1999 Post-Season Review -- Chicago White Sox

Written by Jon Dunkle
Edited by Tom Tippett
December 21, 1999

This article takes a look at how the Chicago White Sox did in the 1999 season relative to pre-season expectations. For an overview of the approach used in this review, and a definition of some of the key terms and statistics, please see the overview page called 1999 Team-by-Team Performance Reviews.

Capsule Summary

                 Projected  Actual
Runs for            764       777
Runs allowed        917       870
Run Margin         -153       -93
Wins                 66        75
Pythagorean wins     66        72
Placement           4th       2nd

Here's what we wrote about the White Sox before the season started:

"This is the first of the teams that appears to have no chance. The loss of Albert Belle and Robin Ventura gutted their offense. The loss of Ventura and Mike Cameron significantly reduces the range of a defense that will be even less mobile if Frank Thomas plays 1B again this year. And, to make matters worse, the White Sox consistently led the league in errors by a wide margin in our simulations. The best reason to watch this team is its youth. There are young arms and young hitters everywhere you look, and it's quite possible that some of them will blossom this year. Not enough to make them a contender, but perhaps enough to make them interesting. By the way, we're projecting Frank Thomas to bounce back to hit .305 with 31 homers and 101 RBI."

In some ways, this was prophetic, and it others, it was a little off the mark. The club was a surprise from the start, flirting with .500 for the first half of the season and finishing nine games better than projected. Even though Thomas didn't hit for power and Mike Caruso couldn't match his rookie year, the offense was just about where it was expected to be because Chris Singleton and Magglio Ordonez stepped up. The defense was last in the league in errors, but not by as large a margin as it appeared they would be, and Singleton did a terrific job of replacing Cameron's defense in center field. The young pitching staff was in the top five in team ERA for the first couple of months before they came back to earth and sunk to 8th in ERA and 10th in runs allowed. All in all, it was an encouraging start to this rebuilding process.

Key Position Players

Normally, when you think White Sox, you think Frank Thomas. But Thomas had another subpar season while battling injuries for the most of the year, and a host of young players stepped up and provided a nucleus around which the team built its future and its marketing campaign. "The Kids Can Play" was the rallying cry in the South Side this year, and play they did. Magglio Ordonez made the All-Star team and fellow outfielders Carlos Lee and Chris Singleton received Rookie of the Year votes. New acquisitions Brook Fordyce and Paul Konerko provided additional offense. With the exception of Thomas and Ray Durham, the White Sox do not have players with established major league performance so 2000 will be a test to see if the young nucleus can develop.

Brook Fordyce, c, age 29 (as of July 1, 1999)

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 463 107 24  1 11  37  50  1  31  6  74  2  2  .231  .280  .359  .638  46
Prorated   ChA 335  77 17  0  7  26  36  0  22  4  53  1  1  .230  .277  .343  .620  31
Actual     ChA 333  99 25  1  9  36  49  3  21  0  48  2  0  .297  .343  .459  .802  53

Fordyce surprised people offensively this season as he was given his first real chance in the majors, and his performance earned him a two year contract with the Sox. He had trouble throwing out runners and spent time improving his footwork during the season. He has continued to work on his defensive skills with White Sox personnel in the offseason.

Mark Johnson, c, age 23

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  89  20  3  1  2  12  10  1  17  0  17  0  0  .225  .355  .348  .703  12
Prorated   ChA 206  46  6  2  4  27  23  2  39  0  39  0  0  .223  .352  .330  .682  27
Actual     ChA 207  47 11  0  4  27  16  2  36  0  58  3  1  .227  .344  .338  .682  27

The number two catcher, Johnson is noted more for his skills behind the plate than at it. While not a standout defensively, he is better than Fordyce.

Josh Paul, c, age 24

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  69  14  2  0  0   7   6  0   4  0  17  2  1  .203  .247  .232  .478   4
Prorated   ChA  16   3  0  0  0   1   1  0   0  0   4  0  0  
Actual     ChA  18   4  1  0  0   2   1  0   0  0   4  0  0  .222  .222  .278  .500   1

The strong armed catcher spent the majority of the season at AA. With the signing of Fordyce to a two-year contract, Paul will continue to play in the minors and develop.

