Last night’s 3-1 loss to the Angels broke the White Sox's eight game winning streak. Even so, the Sox hold the second biggest division lead in the majors at 2.5 games. While the season is still young, few people expected the Sox to compete in the mighty AL Central this year. So far, so good. But can they keep it up?
Waiting for Next Year, a rad Cleveland sports blog, asked me a few days to say why I thought the Sox would win the division. I’m not sure how compelling my argument was (though I did make fun of the Royals a lot), but I wanted to make one thing clear. The Sox are winning right now because of their pitching. The starters have been awesome and the bullpen is even better. Remember how awful the bullpen was last season? If the Sox had a lead in the seventh, there seemed to be a 60% chance they’d blow it. I think I spent more time thinking of x-rated nicknames for Ryan Bukvich than I did watching him.
This year is completely different. A lot of people bashed the signings of Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel, but, so far, they’ve paid off. The Sox’s relievers have given up the fewest homers of any unit in baseball. Somewhere, Bukvich wonders where he went wrong.
So are the Sox for real? BP’s Joe Sheehan seems to think so, and I can’t think of a better endorsement than his. Even though I hate Arby’s, if Baseball Prospectus told me it was good, I’d probably eat there every day.
Basically, it all comes down to the two young pitchers, Gavin Floyd and John Danks. I think Danks is legit. He’s been about as good this season as anyone could hope for from a 22-year old starter. As for Floyd, well, I don’t know. Joe Cowley told us yesterday that Floyd “stopped listening to so many voices”, which I suppose is a good thing. Still, I’d rather have him start striking more guys out. Floyd’s almost thrown three no-hitters this year, but he kind of seems to do it with smoke and mirrors. His line drive rate is way too high, and he doesn’t strikeout as many guys as you’d like. But right now, it’s working. So whatever. As long the Sox keep catching those line drives, it’s all good.
The offense is going to come around sooner or later. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. I’m not sure it matters though, as long as Qperman stays this hot.
I wrote yesterday on my site that Quentin has officially reached 93’ Big Hurt status: every time he comes up, I expect a double or homer. He’s that good. It’s kind of reminiscent of Crede in the 05’ playoffs. You never expect him to let you down.
And one last time, just to silence all the idiots (not that any of you guys are. You’re all awesome): Jerry Owens is "hitting" .230/.305/.284 in AAA. He’s 27. Owens may catch on as a fourth outfielder sometime, but he’ll never be anything more. Get over him, people.
If the Sox end up doing anything is year, the season's most important moment may be when Owens got hurt late in Spring Training. If he doesn't, I'm fairly certain Ozzie puts Owens on the team over Quentin. As I read a guy say over at SSS, finally, a groin injury worked out in the White Sox favor.
After seeing the picture, now I see what everyone has been talking about, he does bear a remarkable resemblance to a young Jose Canseco.
The lack of a leadoff hitter has to be overcome in order for the Sox to continue their success! Uribe and the Cuban missle are clueless and belong in the minors! Let's hope that KW can find a real leadoff man!
Go White Sox
With Uribe down they finally brought up Wise. He was for the Knights what Quentin's been for the WSox & then some (a lot of SB's). Like Quentin before 2008 he's mostly been a flop at the ML level for his career but maybe Walker can work the same magic with Wise that he's done on Mr Q.
OBP for Thome & Koney doesn't mean much because they can't get from 1st to 3rd on a hit. They are too slow to even disrupt a DP attempt. Swish can do both those things so his OBP means a lot more. Sit T&K down more & play Swish at 1B. This opens up CF to Anderson/Wise. Let's see what Wise can do.
Keep Thome from getting his PA's to lock in $13m for 2009. For 2009 we can get more productive AB's out of Fields at DH if we decide to keep Crede.
As long as the pitching holds strong, and we continue to beat up on our division, it's 'all systems go'.
I wonder if our hitters are becoming conscious of the declining world forests. Seems the wood is being protected?
Last year, injuries and ineffictiveness really hurt the team. It hurt them to the point that our record was terrible against good teams, and terrible against bad teams. People forget that the team won the WS in 2005, and 90 games in 2006 when they were healthy. Looks like they are on the way to 90 games again.
We essentially traded Chris Young for Quentin, Vasquez, and throw ins NOW (which I give Kenny a lot of credit for.) We need speed at the top, and for our big boppers to get heated up. This team should probably win 90 games, the division, and based on our easier schedule (we have already played to a 26-21 record against a very good schedule with a lot of games on the road.) This should be a fun year for all us Sox fans.
GGGGOOOOOOOOOO SOX!! And Q reminds me more of Luigi.
Keep what going? Am I missing something??? Have they finally reached the hallowed ground-most consecutive games ever without a sell out?? I must admit, I am puzzled by this thread.
Ricky responds: I mean the whole "first place" thing. Maybe you should just comment on Cubs posts if you aren't mature enough to handle this.
Mighty AL Central? Mighty? Where do people get this, from their yearbooks of previous years? Hello! Detroit is awful, the roster in Minnesota is empty, and Cleveland is mediocre. If any team can match mediocre, that team can contend in the weak, weak AL Central. Do the math on the W/L records, please.
