Odds and Sods

The White Sox won the World Series in 2005 (their first since 1917). Their defense of the title in 2006, however, was less successful. They won a respectable 90 games, though due to the resurgence of the Minnesota Twins and the Tigers’ unexpected run, it was only good enough for a 3rd place finish in the AL Central. The difference was largely due to the pedestrian performance of their starting pitching, which had been so dominant the previous season.

Starting Pitching

The starting pitching was the bane of the Chicago White Sox’ season in 2006. Jon Garland and Mark Buerhle struggled, posting ERA’s nearly one run above their 2005 total. Jose Contreras and Javier Vazquez also contributed subpar ERA’s in the mid-upper 4.00s. These guys need to return to their 2005 form for the team to replicate their success in an improved division.

Bullpen

The bullpen is anchored by young fireballer Bobby Jenks, who, though not as dominant as 2005 during the playoff run, still converted 41 out of 47 save opportunities and should be fairly reliable again. If Mike MacDougal and some of the younger arms can produce, the bullpen should once again be solid.

Lineup

To sum it up in short, this lineup is going to score runs, and plenty of them. Thome, Dye, and Konerko and (vastly underrated) Joe Crede provide some serious thunder in the middle of the order. Scott Posednik is an excellent table setter. They will hope for some better production out of prospect Brian Anderson, or they may be in the market for a center-fielder (Ken Griffey Jr.?).

Scuttlebutt

As long as Ozzie Guillen is the manager, he will be the story of this team. How long before his next media blowup? How long before he makes any more derogatory comments about Chicago Sun Times columnist Jay Mariotti? How long before the next racist, sexist, or homophobic slur? With Ozzie…who knows? But everyone in the media will be interested to find out.

Outlook:Mixed

As I stated before, the lineup is going to score runs. That is a given. The key to this season’s success will be the performance of the pitching staff. Buerhle should rebound from what was clearly an off year. But the vision is more cloudy concerning Vazquez’s post Montreal drop in performance, Contreras’ inconsistency, and whether Garland merely had a fluke career year in 2005. If they put it all together they have the potential to be a good team, but with the Indians, Tigers, and Twins also resident in that division it may not be enough.