Cubs, Sox Both in First on June First

By Benjy Lipsman on Jun 2, 2008 4:09PM

We've entered June in historic fashion, with the Cubs and White Sox both in first place in their divisions. In addition, the Cubs have the best record in baseball at this point for the first time since... 1908.

And yet very different attitudes surround the teams. The Cubs swept the Colorado Rockies -- including Friday's 8-run comeback -- to complete their homestand 7-0. For them, everything seems to be coming up roses.

Meanwhile, Sox skipper Ozzie Guillen had another one of his outbursts on Sunday following the Sox's loss to Tampa Bay. The Sox dropped three of four to the AL's best team, and two of those losses came by way of last inning walk-off home runs. The team's batting lineup managed just four runs in the final three games of the series.

Ozzie warned, "Just be ready because I expect movement Tuesday. I expect Kenny Williams to do something Tuesday, and if we don't do anything Tuesday, there are going to be a lot of lineup changes. That's all I'm going to say about the offense."

While the Sox's pitching has been masterful this season -- the team has allowed the fewest runs in baseball -- the offense hasn't been much more productive than the Sox's opponents', and this weekend's series underscored the weakest link for the Sox.

So what changes are in store for the South Siders? Lineup changes? A new hitting coach? Or, as Jay Mariotti seems to think, will the Sox replace Ozzie himself? We know you'd love to see that, Jay, but it ain't happening.

While Ozzie might be nipping at the hand that feeds him, Chicagoist tends to agree that Williams overindulged his roster with plodding, strikeout-prone sluggers who can't manufacturer runs and Ozzie's right to call out the team's GM for that. Not that anything will change by tomorrow, but Williams might want to see which lead-off hitters could be on the market come July.

AP Photo/Keith Srakocic and AP Photo/Paul Beaty