No sunny disposition
A 3 p.m. matchup Tuesday between the team with the American League's best record and the defending World Series champion won't assure quality play, White Sox center fielder Aaron Rowand said.
The starting time creates more than just problems for the left fielders and center fielders contending with fly balls as the sun starts to set over U.S. Cellular Field.
"The 3 o'clock starts here are stupid," Rowand said. "We played against the Cubs at 3 o'clock, and it was ridiculous. If you want to see a real playoff game with both teams playing to their abilities, you're not going to start a game at 3 o'clock. It definitely helps the pitching.
"It's not so much the outfield," Rowand said. "It's the hitting. When the shadows come out when you're hitting, forget it."
Any cloud cover could diminish the effects of the shadows, which reached home plate Monday at 3 p.m.
Sox left fielder Scott Podsednik said he won't let the starting time affect him, although he had some problems picking up a fly balls during 3 p.m. Cubs games on June 24-25.
"I'll have shades on," Podsednik said. "If it presents a problem for me, it will present a problem for their left fielder."
