An old chum of mine, a former athlete and employee at Indiana State University, was fond of saying there are three kinds of people:

(1) Those who make things happen;
(2) Those who watch things happen; and
(3) Those who scratch their heads and wonder: “What happened?”

The Chicago White Sox, you know them, they were last year’s World Series Champions, have traversed these three categories in little more than half a season.

Running neck and neck with this year’s best performing team, the Detroit Tigers, the Sox were making things happen. With the exception of Politte and Garland, the pitching staff was doing well.

New acquisition, Jim Thome, was setting a blistering home run pace, leading the league, and despite oddball Ozzie Guillen’s running of the mouth, the team was holding up.

Then, the season slipped away from them.

To answer the question, here’s what happened:

(1) The Sox postured for the media instead of focusing on winning games. They showed they weren’t ready for prime time, after all.

(2) The Sox didn’t take Detroit seriously, believing they’d fold by the All-Star break. But there’s a big difference in being led by a clown like Guillen and a low-key journeyman like Jim Leyland. The other day, Leyland said a team isn’t in a pennant race until September. That’s when the heat gets turned on, and Leyland, a realist, knows that.

(3) General Manager Kenny Williams thought he could stand pat with the team he had assembled by spring training. Two months ago Detroit’s owner said he’d give Leyland what he wanted by way of personnel: all the skipper had to do is ask.

Back by seven and a half games in their division, and about to be knocked out of first place in the Wild Card race, the Sox are just about done.

Before throwing in the towel, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and Kenny Williams should agree on one thing: the next time Guillen showboats, it’s time for him to leave.