whitesoxfan101

QUOTE (whitesoxfan101 @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 11:20 AM) Hafner isn't going to catch fire, he's just not the same without his performance enhancing drugs, as his falloff last year was huge and this year is even bigger without them. However, I think Cleveland is the biggest threat to get back in it obviously. To me, Minnesota is what they are right now (a .500 team), Detroit just seems like they might be having "one of those years" like we had last year, and Kansas City sucks. The key point is your first sentence though, and it's true. I think if we eventually start playing .500 ball and only end up winning like 88 games, that might be good enough. That is why the next 9 games against teams we are better then are HUGE, we need to keep gaining ground on .500 to improve our margain of error. Reading this more rational thought of mine is a good idea after a series like that. We're clearly going to make things a lot more difficult than they should be though, then again that is the route we took in 2005 too.

QUOTE (letsgoarow @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:57 PM) yes because we should be expected to sweep every team on the ROAD Yes because it's too much to ask to not get swept by a team 11 under on the road.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:51 PM) A bad team? LOL'ers. The Sox are not among the top few teams in baseball, but to say they are a bad team is just ridiculous. They're 5-ish games into first, 8 games over .500 and have up until this series killed their division. They have the best ERA in baseball and an offense that is middle-of-the-pack. Bad team? Please. They lay more eggs than any "good" team I've ever seen. They are as bi-polar/hot and cold as any division leader you'll ever see as well, that's for sure. They almost feel like the early 2000's Sox, only they find a way to waste dozens of great pitching outings instead of great offensive performances, and it's frusterating as hell and could cause them a similar fate as those teams at the end of the day.

Things like this are why I'm glad I don't have to make important decisions, because I have no idea where I stand on this. National security is obviously a big deal, but holding people without charging them with anything is just not right, even if they are so called terrorists. The one thing I wonder is how can we prove they are terrorists if we don't even have enough dirt to charge them with a crime? Then again, if they had the connections that led them to Gitmo, they aren't good people obviously. Such a tough situation to gain an opinion on either way IMO.

Realistically, Obama has significant ties to politics in the state of Illinois, how can he NOT be at least a bit dirty? Then again, I think the next clean politician you'll find in either party is the first, so my opinion is skewed.

The Verlander game wasn't really the problem, he was long overdue to actually have a good game against us. Our mindless, sloppy effort on Tuesday and the fact we wasted Mark's performance today are the bigger issues. If we just win one of those it's no big deal, and if we win both it's great, but to find a way to lose each game and thus get swept is killer.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:37 PM) Firstly, and I'm not saying the Sox are a world-killer, but world series winning teams get swept by subpar teams at times during a 162-game schedule, particularly on the road. Secondly, Detroit is a talented team with essentially the same core that won an AL pennant two years ago and competed for the division last year. Is it more likely that they are a team that plays at the level they have played for the previous 60 games or the preceding 340 games? Lastly, we have been RED HOT against the Tigers in general, even last year when we were 72-90 we OWNED them, and we were due to get swept up there. If this losing streak hits 8, or they lose something like 15 of 20, then I'd be worried. For now, be thankful we had a little cushion. Even 100 game winning teams still lose 38% of their games.... Realistically, I'm aware this is all very accurate. But the timing of this couldn't have been worse, in regards to both how we had been playing coming in and the fact that we had a shot to bury them, or at least continue their path of mediocrity. We just made things incredibly difficult on ourselves the rest of the way the last 3 days. We are still the favorites to win this division and I know that, but there is a good chance it will be a lot more difficult now. The Sox just never make things easy on themselves and that is hard to watch.