Paul Konerko, 1b, age 23

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 547 141 23  0 27  73 107  7  52  2  79  1  2  .258  .326  .448  .774  77
Prorated   ChA 502 129 21  0 24  67  98  6  47  1  72  0  1  .257  .324  .442  .766  69
Actual     ChA 513 151 31  4 24  71  81  2  45  0  68  1  0  .294  .352  .511  .862  88

In the midst of all the White Sox surprises and steals, Konerko turned out to be the biggest of both. In a swap of former prospects, Konerko joined the White Sox from the Reds in exchange for Mike Cameron. He performed better than the average American League first baseman offensively, and when compared to the defensive skills of Frank Thomas, looked like a Gold Glover at first, mainly because Thomas had the worst range of any 1B in the nine years for which we have enough good play-by-play data to compute our defensive ratings. Konerko's range is actually a little below average compared to other major-league first basemen, but only four regular 1Bs had a higher fielding percentage than Konerko's .995. At 23 years of age, Konerko's upside is vast.

Jeff Liefer, 1b, age 24

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  68  15  4  1  2  10   8  1   6  0  17  0  0  .221  .293  .397  .690   8
Prorated   ChA 110  24  6  1  3  16  13  1   9  0  27  0  0  .218  .283  .373  .656  11
Actual     ChA 113  28  7  1  0   8  14  0   8  0  28  2  0  .248  .295  .327  .623  11

The acquisition of Konerko left Liefer without a position. He was tried in the outfield but his arm was considered deficient. He is a slugger but failed to hit a homer in over 100 major league at bats.

Ray Durham, 2b, age 27

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 612 169 31  6 14 108  60  7  62  2 100 32 10  .276  .346  .415  .761  93
Prorated   ChA 613 169 31  6 14 108  60  7  62  2 100 32 10  .276  .346  .414  .760  93
Actual     ChA 612 181 30  8 13 109  60  4  73  1 105 34 11  .296  .373  .435  .808 105

Durham put together a season that was virtually a clone of his 1998 season. Nagging back and hamstring injuries curtailed his speed in the second half which in turn reduced his power numbers as the doubles and triples dropped off from the first half. His fielding deficiencies also continued. Only Chuck Knoblauch committed more errors and Knoblauch was the only AL second baseman to play 140 games and turn fewer double plays. Durham was originally drafted as an outfielder (as was his brother Chad who is also in the White Sox system). It's not a stretch to see Caruso moved to second, Durham to left, Lee to DH, and Thomas traded in an effort to bolster the lineup for 2000.

Liu Rodriguez, 2b, age 22

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Actual     ChA  93  22  2  2  1   8  12  3  12  0  11  0  0  .237  .343  .333  .676  11

Competent at all infield positions, Rodriguez brings versatility to a team and contributes nicely at the plate. He is a selective hitter, having a career minor league walk to strikeout ratio of almost 1:1. While he doesn't hit for power, he has above average speed which he uses to stretch doubles ands steal bases.

Tilson Brito, 2b, age 27

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  68  16  4  0  1   8   6  1   4  0  13  0  1  .235  .284  .338  .622   6

The White Sox were Brito's fourth organization in four years. He spent the season at AAA where he hit over .300 for the season for the first time in his career. He plays all the infield positions although he spent the entire season at second last year.

Greg Norton, 3b, age 26

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 571 134 32  3 20  83  77  4  53  3 139  4  5  .235  .302  .406  .709  68
Prorated   ChA 459 107 25  2 16  66  61  3  42  2 111  3  4  .233  .300  .401  .701  53
Actual     ChA 436 111 26  0 16  62  50  2  69  3  93  4  4  .255  .358  .424  .782  68

Norton had his best season yet offensively, bringing his production up to that of the average AL third baseman. Defensively, he tied with Todd Zeile for the AL lead in errors. There is not much room for improvement offensively for Norton.

