Sunday, May 25, 2008

Projection: Monday, May 26, 2008

TOR 93 69 0.574
NYM 90 72 0.556
TAM 86 76 0.531
PHI 87 75 0.537
NYY 83 79 0.512
ATL 83 79 0.512
BOS 83 79 0.512
FLA 70 92 0.432
BAL 71 91 0.438
WAS 69 93 0.426









CHW 90 72 0.556
CHC 93 69 0.574
CLE 86 76 0.531
HOU 92 70 0.568
DET 77 85 0.475
STL 87 75 0.537
MIN 76 86 0.469
PIT 82 80 0.506
KC 73 89 0.451
MIL 73 89 0.451





CIN 70 92 0.432









OAK 86 76 0.531
ARI 94 68 0.580
LAA 85 77 0.525
LAD 92 70 0.568
TEX 75 87 0.463
COL 75 87 0.463
SEA 71 91 0.438
SFG 71 91 0.438





SDP 67 95 0.414

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): Boston Red Sox
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): St. Louis Cardinals

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Athletics, Rays defeat White Sox
NLDS: Astros defeat Diamondbacks, Cubs defeat Mets

ALCS: Blue Jays defeat Rays
NLCS: Cubs defeat Astros

World Series: Cubs defeat Blue Jays

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Projection: Monday, May 19, 2008

TOR 91 71 0.562
NYM 91 71 0.562
TAM 85 77 0.525
ATL 85 77 0.525
BOS 84 78 0.519
PHI 85 77 0.525
NYY 82 80 0.506
WAS 71 91 0.438
BAL 72 90 0.444
FLA 67 95 0.414









CLE 91 71 0.562
CHC 94 68 0.580
CHW 86 76 0.531
HOU 90 72 0.556
KC 78 84 0.481
STL 83 79 0.512
MIN 77 85 0.475
PIT 82 80 0.506
DET 72 90 0.444
MIL 75 87 0.463





CIN 71 91 0.438









LAA 84 78 0.519
ARI 93 69 0.574
OAK 83 79 0.512
LAD 90 72 0.556
TEX 77 85 0.475
COL 76 86 0.469
SEA 73 89 0.451
SFG 72 90 0.444





SDP 70 92 0.432

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): Tampa Bay Rays
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): Pittsburgh Pirates

ALDS: Indians defeat Angels, Blue Jays defeat White Sox
NLDS: Cubs defeat Mets, Diamondbacks defeat Astros

ALCS: Blue Jays defeat Indians
NLCS: Cubs defeat Diamondbacks

World Series: Cubs defeat Blue Jays

Friday, May 16, 2008

Chicago White Sox: Analysis as of May 16, 2008

Ozzie Guillen has his team tied for second in the miserable American League Central Division. This division has the potent Tigers offense which has shown up every blue moon along with their miserable pitching which has shown up much more frequently. The Indians have begun to play recently with their solid pitching although their offense has yet to wake up. This second place spot might be more of circumstance than the White Sox being a quality team.

Chicago White Sox

Infield

  • A. J. Pierzynski has continued his solid hitting as he has done through out his career. He never gives you the huge numbers, but will have good at bats and an above average batting average for a catcher.
  • For some bizarre reason, Paul Konerko cannot find his consistent swing that he’s had in his breakout years. His strikeouts are very high. However, he’s still shown a good eye to get on base. He’s supposed to be a power bat in the middle of the lineup, unfortunately the best he can seem to do right now is walk.
  • Juan Uribe, the shifted shortstop, has been flat out bad at the plate. Cuban defector, Alexei Ramirez has not been much better. Ramirez, based on the limited information anyone has on him, is supposed to be a very good talent. Forty-eight at bats is not enough to pass any judgment, so if I were Guillen, I’d have Ramirez play a little more if Uribe continues to sleep in the batters box.
  • For those who know Orlando Cabrera, no one expect him to hit over .300 this year. Last year was a career year for him for his batting average and the start to this season is showing how the law of averages works. There is a reason he is a career .271 hitter and this season will make up for his high production last season. However, the only option for Guillen to go to if he were to replace Cabrera is to bring in Uribe and that is much worse. Cabrera should improve, but he’s been painful for the White Sox front office while watching Jon Garland succeed in southern California.
  • Joe Crede has returned from his back injury. No problems here.

Outfield/DH

  • Carlos Quentin, coming in as the fourth outfielder, has taken off. He cannot be taken out of the lineup; he’s too good.
  • Nick Swisher: hot start, terrible since. His on base percentage is over 100 points better than his batting average, which sounds great, except when the batting average is .211. He also strikes out too much.
  • Jermaine Dye has been playing as well as a slugger can with no protection in the lineup.
  • Jim Thome somehow has 7 HR and 23 RBI while batting .205. He’s making his hits count. However, they’re too and far in between. He has been showing off his wheels with a 100% stolen base success rate (1 SB).

