Chicago White Sox: 5 Big Disappointments in 2011

The Chicago White Sox had high hopes for the 2011 season, only to finish 16 games out of first place in the AL Central standings.

The White Sox had ample opportunities to take control of the division race over the summer despite a horrible start to the season. They were within striking distance in August before falling out of contention in the season's final weeks.

Overall, the "All In" White Sox were a source of disappointment for fans on the South Side.

Here are five major letdowns that linger from the 2011 campaign.

5. Jason Frasor

Frasor came aboard at the trade deadline when Chicago traded Edwin Jackson to Toronto. The other piece of the trade, Zach Stewart, turned out to be more useful to the White Sox in the last two months.

In 20 games for the White Sox, Frasor went 1-2 with four holds, with an unimpressive 5.09 ERA.

4. Juan Pierre's First Half

We all know that Pierre had a rebound in the last four months of the season, putting up impressive numbers in mid-season.

That doesn't completely obscure the terrible start Pierre got off to during the White Sox's 11-22 start.

Through May 18th, Pierre was hitting .242 and had been caught stealing eight times in 14 attempts.

Just as his resurgence got the White Sox back in the race, his poor start contributed to the hole Chicago dug for itself.

3. Gordon Beckham

Fans were expecting to see a breakout year from the young second baseman, and from a defensive standpoint, Beckham had a pretty effective season.

Offensively, however, Beckham stunk.

A .230 average in 2011 marked a steady decline in Beckham's offensive potency over the three seasons he has been with the club.

It's easy to lament the weak bat Brent Morel swung most of the season. On the other hand, his anemic numbers in average and slugging percentage are much better than Beckham's.

Beckham should be holding down the second spot in the lineup. Instead, he spent most of the last weeks in the bottom of the order.

2. Alex Rios

Rios was a target of criticism throughout the season, and much of it was richly deserved.

When he raised his average to .228 late in the season, it marked the highest his average had been the entire season. The 2011 season was a year-long version of the last two months of the 2009 campaign.

Despite cries to replace him with Alejandro De Aza, Ozzie Guillen kept trotting him out to the outfield every night.

For a guy that was supposed to hold down the fifth spot in the order, Rios came up woefully short.

1. Adam Dunn

Let's not waste too much time on Dunn's disastrous 2011. I chronicled that season to forget here.

If Dunn had managed to provide half of his previous offensive production, it would have been a disappointment.

What Dunn contributed to the White Sox team in 2011 was outright thievery.

The 2011 season was rife with unfulfilled expectations, but these five disappointments certainly led the way.