Chicago White Sox

One season ago the White Sox finished in second place with a 83-79 record; 9 games behind division winner Minnesota. Ozzie Guillen is entering his second year as the White Sox Head Coach and will do it without Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Lee, but will be with Scott Podsednik, Orlando Hernandez, a lot of speed, and hopefully a healthy Frank Thomas. Without the power hitters Ordonez and Lee in the middle of the lineup, Guillen and the Sox will rely heavily on their ability to manufacture runs through "small ball"; advancing runners by stealing, sacrifices, and bunts.

The pitching staff is pretty much the same as it was at the end of the season minus Scott Schoeneweiss and plus Hernandez. Having Freddy Garcia (9-4, 4.46), Jose Contreras (5-4, 5.30), Mark Buehrle (16-10, 3.89), and Jon Garland (12-11, 4.89) back may not be a positive thing for a team which had the 4th worst pitching in the league last year with a combined 5.13 era. Losing run producing hitters will put more pressure on a staff which didn't exactly shut down opposing offenses last season. Adding Orlando Hernandez (8-2, 3.30 with the Yankees last season) should help, but only if he can make it through an entire season healthy. He has suffered in the past with "dead arm". This is a condition which pitchers sometimes go through where the arm is simply constantly fatigued. It is obviously not a good thing for pitchers to go through and Hernandez has suffered with this affliction for the past few seasons and has needed time off in each. A healthy and improved staff would go a long way to helping the Sox get closer to the division crown, but don't count on this happening.

The offense was a highlight of the 2004 White Sox, but after losing Ordonez and Lee, don't expect Chicago to be number 3 in the league in hitting again in 2005. They will be able to manufacture runs better than last year's club, but won't score more runs. The team has two serviceable catchers in Ben Davis and A.J. Pierzynski and both with see playing time. The outfield is full of speed with Scott Podsednik, Aaron Rowand, and Jermaine Dye roaming the grass. Podsednik's defensive liability and less-than-strong arm with be less exposed in left with less ground to cover. His speed should make up for his defensive lapses of the past in center field. Paul Konerko will join Frank Thomas as being the heavy hitters in this lineup. Both players will be looked towards to knock in the runners who get on and move up the bases infront of them. Konerko and Thomas need to produce in order for the White Sox to truly take advantage of their speed.

The Sox aren't rebuilding this year in the traditional sense of slashing payroll, but they kind of are because they are going to change to way they play the game. Gone are the days of balls rocketing out of U.S. Cellular Field, here come the days of players rocketing around the bases. We'll see which is more successful.