I dont see it

[Frankensteiner]

We didn't do ourselves any favors this off-season, and what little we did (i.e. Toby Hall) has gone out the window. It's too bad because Hall was really a great pickup, although I thought the same of Perez and he didn't even make the roster.

 

It looks as if the 5th starter spot might be a struggle but it's not as if that wasn't the case last year (with more than one spot). The season will come down to whether or not Buehrle returns to form and Dye can come close to matching his MVP numbers from last season.

 

On paper, I would say Detroit still looks better. It'll be interesting to see if their pitching staff suffers a meltdown because of the inning work loads, and maybe that can validate some of the excuse makers for our pitching from last season. If their staff stays solid, I think they're the better team.

[ILoveThisGAme]

I LOVE THIS POST!!!! Finally someone has come out and made some sense about this season. Someone's got MARBLES! Look this team is going to be dreadful to watch. Seriously, dreadful! How can anyone compare this to the 2005 season when we added speed, pitching, and defense! The 2005 team had five starters going into the season. We had Beuhrle, Contreras, Garland, Garcia, and Hernandez. We also added Luis Vizcaino to our bullpen for depth. Then we got rid of Lee and Ordonez. We added Podsednik for speed, Iguchi for defense and hitting, and Dye for hitting and defense. We had a team then. Now we have maybe 3 starters, inexperienced bullpen, and a lineup that we are going to count on to win games. The spring has told the story to this year. If Ozzie send our team to the minors to take on a double a team, you know we are in trouble. This team has no heart or confidence I believe at this point. And finally Kenny and Jerry what did you do to this team???????? We buy more tickets last year than any other year. The division is weaker this year more than last. We were literally one player short last year from winning probably another title. And you pissed it all away!! Thanks again Kenny and Jerry!

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Kinda sounds like the pot calling the rainbow black, ya know?

 

Was your quote intentionly wrong ? Its the pot calling the kettle black. Because both the pot and kettle are black and you're saying one dumbie is calling the other one dumb. Black/black = dumb/dumb . Understand the saying a little better now ?

[Frankensteiner]

By the way, I'll disagree that this feels like 2005. I remember there being a lot of optimism going into that season, maybe not by the national media, but certainly by the fans. Perhaps it was blind optimism, but we at least made changes (Pods, Gooch, AJ, Duque, Viz, Hermy, Politte), and not just personnel but also style of play, to a team that couldn't get it done. In this case, we're banking on self-improvement from a team that couldn't get it done the previous season.

[GoSox05]

I honestly don't see this team winning a game this year. The team should just cancel the year.

 

Why are we even on here, close the boards. Sell you Sox gear. The team will be shut down.

 

The world is ending!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Honestly this whole "we suck" vibe is gettin old and boring.

[Kalapse]

I honestly don't see this team winning a game this year. The team should just cancel the year.

 

Why are we even on here, close the boards. Sell you Sox gear. The team will be shut down.

 

The world is ending!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Honestly this whole "we suck" vibe is gettin old and boring.

I do not remember reading any of that, perhaps you're mistaking this forum for another one?

[witesoxfan]

Was your quote intentionly wrong ? Its the pot calling the kettle black. Because both the pot and kettle are black and you're saying one dumbie is calling the other one dumb. Black/black = dumb/dumb . Understand the saying a little better now ?

 

Yeah. I know how the saying goes.

 

What the hell?

 

hahaha

 

pretty much the perfect response

[StrangeSox]

I honestly don't see this team winning a game this year. The team should just cancel the year.

 

Why are we even on here, close the boards. Sell you Sox gear. The team will be shut down.

 

The world is ending!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Honestly this whole "we suck" vibe is gettin old and boring.

 

So is the whole strawman that you try to make anyone who isn't optimistic about this team out to be.

 

There's a "we suck" vibe because a lot of people are legitimately concerned about how this team is going to be able to perform this year.

[Pants Rowland]

I honestly don't see this team winning a game this year.

 

 

Funny stuff. I wish you ended your post right there. I would still be laughing. 0-162. Book it.

