The WhiteSox will win the world series
 

Die-hard spirit. Excellent starting rotation. Not to mention when the rare occasion appears that they have to use their bullpen, that's pretty friggin good too. The Astros have a heck of a team too, but the White Sox are a team of destiny.

The Astros are quality............but I agree with you. Go SOX!!!!!! :thumbsup:

I hope you're right, I can't stand the Astros. Go Sox!

I'd like to quote the great Boston-based technology writer Andy Ihnatko here, and I agree with him wholeheartedly:

Wah fucking wah...

Astros have a slight edge on the bullpen so its gonna be a close one. My guess Astros win with 4-2 lead.

I disagree with the Stros having an edge in the pen, Lidge may be overall more intimidating and proven, but the Sox have El Duque, Cotts, Pollite and Jenks. Coupled with Lidge's confidence being rattled by Pujols, I'd say it's closer to even if not advantage Sox. Sox in 6, Stros won't be able to score enough runs and the Sox will only need to put 3 or 4 up per game (which I know isn't easy against Rocket, "Oh My Gosh" Pettit and Lee Harvey Oswalt). Should be a great Series...

Houston doesn't seem to be quite the offensive juggernaut, so if the Sox starters are anything close to what they were in the Angel series, they won't even need their bullpen.

Pitching almost always wins these things, and right now nobodys is hotter than Chicago's.

Ok check out the stats on the Astros Bullpen lineup and why I think they going to win the 2005 World Series with there outstanding bullpen.

Roger Clemens will start Game 1 of the World Series for Houston. He is 2-1 in the 2005 postseason with a 4.50 ERA in three games, including two starts. After a shaky start in Game 2 of the NLDS versus the Braves, Clemens pitched three scoreless innings of relief to earn the win in the series-clinching fourth game.

The righthander then tossed six solid innings to pick up the win in Game 3 of the NLCS versus St. Louis on Saturday. He yielded only two runs on six hits, while walking two and fanning one. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner is 12-8 all-time in the postseason, including a 3-0 mark with a 1.90 ERA in seven World Series starts.

Andy Pettitte is expected to get the start for Houston in Game 2 of the Fall Classic on Sunday. Pettitte took the loss in Game 1 of the NLCS after yielding five runs on eight hits in six innings. He then started Game 5 on Monday and was not involved in the decision after giving up two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The lefthander is 1-1 in the 2005 playoffs with a 4.66 ERA in three starts. Pettitte is 14-9 all-time in the postseason, but just 3-4 with a 3.90 earned run average in 10 World Series starts.

Brandon Backe will likely be the fourth starter for the Astros. He had a strong showing in Game 4 of the NLCS, as he allowed only two hits and a run over 5 2/3 innings. The righthander walked three and struck out seven in the no-decision.

Backe has appeared in three games during the 2005 playoffs, including two starts, and is 0-0 with a 4.91 earned run average. He went 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts during the 2004 postseason.

As for Houston's bullpen, Lidge recorded three saves in four opportunities against St. Louis in the NLCS. After posting three consecutive saves, he surrendered the three-run homer to Pujols in the ninth inning of Game 5 and took the loss. Overall in the 2005 postseason, he has appeared in seven games and is 0-1 with a 4.00 ERA and three saves.

Qualls and Wheeler were also used quite a bit in the NLCS. Qualls participated in four contests and tossed 4 2/3 perfect innings, while Wheeler saw action in three games and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless frames.

besides the fact that the sox have the better bullpen (el duke, dustin hermanson, bobby jenks, politte vs. lidge, wheeler and qualls) The starters are no contest. The 'Stros roll three starters, only one of which have put up in a starting role this year (oswalt) whereas the sox have FOUR dominant starters who have shut down the best hitting team in baseball and silenced the very very good bats of the angels not to mention one of the best hitters Vladdy. Contreras, Buhrle, Garcia, Garland seriously there's not a hole in that starting rotation anywhere. Plus the sox are killers on the basepaths...even with great pitchers on the mound, chicago can create runs...they did it all season long and all post-season.

I'm picking Houston over Chicago in 6

Let me throw some stats at you from this year......

