Around the division: White Sox

Cold times indeed on the South Side of Chicago: Not only are the umps dressed to steal there (that's Angel Hernandez hiding behind the cowl during Thursday night's game), but the White Sox can't hit.

Black is also the color for funerals, and Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times is ready to bury Ozzie's boys:

... This is not about what the Sox still can become this season — this is about what the Minnesota Twins already are.

They are an offense that can now beat you with the long ball, as well as still frustrate the hell out of you with small ball. They are a solid starting pitching staff that now has an ace in Francisco Liriano. They are resilient, losing the best closer in the game, Joe Nathan, and not flinching. They beat the bad teams and compete with the good teams.

Finally — and this may be the most important thing about the Twins -- the Sox know deep in their hearts they are a second-half team that can chase down the pack.

Give them a big first-half lead? Well, that's enjoy-your-offseason suicide.

Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen is fussing on Twitter about the cable guy not showing up and being encouraging to his players.

Which raises a point about Guillen: Yeah, he'll take public shots at his team more often than any other manager. But it's always stuff he tells the players first — there's no double talk from No. 13 — and it's not coming at a time when it will make matters worse.

The Sox are hitting .215 entering Friday's game. You know they're not that bad.