2nd half poll

[southsider2k5]

So lets hear it from everyone, so that you have bragging rights in three months!

[ScottyDo]

I hereby cede my bragging rights and predict a fall to second place, because predicting 3rd place in the preseason led to a good first half.

 

EDIT: Yes, my prediction caused their play to improve. It's science.

Edited July 12, 2012 by ScottyDo

[Quin]

First, because I said so.

[southsider2k5]

I'm sticking with my Tigers win, Sox finish second, Cleveland sucks, prediction.

[LittleHurt05]

I'm sticking with my Tigers win, Sox finish second, Cleveland sucks, prediction.

 

Same here

[justBLAZE]

I'm sticking with my Tigers win, Sox finish second, Cleveland sucks, prediction.

 

Wait..

 

Same here

 

What..

 

 

I want that dog pile Bubba! and GOD BLESS YOU!

[chw42]

Wait..

 

 

 

What..

 

 

I want that dog pile Bubba! and GOD BLESS YOU!

 

Pessimistic SOBs...

[GoSox05]

6 games vs Tigers in September. I think it comes down to that.

Edited July 12, 2012 by GoSox05

[CanOfCorn]

Sox win a close race, Detroit takes wild card.

[hogan873]

Sox win the division. Tigers end up 3 games back. Cleveland falls apart and ends up in fourth behind KC.

 

Dunn comes back after the All Star break and hits better. Ends up with 52 HRs and a BA of .221.

 

Konerko continues to be solid but still lacks some power. .340, 23 HRs

 

Sale Ks 200+

 

Peavy yells at himself

 

AJ makes someone mad

 

Youkilis continues to make Red Sox fans weep by being the guy he used to be

 

 

[Ross]

I voted that we get caught by the Tigers.

 

 

[SOXOBAMA]

I see the Sox winning the Central by 2 games over Det.

 

If we don't add any pitching talent to our rotation and bullpen. We won't get past Yanks, Texas or LA in the playoffs.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I'm sticking with my Tigers win, Sox finish second, Cleveland sucks, prediction.

 

Yep.

[flavum]

Other.

 

I think the Sox play better because they're going to add a starting pitcher, they have Youkilis for another 77 games, and I think the offense will convert Peavy's quality starts to wins at a higher rate than they did in the first half.

 

Plus 27 of the 77 games are against the Royals and Twins. Sox need to crush these teams. Nothing worse than 17-10 vs Min and KC.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Sox go 46-31 the rest of the way for 93 wins.

[flavum]

6 games vs Tigers in September. I think it comes down to that.

 

7 of the last 32.

Edited July 12, 2012 by flavum

[hi8is]

Other.

 

I think the Sox play better because they're going to add a starting pitcher, they have Youkilis for another 77 games, and I think the offense will convert Peavy's quality starts to wins at a higher rate than they did in the first half.

 

Plus 27 of the 77 games are against the Royals and Twins. Sox need to crush these teams. Nothing worse than 17-10 vs Min and KC.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Sox go 46-31 the rest of the way for 93 wins.

I like this post.

[Joxer_Daly]

I was promised* by an Admin that I would "get to celebrate a world series win during [my] 1st year of fandom". So that modest expectation is what I've put my life savings on. It's free money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*not actually 'promised' but 'hopefully'.

[Quin]

I was promised* by an Admin that I would "get to celebrate a world series win during [my] 1st year of fandom". So that modest expectation is what I've put my life savings on. It's free money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*not actually 'promised' but 'hopefully'.

 

We've found this years Rally Crede.

[southsider2k5]

We've found this years Rally Crede.

 

Rally Celtic?

[SOXOBAMA]

Detroit — If there was one outcome for 2012 that analysts were supremely confident about as pitchers and catchers arrived at spring came in February, it was this:

 

The Tigers would win the American League Central.

 

Uh, not so fast.

 

Three months after just about every prognosticator coast to coast handed the Tigers a second consecutive division championship — that includes all the scribes at this paper, plus 50 of 50 ESPN experts (originally, it was 49 of 50 but one pick was quickly changed) — the Robin Ventura-led White Sox sit atop the Central, 3 1/2 games ahead of Jim Leyland's Tigers, who put together a five-game winning streak heading into the All-Star break just to get to that point.

