http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/i...g-the-white-sox

 

Some pretty interesting insights into the intangibles like Schneider that are never considered when evaluating this franchise

Edited February 22, 201313 yr by Greg Hibbard

I would never blame injuries on trainers. They most of the time just happen. Herm has been able to keep the games lost to a minimum, but it is ironic he is getting some pub a year after the Sox were about as banged up as they have been since Herm has been around.

I would never blame injuries on trainers. They most of the time just happen. Herm has been able to keep the games lost to a minimum, but it is ironic he is getting some pub a year after the Sox were about as banged up as they have been since Herm has been around.

If there's any non-randomness to injuries...that means figuring out how to reduce your total number of injuries is a type of moneyball...finding an advantage other teams don't have.

I'm not entirely convinced that our DL numbers aren't low because we have a baddish farm system and our starters like to play injured for some reason.

I'm not entirely convinced that our DL numbers aren't low because we have a baddish farm system and our starters like to play injured for some reason.

If that was the case...then either the Sox should have a couple years of below-average DL appearances and a couple years of above-average DL appearances as injuries pile up...or the Sox should wind up underperforming their projections because they're playing too many guys who are hurt.

 

Neither of these are the case so far.

 

If they're over-playing hurt guys, they're still over-producing their expected wins almost every year, which means to me that they're getting better production out of the hurt guys they're playing than they would out of a replacement player.

If that was the case...then either the Sox should have a couple years of below-average DL appearances and a couple years of above-average DL appearances as injuries pile up...or the Sox should wind up underperforming their projections because they're playing too many guys who are hurt.

 

Neither of these are the case so far.

It just seems like every year we hear that Konerko had been injured for months of the season. Maybe that's just two years. BUT STILL!

 

We went through it with Dunn, too.

 

That wouldn't necessarily result in backloading DL trips if they recover over the offseason. Also, if, say, Konerko regularly plays injured it would be incorporated into his projections. I'm not married to the idea that this is true, but I am not at all convinced that Herm Schneider is magic either.

It seems the bigger point is the Sox pitching is consistently unrated for a hitters ballpark. Article on Quintana's off season http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/white-sox-t...esses-white-sox

Edited February 22, 201313 yr by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

Nice wishful thinking article. The Sox have trouble beating the Royals. The Tiger have decent pitching too and probably a better pitching coach. I think they are still the team to beat in the AL.

Nice wishful thinking article. The Sox have trouble beating the Royals. The Tiger have decent pitching too and probably a better pitching coach. I think they are still the team to beat in the AL.

In any given season, it is hard to blame trainers or conditioning coaches or pitching coaches for injuries - too much randonmess. But over many years, with the same staff in those positions, when you are consistently healthier than other teams (despite being older than average many years)... it is time to acknowledge there is a positive trend there. No doubt in my mind, they deserve some credit for it, and the formulas just don't adjust for it.

 

Nice wishful thinking article. The Sox have trouble beating the Royals. The Tiger have decent pitching too and probably a better pitching coach. I think they are still the team to beat in the AL.

 

Don Cooper is the best pitching coach in the game. It's not even worth debating.

I think that kitekrazy is my favorite poster on here. The guy is a comedic genius.