CHICAGO WHITE SOX
SO LONG: 3B Wilson Betemit, SS Orlando Cabrera, 3B Joe Crede, OF Ken Griffey Jr., C Toby Hall, P Horacio Ramirez, SS Juan Uribe, 1B Nick Swisher
WELCOME: P Bartolo Colon
PROJECTED LINEUP
1. DeWayne Wise CF
2. A.J. Pierzynski C
3. Carlos Quentin LF
4. Jermaine Dye RF
5. Jim Thome DH
6. Paul Konerko 1B
7. Alexei Ramirez SS
8. Josh Fields 3B
9. Chris Getz 2B
Starting Rotation: Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, Bartolo Colon, Jose Contreras, Clayton Richard
Setup: Scott Linebrink, Octavio Dotel
Closer: Bobby Jenks
Every year all the experts say that the White Sox will underperform. Every year I say that they will embarrass themselves with the collection of talent they put on the field day in and day out. For the last couple of years I've been dining on my words. Particularly when they returned the favor of sweeping the Cubs on their home turf.
I simply don't understand it. Thome should be getting discounts when he rides the bus. Opening day is less than a week away and they have no center fielder. Konerko and Dye will still be solid but truthfully they should have been traded last year for younger talent. Among everyone that they lost, they basically let Swisher, a fan favorite and an emotional leader, go without a fight. Jenks can still bring the heat but his control is still lacking. Contreras has always been a head case and Colon is in worse shape than most of the fans watching the game. At least they can shuck and jive the cops when they hop over the rail and onto the field.
I would now like to pause, reflect, and take this opportunity to tell A.J. Pierzynski that I will see him in hell. (Tips cap to Michael Barrett)They do have some potential. Quentin will likely put up great numbers again and his injury was just a fluke. Gavin Floyd and John Danks are looking good coming out of the spring. Josh Fields was supposed to break out last year and never did. He's still young and could possibly do well. And finally Alexei Ramirez has shown that he can hit in the clutch.
The AL Central is a huge question mark this year. Detroit, Cleveland, and Minnesota are all built to be contenders but that didn't stop them all from crapping the bed last year. Let's face it, the White Sox have the potential to win 80-85 games again this year and could be in the hunt for back-to-back trips to the post season for the first time in franchise history.
PRESEASON AWARDS
Mr. Sexy Time: If Carlos Quentin can keep from injuring himself, he could be in line for another great year. For basically the cost of the plane ticket to Chicago, Kenny Williams picked up a gem from the D'Backs. He was on pace with MVP numbers (36 HRs in 480 ABs) until he broke his own wrist punching a bat after a foul-tip.
Are You Gonna Finish That?: Bartolo Colon just had surgery in the offseason to clean up some bone chips in his elbow. Speaking of chips, this guy weighs in at a svelte 245 pounds. He'll be 36 next month and even Don Cooper hasn't been able to locate the 2005 Bartolo who posted 21 wins for the Angels from inside that fatty husk. Pencil this guy in for a mid-season injury and a table near the kitchen.Señor no me importa una mierda lo que piensas: I remember playing as the White Sox in Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball on my trusty Super Nintendo. There was a scrappy little guy on the roster with a twitchy elbow who would routinely rifle the ball into the gap. His name? Ozzie Guillen. Now instead of rifling anything, he's constantly under fire from the media for calling someone a fag or a punta. I bet Ozzie will be managing using nothing but Spanish by the All Star break, just so he can say whatever he wants. I'm sure that'll go over well with a guy like Thome. Ese? Did he just call me a term paper?
FOR MORE READING
South Side Sox
White Sox Interactive
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