Thanks for the astute observations, OC and Oz

[caulfield12]

"I think we're really missing something," Cabrera said Thursday night after the Sox absorbed a humbling 9-2 loss to the New York Yankees in their final game at Yankee Stadium. "I don't know what it is. Hopefully, we can get it back the next series. We can get that confidence back and we can win the next game."

 

"Horrible," manager Ozzie Guillen summed up. "We don't pitch well. We don't hit at all. We don't have anything going forward right now. If we want to get to where we want to get, we better start playing better. In general, offensively, defensively, pitching, the relievers, it's going to be tough for us to compete.

 

"Everyone has to push as hard as we can and as long as we can. We only have 11/2 weeks left. We fight all the way to now. Why do we have to lay down now? We have to get up and keep fighting because nobody said it was going to be easy, especially here. But we have to realize that.

 

"Right now we aren't playing like we're in the pennant race."

 

[greg775]

Well, they have to say something after pathetic losses. Might as well speak the truth.

[rangercal]

another negative thread. yay

[caulfield12]

Fine, you want positives?

 

Linebrink is back.

Konerko is looking better than he has all season.

Cabrera is finally hitting like we expected him to at the beginning of the season, he's become dangerous.

We face Bannister, Davies and Duckworth, not Meche/Greinke.

Our former Michigan QB has put up enough impressive starts to put himself into serious consideration for the #5 spot, so that KW might not have to go out and take a flier on a FA on a one-year deal (like Livan Hernandez)

Liriano got tagged last time out. He's pitching Sunday so we will miss him next week.

We MIGHT have Quentin back for the playoffs.

In 2005, we were looking even worse at this time of the season...or at least playing quite similarly. We'd played poorly against the Royals and Tigers.

Brian Anderson and Dewayne Wise are making some positive contributions.

We will have Top 3-5 finishers in the MVP and Rookie of the Year race for the first time in a long while.

We have a solid foundation with Danks, Jenks, Floyd, Quentin and Ramirez for our future. 80% of that was very unsure/uncertain coming into the year.

We have better overall bench depth on our team than the 2005 squad among the position players.

Griffey and Thome SHOULD start playing like their post-season lives depend on it. Maybe the Twins finally winning and losing a game in the standings will serve as a needed wake-up call that we can't back or stumble our way into the playoffs and over the finish line.

Phil Rogers picked Alexei for ROY over Longoria...who just had a 3 homer game and will undoubtedly win it now.

 

Hope you are happy now.

 

I know all the positives...but I've watched the Sox for long enough (38, have been a fan since last 70's) that I don't want to see the Twins get away when we have them dead in our sights. From here on out, the next couple of seasons won't get any easier in the AL Central.

 

From here on out, it doesn't get much easier. Sure, we can probably rely on Konerko and Swisher having better seasons next year. But there are a large number of question marks as well, especially in the bullpen. Can Quentin, Ramirez, Danks and Floyd sustain their success? Can we find a reliable fifth starter? 3B? Keep AJ, Thome, Konerko and Dye from getting any older/slower/injured? Find any reliable member of the bullpen to set-up Jenks?

Edited September 19, 2008 by caulfield12

[caulfield12]

Now back to the negative.

 

The Twins are in MUCH better shape for the future.

 

They have Cuddyer, Span, Gomez, D. Young and Kubel to rotate among four positions (DH/OF) and or use as trade bait (probably Cuddyer).

They are much younger and more athletic than the White Sox (sound familiar?)

They have five pretty good starters that are 25 years old and very affordable, giving them payroll flexibility heading into the new stadium in 2010.

They have only two obvious holes...3B (Harris/Buscher) and SS (Punto).

 

If they acquire a solid, everyday 3B (like Beltre) who goes in line with the Twins' solid infield defense foundational theory and a very good RH reliever (like Linebrink in the first half), then they are close to unbeatable in that Dome, unless Nathan's career has hit a plateau. If they address the holes at 3B and SS, then they are a World Series contender, as long as the pitching stays healthy.

