Chicago White Sox: Want to Win the AL Central? Try Beating Division Opponents
The Chicago White Sox are looking to claim the top spot in the American League Central Division in 2011. Chicago center fielder Alex Rios has proclaimed his club to be the team to beat in the division.
In order to do that, they need to beat the other four teams in their home division.
Write that down, Alex.
The White Sox were 32-40 in games with their AL Central counterparts last season. Despite posting a 56-34 record over the rest of Major League Baseball, Chicago finished six games behind Minnesota for the division crown.
The Twins' record over AL Central teams? 47-25.
A 13-game stretch from September 6th to 19th doomed Chicago's division hopes. With every game against a team from the AL Central, they went 3-10, plummeting from 3.5 games back to 10 games behind the Twins.
It's not hard to see what the difference was in the 2010 division race.
Let's look at how the White Sox did against each AL Central rival.
Chicago vs. Cleveland
1 of 5
Season series: 9-9, 80 runs scored, 86 runs allowed
The White Sox blanked the Indians 6-0 on Opening Day but then dropped the next five meetings with the Tribe.
They recovered to take five of the team's last six meetings, but a .500 record against a team that played at a .416 clip against everyone else left a lot to be desired.
Chicago vs. Detroit
2 of 5
Season series: 8-10, 89 runs scored, 94 runs allowed
The Tigers won six of seven meetings with the White Sox during Chicago's September swoon and all but ended the team's division title hopes in 2010.
The last of these defeats was a disappointing 9-7 defeat at U.S. Cellular Field. Chicago scored four times in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game only to lose in 11 innings.
The Tigers were under .500 against the rest of the majors, so a losing record against them was also a disappointment.
Chicago vs. Kansas City
3 of 5
Season series: 10-8, 96 runs scored, 78 runs allowed
Again, the Royals had more success against Chicago (.444) than they did the rest of the league (.410).
During the 13-game AL Central swing in September, two of the White Sox' three victories came at the expense of the Royals. However, when you can barely muster a winning record against the worst club in your division, it's tough to say you should be at the top of that division.
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Chicago vs. Minnesota
4 of 5
Season series: 5-13, 83 runs scored, 98 runs allowed
The White Sox couldn't beat the Twins at Target Field (3-6).
The White Sox couldn't beat the Twins at home (2-7).
The White Sox couldn't beat the Twins in close games (1-6 in one-run decisions).
The last time Chicago had a winning record against the Twins was 2005 (11-7). You know...the year we won the whole thing?
The Twins Know the Secret...Will Chicago Figure It Out?
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The Twins went 25-11 against Cleveland and Kansas City compared to Chicago's 19-17 record against those teams. Right there is the six-game margin of victory in last year's race, regardless of how pathetic the White Sox were head-to-head with Minnesota.
In 2008, the last season that Chicago claimed the AL Central, the White Sox were 44-29 in division play. Since then, they have gone 34-38 and 32-40.
The key to the AL Central? Head-to-head victories against division rivals.
Something closer to .500 with the Twins wouldn't hurt either.
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