my fantasy league board had a thread for sox 07 predictions, so i thought it'd be interesting to see what you all have to say. here's what i posted there:
Quote:
f all that stuff happens in one year, you're marshstrodamus.
my predictions:
- contreras will have a flat year. he might even suffer a major injury.
- garland won't wow anyone with k's but he'll be even more effective at getting bad balls in play and will finish the year with an ERA of 3.8 ~ 4.1 and around 10 dingers given up @ home.
- vasquez will be the sox most reliable pitcher, holding opposing batters to less than 200 hits and an ERA of 4.0 ~ 4.2
- one of the bullpen options isn't going to pan out, but the others fare well. unfortunately, i think the guy who doesn't quite get it will be sisco, who's easily my favorite guy going into spring training.
- erstad will be serviceable and healthy. he will likely move around in the order, eventually dropping to #5 or 6, and will play a consistent center field @ the joan.
- jermaine dye will hit, joe crede will not. the latter's average will take a dive, while the former's will stay consistent with his production last year, + or - 3 home runs and 10 rbi, contingent on his spot in the order.
- konerko's numbers will slip ever so slightly. i think his average/obp will go up while his power numbers / rbi go down.
the key player, besides the staff, is mackowiak. if he wins the job in left field and plays 100+ games there, i think they have a shot at the division. i put the team at 87 ~ 91 wins, which is kind of a soft range. if i had to pick a number, i'd say 88. they'll lose the crosstown series and come out on top against the royals 12-6.
edit: i also think the indians will have 90 ~ 94 wins this year, and will win the division.
another key, to me, is ozzie finding a consistent lineup. my dream lineup includes mackowiak slotted into leadoff / left field, and konerko hitting 5th, with erstad following (and the rest of the order dropped a slot):
1. mackowiak, lf
2. iguchi, 2b
3. dye, rf
4. thome, dh
5. konerko, 1b
6. erstad, cf
7. pierzynski, c
8. crede, 3b
9. cintron, ss
that's five left-handed hitters out of 9 spots in the order, which will hopefully be a consistent enough everyday order that ozzie won't have to waste slots by starting pablo ozuna or brian anderson, who are less competent right-handed hitters.
all that said, i think they're gonna hold off on the young position players, much to their chagrin. a guy like jerry owens is as major league ready as nook logan or choo freeman ever will be, but it's just not the right time for him to come up and develop. ryan sweeney is the most promising guy, to me, of the lot, but if he's thrown into the mix after even an above-average spring training, i'd have problems with it.
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