Congrats White Sox!

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by mlyons

In fact, the only team in the AL that has a higher proportion of their run scoring come from the homerun is the Texas Rangers, who can be excused for that since they're damn close to the record for homeruns in a season.

A team with Dellucci(2005 version) and Young hitting one and two is gonna score a run or two.

[MogulChamp]

Originally Posted by mlyons

The thread that I originally brought this up in is gone for good, so I'll make this point again -- the White Sox are horrible at creating runs outside of the longball. It's pretty much the only way they can score at all. In fact, the only team in the AL that has a higher proportion of their run scoring come from the homerun is the Texas Rangers, who can be excused for that since they're damn close to the record for homeruns in a season. Just because their manager talks about "manufacturing runs" doesn't mean they actually do it.

Yep, that was my 2005 White Sox thread. I am not sure of the actual numbers, but it sure seems like we sacrificed a lot. The team also would move the runner along via the groundball to the right side of the infield, stuff like that. Those things don't show up in the boxscores I am afraid. Iguchi is the best at this.

I argued this ad nauseum in the other thread, so I won't argue this any more. We've clinched. I'm happy. Now to see what sort of havoc this team wreaks in the post season.

One thing to note... During the regular season, Ozzie liked to see what his pitching was made of and would pitch to players in situations where the game could be lost. Ortiz and Haffner come to mind. In the post season, don't be surprised to see the hot/consistent hitters walked every time they come up. Our pitching is that good, that we can pitch around these guys.

I'm tellin ya... think what you want, but we're gonna surprise some people.

[mlyons]

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

Yep, that was my 2005 White Sox thread. I am not sure of the actual numbers, but it sure seems like we sacrificed a lot. The team also would move the runner along via the groundball to the right side of the infield, stuff like that. Those things don't show up in the boxscores I am afraid. Iguchi is the best at this.

Of course, the reason those things aren't showing up in the boxscores is because they're not actually resulting in any runs.

[BleacherBum]

Did anyone notice that that 13th inning victory tonight clinched the best record in the AL for the Sox? And only 1 game behind the Cards for overall best.

Plus, with the talk about the Sox limping down the stretch, I checked something: the Sox were 17-12 in September, St. Louis was 13-13. Anyone writin' off the Cards for that poor finish?

[BaseballMan]

Originally Posted by TonyJ

But what they were doing in the first half of the year was getting flukey performances from multiple players. Which is the outlier, Garland's first half or the rest of his career?

Maybe so but they were also playing smart baseball and doing the little things right. In the 2nd half theyve played like they were an expansion team.
Sure the fluky performances helped but they werent enough to put the whitesox at the top by itself. They were in sync as a team in the first half but in the 2nd half they were about as in sync as a team as Sybil on acid.
No fluke perormance could overcome the way the Whitesox have played in the 2nd half.
How can we say for sure Garland's season is a fluke until at least after next season? How do we know for sure that he hasnt improved? Yeah we can see he sucked in the past so it must be a fluke but if thats so then wouldnt Koufax have been a fluke after his first great season?
You are probably right in that is just a fluke season but i dont think we can say for sure until at least after the next season.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by Coates

Are you an A's fan or White Sox fan (looks like Rowand/Chavez in your avatar.. though I'm probably wrong).

It's Swisher, not Chavez. And here's the story: I grew up in Chicago and a White Sox fan. From 2001-2004 I had to deal with Kenny Williams being an arrogant, lying prick on a regular basis. He made stupid move after stupid move. He brought in guys I despised. Gradually, I just grew less and less interested in a team which had fewer and fewer players I could like and was more and more going to a style of baseball (specifically offense) I didn't like.

Last year was basically the final straw. When Williams traded for Carl Everett the second time, I no longer cared. I wrote an article entitled "The Death of a White Sox fan" for a website (which I don't think exists anymore) called White Sox Central. When Williams went and traded Carlos Lee for Scott Podsednik and Luis Vizcaino, it was pretty much the final straw. Done. I just couldn't take it anymore.

