White Sox Notes

We haven’t written too much about the Sox lately, with the Bulls and NFL Draft taking over the last few weeks, but here’s what we’ve noticed over the first 28 games.

• They may be in fourth in the division and four games back of the Indians, but the Sox 14-14 start is pretty amazing when you consider they’re hitting an American League worst .221. We don’t know what’s more surprising, the fact that they’re not hitting or that they’re still winning without hitting. Last year, the only thing you could count from the White Sox was that they were going to pound the ball every game, no matter what. Remember, they were the only team in the major leagues with four guys to blast 30 or more homers. This year, three of those four guys are hitting below .220. Dye has six homers and 16 driven in, but he came into today’s game hitting just .217. Same story for Konerko who’s at .204. Joe Crede, who finally broke out offensively last year, is also struggling, hitting just .208 with only 2 homeruns.

• Part of the offensive problems stem from the fact that no one is getting one base. We’re not even a month and a half into the new season, and it already seems like this year’s White Sox are going to break the record for Most Solo Homeruns. Coming into today’s game they were tied for last in the AL with a .307 on-base percentage. The only guy drawing any walks is Jim Thome, and of course he’s on the DL right now. Thome is first on the team with 25 walks; after him it’s Iguchi with 13, Konerko with 12, and Dye with 11. Erstad has been ok so far, but clearly the Sox need to get Podsednik back so those dingers start counting for more then one.

• The reason the Sox are at .500 right now with the worst offense in baseball is because the pitching has been lights out. The staff is fifth in the AL with a 3.92 ERA and has surrendered just 24 home runs. Tampa Bay and Texas have both already given up 40. All five members of the starting rotation have been reliable so far, despite a lack of run support. Buerhle’s no hitter obviously skewers his stats a little, but he has 22 strikeouts to only 5 walks and has also only given up 4 home runs. He struggled last year in largely because he gave up a career high 36 home runs. Jon Garland has been a hard luck loser several times already this season, picking up his first win yesterday, but he’s leading the rotation in innings pitched and has a WHIP at just 1.06. Contreras, Vazquez, and Danks have also been good; if the Sox can keep consistency in the rotation, that’s going to be huge in a very tough AL Central division.

• Speaking of Danks, he’s making Kenny Williams look pretty smart right now. His statistics are extremely deceiving, going 0-4 with a 5.02 ERA and an opponents batting average at .274, but he’s pitched well in almost every start. When you compare him with the man he was traded for, Brandon McCarthy, the White Sox have clearly gotten the best of the deal so far. McCarthy is 2-4 with an ERA around 7 and has more walks then strikeouts for the Rangers this season.

• The bullpen, which was the reason the Sox didn’t make the playoffs last season, has been pretty good so far. Jenks has been alright, 9 saves and a 3/1 strikeout to walk ratio, but his 3.95 ERA is almost identical to last season. The new arms Kenny Williams got this offseason have been great throughout the season, all three of those guys are young and they all throw hard. David Aardsma might be the best pitcher on the team right now, with a 1.72 ERA and 23 K’s in just over 15 innings. Nick Massett and Andrew Sisco have been solid too, Sisco with a 3.2 ERA and Massett’s at 3.68. The only problem so far has been Matt Thornton, who was the surprise of last season, but is struggling so far with an ERA close to 7.