Regarding the Houck-Whitlock discussion of which one should start next year and which one should relieve, I would go with Whitlock as the starter because he has command of more pitches than Houck. And one of Whitlock's pitches is an excellent change-up.
MLB's league office is afraid of the umpires' union. Those f'ing chUMPS will go on strike at the drop of a hat.
Btw, the league office should do something about the O's franchise; the O's have been terrible for a long time w/o any attempt at improvement.
Wouldn't it be great to have a job where you can f*** up on a regular basis and not get fired? Welcome to the world of MLB umpires. Even clowns in a circus have to answer to someone.
From playing the O's and then facing the Yankems; from facing the worst pitching in MLB and then facing some of the best pitching. This will have to require a big adjustment by the SOX. Like going from batting practice to real game pitching.
Billy Bob Thornton would be the perfect manager for the O's. He would just sit in the corner of the dugout with his whiskey in a Coke can and stay drunk.