There's been a lot of debate over the composition of the 2010 White Sox.  Three weeks ago, when the team was not playing very well, fans, media members and even people within the organization couldn't figure out what this group was about.  Look at it it now, with the Sox having won nine of eleven games and you can begin to see what Ozzie Guillen and Kenny Williams were thinking.

The starting pitching has been awesome during the streak.  Early on, the whole rotation, save for maybe Freddie Garcia and John Danks were getting hammered, but now the tide is turned and these guys are performing as advertised.  That's the first part, solid starting pitching.

Then there is the bullpen, which did struggle a little earlier.  Now, with more clearly defined roles, the bullpen has been pretty good.  Bobby Jenks has converted his last nine opportunities, which may surprise some people given his tepid start.  Matt Thornton and J.J. Putz have turned into the able set up men we all thought they were and Sergio Santos may get some consideration for the all-star game. They've performed well, especially when the starters give them seven innings or more.

Defensively, the Sox struggled earlier in the year, but finally have a handle on it.  Omar Vizquel, a sure hall of famer, has tightened things down at third where the Sox had all kinds of trouble earlier in the year.  The middle infield of Alexi Ramirez and Gordon Beckham has begun to jell, although Beckham's range is not what you'd like it to be at second.  You really can't blaime him though, he's learning on the job.  In the outfield, Juan Pierre has made some nice plays, Alex Rios has been awesome and the right field platoon of Carlos Quentin, Andruw Jones and Mark Kotsay have played okay.  Even A.J. Pierzynski, a throwing challenged catcher if there ever was one, is beginning to throw people out more frequently.

Offensively, the team has struggled, but lately they are getting the big hit.  That's important, because the more you get the big hit, the more you believe you can get the big hit.  What's really helped this team that it no longer is station to station.  Pierre, Ramirez, Jones, Rios, Beckham and Vizquel can actually run and give the Sox a speed component they haven't had in years.  This makes them even more dangerous.

Finally, they are weaning themselves off the home run as a method of scoring.  They haven't homered in eight straight games, but they haven't needed it either.  This is what Ozzie was gunning for when they got this group together.

With Beckham and Quentin finally beginning to hit a little, the Sox look like a team that may be on the rise and perhaps challenge for a division title against the Twins and Tigers.  Time will tell about that, but one thing is clear: This team is finally playing the way Ozzie and Kenny expected it to: Dominant starting and relief pitching, improved defense, more speed and less dependence on the long ball.  That's something even Ozzie and Kenny can agree on.