The White Sox took notice of the fact that the Angels were putting themselves in position to step on the throats of the rest of the American League on Tuesday, with the news that the Halos acquired power-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira.
Yes, they noticed, but they seem almost powerless to do anything about it. "They send a message to their fans," manager Ozzie Guillen said of the Angels' move. "They want to go all the way. I mean, when you make trades like that with a team that's already almost in, you are thinking about the next step. The next step is going to the big one, not the playoffs.
"They have a good ballclub. It's a shock to everybody. I thought the last team to make a trade because they don't need anything was going to be them. Good for them. When you have money and you got people in the minor leagues that you can trade and people like it, then it's easy to make a trade."
But if -- and that's a big if the way the Sox are playing against Minnesota -- the South Siders can hold on to win the AL Central, the Angels could be awaiting in the postseason. Guillen was asked if general manager Ken Williams was feeling more pressure to get a deal done, and the fifth-year skipper just didn't see anything materializing for them with the deadline approaching Thursday.
"To make a trade you have to do a different thing," Guillen said. "A lot of people think trades are just sitting on the table and people are saying, 'I want this,' or, 'I'll give you this.' There are a lot of things involved, a lot behind the scenes. And most of the things I try to stay away from. Kenny will ask me a question if he has something in mind.
"Right now, there's nothing happening. But I worry about these guys here, Minnesota and Detroit. I'll take my chances playing against Teixeira in October. That's my goal. I have to wait to see what happens."
Guillen was asked if Williams had run any names past him the last few days, and he said, "No, not yet."
TWINS 6, WHITE SOX 5: After a quick three-run burst through the first two innings, the Sox offense disappeared. Nick Swisher did hit a home run late, but it wasn't enough. The two constants were rookie Alexei Ramirez continuing to produce, going 2-for-4, and the big hit remaining inconsistent in the big moment.
As far as rookie pitcher Clayton Richard, he looked as if he could be a permanent fixture to the rotation through the first four innings, and then lost it in a hurry. His final line was 4 2/3 innings pitched, allowing five runs on seven hits. Sox killer Justin Morneau, the former MVP, hit a three-run double and completely turn the momentum the other way. Now the Sox's lead is just a half-game.
