Simple... look at opening day roster and todays roster. Much more talent (minus Jimmy Gobble and missing CQ)

 

Opening day:

 

C- AJ P

1b- Konerko

2b- Getz

SS- Ramirez

3b- Fields/Beckham

RF- Dye

CF- Wise/Anderson

LF- Quentin/Pods

DH- Thome

 

Bench:

 

Betemit/Nix

Lillibridge/Fields

Corky/Castro

Anderson

 

Buehrle

Danks

Floyd

Colon/Richard

Not ready Contreras/ready Contreras

 

Macdougal/Poreda

Thorton

Dotel

Carrasco

Linebrink

Broadway/Gobble

 

All the Sox could use is a healthy CQ and I think they will have one of the best lineups in baseball and can easily take this division. Team got rid of the pudheads and are finally hitting. Mix in the good young talent, speed, and the great pitching and the easy schedule the next few weeks, I don't think first place is too far away.

 

 

 

We will NOT make the playoffs, pretty sure of that much

still undecided....ill let you know at the end of this month

This team would have to play like the 07 Rockies to have any chance of getting into the playoffs.

 

We're on the easy part of the schedule right now. It's going to start getting very rough...

damn, not a lot of love for a team that's 4 games out of first place at the end of June

How about we let it play out. I'm sick of predections.

 

 

damn, not a lot of love for a team that's 4 games out of first place at the end of June

 

Dude, its too easy to see them beat up on some weak teams and be like PLAY0FFZ!!1!

 

Ide like to wait to see if they can keep it up and show some consistency before I get my hopes up..

The recent stretch shows why there is so much hope for the future, but this team still isn't going to the playoffs unless Carlos Quentin comes back within the next month and plays at the level he did in 2008 (which I don't believe will happen.)

damn, not a lot of love for a team that's 4 games out of first place at the end of June

 

And has had their best hitter hurt for two months now...

I'll keep believing until there's a substantial reason not to. There's still baseball to be played. And who's to say the hot teams we have scheduled in the second half don't cool off? You never know until the games are played. I'm already planning a Fenway game in late August, and if comes down to the wire in Cleveland I'm there. This division blows.

Dude, its too easy to see them beat up on some weak teams and be like PLAY0FFZ!!1!

 

Ide like to wait to see if they can keep it up and show some consistency before I get my hopes up..

 

 

Yeah those Dodgers sure are pathetic. I'm sure they play worse with a DH too.

I'd like to see one person actually man up and stop watching then. If you don't believe they have a chance, turn the tv off and stop coming to this site. What the hell is the point?

I'd like to see one person actually man up and stop watching then. If you don't believe they have a chance, turn the tv off and stop coming to this site. What the hell is the point?

 

I don't see anybody saying this.team.is.dead. People just think they aren't good enough to win the division, and they are perfectly in their right to think that.

Ide like to wait to see if they can keep it up and show some consistency before I get my hopes up..

We've now won 5 of the last 6 series (should be 6 of 6 if Linebrink didn't blow the Cubs game) and 2 of the series wins are against teams leading their division

Our bats are definitely heating up with the weather (like some of you assured us it would).

When you hit like this, the naysayers shut up, the ones who want Walker out.

(Big time knock on wood; yes, baseball gods I realize we can get shut out tonight; we've had 9 shutout losses).

Wow...can't believe the Debbie Downers here. I wouldn't count this team out...and I guarantee other teams the have to play the Sox right now aren't really looking forward to it. Let's see if the bats stay hot up and down the lineup before making the "no way" predictions. Damn...why do some of you even cheer or watch?

I don't give a s*** that we have a thread full of cliff jumpers, we are going to the playoffs.

We've now won 5 of the last 6 series (should be 6 of 6 if Linebrink didn't blow the Cubs game) and 2 of the series wins are against teams leading their division

 

The voice of reason. Thank You.

I have a feeling this thread is going to blow up.

 

I also see this team making the playoffs. The major league roster has good depth up and down, the middle of the lineup is good, the rotation is, as far as I'm concerned, as good as any in the AL Central, the bullpen has been outstanding, and Quentin may come back. And I think if the opportunity arises, Williams will trade for either a 2Bman or 3Bman, manning Beckham at the other spot.

 

I could easily see the Sox 5 games over .500 at the break, and possibly more. The hardest series is going to be in Minnesota, right before the break.

I'm not going to make a prediction and say that the Sox will go to the playoffs. They may, especially if they continue to play like they have of late. This team, however, is very exciting to watch right now. And that is what makes me happy. We've got some young talent (and some not so young, Pods I'm looking at you) that are playing very well. The pitching is good, runners are getting on base, and bases are being stolen. Sure the homers are still there, and no one is going to complain about that, but we are starting to see more manufactured runs.

 

Playoff bound? Not sure yet. Team worth watching? Absolutely.

I have a feeling this thread is going to blow up.

 

I also see this team making the playoffs. The major league roster has good depth up and down, the middle of the lineup is good, the rotation is, as far as I'm concerned, as good as any in the AL Central, the bullpen has been outstanding, and Quentin may come back. And I think if the opportunity arises, Williams will trade for either a 2Bman or 3Bman, manning Beckham at the other spot.

 

I could easily see the Sox 5 games over .500 at the break, and possibly more. The hardest series is going to be in Minnesota, right before the break.

I'm with you. The only thing not clicking for the Sox lately is the defense and they've overcome 3 and 4 errors games to win. The pitching has really been phenomenal. The hitting has come around nicely, the bench and bottom of the order are contributing. With Quentin's return I don't think KW has to make any moves. Now if he wants a starting pitcher to win another World Series this year while giving up part of the future., I can see that happening. But the Sox have to be in a better position than they are now before he pulls the trigger.

Edited July 1, 200916 yr by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

I think a lot of people are setting themselves up for a big disappointment if they think CQ is going to step right back in and dominate.

I think a lot of people are setting themselves up for a big disappointment if they think CQ is going to step right back in and dominate.

Frankly I expect him to have a rehab assignment down in the minors if that's possible then contribute not as strong as last year but still strong nevertheless. Imagine if he stays healthy what he can do in October/November.

I'm worried about the very rough stretches of the schedule coming up in the second half. There's some brutal back-to-back-to-back-to-back series in there. What I don't know is how the rest of Detriot's and Minnesota's season looks. Have they already played through the easy part of their schedule like the Sox have?

This Sox team may make the playoffs, even without their best hitter gone for 2 months and hitting like garbage the month and half he was here. It's a question of making the playoffs and then playing their best ball in October. The sox don't have the talent other teams do. But stranger things have happened.

 

Yet the biggest cause for optimism is the sox young players coming up--both pitchers and position players. In all the key minor league teams [minus AAA, where most AAAA players stay to take up space], the sox are winning. And they have solid prospects on those teams moving up levels. With a solid farm system, a shrewd GM who knows how to get major league talent, a young core to build around, and a decent payroll, the sox are sitting in a position not only to make the playoffs each year, but to contend for titles. The sox have been able to re-make their roster without going through a prolonged stretch of unwatchable, losing baseball. So far, only 2007 was that.

 

The sox also may have added 4 long term players to build around this year--Beckham, Richard, Poreda, Getz, to go along with Danks, Floyd, Quentin, Alexei, Jenks. And Jordan Danks, Allen, Flowers and Viciedo don't look too far away.

 

All in all, I'd rather go into the playoffs with this roster than with last years. The sox are improving their big league club and esp. their minor league teams and talent. Not much more you can ask for.