49

Do you think Jerry Reinsdorf's been reading the Update? On August 21, we wrote: "We hate to say this, but let's get this stinker of a season behind us and start over in 2008." And just this past Monday, we reiterated: "The Update still doesn't understand how this team got this bad this quickly -- the Sox won 90 games last year with largely the same roster -- but it did. On the other hand, the same players might do a hell of a lot better next year. We desperately need to get this season behind us." Reinsdorf was quoted in today's Washington Post as saying, "It will be nice when its over so we can start playing for next year.... Most people thought we had a team that would contend and we never were in it." Maybe it's just that every Sox fan feels it's time to put the 2007 team out of its misery.

Let's look for the silver lining. Jim Thome hit his 494th home run last night and has 30 games left in which to collect the six he needs to join the 500 Club. We still think he's going to do it, although ARod proved that No. 500 comes a little harder than the rest of them. Speaking of homers, unless there's a homer frenzy, the Sox's streak of consecutive seasons with 200 or more homers looks like it will come to an end. Maybe that's the missing ingredient this year -- the long ball.

Other "good" news: Gavin Floyd pitched a quality start. Not much to write home about -- or for the Update to write to you about -- but a large improvement for the guy who was supposed to step in and take Garcia's place and racked up a 6.92 ERA instead.

Anyway, the team is still in last place, 17.5 games behind Cleveland. The Magic Number is 49. The elimination number is 14, which means if the Sox and Indians play like they have over the last 10 games, the Tribe will officially eliminate the Sox from the race over the next 10 games. In other words, they'll be out of it before the NFL starts play. Remind me that we won the Series just two seasons ago, will you? Go Sox!