 

They've gotten where they are without an everyday 3B (you could say the same thing about Uribe/Crede I guess), SS, relatively disappointing seasons from D. Young and Gomez (both very young, but raw/talented players), the entire bullpen has imploded the last month, Cuddyer and Jeshek have been injured for much of the season and right now the odds are probably 50/50 they will still win the division.

 

And that was with the inept play of Livan Hernandez, Mike Lamb, Craig Monroe and Adam Everett (although he had a big 2B last night)

 

 

[skyhigh697]

oc yeah we are missing something, his name is carlos quentin

[Chisoxfn]

I commend OC and Ozzie for stating the facts. Why sugar coat it. Any fan can see that this team is on life support right now (not its playoff hopes, rather from a health perspective). The guys are absolutely exhausted and I'm hoping somehow they hit a quick hot streak where Minny is struggling and the Sox are able to somehow ease/rest the last couple days of the season.

[The Ginger Kid]

i don't know what else they could say. you can put lipstick on a corpse and it's still a pig. wait...

[SoxFan562004]

I prefer those answers. They are going to get asked the questions so they can either answer like this, make a ton of excuses about how well NY played, or go off and yell at the media.

[DBAHO]

Can I also say how much Alexei Ramirez means to this lineup right now especially with Quentin out.

 

When he hits, this team scores run, probably because the man is so good with RISP.

 

When he doesn't, as he did in a few games in the Yankee series, it seemed as if we just majorly struggled to score runs as a whole.

[SoxFan562004]

Can I also say how much Alexei Ramirez means to this lineup right now especially with Quentin out.

 

When he hits, this team scores run, probably because the man is so good with RISP.

 

When he doesn't, as he did in a few games in the Yankee series, it seemed as if we just majorly struggled to score runs as a whole.

Dye has also provided no OPS from the 3rd spot. Someone pointed out he had a hit streak going the last 2 + weeks, but he's provided no power or drawing many walks.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/bspli...1&year=2008

[DABearSoX]

I commend OC and Ozzie for stating the facts. Why sugar coat it. Any fan can see that this team is on life support right now (not its playoff hopes, rather from a health perspective). The guys are absolutely exhausted and I'm hoping somehow they hit a quick hot streak where Minny is struggling and the Sox are able to somehow ease/rest the last couple days of the season.

 

 

Maybe some:

 

 

or

 

 

will help?

[greg775]

I hate the perception, real or not, that the team is dead tired. For the WS champ, there's still about six weeks left. Minnie didn't look tired last night and we didn't look tired after blowing the lead against Detroit rallying to win it on the late home run.

[Wanne]

I hate the perception, real or not, that the team is dead tired. For the WS champ, there's still about six weeks left. Minnie didn't look tired last night and we didn't look tired after blowing the lead against Detroit rallying to win it on the late home run.

 

BA's not tired.

[witesoxfan]

It's Ozzie calling out his guys. I have no problem with it at all.

[sox1844]

I don't understand what you want them to say after a showing like that? I have no problem with either of their comments.

[elrockinMT]

They can admit when they stink, but what we need is the ability to come back and win more than 1 out of 3 or one out of four games. I think they have enough left in the tank to do that.

[nitetrain8601]

What's so devastating is this team, even without Quentin shouldn't be dominated like that. There's too much good on offense, even if they are old and you add that their skills have depreciated. As a group, they still should be Top 5 IMHO.

 

Oh yeah, if people are tired, there's Brian.

[SoxFan562004]

What's so devastating is this team, even without Quentin shouldn't be dominated like that. There's too much good on offense, even if they are old and you add that their skills have depreciated. As a group, they still should be Top 5 IMHO.

 

Oh yeah, if people are tired, there's Brian.

I agree with you. Q was awesome this year, but take the Hughes game for example or last night 1st inning, this offense should have scored many more runs.