Not a surprise, not a time to panic, but what happened to "grinde

[whitesoxfan101]

You know, after watching this team for 120 some odd games, it's just so obvious what they are. They ave VERY talented (best team on paper in baseball IMO), but they just don't care all the time. Now this isn't Ozzie's fault, I know I like to jump him, but he can't make players care. You watch the games against Detroit, and we cared BIG TIME. Our batters had an approach every time, our pitchers grinded out every pitch, our defense did the best it could, and hey, we won!! We play the Royals, and we are 9-6 against them. 9-6 against the Royals, 9-3 against the Tigers. That's not a matter of talent, or the manager, or whatever else, it's just a fact that we only think our effort is worth it against the top teams.

 

Now will this team make the playoffs?? To be honest with you, I still think it will. I think we'll end up caring just enough to get that wild card spot and get in. And also, to be honest, this team is actually better than last years team. The difference is we seem fat and happy with just playing when we want to and doing just enough to try and get into the playoffs, and that is a PROBLEM. Even if we make the playoffs, we aren't going to do a damn thing once we get there, unless there is some sort of change of attitude in that clubhouse.

 

And the scary part about that is Ozzie, nor Kenny, nor Jerry, nor any of us have a damn thing we can do. It's all up to the players, they can either give a damn or they can't, and I hope they choose the former, because there is enough time for us to be a World Series Champion team yet again. However time is simply running out here. It's not about talent, or schedules, or pitching matchups....because we're good enough. It's about showing up every day and giving everything possible in order to acheive greatness. I will watch every game, and root these guys on, and I think they are good enough....but I don't think they have the "it", the heart, the hunger to do it again.

 

That's all I got for this rant, hopefully the boys pick up the effort and focus EVERY GAME....because to be honest, that is really all that's left for us to do, and if we can do it from here on out, we can repeat October glory. I just don't have faith we'll do it until next year, when we aren't the champs, and we have a chip on our shoulder. Maybe then things will click (after all, we have almost everybody back, and you know Kenny will do what he can to improve the team). But hey, I hope I'm wrong and that light clicks on THIS YEAR!! GO SOX!

[fathom]

This team reminds me of the 2002-2004 White Sox in so many ways. If there was ever a time to bring out the terms tinkering and corpseball, it was tonight.

[Jordan4life_2007]

This team reminds me of the 2002-2004 White Sox in so many ways. If there was ever a time to bring out the terms tinkering and corpseball, it was tonight.

 

I just can't agree with the "corpseball" nonsense. Our offense has been dominant. We're on pace to score something like 200 more runs than we did last year. We're either at the top or close to the top of every major offensive category. This team is hitting well over .300 with RISP. Yes. We sucked hard last night and tonight. Yes. We had that two week funk coming back from the break. Besides that, the offense has been as good as it gets.

[fathom]

I just can't agree with the "corpseball" nonsense. Our offense has been dominant. We're on pace to score something like 200 more runs than we did last year. We're either at the top or close to the top of every major offensive category. This team is hitting well over .300 with RISP. Yes. We sucked hard last night and tonight. Yes. We had that two week funk coming back from the break. Besides that, the offense has been as good as it gets.

 

Yes, but that's what brought about the corpseball generation (which I never was a fan of). The offense would be rolling along, and then this point of the season would come around, and we'd score 15 runs one game, and then get shut down swinging for the fences by the likes of Joe Mays, etc.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Yes, but that's what brought about the corpseball generation (which I never was a fan of). The offense would be rolling along, and then this point of the season would come around, and we'd score 15 runs one game, and then get shut down swinging for the fences by the likes of Joe Mays, etc.

 

Do corpseball teams have as many comebacks, many of them miraculous, as this team has had this year? I don't see how anybody can have any complaints about the offense. Every team has games, or maybe a week, where they look flat offensively.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[southsideirish71]

Do corpseball teams have as many comebacks, many of them miraculous, as this team has had this year? I don't see how anybody can have any complaints about the offense. Every team has games, or maybe a week, where they look flat offensively.

 

 

The corpseball teams would take a dump when they played a poor team. They would play uninterested and swing for the fences and have multiple defensive gaps, and poor situation hitting against bad teams. In 2004 we had a hard time beating the crappy Tigers. They were on a record losing streak and we were playing game for game with them.

[CYGarland]

And our WC lead will be down to 1 after tonite. I have a bad feeling Minny will overtake us this weekend, and after sweeping the Tigers this week, that's pathetic

[Jordan4life_2007]

The corpseball teams would take a dump when they played a poor team. They would play uninterested and swing for the fences and have multiple defensive gaps, and poor situation hitting against bad teams. In 2004 we had a hard time beating the crappy Tigers. They were on a record losing streak and we were playing game for game with them.

 

Yes, we've struggled with the Royals. It makes no sense. Didn't the D-rays own the Yankees last year? I still don't buy the corpseball crap.

[CYGarland]

I just can't agree with the "corpseball" nonsense. Our offense has been dominant. We're on pace to score something like 200 more runs than we did last year. We're either at the top or close to the top of every major offensive category. This team is hitting well over .300 with RISP. Yes. We sucked hard last night and tonight. Yes. We had that two week funk coming back from the break. Besides that, the offense has been as good as it gets.

I somewhat agree with you, the real problem with this team is the starting pitching. But i do agree, that we should be taking better approaches against some of these crappy pitchers. If you would have bet me monday that we'd only put up 2 runs against Hernandez and Bernero, I'd be on skid row right now.

[southsideirish71]

Yes, we've struggled with the Royals. It makes no sense. Didn't the D-rays own the Yankees last year? I still don't buy the corpseball crap.

 

take a look our our offense and how they ranked in baseball in those years. Our team has always been near the top in the league in homers, and run production. Last year was the first year in a while we took a dump as a team overall.

