I Miss Smartball

[Balta1701]

So this the type of team we got away from in '05? Of the 8 regular postion players, 7 of them were regulars last year. Anderson replaced Rowand in CF. Then the addition of Thome as DH to replace Everett or Thomas. Where is the big change over that mad us go from a scrappy small ball time to a bunch of slow thumpers?

It happened in Scott Podsednik's legs.

[Guest JimH]

It happened in Scott Podsednik's legs.

 

Yes. I don't think he's healthy, in fact I don't think he's been healthy for the last 11 months, which is why the Soriano chatter makes sense.

[southsider2k5]

I love chewing gum

[klaus kinski]

Think about it-TOO MUCH of last years team is not with them-role players-

 

They were replaced by better 'players" but not "role players'

 

I feared this before the season, but we were doing well-but it has caught up with this team. Apparently guys like Rowand, Blum, Harris, El Duque, were more part of the whole process than I gave them credit for.

 

Just too much turnover from last year.

[Balta1701]

Yes. I don't think he's healthy, in fact I don't think he's been healthy for the last 11 months, which is why the Soriano chatter makes sense.

If he's healthy, then either he's not in good shape or his brain just isn't there. 0 steals in the last week, 5 in July altogether.

[WCSox]

You're right. This is the team that KW put together. He accumulated a bunch of slowish power hitters. This is not a small ball team.

You're right. Pods, Ozuna, and Cintron are "slowish power hitters."

[Balta1701]

You're right. Pods, Ozuna, and Cintron are "slowish power hitters."

Considering that I don't think any of them have stolen a base in the last week, that must be what they are, because they're not acting like speed guys.

[dmbjeff]

Ozzieball used to equal, speed, timely hitting, good D and solid pitching.

 

Now Ozzieball equals Manuelball.

[LVSoxFan]

Um guys: when that guy said "This is the team we got away from in '05" he means the '04 team that we got away from when '05 started.

 

In other words: see if this sounds familiar--the feast or famine, home run-crazy team of 2004 that could score 12 runs or get shut out.

 

The most startling statistic from last night was when they flashed the graphic showing how we lead either the league or the majors in runs generated by home runs. That is NOT what won us the WS last year. Fine, we cranked a few game-winners during the playoffs but over the course of the season "smartball" was what kept us winning (and our shutout pitching).

 

What's killing me is all the rally-killing at-bats. We just CANNOT get anybody in. At least post-ASB.

 

I wonder if we are a bit too slugger-heavy and slow and maybe that's our problem. In other words, I'd rather have an Ichiro than a Barry Bonds.

 

What to do? I don't know at this point.

Edited July 26, 2006 by LVSoxFan

[YASNY]

I think we are in a slump. Nothing more, nothing less. There is too much talent on this team for it to continue very long.

[LVSoxFan]

I agree with you about the slump thing.

 

Things have just gone SO horribly wrong this month and we have not gotten ONE break, that you almost have to laugh it off and keep moving ahead, knowing that the worm is gonna turn at some point.

[YASNY]

I agree with you about the slump thing.

 

Things have just gone SO horribly wrong this month and we have not gotten ONE break, that you almost have to laugh it off and keep moving ahead, knowing that the worm is gonna turn at some point.

 

Of course it will. I don't understand the suicidal panic permeating through Soxtalk these days. A baseball season ebbs and flows. Teams struggle, teams get hot. I believe in this team. We have the talent and the cream will rise to the top.

[elrockinMT]

I think we are in a slump. Nothing more, nothing less. There is too much talent on this team for it to continue very long.

 

 

I agree. Adversity builds character. We can still at least get that Wild card spot and roll back into the World Series

[SadChiSoxFanOptimist]

In other words, I'd rather have an Ichiro than a Barry Bonds.

 

I'd rather have Ichiro than Thome, Paulie, Dye or anyone we put into LF.

 

That crazy man can hit, run, throw and play killer defense. I'd like 8 Ichiro-type players.

[atrain081]

You're right. Pods, Ozuna, and Cintron are "slowish power hitters."

 

Considering that only one of them, maybe two, can be in the game at the same time, I'd say that we are anything but a small ball team this year. The other 8 guys in the lineup think they're mashers, and Pods has recently too.

[SoxFanForever]

Think about it-TOO MUCH of last years team is not with them-role players-

 

They were replaced by better 'players" but not "role players'

 

I feared this before the season, but we were doing well-but it has caught up with this team. Apparently guys like Rowand, Blum, Harris, El Duque, were more part of the whole process than I gave them credit for.

 

Just too much turnover from last year.

If our pitching was pitching up to their ability this "turnover" wouldn't mean a god damn thing.

[whitesoxfan99]

If our pitching was pitching up to their ability this "turnover" wouldn't mean a god damn thing.

 

Correct. If our pitching was up to last years standards we would probably be on pace for about 110 wins right now. Similarly, if last years offense was paired up with this years pitching we would have a sub .500 baseball team.

[RoyHobbs]

Ozzie got drunk on all of the early season HR's andnow he is just waiting for them.

 

 

I just want to see Pods single, steal second maybe third, have Iguchi bunt him over and get that quick run like we saw all year last year. I miss that. And the constant homerun, which is something we wanted to cut down on last year is what we are right back to. I cant agree with ya more. I mean with Thome, Paulie, and JD doing what they are doin, i am not complaining, but what we are seeing is that ever famous homerun drought, and now its time to see the small ball mentality and steal, bunt, and sac fly and single/double teams to death. It was such a thing of beauty last year to see real "smart" baseball, the way it should be played. This "smart/smallball" mentality is something that this team is known and loved for and i think we need to get that back into our minds and let the homers come when they do like last year.

