Crucial stretch coming up here

[AirScott]

Look at schedule on tap: three with the 28-37 Pirates, three with the 32-34 Marlins, three with the 30-35 Cubs, four with the 29-35 Devil Rays, three with the 25-41 Royals, then four with the 29-36 Orioles.

 

We're 10 games out of the division lead and 8.5 out of the wild card. Our next 20 games are against opponents with a combined .442 winning percentage. This is by far the easiest stretch of our schedule this season, and if there's much of a chance of us making the playoffs, this team needs to win 15 in this stretch.

[dagotony06]

Not a chance

[Mr. Showtime]

With the way they are playing right now, if they win 6 of the 20 I'd be shocked.

[Kalapse]

So if the Sox lose both the Pirates and Cubs series can the firesale begin?

[sf_soxfan]

Final Glimmer of Hope right here, I'm hangin on to that last shred of optimism that they can turn things around in this stretch and stop wasting the good starting pitching.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

If they can win 15 out of the 20 that would put them just over .500.

 

Going into the season if you were to tell me the Sox would be a .500 team at the All_Star break I would have been disappointed. Now, I'd be ecstatic.

 

So, just for the sake of discussion, if they were to win say 15 out of the next twenty, should/would they then be buyers or sellers?

[RME JICO]

Look at schedule on tap: three with the 28-37 Pirates, three with the 32-34 Marlins, three with the 30-35 Cubs, four with the 29-35 Devil Rays, three with the 25-41 Royals, then four with the 29-36 Orioles.

 

We're 10 games out of the division lead and 8.5 out of the wild card. Our next 20 games are against opponents with a combined .442 winning percentage. This is by far the easiest stretch of our schedule this season, and if there's much of a chance of us making the playoffs, this team needs to win 15 in this stretch.

That is hilarious that you mention the combined winning percentage of .442, since it is actually higher than the Sox at .435. Based on those facts the Sox will split these 20 games and be 37-45 in 20 games. At most I see them winning about 12 and being 39-43. The problem is the easy stretch started weeks ago and the Sox have done nothing with the opportunity except bury themselves.

 

 

 

Is the Sox are going to become sellers, I really hope they do it early and get more value for the trades with a smaller market. Also, teams should be willing to pay more if they are going to get more time out of that player/trade.

[maggsmaggs]

I kinda want to hope for losses, but as a Sox fan I just can't. I am in a pickle.

[RME JICO]

I kinda want to hope for losses, but as a Sox fan I just can't. I am in a pickle.

I feel the same way. At this point I want like 10 straight, wins or losses. Either get back in it, or go for the 1st pick.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

That is hilarious that you mention the combined winning percentage of .442, since it is actually higher than the Sox at .435. Based on those facts the Sox will split these 20 games and be 37-45 in 20 games. At most I see them winning about 12 and being 39-43.

The way they've been playing, they'll split if they're lucky!

 

Is the Sox are going to become sellers, I really hope they do it early and get more value for the trades with a smaller market. Also, teams should be willing to pay more if they are going to get more time out of that player/trade.

I thought the conventional wisdom was they can get more by waiting until the deadline nears because teams become desperate. I guess the real trick is to get the contenders in a bidding war for your guy so maybe we'll begin to see a lot of planted rumors in the papers involving Sox players. KW usually likes to fly under the radar, but in this case it may serve him well to do the opposite.

Edited June 14, 2007 by South Side Fireworks Man

[Mr. Showtime]

So if the Sox lose both the Pirates and Cubs series can the firesale begin?

 

It should already be underway. I think it'll be mid July before it starts.

[Balta1701]

It should already be underway. I think it'll be mid July before it starts.

There's no reason to rush things unless you get a can't miss deal. There's also no reason to not pick up the phone.

[Soxfest]

It is time to face facts moves for the 2008 roster will be made in next 6 weeks! This current team is DOA for 2007!

Edited June 15, 2007 by Soxfest

[Jack Parkman]

I kinda want to hope for losses, but as a Sox fan I just can't. I am in a pickle.

Sometimes, when you know your team has no shot for the playoffs, you do hope for losses. I kinda am right now. You don't root against them, but you hope for entertaining losses. Being a Bear fan, there are a couple of times when the Bears f***ed up their chance of getting a pretty good QB or a perrenial pro bowler(hindsight is 20/20 though) by winning games they weren't supposed to. I normally wouldn't hope for losses unless the season is completely lost and the team I'm a fan of is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but this is a special case because of the people in charge of the organization. If the Sox go on any sort of winning streak, Kenny would probably become a buyer rather than a seller, which would spell disaster for the future of this club. Even if Kenny becomes a seller, I am very afraid that he'll f*** it up, and this team will be a cellar dweller for about 5-10 years. You'll probably think this is too pessimistic, but I'm not going to expect a winning record from the Sox until 2010 at the earliest, and the next division contending team around 2012. We're in for a rough 3-5 years while we rebuild, so hang in there and keep the faith.

[Jimbo's Drinker]

Air Scott your must me lke 15 years and well versed to think we have any chance.