[GoSox05]

So is the whole strawman that you try to make anyone who isn't optimistic about this team out to be.

 

There's a "we suck" vibe because a lot of people are legitimately concerned about how this team is going to be able to perform this year.

 

 

 

concern's are one thing. Every team has concerns. Take a look at our division rivals. They all have concerns. The Indians have Cliff Lee and CC banged up. The tigers have Kenny Rodgers banged up. The Twins lost one pitcher to retirement and another to Tommy John surgery. The Indians lost probably there best relief pitcher to retirement. There closer is Joe Borowski for christ sake.

 

Are you worried cause are pitchers have had a bad spring? Lots of pitcher some cy young winners have had bad springs. Spring training is not about ERA's and strikeouts.

 

 

Remember this team in the past two years has won more games than any other team in MLB. More than the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Cardinals. Stop acting like all the sudden this team is gonna be the next Expos.

 

 

Everyone should be Optimistic. Its spring, baseball is starting. Its supposed to be fun. Everyone around here is acting like the team has already lost. Its depressing.

Edited March 30, 2007 by GoSox05

[Pants Rowland]

concern's are one thing. Every team has concerns. Take a look at our division rivals. They all have concerns. The Indians have Cliff Lee and CC banged up. The tigers have Kenny Rodgers banged up. The Twins lost one pitcher to retirement and another to Tommy John surgery. The Indians lost probably there best relief pitcher to retirement. There closer is Joe Borowski for christ sake.

 

Are you worried cause are pitchers have had a bad spring? Lots of pitcher some cy young winners have had bad springs. Spring training is not about ERA's and strikeouts.

Remember this team in the past two years has won more games than any other team in MLB. More than the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Cardinals. Stop acting like all the sudden this team is gonna be the next Expos.

Everyone should be Optimistic. Its spring, baseball is starting. Its supposed to be fun. Everyone around here is acting like the team has already lost. Its depressing.

 

Maybe you should quit this site and go to the Hawk Harrelson chat room for a pep talk.

[GoSox05]

Maybe you should quit this site and go to the Hawk Harrelson chat room for a pep talk.

 

 

Theres a Hawk Harrelson chat room? Dont Tease.

[BigSqwert]

The tigers have Kenny Rodgers banged up.

He's a little more than banged up now.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...57562&st=15

[Harry Chappas]

He's a little more than banged up now.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...57562&st=15

 

Ya but we released Eduardo Perez.

[Pants Rowland]

Theres a Hawk Harrelson chat room? Dont Tease.

 

I know he and DJ are interactive sometime but I confess that I invented the idea of a full time Hawk chat room. Sorry to get your hopes up.

[Kalapse]

He's a little more than banged up now.

 

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?sh...57562&st=15

So now they replace him with the #10 prospect in all of baseball and the best player in last year's draft, lefty Andrew Miller. Fun.

[StrangeSox]

concern's are one thing. Every team has concerns. Take a look at our division rivals. They all have concerns. The Indians have Cliff Lee and CC banged up. The tigers have Kenny Rodgers banged up. The Twins lost one pitcher to retirement and another to Tommy John surgery. The Indians lost probably there best relief pitcher to retirement. There closer is Joe Borowski for christ sake.

 

Are you worried cause are pitchers have had a bad spring? Lots of pitcher some cy young winners have had bad springs. Spring training is not about ERA's and strikeouts.

Remember this team in the past two years has won more games than any other team in MLB. More than the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Cardinals. Stop acting like all the sudden this team is gonna be the next Expos.

Everyone should be Optimistic. Its spring, baseball is starting. Its supposed to be fun. Everyone around here is acting like the team has already lost. Its depressing.

 

It's your prerogative to be optimistic -- not everyone is going to be, nor should everyone be.

 

Personally, I see this team competing for the wildcard, but I can easily see how some people don't think that will be a possible by the ASB.

