Black Sox Blog

The White Sox took the field for the first time on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. Still showing some signs of their great World Series run from a year ago, the Rockies won the game 7-3. However, overshadowing the performance on the field was the support that the White Sox showed the grieving campus of Northern Illinois. On Feb. 14th a gunman entered a classroom at the Northern Illinois and opened fire, leaving 5 dead and 16 wounded. No college students should have to worry about their safety while attending class, however; today it is a reality. The White Sox sported white NIU baseball caps and a couple of the NIU baseball players as well as their coach were on hand to give some more support. While many Sox fans were there with signs showing their support, nobody can measure the significance and heart-felt appreciation felt back at Northern Illinois campus. The humble act of the South Side Sluggers helps to put life in perspective that there are much more serious issues in the world than baseball. Just like a Hollywood story, maybe some of the fallen from NIU were die-hard Sox fans and will help them on their long, 162 game journey. Miracles have happened before, but here’s to the recognizing the NIU victims, may you rest in peace. Way to show your big hearts, GO SOX!

Just coming off from back surgery that limited him to only 47 games last year, Joe Crede is back and ready to battle with Josh Fields who replaced him when he was hurt last year.  Crede, an excellent fielder, needs to prove to the team that he is fully healed and ready for the grueling schedule of the big leagues.  As a rookie last year, Josh Fields did a very good job filling in for Crede.  Fields produced well at the plate last year batting a decent .244 and hitting a surprising 23 home runs and 67 RBI.  Crede only topped Fields’ production of 23 home runs one time, and that was the 2006 season, his last healthy year.  Crede definitely has the edge in fielding, committing only 10 errors in 147 games in 2006 while Fields committed 9 errors in 79 games last year.  Ozzie Guillen has mentioned that Fields is the starter until Crede can prove that he is fully recovered and in a position to help the team.  However, the two are embracing the competition and we all know that the competitive nature will bring out the best in each of them.  My bet is on Crede making it back into the starting position within the first couple weeks of the regular season if not at some point in spring training.  An honest, spirited competition at third base, just another exciting aspect of what we have to look forward to concerning the South Side Sluggers.

The White Sox get one final week to get back into the swing of things before spring leagues begin.  Enjoying the warmth of Tucson, the Sox are facing 30 games in 28 days throughout the month of March.  Given the several new faces on the team, spring training becomes vital for the club to gel as a unit and get used to each other in the club house.  Once the frantic spring league ends, the Sox waste no time before facing off against the best in the AL Central.  The first six games of their season are on the road with series’ at Cleveland followed by Detroit.  A tough test that could really give the club momentum if they start out the year on a roll and prove to themselves that they can hang with the best.  Confidence is going to be huge for this team to compete for the grueling 162 game schedule.  Players need to take the spring league serious to get their bodies’ back into condition to hopefully avoid any wear and tear throughout the season.  Ozzie Guillen must keep the squad focused and get the most out of spring ball as they can.  Don’t look now but Sox baseball is about to be back in our daily agenda.

With spring games rapidly approaching and Orlando Cabrera taking the reins at short stop, what is going to happen with Juan Uribe?   While most of the major league egos would shine through in a situation like Uribe’s,  the  7-year pro is ready for whatever the Sox need from him.  Still in a fierce competition for the second base position with Danny Richar and Alexei Ramirez, Uribe will most likely end up being a utility player for the club.  Not so bad when you’re still making $4.5 million this year.  When asked about his feelings on his situation, Uribe replied, “Whatever they need me to do. I’ve never had one problem anywhere I’ve been. I’m here to work hard and win that second base job. If not, whatever job they give me.” Players throughout the league could learn something from Uribe’s humble attitude.  Facing a demotion, Uribe still finds the brighter side and knows that he can still help his team do some damage in their division.  Who knows, maybe Cabrera or somebody else will get hurt and Uribe will step in and save the day.  Only time will tell what Uribe’s season turns out to be, but with his positive attitude and a little extra elbow grease, I foresee Uribe being a key player in the success of the White Sox this year.

