Konerko's quote after the game yesterday

[shawnhillegas]

Its pretty hard to feel sorry for the guys that work 3 hours a day. Construction workers cant go on the 15 day DL. Ive never seen so much whining from a team in my entire life.

[NorthSideSox72]

Its pretty hard to feel sorry for the guys that work 3 hours a day. Construction workers cant go on the 15 day DL. Ive never seen so much whining from a team in my entire life.

I certainly agree that people who make that kind of money deserve no pity. And you won't see my cry any rivers. You get paid a lot, the job is likely to be tough.

 

But if you think they only work 3 hours a day, you have no idea how professional baseball works.

[3 BeWareTheNewSox 5]

I don't think amphetamines would be that far fetched.

[StrangeSox]

BS, huh? Well, let's look at my BS claim. In the last 24 years (I'd have done 25 except 1981 was a strike year), the following is true of teams that won the World Series:

 

3 of 24 repeated as champs

8 of 24 made the playoffs

6 of 24 had a better record the year after

15 of 24 had records over .500

 

So tell me again how my claim is BS? Those are the facts. Most teams, like I said, do worse the year after. 18 of 24 in fact. Only a third EVEN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. And not even two thirds have a .500 record.

 

Am I disappointed? Yeah, I had high expectations too. But let's have some perspective here, shall we?

Here is the last 24 years, WS winner, record, record in following year, and playoff status...

 

To be fair, you'd have to see if the teams that won the WS and missed the playoffs would have made it in with a wildcard spot. The White Sox didn't win their division and didn't win the wildcard, while teams pre-1994 just didn't win the division.

 

AND, you need to look at what the teams did after winning. If they went into a rebuilding year, vs. a supposed major upgrade to the "best rotation ever assembled" there's going to be big difference.

[NorthSideSox72]

To be fair, you'd have to see if the teams that won the WS and missed the playoffs would have made it in with a wildcard spot. The White Sox didn't win their division and didn't win the wildcard, while teams pre-1994 just didn't win the division.

 

AND, you need to look at what the teams did after winning. If they went into a rebuilding year, vs. a supposed major upgrade to the "best rotation ever assembled" there's going to be big difference.

Clearly, my measure is not perfect - there is no such thing as the perfect stat in baseball. But it sure as heck is indicative of a pattern.

Edited September 21, 2006 by NorthSideSox72

[SleepyWhiteSox]

Whether true (which it probably is) or not, it's still such a bulls*** excuse. During the course of a full season, fatigue is a factor for every team, and one that does not need to be used as an excuse. If you're well enough to play, you should be capable of performing at an optimal level. If not, go on the DL. Frankly, I can't sympathize with millionare athletes who are too tired to win...

 

The fact of the matter is that this team had the talent to at the very least make it back to the playoffs. But they under-achieved. Fair enough. They couldn't get it done. It sucks, but I'm not that terribly heart-broken, and will eventually start to get excited about next season. But, I could have done without the weak excuses.

Edited September 21, 2006 by SleepyWhiteSox

[kapkomet]

Whether true (which it probably is) or not, it's still such a bulls*** excuse. During the course of a full season, fatigue is a factor for every team, and one that does not need to be used as an excuse. If you're well enough to play, you should be capable of performing at an optimal level. If not, go on the DL. Frankly, I can't sympathize with millionare athletes who are too tired to win...

 

The fact of the matter is that this team had the talent to at the very least make it back to the playoffs. But they under-achieved. Fair enough. They couldn't get it done. It sucks, but I'm not that terribly heart-broken, and will eventually start to get excited about next season. But, I could have done without the weak excuses.

Ok, now that I can agree with.

[DrunkBomber]

I think a lot of people were expecting way too much from the Sox. They definately had a team capable of winning again and absolutely should of madfe the playoffs, but its very reasonable to see how hard it is to win consecutively, especially in the best division in baseball. Im very disapointed in the outcome this year but I am nowhere close to writing off this club or calling for anyones head on a stick. This team still has a good core and still would make the playoffs most years. Things didnt go their way this year, but you know what, they still have a chance of winning the series for a few more years with this team and you know Kenny will be actively trying to improve. The happiness I got from the club last year overshadows any bitterness I got from them this year. Im confident they will try to field another contender next season and everyone bashing them now will be back on board.

