On Email and Seeing Double
by The Cheat on May 24, 2008 8:19 PM CDT
in White Sox Game Recaps
Email
PrintI don't get much mail from readers, with good reason. That's what the comments section is for. But like any good website operator, I've got my email listed at the bottom of the site, you know, in case any of you had some of those Jack Daniel's Club Seats that you couldn't use. But the only people who bother to email me are either asking for something -- the answer is almost invariably no -- or telling me how stupid I am. Take Friday's winner.
After your nice post on the 14th do you feel like an idiot now? Its a 162 game season, let the squad work things out. I wouldn't go as far to call it all off now. Now that they are on a 8 game win streak I suppose you spoke to soon. Ozzie is one of the best. You are clueless.
Let's forget that I've never said the season's over -- though it is listed sarcastically in the FanShots -- and have generally been quite supportive of Ozzie Guillen. Let's concentrate on the post which yielded such furor.
Sure, the headline is a little over the top. There are plenty of poorly coached teams in the baseball, and I think Don Cooper and Ozzie are quite competent at their jobs. But the focus of the post was on the stark difference in execution between the Angels and White Sox.
Conveniently, there are a number of similarities between that game and this one. John Danks and Jered Weaver were the starters, with Weaver shutting down the Sox and Danks pitching well enough to win on most days. Heck, the final score (2-0) was even the same. But it's when you get to the bullet points of the first post that things get repetitive.
- The Angels stole 3 bases on John Danks. Two were completely uncontested... Yep.
- The Angels right-handed hitters were content to poke the ball into right field... Nope. No opposite field hits against Danks. 4 of the 5 Angels hits against Danks were for extra-bases, and the 5th was close. Still, a much more competent offensive attack than the Sox could muster.
- Sox outfielder fails to hit the cut-off man... Yep. Carlos Quentin unleashed a doozy of a throw that missed not only the cut-off man, but air mailed even the pitcher backing up home plate.
- And finally the unspoken bullet point: The offense, silenced for the 4th time against Weaver, who now owns an ERA of 0.34 in 4 career starts against the White Sox.
So what has changed?
The Sox ran off an 8-game winning streak that included 3 games over the indisputably terrible Giants and 3 more against an Indians squad which is in a tail spin and struggling to do anything at the plate this month. While the pitching has been impressive -- Danks fell an inning short of extending the Sox consecutive quality start streak -- the offense hasn't exactly matched their excellence. They've barely been average, and even that is arguable.
So looking back, do I feel like an idiot? Nope. Seems to me like this is the same team I wrote about on the 14th.
68 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Alternate title
If Quentin doesn’t hit, the Sox are headed for defeat.
The greatest trick the White Sox ever pulled was convincing their fan base that "Ozzieball" ever existed.
some numbers
The White Sox were shut out for the fifth time this season on Saturday, and it was the first time at home since a 6-0 loss on Aug. 12, 2007, against Seattle. ... John Danks has received seven runs of support over his last six starts. ... Sox starters are 5-2 with a 1.98 ERA in their last 10 games.http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080524&content_id=2761360&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp&c_id=cws
The greatest trick the White Sox ever pulled was convincing their fan base that "Ozzieball" ever existed.
It's a 4 man offense
Quenin, Dye, AJ, and Crede have performed above average. Unfortunately, the other 5 positions have been abysmal.
Konerko and Thome are the big problems. As disappointing as Swisher and Cabrera and fill-in-2B-name-here have been, getting .750 and .690 OPS production from DH and 1B is ridiculous. As bad as Thome has been , I find it funny that people call for the Sox to get rid of him and not Konerko. Both are immovable, and neither is getting released but Konerko has been significantly worse than Jim. I guess it’s just cause Thome is so unclutch.
The sad thing is that if the Indians tailspin continues, the Sox actually have a chanc eo contend in the Cenral as long as the pitching fairy dust continues to work.
The question is what can the Sox do to upgrade the offense. They can try to acquire some cheap 2B that might produce something over replacement level. Or, they can DL Konerko and maybe move Crede to 1B and play Fields at 3B.
In any case, they should call up Fields. They can surely find at-bats for him at 3B, DH and pinch-hitting and there’s a chance he could produce an .800 OPS if used judiciously (i.e. against LHP and junkballers).
