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[SSH2005]

I think 28% of your AB is a lot, sir.  For those scoring at home, here are the 2005 records of the players moved.

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Your spreadsheet is pretty ignorant of the facts. A healthy Jim Thome is going to produce more than a .207 AVG with 7 HR's and 30 RBI's in 2006. That alone completely defeats the purpose of your spreadsheet. It also doesn't factor in what Brian Anderson will do in 2006 in comparison to what Aaron Rowand did in 2005, not that that can be quantified yet. It's not like we lost Rowand and there will be no one even playing center field next season.

Edited December 23, 2005 by SSH2005

[DBAHO]

Your spreadsheet is pretty ignorant of the facts.  A healthy Jim Thome is going to produce more than a .207 AVG with 7 HR's and 30 RBI's in 2006.  That alone completely defeats the purpose of your spreadsheet.  It also doesn't factor in what Brian Anderson will do in 2006 in comparison to what Aaron Rowand did in 2005, not that that can be quantified yet.

Really the argument on that has been that most people believe Thome and Anderson in 2006 >>> Rowand and Everett in 2005 offensively, and I have no reason to disagree on that.

[SSH2005]

Really the argument on that has been that most people believe Thome and Anderson in 2006 >>> Rowand and Everett in 2005 offensively, and I have no reason to disagree on that.

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Yep, it's not really too hard to believe. It's completely reasonable and most likely probable.

Edited December 23, 2005 by SSH2005

[The Critic]

Repeating is an incredibly tough thing to do in any sport ( except maybe basketball, where it seems to happen a lot ) and Kenny is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Things have to go your way in the playoffs ( and they certainly did for the Sox ), and nobody can predict intangibles. Here's how I see the criticisms breaking down:

If the Sox don't repeat now, they made too many changes.

If he stood pat and they didn't repeat, then he didn't keep up with other teams' improvements.

I'm just looking at each move as it comes, and I don't see one yet that I think weakened the team. The only general worry I have is that the bullpen as a whole needs a little more fortification, and maybe that's why Redding was brought in, who knows?

I like the moves that have been made so far and I think the Sox are, on paper, stronger than the 2005 team overall. Whether that translates to the field, no one can tell. People will pick a side and brag about "being right" if things happen to fall the way they "predicted".

[DBAHO]

They played much like last year's White Sox, get a good start almost every game, play defense, and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. 

Ok so I'm going to ask you about this question. So far this off-season we've acquired another starting pitcher who'll be under contract for another 3 seasons (and he's thrown 200IP in about 4 out of the last 5 IIRC), a bonafide LH power hitter (if Thome can return), which has been a HUGE weakness on this team for many seasons, an utility player who gives you insurance for Crede and will put up better numbers then Harris or Blum.

 

And we've traded our worst starting pitcher, a lefty reliever who wasn't going to stick around (albeit I think he was a little more valuable then people thought), a DH who stunk in the 2nd half of 2005, and Aaron Rowand where Brian Anderson his replacement will probably put up similar numbers with a little less average than Rowand's 2005 numbers.

 

So have the White Sox abandoned the approach that won them the World Series? I don't think so. They've still got the dominant starting pitching. They've still got their best bullpen pitchers. And if anything, our offense will be improved, especially against righties, which was really a sore spot for many people around here in 2005.

[DBAHO]

The only general worry I have is that the bullpen as a whole needs a little more fortification

Right now, it looks like the trade market is going to be the way to fixing that, with Jon Garland the main trade bait.

 

The Dodgers and Angels look like the main targets, but Colletti didn't want to part with his stud pitching prospects which will be a problem. But there could be a team out there like Baltimore (Chris Ray), Cincinatti (Ryan Wagner + prospects), Philadelphia (Ryan Madson) that could help us fill that need.

 

If Garland can't be traded, maybe you'd have to look at giving someone inhouse a shot, or dangle Joe Crede if you can find a capable stopgap (Joe Randa) to help fill that need until Josh Fields is ready. We've still got options, and I'm confident KW will make the right decision in the best interests of this ball-club.

[SSH2005]

Ok so I'm going to ask you about this question. So far this off-season we've acquired another starting pitcher who'll be under contract for another 3 seasons (and he's thrown 200IP in about 4 out of the last 5 IIRC), a bonafide LH power hitter (if Thome can return), which has been a HUGE weakness on this team for many seasons, an utility player who gives you insurance for Crede and will put up better numbers then Harris or Blum.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't forget that the guy we acquired to back up Crede could put up better numbers than him (AVG & OBP, not HR's).

