true or false

[ShoeLessRob]

I think the White Sox should win 90+ games barring injury. Pods is playing for his career, Anderson too. Dye, Uribe, Iguchi and Buehrle are in contract years. Vaz has something to prove. Hall is a huge upgrade over the Widge and Sandy (although I kinda hope Sandy retires and coaches the C's in the minors). Garland will have a chip on his shoulder.

 

1. White Sox

2. Detroit

3. Cleveland

4. Minnesota

5. KC (but I think they may hit the 70 win mark this year)

 

Please ... Gload can't win 70 games on his own ...

[DrunkBomber]

I think we are really gonna need to look out for Minni as usual. If Liriano can stay healthy and perform to the level hes capable of that one, two punch will always be dangerous.

[Balta1701]

I think we are really gonna need to look out for Minni as usual. If Liriano can stay healthy and perform to the level hes capable of that one, two punch will always be dangerous.

Liriano is already out for the entire 2007 season after having ligament-replacement surgery on his left elbow.

[DrunkBomber]

Liriano is already out for the entire 2007 season after having ligament-replacement surgery on his left elbow.

I completely forgot about that, I saw it on the bottem line when I was at a bar a while ago

[Gene Honda Civic]

If we can get rid of this pitcher...

 

GS   W  L    IP    H    R   ER  HR  BB    K   ERA

32  10 12   194  256  139  136  43  45  105  6.31

we'll be fine...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pitcher in question is Jark Buehrland.

 

 

Obtained by combining Jon Garland's line from opening day until July 1 with Buehrle's line from July through the end of the season. Move that to an league average pitcher 4.6 ERA, and you've got yourself a division championship last season.

[Jordan4life_2007]

If we can get rid of this pitcher...

 

GS   W  L    IP    H    R   ER  HR  BB    K   ERA

32  10 12   194  256  139  136  43  45  105  6.31

we'll be fine...

The pitcher in question is Jark Buehrland.

Obtained by combining Jon Garland's line from opening day until July 1 with Buehrle's line from July through the end of the season. Move that to an league average pitcher 4.6 ERA, and you've got yourself a division championship last season.

 

LOL@Cheat. Jark Buehrland. I like that. That's a damn good point, though. We can't have multiple starters going weeks, or in Jon and Mark's cases, months, in which they're doing their very best Jamie Navarro impersonations. Not if we want to win the best divison in baseball, anyway.

[zygoat]

True, The sox had the division won early last year and they will bounce back. their bullpen is stronger and we have a proven backup catcher. I like our odds

 

optimism is all i look for this season......

[SoxHawk1980]

If by "one" you mean me, I disagree.

 

If by "one" you mean you, then more power to you. It must be tough going through life as a pessimist.

It is actually much easier and more fulfilling to go through life as a realist. Realistic fans are the best fans. Any fan can have their hope for the best morph into expecting the best. Unfortunately, this is what most fans do.

[CanOfCorn]

It is actually much easier and more fulfilling to go through life as a realist. Realistic fans are the best fans. Any fan can have their hope for the best morph into expecting the best. Unfortunately, this is what most fans do.

 

Ah yes, the realist vs. pessimist argument. I was that guy...and then I realized I was a pessimist.

[SoxHawk1980]

Ah yes, the realist vs. pessimist argument. I was that guy...and then I realized I was a pessimist.

I see. The nature of the vast majority of fans is that their expectations exceed what actually happens. Check out the prediction threads every year. I bet 85% or more of the win total predictions exceed what the team actually ended up winning. That's what fans do. They want their team to do well so much that they resolve most of the uncertainties in their head about their team in the positive direction. Anyone who isn't following the positive fan current is then labeled a pessimist.

[shipps]

Jark Buehrland.LOL.Combining names and words is always lol funny to me.Iam a grown man with such a juvenile sense of humor.

[Chet Lemon]

What about the White Sox bullpen? Adding Aardsma and Sisco perhaps improves it dramatically? Sisco may be in Charlotte. Boone Logan may be in Chicago. How do we know Thornton will continue to have success? It seems to me all the guys that Coop fixes, seem to fall back a little the following season. Loaisa, Cotts, Contreras. Jenks was mostly good, but had his moments. The bullpen really concerns me. KW has not added anyone who has much of a track record of major league success there this offseason.

 

Your post has hit it right on the head for my concerns going into the 2007 season. There is nothing more I could embelish on that you posted.

 

A very distance second is the 4th OF concern.

 

I will be optimistic and say Pods improves big time from last year. Iguchi, Dye and Crede are also playing for contracts, so their production from last year won't decrease dramatically. Thome, as long as health issues aren't a concern, plus PK are the staple of any 3,4, or 5 spot. AJ has to benefit from the Hall signing. More rest=better ab's. Uribe still gives me pause, but KW is apparently content, so that is all that matters I guess. BA has to show improvement..I would be content w/ at least .240avg/.320obp. The homers and xbh's will come. For Sweeney, the future is bright, but he is probably too green for the job w/ the Sox in '07.

