I’ll spare you my opening-day gush of excitement.

You know I’m thrilled. I know you’re thrilled. We’re together on this. It’s time for baseball.

So, what to expect in 2013?

Well, since I’ve been hosting White Sox coverage on the flagship starting in 2006, I think we have been able to look realistically at most of the seasons going in with a large degree of uncertainty.

With the exception of 2006 and 2011 (both of those clubs inspired a wealth of preseason optimism), I believe most fans haven’t really known what to expect from their beloved South Siders on a yearly basis.

This year isn’t an outlier.

For the rest of Rongey’s column from the Daily Herald, please click here.

In 2000, the American League Central seemed destined to go to the Indians. It was almost a foregone conclusion. The White Sox weren’t expected to compete that season, and their marketing slogan was “Hey, let the kids play!”referring to the team’s young, inexperienced culture.

That’s when the White Sox shocked the league and won the division. Paul Konerko remembers that 2000 season and believes the team can repeat in 2012.

“I played on the 2000 team here. … That team came and took over and won the division that year against a Cleveland team that nobody thought was beatable for a lot of reasons,” Konerko told The Score’s Chris Rongey. “(The Indians) were the most dominant team, by far, in probably any division. With respect to the Tigers, the division goes through those guys. They’ve earned that. But that gap we felt in 2000 between us and Cleveland is not nearly the gap we feel with Detroit and us right now.”

LISTEN: Paul Konerko on 670 The Score

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

So what do the White Sox need to do to capture the division this season?

“Just having the approach we have right now and doing that for the next six months and not letting anything else alter the way we go about it as a team, putting out heads down and playing the game as hard as we can and competing the right way,” Konerko said. “If we do that, I think we’ll be a tough team to play against and we’ll do a lot better than a lot of people think. I think if that’s just a small goal we have that could take us somewhere instead of looking at the big, huge picture that, ‘Hey, we gotta win 90 games.’ I think sometimes when you look at the end result like that, you forget how to get there.”

Dunn’s .159 batting average, 11 home runs and 42 RBIs in 2011 didn’t exactly live up to the four-year, $56 million deal his signed before the start of the season.

Through the first few weeks of spring training in 2012, Dunn it turning it around, batting .276 (8-for-29) with four home runs and 12 RBIs.

“Adam Dunn is now getting to the place where we couldn’t get him to last year,” White Sox general manager Kenny Williams said. “He’s in a ready position every time the pitcher releases the ball. He gets to that load position, where he was always in between and always late last year. The worst thing you can be in the big leagues is in between. … It’s consistently hard contact and consistently good approaches, good passes at the baseball. It looks like the guy we signed last year. We’re very hopeful that he can carry us into this season.”

LISTEN: Kenny Williams on 670 The Score

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

Williams said he also expects to see improved number from Alex Rios, who is making the switch from center field to right field.

“We just need to keep Alex where he is,” Williams said. “Mentally, some of the things that he has been saying with regards to getting back to his days where he hit .280 and almost made the All-Star team just two years ago with us, where he was spraying the ball from left-center field to right-center field and pulling it naturally. He got into a mindset last year and even said it that he was a pull hitter. It’s taken us all this time, and Jeff Manto has shown him evidence of his good years where he is not a pull hitter. He is a gap-to-gap hitter. … If we keep him right there, he’s Alex Rios and he’s multi-talented. He could have an across-the-board good year, defensively and offensively.”

Don’t miss White Sox Weekly tomorrow with The Score’s Chris Rongey from 12:55-1:55 on 670 The Score.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

Baseball is just around the corner.

Don’t miss White Sox Weekly tomorrow from 11:45-12:45 with The Score’s Chris Rongey.

Addison Reed and Ed Farmer will join Rongey.

Baseball is just around the corner. Don’t miss White Sox Weekly tomorrow from 11:45-12:45 with The Score’s Chris Rongey.

Rongey will be joined by the newest addition to the starting rotation, Chris Sale.

Don’t miss  White Sox Weekly with Chris Rongey tomorrow from 9:45-10:45 on 670 The Score and 670TheScore.com.

Rongey will give you a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on with the White Sox.

Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus will join Rongey.

Even heading into the 2012 season, Peavy couldn’t say he was 100 percent healthy.

“I’m as healthy as Jake Peavy is going to get after what I’ve had,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m healthy, but I’m as healthy as I’m going to get. … It’s been so nice to be able to go in the weight room without limitations. People don’t understand this, but I’ve never been here in Chicago without a limitation on what I can do in the weight room because of my ankle, because of my legs. It’s been a tough time. I’m not making any excuses for what’s happened here in Chicago, I just haven’t been healthy. It’s been as disappointing to me as it has been the fans.”

