Chicago White Sox 2008 Season Ends with Reasons For Optimism

I wanted to post last night. I really did. But I was shocked, surprised, and disappointed by the White Sox loss at home to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of ALDS that I decided I would wait a day. I wanted to let the agony yesterday sink in and coalesce with the general excitement I felt for most of the season. I did not want to post something negative if the disappointment would only be temporary. But I also did not want to give the White Sox the blogging equivalent of a handjob if their accomplishments for this season, and the prospects for the future, did not deserve it.

So I decided to wait until the morning, and as crushing as last night’s loss was, I still feel pretty positive about the White Sox. I certainly feel positive about this season. As I recall, most of the pundits were picking the White Sox to finish 3rd or 4th in the division. Cleveland and Detroit were the “it” teams in the offseason. Way to step it up Indians and Tigers. I remember talking with KVB at the start of the year, recalling how every time the White Sox are picked to do nothing we end up having a good season: 2000, 2005, 2008, just name a few seasons. With the additions of Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera I thought this team could be better. And it was, because we all remember how God-awful 2007 was.

And even though the White Sox flamed out in the first round, with a 1-3 series loss to the upstart Tampa Bay Rays, I consider this season to be resounding success. Here are three key reasons why:

1. We found some young pitchers to build around in Gavin Floyd and John Danks. Mark Buehrle is and will continue to be the ace of our pitching staff. Javier Vazquez? Who knows. He’s a good April-June pitcher, but the ‘ol sphincter starts to tighten once the games get more important and I’m just not sure we can trust him to win game games. I don’t know what the report is on Jose Contreras, but I certainly hope he is back healthy at some point next year. With question marks surrounding Javy and Jose Contreras, just think where we would be without the emergence of Gavin Floyd and John Danks. These two guys proved that they can be reliable starters over a 162-game season, and that they have the ability (although Gavin did not show it yesterday) to step in clutch situations. I feel good about Buehrle-Floyd-Danks topping our rotation moving forward. And I would not be shocked to see Clayton Richard in the rotation or pitching key relief innings next year. I like him, and he showed me a little something down the stretch and in the playoffs.
2. Carlos Quentin. The White Sox found their next superstar, and this guy was the runaway MVP if he doesn’t get hurt. I think the injury will give him extra motivation next year, and he’ll have another strong season. He’s young, he’s tough, he’s clutch, and he is just a solid all-around player. The South Side will continue to fall in love with this kid for years.
3. Alexei Ramirez. He will most likely be manning the shortstop next year, and proved that his success with the bat in Cuba could translate to the majors. I’d love to see his combination of speed and power higher up in the order, but he may be best served hitting 6th or 7th to drive in our slow boppers in the middle of the order. The negative is that they can clog the bases for Alexei. Either way, Alexei Ramirez is special and someone to build around.

(I know I said three reasons, but let me add more: Matt Thornton. He had a great season and provided stability to a sometimes shaky bullpen. I hope we lock him up longterm because worst-case-scenario he is a superb specialist to get lefties. The best and more probable case is that he is bridging the 8th inning gap to Bobby Jenks for the next few years).

You will notice a theme in all of the aforementioned reasons why I consider 2008 to be a successful season for the AL Central Champion Chicago White Sox: they are positive signs for the future. I think our franchise is set up pretty well to match or exceed this year’s success next season. We have a GM in Ken Williams who is committed to doing whatever it takes and taking smart chances (Danks for McCarthy, Floyd for Garcia, Quentin for peanuts, signing Alexei) to improve our team. We have a manager who is dynamic, more cunning and smart that people give him credit for, who can adjust his style to match his team, who has the respect of the veterans, and who has proven is ability already with a World Series title. We also have an owner in Jerry Reinsdorf who has proven he will step up to the plate and spend money to field a winning team. And, finally, with a solid stable of veterans who have at least 1-2 more years of solid play while bridging the gap to the future with young guys and newcomers over the next few seasons.

No doubt there will changes for the White Sox in 2009. Orlando Cabrera will likely be gone, as will Ken Griffey Jr. 2005 stalwarts and South Side veterans Joe Crede and Juan Uribe will probably be gone too. Javier Vazquez? I don’t know his contract situation be it seems to me that it would be hard for him to stay around with his last season failures and the lack of the confidence Ozzie has in him. And one can only hope that Boone Logan and Ehren Wasserman are no longer taking the ball and toeing the rubber at U.S. Cellular Field for the White Sox ever again. Nick Swisher’s role on next year’s team seems to be up in the air. Harold Reynolds made a good point yesterday about Swisher being an energy guy and a switch-hitter, and that this predisposes him to needing regular playing time to be effective. I agree. I’d love to see a role for Swish on next year’s team because he quickly became one of my favorites when he joined the team.

Who will be brought in? We shall see. Probably a speedy centerfielder who can hit a little bit. It will be interesting to see if guys like Chris Getz, Gordan Beckham, Josh Fields, Lance Broadway, etc step into regular roles at any point next year. And let’s not put it past Ken Williams to find a diamond in the rough somewhere along the way in the offseason that turns into a star. At this point last year, who would have thought that Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez would be looked at as cornerstones for the future?

The 2008 season ended with a disappointing 6-2 whimper from the White Sox last night at U.S. Cellular Field, but it came on the heels of one of the most exciting 7-day stretches in the history of White Sox baseball. Let’s not lose sight of that Sox fans. The seasons is over, but it was a great and successful season that will result in some sort of banner or flag flying in U.S. Cellular Field forever proclaiming this team as 2008 AL Central Champions. In a season in which we supposed to finish 3rd, our best player was hurt for the final month of the season, our other All-Star was hurt and non-existent after the break, and in which we were completely one-dimensional offensively, being able to call yourself one of six division champions in baseball is nothing to take lightly.

Congratulations on a great 2008 White Sox. I am already looking forward to a successful 2009.

And Sox fans, even though today is rough, remember: at least you aren’t a Cubs fan!

[tags]chicago white sox, baseball, mlb[/tags]

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