Thursday, September 14, 2006

Any guesses?

The Sox have 17 games left; their current W-L is 77-68. Which is stunning given than on July 25 (7 weeks ago) they were 23 games above .500. So, my question is: where will they end up? My predictions are that:
  1. They'll go 7-10, for a grand total of 84 wins.
  2. They will end up 3rd in the AL east, and 8th in the AL (the bottom half of the league) overall.
I just can't believe these predictions seem reasonable (optimistic even!), for a team with the second-highest payroll in baseball. Time to face facts: we're the 2001-2005 Mets.

Any other predictions?
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5 comments:

  1. Peter N9/14/2006 9:17 AM

    This one is easy. Anything better than a .500 record in the handful of remaining games will be OVERperforming. And you know what? I so much hate to say it. But, you're right on the ball with this one.

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  2. GrieveRules9/14/2006 1:15 PM

    First and foremost...this team should have made a deal at the deadline...I believe that sent the wrong message to the guys playing for the Sox. "Basically, we are playing for the future and we'll see what happens this year..."

    Secondly, if the Mets during those years were crippled by injuries I would agree with your assessment.

    Thirdly, even if they did make the Abreu trade, or Oswalt, whatever...The injuries that followed would have buried this team.

    When your starting rotation is a bunch of minor leaguers, there just isn't any way your winning any games.

    Lastly, this Sox team would be in via the Wild Card in the NL...so, maybe the AL Mets might be a better fit...

    List of key injuries...
    Clement (better than Snyder, Johnson, etc...)
    Wells
    Wakefield
    Schilling (yes, his came after the collapse, but still was an outside shot at the Wild Card)
    Varitek (this was the big one)
    Nixon
    Crisp
    Foulke (better than Seanez, others plugged into this slot)
    Wily Mo

    And I have missed many...

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  3. GrieveRules9/14/2006 2:11 PM

    Just to amend my last post...

    If Wakefield, Clement, Wells, and Schilling had stayed healthy all year (even with the crappy bullpen), this team would have been still very much in contention...and maybe (as opposed to having to pick up Javy Lopez (catcher), Snyder, Johnson...you'd have been able to look for bullpen help...

    Losing Tek made all the young guys suck. Just look at some recent performances from those kids now that he's back (when he's catching). Much better.

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  4. I-believe-in-Dinosaurs9/14/2006 5:20 PM

    I predict my head will explode. Oh wait, it already did.

    Ok in all seriousness, this is a sad, sad, sad year. However, looking on the bright side of things my prediction is that this off season is going to be insanely interesting.

    By insane I mean Tejada insane. Yes, you heard it hear first. I am predicting that Tejada will be in a Sox uniform next year.

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  5. GrieveRules9/15/2006 9:25 AM

    I would say that Tejada will not be a Red Sox...here's why...

    All the dumb Sox reporters do not realize that the reason Manny may be out the rest of the season is not because he is lazy, but because he has the beginnings of the injury that basically ended John Valentin's career.

    Which means...the Sox won't be able to trade Manny with the dangling over their heads. Believe me, if the Sox didn't believe Ramirez, they'd send him to a doctor...which they did...The doctor figured out that this is Manny's problem. My guess is that no team will take Manny with that sort of injury (especially if it is bad enough to warrant sitting him the rest of this season...).

    So who would Baltimore want to replace Tejada? Who knows...? But the Sox couldn't carry Tejada and Manny's contracts...

    My guess is that this Sox team won't be very good next year, either...They need to completely rebuild the pen...saying goodbye to Timlin AND Foulke (God help the Sox if Foulke decides to trigger his option). Papelbon will have to move to the rotation...Leaving you with Delcarmen, Hansen and Tavarez...

    Your starting rotation...

    Schilling
    Beckett
    Papelbon
    Wakefield
    Clement(?)...unless some NL team is dumb enough to take him...

    With Schill and Wake and Clement...Yikes!!! not sturdy at all...And Beckett isn't exactly the ace so far...And I am not counting on Lester being strong enough to pitch at the beginning of the year due to chemo...

    Top of the rotation starter is DEFINITELY needed.

    Your starting lineup?

    Youk
    Pedroia
    Papi
    Manny
    Pena
    Varitek
    Lowell
    Crisp
    ???

    Again, pretty good...But not young, really, and not (probably) playoff bound...There needs to be some trades...My guess? Crisp and/or Pena head off into the sunset for a serious outfield bat.

    By the way...I know Soriano isn't that great of an outfielder, but neither is Wily Mo...Soriano has 45 HRs this year, and can steal bases...and can lead off or hit anywhere in the lineup.

    This offseason will be very interesting, but this team has MANY holes to fill and not a lot of money coming off the books.

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