2003: A Look Into the Crystal Ball

[Chisoxfn]

2003: A Look Into the Crystal Ball - Part 1

By Matt Michel

 

Just click on the link above, cause this article is much easier to read on the main page so you can take full advantage of the color coding breakdown.

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A little less than a year ago White Sox fans across the world were getting revved up for the 2002 championship campaign for our beloved pale hose. The perennial division powerhouse in Cleveland had been disassembled, the Twins were coming off a dismal 2001 second half performance, and the Royals and Tigers were, well, the Royals and Tigers.

 

It was our year.

 

And then it all came crumbling down.

 

But in the ashes of the 2002 White Sox (and man, did they ever crash and burn), the phoenix that is the 2003 White Sox seems poised to recapture the attention of Sox fans. The Sox feature a mix of young leadership and enthusiasm. Guided by the leadership of the superstar Magglio Ordonez, staff ace Mark Buehrle, and fan favorite/All-Star Paul Konerko; to go with young up-and-coming stars like Jon Garland, Dan Wright, D'Angelo Jimenez, Joe Crede, Miguel Olivo, and (of course) Joe Borchard the Sox have one of the most solid cores for a winning team in their laps. In retrospect, after a solid September, the Sox do look like a team on the cusp of being a contender, rather than a pretender.

 

And as the 2002 World Series has just ended, it's only natural for Sox fans to begin to look forward to next year and hope that just maybe, "next year is our year." For space and attention span's sake, in this first installment we'll look at the position players; where people look like they may end up and what moves the Sox need to make to thrust themselves over the top.

(NOTE, we will only project players who finished 2003 with the Sox, but at the end of every position subcategory, there will be an explanation as to what moves the Sox need to make).

 

COLOR CODE: Green = Lock to make 2003 Team, Yellow = 50/50 Chance, Red = won't make team or shouldn't. These colors only indicate whether or not a player should make the team out of Spring Training. Also, 2003 predictions are only projected stats if the player in question plays for the White Sox.

 

MARK JOHNSON (2003 Prediction: 75 G, .211 BA, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 0 SB)

Johnson has been the #1 catcher on the Sox for a while (which tells you how really bad we are here), and 2003 should be no different. Like him or not, he is still the best defensive option the Sox have. Considering his competition is Josh Paul and Miguel Olivo, Johnson should have no problems getting a spot on the 2003 squad, and more than likely will be the Opening Day starter.

 

MIGUEL OLIVO (17 Games - .219 BA, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 0 SB)

Olivo's fate lies more in the hands of GM Kenny Williams more so than manager Jerry Manuel for the simple fact that if Williams goes out and gets a rent-a-player for a year to fill in the catching duties, Olivo will more than likely get another year of development in Charlotte. If Williams sits on his hands and stays with his current catching corps, Olivo will end up in a race with Josh Paul for the second catchers spot on the roster. Either way, Olivo is the catcher of the future and should not be on the roster unless he gets plenty of playing time.

 

JOSH PAUL (18 Games - .220, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB)

Easily the worst defensive option, Paul's time as the Sox catcher has run up. Either he will be shipped to Charlotte upon arrival of a new catcher or should lose a spring training battle with Olivo to platoon with MJ. Paul may make an appearance in September or earlier if someone gets hurt, but don't expect too much out of Josh - he's just not that good.

 

Review: The Sox have been in desperate need of a veteran catching presence for a year or so, and preferably one with stable knees. Catching is one of the key holes on this team that needs to be addressed before the Sox expect to go anywhere soon. No team will go anywhere in the postseason with a platoon of Johnson/Olivo or Johnson/Paul.

 

PAUL KONERKO (152 Games - .308, 31 HR, 112 RBI, 0 SB)

Before the start of the 2002 campaign Paul Konerko was still being thrown around as trade bait. Many argued over who the Sox should dump, Carlos Lee or Paul? Well, Paul responded with a breakout year and All-Star berth. He has established himself as the first baseman South Siders should expect to pencil in for years now.

 

FRANK THOMAS (152 Games - .307, 30 HR, 103 RBI, 0 SB)

If Frank returns to the Sox, he will of course be on the Opening Day roster as the DH. If he doesn't, he will be elsewhere. It's that simple. While it's easy to rip on Frank for his horrible first half performance, his September surge appears to be a sign that he finally began to recover from his torn triceps.

