2013 Season Final Thoughts and Some Positive Thoughts

[SoxSpeed22]

I'm okay with patching up a few holes via free agency since we do not have the proper players in the minors yet. The Sox definitely need to sign a starting catcher and an 8th inning reliever. They can try and get creative with trying to get another outfielder. I would rather not try and make a big trade that will expend prospects, unless it's for a young core position player.

[PalehosePlanet]

Originally Posted by doublem23

The pitching staff, in general, was excellent. Got to find about 8 guys who can hit.

Not really, look at Oakland's lineup as an example. A bunch of average to below average hitters, who play sound defense behind a good pitching staff.

Also, look at The 2010 world series champ Giants lineup -- same thing.

We need two good hitters and five average hitters to compete. Of course, that means that we would have to play damn good defense and run the bases properly.

[russ99]

Pretty much a write-off season, but we have good cost-effective pitching in place, and picking third in every round next summer will help too, so let's hope the Sox are more aggressive in getting the best player possible to boost the farm system.

Need more all-around offense. I hope that this lost season means the era of hitters with all power with little else on the Sox is nearly over.

I'll be curious to see how the off-season shakes out.

Our FA's are Konerko and Floyd. Our Arb eligibles are Beckham, DeAza and Flowers. Our only big salaries left for 2014 are Danks ($15.75M), Dunn ($15M) and Alexei ($9.5), and we'll see if any of them can be moved this winter.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by PalehosePlanet

Not really, look at Oakland's lineup as an example. A bunch of average to below average hitters, who play sound defense behind a good pitching staff.

Also, look at The 2010 world series champ Giants lineup -- same thing.

We need two good hitters and five average hitters to compete. Of course, that means that we would have to play damn good defense and run the bases properly.

This is emphatically false. Oakland's got four players with offensive WAR over 3.6, one of which is a whopping 6.6. In fact, every one of their everyday lineup has a positive WAR. So on top of being above average to significantly above average offensively (fourth most runs score in ALL of baseball), they also play really good defense.

As for San Fran...it would be harder to get four Chris Sale's in your rotation than it is to build a complete team. San Fran shouldn't be seen as the rule.

[SCCWS]

Originally Posted by PalehosePlanet

Terrible defense kills a team's overall ERA. When popups that should be caught fall in, or misjudged fly balls fall in, or you only get a force out instead of a GIDP, those all go in the books as hits and earned runs. Our pitching had to face way more batters than normal because of the awful defense.

I agree terrible defense affects ERA. But last year the White Sox were 9th in AL in ERA and they were the best defensive team in the AL % wise
If you look at the stats, they finish 7-8-9 of 15 in numerous categories. ERA is only one area.

[PalehosePlanet]

Originally Posted by blandman

This is emphatically false. Oakland's got four players with offensive WAR over 3.6, one of which is a whopping 6.6. In fact, every one of their everyday lineup has a positive WAR. So on top of being above average to significantly above average offensively (fourth most runs score in ALL of baseball), they also play really good defense.

As for San Fran...it would be harder to get four Chris Sale's in your rotation than it is to build a complete team. San Fran shouldn't be seen as the rule.

I'm not saying SF is the rule, nor am I saying a WS can be won, just saying that a team can compete with that type of roster.

As far as the A's go, that's their WAR's this year. My point is, coming into this year, on paper: Did anyone expect a 30 year old career minor leaguer like Brandon Moss to hit 30HR and drive in 85 runs? A so-so minor league catcher turned 3rd baseman, Josh Donaldson, to suddenly become a 90+ RBI man? Coco Crisp at 33 to have his best season since 2006?

W/the exception of maybe Cespedes they were all average to below average offensive players coming into this year.

[blandman]

Originally Posted by PalehosePlanet

I'm not saying SF is the rule, nor am I saying a WS can be won, just saying that a team can compete with that type of roster.

