Chisox73
03-22-2006, 05:15 PM
The White Sox are not ready to stop at just one championship
By Joe Barbieri
SportsTicker Contributing Writer
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AmOOX9yy91s7npN5ndLBCaQRvLYF?slug=whites oxftr&prov=st&type=lgns
Tucson, Arizona (Ticker) - The Chicago White Sox made the most of their first trip to the World Series since 1959 last year. They didn't stop there.
After a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros gave the White Sox their first title in 88 years, general manager Ken Williams made the most of the offseason to put the club in position to successfully defend it.
While it would appear that a team posting wins in all but one of 14 games in October would not need much tinkering, the non-complacent Williams had other ideas. Afterall, if it wasn't for some wheeling and dealing last offseason, the White Sox may still be trying to end the curse of Shoeless Joe.
"We took 2005 away," reigning American League Manager of the Year Ozzie Guillen said. "This is a new season and the show right now is a new season. ... We have new players, new faces and this is 2006 and we have to worry about this year."
Before the annual winter meetings rolled around in early December, Williams already had traded center fielder Aaron Rowand to Philadelphia for a hungry Jim Thome coming off an injury-riddled campaign. The deal for Thome should upgrade the middle of the lineup the same way last offseason's deal for speedy Scott Podsednik did for the top of it.
A native of the Chicago area, Thome had averaged over 47 homers from 2001-04 before elbow and back issues limited him to 59 games and seven home runs last year. The White Sox are expecting Thome, who played the first 1,377 games of his major league career with Cleveland, to return to the AL Central Division as the same offensive force he was when he left it over three years ago.
"I'm excited, getting that opportunity I think is everybody's dream," said Thome, who hit a career-high 52 homers in his final season with the Indians in 2001. "To come back and play in your home state, it will be really cool, I'm looking forward to it."
Thome's return home will be part of an emotional and triumphant day as the White Sox will raise their championship banner on April 2 before squaring off against the Indians, whom Chicago swept on the final weekend of the last season to clinch just its fifth division title in the last 46 years.
It was thought the 35-year-old Thome was brought in to take the place of fellow slugging first baseman Paul Konerko, who was a free agent and apparently headed to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after posting at least 40 homers and 100 RBI for a second straight season. Instead, Thome will take the place of departed designated hitter Frank Thomas, as Williams hooked Konerko with a five-year deal for a discounted price of $60 million.
"Paulie's my leader," Guillen said. "Paulie's a guy who should be a White Sox. People love him. He's a great teammate. Shows up to play every day. I'm glad to see him in uniform."
With Thome, Konerko and World Series Most Valuable Player Jermaine Dye - who quietly led all major league right fielders with 31 homers last year after signing as a free agent - cleaning up after "smart ball" specialists Podsednik, Tadahito Iguchi and Juan Uribe, the White Sox have one of the most fearsome lineups in the major leagues.
"I'm excited to have that injury from my elbow removed but I still understand that I have to continue to do my work and stay on top of my work," Thome said. "Because with my back issue it's a constant maintenance everyday that I have to stay on top of and I understand it in this point of my career."
"(Thome) looks really healthy and if he's in there he's going to do damage," Konerko said of Thome, who was hitting .360 with a 1.063 OPS through his first 11 spring games. "During the spring it's tough to get that rhythm because guys are playing different games and he plays one day and I might not play or vice versa, but ... he looks healthy and is swinging the bat well and come April, we'll all start to play together everyday and it's good to see him out there."
The offense was only one area Williams refined in the offseason, however. He also added accomplished righthander Javier Vazquez to the rotation at the expense of a top prospect and enigmatic Orlando Hernandez, whose 5.12 ERA last year was over a run-and-a-half higher than that of the staff.
Vazquez, 29, had a 4.42 ERA as Arizona's ace in the hitter's paradise know as Bank One Ballpark last season. Now, he is arguably the best fifth starter in baseball behind Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia and 18-game winner Jon Garland.
"Javy (is) a great man for the team, I've known Javy for a long time," Guillen said. "It's a great acquisition. Javy's a great man on the field and off the field, and we are so happy to have him." Williams revamped the organization last year, and the product was a team that set a major league record by holding a lead in each of its first 37 games. While repeating that feat is unlikely, Williams looks to have another winner that should make the gap between championships much narrower than the previous one.
"We have a team that if everybody stays healthy, I see us at the top again," White Sox reliever Cliff Politte said. "It's very overwhelming, getting to and winning the World Series, but if everybody starts healthy I think we'll have a chance to do it again."