[jackie hayes]

not

[thedoctor]

we'll see. this team hasn't played that kind of hot baseball since the first half of last season. that's a long time and a lot of bad baseball ago.

[spiderman]

If they can win 15 out of the 20 that would put them just over .500.

 

Going into the season if you were to tell me the Sox would be a .500 team at the All_Star break I would have been disappointed. Now, I'd be ecstatic.

 

So, just for the sake of discussion, if they were to win say 15 out of the next twenty, should/would they then be buyers or sellers?

 

IF they were to win 15 out of 20 games, they would probably be about 6-7 games out of the division lead, and and 5 or 6 out of the wildcard, and I think Kenny Williams would look to add on.

 

This is a great post though. Perhaps Kenny is looking at these next 3 weeks as a final measuring stick to see if they can muster up a run.

 

In my opinion, the White Sox aren't nearly as bad as they have been in the last 18 games, but they aren't really much better than an average team. They could just as easily go 12-8 or 8-12 in this stretch.

[The Ginger Kid]

I still get stuck on the idea that if Dye, Kong and Thome get hot at the same time they could carry this team, especially in an easy stretch of games. That could take some pressure off other guys in the line up and voila, a team with a hot hitting lineup. The pitching feeds off that and you suddenly become the hottest team in MLB with plenty of games left in your division to make up ground.

[AirScott]

Air Scott your must me lke 15 years and well versed to think we have any chance.

Thanks for the input. No, really. You're right, this team has NO shot of making any sort of run. I mean, it's not like it's ever been done before. But thanks for your intelligent insight. Isn't that what we're all here for? The know-it-all-ism? The thought that if people are optimistic, they're 15 and haven't been fans longer than the summer of 2005? Can't these people be lifelong fans and not conditioned to expect the worst?

 

I'm not saying it's a given that this team goes 15-5 in this stretch. I'm not saying that if they do, they're making the postseason. But when I looked at our upcoming schedule, I kept looking and didn't see a quality opponent until after the break. So at 27-35 and 8.5 out of the wild card spot, this is the time to make up ground. If the Sox aren't even at .500 at the all-star break, it's time to sell, plain and simple. But if all our guys hitting well below their career averages (Dye, Konerko, A.J., Iguchi) can get hot, is it so far-fetched that the Sox can win 15 of 20 and make an Astros-like second half push for a playoff spot? Tell me, why is this IMPOSSIBLE? The starters have been solid. Hitters who have done nothing but hit their entire careers could gain some confidence with a few good games in this stretch.

 

But no, I must be 15 years old and not know what I'm talking about. Or I feel dumber for having read your post.

[fathom]

Sometimes, when you know your team has no shot for the playoffs, you do hope for losses. I kinda am right now. You don't root against them, but you hope for entertaining losses. Being a Bear fan, there are a couple of times when the Bears f***ed up their chance of getting a pretty good QB or a perrenial pro bowler(hindsight is 20/20 though) by winning games they weren't supposed to. I normally wouldn't hope for losses unless the season is completely lost and the team I'm a fan of is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but this is a special case because of the people in charge of the organization. If the Sox go on any sort of winning streak, Kenny would probably become a buyer rather than a seller, which would spell disaster for the future of this club. Even if Kenny becomes a seller, I am very afraid that he'll f*** it up, and this team will be a cellar dweller for about 5-10 years. You'll probably think this is too pessimistic, but I'm not going to expect a winning record from the Sox until 2010 at the earliest, and the next division contending team around 2012. We're in for a rough 3-5 years while we rebuild, so hang in there and keep the faith.

 

Fantastic post....describes my feelings perfectly.

[watchtower41]

Look what winning 9 in a row did for the Yankees in the wild card race, this season is not quite over..... yet. Still time to put the women and children to bed and go hunting for dinner. But theyre starving.

[WCSox]

IF they were to win 15 out of 20 games, they would probably be about 6-7 games out of the division lead, and and 5 or 6 out of the wildcard, and I think Kenny Williams would look to add on.

 

This is a great post though. Perhaps Kenny is looking at these next 3 weeks as a final measuring stick to see if they can muster up a run.

 

In my opinion, the White Sox aren't nearly as bad as they have been in the last 18 games, but they aren't really much better than an average team. They could just as easily go 12-8 or 8-12 in this stretch.

 

I agree with that. I'm not sure if they'd be looking to add on if they played really well over the next few weeks, but they may decide to hang onto either Mark or JD and take the draft picks, rather than trading them next month.

 

I'm very cautiously optimistic, given that they're playing well below their talent level and they have some soft opponents coming up.

[AirScott]

I agree with that. I'm not sure if they'd be looking to add on if they played really well over the next few weeks, but they may decide to hang onto either Mark or JD and take the draft picks, rather than trading them next month.

 

I'm very cautiously optimistic, given that they're playing well below their talent level and they have some soft opponents coming up.

Then you can't be older than 16 years old. Sorry.

[southsider2k5]

Then you can't be older than 16 years old. Sorry.

Actually it seems to be the youngest posters who are the most bitter and negative. The older ones don't see things nearly as dim as the youngins.