whitesoxfan101

Runs allowed in last 8 losses (from today back to July) 7, 7, 8, 7, 4, 7, 3, 10 That's the fault of the offense? They had 2 bad games, and we were blasted in the others.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:47 PM) There's your key, and that's where I'd be going with this proposal. Yeah, it might cost us 1-2 runs out of every 30. But if it allowed us to space them out just a little bit better, by either setting us up better against left handers or setting us up so it's harder for other teams' bullpens to shut us down for an inning, I think it could turn into more wins. You can space out your runs scored? That is something I've never heard of or seen in baseball, and you really have a groundbreaking idea here. Hell, we can just borrow 3 runs from some of our 12-3 wins and turn 3-2 losses into 5-3 wins by simply switching around our offense, which is the best in the game? Ok you have me convinced, this foolproof idea shall lead to a repeat.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:45 PM) Or it could start putting up more runs consistently, instead of having our standard 12 run game followed by a 5 run game followed by a 3 run game. Do you have any statistical evidence to support this?? And also, we should win when we score 5 runs, and we should win when we lead 3-0 early. So you want the offense to be more consistent? This argument is mind boggling, sometimes good pitching goes against us and we only score 3. That happens to EVERY TEAM, you can't score 5 or more every game, and you know what?? If our pitching wasn't so mediocre, we'd win some of the games we only score 3 in.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:43 PM) JP LOSMAN, EVERYONE ELSE JUST SUCKS Not Kyle Orton. He won games and didn't make the big mistake, the Bears will dread the day they made him 3rd string.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:42 PM) So, here's the question...do we sit here and just keep repeating the "Blame the pitching staff" mantra, or do we actually accept the cards we've been dealt, and decide what the best way to play them is? Either the pitching staff will get better or it won't. The offense isn't going to decide that. All the offense can do is put up as many runs every game as possible. I think this would help, and sitting around saying "the pitching staff should be better" doesn't do anything to win us more games. And changing the lineup which leads baseball in runs isn't going to change anything either. The only thing that could happen is it could get worse.

QUOTE(witesoxfan @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:40 PM) Why fix what isn't broken, right? Well, against lefties, the top of the order is broken. We've been pisspoor against lefties all year, so a slight adjustment wouldn't hurt. In fact, I wouldn't even be against just flipflopping Konerko and Thome. PK is more prone to GIDPing, so you have that added factor in when Podsednik and Iguchi actually do get on base, but he has just destroyed LHP this year(.347 BA, 1.128 OPS, plus he homers once every 12 PAs against LHP). You have PK hit 3rd, Thome 4th, and Dye 5th, and that makes it a hell of a lot harder on the opposing manager. This team seems like it's one slight adjustment away from just getting hotter than all hell. Perhaps juggling the 3-4-5 may do it. The pitching not being brutal is the adjustment we have to make in order to get hotter than hell. No matter what you do to the offense, they can't be better than 1st in runs and they won't score 7 every game.

Manning will be the best until the playoffs, just like every year.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:37 PM) Yup, the reason we've lost a lot of one run games has been because of the offense. Well if the lineup were aligned differently, those 7-6 losses turn into 8-7 wins!! Sure the pitching gave up 7, and we lead the league in runs, but it's the lineup's fault we lost. We should bring back Aaron Rowand. He's blue collar and would strikeout less hitting 3rd for us. He's a better defender than Brian Anderson too.

QUOTE(TitoMB345 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:35 PM) That's a pretty stupid argument. We've had a ton of blowouts. And we're 15-14 in 1-run games. Making small changes to the lineup could make that 20-9. So the fact that we leading ALL OF BASEBALL in runs scored doesn't matter because you think our lineup (rather than our bad pitching) has lost us close games? That's a far more stupid argument by you.

Well trading for Vasquez has lost us a lot of games in the middle innings during his starts, kept B-Mac out of the rotation, and kept Pods in LF rather than Chris Young and his stud future getting a shot. So in a sense, that trade has worked out great.

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:25 PM) We need to have our manager get a better grasp of the hook for the SP instead of just plain asking him, so how do you feel. THAT is definitely true, Ozzie's lack of a hook costs us a run or two every game it seems like. QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:30 PM) Runs scored: 1. White Sox 619 2. Red Sox 600 Leave the offense alone. Exactly. And our 3-4-5 are all having HUGE HUGE seasons, so I don't know why the hell you'd touch the lineup.

QUOTE(lord chas @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 03:04 PM) the division is slipping away... The division race has been over for 2 or 3 weeks now. The Tigers will now win 101 games if they play .500 ball the rest of the way, so just give it up.

This argument does hold water, but I think it's time for us to quit blowing leads on the road when going for a sweep against an inferior opponent.

QUOTE(Steve9347 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 10:31 AM) you got it bro, you gonna be at the Ohio State game to kickoff the season? it's going to be NUTS! Yeah I'll be there, just as I was at the Michigan game last year. I don't expect a win or anything, but hopefully we give them a decent game (our offense at least should be able to do some work, their d lost 9 starters, it's their 1st game, and our offense is of course a machine. And I don't want to talk about what will happen to our defense )

QUOTE(THEWOOD @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 12:13 PM) GO BUCKS!! I am so happy football season is about ready to kickoff. I love baseball and all, but there is nothing better than Saturdays during the fall. Should be a great season. I will be attending OSU vs Texas, OSU vs PSU, OSU vs. NW, OSU vs Illini. Troy Smith for Heisman!! GO BUCKS!!! I'll be at that opener in the NIU section (I'm a student). Obviously I don't expect a win or anything, but if we can just give you an honestly decent game, I'd be ecstatic about the rest of this season. The one thing I will say is you lost 9 defensive starters and it's your first game, so Wolfe and our offensive machine should at least make a good showing on national television, but good Lord your offense is going to destroy our defense.

