White Sox embrace underdog role after failed season as favorites

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Robin Ventura won’t have the burden of expectations in his first season managing the White Sox. | John H. White~Sun-Times

Updated: March 1, 2012 8:39AM

White Sox manager Robin Ventura will be learning on the job. We don’t know who his Opening Day starter is or who his closer will be. In between, three pitching jobs are up for grabs.

And to think, pitching will be considered the strength of this team.

What’s more, there are bigger ifs, starting with the mysterious ways of Adam Dunn and Alex Rios, and to a somewhat lesser extent Gordon Beckham and Jake Peavy. The aforementioned foursome will earn $44 million this year — more than 40 percent of the expected team payroll — after disappointing seasons (although we’ll cut Peavy some slack for health reasons) that defined the Sox’ failure of 2011.

It’s not like there’s help on the way from the farm. Even with the additions of seven pitching prospects and a shortstop prospect in trades for Carlos Quentin, Sergio Santos, Jason Frasor and Ozzie Guillen, the minor-league system is rated among the lowest, if not the lowest, by ­experts who rate such things.

On top of it all, the American League Central-champion Detroit Tigers found room in their budget last week for Prince Fielder.

No wonder a high-ranking Sox official, with tongue in cheek, referred to SoxFest as “a funeral.” The comment was a swipe at media and public perception that the Sox are dead.

All of which is fine by the Sox, who caved playing the role of co-favorite in the AL Central last season and are embracing the role of underdog this year.

“I know we’re not being talked about as a favorite,” Peavy said. “It’s going to be nice to have no expectations from the media. But this team has the key pieces to compete.’’

There’s a page right out of Bears coach Lovie Smith’s nobody-­respects-us, chip-on-the-shoulder motivational book.

It sets up perfectly for the Sox’ first-year manager and his new-look coaching staff: low expectations for a team that’s no slouch with a blend of proven veterans (Paul Konerko and Alexei Ramirez), intriguing younger players (Dayan Viciedo, Brent Morel, Chris Sale and Addison Reed) and the hope of what others can do (Dunn, Rios and Beckham).

“We do have a lot of ifs,” vice president of player development Buddy Bell said. “But I don’t think we’re getting respect in the industry [that’s deserving] in terms of what our capabilities are.’’

Ventura has a baseball-smart staff at his disposal, including new guys Jeff Manto, Mark Parent and Joe McEwing, with veteran pitching coach Don Cooper in charge of half the club. For all that Guillen accomplished, few tears are being shed about his departure.

“It was time for a change,” Konerko said. “That had run its course. Ozzie was a success, and if you told everyone when he was hired in 2004 that there would be some crazy, totally wild stuff and some fights with some guys but one year we’d win the World Series, ­everybody would have taken it.

“It’s been a success, but it also ran its course, with Ozzie and the organization. It was time to move on, and he’s going be happy where he’s at [in Miami]. It will be interesting to see what Robin, Joe Mac and Mark Parent bring. It’s been a slow, steady decline, so this needed to happen. That’s sports. It happens a million times. We just have to build it back up and get it right.’’