mets, the Baltimore Orioles and the aforementioned Phillies. His only big-league time this year was in April with the Mets. He appeared in nine games and went 0 for 13 with seven strikeouts.

Most recently, with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he batted .250/.381/.391 with three homers and 25 RBIs in 44 games. 

I'm guessing we will see Pham play corner outfield when the opposition is throwing a left-handed starter. Left fielder Sam Antonacci, as a left-handed batter, has struggled at times against lefties this year. Right fielder Braden Montgomery, a switch hitter, has been stronger from the left side than the right in his career. 

Those two factoids apparently opened this door for Pham. We'll see if he has enough baseball left in him to make a meaningful contribution over the 25 games on the September schedule.

Anyway, let's welcome Pham back with our traditional video for players whom the Sox reacquire: