What does Lovie Smith’s choice of Kyle Orton to start the first game of pre-season – with Rex to start game two - mean about Lovie’s ultimate choice for the regular season?

It could mean a lot or a little; a little or a lot. It could mean Lovie saw Orton’s face in a slice of pizza last night and took it to be a sign from above. Or it could mean Lovie is sick of Rex. It could even mean that Coach Smith simply is a fair man and randomly chose this order for games one and two.

You can bet your drills and tire gauges that people all over Chicago are talking – and agonizing – over the deeper meaning behind Lovie’s choice of Orton for this Thursday.

(And gloating that for once it’s the Packers who look like they are managed by a group of bone heads more interested in ego than wins.)

So what does Lovie’s choice mean? Orton or Grossman or Grossman or Orton? Or does it mean nothing?

THREE REASONS WHY IT MEANS ORTON WILL BE THE STARTER

1.)                The ball is in his hands: In sports, there is no truer philosophy than the person who has the ball is in control. If Lovie has chosen Orton first, it could be a clear signal that Lovie thinks Orton is in the driver’s seat and therefore deserves the first shot to hold on to the position. Lovie has never been one to send a lot of mixed messages: he tends to put the players on the depth chart the way he sees them and sticks with that for good or bad. See Mark Anderson, Fred Williams and Cedric Benson last season.

2.)                Rhythm: Pre-season centers around the third game of the series, in which the starters for both teams play the entire first half and typically deep into the third quarter. While Rex will play with the second stringers this week and Orton in the next when – presumably – Rex starts in game two, the established rhythm of starting Orton first would lend itself to putting Orton behind center for the third game.

3.)                Feeding off the fans: If Orton can generate some positive momentum in his start at home this week, it would be well received by the Garbowskis who show up for a pre-season game. Nothing puts a coach on better ground than to please the fan base and build some good karma with the hot dog eating folks. If Lovie has ordained Kyle as his starter, than this might be Lovie’s way of building some emotional momentum heading into announcing his decision.

THREE REASONS WHY IT MEANS THE RETURN OF REX

1.)                Protection: Let’s face it: Bear fans are pretty tired of Rex. While they may go to sleep at night dreaming of his early 2006 success, they wake up to nightmares of fumbled snaps, interceptions and leg injuries. Rex is one mistake away - even in a pre-season game - from a cascade of boos and talk-radio beat downs. To insure Lovie’s first choice get’s the best start to the season, he will give Rex his first pre-season start on the road, away from the slings and arrows of Soldier Field; meanwhile, letting Orton take the heat.

2.)                Setting up Orton: The first preseason game of the year is comparable to a Chinese Fire Drill. With a rookie running back in the backfield, an unsettled offensive line, new receivers and everyone working out the kinks, the chances of Orton having even a scrap of success are pretty narrow. By the second game of the pre-season, Grossman will have a better opportunity to show off his skills with everyone from coaches to ball boys having settled into a rhythm.

3.)                Appearances: Lovie is a smart man and his ability to handle the media has grown since he first arrived. By naming Orton the starter for pre-season game number one, he can put the “fair competition” spin on his eventual choice of Rex as the regular season starter. After all – Orton was given first crack at starting in the pre-season.

With the signing of Devin Hester to a deal that pays him wide receiver money before proving he can be a wide receiver, Jerry Angelo has truly lived out the age old adage of “it’s easy to spend money when it isn’t yours.”

For a long time, the Bears suffered the dark nickname of “The Misers of the Midway” and an infamous reference ownership’s penchant for treating nickels as manhole covers. That’s because – back in the day – the guy signing the checks wasn’t just a front man for a multi-million dollar business: George Halas was the guy from whose pocket that manhole cover was going to be cautiously pulled forth.

The way in which Bears players have tapped their monetary dinner plates for a helping of hot, steaming cash over the last full year would make you think that the Bears had won Super Bowl XLI. Usually when a team wins the big one, you can expect to see a line of players, gently smothering a slight cough with one hand and holding the other palm out for a wad of bills. This is not only normal; it’s become accepted culture in the NFL that if a team wins the big dance, the vast majority can expect to see their value rise.

What has happened in Chicago, however, has taken this culture of winner takes all (and the money) and pushed the boundaries to a new level. The Bears – sadly – did not win in 2006. The rain and the Colts washed away the hopes of that team and the city in a night most Chicagoans have chosen to forget. Yet, the remaining players from that (failed) run at glory have been knocking on the door of Jerry Angelo for raises as if they had indeed carried the silver trophy from Miami to Midway.

What can the fans – and the ownership of the Bears, for that matter – expect to get in return for this new investment? If it’s to be assumed that this investment is the key to an improvement in play by all those players who have gotten freshly minted contracts, then is it therefore logical to assume that the Bears tanked in 2007 simply because they weren’t respected enough monetarily? Is it that the trip to Miami meant the team was incapable of playing at a championship level until paid better? Were we duped into believing that the Bears were suffering from a Super Bowl “Curse” last year, when in reality the players were protesting their measly contracts by dropping passes, blocks and games to a beatable string of opponents?

Is it now fair for fans to expect a playoff run or is there still someone from 2006 waiting to get an extra dime from Angelo?

Desmond Clark. Brian Urlacher. Lance Briggs. Rex Grossman. Kyle Orton. Devin Hester. Tommie Harris. Robbie Gould. They all got paid. Angelo’s checkbook by now looks like the shredded paper of a gerbil cage.

Did they deserve it? Well, let’s put it this way. In 2006, all of those players certainly played like they did. In 2007, they didn’t exactly light the world on fire. And, yes, that means Devin Hester as well.

Not to sound blasphemous, but while Devin DOES deserve to be paid like a special player, he has not yet earned starting Wide Receiver money. The lasting image from the first year of the Devin Hester experiment on offense in the previous season was of Muhsin Muhammad having to physically put Devin in the right place on the field before each snap. How is a player that doesn’t yet know where to line up worth the type of money Hester re-signed for days ago? The dark answer is the Bears have taken a gamble. The kind of gamble that would never have happened in the days of George Halas. And while penny loafers, bowler hats and tweed suits have indeed gone out of style, being smart with money has not.

If the Bears thought the fans in Chicago were rough on them last season, just see how ire and fire will rain down from the talk show airwaves and Solder Field’s seating level 400 if this team posts another losing season. In a city built on the intersection of blue collar and farm field values, there is nothing more derided within the sporting heart of the Midwest than over paid players. Win and there will be no discussion; lose and these Bears will have to wonder what they ever did to make themselves such pariahs in this fair city.

The good thing about all of the green that has tumbled into the laps of the Bears is that now the city of Chicago will get the clearest measure possible of these players’ hearts. The money is there. So is the supposed respect that comes with a big payday.

So, will the Bears show up – no longer distracted by their “poor” pay from the previous season - or will they be too busy counting their money? It’s entirely possible that all of this desire for “respect” in the form of pocket dough will sap the hunger right out of this unit. After all, the only thing these players have to play for now is real respect – the kind that’s earned on the football field and in the Super Bowl. The kind of respect that can only be earned when you dominate your opponent week in and week out.

Can a player be expected to play at one hundred percent when he has paper cuts from counting Benjamins? Or does the cash allow him to focus on scoring touchdowns?

Jerry Angelo stepped up to the plate this off-season and officially changed the culture of the Bears as an organization. Anyone and everyone that showed up at his door with a feedbag out-stretched received a shovel-full of hundred dollar bills slopped inside. It is truly a far cry from the days of Papa Bear.

But, maybe there was a reason Halas was so cautious with his money. Maybe he understood that there was and still is a danger in over-paying players. A danger in equating money with respect; with putting down payments over touchdowns.

Then again, Halas was just a simple minded man: he was only interested in winning championships.

Now try and picture this season’s Chicago Bears roster. The quarterback competition is being decided not by Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton, but by a simple call of heads or tails. The best running back on the roster is a rookie who has yet to take a snap of NFL play. The team’s wide receivers can all be described as either too old, too inconsistent, too injury-prone or all of the above. And yet all the attention being given to this joke of an offense might be a great distraction for head coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Bob Babich, who have a lot of work to do on an under-performing D that will quickly be getting loads of criticism if some changes are not made.

