Perspective - the year after a playoff appearance is always a dissapoi

[tony72]

Is it just me or does it seem like the year after either the White Sox or even the Cubs is always a let down?

 

1983 ..then 1984 was a let down..

 

1993...then 1994 was the strike..

 

2000..then 2001 was terrible..

 

Same for the Cubs 84 to 85..89 to 90..03 to 04...I think I read that neither team has every had back to back post season appearances..

 

I am not being negative..but even before this year started and a lot of people were chanting "Repeat!..Repeat!"...I knew realistically there was the possibility the season would be disappointing..

 

I am not saying that doesn't mean this is frustrating and hearbraking even..but I kind of was prepared just from the experience of Chicago's Baseball Teams the year after the playoffs..

 

If they make it..I'll be estatic..but if they don't..what can I do? I can only try not to let it bother me so much that it ruins my days..weeks, etc...you only live once..

 

Try not to take all this so hard..I have been watching this team for twenty years and there are so many ups and downs and I wish I hadn't let the bad times interfere with the enjoyment of my life..

 

Don't mean to be too philosiphical..but if you don't try to take the bad times with this team more in stride..you are not going to enjoy things you should enjoy in life..

 

Still..it's not over until the last day of the season..

 

[Balance]

They make the postseason in consecutive seasons in NY a lot. Atlanta, too, at least for the past 15 or so years.

 

Why not us? Why not with a team that is allegedly better than last year's team?

[fathom]

This week on the radio, Don Cooper said that anything but another World Series championship this year is a disappointment.

[premo]

This week on the radio, Don Cooper said that anything but another World Series championship this year is a disappointment.

It's the truth. Now I know how Yankee fans feel.

[Drew]

He's right.

 

And I'm buying up all the twelves of High Life whenever they come up at $5.99 because it's going to be a long hot-stove session and the Valley gets cold in the winter.

[greg775]

Good point about the Braves always finding a way into the playoffs.

One year will be disappointing if we don't get back in.

But it's understandable the way our pitching has gone to s***.

[The Critic]

Good point about the Braves always finding a way into the playoffs.

One year will be disappointing if we don't get back in.

But it's understandable the way our pitching has gone to s***.

But the other side to that is that Braves fans got so spoiled that they stopped filling the park for first-round playoff games.

And they s*** on Braves management for "only" winning one World Series in the 14 years that they made the postseason every year.

My point is that it's unrealistic to expect a team to get to the World Series in consecutive years, and while I hope like hell that the Sox get there, I haven't expected it at any time.

Edited August 27, 2006 by The Critic

[SadChiSoxFanOptimist]

This is an interesting topic...

 

Maybe the issue isn't just accepting the historical phenomenon of failing to repeat, but instead, determining why some teams DO repeat and others fail to.

 

What are the causes?

• General manager's philosophy?
• Financial resources of owner/team?
• Drafting/ philosophyplayer acquisition/minor league strength?
• Incumbent manager's style/philosophy?
• Other?

[Drew]

But the other side to that is that Braves fans got so spoiled that they stopped filling the park for first-round playoff games.

And they s*** on Braves management for "only" winning one World Series in the 14 years that they made the postseason every year.

My point is that it's unrealistic to expect a team to get to the World Series in consecutive years, and while I hope like hell that the Sox get there, I haven't expected it at any time.

 

Well, with a pitching staff anchored by John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux locked up for that many years, a luminary baseball mind like Bobby Cox, and a rich owner like Ted Turner and you can only bring home one Comissioner's Trophy and four NL pennants? Underachieving isn't all that far-fetched.

 

The Yankees, OTOH, bought themselves into the playoffs for twelve consecutive seasons, six AL pennants, and four World Series. They hemorrhage amounts of cash that would submarine half the NL Central and emerge virtually unscathed. That's what you get for selling cable TV to the largest media market in the US.

Edited August 28, 2006 by Drew

[GreatScott82]

Hmm lets see. Before last season the White Sox haven't won a playoff series since 1917. They haven't won a World Series since 1917. I'm not too worried about the records of the past anymore. We broke the biggest of them all by going all the way last season. I understand that a Chicago team hasn't gone to the playoffs in consecutive years in like 100 years and all, but I just dont care. This year will be different. We will make the playoffs and this will be a first for Chicago and it will be another record broken.

[Frankensteiner]

My point is that it's unrealistic to expect a team to get to the World Series in consecutive years, and while I hope like hell that the Sox get there, I haven't expected it at any time.

 

It depends on the type of team and the amount of talent on that team. I doubt managment or the coaches thought it was unrealistic at the start of the season, what with the greatest 5 man rotation ever and the best 3-4-5 hitters ever.

[stretchstretch]

They make the postseason in consecutive seasons in NY a lot. Atlanta, too, at least for the past 15 or so years.

 

Why not us? Why not with a team that is allegedly better than last year's team?

 

 

I learned my lesson after writing this team off completely last Sept....sometimes things aren't what they seem at the moment, and the present often cannot predict the future

[WCSox]

This week on the radio, Don Cooper said that anything but another World Series championship this year is a disappointment.

