Don't forget...the 05 offense was pretty average...except they hit a lot of homeruns.

 

The Sox win when they hit homers.

 

 

When they had a healthy Thomas (briefly) and Pods/Iguchi running on all cylinders. a very good offense.

 

With Everett as DH for most of that season, Rowand and Crede struggling and inconsistent at best....so-so, but still tons better than our 2010-11 offenses.

Contreras (taking on his contract, mostly) and Freddy Garcia weren't big moves?

 

Yeah, I suppose they were. Especially Garcia. And maybe I shouldn't have given the impression that I think every single big move hasn't worked out, but in general the big splash hasn't produced like most had hoped. Garcia is certainly as big Wells, etc and was huge for us. Wasn't Contreras struggling when we picked him up? Or at least somewhat of a disappointment in New York? (I do understand that you are emphasizing his contract.)

When they had a healthy Thomas (briefly) and Pods/Iguchi running on all cylinders. a very good offense.

 

With Everett as DH for most of that season, Rowand and Crede struggling and inconsistent at best....so-so, but still tons better than our 2010-11 offenses.

 

Healthy Frank and there's no near September collapse and we go 11-0 in the PS while winning most of those 11 by 3+ runs.

Edited September 16, 201114 yr by Jordan4life

Yeah, I suppose they were. Especially Garcia. And maybe I shouldn't have given the impression that I think every single big move hasn't worked out, but in general the big splash hasn't produced like most had hoped. Garcia is certainly as big Wells, etc and was huge for us. Wasn't Contreras struggling when we picked him up? Or at least somewhat of a disappointment in New York? (I do understand that you are emphasizing his contract.)

 

 

Yeah, Contreras started out well, but he never got over the Boston "hump" and he quickly lost his confidence because of how the Red Sox battered him around (and how magnified that was by the media)...which caused Cashman to throw in the towel too quickly.

 

Watching El Duque and Contreras lead the White Sox to the World Series when they got nothing out of Loaiza must have burned him up a bit...especially since they were paying about 20-25% of his contract.

 

 

The more you look back at 2005 (with how Pods/Iguchi/small ball have been overstated despite the 200+ homers)...the one thing that seems impossible to replicate ever again was the success and virtual lockdown quality of that bullpen.

 

That bullpen was incredibly good. There were lots of homers, but I seem to also remember a lot of first inning runs where Pods got on base and was driven home in some fashion. Getting an early lead is almost always a good thing. If my memory serves, we had a lot of low scoring games that year too.

The more you look back at 2005 (with how Pods/Iguchi/small ball have been overstated despite the 200+ homers)...the one thing that seems impossible to replicate ever again was the success and virtual lockdown quality of that bullpen.

 

 

That bullpen was incredibly good. There were lots of homers, but I seem to also remember a lot of first inning runs where Pods got on base and was driven home in some fashion. Getting an early lead is almost always a good thing. If my memory serves, we had a lot of low scoring games that year too.

 

 

The one thing they haven't been able to replicate is the dominance of the AL Central. They killed people that year.

Healthy Frank and there's no near September collapse and we go 11-0 in the PS while winning most of those 11 by 3+ runs.

 

Didn't he have some ridiculous 12 HR in 104 AB?

 

Healthy Frank gets robbed of his 3rd MVP again by a roider.

Ozzie's getting into it on twitter right now with some comments about radio.

Unless it's some fake Ozzie Guillen twitter which is possible in this twit-age.

Ozzie's getting into it on twitter right now with some comments about radio.

Unless it's some fake Ozzie Guillen twitter which is possible in this twit-age.

I believe he's pissed off about something said on MLBN. Oh man, it's going to suck when the new manager doesn't go on unintelligable rants about the media/fans/opponents/space program. To connect 2 seperate threads: the #1 trait I'm looking for in the next manager? Well it's a 3 way tie between a rudimentary understanding of the english language, a ridiculously short fuse and a crippling sense of insecurity.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that Ozzie's cock must be so small that it's invisible to the naked eye.

I believe he's pissed off about something said on MLBN. Oh man, it's going to suck when the new manager doesn't go on unintelligable rants about the media/fans/opponents/space program. To connect 2 seperate threads: the #1 trait I'm looking for in the next manager? Well it's a 3 way tie between a rudimentary understanding of the english language, a ridiculously short fuse and a crippling sense of insecurity.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that Ozzie's cock must be so small that it's invisible to the naked eye.

 

Haha, oh man.