[fathom]

I think we're going to become the first team in history to hit 200 homers in 7 straight years.

[Jordan4life_2007]

take a look our our offense and how they ranked in baseball in those years. Our team has always been near the top in the league in homers, and run production. Last year was the first year in a while we took a dump as a team overall.

 

I know our offense was near the top most of those years. I don't remember any of those teams hitting like this team has with RISP, though. And most certainly none of those teams had the comeback ability of this team.

 

 

 

I somewhat agree with you, the real problem with this team is the starting pitching. But i do agree, that we should be taking better approaches against some of these crappy pitchers. If you would have bet me monday that we'd only put up 2 runs against Hernandez and Bernero, I'd be on skid row right now.

 

The offense has been simply pathetic -- the last two nights. That's all I'm saying here. This offense is not like the '01-'04 offenses.

[southsideirish71]

I know our offense was near the top most of those years. I don't remember any of those teams hitting like this team has with RISP, though. And most certainly none of those teams had the comeback ability of this team.

The offense has been simply pathetic -- the last two nights. That's all I'm saying here. This offense is not like the '01-'04 offenses.

 

We are hitting .316 this year with RISP. But remember we didnt drop off that much during those corpseball years.

 

In 04 and in 02 we were 3rd in all of baseball with scoring runs.

 

 

In 04 we hit .291 with RISP

In 03 we hit .281 with RISP

In 02 we hit .290 with RISP

[CYGarland]

I know our offense was near the top most of those years. I don't remember any of those teams hitting like this team has with RISP, though. And most certainly none of those teams had the comeback ability of this team.

The offense has been simply pathetic -- the last two nights. That's all I'm saying here. This offense is not like the '01-'04 offenses.

Yes they were absolutely pathetic these last 2 nights, but these were 2 games you gotta win. We blew a Golden opportunity, and now we can only hope to salvage the series tommorrow going into Minny. And I'd hate to see what happens if we dont

Edited August 17, 2006 by CYGarland

[Jordan4life_2007]

We are hitting .316 this year with RISP. But remember we didnt drop off that much during those corpseball years.

 

In 04 and in 02 we were 3rd in all of baseball with scoring runs.

In 04 we hit .291 with RISP

In 03 we hit .281 with RISP

In 02 we hit .290 with RISP

 

Let me ask you this, Irish: Save the first two weeks after the all-star break, and the brutal showing the last two nights, when exactly has this offense looked like corpseball?

[southsideirish71]

Let me ask you this, Irish: Save the first two weeks after the all-star break, and the brutal showing the last two nights, when exactly has this offense looked like corpseball?

 

 

I am not saying that this team overall has shown corpseball offense this whole year. But one of the tenants of corpseball was playing like s*** against the worst teams in baseball. That is what I am talking about. We play them like Freddy pitches against them.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I am not saying that this team overall has shown corpseball offense this whole year. But one of the tenants of corpseball was playing like s*** against the worst teams in baseball. That is what I am talking about. We play them like Freddy pitches against them.

 

Fair enough.

[whitesoxfan101]

I don't think stats can do us any good guys. This team has the talent to win, but the players themselves simply do not focus enough. If we learn to focus and play our ass off every game, we'll make the playoffs. If we do the inconsistent crap we have all year the last month and a half, we won't. It's that simple really. I think we make the playoffs, but we better get our act together mentally and play like we give a damn every night.

[DBAHO]

What about our pitching over the past 2 games instead?

[South Side Fireworks Man]

Jim Thome changed the character of this team. Not knocking the guy, but it is what it is, for better or worse.

 

He should be batting fourth, however. Instead of adding Thome to last year's team, it seems the Sox have changed their whole approach centered around Thome in the third spot. No stealing, sacraficing, hit and running, etc. in the first inning like last year. "We don't want to take the bat out of Thome's hands, you know."

 

The starting pitching has not come through this year either.

Edited August 17, 2006 by South Side Fireworks Man

[Dick Allen]

What about our pitching over the past 2 games instead?

The pitching was horrible but once again the defense let the Sox down. A pop up that fell between Pods, who plays DeJesus the same way he would play Albert Pujols, and Cintron wound up costing 3 runs. Cotts really is resembling Marte lately and has graduated with honors from the El Duque School of Pitching, as he goes 3 and 2 on almost every hitter now.

[fathom]

The pitching was horrible but once again the defense let the Sox down. A pop up that fell between Pods, who plays DeJesus the same way he would play Albert Pujols, and Cintron wound up costing 3 runs. Cotts really is resembling Marte lately and has graduated with honors from the El Duque School of Pitching, as he goes 3 and 2 on almost every hitter now.

 

Cooper should thanks his lucky stars for Matt Thornton. If not for him, I would really wonder if he's talked to any of our pitchers this season. If anything, Contreras/Cooper have made adjustments that have hurt Jose.

[greg775]

I still like our team and our WC chances, but it's very disappointing

to do this against KC.

We deserve anything Moronotti and the rest of the columnists dish out.

[AirScott]

the Sox are like the Lakers from early this decade, taking the games they want to seriously. I saw a graphic that said we're the best in the MLB or AL (can't remember which, I think MLB) vs. .500+ opponents. I was discussing this early today, and I think if we make the playoffs, we have a great chance of winning it all again, because of our lineup and bullpen (which is more reliable, but not as good as the 2005 version).

[Jordan4life_2007]

the Sox are like the Lakers from early this decade, taking the games they want to seriously. I saw a graphic that said we're the best in the MLB or AL (can't remember which, I think MLB) vs. .500+ opponents. I was discussing this early today, and I think if we make the playoffs, we have a great chance of winning it all again, because of our lineup and bullpen (which is more reliable, but not as good as the 2005 version).

 

See my sig.