The White Sox fooled a lot of people last year. First baseman Paul Konerko was one of them.
Konerko helped the Sox jump out to a 15-7 start. He saw them improve to 19-11 after Todd Ritchie outpitched Oakland’s Tim Hudson on May 4. Ritchie went 2-13 the rest of the season.
“I really liked what we were doing last year,” Konerko said, “and then it all fell apart.”
Step back to 2000. The Sox started 17-7, took over first place in the American League Central and never looked back.
Similar starts, opposite finishes.
“Exactly,” Konerko said. “You can’t put too much stock in that.”
The Sox start their 2003 season here Monday against the Royals. It will be the first of 19 consecutive games against the Moe, Larry and Curly of the AL Central–the Royals, Tigers and Indians.
The Royals can hit, but their five starters have combined for just 21 major-league victories. And 35 defeats. They also have a rookie closer and a shortstop who batted just .215 last year–in Triple A.
Detroit’s Opening Day starter is someone named Mike Maroth. Apparently it’s the same Mike Maroth who went 6-10 with a 4.48 ERA last year.
The Indians have some young talent, but their 3-4-5 combo of Matt Lawton, Ellis Burks and Karim Garcia isn’t exactly fearsome.
So conventional wisdom dictates that the Sox need to start well–say, 12-7–to jump ahead of the reigning champion Minnesota Twins.
“To win this division I think we have to win it in the first half,” shortstop Jose Valentin said. “Then the second half you can play without pressure.”
Said Frank Thomas: “You want to set a [good] tone for the season. It’s easy to play when you’re winning. It becomes contagious.”
Manager Jerry Manuel raised the fact that the Sox plan to start aces Mark Buehrle and Bartolo Colon 25 times in the team’s first 55 games.
“With those two big guys pitching a large percentage of the games, it’s important we get off to a good start,” he said. “No doubt.”
Only general manager Ken Williams sees the other side.
“I think we’re built now to where we don’t necessarily have to get off to a good start like some teams in the past,” he said.
“We could weather the storm throughout 162 [games] because of the character of the individuals we have.”
The Sox will look to Buehrle on Monday to get them rolling.
The 24-year-old lefty pitched six strong innings last year at Seattle on Opening Day, allowing just two hits and a run.
The St. Charles, Mo., native is 6-2 with a 2.94 ERA lifetime against the Royals.
Buehrle got clubbed in his last start of the spring, giving up nine earned runs and 12 hits to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A team.
“These minor-league guys get so pumped up when they see a big-league pitcher,” Buehrle explained. “They’re out there hacking at everything.”
That outing was Tuesday, meaning Buehrle will take the ball on five days’ rest.
“It seems like every time I went on five days’ rest last year I was a little rusty,” he said. “Hopefully I won’t be this year.”
The numbers don’t bear that out.
Buehrle allowed five or more earned runs seven times last season. All seven came on four days’ rest.
Maybe there’s a lesson here: You can’t always believe the numbers.
