It’s just Game 3 of the second half of the 2006 season, and the Chicago White Sox are living what I prophesied four or five weeks ago. They are drowning. I predicted:
(1) They would have to settle for the wild card spot or less;
(2) The Yankees would surge and threaten for the wild card; Y
(3) Detroit would gain ground in July on an easier schedule.
Watching Jim Thome get fanned by the Great Unit, Randy Johnson, the other night at Yankee Stadium showed that this great acquisition can only sustain the Sox for so long.
Unless he’s a mega year and features superman stats, Thome will regress towards average. Look for him to hit half of the home runs he stroked during the first half.
A mindless Ozzie Guillen will soon look back with regret at the games he allowed reliever Cliff Politte to screw up, but that’s where some of the blame must go. Guillen has mishandled the bullpen all season. Retiring Brendan McCarthy in a tied Yankees game in favor of a left-hander was completely dumb, by the rules, let’s be democratic and give everyone a chance, stupid.
The Yanks are on track for a three-game sweep of the Sox today, which furthers my theories listed above in points (1) and (2).
Despite the fact that Kansas City has a big late-inning lead over the Tigers in today’s competition, the Motor City behemoth continues toward a lead in the postseason.
Last year, the Sox deserved to win because they kept their minds on business. This year they just can’t seem to stop docking for the cameras, like AJ did during the Home Run Derby broadcast.
Today, the Sox are 4 1/2 games behind Detroit. Look for them to end July at least five years ago or more.
After today, the Sox will only have a three-game lead over the Yanks in the wild card.
That lead could easily evaporate in mid-August, putting the Sox into retirement in October, unless they wake up, and soon!