Edited December 23, 2005 by SSH2005

[DBAHO]

Don't forget that the guy we acquired to back up Crede could put up better numbers than him (AVG & OBP, not HR's).

I didn't.

[SSH2005]

I didn't. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Crede: .303 career OBP + .439 career SLG = .742 career OPS

Mackowiak: .328 career OBP + .414 career SLG = .742 career OPS

 

Weird.

[Baines3]

Crede:  .303 career OBP + .439 career SLG = .742 career OPS

Mackowiak:  .328 career OBP + .414 career SLG = .742 career OPS

 

Weird.

 

 

To me it looks like Mackowiak has the numbers to be a starter. He sounds like a good one to have.

 

It is always hard to repeat, but I figure the Sox have as good a chance as anybody.

 

[Iwritecode]

No one has named a team that made changes on the scale of the White Sox and repeated.

 

The 1992-1993 Toronto Blue Jays.

 

Between championships they lost guys like David Cone, Jimmy Key, David Weathers, David Wells and Jeff Kent but gained guys like Carlos Delgado, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Shawn Green and Darrin Jackson. They lost and gained a bunch more but I'm not gonna type them all out.

 

Their staring lineups from each opening day had a total of 4 different players.

 

Compare the Sox 2005 lineup with the projected 2006 lineup and there's only 2 different players.

[TLAK]

The 1992-1993 Toronto Blue Jays.

 

Between championships they lost guys like David Cone, Jimmy Key, David Weathers, David Wells and Jeff Kent but gained guys like Carlos Delgado, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Shawn Green and Darrin Jackson. They lost and gained a bunch more but I'm not gonna type them all out.

 

Their staring lineups from each opening day had a total of 4 different players.

 

Compare the Sox 2005 lineup with the projected 2006 lineup and there's only 2 different players.

Nicely done, IWC! Some of the names were mixed up but I count 10 guys.

 

10/24/1992 TOR Tom Henke Free Agt Granted >> Signed with Rangers

10/27/1992 TOR Jimmy Key Free Agt Granted >> Signed with Yankees

10/28/1992 TOR Pat Tabler Free Agt Granted >> Retired

10/30/1992 TOR Candy Maldonado Free Agt Granted >> Signed with Vermin

10/30/1992 TOR David Cone Free Agt Granted >> Signed with Royals

11/2/1992 TOR Dave Winfield Free Agt Granted >> Signed with Twins

11/4/1992 TOR Manuel Lee Free Agt Granted >> Signed with Rangers

12/8/1992 TOR Kelly Gruber Trade >> For Luis Solo

3/30/1993 TOR Derek Bell Trade >> For Darrin Jackson (Oh-oh!)

3/30/1993 TOR David Wells Released >> Signed with Tigers

 

David Weathers was drafted by Fla off the Blue Jays but was not on '92 WS roster.

Jeff Kent was traded to the Mets during the '92 season for David Cone.

 

So it can be done. I hope guys like Carlos Delgado, Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Shawn Green and Darrin Jackson are now on their way to the White Sox.

[chitownsportsfan]

TLAK, I gotta give you credit: you're voicing a very unpopular opinion, one I completely disagree with. Still, that takes guts, so kudos.

 

Kenny Williams doesn't give the 2005 Sox much credit because although they won the world series, as we all saw, the offense was prone to huge slumps that absolutely killed the team at times. (Thank god we didn't see "corpse ball" during the playoffs) This left little room for error in the pitching department. When the pitchers came back to earth in August we all saw what can happen when you can't score and you can't get a great start from your pitchers 4 out of 5 games: long losing streaks.

 

So KW comes in and attempts to make the team more balanced, adding the LH Thome and super-sub Mackowiak. Both these players represent upgrades over the guys they replace.

 

I feel your respect for the 25+ guys that won last year, but that is last year. This is a new year. To be sentimental would be disastrous when every other team is trying as hard as they can to knock off the Sox.

 

On paper, the Sox are now a 95 win team. Last year they were a 90 win team that outperformed expectations by 9 games. I don't bank on that happening again, neither did KW, that is why he made the moves he did.