A Swing and a Trade Post

A few months ago I got a note from Swing and a Pop-Up saying he had some Red Sox dupes that I could probably use more than he could. I'm always willing to get new Red Sox cards, so I graciously accepted and a swap was made. I couldn't believe the generous pile that arrived at my door! Let's check out just some of the highlights.

The "Trading Places" card is funny to me. I don't remember that subset being all inclusive. So, the fact that they decided to make a card celebrating Mark Loretta changing teams seems like an interesting choice. The UD Masterpieces is another oddity. The whole idea of the set, I thought, was to make the cards look like classical paintings. The added inset seems out of place, even if I understand that they wanted to show off the ankle.

Jay Payton looks scared, to me.

Rickey Henderson was 43 years old with the Red Sox in 2002. He only saw limited action, but I remember being blown away by how he terrorized pitchers on the base paths. When he was on first, you could just feel the game change. I can't even imagine what that would have been like in his prime when he was stealing 100 bases a year. He should have been MVP every year. Sort of like Pedro. Always fun to get a card of his I don't have.

Nomar too. I know he has a TON of cards out there, but I have a ton of Nomar and Pedro cards in my collection so it always surprises me to find ones I don't have.

Look! Two more! I don't know if I've ever seen 2001 Opening Day before. That logo isn't exactly subtle.

More Nomars!

These are the Opening Days I'm used to seeing. The small logo making them basic duplicates of the base Topps sets. Can you even tell which one of the four isn't Opening Day?

Papi was supposed to be a utility guy and ended up a legend. Ball was supposed to be a legend...but wasn't.

A picture of Will Middlebrooks diving on a 2013 card. That, of course, reminds me of the terrible interference call on Will during the 2013 World Series. I don't like being reminded of that.

What did I JUST say?

That's better. Hard to remember a more dominant pitching performance than Beckett during the 2007 postseason. (Well, other than Pedro during every stretch of his career.) 

Always enjoyed the Bowman Platinum brand, even when it features Ryan Kalish.

A couple more Sox stars.

Love that Lester card.

And, of course, the Pedro card.

Not sure if there was a more overrated player during his tenure. For some reason Boston fans prefer dirt to talent. I may never understand that.

This set basically escaped me. So glad to be able to add some to the binder.

Way back to the early years of Topps Gold.

Even a little earlier.

Lots of pitchers. Some good, some not so good.

So, there are the highlights of an incredible shipment. I can't thank SAAP enough for sending them along.

Hopefully more Red Sox swings lead to line drives.

Drew Pomeranz, or Greg Maddux?

I'm not a major league pitcher. That should be pretty clear. I don't have a deep understanding of pitching nuances. So, I don't feel too bad about being a little confused.

I've always said that dominance from a power pitcher was easy to recognize. I knew when Pedro was having a good game. (That was easy, if he was on the mound he was having a good game.) You could tell when Josh Beckett was on fire. You know that Chris Sale is as dominant as they come. I can tell that Craig Kimbrel is on a roll. Those are easy. You watch the batter look completely overmatched. You see them flail about wildly. You see them walk back to the dugout dejectedly. You don't have to understand baseball to see how good they are.

It's different with the "pitch to contact" dominance. I've always said that I didn't realize that Derek Lowe had a no-hitter going until around the sixth inning. It's hard to pick up dominance from a series of ground balls to third. Or Koji. How was he dominating by inducing all those popups? Or Greg Maddux?

I understand the concept. If you throw the ball right down the middle, the hitters will hit it a long way. If you paint the corners, and keep them off balance, they'll still hit the ball, but it will be a weak grounder or soft pop-up. 

But, then, what do you do with Drew Pomeranz?

He had a game last night that I wouldn't call dominating. After all, he threw 120 pitches in 5 innings. But, he only gave up the one earned run. He struck out seven, and walked two. A pretty good line, actually. But, 120 pitches in five innings??

He threw a lot a pitches. He had a lot of long at-bat, which is why he had so few walks. So, the batters were fouling the ball off a lot. Which means, he was pitching to contact...but not enough contact?

Where is that middle ground? Does he need to throw the ball more towards the middle so the batters can hit it into fair territory? Does he actually need to be less effective? Does he need to put the ball closer to the plate? Is it fooling batters too much?

Because, like I said, he wasn't exactly wild. His strike percentage was better than Joe Kelly's. About the same a Craig Kimbrel. He was just throwing a lot of strikes. A lot of pitches.

