Thank you, Ozzie!

Per his request, Ozzie Guillen has been released from his contract as manager of the Chicago White Sox and is expected within in the next few days to be named manager of the Miami (formerly Florida) Marlins just in time for their new stadium to open in 2012.

He led the Sox to their first World Series Championship in 88 years in 2005, and to another AL Central title in 2008.  However, he and General Manager Kenny Williams had not seen eye-to-eye over the last few years, and when the Marlins kept making overtures, one knew it was only a matter of time before this happened.

Ozzie, we will miss you, and good luck in Miami.

Is the apocalypse at hand???

NO, I'm not talking about the Wall Street Giveaway, er bailout, I'm talking about the fact that, for the first time in 102 years, BOTH Chicago teams have made baseball's postseason.

The Sox, in winning a one-game playoff at US Cellular Field over the Twinkies last night, became the first major league team in history to defeat three different teams (Cleveland on Sunday, Detroit in a makeup game on Monday, and the Twins last night) in their last three games. If they had lost ANY of those three, the Twins would already be in Tampa-St. Petersburg preparing for the Rays.

So, they get for their troubles a best of five series with the team with the best homefield record in baseball, the surprising Rays. Who knows, they might surprise us all!

As for the North Siders, they open at Wrigley today against the Dodgers and Manny Ramirtez, whose presence revitalizedthe boys from Chavez Ravine. What, you say he's not important? Ask the Red Sox, who have not won a World Series without the ManRam since 1918; they are in Anaheim to play the Angels.

ALL LDS games are on TBS (27 on your digital cable!).

GO CHICAGO!!!!!!!!!

FGF and The Crosstown Classic

H/T to Chicagoist, who reminds us that before Harry Caray sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game at Wrigley Field, he started this at old White Sox Park when he broadcast the Sox during the 1970s.

Enjoy.