LISTEN: Jake Peavy on 670 The Score

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

For the first time since he’s been with the White Sox, Peavy didn’t have to rehab from an injury during the offseason.

“It’s been as normal as an offseason as I’ve had since I’ve been with the White Sox,” Peavy said. “In 2009, I spent the better part of that offseason in a rehab facility trying to make my ankle 100 percent. Last year, obviously trying to reattach a lat for the most part of the offseason and during the season. So, to be able to have a normal offseason, it’s been too good to be true to be able to do what the rest of the guys have been doing.”

The 35-year-old first baseman has a .306 batting average over the past two season in which he’s hit 70 home runs and 216 RBIs.

The key to Konerko’s continued success has been preparation.

“From a body stand point, that’s one thing I’ve noticed kind of sneaks up on you and catches up with you in your 30s,” Konerko said. “There are a few guys who sneak through the cracks that don’t have to worry about it, but for the rest of the world, you just have to work. I probably learned almost all of it from Jim (Thome.) I don’t think anybody has been better as far as taking care of themselves through their 30s. Now, he’s 40, 41 still playing. He would always say, ‘It’s going to get tougher every year. You’re going to have to be getting ready four or five hours a day just to go out and play.’”

LISTEN: Paul Konerko on 670 The Score

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

Those words from Thome have been a key factor in Konerko continuing to succeed.

“Its been buying into the fact that you have to do more physically to make your body better as you get older, that’s number one,” Konerko said. “Number two is buying into an approach, or the way I’m going to go about my business day in and day out.”

Here’s a tentative schedule of guests to expect on The Score!

Friday:
6:15 Paul Konerko
6:45 A.J. Pierzynski/John Danks
7:15 Mark Parent
7:45 Gordon Beckham
8:00 Don Cooper

Saturday:
8:45 Thornton/Humber
9:45 Robin Ventura
10:45 Jake Peavy
Noon: Chris Sale

Sunday:
8:45 Gavin Floyd
9:45 Tyler Flowers
10:15 Doug Laumann
10:45 Frank Thomas
11:15 Buddy Bell
Noon: Jeff Manto
12:45: Addison Reed

White Sox new manager Robin Venutra will join Chris Rongey on Saturday at noon for White Sox Weekly on 670 The Score.

Don’t miss this week’s installment of White Sox Weekly with Chris Rongey on Saturday from 12pm-2pm on 670 The Score and 670thescore.com

With the general manager meetings coming to a close in Milwaukee, Rongey will have plenty to discuss.

Where will Mark Buehrle end up?

Check out the video and pictures below from the Hooters girls in-studio interview live with The Score’s Chris Rongey.

To view a full gallery of the Hooters girls in studio, click here.

For more information and a chance to see the Hooters girls on one of their stops, click here.

Don’t miss this week’s installment of White Sox Weekly with Chris Rongey on Saturday from 2:30pm-3:30pm (or after the Nebraska-Penn State game) on 670 The Score and 670thescore.com

Don’t miss this week’s installment of White Sox Weekly with Chris Rongey on Saturday from 12pm-1pm on 670 The Score and 670thescore.com

With a new manager in Robin Ventura at the helm, Rongey will break down the ins and outs of what it will take to bring the White Sox back to the top of the American League Central.

Quentin has been sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered on Aug. 20. He has appeared in just one game since. Before the injury, Quentin was batting .255 with 24 home runs and 77 RBIs.

CHICAGO (WSCR) Pitching around a walk and a single (that off the bat of Alex Rodriguez) in the 7th, and sitting at 100 pitches, it was clear that Phil Humber’s night had come to an end as he finished that inning with the no-hitter no longer in tact.

And for the first time since April 13th, it was time for the bullpen to do what it is primarily paid to do:  lock down close ballgames.  Chris Sale and Sergio Santos did just that.

Until that time, Humber was outstanding in his 7 innings pitched, 6 2/3 of which had come and gone without a base hit.  Humber located his fastball, had a curveball working, and fooled quite a few Yankees with a relatively new slider.  He was, for almost 7 frames, unhittable.  And in being such a pitcher in game 1 of a 4 game series in the Bronx, Humber made the status of Jake Peavy’s shoulder an afterthought.  For the night, at least.

The truth is, this 9-14 White Sox team really hasn’t missed Peavy all that much.  Not yet, anyway.  Certainly, you could say that none of the pitching problems the team has faced have come directly from his spot in the rotation; the spot currently filled by Humber.  Not one time, in this early part of the season, has anyone pined for a competent 5th starter in Peavy’s absence.  An indication that Humber has done, at the very minimum, an admirable job.  That’s all anyone could have reasonably expected.