 

True. Then again, I find it difficult to feel that disappointed in a team that's been marred with mediocre/inconsistent starting pitching and stuck in third place in an ultra-competitive division, yet is still on pace to win 95 games and is only a half game out of the Wild Card lead.

[Rowand44]

True. Then again, I find it difficult to feel that disappointed in a team that's been marred with mediocre/inconsistent starting pitching and stuck in third place in an ultra-competitive division, yet is still on pace to win 95 games and is only a half game out of the Wild Card lead.

I guess that's one way to look at it. Or you can look at it that at the beginning of the year this rotation was being billed as one of the best ever. Or you can look at it, that from an individual player stand point this is the most talented roster in baseball. I've said it before but anything less than a world series championship from this team is a disappointment. Unfortunately, we're all going to be disappointed come October.

[witesoxfan]

I guess that's one way to look at it. Or you can look at it that at the beginning of the year this rotation was being billed as one of the best ever. Or you can look at it, that from an individual player stand point this is the most talented roster in baseball. I've said it before but anything less than a world series championship from this team is a disappointment. Unfortunately, we're all going to be disappointed come October.

 

So it's October then?

 

The outlook isn't good...but the season's not over, they're a half a game back of Minnesota in the Wild Card, and are still only 5.5 back of Detroit.

 

This team is playing really good baseball right now...they're just not friggin winning the games. Almost all of that is on the pitching. We have to pitch. If we don't pitch, we are screwed.

 

I say just wait it out and see where this team is come October 1. If we're not in the playoffs, than it's a huge disappointment, even if the Sox win 97 games.

[Milkman delivers]

So it's October then?

 

The outlook isn't good...but the season's not over, they're a half a game back of Minnesota in the Wild Card, and are still only 5.5 back of Detroit.

 

This team is playing really good baseball right now...they're just not friggin winning the games. Almost all of that is on the pitching. We have to pitch. If we don't pitch, we are screwed.

 

I say just wait it out and see where this team is come October 1. If we're not in the playoffs, than it's a huge disappointment, even if the Sox win 97 games.

 

The story of the season. We've been waiting on the pitching to come around, and they haven't. I'm pretty sure it's not coming.

[Rowand44]

So it's October then?

 

The outlook isn't good...but the season's not over, they're a half a game back of Minnesota in the Wild Card, and are still only 5.5 back of Detroit.

 

This team is playing really good baseball right now...they're just not friggin winning the games. Almost all of that is on the pitching. We have to pitch. If we don't pitch, we are screwed.

 

I say just wait it out and see where this team is come October 1. If we're not in the playoffs, than it's a huge disappointment, even if the Sox win 97 games.

Like I've said before, I will never give up on any White Sox team, ever. That being said, I have 0 confidence in this team and don't expect them to make the postseason and if they do, I expect a 1 and done.

[Jordan4life_2007]

But the other side to that is that Braves fans got so spoiled that they stopped filling the park for first-round playoff games.

And they s*** on Braves management for "only" winning one World Series in the 14 years that they made the postseason every year.

 

Atlanta is one of the worst sports towns in the country. It would never be like that in Chicago if we were to have a perennial contender. And they do deserve some criticism for only winning one title.

 

My point is that it's unrealistic to expect a team to get to the World Series in consecutive years, and while I hope like hell that the Sox get there, I haven't expected it at any time.

 

Totally disagree here. Our GM upgraded a roster that won it all last year. Why not expect greatness?

 

So it's October then?

 

The outlook isn't good...but the season's not over, they're a half a game back of Minnesota in the Wild Card, and are still only 5.5 back of Detroit.

 

This team is playing really good baseball right now...they're just not friggin winning the games. Almost all of that is on the pitching. We have to pitch. If we don't pitch, we are screwed.

 

I say just wait it out and see where this team is come October 1. If we're not in the playoffs, than it's a huge disappointment, even if the Sox win 97 games.

 

Where's the green, Wite?

Edited August 28, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006

[witesoxfan]

Where's the green, Wite?

 

I definately fooked that up.

 

I should have clarified it by saying the offense has been playing really well. They just can't score that 1 run they need.

 

It WAS good to see Buehrle finally tell the Twins to stfu and go back to Minnesota though.

 

I, being the eternal optimist that I am, still see a glimmer of hope. Garcia's pretty much mediocre, but he's consistent as hell and he's durable. If we score 6 and he's pitching, we, by and large, will win every game(what sucks is you can't say that about all the Sox starters right now). Garland's money, Buehrle looks like Buehrle and not Josh Stewart, and while Vazquez still is starting to blow up in the 6th, it was good to see that atleast Ozzie followed through on his promise of pulling him once trouble hit, even if he was cruising. It just sucks that Riske decided it was his turn to blow up. Contreras just makes my head hurt, cuz I don't know wtf is wrong with him.

[The Critic]

Totally disagree here. Our GM upgraded a roster that won it all last year. Why not expect greatness?

