Revisiting 2008

[caulfield12]

2 1/2 game lead over the Twins with 7 games left to play in the season (hence, bigger collapse)

 

Spanked by the Twins 3 in a row, including a crushing loss in the series finale to put the Twins up by 1/2 game with 4 go to.

 

 

White Sox play the Indians 3, the Twins played the Royals.

 

Both teams lose the first two (the White Sox at that point had lost FIVE/5 games in a row before Buehrle stopped the streak!!!), the lead stays at 0.5 for 3 consecutive days as the Twins finally beat the Royals as well.

 

Game 162, Gavin Floyd goes out and beats Garcia/Galarraga. Tied division.

 

And then Game 163.

 

 

In a way, similar situations in that we lost 3 games in the standings in 2008 in the final week...and we've gone 3-8 versus the Tigers' 7-4 (including the four game KC sweep, and 2-1 vs. Oakland at home).

 

Looking back, 2008 felt a LOT worse and then a LOT better because we lost all those games in a row to Minnesota, and we'd already lost to Minnesota in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, etc.

 

This time, the losses were on the road in Anaheim and in front of small crowds at USCF.

[justBLAZE]

[claydude14]

I had this picture on my dorm room door the next day. Alexei was the man that year. That was the year. I believed a little more that year. But that photo is making me dig deep and remember how to believe. God speed, White Sox.

[claydude14]

 

Apparently that embed didn't work is there a trick?

 

Edited September 29, 2012 by ROC Sox Fan

[justBLAZE]

 

Apparently that embed didn't work is there a trick?

 

Chills.

 

Cheers buddy!

 

I was at that game vs. Detroit when Alexei hit that bomb. Good times!

[justBLAZE]

 

 

[caulfield12]

I had this picture on my dorm room door the next day. Alexei was the man that year. That was the year. I believed a little more that year. But that photo is making me dig deep and remember how to believe. God speed, White Sox.

 

 

But we were down Crede, CQ and Linebrink wasn't the same in the 2nd half that year.

[nickofypres]

Sox were really goofy that year.

 

Seems like they'd go on the road and go 1-5, then come home and sweep the home stand.

 

Like this year, a lot of things went right, Floyd and Danks had break out seasons, Contreras came back and had a good year (I think that was after his Achilles imploded). The offense was hit and miss, like this year, but everyone bounced back after 2007 where the whole team seemed to slump. In 2007 the bullpen lost , like, 21 games or something, next year the pen was solid (even Linebrink had a good year). Incredible.

Edited September 29, 2012 by whitesox901

[chw42]

Sox were really goofy that year.

 

Seems like they'd go on the road and go 1-5, then come home and sweep the home stand.

 

Like this year, a lot of things went right, Floyd and Danks had break out seasons, Contreras came back and had a good year (I think that was after his Achilles imploded). The offense was hit and miss, like this year, but everyone bounced back after 2007 where the whole team seemed to slump. In 2007 the bullpen lost , like, 21 games or something, next year the pen was solid (even Linebrink had a good year). Incredible.

 

Contreras tore his Achilles that year because PK was too lazy to take a ball to the bag himself.

[Quin]

Alexei looked like a perennial all-star that year.

 

His power seems to have disappeared, but he still has awesome D and drives in runs.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

 

I was starting my senior year of HS. It was after school and I was there for an indoor volleyball tournament. I knew it was going to be a huge game, so I brought my dad's little 5 inch portable black and white TV because I knew the game was on WGN, and I might be able to pick up a signal. Low and behold, I was sitting in the stands with a small crowd around me as we watching Alexei blast that one and everyone erupted. It was a great evening, and I'll never forget it.

 

Oh yeah, then the next day my dad calls me at school and says he has skybox tickets for game 163 behind home plate. So I guess seeing that was pretty cool too! Ha.

 

 

 

Griffey shows off his gun to home plate!

 

Thome sends one on to the Fandeck...

 

Celebration ensues!

 

Edited September 29, 2012 by JoeCoolMan24

[caulfield12]

Sox were really goofy that year.

 

Seems like they'd go on the road and go 1-5, then come home and sweep the home stand.

 

Like this year, a lot of things went right, Floyd and Danks had break out seasons, Contreras came back and had a good year (I think that was after his Achilles imploded). The offense was hit and miss, like this year, but everyone bounced back after 2007 where the whole team seemed to slump. In 2007 the bullpen lost , like, 21 games or something, next year the pen was solid (even Linebrink had a good year). Incredible.

 

Danks, Quentin, Floyd and Alexei...the year of unexpected breakout performances that saved KW's butt.

[kitekrazy]

They still farted around and lost to teams they shouldn't have. That's WS baseball in a nutshell after ASB.

Some would say this season resembles 2003 and not 2008.

 

Sure in hell is not even close to 2005. They were the best team in baseball. Their division wasn't dependent on another team failing expectations. That Cleveland hot streak was surreal.

[Buehrle>Wood]

2008 was really likable. And it showed on Soxtalk. We were all pretty content with the losses in the playoffs.

[kitekrazy]

2008 was really likable. And it showed on Soxtalk. We were all pretty content with the losses in the playoffs.

 

I'd feel the same way about 2012.

 

[caulfield12]

2008 was really likable. And it showed on Soxtalk. We were all pretty content with the losses in the playoffs.

 

 

And that was mostly because:

 

1) We FINALLY beat our hated rival, the Twins, to get there...the super exciting last 3 "must win" games just to arrive at that point were crazy

2) CQ, Crede and many others were hurt down the stretch, and Swisher had been benched for Wise

3) We knew we wouldn't play well in a Dome or on turf, similar to us having to face the Orioles this year, for example

4) The Rays were one of the best teams in baseball all season and historically were a tough out for the Sox

5) Due to rearranging the rotation down the stretch, we were forced to use Javy early in the post-season