How important is this 2 game series with CLE

[iamshack]

Once this team hit double digits in games back then they forced me to be on the ledge every game. There's really no margin for error. We're not going on some 1993 Braves second-half blitz. If we don't seriously cut into this deficit soon, the last 3 months or so will be moot.

That's your own personal choice.

 

I'm not saying I want to be 12 games back in July. But it's May 18th. We're starting to win series. You can't sit here and explain to us all over and over that we aren't going to go on some huge run this year, but then be on the damn ledge for every game. There is not really any other solution for competing, other than to gradually make it back over .500 and into this race, if what you say is correct.

 

So not really sure why you are even watching the games at this point if that is what you truly believe...

[Jordan4life_2007]

That's your own personal choice.

 

I'm not saying I want to be 12 games back in July. But it's May 18th. We're starting to win series. You can't sit here and explain to us all over and over that we aren't going to go on some huge run this year, but then be on the damn ledge for every game. There is not really any other solution for competing, other than to gradually make it back over .500 and into this race, if what you say is correct.

 

So not really sure why you are even watching the games at this point if that is what you truly believe...

 

I'm watching the games because I don't think the season is a total lost cause yet. But it's really annoying when some fans can pass off two games at home against the team you trail by 10 games as not 'that' important. As if this franchise in the Ozzie era has any history whatsoever of playing well in the second half and overcoming large deficits, ala the Rockies in '07, '09 and almost last year.

[Chisoxfn]

No, but you're going to lose baseball games. This isn't the NFL or the NBA. We have 120 of these left. We're going to lose at least 9 of them (I kid).

 

Certainly you want to win every single game, but you cannot be on a ledge every day saying "if we don't win this one, we've got to blow it all up." There are just far too many different things that can happen over the course of the next 4.5 months to start calling out must wins.

 

The key is to keep improving and gradually climbing out of the hole we dug ourselves throughout April and early May. We're doing that. That's all you can ask for at this point.

Not to mention, I simply can't enjoy the game I love, thinking that every single game is a must win. So what I do, is sit back and hope to see the club play good baseball and I know that if they play good baseball, they'll be just fine. If they don't, they don't, and they have no one to blame but themselves and we'll see significant changes made.

 

Either way, I'm not going to go crazy and say if we lose game X that the season is over (unless game X is game 162, haha, or any playoff elimination game).

[iamshack]

I'm watching the games because I don't think the season is a total lost cause yet. But it's really annoying when some fans can pass off two games at home against the team you trail by 10 games as not 'that' important. As if this franchise in the Ozzie era has any history whatsoever of playing well in the second half and overcoming large deficits, ala the Rockies in '07, '09 and almost last year.

Agreed...but you have to be patient. There are 119 games left!

 

I'm not arguing with you that any game isn't big at this point...but you have to accept that we probably aren't going to win 25 out of 30 games and find ourselves tied for the division lead in a month...therefore, we are going to lose games. We just have to start winning more games than we are losing at a fairly decent clip. We are doing that lately. Not much else to say.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Not to mention, I simply can't enjoy the game I love, thinking that every single game is a must win. So what I do, is sit back and hope to see the club play good baseball and I know that if they play good baseball, they'll be just fine. If they don't, they don't, and they have no one to blame but themselves and we'll see significant changes made.

 

Either way, I'm not going to go crazy and say if we lose game X that the season is over (unless game X is game 162, haha, or any playoff elimination game).

 

I'm not going "crazy." And I'm not sitting here and treating every single game like Game 7 of the series. But I just can't get with the blase attitude of "Well, there's still 100+ games left, there's plenty of time to make a run."

[Jordan4life_2007]

Agreed...but you have to be patient. There are 119 games left!

 

I'm not arguing with you that any game isn't big at this point...but you have to accept that we probably aren't going to win 25 out of 30 games and find ourselves tied for the division lead in a month...therefore, we are going to lose games. We just have to start winning more games than we are losing at a fairly decent clip. We are doing that lately. Not much else to say.

