Question#2
How Will the White Sox do next year?
I think the White Sox will win the Central Division next year with Cleveland pushing them all the way. The White Sox will win their first round but will lost in the second round of the play-offs. 1st. The White Sox will not be sneaking up on anyone this coming season, no one expected the White Sox to even win the Division last year, I recall and even thinking myself that the White Sox will fall apart like they have done the past few seasons. Every team in baseball will use the White Sox as a measuring stick, if we can beat the World Champs then we must be pretty good team. The White Sox will have very few nights where they will be able to relax this coming summer. A 2nd factor is the White Sox were by no means the best team in baseball last season, and if you recall the White Sox almost totally melted the division away to Cleveland, as the Indians were closing the gap on the White Sox quickly, however once the playoffs started there was no hotter team out there as in the White Sox, loosing one game in the play-offs. I just don't see the White Sox being able to go through the play-offs like they did last year. A 3rd factor is we never really saw the White Sox face any real pressure in the playoffs, even when teams are supposed to win a series there is usually pressure within the series or at some point in the playoffs that a team will face. I have to say only losing one game in the playoffs (a credit to the White Sox) might have hurt them in some ways as they have not fully been tested to the pressure of facing elimination or falling behind in a series. Finally a 4th factor is that since 1980 baseball has been the hardest sport in which to repeat as champions. Basketball has seen the Celtics in the 1980's, the Lakers x2 in the 80's and Shaq years, Pistons in late 80's and early 90's, and who could forget the runs of three in a row by the Bulls. Hockey has seen the Islanders win four in a row, while the Penguins repeated in early 90's and did the Red Wings in the mid 90's, Oilers had a nice run in the mid 80's. Football too has seen a repeats teams in the Patriots, 49'ers, Broncos, and Cowboys. While baseball has only had two repeats in the Blue Jays of the early 90's and the Yankees in the late 90's.
Why I think they will win the division and win the first round of the playoffs, 1st the experience factor of going through the playoffs, 2nd factor is a huge pick up in trading for Jim Thome, 3rd factor is the resigning of Paul Konerko, this guy has put up huge numbers the past two seasons and Jim Thome could not alone replace Paul in the line up, resigning Paul was a must for the White Sox. 4th factor is the White Sox pitching staff in starters of Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia, Jon Garland, Orlando Hernandez and Mark Buehrle, they might not be the best in the league but as a staff that is hard to beat, and will hold the White Sox in games till the Sox can get to closer Bobby Lights out Jenks. A 5th factor is that the White Sox have a great meld of both youth and experience, they are not over loaded in older players or younger players, the Sox feature veterans like World Series MVP Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Fredy Garcia, Jon Garland, Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, and Orlando Hernandez, while also maintain youth with Bobby Jenks a rookie last year, Joe Crede who has only been in Chicago a short time, Tadahito Iguchi who is older but still learning the game played in the States, and highly touted rookie outfielder Brian Anderson. The White Sox have a decent enough minor league system that if some of the younger guys falter or should the Sox experience injuries they can trade guys like outfielder Joe Borchard, pitching prospects Archie Munoz and Jon Adkins or highly thought of Brandon McCarthy. Finally a 6th factor the White Sox will repeat as Central Division champions is the manager Ozzie Guillen who has taking a under achieving team before Ozzie arrived and put the White Sox over the hump, Ozzie is great with his players and you can tell they respond well to him by there actions both during games and after the games. When it is all said and done I see the White Sox winning the Central and first round of playoffs but I see the Sox having a hard time getting out of the AL and going to the World Series the road will be much tougher with every team aiming at the White Sox all year long.
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