So how does he find that line? Seven strikeouts is actually damn good for five innings. So, it's not like that's a problem. It's the other pitches. The ones that are too good to hit fair but not good enough to swing and miss. How does he fix that? How does he get them to ground out on the third pitch instead of the thirteenth? Does he need a better "out" pitch so that he's striking out more than 12.6 batters per nine innings? That seems like a lot to ask. Would a better out pitch get him to that point sooner? Do we want him striking out more batters than that? I don't know what the answer is.

So I really hope he does.

Was Josh Beckett Any Good?

It’s been a while, so I thought it would be fun to dive back into the scorebooks and see how people performed with my watchful eye peering down on them.

Today I chose Josh Beckett. He had quite a roller coaster of a career here in Boston, from terrible trade to ace to deadweight. But, did the games I saw reflect that? Let’s see.

On first glance, I was surprised that I saw so few Beckett starts. Seven games over seven years seems pretty sparse to me. The other thing you notice is that, yes, I captured the up and down nature of Beckett’s career.

It looks like in the seven games, I got two absolute stinkers and five very high quality starts. Interestingly enough, one of the stinkers was during his best season of 2007. So, while the numbers would say that on the whole I saw a guy with a mid-threes ERA, in actuality most of the time I saw a guy give up a run or fewer. That’s not bad at all.

How do his starts with me in the park project out? An 18-9 record is pretty darn good. Not legendary or anything, but exactly what you’d be looking for. As is his 3.40 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. He would strike out fewer people than I would have expected. I was actually surprised when I looked how low his strikeouts per game were. Only once did I see him strike out ten batters, and only twice did he strike out more than one batter per inning.

But, overall, the Josh Beckett I saw would be the ace of many staffs. It makes me wish I saw him more often.

How did he do with you in the park?

Happy 36th Birthday Josh Beckett!

Today we wish a very happy 36th birthday to former Red Sox ace Josh Beckett!

I talk about Beckett a lot. He happens to be a great example to use in several common talking points.

Worried about trading away future prospects? Remember the Josh Beckett-Hanley Ramirez trade. The Sox traded away a young Ramirez, even though he was their top prospect. It hurt to give up on that much potential. It hurt even more when Hanley lived up to just about every inch of it. A perennial MVP candidate is not something you want to see from a player you trade away. But this trade shows that there's something more important than what you give up. It's what you get back. In exchange for Ramirez, the Sox got their ace. A young one too. Beckett would lead the Sox, in every sense of the word, to the World Championship just a couple years later. Even after seeing Hanley fulfill his promise, Sox fans can't help but be happy with the trade. So, when people rush out to mark every prospect in the system as "untouchable" they should remember that every prospect should be available, at a price. Especially if the price is someone like Josh Beckett.

I also mention Beckett when I talk about Pedro Martinez. Josh Beckett is the closest thing I've seen and felt to Pedro. The only difference is that Pedro did it for seven seasons, and Beckett for about seven days. I've often said that the different between Pedro and other Red Sox "aces" like Lester, or Schilling, was the expectation. When Lester took the mound, I expected a well-pitched game, and knew the Sox would have a shot to win. A really good shot. When Pedro took the mound, I knew the Sox were going to win. The only question was whether Pedro would allow even a run. The only other time I've felt like that was with Beckett during the 2007 playoffs. First, he completely shut down the Angels. Then the Indians. Then, the Sox went down 1-3, with Beckett scheduled the next game. Was there anyone who didn't automatically make the series 2-3? Beckett was going to win and send the series back to Boston. The idea of him losing never entered my mind. After he won that one, he embarrassed the Rockies in game one of the World Series. Reminding the hottest team in baseball that he wasn't about to be stopped. Just like Pedro would have.

Is there anything else you need to know about Josh Beckett? He was part of a huge trade. He made us all glad he was. He was absolutely filthy dominant in the playoffs as he won a ring with the Sox.

What else can you ask for?

Happy 36th Birthday Josh Beckett!

Red Sox All-Ring Team

I’m not sure how the topic came up. But, at some point recently, a buddy of mine and I started wondering what the Red Sox all ring winning team would be. You know, it’s one of those tangents people get on during discussions sometimes. I thought it might be fun to see what that team might look like.

The first question that needs to be answered before starting an exercise like this is, what qualifies someone to be on the team?  I think the original topic was something along the lines of best World Series performers. But, does that mean the players who performed the best during the World Series? Is that a lifetime award? What about Someone like Manny Ramirez who had one great World Series as part of an amazing career. Does he lose out to someone like Jacoby Ellsbury who had two World Series trips to star in? What about Jake Peavy? A wonderful pitcher with a long career, who didn’t have the best trip to the Series.

So, I decided to just go with career. Overall. The best players to ever win a ring with the Sox. The all-ring team. Maybe one day I’ll try an all-World Series Championship team. But, that’s for another time.

So, who do I think is the best team you can make up of players who won a ring by playing in a World Series game with the champion Red Sox? I’m glad you asked.

OK. You didn’t ask. But here’s my answer anyway.

DH: David Ortiz. Let’s start with the easy one. He’s the only DH to play for a World Series champion Red Sox team. He might later be the only full-time DH in the Hall of Fame. End of discussion.

C: Jason Varitek. Not much more difficult. But, there’s at least some competition. Sort of. I don’t think TEK would be scared of Saltalamacchia or Sam Agnew. But, they’re there.

1B: Kevin Youkilis. The Red Sox have had a surprising lack of depth at first on their World Series winners. As much as I want to go with Stuffy McInnis for comedic value alone, it has to be one of the modern guys. So, is it Youk or Napoli? I think it’s safe to say that Youkilis had the better career. Barely. So far.

2B: Dustin Pedroia. I promise you, the early championship teams had some good players. But, best I can tell Pedroia is the only World Champion Red Sox second baseman with an MVP award on his shelf. 

SS: Orlando Cabrera. Seriuosly, how did the Red Sox win eight titles but still have their best shortstop be Cabrera? But, it’s not Drew or Lugo. (Maybe one day this will be Bogaerts?) And, no offense to Everett Scott, but how he won three rings with the Sox is beyond me. So, I go with OC.

3B: Jimmy Collins. Welcome to the team 1903 champs! Honestly, someone like Mike Lowell could make a pretty strong argument. But, Collins is in the Hall of Fame, so I don’t care to think about it anymore.

OF: Manny Ramirez, Tris Speaker, Babe Ruth. Basically Ruth and Speaker might be more obvious choices than anyone but Ortiz. The only possible reason you’d have to exclude either of them is if you argue over the selection rules. Ruth played in three World Series with the Red Sox, but only played in the outfield in one of them…in two games. So, he’d be the closest to not making it, but only on a technicality. The only question with Ramirez is if a Hall of Famer like Harry Hooper would beat out a non-Hall of Famer. But, it’s hard to argue against Ramirez’s career numbers. He gets the spot.

SP: Cy Young, Pedro Martinez. That’s it. I’ll have Young go games 1,3,4,5,7 and Pedro go games 2 and 6. Sound like a plan? Honestly, I narrowed it down to a top ten. From there, as much as I want to include Babe Ruth, his career as a pitcher wasn’t quite long enough. (Although, if it was based solely on performance in the World Series itself, he’d be an automatic inclusion.) Same with Smoky Joe Wood. If this was based solely on time with the Red Sox, he’d be hard to ignore. He was THAT good in 1912. Jake Peavy has that Cy Young, but not sure he really had enough of a career other than that. Lackey never even won the Cy Young. Curt Schilling has to be on the team. He’s the closest of the bunch to being a Hall of Famer. So, that leaves me with Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett, and Jon Lester for two spots. So, I’m dropping Lester because his career is just too short. Final answer: Cy Young, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield, Josh Beckett.

CL: Jonathan Papelbon. Can I use Cy Young here? I really wanted to go with Keith Foulke here. But, I think Papelbon has had a more sustained career as a closer. You really can’t go wrong with either one, though.

So, there’s my team.

Who makes it on yours?

Personal Preference

The question is back. Josh Beckett pitched poorly with Jarrod Saltalamacchia behind the plate. He has dominated with Jason Varitek back there. Daisuke Matsuzaka got lit up, and I mean lit up, with Salty calling the pitches. Dice-K mowed hitters down when Tek was calling the shots. So, the question has to be posed. Should Tek catch those two all the time?

Quick answer. Absolutely. A related question. Why not?

I’m pretty sure that the main purpose of the Red Sox is to win games. It’s not to prepare people for the future. It’s not to make pitchers non-wusses. It’s to win baseball games. So, if having Varitek behind the plate helps them win games, he should be back there. I don’t care that Beckett should be able to pitch to whomever is back there. I don’t care that Salty is a fine catcher who should be trusted. I really don’t care. If those two guys pitch better to Varitek, by all means let them. I don’t care if it’s trust. I don’t care if it’s comfort. I don’t care if they just prefer the color of the chest protector. If it works, go with it.

And, yes, I understand that Varitek is a back-up catcher for a reason. I know he’s getting older, and less effective. I understand that he can’t catch every game. But, really, two out of every five seems reasonable to me. At least to start. Once Salty has another half season under his belt with the rest of the staff, he may be able to be integrated into mix for Beckett and Matsuzaka. He may not. I’m OK either way.

It’s not like the Sox would be saying that Salty can’t catch. They’re not saying that Beckett and Dice-K think Salty can’t catch. There’s just a flow there that I see no reason to interrupt. Now, if that schedule starts hurting the team, that’s another issue. But, I don’t see a downside at this point.

Just put the team in the best position to win.

Is it a Rotation, or a Revolution?

It’s just a thought. “Rotate” means to spin about an axis. “Revolution” means to complete a course by a succession of similar events. Oh well. I thought it would be fun to do a quick preview of the various parts of the 2011 Red Sox. I figured a good place to start would be the starting rotation.

I make this comparison a lot. But, only because it’s so appropriate and fun. In 1999 the Red Sox lost the ALCS. Here are the pitchers who made starts for them in the playoffs. Pedro Martinez, Bret Saberhagen, Ramon Martinez, and Kent Mercker. Really? Mercker was actually the starter for game 1 of the ALCS. How can you not be excited about this year’s crop of pitchers? Sure, Pedro was the best pitcher ever. But, if I were ranking the nine pitchers, after Pedro I’d take this year’s rotation in the next five spots. Beckett-Lester-Buchholz-Lackey-Matsuzaka. It’s certainly a thought for the rest of the league to shudder over.

Beckett is the clear ace of the staff. You can argue whether or not he’s the best pitcher. He may not start on Opening Day. But, if you’re looking for the guy who is the leader of the staff, it’s him. He’s the trendsetter. Everyone else plays off him. It may be an MVP/Player of the Year distinction. But, it’s all about Beckett. Unfortunately, he’s coming off a rough year. But, there are still plenty reasons for hope. First. He was clearly injured last season. He struggled though many starts when he didn’t have his best stuff. It was the inconsistence that was unusual to see from #19. While assuming a pitcher will be completely healthy for an entire year is always a risky idea, it’s not a crazy one. Frankly, unless it’s a 40-year old pitcher with a history of arm trouble, you have to assume healthiness. Otherwise these predictions are meaningless. So, if Beckett is healthy, is that enough? Probably. He’s a proud pitcher. He won’t want to be the third best pitcher on the staff. I expect him to work his tail off to keep up with the youngsters. Will he throw another 2007 season up there? Probably not. I’m not bold enough to predict that. But, should we expect a repeat of his 17-6, 3.86 2009 season? That certainly sounds reasonable. And, I suspect, we’d all love to see that.

If Beckett isn’t the ace, it’s John Lester. The organization has always had high hopes for Lester. He has slowly emerged as a reliable starter the last couple years. As he enters his 27-year old season, the sky is the limit. With the line-up the Red Sox have, and the bullpen behind him, 20 wins should be within reach this year for Lester. Of all the starters, it’s Lester that I feel comfortable knowing what I’m going to get.

Not quite so with Clay Buchholz. He has every ounce of talent that Lester has. He can dominate a game, or stretch of games. But, he only put it all together last year. Only seven months younger than Lester, he was beginning to run out of time. But, he managed to have it click last season. He finished the season second in the league in ERA, almost a run better than Lester, and just a tick off of the lead. That produced a fantastic 17-win season. Which just leaves the one question for Clay. Was last season a progression, or a fluke? I’m expecting a slight slip down as the rest of the league realizes who he is. But a 15-win season should be expected.

What to expect from John Lackey? If only I had any idea. I do know one thing. He’s probably the best number four guy in the league. But, is that a compliment? He had a rough season in Boston. Was it an adjustment to a new city and team? Probably. People don’t just forget how to pitch. I do think people confused “best available” with “best” when they talked about the Lackey signing. Just because he was a key free agent pitcher last off-season doesn’t mean he is a classic ace. With a year under his belt, a more normal season should be on the way.

