Loss thread, 1.5 games up at the all star break

[whitesoxfan101]

Well, that sucked.

 

To be honest, had we tied it or took the lead, I still think we'd have lost with the way that game was going. However, Paulie had what was literally the worst game I've ever seen a White Sox position player have. For as good as he was Saturday, he was twice as bad today. I don't think this team can make the playoffs with Paul Konerko in the lineup everyday, that might be the move that this team needs to make, but I doubt they do it. He obviously can't be traded at 10/5, and we'd never release him, so we're stuck with him anyways. I wish we'd at least put him on the bench where he belongs.

 

Just a horribly played game, we had 3 errors plus three more plays where we gave away outs that weren't errors (the blooper to/miscommunication in left that dropped and gave them a run, the easy double play that Uribe bobbled into one out, Contreras missing 1st base which I think gave them another run). If you do that and give up 12 runs and 18 hits or whatever it was, it's not easy to win. Oh well.

Edited July 13, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[bogie]

Your 5 and 6 guy strikes out looking in the 9th. I give Thome the benefit of the doubt on his called third strike BUT HOW CAN KONERKO TAKE THAT PITCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[maggsmaggs]

Do we beat ourselves the most in the majors or does it just appear that way since I am a Sox fan? And vice versus, do the Twins beat themselves the least amount of times in baseball? Please show me another team that does this more than us...

[whitesoxfan101]

Do we beat ourselves the most in the majors or does it just appear that way since I am a Sox fan? And vice versus, do the Twins beat themselves the least amount of times in baseball? Please show me another team that does this more than us...

 

A lot of teams blow games they should win all the time due to a bad bullpen, something we don't do hardly at all, so in that respect we have a big advantage.

 

We played horrible on that road trip, yet we went 3-3 and saw our division lead, which was 1 game when we flew to Kansas City Monday, move to 1.5, so we are fortunate. We just need to get rested over the break and come out playing well in the 2nd half, starting with the home series against the Royals. This team is fine, with the exception of Paul Konerko.

[maggsmaggs]

A lot of teams blow games they should win all the time due to a bad bullpen, something we don't do hardly at all, so in that respect we have a big advantage.

 

We played horrible on that road trip, yet we went 3-3 and saw our division lead, which was 1 game when we flew to Kansas City Monday, move to 1.5, so we are fortunate. We just need to get rested over the break and come out playing well in the 2nd half, starting with the home series against the Royals. This team is fine, with the exception of Paul Konerko.

And Contreras. But you are right, we have been pretty good about blown saves, so I guess it could be much worse. I think I am just really frustrated as everyone else is.

[BigSqwert]

This team is fine, with the exception of Paul Konerko.

And our 5th starter.

[SoxPride56]

I am so sick of Konerko, he f***ing sucks!!!!!

[whitesoxfan101]

And Contreras. But you are right, we have been pretty good about blown saves, so I guess it could be much worse. I think I am just really frustrated as everyone else is.

 

Jose is our 5th starter, and he'll rebound to an extent. He's never going to be 2005-2006 Jose again, but as a #5 starter he'll be fine. Our biggest pitching issues are getting Jenks back healthy (which sounds set to be done Friday) and getting Vazquez back on track. Javy is our closest thing to a pitching problem right now, but he's shown he can rebound from bad stretches before. Hopefully the extra several days off does him good.

[chw42]

Well, that sucked.

 

To be honest, had we tied it or took the lead, I still think we'd have lost with the way that game was going. However, Paulie had what was literally the worst game I've ever seen a White Sox position player have. For as good as he was Saturday, he was twice as bad today. I don't think this team can make the playoffs with Paul Konerko in the lineup everyday, that might be the move that this team needs to make, but I doubt they do it.

 

Just a horribly played game, we had 3 errors plus three more plays where we gave away outs that weren't errors (the blooper to/miscommunication in left that dropped and gave them a run, the easy double play that Uribe bobbled into one out, Contreras missing 1st base which I think gave them another run). If you do that and give up 12 runs and 18 hits or whatever it was, it's not easy to win. Oh well.

 

Pitching sucked, that's about it. I agree with you that even if we did tie it or even get a one run lead, I doubt we could of held on.

 

Thing is though, this game could of been won in the 7th. However, Ozzie made a knucklehead move in taking Masset out after he shut down the Rangers for two straight innings. After Logan was clobbered last night with double after double, Ozzie let him do it again. Now, the defense did not make some plays behind Boone, however, that's not the point. He still ended up giving those runs. It's no guarantee that Masset would of been any better, however, he showed in his two previous innings that he can indeed pitch real well against the Texas lineup.

