Can the South Side Boys Do it Again: Chicago White Sox 2007 Season Preview

On the South Side of Chicago, fans were euphoric after winning the World Series in 2005, and fans were looking forward to the boys in black to have a back to back championship season. White Sox GM, Ken Williams worked in earnest to improve the team from what it was in 2005 into 2006 with more wheeling and dealing. In the end, their mission was not successful and the White Sox finished third with 90 wins in a stacked division featuring the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers. The White Sox were strong throughout the season, but a bad August & September all but doomed the team.

In light of not heading to the postseason in 2006, the White Sox seem ready to make a run at the AL Central once again in 2007. Under the watchful of charismatic, yet controversial manger, Ozzie Guillen, much of the core of the team returns as well as several new additions, such as former Angel Darrin Erstad, Andrew Sisco from the Royals, along with Gavin Floyd, Toby Hall, & David Aardsma. The team jettisoned several players such as Freddy Garcia, Neal Cotts & a few others via trades. As well, the team traded Brandon McCarthy to Texas for 3 players who will probably be in the minors for now.

The powerful offense of 2006 should return this upcoming season, as they led in most statistical categories and once again put the fear in opposing pitchers.

As with every team, the key to a good season lies with starting pitching and the White Sox have a great staff, but it went through some changes as well in the winter. The rotation seems pretty much set with Jon Garland, Jose Contreras, Javier Vazquez, Mark Buerhle and possibly Gavin Floyd in the fifth spot being that Freddy Garcia got traded to Philadelphia.

The White Sox starting pitching which was so dominant and efficient in ’05 went to through quite a bit of struggle. Garland won 18 games in ’06, although he had an ERA and the mid 4 range and will have to improve on giving up runs; however, it may not be much of a concern providing the offense the team has. Mark Buerhle and Javier Vazquez finished with records below .500 and will need to regain their ’05 form for the team do well. Considering their track records, especially Buerhle, you should expect some improvement amongst the staff.

Jose Contreras went 13-9, but had an injurt after a great 2005. He’s one of the guys who should be better as well.

The wild card in the starting rotation is Gavin Floyd. A young pitcher with a lot of upside, he went 4-3 with an ERA above 7 in 2006. He will have to get it all together in the Windy City in which the crowd can rival anything he faced in Philadelphia. The White Sox will need him to maintain stability within the rotation and contend in the ever-tough AL Central.

Now, let’s move onto the bullpen. Closer Bobby Jenks also had a down season from 2005, as his ERA was at 4. However, he did save 41 games and showed at times flashes of brilliance which made his 2005 so great. Hopefully, he can bounce back and help the team in the bullpen. New members to the White Sox, David Aardsma & Andrew Sisco will share in the setup role for Bobby Jenks. Also in the bullpen will be Matt Thornton, Mike MacDougal, Nick Massett and possibly Gavin Floyd if he’s not a starter.

In terms of the everyday starting lineup, the offense should look just as formidable as it did last year, with key members Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Joe Crede and AJ Pierzynski in the fold.

Jim Thome will be the DH, as he hopes to maintain his level of play and focus behind the plate en route to a possible spot in Cooperstown. After his struggles in Philadelphia which saw him traded from the team in favor of Ryan Howard in 2006, he picked himself up from his struggles and batted .288 with 42 home runs and 109 RBIs. He should be able to keep his numbers as he will be 37 in August, but could the period of decline. With exception of 2005, his track record shows he should be a nightmare to opposing pitchers in 2007.

The infield for the White Sox features two of the best corner infielders in the game, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede who played a huge role in the White Sox winning 90 games. Paul Konerko carried a big stick as he hit 35 home runs with 113 RBIs and considering the past few years, he should be counted on keeping up his production. Joe Crede has a career year, as he hit 30 home runs and drove in 94 runs, as well as played great defense. Crede has always been a player to watch, and in 2006 he cemented himself as one of the premier third baseman in the game. Only 28, he should be expected improve and he can be a cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.

The rest of the infield is in flux because of the situation with shortstop Juan Uribe. He’s currently in legal trouble in his home country of the Dominican Republic due to a shooting he’s alleged to be involved in. Even with his current situation, he struggled in 2006 to a .235 batting average and lack of discipline at the plate. Hopefully his situation can be resolved, but even if it is, he’ll still need to devote himself to improving his offensive numbers.

Tadahito Iguchi will be the second baseman and provided the team with solid numbers along with incredible defense in ’06. He’s been nothing but reliable, and the White Sox hope he continues his solid play.

The bench for the White Sox infield will be covered by Alex Cintron who hit .285 and provided some solid infield support, along with Josh Fields who may play a huge role in the team’s future along with Andy Gonzalez and Pablo Ozuna.

The outfield for the White Sox will be manned by Jermaine Dye, in right field, Brian Anderson in center fielder, Scott Podsednik in left and Darrin Erstad should see a good amount of playing time. The team hopes that Jermaine Dye can follow up on his MVP caliber season where he slammed 44 home runs, drove in 120 runs and hir for a .315 batting average. Obviously, he should a key cog in a very potent offense. Although he’s had some injuries in the past, the White Sox hope he remains healthy from here on out.

However, the rest of the outfield is shaky in terms of its offensive output. Scott Podsednik, one of the core players on the 2005 Championship team had a 2006 full of struggles. He started off real bad in ’06 and all his numbers dipped across the board with exceptions of RBIs and runs scored. As the leadoff hitter for a team with an offense so potent, he needs to do much better in ’07. The other player who struggled even greater was Brian Anderson, a rookie in 2006 who only .225, but provided a great glove. Anderson will be heading into year two in the majors, so hopefully he can improve from his rookie season. He’ll be the wild card in the outfield, and if the Sox want to improve offensively, both Anderson and Podsednik improving would go a long way.

Former Angel Darin Erstad joins the fold, after a productive career in Anaheim before injuries took its toll. He’s also can play infield, as he was a first baseman for the Angels, but for now will man Podsednik’s position while he recovers from offseason surgery. On the bench for the outfield will be Rob Mackowiak.

The catcher’s position is covered by the controversial A.J. Pierzynski. He had a very solid season where he batted .295 with some power and drove in 64 runs. Always reliable behind the plate, his numbers were good across the board, however, with the struggles of the pitching staff last year, he’ll needed to help the pitching get back to it’s 2005 level. Backing up A.J. will be veteran Toby Hall.

In the end, repeating as a champion in any sport is hard, and the White Sox know that all too well. Even though the team came back better on paper in 2006, things do not go as planned. In Chicago, 2007 should be another interesting with the White Sox looking to take supremacy of the loaded American League Central.

Time will only tell if Ken Williams moves in the winter help the White Sox earn another trophy.