If Lackey is the best #4 guy, Daisuke Matsuzaka has to be the best #5, right? Once again, though, I have no idea what that will mean. Anybody remember when Dice-K went 18-6 with a 2.90 ERA? I didn’t think so. But, given the ups and downs of his career, would anyone be really shocked? I didn’t think so. Ten wins from your fifth starter is a nice number, and Dice should have that number with room to spare.

Just because predictions are fun:

Beckett 18-7, 3.78

Lester 21-6, 2.93

Buchholz 16-8, 3.10

Lackey 15-9, 3.87

Matsuzaka 13-7, 4.36

Card of the Week: 2006 Topps #135

It’s Spring Training Time!

For the Red Sox and their fans, that means new players in new uniforms wearing new numbers on their backs. For the card companies, that means deciding how to show these new players on their cards. That was the problem facing Topps concerning Josh Backett. Josh joined the Sox during the offseason, so there were no pictures of him in a Sox uniform. They decided the way to fix the problem was to photoshop a new uniform onto him. Not a bad idea. They actually did a really good job with it. Honestly, I didn’t even notice it until I was looking at the card in order to write this up. It’s a Red shirt, which is odd…but it’s nicely done. The problem with it? The number 21 on his back. Now, Josh wore number 21 while he was in Florida, so it wasn’t a terrible reach for Topps to simply carry on the same number. After all, nobody on the Red Sox wore the number 21 in 2005. But, a quick call to anybody who was even remotely a Red Sox fan would have told Topps that there was no way on earth that Beckett would get that number. Oh well.

Otherwise, it’s actually a nice card. I like the banner at the bottom. Much like the 2011 cards, it allows some of the picture to sneak out underneath. I like that, for some reason. It’s a great shot of Josh in his delivery, ready to fire another strike. A great looking card.

If it weren’t for that number.

A Giant(s), Texas-Sized Hole

In the 2007 ALCS, the Red Sox found themselves in a 3-1 series deficit. The bad news? In game five they would be facing CC Sabathia, who would later be awarded the 2007 AL Cy Young award. The good news? They would be starting Josh Beckett in game five. Beckett was probably the best postseason starter in 100 years. Tonight the Texas Rangers find themselves in a 3-1 hole, facing the two-time defending NL Cy Young award winner, Tim Lincecum, in game five. The good news? They have Cliff Lee, the best postseason pitcher since Josh Beckett…at least until game one, on the mound for them. So, the Rangers can draw some confidence from the results of the series three years ago. Of course, when you dig a little deeper, it’s slightly direr for this year’s Rangers club. For one thing, the 2007 Red Sox didn’t have to face Matt Cain in game six. They also got to come home for games six and seven. So, their mood could be a little lighter. They knew they had the best possible pitcher on the mound set to send them home for the next two games. That might not be the best example for the Rangers to look to.

Luckily, the Red Sox can provide a better example for the Texas Rangers. In the 2004 ALCS, the Red Sox trailed the Yankees 3-1 heading into game five. On the mound for the Sox was the best pitcher in at least a generation, playoff or otherwise, in Pedro Martinez. So, the Sox had to feel pretty good about that game, as the Rangers do tonight. If the Sox won game five, they would have to go back on the road for games six and seven. They would also have to face Jon Lieber, who had shut out the Sox for seven innings in game two. Anyone remember how that turned out? The Red Sox never trailed in game six or game seven as New York choked away the series.

So, tonight might not be the best time for the Rangers to be mapping out parade routes. (Unless, I suppose, they plan to give Bengie Molina a Ray Bourque-type parade to celebrate his ring with another team.) But, there’s still reason for them to have hope. What they need to do has been done before. They just need to stay focused.

Although, I’m still sticking with “Giants in six”

Red Sox A-Z: B is for…

Beckett, as in Josh

Josh Beckett is the current ace of the Red Sox. He’s a star pitcher in the prime of his career. Perhaps most important, he seems to thrive under pressure. His playoff performances are legendary including MVP performances in the World Series in 2003, and the ALCS in 2007. If I have a game seven, I can’t think of another pitcher in the game today I’d rather have on the mound.

Beckett is another player that baseball card collectors probably knew about before anyone else. Beckett was drafted second overall in the 1999 draft, right after a kid named Josh Hamilton. Josh’s first baseball cards came out in the 1999 sets, about two years before his debut with the Marlins. It also happens that the leading baseball card magazine is named “Beckett” so, I always wondered if he was getting all the attention because he was good, or because he shared a name with the magazine. It was about four years after his first baseball cards came out that he had his 2003 World Series heroics. By that time, I had been hearing about him for so long I was beginning to think he was already washed up. But, clearly, he was just beginning.