 

Onto the defense, some plays were inexcusable. Uribe is almost a worse 3B than Ozuna. The little blooper between Swisher and Quentin is also inexcusable. Konerko's throw, also inexcusable. Alexei's dropped pop up, absolutely atrocious. Based on those errors alone, we shouldn't of won this game. Not to mention, Contreras also screwed himself over by not finding the bag.

 

Offensively, we scored 11 runs. We had a rally in almost every inning. That's great. However, 22 hits and 11 runs is terrible. Clutch hitting wasn't even there and we can't even get a freaking sacrifice fly! Konerko and Dye had opportunities to drive easy runs in today and both failed. Konerko grounds into a DP and Dye strikes out swinging. Jeez...

 

We didn't deserve to win today. But then again, we didn't deserve to win many games on this roadtrip. I feel blessed to have been 3-3 on this trip and still be in first. The Sox really need to get it together. Hopefully, Jenks comes back and puts the bullpen back to normality. Contreras and Vazquez both need to stop sucking. And our hitting needs to get it back together too. Hopefully, we can do what we did for the majority for the first half in the second half. If we do, I can smell baseball in October.

[Jim Spencer]

I am so sick of Konerko, he f***ing sucks!!!!!

 

Something for Paulie to think about during the break: Juan has a higher batting average than he does

 

[chw42]

Something for Paulie to think about during the break: Juan has a higher batting average than he does

 

Something for Paulie to think about during the break: Don't think, just see the ball and swing. See the ball and field. Grab the ball and throw. Konerko is the baseball equivalent of a emo kid. Seriously...

[Frankensteiner]

Jose is our 5th starter, and he'll rebound to an extent. He's never going to be 2005-2006 Jose again, but as a #5 starter he'll be fine. Our biggest pitching issues are getting Jenks back healthy (which sounds set to be done Friday) and getting Vazquez back on track. Javy is our closest thing to a pitching problem right now, but he's shown he can rebound from bad stretches before. Hopefully the extra several days off does him good.

 

Also would be nice to figure out what's going on with Linebrink.

 

I'd really like to see if we could find a decent starter.

 

With Konerko, I'm thinking no matter how horrible he is, they're not going to pull the plug on him. I mean, the Captain riding the bench? Just can't see it.

[SoxPride56]

Something for Paulie to think about during the break: Juan has a higher batting average than he does

 

 

Thats not good!!!

 

Don't get me wrong, I love what PK did for us in his time with us, and what he did for 2005. But this is 2008, its time for him to start to hit.

[whitesoxfan101]

Also would be nice to figure out what's going on with Linebrink.

 

I'd really like to see if we could find a decent starter.

 

With Konerko, I'm thinking no matter how horrible he is, they're not going to pull the plug on him. I mean, the Captain riding the bench? Just can't see it.

 

Oh no I agree, they'll never bench Paulie. And I think it's going to hurt the team and cost us some games in the 2nd half that we obviously really need. It's a bad situation, since we seem better without him but he's the captain and literally can't be traded.

 

I think Linebrink will be ok. All of his issues pretty much have been when he closed, he just seems like one of those mental cases that can only pitch in the setup/8th inning role.

[whitesoxbrian]

I am so sick of Konerko, he f***ing sucks!!!!!

Agreed.

 

Sure, he'll go out and go 3-5 Friday and everyone will come in here and say how good he is and how he still has it. No, he doesn't. He can't field and he can't hit (see: swings at a pitch not close, then takes strike 3 right there).

 

Contreras, sucks too. They only problem, we couldn't get a bag of baseballs for him. Maybe he should take those stupid sleeves off- it's 100 degrees out, dope. Learn how to pitch effectively while you're at it. Don't blame it on the loss of Pablo, either.

 

The offense scored 11 runs, but in the end we left what, 14 guys on?

 

What a crock. Boone Logan is struggling lately, too.

[The Bones]

Really difficult game to watch. I had to turn the channel a few times when we were on defense and nothing was going our way.

 

The big picture though is that we are in 1st place at the All Star Break and I think anyone on this site would have taken a 1.5 game lead at this point in the season if you had offered that back at the beginning of the year. Most people were predicting a 3rd or 4th place finish in the division. Carlos Quentin, who earned his spot on the roster, is an All Star. Floyd and Danks have been stellar. And the bullpen is one of the best in baseball. We have a reason to watch White Sox baseball in the second half of 2008 which is much more than you could say about 2007. I can't wait for Friday to get here.

[AWhiteSoxinNJ]

I acutally think Paulie will have a good 2nd half. He can't get much worse and can only get better from here once he gets healthier IMO. He will be fine.

[greg775]

Sure, he'll go out and go 3-5 Friday and everyone will come in here and say how good he is and how he still has it. No, he doesn't. He can't field and he can't hit (see: swings at a pitch not close, then takes strike 3 right there).

