Sirotka was my favorite all-time Sox pitcher (granted i only go back til the late 80s). Not sure why, other than the fact that he was pretty much the ace for awhile.

 

My hero Siro! (Zero)

My hero Siro! (Zero)

 

Big Siro fan here as well. Too bad about his shoulder.

 

Sirotka was my favorite all-time Sox pitcher (granted i only go back til the late 80s). Not sure why, other than the fact that he was pretty much the ace for awhile.

 

I always thought he would be Mark Buehrle before Mark Buehrle in terms of numbers.. sad to see that injury ruined what could had been a promising career.

Really the first team I was old enough watch closely, loved that lineup.

I always thought he would be Mark Buehrle before Mark Buehrle in terms of numbers.. sad to see that injury ruined what could had been a promising career.

 

And that is a great comparison. He is another one of those guys who had no plus pitches, but managed to get guys out somehow.

2000 was more disappointing than 2008.

 

In '00, we all thought that they'd at least get to the ALCS.

2000 was more disappointing than 2008.

 

In '00, we all thought that they'd at least get to the ALCS.

or at least not get swept that horrendously

I remember being pretty lit up at the two playoff games. Didn't John Halama start one of them for the Mariners? Goodness gracious.

That 2000 team was so young and exciting! All those come from behind wins to go along with sweeping that 7 game 'brutal roadtrip' that pretty much sealed the deal that year. I remember Valentin being clutch that year! Guys like Lee, Maggs, PK, Big Frank- talk about a scary bashing lineup!

 

2005 takes the cake! Pitching was stellar all season, the defense was phenominal and it seemed like we won every 1 run game! Pods, Gooch, Crazy Carl, Big Frank, PK, AJ, Crede, Rowand, Uribe and Dye. What a lineup. . no MVPs, no superstars, just a true TEAM! What a unique mix of talent KW put together that year. . and damn did it work!

 

The 2008 team was extremely fun because we saw the growth of guys like Floyd, Danks, Q and Alexei. Having Thome and Griffey in the same lineup was extremely neat! I was litteraly on the edge of my seat for each pitch for that blackout game! Brian Anderson, Jim Thome and Griffey all had their best White Sox moment in that epic game! After watching Danks compete- i was saying to myself "This kid is going to be an ACE one day" Hence my signature

 

The biggest dissapointing seasons during the recent decade would have to be:

2001- Coming off a huge 2000 AL Central title I thought we would compete hard with Cleveland for the division and go running in the playoffs. Instead, Frank gets hurt and misses the season, Wells was a joke, many of the players underperformed and the pitching didn't live up to its potential.

 

2003- This team should have made the playoffs! Colon, Loaiza, Buerhle, Garland and even Wright was okay that year winning 12 games. I blame a lot of this season on Jerry Manual. He had the option of starting Buerhle in NY on 3 days rest in hope of sweeping them and come home on fire. Instead he starts Neil Cotts- who ends up getting shelled and we end up scuffling down the stretch. I remember aqcuirering Everett and Alomar on the same day during the trade deadline and being absolutely pumped! That team could have done a lot of damage in the playoffs! Flash Gordon was stellar that year while newly acuired Billy Koch never lived up to the hype as he blew many saves that year.

 

2006- This team was structured to be world beaters. And in the first of the season- they were! Coming off a World Series Title the Sox were 55-29 and were leading the wildcard in July 5th of that year. They led the wild card most of year but losing 15 of 24 in september killed all chances of a repeat. The pitching wasnt as dominant as the previous year and guys like Polite and Cotts began to really struggle- if the team had a better bullpen that year- there is no question that the Sox would have made it back to the playoffs. The offense that year was sick!

 

Last year and Now: Honestly i wasn't that shocked we missed it last year. the 2009 year was the whole ' lets see what our young players can do season' Well we have one young player who will be a STAR on the southside for many years. Hello Beckham! KW also brought over Peavy, Rios, Teahen and Pierre to add veteran depth to the young squad- while guys like Quentin, Ramirez, Floyd and Danks gained another year of experience. Hopefully Alexei will improve his defense, while Q actually plays a full season. I love our bench filled with MLB experience and leadership, while I still think KW needs to complete the puzzle by adding that DH. I think i am just as pumped for 2010 as I was for 2005 when KW made all those additions back then. . its the same kind of excitement. .

