--RHP Gavin Floyd not only won his 16th game of the season on Tuesday night, he continued to prove to manager Ozzie Guillen that he can be a stopper. Floyd is 9-2 this season after Sox losses, and that wasn't ignored by Guillen. "I think that's when this kid started to be a man," Guillen said. "He has been great all year. He has been consistent and has thrown great games. To me, he's the ace we've had all year long." Floyd is 6-1 with a 4.04 ERA in his last 10 starts.
--IF Juan Uribe knows he isn't guaranteed a spot on the White Sox roster next season. The free agent-to-be reiterated that returning to the South Side is his first choice, but he also said he likes to be an everyday player. Therein lies the rub -- the Sox still have Josh Fields, and top prospect Gordon Beckham is coming on fast and is a candidate to switch from shortstop to third. Then there's always the possibility of trading for Angels 3B Chone Figgins, who has been on the radar of general manager Ken Williams for two years now. What Uribe is guaranteed is that he'll be the starter at third base for the time being and possibly the rest of the season. Even if Joe Crede gets medical clearance to return to the field despite his ailing back, manager Ozzie Guillen has already said he can no longer count on Crede. In addition, Uribe was hitting .333 with four home runs and 19 RBI in his last 32 games before going 0-for-3 Wednesday. "He's put together stretches over the last four or five years where he's really carried our team," hitting coach Greg Walker said of Uribe's recent hot streak. "He's been a real big-time offensive player over stretches. If the ball is in the zone, he's a dangerous hitter. And when he gets hot like this, watch out, because he is an off-the-charts talent." --RHP Javier Vazquez will start on three days' rest Thursday, and the Sox will continue using their rotation on short rest until further notice. If they can somehow pull far enough away from Minnesota next week, Guillen will then put the breaks on and get them rested and ready for the postseason.
--The Sox will open the 2009 season on April 6, playing host to Kansas City and then Minnesota at The Cell. The crosstown rivalry will begin in Wrigley Field on June 16-18, and Round 2 will move to the South Side on June 26-28. The Sox will finish the season on the road at Cleveland and then Detroit.
--OF Ken Griffey Jr. has continued to get extended playing time, starting all three games against New York. Manager Ozzie Guillen had been taking it slow with Griffey but said that with so much at stake now it was time for the horses to get the whip. Even more so for Griffey and Jim Thome, who are still missing World Series rings to cap off their careers. "When you played this long and going to be a Hall of Famer, you're always missing something, but I think their teammates will help them get to where they want to get," Guillen said.
BY THE NUMBERS: 9-30 -- The White Sox's record through Sept. 12 in games in which they had not hit a homer.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The only thing a lot of people look at is the batting average, but I'm hitting decent power numbers -- maybe not to what I want, but close -- but I'm not going to grade myself. I grade myself on what the team does and right now it's an A because no one thought we would be in this position." -- 1B/OF Nick Swisher, on his season, despite his disappointing numbers.
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