Three reasons why the Chicago White Sox won the AL Central

Oct 1, 2008 - 10:06 AM By Ed Kacik PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

A full slate of 162 games wasn't enough for the Chicago White Sox to earn the American League Central title.

The White Sox and Minnesota Twins were deadlocked for the top spot in the division at the end of the regular season, forcing a one-game playoff for a spot in the postseason.

Jim Thome's seventh-inning home run proved the difference as Chicago downed the Twins, 1-0, on Tuesday to enter the playoffs for the first time since winning the World Series in 2005.

While a postseason berth ultimately came down to an extra game, there are three reasons why the White Sox will be vying for a second championship in four years in October.

1. Power hitting and an explosive offense.

Chicago's offense was almost solely based on home runs. The White Sox led the majors with 235 homers, 21 more than the second-place Philadelphia Phillies.

Carlos Quentin, who missed all of September and will likely sit out the entire postseason with a broken bone in his right wrist, led the way with 36 home runs and also had a team-high 100 RBI. Jermaine Dye and Thome both finished with 34 blasts while three other players had at least 20 homers.

Chicago also finished fourth in the AL with 811 runs and fifth with 785 RBI despite posting a .263 batting average - a testament to its power-driven lineup.

2. A manager that appears to know what buttons to push.

There are several adjectives that could be used to describe Ozzie Guillen, including "colorful," "abrasive," and "impatient." However, when discussing the White Sox' manager, it should also be noted that he is good at what he does.

Guillen's methods are certainly unorthodox - not many mangers openly criticize opponents. Guillen not only insults other teams, but he calls out his own players and front office through the media as well.

But, Guillen owns a World Series title and has led his team to winning seasons in all but one of his five years in Chicago. He helped the team overcome injuries to several key players throughout 2008 and led them to victory against three different teams over the final three days of the regular season to get in the playoffs.

"Ozzie is outspoken and all those things, but I don't know if anybody cares as much as that guy," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He really cares what goes on over there, and he has a lot of pride in the way the game is supposed to be played and the way he expects it to be played.

"And he's just really vocal about it. Some people take that wrong, but if you watch him over there, he's like a little kid back in sandlot baseball. I think we should all have a part of that in us."

3. Veteran players who know how to win.

Nearly every member of the White Sox starting lineup has experienced success throughout their careers. That winning history has carried over to their time in Chicago.

Thome will be making his seventh appearance in the postseason and advanced to the World Series twice with the Cleveland Indians in the 1990s. Shortstop Orlando Cabrera was a member of the Boston Red Sox' championship team in 2004, while utilityman Nick Swisher advanced to the American League Championship Series in 2006 with the Oakland Athletics.

First baseman Paul Konerko, right fielder Jermaine Dye, catcher A.J. Pierzynski and lefthander Mark Buehrle were all with the White Sox in 2005 during their march to the title and have used that experience to qualify for the postseason in 2008.