Ducksnort Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 If I am completely honest, I like this team. I do. I like the energy that Adam Eaton and Chris Sale bring. I like the personalities of Todd Frazier, Dioner Navarro, Brett Lawrie, and Melky Cabrera. I love the competitiveness in Sale and Quintana. I like the potential "difference-maker" in rookie Tim Anderson, and the bright future he brings. I like the toughness of Jose Abreu. I also thought we had one of the top 5 pens in the league until those injuries happened. I like this team, I really do. This team has the potential to win. They have the talent, they have (or, at least, had) the drive, they WANT to win. BUT, I think what is holding them back is all mental, and it's like I could feel it right through the t.v. screen. When they went up against Seattle today 3-0, 4-0, I just felt that somehow, someway, the Sox were going to blow it late. It's like an aura that the team gives off, and I think that in the back of their minds lingers that thought "what if we lose this game?" That is not a winner's mentality. That is the mentality of a team that gives up. You just know that Frazier is either going to hit a homerun, or he's going to foul off a couple fastballs down the middle to get it 0-2 before he strikes out on a breaking ball in the dirt. You just know (or at least have the feeling) that Abreu is going to either get jammed on an inside fastball or, like Todd, strike out on a breaking ball away. There's just that "feeling" that you know something negative is going to happen. I remember that feeling back in '05 where you just had a feeling that the Sox were somehow going to win the game, even if they were losing late. Now it's complete opposite. If the team falls behind early (which oftentimes happens), you just know they most likely will not come back (take the recent Anaheim series for example), or if they are winning early you feel they are going to blow it late (take the 2 games in the Seattle series where they blew leads, a series they should have easily swept, or that KC series where they blew leads in all 3 games). Also, it always seems that when the pitching is doing great, the offense is horrendous, and when the offense is actually scoring some runs, the pitching blows it (esp. the bullpen). It really is all mental with this team, from what I see. The more games they drop (especially like the ones today) the less of a chance they have at even contending for that WC spot. I think really this all boils down to one thing: LEADERSHIP, among the players and among the coaches. They need a kick in the ass. Just my take on what is going on. I love the Sox, I really do. I still look forward to games, hoping they will go on a magical 10 game win streak and never look back, but that is quickly fading away. Who knows, maybe they will actually take 3 out of 4 from Detroit and sweep the Cubs next week....HAHA jk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouCanPutItOnTheBoardYES! Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 Well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hi8is Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 On another note - anyone ever seen thing guys stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harkness99 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 I'd really like to see another manager have a shot... It may not make any difference, but the status quo hasn't been working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feeky Magee Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 All very vague stuff. Fact is this is about a .500 or slightly below roster in talent, it should be no surprise this is where we are right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soxforlife05 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jul 21, 2016 -> 02:36 AM) All very vague stuff. Fact is this is about a .500 or slightly below roster in talent, it should be no surprise this is where we are right now. Yep, the Sox are right where they should be and on pace for where most people expected them to be before the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SI1020 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jul 21, 2016 -> 08:36 AM) All very vague stuff. Fact is this is about a .500 or slightly below roster in talent, it should be no surprise this is where we are right now. Agreed. This is in no way shape or form a good team and worse the team does not look to be a real contender any time soon. I wish it were not so but that is our reality. Only Jerry can change that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Hibbard Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 This west coast trip reminds me of the summer of '99 when Hawk just stopped speaking at all during the games because he was so beside himself I believe they went 0-8? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boopa1219 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 If I had to rank the overall talent pool of every organization, the White Sox might be bottom 10, maybe bottom 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panerista Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 QUOTE (Scoots @ Jul 20, 2016 -> 09:32 PM) It really is all mental with this team, from what I see. The more games they drop (especially like the ones today) the less of a chance they have at even contending for that WC spot. I think really this all boils down to one thing: LEADERSHIP, among the players and among the coaches. They need a kick in the ass. Just my take on what is going on. I love the Sox, I really do. I still look forward to games, hoping they will go on a magical 10 game win streak and never look back, but that is quickly fading away. Who knows, maybe they will actually take 3 out of 4 from Detroit and sweep the Cubs next week....HAHA jk. Leadership is part of it, but the entire culture throughout the organization is just broken. And I'm not sure lack of leadership makes bad players good or washed up former MVPs good in a sport where you really can't "play harder". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panerista Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jul 21, 2016 -> 09:22 AM) This west coast trip reminds me of the summer of '99 when Hawk just stopped speaking at all during the games because he was so beside himself I believe they went 0-8? I wish he would do that now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmags Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 QUOTE (Feeky Magee @ Jul 21, 2016 -> 03:36 AM) All very vague stuff. Fact is this is about a .500 or slightly below roster in talent, it should be no surprise this is where we are right now. This is how I feel. We've relied on our players to be super human to succeed. Our bullpen has been relying on GB pitchers to succeed, and when they go through long patches, only our high k guys come through (predictably). Pitchingwise, I look at our staff and say wow but have only had 1 really sustained run in 2 years where all of them were on and we made a run. Cleveland seems to do it on the reg. We have a great staff but really for right now it's 2 deep reliably and 50/50 on the back. Offensively...when you look at our lineup hypothetically you say oh that could be good. But Then look at other playoff teams lineups. We don't compete. All this, and we cannot handle injuries as we have zero depth in AAA, and worse, we little non core pieces to trade and have a full budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjm676 Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 my take on this season? Poop Emoji. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fathom Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 QUOTE (Joshua Strong @ Jul 21, 2016 -> 02:25 PM) If I had to rank the overall talent pool of every organization, the White Sox might be bottom 10, maybe bottom 5. But wouldn't this be the fault of Hahn, who I know you have said has done a good job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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