White Pitcher

1 Aug, 2005 in art pottery by admin

White Pitcher

Chicago White Sox Tickets - Peavy Makes The White Sox A Sleeper In Al Central

After winning the World Series just a few years back, the Chicago White Sox have had a rough couple of seasons in the AL Central. As has been the case for the last couple of seasons, however, the AL Central appears to be one of the most up-in-the-air divisions in all of baseball and the White Sox could be in a position to capitalize.

Though a Wild Card berth is unlikely due mainly to the high talent levels of the Red Sox and Rays, the White Sox could be in prime position to make a push at winning the division and making it back to the playoffs, which would once again make <a href="http://www.stubhub.com/chicago-white-sox-tickets/">Chicago White Sox tickets</a> a hot commodity among fans in Chi-town.

The main reason for optimism on the north side of Chicago should center on Jake Peavy, who was acquired from the San Diego Padres last season. Peavy struggled in 2009 with a stint on the DL due to a strained ankle ligament and has been under the radar heading into the new season. Though Peavy was considered one of the elite pitchers in baseball just a couple seasons ago, many seem to have quickly forgotten how dominant Peavy is capable of being.

With four to five pitches that Peavy can regularly throw for strikes, he established himself as a top tier pitcher with the Padres in just his third season in the majors. That year (in 2004), Peavy posted a 15-6 record with a ridiculous 2.27 ERA. Despite a down year in 2006, in which he still struck out more than 200 batters, Peavy remained one of the best pitchers in the entire league from 2004 to 2008, winning the NL Cy Young in 2007 with a 19-6 record and 2.54 ERA.

But one year of injury and inconsistency can cause a pitcher to fall off the national radar fairly quickly, which is exactly what happened to Peavy in 2009. The biggest benefactor, it seems, will be the White Sox, who currently have him as their second starter behind Mark Buehrle and are optimistic that he can have a bounce-back season in 2010. Peavy is now at the top end of a strong starting rotation that also includes the underrated John Danks and Gavin Floyd, both of whom are steady starters at the middle and back end of the rotation.

The White Sox also picked up Juan Pierre to bolster the top of their lineup and to help set the table for their sluggers Carlos Quentin, Paul Konerko and Andruw Jones. Second baseman Gordon Beckham comes off a very strong rookie year, in which he drove in 63 runs despite playing in just 103 games. Beckham appears to have the type of upside that could be a real catalyst no matter where he lands in the White Sox lineup.

The success of the White Sox will ultimately come down to their pitching, however, as Buehrle and Peavy need to be strong all season. Peavy has had four complete seasons in which he finished with an ERA under 3.00, which is something that almost no one in the league can boast. Buehrle pitched a perfect game a season ago and can be one of the most dominant pitchers in the AL when he's on, though inconsistency has held him back in recent years.

Though the White Sox would be no match in the AL East, the Tigers and Twins both have significant shortcomings that will keep either one from pulling away with the division, opening the door for the White Sox to have a legitimate shot at challenging for an AL Central division title.

About the Author

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Is Johnny Danks of the White Sox now a pitcher to be feared in baseball?

Ever since his 2008 season, Danks has had two pretty good seasons in baseball and currently, he has an ERA this year of 1.55. And he's only 25 years old.

Here are his stats for the past two years:

2008: 12-9 3.32 ERA 195.0 IP
2009: 13-11 3.77 ERA 200.1 IP

He'll be pitching tomorrow night against the Yankees so there is a chance for more people to find out about him if he does well.

But what do you think? Is he becoming an elite pitcher in the AL?

No. Just an up and coming one, not a feared pitcher. His record the past two years is a little over .500 and his ERA in the mid 3s. He has a ways to go before he's feared

White Sox Pitcher Freddy Garcia Drunk at Sox Fest 2010 Bashing the Cubs