So I just focused on the team that was my second favorite. For a time I figured I would wait out this string of White Sox baseball I didn't like. I figured Williams, Guillen, and the 15 or so Sox players I dislike would be gone within a couple years and I could come back. I don't see that happening now. There's no more than 5 guys on the team who I wish to see do well. Other than that, I just feel absolutely no emotion for this White Sox team. I'm not sure I could ever root for them again.

After a full season of cheering exclusively for the Athletics, things are weird. I still kind of feel like I'm in some kind of baseball fan limbo. I like the A's, I really do. They have a lot of fun-to-watch players and I think they're going to be one of the three best teams in baseball next year. But I have no history with them. My loyalty is mostly based on a philosophy and not a location, childhood preference, or anything like that. It's strange. I think I've become a rather jaded baseball fan: I don't really go into "fan mode" in the way most do. I go into that mode when people start spouting off stupid baseball "knowledge" about playing small ball and things like that. It goes against my philosophy - that's where my real loyalty is.

I guess to put it briefly: I can't root for the White Sox because they don't play baseball I like. I'm an A's fan because they have a general manager who has blazed the trail for the philosophy I embrace. If Billy Beane left the A's and some dope who thought stealing bases was the most important thing in the game, I probably wouldn't be much of an A's fan anymore.

Originally Posted by darkhorse

JD is just a fan in general of non-hitting outfielders.

Aaron Rowand: Down year, definitely. Next year he'll return to his 2004 numbers. He's still one of the best defensive CFs in the game. Being a great defensive player at an important defensive position gives a guy a little room for offensive error, IMO.

Nick Swisher: Rookie who is going to be an All-Star one day. I wouldn't say he can't hit... he just can't hit exceptionally well just yet.

[Jestor]

Yay!!! We made it!!!

Between this and finally finding the Little Dinosaur song done by Gin Blossoms live, my weekend is complete.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by JDOldSchool

Aaron Rowand: Down year, definitely. Next year he'll return to his 2004 numbers. He's still one of the best defensive CFs in the game. Being a great defensive player at an important defensive position gives a guy a little room for offensive error, IMO.

Nick Swisher: Rookie who is going to be an All-Star one day. I wouldn't say he can't hit... he just can't hit exceptionally well just yet.

Kielty weeps at the lack of love shown.

[JDOldSchool]

Originally Posted by darkhorse

Kielty weeps at the lack of love shown.

Bobby Kielty: Cool hair, serviceable OF who I feel is underrated and best in a platoon situation.

[WilsonPickett]

I hate the Sox with a passion. Other than Frank Thomas, I can't think of a single player on this team that I don't like. However, barring the knowledge that both their announcer and play by play announcer are dead, I can only hope they lose every game they play. Oh yeah, Ozzie Guillen is a total asshat also.

[MogulChamp]

Originally Posted by WilsonPickett

I hate the Sox with a passion. Other than Frank Thomas, I can't think of a single player on this team that I don't like. However, barring the knowledge that both their announcer and play by play announcer are dead, I can only hope they lose every game they play. Oh yeah, Ozzie Guillen is a total asshat also.

Wow! Tell us how you really feel. Quite the first post. Lemme guess, Tribe,Twinkies, or Cubs fan?

[WilsonPickett]

Mogul, I am a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan. Hawk Harrelson and Darren Jackson are so annoying that I have to hate the Sox. That being said, they will not be doing the games, so I really want them to defeat the Redsox. As much as I hate the Whitesox's announcers, cant even compare to how much I despise Redsox nation, Johnny Damon and Curt Schilling. Fricken Schilling will probably end up in the Hall due to his bloody sock, while the best big game pitcher of all time (Jack Morris) will be left out. Sniff Glue, don't eat it.

[MogulChamp]

Originally Posted by WilsonPickett

Mogul, I am a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan. Hawk Harrelson and Darren Jackson are so annoying that I have to hate the Sox. That being said, they will not be doing the games, so I really want them to defeat the Redsox. As much as I hate the Whitesox's announcers, cant even compare to how much I despise Redsox nation, Johnny Damon and Curt Schilling. Fricken Schilling will probably end up in the Hall due to his bloody sock, while the best big game pitcher of all time (Jack Morris) will be left out. Sniff Glue, don't eat it.

