(Picture from http://www.chi-ball.com/)
See how much has been going on in my life? It's more full than a 16 and Pregnant mother. It isn't my fault Sox fans. I've had my nose buried in rumors about "The Todd". I've been absorbed by the Bears sudden burning hole in their pocket. And on top of it I've been trying to watch as much college hoops so I can to make sure I beat my girlfriends dad in March Madness Pick 'Em for the third straight year.
There is no excuse for my lack of Chicago White Sox posts, so I'm here to make it up to you.
So here we have it folks, the first Chicago White Sox post of the 2010 season; a season that will hopefully be filled with tremendous "Ozzie Ball", health for all, and of course exceptional starting pitching. So with that wonderful toast, I want to write my favorite type of column, a Top 5. What kind of Top 5 you ask?
A hopeful, wishful, optimistic, enthusiastic, serene, upbeat, and sanguine Top 5. A Top 5 so debatable, saucy, and arguable that I might even lose some respect (but I promise I will be as objective as possible). This is going to be THE Top 5 Things the White Sox Need to Do to Win the World Series.
5. STAY HEALTHY, GOD PLEASE JUST KEEP THEM HEALTHY. I DON'T ASK FOR MUCH JUST PLEASE KEEP THEM HEALTHY (I'm talking to you Carlos, I'M TALKING TO YOU!): This is obvious and kind of a cop out, I know, but I swear I'm just warming up. But hear me out, Jake Peavy, Carlos Quentin, Andruw Jones, Paul Konerko, Alex Rios, Mark Teahen, JJ Putz, Bobby Jenks and Scott Linebrink are just some of the White Sox that have faced some lingering injuries. All of those fellows are some of the most important parts of the Sox roster this season.
Starting with Quentin, he looks great so far in Spring Training with both his foot and his overall play. He is batting .269, with a .538 slugging percentage. He has 14 total bases in nine games, with five runs, seven hits, two home runs, and six RBI's. Not bad for a guy that missed the end of his 2008 MVP campaign because of sheer stupidity and missed two months last season because of plantar fasciitis. If Carlos can stay healthy, he WILL return to his 2008 form and prove to all of his critics and haters that he is back. Then he will be sure to tell all of them to "Derelicte his balls".
4. The bullpen needs to keep it together: Obvious once again but it is true. Bobby Jenks is battling a right calf injury (probably from running more than 50 yards in Spring Training), which looks to be getting better. He looked pretty solid after a 50-pitch bullpen session the other day. But as well as his bullpen sessions may look, he still has an ERA this spring of 37.80 after giving up seven total runs in two outings. With this injury and the rumors about a possible trade that would send him packing sometime this season, Bobby Jenks has a lot on his plate and needs to keep his head on straight for the Sox to have success.
The flame throwing, injury plagued J.J. Putz also needs to come out and prove to the league that Kenny Williams was right about him. Putz, two years ago looked like he was one of baseball's best closers. Hopefully he can become a dominant set up guy for Big Bobby, and compliment Matt Thornton extremely well.
3. The Starters need to prove they are the best rotation in baseball: Peavy, Beuhrle, Floyd, Danks, and "Sweaty Freddy" Garcia. Now that is one hell of a starting rotation, one of, if not the best in baseball. I ask for any of you to try and convince me of a better starting staff. Please go ahead. This rotation has 418 career wins and that number will only continue to go up. Peavy, Buehrle and Garcia have proven how well they can pitch at this level, but what about the young guys? Starting with Floyd: he has some of the nastiest "junk" that I've seen on the South Side in some time. He has had up and down seasons the past couple of years, but I really think that in 2010 he will show his maturity (mainly because of the veterans that are on this staff).
Danks is an one of the best big game pitchers in the league. Although he has a losing record as a starter, no pitcher on the Chicago White Sox staff has been more consistent in must-win games than Danks. You can tell that he has learned a lot from Buehrle and has improved not only his pitches but how he approaches every start. I think Danks is going to be one of the best starters on the staff this year and I would even go as far as to say that at the end of this season, Danks might be the true ace of this staff.
2. The new guys need to excel: Juan Pierre, Mark Teahen, Andruw Jones, Omar Vizquel, and I'm still counting Alex Rios are going to be the biggest key to the White Sox success this season. Pierre has to lock down left field and prove to the world that he has been worthy of a starting role for the past few seasons. Rios needs to finally return to his 2007 form and it needs to return this season! Mark Teahen needs to hold down the hot corner and add a little pop in the lineup (something that I think can easily happen. His home stats will be terrific this year, but his stats on the road will most likely look pretty bad). Omar Vizquel needs to step in as the true veteran of the infield and get Alexei Ramirez's head out of his ass.
1. The Minnesota Twins and their new stadium: How can the Twins be part of the reason for the Sox to get to the World Series? Well they are the "team to beat" this year according to all of the experts in the AL Central. I personally and bias-ly think the White Sox have a better team that is anchored by their pitching staff, but the hitting lineup of a O-Dog, Young, Mauer, Morneau, Thome/Kubel, and Span for the Twins is a scary thought. The Twins are a good young team, with a great mix of speed, power, terrific defense and decent starting pitching.
The Sox play the Twins 18 times during the season, most of which are after the All-Star break, so Chicago is going to need to come out of the gates and put the pressure on the Twinkies. Then after All-Star break they are going to have to take out the dagger and put it in them. It's clearly one of the two teams division to lose (most would say it's the Twins to lose, but I disagree). Hopefully the Sox can go into the Twins new ball park and put them through the misery South Siders have gone through when the Dome was still up.
The Sox have quite the opportunity this year, mostly because of the pitching staff. With Guillen taking Ozzie Ball to a whole different level with the offense, and the amazing pitching staff, the South Side Hitmen can easily make a special run in 2010.
3 comments:
These are all very good reasons but you forgot the most important reason of them all. The real number one is.... DO NOT PLAY THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS. My reason behind this is that St. Louis is the best team in baseball and will win it all.
Easy there Ty, I like the Cardinals a lot, and if I had to root for an NL team I'm routing for the Cards (Jonah has me hooked on Yady Molina), but the Phillies are the better NL with the Lou right behind them.
The Sox wouldn't play the Cards until the World Series, and I like our starting pitching a little bit better than the Cards.
You're not going to hear an argument from me that says the Phillies aren't pretty darn good, but I still like my Cards. And for the best rotation in baseball does not go to the white sox, you've got the wrong color of sox. I don't like em but the Red Sox have the best top down rotation in the game. I do think that the White Sox have a better overall rotation than the cardinals, Peavy was real good pick up. But I'll take the Cardinals best three pitchers against your best three any day. We have one Cy Young winner and it would have been to but carpenter and wainwright canceled each other out last year. And just cause "sweaty freddy" is cool nickname it doesn't correlate to good pitching. He hasn't been under 4.0 ERA since 2005. Watch for Brad Penny to have a breakout year with the Cardinals this year. That big boy has some offense on his team this year, unlike in SF and LA.
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