35thstreetswarm

I think that's sort of his point. Lynn was thrown out there opposite McCullers, who killed us, because of the possibility he'd be lit up. Nobody liked it, but there was at least a chance Lynn would shove and the alternatives--start Cease, who gets rocked worse than Lynn by Houston, or an injured Rodon--were worse. I don't think there was any other way to stack it up at the time. I think TLR was largely to blame for the game 2 loss, btw.

Wait "another bottom"? What was the previous "bottom"? In the last 12 months we went to the playoffs twice, and we just won the division with the heart of our lineup out half the season. I mean, losing in the playoffs is disappointing but let's not pretend the last 12 months have been like a series of catastrophes.

Unreal. Talk about your bad luck. Their staff is shaky behind him...and in a seven game series that will only be magnified. So Framber, Luis Garcia, ???, ???, Framber again? Yikes

Agreed - the Astros just played really, really well, even though they're a garbage organization for which I will never have any respect. Wouldn't surprise me to see them win it all this year. Their offense was on fire and we just couldn't keep them down. That said, folks should resist the urge to over-read the significance of this series. I already see a lot of posts suggesting that the Astros somehow definitively proved that they're better than the Sox and that we can't possibly overtake them without a major overhaul. (Kind of like the offseason posts saying Twins were "the champs" through which all roads to the AL Central crown led...ahem.) That's really premature. Look, the Astros will be around next year, but nothing is fixed in this sport and next year we may find that we're the ones with the hot hand. The Astros couldn't get past the Rays last year, then they lost Springer, and had no Verlander, and Greinke turned into a pumpkin. How could they logically overtake the Rays this year, especially with the Rays having the #1 seed? Well, the Rays could only manage one win against a pretty flawed Boston team. They won't even have to play them. The point is things change--often rapidly and unexpectedly. We just need to do the work to improve over the offseason, win the division again, and take our shot next year.

Uh, I'll say - it only carried us for half a season of injuries to our regulars, and the home-grown replacements and "next man up" success was the story of the season up to August. Man, narratives can shift quickly around here

And all that loud cheering hurt my ears, too - keep it down for god's sake. Kidding of course, but I think the standing on every two-strike pitch for two full games was awesome. The whole experience and energy level was such a welcome departure from the sterile, boring environment at Minute Maid where I spent the prior week. The Sox crowd was loud and brash like the team. The home crowd experience was, to me, the high point of an otherwise disappointing series.

Houston was really a nightmare matchup for us. I suspect we would have had a really good shot against Tampa or Boston but we'll never know. Oh well, would've had to face them eventually.

I totally agree. Fans should give it to those cheaters loud and hard for as long as they're around. I was happy to hear it coming from Sox fans (though I think it can be accomplished more effectively without the F-word chants). MLB may try to sweep it under the rug, but the fans won't forget. It's at least a tiny measure of justice, meted out one chant at a time. And by the way, I got tons of admiring messages from friends who cheer for other teams about how fired up and passionate our crowd was, including the "cheater" chants. And by the way, it was louder and much more impassioned when we were winning--the Astros will of course try to cast it as sour grapes but in my opinion it went well beyond frustration about losing, and will not go away if and when we bump them out of the playoffs.

There is plenty to criticize about this season and plenty of work to do. But taking the 30,000-foot view: I thought 2021 would be the first year of the contention window. I still feel that way and think we’re on track. We won the division going away — despite horrific injuries that could easily have derailed us — and made the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time *ever.* The park is packed and buzzing again. The team is in the national conversation. Our core is young and ascending. If you can’t see that things are objectively going well on the south side right now you’ve lost the plot and need to log off for awhile. Thankful for a fun season and looking forward to taking the next step in 2022. SIGN SEMIEN

I like Cusack. Don’t like WSD and loathe Barstool. But come on—Cusack is the definition of a bandwagon fan. This is not the end of the world, and of course he’s entitled to go to whatever game he chooses, but it is what it is and I roll my eyes whenever he shows up in a luxury box at the latest high profile Sox game. Funny that this episode, and being matched up online against a douche like WSD, is the best thing that could have ever happened to his White Sox fandom.

LOL is right. Best way to communicate that somebody's *not* in your head is to talk loudly about how little you know, think, or care about them. Just ask the Cubs fanbase, they've perfected this little passive aggressive move for years

I'm glad, too

Agreed. That would be an awful lot of pressure. They'd really need to tune up those cameras and set the buzzers to 11 ?

Here's the thing--bulletin board motivational material works well if you really believe you're being treated unfairly. Like, being called a cheater when you're not a cheater. But many of these guys are CONFIRMED CHEATERS, and the rest are playing for what they know is the scarlet-lettered cheating organization. Now maybe they're just irredeemable sociopaths who have blocked the whole episode out of their minds, but I can't believe cheating is a conversation they want to be having in the middle of a series, or an accusation they're excited to defend against, or something that allows them to gin up too much righteous indignation. The reality of it all has to creep in there somehow. This was the most interesting thing I took from my many interactions with Astro fans over my last week in Houston. They all by and large have some feeling of shame, and it takes the edge off a lot of the smack talk you expect from opposing fans. They put on a tough act and try to play the heel, but if you actually bring up the cheating and press them on it they kind of look down at the ground and try to change the subject. They know the cheating is b.s. and just desperately want it all to go away. The players may be the same way, and if so I love the idea of using it to our advantage.

Sure, but there may be a difference between the move that ensures internal logical consistency and the move that is best for the team based on what we've seen so far. Are you confident running out a guy who has gotten lit up time and time again by this team, game 1 starter or not? I'd rather roll the dice with Rodon--Lynn is waiting in the wings anyway if things go south.

I think this is good overall for the Sox strategically. Do feel for people who planned around the game being on a holiday, including kids. I was taking my kids today--can't tomorrow because they'll be in school.

“Cheater, cheater…” was much more prevalent. No profanity necessary given the ugly truth.

I think the “cheater” chants may have thrown them off a bit last night. No way to know, but it was well-deserved and I loved it anyway

It’s beyond ridiculous. Gammons has lost it. But it’s a well-worn playbook these days. If you’re brazen and unapologetic enough about your lying and cheating you can will certain milquetoast types over to your side over time.

sooo, this game is getting played isn’t it? I’ve been holding off on officially canceing my work meeting for the afternoon, but it seems like they would have said something by now if it was getting moved.

My god…if the Sox win this series I may buy a dog

Nonsense. It will always be a fair question, and you earn those questions when you decide to be a cheater. They got slaps in the wrist (or less for many of them) for disgracing the game and stealing a WS. If they have to fend off questions forever that’s the least they deserve.

My god the atmosphere here puts Houston to shame. Plus Sox fans i. Houston outnumbered “away” Astros fans in Chicago like 20-1. So good to be home. Let’s get these cheaters

Just beat it

Let’s go. It’s make or break time. Like a lot of us I talked myself into the idea that we *had* to win one of the first two games in Houston. While it would have been nice, it’s not actually true. Nobody is entitled to win in a particular, message-board-approved, aesthetically pleasing way. We need to keep pushing til we’re out of it. Lose tonight and we can start the post-mortems. Win tonight and we’re very much back in the series. Go fucking Sox.