Why Ken Griffey Jr. Might be the Piece to the White Sox Puzzle

As Ken Griffey Jr. bid farewell to the Cincinnati Reds organization, his focus turned to a much brighter horizon: playing for a first-place team.

Although his stats have been nothing more than average all year, I still think that this acquisition may be just what the Chicago White Sox need to fend off the rest of their AL Central foes for the division crown.

Sure, he's hitting .245 with 15 HR and 53 RBI, but he allows the White Sox to move around positions a little bit, making them a much more quality ballclub. Yes, that means no more Paul Konerko at first; Nick Swisher can do the job. While he certainly isn't going to take playing time away from Jermaine Dye or Carlos Quentin, he will be an ample replacement for Swisher in centerfield.

After all, he is one of the greatest ever to play the position, let alone the game itself.

Not that he should have many excuses, but in general, it is fair to assume that no one likes playing for a losing team. Griffey Jr. has done just that in Cincinnati, especially this year. Now that he has joined a legitimate playoff contender, he will have the extra jump in his step and the extra pop in his bat to get things done for manager Ozzie Guillen's bunch.

Despite what Griffey Jr. brings to the field, he will bring much more to the clubhouse. In fact, the surefire first-ballot Hall-of-Famer ought to be an enormous presence off the field, even though Guillen's words will ultimately echo the furthest.

The real crux of it all is that the White Sox aren't giving up a whole lot to get Griffey Jr. They gave up a second baseman, something that they clearly already have filled by Alexei Ramirez. A-Ram is one of the best defensive second baseman in the MLB and has a .314 batting average to-boot.

With Griffey Jr. in the black and white, expect this White Sox team to win the division, and make a decent run at the ALCS.