While Sox fans should savor a wonderful start by Humber and a good victory over a pretty good New York team, we should all be careful to not let our enthusiasm get the best of us.  While it is not out of the question that Humber continues to perform as well as he has in his April starts, it is appropriate to keep in mind that it is still very much April and there are more than 5 months to go in this campaign.  He will struggle at some point this season.  The degree to which he struggles and the manor in which he handles those struggles are not yet known.  Humber may continue to surprise us all, and I hope that he does.

However, the truth is that the Sox are still a better team with a healthy Peavy.  Granted, we don’t know for sure how healthy he will be this season, but if he’s good to go, he makes the Sox more formidable.  In that case, all Phil Humber has done is give the White Sox a nice problem to have: too many capable starters and a little insurance policy.

And a new closer policy is what the Sox may have found in second-year reliever Sergio Santos who pitched 1 1/3 of an inning to earn his first save of the year for the Sox.  The idea of using Santos is not surprising given his excellent 0.00 ERA start to the season combined with his solid 2010 performance and the early issues for pre-season ordained closer Matt Thornton.  Santos is young, and remarkably inexperienced as a pitcher, but he’s got a live arm and has already seen success, though in limited professional experience as a pitcher (remember Santos had zero pitching experience until 2009 when he was converted from an infielder to reliever).

I have to admit I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen from Santos.  Throwing 16 pitches to retire 4 Yankees hitters over more than an inning of work in a 2-run game, is a nice way to be thrown into the fire.  Santos reacted to that fire as if his uniform was made of Nomex, and he did something the Sox have been able to do only one other time this year: save a game.

Now, it could be that fans are so starved for good bullpen work in a close, late game that they’ll latch onto just about anything that resembles a real closer.  Maybe Santos really is that guy.  But it is also prudent to remember that it was just one appearance, and one appearance cannot be extrapolated to determine a full season’s body of work.

Santos may very well do the job all year despite his inexperience, but there is reason to employ caution with that optimism.  He has the stuff to do it, will his mental makeup facilitate that?  I’ve seen nothing yet to suggest it won’t, but a baseball season is a long one, and much can, and will, happen along the way.

In the meantime, enjoy that splendid pitching performance from Monday and let’s hope there’s more where that came from.  What is evident is that the Sox pitching staff has taken a single step forward in settling in and they are a bit closer to having roles defined.  Let’s also hope that some lengthier strides are taken over the next several days.

We’re 6% of the way through the White Sox season.

Ten games in and a record of 6 and 4.  Granted, this team could very easily be 9 and 1 (8 and 2, if you take away the one the stole from Joakim Soria in Kansas City).  As a fan, you have every right to be annoyed/frustrated/upset/disappointed in the outcome of Friday and Monday nights’ games.  I’m right there with you.

I do hope, however, that Sox fans will exercise their right to remain calm, though I know that can be difficult to do when you care so much.  However, taking a step back will allow you a moment to tap into rational thought.

Most of the ire has been directed at the lack of early success from closer Matt Thornton.  That’s understandable.  He hasn’t gotten the job done in his first 3 save opportunities.  While some has been aimed at the misplays of Juan Pierre in both of the games in question.

So speaking of questions, let me address the big ones:

“Why is Thornton still the closer?”

There is no debating that Thornton has been the Sox best reliever over the last few years and that he can be considered one of the best relievers in the game.  The guy was an All-Star last year, after all.

Heading into the spring, I was of the mindset that being able to leave Thornton in the setup role would be best for the bullpen and the team.  That, of course, was dependent upon there being somebody that could replace Bobby Jenks in the 9th.  I was a proponent of the idea of maybe allowing Chris Sale to assume that role, while the rest of the back end of the bullpen remained the same with Thornton, Sergio Santos, and Jesse Crain (essentially replacing JJ Putz). As I’ve been told, there were also many within the organization that would have been happy with that plan, as well.

However, confidence issues for Sale during the spring dictated that the Sox couldn’t go into the regular season with that configuration.  Thus, the guy with the most experience and the most success was given the chance to lock down the last inning of White Sox wins this season.  That guy is Matt Thornton.

Now, why haven’t they replaced him yet? Well, a couple of reasons: 1) It’s April 12th, and 2) The last two blown chances haven’t been entirely his fault.  Friday’s game was as good as over, if consecutive plays are made behind him in the field.  Last night’s game may have gone differently had the fly to left been caught.  Two out with a runner at second and a 1-run lead is a much different situation than a tie game with a runner at second and 1 out. Much different.