 

Detroit is a half-game behind Cleveland, too.

 

"This is gonna be a race," Leyland told reporters recently, "and that's OK."

 

It wasn't supposed to be this way, though. When the Tigers shocked baseball and swiftly filled the Victor Martinez void by handing Prince Fielder a nine-year, $214 million deal last January, it was supposed to be game, set, match.

 

Or so we were led to believe.

 

Among what we perhaps failed to factor in: Several Tigers would struggle to repeat their career years of 2011, several White Sox players would stop underachieving, and those Indians — well, just maybe they weren't a fluke, after all.

 

Today, ESPN's playoff meter gives the White Sox an 85.1 percent chance of making the playoffs — third-highest in MLB, behind the Yankees and Rangers — and the Tigers just a 31.5 percent shot. They're followed by the Indians at 20.5 percent.

 

But Vegas, well, it's not so sure. In odds released Tuesday morning by Bovada, the White Sox and Tigers are given the same 6-5 odds to win the AL Central (the Indians are 7-2), while the Tigers are given the better odds to win the American League (15-2) and the World Series (14-1).

 

Unlike several months back, nobody can seem to agree on how this will all shake out.

 

But at least we all can now safely agree: The only sure thing is there's no sure thing.

 

Al Central at the break

Chicago White Sox (47-38)

 

What's to like: They have several players who, in 2012, are playing up to their capabilities. Catcher A.J. Pierzynski has 16 home runs and 49 RBIs, up from eight and 48 in 2011; outfielder Alex Rios is batting .318, up from .227; and DH Adam Dunn has 25 homers and 61 RBIs, putting last year's debacle (11 homers, 42 RBIs) behind him. It led to an average of 4.8 runs a game, up from 4.0 a year ago.

 

What's not to like: First baseman Paul Konerko, after a scorching start, has cooled considerably — in his last 30 games, he's batted .243 with three homers and nine RBIs. Phil Humber was a disaster in his 10 starts after his perfect game (7.47 ERA) before landing on the DL (elbow strain), and fellow starters Gavin Floyd and John Danks (shoulder strain) haven't contributed enough to the cause.

 

Remaining schedule: 24 series, 11 at home, 10 against teams under .500; combined winning percentage, .490. They have a tough slate out of the gate, with 16 of their next 19 games on the road — including four at Boston, three at Detroit and three at Texas. But the White Sox also can feast on the AL Central's bottom two teams; they play the Royals and Twins a combined 27 times.

 

Buyer or seller: Buyer — But how many trade chips do they have to work? They made the first big move among AL Central contenders, acquiring third baseman Kevin Youkilis, and that's paid immediate dividends (.347, three homers, 14 RBIs in 13 games), but the White Sox farm system is seriously depleted, so a big-ticket acquisition (Zack Greinke?) probably isn't in the cards.

 

Key player: Rookie starter Jose Quintana — The left-hander has filled a void in the rotation, going 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA. Counting his eight starts and one 5 2/3-inning relief appearance, he's allowed more than two runs just once. His WHIP is a sparkling 0.97. The key will be how he fares once he starts meeting teams for a second time. The team he's faced twice, the Indians, figured him out a bit.

 

How it shakes out: The defense is good; the bullpen is adequate. But the White Sox will win only if the starting pitching holds up. That means Jake Peavy has to stay healthy, and reliever-turned-starter Chris Sale (who has thrown a career-high 102 2/3 innings) can't tire down the stretch. One other thing to watch: Robin Ventura. His calm demeanor could rub off on his players in the heath of a playoff race.

 

Prediction, Take II: First

 

Cleveland Indians (44-41)

 

What's to like: The foundation is in place, in terms of position players. Up the middle — with All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (11 home runs, 42 RBIs) and second baseman Jason Kipnis (11 homers, 49 RBIs), along with center fielder Michael Brantley and catcher Carlos Santana — there isn't an AL Central team that's stronger. Plus right fielder Shin-Soo Choo has bounced back from a distraction-filled 2011.

