fathom

QUOTE(WSFAN35 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 04:33 AM) There's alot of people here that don't deserve this team. I didn't know that we have to pay a fee to be a fan of the team? Just because some of us are loyal optimists with the team, it doesn't make us better or worse fans than anyone else. And I don't see how anyone could think this is just a minor slump. We've looked like s*** for a while now, and we suck at home.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 04:34 AM) Konerko: "we're going to go down swinging with the guys we have" Maybe the sox just don't get it...the objective is to not go down swinging, it's to win the f***ing thing. I just can't stand the attitude I'm sensing from the White Sox right now. I've never seen a team just assume so much with plenty of meaningful games left in the season. Oh well, we just have to win some games.

QUOTE(Dam8610 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 03:50 AM) Now I'm "sipping the kool aid" because I'm confident that the best team in baseball since April will come out of a slump that has taken place while one of the teams most important players who produces a great deal of runs has been on the DL? Pods produces a lot of runs? PK has 10 more runs scored this season, and Pods still has less than 20 RBI this year. If anyone really thinks our offense has completely tanked because Pods is out, they obviously haven't been watching the last few months. The bottom of our order is just brutal, and now that Dye sucks again, we're missing our 2nd best power guy.

QUOTE(Dam8610 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 03:28 AM) It's only a 5 game losing streak. I'm sure every team has had one this season. It's not the end of the world, it's just a slump. Well, yesterday we were saying that about a 4 game losing streak. How long does this have to go on before a sense of urgency is shown?

The two guys I think are most likely Sox could get are D. Young and Ibanez. Both guys are better off playing DH, and both have bad contracts.

QUOTE(the People's Champ @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 03:30 AM) we dont need another DH and Visquel doesnt provide enough pop, Uribe plays solid D and thats about all that Visquel would have to offer us We won't get Omar, but he would provide exactly what we need at the bottom of the order: a tough out! We don't need more hitters with pop. What we need our hitters who can execute in situations and not go up swinging weakly at the first pitch. Our left side of the infield blows.

Santana is a closing horse, and he's started his stretch drive. His numbers are actually relatively close to where they were last year at this time.

Not a chance in hell will he get fired. When's the last time you saw a team with an 11 game lead fire a coach? Our ship is full, and only time will tell if we sink or swim.

QUOTE(3E8 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:55 AM) I hate off days at times like this. I just stew in misery with no game for a possible win to make me feel better. When you're feeling down, just think of this: We're 11 games up! I know it feels like we've lost 50 games in a row, but I guarantee you that before the season, you would have done anything to have an 11 game lead on 8/17.

QUOTE(JUGGERNAUT @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:53 AM) Is it Ozzie's fault? Are we sleeping offensively because he failed to develop a backup for Pods? Should he have used Iguchi in lead-off on days we rested Pods? Iguchi doesn't have that kind of speed but he does know how to work a pitcher in the counts & he does have good base running instincts. I still believe we put Pods on the DL in order to get him rested, and not cause he's really hurt. Even Ozzie has said he's happy he's not on the bench now so that he's not tempted to put him in the lineup. We took the foot off of the accelerator in mid August, and it didn't take long for everyone to start to panic. This team just needs to win games. Anytime they want to have an offensive explosion would be fine with me. We're playing not to lose....and of course you know what happens then.

Do any of you guys really think we'd ever say we wouldn't spend money at the deadline on the right player? It's a little naive to think that a statement like that is 100 percent honest.

QUOTE(brijames @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:45 AM) You do realise that the Sox could easily lose their next 6, 3 vs Yanks and 3 at twinks. By next Wed the Division lead could be down to 6 or 7. That is scary. Yet enjoyable. The fact that we could still be up 6 games if we lose 11 in a row is astonishing.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:44 AM) A lot worse...since a.) he'd have missed half the season, and b.) our entire budget would have been spent on him. Indeed

We can't hit a fastball over 95 mph, can we? Jenks would love to pitch against our hitters.

Holy s***, Hawk is such a tool. Now he's saying it's a compliment it's the first time we've lost 5 in a row? How long will he keep saying this type of s***? Is Hawk going to have a fiesta for Ozzie and Timo if we lose 10 in a row?

I honestly think the main reason our offense sucks is the lack of contribution from our left side of the infield. Even though Uribe's looking better at the plate, he still is way below average offensively.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:33 AM) And that's why we need a Griffey. There's a better chance of me winning Favorite Poster of the Year on soxtalk.com than there is of the Sox getting Griffey Jr. now.

Now, the big story tonight from the Sox side will be how we never gave up, and showed great heart coming back.

I'm sure happy Ozzie pulled a man in the 9th inning last night who seems to homer in every game.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:28 AM) Ok...I was one of the guys who was most adamant about not dumping any of our big name prospects at the trading deadline (especially for a pitcher)...so now when I say this, it's a flip-flop, and I really mean it. We need another bat. We absolutely need another bat. I don't care if it's a power bat or a guy who hits for average with speed, but we need another bat. I agree, but I'm now convinced it won't happen. Ozzie is too stubborn to not play our 4 main outfielders/DH when Pods gets back. Not only that, but Timo is our back-up outfielder.

Good news! We face Santana next week.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:24 AM) By the Way, the Cardinals are about to beat the DBacks 5-0 (where have I heard that score before?) so they'll soon be ahead of us in winning percentage as well. Good for them.

A little late for this, but I was thinking about that Stewart game-winning hit last night: Why the f*** wasn't Crede guarding the line? First, every pitch Adkins was throwing was an inside fastball. Stewart is a batter who hits a lot of balls down the line. Second, with Anderson having a good arm in LF, even if you protect the line, you're giving yourself a shot at throwing out the runner at home on a single. However, if the ball goes down the line, you have no shot. Just seems like pretty simple baseball strategy to me.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:19 AM) White Sox hitters also have a career .367 batting average against Matt Clement. There's no reason to think that he was going to slow us down either. Wow, Tadahito gets another single for us. Amazing. Jaw dropping. Clement was a batter away from getting taken out of that game. Trust me, I'm not saying we would have lost. However, I think it's assuming an awful lot to say we would have won that game no matter what.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 18, 2005 -> 02:17 AM) I became concerned when Pods hit the DL. Supposedly speed never goes into a slump...but when we lost the speed, we suddenly hit a slump. One of the reasons our offense has sucked for the majority of the season is we have no speed besides Pods. Nearly half of our lineup is made up of some of the slowest guys in baseball (PK, AJP, Crede, and Thomas).