Craig Wilson, 3b, age 28

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  93  25  4  0  2  13  10  0   7  0   8  1  1  .269  .317  .376  .693  11
Prorated   ChA 254  68 10  0  5  35  27  0  19  0  21  2  2  .268  .316  .366  .683  28
Actual     ChA 252  60  8  1  4  28  26  0  23  0  22  1  1  .238  .301  .325  .626  25

Primarily used at third, Wilson was the main bench player and utility infielder. He made the team in spring training in part due to Caruso's throwing problems. Wilson is the steadiest infielder Chicago has, but he will likely be challenged in the spring by Rodriguez and Brito.

Joe Crede, 3b, age 21

The White Sox third baseman of the future. He missed half of the AA season with a toe injury and will use the 2000 season to develop.

Mike Caruso, ss, age 22

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 662 198 22  8  6 101  68  9  24  0  49 28  8  .299  .331  .384  .715  85
Prorated   ChA 527 157 17  6  4  80  54  7  19  0  39 22  6  .298  .330  .376  .705  67
Actual     ChA 529 132 11  4  2  60  35  3  20  0  36 12 14  .250  .280  .297  .577  42

Caruso performed below expectations both offensively and defensively. It may be that 1998, not 1999, was the aberrational season. Based on his minor-league career through 1997, we projected that Caruso would hit .246 with a .276 on-base percentage and a .299 slugging average in 1998, and that's almost exactly what he did in 1999. The year before, I was stunned when he was able to keep his average above .300, and I wasn't the least bit surprised when he was unable to keep that up in 1999.

Unfortunately, he didn't really get a lot of support from the organization. Unless you have the ability of a Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, playing shortstop at the major league level after making the jump straight from A ball is going to be a challenge that requires some adjustments. His success as a rookie last year led to high expectations this year, and when he performed at a substandard level, he was criticized, benched, had his mechanics tinkered with, and told that he may be moved to second base, all while playing the most demanding position in baseball. For a team in the midst of a youth movement, this hardly seems like the best way to handle a struggling youngster.

Jason Dellaero, ss, age 22

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Actual     ChA  33   3  0  0  0   1   2  0   1  0  13  0  0  .091  .114  .091  .205   0

Considered a top prospect, Dellaero is actually older than Caruso. And like Caruso, Dallaero has not had much success at the plate at any level. He was extremely overmatched at the major league level.

Carlos Lee, lf, age 23

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  74  19  3  0  3   8   9  0   1  0   7  1  0  .257  .267  .419  .686   7
Prorated   ChA 502 129 20  0 20  54  61  0   7  0  48  7  0  .257  .267  .416  .683  48
Actual     ChA 492 144 32  2 16  66  84  4  13  0  72  4  2  .293  .312  .463  .775  68

Lee was not expected to play much in 1999 as the White Sox felt they had no where to put him. But after hitting .300 for the last four seasons in the minors, Chicago wanted his bat in the lineup. He was originally a third baseman but the White Sox did not have a need with Norton and prospect Joe Crede already there. Konerko and Thomas bottled up the first base and DH positions so Lee was tried in left field. Lee worked very hard on his defense during the season and while not a serious liability, would be better off elsewhere. Offensively, he hit well but drew only 13 walks. With his work ethic and age, that aspect of his game may well improve.

Darrin Jackson, lf, age 36

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  92  22  4  1  2  10  11  0   3  0  16  1  0  .239  .263  .370  .633   9
Prorated   ChA 148  35  6  1  3  16  17  0   4  0  25  1  0  .236  .257  .351  .608  13
Actual     ChA 149  41  9  1  4  22  16  0   3  0  20  4  1  .275  .288  .430  .717  17

The fifth outfielder and veteran presence in the clubhouse, Jackson retired after the season to become a broadcaster for the Sox. Jackson was instrumental in the development of outfielder Chris Singleton.

Brian Simmons, lf, age 25

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 504 115 19  6 14  82  58  0  51  3 108 11  8  .228  .297  .373  .670  56
Prorated   ChA 121  27  4  1  3  19  13  0  12  0  25  2  1  .223  .293  .347  .640  13
Actual     ChA 126  29  3  3  4  14  17  0   9  0  30  4  0  .230  .281  .397  .678  14

Simmons performed spectacularly in a brief callup in 1998, hitting two homers in five games and batting .368. He was originally slated as the starting center fielder in 1999 but badly injured his hand in spring training and was passed by Singleton and Lee. The switch-hitting Simmons has gap power and plays solid defense, and that may be enough to earn him a role as a fourth outfielder in 2000.