Thomas is too valuable a piece of Sox history and this team to just throw away. Frank should be back and Sox fans will not be disappointed.

 

Review: Knowing Manuel, the Sox will probably experiment by playing Jon Garland at first on his off days or something. Regardless, Konerko should be the mainstay at first for 2003 and many years to come.

Minor League players to watch: Casey Rogowski

 

D'ANGELO JIMENEZ (155 Games - .266, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 22 SB)

You know, as much as I like to blame Kenny Williams for everything that has ever caused pain to mankind, it does look like he may have found a diamond in the rough when he picked up D'Angelo Jimenez from San Diego for minor leaguers Alex Fernandez and Humberto Quintero. In only a month or so of action Jimenez showed his handiness with the bat and his ability with the leather. While he can be used anywhere on the infield, it is looking likely that Jimenez will be our Opening Day second baseman.

 

WILLIE HARRIS (27 Games - .234, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 16 SB)

Make no qualms about it, Willie Harris is a solid player and may one day develop into a solid starter, but he's not there yet, and with Valentin and Jimenez in his way, there is no reason to rush Harris to the show when he's clearly not ready to face Major League pitching. A little more seasoning in Charlotte is what the doctored should order for Mr. Willie Harris.

 

Review: If Jimenez is the real deal, then the Sox may have found a solution to replace Ray Durham. If not, then this will quickly become a weakness for the South Siders.

Minor Leauge player to watch: Tim Hummel, Edwin Yan, Aaron Miles

 

JOE CREDE (153 Games - .280, 26 HR, 87 RBI, 7 SB)

All right. No more holding Joe in Charlotte. No more head scratching by Sox fans as they read their papers and see Crede mash the ball in AAA. Joe's time finally arrived and he showed he was ready for it. After starting in a bit of a slump, Crede turned it on and hit .285, 12 homers, and drove in 35 runs in his 53 games in the show last year.

 

His little to no competition at third should help Joe in giving him the mindset that he doesn't have to be a superstar to hang onto his job. Crede may be on the cusp of becoming a star for many years for the White Sox.

 

Review: We don't know what Williams had against Crede, but thank God that he didn't stick him in the doghouse, a la Sean Lowe. Crede can play and should finally establish himself as the replacement for Robin Ventura, something he was pegged to be so many years ago.

 

JOSE VALENTIN (144 Games - .256, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 5 SB)

Finally! The debate between Royce Clayton and Jose Valentin is no more! After being the sparkplug for the 2000 Championship squad and turning down other deals to play elsewhere to stay with the Sox, Jose Valentin was rewarded by losing his job. After two turbulent seasons with Clayton, Valentin should finally be given his job back.

 

As for his offense, it depends on where Jose bats. When he bats #2 in the order, before the juggernaut of Thomas, Ordonez, and Konerko, he should get to feast on fastballs and hence, his production jumps. However, if Valentin bats 6th in the order, he likely won't see much as much.

 

TONY GRAFFANINO (72 Games - .261, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 6 SB)

Don't be fooled by the yellow. I whole-heartedly want Graffanino to be back with the Sox, but before we welcome him with open arms, the Sox need to ensure that Tony is fully recovered from his torn ACL injury he suffered at the end of the season. Graffanino was never much of a star to begin with, so for him to be an effective member of the 2003 White Sox he must be healthy.

 

If Graffanino isn't ready by season's open, I do foresee him returning to the Sox when he has proven himself ready to play in the minors. He is a great addition to the team and a versatile player off the bench.

 

Review: With no competition in sight, Valentin has at least another year or so as the Sox shortstop.

Minor League players to watch: Guillermo Reyes, Andy Gonzalez

 

MAGGLIO ORDONEZ (152 Games - .335, 36 HR, 142 RBI, 6 SB)

What can I say about Magglio that hasn't been said? This is Magglio's team now. He is the brightest star that they have. While he doesn't get the media attention he deserves, Maggs has developed into a bona fide five-tool superstar. He plays on a level that few people can even comprehend. And yes, he'll be around for a long time, Sox fans.

