The Offense

[Dick Allen]

The Sox team On Base Percentage is now .278. That is just a few points above Oakland and Tampa Bay, which is last in the League.

Last year, the Sox were virtually tied for last in the League, with Minnesota. This is a trend which is not likely to be improved by the additions of Lawrie and Frazier,

who own a collective, career OBP of .315.

 

And some think that concerns over this constitute premature, irrational "panic". OK, we'll see. I hope the optimists are correct.

They have the payroll flexibility to try to fix this, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyone available. The most discouraging thing to me is that there isn't

one guy in the Minors, who could offer any help. I'd be willing to part with Anderson, if the Sox could fix this glaring weakness. Who could they target in a trade, at this point?

If you really think a .278 team OBP is going to be what it is, there isn't one player alive that could fix it to a point where it would be acceptable.

[southsider2k5]

The Sox team On Base Percentage is now .278. That is just a few points above Oakland and Tampa Bay, which is last in the League.

Last year, the Sox were virtually tied for last in the League, with Minnesota. This is a trend which is not likely to be improved by the additions of Lawrie and Frazier,

who own a collective, career OBP of .315.

 

And some think that concerns over this constitute premature, irrational "panic". OK, we'll see. I hope the optimists are correct.

They have the payroll flexibility to try to fix this, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyone available. The most discouraging thing to me is that there isn't

one guy in the Minors, who could offer any help. I'd be willing to part with Anderson, if the Sox could fix this glaring weakness. Who could they target in a trade, at this point?

 

Even in that season last year had team OBP of .306, which is about 10% above where we are now. Those two are still above that number, as are Austin Jackson (.332), Alex Avila (.343) and Navarro (.312).

 

That also doesn't account for guys like Jose Abreu who are off to terrible starts for them.

 

So yes, expecting this out of the team would qualify as "panic"

 

[bmags]

I skipped rest of thread after reading "the bats aren't getting any better"

 

Really? Abreu is going to be a .220 15 hr power hitter this year? Frazier is confined to Adam Dunn status?

 

Our pitching and defense has shown to be good enough to win us games themselves, that's good. last year we had pitching but no defense.

 

Yes, it's possible that the bats get sucked into a blackhole of suckness like last year, but we don't need to be so fatalistic after losing 1 series.

[Kyyle23]

[shysocks]

The Sox team On Base Percentage is now .278. That is just a few points above Oakland and Tampa Bay, which is last in the League.

Last year, the Sox were virtually tied for last in the League, with Minnesota. This is a trend which is not likely to be improved by the additions of Lawrie and Frazier,

who own a collective, career OBP of .315.

 

And some think that concerns over this constitute premature, irrational "panic". OK, we'll see. I hope the optimists are correct.

They have the payroll flexibility to try to fix this, but unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anyone available. The most discouraging thing to me is that there isn't

one guy in the Minors, who could offer any help. I'd be willing to part with Anderson, if the Sox could fix this glaring weakness. Who could they target in a trade, at this point?

The positions that Lawrie and Frazier are sliding into posted OBP's of .266 and .272 last year, so yes, it is a trend which is likely to improve by those additions.

[Lillian]

The positions that Lawrie and Frazier are sliding into posted OBP's of .266 and .272 last year, so yes, it is a trend which is likely to improve by those additions.

 

That is a good point, by which I'm somewhat encouraged. Thank you.

 

Hey, whatever happened to Yadiel Hernandez? I don't see where he has signed with anyone yet. He was an On Base "machine" in Cuba, and we discussed the idea

of trying to acquire him, but I can't find any recent news.

[SpringfieldFan]

8-4 at at this point is great, no question. However, my fandom isn't just about looking at the standings with my cup of coffee every morning. I want to enjoy what I see on the field, and season after season after season of them hitting .230 the first month kind of dampens the experience. Fortunately the pitching has been a treat to watch. I don't know, maybe this will finally be the year the offense busts out before May or June. It would be nice, it would be mighty nice.

 

SFF

[Dick Allen]

8-4 at at this point is great, no question. However, my fandom isn't just about looking at the standings with my cup of coffee every morning. I want to enjoy what I see on the field, and season after season after season of them hitting .230 the first month kind of dampens the experience. Fortunately the pitching has been a treat to watch. I don't know, maybe this will finally be the year the offense busts out before May or June. It would be nice, it would be mighty nice.

 

SFF

It would be nice if the game was 7-1, but when Hawk enthusiastically says this game is ova, it really doesn't matter to me if they won 15-0 or 2-1. A win is a win. Getting wins when you are not hitting has to be nothing but encouraging. There is no way they will keep hitting like this. None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

[Lillian]

If you really think a .278 team OBP is going to be what it is, there isn't one player alive that could fix it to a point where it would be acceptable.

