2008 Woodie Awards
The View From the Bench
White Sox Repeat?
Paul Salomon
Issue date: 5/19/06 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
If you go to this school, then it's almost certain that you're from the Twin Cities, Wisconsin or Chicago. For some reason - perhaps it's a world championship - the last of these groups seems to be relentless in complaining about not being talked about in my column.
My reasons for not writing about the Chi-Sox are simple. In the first place, being from St. Louis, I have some deeply rooted hatred for the Cubs, and it sort of spills out on the rest of the city.
In the second place, I've always hated the American League in the first place. Though perhaps the White Sox are the least despicable team in that league.
Here are the facts. They led the AL Central for 162 games last year, and won the World Series. They were a sick team, and they deserved to win over the Astros.
The scary part is that they are even better. Perhaps their pitching is not as strong as it started out last year, but it will get there. The addition of Jim Thome into this lineup just blew the whole thing up. He's leading the league in home runs, and now that he gets to DH, who's to say he'll ever see the DL again?
Right now they lead the majors with a .658 win percentage, going 25-13 through their first 38 games. These are sweet numbers. No one knows when some key player will break in half, but why shouldn't they keep it up. They did it all of last year, and this roster is even better than that one.
Don't get me wrong. I said the team was scary. That doesn't mean they'll win the whole thing. They won't. (You know who will.) They'll play good ball all year, and slug a little more than last year. Look out all you Twins fans, though you've got your own problems anyway.
The Squeeze Play
The Pistons guarnasheed a game 4 victory, but the Cavs had other plans. I'm not sure the Cavs can actually beat the Pistons at home, but either way LeBron James has really come into his own. In the last few weeks of the season he hit his first game winning shot. Then he went off. He has won several games for the Cavaliers including one in which he went baseline and weaved through four guys before he got his lay-up. He's unstoppable on his own, and with the right supporting cast the Cavs could be unstoppable.
My reasons for not writing about the Chi-Sox are simple. In the first place, being from St. Louis, I have some deeply rooted hatred for the Cubs, and it sort of spills out on the rest of the city.
In the second place, I've always hated the American League in the first place. Though perhaps the White Sox are the least despicable team in that league.
Here are the facts. They led the AL Central for 162 games last year, and won the World Series. They were a sick team, and they deserved to win over the Astros.
The scary part is that they are even better. Perhaps their pitching is not as strong as it started out last year, but it will get there. The addition of Jim Thome into this lineup just blew the whole thing up. He's leading the league in home runs, and now that he gets to DH, who's to say he'll ever see the DL again?
Right now they lead the majors with a .658 win percentage, going 25-13 through their first 38 games. These are sweet numbers. No one knows when some key player will break in half, but why shouldn't they keep it up. They did it all of last year, and this roster is even better than that one.
Don't get me wrong. I said the team was scary. That doesn't mean they'll win the whole thing. They won't. (You know who will.) They'll play good ball all year, and slug a little more than last year. Look out all you Twins fans, though you've got your own problems anyway.
The Squeeze Play
The Pistons guarnasheed a game 4 victory, but the Cavs had other plans. I'm not sure the Cavs can actually beat the Pistons at home, but either way LeBron James has really come into his own. In the last few weeks of the season he hit his first game winning shot. Then he went off. He has won several games for the Cavaliers including one in which he went baseline and weaved through four guys before he got his lay-up. He's unstoppable on his own, and with the right supporting cast the Cavs could be unstoppable.
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