Who knows how that game wouldve turned out had the out been made, but there is no denying that Thornton wasn’t getting a lot of assistance in the last two blown saves.

“Why didn’t Ozzie leave Buehrle in for the 9th?”

Because it’s not a good idea.  It wasn’t a no-hitter and the Sox had a well-rested bullpen.  No need to extend a pitcher who has had a recent history of wearing down by the end of the season.  Buehrle did his job and it was time to turn it over to the pen.  He needs to be protected as much as possible.

Plus, we all know that had Ozzie left him in and the first two hitters reached base, we’d be talking about Buehrle being out there too long. That’s a fact.

Finally, relievers are paid to finish games, and some of them are paid pretty well.  It’s their job.

“Why didn’t they replace Juan Pierre in the 9th for defense?”

Uh, why would they? The dude made 1 error last year and never drops flyballs.  What’s happened here in the last couple of games is a fluke.  It won’t continue like that.

Bottom Line:

It’s a long, long season and we’ve hardly gotten going.  94% of this season is left to play and, by the end of May, we’ll probably forget everything about which we were angry in April.  That’s the way it goes just about every year.  There may be some changes coming with this team and they may have to make some alterations with teh closer position. That has to be conceded.  But, it is just much too early to do that now.

MESA, AZ–Seven earned runs and and 4 walks in Thursday’s 8-7  White Sox loss to the Cubs, likely aren’t going to cost Phil Humber a chance at breaking camp as the team’s 5th starter.  Barring an incredible recover by Jake Peavy or an acquisition of some kind (both highly unlikely), Humber will still be the guy.

“I don’t see anybody out there better than what we have,” said Ozzie Guillen who saw his starter pitch 4 1/3 innings.  “This guy’s already got the innings.  His stuff is good.  I don’t see why not keep him there and see what he can do.”

Really, at this point, it comes down to options, or lack thereof.  In an ideal world, the Sox won’t need Humber for very long, anyway.  However, the only certainty in the health of Jake Peavy is that his health is uncertain.

But, while Humber is a Sox starter, he’ll need to cut down on putting on-base the leadoff hitter, something he did in 3 of the 5 innings he started Thursday (walk, single, and a home run).

“It’s hard to keep them from scoring when have guys on base all the time,” Humber said after making his second Cactus League start and his 6th appearance.  “There was a lot of traffic out there today and most of it was caused by me not throwing strikes.”

Thursday wasn’t an encouraging day for the right-hander, but it really doesn’t mean much for the regular season starts, either.  Just as 5 innings of shutout baseball Thursday would have meant little for what happens in April.  The Sox are just going to have to hope that Humber is competent in however many starts he does have this season.

Other Stuff From Thursday: Brent Morel officially named the Opening Day third baseman.  I know you already knew that.

-Juan Pierre left the game after fouling a ball off his right shin.  It didn’t seem to be anything serious and he was replaced in the game by Brent Lillibridge.  He should be fine, the team says.  Pierre, by the way, was replaced in the late innings by Lastings Milledge yesterday.

As the days roll and we get closer to Monday (the day by which all final decisions will be made), there is clearly an argument for both Milledge and Lillibridge to be kept as the 25th man.  Milledge has hit well and will provide a little better defense in the outfield while serving as the only real outfielder on the Sox bench.  But if the Sox believe Milledge could be a part of their everyday future, getting him regular ABs in Triple A, might be good for him.  Lillibridge isn’t a true outfielder but is versatile and the Sox probably doesn’t figure him to ever be a regular player.  Therefore, sporadic ABs off the bench would suit him, and the team, just fine.

GLENDALE, AZ–With few decisions left to be made, the White Sox fully expect that their team will be complete by next week.  That according to the manager Ozzie Guillen after the Sox 6-2 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.

So what’s to be decided?

Final Position Roster Spot: With GM Kenny Williams already declaring that he wants to break camp with 12 pitchers, instead of 11, that final battle comes down to Brent Lillibridge and Lastings Milledge.  Alejandro De Aza has already been sent to the minors.  Milledge has had a terrific spring, both offensively and defensively, while Lillibridge has struggled at the plate.  And though the final spot on the final spot on the 25-man often comes down to spring play, it is not always true.

Ozzie likes Lillibridge because of his versatility (he can play both the infield and outfield), but Milledge is anoutfielder by trade.  Though Lillibridge is out of options, the team might want to take the gamble of losing him to another team anyway, considering Milledge would be the only true outfielder the Sox would have coming off the bench and he has more likelihood of greater offensive production.  The possibility of a .730 OPS or better from Milledge is probably higher than it would be with Lillibridge.  At minimum, the Sox would likely get at least .150 points more OPS with Milledge and though they likely won’t get great defense, it will be better than what Lillibridge would provide.