 

What's not to like: The starting pitching is a debacle. Derek Lowe (4.43) has come back to Earth, Ubaldo Jimenez (1.510) can't find the strike zone, and Justin Masterson (league-high 10 wild pitches) has regressed. The rotation ERA is 4.59, and the starters are averaging fewer than six innings a start. And the early signing of veteran outfielder Johnny Damon (.215, .285) hasn't solved much, if anything.

 

Remaining schedule: 24 series, 11 at home, eight against teams under .500; combined winning percentage, .501. Eighteen of their final 77 games are against teams from the powerhouse AL East, including three straight to start the second half. They also get the Rangers six times, and the Angels three. They only have six more against the team they're chasing, the White Sox.

 

Buyer or seller: TBA — They have some nice young pieces in place, but it's tough to see them making a big splash with their sights set on winning this year. There's just not one addition that would put them over the top. GM Chris Antonetti can say all the right things about not being afraid to take a gamble, but in his mind has to be last year's Ubaldo Jimenez blockbuster, which hasn't worked out well.

 

Key player: DH Travis Hafner — Just before the break, the oft-injured slugger returned to the lineup after more than a month-long absence to recover from right knee surgery. If he starts producing again, he'd boost an Indians lineup that has the fourth-fewest homers in the AL. Or, if the Indians fall out of it, the ballclub could explore trading the longtime Indian, who has value and is a free agent this winter.

 

How it shakes out: Just like last year this time, it's a three-team race — on this date in 2011, the Tigers had a half-game lead over the Indians and a five-game lead over the White Sox. And just like last year, while the Indians might be able to hold off one, edging two is a stretch. The pitching doesn't keep them in enough games, and the offense isn't good enough to overcome that. They're no legit contender.

 

Prediction, Take II: Third

 

Detroit Tigers (44-42)

 

What's to like: The hyped offense finally is starting to heat up. Delmon Young, a statue much of the season, is batting .301 in his last 25 games, and has homered in each of his last four; Prince Fielder has four home runs and 18 RBIs in his last 14 games; and Jhonny Peralta also recently woke up, batting .291 since June 1. Austin Jackson's resurgence and Quintin Berry's emergence have been huge, too.

 

What's not to like: The injuries that popped up almost daily early kept them from getting into any flow. Outfielders Brennan Boesch (.277 OBP) and Ryan Raburn (.171 AVG) have done zip. The defense, aside from Austin Jackson in center field and Miguel Cabrera back at third, has been beyond brutal. And Doug Fister (two trips to the DL with a left-side strain) isn't the same pitcher he was last summer.

 

Remaining schedule: 24 series, 12 at home, six against teams under .500; combined winning percentage, .511. The Tigers aren't scheduled to play a team currently under .500 until mid-August. They also have 10 games with the Angels. The good news: They get 10 more cracks at the White Sox, including a four-gamer in September, and they close with 13 against the Twins and Royals.

 

Buyer or seller: Buyer — They'll do something, but GM Dave Dombrowski typically saves the big moves for the offseason. Second base was the big void early, but Ramon Santiago works. Bigger needs could be a corner-outfield slugger — Delmon Young and Brennan Boesch then could take turns at DH — and starting pitching. But any trade that requires prospect Nick Castellanos is a no-go. So, no Cole Hamels.

 

Key players: Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello — Just like before the season. Reigning Cy Young and MVP winner Justin Verlander is their only starter with any consistency, but Scherzer and Porcello have had stretches. Scherzer's on one now; opponents have hit .229 against him his last nine starts, as he's risen to fifth in MLB in strikeouts (121). Porcello, meanwhile, can't keep giving up 11.9 hits per nine innings.

 

How it shakes out: Aside from a pre-break spurt, the Tigers really haven't gotten hot all year. They're not going to go a full season with that being the case. But having wasted too many series against subpar foes, will a surge be too little? Maybe not, if the bullpen — which is led by rookie Brayan Villarreal (12.4 K's per nine innings), and could get Al Alburquerque (elbow surgery) back — and offense keep surging.