By Joe Barbieri
SportsTicker Contributing Writer
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AmOOX9yy91s7npN5ndLBCaQRvLYF?slug=whites oxftr&prov=st&type=lgns
Tucson, Arizona (Ticker) - The Chicago White Sox made the most of their first trip to the World Series since 1959 last year. They didn't stop there.
After a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros gave the White Sox their first title in 88 years, general manager Ken Williams made the most of the offseason to put the club in position to successfully defend it.
While it would appear that a team posting wins in all but one of 14 games in October would not need much tinkering, the non-complacent Williams had other ideas. Afterall, if it wasn't for some wheeling and dealing last offseason, the White Sox may still be trying to end the curse of Shoeless Joe.
"We took 2005 away," reigning American League Manager of the Year Ozzie Guillen said. "This is a new season and the show right now is a new season. ... We have new players, new faces and this is 2006 and we have to worry about this year."
Before the annual winter meetings rolled around in early December, Williams already had traded center fielder Aaron Rowand to Philadelphia for a hungry Jim Thome coming off an injury-riddled campaign. The deal for Thome should upgrade the middle of the lineup the same way last offseason's deal for speedy Scott Podsednik did for the top of it.
A native of the Chicago area, Thome had averaged over 47 homers from 2001-04 before elbow and back issues limited him to 59 games and seven home runs last year. The White Sox are expecting Thome, who played the first 1,377 games of his major league career with Cleveland, to return to the AL Central Division as the same offensive force he was when he left it over three years ago.
"I'm excited, getting that opportunity I think is everybody's dream," said Thome, who hit a career-high 52 homers in his final season with the Indians in 2001. "To come back and play in your home state, it will be really cool, I'm looking forward to it."
Thome's return home will be part of an emotional and triumphant day as the White Sox will raise their championship banner on April 2 before squaring off against the Indians, whom Chicago swept on the final weekend of the last season to clinch just its fifth division title in the last 46 years.
It was thought the 35-year-old Thome was brought in to take the place of fellow slugging first baseman Paul Konerko, who was a free agent and apparently headed to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after posting at least 40 homers and 100 RBI for a second straight season. Instead, Thome will take the place of departed designated hitter Frank Thomas, as Williams hooked Konerko with a five-year deal for a discounted price of $60 million.
"Paulie's my leader," Guillen said. "Paulie's a guy who should be a White Sox. People love him. He's a great teammate. Shows up to play every day. I'm glad to see him in uniform."
With Thome, Konerko and World Series Most Valuable Player Jermaine Dye - who quietly led all major league right fielders with 31 homers last year after signing as a free agent - cleaning up after "smart ball" specialists Podsednik, Tadahito Iguchi and Juan Uribe, the White Sox have one of the most fearsome lineups in the major leagues.
"I'm excited to have that injury from my elbow removed but I still understand that I have to continue to do my work and stay on top of my work," Thome said. "Because with my back issue it's a constant maintenance everyday that I have to stay on top of and I understand it in this point of my career."
"(Thome) looks really healthy and if he's in there he's going to do damage," Konerko said of Thome, who was hitting .360 with a 1.063 OPS through his first 11 spring games. "During the spring it's tough to get that rhythm because guys are playing different games and he plays one day and I might not play or vice versa, but ... he looks healthy and is swinging the bat well and come April, we'll all start to play together everyday and it's good to see him out there."
The offense was only one area Williams refined in the offseason, however. He also added accomplished righthander Javier Vazquez to the rotation at the expense of a top prospect and enigmatic Orlando Hernandez, whose 5.12 ERA last year was over a run-and-a-half higher than that of the staff.
Vazquez, 29, had a 4.42 ERA as Arizona's ace in the hitter's paradise know as Bank One Ballpark last season. Now, he is arguably the best fifth starter in baseball behind Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, Freddy Garcia and 18-game winner Jon Garland.
"Javy (is) a great man for the team, I've known Javy for a long time," Guillen said. "It's a great acquisition. Javy's a great man on the field and off the field, and we are so happy to have him." Williams revamped the organization last year, and the product was a team that set a major league record by holding a lead in each of its first 37 games. While repeating that feat is unlikely, Williams looks to have another winner that should make the gap between championships much narrower than the previous one.
"We have a team that if everybody stays healthy, I see us at the top again," White Sox reliever Cliff Politte said. "It's very overwhelming, getting to and winning the World Series, but if everybody starts healthy I think we'll have a chance to do it again."