From worst to first??

[VAfan]

Do the Sox really think they are going to be able to flip a switch when the games count and start pitching and hitting well?? It's one thing to lose like we lost earlier in the spring. Now every game is a blowout. No pitching and no hitting.

 

As I said in another post, this team has no reason to pull together. Management has sent a loud and clear message that is it not going to pay market rates for our players any more. So this is the last year Mark Buehrle, Jermaine Dye, and Tadahito Iguchi are likely to wear a Sox uniform. Soon to follow them out the door when their contracts expire will be Jim Thome, Joe Crede, Jose Contreras, John Garland, and AJ Pierzynski. Maybe each of these guys will want to perform well in their contract years to reap rewards on other teams. But that leads to stat-driven play, not the team-driven play that won us the 2005 World Series. We're only 2 years removed from 2005, but it already seems like a decade ago.

 

Ugh. I hope I'm terribly wrong about this team. But all I smell is a LOOONNNGGG season.

[fathom]

IF this team isn't going to make the playoffs, I wish for the following three things to happen:

 

- be far enough out of the race by the deadline to trade Buehrle

- Ozzie continues his idiotic act and says something that gets him fired

- Danks proves he can be a MLB starting pitcher

[ShoeLessRob]

I swear to god, if Iguchi is not on this team next year... I... I'm just going to... have to hurt someone.

[WHarris1]

IF this team isn't going to make the playoffs, I wish for the following three things to happen:

 

- be far enough out of the race by the deadline to trade Buehrle

- Ozzie continues his idiotic act and says something that gets him fired

- Danks proves he can be a MLB starting pitcher

B-I-N-G-O

 

On all 3.

[fathom]

I swear to god, if Iguchi is not on this team next year... I... I'm just going to... have to hurt someone.

 

In all honesty, he's the FA we can most afford to lose. 2nd base might be the one position where there's enough depth throughout baseball to still get quality players at affordable prices.

[ShoeLessRob]

In all honesty, he's the FA we can most afford to lose. 2nd base might be the one position where there's enough depth throughout baseball to still get quality players at affordable prices.

 

At what cost? You know very well we have no minor leaguers who are anywhere ready. Sure we can probally trade for a decent one if Gooch is gone, but at what cost? I'm just a little frustrated right now.

[fathom]

At what cost? You know very well we have no minor leaguers who are anywhere ready. Sure we can probally trade for a decent one if Gooch is gone, but at what cost? I'm just a little frustrated right now.

 

There will be other 2nd baseman that are free agents are available. I love the Indians acquisition of Barfield, as he's going to thrive not having to hit 81 games in San Diego. Anyways, if Iguchi at 3 years, 15 million is too much money for the Sox to spend, then it's not even going to matter in the long run. We'll just bring in every golfing buddy that Ozzie has and every grinder that no one else wants. Juan Pierre really should have signed here....he would have had more job security than Brittany Spears' psychiatrist.

[jackie hayes]

I don't WANT the Sox to pay top dollar for a guy who resembles Mark Mulder more every day. Dye will probably get too many years for a man his age (although I would like to see him return). And I'm not at all convinced Iguchi is about to leave.

 

Why should this team pull together? Because, like everyone else, they like to win. And, because it'll help them get that big f'n payday. It's not gonna be a question of motivation, it's gonna be about talent.

[fathom]

I don't WANT the Sox to pay top dollar for a guy who resembles Mark Mulder more every day. Dye will probably get too many years for a man his age (although I would like to see him return). And I'm not at all convinced Iguchi is about to leave.

 

Why should this team pull together? Because, like everyone else, they like to win. And, because it'll help them get that big f'n payday. It's not gonna be a question of motivation, it's gonna be about talent.

 

If it's about talent, then we're going to be in a battle with the Twins for 3rd place.

[Kalapse]

There will be other 2nd baseman that are free agents are available. I love the Indians acquisition of Barfield, as he's going to thrive not having to hit 81 games in San Diego. Anyways, if Iguchi at 3 years, 15 million is too much money for the Sox to spend, then it's not even going to matter in the long run. We'll just bring in every golfing buddy that Ozzie has and every grinder that no one else wants. Juan Pierre really should have signed here....he would have had more job security than Brittany Spears' psychiatrist.

Iguchi will be the best seconbaseman on the market after this season, if the Sox are going to sign a replacement, it's going to have to be a SS or 3B.

[jackie hayes]

If it's about talent, then we're going to be in a battle with the Twins for 3rd place.

I won't admit that. I'm hoping I'm surprised by Danks.

 

A little luck helps, too.

[Jordan4life_2007]

If it's about talent, then we're going to be in a battle with the Twins for 3rd place.

 

Or if it was about talent, we would've won 105 games last year. There's obviously many different factors that make up a winning team other than talent.

[greg775]

this team has no reason to pull together. Management has sent a loud and clear message that is it not going to pay market rates for our players any more

 

I don't know about that.

I mean, are the Sox the only team in baseball where management sends a message

like this to players?

I mean the season is so long ... do you really think 2 seasons after the parade

all the veterans are going to not care about winning?

I mean April, May, June, July, August, Sept., they want to be ridiculed in the press

and booed on the field??

I doubt it.