In 2006, the season that the Bears went to the Super Bowl, it was the team’s defense that led them to that rainy night in South Florida. Opponents scored only 255 points during the regular season, third fewest in the NFL, while the defense forced 44 turnovers, tops in the league. It seemed that every week a new player was stepping up, making huge plays, and intimidating foes. Even Grossman’s inconsistencies on offense and Lovie’s stubbornness on the sideline (I think Danieal Manning is still having nightmares about attempting to cover Reggie Wayne) couldn’t contain the 21st Century version of the Super Bowl Shufflin’ Crew- until the Super Bowl that is.

Then last season, with nearly every important part of the defense returning, Bears fans were hoping for more of the same, or maybe an improvement. And early on, it looked like it might happen. During the regular season’s first two weeks, the Bears faced the NFL’s two best running backs: San Diego’s LaDanian Tomlinson and Kansas City’s Larry Johnson. And combined, the two All-Pros ran for 72 yards. LDT’s 25 yards rushing in that game was by far his lowest of the season, and it was a pretty impressive way to start the year, even though the team was 1-1 in the two contests.

But in Week 3, things fell apart worse than Roger Clemens’ career. Safety Mike Brown got hurt, defensive tackle Tommie Harris got lazy and the entire defense just stopped trying. Want proof? How about the 431 total yards the Cowboys put up in that third week. Or the 318 passing yards Brett Favre posted in week five. And lets not forget about Minnesota running for an astounding 311 rushing yards during a week six loss. In a span of four games, the Bears D went from being the Monsters of the Midway to the Disaster on the Drive.

The Bears ended the 2007 season ranked right in the middle of the NFL- 16th- in points allowed, with 348. So to turn that around, the Bears spent a good amount of their draft loading up on young, defensive talent. Oh no, never mind, that’s not right, their first three selections were all on the offensive side of the ball. So they must have addressed the holes in the D in free agency then. Well, that’s only if you count giving new contracts to about half of last season’s starting lineup on that side of the ball. The only positive thing the Bears did this off-season addressing their defense was releasing former starting safety Adam Archuleta, a big disappointment in 2007. Still, holes remain in the once-feared Bears D.

Now the 2008 season has begun, and the holes have yet to be plugged. Who is lining up next to Harris on the interior line? Is Alex Brown back to starting at right end or will it still be Mark Anderson? Can Brian Urlacher play every down even after having off-season back surgery? Are cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher 100 percent after each missed games last season? Has Lance Briggs figured out how to drive his Lamborghini? And who on Earth will be the two starting safety’s? In the five weeks between now and the season opener at Indianapolis, all of these questions need answers.

Thankfully for Smith, Babich and General Manager Jerry Angelo, not much focus is being paid to the defensive side of the ball. All the newspapers, sports talk radio and the so-called ‘experts’ want to do is discuss how bad the Bears offense will be, and with good reason. But remember, after Rex overthrows Marty Booker on a deep route, or Matt Forte is stuffed for a loss on third and short, it will be the defense that takes the field. And that might be where the real problems lie.

Dye started playing baseball at a young age, and didn’t play football or basketball until he started high school. He graduated in 1992 from Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, and then went to Cosumnes River College in Sacramento where he was used mostly as a pitcher and occasionally played the outfield. Dye was drafted as a pitcher after high school but didn’t sign.

“I wanted to go to college and experience that,” he said. “I kind of hated pitching; I wanted to be out on the field every day. That’s why I chose the outfield.”

If baseball weren’t an option, Dye would have gone into criminal justice. He wanted to be an undercover cop.

“One of my favorite movies is Beverly Hills Cop, and I guess I kind of like people not knowing that I was a cop. I thought it (would be) less dangerous.”

However, Dye did have the Major Leagues on his mind while in college. He knew he had the talent but he also knew the odds.

“You never know if you’re going to make it, but you definitely shoot to go to the majors,” he said. “You know you work hard, the percentages aren’t good and you have to take advantage of every break you get and I did.”

Dye began his Major League Career with the Atlanta Braves. He was selected by Atlanta in the 17^th round of the 1993 amateur draft. He contributed to their 1996 National League Championship and played in the 1996 World Series. In 1999 Dye played 158 games for the Kansas City Royals, hitting 26 home runs. In 2001 he was traded to the Oakland Athletics.

It was that year with Oakland where Dye had to overcome his greatest obstacle. He fouled a ball off his leg, shattering his fibula during a playoff game against the Yankees. Dye missed 123 games over the next three seasons.

“It was hard having to fight through the whole year in pain, but I’m thankful I was able to bounce back and continue playing and have a great career.”

In 2005, Dye played 145 games; the most he’s played since his injury. He was named MVP for the 2005 World Series with the White Sox. In 2006, he made it to his second All-Star game. He also finished second in the league in home runs (44), fifth in RBIs (120), and twelfth in batting average (.315).

Currently Dye is hitting .314 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. Throughout his career he has hit 285 home runs and 955 RBIs. His motivation for his success is his family, as Dye said he looked up to his parents growing up.

“My mom got me to all the practices so I could play and made sure that we did our homework,” he said. “My dad worked pretty much for the family and came to straight to practice after work.”

Dye is quite the family man himself. During his free time he enjoys hanging out with his kids and playing some golf. Dye has a wife, Tricia, and three children, Jalen, Devin, and Tiarra.

“I just go hang out with my golf club, hang with my boys and play golf and then I go home and wait for the kids to get of school and mess around with them.”

While Dye didn’t have “any player to base (his) talent around,” he knows that many kids out there look up to him.

“At first it’s weird but it’s kind of cool especially when someone thinks of you as their favorite player. I’m a pretty lucky guy.”

Unfortunately for me, I’m one of the latter in the real group. I’m the guy who thinks a six-run lead isn’t safe as long as a Cubs pitcher is on the mound, the one who thinks every stranded runner will wind up costing the team a valuable insurance run, and most likely, the person who in 35 years will have huge bills to a psychiatrist to help deal with constant panic attacks and Vietnam-like flashbacks. But I can’t help it; to me, it’s part of rooting for the North Siders.

That is why, much to my thanks, this season has been so unusual. For all of my sweaty palms and increased heart-beats, the Cubs have given a Denzel-like performance thus far. The team is in first place and has been since May 11. They haven’t lost back-to-back home games since the first two days of the season. And they sent eight guys to the All-Star game, though everybody who watches the team on a day-to-day basis knows that Kosuke Fukudome didn’t deserve his trip to New York City while Ryan Theriot was unfairly left at home. Life is good, even for fans like myself.

Or should I say, life WAS good. Since the All-Star break ended, the Cubs are 2-4 (through Wednesday’s game), especially worrying since the Brewers and Cardinals, the two teams hunting the Cubs in the NL Central, are a combined 10-3. Even more worrying is that all three of those losses came to each other, and neither St. Louis nor Milwaukee has fallen back in the race. Of course it is no coincidence that the Cubs have been on the road for their six games, where they have a record of 22-30 over the entire season.

So is that the only problem with the Cubs lately, that they aren’t playing at Wrigley? Obviously, as a fan who thinks of the worst possible scenario in every instance, I believe it’s much more than that. In fact, I can point to three problems that the team is struggling with aside from being in un-Friendly Confines.

1. For all intents and purposes, Derek Lee is the offensive leader of the ball club. He’s been on the team now for four and a half seasons, including an MVP-level campaign in 2005. He bats third in the lineup, the spot where the team’s smartest hitter usually swings the lumber. And on many occasions, when the Cubs have needed it most, D-Lee is the one who has come through with the big hit. Yet lately, all that Lee has provided is frustration. The Cubs first baseman went over a month between home runs-June 20 through July 23- while his patience at the plate has weakened, taking only six walks in July, the same total he had in May when he batted only. 234. And worst of all, he leads all of Major League Baseball in the dubious statistic of grounding into double plays, as Lee has hit into 21 twin-killings already this season. When #25 starts hitting the ball out of the infield and into the bleachers, the Cubs will start winning again.

