Beating first-place teams into submission. Crushing last-place teams with the might of the South Side Lumber Co. Briliant pitching performances. Aggressive baserunning. Highlight-reel catches. Clutch hitting against superstar closers. Dramatic late-inning rallies to end all dramatic late-inning rallies.

Where was all this in May? Or June, July and August for that matter? Thank you, you crazy Chicago White Sox, for doing your best when it’s needed the least.

The Sox are 7-7 so far in September. That’s .500 baseball. That’s respectable. That projects to a season in which they don’t lose as many games as the Royals. That projects to third place in the Central. That projects to reason to believe that this team’s future could be a bright one.

But alas, September is not a season and we all know this is but too little, too late. Jim Thome’s 500th home run is out of the way, so now we can sit back and wait for this all to end, save for the chance to kick the other division also-rans while they’re down. Spite, mockery, making other teams and fans look as bad as us – it could be great in an embittered sort of way. And really, isn’t that what White Sox baseball is all about?