How Many Chickens do You See?
It’s a trick question! You can’t count them yet, not until they hatch.
Yes, after tonight’s game, the season will be half over. (Or is there half left, I’m not sure) The Red Sox have won 49 games and as long as they win today, they will still be on pace for 100 wins to 62 losses with 31 thus far. The season is looking oh so promising, especially given the the way the AL East has collapsed with no other team with a winning record.
The Sox haven’t had a start like this one since… Well, since last year. In fact, the Sox were even better last year, with a record of 50-29 at the conclusion on interleague play. Of course, after that, they only won 36 more games and we can blame late season injuries and a bad weekend against the Yankees all we want, but the fact is, there was just as much optimism surrounding the team at the half way point last year as there is this year. We just dropped to 1-run games to the worst team in the league, and are looking to salvage a split for the start of this home-focused month of July.
Yes, the Yankees suck, and yes, the Sox have a much easier road ahead, but honestly, do we really want to be cruising in to the playoffs with 89 wins? Is this team really as good as their record indicates? With Jacoby Ellsbury, Alex Cora and Eric Hinske starting games and Wily Mo Pena not even good enough to pinch hit, is this team really as deep as we were pretending it was in April? You have 2 guys currently making regular starts who weren’t supposed to be in the rotation even in late March, a leadoff hitter who can’t get on base, and a David Ortiz with only 1 RBI in close/late situations.
Baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, as we all know, so I advise you not to count too many chickens which are still just eggs today. I have faith in the Sox - they will almost definitely make the playoffs - but there is a lot more to the season than just coasting in first place.
Stumble it!