Ricky responds: Yeah, I kinda meant that it was supposed to be good, but it isn't. Though it's far too early to count out the Tigers and Indians. Small sample size, man.
It's been an interesting season so far.
Both teams started out like gang busters ... ran into semi-slumps at about the same time, and now the Sox have come on strong again, while the Cubs are still holding their own.
I think that this is going to be an entertaining year on both sides of the city, as each of these teams has at least the potential to win their respective divisions.
Bring on the Cross Town Series, and let's all hope for a Cross Town World Series!
YES! YES! YES!!!!!!
Great, great job Ricky, across the board. Hey Juan, I don't hear you talking much about Jerry Owens anymore! Was it me who said that Quentin should absolutely start over him? I think it was! You owe me an apology for being so pathetically clueless.
"OBP for Thome & Koney doesn't mean much because they can't get from 1st to 3rd on a hit."
Seriously? Did you seriously just write that? I almost died.
And Ricky, great breakdown on Gavin Floyd. He's been getting insanely lucky and probably can't keep this up unless his peripherals catch up to his performance. More strikeouts, more grounders, less walks. One of those three things is needed.
I agree with many that sox lack offense big time. Plus Cabrera has failed as other lead off hitters recently for sox.You can't continue to put a .220 hitter on top of lineup. Quinten,Dye & AJ have been only spark on offense for most part for sox. But its important for sox to have a guy set the table on top of lineup. Cabrera ,Swisher among others have been awful to be kind. Sox have lost too many well pitch games due to no offense. Sox need a spark to get it going. One may be to fire Walker . He has coach the worst offense in baseball for last couple of seasons. He is not the only problem ,but in business when things aren't going right its usually the guy thats ahead of a under achieving department to get the boot. Tired of Ozzie's lame excuses. Something needs to be done or it will be a blue print for another lousy season of under achievers not getting job done.
Joe:
I was also thinking that Walker needs a pink slip.
Perhaps we can contact the cryogenic facility that has Ted Williams' head stored in a vat of liquid nitrogen, and inquire as to whether or not they would be able to revive him in time to replace Walker as hitting coach.
I'd actually prefer to have Ted's bat in the line-up, but with only his head available, I doubt that he could ever hit .400 again.
I believe that Konerko's best days are behind him. Sit him down and bring up Josh Fields to play first base.Paulie is too disconserning about his hitting. He cant even make contact with the ball. How long is his slump going to continue. He is holding the White Sox back. I think that Kenny Williams should consider a deal for Konerko.
The Sox will go as far as Danks and Floyd take them. If these pitchers can continue to go deep into games and eat up innings, they'll spare the relief corps from having to bail them out. That should keep the relief pitchers fresh and strong, and dominating. Now, the Sox just need to hit. I advocated for Thome and Konerko to be dropped in the order. Ozzie did so. Now I think they need to be dropped even further down. Konerko to the bench and Thome to #6 or #7. Bring Fields back to play first and DH when Konerko plays.
Ozzie needs to send a message to the everyday players that no one is above the team. Benching Konerko will send that message clearly and loudly.
I hate to do it to Paulie, but his performance at the plate demands it.
Btw, three cheers for Don Cooper.
Sox will be alright. Those arms are whats getting it done. And if the bats weren't ice cold, we would be dominating opponents. All we need is for 3 of the big 4 to wake up for us, and I think they will. Thome, Korneko, Dye and Crede cannot be held down for long. And Dye is due for another MVP year.
Keith:
Correct me if I'm wrong here, (and even if I am it could only possibly be for one year since Konerko has worn a Sox uniform) but when was the last / ONLY time that Paul Konerko has come out of the gate like the .300 plus hitter he's being paid to be all year long?
I don't want a guy that hits a buck three eighty until July, and then suddenly comes on strong after far too many games have already gone by the wayside, due to his annual inability to make contact with the ball for the first three or four months of the season.
He takes April, May, March, and sometimes June off, so they should only begin paying him in July, which is usually when he decides to actually show up for work, and do his job.
Villano | May 28, 2008 04:01 PM - You are absolutely right! And he has been this way for the last 4 years. Love the guy, but those looooong slumps just kill us. I think we need to get rid of 2 of the big 4 next year. And he is definitely first on that list. And big Home is 2nd. Crede and Dye are the two I would keep.
Keith:
The funny thing is that the Sox are playing well enough to compensate for Konerko's annual lack of production early in the season, and he just might bring it on when things get really serious.
My problem with him is that I think EVERY GAME is serious.
It's a double edged sword with this guy. Do you sit him and take your chances with a replacement; or do you hang in there; knowing that sooner or later he'll find his stroke?
I agree with you. He's paid to be a big time player, and even though the Sox have the best record in the league, he's yet to make a contribution.
The thing is ... I actually like the guy, and believe he's trying as hard as he can. (I'd never say that a man of his character was "Dogging It") He's a stand-up Pro insofar as his work ethic is concerned.
He just isn't getting the job done, and how long should the team hope and wait?
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