Flash Tizzle Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writ...erun/index.html The White Sox have had a knack this season for beating clubs by one run. Are they a clutch team? Is first-year manager Ozzie Guillen a wizard in the dugout? Or, do the runs Billy Koch yields in the ninth inning give the allusion of the ability to win close games? One-run games do not, by themselves, define a team that "knows how to win." The Yankees were slightly worse in one-run games last year than in others. The 119-loss Tigers had a winning record in one-run games. Read on for more on the mystery of one-run games. I, for one, do not believe that records in one-run games are the result of luck, but are determined by the character of the players, the in-game skills of the manager, the ability as a team to hit in the clutch, quality of the bullpen, etc. How many of those teams correctly picked by the Sleeper Predictor Formula lucked out the second year? And how many were just one player away from a dramatically better team? Take the Cubs of last year, for example. There's no luck involved in their improvement; if Dusty Baker was there in 2002, the record would have been much closer to that of 2003. -- Gene Schafer, Peoria, Ill. I understand people want to believe the immeasurable qualities of "clutch" and "heart" make teams play better in one-run games. But look at it this way: A bad team is likely to have a brutal record in five-run games. If they're beating anybody, they won't be doing it too often by five runs. But when the game is closer, they have a better chance of winning. I don't mean to say I'm writing off one-run games totally on luck. Not at all. I'm just saying that records in close games tend to vary from year to year, and luck is one factor. Its not the argument itself that irks me, its this label of the White Sox as a "bad team." Has Verducci not picked up a newspaper recently and noticed we're half a game out of first place? You might not label one run victories as having "heart", but how about including information about the 12 come from behind victories our team has had this year. Everyone has heard the old addage: The good teams win the close games. Well, does this not apply to the White Sox all of the sudden? Since 2000 (the last year where the sox had a winning record in one run games) the sox have yet to find themselves in the playoffs. Coincidence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Now if this were the Cubs, they would be the the most dominating clutch team in history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 The Sox still have a way to go to prove they are better than the preseason pundits predicted them to be. Until that happens, if it does, you can expect to see this type of "analysis". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan4life_2007 Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 The Sox still have a way to go to prove they are better than the preseason pundits predicted them to be. Until that happens, if it does, you can expect to see this type of "analysis". You're right. I say if we're in 1st going into July or somethin. Then will start gettin more love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash Tizzle Posted May 13, 2004 Author Share Posted May 13, 2004 Here's an interesting stat Verducci should of used: Only Bad, lucky teams are 1-0 in 15 run games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonkeyKongerko Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Jeez I can't remember anyone calling Kansas City "bad" last year besides people on this site. They were one of the luckiest teams evar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzietheairedale Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 You have to look at the reasons why a team is winning one run games. Is it that they are winning games 1-0 or 2-1 with great pitching and defense? Or, as in our case lately, is it because they went into the ninth with a 4 run lead and almost blew a save down to a 1 run lead? The first team is a good team, the second is lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 You have to look at the reasons why a team is winning one run games. Is it that they are winning games 1-0 or 2-1 with great pitching and defense? Or, as in our case lately, is it because they went into the ninth with a 4 run lead and almost blew a save down to a 1 run lead? The first team is a good team, the second is lucky. Or the second has Billy Botch on the mound. I am so glad that writers have figured out we have nothing. I think it is far better to have writers asking "Wow, can you explain how you guys are doing so well when everyone thought you sucked?" instead if You are .5 games out of a division you were suppose to dominate, what's wrong?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WSox30 Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Rule 143 of being a Sox Fan: f*** the Media Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 The Sox still have a way to go to prove they are better than the preseason pundits predicted them to be. Until that happens, if it does, you can expect to see this type of "analysis". Are these the same "pundits" who picked the Royals ( trying not to fall over laughing ) to win the division? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 Are these the same "pundits" who picked the Royals ( trying not to fall over laughing ) to win the division? I never said that they had a f***ing clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick03 Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 quite honestly i dont really care anymore what si, espn, and all the other smucks say. As long as the sox keep winning its all good here, and they'll all eat crow come october...thats all i have to say about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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