Tigers, Twins, Sox ... it's up for grabs in AL Central

Seventeenth in a series

Editor's note: As the countdown continues toward the April 6 opener for the White Sox, Daily Herald Sports Writer Scot Gregor offers his analysis of each position on the team and the key issues facing the club this season.

Q. How do you explain what happened to the Tigers last year and what lessons can be taken from it?

Gregor: Just about everybody had the Tigers winning the World Series after they added Miguel Cabrera, Dontrelle Willis and Edgar Renteria to an already star-studded team.

There were just two problems - injuries took a big toll on the Tigers' bullpen, and the age factor caught up to them later in the season.

It's an old cliché, but you don't win games on paper. That's why the Sox should ignore predictions from publications like Baseball Prospectus, which usually is off the mark.

Q. How good is this Ron Gardenhire guy? Every year his Twins seem to be in the thick of things. Do you expect them to be there again this season?

Gregor: This is the last season for the Metrodome, and the Twins are difficult to beat in baseball's worst stadium.

But even when they move to an outdoor ballpark in 2010, Minnesota should still be competitive, and that's a tribute to Gardenhire.

Managers often get too much credit for good teams and take too much blame for bad ones, but Gardenhire is among the best managers in baseball because his teams always play the game the right way.

Q. Has Kansas City become a team to be reckoned with yet?

Gregor: Adding Coco Crisp and Mike Jacobs to an up-and-coming team could very well push the Royals into rare air - a contending team.

While finishing fourth in the AL Central ahead of Detroit last season, Kansas City went 18-8 in September.

That's why many are projecting the Royals to follow in the footsteps of the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays.

Q. Break down how you see the race in the Central panning out.

Gregor: I can see every team presenting a case for winning the division.

The Twins always seem to be competitive. The Sox have a veteran nucleus and some promising young talent. The Indians should bounce back big if Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez are healthy. The Tigers' offense is too good to come up short again. The Royals are no longer the AL laughingstock.

Should be a great - and close - race.

Q. The White Sox will win the Central if ...

Gregor: You always have to look at pitching.

If the Sox get a big year from Bartolo Colon, they are going to be tough to beat. If Jose Contreras comes back early and contributes as well, watch out.

Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and John Danks are solid at the top of the rotation, and the bullpen should be fine if Scott Linebrink returns to form.

• Got a question about the Sox for Scot Gregor? Visit his blog, Chicago's Inside Pitch, to share your questions and comments.