2009 Schedule

by KenWo4LiFe on Aug 4, 2009 9:15 AM CDT

After 106 games the White Sox are 54-52. However, they have taken an interesting path getting there. Much is being made of the White Sox tough 15 game stretch from August 24- September 7. While it is a very rugged road during that time (8 games with Boston, 3 with the Yankees, 3 with the Twins and 1 with the Cubs), judging by the Sox performance this year the more important 15 game stretch starts September 18th vs. the Royals.

You see, much is being made about the White Sox tough opponents in August. However, when you take a closer look at their records vs. .500 or better teams, they are 27-20. They seem to play good ball against the better clubs in baseball. 3-1 vs. New York, 6-2 vs. Tampa Bay, 4-2 vs. all of Los Angeles, 3-2 vs. Cubs, 2-1 vs. Seattle. They are 2-4 vs. Texas, but the Rangers aren't coming up on the schedule again in 2009. The one thing that disturbs me is the 5-7 record against Detroit. In the past, we always have dominated the Tigers. They were a "go to" team, meaning if we needed a win, we could go to Detroit and snag one. That has not been the case this season. Also, the Sox have posted a 6-6 record vs. Kansas City and 5-7 vs. Minnesota (who is currently under .500). They are 7-5 vs. Cleveland, but given the Indians struggles that should be a better number. Usually, it has been the Sox cleaning up in their own division that has helped them be successful. This year, they post a 23-25 record vs. the Central. That is not a recipe for success.

Going into my research of the schedule, I was pretty optimistic about the season, figuring if we keep our head above water by Labor Day we can win the division. Now, it looks like we may have to use the stretch of August 24- Labor Day to build a nice lead going into the end of the season.

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So your basic conclusion is what many have said all along:

That the road to repeat is by beating the NL and the ALC?

Or am I missing something?

"Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand."

— Leo Durocher

by Chiburb on Aug 4, 2009 10:07 AM CDT reply actions

well that would have been the road

but we haven’t done it. so we have to take a detour and load up until the 15th..then hope to hang on.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Aug 4, 2009 3:18 PM CDT up reply actions

sounds familiar

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 4, 2009 4:20 PM CDT up reply actions

Agreed

If we can stay close going into September I like our chances this time around with the ALC a lot more than earlier in the season. We have Q, Beckham, Pods, a much more consistent Getz and a better bench. A healthy Peavy would be pretty nice too.
Our record doesn’t show it but we’re a much better team now. We just need to get Jenks and the rest of the bullpen right!

Sox win, cubs lose.....what a wonderful world!

by picktoclick on Aug 4, 2009 11:35 AM CDT reply actions

Our record doesn’t show it but we’re a much better team now.

We’d better start sometime soon. All this means is without Becks/Pods/Getz improvement we’d be Cleveland right now.

We’re a pack of a-holes. by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
And my tradition of contributing absolutely nothing to this site...
continues.by ReservoirDog on Jul 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT

by winningugly on Aug 4, 2009 12:57 PM CDT reply actions

To picktoclick.

We’re a pack of a-holes. by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
And my tradition of contributing absolutely nothing to this site...
continues.by ReservoirDog on Jul 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT

by winningugly on Aug 4, 2009 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions

i think our record does show it

we were under .500 for a while there. got to play good ball for a while to get back up.

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 4, 2009 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions

sub 0.500

depends on when…if you mean that low point with toronto when we were 15-22, then yes, if you mean when we hit 28-34, not so much…

Always bet on black!

by onlysoxfaninboston on Aug 4, 2009 1:21 PM CDT up reply actions

We were above .500 for a while there too

Gotta play mediocre ball for a while to stay there.

Sox win, cubs lose.....what a wonderful world!

by picktoclick on Aug 4, 2009 1:51 PM CDT up reply actions

where is that while?

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 4, 2009 4:29 PM CDT up reply actions

Since July, mostly.

