Well have to close the loop based on the last Sox post.
Prediction: Pedroia, Ellsbury, would return to the Sox and make a big difference.
Result: Neither returned for any significant time, and in fact, injuries continued to kill the Sox, as they lost Cameron as well, and Beckett never gained a foothold from his back injury. Overall, the loss of 3 potential/past MVP candidates (Youkillis, Martinez, Pedroia) and playing without their leadoff hitter was too much to overcome in the canibalistic AL East.
Prediction: Sox Get in the Playoffs.
Result: Well, they didn't. But it would have been interested had they stayed healthy.
Prediction: Yankees come back to the pack
Result: Well to this point they have. They cooled off, and I'm not sure they are the team to beat in the AL this, whether or not they win the division. Yes, Sabathia has had a stellar year, but my earlier comments have borne themselves out. Jeter's OPS has continued to fall - .707 as of this writing, and some interesting decisions about his contract will have to be made in the off season. Berkman has been a bust. Rivera did not pitch well in September, with an ERA in the 4.00's, and his whole second half was, well, just not Rivera like.
Anyway, look to see the Yanks make an early exit - they just aren't pitching well enough to make a run.
More on the Hot Stove when the playoffs are done, and it should be the most interested off season for the Sox in years.
