2010 AL Central Catch-All

[fathom]

Indians announcers going nuts about a batter's interference call in the 7th inning that cost Indians a run and the lead. The call was that Donald bunted the ball when he was already out of the box. Jeez, does Gardenhire jerk off the umpires before or after the game? Two unique calls in the last week that you won't see again until 2012.

Edited September 12, 2010 by fathom

[chw42]

All I have to say is that the Sox not signing Jim Thome was the best idea ever...for the Twins.

[whitesoxfan99]

All I have to say is that the Sox not signing Jim Thome was the best idea ever...for the Twins.

 

Deciding to go with Kotsay and Jones as a rotating DH over signing Thome for basically nothing has to be among the dumbest personnel decisions in baseball history and it pretty much cost us the division.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Deciding to go with Kotsay and Jones as a rotating DH over signing Thome for basically nothing has to be among the dumbest personnel decisions in baseball history and it pretty much cost us the division.

 

Both Ozzie and KW still have inflated egos from five years ago. Hopefully, they will finally realize '05 was your classic fluke.

[LittleHurt05]

Both Ozzie and KW still have inflated egos from five years ago. Hopefully, they will finally realize '05 was your classic fluke.

 

Just wondering, what do their inflated egos have to do with the Thome decision?

[fathom]

Ozzie thinking he had some new cutting-edge philosophy where the DH wouldn't be important.

[LittleHurt05]

Ozzie thinking he had some new cutting-edge philosophy where the DH wouldn't be important.

 

Ok. But I don't think that has anything to do with the 05 WS title. Most managers in all sports are stubborn as s*** when it comes to the way they run their games and organizations. Stubborn is the word to use not arrogant or egotistical because they have a ring.

[Balta1701]

Ok. But I don't think that has anything to do with the 05 WS title. Most managers in all sports are stubborn as s*** when it comes to the way they run their games and organizations. Stubborn is the word to use not arrogant or egotistical because they have a ring.

The weird thing though...Ozzie was doing something with the DH spot that he had never done before. In 05, he had Everett and Thomas as near-full time DH's. 06-09 he had Thome there nearly full time. He absolutely insisted he was going to be right on what everyone else thought was an obvious mistake...but you can't say he was stubbornly insisting that he needed to do what he'd done in previous years...he was stubbornly insisting that what he'd done every other year, including 2005, was wrong.

[IamtheHBOMB]

Both Ozzie and KW still have inflated egos from five years ago. Hopefully, they will finally realize '05 was your classic fluke.

 

Why do people keep referring to the 05 team as a "fluke"? That team dominated the regular season and rolled through the postseason. Nearly the entire team returned in 06 and was dominating until they faltered in the second half. It makes no sense at all. They weren't the 06 Cardinals or 87 Twins. Generally, the Sox have fielded competitive teams for the last 10 years. They didn't come out of nowhere to win the 2005 World Series.

[bigruss]

2005 can be considered a fluke in baseball because everything went right for the Sox in that run, we had so many breaks in the playoffs and really we avoided any crippling injuries during the season and won a vast amount of our 1 run games.

 

That team was not supposed to win on paper, so it can appear to be a fluke. Yet, baseball is a game of flukes.

[Jordan4life_2007]

2005 can be considered a fluke in baseball because everything went right for the Sox in that run, we had so many breaks in the playoffs and really we avoided any crippling injuries during the season and won a vast amount of our 1 run games.

 

That team was not supposed to win on paper, so it can appear to be a fluke. Yet, baseball is a game of flukes.

 

Not to mention career years by literally the entire pitching staff and our record against division opponents, which was a total anomaly.

[IamtheHBOMB]

Not to mention career years by literally the entire pitching staff and our record against division opponents, which was a total anomaly.

 

Beating up on division opponents, winning one run games and avoiding crippling injuries are things good, successful teams tend to do. Those are not indicators of a fluke. On the other hand, the superb year we got out of the pitching staff -- specifically the bullpen arms was pretty much out of nowhere. And, of course, that was one of the primary factors that allowed us to win it all.