2. During the first half of the season, there was a lot that Cubs fans could rely on, including Carlos Marmol making an opponent look silly swinging at a slider, Alfonso Soriano causing every fan hold their breath when he hops to catch a fly ball, and Ryan Dempster pitching well at Wrigley Field. Now here’s a new one for the second half: the bullpen is sure to allow a run every time they are called upon. With Kerry Wood M.I.A. due to a blister on his index finger, Bob Howry and Marmol have been called on to get the big outs at the end of games, which means Neal Cotts, Sean Marshall and new acquisition Chad Gaudin have become the middle relievers. Wood’s injury is obviously a concern, but it is magnified by the fact nobody else in the bullpen can record an out. In the past two weeks, Marmol has blown a five-run lead in the ninth, Howry has a loss after allowing a run in the ninth, while both Marshall and Gaudin have given up runs while trying to hold onto a lead. With the offense asleep at the moment, the Cubs can’t afford to also have a bullpen that isn’t doing their job.

3. Last season, in his first season as an every-day shortstop, Ryan Theriot hit .348 in July. Then he hit .276 in August. Finally, in September and October, his average dipped to .202. Why? Because The Riot’s body wore down from the grind of playing nearly 150 baseball games in six months. This season, the man on wear down watch is rookie catcher Geovany Soto. Playing the most physically demanding position in the sport- you try squatting on your ankles for three hours a night, catching 95 MPH baseballs- Soto has been both durable and effective for the Cubs this season. His 95 games played ranks fourth on the team, and his 24 doubles and 16 home runs have been pleasant surprises. But like Theriot a year ago, he is fading. His average has gone down every month so far this season, and in July he is only batting .234. I think Soto is going to be a great player and was a deserving All-Star starter. But if Lou Piniella doesn’t start giving him more days off, he’s going to be nothing more than a carcass come September.

Will these problems resolve themselves? I don’t know. In fact, I probably shouldn’t even think about them. It could lead to another panic attack.

Bears fans can attest that the pangs of contentment denied are indeed more painful in winter. Especially when forced to watch the inherently grating and unlikeable Tom Coughlin lead the Giants to a memorable over-throw of King Beli-cheat I. Since the time when football was last played, there has been little to ease the pain of a 2007 Bears’ season that opened with the promise of a Super Bowl window and ended with nothing but broken glass and splinters.

The displeasure of the city, however, was no match for the discontent of the Bears’ players as they cleaned out their lockers following a meaningless and almost silly victory over the Saints at Soldier Field at the bitter end of their last, failed campaign.

There was Alex Brown, who somewhere between being a Super Bowl-bound, Pro Bowl player and the end of 2007 training camp found himself demoted for “sophomore” Mark Anderson; a move that caused tension throughout the season, especially when it became clear that Anderson – though loaded with potential – had become as effective as a giraffe on roller skates against the run.

Brian Urlacher fumed and feuded with the media, intent on providing as little information as possible to a group that had begun to pick at him by Thanksgiving like Uncle Tony on the holiday leftovers. Regarding his neck and back issues, all you need to know is that surgery was necessary in the off-season, followed by a lengthy whine and cheese session about being underpaid.

Back-up Brian Griese saved the Bears for a few games, then admitted that he had performed better without Ron Turner’s play-calling, then found himself back on the bench to think about what he had done: the message clear that the Bears would rather lose games and save coaches than win games at risk of embarrassment.

Kyle Orton professionally stewed under the second revival of the Rex Grossman project after Rex’s first demotion in September. When Kyle finally got his chance, the season was a total loss and the weather a bitter mix of icy games and blowing snow that prevented any true analysis of his skills. Even then, his wide-out options were a slow and slower version of Muhsin Muhammad, the erratic and learning Devin Hester and a soon to be out-the-door Bernard Berrian.

Cedric Benson irked teammates throughout the season with lackluster performance, then provided mercy from his “3 yards and cloud of dust” tour when he broke his leg. Over the winter, there was hand-wringing as to whether he would return only somewhat slower or significantly slower after the injury; but Cedric did what he does best by making the acquaintance of police on land, sea and air. Jerry Angelo’s discontent was felt from Chicago to Texas when he sent Cedric his walking papers, presumably with a love note along the lines of “don’t let the door hit you in the cleats.”

