LVSoxFan

I know this has been done before but the 1960 thread made me curious. It's been said that, statistically, it's very rare that teams go back-to-back in WS titles. What exactly are those statistics? Who did it last? To my memory, it has to have been the Yankees. And if so, what was it about them that enabled them to do it? Meaning: obviously their pitching staff was not "fatigued" because of the previous long season. Or were they? Have at it, experts!

Totally agree. The only hope I hold out is that Contreras had the "stuff" 1st half last season but couldn't get it done. Now look at him. I like Javy's pitching; he gets some good movement on that ball. You just want him to get over the damn hump already--ya know?

QUOTE(southsideirish71 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 10:28 AM) As stated numerous times in this thread. The problem for the 2006 Whitesox starts and ends with our starting pitching. The bullpen was in flux for the first month or so of the year. But Kenny has stabilized the pen with Thornton and Riske. Another right handed arm would be nice, if we move Bmac into the rotation. That is about it. Our hitters are going to slump. It happens year in and year out. Our pitching needs to man up, and start to pitch like they are capable of. Garland and Count gave us some nice innings this week. Vazquez and Garcia and Buerhle need to get better results from their starts. I have confidence that Buerhle will return to form. However Garcias velocity issues, and Vazquez tin head still worry me. Our team needs to also play better fundamentals. Getting the bunt down, being selfless with RISP, breaking up the double play, and playing good D. These are the hallmarks of last years team. We will find out what this team is made of over the next few weeks. "Vazquez's tin head." LMAO!

Actually I enjoyed this post. That is a creepy similarity. Let's hope that history doesn't repeat itself.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 07:37 PM) What the Sox need is for me to go see them in person again. They pwn when I am in their presence. I'm going Saturday. Here here to that, Big! I'm going tonight and thus far my record is 11-6! I wasn't at the Boston series, which is, of course, why they lost. But now that they're going to feel my Sox fan mojo tonight, I'm seeing a sweep!

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:32 AM) I think last year, pitching was #1, then timely homeruns, THEN a combination of small ball and great defense. We've kept the homeruns going this year, so that isn't really a problem area. I'd agree that small ball and defense are the number 2 and 3 areas that are biting us in the a** right now, yeah. Behind pitching, starters particularly. Good enough for me! I concur!

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 21, 2006 -> 09:37 AM) Will people be devastated anyway if we end up making the playoffs even if we can't pass Detroit? No. Just get there. That's all I care about.

Well if Tracey gets called in tonight, we all know what's coming...

While these are dark days for us, for God's sake people it is only July 21st. We can overcome this. I just hope when we get hot it's just in time for the playoffs. No freakin way am I throwing in the towel.

Why don't we meet halfway? Obviously pitching is the major element this year, and if you had to go for #2.... smallball. Deal?

I used a bad word choice. I said my "beef" with Thome and really all it was was an observation. Hey, I was emotional after yesterday. I love Thome and I wouldn't want him anywhere else. But yes, I think some other people have seconded the idea that it seems like he's trying to kill the ball every time and maybe he should just go for the hit. Hell, he even hit an opposite field single last week! !!!! But no diss on Thome. He's a rock.

I'm not disputing that pitching is the A #1 cause of our woes thus far but you people are freakin crazy if you think that smallball, Ozzieball, whatever you want to call it, hasn't been AWOL this year. Did you not watch the first half of 2005? And as far as 2006 goes, like I said: I've seen this movie before. It's called "2004." Yep, the 2004, after which KW and Ozzie and everybody made a BIG point about how we have to play "fundamental" (i.e., smallball) baseball. Sorry, they called it "smartball." I will concede that "smallball" is negated when pitching's not there (pitching and defense, pitching and defense) but to suggest that this had nothing to do with our 2005 success is freakin absurd.

I agree. Who can disagree with the Sausage King of Chicago!

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 04:29 PM) 1. Last I checked the Sox were first or second in all of baseball in BA with RISP. 2. While we definitely suck at small ball this year, that was not THE factor for us last year. It was about 4th on the list after pitching, power hitting and defense. 3. How many negative threads can you start in such a short period of time? Only two, dude! I completely disagree with you on #2. Are you kidding? Ozzie knew this, KW knew this, I knew this. To say that smallball wasn't the main reason for 2005 just defies logic. And history. And whatever the overall average with RISP is, it sure has been AWOL of late. Have you not seen how many men we've left on base in Detroit? NY? Hell I only watched for 45 minutes today at lunch and I saw SEVEN stranded, with one or no outs.

I'd rather have a guy who's a total homer who sticks his foot in his mouth than some dry, objective announcer. That's just me. While I enjoy the "pros" on ESPN and Fox (except for Bermann, that jackass), I find that kind of announcing is more fun when you're watching teams that aren't yours. 'Cause it helps to make something interesting that wouldn't be otherwise. I think Hawk trips up when he tries to be optimistic and rally the fans (hence the Detroit contradictions) but then tries to be realistic and critical. Which, to his credit, he's not afraid to do.

Here here to the Tigers fan for his straight-up post! Cheers! And like people have said: enjoy it, dude. It's magical and as you can now see... it doesn't necessarily happen again. BTW I cannot believe how packed Comerica is now. Been there a few times, never seen it like that.