 

Where did I say that I think the team OBP will be what it is now, at the end of the season? My point is that we have been virtually last in OBP for quite a while now.

Do you seriously want to argue that On Base % is not a big issue for this team? You would be in disagreement with most baseball analysts, who seem to ascribe a very high value to this statistic.

 

But then, since I made the assertion, I should have expected that you would completely disagree. That's fine. We don't have to agree.

However, please don't misrepresent what I write. Again, I didn't say that I thought the Sox would end up with an OBP of .278. What I did say is that their relatively poor on base percentage is a concern. It has been a concern. It is currently a concern, and I contend that it's a concern going forward. Do you agree with that?

Edited April 18, 2016 by Lillian

[Dick Allen]

Where did I say that I think the team OBP will be what it is now, at the end of the season? My point is that we have been virtually last in OBP for quite a while now.

Do you seriously want to argue that On Base % is not a big issue for this team? You would be in disagreement with most baseball analysts, who seem to ascribe a very high value to this statistic. But then, since I made the assertion, I should have expected that you would completely disagree. That's fine. We don't have to agree.

However, please don't misrepresent what I write. Again, I didn't say that I thought the Sox would end up with an OBP of .278. What I did say is that their relatively poor on base percentage is a concern. I has been a concern. It is currently a concern, and I contend that it's a concern going forward. Do you agree with that?

The team is 8-4. It isn't 2015. It will be if they lose their next 10 games. Keep that in mind.

 

You must have been very disappointed in the 2005 WS. Blew a lead in game 1. Had to come back in games 2 and 3, and only scored 1 run in game 4. No blowouts. Not acceptable.

THE WHITE SOX ARE CURRENTLY IN FIRST PLACE

Edited April 18, 2016 by Dick Allen

[bmags]

If their OBP is last and also they made no improvement in power numbers, then I will be worried. But we knew we did not make large OBP improvements, but we did think we made power improvement. I think we'll see that.

[Dick Allen]

If the White Sox were 5-7 right now but averaging 5 runs a game, would those of you so concerned be a lot happier?

[SpringfieldFan]

If the White Sox were 5-7 right now but averaging 5 runs a game, would those of you so concerned be a lot happier?

 

 

That would probably mean the pitching was not living up to expectations, a concern but a different concern. We are 8-4 but got there a bit differently than we might have expected. It is just a cause for wonder. Right now the glass is half full AND half empty. Well, in fairness an 8-4 record means a bit more than half full

 

SFF

Edited April 18, 2016 by SpringfieldFan

[Thad Bosley]

The team is 8-4. It isn't 2015. It will be if they lose their next 10 games. Keep that in mind.

 

You must have been very disappointed in the 2005 WS. Blew a lead in game 1. Had to come back in games 2 and 3, and only scored 1 run in game 4. No blowouts. Not acceptable.

THE WHITE SOX ARE CURRENTLY IN FIRST PLACE

Um, newsflash - nobody is questioning where the team is in the standings today on April 18th. What a few of the more thoughtful posters are simply questioning is whether with this anemic offense if the team will be able to maintain this position going forward. In other words, with the league's worst offense at the moment, will you be able to claim in big, bold words on May 18th that the Sox are in first place? June 18th? September 18th? That's all people are wondering about right now, and it's a legitimate concern. If you'd stop with the constant scolding of others around here you might have time to realize this yourself.

[southsider2k5]

Um, newsflash - nobody is questioning where the team is in the standings today on April 18th. What a few of the more thoughtful posters are simply questioning is whether with this anemic offense if the team will be able to maintain this position going forward. In other words, with the league's worst offense at the moment, will you be able to claim in big, bold words on May 18th that the Sox are in first place? June 18th? September 18th? That's all people are wondering about right now, and it's a legitimate concern. If you'd stop with the constant scolding of others around here you might have time to realize this yourself.

 

He said scolding DA.

[SoxSteve]

Um, newsflash - nobody is questioning where the team is in the standings today on April 18th. What a few of the more thoughtful posters are simply questioning is whether with this anemic offense if the team will be able to maintain this position going forward. In other words, with the league's worst offense at the moment, will you be able to claim in big, bold words on May 18th that the Sox are in first place? June 18th? September 18th? That's all people are wondering about right now, and it's a legitimate concern. If you'd stop with the constant scolding of others around here you might have time to realize this yourself.

