Chicago White Sox: Can Brent Lillibridge Be a Super Sub Again in 2012?

The Chicago White Sox didn't have a lot of overachievers in their dugout in the 2011 campaign. Most of the talk centered around players who didn't live up to expectations.

Brent Lillibridge was not one of those players.

For a guy not expected to make the team out of spring training, Lillibridge was Chicago's most valuable reserve, showing surprising power and establishing himself as big league material after spending most of his last four seasons at the Triple-A level.

Lillibridge was all over the field in 2011, playing 59 games in the outfield and another 22 games at first base. He also saw time at second and served as designated hitter on occasion.

Besides making several highlight-reel catches in the outfield over the course of his season, Lillibridge was a replacement for Paul Konerko when he went down with a bone bruise in late July. Once Konerko returned, Lillibridge was often a late-inning substitution for the captain.

For a player who had hit just .194 with 3 home runs in three seasons between Atlanta and Chicago, Lillibridge showed stunning power when used on a semi-regular basis. His 13 homers and .258 average was more productive than Adam Dunn and Alex Rios in less than half the plate appearances.

Lillibridge's season came to a sudden and unsatisfying conclusion when he broke his hand September 9th. Still, he managed to post an impressive season and gain a foothold in the organization.

Now, as spring training gets underway, can we expect the same from the 28-year-old reserve?

I'm not sure he'll get the chance to match last year's production.

Kosuke Fukudome could cut into his outfield starts, though it would seem like Lillibridge could be a defensive replacement for Dayan Viciedo on occasion. It's hard to say if he'll approach the 186 at-bats he had a year ago.

If Gordan Beckham were to struggle or Konerko were to suffer an injury, Lillibridge could see similar playing time to his career-best 2011 season. Otherwise, the challenge for manager Robin Ventura is getting Lillibridge enough time to get the best out of him.