In 2007, Jim Thome led the White Sox in batting with an average of .275.  With only two other players breaking the .260 mark, better offensive production is going to be very important for the South Side Sluggers if they want a chance in the stacked AL Central.  Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede and the rest of the crew need to play to their potential to put some pressure on opposing pitchers as well as give their pitchers some insurance runs.   While the Sox slugged more home runs than the favorite Indians and Tigers a year ago, both clubs well surpassed the Sox in RBI and especially runs scored.  Getting on base early and often will be key to helping put more runs on the board in a league that is showing capabilities of putting up high run totals day in and day out.  Ozzie Guillen is going to need to find a good combination of 1, 2, and 3 hitters that can put up high on-base percentages to give the sluggers a chance to bring them home.  Key in the newcomers to shake things up and help increase the embarrassing run totals of a year ago.  Thanks to the big time line-ups of the Tigers and Indians, as well as the solid pitching staffs of both teams, Ozzie Guillen and the Sox are going to have to be determined and play with a chip on their shoulder to put up the run totals to rival their adversaries.

With so many new faces in new places, the 2008 MLB season will be characterized by how the off season moves will impact each team.  The era of free agency has shown how it can create great parity within the league, setting up epic battles between teams in every division.  After a lackluster 2007 season, the Chicago White Sox look for their newly acquired personnel to make an immediate contribution.  Ozzie Guillen and the Sox look to new Shortstop Orlando Cabrera to thrive not only defensively, but with his quick bat and intelligence at the plate, he is a perfect fit to hit number two in the line-up or possibly even lead-off.  Cabrera’s intangibles also excite the club, his leadership will help to bring the club house closer together and make everyone around him step up their play.  With the exception of Bobby Jenks, the bullpen last year was bad, that is why the performance of relievers Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel is vital to the success of the Sox.  Linebrink’s experience and wicked sinker will help preserve leads and keep opponent run totals down in anticipation for Jenks to come out and rock the crowd.  Dotel’s addition deepens the bullpen and takes pressure off of many guys so that the whole crew can perform to their full ability when they get their chance.  Teams can never have too many relievers when going up against the big names of the AL Central such as Magglio Ordonez and Travis Hafner.  The catalyst of the newcomers this year has to be switch hitting outfielder Nick Swisher.  Swisher brings high octane and a genuine  excitement to the game.   With a chance to be a fan favorite on the south-side, look to Swisher and Guillen to gel well together and bring back that swagger to the Sox that they have been missing for the past two seasons.  With so many changes this season, don’t count out the Sox, expect the unexpected in 2008.

    Just three years removed from being World Champions, the White Sox look to reestablish themselves as an elite team in the American League.  However, with the recent success of the Indians and the blockbuster moves made by the Tigers, the White Sox have an enormous mountain to ascend to even put up a fight in the AL Central division.  After an extremely disappointing 2007 season, the White Sox added some new faces and sent some old ones packing.  Their biggest addition has to be center fielder Nick Swisher from the Oakland A’s.  The tough, vibrant Swisher will give the White Sox a much needed jolt in the field and in the batting line up.   Adding Orlando Cabrera, the ex-SS for the Angels, will also revive the team and create some good competition between Cabrera and the incumbent Juan Uribe.  While Uribe might be upset about the move, baseball is a business and it is up to him to win the starting role with hard work and determination.  Ozzie Guillen has his work cut out for him, but the outspoken, in your face manager has worked miracles before, so why not 2008?

The field and the batting line up are solid and capable of putting up big numbers on the scoreboard, but the concern remains to be the pitching staff.  Perennial powerhouses Mark Buehrle and Jose Contreras look to lead the charge and consistently remind their adversaries, especially the Tigers and Indians, that they are a force to be reckoned with.  Coming off a less than stellar 2007 season, Contreras is on the hot seat.  Also, with Jon Garland departing to the Angels, Buehrle, Contreras, and Javier Vazquez are going to have to come up big when their number is called.  Free agent Octavio Dotel was brought in as a solid pitcher out of the bullpen to compliment the starters and instill some trust in them that when they leave with a lead, Dotel will keep them rolling.  Furthermore, with the addition of Dotel and other reliever Scott Linebrink, the talented Mike MacDougal is put into a position with much less pressure on him and having Bobby Jenks anchoring the crew, the bullpen has the opportunity and talent to do some damage in the AL.  Look out Detroit and Cleveland, here come the 2008 White Sox, with a chip on their shoulder and nowhere to go but up that vigorous mountain that is the AL Central.