White Sox lose heart, soul in one shot

One of the underrated skills that professional athletes need to develop in order to survive in larger markets is the ability to sell bad ideas and bad breaks and to do so with a smile on their face.

For anyone needing an illustration of these skills, refer to the reactions after word got out that White Sox offensive spark plug Carlos Quentin has a broken wrist and will have to undergo surgery.

"He was the heart and soul," Thome said. " ... You're talking about a guy who could be the MVP.

"It's tough, but you got to move on."

Nick Swisher was a bit more optimistic... kinda:

"[How good will team be?]We'll find out tonight. I think it's a huge loss. It's hard to tell. With the power that he's provided, taking that out of the lineup, we have to pull together.

"The timing couldn't be worse. I hope he heals faster than any of us can imagine."

Lest you think that Thome and Swisher are just leaning on a little hyperbole to prop up a teammate who's feeling a little down, here are some of the numbers for one of the most unnoticed stars this season:

Quentin is the team leader in runs (96), home runs (36), RBI (100), OBP (.394) and Slugging (.574).

I was going to list where he ranked second and third with this year's Sox, but it's pretty much every other category. I'll just stop before I drive off the Sox fan base.

(Image from: UmpBump.com)