I'm not really of the mind to go absolutely nuts because we didn't do it this year.

 

Let's face it: this year was not fun to watch. I don't mean because we didn't advance, I mean: it seems like we've been playing literally .500 ball all season, but especially the second half. Just when we'd pull out a great win, we'd erase it with an immediate loss. As somebody here said: we would light the fuse time after time, only to find out it was a dud. Lots of fuses, but that firecracker never really went off, did it?

 

It was clear to me early on in the season that this was not going to be 2005, Redux. Which was till okay; even if we had to scuffle and "grinder" our way into the playoffs, fine. But the red flags started appearing quite some time ago: the constant losing to KC. The starters having their troubles. The feast-or-famine offense. Everything that's been covered here.

 

Usually the Sox are out of it by late August/early September so it's not a grind to the end like this year. And that made it more painful: they teased us up until about last week with the possibility that they just might finally light that fuse and it would explode, just in time. Doesn't look like we have any time left for that.

 

Also consider this: last year Cleveland went on a second half tear and damn near knocked us out. Had that happened, we would still be talking about it now, that's how traumatic it would have been. This year, Minnesota was that team and while our season's done, at least it wasn't a free fall from a wire-to-wire first place season. We kinda all knew that this might not work out, seeing that we've been playing catch up with Detroit all season long and Minny lately for the wild card.

 

So am I bitter? Done with the Sox? Screaming for heads to roll because we didn't repeat? Naw. We stayed in it until this week (or, arguably, Oakland last week) which, in the overall scheme of things, is above average for the Sox. Our expectations were so high this year, which made the losses harder to take.

 

I can't say I had the fun watching this year that I did last year--duh!--but we had some moments. Let's hope everybody remembers how crappy it feels to be third place this year and to not even get in, and maybe that will be the fire under everyone's arse that many here think was missing this year.

 

Yes I'll be the first to admit that 2005 and the title helps ease this a bit. Think about the Cubs coming this/close that one year, blowing it in the biggest Chicago choke in history, and then getting obliterated the last two weeks of the next year, and now they're a basement dweller.

 

It could be worse!

 

Edited September 21, 200619 yr by LVSoxFan

If the Bears and Bulls didnt have such potential for success this year it would be a lot more difficult

By the time Trade Winds officially re-opens and KW makes his first move, this season will be nearly forgotten. That's the way most fans work.

If the Bears and Bulls didnt have such potential for success this year it would be a lot more difficult

lol agreed, we got the rings last year, this season we all had high expectations and it didn't happen. I look forward to seeing the moves made this offseason along with ST, and how fields/sweeney/anderson do in winterball. The future is still bright for the white sox, and the central is going to be a dog fight all season next year, the royals are much improved and have no where to go but up same with the tribe, it should be fun

I mean: it seems like we've been playing literally .500 ball all season, but especially the second half.

 

It does, but we didn't magically get to 20 over .500. Most everyone seems to forget that were were looking pretty good the first half...

It does, but we didn't magically get to 20 over .500. Most everyone seems to forget that were were looking pretty good the first half...

National League.

If the Bears and Bulls didnt have such potential for success this year it would be a lot more difficult

 

A-Freakin-Men! I already took down my Sox pictures at work and replaced them with Urlacher, Berrian, Grossman, Wallace, Hinrich and Nocioni.

If the Bears and Bulls didnt have such potential for success this year it would be a lot more difficult

 

I agree with everyone who is sayin that. I really could be bummin right now but those beatings that the bears are chalking up is putting a smile on my face. And the Bulls, this is probably the highest anticipated season since the dynasty years. So with all this on the horizon things are lookin bright for Chicago sports fans!

 

National League.

 

If my math is right, 14 games over by the time they played the cubs, their first nl series. Not too shabby.

If my math is right, 14 games over by the time they played the cubs, their first nl series. Not too shabby.

Well ya. But what I'm saying is, you look at their overall record and they went 10 over agains the NL and only 8 over against the AL, not too impressive.

National League.

 

Exactly. This team played its best baseball in late April, early May. We didn't look good again until we played NL scrubs. We've looked like crap since then. This team blows.