I believe he's pissed off about something said on MLBN. Oh man, it's going to suck when the new manager doesn't go on unintelligable rants about the media/fans/opponents/space program. To connect 2 seperate threads: the #1 trait I'm looking for in the next manager? Well it's a 3 way tie between a rudimentary understanding of the english language, a ridiculously short fuse and a crippling sense of insecurity.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that Ozzie's cock must be so small that it's invisible to the naked eye.

 

He's definitely one of a kind.

He'd really make a good reality series if one could only understand his English.

He's definitely one of a kind.

He'd really make a good reality series if one could only understand his English.

Subtitles. Of course, sometimes you'd see "???????" at the bottom of the screen.

Subtitles. Of course, sometimes you'd see "???????" at the bottom of the screen.

 

[WTF?]

Hear my train a-comin'.

There are disturbing trends that have stretched the frustration levels of Sox fans whose support at the gate has declined as the player payroll has soared.

 

In addition to the playoff drought, this marks the third straight year the Sox got off to a sluggish start and failed to win crucial late-season games.

 

Some critics point to Guillen's willingness to play kids in spring training and less of an emphasis on winning exhibitions as a problem. But several scouts have said the Sox looked ready to win the American League Central after leaving Glendale, Ariz., before each of the last two seasons.

 

Yet there are problems.

 

The Sox's second-place ranking in AL fielding, for example, masks the misjudged fly balls and the miscommunication that has resulted on popups falling safely in shallow left-center field.

 

And for all the criticism directed at Williams for the dealing of All-Star left-hander Gio Gonzalez, outfielder Chris Young, 16-game winner Daniel Hudson, nearly just as alarming is the success of Nick Swisher and Wilson Betemit after disastrous stints with the Sox.

 

The Sox also still are playing catch-up for a 2006 draft that was ranked last in producing players by Baseball America. The 2005 draft, ranked 20th, produced Chris Getz and Clayton Richard —each dealt in unproductive trades for the Sox.

 

Despite spending more than the recommended slot for several high draft picks, the Sox still ranked 30th in bonus money spent this summer, as well as from 2007-2011, according to Baseball America.

 

The optimism surrounding the improved play of rookie third baseman Brent Morel is tempered by the regression of Gordon Beckham at the plate.

 

Beckham's rugged path has paralleled that of the Sox. He was batting a productive .291 when the Sox moved into a tie for first place on July 23, 2009, when Buehrle threw his perfect game.

 

Since then, both parties have languished to the point where they are at a crossroads.

 

The Sox's organization has been built on loyalty that is similar to the Brooklyn Dodgers' franchise Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf grew up following, from former players serving as coaches and long-tenured employees.

 

But on the field, some players have appeared too content dating back to last season, according to scouts who have followed the Sox for the last five years. The mistakes and glaring tendencies are symptoms of the complacency, the evaluators add.

 

Like Brooklyn's move to Los Angeles, radical changes seem imminent.

I think this one gets dedicated to Greg.

Hear my train a-comin'.

 

Those last few lines, I wonder where we've heard them before.

Those last few lines, I wonder where we've heard them before.

It's not just the fans who can see this crap.

It's not just the fans who can see this crap.

 

For a long time, it's seemed like fans were the ONLY ones who saw it.

For a long time, it's seemed like fans were the ONLY ones who saw it.

To this day not all fans see this.

To this day not all fans see this.

Only takes a moderate increase to see the 2200/game decrease in ticket sales we've gotten this year (and presumably that will increase a little these next couple weeks)

What really ticks me off (besides everything else in the world) is that the problems had to become so glaringly obvious as to derail multiple seasons before a solution could be instituted. A lot of us have seen these same problems for years, but the average schmo (and as Sqwert pointed out, some people still posting to this day) couldn't or wouldn't understand the need for change. I wish our organization had had the balls to make changes when they were necessary even if it may have pissed a few fans off, instead of waiting until the whole thing went to s*** so that 99% of fans could finally see the need.

Jon Heyman

@SI_JonHeyman Jon Heyman

ozzie asking for extension is tantamount to adam dunn asking for 1. #chisox biggest 2011 underachiever. #worstmanagerofyear

 

Classy move by Guillen:

 

@CST_soxvan Daryl Van Schouwen

Guillen on report that Reinsdorf assured Williams he will return as GM: He deserves it. He's doing a good job.

 

Jon Heyman

@SI_JonHeyman Jon Heyman

ozzie asking for extension is tantamount to adam dunn asking for 1. #chisox biggest 2011 underachiever. #worstmanagerofyear

 

boom! shots fired!

Classy move by Guillen:

 

@CST_soxvan Daryl Van Schouwen

Guillen on report that Reinsdorf assured Williams he will return as GM: He deserves it. He's doing a good job.

 

Yeah I think he wanted to drive that point in with the lineups he was putting out.