SOX LOOK TO IMPROVE ON 2007

By Steve Sylvester
feedback@buzznews.net

The Sox have decided to stick to veteran third
baseman Joe Crede (Photo by Oscar Lopez)

Heading into Spring Training 2008, the Chicago White Sox had more question marks than the Riddler’s costume. The Sox suffered through a very disappointing 2007 season in which they finished with a 72-90 mark. When the Sox won the World Series in 2005, it seemed like a number of players had “career years.” Last year, it seemed like a number of Sox players had sub-par years or prolonged slumps early in the season.

Meanwhile for the 2008 campaign, the most pressing issue that needed to be resolved for the Chicago White Sox was the retooling of their bullpen. With the exception of closer Bobby Jenks and the soft tossing righty Ehren Wasserman, the bullpen last year was brutal. To address the club’s biggest shortcoming, Sox General Manager Ken Williams added veteran right handed relievers Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel to shore up the bullpen. While Linebrink has looked solid, Dotel has struggled this spring, but is a definite upgrade over the 2007 castaways. The Sox have also kept a few holdovers from last season who look to rebound: LHPs, Matt Thornton and Boone Logan, and RHP Mike MacDougal, who will be used in a lower pressure role as a middle reliever.

As for the last spot in the bullpen, I think that the Sox made a gaffe. The Sox went down to the wire in making a decision on Nick Masset, who is out of options and would have to be released if he didn’t break camp with the major league team. Based on his performance, Masset should have been released, as he went 2-3 with a 7.09 ERA last season and he has remained consistent this spring going 0-2 with a 7.02 ERA. So how does this guy help make the team better?

Ehren Wasserman on the other hand has been consistently effective sporting a nifty 2.74 ERA last year in 23 innings and a solid 3.09 ERA in 11 2/3 innings this spring. Wasserman’s funky delivery and overall effectiveness would have given the White Sox a different look coming out of the bullpen. Instead, the Sox will rely on Masset for spot starts and long relief.

The next biggest issue for the Sox is the starting rotation. Buehrle and Vazquez are a formidable 1-2 combination, but after that there is only uncertainty. If the Sox are going to compete in the AL central this year they will go only as far as their 3, 4, and 5 starters, Danks, Contreras and Floyd can carry them. Which isn’t as scary as it sounds, because the Sox third issue, increased offensive production seems to have been resolved on the positive side of the ledger.

During the off-season, Ken Williams acquired two key starters. First, he traded Jon Garland to the Angels for gold glove SS, Orlando Cabrera, who will bat in the important second slot in the order. Last year for the Angels, Cabrera was rock-solid hitting .301, scoring 101 runs, and knocking in another 86. If he is in the same vicinity this year, the Sox will be very pleased. The Sox’ strong-armed Juan Uribe will now start as second base and continue to hit at the bottom of the order. The free-swinging Uribe, who always provides decent power, managed to hit .356 this spring and only struck out 6 times in 59 ABs. Maybe his tenuous position with the Sox will motivate him to be a more disciplined hitter and give the club an added boost.

The second key acquisition was OF-1B, Nick Swisher from Oakland. Along with a nice stat line, including 22 HRs, 78 RBIs and an impressive OBP of .381, Swisher should help put some fun back in the Sox clubhouse. Although, I like Swisher’s high OBP, I am not sold on him as a lead off hitter. Of course Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had planned on CF, Jerry Owens filling the lead off spot, but Owens will be taking former Sox speedster Scott Podsednik’s familiar spot on the DL with a slight tear in his groin.

I also believe that Ozzie made the right decision by keeping Swisher in left field and having impressive Cuban rookie, Alexei Ramirez start in center. The “Cuban Missile,” who could prove to be another key off-season acquisition by GM, Kenny Williams has won over manager Ozzie Guillen this spring.

“But [Ramirez] earned the job. We didn't hand it to him -- he earned it. The Cuban Missile got it. I think this kid has a great chance to be special. I think he did everything he was supposed to do to be on the ballclub and in the lineup. This kid has cold blood.” This spring Ramirez hit .358 and drove in 18 runs, second behind team leader Jim Thome’s 19 RBIs. Ramirez’s emergence hasn’t completely overshadowed the impressive spring performance of Brian Anderson, who appears to have taken a giant step forward. Anderson is far and away the Sox best defensive outfielder, but Anderson was also formidable at the plate hitting .324 with 4 HRs, 12 RBIs and leading the Sox in slugging this spring at .608 with a hefty OBPS of 1.021.

The last of the Sox’ spring dilemmas was their third base issue. The Sox have elected to stick with the slick fielding veteran Joe Crede, who appears to have mostly recovered from back surgery, over last year’s rookie sensation Josh Fields. Crede appears to be still finding his way offensively, but should be a tremendous asset to the Sox’ pitching staff with his gold glove caliber defense.

Overall the Sox defense should be a strength of this year’s team. One move that I think the Sox need to consider is moving Jermaine Dye over to left field, because at 34 he doesn’t cover as much ground as he used to. The sox bench should also be improved this year with the return of super sub, Pablo Ozuna and the new and improved Brian Anderson.

Last year I predicted good things for this team, and that didn’t turn out very well. So this year, I will forgo prognostication. However, I will say this -- for the Sox to make the playoffs they will not only need to play very well, they will need to get off to at least a decent start and have the proverbial ball bounce their way. Once again the Sox are in one of the toughest divisions in Baseball and will have to prove themselves constantly, which is good because they seem to have a chip on their collective shoulders after last year’s embarrassment. Finally, the Sox will likely have less media scrutiny this year than their rich cousins up north, who have been crowned the NL central winners before the first pitch of the season and who also face all of the awkward questions that surround a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the World Series trophy in 100 years. By the way, that’s the one that the Sox paraded all over town in October 2005.