Being that Ozzie has always preached small ball and doing the little things I dont see how that will work for us this year. The truth is that we dont have the pitching staff to stay in games this year. Small ball works great when you have low scoring games, but when the team's ERA is close to 5 it is tough to give up outs and sacrifice yourself. So what do I think will happen? The team's offense will get blazin HOT for a while and will carry the team. When that ends we will do what we did last year become a middle of the pack team that had an incredible record in the 1st half but when the games really count and the games get serious we will just struggle against good pitching. Sure we did win 90 games last year but not when they counted! We play in the best division in baseball and relying on Home Runs against the best pitching in baseball is a very tough task. Now if Buehrle and Vazquez get it together, this can be a whole different story. But honestly I dont see it! Am I the only one?

I guess you should change your board name

I guess you should change your board name

 

Nobody saw it in 2005 either, and most people hated those trades and didnt think that team had enough. I implore all of the negative people on this site to continue to think that way, because victory is so much sweeter when its not the expected outcome.

It's hard not to think negatively. Theres some glarring issues.

 

With that being said, we havent played a regular season game yet, so obviously theres a ton of time, and the division is deffinitly winnable.

yea, i dont feel too great about this season either. this team has been way too bad this spring, i know it doesnt mean much because its ST, but i dont see how the pitchers are suddenly going to be lights out once the season starts...

> it seems like too many people are saying, oh its only ST, things like that...

I guess you should change your board name

 

Maybe I should change it!

Being that Ozzie has always preached small ball and doing the little things I dont see how that will work for us this year. The truth is that we dont have the pitching staff to stay in games this year. Small ball works great when you have low scoring games, but when the team's ERA is close to 5 it is tough to give up outs and sacrifice yourself. So what do I think will happen? The team's offense will get blazin HOT for a while and will carry the team. When that ends we will do what we did last year become a middle of the pack team that had an incredible record in the 1st half but when the games really count and the games get serious we will just struggle against good pitching. Sure we did win 90 games last year but not when they counted! We play in the best division in baseball and relying on Home Runs against the best pitching in baseball is a very tough task. Now if Buehrle and Vazquez get it together, this can be a whole different story. But honestly I dont see it! Am I the only one?

Not when the games counted? Are you talking about Spring Training, because every win and loss has an impact on making the playoffs during the regular season. Just ask the teams that miss the playoffs by one or two games if those games early in the season mattered. Hell if it wasn't for the early season games Detroit would have never made it to the WS.

 

Don't forget other teams have issues too. The Tigers already have Kenny Rogers on the DL, the Twins are one injury to Mauer or Morneau away from being out of it and are already playing without Liriano. For Cleveland, Lee is already on the DL and who knows how Sabathia will pitch after getting hit on the pitching arm. The other Divisions have similar problems, just look at NYY or LAA.

 

The Sox, just like every other team have to count on all their players to play decent baseball. If all of our players play up to their capabilities and the other teams do the same, I like our chances.

Edited March 29, 200719 yr by RME JICO

First month will tell us everything we need to know about this ballclub. This is how the schedule plays out:

 

3 games vs. CLE

3 games vs. MIN

3 games @ OAK

3 games @ CLE

3 games vs. TEX

3 games @ DET

2 games @ KC

2 games vs. DET

3 games vs. LAA

 

25 games; 14 games at home, 16 against divisional teams, 23 against teams expected to be .500 or over.

Im not feeling overly optimistic about this club but I felt the same about the 2005 club. We can still be a very good team if the pitching works out so ill hold off judgement on the team until a month or 2.

Not when the games counted? Are you talking about Spring Training, because every win and loss has an impact on making the playoffs during the regular season. Just ask the teams that miss the playoffs by one or two games if those games early in the season mattered. Hell if it wasn't for the early season games Detroit would have never made it to the WS.

Don't forget other teams have issues too. The Tigers already have Kenny Rogers on the DL, the Twins are one injury to Mauer or Morneau away from being out of it and are already playing without Liriano. For Cleveland, Lee is already on the DL and who knows how Sabathia will pitch after getting hit on the pitching arm. The other Divisions have similar problems, just look at NYY or LAA.

 

The Sox, just like every other team have to count on all their players to play decent baseball. If all of our players play up to their capabilities and the other teams do the same, I like our chances.

 

 

 

That is a dumb argument. To me the point is to stay in it until september and then we see which teams have what it takes to get it done. Do you really think a team is gonna take ALL 162 games seriously? I would love to think that but im not that stupid. Just ask the Cardinals last year. Good teams turn it on when they have to and other ones choke it away!

I guess you should change your board name

 

/thread

That is a dumb argument. To me the point is to stay in it until september and then we see which teams have what it takes to get it done. Do you really think a team is gonna take ALL 162 games seriously? I would love to think that but im not that stupid. Just ask the Cardinals last year. Good teams turn it on when they have to and other ones choke it away!

