Chicago White Sox: Are They Just a Good Team, or Are They Great?

After sweeping the Texas Rangers at U.S. Cellular Field, the Chicago White Sox are eight games over .500 and have a two-game lead over the Cleveland Indians, who are playing some pretty good baseball themselves.

The White Sox have people talking.

Specifically, are the White Sox a “good” team, capable of playing extended stretches of solid baseball, or are they a “great” team that can win 11 games in October and bring home their second World Series trophy in eight seasons.

The front page of the Chicago Tribune’s sports section posed the question on Friday.

WSCR’s The Mully and Hanley Show asked the same question via Twitter and in an extended segment Friday morning.

The answers from sportswriters, broadcasters and fans were similar: they are playing somewhere in the middle.

A column responded to Mully and Hanley by saying that if they could add a veteran arm in the bullpen, it may just put them over the top.  That arm could be Philip Humber when he gets pushed to the bullpen following John Danks' return to the rotation in early August.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura answered the question by simply saying that the Sox “can play with anybody,” per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

A caller to the show suggested that with eight rookies on the pitching staff, the Sox are doing it with smoke and mirrors.

That is a bit of an overstatement.  The point, however, has some truth behind it.

For the Sox to be considered a “great” team, they have to win it all.  Isn’t that what every team has to do?

With the All-Star weekend approaching, the Sox are playing some very good baseball, but not great.  The Sox lack the name recognition and star power that other teams have, so they will have to keep on grinding out victories with rookie pitchers and an inconsistent offense.

The Sox have the leadership, especially with the recent acquisition of Kevin Youkilis, to keep hope alive on the South Side. 

Until they can close October out, let’s keep rooting for the White Sox to win series after series.

After all, they are the best “good” team in baseball right now.

@suggestsmith