It seems to me that the White Sox have a history of playing better when they have a bit of a chip on their shoulder so yes hopefully they shut the naysayers up, as you said.
As far as Tim is concerned, I am pretty sure this will be his last season on the South Side, with Montgomery knocking on the door. If the Sox look anything like last year, I expect Tim gone at the trade deadline this season with Elvis finishing the year at SS again.