Well, here we are folks. On the cusp of what promises to be another exciting baseball season and I find myself struggling to fall asleep. Despite the fact that the White Sox will not play for another day, watching the Rangers square off against the American League’s new punching bag is enough of a fix for me.

Now, seeing as this is the inaugural post for this blog, I should probably introduce its purpose. My goal is to provide commentary on the White Sox season from the perspective of a normal fan. I’m hoping I can get a bit of an audience as the season goes on but, if not, I’ll just ending up using this page to vent my thoughts on the season. So, without further ado, I present to you my preview to the 2013 White Sox season.

I’ll admit, I was a bit of a doubter last season. Or maybe I should say I was a believer. I believed everything that was said about the White Sox going into 2012. That it was a rebuilding year. That we were headed for fourth place. That there was no way any team could keep up with the Tigers in the Central. I was wrong and I will not be making the same mistake again. This time, the only hype I’m buying into is the pro-Sox propaganda that is quietly spreading (http://tinyurl.com/c2mrvaf) through the internet.

First off, our rotation has the potential to dominate any team in the AL Central. While Verlander, Scherzer, Fister, and Sanchez provide a pretty formidable challenge in Detroit, I think we have what it takes to beat them. Chris Sale showed last season that he has what it takes to go toe-to-toe with Verlander and Quintana and Peavy both performed above expectations. And while Floyd is consistently disappointing, he still hits hot streaks when his curveball is virtually un-hittable. But what I love most is that John Danks is our question mark. While Axelrod will provide solid numbers as a fifth starter, it’ll only be a few weeks (fingers crossed) before we have another potential ace in the mix. Sale, Peavy, Danks, Floyd, Quintana. There’s a lot of potential in that rotation.

However, more important than the rotation (in my opinion) is our bullpen, and it looks the best it has in years. The addition of Lindstrom fills out what looks to be the strongest part of the White Sox roster. There’s a perfect balance of youth and experience and plenty of firepower to go around. And while Addison Reed may not have had the best season statistically in 2012, his velocity and his spring tell me that he’s ready to have a breakout season. Of course, you’ve got Thornton, Crain, Jones, and Veal all coming back along with a few others who will make the White Sox hard to score against in the later innings.

The offense is where I have my biggest doubts. Obviously we are going to have a tough time replacing AJ after the great year we had, but we don’t need to replace him completely. (Who can replace this?)

It’s safe to say that Flowers will not produce at the same level as #12, but the increased production that will come from Keppinger at third base may be enough to offset the loss of AJ. Outside of that, questions continue to swirl around Beckham, as people are either predicting a break-out season or a continued decline. My guess is he will bat somewhere in the .240’s and continue to disappoint. Rios and Dunn will be tossups, as they are every season but I’m looking forward to seeing increased production from Alexei (mostly because of the beard) and the Tank. What excites me the most about this season is the health of Paulie. I think his wrist was bothering him more than he was willing to admit last season and, now that its fixed, we’re going to see some serious shit (88 HRs?). I’m predicting 35 dingers with 110 RBIs and a .325 batting average. I’m talking about old-school, 2006, batting between-Thome-and-Dye Paul Konerko. Get ready.

Aside from the pitching and the hitting (and the fielding, which will be outstanding once again), the White Sox have one more secret weapon that comes in the form of their fearless leader: Robin Ventura. Last year, Ventura took a “rebuilding” team within three games of a playoff spot and he did it without any prior experience. Now, the guy has a year under his belt and a team that loves to play for him. I think what people constantly overlook when making predictions is chemistry. The Giants had it in 2010 and 2012 and more importantly, the White Sox had it in 2005. That’s why these super-teams like last year’s Marlins or Dodgers were destined to fail. While a group of all-stars may make for a great fan attraction, they most often fail to become a cohesive unit. That’s what makes Ventura such a valuable part of this team. Unlike Ozzie, he provides a calming presence in the clubhouse yet he can still lead the team with authority. He may not have the resume of a Tony LaRussa or Joe Torre but he knows his team and how to run it.

I see two possible scenarios for the White Sox this season. The first is that everything goes as expected. Flowers is a disappointment behind the plate, Danks never returns to 100%, Sale breaks down mid-season, and the Sox settle for a sub-.500 record and a 3rd/4th place finish in the Central. However, the other situation is much more optimistic yet still very possible. The rotation thrives with the return of John Danks and the offense thrives as the youth in the lineup begins to develop. With a few lucky breaks, the South-Siders could find themselves still on the field come October.

In all honesty, I expect the White Sox will finish 2nd in the division behind the Tigers and just beat out the Blue Jays for the second Wild Card spot. After that, who knows. The Nationals may appear to be a lock for a World Series win but the playoffs are all about catching fire at the right time. Regardless of the season goes, it’ll be great to have baseball back again. Lord knows how we made it 179 days without the Hawk.