January 21, 200917 yr QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jan 20, 2009 -> 10:37 PM) Well, look at the 2005 season, when we weren't even an alleged contender (I know this is yet further condemnation of the idea of judging a season before spring training starts, as I tried to do in another thread). 1) Nobody knew anything about Iguchi, besides the fact that KW had scouted him through tape and what he got/expected to get in terms of a contract were very divergent....maybe because of K. Matsui's failure with the Mets. 2) Takatsu was already suspected to be a one-trick pony, and nobody had a clue of the emergence of Hermanson (especially), Cotts or Politte. 3) Nobody knew how AJ would do in a "crazy" clubhouse coming off the gossip/innuendo of that SF year. 4) Did El Duque have anything left (similar to concerns about Colon, Contreras and maybe Garcia) 5) Pods was coming off a season when he hit around .240 in the NL 6) We'd lost Valentin, Ordonez and Carlos Lee, three of our best power hitters....we're replacing much less in the line-up this year (Swisher, Cabrera, Uribe/Crede and Griffey) 7) Nobody knew what we could get out of Frank Thomas at that point... 8) Garland and Contreras, especially, had never proven themselves to be "big game" or anything but average MLB pitchers...especially Jose, who would morph/evolve into the best in the game for a period of almost one year 9) Brandon McCarthy was another Sox prospect/suspect with high expectations and no clear idea what he'd produce 10) Jermaine Dye...nobody had an idea what he would do for the next four seasons either, coming off injuries and signing for less with Chicago than he could have gotten elsewhere, he was just seen as a "high reward/low risk" signing, but anyone who predicted MVP numbers consistently, I would like to see that thread/post/message. I felt pretty optimistic prior to the 03-04 and 05 seasons. I don't know feel the same this year.
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