 

Prediction, Take II: Second

 

Kansas City Royals (37-47)

 

What's to like: Fan enthusiasm was on full display in All-Star week. Just goes to show how fun playoff ball will be at Kauffman Stadium (one of the most beautiful ballparks), even if they have to wait at least one more year. Maybe they'll get what Detroit got: All-Star Game one year ('05), postseason the next.

 

What's not to like: The cold spells. There's a lot of young talent here, but that also means inexperience — so stopping the bleeding can' be tough. Take away a 12-game losing streak in April and a recent rough stretch (2-8 entering the break), and Kansas City is eight games over .500.

 

Remaining schedule: 24 series, 14 at home, five against teams under .500; combined winning percentage, .514. It'll take a miracle run. All but two of their second-half opponents are statistically in a playoff race. They do get three long home stands, and don't have a single road trip longer than two series. That would be welcome news, except their record at Kauffman Stadium is awful (14-23).

 

Buyer or seller: Seller — Not that Royals fans can be too enthused about a Dayton Moore trade (see Melky Cabrera). The obvious trade chip is closer Jonathan Broxton, who's revived his career on a one-year deal while Joakim Soria (Tommy John) is out for the year. Outfielder Jeff Francoeur could be moved, too. They need front-line starting pitching, though that'll likely be addressed in the offseason.

 

Prediction, Take II: Fourth

 

Minnesota Twins (36-49)

 

What's to like: Catcher Joe Mauer has calmed the critics with a bounceback 2012, health-wise and production-wise — he's hitting .326 with 41 RBIs, up from .287 and 30 a year ago. That's very welcome news for the Twins brass, who're on the hook for Mauer — to the tune of $138 million — from 2013-18.

 

What's not to like: With Mauer, scrutinized free-agent pickup Josh Willingham (19 homers, 60 RBIs) and Trevor Plouffe (19 homers), among others, the offense is fine. The Twins have hit .277 since June 1. But the pitching is a mess, particularly the starting, with demotions, injuries and high ERA galore.

 

Remaining schedule: 24 series, 12 at home, five against teams under .500; combined winning percentage, .510. Their role, in all likelihood, will be as spoiler — and they'll have plenty of chances to give the AL Central contenders fits, with 34 games left against the White Sox, Indians and Tigers. The Twins' last six series are against playoff hopefuls. Will they make a statement, or roll over?

 

Buyer or seller: Seller — The team is 46 games under .500 over the last season-and-a-half. So there should be little, outside Mauer, that's untouchable. Francisco Liriano could appeal to a contender as a short-term rental, with a .175 average against in eight starts since rejoining the rotation (but control remains a red flag). Willingham has suitors, too, with guaranteed pop and a contract through 2014.

 

Prediction, Take II: Fifth

 

 

 

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2012071...6#ixzz20TilSekh

Edited July 13, 2012 by SOXOBAMA

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Already said Sox by 10 games. Book it.

[nickofypres]

I think the Sox go 40-37 in their next 77 and end up with 87 wins.

 

Whether that's good enough to win the division or not, I don't know, but that's just IMO.

[fathom]

The AL Central/2nd Wild Card makes a lot of sense for the White Sox and Tigers

[GreatScott82]

The AL Central/2nd Wild Card makes a lot of sense for the White Sox and Tigers

Gosh I sure hope we win the AL Central. My finger nails do NOT like those play in games.

(Although they are damn exciting to watch! (See blackout game of '08 )

[chetkincaid]

The White Sox tell Baseball Prospectus and all of the rest of the doubters to go f*** themselves and make the playoffs 6 games ahead of the second place Detroit Tigers

 

Jim Leyland smokes more cigarettes than he's ever smoked in his life

 

Robin Ventura gets votes for Manager of the Year

 

Dunn and Rios, and Peavy split the Comeback Player of the Year award

 

Beckham gets hot in the second half with the bat

 

I continue to piss off Cubs fans by guarateeing them that Kenny Williams will win another World Series before The Golden Child on the North Side does

Edited July 13, 2012 by Chet Kincaid