Catch Minnesota

[sunofgold]

I believe that we have bounced from our bottom. it is all rising now. I think that we can catch Minny for fourth place. We really are better than them. Hey, 4th is better than last. Have 11 more games H2H.

[Rocky Soprano]

Originally Posted by sunofgold

I believe that we have bounced from our bottom. it is all rising now. I think that we can catch Minny for fourth place. We really are better than them. Hey, 4th is better than last. Have 11 more games H2H.

I'd rather they end up last and get a better draft pick.
Who cares about 4th place. That's nothing to cheer about.

[Domeshot17]

Originally Posted by Rocky Soprano

I'd rather they end up last and get a better draft pick.
Who cares about 4th place. That's nothing to cheer about.

This. I actually think the worst thing we can do is a late season rally. Then Rick will have the excuse to not improve the team that will be forced on him by Kenny and Jerry.

He is my favorite all time White Sox player next to Frank, but if we resign PK and go forward with this "Lets give them another shot to win 86 games and sneak into the playoffs only to be swept" approach, I may not be able to watch a game all year .

[Boondock Saint]

Nobody looks back on 2007 and thinks, "**** yeah, we were three games better than the Royals!", and we shouldn't think that way about this year.

[soltrain21]

This team would play well at the end of the year to screw their draft position. Completely solidifying themselves as everyone's least favorite White Sox team.

[LITTLE NELL]

I was sort of thinking along the same lines the other day. How do you motivate a team that was 29 games under .500. I would say to the guys the ''second season'' starts today and our goal right now is to not finish last and while we are at it lets not have the worst record of the teams in Chicago. The opposite part of the equation is that these guys are professionals and are making more money in one year than most people will make in a lifetime and that they should still have some pride and that is all the motivation they need.
As a fan I don't ever want to see a White Sox team wind up in last place or have the worst record, I don't need any more 1970 seasons, one was enough. You might get the #1 pick which could turn out to be a dud.
Maybe Robin said all this to the guys the other day and so far, so good as we are off to a 3 game winning streak to start the ''second season.''

[24thStFan]

Given the current roster and since they aren't making the playoffs, the Sox need to have a top 5 draft pick.

[kobo]

Originally Posted by Rocky Soprano

I'd rather they end up last and get a better draft pick.
Who cares about 4th place. That's nothing to cheer about.

Ditto.

[Rocky Soprano]

Originally Posted by LITTLE NELL

I was sort of thinking along the same lines the other day. How do you motivate a team that was 29 games under .500. I would say to the guys the ''second season'' starts today and our goal right now is to not finish last and while we are at it lets not have the worst record of the teams in Chicago. The opposite part of the equation is that these guys are professionals and are making more money in one year than most people will make in a lifetime and that they should still have some pride and that is all the motivation they need.
As a fan I don't ever want to see a White Sox team wind up in last place or have the worst record, I don't need any more 1970 seasons, one was enough. You might get the #1 pick which could turn out to be a dud.
Maybe Robin said all this to the guys the other day and so far, so good as we are off to a 3 game winning streak to start the ''second season.''

I understand your argument and agree with a lot of it. The thing is, this team is not making the playoffs this year. So we need to stop thinking about this year and start thinking about the future. Finishing with the worst record helps us in the future. This team heating up and winning a few more meaningless games does not. Now I am not saying they should lose on purpose or that they shouldn't give it their all. Yes, the #1 pick could end up being a dud but it could also end up being our next superstar. I would rather they get the best possible chance to land an impact player than winning a few more games and end up thus minimizing that opportunity.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by Boondock Saint

Nobody looks back on 2007 and thinks, "**** yeah, we were three games better than the Royals!", and we shouldn't think that way about this year.

Likewise, nobody cares whether or not their top draft pick is #4 or #7. It's all basically the same.

[LITTLE NELL]

Draft picks in baseball are probably more of a crap-shoot than any other of the other major sports, we could end up with another Harold Baines or another Bee Bee Richard, and then there was Mark Buerhle who was a 38th round draft choice.

[JB98]

Originally Posted by doublem23

Likewise, nobody cares whether or not their top draft pick is #4 or #7. It's all basically the same.

