Greg Hibbard

QUOTE (fathom @ Jun 16, 2011 -> 02:44 PM) Wait, the Twins are going to be out of it and tearing their team apart? This was the worst lineup I've ever seen from a Twins team. As long as they still have their pitching, pitch calling, and the name Twins on their jersey, they'll kick our ass. We also caught the Twins in a stride where they are winning 90% of their games, against every opponent.

Yes, losing both of these games sucked. Yes, we suck against Minny. Yes, Ozzie sucks as an in-game manager. Here are the facts I'd like to focus on: 1) Interleague is here, and we rake against the NL. 2) We have only 4 games, all at home, against the Twins until August 5th, when the Twins will likely be way out of it and already taking it apart. They are 4-0 against the Sox and 15 under against everyone else. If you think we will go 0-19 against them, you don't watch enough baseball. 3) No team in the AL Central is good enough to win 90, and probably no team is good enough to win even 88. 4) 23 of our next 41 games are at home. If you think this team is buried, save your breath. As infuriating as it will be, they will be in this thing all year, whether you like it or not, just like every other team has been under the Williams era except for 07. That doesn't mean they have what it takes to win this division, or that this division is even worth winning. There will be a race, and the Sox will be a significant factor in it. f*** the Twins. Let's move on.

The craziest thing was Pierzynski looking over to the dugout after ball 1 to Sizemore, basically imploring Guillen to immediately pull Santos for literally anyone (at least that's how I read it) and then trotting out to the mound hoping Ozzie would follow. 99% of people watching this game could see that Santos just didn't have it tonight, but Ozzie was going to let him lose this game anyway. Hell, I put in Buehrle on one day's rest to get this last out after watching everything. ANYONE. That's the kind of creative thinking that won a world series, not passively letting someone who had NOTHING bury your team all by himself. We needed one out. he walked three and hit one, and Ozzie didn't even move towards the mound. Your closer just doesn't have it tonight. PULL HIM. In instances where he's not had it in other nights, he gives up more than 1 run. Losing this game was the most ludicrous loss I've seen in a long time.

I don't even look at the Indians anymore. We are effectively 4.5 games out of first. I really wish we had won 2/3 against the tigs over the weekend. The Indians might not win 77 games.

the 2005 Houston Astros had 2 6 game losing streaks and 1 7 game losing streak prior to May 25th. On that date, their record was 15-30. They finished 89-73 and won the NL Pennant. the 2005 Chicago White Sox had a stretch in August where they lost 16 of 27 games and still went on to win the World Series. the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals had 2 8 game losing streaks and 1 6 game losing streak. They went on to win the World Series. the 2006 Detroit Tigers started a very pedestrian 7-7 and then went on an unreal 28-7 tear. Then, they went on an abysmal 5-13 during a stretch in August, yet still won the AL Pennant. the 2007 Colorado Rockies had an early stretch where they went 13-22, and an additional 8 game losing streak. They went on to win the Pennant. the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays had a 7 game losing streak. They went on to win the Pennant. the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies started out 8-10 and still won the World Series. The 2009 New York Yankees had a 4 game losing streak and a 5 game losing streak before May 6th to open at 13-15. They went on to win 103 games and the World Series. The 2009 Philadelphia Phillies had a 4-14 stretch and still went on to win the Pennant. The 2010 San Francisco Giants had one 4-12 stretch and another 4-8 stretch, yet still won the World Series. The 2010 Texas Rangers started out 8-11 and still won the AL Pennant. Really, how many times does this record need to be played where people finally recognize something about SAMPLE SIZE?

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Apr 19, 2011 -> 04:19 PM) With four playoff appearances to show for it, being shown the door immediately in 3 of those 4 opportunities. Always just good enough to be relevant, but just bad enough to not make a splash. How many other American League teams have won more than 1 World Series since 1993? I can think of two: the Yankees (5) and the Red Sox (2). These teams have won one: Angels, Blue Jays These teams have won none: The Mariners (not even a pennant), Indians, Devil Rays, Rangers, Twins, Tigers, Royals, Orioles, Athletics. 9/13 other teams haven't won a world series, 2 others have won exactly as many as the White Sox, and 2 have won more. How many other AL teams have had more than 4 playoff appearances since 1993? New York, Boston, Minnesota, Cleveland, Seattle, Oakland, LA. 7 of the 14 AL teams. 3 of those play in a 4 team west. I honestly don't understand how anyone could evaluate the White Sox as anything but a top 5 AL franchise over the past twenty years.

Since 1993, the White Sox have won more games than any team in the American League with the exception of the Yankees, Red Sox and Indians, and they are JUST BEHIND the Indians. They've averaged 86+ wins per 162 games during that span. I really don't know what else to say. If you think this organization is s***, then do yourself a favor and just stop watching baseball.

I feel it's amazing that given last year's turnaround, people are willing to evaluate this team when they are 2 games below .500 a tenth of the season in. I think I'll wait until we're at least 40 games in.

I see a lot of fans jumping off ledges in a way I did last year around this time. Boy, was I ever wrong about that team. A few things to consider. If this team had a 1-4 road trip, and then came home and played 6-4 ball by splitting TB and winning both OAK and LAA, would you have the same perspective on their chances? Of course not. I think we wipe the slate clean and start over on this road trip. One of the most reassuring things is that the two teams ahead of the Sox, the Indians and Royals, are the most vulnerable and likely to slip, whereas the two most dangerous teams are still behind the Sox. I think the Boston Red Sox would LOVE to be 7-8 right about now. I'll take a .500 April if it brings every issue to the table and the team is willing and able to address it.

