Back in Black

The team's nickname is the White Sox, but, at various times in their history, the Chicago White Sox have used black as an element in their uniform design.

For Tuesday night's one-game A.L. Central playoff with the Minnesota Twins, the management of the White Sox urged Sox fans to come to the ballpark wearing black to show their support for the team. It was dubbed a "blackout," in sports pages across the country.

Black may seem more suitable for funerals than baseball games, but, in this case, it was just right for the White Sox — although the Twins, who came up on the short end of a 1-0 stick, thanks to Jim Thome's solo home run, may have felt like they attended a funeral.

Their own.

The White Sox have had their backs against the wall twice this week. They responded by winning two must-win games to get into the divisional playoffs.

Now, they have today off before they begin their playoff series in Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The White Sox deserve to be praised for their tenacity. And I also think they deserve a one-day breather. In a best-of-five series, anything can happen. But the must-win games are behind the Sox — for now.

But I also think the suggestion in a Chicago Tribune editorial that the White Sox and Cubs could play each other in the World Series is still a bit premature.

Local pressure, more than anything else, has contributed to the Cubs' history of heartbreak in the postseason.

So let 'em play the games.

And, when the dust settles in each league, if it turns out that the Cubs and White Sox are destined to meet in a "subway series," let's talk about it at that time.

For now, Chicago baseball fans, enjoy the fact that both your teams are still standing.