FOX 32's Chicago White Sox Quarter Century Team, from Pierzynski to Jenks

We've finally hit the quarter mark of the 2000s, as 2025 allows us to look back at the best of the last 25 years. FOX 32 Chicago continues its collection of quarter century teams, moving onto the Chicago White Sox. 

Here's our Chicago White Sox quarter century team, from Pierzynski to Jenks.

Infield

Catcher:

AJ Pierzynski.

There haven't been many White Sox catchers who are anything to write home about. Here are some names that have started at catcher in last 25 years for the Sox: Zack Collins, James McCann, Yasmani Grandal, Tyler Flowers, Dioner Navarro, Omar Narvaez and Alex Avila. None of them were as concrete and consistent as AJ.

The Pierzynski lore could have the title title "Hate to play against; love to play with." He talked trash, but backed it up. 

First base:

Paul Konerko.

Paulie was the face of a franchise across two decades. He retired and was immediately given a statue and had his number retired. Not many other players had that much of an impact on a team.

His first-pitch grand slam in Game 2 of the 2005 World Series was one of those magical moments where time stopped because the White Sox made you believe they were going win the World Series. It wasn't the Pope, it was Paulie.

Second base:

Alexei Ramierez.

This is difficult.

There just aren't many options at second base for the White Sox. Ray Durham is a choice, but we're starting this exercise in the year 2001. This means we're considering a season and a half of Durham's play. Alexei played mostly shortstop, but he was second in the MLB Rookie of the Year voting in 2008 at second base. This means we can put him here knowing Ramierez can play the position. Is it cheating? A bit. But we're taking the technicality for a player that had a team-high 5.6 WAR in 2010 and 23.5 WAR in his time with the White Sox.

This would have been an easier exercise had Yoan Moncada and Gordon Beckham lived up to their top-prospect billing at second base. They didn't so here we are.

Ramierez will forever be immortalized by Hawk Harrleson's call on the last out of Mark Buehrle's perfect game: "Alexei! …. YES!"

Shortstop:

Tim Anderson.

I wanted this to be Juan Uribe so, so bad. The Sox's shortstop when the Southsiders won the World Series will forever live in our minds when he made a leaping grab to record out No. 2 in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 in the 2005 World Series.

But, Anderson's prime was just better.

Uribe had a sample size of five seasons in a White Sox uniform. In Anderson's first five seasons as the Sox's full-time starting shortstop, Anderson had a better WAR, over 100 more hits, a better batting average, a batting title, a Silver Slugger and an All-Star nod. Uribe never had those honors, but he does live in White Sox lore for how he made the aforementioned catch and won a ring. Jon Garland also told FOX 32 Uribe was the best card player on the team.

Anderson's fall from grace is head scratching but his prime was still something to remember.

Third base:

Joe Crede.

Some might argue for Jose Valentin here, but Crede was a mainstay at third base, even if he did break Sox fans' hearts by playing for the Twins in his final season in the majors.

In the same vein as the second base argument, there weren't that many third basemen to consider. Valentin played all over the infield for the Sox when he collected a 16.9 WAR in Chicago. Gordon Beckham had that one stellar rookie season at third, but was moved to second base after. No, Moncada, Conor Gillaspie, Tyler Saladino, Brent Lillibridge and Todd Frazier don't count much either.

Crede was a mainstay at the corner and had a walk-off hit in the World Series. It just makes sense.

Outfield

Left field:

Carlos Lee.

Carlos Quentin had the best season of any left fielder for the Sox in the last 25 years, but you can consider El Caballo underrated with how good he was and how much time has gone by and the amount of bad baseball that's played on the Southside.

Lee had 112 home runs and 376 RBI between 2001 and 2004. In 2003, Lee received MVP votes for his 113-RBI season. Lee was traded before the 2005 in exchange for World Series hero Scott Podsednik. 

Center field:

Aaron Rowand.

There was a second I thought about cheating and slotting Scott Podsednik at center, since he *technically* played center field for a bit in his re-run with the Sox in 2009. But, Rowand was as steady as they come and was strictly a center fielder.

