In two more days, fire sale talk will pick up

[caulfield12]

Last year, the Twins had to play 38 games over .500 over a four month stretch to catch the Tigers on the last day.

 

They also had to catch only two teams, we will have to pass three, in Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota.

 

Our bullpen has now blown more games than the Twins last season, both total blown saves (7) and games lost as result of those blown saves (4).

 

Our offense is last in the American League since the All-Star break of 2006 in scoring runs.

 

The low point for the Twins last year was 8 games under .500 and 12 games back. We're staring a 6.5 games back after tomorrow, as the team simply hasn't scored any runs for Danks, I think they're averaging a little over a run per game for him, actually.

 

I don't think we have the ability to play much more than 20 games over .500 for five months, and the odds are that either the Indians and/or the Tigers will be ahead of us....and now we have to deal with the Yankees again with Clemens being added to that staff. For the record, I don't think the Twins will be able to stay with the Tigers and Indians either, but they're a better team than the White Sox and could be a great team again next year if Liriano returns to 100%, which is a big question mark.

 

Sweeney will be a good player in a year or two, and I'd love to see him play everyday for the rest of the season, but he's not going to carry the offense either. He's a complementary player, like Erstad or Mackowiak or Uribe, nothing more. Not yet.

 

I would seriously see what I could get for MacDougal, Thornton and maybe even Jenks...although I'm backing off that a little now, realizing that Aardsma might not ever have the mentality to be a closer, Sisco is too wild and Masset just doesn't have dominating stuff....or he hasn't shown it yet at least.

[Mr. Showtime]

I don't see it starting within the organization for at least another month.

[fathom]

No way....we're still counting on Thome and Hall to help this team. If we had to go into firesale mode less than 2 months into the season with a 100 million dollar payroll, then everyone in the organization should be fired.

Edited May 9, 2007 by fathom

[caulfield12]

I don't see it starting within the organization for at least another month.

 

If we get swept by the Twins, who we're fighting with for third place, it has to cross the minds of every single White Sox fan.

 

We've seen it all before, the last time in 2002.

 

It's not only losing, it's how we're losing. Even after Sunday's miracle, you didn't get the sense that this team was ready to take off and get on a roll of 5-6 wins in a row, like we did after Buehrle's no-no.

[WHarris1]

Oh God I fear how horribly KW will f*** up a firesale.

[fathom]

Oh God I fear how horribly KW will f*** up a firesale.

 

Be on the lookout for any marginal AAA talent he's rumored to be scouting.

[caulfield12]

No way....we're still counting on Thome and Hall to help this team. If we had to go into firesale mode less than 2 months into the season with a 100 million dollar payroll, then everyone in the organization should be fired.

 

We wouldn't have to do it in any division except the one we're in right now...our team is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

And KW is going to have to be decisive, not wishy-washy, like he has been since the World Series championship.

[TitoMB345]

Oh God I fear how horribly KW will f*** up a firesale.

Truf. It will be ugly. Worse than his offseason trades.

[chisoxt]

Oh God I fear how horribly KW will f*** up a firesale.

Yea, I was thinking the same thing.... Kenny has never been good at fleecing other teams for prospects. Usually, he's the one in the giving mood.

[santo=dorf]

QUOTE(chisoxt @ May 8, 2007 -> 10:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yea, I was thinking the same thing.... Kenny has never been good at fleecing other teams for prospects. Usually, he's the one in the giving mood.

...a by product of being a good team. I'll gladly accept that.

[SoxAce]

I know this lost was tough, but this thread is ridiculous. Two days? Please. I'll agree with Showtime in saying that if we play s***ty these next couple weeks, then I can see this organization thinking differently next month even though I would give it a month and a half/ two months tops.

Edited May 9, 2007 by SoxAce

[sircaffey]

Only think about it right now. Get your thoughts in line, and then in a month, we'll all spew them out.

[caulfield12]

Yea, I was thinking the same thing.... Kenny has never been good at fleecing other teams for prospects. Usually, he's the one in the giving mood.

 

 

Great at identifying undervalued major league players....horrible at finding AA and AAA talent, with the one exception being the slight chance he took on Bobby Jenks and picking up Jerry Owens from the Nationals for Alex Escobar.

 

If you look at 2002, you remember names like Barry/Berry, Felix Diaz, Jon Adkins, Onan Masaoka, Gary Majewski, the immortal Byeon Hak-An and Frank Francisco.

 

The two "stars" were Diaz and Adkins, and they disappointed mightily.

 

Francisco and Majewski would have been nice bullpen pieces had we kept them. In fact, we might have won in 2003 if Francisco was the closer for the entire season, instead of Koch. But he wasn't quite ready then, nor had he thrown any chairs or suffered a major injury.