[Controlled Chaos]

Baseball is a job of acceptable failures. A job where, on a good year, you only fail about 65-70% of the time. Try to equate that to your life. Imagine trying your hardest at something and failing 70% of the time. How would you react?

 

Actually, there's a lot more ups and downs than that in baseball cause you can do your best and still fail 100% of the time on any given night. Not because of a lack of desire or effort, but because of an inch. One inch can be the difference between success and failure on every swing....every pitch. Try to understand the mental exhaustion in that and then imagine not being able to get frustrated about it. Frustration will only make you worse and the same goes for trying harder. In this game you have to stay on an even keel, have confidence in yourself and accept failure.

 

It goes pretty much against all life has taught us. It's against human nature to accept failure, but if a player, god forbid, doesn't run out his ground ball to second completing his 0-4, 100% failure of a night, he's a quitter for not hustling. They're millionaires, but they are human. It has to be pretty dam frustrating to totally suck at your job on any given night let alone a few nights in a row. Most players do act somewhat inhuman in dealing with it, but it catches up to everybody from time to time. The way you or I get frustrated just watching the game, I'd love to see how we would handle that much failure in our own lives.

 

When the chips are down like they are now...everyone is trying a little harder and everyone is letting the frustration creep in just a little bit more than usual and you know what most "fans" think about that..... "This team sucks, they quit, they gave up" What a Joke!!! Every player is trying to get the big hit or make the big pitch or the big play. They may get frustrated and pissed off when they don't, but it takes a lot of arrogance to question their heart and effort unless you're in that clubhouse. Now if we have guys that are just out there to collect a paycheck then I'd be pissed off, but I haven't seen any indications of that and I'm not sure how some here can make those accusations without the slightest bit of evidence. You can't attribute 0-fers to lack of heart or effort...if anything it's from over effort.

 

I'm not feeling sorry for the players here. They are millionaires playing baseball for a living, but I understand the game. I understand what they're doing out there. There is no switch you turn on and off. The game is about inches and sometimes you're right on and get it done and sometimes you're off by an inch and you don't. That is baseball. Love it or leave it.

[CWSGuy406]

When the chips are down like they are now...everyone is trying a little harder and everyone is letting the frustration creep in just a little bit more than usual and you know what most "fans" think about that..... "This team sucks, they quit, they gave up" What a Joke!!! Every player is trying to get the big hit or make the big pitch or the big play. They may get frustrated and pissed off when they don't, but it takes a lot of arrogance to question their heart and effort unless you're in that clubhouse. Now if we have guys that are just out there to collect a paycheck then I'd be pissed off, but I haven't seen any indications of that and I'm not sure how some here can make those accusations without the slightest bit of evidence. You can't attribute 0-fers to lack of heart or effort...if anything it's from over effort.

 

Unlike a lot of others here, I don't actually believe that this team 'quit'. I believe that certain players could have given a little more effort, but as a collective unit, I don't think that they quit.

 

My problem lies when they start bringing up excuses such as, "well, there's a bunch of guys on this team who are playing hurt right now". Why? Because I think there are 29 other teams who have the same problem. They've been playing day after day after day for the past six months. Of course they have their aches and pains.

 

And, NSS72, I was moreso saying "BS" to Konerko's excuse rather than to your post. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to direct that at you, per se.

[Frank the Tank 35]

I'd rather we (Sox) didn't make excuses. We lost. We came up short. We did not produce in the clutch.

 

The banning of certain stimulants should have little bearing on this. There are dozens of perfectly legal stimulants that will get you going during the dog days of the season.

[RockRaines]

Its funny how you dont hear too much about the Red Sawks failing to make the playoffs.

[winninguglyin83]

It's baseball.

 

don't try to explain it.

 

Can't.

 

last year this team won 16 of its last 17.

 

Was it a 16-1 team?

 

Not really. Not at all.

 

This year the team has been bad since the Boston series before the break. Why? There are probably 25 reasons. But it's just the way it is.

 

Enjoy 2005.

 

We'll never see another season just like that again -- wire to wire, unmatched drama and 11-1 post-seaons performance.

 

But at least we have that.

[fathom]

Its funny how you dont hear too much about the Red Sawks failing to make the playoffs.

 

Because they had ridiculous injury problems this year. I know we had some guys banged up this year, but compared to almost every other team in baseball, we had great luck with injuries. If I was to think of the top 20 reasons for why we didn't make the playoffs this year, the only injury issue I would even bring up is how Contreras' injury completely stopped his momentum as an "ace".