QUOTE (Reddy @ Apr 14, 2011 -> 12:43 AM) um i think our starters are doing exactly what I'd expect. MB had two s***ty games, one good. EJax 1 good one great one meh, Danks same thing, Floyd 1 good one bad, Humber one good. How's that unsustainable? So you'd expect our starters to average 7 innings pitched and 3.23 ERA all season?

QUOTE (hi8is @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 09:54 PM) Our pen will get straightened out. Adam Dunn is back in the lineup. Juan Pierre can't keep making so many errors and mental mistakes. We're 7 and 5 after playing some of the worst ball possible... Let's take this as a sign that this team will be down right dangerous when our ship is righted. Sorry...I do not agree at all we are playing the worst baseball possible. Our lineup is hitting the cover off the ball, in general, at an unsustainable statistical clip that won't last the whole season. Our starters are pitching out of their heads, with a sick era overall, at an unsustainable statistical clip that won't last the whole season. Our defense and closers are playing as bad as you can imagine, at an unsustainable statistical clip that won't last the whole season. So, many things are sort of all over the map right now. I feel our record reflects a schizophrenic performance, if anything.

Each and every season, every major league team has to respond to unforeseen challenges that come up during the first part of the season. Those that respond well and weather the storm are usually those set to go far. The White Sox in 2010 dug themselves a huge hole by unexpectedly not being able to hit - at a severe outlier of a clip. The hole they dug ended up not being too deep, but it took them a while to correct it. In 2011, it appears the bullpen is the issue, and it also appears to be a severe one. How they respond will determine the season, but I hardly think anyone can predict the entire season on April 13th.

QUOTE (TheBigHurt @ Apr 13, 2011 -> 04:10 PM) Ha ha this is comical. I kind of agree.

I hear statements like this all the time - "we NEED to win this series." Certainly, winning two out of three games at home seems to be fairly reasonable expectation for a competitive team, and seems like an easy pattern to fall into for all of us. Breaking things up mentally in terms of opponents faced feels fairly natural. However, the early 4-game Tampa series got me thinking. Expecting to win 3/4 games felt off to me, even with as down as Tampa has been. However, expecting a split felt wrong, too. Certainly we aren't going to play .750 at home, nor are we going to be happy with .500, overall. After reflecting on it, I don't know that I buy into evaluating the team on the basis of that, constantly, which is what I seem to do. Is it really fair to evaluate a team based on three game snapshots over the course of a long season? Isn't this what actually contributes to people's see-sawing opinions on the team - people going from "Sox are worldbeaters" to doom and gloom in a matter of minutes? I feel as though it would be better to set mental expectations for homestands and roadtrips, and that's what I've tried to do instead this season. Does anyone else do this, rather than look at each individual series? How often and in what way do you evaluate the team?

QUOTE (qwerty @ Apr 12, 2011 -> 02:52 PM) Thornton has murdered right handed hitters three consecutive seasons. Yes, he has still a good BAA, but in each of those three seasons Thornton's average against righties is significantly higher than lefties. Given that he's having problems in general this year, wouldn't it stand to reason that a right hander is more likely to have subsequent success? Ozzie is Mr. Right/Right and Left/Left, which is why last night made even less sense.

Can someone please tell me why they brought in thornton to face two righties instead of a righty.

my bigger question is why did Thornton come in to face 2 right handers instead of either Sale or Santos, given what we were just told about closer-by-committee and matchups?

Looks like Operation Shutdown part II!

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 12, 2010 -> 04:02 PM) It all matters. 1 championship - only, what, 3 other AL teams have that? Yes. LA Angels, Boston twice, New York, and if the winner this year is from the AL it will be 4. In other words, at least 24% of the rest of the league, perhaps 32%, are doing it as well in that department. so 3 other teams did it, and of the 10 who haven't, how many are constructed with a payroll such that they can compete? I don't count 2000, because KW wasn't running the team. These teams have 2 or more since 2001: Boston, New York, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Oakland, Seattle, LA Angels. So the Sox are among 8 teams out of 14. Ok... I think they're 6th, actually. Is 6 out of 14 something to be proud of? Twins, Yanks, Red Sox, LA Angels, arguably the Blue Jays, arguably at least one other AL west team do it as often. Again, is being among 6 out of 14 really something we should be hanging our hat on?

We have to keep winning. This is a critical stretch. We need to come out of this 7 game stretch 4-3.

the twins are 28-10 in their last 38. Honestly, it's a friggin' miracle we aren't more than 4 back. the Sox were 38-13, then 5-11, now 7-4 in their last 11. One bad 16 game stretch seems like it will do us in.

Why is nobody mentioning that AGAIN the Twins are performing well above expectations? Everyone on this board would have been ecstatic with 89-90 wins in April, as everyone thought that would win the division. I have the Sox winning 89-90 games as it currently stands. The Twins probably win 94-95. Nobody thought the Twins would be capable of that, much less without Morneau.

When does the team expect him back?

years from now people are going to look back at this season and wonder what the hell Kenny was thinking when he essentially went with the equivalent of a Royals DH platoon and felt he could win with it

damn, think I was just a hair too slow.