At the break: Five things we should have known about the White Sox
The White Sox on Sunday ended the first half of the season a lot like they played most of 2007 - poorly.
Starting pitcher Jose Contreras and relievers Boone Logan and Adam Russell were ineffective in a 12-11 loss at Texas. And the Sox' offense, despite piling up runs while getting 22 hits against the Rangers, should have scored many more.
Fortunately for the White Sox, it was only one game. They still pulled into the all-star break with a 54-40 record and have held down first place in the AL Central for two months.
How have the Sox turned it around this season? Maybe, at the start, we should have known about these five things:
King Quentin
Many have tried to explain left fielder Carlos Quentin's gargantuan first half.
After working behind the plate at Kansas City last week, umpire Dan Iassogna provided the best analysis.
"He's Jeff Bagwell,'' Iassogna said. "He stands up on the plate and dares the pitcher to beat him. He's incredibly strong and his back leg never moves. And he doesn't miss many pitches.''
Last season, Quentin played in 81 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks and batted .214 with 5 home runs and 31 RBI. After joining the White Sox in an off-season trade for minor-leaguer Chris Carter, Quentin is batting .276 with 22 home runs and 70 RBI.
"If you look at the big picture, I guess it's a long way to come,'' said Quentin, one of two White Sox (also third baseman Joe Crede) to make the American League all-star team.
Budding ace
Much like Quentin, starting pitcher John Danks wasn't much of a factor last season.
The left-hander flashed signs of brilliance during the first half of the season, but Danks unraveled after the break while going 1-7 with a 7.11 ERA.
Instead of going into a shell, Danks went to the gym during the off-season and added 10 pounds of muscle. More important, the 23-year-old Texan added a cut fastball and instantly became one of the league's top starters this season.
Danks' record is 7-4, but he'd be in double digits with more offensive support. More telling is his 2.67 ERA, which ranks fourth in the league.
Gavin Floyd (10-5, 3.63 ERA), the Sox' other unproven starter at the start of the season, also had an impressive first half.
Can Danks and Floyd keep up the pace after the all-star break?
"They believe they can pitch in this league,'' manager Ozzie Guillen said. "They have the stuff. I think they will continue to stay strong enough to survive in the second half. I don't have any doubt those guys turned the corner already.''
Breaking down?
Paul Konerko has been as durable as any player in baseball over the past decade.
That changed in the first half of the season. First, Konerko needed a cortisone shot to ease the pain in his right hand.
The White Sox' 32-year-old first baseman then landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career, missing 20 games with a strained left oblique muscle.
Konerko had a miserable first half, batting .217 with 9 home runs and 34 RBI. That has led to speculation about moving Nick Swisher to first and having Konerko platoon at designated hitter with Jim Thome.
If his slump carries over into the second half, Guillen might consider the drastic shift. But for now, Konerko is staying put.
"Paulie had done a lot of good things for us,'' Guillen said. "I'm not the type of manager to give up on players just like that.''
What a relief
A bad bullpen has already knocked the Cleveland Indians out of contention in the AL Central, and poor relief pitching is the main reason the highly touted Detroit Tigers are 47-47 at the break.
The White Sox endured similar woes with their relievers last season, but the addition of Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel, along with the reemergence of Matt Thornton, have been huge.
Guillen was rumored to be on the hot seat throughout the 2007 season. Thanks to the improved performance by the bullpen this year, he's back to being a genius.
Missile launch
The Sox didn't know what to do with Alexei Ramirez in spring training.
His best position was shortstop, but Ramirez wasn't going to beat out Orlando Cabrera. He also played center field, but Ramirez wasn't going to start in front of Nick Swisher.
When Juan Uribe went on the disabled list in mid-May, Ramirez took over at second base and made the most of the opportunity.
Not only is the "Cuban Missile'' batting a robust .312, he seems to make a spectacular defensive play once or twice a game.