AWESOME COVER....I'm using that one, thanks for posting.

QUOTE(danman31 @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 12:31 AM) We've traded similar talent before. Haigwood is having a rough year, starting to look like best case scenario is 5th starter/long reliever. Gonzalez and Lumsden still have a ways to go before we really need to worry about them. Young is looking very solid, however, but none of these guys are any different talent wise from what we've traded before. I would agree with all that except Young. The only comparable guy I can think of was Reed since he was an OF, but it was warned all along that he had a low celing (freaking Mark Kotsay comparisions), whereas Young could be an all around very good player.

QUOTE(ViperPilot @ Aug 6, 2006 -> 12:37 AM) every team in the pennant race has issues and weaknesses and to be surprised if the team with the best record in baseball reaches the World Series is a little naive...... Not really, the Mariners set the all time wins record in 2001 and I would have been SHOCKED if they had won the pennant (which they didn't of course). Regular season record means nothing as of day 1 of the playoffs, it's all about PITCHING. And your pitching has been great, but Rogers and his 41 year old body is having it's usual 2nd half fall, Robertson is another guy who hasn't been a great 2nd half guy and hasn't been so far again, Maroth is still hurt, Miner is a rookie, and Verlander (who WILL be great for years) has never pitched this many innings, and is already tired. Bonderman is a legit stud, and Verlander will be, but the Tigers pitching staff is cause for concern in terms of the playoffs, even though the division is already yours. And no team with Todd Jones as their closer will win the World Series. Ever. Not a chance in hell.

Wow....turns out the Bomar story broke on a Texas A&M fansite......in late JANUARY: http://www.texags.com/main/forum.reply.asp...&forum_id=5 First of all, that guy has bragging rights for life on that site. Second, to me that's proof that Stoops knew exactly what was going on (but then again, of course he did, that post wasn't needed to prove it).

The Tigers season hasn't been luck at all, and anybody implying that is silly. However I will say that you should be pleased all you have to do is play .500 the rest of the year to win 100 games, and also be worried about October. Your lineup is still pedestrian and your pitching has shown more signs of wear and tear and causes for concern than ours did at any point last year, even when Cleveland got hot on our tails.

Nice list there, it's amazing the worst we've given up so far is Majewski, who is basically a white Luis Vizcaino. However I fear what guys like Young, Haigwood, Lumsden, and Gonzalez will turn into.

Pudge has always been a total spaz, so whatever. I personally say the same thing about all celebrations though, if you don't like it, prevent the opponent from having success.

QUOTE(WHarris1 @ Aug 5, 2006 -> 11:29 PM) Cincinnati 57 53 .518 - Arizona 55 54 .505 1.5 Los Angeles 55 55 .500 2.0 Colorado 53 55 .491 3.0 Philadelphia 53 56 .486 3.5 Houston 52 57 .477 4.5 San Francisco 52 57 .477 4.5 Milwaukee 52 58 .473 5.0 Florida 51 59 .464 6.0 Atlanta 50 59 .459 6.5 Well Arizona just fell to 55-55, so Cincinnati now has a 2 game lead on them and LA. Also, Cincinnati has a 4 game series at home coming up with St. Louis. They are only 2.5 games back, and the Cardinals pitch Jeff Weaver and Jason Marquis in the first 2 games at GABP, the best homer park in the game. St. Louis might show up on this list in the not too distant future.

QUOTE(GoRowand33 @ Aug 5, 2006 -> 11:25 PM) after yesterday and tonight I am convinced of two things 1. the indians just aren't trying anymore 2. the tigers will never lose again Despite the fact that they are going to win 100 games and the Central, the Tigers to me seem like a team that is going to be beaten in the playoffs. Their pitching, as great as it's been, IMO isn't good enough to overcome their lack of offense once we get to playoff time. If they make it to the World Series, I'd be completely shocked.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 5, 2006 -> 01:06 AM) 1. Jeff Bagwell 19,369,019 2. Andy Pettitte 16,428,416 3. Lance Berkman 14,500,000 4. Roy Oswalt 11,000,000 5. Aubrey Huff 6,916,667 6. Craig Biggio 4,000,000 7. Preston Wilson 4,000,000 8. Brad Lidge 3,975,000 9. Brad Ausmus 3,857,068 10. Morgan Ensberg 3,800,000 11. Adam Everett 1,900,000 12. Mike Lamb 1,700,000 13. Trever Miller 1,300,000 14. Orlando Palmeiro 950,000 15. Dan Wheeler 930,000 16. Russ Springer 750,000 17. Brandon Backe 442,500 18. Willy Taveras 400,000 19. Chad Qualls 376,000 20. Chris Burke 362,500 21. Eric Munson 350,000 Bagwell's contract ends this year whether or not the insurance claim comes through, so this team will have some money to spend this offseason. Aramis Ramirez, Barry Zito both would be excellent fits. I think they'll really need to go for a bat, Soriano, Lee, Ramirez would be ideal. It's damn nice that Konerko is already signed. And that don't include Clemens, and eventually, that SOB's gonna retire, and make ESPN talk about baseball games for 6 months instead of Clemens. That team is in DESPERATE need of a couple of bats and has been for a few years now. They really need an outfielder that can hit, hell probably 2 of them actually, and Ensberg's constant injury problems would make them a suitor for Ramirez. They'll also be in the Zito sweepstakes, due to needing another SP and having so much money freed up.