ILMOU

Grady Little, Fred Akers, Lloyd Carr and other managers/coaches have been fired for one specific shortcoming - failure to beat the main rival. Somehow, Ozzie is immune to this regarding the Twins.

QUOTE (LVSoxFan @ Aug 23, 2010 -> 10:59 AM) To answer the OP question, yes, nothing was worse than the swan dive in 2005 which we managed to pull out of before it was a death spiral. To go from first place all season to being potentially knocked out was a fate worse than death. It was so bad I literally couldn't watch some of the games--wouldn't watch. Wouldn't go, even though I had tickets. So let's keep things in perspective. Before this year's resurgence everybody had written this team off by June, so it just doesn't compare. Them coming back was simply a pleasant surprise. But let's be real: the warning signs have been there all season--most notably an inability to beat division opponents. That's always a red flag. It was a problem before the ASB, it's a problem again. And then losing what should be winning series against teams like Baltimore or KC--not good. I haven't written off the season yet, but I'm not being blindly optimistic either. Good to hear the varied opinions on the worst times in our personal histories as Sox fans. Sadly , there's too many recent examples of painful collapses -the near collapse in '05, the post ASB collapse in '06, the last couple weeks in the '03 and '08 seasons. However, in those other instances, the games were not as consistently close and heartbreaking. In the last couple weeks of '03, for example, we purely and simply "laid an egg", and didn't even really compete as we expected to. In the other bad periods, far more blowouts were involved, where you said to yourself - we're just BAD right now. Many other very bad stretches obviously occurred in seasons that were already lost. IMO, nothing rivals this current stretch for games that consistently teased you til the very end, only to leave you in anguish.

QUOTE (IceCreamPants @ Aug 22, 2010 -> 04:03 PM) I am comfortable with being done. I'm still feeling a searing pain - won't be comfortable for awhile yet, I'm afraid.

...in a season that became interesting and made us all care about the games again with a passion, I can't remember a more painful, substantial stretch of games as we've experienced since the first game in Baltimore on August 6. Despite the Bad Bobby we'd been dealing with, we still figured our pen was deep. We were riding high for the most part, coming off 3 of 4 in Detroit. Since then, we've gone 5-11: We've lost 8 one run games out of the 11 losses Blown 5 saves Lost 5 extra inning games (all road walk-offs) Each of our top 4 relievers has had a significant hand in blowing games We've had so much bad mojo, it almost seems inevitable that a better stretch is coming. Or it just might not be our year.

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Aug 22, 2010 -> 10:09 AM) Ramon Casro is a real good role/back up catcher. That is his role not starter. If the Sox don't make a valid attempt to resign AJP I think they are making a huge mistake. Tyler Flowers is not ready to assume the role as starting catcher. I would even go far as to say that failing to sign AJ would be as bad if not worse then letting Thome go was Flowers doesn't deserve to be in MLB based on his performance over a full season at AAA. He shouldn't be in the discussion currently. His suckitude cost us a chance at landing a good lefty bat, and now it will force us to stay with AJP, temporarily - hopefully just one year - and cheap!

QUOTE (AWhiteSoxinNJ @ Aug 15, 2010 -> 07:05 AM) Nope, the downfall has begun. I don't think a downfall has begun, but I don't think it's our year either. Too many losses that should have been W's already at this point in the season - not enough late inning comeback magic to counteract the bad losses. Just feels like a second place team, sadly. Hope I'm wrong.

QUOTE (thedoctor @ Aug 12, 2010 -> 11:04 AM) the swisher deal is the one that bothers me the most probably. i really liked gio and carter. i'd probably take back pena for brandon allen if given the chance. Carter was traded to AZ for Quentin. Had nothing to do with Swisher.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Aug 12, 2010 -> 10:50 AM) That's the true question. Has KW done a good job of not giving up top prospects or has our farm system just been so bad that there haven't really been any top prospects fow KW to give away? The point is that he's acquired good-to-great players like Garcia, Danks, Floyd, and Quentin for players who weren't great prospects or who are only now beginning to contribute positively.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Aug 12, 2010 -> 09:03 AM) Traded away? Chris Young for Javy Vazquez. Gio Gonzalez for Nick Swisher Nick Swisher for Marquez, Nunez, and Betemit. Josh Fogg and Kip Wells for Todd Ritchie Keith Foulke for Billy Koch and Neal Cotts (although the latter worked pretty well). Also on the list you can add guys like Rauch, Aardsma, Majewski, and Javier Lopez who have come back to be non-terrible or even pretty darn good in other teams's bullpens...but those are harder to criticize. This list is quite the argument for just how damn GOOD KW has been overall regarding trades. Farm system, not so much. The only moves that I personally regret are the Swisher moves, and there were circumstances in those trades beyond performance.

QUOTE (kane0730 @ Aug 12, 2010 -> 10:16 AM) +1. AJ better not be in there. His AB's all season are beyond pathetic. fixed

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ Aug 9, 2010 -> 07:53 PM) I will never really agree with bunting with Juan Pierre on first. God, I hate that strategy. Ozzie Lllooooovvveeees giving up outs.

QUOTE (winninguglyin83 @ Aug 9, 2010 -> 06:41 PM) back to the offense of April and May I really don't want read another "we're happy with what we have" article.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Aug 9, 2010 -> 06:41 PM) AJ sooooooooooooooo bad this year Beyond Bad

Got him over, now get him in!

QUOTE (elrockinMT @ Aug 7, 2010 -> 10:38 AM) Hudson has done real good with Arizona. Two very well pitched games in a row He was too much to give up, considering AZ was selling anyway.

QUOTE (fathom @ Aug 6, 2010 -> 07:45 PM) Can Garcia pitch every game so we can have Castro become the starter? The quality and quantity of AJP's at bats are sickening. I absolutely do not want him back next season. fixed

QUOTE (WilliamTell @ Aug 6, 2010 -> 07:27 PM) way to go Pena! 5-1 Tribe - let's gain a game tonite!

Bad debut

Another great job by Danks - let's get him the win, NOW!!

Is there even a chance AJP drives in a big run?

Get him home, Lexi!

I'd like to leave Danks in to turn around Wieters and vs. the lefty Pie, but we'll see what Ozzie does given the pitch count. To all who thought Bobby's blown save was meaningless because we won yesterday, the fact that Santos pitched 2 innings yesterday as a result may well cost us today - Look for Pena in a Sergio situation.

Need the pen to be strong tonite - Danksy's pitch count probably means only 6 innings.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Aug 6, 2010 -> 06:17 PM) Beckham made it a moot point anyway, got thrown out by 2 steps on his next attempt God, we run ourselves out of a lot of innings.

Danksy is getting downright Buehrlesque with his runner-holding work. He's obviously made it more of a priority this year, and he's putting up his best career #'s in that area by far.