QUOTE (jphat007 @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:31 PM) How the hell do you know we woke them up!?! They haven't even played anymore games yet! Rogers and Verlander have both been a lot better lately, and we did nothing to impede that progress for them. Although they are both overrated, Zumaya and Rodney are coming back soon. They blowtorched two of our better starting pitchers in this series, and then somehow won when the other one was great. Outside of when the atrocious Nate Robertson pitched, we did nothing on offense against a pitching staff that as a team has been lousy all year. Now, their pitching staff will still struggle since they don't get to face our hot and cold offense everyday, but this series has run starter and giant awakening written all over it. I hope I'm wrong, but if they don't make a run soon, aided in terms of it's start by this series, I'd be very, very surprised.

QUOTE (Greg Hibbard @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:27 PM) because we all know 3 games defines whether you are a very good team or a laughably bad team. We're not laughably bad, but the notion that we are a good team is pretty laughable right now. People can make all the excuses they want, but Detroit has been mediocre/bad and asleep all year, and we woke them up in 3 days. You can't do that, period.

QUOTE (robinventura23 @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:25 PM) If we play like this and get dominated by the Pirates and Rockies, then I'll complain. Still, losses like these are always hard to take. It'd be much easier to take if we had struggled like this against them. To let Detroit back into the race with three just awful efforts from almost everybody outside of Mark Buehrle is inexcuseable. Even if we had won one out of three it'd have been no big deal, but we did the one thing we couldn't afford to, and that was get our ass swept.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Jun 12, 2008 -> 02:19 PM) People act like 8 games in June is impossible to overcome. They are getting their primary setup guys back soon. Meanwhile our team shoots itself in the foot wasting good starting pitching because they figure they can. If we win this series, it's 11 or 14 games. Even if we win today it's 10, which is why I say the last 3 days could prove to be our doom by late September, unless of course Cleveland wakes up and that is what gets us. I had so much hope going into this series that maybe we were actually a very good team, but that is a laughable notion now.

Well, it's now quite clear that a bad team is going to win the AL Central. And thanks to the embarassing play by the White Sox throughout this series, there is a chance it'll be the Detroit Tigers. If we are sitting at home in October, outside of the obvious mid and late September series, you'll need look no further than theres 3 games as to why.

How long until they run out of "500 year flood plains" and the whole state is underwater? It seems like that is the next step, I feel bad for you guys across the border, and that story on the boy scout camp is awful. The flooding is bad enough, no damn tornadoes too.

QUOTE (kyyle23 @ Jun 11, 2008 -> 09:35 AM) Already convicted? I thought the case hasnt even started yet? He plead guilty to two felonies already and is waiting to be sentenced.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 09:03 PM) Are any of these guys legitimate prospects? Maybe Mabee (sorry, I had to). In all seriousness though, Mabee has the best shot I would say because he throws so many ground balls. He's the only one among them that might be though IMO.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-b...p&type=lgns I have a hard time believing the source, as Donaghy is a bad guy and a convicted felon. However, when you consider the series being referred to here, it's hard not to believe him. Game 6 between LA and Sacramento in 2002 was the most obvious looking fix I've ever seen in major American sports, and it's not even close to whatever game i'd put in 2nd place on that dubious list. And the other series mentioned, Dallas/Houston in 2005, had some AWFUL officiating as well. This would be easy to lie about for Donaghy as people have suspected stuff like this in the NBA since the frozen/bent envelope gave the Knicks Patrick Ewing, but the series referred to in this story were fishy looking at the time to say the least.

Congrats to the Wolves on a great ending to a great season with yet another championship for them. Now, get that presser with Foley scheduled already Blackhawks!!

QUOTE (Shadows @ Jun 5, 2008 -> 10:57 PM) Why is that ignorant? because you don't agree with my opinion? I think your opinion they wont sweep is ignorant, how do ya like me now!?!?!?! I like you great. Like I said, Boston could win in six or seven, but to say they'll sweep is ignorant, especially with the way NBA officiating works. Stick to the squared circle thread.

QUOTE (YASNY @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 11:42 AM) The same can be said about Frank Thomas. You give these two players healthy and un-strike-interrupted careers, and there stats would be legendary. It's not a great comparison because Griffey was such a better defensive player at a much more important position, plus could steal bases. Then again, Frank's walk/power game was always better than Junior's. Hard to compare to two.

