Chicago White Sox: Five Things to Look Forward to in 2009

1. Ozzie Guillen Explosions
-Between Magglio Ordonez, Jay Mariotti, and his incentive filled tirades; there is no doubt that White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen is a loose cannon. But hey, that's why we love him. I'm eager to see what will piss Guillen off this year....any ideas?

More classic Ozzie (for your viewing and listening pleasure):






2. A full season of Carlos Quentin
-Few people outside of Chicago realize just how good Quentin was last season for the White Sox. Before missing September with a self inflicted broken hand, Quentin was carrying the Sox offense. The power hitting left fielder was a revelation in 2008 by hitting 36 home runs, driving in 100 runs, and producing a solid .394 OBP. I still believe that if Quentin did not get hurt in September that he would have won the MVP award...hopefully Quentin can put up monster numbers for the entire season in 2009!

3. Josh Fields
-Fields is another one of these prospects that seems to have been around forever. Fields had a cup of tea with the Sox in 2007 where he impressed the team by hitting 23 home runs. However, Fields was a massive disappointment in 2008, spending a majority of the time in the minor leagues before undergoing surgery on his right knee. In 2009, Fields will get the opportunity to play everyday at third base and prove his worth to the White Sox. If Fields demonstrates plus power and raises his batting average, then the White Sox might have their third baseman of the future.

4. Alexei Ramirez
-The Cuban Missile is one of my favorite players to watch for a couple different reasons. Firstly, he gives skinny dudes like myself hope that yes, we can too play in the big leagues one day and have massive amounts of success (I kid....)! Ramirez is one of the skinniest ball players I have seen (Soriano comes to mind), but he brings a fantastic array of power and speed to the table for the White Sox. In just 480 at bats, Ramirez hit .290 with 21 home runs and 13 stolen bases. I'm eager to see what kind of ridiculous stats Ramirez can put up over the course of a entire season. The sky looks to be the limit for Ramirez, but he NEEDS to learn how to get on base and take a walk. A sub .320 OBP is simply not going to cut it. BE PATIENT!

5. Rookie Hazing

I, for one, cannot wait to see what Chris Getz is forced to wear.