The Hitless Wonders

[60'sfan]

In 1906 the Chicago White Sox set new standards for hitting(or lack of it). As a team, they hit .230 with 7 home runs for the entire year! Their leading hitter hit .279 and despite the lack of offense, they won the American League pennant edging out the New York Highlanders by 4 games. In the World Series they played one of the best Chicago Cub teams ever and were heavy underdogs. Yet they beat them 4 games to 2. The secret.....great pitching! They had a team ERA of 2.13 with 117 complete games and 32 shut outs.

I say this because my only hope for my Red Sox this year is that somehow their already solid pitching (third in the league in ERA) will get even better. The hitting is clearly not going to help. The Sox were 10 out of 15 in most hitting categories three week ago. They are now 13 out of 15 and fading fast. Only the Tampa Bay Ray have scored less runs. Their leading hitter (if you don't count Brock Holt who has played only about half the games) is rookie Xander Bogaerts at .269. The veterans (Ortiz and Pedroia) are in season long slumps and the youngsters (Bradley and Middlebrooks) are struggling. Victorino has missed most of the season and is still not ready to help the team. Stephen Drew, Daniel Nava and David Ross collectively are hitting below the Mendoza line.

The only thing that makes sense to me, is that they must have repainted Fenway Park white.

 

[mauconnfan]

In 1906 the Chicago White Sox set new standards for hitting(or lack of it). As a team, they hit .230 with 7 home runs for the entire year! Their leading hitter hit .279 and despite the lack of offense, they won the American League pennant edging out the New York Highlanders by 4 games. In the World Series they played one of the best Chicago Cub teams ever and were heavy underdogs. Yet they beat them 4 games to 2. The secret.....great pitching! They had a team ERA of 2.13 with 117 complete games and 32 shut outs.

I say this because my only hope for my Red Sox this year is that somehow their already solid pitching (third in the league in ERA) will get even better. The hitting is clearly not going to help. The Sox were 10 out of 15 in most hitting categories three week ago. They are now 13 out of 15 and fading fast. Only the Tampa Bay Ray have scored less runs. Their leading hitter (if you don't count Brock Holt who has played only about half the games) is rookie Xander Bogaerts at .269. The veterans (Ortiz and Pedroia) are in season long slumps and the youngsters (Bradley and Middlebrooks) are struggling. Victorino has missed most of the season and is still not ready to help the team. Stephen Drew, Daniel Nava and David Ross collectively are hitting below the Mendoza line.

The only thing that makes sense to me, is that they must have repainted Fenway Park white.

I'm feeling awful for them………really I am……..

 

[60'sfan]

I'm feeling awful for them………really I am……..

Thanks. And now about your Yankees. The paid too much for Ellsbury (.279), too much for McCann(.223), too much for Beltran(.221). Kelly Johnson(.232) and Brian Roberts(.234) have been disappointments. However, when you add in Tanaka and average them all out, they did pretty good.

 

[mauconnfan]

Thanks. And now about your Yankees. The paid too much for Ellsbury (.279), too much for McCann(.223), too much for Beltran(.221). Kelly Johnson(.232) and Brian Roberts(.234) have been disappointments. However, when you add in Tanaka and average them all out, they did pretty good.

Good news is with all of them at their worst they're hanging near the top…..all will end up better than their current numbers and that's a good thing! NBut they're not a very good team anyway and the expectations are low…..the staff is awful minus Tanaka.

 

[G0UCONN]

Tanaka has been ridiculously good. Best $150 million (or whatever it was) a team can spend ---- high end, apparently durable, as good as it gets ace.

Scary to think how bad it would be if they had not signed him --- given CC Sabathia's turning into an apparent pumpkin.