I do agree with you about Hawk and DJ. Yes they are annoying, but they are huge fans of the team, and aren't afraid to show it. I'm not gonna hold it against them.

[Raderick]

Ross Gload's clutchness should help White Sox blow passed the AL Playoffs without a problem.

[BleacherBum]

Problem is, Gload is unlikely to make the playoff roster. The Sox will take 11 pitchers. The 14th position player will probably be Willie Harris, not Gload.

[UngratefulDead]

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

One thing to note... During the regular season, Ozzie liked to see what his pitching was made of and would pitch to players in situations where the game could be lost. Ortiz and Haffner come to mind. In the post season, don't be surprised to see the hot/consistent hitters walked every time they come up.

Hmmmm, so a pitching staff whose primary strength is not walking guys should just walk all the best hitters?

Originally Posted by MogulChamp

Our pitching is that good, that we can pitch around these guys.

It's not bad, but it's certainly not the best of any of the playoff teams, so I don't think I'd be counting on that one quite so much.

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by UngratefulDead

It's not bad, but it's certainly not the best of any of the playoff teams, so I don't think I'd be counting on that one quite so much.

The only other AL team that comes close to being as good is Anaheim. The Sox 3.61 ERA is tied with Cleveland for the third best in the majors, Anaheim is 5th best. The Yankees and Red Sox are both down in the bottom third, each of them around 1 whole run higher than the Sox.

I really think the last week for the Sox showed something - this is a team that was in prime position to roll over and play dead, but they didn't. Sure, Cleveland helped them out with a big choke, but the Sox still won thier last 5, and 8 of their last 10 - I'd call that fairly hot going into the playoffs. And those last three, they could have coasted. Ultimately, it wouldn't have mattered if they had lost all three - but with Cleveland having everything to play for, and the Sox having nothing to play for, the Sox went into the Jake and swept 'em.

Originally Posted by BaseballMan

you can still look at the last half the season and see that the Whitesox had trouble scoring runs and have played pretty poorly and going on losing streaks.

Geez, the Sox had one bad month. And only one losing streak longer than four games all year - and don't forget, that 7 game streak in August also had a game rained out in Boston which they were in a position to blow wide freaking open (they were up by three and had two in scoring position with 1 out when the rain delay was called) - if that game hadn't been rained out, the longest losing streak may only have been 5.

Sure, they've had trouble scoring runs. But they still scored enough runs to win ninety-nine games, which ties the 1983 Sox for the second most in franchise history (1 behind the 1917 club).

Originally Posted by mlyons

Of course, the reason those things aren't showing up in the boxscores is because they're not actually resulting in any runs.

A runner on second with one out is more likely to score on a single than a runner on first with no outs, right? They're not direct run-producing plays, but that doesn't mean they don't result in runs.

Oh, and Warbuk$ trolling post was lost in the database mess, but let me just say this:



Thanks for reminding baseball what a choke really is.

[SWardle]

Originally Posted by BleacherBum

Did anyone notice that that 13th inning victory tonight clinched the best record in the AL for the Sox? And only 1 game behind the Cards for overall best.

Plus, with the talk about the Sox limping down the stretch, I checked something: the Sox were 17-12 in September, St. Louis was 13-13. Anyone writin' off the Cards for that poor finish?

Well, the Cards were resting their good players down the stretch so one would assume their B team would have a worse record than their A team. I think the Cards will be just fine. They did the same thing last year because they clinched early and people doubted them... they made it farther than 28 other teams. Although, to answer your question, there are some counting out the Cards because of this slump. Harold Reynolds, John Kruk and Peter Gammons to be more specific - then again, they've yet to be right about anything this season.

Steve-O

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by SWardle

Harold Reynolds, John Kruk and Peter Gammons to be more specific - then again, they've yet to be right about anything this season.

Which, as a Sox fan, I'm counting on.

[IatricSB]

I find it funny that on Friday, people on the radio were up in arms because Guillen was resting his starters and most of the callers felt it hurt the Red Sox chances since the White Sox weren't going to try. And yet they swept the Indians.