 

Some refuse to recognize that it is damn near impossible to maintain the 2005 team's level of performance year in and year out. That team is arguably one of the best (in all facets of the game) to win a championship in the last 25 years. The White Sox probably won't ever have another crazy year like that -- even in future championship years, but that doesn't qualify it as a fluke. Masterful seasons are, by nature, hard to replicate.

 

The tendency of some ST posters to s*** on 2005 because they see it as the reason for the inflated egos of our GM and Manager is stupid. Enjoy 2005 for what it was and save the hate for Ozzie and Kenny instead. They both had massive egos before and after the Series win.

[bigruss]

Beating up on division opponents, winning one run games and avoiding crippling injuries are things good, successful teams tend to do. Those are not indicators of a fluke. On the other hand, the superb year we got out of the pitching staff -- specifically the bullpen arms was pretty much out of nowhere. And, of course, that was one of the primary factors that allowed us to win it all.

 

Some refuse to recognize that it is damn near impossible to maintain the 2005 team's level of performance year in and year out. That team is arguably one of the best (in all facets of the game) to win a championship in the last 25 years. The White Sox probably won't ever have another crazy year like that -- even in future championship years, but that doesn't qualify it as a fluke. Masterful seasons are, by nature, hard to replicate.

 

The tendency of some ST posters to s*** on 2005 because they see it as the reason for the inflated egos of our GM and Manager is stupid. Enjoy 2005 for what it was and save the hate for Ozzie and Kenny instead. They both had massive egos before and after the Series win.

Yea but now they have it as an excuse for their mistakes, and there are plenty of people (on here too) that will follow that bulls***. People say, "They did it once so they must be doing everything right" which is just terrible.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Beating up on division opponents, winning one run games and avoiding crippling injuries are things good, successful teams tend to do. Those are not indicators of a fluke. On the other hand, the superb year we got out of the pitching staff -- specifically the bullpen arms was pretty much out of nowhere. And, of course, that was one of the primary factors that allowed us to win it all.

 

Some refuse to recognize that it is damn near impossible to maintain the 2005 team's level of performance year in and year out. That team is arguably one of the best (in all facets of the game) to win a championship in the last 25 years. The White Sox probably won't ever have another crazy year like that -- even in future championship years, but that doesn't qualify it as a fluke. Masterful seasons are, by nature, hard to replicate.

 

The tendency of some ST posters to s*** on 2005 because they see it as the reason for the inflated egos of our GM and Manager is stupid. Enjoy 2005 for what it was and save the hate for Ozzie and Kenny instead. They both had massive egos before and after the Series win.

 

If '05 wasn't a fluke then what is? I'm sure if the Cubs had a season like that we'd all be saying it was a fluke. What about teams like the Angels and Cardinals (I won't use the Yankees as an example, as they play by different rules)? They're in it every year. The Twins? Enough said. 05' is really the only trump card Ozzie and KW have to play. And it was a pretty good card. But that was 5 years ago. Getting old.

[IamtheHBOMB]

If '05 wasn't a fluke then what is? I'm sure if the Cubs had a season like that we'd all be saying it was a fluke. What about teams like the Angels and Cardinals (I won't use the Yankees as an example, as they play by different rules)? They're in it every year. The Twins? Enough said. 05' is really the only trump card Ozzie and KW have to play. And it was a pretty good card. But that was 5 years ago. Getting old.

 

A team that is competitive almost every single year and having a championship caliber team only two seasons prior (03 - they admittedly choked) finally busting out and winning a World Series in dominating fashion isn't a fluke.

 

The 87 Twins having a .358 win percentage on the road and somehow winning the WS is a fluke. The 06 Cardinals being middling to bad all year long -- barely getting into the playoffs and winning the WS is a fluke. The 1973 Mets getting into the World Series with a .509 winning percentage (lowest for any pennant winner in history) and taking the A's to seven games is a fluke.

 

J4L, I also find a certain segment of Sox fans to be annoying. I'm sometimes frustrated by Ozzie and Kenny (mostly Ozzie), but I'm able to separate out that negative bulls*** from 2005. People act as if they need to s*** on that year and degrade it because it is associated with things they find irritating.

Edited September 13, 2010 by IamtheHBOMB

[greg775]

2005 was no fluke.

We had good baseball players and pitchers who really stepped up when it mattered most.