[Allsox]

I just don't get the "tired" excuse and having to play extra games in October contributing to uninspired '06 play Pauly and other players have mentioned. They had 3 days rest between ALDS and ALCS and 5 days rest between the ALCS and the World Series. It's not like they played epic 7 game series in the ALCS nor World Series. AND THEY HAD 4 DAYS OFF DURING THE ALL-STAR BREAK THIS YR! And if the WBC really led to Freddy losing velocity, then they should have given him April off and let Brandon go in his place.

 

Blah! I'm so tired of hearing them say they're tired. Isn't that why Ozzie created the infamous Sunday lineup for the last 2 yrs so they wouldn't be tired?!?

Edited September 21, 2006 by Allsox

[Dick Allen]

Its 12 extra games. Baseball games at that. I know we hear it as an excuse, but really, its hard for me to believe. Its hard for me to beleive Jon Garland was tired the first half of the season because of last year, but kept pitching and didn't get even more tired. Forget the excuses, the White Sox had their chances and didn't get the job done. It wasn't because they were tired from playing 12 extra games last year. For the love of God a good part of the roster wasn't even here last year.

[SinkingShip06]

Yeah, it really hurt the Yankees in 98. And in 99. And in 2000. And in 2001.

 

ding ding ding. f*** THOSE EXCUSES

[Pants Rowland]

The 2006 CWS were deficient in the bullpen and outfield/infield defense off the bench from the start of the season. KW bulldozed through the offseason assembling a juggernaut offense and slowly traded away the bullpen, which was already in trouble with bone spurs in politte's shoulder and Hermanson's highly suspect back going into spring training. As Anderson failed to hit, Guillen was forced to use incompetent replacements in CF and a lot of balls got down and into the gaps (see Mack in center in the finale against the Cubs). Uribe and Podsednik also were terrible at the plate during this time and slumped in the field (see Uribe's inability to turn a DP in the same game against the Cubs for example). This combination took a toll on the starters who slumped horribly going into the break and carried it through to mid-August. Meanwhile, KW frantically tried to deal for arms for the pen. He did a good job but the bullpen never had a chance to define roles and gel. Add it all up and you have a ton of impressive statistics from the offense and decent numbers from the rotation overall but still no playoffs. I am sorry, but a poor bullpen will negate all the hard work that the starters and line-up put in over 6 or 7 innings. That results in way too many lost games and overuse of those who are effective. The team may not be "injured" but it is definitely worn out. Wait til next year.

Edited September 22, 2006 by Beltin'Bill

[DrunkBomber]

There were lots of variable to the demise of the 06 Sox but at this point Im not writing off anyone. Ozzies world series win should buy him another year. I dont really know what KW will do with the roster but I think some tinkering needs to be done starting with a better average lead off man.

[DBAHO]

If anything Ozzie probably could have done a better job at getting his bench guys into the mix more so guys like Konerko etc. aren't complaining so much of being tired because they get more rest.

 

For example I remember Ross Gload was hardly used at all in the 1st 2 or 3 months (albeit Ozzie was going in with the hot hands in Thome and Konerko). But there wasn't really much of a point of having Gload on the bench, hence why people such as myself and fathom were calling for a RH OF who could play CF to be acquired.

[BearSox]

I guess someone forgot to tell the Yankees that you are suppossed to play, week, no heart baseball if you played in October of the last year.

[NorthSideSox72]

I guess someone forgot to tell the Yankees that you are suppossed to play, week, no heart baseball if you played in October of the last year.

Apparently... since as was shown earlier, they were the exception to the rule. Other than the $200M Yankees, virtually no one did well the year after a WS championship.

[Milkman delivers]

Apparently... since as was shown earlier, they were the exception to the rule. Other than the $200M Yankees, virtually no one did well the year after a WS championship.

 

I don't think they had a $200 million payroll the years they repeated. It was probably closer to the meager $100 million payroll that the White Sox currently have.

[kapkomet]

I don't think they had a $200 million payroll the years they repeated. It was probably closer to the meager $100 million payroll that the White Sox currently have.

Have you heard of a concept of "inflation"? A $150M payroll five years ago is $200M now, at least from the Yankees perspective.

[Steve9347]

I don't think they had a $200 million payroll the years they repeated. It was probably closer to the meager $100 million payroll that the White Sox currently have.

 

 

that was when most teams had payrolls of 50-60 mill.