Chicago White Sox 2009 Season Preview

Leading up to the start of the 2009 Regular Season, Diamond Hoggers will preview each of MLB’s 30 teams. Today’s team is the Chicago White Sox. Stay tuned as Diamond Hoggers will preview every team division by division until the start of the regular season.

Baseball is a funny game. Who would have thought that Carlos Quentin could have gone from heap prospect to AL MVP candidate in one short year? The guy is the headliner of the entire organization now. The White Sox found their gem in the rough. He will be the centerpiece of their lineup this upcoming season and possibly for the next decade.

Leading off will be center fielder, and scrappy player Jerry Owens. Alexei Ramirez is considered to be a super prospect, bet expect some growing pains before he’s able to put up superstar numbers. It won’t happen overnight like many are expecting. We think he’s a year away at least. Ageless Jim Thome will follow Quentin as the cleanup hitter, and if his back can hold together he’ll hit his 30 homers. Jermaine Dye follows up Thome in the lineup and it really is amazing what he’s been able to sustain despite approaching his upper 30’s. One of these years Dye will break down. Will it be this year? Paul Konerko is another aging slugger who can hit if he can stay healthy. The biggest dick in all of baseball is A.J. Pierzynski. The guy gets big hits at clutch times and is a player that you love to hate no matter who you’re a fan of. Josh Fields is a sleeper at third base. Chris Getz should win the second base job out of camp. Wilson Betemit and Brian Anderson will provide depth from the bench.

The rotation is a real toss up and will determine (along with player health) if this team can make a run for the division title again. They have the firepower to do so. Mark Buerhle is the #1 by definition while Gavin Floyd is filed as another gem in the rough find. He’ll be the number two. John Danks and Bartolo Colon (who is probably 46 now) follow him up. The fifth starter is likely to be Clayton Richard.

The bullpen is highlighted by a dominant closer in Bobby Jenks. When he comes into a ballgame it is usually over. Octavio Dotel, Scott Linebrink and D.J. Carrasco are other penners that should have success.

Ozzie Guillen is a snotty little prick of a manager. There’s nothing we’d like to see more then Ozzie get himself into some hot water by losing too many games. Unfortunately, it probably won’t be this year. As long as they finish 3rd, we’ll be happy.