But your point about early in the seson is a good one. We’re basically a .500 club this last month with our newbies. Imagine where we’d be without ’em.

We’re a pack of a-holes. by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
And my tradition of contributing absolutely nothing to this site...
continues.by ReservoirDog on Jul 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT

by winningugly on Aug 4, 2009 5:08 PM CDT up reply actions

You're chart boy, not me. Figure it out.

Sox win, cubs lose.....what a wonderful world!

by picktoclick on Aug 4, 2009 6:02 PM CDT up reply actions

since you're selectively literate

since about the 6th of July, the Sox have been significantly above .500. they were not prior to that date for any real stretch.

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 4, 2009 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions

haha

selectivley literate good one
We can still win the division though, the Tigers aint shit

Carlos Guillen, the Latino Nick Punto

by The_Fan on Aug 5, 2009 4:25 AM CDT up reply actions

recall that your statement was

“We were above .500 for a while there too”. As you can see, there’s really no “while” prior to the past month. feel free to selectively interpret that as your ego sees fit.

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 4, 2009 6:13 PM CDT up reply actions

he's not worth it man

Always bet on black!

by onlysoxfaninboston on Aug 4, 2009 6:23 PM CDT up reply actions

whoever it is, the statement was errant.

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 4, 2009 6:45 PM CDT up reply actions

So what the fuck is your point, anyway?

Sox win, cubs lose.....what a wonderful world!

by picktoclick on Aug 4, 2009 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions

so it's less "selectively" and more "il-"

duly noted.

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 5, 2009 1:48 PM CDT up reply actions

actually i was surprised that we have played so good against good teams

and so shitty against our division. usually it’s the opposite.

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Aug 4, 2009 1:56 PM CDT reply actions

indeed

I’m surprised of our record against better teams the most

Carlos Guillen, the Latino Nick Punto

by The_Fan on Aug 4, 2009 2:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Its going to be a tough stretch

but the 15 game stretch to end the year, we will have Peavy starting every 5 days so we will get an extra 5 wins on the shakey part of our rotation. We can win this divsion, we just need above a .500 record against our diviison to do it

Carlos Guillen, the Latino Nick Punto

by The_Fan on Aug 4, 2009 2:34 PM CDT reply actions

my head hurts

is peavy starting 5 times in 15 games?

brndnprkns: I'm pretty sure the "badass" value of your life is closer to Gigli than The Dark Knight

by whitesoxmatt on Aug 4, 2009 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions

Isn't that what he said? Can't you read? And note that Peavy is the shaky part of the rotation.

Try to keep up.

"Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand."

— Leo Durocher

by Chiburb on Aug 4, 2009 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions

sorry, he said "shakey".

"Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand."

— Leo Durocher

by Chiburb on Aug 4, 2009 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions

ahh damn you guys hate me

what I meant to say was he is filling in the shakey part of the rotation and he will give us 5 starts this year

Carlos Guillen, the Latino Nick Punto

by The_Fan on Aug 4, 2009 2:56 PM CDT up reply actions

"ahh damn you guys hate me"

Think about all the different meanings this statement can have depending on where you put its missing commas. Fun stuff.

by Sox-35th on Aug 5, 2009 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

I take exception with you calling the Cubs a good team.

by MrBungle on Aug 5, 2009 4:02 PM CDT reply actions

well they are over .500 and do hold a division lead.

personally i don’t think very many of the teams on here are actually really good. actually none of them are “good”. i’m not too impressed with the yankees, dodgers, angels or phillies. this years playoffs any team in can win. no dominant teams

Kenwo4life=ratings

by KenWo4LiFe on Aug 5, 2009 5:03 PM CDT up reply actions

the Yanks, Red Sox, Rays and Dodgers are the filet of '09

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 5, 2009 6:39 PM CDT up reply actions

i'd love our sox to put some red sox filet over the grill then

my love goes to papi, but i hate pedroia, papelbon, ellsbury, beckett, and youk, i hate ’em

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... Time out Greenbay. Tell that fucking bullshit to the tourists

by onlysoxfaninboston on Aug 5, 2009 6:49 PM CDT up reply actions

like the juicers though eh?

