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2006 Season Preview
Here's a look at your Defending World Champion White Sox;
Manager;Ozzie Guillen,3rd season,career record;182-142. Career post season record;11-1
2005 record; 99-63,1st place in AL Central,6 games ahead of Cleveland.World Series Champions
2005 Post-season; def. Boston 3-0 in Division Series,def. Los Angeles 4-1 in ALCS,def. Houston 4-0 in World Series.
Key Acquisitions; 1B/DH Jim Thome(.207,7,30 in 59 games for PHL in '05),INF/OF Rob Mackowiak(.272,9,58 for PIT in '05),RHP Javier Vazquez(11-5,4.42 for ARZ),LHP Matt Thornton(0-4,5.21 for SEA),INF Alex Cintron(.273,8,48 for ARZ).
Welcome to the Show; Boone Logan(1-1,3.31 for Rookie League Great Falls;0-0,5.06 for Class-A Winston-Salem)
Key Departures;DH Frank Thomas(Oak),OF Aaron Rowand(Phi), INF/OF Geoff Blum(SD),INF/OF Timo Perez,SP Orlando Hernandez(Arz),RP Luis Vizcaino(Arz),DH Carl Everett(Sea),RP Damaso Marte(Pit),INF Willie Harris(Bos)
Projected Lineup;
LF- Scott Podsednik(.290,0,25,59 SB in '05)
2B- Tadahito Iguchi(.278,15,71)
DH- Jim Thome(.207,7,30)
1B- Paul Konerko(.283,40,100)
RF- Jermaine Dye(.274,31,86)
C- AJ Pierzynski(.257,18,56)
3B- Joe Crede(.252,22,62)
SS- Juan Uribe(.252,16,71)
CF- Brian Anderson(.176,2,3 in 13 games)
Projected Rotation;
Mark Buehrle(16-8,3.12)
Freddy Garcia(14-8,3.57)
Jose Contreras(15-7,3.61)
Jon Garland(18-10,3.50)
Javier Vazquez(11-15,4.42 for ARZ)
Bullpen;
Neal Cotts(4-0,1.92)
Cliff Politte(7-1,2.00)
Brandon McCarthy(3-2,4.03)
Dustin Hermansen(2-4,2.04,34 saves)
Bobby Jenks(1-1,2.75,6 saves)
Keys to success;The team must not get complacent and be satisfied with 2005.Ozzie won't let that happen.Obviously,this team needs to stay healthy.There has been troubling signs about Scott Podsednik and Dustin Hermansen's health.Hermansen has had the back flare up on him again,and will miss 2-3 months.Pods however is day to day because of the left groin injury.
Jim Thome will be a welcome addition to the lineup and will actually help out #2 hitter Tadahito Iguchi.Gooch will see more pitches to his liking and will get on base more,making the middle of the lineup even more dangerous.
Joe Crede needs to raise his average to at least .270 this season.His power numbers will continue to be steady,hitting about 20-24 homers this year.Crede is also the go-to guy in late inning clutch situations.
The Sox also have the luxury that no Sox team has had in recent memory.That is a very deep pitching staff.Jon Garland finally broke through last season by winning 18 games,despite running out of steam in September.This staff will eat up a ton of innings.Then a fresh bullpen take over.If any of the starters should falter in any way,then Brandon McCarthy will be Ozzie's ace in the hole.
Neal Cotts and Cliff Politte provide the best 1-2 setup guys in the AL,clearing the path for Bobby Jenks.
Jenks,known for his 100 mph blowtorch and plus size frame,needs to get some movement on his pitches.He has the stuff to be absolutely dominant.And with all the close games that the Sox are expected to play in,Jenks will be counted on a lot to slam the door.
The bench has gotten much deeper than the bench that was last seen in Houston last October.Versatile players Rob Mackowiak and Alex Cintron will join Pablo Ozuna and Ross Gload as go-to guys coming off the bench,and will spell the starters here and there.
The OF spotlight will be on rookie CF Brian Anderson.He will be patrolling CF replacing the departed Aaron Rowand.Anderson covers a lot of ground in center like Rowand did,but unlike rowand,Anderson has 25-30 home run potential.But this year,any offensive production from him will be a plus.
Questions:As always,there will be questions surrounding the Sox this season,besides the obvious one-Can they repeat?
Other questions include how healthy will Scott Podsednik be,and if not,can someone like Ozuna fill his shoes properly?
Can this team tear through the AL Central again? Most likely.Despite only finishing 6 games ahead of Cleveland,the Sox destroyed their division rivals in 2005.
The Magic 8-Ball Says: The 2006 White Sox will be the 1st White Sox team ever to make it back-to-back post-season appearances.Ozzie has the horses to pull of another championship run this season.