Jeff Abbott, lf, age 26

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 580 166 34  2 18  88  81  3  30  1  66  9  7  .286  .321  .445  .766  80
Prorated   ChA  59  17  3  0  1   9   8  0   3  0   6  0  0  .288  .323  .390  .712   7
Actual     ChA  57   9  0  0  2   5   6  0   5  0  12  1  1  .158  .222  .263  .485   3

Next to Frank Thomas, Abbott may be the best natural hitter on the Sox. He needs to play every day to be sharp, especially since he doesn't take many pitches. Defensively, he is subpar to most of the Sox outfielders except Lee. He could be the White Sox fifth outfielder in 2000 but would be better off if he's traded.

Chris Singleton, cf, age 26

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  78  18  3  1  1   9   8  1   2  0  12  2  1  .231  .256  .333  .589   7
Prorated   ChA 498 114 19  6  6  57  51  6  12  0  76 12  6  .229  .256  .327  .583  45
Actual     ChA 496 149 31  6 17  72  72  1  22  1  45 20  5  .300  .328  .490  .818  78

Discarded by the Yankees in December for a minor leaguer to be named later, Singleton stepped up and had a banner season, earning consideration for Rookie of the Year. Singleton is above average in all five tools but like his outfield mates, rarely waits to see if he can get that fourth ball. At 26 years of age, we're likely seeing the best he can do.

McKay Christensen, cf, age 23

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA  68  14  2  1  0   9   7  1   6  0  10  1  0  .206  .280  .265  .545   5
Prorated   ChA  54  11  1  0  0   7   5  0   4  0   8  0  0  .204  .259  .222  .481   3
Actual     ChA  53  12  1  0  1  10   6  0   4  0   7  2  1  .226  .271  .302  .573   5

Another former number one draft pick the White Sox plucked from another organization, Christensen saw the amount of playing time expected of one of his age and ability and he performed as expected. Christensen is a flashy defensive player and has the characteristics of a good leadoff hitter. His OBP at AA Birmingham was .372 and he swiped 18 bases in just 75 games.

Magglio Ordonez, rf, age 25

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 587 167 29  1 17  74  80  7  28  2  63 11  9  .284  .322  .424  .746  73
Prorated   ChA 631 179 31  1 18  79  86  7  30  2  67 11  9  .284  .321  .422  .743  78
Actual     ChA 624 188 34  3 30 100 117  1  47  4  64 13  6  .301  .349  .510  .858 103

The sole representative for the White Sox at the 1999 All-Star game, Ordonez showed that he can hit for power as well as average, posting his first professional season with more than 20 home runs. For what it's worth, which might be nothing, his production tailed off somewhat in the second half. After the break, he hit .265 with 12 homers, with an OPS that was only a little above his projected level. But the improved power and walks augur well for the future.

Frank Thomas, dh/1b, age 31

                AB   H 2B 3B HR   R RBI HP   W IW   K SB CS   AVG   OBP   SPC   OPS  RC
Projection ChA 577 168 33  1 32 110 118  6 112  8  88  2  1  .291  .406  .518  .924 127
Prorated   ChA 483 140 27  0 26  92  98  5  93  6  73  1  0  .290  .405  .507  .912 104
Actual     ChA 486 148 36  0 15  74  77  9  87 13  66  3  3  .305  .414  .471  .885  99

As recently as two years ago, we were hearing comparisons between Thomas and the all-time greats. Now the baseball world is wondering if Frank Thomas is washed up. In an era when light-hitting infielders are hitting ten or more homers, the Big Hurt could only eke out 15. It was the second season that Thomas had a slugging percentage under .500 and the first season of the last nine where he failed to score or knock in 100 runs.

But even without the power, Thomas is a big contributor at the plate. Only leadoff hitter Ray Durham reached base more than Thomas did for the Sox. He had exactly as many walks as Chicago's starting three outfielders combined.

