Chicago Sports
Posting Date: November 11, 2009
White Sox Hope To Win With Some Change
In this year of change, healthcare reform and rising unemployment, the White Sox played the role of clunkers. The South Siders finished the American League Central campaign with a 79-83 record.
That was good for third place in a division that was mediocre at best. General manager Kenny Williams rolled the dice last year and elected to go with more youth and speed. Josh Fields was given the nod at third while Chris Getz was to play second. Alexei Ramirez was to move to his natural position, shortstop.
The center field position was once again a contest between Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens and possibly Dewyane Wise. Carlos Quentin was to return to left and Jermaine Dye was perched in right.
What happened? Wise won the center field position out of default as Anderson and Owens underachieved. Anderson would later be traded to Boston for Mark Kotsay. Owens would be released. The starting staff was anchored by Mark Buerhle, Johnny Danks and Gavin Floyd. After that it was a tossup with overweight and uninspired Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras, who made an amazing recovery from an Achilles tendon injury.
Colon struggled and Contreras never found his command. Contreras would later be dealt to Colorado. Designated hitter Jim Thome was pedaled to the Dodgers for their pennant push.
My prediction for the White Sox this season was that they would contend but could finish as low as third. I felt Cleveland and Detroit would be in the mix. And you can never count out Minnesota.
The White Sox did finish third but they were hardly contenders. They played awful defense for most of the year. While there was more speed in the lineup, it could not make up for lapses on the basepaths and in the field.
And the bullpen? It ignited more rallies then put them out. Bobby Jenks struggled at times and battled with a kidney stone. A reoccurring back problem may signal the fact that Jenks should get in better shape. He is up for arbitration and in an era of tighter wallets, that means he could be dealt. Lefty Matt Thornton was the most consistent reliever.
Despite the rantings of broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson about the White Sox being the best team in the division, I just didn’t see it. Despite the best intentions of Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen, this team was unable to deliver key hits, especially with runners on third and less than two outs.
Add that to the mental and physical errors, the White Sox were never good enough to truly contend.
But there were highlights in a dismal season. Gordon Beckham was called up and after a slow start, hit 270 with 14 homers, 28 doubles, 48 extra-base hits with 63 RBI in 103 games. Beckham moved from shortstop to third base. He struggled initially but his athletic ability allowed him to improve as the season wore on.
Buerhle’s perfect game has to be the highlight of the decade. He also did it against a solid offensive team in the Tampa Bay Rays. And I will always remember “the catch” by Wise at the wall in left center.
One aspect of Williams that I admire is that he doesn’t wait long to make a move. Immediately at the end of the World Series, Williams traded Getz and Fields to Kansas City for third baseman/outfielder Mark Teahen, who suffered through an injury-plagued season, knocking in just 50 runs.
Teahen, a lefthanded hitter, will play third base with Beckham moving to second. The infield defense should improve dramatically. If Teahen can reach the potential the Royals felt he possesses, this could be an upgrade. Teahen can also steal bases.
However, I will miss Getz, who had a grinder approach and delivered some key hits when healthy. Fields needs an opportunity to play. He can’t sit on the bench and be productive.
But Williams has already stated that money is tight. He is taking a long look at Jordan Danks, brother of John, in center field. Jordan Danks has been hitting a ton in the Arizona League this fall.
However, if Jordan Danks is in a Sox uniform, it is because negotiations with Scott Podsednik broke down. Right now, contract talks are stalled. Podsednik was revived since returning to the Sox. He is no longer the stolen base threat he once was but he is a legitimate leadoff hitter.
Dye and his $12 million contract are gone. Dye went into a slump in the second half he never recovered from. It is better to let a player go a year early than a year too late.
What we do know is that the White Sox will have a strong starting staff. Jake Peavy was masterful in starts against Detroit. He is still recovering from an ankle injury. But Williams shocked the baseball world by swooping in and dealing with San Diego for a pitcher who should be his ace next year. Buerhle, Danks, Floyd and Freddie Garcia will most likely make up the starting staff. Garcia was picked off the scrap heap and pitched some quality innings for the Sox. He would be great as a No. 5 starter.
I suspect that Williams will not make many more deals. The White Sox don’t have the money tree the Yankees, Red Sox and Angels have.
And I guess that’s the rub. The Sox will depend on younger position players and the hope some injured players recover. Dan Hudson is a pitcher who has risen sharply through the minor leagues and could fill the No. 5 role if Garcia struggles. If not, Hudson could help a questionable bullpen.
Wise is also gone but Kotsay makes contact and shows leadership on a team that has little. He can play first base, outfield and DH. The outfield at this point features Toronto castoff Alex Rios in center, Quentin in left or right, Podsednik in left or DH, and possibly Jordan Danks.
Frugality with dollars well spent will be key for the Sox. They are in a division with no key front runner, so who knows. The Sox will have good starting pitcher and better defense. But some base hits with runners in scoring position would be welcome in 2010.
(Joe Boyle is the managing editor of the Southwest News-Herald, a community newspaper in Chicago. He can be reached at vonpub@aol.com).