Dye's production plummets
The White Sox probably wish they could have a do-over when it comes to several moves this season, including the decision to keep Jermaine Dye before the trade deadline.
Dye went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Monday as the Twins shut out the White Sox, 7-0, at U.S. Cellular Field. That marked Dye's ninth hitless night in his past 11 games, and the odds of the 35-year-old outfielder returning as a free agent seem slimmer by the day.
Since the All-Star break, Dye has been atrocious. He has hit .168 (33-for-196) with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 54 games, and his .276 on-base percentage and .260 slugging percentage in the second half resemble statistics that you might see from a light-hitting pitcher.
Whether he hid an injury, battled fatigue or simply slumped, something changed in Dye in the second half. He hit .302 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs in 81 games before the All-Star break, including a .375 on-base percentage and a .567 slugging percentage.
Fortunately for Sox fans, only 11 games remain in the season. At 73-78, the Sox almost certainly will finish with their second losing record in the past 10 seasons. The other sub-.500 year of the decade came in 2007, when the Sox finished with a 72-90 record.
-Tom Musick