Thomas was plagued by ankle and foot injuries throughout the season which resulted in surgery before the end of the season. As a result, Thomas played fewer games in 1999 than any season other than his rookie year and the strike-shortened 1994 season.

He also was involved in continued discussions over whether he should play first or not. Although Thomas is the worst defensive 1B in the game today, he has posted better numbers when playing the field than when DHing. As the season progressed, Thomas' attitude toward playing first changed. In February he said he had not wanted to play first in 1998. In March, Thomas stated that he saw himself playing over 120 games at first in 1999. A couple of weeks later, that number dropped to 60. In August, after being played at first, he angrily voiced "I'm supposed to be DH'ing. That's it."

So with questions concerning his age, health, and attitude, what the Frank Thomas of 2000 will do may be the biggest question mark about this team.

Key Pitchers

The White Sox pitching staff finished just a shade higher than the American League average for ERA in 1999, despite receiving just one and a half good seasons from the rotation. Mike Sirotka pitched solidly the entire season and will be counted on to be the ace in 2000. Jim Parque received consideration for the All-Star game but then failed to win a decision during the second half due to injury. John Snyder pitched hurt the whole year and the top two starters, James Baldwin and Jaime Navarro were ineffective.

The bullpen prevented things from getting too out of hand. Keith Foulke and Bob Howry provide a 1-2 punch that can only be matched by Texas' Wetteland and Zimmerman. Sean Lowe and Bill Simas also contributed. The Sox will look to young starters in the next season or two to fill out the rotation and put them back into contention.

James Baldwin, starter, age 27

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  4.44  32 32  11 11  0  193 196 19  70 137  .265  .750
Prorated   ChA  4.44  34 34  12 12  0  205 209 20  75 146  .265  .750
Actual     ChA  5.10  35 33  12 13  0  199 219 34  81 123  .278  .816

Baldwin is reaching the age where most pitchers begin to reach their peak. However, his pitching has been in a decline, culminating in a disappointing 1999 season. Baldwin set personal highs for homeruns allowed, hits allowed, baserunners per nine innings, and home runs per nine innings and lows for strikeouts per nine innings and strikeout to walk ratio. He was demoted to the bullpen briefly in June where he pitched terribly in two games. He came on strong in the latter part of the season, going 8-2 with an ERA of 3.18 from August 1st on. Assuming that Navarro is moved, Baldwin becomes the most experienced member of the pitching staff and will need to pitch as such. If he can pitch like he did at the end of 1999, he will fill that position nicely.

Mike Sirotka, starter, age 28

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  5.30  32 32  10 13  0  205 250 30  52 135  .302  .819
Prorated   ChA  5.30  32 32  10 13  0  208 254 30  53 137  .302  .819
Actual     ChA  4.00  32 32  11 13  0  209 236 24  57 125  .283  .745

Sirotka will likely be counted on as the ace for the 2000 season. Statistically, he was the ace in 1999 although he was used as the #3 starter for most of the season. He led the team in K's and was second in wins. When you give up about a homer per game and 10.2 hits per inning, your ERA is normally closer to 4.50 than 4.00, even with this low number of walks. If Sirotka is to emerge as a legitimate #1 or #2 starter, he'll have to get that opposition batting average down quite a bit.

Jim Parque, starter, age 24

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  5.51  32 32   9 11  0  170 193 22  84 115  .290  .839
Prorated   ChA  5.51  34 34   9 12  0  178 202 23  88 120  .290  .839
Actual     ChA  5.13  31 30   9 15  0  174 210 23  79 111  .299  .816

Parque pitched well in the first half of the season. His ERA was under four and he kept the extra base hits under control. He suffered a badly bruised thumb at the end of June and had problems gripping his off-speed pitches properly. He dropped all nine of his decisions after the All-Star break with an ERA of 6.95.

Jaime Navarro, starter, age 32

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  5.91  27 27   7 12  0  155 195 22  59  85  .311  .851
Prorated   ChA  5.91  29 29   7 13  0  166 208 23  63  91  .311  .851
Actual     ChA  6.09  32 27   8 13  0  160 206 29  71  74  .313  .878

It took him three years but Navarro finally won 20 games for the White Sox. His record as a member of the White Sox is now 25-43 with an ERA of 6.06. He has walked more than he has struck out over the last two seasons. He is a "guy who can give you innings", though, and as such may actually appeal to some team. It is highly unlikely he will pitch with the White Sox this year.

