Suddenly Surging Sox De-Claw Detroit

Completing their second sweep of baseball''s leading team, the Chicago White Sox may be on their way, finally to de-clawing Detroit, their biggest impediment to getting to this year''s World Series, says Dr. Gary S. Goodman, top speaker, Fortune 1000 consultant, and best-selling author.

After questioning the grit of my Chicago White Sox for most of this season, I?m happy to see they passed an important gut-check this afternoon by completing a three game sweep of the top team in baseball, the Detroit Tigers. This is the second time the Sox have swept the Tigers, an accomplishment no other team can claim to have done once, this year. In fact, arguably, the Sox play their best ball under pressure. They?ve won 75% of their contests with Detroit so far in 2006, going 9 for 12.

This is comforting, but also distressing. At least one Sox pitcher recently admitted that he phones it in against lesser teams and only tries his hardest against top-ranked foes.

I think he isn?t alone in this very bad habit.

There are a bunch of others on the roster who have done the same thing, losing games to inferior squads who have no chance of making it to the postseason.

Sox fans can only hope that the surging South Siders have turned an important page with today?s sweep.

It?s great to win the big ones, but true champs play like top dogs every day.

In the next month, that?s going to be the trick to permanently de-clawing the tenacious Tigers.

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 750 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered the world''s foremost expert in telephone effectiveness, customer service, and sales development. A top-rated speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: [e-mail]