3.5 games back

[prochisox]

At the end of August/beginning of September, theres a rough road trip that I am terrified of. 4 in Boston, 3 in NY, 3 in Minnesota. I have a feeling that road trip will make or break us.

[mr_genius]

I predict the Sox win the division.

[beautox]

The sox need to add a bat for today and the future, and possibly another arm.

 

I would like to see the sox go get Hermida if he is really available for a relief pitcher with closing experience. It allows us to take it easy with Carlos and doesn't leave us holding the bag if his foot isn't 100% and he needs to have surgery. Going into 2010 Id give give Pods a contract so he could bridge the gap to Danks.

 

a future outfield of Hermida, Danks, Quentin would be wonderful.

 

and as for an Arm, go get Snell he should be available for a song and could help this organization for a few years.

[BearSox]

Depends. If we stand pat and don't make any major moves to improve this team, we will drift off into mediocrity and wind up in 2nd or 3rd in the division with a record around .500.

 

If we make a big move to improve this team, perhaps adding a real 3B and move Becks to 2B (I love Slayer and realize we need his bat in the lineup, but he is no 3B) or adding an ace like Halladay, we will win the division, most likely.

 

The wildcard will be Q, but I'm not putting too much money on him providing a huge boost.

[chw42]

After all the s*** we've been through this first half...the going 7 under .500, the offense hitting like a AAA team, and the pitching going completely to s*** outside of Mark Buehrle, I'm awfully glad that we're 2 games over .500 and only 3.5 back in this division.

 

That said, looking at the schedule we have in front of us, it will be a rough battle. I'd say we'll be lucky to finish a couple of games over .500. If things sway our way and we get back a 100% healthy Carlos Quentin somehow, we can definitely win this thing. But then again, I don't think that will happen. We really need to start hitting well at the Cell starting next Friday and propel this team into that Tigers series.

 

That will be the deciding factor as to how this team will approach August and September. If we can get out of August a couple of games back, I'm pretty damn confident that we can win this thing. But then again, if things don't go our way, I don't see that happening.

[chw42]

At the end of August/beginning of September, theres a rough road trip that I am terrified of. 4 in Boston, 3 in NY, 3 in Minnesota. I have a feeling that road trip will make or break us.

 

That's what I'm scared of too. That's like a trip that's bound for a 3-7 or a 2-8 record. Yikes.

[greg775]

At the end of August/beginning of September, theres a rough road trip that I am terrified of. 4 in Boston, 3 in NY, 3 in Minnesota. I have a feeling that road trip will make or break us.

 

We should be terrified of that trip. That trip has 3-7 written all over it and that's the best possible scenario. The one poster is right. Without an effective CQ our lineup won't do squat in those Eastern ballparks and only an optimist on drugs would think we can win a series in Minnesota. With a CQ on fire and the KW pitching acquisition (you know he's going to get us another starter) maybe we'll have a fighting chance. We're four down in loss column. If it grows to 7 or 8 this time, there won't be enough time to make it up.

Edited July 13, 2009 by greg775

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

The sox need to add a bat for today and the future, and possibly another arm.

 

I would like to see the sox go get Hermida if he is really available for a relief pitcher with closing experience. It allows us to take it easy with Carlos and doesn't leave us holding the bag if his foot isn't 100% and he needs to have surgery. Going into 2010 Id give give Pods a contract so he could bridge the gap to Danks.

 

a future outfield of Hermida, Danks, Quentin would be wonderful.

 

and as for an Arm, go get Snell he should be available for a song and could help this organization for a few years.

Love that idea.

 

Deal Dotel and maybe some smaller minor league pieces for Hermida. When CQ comes back Hermida can rotate around, basically replacing replacing a bench player on any given day when a starter needs a night off.

 

Pick up Snell for basically nothing, like McCulloch and some other crap we don't want. Give 'em Wassermann too, see if Ehren can get a role as a righty specialist with the Pirates. I still am a Wassermann fan. Pirates shouldn't want much other than salary relief. Let Snell work on things in Triple A, like we did with Floyd, then call him up before the rosters expand. If Snell gets it together by then, we've possibly got a playoff-eligible piece for the stretch.

 

Then go out and get a 5th starter for the meantime if we can do it without including really good prospects. Maybe unlikely, but I still think that at least nearing the deadline there will be SP out there who teams will give up for nothing in the hopes of just saving a mil or two. I can't believe the market has been this inactive with so few sellers. Something has GOT to change because we all know we're going to see payrolls in baseball drop next year (not necessarily across the board, but we're going to see a lot of teams claiming to be poor), so there have got to be teams thinking about just breaking even and/or setting up better for next year by saving some money right now. I have said before and still say that as a team capable of assuming salary, there should be teams fighting over the ability to dump salary on us. Of course now with what Kenny has said in the media there's the question of how much salary, if any, we can take on.