 

Finally, I am also feeling the SP will be a turnaround from last year. Mac doesn't really concern me b/c I think he will step it up similar to how Garland did in '05. Contreras really scared me last year as the last time he was on the hill, he wound up laying on the infield grass in agony from the hamstring injury. If he puts that behind him and gets his head on straight, the pitching could be the best in the AL.

[Hideaway Lights]

Any injury to a major part of our lineup (Konerko, Dye, Thome) and our lineup flat-out sucks as is.

 

There is no pitcher in our rotation who illustrated any kind of consistency in 2006, and all of them sucked for at least a month at a time.

 

I don't understand this "if our pitching can return to 2005 form" argument. This is akin to saying "well, if we could just get career years out of four starters and most of the bullpen at the same time again, we'd be alright"

 

If our pitching can pitch at their mean ERAs and WHIPs, that would be more realistic. I'd take a 15-12 Garland with a 4.45 ERA if I knew I was getting a 14 game winner in Contreras and a 17 game winner in Buehrle. As for Vazquez and McCarthy, I'd be ecstatic if they both won 12-13 games each with ERAs under 5. 70 wins out of the starting rotation should assure us of getting something like 90 wins total.

[Hatchetman]

i dunno how old some of you are, but it seems the older you are the more you tend to be realistic/pessimistic. just looking at the moves that were made, i don't see much if any improvement in the 2007 roster versus the 2006. maybe the rotation will be a little better, but then probably the konerko/thome/dye combo will be a little worse. the bullpen is pretty frightening and the LF/CF combo is horrible. it's nice to have a backup catcher though.

[NorthSideSox72]

i dunno how old some of you are, but it seems the older you are the more you tend to be realistic/pessimistic. just looking at the moves that were made, i don't see much if any improvement in the 2007 roster versus the 2006. maybe the rotation will be a little better, but then probably the konerko/thome/dye combo will be a little worse. the bullpen is pretty frightening and the LF/CF combo is horrible. it's nice to have a backup catcher though.

I'd contend that, the older you are and the more you are around baseball, the less likely you are to be one of the people on this board who makes every move out to be either genius or disaster.

 

We've made some small improvements thus far. Others could be, and may still be made. But right now, we are indeed a little better off than we were at the end of the season.

[southsider2k5]

I'd contend that, the older you are and the more you are around baseball, the less likely you are to be one of the people on this board who makes every move out to be either genius or disaster.

 

We've made some small improvements thus far. Others could be, and may still be made. But right now, we are indeed a little better off than we were at the end of the season.

 

^^^

 

I agree 100%. Usually people get perspective with age.

[Controlled Chaos]

I see. The nature of the vast majority of fans is that their expectations exceed what actually happens. Check out the prediction threads every year. I bet 85% or more of the win total predictions exceed what the team actually ended up winning. That's what fans do. They want their team to do well so much that they resolve most of the uncertainties in their head about their team in the positive direction. Anyone who isn't following the positive fan current is then labeled a pessimist.

Isn't that what being a fan is all about? Rooting for your team to win. Rooting for them to exceed expectations, as they did in 2005. From reading your posts since you joined I really can't remember one positive post. It's like you live to be f***in complainer. For whatever reason your logic is b**** and moan CONSTANTLY about your team instead of cheer for them to win. You want to be a realist in life, go for it, but part of being a fan is being optimistic. It's rooting for your team even if they're the underdog. That's not to say you can't be critical, but you're for your team to win. Just like a player doesn't go into a game thinking we have no chance. Some of us fans aren't far removed from playing sports...hell I'm sure a lot of fans still play sports and you don't go into it thinking "we suck, we're gonna lose" You call yourself a realist...I say be real and take a look in the mirror and check out what you've been shoveling.

[knightni]

I wouldn't say they improved from '06, but I do expect them to perform better pitching-wise as they were down last year.

 

Plus, the Twins and Tigers (including Sheff) haven't really improved much either.

[JoshPR]

If the white sox make no more moves in the offseason, they will win the AL Central, even if Detroit wins 90+ games.

 

I vote false. I am scared of going through Garland-like growing pains with B-Mac, which are very likely to happen. Very few starters come in and have instant season-long success at the major league level. Vazquez can't pitch in the AL, imo. Everyone else was inconsistent in '05. I have no idea what their plans are for Gavin Floyd.

 

We'll score enough again, but will we pitch well enough? No, not as is.

 

This team is looking like an 86 game winner at this point. Somebody reassure me.

 

 

TRUE

[GoSox05]

I think the Twins are gonna go backwards this year. I know there underachivers and always play tough, but losing Radke and Liriano for this year will really hurt them. Thats 24 wins from the two pitchers that they loose. They really didnt add anyone either.

