DonkeyKongerko

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 23, 2005 -> 01:05 PM) I think it actually makes perfect sense. If you accept that you're going to score some runs just because you're in a hitter's park, if you think that you can limit the amount the other team scores with pitching and defense...you can let the ballpark produce the offense for you. That is...if you can get people who can put the bat on the ball and drive it somewhere other than straight up. I still think you want to play to your strengths. The Twins built around speed in the dome really worked wonders for them. We got rid of alot of power this offseason and it has resulted in a noticeable decline in production. I say a pitching team should have a pitcher's park. That keeps some of Freddy Garcia's or Mark Buehrle's mistakes in the park and catchable. Meanwhile you build an offense around speed and contact with two or three selective power hitters in the middle of your order to drive them in. Of course this puts alot of pressure on those RBI producers but that's why they get paid right?

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Sep 23, 2005 -> 12:57 PM) Wait, did you just say that the Strike was minor compared to this? Are you being serious? Sorry, to clarify, I meant the strike as much as it pertained to JR and the Sox.

It really doesn't reflect well on management when you spend 4-5 years transforming your park into a hitter's paradise and then decide to build a team around pitching and defense.

This is great though. Whenever we get into our next penant chase, ESPN will always be able to run their story about the 2005 White Sox. This team will go down in history, one way or another. The strike or white flag stuff is so minor compared to this. It's not a Bartman incident or a Ligue incident either. Finally something to draw people to remember this baseball team for something (bad) it did on the field.

I understand the frustration but team batting average doesn't really tell the whole story. Last year Minnesota had a .266 team average and did ok. This year Tampa Bay is at .274 and Detroit is at .272, I don't see them bragging about it. As for Cleveland, they hit .276 last year and still finished in 3rd place. Their pitching being tops in the AL probably has more to do with it.

Buehrle does seem to be either tipping or hanging his changeup alot lately. His effectiveness as a pitcher plummets when that happens because hitters can sit on his fastball and still be able to react to his changeup without missing it.

Guys like Jenks, Cotts and Baj give me hope that we can build a solid young bullpen core and bring in the Politte or Hermanson type vets every year to fill in the gaps.

Frank has no reason to be travelling with this team. He was only a part of it for a few weeks anyways, and he hasn't been the leader of this team for a long time if ever. That said, I agree that he will not be a part of the organization in 2006 which might be just what the doctor ordered.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Sep 23, 2005 -> 11:20 AM) Ok so Harris plays, you sit Iguchi then. Who hits in the 2 hole? Do you want Pablo "can I hit nothing but a bloop single out of the infield" Ozuna, leading off instead then? Sit Iguchi, sit Dye, sit Pods, play Willie, Timo and Borchard. Then we can call ourselves the 2004 Sox again.

The batter's eye? Seems like our pitchers are getting rocked at home by any team with a decent lineup. Off the top of your head, can anybody remember the last series we won at home over a team that's above .500?

QUOTE(Benchwarmerjim @ Sep 22, 2005 -> 11:11 PM) I have no interest (or money!) in stocks but I was flipping through the channels one day and saw this guy beating up his keyboard. I was hooked nwo I watch the show about 3 or 4 times a week (depending on work schedule) Sometimes if you look closely, you can see pieces of old chairs he smashed on the right side of the set.

Dear Chicago White Sox, I was looking over some records on this whole Collapse issue and I came across this bit of information. I'm pretty sure this is where it all started (look at the date!). It looks like the Mets really like Shingo at this point and we couldn't trade with them anyway right now. Guys I'm not really sure what we can do with this information, would an apology be in order? Perhaps we could play the Gong Song before games instead of Thunderstruck as a tribute? Maybe some sort of a Rally Shingo? Whatever happened to all those commercials with Shingo anyways? Just trying to help. Good luck on the rest of the season. Grasping at straws, -DK

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Sep 22, 2005 -> 11:11 PM) He should retire right now. A la Tony Pena except in the middle of penant chase. I wonder if something like that has ever happened. Things can't seemingly get much worse at this point.

I think the Sox motto gave us an out. "Win or die trying." Obviously there shouldn't be a second option. I propose a new motto: Just f***ing win already

QUOTE(Felix @ Sep 22, 2005 -> 10:38 PM) Have you read the posts saying "f*** the sox" "f*** this franchise" "im f***ing done"? The people that say that aren't leaving, you can bet they'll be here to remind us every night how bad we are. And well, they are bad, very very bad. They say you can't win a championship in the first half of the season. This team will either prove that right or wrong in the next week.

Jeez it's sports, teams always win and lose but almost never because they "don't want to win." The exception of course might be the White Sox... in 1919.

Well Rally Crede is awesome but unable to carry this team alone or even with the help of a few non-chokers.

I'm making an offseason shopping list for Kenny, feel free to add anything: Heart Balls Courage Passion

I'm sad that Cleveland chose this year to get really good again. 95 wins woulda been plenty last year.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Sep 22, 2005 -> 10:14 PM) LeCroy hit it in just the right spot, it wasn't anything hard. Rowand should've gotten the catch too. Agreed this choke has been a team effort for the most part. Only a few names are exempt from the list of participants.

In a few years I think we are gonna laugh at the thought of Ozzie talking about us winning a World Series. Either that or cry.

Well Aaron Rowand definitely is to blame for Monday's blown save and he certainly played a part in tonight's loss. It's not like we have a better option than Jenks at this point.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 22, 2005 -> 10:08 PM) Even though Ozzie made some dumb decisions tonight (Marte and letting Everett bat in the 9th), this offense is completely to blame. It's a full organizational collapse. Hey Hawk...where would he play? On the disabled list?

Plenty of opportunities wasted. Watch the crowd leave, I want to cry.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Sep 22, 2005 -> 09:59 PM) He was talking about Gooch in that post, and I don't recall anyone saying such. Lol Gooch? No I suppose he can run a search after it's turned back on but I can't imagine any of our sane posters said that about Tadahito.