QUOTE(Hangar18 @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 04:16 PM) It is Feast or Famine with him. Its funny, because the SOX are not built on SLUGGER/ALL OR NOTHING type guys. Were allegedly built with Grinder/ball-in-play/make contact guys who play smart. The first couple of weeks with him, he was on pace to Beat The World, the way he wasnt swinging at everything, taking his walks, going the other way. Not seen that from him since then. There is no doubt, his mere presence has helped Dye/Crede/Konerko, and his presence as a good clubhouse guy is also great, but man Jimmy, theres nothing wrong with what you were doing earlier in the year Yeah, you're right about that. What impressed me about him early was if he didn't belt one, he walked. He had a Frank Thomas-like OBP, or at least that type of approach. Now he's going the Sosa route. You're also right about the all-or-nothing status of the offense/team. I've seen that movie before. It's called "2004."

If you think about it this team is more like the 2004 Sox without the five-hole in the rotation. Well, okay, maybe with that same five-hole. Either way, the entire mantra of 2005 was pitching and defense, moving baserunners. It won us astounding success. Yes I KNOW we did not "smallball" our way through the playoffs, but let's not kid ourselves that it's not what got us through the regular season. And yet this year, we have the big bombers and what has it gotten us (granted, second or third best record in baseball, but you know what I mean). I would GLADLY trade the HRs and 20-9 games for: -A decent bunt. We did this relentlessly last year--what has happened to this approach? -A stolen base. Pods is a non-issue because he's rarely ON base anymore. Yet nobody else even attempts, except maybe Ozuna. Who's not even a starter. -Timely hits with RISP. It doesn't have to be a grand slam. A single will do. -When was the last time you saw us turn a double-play? -Too many times I've heard that the pitchers lucked out this year because they give up the runs but know our offense can score it back. RED FLAG. That was an IMMEDIATE red flag to me because it abandons our 2005 approach. -Hitting to opposite field. Remember how good we were at that last year? In other words, the things that made us champs last year all seem to be MIA right now.

This is NOT to dismiss Thome or to doubt his value to the team. BTW, does anybody recall a few weeks back (before NYC) when the Sun-Times had a spot where they were asking Sox players what the key to the second half would be? And they all said: Thome. Hmmm. I wonder if that put some pressure on him. My point: am I the only one to whom Thome seems feast-or-famine right now? He, of late, is starting to remind me of Jurassic Carl (gasp!). In that he either crushes the ball into the upper tank or whiffs. Call it Sosa on the Brain. I realize he's a big guy with a big bat but geez, a single, maybe? Here's what I notice (tell me if I'm crazy, as I'm sure you will): pitchers eat him up when they go with breaking balls inside and low. I swear I've seen him fan on this pitch like five times in the past week. I'm not piling on, just making an observation. But, to the point about the article, if the reality is "As Thome Goes, So Go the Sox," then no wonder we've been sucking lately.

You know, SoxnGiants has a point. If The Widgenator can't call a game to save his life, he just called one against the best team in baseball and we only gave up two runs. Trust me, I'm not a fan and I think people here have turned me against him (those numbers are spooky), just pointing that out.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 03:51 PM) Oh, so when you quoted my post, wrote "I'm not joining you on the ledge," you were referring to the all-knowing "you." If I lumped you in unfairly, my apologies. My fingers move faster than my brain sometimes.

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 03:46 PM) I don't even believe you, or several others posters who quoted me, know what you're arguing about. Where do you get the impression I'm "on the ledge?" Reading comprehension isn't difficult on a post covering a whole two paragraphs. Personally, unless Williams upgrades the rotation (ie, move Garcia), I'm concerned of our playoff chances. I'm not about to jump off my house, or any other scenario you want to cite which suggests I'm about to kill myself. These last few series have raised doubts in my mind, among others, that our ballclub doesn't match up well against good competition. Actually I don't know what WE'RE arguing about, because I'm sharing your concern, totally. I just don't think it's time to give up yet on the idea that we have not clicked. Give me a month. Then I'LL jump off the ledge. The "ledge" comment is addressed to the board at large, not you individually.

Those of you commenting on why we don't sub for a game as important as this, I'm on your side. I'm just fronting a comment my co-worker said. Correct me if I'm wrong, but was it not the pattern in 2005 that we'd send in the "B" squad only if we'd already won the series? That made sense, because if you win most of your series, you're in good shape. Not that the third game was a throwaway, but in the long haul this made sense. Yet not only had we not won this series but it is a CRUCIAL series to our division rival on whom we're trying to gain ground. I don't want to armchair-QB Ozzie, but I just don't get this. And we should point out one bright spot: the starting pitching has been good lately. Garland looked great, Javy looked great until the Big Inning, and Jose only gave up two runs to the best team in baseball. It's the "O" that killed us in this series. There is no reason we should not have come back last night. I agree with the guy who said last night's loss was even tougher. We were looking like the shut 'em down 2005 Sox last night and then it all vanished.

Not to be a contrarian here but don't you usually bench some of your A guys when a day game follows a night game?

QUOTE(Flash Tizzle @ Jul 20, 2006 -> 03:21 PM) How the hell do you know any of this? I'm tired of people suggesting perhaps this is our only slump. Or those who love to riddle posts with cliches such as, "every team goes through these periods," or "we did it last year and it turned out fine." Listen to me, here: forget about last season. Referencing last years August/September swoon, as if to imply we're going through that point now, is a flimsy set of logic. No more flimsy than people throwing in the towel on 7/20 for frack's sake. Why is that idea so foreign to you? Cleveland was godawful 1st half last year and you know what happened. We were the best overall until one month last year we slumped. We have not strung together any sizeable streak thus far which means one of two things: 1) We're just not a good team and one that doesn't click 2) We haven't clicked YET so when we do.... So which one do you choose? I'll take two, and until we're mathematically out of it, I'm not joining you on the ledge. And BTW trust me: I have forgotten about last year completely. This is so obviously not 2005.