Overall offense: If the middle of the lineup were Pierzynski, Dye, and Quentin (yes, I took into account lefties and righties), the lineup could be intimidating. It could be even more intimidating if Guillen can change the rules to only have three guys in their batting order for a game.

Starting Pitching

The starting pitching has been excellent, with the exception of Mark Buehrle. Javier Vazquez has been a solid pitcher throughout his career (except on the Yankees). Jose Contreras is capable of stringing together long stretches of winning decisions. He’s proving last year was just a bump in the road. John Danks and Gavin Floyd are two young emerging pitchers who have performed better than the other three starters so far this season. Finally, I think Mark Buehrle must be the nicest guy in the world. He sees the other pitchers being stingy and not giving out runs, so he decided he needs to be the guy to share. He’s giving them out left and right, so to all those teams out there who still get to face the White Sox: Buehrle is being generous! Get ‘em while they’re hot!

Relief Pitching

The bullpen has been solid. Nick Masset has been the most inconsistent and he’s still been good. Ehren Wasserman has also been roughed up in limited work this season, but he was good last year, so there’s no reason to give up on his freaky delivery just yet. The ERA is low so far this year. The defense (including himself) seems to hate when Octavio Dotel is on the mound allowing for many unearned runs. The only problem is too many people do get on base with this bullpen. Now, they always seem to get out of it, but at some point if they consistently try to make things interesting it will bite them.

Overall pitching: This is a solid pitching staff. This staff is the sole reason why the White Sox are at .500. If the pitching wasn’t good, they’d be in a battle with the Tigers for the worst team in a bad division. If Buehrle was pitching better, they could actually be in first ahead of the Indians who’s starting pitching is learning from their new pitching coach, Cliff Lee.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Projection: Monday, May 12, 2008

BOS 88 74 0.543
NYM 91 71 0.562
TOR 88 74 0.543
ATL 87 75 0.537
NYY 87 75 0.537
PHI 82 80 0.506
TAM 85 77 0.525
WAS 67 95 0.414
BAL 68 94 0.420
FLA 66 96 0.407









CLE 93 69 0.574
CHC 92 70 0.568
CHW 85 77 0.525
HOU 92 70 0.568
MIN 79 83 0.488
STL 85 77 0.525
KC 79 83 0.488
PIT 78 84 0.481
DET 73 89 0.451
MIL 75 87 0.463





CIN 68 94 0.42









LAA 86 76 0.531
ARI 91 71 0.562
OAK 85 77 0.525
LAD 90 72 0.556
TEX 77 85 0.475
COL 75 87 0.463
SEA 73 89 0.451
SDP 73 89 0.451





SFG 72 90 0.444

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): New York Yankees
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): St. Louis Cardinals

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Indians, Red Sox defeat Angels
NLDS: Cubs defeat Diamondbacks, Astros defeat Mets

ALCS: Red Sox defeat Blue Jays
NLCS: Cubs defeat Astros

World Series: Cubs defeat Red Sox

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Projection: Monday, May 4, 2008

TOR 90 72 0.556
NYM 90 72 0.556
BOS 87 75 0.537
ATL 87 75 0.537
NYY 87 75 0.537
PHI 81 81 0.500
TAM 83 79 0.512
WAS 67 95 0.414
BAL 68 94 0.420
FLA 62 100 0.383









CLE 90 72 0.556
CHC 95 67 0.586
CHW 84 78 0.519
HOU 91 71 0.562
MIN 80 82 0.494
STL 86 76 0.531
KC 80 82 0.494
MIL 76 86 0.469
DET 74 88 0.457
PIT 75 87 0.463





CIN 66 96 0.407









LAA 89 73 0.549
LAD 95 67 0.586
OAK 84 78 0.519
ARI 94 68 0.580
SEA 78 84 0.481
COL 74 88 0.457
TEX 73 89 0.451
SFG 73 89 0.451





SDP 71 91 0.438

Best Team to Miss Playoffs (AL): New York Yankees
Best Team to Miss Playoffs (NL): Houston Astros

ALDS: Blue Jays defeat Angels, Red Sox defeat Indians
NLDS: Cubs defeat Diamondbacks, Dodgers defeat Mets

ALCS: Blue Jays defeat Red Sox
NLCS: Cubs defeat Dodgers

World Series: Cubs defeat Blue Jays
 
flower power by time life
flower power by time life