Just a bad game for us, players and coaches alike. Luckily, no harm done in regards to the division lead. Let's get them tomorrow and make the Thursday afternoon game a rubber match. Can't win them all.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 02:30 PM) That is like rule 1 of journalism. Controversy sells papers/gets ratings, manufactured or otherwise. Just about everybody hates Mariotti, but everybody sho'nuff still reads his articles and talks about them and how much they hate him. Personally whenever somebody posts some trash he writes I scroll over it or avoid the thread unless it's a thread ripping on him. He is basically the media's equivalent of a troll, and he's good at what he does. As a person majoring in journalism, I approve of the accuracy of this post. Jay Mariotti is the worst journalist you will ever find, however he's not dumb. He knows by being a total idiot, he will get attention and get his website hits and get people to read the sports section. He's very good at what he does, however he never has or will get respect for it. Jay has sold his soul (and integrity) to the devil in the name of the green paper, and I give him credit for doing it very well, but he's still a douchebag with no class.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 11:21 AM) I don't care what a team's record is...if they're as potent on offense as Detroit potentially is, then mid-June is still too early to count them out. They're 11 back right now, Cleveland came from what, 15 back in 05 to make it interesting, and was the greatest regular season swing in White Sox history away from pulling within 0.5 games and probably breaking our spirit? This is very true, but you don't hit your way out of a double digit deficit, you pitch your way out of it. That Cleveland team had the good version of Cliff Lee, Jake Westbrook, C.C. Sabathia, and Kevin Millwood and his 2.86 ERA in their rotation. Even their #5 starter Scott Elarton went 11-9 with a respectable ERA around 4.50. Plus, their bullpen that year pitched very well overall. That is all without mentioning they were 4th in the AL in runs that year as well. The point is, there isn't a 2005 Cleveland in this division to chase us down. This is not a very good division, at all, and we've got a great chance to pull away in the coming weeks that we need to exploit. It's never over obviously until you clinch, but there isn't a great team to chase us down this time. This is more like the 2000 AL Central than the 2005 one, and even that's a stretch since i'm not sure the second place team in this division can make it to 90 wins like Cleveland did that year.

Hafner isn't going to catch fire, he's just not the same without his performance enhancing drugs, as his falloff last year was huge and this year is even bigger without them. However, I think Cleveland is the biggest threat to get back in it obviously. To me, Minnesota is what they are right now (a .500 team), Detroit just seems like they might be having "one of those years" like we had last year, and Kansas City sucks. The key point is your first sentence though, and it's true. I think if we eventually start playing .500 ball and only end up winning like 88 games, that might be good enough. That is why the next 9 games against teams we are better then are HUGE, we need to keep gaining ground on .500 to improve our margain of error.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jun 10, 2008 -> 11:08 AM) Hmmm, Detroit is really the only team that seems to have hit Jose well this season. He pitched against them in his first 2 starts, gave up 9 runs and 16 hits between the 2. Time for Jose's revenge. I think Jose will be fine, he just didn't have his control in those early season starts in the cold. He had 7 walks in the two starts against Detroit, and has 14 in his 10 starts since. He was also 0-1 with a 6.17 ERA in those starts, and is 6-2 with a 2.19 ERA since.

For me, yesterday was the first time it felt like 2005 again here in 2008. Now, we've got a nine game stretch including 3 at Detroit, a place we always play well, against a team that is strugging, and 3 at home against the Pirates and Rockies. Obviously 6-3 is a floor goal, but if we can go 7-2 or even somehow 8-1 in this stretch, we can enter round 1 against the Cubs with a huge division lead, and in a position where we have a huge lead like we built in 2005 and 2008. And with the way this division has played out, if we can get our lead to 8, 9, or even 10 games, you can turn out the lights. Hopefully we can take advantage of this BIG opportunity.