chitownsportsfan

I keep thinking back to Robin's comments about "I'm only managing kinda as a favor" or whatever the hell he said but it just seems to me the team is under prepared. There was a clip of Ventura on mic'ed up MLB network I watched and granted it was spring but what I took was that guys feel a little TOO comfy around him. Eaton especially. One way or another, things will shake out over the next couple months with Robin.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 10:34 PM) Everyone knows slow starts are magnified. Look no further than the Red Sox and Rays over the last 3-4 seasons. You cant win a pennant in April, but you can definitely lose one, with 2011 being the most recent example with the bullpen struggles...or 2013 to a lesser extent. And speaking of the pen, Hector Santiago is outpitching our top two guys against the Royals tonight. Indeed. Boston 20-29 at the end of May last year with a roster many predicted to contend. Blew it all up in July. I really hope the Sox can turn it around but man it's just a s*** start. And let's not kid ourselves this is an awful 0-4 as well. They haven't really been in a single game late and many of the gaffes we've seen are eerily familiar of the last few Sox teams. Just not good fundamental baseball. Forget the fancy stuff just don't get TOOTBLANN'ed every other inning and throw the ball all over the diamond. And try and tag down 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th.

QUOTE (kev211 @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 10:22 PM) Majority of teams that start 0-4 are s***. I guarantee a decent majority of most playoff teams hit a 4 game skid at some point during the season. Ours just happened the first four games. Yea, but the Sox' dice might be biased to the "L" column, ya know? Hence, rolling 4 in a roll to start. That's why 0-4 to start is way more significant historically than a 4 game losing streak over 162 games.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 10:14 PM) Another way would be to look at the final record of all teams starting 0-4. It wouldnt be pretty picture. For example, 75% of the playoff teams started 2-2 (White Sox among them) and two (Cards and Mariners) were 3-1 starters. So now its three of the last 126 playoff teams...2.4% There's nothing good in this data. Yea, it's a selection bias and you'd find stuff like teams that went 2-9 or 1-8 that made the playoffs but the thing is: USUALLY TEAMS THAT START 0-4 ARE s***TY. PERIOD. Maybe this team is different but right now? Doesn't look good. It's late early and they are already 4 back in the division on April 10th. Not good man. Put it this way: if they were 4-0 and were winning as big as they are losing now -- would you start printing playoff tickets? Of course not, but you'd sure as s*** consider the possibility that this is a playoff team. I think we sure as s*** better consider the possibility that this is a 75 win team. F***

QUOTE (spiderman @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 08:46 PM) Small sample size. I'd be curious how many teams have made the playoffs after 30 games of poor play. If the White Sox, in mid May, are 8-10 games under .500, I'm concerned, but if the Sox are 5-6 after 11 games, that means they turned things around. Way too early for any hard conclusions. The conclusion is most teams that start 0-4 arent playoff teams. Don't need to be Einstein to see that. Sure if they win 8 of 14 to get to 8-10 we can revisit.

Yea its late early what a buzzkill. Win tmr and the day after and revisit the history.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 07:26 PM) I would have agreed with you until I watched the 2011-2014 Chicago White Sox. I saw 3 teams that were complacent, happy, and not worked hard in spring training and I saw 3 teams that disappointed and were uncompetitive. I also saw one team that came out firing on all cylinders from day 1, with some of the best fundamentals I've ever seen from a ballclub, and that team was only kept from a division title by the fact that their kids and veterans broke down from exhaustion at the end of the year. Most of the same players from 2011 fixed problems in 2012 and then the same players from 2012 fell apart in 2013 and looked like a clown show. Maybe the one who set the standard too high is Robin Ventura 2012, but this is the 3rd year in a row I've looked at the team starting out week 1 and said "What the hell did we do different in 2012 and why aren't we doing that again?" Fool me 3 times shame on you. Fool me 4 times shame on me. Can't get fooled again, not after investing so much into the team. If the team is 10 under in July, you sure as s*** better bring the hammer down on Robin.

