What to expect out of the White Sox

Now that I've got my venting out of the way about the Cubs, I better do a preview of my White Sox before I start getting compared to those fans who focus more on hating a team than liking another.

But before I start that, typing that last paragraph got me thinking. "I better do a preview of MY White Sox." Too many people have a problem with the useage of the word "my" when talking about the sports team you root for. Well let's put it this way: If the White Sox play five or six days a week (the norm for a team over the course of a season, and each game last 2 1/2 hours, than I more than likely watch them play anywhere from 10-15 hours a week. If I spent that time doing something "useful" like studying or working out, I'd be a lot more successful in one way or another. But I don't. I choose to use that time watching the team that I love. Not to mention the fact that the money I spend on tickets, parking, concessions, and memorabilia probably equals somewhere around $300-500 a year (except last year where I spent well over $500 and attended 12 games). The point is, I think I've invested enough time, money, and even energy rooting for them, that I've earned the right to call the White Sox MY team. And so has anyone who cares about their team enough.

ANYWAYS, enough ranting.

I've gone through this entire offseason not quite knowing what I'm to think about the 2007 Chicago White Sox. In a sense, I'm pissed about their offense and incredibly pessimistic about their chances judging by their offseason moves. This in turn pisses me off more because I want another season like 2005.

But at the same time I can be really optimistic. Because after all, we won a World Series in 2005 and I have to abide by the Sports Guy's Sports Fan's Rule that you can't bitch about management for five years after winning a Championship. So part of me wants to look at the McCarthy trade, the lack of any big move and the Vasquez extension and say Hey, it's Kenny Williams. He won us our first Championship since my grandparents were kids; I'm going to trust anything he does until it doesn't work.

And you know what? That's exactly the mentality that I'm going to enter this season with. I expect the White Sox to compete and play well because we have the management that can build a winner and coaches who can coach them. I don’t expect them to win a Championship this year, but I expect them to be competitive enough that come October they have chance to win another one. And I’m perfectly OK with that.

The team breaks down interestingly. The fact that it’s basically the same team from last year which wasn’t incredibly different from the ’05 team makes it completely plausible that they get out to a hot start like they did in ’05. But the question marks they have mean they could just as easily start off slow and with the Twins, Tigers, and Indians, that could be futile.

The team’s biggest question is obviously the fifth starter. And anybody who followed the team closely before the ’05 season knows how horrible it can be without a fifth starter as in 2004 White Sox’s fifth starters went a combined 1-657.

So to start the White Sox hopes in 2007 are on the shoulders of John Danks. Apparently he was one of the minor leaguers who came over in the McCarthy trade, but I didn’t know that because I was so befuddled at the deal at the time that I didn’t even take the time to find out who we got for him. Danks beat out Gavin Floyd for the spot by throwing four one-hit innings vs. the Rockies in the same game that Floyd gave up a grand slam. Danks followed that up by giving up six runs and a ridiculous six walks in 4 2/3 innings vs. the Diamondbacks.

Now I refuse to watch exhibition baseball, so I have yet to see Danks, Floyd, or anybody else pitch this season, so to be fair, I can’t accurately assess how either has looked. So I’m going to take the same stance on this as I will on most subjects until I see the team for a good portion of the season. Assume it will all be OK, because it’s in the hands of Kenny Williams, Ozzie Guillen, and Don Cooper.

The team’s other major concern is what to do with centerfield. Fans have been crying for Aaron Rowand back and ESPN.com’s Rumor Central occasionally puts something up about the White Sox being in discussions with the Phillies about getting him back. While it would be nice to see A-Row back on the south side, I don’t think the centerfield situation is really in as much shambles as people think, and I wouldn’t give up too much to get Rowand back.

The team did acquire Darin Erstad, who’s a former gold glover that fits the “Ozzie-ball” approach the team wants so badly to revert back to. He’s one of those sold, “go-about-my-business” types of guys who just know how to play baseball. From what I understand he’s going to be the opening day centerfielder and I’ve got no beef with that whatsoever. He’s definitely good for .270, 15, and 70 if he stays healthy.

And if Erstad does get hurt or his age wears on him, the team still has Brian Anderson, Ryan Sweeney and Jerry Owens. Unlike every White Sox fan who has ever called into 670 The Score’s White Sox radio show, I’m still optimistic about BA. I don’t want the White Sox to give up on Anderson for the same reason they never gave up on Joe Crede. If you remember, Crede started his career very similarly but wasn’t as good as Anderson defensively. He struggled to find his swing for a good two-plus years but once he finally panned out he became an extremely important piece in the ’05 title. Anderson’s a former number one pick; he obviously knows how to swing the bat. He just needs to put it all together, much like Crede did, and Sox fans won’t be disappointed in him anymore. Look out for him to have a breakout 2007 campaign.

Aside from Danks as the fifth starter, the rest of the White Sox rotation looks the same as last season, which could be viewed as good or bad depending on how you look at it. Bad it you look at all of their 4-plus ERA’s. Good, if you look at the fact that they’re all guys who you know what you can potentially get from them when they’re on. Plus, Jon Garland has the potential to make the leap to 20 wins this year. The guy was lights out at the end of last season and his success compiled with the White Sox’s offense on potential off nights could very easily pull him up from 18 wins two years in a row up to 20 and possibly a Cy Young candidate if he drops his ERA.

Buehrle, Contreras and Coop are all too smart to let Buehrle and Contreras have seasons like they did a year ago. Especially Buehrle. He’s been the White Sox’s most consistent starter over the past five years and has always been able to bounce back from rough patches, so why shouldn’t he be able to this season. Not to mention the huge lingering fact that he’s a free agent after the season. I mean, lefties are already valuable, just ask Ted Lilly, so Buehrle could easily go 14-15 and still make $8 million next season. But if he comes back with a 17-9 season or something like that he’ll be the most sought after free agent on the market, and Kenny should be willing to give him what he wants.

Vasquez, on the other hand, is an enigma. In his early years with Montreal he was the young phenom who just needed to move to a big market and get recognized. So he gets signed by the biggest market imaginable, New York, and pulled a Hideki Irabu. He’s a strikeout machine and a run machine and one of those two are bound to take over at any time. That’s why, next to Danks, Vasquez is the biggest question mark on the White Sox’s pitching staff this season. It’s just really, really hard to support Williams extending him with that many questions about his performance.

One thing nobody mentions is the team’s improved bullpen. They got rid of Neal Cotts who just couldn’t seem to figure it out anymore (his ERA is over seven with the Cubs right now), and picked up a plethora of young guys that Coop should be able to mold into pitchers much like he did with Matt Thornton a year ago. Andrew Sisco and David Aardsma are both young fireballers like Thornton was who have amazing stuff but can’t get it together. Well, In Coop We Trust. If Coop can’t get these guys pitching to their potential, nobody will. And if Mike MacDougal stays healthy for an entire season, he and Thornton are a perfect lefty-righty combo to get to Bobby Jenks and either one can step in if Jenks falters.

So I guess it’ll be another interesting season on the south side. And I’m just giddy with excitement to listen to post game rants by enraged fans after they get shutout by C.C. Sabathia on opening day calling for Guillen’s head. But one thing’s for sure, nobody knows what to expect out of the White Sox this season. Sounds a little similar to ’05 doesn’t it?