There was more to be sure: Bob Babich couldn’t garner the total confidence of his defensive veterans as he coached his unit into a ghost of itself. The offensive line turned into a melted pumpkin with the loss of Ruben Brown and the devolution of Fred Miller. Mike Brown was lost yet again and Adam Archuleta turned out to be as disappointing as advertised.

Now that you’re totally depressed …

The timing of football life, however, is a blessed rhythm of death and rebirth. Sure, Chicago has suffered through a palpable, football-induced misery from Halas Hall to Homewood and all points in between this off-season. By now, most Bear fans have thankfully been able to wash the taste of a Super Bowl slump out of their mouths with prodigious amounts of first place baseball.

The problem for the Bears themselves, however, is that the discontents of last year are still packed into their luggage for Bourbonnais like so many pairs of underwear. Worse yet, this underwear come pre-soiled and a little frayed at the edges.

The frustration of non-competition roster decisions for Alex Brown and Kyle Orton; the agony of aging glory for Brian Urlacher, the mystery of whether Bob Babich can turn into a bonafide NFL coordinator, the smoking hole left behind by the Cedric Benson chronicles: all of this arrives in Bourbonnais on Tuesday night (along with enough pillows, mattresses and televisions to stock a Wal-Mart).

None of these problems were washed away by the winter-end snow melt; all of it was merely comically and ineffectively swept under the rug in spring cleaning. And if you haven’t noticed, it’s not easy to sweep disgruntled, three-hundred pound football players under a rug. Even if you’re Bugs Bunny.

Add it all up and you have a situation that can only be solved by a dump truck or a mastermind.

Thus, 2008 becomes the year in which Lovie must prove he’s got the chops, the leadership and/or the wisdom to rebuild a team out of a collection of grumpy linebackers, scorned linemen, puzzling quarterbacks, inexperienced rookies, retreaded tires and bubble gum.

He’s already gotten off to a good start with management making deals for Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher, two moves that should send a clear message to the locker room that excellent play will be rewarded. But, money isn’t enough and is ultimately a management method, not a coaching decision.

Lovie needs to open the gates to full blown competition where only the best players become starters. Maybe even fulfill the mantra of playing the man who gives the Bears the best chance to win.

Lovie can’t stop with the players, though: if Babich’s defense continues to allow teams to run at will on them, change must be swift and clear. If Ron Turner can’t get an offensive line stocked with two pro-bowlers and a first round draft pick to at least generate a fledgling running game, Lovie needs to address that as well. An entire season can’t be wasted again waiting for these coaches to maximize the talent they have available to them. If Babich can’t succeed with a group of players gifted enough to dominate most units in the NFL, then he isn’t cut out for the job; judging Turner is more difficult, but at the end of the day, he is paid to get results, not to make excuses.

Most importantly, Lovie will be judged on how he handles the first genuine QB derby – perhaps even controversy – of his tenure. It is a situation that Lovie has striven to avoid throughout his time at the top. If whoever he blesses as a starter fails, that sound you’ll hear will be the first nail being driven into a fresh coffin lid on Lovie’s run as coach of the Bears.

If Coach Smith can at least pull the Bears to 8-8 or a miracle 10-6, then he will have answered what is now the massive question mark hanging over his head:

Is Lovie Smith a head coach of dynasty potential or was he a flash in the pan?

Is it fair to judge Lovie on whether he can succeed with the frustrations from last year arriving like so many mosquitoes in the sweet humidity of the Kankakee River basin? And how does a coach make a disgruntled player “gruntled”?

The only possible answer is that whether the challenge is fair or not, Lovie is paid to coach this team.

Chicago has refreshed itself from the winter of its discontent and now awaits the summer of Lovie’s coaching. Hopefully a few rays of sunshine will poke through by autumn.

After the pomp and circumstance of the pre-game ceremony honoring Harold Baines ended, starters John Danks and Bryan Bannister each labored through the early innings. The bullpen’s for both teams settled the game down. Ultimately, the Kansas City Royals were able to come up with the victory after Esteban German, who seemed to torture the Sox all game long, hit a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth to give the Royals the lead for good.