Uh, yeah.

 

Why not try to win from April to September, and in September, "turn it on?"

That is a dumb argument. To me the point is to stay in it until september and then we see which teams have what it takes to get it done. Do you really think a team is gonna take ALL 162 games seriously? I would love to think that but im not that stupid. Just ask the Cardinals last year. Good teams turn it on when they have to and other ones choke it away!

That is not a dumb argument. Teams get to the playoffs on their overall record. A win is a win. A loss is a loss.

 

The Cardinals? That is your example? They played in the worst division in baseball and almost didn't make the playoffs. No, there is no way to stay focused for the entire 162 games (that is why they give players days off), but saying games in April "don't count" is just stupid.

That is not a dumb argument. Teams get to the playoffs on their overall record. A win is a win. A loss is a loss.

 

The Cardinals? That is your example? They played in the worst division in baseball and almost didn't make the playoffs. No, there is no way to stay focused for the entire 162 games (that is why they give players days off), but saying games in April "don't count" is just stupid.

 

Man thats just ignorant. I never said they dont count. Of course they do but tell me, last year with the start that the sox had and the start that the twins had. Which games counted more the White sox april wins or the Twins wins in September? I dont know about you, but from what I saw the Twins were a much better team when IT COUNTED. If you wanna be a dumb fan who cant see things the way they are thats youre problem. But sometimes we gotta look at the bigger picture.

this thread is a real change of pace.

Man thats just ignorant. I never said they dont count. Of course they do but tell me, last year with the start that the sox had and the start that the twins had. Which games counted more the White sox april wins or the Twins wins in September? I dont know about you, but from what I saw the Twins were a much better team when IT COUNTED. If you wanna be a dumb fan who cant see things the way they are thats youre problem. But sometimes we gotta look at the bigger picture.

 

 

What's heavier - a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers?

 

Did the Indians' wins down the stretch in '05 "count more" while the Sox looked like they might slide their way out of the playoffs? Or did they count equally as much as the Sox' dominating runs earlier in the season?

 

Are later games somehow weighted heavier on the schedule? Like 1.1 wins?

I seem to remember the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox going .500 in the 2nd half and almost blowing a 15 game division lead. Guess they weren't a good team. Guess those wins in April, May, and June weren't very valuable.

Man thats just ignorant. I never said they dont count. Of course they do but tell me, last year with the start that the sox had and the start that the twins had. Which games counted more the White sox april wins or the Twins wins in September? I dont know about you, but from what I saw the Twins were a much better team when IT COUNTED. If you wanna be a dumb fan who cant see things the way they are thats youre problem. But sometimes we gotta look at the bigger picture.

How is that ignorant? You said:

Sure we did win 90 games last year but not when they counted!

I was just pointing out that it doesn't matter when you win the regular season games. The problem with the Sox was they didn't win enough games period. It would not have mattered if they won a couple more games in April, May or September.

 

A dumb fan? You are the one that is digging yourself a huge hole - so keep digging.

With all due respect to my friends here on Soxtalk... the season is 162 games long and all that matters is the record on the last day of the season. Looking at this 07 team I think we are real contenders in a strong division. I am ready for the season to begin.

The point of the original post was "small ball."

I think we all agree that was in name only.

We've not played small ball at all.

The Sox are predicated on home runs.

We have for the most part slow plodders.

The Sox bunting last year was horrible as you recall.

There is no small ball.

Man thats just ignorant. I never said they dont count. Of course they do but tell me, last year with the start that the sox had and the start that the twins had. Which games counted more the White sox april wins or the Twins wins in September? I dont know about you, but from what I saw the Twins were a much better team when IT COUNTED. If you wanna be a dumb fan who cant see things the way they are thats youre problem. But sometimes we gotta look at the bigger picture.

 

Kinda sounds like the pot calling the rainbow black, ya know?

Just like any team, we will depend on a few players having Career years to get us over the top. This is entirely possible if Uribe and Brian Anderson raise their games. There no worry about Thome, Konerko, Dye, and Crede to drive in runs. We are gonna thrive on homers, and half our games are in a homer park.

Just like any team, we will depend on a few players having Career years to get us over the top. This is entirely possible if Vazquez, Contreras, Buehrle, and Garland raise their games.

Fixed that for you. Don't kid yourself people. Just like any other season...it's the pitching that decides this season.

Man thats just ignorant. I never said they dont count. Of course they do but tell me, last year with the start that the sox had and the start that the twins had. Which games counted more the White sox april wins or the Twins wins in September? I dont know about you, but from what I saw the Twins were a much better team when IT COUNTED. If you wanna be a dumb fan who cant see things the way they are thats youre problem. But sometimes we gotta look at the bigger picture.

What the hell?