And a manager that defied logic and let the starters finish what they started instead of bringing in relievers cause every team does that.

[NorthSideSox72]

If '05 wasn't a fluke then what is? I'm sure if the Cubs had a season like that we'd all be saying it was a fluke. What about teams like the Angels and Cardinals (I won't use the Yankees as an example, as they play by different rules)? They're in it every year. The Twins? Enough said. 05' is really the only trump card Ozzie and KW have to play. And it was a pretty good card. But that was 5 years ago. Getting old.

It wasn't a fluke at all, unless you consider all world series champions a fluke. Any team needs some luck to get there, by the way. That team won 99 games, was in first place all year, and barrelled through the post-season 11-1. That isn't a fluke, that is clearly the best team in baseball that year.

 

[Kyyle23]

2005 can be considered a fluke in baseball because everything went right for the Sox in that run, we had so many breaks in the playoffs and really we avoided any crippling injuries during the season and won a vast amount of our 1 run games.

 

That team was not supposed to win on paper, so it can appear to be a fluke. Yet, baseball is a game of flukes.

 

They didnt avoid crippling injuries, they managed around them. Hermanson and thomas were pretty big losses considering what they gave the team when they played

[fathom]

2005 was no fluke.

We had good baseball players and pitchers who really stepped up when it mattered most.

And a manager that defied logic and let the starters finish what they started instead of bringing in relievers cause every team does that.

 

OMG, make it stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fathom]

It wasn't a fluke at all, unless you consider all world series champions a fluke. Any team needs some luck to get there, by the way. That team won 99 games, was in first place all year, and barrelled through the post-season 11-1. That isn't a fluke, that is clearly the best team in baseball that year.

 

Yep, they were the best team in baseball in 2005 from day 1 to game 4 of the World Series. The fact they won the WS was not a fluke. The fact they had so many players overachieve, now that is more of a freak anamoly. The key thing to remember is that those type of seasons occur once every 25-50 years, and it's important that you win the entire thing when you have your chance. For example, in 2008, the Cubs might have easily been the best team in baseball. But 3 and out in the WS, and it was a wasted year.

 

 

[Kyyle23]

Yep, they were the best team in baseball in 2005 from day 1 to game 4 of the World Series. The fact they won the WS was not a fluke. The fact they had so many players overachieve, now that is more of a freak anamoly. The key thing to remember is that those type of seasons occur once every 25-50 years, and it's important that you win the entire thing when you have your chance. For example, in 2008, the Cubs might have easily been the best team in baseball. But 3 and out in the WS, and it was a wasted year.

 

NLDS

[chw42]

I think people are taking the word "fluke" the wrong way.

 

If you go look at the Pythagorean record of that team, they overachieved by 8 games. That team's WAR was around the middle of the league, yet they won the second most games in all of baseball.

 

You can't call it a fluke in a bad way, they won a World Series. But you can certainly say the team overachieved, which is not a bad thing.

[witesoxfan]

And on the contrary, the 2006 team was easily the most talented White Sox team I've ever seen and, even with the pitching staff falling apart from Buehrle's blow up against the Cubs and onward, they still won 90 games. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened with that team had they not traded for Vazquez, even as much as I liked him, because the depth Vizcaino and El Duque would have given the Sox pitching staff would have been very nice in the second half of that year.

[Jordan4life_2007]

And on the contrary, the 2006 team was easily the most talented White Sox team I've ever seen and, even with the pitching staff falling apart from Buehrle's blow up against the Cubs and onward, they still won 90 games. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened with that team had they not traded for Vazquez, even as much as I liked him, because the depth Vizcaino and El Duque would have given the Sox pitching staff would have been very nice in the second half of that year.

 

'94 > '06

[Leonard Zelig]

If '05 wasn't a fluke then what is? I'm sure if the Cubs had a season like that we'd all be saying it was a fluke. What about teams like the Angels and Cardinals (I won't use the Yankees as an example, as they play by different rules)? They're in it every year. The Twins? Enough said. 05' is really the only trump card Ozzie and KW have to play. And it was a pretty good card. But that was 5 years ago. Getting old.

 

Now I've heard it all. A White Sox fan who thinks that winning the World Series is getting old? Maybe in 83 years you'll appreciate it again.