In addition, the Sox have a backup infielder in Omar Vizquel than can play anywhere (3rd, SS, 2nd) and in Mark Teahen that can play in most places in an emergency situation.  The need for Lillibridge may not be as great.

3rd Base Starter: Really, this has already been decided.  Brent Morel’s play at the position and sufficient bat have made the decision fairly easy.  I’ll be shocked if anyone else is playing there on Opening Day.

5th Starter/ Jake Peavy: It appears as though Jeff Marquez will be the 12th man on the pitching staff and will throw out of the bullpen, but who is the 5th starter for this Sox team at the beginning of the season?  All indications are that it will not be Peavy, though the progress he’s made has been encouraging in the days since his rotator cuff tendinitis reached the point of severe discomfort.

I think Phil Humber begins the season in a big league uniform and may fill in a couple of starts or more until Peavy is ready.  At this point, I don’t think he is, and they aren’t going to rush him back before he’s ready.

Peavy continues to insist that he’s been more than forthcoming with the team and his doctors in regard to every ache and pain he’s felt during the spring.  “It’s been out there that I haven’t been truthful…that’s the furthest thing from the truth.  I’ve told these guys everything I feel in my body and let the guys who are more educated than me on the subject make the decisions,” he said Wednesday.

According to Peavy, Dr. Anthony Romeo (Peavy’s shoulder specialist) says that the right-hander has made much better progress than expected, which includes the recent tendinitis setback.  Romeo tells Peavy there is no structural damage and Peavy expects to throw some long toss this week, and maybe from the mound this weekend.

There has been a great deal of anger with the Peavy situation, but I just can’t find anything about which to be angered.  Disappointed?  Sure.  I started to feel some optimism that he might actually be good to go by the beginning of the year.  But angry?  No, not really.  Why would I be?  I really don’t believe he’s done more than he should have and I certainly don’t believe that the entire team of doctors and trainers would allow him to if they didn’t think he could.

This is one of the most successful medical staffs in the American League, if not the most successful.  They aren’t stupid.  And they’re not ignorant to the idea that players can sometimes hold back on how they’re really feeling.  To think they’re not on top of every single thing he’s done, and is doing, is just false.

He may get sore again.  He may even get injured again.  And the next time it may be significant.  But I truly believe that any such outcome is something that could not have been avoided.  If Peavy is going to get hurt, he’s going to get hurt.  There’s only so much that can be done to prevent it.

At this point, the best to hope for is a Peavy return by may.  Anything better is a bonus.

“I’m not going to change a thing,” Thornton told The Score’s Chris Rongey. “I’m the same guy that I was, I’m going to do the same thing I’ve always done and continue to work hard and prepare myself and continue to try and attack hitters and execute pitches.”

As the team’s setup man last season, Thornton had a 2.67 ERA with 81 strikeout and eight saves in 60.2 innings pitched.

The White Sox open the regular season on April 1, in Cleveland.

LISTEN: Matt Thornton On White Sox Weekly Part 1

GLENDALE, AZ–Just yesterday, Jake Peavy’s progress continued to be encouraging.  An 83 pitch effort while battling aftereffects of the flu, led us to think that maybe the White Sox right-hander was, in fact, going to be ready to start the season on the 25-man roster.

Now, here we are just a day later and that prognosis isn’t quite so encouraging.

“We were told to expect this. I wouldn’t buy into it, and I never expected it. But we have. I’m not going to sit here and say it’s a setback yet, but certainly things have slowed down,” said Peavy today whose Cactus League start on Thursday against the Cubs is in jeopardy, as is his regular season start on April 6th.  If he doesn’t start Thursday, he doesn’t start the season with the Sox.

Officially, doctors say Peavy has tendinitis in his rotator cuff and will be evaluated over the next couple of days.  Soreness in his shoulder has been gradually increasing and, for the first time today, Peavy failed the tests to determine whether or not the discomfort was due to general soreness or something more serious.

This, he hopes, is the setback that trainers and doctors have told him to expect.  But he never really did expect it.  And many of us — myself included –  were starting to maybe believe that his incredible recovery was going according to plan.  That the expectation now should be that Peavy would make that start in game #5.  Rationally, though, we never should have expected that until we physically saw him standing on the mound in the bottom of the first inning on April 6th in Kansas City.

Optimism can get the best of you, sometimes.

Peavy was noticeably disappointed in the news today and he seemed, more than ever, to be willing to accept that he just can’t push it anymore.  He says that he “(isn’t) going to try to be a hero and pitch hurt,” and said that he knows it’s best for himself and the team if does it right and is able to go in May, instead of overexerting himself and making the situation worse.

