I've been patient.  I've tried to be optimistic.  I've tried to keep the faith.  Yet, time after time, I've been disappointed by the 2011 "All In" Chicago White Sox.  Therefore, I'm giving them the fork and calling it a season.

Outside of the opener in Cleveland (and that was even a nail biter after the Sox went up by double digits) it's been a dismal year.  Why?  All of the Sox offensive performers (with the exception of Q and captain Paulie) under performed.

Adam Dunn?  Epic fail.  Alex Rios? Epic fail.  Gordon Beckham?  Not what we thought he was.  Juan Pierre? Hot and cold.  Alexi Ramirez?  Hot and cold.  A.J. Pierzynski? Okay, but not great.

As we turn the page on another failed campaign, we look at a lot of the questions that Kenny Williams and Ozzie Guillen have to answer going into 2012:

• Will the Sox re-sign Mark Buehrle?  And more important, does Buerhle want to come back. He's been the Sox best starter this season and is the pitching staff's Paul Konerko.  He's a veteran leader and is looked up to by everyone on the team.  Yet, at 32, the Sox can't afford another big, long term contract.  Look for Buehrle to be pitching in St. Louis next season, if he pitches at all.
• Will the Sox trade Gavin Floyd and John Danks? Danks is a free agent after next season and has made no bones that he will not sign an extension before testing the market.  Floyd is under control through 2013 and his contract is favorable to other teams.  Given this scenerio, the Sox will open the season with hold overs Jake Peavy, possibly Phil Humber and Chris Sale in the starting rotation.  After that, it will be a pickup and a couple of rookies.
• Will the Sox trade Matt Thornton? Thornton is a free agent after 2012 and would bring a pretty good reward.  And he will never be a closer. 
• Will the White Sox trade Carlos Quentin?  Q is a free agent after next season, but plenty of teams would be interested in a sign and extend deal.  Trading Quentin would allow the Cuban Sandwich to take over in right field.  Or, the Sox could keep him and move him back to left field to replace the departing Juan Pierre.
• What about third? The Sox will most likely stick with Brent Morel.  He'll hit well enough eventually and his glove is better than anyone that the Sox have put over there since Joe Crede left.
• What will the Sox do about Dunn and Rios? There is nothing they can do.  It's up to them.
• Can the Sox find a catcher who can throw people out?  Not if the catcher is named A.J. Pierzynski.  And he'll be back next year and barring injury, he'll catch about 145 games next season.  With A.J. you get a great team guy who can produce decent offensive numbers but lacks defensive skills.  That's the trade off. 
• Will Ozzie Guillen be back next year? I think he would like to be and I think the Sox want him back BUT, I think the sticking point may be what kid of team the Sox field next year.  The Chairman and Kenny Williams like homer laden clubs, while Ozzie likes speed and defense.  He might be served better jumping to Florida just so he can play Ozzie ball in the National League. The real deal breaker may not even be what kind of team Ozzie gets, but the fate of his coaching staff.  Someone will have to take the fall for failure.  You can blame Greg Walker all you want, but there is nobody on the planet, not Frank Thomas, not anyone who can get Dunn and Rios going right now.  Ozzie is loyal to his coaches, so if The Chairman and Kenny wanted to force the issue, they could demand changes and if Ozzie doesn't like it, he can reassemble the band down in Miami.
• Will the Sox replace Ozzie with Tony LaGenius?  God, I hope not.

Okay, so based on the above, here's what next year probably looks like:

• The starting pitching staff, the most consistent part of this team will be gutted for younger, more unproven pitchers and maybe a reclamation project or two.
• The outfield will consist of Alex Rios and possibly two younger players.
• The infield will look exactly the same
• The bullpen will not have the depth it does right now.
• Adam Dunn and Alex Rios will still be on the team
• The odds are 50-50 the Sox will have a new manager next year.  Pray his name isn't LaRussa.