Manager;Ozzie Guillen,3rd season,career record;182-142. Career post season record;11-1
2005 record; 99-63,1st place in AL Central,6 games ahead of Cleveland.World Series Champions
2005 Post-season; def. Boston 3-0 in Division Series,def. Los Angeles 4-1 in ALCS,def. Houston 4-0 in World Series.
Key Acquisitions; 1B/DH Jim Thome(.207,7,30 in 59 games for PHL in '05),INF/OF Rob Mackowiak(.272,9,58 for PIT in '05),RHP Javier Vazquez(11-5,4.42 for ARZ),LHP Matt Thornton(0-4,5.21 for SEA),INF Alex Cintron(.273,8,48 for ARZ).
Welcome to the Show; Boone Logan(1-1,3.31 for Rookie League Great Falls;0-0,5.06 for Class-A Winston-Salem)
Key Departures;DH Frank Thomas(Oak),OF Aaron Rowand(Phi), INF/OF Geoff Blum(SD),INF/OF Timo Perez,SP Orlando Hernandez(Arz),RP Luis Vizcaino(Arz),DH Carl Everett(Sea),RP Damaso Marte(Pit),INF Willie Harris(Bos)
Projected Lineup;
LF- Scott Podsednik(.290,0,25,59 SB in '05)
2B- Tadahito Iguchi(.278,15,71)
DH- Jim Thome(.207,7,30)
1B- Paul Konerko(.283,40,100)
RF- Jermaine Dye(.274,31,86)
C- AJ Pierzynski(.257,18,56)
3B- Joe Crede(.252,22,62)
SS- Juan Uribe(.252,16,71)
CF- Brian Anderson(.176,2,3 in 13 games)
Projected Rotation;
Mark Buehrle(16-8,3.12)
Freddy Garcia(14-8,3.57)
Jose Contreras(15-7,3.61)
Jon Garland(18-10,3.50)
Javier Vazquez(11-15,4.42 for ARZ)
Bullpen;
Neal Cotts(4-0,1.92)
Cliff Politte(7-1,2.00)
Brandon McCarthy(3-2,4.03)
Dustin Hermansen(2-4,2.04,34 saves)
Bobby Jenks(1-1,2.75,6 saves)
Keys to success;The team must not get complacent and be satisfied with 2005.Ozzie won't let that happen.Obviously,this team needs to stay healthy.There has been troubling signs about Scott Podsednik and Dustin Hermansen's health.Hermansen has had the back flare up on him again,and will miss 2-3 months.Pods however is day to day because of the left groin injury.
Jim Thome will be a welcome addition to the lineup and will actually help out #2 hitter Tadahito Iguchi.Gooch will see more pitches to his liking and will get on base more,making the middle of the lineup even more dangerous.
Joe Crede needs to raise his average to at least .270 this season.His power numbers will continue to be steady,hitting about 20-24 homers this year.Crede is also the go-to guy in late inning clutch situations.
The Sox also have the luxury that no Sox team has had in recent memory.That is a very deep pitching staff.Jon Garland finally broke through last season by winning 18 games,despite running out of steam in September.This staff will eat up a ton of innings.Then a fresh bullpen take over.If any of the starters should falter in any way,then Brandon McCarthy will be Ozzie's ace in the hole.
Neal Cotts and Cliff Politte provide the best 1-2 setup guys in the AL,clearing the path for Bobby Jenks.
Jenks,known for his 100 mph blowtorch and plus size frame,needs to get some movement on his pitches.He has the stuff to be absolutely dominant.And with all the close games that the Sox are expected to play in,Jenks will be counted on a lot to slam the door.
The bench has gotten much deeper than the bench that was last seen in Houston last October.Versatile players Rob Mackowiak and Alex Cintron will join Pablo Ozuna and Ross Gload as go-to guys coming off the bench,and will spell the starters here and there.
The OF spotlight will be on rookie CF Brian Anderson.He will be patrolling CF replacing the departed Aaron Rowand.Anderson covers a lot of ground in center like Rowand did,but unlike rowand,Anderson has 25-30 home run potential.But this year,any offensive production from him will be a plus.
Questions:As always,there will be questions surrounding the Sox this season,besides the obvious one-Can they repeat?
Other questions include how healthy will Scott Podsednik be,and if not,can someone like Ozuna fill his shoes properly?
Can this team tear through the AL Central again? Most likely.Despite only finishing 6 games ahead of Cleveland,the Sox destroyed their division rivals in 2005.
The Magic 8-Ball Says: The 2006 White Sox will be the 1st White Sox team ever to make it back-to-back post-season appearances.Ozzie has the horses to pull of another championship run this season.
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