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The embattled White Sox stood at 14-29 on the morning of May 24. David Wells, counted on to lead the team to the World Series, had just been lit up the night before in a loss to Toronto, Chicago's eighth straight loss. Frank Thomas was gone for the year. Given how dire the situation looked for the Sox that morning, that the team finished well over .500 can only be viewed as a success. That Magglio Ordonez and Co. found a way to win at a .580 clip from that point on was all the more impressive since the team did it with a bunch of unknowns on the mound. Five pitchers were lost to season-ending surgery over the course of the year. Only Mark Buehrle stayed in the rotation all year long.
Best Pitcher: Buehrle, without a doubt. He went from winning a spot in the rotation in spring training to posting the fourth-best ERA in the American League. Buehrle managed to win 15 games, with an outstanding 3.29 ERA. Opponents hit just .239 against him. If the Sox play their cards right, they have an ace for years to come in this guy.
Best Position Player: A no-brainer here as well. Ordonez (.305-31-113) has developed into one of the finest hitters in the league, posting a .300 average and 30 or more home runs for the third consecutive season. Carlos Lee (.269-24-84) gave Ordonez a run for his money during the first half of the season, but he faded, hitting just .223 in the second half. Hats off to young Jeff Liefer, who proved he can hit major league pitching with 18 homers in just 254 at-bats.
Grading The Manager: That Jerry Manuel, he's just too fiery for us. Watching him in the dugout during a game, it's hard not to imagine that he is Billy Martin reincarnated. But seriously folks: Say what you want about his laid-back style, Manuel found a way to turn this team around. In fact, his quiet leadership was key given the tumultuous state of things on the south side for much of the year. When GM Ken Williams wasn't threatening to trade Ordonez and Lee, and anyone else for that matter, Wells and Thomas were trading barbs about the state of each other's injuries. A manager able to keep his cool under those conditions, considering the horrid start the team had, deserves our kudos. We'll give him a B+.
Most Improved: What a long road it was for RHP Jon Garland. The team was counting on him out of spring training, but he wasn't impressive and was sent to the minors. But when the Sox lost Wells in late June (not to mention Jim Parque and Cal Eldred), it became clear that Garland would have to play a role in the rotation, ready or not. Garland proved himself up for the task, putting together a decent season in which he started 15 games and finished with a sub-four ERA.
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White Sox 2000-01 comparison
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2000
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2001
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W-L
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95-67
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83-79
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HR leader
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Thomas, 43
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Konerko, 32
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BA leader
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Thomas, .328
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Ordonez, .305
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ERA
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Sirotka, 3.79
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Buehrle, 3.29
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Biggest Weakness: We've said good things about two starters, but in the wake of all of the injuries, the rotation was the weak link here. Eleven different starters took the mound this year in Chicago, including a few who didn't appear ready for the big leagues. Kip Wells and Sean Lowe filled in admirably, and Rocky Biddle ate up some innings, but the team will need better luck in the injury department next year if the Sox want to take another step forward.
Gaining Momentum: Aaron Rowand. His numbers had always been good in the minors, but few expected he'd have similar success in the bigs. Had he not sprained his shoulder crashing into a wall on Aug. 8, he'd have probably put up more gaudy numbers, but the team is impressed with the .293-4-20 season he put together in 123 at-bats. We'll see more of him in the future. And what about that Royce Clayton? His average was at .108 on May 29. That's a measly 11 hits in 102 at-bats. He was understandably benched, but snapped out of that slump and put together a decent season, hitting .311 the rest of the way. With his obvious defensive prowess, he'll likely return and help the team next year.
Kicked Off The Island: Along those lines, Chris Singleton appears destined to be voted off. It's not that he didn't have a good year; a .298 average is nice to have from a fourth outfielder. Still, Singleton whined during the summer and clearly wants to go somewhere where he'll have more of a chance to play. In nearly 400 at-bats, he hit seven homers and stole 12-of-23 bases. The Sox likely want more from a full-time guy. Don't expect him to return.
Bill Konigsberg is an assistant editor at ESPN.com.
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