White Sox Finally Field A Team

In baseball, as in many sports, a team is often not just the sum of its parts. Sometimes it is more, sometimes less. The Chicago White Sox have been both over the past few seasons. With talent like Carlos Lee, Jose Valentin, and Maglio Ordonez, the Sox had the guns to win but could never get over the hump. The team was less than the sum of its players, and would inevitably collapse each September.

Now, it could be a different story. Ozzie Guillen has turned the loss of those three--and other talent--into a gain for his franchise. He still has guys like Paul Konerko, Joe Crede and Jon Garland (who the team had tried to get rid of in the off season but couldn't. Now he's 6-0 with an ERA under 2.50). And the team has added Jermaine Dye for some defensive support and Scott Podsednik for speed at the top of the line-up. Those two examples illustrate how the Sox have become a more well-rounded team. Although on paper it looks like they shouldn't be as good, they are actually better.

But don't worry, Twins fans. It's not yet September.