As far as the A's go, that's their WAR's this year. My point is, coming into this year, on paper: Did anyone expect a 30 year old career minor leaguer like Brandon Moss to hit 30HR and drive in 85 runs? A so-so minor league catcher turned 3rd baseman, Josh Donaldson, to suddenly become a 90+ RBI man? Coco Crisp at 33 to have his best season since 2006?

W/the exception of maybe Cespedes they were all average to below average offensive players coming into this year.

About adding veteran talent to young talent...it can work out really well (just as it did for us in 2005). BUT....that's the thing. You can't go out and sign 9 veterans, it will end badly. You need to have mostly young high end talent players (because not all pan out). We've got like one on offense.

[aryzner]

It's been mentioned, but I am incredibly happy and excited about the amount of money Hahn has been able to free up. That's the great part.

The bad part is how I am concerned about if the Sox will even use it/if the Sox will use it wisely.

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by SCCWS

Excellent???? based on what. statistically they average about 8th in AL in most categories like ERA. BAA, Saves, Blown saves..... They are even one of the worst teams in a couple of categories like HR allowed, P/PA.
Their pitching was average not excellent. Their offense was awful

#2 pitching staff in the American League by WAR

http://www.baseball-reference.com/le...pitching.shtml

[doublem23]

Originally Posted by blandman

I'm pretty sure he meant starting pitching.

The starting pitching is excellent, the bullpen is better than people give it credit, especially since most of the trouble arms are just AAAA filler players that are just here collecting a paycheck but aren't expected to be pieces of the puzzle in the future.

[kittle42]

Originally Posted by jamokes

The White Sox were the third worst team in baseball. You're drinking waaayyy too much kool-aid to put any positive spin on this year. The Cubs tried to be bad and we were worse. Dunn was a terrible pick up.......Paulie is over the hill........sorry but we are a long way off and considering the Indians have a real manager and the Tigers are one of the best teams around, we're in trouble for a few years.

Now really, do you trust the Sox upper management?

I almost didn't even need to read past this post, which nailed it. I went to one ****ing game this season - one - and it was Opening Day, and I'm a damn season ticket holder!

This was just garbage, and made me long for the days of Andy Sisco ("power arm," by the way).

There is little on this team to be excited about for next year. There is still nothing in the farm. Sign Cano and another huge FA, and we will get to talking.

[Bucky F. Dent]

Six of eight position players need to be replaced. How do you manage that in one off season?

[SephClone89]

Originally Posted by kittle42

I almost didn't even need to read past this post, which nailed it. I went to one ****ing game this season - one - and it was Opening Day, and I'm a damn season ticket holder!

This was just garbage, and made me long for the days of Andy Sisco ("power arm," by the way).

There is little on this team to be excited about for next year. There is still nothing in the farm. Sign Cano and another huge FA, and we will get to talking.

Do you really think signing Cano and Ellsbury (for example) is the way to go at this point?

[rdivaldi]

Originally Posted by kittle42

There is still nothing in the farm.

False. We also heard the same thing before this year and I can't imagine anyone would say that Semien and Johnson aren't bright spots to this year.

With high draft picks and loads of slot money for international picks the farm system will load up in 2014.

[sachin]

Originally Posted by kittle42

I almost didn't even need to read past this post, which nailed it. I went to one ****ing game this season - one - and it was Opening Day, and I'm a damn season ticket holder!

This was just garbage, and made me long for the days of Andy Sisco ("power arm," by the way).

There is little on this team to be excited about for next year. There is still nothing in the farm. Sign Cano and another huge FA, and we will get to talking.

Why would you be a season's tickets holder for this team? I went to about 6 games this year, got cheap tix on-line and saw some good games (most notably, Mariano Rivera's last appearance at Sox Park). I didn't think this team was going to play past yesterday, but still liked watching some players (Rienzo, A. Garcia, Adam Dunn [still like him]) ... I think the team may be kind of okay next season... Go Bears!