Runs Scored: White Sox by 47 runs.
Team Batting Average: White Sox .262 vs. Stros .256
Total Hits: White Sox by 50
Home Runs: White Sox 200 vs. Stros 161
Total Bases: 121 more by the Sox
Stolen Bases: Sox have 20% more
Times struck out: Sox struck out 37 less times
Team ERA: Stros barely, by .1 run per game
Complete Games by starters: Sox have 50% more.
Shutouts: Stros 11, Sox 10
Saves: Sox bullpen had 9 more than the Stros bullpen.
Wins: Sox had 10 more wins
Fielding: The teams had the EXACT same fielding percentage, the Sox turned 20 more double plays


For the playoffs:
Sox ERA for the playoffs = 2.50
Astros ERA for the playoffs = 3.43
Buerhle has THE lowest ERA of any starter in the playoffs. Garcia and Garland BOTH have lower playoff ERAs than Clemens and Petite.

The Sox bullpen has an ERA of 0.00....they have not given up ONE run in the playoffs, to either Boston or LAA.

:thumbsup:

RIGHT ON BORLA!!!!!

On the other hand, we all know stats don't always tell the story. This will be an interesting thread for us to expand upon come Monday morning...

i'm going to do the stupidest thing I've ever seen done in any sportscast and it was during the michigan football game two years ago against notre dame...the announcer rated the teams intangibles. Said which team had the better of the two things you can't measure. So I'm going to do that because stats don't tell the whole story...


The white sox just have that <i>something</i> that championship teams have. they have a swagger, an attitude, a determination. I see the astros as a very sound team, as a very <i>dull</i> team, however. The Red Sox from last year, they just had something going on. the whole 'idiots' thing. they knew they're limitations and decisively dismissed them as irrelavent. This years White Sox knew coming in that they were labeled as a team who couldn't score without the long ball so they took that into account and promptly threw that out the window. and while their offense still comes largely from the homerun, they score without it. They just have a way of doing things their way and making it work. that's why i give them the edge.

:thumbsup:




Look at Pierzynski......just PISSES off every guy on the other team, the other team's fans......but he doesn't do it by doing anything "wrong", he's just an irritant to them. :p It's hilarious to watch when he's on your team. :D

Konerko......old school, blue-collar, just goes out and does his business in a professional way, total class. :cool:

Buerhle.....stud......another down to earth guy who just plain wins.

I could go on and on......the way Scotty P drives pitchers and catchers crazy on the basepaths......Jenks with some nasty stuff in ninth inning......when Freddy Garcia is your fourth pitcher, you know you have a rockin staff. :D


And.................Crede just hit a HR in the 4th inning, Sox up 4-3 so far in Game One. :D

Sox Win!!! Sox Win!!! Sox Win!!! :headbang:



How about that Bobby Jenks? :D Gotta love the way Ozzie signaled to the bullpen for him to come out too. :p

Is there anyone here who can tell me what Brad Lidge's record is in his last two appearances? :D



GO WHITE SOX!!!


What a game tonight........Go Scotty Podsednik!!

um. I believe that is 0-2. with 2 hr given up....and an era around... 54.05

HOLEE SHIT WHAT A WEEKEND, GO SOX!!!

Looks like the umpiring crew were told to give all the calls to chicago. kidding of course, as a neutral observer I think its sad. The balls and strikes being called are terrible. And again i could careless about both teams.

i think it's safe to say we'll be seeing replay used in a limited capacity next season. Too many botched/questionable calls in the playoffs this year...

The White Sox did get some calls, I admit that. They still had to make the plays after that to get them the runs. I think the Astros got a couple calls too though. When Iguchi was picked off first, I TiVo'd it back 2-3 times frame by frame, and it appeared to me that he BARELY touched the bag before the tag was applied.......but, as in EVERY single game, there are some very tight calls that go one way or another, fair or not.

Bahahahaha :thumbsup:

I missed the first two games due to Exams but I'll be GLUED to the TV set come tomorrow, oh yes!

The SOX win it!!!!! not that i think it was a surprise tonight, but still.. go sox!

Impressive, congrats Sox. :thumbsup:

:D :thumbsup: :cool:


Good Series.......though they went down 4-0, the Astros put up a fight every step of the way. :)

YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOOAAARRRDDDD.......YYYYYYYEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Four good games. All we could ask for in a sweep. I frankly didn't care either way, and it was the first Series for me in memory that I didn't pick a team as the Series started.

Was the 82 year wait worth it?

Congrats on the SWEEEEEP, Chicago!

Congrats to the White Sox (except AJ Pierzynski :) ). It makes me feel a little better that Angels were knocked out of the playoffs the last two years by the eventual champion.

That was the closest sweep ever :D

:lol: Why except Pierzynski? :D Cause of the play where he ran on strike three? Or just because he is just generally an irritant. :p

As a Sox fan, I can't help but love him. :thumbsup: