RKMeibalane
08-18-2002, 05:36 PM
I'm beginning to wonder if there is any limit to how low this team can go. I can understand the occasional blowout. After all, a team is bound to come out flat a few times each season. But the Sox continue to lose, and lose badly, especially when facing West-Coast teams on the road. Looking at this season in its entirety, I pose the following question: will things be any better in 2003?
In order for the Sox to bounce back from this dissapointing season, several changes must be made. I think everyone here understands what I am talking about when I say that these changes should not be limited to personel.
It is clear to me that the Sox need to change their mental approach to games, especially those against teams they should beat soundly- Kansas City, for example. It is not enough to simply possess more talent or more money than the opposition. The desire to improve is an essential ingredient to any winning team. Just ask the Minnesota Twins.
The Sox expected to win the AL Central this season, not because they believed in themselves, but because they did not take other teams seriously. Ray Durham proclaimed that he "wasn't worried about Minnesota." The irony of that statement isn't lost on anyone here, as he was the first player shipped out when it became apparent that there would be no post-season in the immediate future for Chicago's southside team. If the Sox are to have any chance of challenging the Minnesota Twins next year, they must focus from day one, and not allow minor clubhouse issues or pre-season hype to distract them from succeeding on the field.
For a time, it looked as though the Sox would slug their way to a divison title. The threesome of Thomas, Ordonez, and Konerko was pulverizing AL pitching. Kenny Lofton was experiencing a rebirth playing for his hometown team. Then, things fell apart- Humpty Dumpty style.
The Sox remained in first place until late May. But a six-game losing streak to the Yankees and Indians knocked the Pale Hoes out of first and into baseball oblivion. It was during this awful stretch that Jerry "The Tinkerer" Manuel began to rear his ugly head, when he announced the long-overdue benching of Royce Clayton. That demotion lasted a whopping seventy two hours.
Next, the Sox botched a four-game series to the Royals. From there, it was all down hill. Interleague play proved to be just as nightmarish as American League competition. Carlos Lee showed he has the base-running skills of a five-year-old when he was picked off THIRD BASE in a Friday evening contest against the Expos.
A week later, the Sox embarked on a nine-day road-trip. Because they were playing in National League parks, the Sox were forced to do without the DH. Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko took turns riding the bench while the other manned first base. The only positive that came out of this trip was the return of Carlos "Cub-Killer" Lee, as he demolished the northsiders at the Urinal on June 16.
Things have not improved since then. The Sox failed in their quest to beat up on the Twinkies. The low-point came during the series at Comiskey, when the Sox lost two of three. Frank Thomas seemd to be only person interested in putting up a fight; he homered in all three games.
The Sox were convinced they could win with offense. When that didn't happen, everyone said, "Don't worry. There is still plenty of time." Others pointed to nineteen games against the Twins, believing the Sox's bats would magically awaken. But that didn't happen. What was proclaimed to be an offensive juggernaut was reduced to a jigsaw puzzle. Jerry Manuel tinkered with the lineup each day. This served only to leave players frustrated and confused.
With a strike looming, this season is probably over. Hal Vickery was kind enough to share his views on the various problems the Sox have encountered during the course of this season. If you haven't done so already, please take a few minutes to read his column. It's quite good.
In closing, I repeat something I mentioned earlier in this post. It will take more than a roster-shakeup to improve the fortunes of this team. A new attitude ranks near or at the top of the list as far as changes are concerned. The Sox thought they were a lock to win the division. By now, everyone knows this team wasn't good enough to contend. The talent was there, but it takes more than nasty slider, a biting fastball, or a series of homerun hitters to compete in the Major Leagues. Surely, this is the lesson of the 2002 White Sox.
In order for the Sox to bounce back from this dissapointing season, several changes must be made. I think everyone here understands what I am talking about when I say that these changes should not be limited to personel.
It is clear to me that the Sox need to change their mental approach to games, especially those against teams they should beat soundly- Kansas City, for example. It is not enough to simply possess more talent or more money than the opposition. The desire to improve is an essential ingredient to any winning team. Just ask the Minnesota Twins.
The Sox expected to win the AL Central this season, not because they believed in themselves, but because they did not take other teams seriously. Ray Durham proclaimed that he "wasn't worried about Minnesota." The irony of that statement isn't lost on anyone here, as he was the first player shipped out when it became apparent that there would be no post-season in the immediate future for Chicago's southside team. If the Sox are to have any chance of challenging the Minnesota Twins next year, they must focus from day one, and not allow minor clubhouse issues or pre-season hype to distract them from succeeding on the field.
For a time, it looked as though the Sox would slug their way to a divison title. The threesome of Thomas, Ordonez, and Konerko was pulverizing AL pitching. Kenny Lofton was experiencing a rebirth playing for his hometown team. Then, things fell apart- Humpty Dumpty style.
The Sox remained in first place until late May. But a six-game losing streak to the Yankees and Indians knocked the Pale Hoes out of first and into baseball oblivion. It was during this awful stretch that Jerry "The Tinkerer" Manuel began to rear his ugly head, when he announced the long-overdue benching of Royce Clayton. That demotion lasted a whopping seventy two hours.
Next, the Sox botched a four-game series to the Royals. From there, it was all down hill. Interleague play proved to be just as nightmarish as American League competition. Carlos Lee showed he has the base-running skills of a five-year-old when he was picked off THIRD BASE in a Friday evening contest against the Expos.
A week later, the Sox embarked on a nine-day road-trip. Because they were playing in National League parks, the Sox were forced to do without the DH. Frank Thomas and Paul Konerko took turns riding the bench while the other manned first base. The only positive that came out of this trip was the return of Carlos "Cub-Killer" Lee, as he demolished the northsiders at the Urinal on June 16.
Things have not improved since then. The Sox failed in their quest to beat up on the Twinkies. The low-point came during the series at Comiskey, when the Sox lost two of three. Frank Thomas seemd to be only person interested in putting up a fight; he homered in all three games.
The Sox were convinced they could win with offense. When that didn't happen, everyone said, "Don't worry. There is still plenty of time." Others pointed to nineteen games against the Twins, believing the Sox's bats would magically awaken. But that didn't happen. What was proclaimed to be an offensive juggernaut was reduced to a jigsaw puzzle. Jerry Manuel tinkered with the lineup each day. This served only to leave players frustrated and confused.
With a strike looming, this season is probably over. Hal Vickery was kind enough to share his views on the various problems the Sox have encountered during the course of this season. If you haven't done so already, please take a few minutes to read his column. It's quite good.
In closing, I repeat something I mentioned earlier in this post. It will take more than a roster-shakeup to improve the fortunes of this team. A new attitude ranks near or at the top of the list as far as changes are concerned. The Sox thought they were a lock to win the division. By now, everyone knows this team wasn't good enough to contend. The talent was there, but it takes more than nasty slider, a biting fastball, or a series of homerun hitters to compete in the Major Leagues. Surely, this is the lesson of the 2002 White Sox.