Sox aren't America's team

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Turning on ESPN on Sunday night, one had towait a while to find out how baseball's best team fared.

Picking up a copy of USA Today on Monday -- at least on the WestCoast, where the White Sox are playing this week -- forced a readerto wade through four other games in the American League roundupbefore the Sox-Royals game earned a mention.

Getting off to the best start in baseball for a franchise withmore than a century of history hasn't exactly set the news wiresablaze. If the Sox are yearning for national attention -- and thereare no indications they are -- they still have to overcome a fewproblems.

First, the Sox are not national media darlings, mostly becausethey haven't had much postseason success over the last 25 years. Theyhave a combined three playoff victories over that time and none since1993.

Then there are the 2005 baseball predictions, a point that stilloffends general manager Ken Williams. The Twins and, in many cases,the Indians were touted in preseason prognostications as better teamsin the AL Central.

I think when some of the initial predictions came out, many of uswere somewhat bothered by it," Williams admitted Monday. "Anybodythat tells you [different] is not necessarily holding up to theirtrue feelings.

"But at the same time, we are too busy to pay much attention toit. It's a long season, and we have grinder guys that will give theirbest every day, and that's all you can care about."

So will the Sox ever get as much attention this year as theYankees or Red Sox or even the injured Barry Bonds?

I don't really care," Williams said. "All I care about istonight."