Checking the temperature of Soxtalk

[Quin]

One thing I'm fairly certain of is Verlander will win about 5 or 6 games against us since we have no one in our lineup that can do much against him.

 

Except, as far as I remember, outside one or two games the White Sox have had Verlanders number.

[BigSqwert]

Except, as far as I remember, outside one or two games the White Sox have had Verlanders number.

Seems like the more we see him the better he gets.

[Balta1701]

Seems like the more we see him the better he gets.

Verlander's ERA vs. Sox:

 

2009: 1.40

2008: 5.83

2007: 3.60

2006: 7.82

 

That's one possible way to look at it. One other plausible way to look at it is to say that we do a lot better against him when we field a winning team.

[GreatScott82]

Im going to reserve all predictions this year. I know the key to our team is the offense- a lot will depend on how Rios rebounds, if Q can stay healthy. I love Beckham, Ramirez and Pierre in the lineup- while AJ and Pauly provide alittle bit of offensive power. Teahen may be the sleeper of our team- if he can have a career type season, i love our chances. The DH thing does bother me a bit. I love Kotsay as a pinch hitter- and as a backup 1B, but thats just what he is. Anduw Jones has lost his bat over the last 2 seasons. All of a sudden he'll find it? I say lets avoid the whole lightning in the bottle method and sign Damon. .

[NorthSideSox72]

Im going to reserve all predictions this year. I know the key to our team is the offense- a lot will depend on how Rios rebounds, if Q can stay healthy. I love Beckham, Ramirez and Pierre in the lineup- while AJ and Pauly provide alittle bit of offensive power. Teahen may be the sleeper of our team- if he can have a career type season, i love our chances. The DH thing does bother me a bit. I love Kotsay as a pinch hitter- and as a backup 1B, but thats just what he is. Anduw Jones has lost his bat over the last 2 seasons. All of a sudden he'll find it? I say lets avoid the whole lightning in the bottle method and sign Damon. .

While we complain a lot about the DH (myself included), I think the key to this year's team is the outfield. The infield and C are pretty predictable, I think... pitching, both rotation and pen, I think we have good guesses on... defense is improved too. But I think, as Quentin's health, Rios' return to being Rios, and Pierre's OBP abilities go... so will go the Sox.

 

[GreatScott82]

While we complain a lot about the DH (myself included), I think the key to this year's team is the outfield. The infield and C are pretty predictable, I think... pitching, both rotation and pen, I think we have good guesses on... defense is improved too. But I think, as Quentin's health, Rios' return to being Rios, and Pierre's OBP abilities go... so will go the Sox.

I agree. Another thing we have to consider is clutch hitting. I'm pretty sure the Sox were last in the AL with runners in scoring position last year. Can someone verify this for me? How many times did we see runners on 2nd or 2nd AND 3rd with less than 2 outs left stranded? Too many to count. .

[Balta1701]

I agree. Another thing we have to consider is clutch hitting. I'm pretty sure the Sox were last in the AL with runners in scoring position last year. Can someone verify this for me? How many times did we see runners on 2nd or 2nd AND 3rd with less than 2 outs left stranded? Too many to count. .

We were 7th in MLB last year with a .253 average with RISP and 2 outs (Minny was 12th). #22 in total chances with RISP and 2 outs. We were 13th in MLB in batting average with RISP in general, hitting .265 in those cases. The issue with the offense is we were 26th in MLB in at bats with RISP. We did ok when we got people on and over...we just got as many RISP as Baltimore and K.C..

[GreatScott82]

We were 7th in MLB last year with a .253 average with RISP and 2 outs (Minny was 12th). #22 in total chances with RISP and 2 outs. We were 13th in MLB in batting average with RISP in general, hitting .265 in those cases. The issue with the offense is we were 26th in MLB in at bats with RISP. We did ok when we got people on and over...we just got as many RISP as Baltimore and K.C..

Interesting numbers. . thanks for the info balta!

[dyuen]

I put the pessimistic I'm concerned.

 

It really isn't that I don't think this roster could win this division, because it certainly wouldn't be shocking, nay it would would be a disappointment if we didn't.

 

What makes me evermore angry is it seems like Kenny is taking huge not-needed gambles on offense when he has the first or second best pre-season rotation of his tenure (depending on how you want to use foresight with 06).

 

I don't see any reason to experiment with bad offensive players on offense when it appears 5-6 mill would have done so much to secure this offense. We could have never been explosive, but we could have at least been "good enough"

 

and now it's like Balta said. We need a run of things, I guess like 05. Lexi needs to be his rookie of the year lexi. Ditto CQ his MVP CQ. Rios ideally needs to be 07 Rios. Beckham doesn't have much room for regression. Pierre please god re-create last years numbers over a full season. And it would do a whole hell of a lot to have a consistent Paulie and a 35 HR paulie, though that's just a fool's projection at this point.

 

i pretty much agree with this. It makes me angry that we could be wasting a great pitching staff with a poor offense and if we have to live through a whole season of the "rotating DH" that will make me more angry. If we were experiementing with young unproven players that would be better than proven below average hitters who aren't going to magically find it at their age.

[StrangeSox]

Play-off hopefuls. World Series long-shots but you never know once you get into the post season with that rotation.