Luis Robert Jr. is a more skilled player. He's a five-tool player who has massive amounts of potential. Offensively, Robert Jr. is statistically better than Rowand, but the offensive statistics are closer than you'd think. For as good as Robert Jr.'s best seasons have been, his 14.4 WAR is only 1.7 WAR better than Rowand. As a defensive center fielder and with is bat, Rowand was dependable. He has a better batting average and on-base percentage than Robert Jr., while also striking out over 200 times less and playing in over 100 more games. Considering Robert Jr.'s struggles, his White Sox tenure might be ending on a note completely opposite to how Rowand's tenure ended: Traded for Jim Thome.

Right field:

Magglio Ordóñez.

The heart says Jermaine Dye. The head says Ordóñez. 

Dye hit more home runs than Magglio, but Ordóñez had a better WAR, a better batting average and earned more All-Star Game nods. If he was in left field when the White Sox were in the World Series, perhaps Ordóñez would be the World Series MVP?

Either way, Dye was fantastic. Ordóñez was better.

Designated Hitter:

Jose Abreu.

This is a spot where three players can interchange: Konerko, Abreu and Frank Thomas.

Konerko is at first base. Thomas, who hit 104 home runs and drove in 282 RBI across 429 games from 2001 to 2005, is better than a lot of other players who play 429 games. But, Abreu gets the nod here.

In his White Sox tenure, Konerko might have been the better first baseman but Abreu was the better hitter. Abreu was a three-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and won an MVP. Abreu played nine season in Chicago and finished with 350 fewer RBI, 144 fewer home runs and 540 fewer hits in about 2,600 fewer plate appearances. Abreu still had a better batting average and on-base percentage than Konerko, and it's a wonder if Abreu would have come close to Konerko's offensive stats if he had the same amount of plate appearances and at-bats.

Pitching rotation

Starting pitchers:

Chris Sale, Mark Buehrle, Lucas Giolito, John Danks and Jose Quintana.

No pitching discussion can start without Buehrle, who may not be a Hall of Fame pitcher but is as close as a pitcher can possibly be. He has a perfect game, a no-hitter, a World Series save, a World Series win, four Gold Gloves and five All-Star nods. Remember that putout flick between his legs at first on opening day in 2010? It was so Buehrle, ESPN instituted the "Buehrle-meter" in which they compared all other web gems to Buehrle's play.

Sale was one of the best players the White Sox have ever drafted and developed. Jersey cutting jokes from 2016 aside, he was still dominant and remains dominant now. Sale finished in the top six in CY Young voting in his last five seasons in Chicago.  

Quintana, almost like the Robin to Sale's Batman, was steady and consistent, never recording an ERA over 3.76 in his first five years in the league, all with the White Sox.

Danks' career was never the same after shoulder issues in 2012, but he recorded 54 wins, a 19.8 WAR and 714 strikeouts in his 10 seasons with the Sox, including 2008, 2009 and 2010 when he recorded WARs of 6.4, 5.1 and 5.2, respectively. 

Between the talented rotation of Dylan Cease, Carlos Rodon and Giolito, Giolito had the best WAR and the most strikeouts. Cease had the best season in 2022, finishing second in the AL CY Young voting and an AL-leading 6.4 WAR, but Giolito wins out.

Closer:

Bobby Jenks.

There's no one else that comes close here.

Alex Colome had a solid two-year run closing for the White Sox, earning 42 saves in two seasons (one was the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season). Liam Hendriks had 76 saves from 2021 to 2023, which included his recovery from non-Hodgkin lymphoma before the 2023 season started. David Roberson had 83 saves in two and a half seasons before the White Sox traded him to the Yankees during the 20217 season.

Jenks had 173 saves in six seasons with the White Sox and tied the AL record with 41 consecutive batters retired in 2007. Buehrle broke that record two years later.

Special Exemption

The Big Hurt:

Frank Thomas.

You can't talk about the White Sox without mentioning Thomas, who was still a productive player in the last 25 years. We mentioned before that Thomas hit 104 home runs and drove in 282 RBI across 429 games from 2001 to 2005. He wasn't the same player he was in the 1990s when he made his case for best White Sox player of all-time, but he was still pretty darn good.

Dig deeper:

Catch up on the other quarter century teams FOX 32 has put together:

• FOX 32's Chicago Cubs Quarter Century Team, from Contreras to Marmol

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