At the beginning of this season everyone was talking about how good this team was going to be. It seems like that every season since 2000. I think that coming into that 2000 season the expectations were so low and that got us into the playoffs. Since then we have not come anywhere close to matching up with the twins in the past years. so i was wondering if next year if we set the bar low, will it get us into the playoffs

Our expectations should have nothing to do with the way the White Sox play baseball.

Maybe June-Sept. of 2000 was a fluke and everything since is reality.

We have to forget about 2000 and look at Aug. and Sept. of 2004, cuz that's REALLY the team we have.

As has been said hundreds upon thousands of times on this board. This team was going along just fine, but 2 things happened.

 

1) We lost Frank and Maggs for the year

2) Torii Hunter steamrolled Jamie Burke, and there was no retaliation

 

Without those two things, this team is still probably in the race.

From what I remember most on this board weren't expecting much out of this team. I think their record is pretty close to being in line with what a majority of folks thought it would be. We'd lost Gordon, Colon, Everett, etc... and didn't get anyone to fill in the spaces, which led to low expectations. I wish I were more proficient at the search function on here, I'd go dig up the prediction thread.

MLB team-#3 hitter-#4 hitter=not good.

MLB team-#3 hitter-#4 hitter=not good.

I don't get it.

I don't get it.    

Actually I should say...

 

MLB team-Hall of Famer-Perennial AllStar RF=not good.

Actually I should say...

 

MLB team-Hall of Famer-Perennial AllStar RF=not good.

OHH, I see.

As has been said hundreds upon thousands of times on this board.  This team was going along just fine, but 2 things happened.

 

1) We lost Frank and Maggs for the year

2) Torii Hunter steamrolled Jamie Burke, and there was no retaliation

 

Without those two things, this team is still probably in the race.

Bottom line...we are not as talented as the Twins.

 

Even if we did win the division...who cares?! We'd have gotten pounded in the 1st round of the playoffs anyway.

 

With everyone healthy we not nearly as talented as the Yanks, Bososx, A's, Angels, or Twins.

 

We just don't have that much talent!

http://www.soxtalk.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14796&st=0

 

There's one of the prediction threads

Bottom line...we are not as talented as the Twins.

 

Even if we did win the division...who cares?! We'd have gotten pounded in the 1st round of the playoffs anyway.

 

With everyone healthy we not nearly as talented as the Yanks, Bososx, A's, Angels, or Twins.

 

We just don't have that much talent!

When everyone's healthy we're more talented then the twins but talent alone does not win divisions or word series.

When everyone's healthy we're more talented then the twins but talent alone does not win divisions or word series.

The sox are always more talented but the sox are a terrible fundamental team unlike the twins. Which is one reason they lack the post season appearances the twins have. The sox may score alot of runs year in year out but it doesn'y matter if they score 7-10 runs a game for 10 games in a row. Then 0,1,2, or 3 runs per game if lucky for the next ten. The twins are extremely consistent with their run scoring.

I think were as talented, if not more talented, than the Twins. They just play as a better TEAM, and baseball is aobut playing the games, not whose better on paper.

The sox are always more talented but the sox are a terrible fundamental team unlike the twins. Which is one reason they lack the post season appearances the twins have. The sox may score alot of runs year in year out but it doesn'y matter if they score 7-10 runs a game for 10 games in a row. Then 0,1,2, or 3 runs per game if lucky for the next ten. The twins are extremely consistent with their run scoring.

Qwerty, that's why they kick our ass every single year. They're a better team, even though we have the better individuals.

Qwerty, that's why they kick our ass every single year.  They're a better team, even though we have the better individuals.

I know it, you know it, but apparently management does not.

Bottom line...we are not as talented as the Twins.

 

Even if we did win the division...who cares?! We'd have gotten pounded in the 1st round of the playoffs anyway.

 

With everyone healthy we not nearly as talented as the Yanks, Bososx, A's, Angels, or Twins.

 

We just don't have that much talent!

Bottomline...the Twins actually know what the hell is going on in the field...which is unlike the Sox.

 

They hit for power when necessary, they get base hits, they can bunt, they steal, they play excellent defense, they have a rock solid pitching staff...basically, what I'm trying to say is, is that they are probably the favorites to win the World Series this year.

Actually, I thought no one had good expectations for the Sox. They had em for the Royals.

Actually, I thought no one had good expectations for the Sox. They had em for the Royals.

People who expected the royals to do anything without any pitching was silly.

People who expected the royals to do anything without any pitching was silly.

Tell that to the 2003 squad.

At the beginning of this season everyone was talking about how good this team was going to be. It seems like that every season since 2000. I think that coming into that 2000 season the expectations were so low and that got us into the playoffs. Since then we have not come anywhere close to matching up with the twins in the past years. so i was wondering if next year if we set the bar low, will it get us into the playoffs

Actually going into this season, I thought that the Sox would either be much better than expected or much worse. I think a middle of the road kind of team is what was mostly expected. Guess I was wrong in that I thought they would fall on either side of that middle of the road, not directly in it, like they are now..

Actually going into this season, I thought that the Sox would either be much better than expected or much worse.  I think a middle of the road kind of team is what was mostly expected.  Guess I was wrong in that I thought they would fall on either side of that middle of the road, not directly in it, like they are now..

Actually Rex, I'd say you hit it right on the head if you said that.

 

The first 3-4 months, this team was very good, being on pace to win 90 games or so. The last few, they've played some very poor baseball.

When Joe Crede hit that 9th inning home run on July 24 off of Ugeth Urbina it was the Sox 4th win in a row and 10th out of 14. The players stormed out of the dugout to pummel him and things were looking up. 10 games above .500 and on a roll. What did they do with this momentum? Lose seven in a row and 20 out of the next 28. They are 20-32 since Crede's heroics that now seem long ago. Total and complete collapse and the team quit on Ozzie far earlier than they ever did on Manuel. You're looking at a real shot at a 100 loss season in 05 unless some real changes are made. Is that possible? The farm system doesn't seem capable of producing top flight AA and AAA players let alone those of major league caliber. It's a real tough situation for KW to be in and I hope he at least gets it. This franchise is between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

When Joe Crede hit that 9th inning home run on July 24 off of Ugeth Urbina it was the Sox 4th win in a row and 10th out of 14.  The players stormed out of the dugout to pummel him and things were looking up. 10 games above .500 and on a roll. What did they do with this momentum? Lose seven in a row and 20 out of the next 28. They are 20-32 since Crede's heroics that now seem long ago. Total and complete collapse and the team quit on Ozzie far earlier than they ever did on Manuel. You're looking at a real shot at a 100 loss season in 05 unless some real changes are made. Is that possible? The farm system doesn't seem capable of producing top flight AA and AAA players let alone those of major league caliber. It's a real tough situation for KW to be in and I hope he at least gets it. This franchise is between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

You state your point well.

 

I do disagree...I think things are potentially looking up for next year...but I always look at the best side of things, though I do not ignore the bad side.

 

This could be the Sox last run for quite some time though.

 

As of right now, we are too far into this thing to just tear it all down. The Sox have to atleast make an attempt at doing something in 2005 with everyone they already have for next year. If s*** doesn't go so well next year, 2006 is tear down and rebuild year.

Oh, there's going to be some tearing down. But, with most of the pieces of the starting rotation in place, I think there will be a massive restructuring of the position players on the team. In fact, of non-pitchers, I think the only two guys you can be totally confident of returning are Rowand and Thomas.