some interesting notes...

[Greg Hibbard]

* If we go 7-3 over our next ten games, we equal our 2005 record after 53 games. I don't see that as being impossible, but 7 of the 10 are on the road and all ten are against .500 or better teams. 6-4 is probably more realistic, but that would put us just 1 game back of last year.

 

* Even playing well short of our potential, since the first two series losses and our 2-4 start, the White Sox have only lost two series since, 1 to Seattle on the West Coast trip and 1 to Tampa, where we never seem to win.

 

* We are still on pace to win 105.5 games, even taking into account a 1-4 start, a DL stint by our best pitcher, inconsistency from Jon Garland, and putrid plate performances by Brian Anderson and Juan Uribe. A true testament to how unbelievably good this team will be when they put it all together.

 

* from May 14th of 2005 (27-9) until the all-star break of that year (57-29) we were a .500 team. I'm looking forward to hopefully getting 60 wins by the all star break this year, and with being a 27-11 team in the past 38 games, we are well on our way!

 

EDIT: Sorry, can't do math. We were actually 10 over in this stretch.

 

* whereas August set up as our most brutal month in 2005, it's setting up as our easiest month this season, IMO

 

August:

@ KC 1-2

@ Tor 4-6 (looking softer than imagined)

vs NYY 8-10 (we tend to handle Yanks here)

vs Det 11-13

vs. KC 15-17

@ Min 18-20

@ Det 21-24

vs. Min 25-27

vs. TB 29-31

 

We get 4 days off in the dog days...and although detroit and @ min will be tough, that's a month we could easily go 17-10 or 18-9.

Edited May 22, 2006 by Greg Hibbard

[RockRaines]

Since when is going 30-20 a .500 team?

 

27-9 to 57-29

[Greg Hibbard]

Since when is going 30-20 a .500 team?

 

27-9 to 57-29

 

Yeah, I just caught that myself.

 

Staying with the point....during the second half of may last year (May 14th through June 1st - 1 under), and at the end of the 1st half, we really limped along, so I like our chances of having a better first half record than last year.

[Pants Rowland]

That is all fine and good, but the bullpen still sucks. The White Sox have lost too many games that should have been victories thus far. I agree that if Garland starts to get back on his game (whatever that is), Vazquez avoids the big inning that has hit a few of his starts, and BA and Uribe start hitting at a more respectable level, this team will be tough to beat despite the weak bullpen. However, if this team is going to go far in the playoffs, something needs to get straightened out in the pen. Maybe those guys just haven't hit their stride, either, but I see the WS as short at least one quality RHP. Until the pen starts doing their job effectively with a high level of consistency, all those statistics comparing the 2005 pace and whatever else mean nothing. The fact is the WS faced two of the weaker hitting teams in the majors this past week and came out on the short end three times. The bullpen played a significant part in those losses.

Edited May 22, 2006 by Beltin'Bill

[Greg Hibbard]

That is all fine and good, but the bullpen still sucks. The White Sox have lost too many games that should have been victories thus far. I agree that if Garland starts to get back on his game (whatever that is), Vazquez avoids the big inning that has hit a few of his starts, and BA and Uribe start hitting at a more respectable level, this team will be tough to beat despite the weak bullpen. However, if this team is going to go far in the playoffs, something needs to get straightened out in the pen. Maybe those guys just haven't hit their stride, either, but I see the WS as short at least one quality RHP. Until the pen starts doing their job effectively with a high level of consistency, all those statistics comparing the 2005 pace and whatever else mean nothing. The fact is the WS faced two of the weaker hitting teams in the majors this past week and came out on the short end three times. The bullpen played a significant part in those losses.

 

I'm not sure how Cotts didn't do his job yesterday. He induced a routine GIDP. He was left in to face a righty, which was not only a bad matchup, but was bad anyway because he's the cubs' best hitter recently. You put in Jenks right there and we're probably fine.

 

Politte gave up an insurance run yesterday, but he's been better.