 

I can agree with this.

[Chisoxfn]

Agreed...but you have to be patient. There are 119 games left!

 

I'm not arguing with you that any game isn't big at this point...but you have to accept that we probably aren't going to win 25 out of 30 games and find ourselves tied for the division lead in a month...therefore, we are going to lose games. We just have to start winning more games than we are losing at a fairly decent clip. We are doing that lately. Not much else to say.

I think the key is looking at things from a macro perspective. Don't focus on any one game, rather focus on series/one week at a time. You want to win series and more importantly you want to have winning records week after week after week. That could just be 1 game over per week, but the key is to make a habit of it. You do that and in time, they'll be right back in this thing. And if they run off a couple really good weeks in the meantime, they might be in it quicker than not.

 

And if they don't, well, than they don't and all of you panning for change will get exactly that. No, I'm not saying anyone is rooting for the team to lose, I know better than that, we are all huge ass fans here and everyone treats games differently and I respect that.

[iamshack]

Not to mention, I simply can't enjoy the game I love, thinking that every single game is a must win. So what I do, is sit back and hope to see the club play good baseball and I know that if they play good baseball, they'll be just fine. If they don't, they don't, and they have no one to blame but themselves and we'll see significant changes made.

 

Either way, I'm not going to go crazy and say if we lose game X that the season is over (unless game X is game 162, haha, or any playoff elimination game).

Exactly. As the season progresses, obviously the games get more and more important, just from a mathematical standpoint. And that is not to say these games are unimportant. But from a sheer probability standpoint, there are just too many variables open to know much more than we need to continue taking series' and avoid losing streaks.

[Balta1701]

Remember though, there's another ticking clock...revenues.

 

If the Sox start gaining 1 game a week, that means they're 5 games below .500 on Memorial day and maybe closing in on .500 by July 1.

 

Last year, KW was trying to move people at the beginning of June. Only reason he hadn't done so when the hot streak erupted was that he didn't yet have takers. We may not be so fortunate this year if we bounce around below .500 for the entire month of June.

[iamshack]

Remember though, there's another ticking clock...revenues.

 

If the Sox start gaining 1 game a week, that means they're 5 games below .500 on Memorial day and maybe closing in on .500 by July 1.

 

Last year, KW was trying to move people at the beginning of June. Only reason he hadn't done so when the hot streak erupted was that he didn't yet have takers. We may not be so fortunate this year if we bounce around below .500 for the entire month of June.

From the track record KW has, do you really think if this team is sitting at .500 he is going to blow it up?

[Balta1701]

From the track record KW has, do you really think if this team is sitting at .500 he is going to blow it up?

I think if this team is sitting 5 games below .500 on Memorial day he will start making calls, and if someone puts up a solid offer for Danks or Pierzynski he'll move them immediately. He'd have moved AJ last year had anyone wanted to take him on, and that was with the Sox in better shape than they are now.

[Jordan4life_2007]

From the track record KW has, do you really think if this team is sitting at .500 he is going to blow it up?

 

Not a chance in hell. And that's a bad thing.

[Chisoxfn]

From the track record KW has, do you really think if this team is sitting at .500 he is going to blow it up?

Not to mention that if you look at the clubs record, outside of the anomaly (this is assuming we are around .500 at that point in time), that he wouldn't have reasons to be convined. Now if Cleveland is 20 games over .500 at that point, than I understand and it is what it is. But the reality is the Sox can only control what they do and they can't play like they need to win 20 in a row. They just need to play good baseball and if they lose, they lose, but if they play good baseball, they will win a good number more than they lose cause they are a good team.

 

I will point out that even in this recent winning streak (which I'm deeming the road trip plus a split against a good Texas ballclub), we haven't played our best baseball. The question is, as the team regains confidence, will better baseball be played and I for one think it will.

 

I also will point out that we play the vast majority of our inter divisional games during the 2nd half of the season. So if we are near .500 around the break, the team will really be in a position where they can make some serious noise via divisional play. Will they, I don't know? But I know there are enough reasons for me personally not to give up.