[Springfield Soxfan]

Play-off hopefuls. World Series long-shots but you never know once you get into the post season with that rotation.

Ditto, completely agree.

[Rowand44]

Hopeful and pissed at the same time. I think our current team is good enough to make some noise in the division and the playoffs if we were to get there. That being said, it's inexcusable to me that we don't have a real dh at this point, because if we did, we could compete with anyone.

[striker]

I love our pitching and I think our offense isn't great but adequate.

Our pitching is good enough to keep us in every game.

I'm hoping our new offensive approach will provide more consistency.

If there are any holes come May/June/July, I have faith Kenny will fill them.

[kitekrazy]

I think MLB is the least predictable of all sports. Wasn't it at Sox Fest 2005, people were b****ing about the team?

It seems PK is left out of the discussions. If he has a great year this can change things.

 

[witesoxfan]

I think MLB is the least predictable of all sports. Wasn't it at Sox Fest 2005, people were b****ing about the team?

It seems PK is left out of the discussions. If he has a great year this can change things.

 

I recall people feeling good about the 2005 team. I recall people b****ing vehemently about the 2007 team and Ozzie Guillen kept talking about how Darin Erstad was a great baseball player.

[Balta1701]

I recall people feeling good about the 2005 team. I recall people b****ing vehemently about the 2007 team and Ozzie Guillen kept talking about how Darin Erstad was a great baseball player.

The reason I felt good in 2005 in the preseason was that when I looked at the team, I didn't see an obvious hole. Yeah, you could probably count on some guys to have down seasons (i.e. Rowand) but there was a legitimate starter at every position, 5+ deep in the rotation, a deep bullpen, and guys having down seasons would probably be averaged out by guys having up seasons (i.e. Garland). It had a good balance of speed, defense, and power.

 

The 2 things I'm missing right now from this team in comparison to that one are: I don't feel like we have a legit starter at the DH position, and I'm unconvinced by our relief corps (but...relief bounces up and down so much from year to year that you kinda never know with that).

[NorthSideSox72]

The reason I felt good in 2005 in the preseason was that when I looked at the team, I didn't see an obvious hole. Yeah, you could probably count on some guys to have down seasons (i.e. Rowand) but there was a legitimate starter at every position, 5+ deep in the rotation, a deep bullpen, and guys having down seasons would probably be averaged out by guys having up seasons (i.e. Garland). It had a good balance of speed, defense, and power.

 

The 2 things I'm missing right now from this team in comparison to that one are: I don't feel like we have a legit starter at the DH position, and I'm unconvinced by our relief corps (but...relief bounces up and down so much from year to year that you kinda never know with that).

I actually feel quite good about the bullpen. There are a lot of good arms in there, and many of them coming off down seasons. The only guy who really performed at a relatively high level (relative to their careers) last year was Thornton. Assuming Jenks is fairly healthy, I think the pen is likely to be pretty good.

 

If we can get Damon to be the DH/OF piece, I think this team has to be the favorite to with the Central.

 

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Play-off hopefuls. World Series long-shots but you never know once you get into the post season with that rotation.

 

This.

 

Even with the current rotating DH issue and offensive question marks, this team should be in contention for the division all year long. And, if you believe this team is capable of winning the division, then how could you not consider them a World Series hopeful with the rotation we have? Everyone talks about how pitching wins once you enter the post season and not many teams could counter what we could throw up there 1-4

[MexSoxFan#1]

Concerned...we still need a big bat at DH and a one more reliable arm off the BP IMO.

[JoeBatterz]

 

I went with it being too early for me to decide as of right now.

[whitesoxfan101]

Officially put me in the concerned category, as this team will have to overachieve to win the AL Central. I don't think they'll have to overachieve A LOT, so I'm not indifferent or hopeless or anything because the overachievement necessary for this team to make the playoffs is reasonable. But I think this team has at bare minimum a 3/4 chance of finishing in the bottom 3 in the AL in runs, and it's just really hard to win that way in general, but especially in the AL and double especially playing in a bandbox.

Edited February 20, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[Dick Allen]

Officially put me in the concerned category, as this team will have to overachieve to win the AL Central. I don't think they'll have to overachieve A LOT, so I'm not indifferent or hopeless or anything because the overachievement necessary for this team to make the playoffs is reasonable. But I think this team has at bare minimum a 3/4 chance of finishing in the bottom 3 in the AL in runs, and it's just really hard to win that way in general, but especially in the AL and double especially playing in a bandbox.

To win it all, the Sox are going to have to overachieve. PECOTA has them 80-82, CHONE 81-81, but just about every team that wins has to have more than a couple guys step up. All is not lost. They don't play in the AL East.

[whitesoxfan101]

To win it all, the Sox are going to have to overachieve. PECOTA has them 80-82, CHONE 81-81, but just about every team that wins has to have more than a couple guys step up. All is not lost. They don't play in the AL East.

 

Agreed. I don't look at winning it all before a season starts though (which might be dumb on my part), I just look at making the playoffs. That's all you can really do since the playoffs are such a crapshoot based on factors of luck. One way you can have that luck on your side though is great pitching, and the Sox seem to have that. It's the getting to the playoffs part that will prove quite difficult.