http://www.sbnation.com/users/ruffster Posts made by ruffster on SB Nation http://www.southsidesox.com/2007/5/31/11423/1304 ruffster Thu, 31 May 2007 15:42:03 -0000 <p>The Sox are currently 24-24. Assuming 90 wins is worth anything, which last year, it wasn't, what does it take to get there?</p><p>114 games left, 66 more wins needed-- .579 winning pct, that's a 93 win pace over the course of 162 games. Can be done, but this team needs a change of course quickly.</p><p>Now suppose the Sox go 11-11 over the next 22 games. &nbsp;That gives 'em 55 more wins needed to get to 90, but only 92 more games to do it. That's a .598 winning pct, a 97-win pace over the course of 162 games. Remembering that the Sox won 99 in '05, that's quite a pace (though they'd have won 105 or more without that august-September swoon). And that for a team that will have played .500 ball for the first half of the season.</p><p>It seems to me that the Sox have about 22 games to get it together, or it's time to think about the future.</p><p>next 22 games:<br /> 3 @ tor<br /> 4 vs nyy<br /> 3 vs hou<br /> 3 @ phi<br /> 3 @ pit<br /> 3 vs fla<br /> 3 vs cubs</p><p>Winning at a .579 pace (to get to 90 wins), the Sox gotta win 12.7 of these games. That means 13 wins in the next 7 series, a 37-33 record after the Cubs series.</p><p>All of these upcoming opponents are sub-500 teams, though Philly and Fla are close to .500.</p><p>If the Sox can't win 13 of 22 games against this competition, pack it in. That's only 2 games over .500 against below-average competition. Very feasible if this team gets its act together.</p><p>By June 24, after the Cubs series, we'll know where the Sox stand- contenders or also-rans.</p><p>This team still has hope, but the time has come for it to step up and get it going.</p>