[flavum]

I am with Jason here...where on earth are you coming up with this crazy idea that we need to have an exact record to have a chance?

 

No one here, not even the Indians themselves, knows just how good they are. To have some belief that we need to be 7 games over .500 at the break versus 3 games over .500, or exactly at .500, is just very difficult for me to understand, and I have no clue how it can be justified.

 

The key at this point is to continue to win series'. Continue to play good baseball. Get the bats going. Get Gordon/Dunn/Quentin going. Worry about games back once we reach July or August at least.

 

They don't have to have a certain record or they're out, but it's going to be that much harder in August and September when they're playing all division games. When they have 12 games against the Tigers and 13 games against the Indians after the break, how many games are you expecting the Sox to win? The more they cut the lead between now and the break, the less they have to crush the Indians and Tigers later on.

 

When I broke down the schedule before the season started, I had the Sox at 50-43 at the break. It's not an exact science, but it's probably close to the number they need to be at on July 10th.

 

Oh...and winning series only matters in October. Play good baseball and string as many wins in a row as possible. That's how teams get in the playoffs.

Edited May 18, 2011 by flavum

[iamshack]

They don't have to have a certain record or they're out, but it's going to be that much harder in August and September when they're playing all division games. When they have 12 games against the Tigers and 13 games against the Indians after the break, how many games are you expecting the Sox to win? The more thery cut the lead between now and the break, the less they have to crush the Indians and Tigers later on.

We've fared pretty well against both recently. I expect us to win plenty.

[macsandz]

Sox are 7-3 in the last 10.

 

3-0-1 in last 4 series.

 

They are playing better and don't need some insane run to compete with more than 4 months left in the season.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Sox are 7-3 in the last 10.

 

3-0-1 in last 4 series.

 

They are playing better and don't need some insane run to compete with more than 4 months left in the season.

 

And we've gained, what, a game? It will most definitely take an "insane" run to overtake the Indians.

[iamshack]

And we've gained, what, a game? It will most definitely take an "insane" run to overtake the Indians.

So what do you suggest the Indians' record will ultimately be? 111-51?

[Princess Dye]

Reeeeally tired of having "SHES 18 NOW!!!" visible to others at my workplace

 

Speaking of age limits though - would be nice to have one for this board

[Balta1701]

And we've gained, what, a game? It will most definitely take an "insane" run to overtake the Indians.

I don't care how many games we gain on Cleveland right now. I care only about how many we gain on .500.

 

Get me to .500 first then I will start looking at the record.

[Jordan4life_2007]

So what do you suggest the Indians' record will ultimately be? 111-51?

 

No. Just like the Twins have never won 100 games. But a big winning streak, something like 15/18 or 17-20, will probably be required at some point.

 

Reeeeally tired of having "SHES 18 NOW!!!" visible to others at my workplace

 

Speaking of age limits though - would be nice to have one for this board

 

I didn't like that Dawson's Creek crap, either. lol. And I will take this down soon, anyway. This isn't a keeper.

 

 

I don't care how many games we gain on Cleveland right now. I care only about how many we gain on .500.

 

Get me to .500 first then I will start looking at the record.

 

Hopefully we get to that point.

 

[southsider2k5]

I don't care how many games we gain on Cleveland right now. I care only about how many we gain on .500.

 

Get me to .500 first then I will start looking at the record.

 

And there will plenty of chances to gain those games in head to head match ups.

[iamshack]

Reeeeally tired of having "SHES 18 NOW!!!" visible to others at my workplace

 

Speaking of age limits though - would be nice to have one for this board

Disable the signatures in your controls.

[Balta1701]

Disable the signatures in your controls.

It's never fun to have to do that because of one person.

[Jordan4life_2007]

See how mature/evolved I've become? I got rid of the horror that was that sig. I'm keepin' the avatar up. You just going to have to deal with that or put me on ignore.