[ThunderBolt]

Does anyone else have an impending sense of… not doom… just… change? I honestly think something relativity dramatic is going to happen to this team, sooner rather than later.

[iamshack]

Does anyone else have an impending sense of… not doom… just… change? I honestly think something relativity dramatic is going to happen to this team, sooner rather than later.

I sure hope not. I really think this club has a chance to be one of the more complete ballclubs we've had in a long time. We have the usual mashers in Dye, Thome and Paulie, and even more so if CQ can come back relatively healthy. We have some slap hitters in Podsednik and Getz, and some line drive hitters in Alexei, AJ, and Beckham. I really like how the offense in balanced.

 

The pitching staff, despite our recent troubles, is fairly loaded with Danks, Floyd, Mark and Jose. The bullpen is close to as solid as any in the league.

 

I really think they just need some more time.

 

To me, this club is head and shoulders above where it was 2 months ago, and I'd like to see this talent play out a bit.

 

Sure, the role players may change a bit, and we may see a difference-maker added, but I honestly really like where this club is headed.

 

Give them more time.

[fathom]

I sure hope not. I really think this club has a chance to be one of the more complete ballclubs we've had in a long time. We have the usual mashers in Dye, Thome and Paulie, and even more so if CQ can come back relatively healthy. We have some slap hitters in Podsednik and Getz, and some line drive hitters in Alexei, AJ, and Beckham. I really like how the offense in balanced.

 

The pitching staff, despite our recent troubles, is fairly loaded with Danks, Floyd, Mark and Jose. The bullpen is close to as solid as any in the league.

 

I really think they just need some more time.

 

To me, this club is head and shoulders above where it was 2 months ago, and I'd like to see this talent play out a bit.

 

Sure, the role players may change a bit, and we may see a difference-maker added, but I honestly really like where this club is headed.

 

Give them more time.

 

I agree with this...it's just a matter of getting CQ back and finding someone to keep us in games from the 5th starter spot.

[witesoxfan]

I agree with this...it's just a matter of getting CQ back and finding someone to keep us in games from the 5th starter spot.

 

what's Tim Belcher up to nowadays?

[hogan873]

It's going to be a tough second half...I think the schedule is a bit harder overall. If the Sox continue to play like they have been (taking away Danks' walk-a-thon and Buehrle's uncharacteristic bad start) I think they will be okay and a have a decent chance at the division. I don't see any big moves being made by KW. I think we'll see one or two that are not exciting but will elicit some head scratching.

 

Some sure fire predictions: Bobby Jenks will sweat, Clayton Richard will give up a home run, Beckham will not move from 3rd base, Konerko and Dye will continue to have solid seasons, Hawk will say hell yes a lot (hopefully), and Colon will continue to stress the seams of his uniform pants.

 

 

[BigEdWalsh]

I think we'll see one or two that are not exciting but will elicit some head scratching.

You mean like signing Sandy Alomar Jr. for a backup catcher role?

[Greg Hibbard]

This team is actually a lot better than I thought they would be. I figured they would either be about 42-46 or 41-47, about 5 games out, or really bad, but that was partly based on their 15-22 start and partly based on the preseason makeup of the team. I did not expect that they would be over .500, but I expected they would be better than they were at 15-22.

 

It seems as though they rebounded from playing about as bad as they could as a group early in the season, culminating in the Toronto four game sweep. Floyd was awful (peaked at 7.71 ERA in his loss at Toronto), and a lot of people were slumping. The bottom of our order from 6-9 was routinely then sub-.230 hitters comprised of Ramirez, Fields, Nix, Lillibridge, Getz, Betimet. Obviously a couple of those have straightened themselves out. Even Dye and Pierzynski's averages were down to the .260s and .270s while Pods was hitting about .270. The only guy really hitting well early in the season was Paulie. We had Wise leading off for christ's sake for a couple games. Just check out those @ Toronto box scores, because the team has really changed in a lot of ways since then.

