9/26/2012 Postgamer

[Patrick134]

Originally Posted by sox1970

Sox are under .500 when they don't face the Twins.

Sox are 60-68 against teams that are not the twins or mariners.

[FoulTerritory]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox5187

I was at the game tonight and I wanted to come back here and yell and scream and point fingers and scream for someone's head, but I think the simple fact here is that the White Sox ran out of gas here at the end.

What does that mean? Why would the sox have less gas than any other team?

[guillensdisciple]

After yesterday's game I really lost all interest in this game. I did not have any excitement, and just turned it on because I love the White Sox. I had little hope, I did not expect anything extraordinary, and the moment I saw the tigers coming back I knew where this game was headed.

The sox had their chance to make it a run after the walk off. Most teams would have used that as fuel to push through. We didn't, we solo homered our way to a loss yesterday and this loss was beckoning.

The rays are a great September team, and we are just the right team for them to vulture for the last 7 games while other teams battle it out for the wild card.

Like a prior poster said, the Tigers have gone 5-3 in the last 8 and we 1-7. A 4-4 record would have us floating in the clouds and with teams like the royals and Indians to play, we should have had that. We don't, and you really can't afford to play this poorly. We have to go 6-1 to win this thing. How we'll do that, I have no idea.

[Soxman219]

What a ****ing joke. The inability to beat the Royals, Tigers, blowing a 6-0 lead against Detroit on May 15th, Losing the game in Oakland after taking the lead in 11th, losing in the 9th in Boston on a walk-off HR, pick one game out of that. That's the difference between the Sox and Tigers right now. Another blackmark for the recent trials of Chicago sports.

[Patrick134]

Originally Posted by guillensdisciple

After yesterday's game I really lost all interest in this game. I did not have any excitement, and just turned it on because I love the White Sox. I had little hope, I did not expect anything extraordinary, and the moment I saw the tigers coming back I knew where this game was headed.

The sox had their chance to make it a run after the walk off. Most teams would have used that as fuel to push through. We didn't, we solo homered our way to a loss yesterday and this loss was beckoning.

The rays are a great September team, and we are just the right team for them to vulture for the last 7 games while other teams battle it out for the wild card.

Like a prior poster said, the Tigers have gone 5-3 in the last 8 and we 1-7. A 4-4 record would have us floating in the clouds and with teams like the royals and Indians to play, we should have had that. We don't, and you really can't afford to play this poorly. We have to go 6-1 to win this thing. How we'll do that, I have no idea.

In my opinion, the 20/20 hindsight vision of where the collapse started was Alexei getting picked off third when we had Guthrie on the ropes in KC. I know Alex was out at the plate too, but that was a little less heinous of a play.

[ShooterMcGavin]

The Tigers and Sox each have 7 games left to play. I don't feel good about the Sox's chances right now, but let's see how these next 14 games play out.

I think someone touched on it earlier, but winning a game 163 isn't good in that the Sox will be at a pitching disadvantage in the ALDS. And the Sox are already at a disadvantage in the ALDS.

[WhiteSox5187]

Originally Posted by FoulTerritory

What does that mean? Why would the sox have less gas than any other team?

Well as JB has said in previous statements I think it has to do with roster depth. The White Sox are a top heavy team reliant upon veterans, in order to stay competitive earlier in the year the White Sox have to ride guys like Youkilis, Konerko, AJ, Rios and Alexei hard in the first half and all that wear and tear starts to show in September for the Sox. The Tigers have to do the same thing obviously but the guys they are putting out there day after day are a lot younger than the guys the Sox have out there so they can take the wear and tear of playing in 140+ games a bit easier than the White Sox can.

[amsteel]

Just because they aren't very good doesn't mean this isn't a choke. They were in first for 130+ days and didn't show up in the latter half of September. Choke plain and simple.

The issue is this team pretty much maxed out it's potential this year. Unless some big free agent moves are made (they won't) we're looking at the exact same team next year.

