One of the great mysteries in baseball is why the Chicago White Sox, the Windy City’s other team, wear black socks. I don’t have answer, maybe President Obama does, he’s inexplicably a Chisox fan. The White Sox head into this season hoping that an offseason headlined by the acquisition of Adam Dunn and the resigning of Paul Konerko can help them improve on an up and down 2010 and make the playoffs. Though I think they’ll be better in 2011, it was difficult picking them over the Detroit Tigers for second in this division and I don’t think Chicago will win the wild card, I’m not even sure ace Mark Buehrle will be on the team by August. The most interesting thing about the White Sox is their loud mouth, unprofessional manager who is fresh off a fight in the media with a former player.
Projected Lineup:
- Juan Pierre (LF)
- Alexei Ramirez (SS)
- Paul Konerko (1B)
- Adam Dunn (DH)
- Alex Rios (CF)
- Carlos Quentin (RF)
- AJ Pierzynski (C)
- Gordon Beckham (2B)
- Brent Morel (3B)
Projected Rotation:
- Mark Buehrle
- Jake Peavy
- Gavin Floyd
- John Danks
- Edwin Jackson
Strengths:
Power: The home run hitting ability of this lineup is unmatched in the major leagues. The 2-6 hitter are all extremely capable of hitting 25 home runs. Dunn should be good for at least 35 as he hasn’t hit fewer than 38 since 2003 and Konerko hit 39 last year. Carlos quentin could also reach 30 provide he stays healthy.
Front of the Rotation: Buehrle is the ace of the staff and has been for years. He is one of the most reliable pitchers in the majors, compiling at least 200 innings in every full season he’s pitched, 10 straight years. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jake Peavy is coming off a major shoulder injury and needs to continue to adjust to the AL but the former Cy Young award winner can be absolutely dominant when he’s on top of his game. Danks had 15 wins last year and Floyd is better than his 10-13 record last year, or so the White Sox hope.
Weaknesses:
Average: Usually, power hitters don’t hit for a high average and the guys on Chicago are no different. Though they’ll hit a ton of homers this year, there might not be anyone on base when they do. Konerko, who hit .312 last year and was in the talk for the MVP late last year, is the only guy in the lineup who hit above .285 last year. Even speedy leadoff hitter Juan Pierre only hit .275.
Speed: Like average, power hitters don’t usually have a ton of speed. Again, the White Sox aren’t an exception to this rule. This means that they’ll have a pretty one dimensional offense this season, relying on the home run to provide most of the scoring. In the post-steroid era, teams have won primarily on pitching and defense, not tons of power. The White Sox could be trying to use an obsolete strategy and it might not work.
Storylines:
Ozzie: This is a recurring storyline for this team. Ozzie Guillen has a habit saying the wrong profanity=laced thing at the wrong time. Coupled with GM Kenny Williams, who has a similar habit, the White Sox are one of the most unpredictable and ridiculous teams to watch. My question is, how long will the 2005 World Series win give Ozzie a pass on his out of line comments and failure to win since?
Peavy: The White Sox made a splash in 2009 when they acquired Peavy from the Padres and he didn’t disappoint, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA for the remainder of the season. He didn’t fare quite as well last year in a injury plagued 2010. What can the Chisox expect from Peavy? Will he return to his dominant form or will he become a liability in the rotation.
Bullpen: Can Matt Thornton (who the White Sox love) and Chris Sale make up for the lack of an established closer at the end of games?
Prediction:
90-72, 2nd Place, AL Central. The White Sox aren’t good enough to catch the Twins just yet and they may not be good enough to stave off the Tigers for second. 90 wins is a lot and it will be a challenge for Ozzie’s club to get there but that’s what it will take to hold off Detroit.
Bold Prediction:
- Adam Dunn struggles moving over to the AL, hitting 25 HRs and having a sub .230 AVG
- Jake Peavy returns to form after the All-Star break, having a monster second half
- Chicago will realize it needs to get a real closer in order to compete in the division. They’ll get JJ Putz from the Diamondbacks at the deadline.