 

Was it an upgrade? We all thought so, but on the field it's turned into 7 or 8 games worse so far.

And that's my point.

This season shows why it's unrealistic (in my opinion) to ever expect a World Series.

Expectation is based on assumption.

Each season is its own animal, and last year doesn't guarantee a thing.

 

I'm not daring to tell anyone else what to feel or expect, I'm just saying that all I ever want from the Sox is to field a competitive team. From that point on, it's about performance, execution and the "intangibles" that separate contenders from the rest.

[WCSox]

I guess that's one way to look at it. Or you can look at it that at the beginning of the year this rotation was being billed as one of the best ever.

 

I suppose another way to look at it is that the "best ever" rotation consists of a guy who is way past his prime and whose arm took a ton of abuse in Cuba, two guys who have thrown 200+ innings for the past five straight seasons, and a guy who has never lived up to the hype after leaving Montreal and getting run out of the Bronx. When also considering the fact that four of our five current starters also threw a ton of innings last Fall, is it really such a shocker that Garland is our only consistent pitcher right now?

 

Or you can look at it, that from an individual player stand point this is the most talented roster in baseball.

 

Talent doesn't produce wins - execution does. Garland, Buehrle, Cotts, Hermanson, and Politte all had career years last season. Freddy had his second- or third-best season. Contreras was unhittable down the stretch. Jenks, who was acquired off of the scrap heap, turned Hermanson's back injury from a serious concern to a non-factor. Crede turned into Brooks Robinson in mid-August and was Jeter-esque in the clutch in the playoffs. Paulie, A.J., Dye, Pods, El Duque, and some guy named Geoff Blum also came up huge at times in the post-season. The Sox won last season because they made few mistakes and because a number of them got hot at the right time.

 

A number of other circumstances were also at play: Injuries to Clemens and Colon and poor pitching from Johnson and Mussina helped them out tremendously. Brad Lidge and Chad Qualls literally lost Game 2 of the WS all by themselves. Tony Graffanino's Little League error took Boston out of Game 2 of the ALDS. A few questionable calls in the post-season helped them as well. I'm not going to take away from what they did by calling them "lucky", but they were certainly put in the best possible position to win... and responded by doing a tremendous job of capitalizing on it. That's not going to happen every season and I'm fine with that. There's always going to be a certain degree of disappointment if they don't go all the way again. But as long as they're highly-competitive through September, I have little to complain about.

Edited August 28, 2006 by WCSox

[Hangar18]

out of all the teams Ive seen WIN a world series, the White Sox were the team that had the best chance of repeating, only because of the offseason moves to become stronger.

[jimhaiduck]

This is an interesting topic...

 

Maybe the issue isn't just accepting the historical phenomenon of failing to repeat, but instead, determining why some teams DO repeat and others fail to.

 

What are the causes?

• General manager's philosophy?
• Financial resources of owner/team?
• Drafting/ philosophyplayer acquisition/minor league strength?
• Incumbent manager's style/philosophy?
• Other?

 

It comes down to talent, and this year's team is as talented offensively as any I can remember, but our pitching, and to a lesser degree our defense, have not performed as expected. I didn't expect our starter's to all have great years, but for the most part they have been brutal.

 

I have never seen so many 2 out runs scored against our guys which in some respects could be an aberration. There have been numerous times where one at bat (which a decent pitcher should convert to an out 75% of the times) ends up costing us 3 or 4 runs which inflates ERA's etc. Kenny Williams job will be to determine if 2005 was the aberration or 2006.

[jimhaiduck]

>

 

 

I agree 100%, but this year Garcia and Buehrle have ERA's about 1 run worse than their career ERA's which is huge. Vazquez is about 3/4 of a run higher. Garland and Contreras are both at about their career averages so we have no one having anything better than an average year, and yet we're 22 games over .500. The question is whether this year is an aberration or the start of a downward trend for Garcia and Buehrle.

 

These last few starts for Buehrle, Garcia, and Vazquez are going to determine who stays and goes. Garcia claims he is getting stronger and was throwing 92 and 93 mph in his last start. Buehrle looked good and Cuddyer said he was the Buehrle of old on Sunday. Vazquez was decent, but his start was ruined by Riske. Basically, those 3 are auditioning for the 2007 Sox team. One will be gone for sure and unless we have a deep playoff run two or even three could go.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Was it an upgrade? We all thought so, but on the field it's turned into 7 or 8 games worse so far.

And that's my point.

This season shows why it's unrealistic (in my opinion) to ever expect a World Series.

Expectation is based on assumption.

Each season is its own animal, and last year doesn't guarantee a thing.

 

I'm not daring to tell anyone else what to feel or expect, I'm just saying that all I ever want from the Sox is to field a competitive team. From that point on, it's about performance, execution and the "intangibles" that separate contenders from the rest.

 

I agree with you here. It's arrogant for anybody to really expect a World Series. I do, however, fully expect this team to atleast give themselves the opportunity. Failure to make the playoffs with this team's talent would be disgraceful.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Jordan4life_2006