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March 17, 2009

Team Health Reports

Chicago White Sox

by Brad Wochomurka

CHICAGO WHITE SOX Team Audit | DT Cards | PECOTA Cards | Depth Chart

Head Trainer: Herm Schneider
Player Days Lost: 418
Total Dollars Lost: $8.3 million
Injury Cost: $9.8 million

Trend: Neutral. Schneider and his staff are one of the best medical teams in the game. Overall, they've had a fantastic run of health for the last three years, highlighted by their winning the Baseball Prospectus' Dick Martin Award in 2006. They've certainly had their hands full in recent seasons with players like Jim Thome and Jose Contreras, as well as with former injury-plagued Sox Joe Crede and Scott Podsednik. What they do well is what we call "maintain"—they keep guys with injury histories on the field. Jermaine Dye has had his career resurrected in Chicago, and, for all his troubles, Thome has averaged more than 140 games a season in his three years with the Sox. Carlos Quentin and Octavio Dotel had healthy, productive seasons despite significant injuries in recent years. (Yes, Quentin broke his wrist near the end of the season, but that's not really preventable. The bigger story is his health and production up to that point.) All of those players will continue to challenge the medical staff, as will Paul Konerko, whose health and skills have diminished so rapidly that there may not be much that Schneider and company can do. Bartolo Colon and Jose Contreras provide another challenge altogether. Hey, no one said being one of the game's best medical staffs was easy.

The Shape of the Season: