Cubs @ Sox 3:05 6-26

[sayitaintso]

Loss is on AJ and he did it in just one pitch. We played respectable otherwise. We also managed yet another unearned run.

Fixed

[SoxAce]

How many games out are we now? 6.5? 7?

[Buehrle>Wood]

6.5 back. Nearing time to pack it in.

[caulfield12]

Tough tough loss.

Sure wish AJP would have lofted a game tying sacrifice fly. You could see it coming and wham, first pitch, we are done for the inning.

After the great series against the Dodgers, disappointing to drop game one again.

 

 

Detroit can beat up on HOUSTON, we'll be potentially seven games out after tonight, and we've been playing pretty well recently.

 

We had our chances and blew it head-to-head versus DET (the Wise out call at home and the Cubs' loss when leading 5-1 will be the most remembered by many fans) and were doomed by that 4-8 homestand when we really had an opportunity to pull back into the race and get back above .500.

[caulfield12]

Fixed

 

We win as a team and lose as a team.

 

Would we have had ANY chance to win yesterday without his 3 run homer???

 

AJ's not the biggest problem with this team, it's getting 600-650 OPS numbers from Getz (well, he's a rookie) and Anderson AND dearly missing Carlos Quentin's offensive production.

 

 

[fathom]

Batting AJ there was a no-brainer, it's easy to second-guess now.

 

Actually, it's a situation where Ozzie played right into the Cubs strength. They have one lefty out there, and he's very tough on lefties with his loopy curve. Just like the Thome situation last Friday, that's when Ozzie needs to put Wise up there and when the pitching change is made, put Nix or Fields into the game. How many here didn't think a DP was likely there?

[greg775]

Detroit can beat up on HOUSTON, we'll be potentially seven games out after tonight, and we've been playing pretty well recently.

 

We had our chances and blew it head-to-head versus DET (the Wise out call at home and the Cubs' loss when leading 5-1 will be the most remembered by many fans) and were doomed by that 4-8 homestand when we really had an opportunity to pull back into the race and get back above .500.

 

Yep, yep yep. Such is life of a five under .500 type team.

 

As far as AJ's at bat, I felt good having the vet stroll up to the plate against the Cubs with the game on the line. I thought he'd loft a fly ball to at least tie it. I didn't think the vet would swing at the first pitch and hit into a DP.

If Fields wouldn't have drawn the walk, people would have second guessed Oz for pinch hitting for Beckham. It's so easy to second guess the manager on any loss. I personally felt good with AJP at the plate even vs. a lefty.

Edited June 26, 2009 by greg775

[flavum]

16 games until the break. Unless they go 13-3, they're done. Schedule is too tough past the break.

[zenryan]

16 games until the break. Unless they go 13-3, they're done. Schedule is too tough past the break.

 

 

 

You might as well stop watching effective today if you believe that.

[greg775]

You might as well stop watching effective today if you believe that.

 

True. We ain't going 13-3 in the next 16.

It would have been nice to win game one. Now we gotta do it the hard way again if we hope to win this series.

[fathom]

Watching the replay real quick, Pods missed an absolutely meatball on the first pitch in the 9th inning. The pitch to end the game wasn't even f***ing close. Two of the biggest calls in the last two games of the Cubs-Sox series have not gone our way (Soriano pitch in the 8th last week and Pods today).

Edited June 26, 2009 by fathom

[flavum]

You might as well stop watching effective today if you believe that.

 

I'll still watch.

 

It will probably be obvious to trade anyone they can get for value in a couple weeks. Thome, Dye, Konerko, Contreras, Podsednik, Dotel, Jenks...Kenny will be listening. And yes, I know some of these guys will be very difficult to trade. I'm just saying they will be out there.

[rangercal]

Watching the replay real quick, Pods missed an absolutely meatball on the first pitch in the 9th inning. The pitch to end the game wasn't even f***ing close.

 

Your pods hate is getting old. He has contributed more to this team than Brian Anderson,Chris Getz, Josh Fields and Alexei Ramirez to name a few.

[SoxAce]

Your pods hate is getting old.

 

Who fathom? C'mon. He is not even the biggest Pods hater on the board at all. Capn is followed by a couple others. If you hate fathom's hate on Pods, then I can't even bother to think what you would think of Capn's hate on him.

[fathom]

Your pods hate is getting old. He has contributed more to this team than Brian Anderson,Chris Getz, Josh Fields and Alexei Ramirez to name a few.

 

I've had no hate for him this year since about the 2nd week where he showed this wasn't just a nostalgic thing. He's put together a ton of good at bats. I was just saying he missed a great pitch to drive...I would have said the same if it was Dye or Norris Hopper.

[caulfield12]

Yep, yep yep. Such is life of a five under .500 type team.

 

As far as AJ's at bat, I felt good having the vet stroll up to the plate against the Cubs with the game on the line. I thought he'd loft a fly ball to at least tie it. I didn't think the vet would swing at the first pitch and hit into a DP.

If Fields wouldn't have drawn the walk, people would have second guessed Oz for pinch hitting for Beckham. It's so easy to second guess the manager on any loss. I personally felt good with AJP at the plate even vs. a lefty.

 

Ozzie was just trying to protect Beckham there with the more experienced Fields...

 

I agree with the move, and Fields was more likely to hit a homer there as well. Beckham did have a hit and walk, but he was also 1 for his last 9. Now he has something positive to build off of for tomorrow's game instead of striking out to end the game against our biggest rival. Sure, he could have hit a game-tying homer as well, but Ozzie's trying to put his rookies (Getz, Beckham, Richard and Poreda) in the best possible positions to succeed it at all possible.