Forgetting about our recorded so far, the OBP Is a problem and will be a problem all year IMO. That Is why i wanted Fowler or Markakis in the worst way. Put either of those guys in the 1 or 2 hole and this team would be significantly better. Imagine Fowler and eaton 1-2 or 2-1? nat would have been lethal for sure. Maybe if Drake gate happened 3 weeks earlier we might have upped the ante for him. Jackson should not be a starter and just be a defensive replacement at best and a good one for sure. The 2 hole hole is a major issue and don't feel we have that player on our roster right know who can fill that gaping hole. Time will tell

[Dick Allen]

Um, newsflash - nobody is questioning where the team is in the standings today on April 18th. What a few of the more thoughtful posters are simply questioning is whether with this anemic offense if the team will be able to maintain this position going forward. In other words, with the league's worst offense at the moment, will you be able to claim in big, bold words on May 18th that the Sox are in first place? June 18th? September 18th? That's all people are wondering about right now, and it's a legitimate concern. If you'd stop with the constant scolding of others around here you might have time to realize this yourself.

I love how you refer to posters complaining when the Sox are winning as "thoughtful". Just remember, the one exciting season you claim the White Sox have had probably in 100 years, included 15 regular season wins scoring 2 runs or less. This year there has been 1.

 

I just wonder when margin of victory become so important in MLB.

Edited April 18, 2016 by Dick Allen

[he gone.]

I think the point to be made here is that we've played the A's and Twins for 7 of our 12 games. Those two teams will be at the bottom of the AL.

 

We now start a stretch playing the Angels (don't think they're a playoff team this year - bad pitching staff), Texas (pitching isn't that great either. Have Hamels a few others that are okay - good offense) then play Toronto and Baltimore.

 

If on April 30th we're 4 games above .500 I'll be very happy. I just have a feeling some of those teams are going to post some runs on us and hopefully our bats can respond.

 

I'll say were 5-8 over our next 13 games.

 

Happy with 7-6

 

Thrilled with anything better.

[Jose Abreu]

I think the point to be made here is that we've played the A's and Twins for 7 of our 12 games. Those two teams will be at the bottom of the AL.

But this isn't football/basketball. The Sox, at least since I've been a fan, have been pretty bad against bad teams. They tend to play to the level of their competition. It is nice to see us beating up on the bad teams. It's not anything but a good sign.

 

As for my football/basketball comment, it's not like the supposedly "better" team is supposed to win every game against the worse team. It is very common for the "better team" to split a series, lose 2/3, etc. vs a worse team, whereas in football/basketball, it is a bigger deal if, say, the Bears beat the Packers (2015), the 76ers beat the Warriors (almost happened!), etc.

[harkness99]

It's really simple... our offense was really bad last year and bad the years before.

 

So far this year it looks like the same (thought it could change).

if

All of us like our record right now, but what is pretty funny is to think that logic or rational thinking equates that one should expect this record to continue with the same anemic offense of the past few years. That everything is great and the sky is the limit.

 

Many of are basing our doubts on the struggles of the offense that past few years.

 

We have good, logical reason to have concerns.

 

 

 

[southsider2k5]

I think the point to be made here is that we've played the A's and Twins for 7 of our 12 games. Those two teams will be at the bottom of the AL.

 

We now start a stretch playing the Angels (don't think they're a playoff team this year - bad pitching staff), Texas (pitching isn't that great either. Have Hamels a few others that are okay - good offense) then play Toronto and Baltimore.

 

If on April 30th we're 4 games above .500 I'll be very happy. I just have a feeling some of those teams are going to post some runs on us and hopefully our bats can respond.

 

I'll say were 5-8 over our next 13 games.

 

Happy with 7-6

 

Thrilled with anything better.

 

We were 6-13 against the Twins last year.

[cabiness42]

Sox have played 2 home games this year. Detroit has played 4 and the rest of the AL has played at least 5, yet the Sox are only ½ game off the best record in the league. 7 of the Sox' 10 road games were played in notorious pitchers' parks. The likelihood of the Sox maintaining a .278 OBP is about the same as the likelihood of Latos maintaining a 0.75 ERA. Both are going to regress to the mean some.

[Lillian]

For all of you who continue to stress that the Sox are going to do better than their current .278 OBP; that is not the question. Of course, they will do better than that.

I'm confident that no one here believes otherwise. The question is, will their on base percentage, and the rest of their offensive stats be somewhere around league average? With their pitching, that is probably all they need to do. However, if they end up back near the worst offensive teams in the League, they are almost certainly not going to be contenders.

[caulfield12]

Latos, Albers and Lawrie are the only ones better than advertised (so far)...perhaps Rodon if you really want to push the definition.

[cabiness42]

For all of you who continue to stress that the Sox are going to do better than their current .278 OBP; that is not the question. Of course, they will do better than that.

I'm confident that no one here believes otherwise. The question is, will their on base percentage, and the rest of their offensive stats be somewhere around league average? With their pitching, that is probably all they need to do. However, if they end up back near the worst offensive teams in the League, they are almost certainly not going to be contenders.

 

2005 Sox were 11th in a 14-team AL in OBP.