John Snyder, starter, age 24

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  5.85  32 32   8 14  0  186 225 29  66 118  .301  .850
Prorated   ChA  5.85  23 23   6 10  0  135 163 21  48  85  .301  .850
Actual     ChA  6.68  25 25   9 12  0  129 167 27  49  67  .311  .901

What happens to Snyder in the future will be either an example of the importance of giving 110% or an example of why you should not play with pain. Snyder had Tommy John surgery in 1996 and ended the 1998 season early with pain in that elbow. He came to spring training in 1999 with elbow pain. On May 15th, Snyder was 6-1 with a 2.00 ERA, but after that he gave up 132 hits and 23 homers in 84 innings, with a 3-11 record and a 9.18 ERA. He pitched the entire season nursing the elbow, then had bone spurs removed from that elbow at season's end.

Kip Wells, starter, age 22

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Actual     ChA  4.04   7  7   4  1  0   36  33  2  15  29  .248  .687

How good do the White Sox think this guy is? The Sox number one draft pick in 1998, the Sox plan in spring training was to have him in the rotation by July despite 1999 being his first professional season. It took him a little longer to develop as he did not join the rotation until August but once there, he pitched very well. He's a smart pitcher with a full complement of pitches. He has the stuff to be a top tier major league pitcher.

Aaron Myette, starter, age 21

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Actual     ChA  6.32   4  3   0  2  0   16  17  2  14  11  .266  .866

Myette was given a taste of the majors for the Sox at the end of the season. The 2000 season will be just his third full professional season. He has an opportunity to make the team as the fifth starter but will likely be given some more time in the minors.

Jon Garland, minor-league starter, age 19

Another great acquisition for the White Sox, he came to the South Side in a trade with the Cubs for Matt Karchner. He still needs some more time in the minors to develop but may be in the mix for the number five starter job in 2000.

Carlos Castillo, swing man, age 24

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  3.97   4  4   1  1  0   23  20  3   8  14  .235  .693
Prorated   ChA  3.97   7  7   2  2  0   42  37  6  15  26  .235  .693
Actual     ChA  5.71  18  2   2  2  0   41  45 10  14  23  .274  .819

Despite being used strictly as a starter at AAA in 1999, Castillo only started twice for the Sox. Castillo's career has been an interesting one. He began the 1997 season with the Sox and stayed there for almost the entire season, despite having only pitched six games at the high A level. Listed at 250 pounds, he has battled weight problems. He could be used as an incentive to a team willing to take Navarro.

Scott Eyre, swing man, age 27

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  6.12  21  4   2  3  0   43  48  9  25  32  .284  .879
Prorated   ChA  6.12  14  3   1  2  0   28  31  6  16  21  .284  .879
Actual     ChA  7.56  21  0   1  1  0   25  38  6  15  17  .339  .990

Another AAA starter, Eyre was tried in the bullpen because of a need for a left-hander. He ended the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury but has never shown that he is able to get major league hitters out.

Sean Lowe, long reliever, age 28

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  6.51  23  0   1  3  0   37  48  5  19  24  .320  .894
Prorated   ChA  6.51  54  0   2  7  0   88 113 12  45  56  .320  .894
Actual     ChA  3.67  64  0   4  1  0   96  90 10  46  62  .262  .757

The St. Louis Cardinals' number one draft pick in 1992, Lowe came to the White Sox before the 1999 season in a "change of scenery" trade for John Ambrose. Lowe found the Windy City to his liking and pitched well in long relief.

Bill Simas, middle reliever, age 27

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  3.07  70  0   5  5 10   76  64 10  28  67  .228  .688
Prorated   ChA  3.07  72  0   5  5 10   79  66 10  29  69  .228  .688
Actual     ChA  3.75  70  0   6  3  2   72  73  6  32  41  .263  .757

The closer for the Sox in 1998. Now he's one of the guys that bridges the gap from the starters to the Foulke-Howry combo. His strikeouts mysteriously decreased in 1999. He did not seem fatigued despite pitching in 70 games and did not suffer from any injuries.

