Chicago White Sox Postseason Chances

Is it truly better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?

When looking at the 2008 Chicago White Sox, it would appear that a venture into the postseason would be a short-lived experience that raises enormous questions moving forward for the franchise.

First, let's address the larger issues facing the White Sox. The White Sox are dealing with a number of key injury issues that could become long-term issues if not handled appropriately.

Carlos Quentin, with a fracture in his wrist, is being rushed back to be ready for the playoffs. Quentin has a history of issues in his arms, especially a shoulder issue, which is what made him so ridiculously affordable this offseason when Kenny Williams pulled off perhaps the heist of the offseason (Quentin was acquired for a low-level, minor-league first baseman named Chris Carter, who was later dealt by Arizona as part of the Dan Haren deal). If Quentin's wrist is not dealt with properly, he could develop issues that could hinder what appeared for much of 2008 to be a strong career.

The White Sox have also seen first baseman Paul Konerko miss time recently after a nasty knee sprain, only to be pushed back into action for the late-season push.

Third baseman Joe Crede is no longer with the team, leaving his position to be manned by converted shortstop Juan Uribe and Josh Fields, who appears to have watched as much of Tom Emanski's fielding video as Ryan Braun did in Milwaukee.

Middle reliever Scott Linebrink, who may have deserved an All Star spot as much as Carlos Marmol of the Cubs, has missed the bulk of the second half of the season with injury issues as well.

Compounding some of these injury woes is the fact that the White Sox have perhaps their two most consistent pitchers, John Danks and Gavin Floyd, both having pitched well over their previous career highs in total innings. Because of their inability to pull away in the standings, the White Sox will not have the luxury of other clubs, such as the Angels or cross-town Cubs, to rest their younger pitchers to be fresh for the October madness.

While Javier Vazquez continues to show inconsistencies on the mound, his services will be more vital to a postseason rush by the White Sox if Floyd or Danks show any signs of fatigue in the next week.

Let's say the White Sox make the playoffs. Looking at the teams the Pale Hose would potentially do battle against, there does not appear to be a positive matchup. It appears the winner of the American League Central will face the winner of the American League East in the Divisional Series; that means either the Tampa Bay Rays or the Boston Red Sox.

In either case, it doesn't look good for the White Sox.

The likely middle of the batting order for the White Sox has not fared well against either team. Jermaine Dye has hit .227 and .243 against the Red Sox and Rays, respectively, while Paul Konerko has hit .231 and .208 against the same two clubs.

Jim Thome has shown signs of life against Tampa (.375) but has shown similar woes against the BoSox that his counterparts have (.217). In fact, should he be available, aforementioned MVP candidate Quentin has had perhaps the worst time against Boston and Tampa, hitting a paltry .182 and .188 against them respectively.

So it would then appear to fall on the pitching staff to win the first series against the A.L. East Champions. Ace Mark Buehrle has a 6.17 ERA against Boston this year and improves to 4.58 against Tampa.

16-game winner Floyd has not faced Tampa this year but boasts a 4.50 ERA against Boston, while Vazquez has been a little better with a 4.77 ERA against Boston and a 3.54 ERA versus Tampa (albeit with a 1-2 record against the Rays). In fact, since the All Star break, the White Sox's team ERA has jumped from 3.55 to 4.68.

Perhaps the largest fear for White Sox fans should be the resemblance they see when they look at the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays' season has mirrored that of the 2005 Champion White Sox, and they have the young pitchers and hitters that may see the same dividends from youthful naivety that carried those 2005 White Sox to rings.

Let's say the White Sox get past one of the teams from the American League East. Once in the Championship Series, the White Sox would then face either the other East participant in October or the L.A. Angels. The Angels, though boasting the best record in baseball, might be the ripest for an upset this October.

They play in what is by far the weakest division in baseball and have outscored their opponents by over 20 fewer runs than the closest postseason candidate in the American League. The American League West is one of two divisions to have only one team over .500 this season (the NL West is the other), but the Diamondbacks have outscored their opponents, while the second-place Rangers have been outscored by 75 runs.

The Angels have experienced bats, but their pitching staff (with the exception of John Lackey in the rotation and Scott Shields and K-Rod in the bullpen) is as raw as the White Sox. However, unlike the White Sox, those Angels will have a rested starting staff and bullpen coming into the division series.

The beauty of October baseball is that anything can happen; the Champion White Sox and Cardinals of the past few years prove that to be true. But looking at the potential for a short, painful trip to the postseason may make White Sox fans want to dust off their Bears' jerseys in September.