[striker]

Oh God I fear how horribly KW will f*** up a firesale.

 

Word on the street is, KW likes washed up 1st round draft picks

Edited May 9, 2007 by striker62704

[fathom]

Great at identifying undervalued major league players....horrible at finding AA and AAA talent, with the one exception being the slight chance he took on Bobby Jenks and picking up Jerry Owens from the Nationals for Alex Escobar.

 

Did Jerry Owens do something I didn't see? Heck, even Escobar has had more success in the majors than Owens has.

[caulfield12]

I know this lost was tough, but this thread is ridiculous. Two days? Please. I'll agree with Showtime in saying that if we play s***ty these next couple weeks, then I can see this organization thinking differently next month even though I would give it a month and a half/ two months tops.

 

 

The Twins were very close to trading Hunter and sending Morneau to the minors in early June last year...and they finally turned the corner, around the 7th-10th of June. That's exactly one month from now.

 

We don't have the luxury of bringing in Liriano from the pen, discovering an MVP, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Winner and Rolaids Relief Man all on one team....we'd be lucky to have ONE of those happen.

 

Where it becomes a mathematical difficulty is one month from now and 7.5-9 games out.

 

We could be closing in on that territory after this weekend.

[chisoxt]

Great at identifying undervalued major league players....horrible at finding AA and AAA talent, with the one exception being the slight chance he took on Bobby Jenks and picking up Jerry Owens from the Nationals for Alex Escobar.

 

If you look at 2002, you remember names like Barry/Berry, Felix Diaz, Jon Adkins, Onan Masaoka, Gary Majewski, the immortal Byeon Hak-An and Frank Francisco.

 

The two "stars" were Diaz and Adkins, and they disappointed mightily.

 

Francisco and Majewski would have been nice bullpen pieces had we kept them. In fact, we might have won in 2003 if Francisco was the closer for the entire season, instead of Koch. But he wasn't quite ready then, nor had he thrown any chairs or suffered a major injury.

 

We also may have won 2003 with Wells and Fogg, instead of the clusterf*** merrygoaround 5th starte fiacso.

You have to look at it this way....Thank the baseball gods we won in 2005! I doubt it will happen anytime soon again.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

I know this lost was tough, but this thread is ridiculous. Two days? Please. I'll agree with Showtime in saying that if we play s***ty these next couple weeks, then I can see this organization thinking differently next month even though I would give it a month and a half/ two months tops.

Thank you.

[RME JICO]

It is still too early for a firesale, even if the Twins sweep us.

 

The Tigers, Twins, and Indians all have tougher schedules for the remainder of the season. The Sox easiest month is June IIRC. They will need to tread water and hang around until June, and then make their move.

 

Also remember that Cleveland has 2-3 less days off later in the year for the rainout reschedules. Those days off are huge late in the year.

 

If the Sox are 6-7 out at the ASB, they still will have a legitimate shot, at least for the WC.

Edited May 9, 2007 by RME JICO

[sircaffey]

Did Jerry Owens do something I didn't see? Heck, even Escobar has had more success in the majors than Owens has.

 

I have more faith in big Herm getting/keeping Escobar healthy than our staff developing Owens.

[Rowand44]

Unreal.

[SoxAce]

The Twins were very close

 

That's another organization. Maybe Houston should have quit two years ago when their record was horrid the first couple of months. It's a different ballgame for different organizations.

[caulfield12]

Did Jerry Owens do something I didn't see? Heck, even Escobar has had more success in the majors than Owens has.

 

 

Well, considering he only spent $25,000 or $50,000 on Escobar, it was a very good move...I guess it seemed better in 2004 or 05 than it seems today, because of his age and some of his struggles as well as his defensive and arm strength limitations.

[fathom]

Well, considering he only spent $25,000 or $50,000 on Escobar, it was a very good move...I guess it seemed better in 2004 or 05 than it seems today, because of his age and some of his struggles as well as his defensive and arm strength limitations.

 

And that hitting thing

[sircaffey]

It is still too early for a firesale, even if the Twins sweep us.

 

The Tigers, Twins, and Indians all have tougher schedules for the remainder of the season. The Sox easiest month is June IIRC. They will need to tread water and hang around until June, and then make their move.

 

Also remember that Cleveland has 2-3 less days off later in the year for the rainout reschedules. Those days off are huge late in the year.

 

If the Sox are 6-7 out at the ASB, they still will have a legitimate shot, at least for the WC.

 

That is undoubtedly what I worry about the most. If this team is just close enough to "compete", but just far enough to claim firesale, we could be f***ed for a long time. I pray that we are either leading, behind 10+ games, or management declares a firesale at 5+ games out. Part of me feels like it's going to take 12+ games out for this management to declare a firesale. Stubborness seems to be a plenty...