Ross Gload, a former Sox first basemen, also did damage to his former team by going 1-2 with two RBIs.

“We played terrible,” Sox manager Ozzie Gullien said. “We gotta worry about us. Kansas City showed up and kicked our butts.”

The White Sox did have some good news as Jim Thome collected his 2,000 career hit in the seventh inning. He is now just one of nine players to get 2,000 hits and 1,500 walks.

“That’s a lot of hits,” Thome said. “But the most special thing was hitting it the other way. It’s been something I’ve been working on the last two to three weeks.”

In addition to the loss, the Sox received some bad news on the injury front. Jose Contreras was put on the D.L. retroactive to July 18 due to a sore shoulder. Nick Masset is expected to make the start for Contreras Tuesday night against Texas. Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye was also hit by a pitch and suffered a bruised knee. He is day-to-day. After the game, Sox reliever Adam Russell was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Thanks to a Twins loss on Sunday, the Sox remain in first place going into a series with the Texas Rangers. The Sox are hoping to avenge a series defeat just before the All-Star break.

“We’re in for a dogfight,” Sox outfielder Nick Swisher said. “We need to take care of the things we can take care of.”

Sox Honor Baines

Before the game Harold Baines was given a statue in his honor in right field. Hosted by NBC’s Warner Saunders, Baines unveiled his statue and even spoke about this honor. A man of a few words, Baines thanked his family, friends, and teammates. Coming close to breaking down, Baines was still able to finish his speech.

Former Sox third basemen Robin Ventura was one of many there to honor his former teammate.

“It’s a great deserving honor,” Ventura said. “After everything he’s done in leading the way for the White Sox and went about his business, he’s really shown everyone what it takes to succeed.”

Ventura believes that although he never hit sixty home runs or put up some of the gaudy numbers witnessed in the 90s, he was very consistent throughout his career.

Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski agreed. “He’s been great for the Sox. He embodies the Sox, and is a class guy.”

Five players scored in double figures for the Sky, led by guard Jia Perkins’ 15. But it was not one player that won the game, but rather a team effort that withstood the third quarter onslaught of the Sun.

Despite holding a 14-point lead going into halftime, the Sky were outscored 24-14 in the third and it appeared to be a “Here we go again” type script for Chicago, who’ve managed to lose a great deal of close games. Things appeared to get even worse when back-up point guard K.B. Sharp, already replacing the previously injured Dominique Canty, twisted her ankle. But finally, it was meant to be. After the game was tied with 5:31 left in the game, the Sky went on a 13-5 run.

“We finally got one of those close wins,” Coach Steven Key said.

One of the keys to the Sky victory was center Chastity Melvin. Her 13 points and 6 rebounds carried much of the inside game for the now 7-14 Sky. Coach Key discussed her effort.

“Chastity has come up with an attitude to win,” Key said. “And she has made a conscious effort the last few games to step up.”

Melvin felt she had been going through something of a slump up until the few games.

“But I just kept working,” she said, “and I’m going to continue making an effort to get better.”

Although she hasn’t played a great deal this season, point guard Quianna Chaney also came up big with eight points in the second quarter, 10 total for the game.

“She came and did a good job,” Key said, “And as long as we didn’t completely lose it, we wanted to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Despite the Sky finally picking up their victory over the Sun, they have a long road ahead if they want to make the playoffs. First up for the Sky is a rematch with the Sun. Just 36 hours after Friday night’s game, these same two teams will meet in a Sunday matinee. The next home game for the Sky is against the Indiana Fever next Tuesday night. Coach Key has set a goal for his team before the month-long break for the Olympics.

“We’re not there yet, and we need to win three of five going into the break so we can start thinking about the playoffs.”

Melvin believes a good ending would mean a lot because she feels that every team has had their run, and this may be the Sky’s turn.

“Our confidence has been building even through all of those tough losses,” Melvin said.

Perhaps tonight’s game could be a sign of sunnier skies ahead for the team from Chicago.

Sky Injury Notes: After injuring her knee in the July 13 game against the Atlanta Dream, guard Dominique Canty underwent arthroscopic surgery and will be out 3-4 weeks, team sources said. Also, first round draft pick Sylvia Fowles could make her return to the team before the Olympic break.