Edited June 26, 2009 by caulfield12

[chw42]

Because if we took Konerko/Thome/Dye out of every single game in the late innings for pinch-runners, we'd have absolutely ZERO chance of scoring in a game like yesterday's in extra innings.

 

Second, normally you would make that move for the winning or go ahead run, but it's not so obvious there.

 

Well would you rather lose or tie and then have a chance to win it in extras? I don't care if there's no JD. We won two games with Wise in right field at Cincy. It's not like it's the end of the world.

 

Plus, if Wise scores, they would most likely pitch to Konerko.

[caulfield12]

Well geez, they should have just yanked Contreras after the 6th inning and it wouldn't have been 5-2.

 

Or we should put Jayson Nix in defensively for Paul Konerko, etc., in every late-inning defensive situation.

 

After a loss, it's VERY easy to second guess every single move.

 

We are just an average team and always will be this season...let's just get used to it, as it will make the next 90 games easier to deal with.

[shipps]

I am not mad at anyone in particular but this is the most angry and frustrated that I have felt in a long time with them and thats saying something. I am just mad we lost,its really that simple with me.

[fathom]

Well geez, they should have just yanked Contreras after the 6th inning and it wouldn't have been 5-2.

 

Or we should put Jayson Nix in defensively for Paul Konerko, etc., in every late-inning defensive situation.

 

After a loss, it's VERY easy to second guess every single move.

 

We are just an average team and always will be this season...let's just get used to it, as it will make the next 90 games easier to deal with.

 

So you went from starting threads after every game asking how we can improve to saying "deal with it"? I like your enthusiasm when you post, but you of all people should understand different styles of posting. We can have legit conversations about baseball and strategy without name-calling or sarcasm.

[fathom]

I am not mad at anyone in particular but this is the most angry and frustrated that I have felt in a long time with them and thats saying something. I am just mad we lost,its really that simple with me.

 

I still haven't gotten over last Thursday's loss. As long as we don't get swept this weekend, I'll be able to handle it.

[chw42]

Well geez, they should have just yanked Contreras after the 6th inning and it wouldn't have been 5-2.

 

Or we should put Jayson Nix in defensively for Paul Konerko, etc., in every late-inning defensive situation.

 

After a loss, it's VERY easy to second guess every single move.

 

We are just an average team and always will be this season...let's just get used to it, as it will make the next 90 games easier to deal with.

 

They should have gotten Jose out of there because I was just glad he got out of the 6th since it seemed he had a back problem and he wasn't finishing his forkballs in that inning. He was lucky he missed outside and high.

 

I honestly think Ozzie should have took him out. He didn't look all that good that inning and I was glad he got out of it by getting Lee to pop it up.

 

Honestly, the Wise thought came up later in my head (after Dye stopped at 3rd), so I don't think I can blame Ozzie. But then again, he's the one who makes the f***ing lineups and I'm just a fan. He's supposed to have a better baseball mind than I am. But yet, I'm pretty sure a lot of managers would have ran for Dye in that situation.

Edited June 26, 2009 by chw42

[knightni]

Or we should put Jayson Nix in defensively for Paul Konerko, etc., in every late-inning defensive situation.

Konerko's a good defender at 1st base normally.

 

Stuff happens.

 

 

Beckham's learning 3B on the fly, Fields is below average there, and Ramirez hadn't played SS for a few years; let alone at the major league level.

 

They have Below Average D in LF, average but aging D in RF, and questionable D at 3B, SS and Catcher.

 

CF, 2B and 1B are the only places where the Sox are above average.

 

 

Everyone knew that this team wasn't much better than last year's overachievers; just younger.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

CF, 2B and 1B are the only places where the Sox are above average.

Yeah, when Nix is playing 2B, that is. Getz is mediocre at best defensively.

[caulfield12]

So you went from starting threads after every game asking how we can improve to saying "deal with it"? I like your enthusiasm when you post, but you of all people should understand different styles of posting. We can have legit conversations about baseball and strategy without name-calling or sarcasm.

 

 

Well, that's simple...it's just like second half 06/first half 07, when you just come to the realization that you do have to deal with it and not get so upset with the day to day ups and downs of this team.

 

Maybe you just become emotionally not so tied into each and every game. Obviously the attendance in the Dodgers series (there were other factors, weather, premium pricing, midweek games, repeat of 05, etc.) was indicative of the fact that fans aren't buying into this team, not the casual, walk-up fans.

 

Perhaps the same thing has happened this year...spending more time away from baseball, not living and dying with every pitch or taking losses too hard (the one against Minnesota that Carlos Gomez destroyed us and Jenks blew the save stayed with me for 2-3 days). You just have to accept that this team without Quentin and starting every game with 2-3 (Getz/Beckham) rookies or players like Anderson, Fields and Ramirez (for most of the season) under a 700 OPS in a hitter's park, that's just not going to work very well.

 

You're right, I shouldn't have been so sarcastic...but I think Ozzie should have a "real" team with legitimate talent again before we start putting his every move under a microscope. Ozzie's not the greatest tactical/strategic manager, but he's certainly only as good as the cards he's been dealt by KW with the 2007 and 2009 teams.

 

Still remain bullish on the long-term prospects of the White Sox (Rogers already covered this topic in the TRIB again), but we're definitely in a big-time transition period...and it will be really interesting to see if only a couple of players are traded or we totally gut the veterans from this franchise and approach 2010 with the perspective that youth, a strong rotation and a healthy Carlos Quentin can carry the day (see Twins, 2008).