In the 2nd half of the 90s I was a casual baseball fan because I was a heartbroken 12-year old kid in 1994 but it was the 2000 Sox that got me back into baseball again. I remember sitting one afternoon watching the Sox perform a full-body assraping of the Mariners, they won by like 20 runs. Then the Sox played those same Mariners in the playoffs and folded so quickly... sigh. I didn't see that coming. Had I not joined the Army in 2001 and been here and there I would've known just as much about the early teams of this decade as I do from the ones 2004-now.

This is when I became a fan of the sox. I hated baseball (and was a cubs fan) up until 2000 when I realized how cool baseball was and said screw the Cubs. Joe Crede was my idol because he had my fav number (24), and his initial, JC, were the name with my nickname of Joe Cool.

the 2007 team was way better.

Excluding the strike year, I consider the '84 Sox to be the most disappointing in my lifetime. We had almost all of the same tools in place plus Tom Seaver, but Greg Luzinski was done, Britt Burns was nearing the end of his career with that degenerative hip, LaMarr Hoyt's drug problem had caught up with him, Julio Cruz was no longer a prolific base-stealer, and Floyd Bannister had a below-average year. Not that we would've beaten the Tigers in the ALCS, but it would've been fun to watch them try.

 

The '97 season was also massively disappointing on multiple levels, but Jamie Navarro, Danny Darwin, Doug Drabek, and Robin Ventura's injury tempered my expectations going into April.

Edited December 23, 200916 yr by WCSox

Excluding the strike year, I consider the '84 Sox to be the most disappointing in my lifetime. We had almost all of the same tools in place plus Tom Seaver, but Greg Luzinski was done, Britt Burns was nearing the end of his career with that degenerative hip, LaMarr Hoyt's drug problem had caught up with him, Julio Cruz was no longer a prolific base-stealer, and Floyd Bannister had a below-average year. Not that we would've beaten the Tigers in the ALCS, but it would've been fun to watch them try.

 

The '97 season was also massively disappointing on multiple levels, but Jamie Navarro, Danny Darwin, Doug Drabek, and Robin Ventura's injury tempered my expectations going into April.

 

Hmmm... showing your age alittle bit WC?

Your 2000 Chicago White Sox

 

I don't know about you guys, but for me, that was my 2nd favorite team of the decade. A young, up and coming team that just burst on the scene and flat out won a ton of games. The playoffs were a disappointment but with the farm system BA was hyping I thought we were on the verge of a dynasty.

 

I agree 100%. Well, I don't know about dynasty. But that team definitely appeared to have staying power. Mostly due to what we thought at the time was an absolutely loaded farm system. It was right around that time that I discovered Baseball America. The way they hyped up guys like Jon Rauch, Joe Borchard, ect, how could one not get excited? In fact, I think that is why Kenny trades prospects like Oprah inhales cheeseburgers. He's probably forever spooked by all those 'can't-miss' guys we had at that time and looks to trade prospects the second they reach peak value.

Edited December 23, 200916 yr by Jordan4life

He's probably forever spooked by all those 'can't-miss' guys we had at that time and looks to trade prospects the second they reach peak value.

 

I don't think that he's "spooked" more or less that he knows who is worthy of the hype and who isn't. I'd probably believe you if he didn't keep Beckham as far as top spects go and guys like Richard, McCarthy, etc.. were pretty good for us at one time..

I don't think that he's "spooked" more or less that he knows who is worthy of the hype and who isn't. I'd probably believe you if he didn't keep Beckham as far as top spects go and guys like Richard, McCarthy, etc.. were pretty good for us at one time..

 

I was exaggerating a little. But I'm sure it's always in the back of his mind. I have to disagree with you about Beckham. He was a pretty safe bet from day 1.

I was exaggerating a little. But I'm sure it's always in the back of his mind. I have to disagree with you about Beckham. He was a pretty safe bet from day 1.

 

I thought the same thing about BA.. Two homers off King Felix, and I was hyping his ass to everyone.

Excluding the strike year, I consider the '84 Sox to be the most disappointing in my lifetime. We had almost all of the same tools in place plus Tom Seaver, but Greg Luzinski was done, Britt Burns was nearing the end of his career with that degenerative hip, LaMarr Hoyt's drug problem had caught up with him, Julio Cruz was no longer a prolific base-stealer, and Floyd Bannister had a below-average year. Not that we would've beaten the Tigers in the ALCS, but it would've been fun to watch them try.

 

No doubt about it.

Hmmm... showing your age alittle bit WC?

 

Tell me about it. I found two more gray hairs in the mirror this morning. <_>