David Lundquist, middle reliever, age 26

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  4.65  30  0   2  2  0   41  43  4  19  34  .274  .772
Prorated   ChA  4.65  18  0   1  1  0   24  25  2  11  20  .274  .772
Actual     ChA  8.59  17  0   1  1  0   22  28  3  12  18  .315  .877

Lundquist began the season with the White Sox but was demoted to AAA in June. His season was ended by injury soon afterwards.

Chad Bradford, middle reliever, age 24

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  2.91  23  0   2  1  0   34  32  2   9  15  .252  .654
Prorated   ChA  2.91   4  0   0  0  0    6   6  0   2   3  .252  .654
Actual     ChA 19.64   3  0   0  0  0    4   9  1   5   0  .474 1.320

Bradford suffered from a broken rib in spring training which may have cost him an opportunity to stick with the White Sox at the start of the season. He received a callup in May but was used sparingly and pitched poorly. At AAA, he dazzled in relief, going 9-3 with a 1.94 ERA.

Bryan Ward, middle reliever, age 27

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  5.93  70  0   3  4  1   68  88 12  28  46  .314  .895
Prorated   ChA  5.93  41  0   2  2  1   40  51  7  16  27  .314  .895
Actual     ChA  7.55  40  0   0  1  0   39  63 10  11  35  .368 1.007

The primary lefty in the pen in 1999. He was hit often and hard.

Keith Foulke, setup man, age 26

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  4.26  53  0   4  4  0   74  77 11  22  57  .268  .779
Prorated   ChA  4.26  69  0   5  5  0   96 100 14  28  74  .268  .779
Actual     ChA  2.22  67  0   3  3  9  105  72 11  21 123  .188  .556

The number one ranked reliever in the Elias free agent ratings, Foulke is establishing himself as one of the premier relief pitchers in the major leagues. A workhorse, he was one of a half dozen pitchers to work 100 innings in relief and the only one of the six to strike out 100. He was two strikeouts short of leading the White Sox in that category.

Bob Howry, closer, age 25

           Tm    ERA   G GS   W  L  S  INN   H HR  BB   K   AVG   OPS
Projection ChA  3.95  70  0   5  3 27   73  72 11  29  54  .258  .770
Prorated   ChA  3.95  66  0   5  3 26   69  68 10  27  51  .258  .770
Actual     ChA  3.59  69  0   5  3 28   68  58  8  38  80  .229  .699

Howry performed solidly in his first full season as the Sox closer. Although not as dominant as Foulke, Howry has a great closer mentality and is an intimidating presence on the mound.

Outlook

The White Sox were the youngest team in the majors last year and while many of the young players performed well, there are still holes that need improving before the Sox can hope to contend.

First and foremost is the infield defense. Norton tied for the AL lead for errors at third base and Caruso and Durham were second in the league at their positions in errors. Norton and Caruso did not contribute enough offensively to make up for their deficiencies in the field.

And with the exception of Frank Thomas, the White Sox do not see many pitches they don't like. They struck out the fewest times of any team and had the second fewest walks.

The talent is there, however. Eight former first round picks played for the Sox last year. The outfield of Lee, Singleton, and Ordonez helped the team both at the plate and in the field. The bullpen combination of Foulke and Howry kept opposing hitters stymied and young starters Aaron Myette and Kip Wells made strong showings in their brief introductions to the majors.

The biggest question for the Sox in 2000 is how the kids will grow up. If they can show that their performance last year is just the beginning, the Sox could find themselves back in their winning ways (only the Braves, Yankees, and Indians had more wins in the 1990s). If the Sox hope to be a contending team in the near future, Frank Thomas will have to show that he can put up the numbers that he did when he was considered one of the game's best and the starting pitchers will have to improve.

Projections and text: Copyright © 1999. Diamond Mind, Inc. All rights reserved.
Actual 1999 statistics: Copyright © 1999. STATS, Inc. All right reserved.