[ZoomSlowik]

I LOVE THIS POST!!!! Finally someone has come out and made some sense about this season. Someone's got MARBLES! Look this team is going to be dreadful to watch. Seriously, dreadful! How can anyone compare this to the 2005 season when we added speed, pitching, and defense! The 2005 team had five starters going into the season. We had Beuhrle, Contreras, Garland, Garcia, and Hernandez. We also added Luis Vizcaino to our bullpen for depth. Then we got rid of Lee and Ordonez. We added Podsednik for speed, Iguchi for defense and hitting, and Dye for hitting and defense. We had a team then. Now we have maybe 3 starters, inexperienced bullpen, and a lineup that we are going to count on to win games. The spring has told the story to this year. If Ozzie send our team to the minors to take on a double a team, you know we are in trouble. This team has no heart or confidence I believe at this point. And finally Kenny and Jerry what did you do to this team???????? We buy more tickets last year than any other year. The division is weaker this year more than last. We were literally one player short last year from winning probably another title. And you pissed it all away!! Thanks again Kenny and Jerry!

 

Talk about some revisionist history.

 

2005 our offense looked awful going into the season, the closest thing we had to a real #3 hitter was a banged up Frank Thomas. We traded/let go of our two best hitters and replaced them with injury-prone Jermaine Dye and Crazy Carl Everett. That offense was far from a juggernaut, which is why it finished in the middle of the pack in runs. Whoopie, Pods could run, that didn't mean it was suddenly great.

 

No one predicted that from our rotation either. Garland was widely consided a flop that was going to continue sucking (posted a 4.89 ERA the previous year), and no one knew what to expect from Contreras after his awful performance in New York (5.50 ERA the previous year). Plus El Duque was always hurt and people thought he might be done. The pen wasn't exactly considered a strength at the time either, Shingo was our closer and our best setup guys were Damaso Marte and Vizcaino, Hermanson, Politte, Cotts, and Jenks basically came out of nowhere. It looked decidedly mediocre, I'll take inexperienced over bad any day, especially when the back 3 have been as effective as Jenks, McDougal, and Thornton have been for some good stretches. As for the Spring thing, the 2005 Sox didn't exactly tear it up either, finishing 14-18. There's a reason that we were widely picked to finish 3rd or 4th.

 

If you knew that type of season was coming, you're either Nostradamus or an incredible homer (not that I'm complaining that it happened ).

Edited March 30, 2007 by ZoomSlowik

[Balta1701]

If you knew that type of season was coming, you're either Nostradamus or an incredible homer (not that I'm complaining that it happened ).

Man, I wish I was here before that season started so I had some record of my ramblings at the time, but I was really pumped coming into that year. Really really pumped. Pumped enough that I spent the $150 on the MLB extra innings package that year for the first time, after not getting it the couple years beforehand. And as a broke grad student, that's a ton of cash.

[ZoomSlowik]

Man, I wish I was here before that season started so I had some record of my ramblings at the time, but I was really pumped coming into that year. Really really pumped. Pumped enough that I spent the $150 on the MLB extra innings package that year for the first time, after not getting it the couple years beforehand. And as a broke grad student, that's a ton of cash.

 

I was optomistic, I thought they were capable of winning the division, but I'll admit that by no strech of my imagination did I think they were going to win 99 and steam-roll through the playoffs, and I certainly didn't think it was a lock, not after the previous few years where it looked like they had better teams and still fell short.

Edited March 30, 2007 by ZoomSlowik

[witesoxfan]

concern's are one thing. Every team has concerns. Take a look at our division rivals. They all have concerns. The Indians have Cliff Lee and CC banged up. The tigers have Kenny Rodgers banged up. The Twins lost one pitcher to retirement and another to Tommy John surgery. The Indians lost probably there best relief pitcher to retirement. There closer is Joe Borowski for christ sake.

 

Sabathia is fine, Rogers is older than Contreras (and Contreras is f'ing old), and the Twins have a top 10 pitching prospect in all of baseball waiting at AAA where he's likely just getting stretched out.

 

And on top of that, the Tigers rotation is deep as hell, the Twins always have great pitching in the minors, and the Indians might have the best offense in the major leagues.

