Surprise ON THE South Side

Sporting News, The, June 19, 2000 by Scot Gregor

The close-knit White Sox show no signs of backing down form their new atop the A.L. Central

The first pitch still was an hour away at Comiskey Park, but it wasn't too early to take a verbal swing.

A fan, obviously of the South Side persuasion, walked through the main concourse shouting: "Anybody see any yuppies?"

That was an obvious shot at the Cubs and their 15,000 or so fans who headed down the Dan Ryan Expressway last Friday to take in the first of six interleague games the Chicago rivals will play this season.

Not surprisingly, the blue-collar South Siders and trendy North Siders mix about as well as a $1.50 Old Style and a snifter of Grand Marnier.

"I try not to watch the White Sox, because I hate them so bad," says Doug Ahems, a lifelong Cubs fan from suburban Hoffman Estates. "That was instilled in me by my father and a lot of relatives. But the White Sox have played good baseball. I thought it would be a fluke, but they've been surprising a lot of people."

Which brings us back to the first fan.

Rather than inquiring about yuppies, the logical question should have been: "Anybody seen these White Sox?"

They've been worth watching.

Unlike their neighbors to the north, the Sox have been winning. Even after the Cubs rallied to win the finale of last weekend's series, they were buried in the N.L. Central, 11 games under .500.

The surprising Sox, meanwhile, have broken through with a young team that has a strong heart to go with a relatively modest payroll of $31 million. In the A.L. Central, which has been owned and operated by the Indians since 1995, the Sox have been in first place since the end of April.

The Indians are spending almost three times as much on salary as the White Sox--as are the Yankees, Braves and other perennial postseason contenders.

It has been chemistry, not cash, that has mattered most to these White Sox. A united effort has been the foundation of a team that owned the best record (37-23)in the American League after 60 games.

"This is like a college team," says first baseman/DH Paul Konerko. "We've got a bunch of guys on this team that care about each other and pull for each other. You can't underestimate how important that is."

Since the Sox' rebuilding plan began in earnest two years ago, the young talent has been in place. The cohesiveness was missing, though, and the team was splintered into cliques.

"There's no life, no enthusiasm," since-departed starting pitcher Jaime Navarro said in 1998.

"We're a bunch of dead dogs."

Now, the White Sox are full of bite.

"We just have a great group of kids," general manager Ron Schueler says. "We claw at you, but we don't suffocate you. I'm just really surprised at how we've come together."

Schueler, the man who assembled the roster, initially thought he would see some positive signs after the All-Star break. Many in the organization were even aiming at 2001, hoping the White Sox somehow could lure Alex Rodriguez to town during free agency.

Schueler was as optimistic as any general manager during spring training, but when he looked at the regular-season schedule, he winced.

To start the season, the Sox played four games at Texas, three at Oakland and three more on the other side of the map, in Tampa Bay.

After giving up 22 runs while losing the first two games to the Rangers, the White Sox were in danger of being buried before reaching their home soil.

"It's a long, long journey and any team that hopes to be a champion has to be able to handle adversity," says Jerry Manuel, the Sox's engaging manager. "We've had a number of tests already and I think we've passed them all."

In his third season on the White Sox bench, Manuel has developed into a perfect teacher. He'll accept failure, but only when it's aggressive in nature. "We're lucky to have him," Schueler says. "He's been great working with all of the kids and his attitude is always positive."

After the tough start at Texas, the White Sox rebounded and went 6-2 on the rest of the trip. They also stood up for each other in a pair of nasty brawls during an April 22 game against the Tigers. After two players were hit by Tigers starter Jeff Weaver, Sox starter Jim Parque plunked Dean Palmer and the benches emptied. The brawl meant suspensions for key players such as right fielder Magglio Ordonez (five games), left fielder Carlos Lee (three) and closer Keith Foulke, but a bond on the team had been cemented.

So, how does a team that finished 75-86 last season-211/2 games behind the Indians-pull off such a dramatic turnaround? As Schueler said, the White Sox scratch and claw. But they also have some pretty impressive talent.

"We've been bringing in good, young players for the last few years," says Frank Thomas, the team's lone established veteran. "Guys like Magglio, Carlos, Paul (Konerko) were great hitters in the minor leagues and they've finally started to adjust to the pitchers up here. And we've got some great young pitching, that's been the biggest key. You've got to have the pitching."

Ordonez emerged as an All-Star last year at age 25 when he hit .301 with 30 homers and 117 RBIs. Entering this week, he was on track for another big season with 12 homers and 41 RBIs to go with a .297 average.