Hoge: Cubs-White Sox Rivalry Not The Same This Year
By Adam Hoge –
CHICAGO (CBS) One thing was obvious Monday night at U.S. Cellular Field: It didn't feel like a Cubs-White Sox game.
Maybe it was because both teams are under .500. Maybe it was because it was a Monday night. Maybe it was because there were only 36,005 fans in the stands.
Whatever it was, it didn't feel like a Cubs-Sox game.
"It just felt like another game with more people in the stands," Ozzie Guillen said afterward. "We had that conversation with Joey (Cora), and to me, it just felt like another game."
Paul Konerko agreed that Monday night was a little weird.
"It still feels different, but it was closer in the direction of just a regular game," he said. "But it was a big crowd and for us, we don't sell out here like that all the time, so it definitely has a different vibe to it.
"The Monday thing just doesn't make sense for the Cubs and Sox, but it is what it is."
The Kick
The most entertaining part of the game was certainly when Guillen kicked Geovany Soto's mask at least 15 feet when he was ejected by James Hoye in the sixth inning.
"The look on Soto's face when he got his facemask kicked was priceless," Konerko said. "I mean, I don't know if he was probably mad or whatever, but the look on his face when Ozzie kicked it, that was what struck me.
"We were in (the clubhouse) watching it and we just shook our heads like, 'Oh my god, did he just kick his facemask?' I think Ozzie knows him. I'm thinking if he didn't know him he might not do that, but Ozzie was pretty hot."
Guillen was just happy he didn't get injured.
"If I kicked it 20 years ago, I might have broken my toe, but they make the mask so light and so good, I didn't feel anything," he said.
Fair Or Foul?
Guillen was ejected because he thought Alexei Ramirez's hit rolled back off the plate and into foul territory. It looked to me on the replay like Soto picked the ball off the play, which is still fair territory, but Guillen still thought he was right after the game.
"He was right, I was wrong," Guillen said after the game, while rolling his eyes. "Because if I say what I want to say, I will lose another 20 grand. I will just leave it that way. He was right, I was wrong and I got kicked out of the game. I'm tired of paying people's money for no reason."
Maybe Guillen and Konerko saw a replay I didn't, because the captain agreed.
"Pretty sure it was foul ball, but it's a tough call because the catcher is jumping up in front of you," Konerko said. "That happens. I mean, I would have liked to see him get help maybe."
You're Dunn Booing
One thing needs to stop at U.S. Cellular Field, White Sox fans. Stop booing your own players.
After striking out for a third time Monday night, Adam Dunn was showered with boos as he walked back to the dugout.
He may be playing horribly right now, but booing isn't going to help. It's only going to add more pressure to the slugger.
You don't have to cheer for the guy, but stop the booing.
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Adam is the Sports Content Producer for CBSChicago.com and specializes in coverage of the White Sox, Blackhawks and college sports. He was born and raised in Lincoln Park and attended St. Ignatius College Prep before going off to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he earned a Journalism degree. Follow him on Twitter @AdamHogeCBS and read more of his columns here.