What can be done, really?  Aside from wrapping the guy in egg-crate packing foam and storing him away for the rest of his life, there just isn’t any way to guarantee something on his body won’t be inflamed, sprained, broken, or torn.  His lat muscle is good.  This rotator cuff issue is separate and is now causing real pain.

The only thing that we can do now, is hope the inflammation calms and that Peavy can give the White Sox five good months or better.  I do think it’s safe to say, though, that if he holds true to his feelings from today, Peavy won’t come back before he should.  He’s said as much.  Let’s hope that’s the case.

PHOENIX, AZ–Though he admits he doesn’t “think it’s etched in stone,” Jake Peavy said today after his start against the A’s that, at this point, he appears to be in line to get the start April 6th in Kansas City.

“I think that’s the way we’re headed,” said Peavy after throwing 5 2/3 of 7 hit ball while allowing 3 earned runs in the White Sox 8-3 loss.  The scoring included a two-run home run off the bat of former Sox prospect Ryan Sweeney.

After dealing with the flu for the last several days, Peavy was determined to stay on track to be able to begin the season with the Sox, even if that meant doing so at less than 100%.

“I didn’t feel up to par, by any means, yesterday or today…but I feel like we could go out and get our work in.  I just want to stay on schedule.  Schedule is such a huge part of spring training,” said Peavy who threw 83 pitches.  That’s 16 pitches more than his last time out.

It  appears some team decision-makers were more inclined to have Peavy throw a simulated game so they could have more control over the environment, while Peavy preferred the real thing.  “It’s just not the same.  These guys are going out there and trying to get hits.  I felt blessed that I was able to go.  I had some people on my side about pitching, I had some people that weren’t on my side.  But, eventually, we got out there and got our work in and it was a good day. “

While Peavy felt strongly that he needed to make his scheduled start, it’s encouraging to continue to hear that he’s aware of his limits.  “Obviously I didn’t feel very strong and went at a very controlled pace,” he said.

Undoubtedly, the number one concern in regard to the Sox right-hander is the possibility of re-injury.  The recent illness, however, has nothing to do with that and the desire to pitch through the flu is not nearly as worrisome as the desire to pitch through soreness.

Puking aside, I still can’t help but to feel a bit queasy about Peavy’s progress.  OK, that’s a bit dramatic because I know whatever happens with him in the next several weeks will not literally cause me to throw up, but I am certainly nervous about the prospect of Peavy starting the season on the 25-man.

When much of the speculation was that we may not see him pitch until the middle of the season (with some even boldly predicting he may never pitch again), it’s difficult to wrap my head around the idea that he’s highly likely be ready to go in week one.  It’s incredible, really.

The worrying may all be for naught.  Humans like to be worried.  Makes us feel alive, or something.

On the other side of worry and hyperbolic words like “catastrophe”, is the possibility that we might get a full season of a healthy Jake Peavy.  And in our Giant Bag of If’s, if Peavy does that, this Sox team might be really, really good.

Somewhere in the middle, is an 80% of a season with a healthy Jake Peavy.  And if caution helps him get there, I’ll take that, too.

MARYVALE, AZ–Tomorrow could mark a  fairly significant day for the White Sox as they get closer to April first and the opener in Cleveland.

Until now, the main story line throughout camp has, undoubtedly, been the health of Jake Peavy, his recovery from the lat injury, and the prospect of him being bale to start the season.  Peavy, by the way, scheduled to pitch on Saturday is still hopeful to be able to go despite battling the flu (he’s taken treatment the last couple of days). never really s

But, tomorrow, the focus may shift to some of the few position battles the Sox have had this spring.  That focus will shift for at least a day or two, anyway.  Ozzie Guillen today saying the Sox have scheduled a meeting for noon tomorrow in which some clearer roles may be defined.

Of the most important, is the competition at third that never really seemed to be an actual competition until recently.  In my opinion, Brent Morel has been the favorite since last September, and is still the favorite for the majority of games at third.  However, Mark Teahen’s bat has made them take a longer look.  Hitting .529 coming into today’s game, Teahen has shown them how nice another productive left-handed bat might look in this lineup.

However, it is only spring, after all.  And gaudy spring numbers are not unprecedented (Remember Mark Kotsay’s 2010 spring) and rarely have much to do with what a player will do between April and September.  The lesson is that it just simply can’t be counted on that Teahen will continue to rake once the season begins.

Oh, but what if he does?

It’s possible he could have a breakout offensive year if he remains healthy, and some of those line drives in Kansas City that might leave the yard in Chicago would look terrific in this lineup.  At 29 years old, a dramatic spike in production is possible, though I don’t know how likely it is.