Sox win, cubs lose.....what a wonderful world!

by picktoclick on Aug 5, 2009 7:26 PM CDT up reply actions

most players used jimmy, get over it

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa... Time out Greenbay. Tell that fucking bullshit to the tourists

by onlysoxfaninboston on Aug 5, 2009 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions

Fils, DB.

Don’t forget the World Champs. You are hurting the team.

Shut it down.

We’re a pack of a-holes. by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
And my tradition of contributing absolutely nothing to this site...
continues.by ReservoirDog on Jul 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT

by winningugly on Aug 5, 2009 7:11 PM CDT up reply actions

Along with Philly, LAA can't be too far behind, no?

they seem to be kind of like… well… the Sox, in that every year they’re discounted in the pre-season only to play much better than expected. I’m surprised at just how good their offense is — a quick glance says they’re average or better (offensively) at every position besides 2B and DH, and even there they have two seemingly decent options that just aren’t producing/aren’t healthy in Kendrick and Vlad. Kendry Morales, BTW, is having a phenomenal year — dude is slugging .570. Please take note, Dayan.

Their pitching, OTOH, looks no better than average, although Weaver/Lackey — with their offense — strikes me as a decent enough one-two for the playoffs.

by CWSKeith on Aug 6, 2009 12:37 PM CDT up reply actions

i dn, i guess i'm just not scared of the Angels.

call it 2005 afterglow or whatever.

THIS STORY ONLY ENDS ONE WAY

by colintj on Aug 6, 2009 7:13 PM CDT up reply actions

I really don't pay attention to future schedules, there's too many intangibles involved

I take games one at a time

if we win, we win, if we lose, we lose

i'll delete your SSS existence in a second. there is nothing that allows SSS posters, at any one moment, to keep posting, but the mere pleasure of larry.
-larry

by blackoutsox on Aug 5, 2009 6:33 PM CDT reply actions

if he dies, he dies.

by Trooper on Aug 5, 2009 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Ok, here's how it needs to go

They’re gonna lose some games the rest of the way, so don’t panic like a Cubbie fan after each loss.

They’ve played .500 ball against a tough stretch of teams, and and they’ve got 28 games left vs LAA, BOS, NY, MN, CUBS & DET. So let’s say they go 14-14 in those games.

Then there’s 26 games left vs. CLE, SEA, OAK, KC & BALT. Sox need to kick some ass against these creampuffs, so if they play at a .667 clip against them that’s 18-8

So 14 wins v good teams + 18 v creampuffs = 32 more wins, that gets them to 88 wins. That should be enough to do it.

"It was like everything was slow motion," Wise said. "I stuck my hand out so slowly and was able to make the catch."

by ChicagoPete on Aug 6, 2009 10:00 AM CDT reply actions

Your assumptions aree flawed.

We’re doing better against the best teams and below-average against our own division. I’m more worried about CLE than I am LAA (who we generally own) and the Scrubs. Plus, SEA is having a very nice year. Ther is no way on God’s earth we are going .667 against anyone over a 26 game stretch.

We’ll need 87 wins.

We’re a pack of a-holes. by rhythm on Apr 14, 2009 1:45 PM EDT
And my tradition of contributing absolutely nothing to this site...
continues.by ReservoirDog on Jul 21, 2009 2:30 PM EDT

by winningugly on Aug 6, 2009 11:11 AM CDT up reply actions

Pay attention old man - a mind is a terrible thing

I didn’t say that’s what they’re going to do, or what they’re projected to do – this is what they HAVE to do. Verstehst?!? Don’t make me come over there with WTGTD and kick your ass, now get to work.

"It was like everything was slow motion," Wise said. "I stuck my hand out so slowly and was able to make the catch."

by ChicagoPete on Aug 6, 2009 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions