It's Over, White Sox Fans - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Well, it was fun while it lasted. After getting off to a hot start in April, the White Sox had caught just about everybody by surprise when they found themselves atop of the AL Central throughout the month. Sure, it had something to do with the horrible starts that the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians had gotten off to, but really, the White Sox actually were playing like a first place team for the first 21 days or so of the season. It seemed as though the offense had returned after taking last year off, and the pitching was far outperforming the expectations.

Then the last few weeks started. The White Sox have lost seven of their last ten, including four in a row, and they've looked horrible doing so. It's gotten to the point where I've been watching and I came to the realization that I hate this team. Seriously, they drive me insane while watching them, and up until yesterday they were in first place.

How does one end up hating their favorite team while they're in first place? It's easier than you think. Especially when your favorite team is hitting an American League worst .235, and continues to waste solid starting pitching. For example, on Friday night Mark Buehrle pitched 8 innings allowing no earned runs, scattering five hits, and striking out seven Blue Jays without walking anybody. His reward? A loss. The Sox were only able to manage two hits of their own that game, both of which came off the bat of Orlando Cabrera.

Now it's pretty easy to just say that the offense is going through a funk right now, and that once they break out of it, I'll fall in love with them again. Unfortunately, I know better than that.

First of all, there's absolutely no guarantee that this offense is going to wake up anytime soon. All last season I was told by the team, its announcers, and fans alike that the offense would get it going. They never did, as the "slump" lasted all season. It never occurred to anybody that maybe the offense just sucked.

Even if the offense does wake up at some point, it's unreasonable to expect that the pitching staff is going to continue at it's current pace. While they're currently third in the American League with a 3.62 ERA, both John Danks and Gavin Floyd have been pitching way over their heads. Both of them are going to come crashing back down to earth at some point. The Sox pitching staff as a whole has only allowed a league-low 16 home runs this season, despite the fact they get a lot of fly ball outs.

Are we really to believe that once it warms up in Chicago those fly balls are going to be staying in U.S. Cellular Field?

I hate to be the one to break this to you, Sox fans, but the chances the White Sox are going to get back to the top of the AL Central this season fall between slim and none. Even with the slow starts of the Tigers and Indians, the Sox currently only find themselves a couple of games ahead of both those teams, and the Twins still seem to be the Twins.

You might not want to hear it, but it's true, and I only tell you this so that you won't be disappointed in the end.