As April and May flew by, the White Sox were sitting at nearly 10 games back and well under .500 in the American League Central Division.
Countless fans did not seem to notice the depressing White Sox team, with the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1992.
But once June approached, the entire Southside of Chicago knew there was little time left to take pleasure in watching a successful team on their side of town.
The day the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup was the exact same time the White Sox began to show their true selves.
The Sox were finally playing to their full potential, and their record reveals it exceedingly well now in early August. Winning 18 games in the months of June and July, they have shown that this White Sox team is not going down without a fight.
Experts and MLB fans predicted a battle for the AL Central once again, between the White Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers. As of now, the Twins and White Sox have proved us all right. Since the All-Star break, the Sox have been grasping on to first place by the skin of their teeth.
Memories come back of 2005, but maybe it is too early to think this way. Now experts and any MLB fan, outside of a Chicago White Sox fan, are saying the Sox will collapse by September. As a White Sox fan myself, I go back in my head and think about 2005 and the Grinder Rule days.
No. 1: Win or Die Trying was my particular favorite.
In order to keep this team in full contention for the rest of the regular season and come playoff time, consistency is extremely important for the White Sox.
As anyone has observed watching the Sox this season, as soon as the rest of the squad started hitting, besides Paul Konerko and Alex Rios, they began to play as a team.
No. 61: There is no “I” in team. But there is one in quit.
The 2010 White Sox did not quit, but it sure did look like it early on this season. With players like Gordon Beckham, Alexei Ramirez, and Juan Pierre increasing their games, this made the White Sox look more capable. Not only did the bats take a step up, but even the pitching started to look superior.
Gavin Floyd started the season on the edge, but has finally picked himself up back to his true form. He was even named Pitcher of the Month for July. John Danks has proved to be an unbelievable young LHP for the past two seasons, and Freddie Garcia has been healthier than ever since Mid-June.
With the loss of Jake Peavy in July, the majority of fans were shaking their heads on what to do. Last week, Kenny Williams had decided to trade for Edwin Jackson, a RHP pitcher from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Last night, Jackson pitched an incredible game for the first time in a White Sox Uniform. As a result, the Sox won their third out of four games in August.
The White Sox seem to have become more consistent as time goes on. Hopefully this can continue on through well into October. I believe it is time for the White Sox to have a Mr. November. Consistency will bring the 2010 White Sox team all the way to the end.
So here comes my new Grinder Rule:
Grinder Rule No. 2010: Stay Consistent! That is the key to achieve every past Grinder Rule.
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