[CanOfCorn]

Isn't that what being a fan is all about? Rooting for your team to win. Rooting for them to exceed expectations, as they did in 2005. From reading your posts since you joined I really can't remember one positive post. It's like you live to be f***in complainer. For whatever reason your logic is b**** and moan CONSTANTLY about your team instead of cheer for them to win. You want to be a realist in life, go for it, but part of being a fan is being optimistic. It's rooting for your team even if they're the underdog. That's not to say you can't be critical, but you're for your team to win. Just like a player doesn't go into a game thinking we have no chance. Some of us fans aren't far removed from playing sports...hell I'm sure a lot of fans still play sports and you don't go into it thinking "we suck, we're gonna lose" You call yourself a realist...I say be real and take a look in the mirror and check out what you've been shoveling.

 

 

Totally agree. Thanks for helping me make my point.

 

I'm certainly not qualified to be a GM...I leave that to the 30 presently doing it. And I think that Kenny has moved up to near the top of the list of best GMs in the game. Maybe not top 5, but pretty close. He doesn't make as many knee-jerk trades anymore and we shouldn't have knee-jerk reactions when a roster move is made.

 

I hope that all of these moves work out and we win another World Series...just so I can see the haters eat their hats. But that's just the optomistic crazed White Sox fanatic in me.

[ptatc]

Totally agree. Thanks for helping me make my point.

 

I'm certainly not qualified to be a GM...I leave that to the 30 presently doing it. And I think that Kenny has moved up to near the top of the list of best GMs in the game. Maybe not top 5, but pretty close. He doesn't make as many knee-jerk trades anymore and we shouldn't have knee-jerk reactions when a roster move is made.

 

I hope that all of these moves work out and we win another World Series...just so I can see the haters eat their hats. But that's just the optomistic crazed White Sox fanatic in me.

 

It's always easier to be the pessimist and rip every move. What's more likely we make the playoffs or we don't? There are so many factors which which go into a succeessfull season including luck. This especially true in the AL Central with 3-4 very good teams. The pessimists always have the advantage.

 

Personally I'm an old realist who thinks we'll be better and that gives us a pretty good chance. After years in sports that is really all you can hope for.

[SoxHawk1980]

Isn't that what being a fan is all about? Rooting for your team to win. Rooting for them to exceed expectations, as they did in 2005.

Definitely. Being a fan IS about rooting for your team to win. I root like hell for them to win, regardless of how good or bad they are. But there is a difference between rooting for the team to be great and convincing yourself that they are great, regardless of the facts. I hope the Sox will win 162 games and the WS, but I try to analyze the team realistically.

 

You want to be a realist in life, go for it, but part of being a fan is being optimistic. It's rooting for your team even if they're the underdog.

One can root for one's team to win and be a realist at the same time. Rooting for your team does not require you to analyze the team unrealistically. For instance, I see Jon Garland as a pretty good #3 starter and no better. But I hope like hell he'll have an ace season like he did two years ago. But just because I hope he'll be great, I'm not going to pretend that he is.

 

That's not to say you can't be critical, but you're for your team to win. Just like a player doesn't go into a game thinking we have no chance. Some of us fans aren't far removed from playing sports...hell I'm sure a lot of fans still play sports and you don't go into it thinking "we suck, we're gonna lose"

Athletes need to go into a game confident and thinking that they will win because that belief actually affects how they will play and therefore the outcome of the game. However, fan comments on these boards don't affect the outcome of the game. If it did, I would be happy to post rah-rah optimism 100 times a day.

Edited December 21, 2006 by SoxHawk1980

[greg775]

Like every year, it's impossible to tell.

-- Will Thome stay "healthy" as he did most of last year?

-- Will Crede's back be as durable as it was last year or will he start to miss Mike Sweeney-like amounts of

games because of his disk woes?

-- Can Mark B. return to form? Was it just a tired arm causing all those meatball homers?

-- Is BMac going to rule or pitch as badly as he did in middle relief?

-- Can Pods rebound and Brian start to hit or will we have two automatic outs in our of?

-- Can Dye remain the healthy Dye we've grown to love in Chicago?

-- Will Paulie remain Paulie? He's been incredibly productive.

-- Is our middle relief really good?

-- Can Bobby remain dominant as our closer?

 

My answers ...

yes, yes the back will be OK; no, Mark may be on the decline; BMac won't pitch well; automatic outs, yes Dye will be fine; Paulie will remain great; middle relief is overrated; Bobby should remain very good.

I think we'll win about as many games as we did last season which isn't half bad.

Edited December 22, 2006 by greg775

[To LA from Chicago]

I think the Twins are gonna go backwards this year. I know there underachivers and always play tough, but losing Radke and Liriano for this year will really hurt them. Thats 24 wins from the two pitchers that they loose. They really didnt add anyone either.

 

 

They re-signed Big Bad Rondell White....lol. Scary!

Edited December 22, 2006 by To LA from Chicago