Rain Not on the White Sox

The Sox were rained out and the northsiders had the day off. Not much baseball to be had today. After yesterday’s analysis of the Cub roster, we thought we would take a peek at how the Sox are doing at this point.

For all of the talent in the Cubs outfield, the White Sox seem to be lacking. Outfielder Scott Podsednik got off to a hot start before getting hurt again. The team went into last night’s game with Detroit with Darin Erstad in centerfield. It looked like an all sub outfield with Erstad in center and Rob Mackowiak and Pablo Ozuna in the corners. Ozuna, who appears on the Sox roster as a backup infielder, appears to have the left field job until Podsednik returns.

None of the Sox outfielders appear to be providing much punch in the lineup. Jermaine Dye is carrying a .209 average although he has powered three home runs so far this year.

Designated hitter Jim Thome is carrying the offense on his back with a .340 batting average and five home runs, both to lead the team. Paul Konerko is hitting a paltry .203 to start the year, but has a team leading fifteen RBIs.

Despite a poor offense, the team has earned eleven wins, thanks in part to some solid pitching performances. Bobby Jenks has nailed down eight saves and has a nice 3.09 ERA. Mark Buehle has a no-hitter among his two wins and a 2.59 ERA. Javier Vasquez has also picked up a couple wins.

Besides Jenks, the bullpen has been a nice bright spot. David Aardsma, Mike MacDougal, and Andrew Sisco have all contributed nicely.

The only questionable members of the pitching staff are Matt Thornton and rookie John Danks, who picked up his third loss last night. They may want to give either Heath Phillips a shot at Danks’ turn in the rotation and offer Ryan Bukvich Thornton’s seat in the pen. Both have gotten off to hot starts in Charlotte.

Altogether, it is hard to find fault in a team that is winning more than losing. The boys from the south side are just a game and a half back of the Indians. With 140 plus games left, lets buckle up and see how far Manager Ozzie Guillen can steer this bus.