His trade to the Red Sox is an example I call upon a lot when discussing other potential trades. I will always trade potential for proven, and his deal shows that pretty well. In order to get Beckett, the Sox had to get rid of some quality players. It ended up being a 7-player deal, with Beckett (and Mike Lowell) coming to the Sox and Hanley Ramirez going to Florida. Hanley was a stud prospect. He was the top prospect the Sox had. But, Beckett had shown what he could already do in the big leagues. It was an easy swap. Even now, Ramirez has lived up to every ounce of potential. He may be the best player in the Major Leagues. He’s an elite young player, and perennial MVP candidate. But, even with all that, not many members of Red Sox nation would reverse the trade. Beckett led the Sox to a World Series title in 2007, so the deal looks just fine. So, even with the most extreme example, when the player lived up to every ounce of his potential and more…the trade was still a good one. Why not trade potential for proven every chance you get?

Beckett’s trade also gives and example of the true advantage large market teams have. When the Yankees were throwing money all over the place, and actually winning, many people claimed it was unfair since they could outspend everybody. Most Yankee fans protested, talking about how many players were “homegrown”, and they usually included players they got in trades. What the never mentioned were the trades, like the Beckett deal, that could only be done because of money. Mike Lowell had a huge contract, and he hadn’t been performing up to it. The low-budget Marlins needed to get out from under that contract. So, any deal for Beckett needed to include Lowell’s anchor. The Sox were one of a couple teams with the finances to take that kind of hit. They could afford to take a flyer, and see what they could get out of Lowell. As it turns out, Lowell ended up being a steal. But the Royals couldn’t have taken that chance. Even if they had the prospects to give to Florida. Even if they could tell that Lowell probably would turn it around. Some teams just couldn’t take the chance. The Beckett deal shows as much as any why baseball needs a salary cap-type system. (I’ve talked about my ideas to fix the salaries before.) Obviously, something needs to be done.

Once again, a single player gets wrapped up into several heavy baseball debates. Not bad for a player who may very well have his best years ahead of him.

B is for Beckett, Josh

Random Thoughts

Nothing like a series against the Orioles to cure what ails ya. Unless, of course, you’re the Yankees.

This last series points out exactly why early season numbers and records are useless. Last week, the Sox were sitting at 3-6, and people were worrying if they would ever come out of it. This week, they’re 7-6 and in second place in the division. They weren’t slumping in the beginning. They’re not cruising now. The quality of the opponent just dropped off. Everything works it way out if you give it enough time.

Going into the season, the Sox had a lot of pitchers. While many of them came with huge question marks, one thing was sure. The Sox had the gift of depth that could help them through the season. Never was that more obvious than Monday. The Sox #3 pitcher was down with an injury. The obvious replacement is last year’s #5 guy, the young up and comer. He was also down with an injury. So, the Sox went to plan C, yet another young up and comer who was currently a top set-up man in the bullpen. All plan C did was give them 5.1 innings of one-run ball and collect the win. How many other teams could pull that off?

I liked the way Josh Beckett dropped his appeal. He basically said, “I still think I’m right. I still think I would have been absolved upon appeal. Basically, the punishment does nothing bad to the team though, so I’m dropping the appeal.” And, he’s right. It was a business decision that once he got it whittled down to five games, the extra day of rest might not be a bad deal anyway. That’s why I always thought players shouldn’t be able to drop appeals once applied for. If a player appeals the suspension, he should have to go to the hearing. Whatever the result, he would then serve immediately. A player shouldn’t be able to appeal a suspension until the team faces two straight lefties, and drop the appeal to miss games he would have skipped anyway. Or, maybe it’s MLB’s way of looking tough, but not really thinking the player deserved the suspension in the first place.

I wonder if a quick two-game series affects the visitors. Is there an adjustment period that the Twins will never get over two games? I would assume it would have to favor the Sox somehow, right?

Another home run from the captain yesterday. It’s early yet, but it’s better than the alternative.

TTM Autograph Request: Josh Beckett

OK. So I haven’t had the best luck lately with asking for autographs through the mail. So far, I’m 0 for my last 4. But, that doesn’t mean I should stop trying, right?