“Today we were definitely able to turn on the switch,” said Sky head coach Steven Key, “We had a lot of enthusiasm before the game, and we carried it onto the floor and were able to play with it the entire time.”

Although speaking after the game, Key’s observation about his team’s momentum was evident enough by the end of the second quarter as the Sky (6-13) set a new team record for the largest halftime lead - 44-17.

Chicago starters Candice Dupree and Jia Perkins tied each other with 18 points as the team’s top scorers, but the win was a combined effort, with every player off the bench scored.

Enthusiasm was necessary Sunday after being so scarce during the recent four-game skid. The Sky’s spirits were especially low on July 5, when they became the first team to lose to the WNBA’s newest franchise, the Dream, 91-84. In that game the Sky gave up multiple leads; in Sunday’s game, the score didn’t change once.

The only threat came from 6′8 center Katie Feenstra, who scored a game high 21 points and 10 rebounds. Sky center Chastity Melvin (starting in place of the injured Syvia Fowles) could do little against Feenstra but foul, although this also proved ineffective as Feenstra made all 11 free throw attempts.

Despite Feenstra’s performance, the Dream (2-18) couldn’t stop the Sky’s continual offensive surge or help from giving up the ball at least 10 times on turnovers.

Besides giving the Sky a confidence boost, the win was necessary if they still hope to land a playoff spot without their star rookie (Fowles) in the lineup for at least another week. The 2008 number two overall draft pick from LSU was one of nine WNBA players nominated to the Olympic team, but she is still on the disabled list after spraining her left knee on June 3. Although Sky fans look forward to her return, they can be happy enough with the Sky being able to “turn on the switch” and secure a dominating victory.

The second and third quarters proved to be the end for the Sky on this night as they shot 28 and 33 percent from the field respectively. The Silver Stars were led by their Belgium born center, Ann Wauters. The 10-year veteran carved the Sky’s man defense apart, in the first quarter alone scoring 17 points. For the game she would end up with a double-double, 23 points and 11 rebounds.

“You’re not going to get many chances with Ann Wauters playing like that,” Sky coach Steven Key said.

Key said that when his team’s man defense didn’t work, he tried a zone. This opened the doors for guards Backy Hammon and Edwige Lawson-Wade to get wide open shots and drive the lane. The guards combined for 23 points.

Coming off a loss to the once winless Atlanta Dream, the Sky had to contend with a tall and speedy Silver Stars team that has risen to the top of the Western Conference in the WNBA. Despite all this Coach Key believes in his team.

“It was obvious we could play with them,” Key said.

The biggest problem for the Sky was an inability to play a complete 40 minutes. Only a late 23-10 run in the fourth quarter prevented the Sky from being totally being blown out. In addition to being outshot, the Silver Stars dismantled the Sky in the paint 22-10 in the first half when the game was still in doubt. For the game, the Sky were also outrebounded 41-28, but the Sky don’t believe rebounding is the only reason they lost this game.

“It comes down to defense,” forward Armintie Price said, “It’s not just rebounding, but the big key is defense.”

Guard Jia Perkins, who led the Sky with 17 points [11 in the fourth quarter], also believes good defense will lead to other positives for the team.

“By starting with good defense, that goes to our offense,” Perkins said, “When we started stealing the ball in the fourth quarter, we started scoring.”

Despite the loss, Perkins will be able to take some positives away with the way the team played in the fourth quarter.

“We kept fighting even though we were down 20,” Perkins said, “but we stayed with it and stayed positive.

The struggling Sky, now 5-12, head to a big weekend. First up are the Indiana Fever on Saturday. On Sunday, the Sky will get a chance for revenge on the Atlanta Dream. The Fever are the third seed in the Eastern Conference at 9-9 while the Dream are the only team below the Sky in the standings.

If the Sky have postseason aspirations, they must take both games to regain some momentum. As of this writing, the Sky were three games back of the New York Liberty for the fourth and final playoff spot. A three-game losing streak does not bode well for the Sky, but if the fourth quarter is any indication, this Sky team is far from ready to quit.