Chicago's Inside Pitch

Adam Dunn is still in the White Sox' starting lineup today, even though he is in a career-worst 0-for-29 slump and is batting .098 (6-for-61) on the season.
Given the slump, and considering the Twins are starting left-hander Scott Diamond today at U.S. Cellular Field, manager Robin Ventura likely considered removing Dunn's name from the starting lineup.
But Ventura is still squarely in Dunn's corner, and he says the left-handed slugger has to get it going if the Sox want to go anywhere this season.
"You can think about anything, but for us to turn around and start playing better, he's going to have to get some hits and be part of that, part of the answer,” Ventura said.
So here is the question, White Sox fans.
Do you…
1. Keep playing Dunn and let him find his swing?

MILWAUKEE _ Still reeling from that Cub-Brewers extravaganza last night. As I wrote, anytime you go to a baseball game, you’re liable to see something you’ll never see again. Out of the box, I asked Cubs manager Dale Sveum if he had “processed” everything.

“When you process it, you’ll probably never see it again, something like that happening,” Dale said. “It’s kind of obviously a strange play. The final result is that a guy gets thrown out stealing after he just stole a bag, the same bag. That one goes unnoticed a little bit, a caught-stealing and a stolen base in the same inning on the same bag.”

The White Sox' injury list is getting crowded.
Not surprisingly, left fielder Dayan Viciedo landed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday (retroactive to April 19) with a strained left oblique.
Viciedo joins John Danks (shoulder), Gordon Beckham (fractured hamate bone), Angel Sanchez (back) and Leyson Septimo (shoulder) on the DL.
"I don't remember an April where we've had five guys on the DL but that's just part of the gig and that's where we're at right now," GM Rick Hahn said Saturday before the Sox played the Minnesota Twins. "Fortunately, nothing seems that long-term. We expect all of these guys to be back in the coming weeks and months.

MILWAUKEE _ The Cubs and Brewers take it indoors this weekend at Miller Park. Good thing, as temps will drop to about freezing here following an afternoon of intermittent snow flurries. The Cubs made another roster move today, claiming outfielder Julio Borbon off waivers from Texas and designated infielder Alberto Gonzalez for assignment. The Cubs also said infielder Brent Lillibridge had cleared waivers and will go to Class AAA Iowa.

Pitcher Matt Garza also threw a short simulated game today at Miller Park. It was the first of what will be at least 4, and maybe 5, “spring-training” starts.

There were all kinds of stories of getting to Wrigley Field this morning through the rain and flooded streets. I thought two hours from the Northwest suburbs was a pretty good accomplishment. As of 12:40 p.m., the tarp was off the field, and we may be looking good for an on-time start.

Anyway, the cold and rain on this homestand have hampered the work of the Cubs – and their opponents.

“It’s getting a little too much now,” said Cubs manager Dale Sveum. “Hopefully, something happens here. It doesn’t look good. We’ve got a window right now anyway.”

We have way too much going on at Wrigley Field this afternoon and evening as the Cubs celebrate Jackie Robinson Day by opening a three-game series with the Texas Rangers. The Cubs have made a spate of roster moves. Darwin Barney comes off the disabled list to start at second base. The Cubs have revamped their bullpen somewhat by adding Kameron Loe to the roster and selecting the contract of their former closer, Kevin Gregg.

From Crain's Chicago Business:
Perri Irmer, the former head of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, has filed a lawsuit against White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and Jim Thompson, who was chairman of the organization, claiming she was fired for doing her job.
The lawsuit follows more than a year of upheaval at ISFA, the organization that manages U.S. Cellular Field.
According to her lawsuit, Ms. Irmer was fired April 25, 2011, the same day she was to meet with Mayor Rahm Emanuel to talk about how the ballpark was being run.
"Thompson gave Ms. Irmer the choice of resigning or waiting to be fired, and he added that if she refused to resign, and they 'had to' fire her, that her reputation would be ruined," her lawsuit states.

Another busy Sunday at the ballpark. Steve Clevenger got the bad news that he’ll miss a minimum of six weeks with a strained left oblique muscle, suffered when he struck out swinging to end Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Giants. The Cubs placed Clevenger on the 60-day disabled list along with claiming right-handed reliever Kameron Loe off waivers from Seattle. They also signed former Cubs closer Kevin Gregg to a minor-league deal.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Clevenger said. “At the same time, I’m determined not to let it get to me. I’ll be getting my work in and try to get back as soon as possible.”

Clevenger said he knew it was bad from the get-go.

It’s been on-and-off snow flurries here at Wrigley Field this morning. There’s also been a flurry of activity around the Cubs, most of it injury and injury-rehab related. So let’s get right to it, and we’ll update the minor leagues, too.

--Closer Kyuji Fujikawa went on the 15-day disabled list today with what the Cubs say is a right-forearm muscle strain. The Cubs have recalled reliever Rafael Dolis from Class AAA Iowa. Manager Dale Sveum said he’ll close games based on matchups but Carlos Marmol is not in that mix. Look for righty Shawn Camp and lefty James Russell to get that action.

On a day when Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney receives his Gold Glove award from last year, the focus in the pregame session with manager Dale Sveum continued to be on the team’s poor defense. The Cubs have the most errors (10) in the major leagues, and their fielding percentage of .969 also is last.