We may suck but it won't be for not caring I feel.

Hopefully Oz and KW will ship guys to the minors if they have the attitude you suggest.

Konerko will not loaf; our starters aren't primma donnas. They may get rocked but

they will try.

Why would Dye brood? He's been great in Chicago and won't want to falter.

Iguchi? Why would he brood?

I think your argument is lame personally.

[The Critic]

The only thing that worries me is the fact that the Sox have pretty serious questions about 4 of the 5 starters. (I'll exclude Garland at this point because back-to-back 18-win seasons grant you a little leeway in my book)

Buerhle still looks hittable more often than not this spring

Vasquez has to prove that his "stuff" can translate into something more than a .500 pitcher

Contreras has age and injury history going against him

Danks may have to provide more than would normally be expected of a rookie #5, and hasn't proven to be up to it yet

 

Behind them, the Sox don't have any rotation depth to speak of, so any injuries or failures by any of those four pitchers and this season could indeed become quite hard to watch.

 

I'm hopeful this year, but I don't have that "rah rah" feeling I had last year at this point

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

... and to think I got attached here a few months back when I said this would be a rebuilding here. Reality check.

[The Critic]

... and to think I got attached here a few months back when I said this would be a rebuilding here. Reality check.

Well, I don't think it's a rebuilding year exactly. There are still too many older players for me to call it that.

Replacing Anderson with Erstad kind of belies the idea of rebuilding, IMO.

I just don't know if the Sox will hit enough to overcome would could very well be a mediocre rotation.

[Greg The Bull Luzinski]

Well, I don't think it's a rebuilding year exactly. There are still too many older players for me to call it that.

Replacing Anderson with Erstad kind of belies the idea of rebuilding, IMO.

I just don't know if the Sox will hit enough to overcome would could very well be a mediocre rotation.

 

Perhaps not total rebuilding, as in the white flag trade sense, but wait til the all star break. At that point we can trade an all-star for somebody of Jon Adkins quality.

[Dick Allen]

The disconcerning thing to me is in the past when the Sox were losing ST games, you could blame a lot of it on guys who were not going to be anywhere near USCF during the summer. Its been brutal all around, and has been worse the last week. The broadcasters are spinning away. When they sucked at the beginning they would say good teams really get going the final couple of weeks of spring, now we hear how it always gets sloppy at the end of spring training. Maybe they will get all the losing out of their system. I think a lot of White Sox players are a little overrated on this board, but they can't be as bad as they have been this spring. I am still very much looking forward to Monday.

[GoSox05]

Its good to see that everyone is excited about the upcoming baseball season. I can't believe how much people are already giving up on a season that hasnt even started.

 

 

its f***ing bulls***.

[The Critic]

Its good to see that everyone is excited about the upcoming baseball season. I can't believe how much people are already giving up on a season that hasnt even started.

its f***ing bulls***.

thank you for your opinion.

[Steve9347]

THE WHITE SOX WERE SECOND TO LAST IN THE CACTUS LEAGUE IN 2005! SPRING TRAINING DOESN'T MEAN s***!

 

[CanOfCorn]

The more I read these threads the more I think that this is TRULY the year of the fan hangover. Last year, we were all coming off the euphoria of winning the World Series with a team that hardly anybody thought would truly do anything, and yet they win the WS.

 

According to many:

We had the best pitching staff in all of baseball

We had just gotten one of the best LH hitters in the game.

We had just traded for one of the best potential SP in the game.

Oh yeah, we just won the World Series.

 

Now, after a "disappointing" 90-win season and second-half Kalapse (hee-hee), we just woke up the morning after realizing that the White Sox Kool-Aid was spiked with Everclear and we had smoked a pack of cigarettes and 3 joints.

 

The White Sox had a rotten Spring Training. But it's happened before. The Bears had a rotten pre-season last year, getting beat by the lowly Cardinals. Look how that turned out. This is a team of professionals...a team of veterans...if these were all rookies who don't know how to win or are gaining confidence, then I think I would be more nervous. But yes, veterans can work out the kinks and turn it on when they need to. Iguchi has said as much.

 

Now if they start to suck during the games that count...then I'm all for the negativity and the second-guessing, but in Spring Training, people are wasting energy.

[shawnhillegas]

If it's about talent, then we're going to be in a battle with the Twins for 3rd place.

 

 

We have made some very stupid decisions here, but our competitors have just send Matt Garza down and want Ponson in the rotation. The Indians, meanwhile, signed a guy with no arm and have a the least reliable closer in the AL. The Tigers....well, lets hope something bad happens...

[jphat007]

THE WHITE SOX WERE SECOND TO LAST IN THE CACTUS LEAGUE IN 2005! SPRING TRAINING DOESN'T MEAN s***!

 

 

Good luck trying to get some to get it. You would think people would have figured it out by now.

 

Spring Training doesn't mean anything in any way, shape or form.

[HeGone33]

Hey look!

 

The Mets are 10-20 in Spring Training, OMG they are gonna be horrible!!

 

I cannot wait to wake up Sunday morning and the Sox will be 0-0. Wow, what a concept, ST doesn't mean jack!

 

Anyone want my opening day tickets, I mean, I don't really want to go see some crap 9-21 team!