I've been reading some really negative and dare I say silly things about the Chicago White Sox lately.  How in less than forty games into a season you can give up on a team not named the Pirates is beyond me.  Eighty games, sure.  One-hundred games, absolutely.  But it seems to me several of you have your finger self destruct a bit too early.  Can we look at some positives?

• Freddie Garcia continues to pitch well in the fifth slot.  Jake Peavy has pitched much better in his last three starts and John Danks has been stellar all year.  When and if Mark Buehrle and Gavin Floyd show up at the party, the rotation may be as fearsome as originally advertised.
• Juan Pierre has worked his way out of his awful April and is starting to get on base.  He leads the AL with 18 stolen bases.
• Alex Rios has been outstanding all year as has Paul Konerko.
• Andruw Jones has been a pleasant surprise.  Everybody assumed that he was done.
• Sergio Santos is turning out to be a real find.
• Scott Linebrink has actually looked decent this year.
• They are only six games under .500!

Okay, now, here's the ifs and buts part:

• If Carlos Quentin can continue to hit like he did yeterday, going primarily to the opposite field, he may be ready to contribute.
• If Gordon Beckham can figure it out, the same.
• A.J. isn't going to hit .202 forever.  Good hitters seldom do. Right now, the pitching staff needs him far more than a defensively challenged rookie who strikes out more than a nerd in a singles bar.

There are several other teams that have had slow starts.  The Red Sox, Brewers, Angels and Cubs were all expected to contend and aren't right now.  At least three of those teams will most likely be in the thick of the race at the end of the summer.The Reds lead the NL Central, think that will be how it ends up?

Do you think Jon Rausch is going to go the whole season without at least a few meltdowns?  Do you think Joe Mauer's creaky back won't cause him some grief between now and the finish line?

Look, despite what an increasing number of you may think, I am neither a shill or an idiot.  But I do think the problem that this team has had is the slow start by key memebers of its' roster.  If these guys get back to playing the way they should, you'll see the White Sox back in the race.  If they don't, you'll be waving good bye to several old friends and watching a bunch of kids.

Keep the faith.  It's not time to panic yet.