We try so hard, as fans,
to encourage the Sox when they do well, even for a short time. We try to believe they have improved although they won against teams not playing well but they have reverted to form and the lack of hitting and the knowledge of what to do to improve when not hitting has , once again, raised it’s ugly head. We will soon hear from Ozzie how terrible we are as fans because we see, and speak about their failings. Yet it is the same failings, endlessly, no hitting, no trying to adjust to do things differently. It was so much fun when they were winning those 8 games, let’s try to do that again.
On the up side...
The Sox have faced very good pitching the last 2 games and have countered with pretty good pitching as well…if you remove Floyd’s very odd “meltdown.”
It appears the bats are destined to be hot and cold this year, so they’ll need to continue sweep or at least win series vs. crap teams, and hope for .500 vs. good teams.
I think Swish will eventually start hitting and Paulie will heal and do the same. I do wonder about Thome, however. How long do you stick with a DH hitting close to .200? Do they have any other options at DH?
I’ll be there tonight! Go Palehose!
"We're gonna bring it all day, everyday...we're gonna keep grinding it out." - Nick Swisher (4/1/08)
I'm got my reservations about Swish....
I might be totally wrong but from seeing him as an A at The Cell the last couple of years he looks a lot smaller to me….haven’t heard his name linked to any performance enhancing drugs but part of me wonders if there’s not something there.
sorry, i was assuming yours was
considering how patently idiotic it is to accuse like every player who goes through a slump of using steroids. take a look at swisher’s career numbers. tell me if you notice something about him. like, maybe something about how he’s kind of streaky.
half-assing, or perhaps more appropriately, no-assing comments like this should be eliminated from society. your brain misses you using it.
since we're reducing the discussion to insults
...should be eliminated from society. your brain misses you using it.
exactly how much sand is currently taking residence in your vagina, larry?
by thatshortkid on May 25, 2008 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions
Larry's a class act.....
and always has been.
one thing larry is pretty consistent in doing
is shutting up people who preemptively celebrate or panic about a singular occurance that in no way should be used to define or draw any real conclusion about a player or a team. You may not care for the way he does it, but I bet its probably helping to keep SSS from being one of the rah rah rah fuck fuck fuck sports blogs that are unbareable to read or participate in. I think it is most people’s nature to be more emotional during the games as they are played, but discretion should probably be more liberally used when discussing the team or a player in a broader sense. Its one thing to be pissed when someone fucks up a key at-bat during a game; it is quite different to use that at-bat to characterize a players worth.
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
or maybe I'm way the fuck off-base.
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
what i have little toleration for
is pedestrian analysis. what he posted had literally zero analytical value. we’re all dumber for having read something like that. anyone who posts anything about how they remember from 12 months ago or more how someone looks “a lot” smaller deserves to be ridiculed. total and complete bullshit comment. unless you’re a woman or gay. maybe i’ll listen then.
you really are one of a kind
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
that's where I draw the line. women and gays shouldn't be talking. i would have thought we'd all agree on that.
though I did enjoy your usage of the word ‘toleration’
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
no, i agree.
i think i said on here yesterday (or somewhere, who the hell knows) that having people who will tell others to shut up every now and then is actually a pretty valuable thing for a community. not that stanchar deserved it (probably no one does), but i think larry does a lot for quality control. communities can get eaten by such perspectives if it becomes the domineering one, but without it , you end up with AOL.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
That's fine...I'll agree it was very pedestrian analysis and probably something
that should not have been posted. Yeah….very likely some frustration at his lackluster start and of course I have no basis to make the link and that alluded to…I can stand to be corrected—that’s fine.
Then again….Larry you imply that your analaysis is always more than pedestrian….I’m not so sure. But I’ll keep reading….
i prefer the drop kick
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
i don't think it's implied, but i think
remembering that our “analysis” as a community usually isn’t exactly groundbreaking will hopefully keep us re-reading our posts before we hit “post”.
the rule i (never) follow is is basically: whatever you’re posting should either be informative or funny. if it’s neither, then ask yourself what exactly you’re adding.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
You don't need to acknowledge such emails...
The people who actually read and contribute to this site trust you and know that you know what you’re talking about.
Though I guess it was a nice stylistic way to get your point across—it’s still the same team.