 

Two players have given me hope, both short term and long: Beckham and Floyd. Floyd has settled in really nicely, and finally won me over despite his peripherals because he really is a battler. I've gained a lot of respect for him in particular. Beckham was a move that was utterly desperate, because we really had no choice, but we caught lightening in a bottle seemingly and I hope it works out. Either way, this team has become fun to watch again - because they are exciting. If we have 4 solid pitchers, and if Colon can fake it a la El Duque for the rest of the season, we should be in this thing and capable of finishing with 84ish wins. That honestly might be enough. More encouraging is that I think I'm finally seeing where the reshaping of this team is going longterm, and I like it. I'm in favor of standing pat because I want to keep and develop our young core as our sluggers age, and I don't want to give up anything in the minors for an aging player who is less versatile.

Edited July 13, 2009 by Greg Hibbard

[WHITESOXRANDY]

My predictions:

 

Cleveland, KC and Detroit play worse from here on out. Detroit does not make any additions.

 

Minnesota makes a move and plays better from here on out. They will be tough to catch.

 

Quentin comes back and Beckham gets even better - wins ROY. The lineup is excellent from here on out.

 

Kenny makes no move to add pitching. Colon becomes the 5th starter for a while and then Richard finishes the season there. The pitching falls apart and the Sox finish in second place 4 games behind Minnesota with 82 wins.

 

Thome, Konerko and Dye continue to have great seasons. Contreras pitches pretty well for the rest of the season.

 

So, when the season ends we will still be debating whether or not to offer arb./ re-sign Thome, Dye, Contreras or Dotel.

 

But, we will have a lot of good young talent throughout the system!

[hogan873]

You mean like signing Sandy Alomar Jr. for a backup catcher role?

 

And his brother as a back-up 2nd baseman. Then Billy Koch as a back-up temper tantrum thrower.

[BigEdWalsh]

And his brother as a back-up 2nd baseman. Then Billy Koch as a back-up temper tantrum thrower.

And then Don Cooper Jr. to a minor league contract.

[Milkman delivers]

Why do people want Ian Snell? He has a 5.36 ERA.

[Balta1701]

Why do people want Ian Snell? He has a 5.36 ERA.

Because Coop will fix him.

[RME JICO]

Each division looks like it is going to come down to the wire. CHI, DET, and MIN in the central, BOS, TB, and NYY in the east, and LAA, TEX, and SEA in the west. I like our chances with how good our pitching has been.

Edited July 13, 2009 by RME JICO

[103 mph screwball]

Does anyone else have an impending sense of… not doom… just… change? I honestly think something relativity dramatic is going to happen to this team, sooner rather than later.

Yes. I think the roster will have as many as 4 new faces after the deadline. I think this team is better than last year because of the starting pitching. The Sox will win the division and they will do it by taking care of business in the central.

[CanOfCorn]

I think a bigger piece will be going out than will be coming in. For instance, Dotel going out. A Geoff Blum-type coming back in. Not because we are selling, but because of salary flexibility going forward.

 

Sox will compete for the division, going to a one-game playoff against the Twins, who have home field and....

[Pumpkin Escobar]

4 games is too much ground to make up with the schedule they have the way I see it. Dye, Jenks, Contreras, and Dotel need to go on the block ASAP while there are maximum teams still in it. And in the case of Contreras at least, while he is pitching well.

 

I've kind of been in that same thought process since 06 ended. I thought the Tigers getting Cabrera would have them atop the division for a while, I saw us struggling to compete with the Indians and Twins as well.

 

I was right on in 07' and not so much in 08'.

 

This season I wanted the same thing. I thought by keeping CQ, Alexi, MB, Danks, Floyd and one of Konerko/Dye that the team could get a lot of young talent to surround themselves and fil lthe minors by trading off pieces mentioned by Marty. Then signing veterans in the offseason or dealing for big players with our newly acquired youth. I really want to see Jenks dealt. Even if people dont agree with the theory of his arm falling off cuz of those screws in it. It is just piece of mind and the fact he could net a big package of players.

 

With them 3.5 out - I dont want to see it but at the same time, it feels like a mistake not to because of deminishing value of some of those guys.

 

However, with how well Contreras looks. Floyd and Danks pitching better and Cy Buehrle on the bump. I am confident ths team can make a play for it. If Quentin can be CQ from the 1st half of last year - we take this division easily.

 

If they faulter in August- it'll hurt us a lot. For right now though - I say come out blasting those first 2 weeks and see where we sit at the deadline.

[chisoxfan09]

Very minor prediction considering the grand scheme of things but anyone feel Getz hs finally started to blossom into an everyday player? His OBP is .350ish and he has 13 swipes in 14 tries. I still can't tell if he is better suited for the 6-9 backend spots or the top of the lineup. Any thoughts? I think he will solidify his defense in the 2nd half and reach a .300 BA offensively. I like his tenacity and hard nose style. He fits small ball to a tee.