This time I’ve decided to try out Red Sox ace Josh Beckett. The desire should be obvious. He’s a playoff hero. He’s a Yankee killer. He’s the ace of a very good Boston staff. I also thought he might not quite have a national following yet. The more locally exclusive the fanbase of a player, the fewer request letters he gets. Right? In any event, I’m giving it a try. Plus, I love the look of the Topps Allen and Ginter cards. I can’t imagine a better place for an autograph.

I keep promising to keep you posted on my TTM successes, and I continue to do so. If anyone ever answers me, I’ll be sure to spread the word.

Someone, please answer.

Catching or Pitching

The Red Sox are currently without a starting catcher. The team captain and starting catcher for the last ten years or so is currently a free agent. While it appears that the Sox would like to have him back, you never know how it will end up with free agents. You never know when a team comes out of nowhere thinking that what a free agent has is exactly what his team needs to put him over the top. In the case of Varitek, the skill most often cited is his ability to handle a pitching staff. That’s one of those immeasurable intangibles that I greatly dislike. What exactly does it mean? How do you know when you’re good?

Where does a catcher’s ability end, and a pitcher’s ability start? Pedro Martinez won a Cy Young without Varitek, and won two with him. Hideo Nomo threw a no-hitter without Varitek, and one with him. Curt Schilling didn’t finish better than second in Cy Young voting without Varitek, and no better than second with him. Did Varitek have any role in any of it?

I’m not a major league pitcher, so I have no idea what it all means. (If there are any major league pitchers reading this, feel free to set me straight.) But, when I look at this issue, I have more questions than answers. When Josh Beckett first joined the Sox, he got beat up a little his first season. The EEIdiots said he was relying too much on his fastball, and not throwing enough curves. They slammed him almost daily saying he was in a new league and needed to mix it up a bit more. Where did Tek fit into all this? Wasn’t he the one calling the pitches? Wasn’t it up to him to call the curve more often? Was Beckett shaking Tek off constantly? Similar issues arose with another new pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka. His rookie season, and last season as well, he threw a lot of pitches. Again, the EEIdiots slammed the pitcher. He was nibbling too much. Rather than try to paint the corners with every pitch he needed to pump it in there more. Again, what was Tek’s role? Doesn’t the catcher set the target? [Side question…when exactly does the catcher tell the pitcher where the location should be? The glove isn’t in position sometimes until the pitcher is into his windup. Is this enough time for the pitcher to direct the ball to the desired target? Again, any MLB pitcher reading this please set me straight] Is it up to Tek to put his glove in the middle of the plate and tell Dice-K to throw it there? Is Daisuke trying to hit the target in the middle and not doing it? Is Tek placing his glove on the corner? Who really is to blame for Beckett and Daisuke, the pitcher or the catcher?

I have to believe that Tek really does have something special. Too many pitchers have given too many specific examples as to why he’s so valuable. When a guy like Schilling who has micromanaged every pitch he’s thrown for his entire career turns the reins over to Tek his first year, I have to believe something’s up. I just don’t know what it is. I definitely hope that the Sox sign Tek for at least another season.

I wish I knew why.

Breakfast with the BoSox

It’s a nice treat to be able to turn on the radio on the way to work and hear a Red Sox game. 99% of morning radio is so awful that I’d prefer a replay of a Red Sox game. This, however, was the real thing. Opening Day in Japan. Admittedly, the point of the trip is a little crazy. How much more money does MLB think it needs? Maybe instead of forcing itself on Japan, it could just not pay Mike Mussina $90 million? But, a Red Sox game under any circumstances is a good thing.

A couple of surprises right off the bat. JD Drew was a late scratch due to back spasms. Replacing him in right field was Brandon Moss…not Coco Crisp. I didn’t know if Coco was still too hurt, or if they just didn’t trust his arm in right. I’m also not sure what to make of Moss. Who is he? Does he have a future with the team? Daisuke Matsuzaka got the nod to start the opener. This was probably only due to the injury to Josh Beckett. I’d have thought about giving him the ball for the first game in Japan anyway, but this was just much cleaner. Dice-K didn’t exactly instill confidence starting off. He had a couple very shaky innings starting off the game. He only gave up two runs in the outing, but looked much worse. His standard control problems popped up as he had base runners all over the place, and his pitch count was soaring into the rising sun. He did settle down and finish off with a couple perfect innings. He even left with the lead, thanks to Manny and Moss. While the bullpen couldn’t hold it, the Sox were able to come back. The big shot in the comeback was a home run by Moss (seriously, how often does that happen) to tie it in the ninth of the A’s closer. It’s amazing how elite closers continue to mean nothing against the Sox. Manny finally put it out of reach with a 2-run double in the tenth. Papelbon was a little shaky, but did his job. Overall, a great win for the Sox. It’s nice to start off the year with a game that everyone contributes in. Manny drove in 4, and Moss drove in 2 including the first home run of his career. Manny, Moss, Youkilis, Ortiz, Pedroia, and Lugo all scored. 