 

AARON ROWAND (67 Games - .260, 7 HR, 36 RBI, 11 SB)

Should Aaron be on the Opening Day roster? Yes. Should Aaron be an Opening Day starter? No. While Rowand has proven himself a capable Major League player, he has yet to prove he is good enough to start everyday for a team that can compete consistently for jewelry. His skills are average at best, and while he would be quite a commodity coming off the bench, if the Sox are serious about contending they would go out and find themselves a true centerfielder/lead-off man (Juan Pierre?)

 

CARLOS LEE (127 Games - .271, 22 HR, 92 RBI, 3 SB)

The debate has raged for a few years. Should the Sox dump Carlos Lee or should they keep him? After busting out of his yearlong slump, Carlos quietly put together one of the better offensive seasons for the Sox last year. Given that, and the fact that Joe Borchard is probably another year away from being ready to play everyday for the Sox, Carlos is more than likely going to hang around the South Side for one more year. However, you never know. Maybe Kenny will surprise us, but I really hope not.

 

JOE BORCHARD (38 Games - .278, 6 HR, 31 RBI, 0 SB)

While we were teased with glimpses of Borchard last September, for anyone to realistically believe that he is ready to jump in the lineup and produce as a big leaguer day in and day out may be kidding themselves a little. With the Sox realistically not going anywhere next year, there is no need to rush Borchard to the Majors. He definitely needs to cut down on the strikeouts before he is ready to start as a big leaguer. However, like last year, Joe should make regularly scheduled appearances at Comiskey Park next September.

 

JEFF LIEFER (82 Games - .241, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 0 SB)

Oh, Jeff Liefer. If I never see you in a Sox uniform again, it will be too soon. Liefer's fate rests in the hands of GM Kenny Williams and how he handles the situation in center and left field. If Williams believes that the Sox are fine starting Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand, Liefer will probably be kept around as a left-handed bat off the bench. However, if Williams goes out and finds a center fielder or left fielder, it will more than likely push Rowand and Lee down the ladder, and Liefer does not have the skills to compete for a 4th outfielder spot. His only benefit is that he is a lefty.

 

Review: The Sox need a center fielder! Rowand just isn't capable of starting on a quality team. If Williams can get himself a younger, healthy center fielder who can bat lead off, he will have filled one of the two gaping holes on this team. With no great prospects near Chicago, the Sox are going to need to look elsewhere to solve their outfield questions.

Minor League players to watch: Anthony Webster, Jeremy Reed

[BridgeportHeather]

doublem,

 

That was a fantastic article! The way you write your articles totally amazes me, and you are on the money in this article. Keep up the good work

[Guest hotsoxchick1]

doub.. nice article... but you foregot the part which says we wont ever have a winning team here untill kenny williams is gone..................sorry to burst your bubble but it just aint going to happen......kenny is riding this team right into the ground...........

[doubleM23]

Originally posted by hotsoxchick1

doub.. nice article... but you foregot the part which says we wont ever have a winning team here untill kenny williams is gone..................sorry to burst your bubble but it just aint going to happen......kenny is riding this team right into the ground...........

 

Hey, I'm 19... I'll outlive both Williams and Reinsy. I can be a bit optimistic.

[Mr. Showtime]

Originally posted by doubleM23Hey, I'm 19... I'll outlive both Williams and Reinsy.  I can be a bit optimistic.

 

With your attitude and ego, don't be so sure.

[doubleM23]

Originally posted by Mr. Showtime

Originally posted by doubleM23Hey, I'm 19... I'll outlive both Williams and Reinsy.  I can be a bit optimistic.

 

With your attitude and ego, don't be so sure.

 

Touche

[Guest hotsoxchick1]

well hells bells.. i always thought the object here was to win a world series before we all die.... now im told that as long as you outlive kw and jr then things will be ok.... whew im glad you cleared that up for me.........so how many more years do you think this will take... ill have to start making a deal with the devil to make sure im still alive when it all pans out...........

[Mike South24]

Originally posted by doubleM23

Originally posted by hotsoxchick1

doub.. nice article... but you foregot the part which says we wont ever have a winning team here untill kenny williams is gone..................sorry to burst your bubble but it just aint going to happen......kenny is riding this team right into the ground...........

 

Hey, I'm 19... I'll outlive both Williams and Reinsy. I can be a bit optimistic.

 

My Grandmother lived 65 years and never saw a sox WS winner. The way it looks, you and I wont either. :puke