If you consider what was expected out of each player:
Rios and AJ had a GREAT years
PK, Gordon, Viciedo, and ADA had average seasons (PK may be slightly above average)
Alexei was slightly below what was expected
Dunn had a great bounceback year, but was below average for what they signed him to do
Third base is just as much a black hole in September as it was in April

No one had a terrible season (ie: Dunn and Rios in 2011). This is team is exactly what they were built to be: the 8th best team in the AL.

Correction: it's not 130+ days, just 126. Totally changes the argument.

[palehozenychicty]

Today was just more of the same. This roster is not good enough. Even if they somehow snuck in. Their body language and eyes tell all.

Mr. Reinsdorf, you've had 31 years to build a consistent winner. I think it's time to step aside.

[soxtalker]

I was looking at plots of the number of games above .500 for each team across the season on another web site.

It looks like the Sox have essentially been winning about the same number of games as they lose since the middle of July. The Tigers are pretty similar. But the Yankees, Orioles, Rangers, A's, and Angels have all been continuing to add more wins than losses through August and September.

[palehozenychicty]

Originally Posted by amsteel

Just because they aren't very good doesn't mean this isn't a choke. They were in first for 130+ days and didn't show up in the latter half of September. Choke plain and simple.

The issue is this team pretty much maxed out it's potential this year. Unless some big free agent moves are made (they won't) we're looking at the exact same team next year.

If you consider what was expected out of each player:
Rios and AJ had a GREAT years
PK, Gordon, Viciedo, and ADA had average seasons (PK may be slightly above average)
Alexei was slightly below what was expected
Dunn had a great bounceback year, but was below average for what they signed him to do
Third base is just as much a black hole in September as it was in April

No one had a terrible season (ie: Dunn and Rios in 2011). This is team is exactly what they were built to be: the 8th best team in the AL.

Indeed.

[amsteel]

Originally Posted by soxtalker

I was looking at plots of the number of games above .500 for each team across the season on another web site.

It looks like the Sox have essentially been winning about the same number of games as they lose since the middle of July. The Tigers are pretty similar. But the Yankees, Orioles, Rangers, A's, and Angels have all been continuing to add more wins than losses through August and September.

The Sox are a 10 over team and have been since June, that's their ceiling. They might go on a decent streak, but will immediately regress. It's been clear for 2 months that the only way the Sox win the ALC is if Detroit is no better than 9 over.

[Lip Man 1]

Amsteel:

With all the free agents they have I'd be very surprised if you were looking at the exact same team next year.

I'd be shocked to be honest with you.

-----------------------

It seems like forever since this club had 10 hits or more in a game doesn't it?

Lip

[happydude]

Originally Posted by amsteel

Just because they aren't very good doesn't mean this isn't a choke. They were in first for 130+ days and didn't show up in the latter half of September. Choke plain and simple.

The issue is this team pretty much maxed out it's potential this year. Unless some big free agent moves are made (they won't) we're looking at the exact same team next year.

If you consider what was expected out of each player:
Rios and AJ had a GREAT years
PK, Gordon, Viciedo, and ADA had average seasons (PK may be slightly above average)
Alexei was slightly below what was expected
Dunn had a great bounceback year, but was below average for what they signed him to do
Third base is just as much a black hole in September as it was in April

No one had a terrible season (ie: Dunn and Rios in 2011). This is team is exactly what they were built to be: the 8th best team in the AL.

No doubt.

[amsteel]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

With all the free agents they have I'd be very surprised if you were looking at the exact same team next year.

True, but do you expect them to sign any 'impact' FAs? The sting of signing Peavy and Dunn will make management trigger shy on big deals for a while.

In fact, with so many FA opportunities (much more than I initially thought: AJ, Dayan, ADA, black hole @ 3B, & Beckham) next year could be terrible. Really ****ing terrible. I'm already picturing a nightmarish mess of over the hill guys signed to 1 year deals (a la Hudson) and never-has-been/never-will-bes (a la Lopez and Johnson)