Can't stand the (c)heat, then stay out of the kitchen
You sure seem ok dishing it out on players, Walker, Ozzie, Williams, etc. but when someone questions you, you start firing with both barrels. Between posting this (Cheat’s original post, that is) and railing on that kid who tried to tell you the “BureauScout” was some fraud, it sure seems your skin is a little thin.
Dump Ozzie
Guillen presided over nearly the greatest collapse in baseball history in 2005. The starting pitching, over which he has no ability to affect outcome beyond penciling the hurler in, saved our bacon.
2006 placed on full display the spectrum of incompetence Guillen is capable of. Bad defense, worse base running, caustic press relations, were teamed with the Whizards inability to tweek a starting rotation running on fumes.
2007’s record was Ozzie Ball hitting on all cylinders. Reinsdorf and his minions took the opportunity to disrespect the fans by inking Guillen long term on the cheap. Shocking.
2008 finds the central again vulnerable but as in 2006 our field generalship will be found wanting. Not only will the starting pitching be forced to carry our manager but also the over the hill, future hall of famer, 275 pound designated hitter who grew up a Cub fan.
Somehere a disciple of the school of Earl Weaver surely exists. Somone capable of using a platoon system to squeeze every drop of mileage out of an offense that lacks pop. Guillen has many issues but chief amongst them now is his inability to look his players in the eye and inform them for the good of the team that today they need to take a seat.
you mean like by doing something like sitting paul konerko down?
you’re right. ozzie would clearly never do that.
Anyone think that Kenny...
will try to claim one of the recently DFA’ed decent relievers…
Franklyn German from the Rangers or Brandon Medders from the Diamondbacks.
Unless Kenny thinks that Wassermann will turn it around. But Medders would seem like a good pickup for many teams.
Texas has about a league average bullpen by WPA
and Arizona has a significantly better one. Ours, by the same measure, has been better than both. My guess is that if those teams’ bullpens couldn’t be helped by those guys, ours wouldn’t be either. Obviously, there’s the Coop factor, but I honestly would prefer he focus on keeping Gavin, Jose and John good. Attention afforded is a zero sum game.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
it has only been 3.2 innings for ehren
the backend of the bullpen is not exactly where i’m all that concerned about making quick decisions. especially when neither of those options are anything more than “less bad”
Apropos of nothing, the last two albums I listened to:
1) Guided By Voices – Propellor
2) Blondie – Parallel Lines
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
neither informative nor funny. took you all of two minutes. impressive. ;-)
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 1:54 PM CDT up reply actions
"(never)"
it’s like nothing i write gets read around here
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
i didn't want to give your disclaimer too much attention, because if i did the rest of your post wouldn't have been informative (or funny).
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions
embracing contradiction is good for the soul
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
if this is your aforementioned "informative", then I think you should stick with "funny".
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
this doesn't qualify as informative?
is it not information you previously lacked? plus the addendum “what purpose” would be “let’s talk about music now, because the last few times it worked out pretty good.”
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
I was just listening to some Spiritualized...
here at work. Woohoo!
gonna out-energy a lot of guys, simply by over-attituding them
by defensive indifference on May 25, 2008 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions
still haven't listend to Songs in A&E but it looks like the consensus demands that i do
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
I would like to hear the Mr. Lonely soundtrack.
It was done by J. Spaceman and Sun City Girls for a Harmony Korine film. Should be completely crazy.
gonna out-energy a lot of guys, simply by over-attituding them
by defensive indifference on May 25, 2008 3:46 PM CDT up reply actions
I'll add to the non informative nor funny posts...
and tell anyone who gives a damn that the album I’m currently enthralled with is Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold. I’ve also been told that I need to give the Flobots a listening to.
And if toonder doesn't respond...
I feel I may be in some trouble, as I need someone to see my hip-hop references and be all like, “Yeah! Alright!” Then again, I think last music thread toonder wasn’t the only hip-hop fan (IIRC—and that’s besides myself, of course), so maybe I’m not in too much trouble.
I'm one of the hip hop fans
but youre more likely to find me listening to a tribe called quest.
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
If you are above the age of 30 and Caucasian
I can’t say I would be surprised at that revelation that you listen to ATCQ.
Rusty Longley v 2.0
by Ozzie Montana on May 25, 2008 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions
johnny mathis also recorded an album called "low end theory?"