Which leads me to the conclusion that Morel, at this point, may be what’s best for the Sox in 2011.  This is provided, of course, that he continues to play solid defense and brings a respectable bat to the regular season.  It doesn’t even have to be good with the group that will surround him.  The steady glove may be the most important thing for this team in this situation.

As for the closer on this year’s team, it’s becoming more apparent that Matt Thornton may get the official title, though I believe he may not be the only one asked to finish out games.  Both he and Chris Sale have had experience doing it, and both probably could to it for extended periods of time, but I think the veteran may win out here.  Especially considering pitching coach Don Cooper is still working on some aspects of Sale’s game.

At this point, Thornton looks to me the more polished choice.

By Chris Rongey

GLENDALE, AZ.– White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf understands that any time he has is valuable.  And being 75, that makes any time he has left precious.

Consider that maybe the most important of the reasons that the signage hanging on this year’s Sox team reads “All In” instead of “Under Construction”.

“The idea of being bad for two or three years is a horrible thought when you’re 75 years old.”  Fortunately for Reinsdorf, after a physical today, doctors told him that he had the heart of a 52-year-old.

“You caught me on a good day. I’m feeling really good today,” he joked, “I’ll probably get killed on the way home. Vin Scully said, ‘We’re all day to day.’  We are.  But at least I know my health is very good today.”

And he’s hoping his team is also very good and he knows they can be.  However, it was only months ago, during the offseason, there was a good chance they wouldn’t be.

“My first impulse was to say that we couldn’t afford –, ” Then after a phone call briefly interrupted, Reinsdorf continued, “The first thing Kenny and I decided we were going to do was to rebuild because we didn’t feel we could count on the attendance supporting the level we had to get to to spend to be better than Minnesota.  But what we didn’t want to do was to just lower the payroll…without doing it in a way that would give us hope for the future.”

The chairman admitted that would’ve been the easy thing to do, but he wasn’t going to give up something (i.e. Konerko and AJ that may have brought back draft picks in free agency, or moving an established player under contract for prospects) for nothing (apparently, the potential return failed to entice). “In the end, what we would’ve ended up doing is having a worse team with a lower payroll.  We’d make money, but we wouldn’t be building for the future.”

That wasn’t an option for him. So, again, it came back to beating the Twins.  By increasing the payroll to around $135 million, it isn’t a secret that the organization considers it a risk but, said Reinsdorf, “It was better than getting bad for two or three years.”

Reinsdorf would not go as far as to say that his team is better than Minnesota’s, but thinks the White Sox have the talent in place to compete with the Twins and Tigers for the AL Central title.  He’s been done with the predictioneer’s game since he figured the Sox to finish in the top 6 back in 1991.  They wouldn’t finish 7th because, Reinsdorf said then, “Minnesota’s gonna finish 7th.  They won the World Series.”

But the hope is now — as it always is — that the World Series will belong to the White Sox this year.  If it does, it’ll be just another thing to enjoy while wishing he had all the time in the world to enjoy it.

“One of my friends, picture of health, worked out his whole life, never had a weight problem.  Calls me up one day and says, ‘I have pancreatic cancer.’  Gone.”  As his voice softens, Reinsdorf says, “I’ve lost too many friends.”

Which will hold true for all of us at some point.  And it’s a reality that — when it hits us — may force us to make the most of whatever we’ve got for however long we’ve got it.  Even if we’re lucky enough to have a baseball team.

“It’s too bad because just when you get to the point in life where you’ve really got it figured out, where you can really enjoy it, you’re in the home stretch.”  Reinsdorf laughs at the cruelty of it.  He recalls a bit of wisdom that says, “Live every day like it’s you’re last because one day you’ll be right.”

Other notables from Reinsdorf:

On the financial risk:

“We put the risk on ourselves. We put the monkey on our backs.  We’re spending the money.  We never expected people to go wild and buy tickets like mad.  We know we have to prove that we’ve got a team worthy of winning the division.  If we do, I think we’ll draw better.

(Reinsdorf says there really hasn’t been a spike in ticket sales and that it’s at about last year’s pace, but sponsorships are ahead of budget.  Their goal is to draw somewhere between 2.6 and 2.8 million fans to U.S. Cellular Field this season.  He also said that increased TV ratings will help revenue, as well as attendance.)

Regarding the economy’s effect on Camelback Ranch, Reinsdorf says the opening of the new Rockies facility has drawn away some fans.  In addition, the original appeal of moving to Glendale was the expected buildup of restaurants, hotels, and businesses around the Camelback Ranch area by the 3rd year in.  None of that is yet to happen.  He still expects the projections to come to fruition, though, obviously, later than originally thought.