A perfect opening statement for the defense.

Beckett's Back

Josh Beckett had to be scratched from his last start due to back troubles. Naturally, news such as this leads to two possible reactions. The reasonable reaction is that it’s Spring Training, so the Red Sox don’t want Beckett throwing any more than he has to. They understand that even I get a sore back periodically and a little bit of rest makes it feel better in a couple days. The other reaction is: OH MY GOD! HIS BACK! He could be out for the SEASON with a bad back! This is horrible! The season is ruined! The Red Sox may not win a game this year! Luckily, so far, that reaction has been kept in check. Perhaps the afterglow of the 2004 and 2007 championships has given Red Sox Nation a little bit of perspective. I sure hope this sort of reason turns out to be the norm.

One thing the Sox have done about the injury is drop hints that it might jeopardize the trip to Japan. So, the injury is either a little more on the serious side, or the Sox are looking for a way to keep Beckett in the country. Personally, I think half the team should “tweak” their backs to keep them home from Japan. Let’s send Daisuke and Snyder out to start the two games, and keep the rest of the rotation here to avoid the jet lag. Wake can still have lingering effects of last October’s injury. Lester and Buchholz can come up with some tenderness they need to rest. Let’s keep the team home if we can, and not face the April slump that the Yankees and Tampa faced when they played in Japan. The first 15 games for the Sox this year are against Oakland, New York, Detroit, Toronto and Cleveland. These aren’t exactly teams you want to be sleepwalking against. Not only are they quality teams that could win anyway, but the games could have tiebreaker significance. A couple years ago, the head-to-head record gave the division to the Yankees. And, last year, head-to-head record gave home field advantage to the Sox instead of Cleveland. That certainly came in handy. Do we want to play any of those teams in April with a disadvantage?
So, keep them all home. Manny must have another sick grandmother to tend to. Papi can still be rehabbing that sore knee. I’d rather give up the first two against Oakland than the first month against everyone else.

Schilling's Shoulder

It looks like the sports gods were tired of all this “Boston, the Hub of Sports” talk that was running around. So, in one week they took down the Patriots and knocked off the Sox number three starter. Just how bad this latest news in depends on how wide of an angle you use to look at it. It’s probably safe to assume that Curt won’t be pitching in any sort of useful capacity this season. He may make it back for a late season push, but I don’t know how much I want to expect from a rusty old pitcher late in the season after shoulder problems. So, what does that mean?

Quick view, it puts Buchholz into the forefront. He would appear the front runner for the now vacant number five starter. Assuming the Sox don’t use Coco to grab a starter, that puts the rotation at Beckett-DiceK-Wakefield-Lester-Buchholz. Not a bad rotation. The Sox have made the playoffs with rotations much worse. I have no problem going into opening day with that. After all, Schilling only gave us 9 wins last year. I can feel comfortable with Clay approaching that total. So, narrow view, not a huge deal to part with Curt.
Slightly larger picture. Buchholz was supposed to be the insurance police in case Curt or Wake needed time off during the season. He’s no longer available for that. So, if Wakefield needs some rest or recovery, we’re down to Snyder. We’re also more likely to see Snyder take some starts since the Sox are still going to be careful with Clay. They’ll want to be able to give him extra rest whenever possible to avoid killing his young arm. So, losing whatever starts Curt would have taken, exposes more starts for Snyder. Is that a big deal? Probably not. They'll figure out some way to rest the youngsters, and still throw a starting pitcher out there every day. Frankly, baseball doesn't have enough good teams to worry about and inconsistant fifth starter.

That leaves the playoffs. With Beckett as the ace, that hides a lot of probelms. Curt would have been nice, but he's really not required. The way Lester handled himself in '07 was great.

Basically, it's too bad since the Sox are already paying for him. But, this certainly doesn't crush the Sox chances this year. Nothing that dramatic. It might even be a good thing if Clay can emerge and show us all that he deserves to be in the rotation anyway.