 

There's reason for concern for the White Sox, and there's reason for hope, but you are simply not looking at this objectively. I can find just as many or more faults in the White Sox then those you've listed for the other 3 teams in the AL Central.

 

Are you worried cause are pitchers have had a bad spring? Lots of pitcher some cy young winners have had bad springs. Spring training is not about ERA's and strikeouts.

 

Except that Spring Training IS partly about strikeouts - they are an indication of stuff. They are about walks, GO/AO, velocity & stuff, and mechanical issues.

 

ERA is generally meaningless, but when your team ERA for the Spring is like 6, that's usually not a good indicator, especially when the pitchers bringing that ERA down to anything close to respectability are being sent to AAA.

 

Remember this team in the past two years has won more games than any other team in MLB. More than the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Cardinals. Stop acting like all the sudden this team is gonna be the next Expos.

 

And I don't see how that applies to this season at all.

 

I also really don't think people are saying this team is the next Expos, but rather they are acknowleding the fact that there are 3 other very good teams in the AL Central.

 

Everyone should be Optimistic. Its spring, baseball is starting. Its supposed to be fun. Everyone around here is acting like the team has already lost. Its depressing.

 

I'm happy baseball's starting, but I don't like how the Sox are playing. What's wrong with that?

[ShoeLessRob]

I was optomistic, I thought they were capable of winning the division, but I'll admit that by no strech of my imagination did I think they were going to win 99 and steam-roll through the playoffs, and I certainly didn't think it was a lock, not after the previous few years where it looked like they had better teams and still fell short.

 

Heh, that makes me recall sitting at a table with my friend in '05. We were at Soxfest and we decided to predict our final record for the year. We both agreed 94 wins at most. No one in their right mind could have seen 99 wins and the 11 - 1 record in the playoffs. Damn... that was magical.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

concern's are one thing. Every team has concerns. Take a look at our division rivals. They all have concerns. The Indians have Cliff Lee and CC banged up. The tigers have Kenny Rodgers banged up. The Twins lost one pitcher to retirement and another to Tommy John surgery. The Indians lost probably there best relief pitcher to retirement. There closer is Joe Borowski for christ sake.

 

Are you worried cause are pitchers have had a bad spring? Lots of pitcher some cy young winners have had bad springs. Spring training is not about ERA's and strikeouts.

Remember this team in the past two years has won more games than any other team in MLB. More than the Yankees, Red Sox, Indians, Cardinals. Stop acting like all the sudden this team is gonna be the next Expos.

Everyone should be Optimistic. Its spring, baseball is starting. Its supposed to be fun. Everyone around here is acting like the team has already lost. Its depressing.

 

Often I'm with you on the negativity sucks issue but realistically as fans what we like to do is identify the concerns about the team and what management did to fix the problems. We know our strengths so they're not discussed at all. Can't get much discussion out of "PK is great, Thome is great". What bothers me most is there's a core group of statheads, armchair GM's and fantasy geeks that don't realize that baseball isnt like other sports where top draft picks are instant superstars. Players develop into things they were never projected to be. To see these soxtalkers who constantly say things like he will never be more then a 4th starter because he doesnt have a 95 mph fastball or a nasty hammer or a ungodly splitty is just irritating. And the thing is the people who talk like that will be right over 75% of the time because we know talent means more then anything in the end so they can pat themselves on the back and say "Damn I was right again " which only reinforces that superior attitude, which is my pet peeve more so than the negativity. Maybe I'd like to see a little bit more humilty when presenting your OPINION . Just because you have all your facts straight doesnt mean your word is law.

[LVSoxFan]

Granted it's only been a couple of years for me here but DAMN--I've never seen such pessimism before we've even played one game.

 

On the other hand, 2005 notwithstanding we did play 88 years of championship-free baseball. I too, pretty much adopted the attitude of "Expect Absolutely Nothing and You'll Always be Surprised."

[NorthSideSox72]

I can't believe I went through the pain of reading 4 pages of this thread.