Tony: I agree pro athletes don't need the rah rah horse s***. That's why they are pro athletes. THAT SAID: This is the 4rd roster for Ventura and the 3rd one that plays sloppy, poor fundamental baseball. Guys are simply TOO RELAXED. After Ozzie, Ventura felt like a breath of fresh air -- problem is, the stench has returned and with all the roster turnover the past few years the one constant has been Robin. Adam Eaton is not that dumb, something has these guys not prepared and I'm going to go ahead and blame the manager. I've seen more than enough.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 06:15 PM) Here's another reason I want to punch the wall, scream and freak out on here. Too many things the Sox do we shrug off as "no big deal. It wouldn't have mattered." You f***ing do not tag up, down six runs!!!! What a pathetic play by Eaton. Why the f*** would you try to score on that except for, "it didn't matter anyway. We weren't going to win." This team desperately needs a mulligan as Hawk said to re-start the season. But Robin can't yell at the guys or turn over tables in the clubhouse. Nobody can do anything because "baseball is a marathon." yeah, sit back and try to score down 6-0 in the ninth inning on a shallow fly ball to left. PATHETIC, EATON! p.s. great take by fathom. And Micah getting picked off down 4 the other day. Robin is dead wood man. He doesn't have the team ready. At. All.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 06:13 PM) This team fundamentals are lol worthy. They look like they are stuck in spring training. Who is to blame for that? The manager.

Fire robin I have seen this same bad baseball over 3 different rosters he is clueless and way way way too relaxed. Club plays lifeless and sloppy game after game.

nice f***ing BABIP luck our staff has had early as well.

QUOTE (BigHurt3515 @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 04:45 PM) I agree but how many people are going to be pissed if you see Beckham or Sanchez playing DH? You don't want Emilio in the DH role because he has versatility. You don't want Soto DHing because of the lack of bench catcher. So you have Beckham or Sanchez and I expect Sanchez to be gone here soon Edit: I guess you can have AVI DH and Emilio play RF This is so obviously the answer. If you aren't going to play Emilio around the diamond there is zero point in signing him.

QUOTE (TitoMB @ Apr 10, 2015 -> 04:38 PM) i think his nickname will be 'Dunn' by July. He shouldn't be playing against many LHP. I don't care if he is a vet he is no good against LHP and he shouldn't be batting 5th if even in the lineup.

Laroche has a career OPS+ of 77 vs LHP. I'd really like to see Robin not bat him 5th against LHP.

at least Jose and Avi don't look clue less so far this year.

Let's win a f***ing game and see some decent pitching and defense huh.

QUOTE (shipps @ Apr 9, 2015 -> 03:56 PM) Yeah in football. I dunno man usually I'd be all like whatever 3 of 162 but ya know...the games count in april too and the Sox already are -3 to the Royals and in the basement of the central. With so much parity 0-3 in the division is just icing on the cake and now they have to play 4 better than the Royals the rest of the way to win it. Not ideal.

QUOTE (The Ginger Kid @ Apr 9, 2015 -> 04:22 PM) I know I'm in the minority, but I'm encouraged by what I've seen so far from the Sox, even with a possible 0-3 start. What is encouraging other than maybe Avi?

QUOTE (bmags @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 10:37 PM) really abysmal, for a team that has started slow traditionally. Of course, when we've started fast it usually meant we were a playoff team. Oh well, probably doesn't mean anything, shouldn't overthink it. I dunno not only did they lose they lost in pretty much the exact way everyone worst cased before the season. Offense is solid but not elite and this pitching and defense? Hell this is with the top of the rotation, granted sans Sale.

QUOTE (GreenSox @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 10:27 PM) The pen has been terrible. High pitch counts, too much action, no Ks. Ventura is the same amateur he's been for the last 3 seasons. But he's friend of JR and Williams and he's a hero, and that's what's important. The move to Micah followed by Duke to Perez was pretty head scratching. Also, Duke should probably pitch the 8th if he's not primaly a LOOGY.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 10:27 PM) It is a game. I dont mind strutting around the bases. Thats expected. The curtain call however on game 2 is a bit much. def agree there. stupid nobody was calling for it I bet the vets razz him for it as they should.

QUOTE (kitekrazy @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 10:25 PM) I can see people getting upset. It still looks like the Sox of 2014 playing games 163, 164. +1 You want optimism for the home opener? f***ing win tmr or at least show some f***ing life. Last year the team showed life early and died late so whatever but show us something.

QUOTE (AustinIllini @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 10:24 PM) The second game was "close", but i'm about 17 runs in 2 games. key word: "close" and yea, that pitching tho. To a Royals lineup that is OK but certainly not close to the league's toughest.

QUOTE (southsideirish71 @ Apr 8, 2015 -> 10:22 PM) Its bush league. Now in the Merionette park little league you celebrate every home run like its the last one on the planet, these however are pros who play 162 games. Its game 2. it's a kid's game and why not show some emotion and flair dude had a great game. good on him. I'd like our guys to pickup their f***ing games to his level.