Keeping one eye on the White Sox and one eye on the NHL playoffs tonight, I noticed the Sox scored all of their runs in Thursday's 7-3 loss to Toronto via the home run.
We've heard a lot of talk all spring and this early season about how the Sox are "changing their philosophy," forgoing the home run for more speed and small ball. As a matter of fact, Sox manager Ozzie Guillen has been talking about more bunts, more steals and more hit-and-runs for three years. Alas, much to the chagrin of a lot of Sox fans, this "Ozzie Ball" style has never materialized.
The Sox are a home run hitting team. They have been this entire decade. That's their identity. Through the first 10 games of this season, they have been a home run hitting team.
Yes, I'm serious.
It's obviously very early, but would you believe it if I told you the Sox are on pace to set a new club record for home runs? They've hit 15 in the first 10 games of the season. At this rate, they would hit 243 over the course of the year. The team record is 242, set in 2004.
Paul Konerko (pictured) has three homers. So does Andruw Jones. Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios have two each. Heck, even backup catcher Donny Lucy got into the long-ball act Thursday night.
The Sox have scored 45 runs in their first 10 games. Twenty-five of the 45 have come on homers. That's 56 percent of the total offensive output.
Ozzie Ball? I haven't seen it so far. Until proven otherwise, this talk of speed and small ball is just a bunch of gibberish. This team is still relying on its power.
NHL playoffs
Through the first six games of the NHL playoffs, five underdog teams have won. On Wednesday night, Ottawa beat defending champion Pittsburgh. Philadelphia won at New Jersey. Phoenix knocked off defending Western Conference champ Detroit. Colorado upset the top-seeded team in the West, San Jose.
On Thursday night, the top-seeded team in the East -- the Washington Capitals -- lost in overtime to Montreal.
Does any of that necessarily mean anything? No. These are seven-game series, and winning Game 1 guarantees nothing. But all these early surprises should be instructive for the Blackhawks, who are favored in their first-round series with Nashville. The lesson here is don't sleep on anybody.
That's especially true in the Western Conference, where seven teams reached the 100-point plateau this year. The NHL playoffs are wide open, and no favorite is safe.
Even the 2005 Sox weren't Ozzieball. I think that is just a term people like to throw around. The 05' team won (aside from the rotation/pen/defense) because it had all the fundamentals of a line up. Speed at the top, a good #2 hitter. Good power in the 4-5 holes with Konerko and JD. The back of the line up was kinda meh (sans Crede post August), but it was able to get the job done.
I like Pierre-Beckham at 1-2 if they play to expectations or at least close to them, but if we plan to win we need to add another thunder bat in the line up. I don't know how we get it or whom it is. But we need another solid bat. I think Rios, Pierzynksi, & Teahen hitting in the back of the line up could do adequate job even if they hit their career norms.
Just my two cents though.
The next time George Bova writes gibberish stuff like how White Sox fans accept nothing less, I will sure remember the WSI thread from Thursday night's game. I was reading stuff about how White Sox fans are happy with a split. Sorry, but no White Sox fan should be happy about this split. I don't care about the history of what happened at Toronto.
It's not like the Jays are an elite team. It's hard to take a series against great teams, but it should be reasonable to go take three of four against the Jays.
The Tigers and the Twins are off to a great start. Now that the Twins play two elite teams and an overrated baseball team (guess which team I am talking about), they have an easy schedule to finish the month. The Tigers have an easy schedule too. The last thing the White Sox need is to start falling further behind.
A series would have convinced folks the White Sox are for real. So far, they are nothing more than an average ballclub. With an offense that is a hit or miss, it's hard to take that team seriously.
So far, the team has proved my point.
whitesox901: IMO, they don't have enough offense. I didn't like the Pierre move at all. I think Konerko is a No. 6 hitter at this stage of his career. He's being asked to hit cleanup on this team. Jones has played well so far, but he's a question mark over the long haul. Quentin will hit if he's healthy. But will he be healthy? Your guess is as good as mine.
I wanted them to sign Hideki Matsui in free agency, or at the very least retain Thome. They desperately needed a proven RBI man. Instead, they did nothing. Come midseason, assuming they are still in it, they are going to have to trade for a bat. That will be easier said than done, because the farm system isn't very good. Hudson is their most valuable trading chip, but I don't want to part with him because I think they'll need him to take Garcia's spot in the rotation before the year is over.
It's too bad their hitting stinks, because they match up pretty well with anybody pitching-wise.