On the Kenny/Ozzie issues from last year:

“That was the foolishness that grew out of Oney’s tweets last year.  That’s not gonna happen again.”

And:

“Right now they’re on the same page.  I don’t think they’ve ever not been on the same page, as far as the team is concerned.  This was just some personal bickering.  They’ve got it behind them”

On the Sox current farm system:

“Since Doug Laumann took over as scouting director, our drafts have improved dramatically.  And nobody’s better than Buddy Bell in player development, but obviously it took him a couple of years to get all of his people in place.  And I am really confident that we are teaching in the minor leagues and we are teaching well.”

On trying to lock up rising players to long term deals:

“It’s different for each player.  When’s the right time?  And you can be wrong and you can obviously make a mistake.  Or sometimes the agent makes a mistake.  We were prepared to commit to Joe Crede and Scott Boras wouldn’t talk about it.  Look what that’s cost Crede.”

On committing too much to a pitcher:

“Even though we’ve gone more than three years with a pitcher, the odds are really against you when you do that.”

On Mark Buehrle’s idea that he might retire after this season:

“I love Mark Buehrle. He’s just a fun guy.  He knows he’s made a lot of money, and the way he lives, there’s no way he’s going to spend all the money he’s made.”

The Chicago White Sox’s Alexei Ramirez is among the later of those two groups.

“We’re not changing anything with Alexei,” Greg Walker, White Sox hitting coach, said on 670 The Score. “We never have done a lot with Alexei. We’ve always encouraged him to hit the ball to right field more, but he’s kind of self-taught, very respectful, does his works, works hard, there’s not a lot of coaching. We give him information about the pitchers we face, but he’s pretty much a self-made player like most of them are.

LISTEN: Greg Walker On White Sox Weekly On 670 The Score

“The one thing that I did notice last year, that I do think is going to help him this year is that he’s finally kind of figured out how to hit the ball to right field, correctly. I saw it early, first couple of months last year…and so far this spring he’s picked up right where he left off. My contention has been, everybody is concerned about Alexei’s Aprils and Mays, and I think he hits the ball just as hard in April as he does the rest of the year. I just think he hits most of them foul. With his ability to hit to right field, it’s kind of got him squared off and put center field in center field, instead of left field, which it usually is in April and May.

“We’ll see if he holds up and goes through it and has a good April, but April is tough on anybody in Chicago. I think he’ll do better this year, I really do.”

Along with Teahen, Brent Morel and Omar Vizquel are battling for playing time at third base, and that’s just fine with Teahen.

“Truthfully, I welcome the competition,” Teahen said 670 The Score. “You never want to be in a position where you’re not getting pushed, so I welcome it. It’s not the first time I’ve come to spring [training] and had to compete for a position, I also know worrying about other guys or whatever else isn’t going to help me at all. I just need to focus on what I need to do to prepare and get ready. And at the end of the day, whatever they decide, they decide. I just need to be prepared to as productive as I can be.

LISTEN: Mark Teahen On White Sox Weekly On 670 The Score

“Last year didn’t go as planned, got off to a slow start and then missed three months breaking a finger. There’s a lot of things I wanted to do last year that I wasn’t able to do so I’m just preparing as well I as can this year so I can make sure this year is a good one.”

Danks, on the other hand, still feels that that’s Buehrle’s game to pitch.

“You take it a couple ways,” Danks said on White Sox Weekly of Buehrle’s comments. “Obviously, you know, it’ll be Mark’s game no matter what. Even if I was approached with it, I don’t think it would be right for anybody except Mark Buehrle to pitch that game. I wouldn’t feel right taking that game.

LISTEN: John Danks On White Sox Weekly

“At the same time you take that as a huge compliment. Mark is one of my closest friends of the team, I think that’s pretty well publicized, but you definitely take notice of that and it makes you feel good, for sure.”

In just 23 days, the White Sox will officially open their 2011 campaign on the road in Cleveland.

“I think if you were to ask any guy in our bullpen what spot they would want, they would want to be the closer,” White Sox pitcher Sergio Santos said on The Score. “I think it’s a great job to be, to kind of hand you the ball to get the last three outs. So yeah I would be lying if I said no I didn’t think about [closing]. But is it the most important thing to me? No. I’m going to try for it, and if it happens great. But if not then I have no problem being a sixth, seventh, eighth inning guy.”

LISTEN: Sergio Santos On 670 The Score

At this point the frontrunners for the closer job appear to be Matt Thornton and Chris Sale, but anything can happen in the coming weeks as the White Sox have just started playing their spring training games.