Yeah, I don't understand this obsession with trying to get the best draft pick possible. This isn't basketball or football. The baseball draft is a complete crapshoot.

Mike Trout, the best young player in the game IMO, was selected 25th overall his draft year. Chris Sale, the best young player on our club, was selected 13th overall in 2010. You don't have to be drafting in the top 10 to get a good player, and even if the Sox get the No. 1 overall pick, they are hardly guaranteed of getting a future All-Star. In addition to scouting and development, there's a degree of luck involved.

I also don't understand this fear that a late-season winning streak will cause Hahn to deviate from his plan. First of all, I don't think a late-season winning streak is forthcoming. The team is bad. You see it. I see it. So does the front office. Secondly, the die is cast. They've already traded Peavy, and I'm sure they'll try to make a move with Rios and/or Dunn -- either before Sept. 1 or during the offseason. They would not have traded Jake if they were thinking of bringing the band back for one more run next year. That isn't going to happen.

As for the remaining 50 games of this season, I'm with the OP. Win as many as you can and try to get out of last place. Other than individual pursuits, there isn't a lot for the guys on the Sox roster to play for right now. They already know they aren't going to the playoffs. One of the things they can do to keep themselves mentally engaged in the season is say, "Hey, let's try to catch the team in front of us." Does it mean anything? Not really, but setting a goal like that is a way to keep guys playing hard at the end of a lost season. I'm all for that. I love to win and hate to lose. I have no patience for people who root against their own team to secure a better draft pick. Maybe that's why I'm not a big NFL or NBA fan. That mentality sucks, IMO. It's especially fruitless to do that when you know a higher draft pick doesn't guarantee a damn thing.

[LITTLE NELL]

Originally Posted by JB98

Yeah, I don't understand this obsession with trying to get the best draft pick possible. This isn't basketball or football. The baseball draft is a complete crapshoot.

Mike Trout, the best young player in the game IMO, was selected 25th overall his draft year. Chris Sale, the best young player on our club, was selected 13th overall in 2010. You don't have to be drafting in the top 10 to get a good player, and even if the Sox get the No. 1 overall pick, they are hardly guaranteed of getting a future All-Star. In addition to scouting and development, there's a degree of luck involved.

I also don't understand this fear that a late-season winning streak will cause Hahn to deviate from his plan. First of all, I don't think a late-season winning streak is forthcoming. The team is bad. You see it. I see it. So does the front office. Secondly, the die is cast. They've already traded Peavy, and I'm sure they'll try to make a move with Rios and/or Dunn -- either before Sept. 1 or during the offseason. They would not have traded Jake if they were thinking of bringing the band back for one more run next year. That isn't going to happen.

As for the remaining 50 games of this season, I'm with the OP. Win as many as you can and try to get out of last place. Other than individual pursuits, there isn't a lot for the guys on the Sox roster to play for right now. They already know they aren't going to the playoffs. One of the things they can do to keep themselves mentally engaged in the season is say, "Hey, let's try to catch the team in front of us." Does it mean anything? Not really, but setting a goal like
that is a way to keep guys playing hard at the end of a lost season. I'm all for that. I love to win and hate to lose. I have no patience for people who root against their own team to secure a better draft pick. Maybe that's why I'm not a big NFL or NBA fan. That mentality sucks, IMO. It's especially fruitless to do that when you know a higher draft pick doesn't guarantee a damn thing.

[Boondock Saint]

Originally Posted by doublem23

Likewise, nobody cares whether or not their top draft pick is #4 or #7. It's all basically the same.

You can't pick guys who've already been drafted, so while it's more of a crapshoot, you want to have a deeper pool to choose from. Take 2007 as an example. If the Sox had just lost just two more games in 2007, they would have been in position to draft Buster Posey. That's not to say they would have drafted him, but it's a bit of a kick in the pants to think that two meaningless wins might have been the difference between drafting Gordon Beckham at #7 and drafting Buster Posey at #5.

[DumpJerry]

Yeah, let's catch up and pass Minnesota. We need another Fourth Place banner to go with the others on the outfield wall.......