[FlaCWS]

You're right. This is the team that KW put together. He accumulated a bunch of slowish power hitters. This is not a small ball team.

 

You're right. It's kind of ironic when you remember how everyone laughed at KW for letting go of Maggs and Carlos Lee. No one talked about the Sox in '05 but they proved the oldest baseball axiom - pitching and defense will beat offense almost every time. And less then a year after winning it all it seems we've totally forgotten what worked.

 

Everyone got so worked up over Alfonso Soriano but that is not the Sox's problem. The Sox's problem is that Buehrle, Vazquez and Garcia are below-average pitchers right now. The Sox's problem is that Hermanson hasn't pitched one game in '06 and Politte never came close to what he did last year. The Sox's problem is that there's no more Marte or Vizcaino - mediocre as they were at times, they provided quality depth out of the pen, something very few teams have. The Sox's problem is that our hitters are too reliant on the HR and our pitchers can't stop giving up HRs.

 

I will choose to be optimistic though. There are still 2 full months to go and if Buerhle and Garcia can find their way (sometime soon, I hope) this can turn around very fast.

[Damen]

this is getting frustrated

 

instead of bunting camp, ozzie needs a smartball camp to get the team back

 

No. You miss pitching. If we had last year's "smart ball" offense, we'd be under .500 right now.

[Hangar18]

I miss us not playing too well, and STILL finding ways to win ballgames.

Thats what I miss.

[Phuck the Cubs]

We always hit a lot of home runs. Right now we just aren't doing much of anything else. Other than throw gopherballs to the other team and pop up.

Yeah, but the whole grinder ball idea was built on not being a swing for the fences team. Right now, all we are doing is swinging for the fences, like we did from 2000-04. It was a play on words. There is a grinder ball rule that says never underestimate the power of power. To me, all this power is destroying what the grinder ball was built on: The power of no power.

[fathom]

Yeah, but the whole grinder ball idea was built on not being a swing for the fences team. Right now, all we are doing is swinging for the fences, like we did from 2000-04. It was a play on words. There is a grinder ball rule that says never underestimate the power of power. To me, all this power is destroying what the grinder ball was built on: The power of no power.

 

It's funny, but this time a year ago, everyone was saying how we needed a lefty power bat. The offense has struggled, but that's not the main issue. For everyone complaining about the team trying to only hit homers, our "grinder", Mr. Scott Podsednik, has fewer steals than Carlos Zambrano in the 2nd half of the season so far. With our pitching staff as bad as it is right now, the last thing we need to do is play for one run instead of the potential big inning. Instead of losing 5-1, we'll lose 5-2.

[GoRowand33]

It's funny, but this time a year ago, everyone was saying how we needed a lefty power bat. The offense has struggled, but that's not the main issue. For everyone complaining about the team trying to only hit homers, our "grinder", Mr. Scott Podsednik, has fewer steals than Carlos Zambrano in the 2nd half of the season so far. With our pitching staff as bad as it is right now, the last thing we need to do is play for one run instead of the potential big inning. Instead of losing 5-1, we'll lose 5-2.

 

 

thats not necessarily true

 

my whole point is playing smart ball sets tables for better homeruns

 

instead of pointless solo shots, we get a 3 run homer

 

an example would be if there was pods on first and 1 out. say iguchi's up and pods stealing, iguchi hits a grounder to the second basemen, instead of being an inning ending double play, it turns into a basehit and its 1st and 3rd with 1 out instead of inning over, then Thome can hit a 3 run homer instead of settling for a solo shot in the next inning

[spiderman]

this is getting frustrated

 

instead of bunting camp, ozzie needs a smartball camp to get the team back

 

You must be really missing it....It's been gone for quite a long time now, dating back to the 2nd half of last season. When the White Sox hit HR's, they usually win. It's not happening right now because most of them are solo shots. When guys get on base again ahead of the HR's, runs will be on the board, and the White Sox will be back in the win column.

 

I think sometimes people forget how bad our offense was last year. One of the reason small ball seemed to help us win games is because it was the only way that team could score.

 

I think sometimes people forget how bad our offense was last year. One of the reason small ball seemed to help us win games is because it was the only way that team could score. Do people not remember the pathetic swings we took against B. Backe in Game 4 of the World Series? How about how we went about 8 innings in Game 3 of the WS without a run?

 

To add to this, I think people forget how good our pitching was last season. The offense really wasn't that good, but they didn't have to be with the pitching hold teams down.

 

This year, the pitching has been bad, and the offense very good with the added pop. Now, everyone is slumping in the lineup at the same time, the pitching continues to be wobbly, and we're losing games right now. Once the lineup gets going again, and it will soon, the Sox will return to winning games.

 

EXACTLY. I was thinking the same thing when reading this thread. This team is not that different then last year. BA instead of ARow, and Javy instead of El Duque.

 

Now the bullpen is different, but that's not the issue right now.

 

It's the one inning brainfarts by our (starting) pitching staff and the swing for the fences mentality at the plate instead of just trying to get on base. Those are mental brainfarts, something that this team right now can't seem to overcome.

 

In the 2nd half of last season, and into the playoffs, the White Sox were hitting HR's to win games....Nothing has changed this season.

 

You're right. Pods, Ozuna, and Cintron are "slowish power hitters."

 

2 of the 3 players you mention are bench players.

 

What was your point again ?