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions
wrong demographic, but what are you trying to say here?
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
When you say "a tribe called quest"
can that be extrapolated to mean early-to-mid-90s hip-hop (obviously not all of it, but a good chunk of it)? Because I’m game with that, too—Enter the Wutang is one of my five favorite albums (regardless of genre) and Ready to Die is pretty freaking good, too (“Gimmie the Loot! Gimmie the loot!”).
definitely can be extrapolated. love the wu.
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
i think we're having a moment.
i wish someone had told me that sportsnation had replaced rationality with caps lock.
by MarketMaker on May 27, 2008 12:21 AM CDT up reply actions
what do you think of the new roots record?
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 5:07 PM CDT up reply actions
I haven't had a chance to listen to it...
although that’s more due to the fact that when the album was released, I was nose-deep in things to study for. It is, however, on a short list of albums that I’m going to need to get to. It usually takes me three-four times to really ‘get through’ an album (i.e. hear and have a chance to appreciate every song without having my attention diverted), and I’m doing that right now with Atmosphere, having just done that with the Raconteurs’ and The Last Shadow Puppets’ (Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys’ side project) new albums.
You like it (Rising Down)?
i do. it's no illadelph halflife or things fall apart, but i'm used to that at this point.
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 5:25 PM CDT up reply actions
I listened to Sage Francis, Atmosphere, Aesop Rock etc
in High School, but kinda got bored by it. I do like hip hop though and have the best of Rawkus Records, for example, on my iPod.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
still love the first pharoahe monch record on rawkus...and mos, of course.
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions
I love PM's verse on Oh No. He's cool fer sure...
but I really don’t know a lot of his shit.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
i'm glad you're more than a shoegazing wolverine.
"For those that don't understand stats... that ops is horrifying."
by Toonderstrook on May 25, 2008 6:43 PM CDT up reply actions
I've got pretty diverse tastes
I’m hardly failing Pop History 101, don’t you worry. Still plenty of blanks to be filled in, of course, but I’ve got a pretty solid and at least somewhat diverse timeline.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
I've heard that Atmosphere album.
It’s pretty damn good. I hadn’t listen to anything they’ve (he’s) put out for a few years, so I don’t really know how it compares to what he’s (they’ve) been doing.
gonna out-energy a lot of guys, simply by over-attituding them
by defensive indifference on May 25, 2008 5:05 PM CDT up reply actions
Congrats Tigers! You scored 19 last night....
but you’re about to lose 2 of 3 to Minnesota.
Quick analysis;
A couple of losses in a row and the site goes on the rag.
Enjoy where we sit – 1st place, far better than most of us expected. Just don’t get used to it.
FWIW: I believe all the hitters are off the juice and all the pitchers are on it. Alexei needs massive doses of juice – Creatin at least, fer Chrissakes. Coop is God and Walkie is doing a great job. Ozzie is gay.
Have a good Memorial Day – have to catch a plane at 6 AM and will miss tonight’s game. Remember those who really have it rough – those guys and women taking fire for us, and the guys who did so in the past.
I took the "under".
Thanks for the reminder re Memorial Day, WU.
Pitching, defense and health.
you're a good man, WU
3/4 former/current mates disagree, but Ill vouch for ya.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
Big game tonight, IMO.
Don’t want to 1. get swept at home, 2. lose again to a “top tier” team, 3. lose 3 in a row after 8 wins, 4. national TV, etc
Key Sox (w/ 10 or more PA) vs. Lackey
Swisher, 45 PA - .108 .267 .135 .402
Dye, 39 PA - .229 .308 .400 .708
AJ, 31 PA - .296 .355 .370 .725
Konerko, 27 PA - ..261 .370 .435 .805
Crede, 22 PA - .273 .273 .455 .728
Thome, 12 PA - .000 .167 .000 .167
+ Cabrera
+ Q!
+ 2B
Angels stats vs. Contreras are bad also. Should be a pitchers’ duel.
Need a win before we head to the Sunshine State.
Pitching, defense and health.
Oops, to Ohio before the Sunshine State.
Pitching, defense and health.
Lineups in....
No Konkerko again…BA in CF, ARAM at 2B.
gonna have to do some pitching then.
the added D will help a bit though.
dude, that was totally not swish you saw on rush street last night. swish was at home playing xbox.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