 

Uh, if he goes 3-5 Friday I will come in and say how good a game he had.

You can count on that.

 

GOOD QUOTE BY OZ on the AP wire:

“This was the worst baseball game I’ve ever seen. ... The pitchers should look themselves in the mirror and be embarrassed,” Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. “That was ugly. That’s the worst I’ve seen in a long time.”

 

Edited July 14, 2008 by greg775

[Chisoxfn]

Do we beat ourselves the most in the majors or does it just appear that way since I am a Sox fan? And vice versus, do the Twins beat themselves the least amount of times in baseball? Please show me another team that does this more than us...

Teams that play great defense, execute offensively (and have some speed) plus have a solid bullpen rarely lose. The Sox possess one of those three things and the pen helps them a lot, but the lack of defense (even though they have some talented defensive players, the team defense has blown balls) and execution/speed (not just speed, but executation, ie, making solid contact and moving the runners over and in when all you need is one run).

 

Having that ability helps you pull out lots and lots of one run ball games and games that you shouldn't even win. And when you dont' have that ability, you put your team in a spot where it loses a good share of games that it should win.

[WSoxMatt]

I expected a 3rd or 4th place finish st best so being up 1.5 at the Break is like a big fat Christmas Gift to me from the White Sox...

Saturday Ill be attending my 1st game of the season...my wife is taking the kids out of town, so I need my USCF fix BaD!!!

Edited July 14, 2008 by WSoxMatt

[joejoesox]

i was quite pissed after this series with texas, but one thing i've been wondering with regards to pitching there

 

it's gotta be pretty difficult to pitch in 100 degree temperatures, especially if you're not used to it

 

perhaps this is why texas rarely ever fields a winning pitching staff, and why that team is so f***ing balls to the wall awesome in their home park

 

hamilton has hit like ....most of his homeruns there (14 @ home, 7 on road..), and he hits at a goddamn .364 clip at home, .266 on the road

 

TEX offensive stats

 

home: .300 BA (.372/.503/.875)

away: .266 BA (.336/.421/.757)

 

interesting

Edited July 14, 2008 by joesaiditstrue

[whitesoxbrian]

i was quite pissed after this series with texas, but one thing i've been wondering with regards to pitching there

 

it's gotta be pretty difficult to pitch in 100 degree temperatures, especially if you're not used to it

 

perhaps this is why texas rarely ever fields a winning pitching staff, and why that team is so f***ing balls to the wall awesome in their home park

 

hamilton has hit like ....most of his homeruns there (14 @ home, 7 on road..), and he hits at a goddamn .364 clip at home, .266 on the road

 

TEX offensive stats

 

home: .300 BA (.372/.503/.875)

away: .266 BA (.336/.421/.757)

 

interesting

I figured it'd be something like that. I know Hamilton is an average hitter on the road compared to at home.

[greg775]

Can you believe so many guys in our lineup had incredible stat lines offensively and we lost?

Not a good sign.

We need to play much better on the road the second half to make the playoffs IMO.

[GreatScott82]

after leaving 9 runners on base yesterday, here is what he said. "It's just the ups and downs of the game," Konerko said. "Just one hit could have changed the game. I didn't feel much different than yesterday." Not many players in there life can say they went 0-6 and left 9 runners on base. This after fridays 0-5. Yea he went 4-4 on saturday but that was against Millwood, he's good vs aging veteran pitchers, sucks vs the new young bloods. Not to mention he is a defensive liability now also. Oh i wish this guy spent the rest of the year down in triple -a.

[DBAHO]

Teams that play great defense, execute offensively (and have some speed) plus have a solid bullpen rarely lose. The Sox possess one of those three things and the pen helps them a lot, but the lack of defense (even though they have some talented defensive players, the team defense has blown balls) and execution/speed (not just speed, but executation, ie, making solid contact and moving the runners over and in when all you need is one run).

 

Having that ability helps you pull out lots and lots of one run ball games and games that you shouldn't even win. And when you dont' have that ability, you put your team in a spot where it loses a good share of games that it should win.

Defensively the team would certainly be improved with say Swisher at 1B, Dye at DH (both Thome and Konerko gone in this situation which I can't see happening), and 2 new players in LF and CF who are good defensively.

 

Just FWIW, who are the major LF's/CF's who will be FA's in the off-season?

 

I think KW needs to target more hitters who can get on base more (like your Swisher's), but they still need to be able to hit for a good average.

 

The OC acquisition has been a good one for what he has brought to the table offensively (after the 1st 2 months), but unfortunately, the guy just doesn't fit in the clubhouse, so he won't be back. Getting 2 draft picks will be good compensation though.