The Chicago White Sox 2005

Published on April 18, 2005 By Jamie Burnside In Sports & Leisure

As I write this I am watching the Twins/ White Sox game on television. Tonight's game is the fourth between the two teams this year. Early on, the White Sox lead the season series 2-1.

This year's Sox team is said to be built on speed and defense more than previous teams. There has been a big turnover of personnel, and so far it seems that it is paying off. (The White Sox are among the best teams early-on.)

(Thank goodness Jose Valentin is gone to Los Angeles. He'd always hit a few homers each time he heads to the dome in Minneapolis.)

I think that it is interesting how well the White Sox seem to do whenever Frank Thomas is on the shelf. He started this season injured, and the White Sox are among the hottest teams in baseball. Last year the Sox were able to stay in the mix in the AL Central as long as they didn't have "The Big Hurt" in the lineup. There must be some sort of issue that Thomas brings to the park that ends up bringing the team down.

As a Twins fan, I'd like to wish Frank Thomas a speedy recovery!

Comments

Eastern Diamondback

on Apr 21, 2005

Well, Jamie, it looks like the Sox are kicking ass and taking names-so far, at least. I've got to call you on your Frank Thomas thoughts.

think that it is interesting how well the White Sox seem to do whenever Frank Thomas is on the shelf. He started this season injured, and the White Sox are among the hottest teams in baseball. Last year the Sox were able to stay in the mix in the AL Central as long as they didn't have "The Big Hurt" in the lineup. There must be some sort of issue that Thomas brings to the park that ends up bringing the team down.

Frank Thomas drama is usually played up more in the media than it is elsewhere. We do better when Frank is around. We haven't gone to the playoffs since 2000, when he lost out on the MVP award to the juiced up Giambi. When Frank is doing well, the Sox are doing well. We need him in there.

And I'm kind of glad Valentin is gone. Those extra home runs from an SS don't really makeup for a .230 average and 30 errors.

Jamie Burnside

on Apr 22, 2005

This is interesting. The only exposure I get to the White Sox is the 15-20 times that they play the Twins each year. I was so happy when I found out that Valentin was gone. That guy was a major impact player in each Twins/ White Sox game I saw.

Eastern Diamondback

on Apr 22, 2005

This is interesting. The only exposure I get to the White Sox is the 15-20 times that they play the Twins each year.

If you have WGN on cable it is possible to watch a few more games a year. WGN plays Both Cubs and White Sox games.

I was so happy when I found out that Valentin was gone. That guy was a major impact player in each Twins/ White Sox game I saw.

Sometimes a player is notorious for the damage he causes for against one specific team. The Cubs are all too familiar with Carlos Lee during our Sox-Cubs Crosstown Series (which really are miniature civil wars within Chicagoland. I bet plenty of their fans were nervous when he was traded to divisional foes, Milwaukee.

Jamie Burnside

on Apr 23, 2005

I used to watch the White Sox on WGN, but those announcers drive me nuts. It is okay to be "homers", but those guys take it way too far. (Maybe they've gotten better since the last time I saw them in about 1992...) You know which announce team I miss? Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola doing Saturday afternoon games on NBC. Those guys were the ones who originally got me interested in baseball.

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