Tim Wakefield Live!

With the Red Sox making a huge trade to acquire a #49 (you may have heard) it made me wonder. What about the other #49? What about Tim Wakefield? How did he do while I was scoring the game? I figured his would be interesting. He played for a long time, in many roles. How did he do? Well, let’s see.

Right away I saw I was going to have to change things up. Since Wake pitched as both a starter and a reliever, my projections would be off. My totals too, for that matter. His lack of wins per appearance makes more sense when you realize he was a middle reliever for a lot of those. In fact, check out his games in May of 1999. On the 9th, he comes in for a regular one-inning save. Then, on the 22^nd he gets the start and goes 8.1 innings for the win. This is not typical behavior.

But, overall, how did he do? A 3.54 ERA is about what I would have expected. Solid, if not spectacular. Just like Wake. He also performed better as a starter than as a reliever while I was watching. No wonder I was always a bit nervous with him as a close.

I find it really interesting that I apparently missed seeing him for the last seven years or so of his career. How odd that he didn’t pop up once or twice after 2005.

As for the projections? Meh. As a starter, a ten win season with a mid-tree ERA. As a reliever, 25 saves with an ERA over four.

But, the numbers were never the whole story with Wakefield. It was his ability to do whatever you needed, and do it well. From closer to starter to mop-up. All in one month if that’s what the team needed. 

That’s pretty valuable.

How did Wake do while you were watching?

I Scored!

September 19, 1999

Let’s go quite a few years back, and check out a game from a playoff stretch run. This game is from late September1999, a year that the Red Sox would win the Wild Card, and make it to the ALCS before Pedro could carry them no farther. Let’s see how this one played out!

My favorite part about this card is the pitchers box. Check out Derek Lowe doing his best Andrew Miller impression. He entered the game in the sixth inning, and finished the game from there. He struck out three, while only allowing one baserunner. Not a bad performance at all.

The second thing I notice is the number three hole in the line-up. Not only is it weird to see Jason Varitek in that spot, it’s weird to see him wearing #33. Well, weird at the time. This is the first game I scored where Varitek wasn’t wearing #47. Does that make this card more valuable?

I know I say it every time I do a 1999 game, but I still can’t get over the rest of the line-up. Pedro really did carry this team all by himself, didn’t he? Damon Buford in the two-hole? Scott Hatteberg at DH? Wow.

But it worked, because the Sox had one inning big enough to seal the deal. The four-spot in the second was all the pitching would require in this game. The Sox added on three more just for fun to make sure Tim Wakefield could cruise until Lowe finished it off. 

The player of the game? Tempted to go with Wilton Veras and his key bases loaded single. But, I’m giving the nod to Nomar Garciaparra and his insurance two-run homer. The Tigers had just inched their way closer by scoring a run in the fourth when Nomar got it right back. 

The Goat? Everyone on the Red Sox got a hit in this game, so there’s nothing super-obvious. But, the aforementioned Damon Buford was the only player not to drive in or score a run. His 1-5 in the second spot wasn’t the sort of production you’re looking for. His strikeout in the second was particularly annoying because the first six batters in the inning had reached base before him.

But, of course, it didn’t matter. The Sox pounded out seven runs despite his best efforts to the contrary. The pitching did its job to seal the deal. Another convincing win from the hometown boys.

And the scorecard shows how it happened.

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?

Ortiz or Manny?

Last night, the NESN poll question went something like “Other than David Ortiz, which player has been the best free agent signing for the Sox in the last 20 years?” The choices were Keith Foulke, Tim Wakefield, Johnny Damon, or Manny Ramirez.

Obviously, the easy answer was many Ramirez. I’m just wondering why they needed to qualify it. Even if David Ortiz were included, wouldn’t the answer still be Manny?

I will agree to one aspect. That as a current fan favorite, including Ortiz might have skewed the results to him. After all, he hit two home runs last night, and Manny didn’t. I also agree that Ortiz was a “better” signing in that he was certainly cheaper. So, the Red Sox got more bang for their buck with Ortiz than they did with Manny. But, if that were the criteria, Wakefield would have been an easy choice after Ortiz. From a minor league contract, to team leader in wins? Sounds like a good signing to me.

So, it must actually be about the quality of the player. Which would you have rather had, Ortiz or Manny?

Well, let’s see. Ortiz is playing in his 12th season with the Sox. Manny played 8. So, you could say that you got Ortiz longer, so he was a better signing. But, what about production while they were here?

Ortiz is creeping up the team leaders in any number of categories, while Manny didn’t quite get so far. Ortiz’s 382 HR, for instance, place him third all-time on the Sox. Ramirez is sixth, with 274…in 500 fewer games. Manny had a better career batting average. Had about 500 fewer hits, and a couple hundred fewer runs scored. Overall, I’d say that Manny put up better numbers if you’re looking at an average season.

What about the postseason? How does Manny compare to the greatest clutch hitter in Red Sox history? Pretty well, actually. Both have a World Series MVP to show off. Both have dramatic home runs to win games. Granted, Ortiz has more of those. Manny won two rings with the Sox, Ortiz three.

The most important part of the argument for me is that during Ortiz’s best years, he batted third, with Manny batting fourth. You could argue that Ortiz wouldn’t have been the same without Manny lurking in the on-deck circle. When Ortiz batted fourth behind Manny, I don’t think you could say the same thing. I think Manny was certainly the more important of the combo.

Does that make him the best signing? To me it does. I can’t argue with the raw production that came out of Manny when he was here. 

What do you think?

Where is Wake?

The Sox have been quiet this off-season. Quiet to the point of being dull. I get that. They didn’t have a lot to do. They had six members of the line-up already under contract. They resigned Scutaro and Ortiz with very little fanfare. They seem perfectly content to go young in rightfield. Why not? They have a couple promising options. The pitching staff has holes, but options. I get that. I’m just wondering where Tim Wakefield is.

Isn’t he the perfect guy for the Sox? Currently the rotation has three solid dependable guys. After that, it’s a collection of maybes. The bullpen? It has lots of pitchers, some who have roles. It’s also losing some key members to the rotation, in theory. Isn’t Time Wakefield the perfect guy to have on hand to fill whatever role become available?

Bard, Miller, and Aceves figure to fill out the final two spots in the rotation. Personally, I see Bard back in the pen. But, he could find his way into the rotation after all is said and done. But, many people have mentioned that the Sox could use a nice solid veteran to take some of the pressure off. I’ve heard Roy Oswalt’s name tossed out as a nice example. But, Oswalt would only be a starter. Couldn’t Wake really do either?

What if the Sox tossed Wake a few million to fill a yet to be determined role. He’ll come to spring training along with the rest of them. Of Bard, Aceves, Wake, Miller, Doubront, Tazawa, and whoever else is on the list, two of them make the rotation and the others are set for the pen or minors. What’s the worst thing that happens? He takes the long relief role? He’s stuck as a set-up guy?

Do they think his attitude is that bad? Is the whole “the fans deserve to see me break the record” thing an actual issue? I know that I’ve said that one of the factors to last season’s poor showing was Wake’s chase for 200. The Sox changed the way they played in order to get him that win. Are they afraid of doing that again? I’d like to think they’ve learned from that. I like to think the contract proposal would include telling him flat out that any wins he gets would be accidental. He has to be prepared to end up one win short if that’s what the team’s flow dictates. I don’t know why he wouldn’t agree to that. He needs 7 wins? He got that many last year. Aceves got 10, mostly out of the pen. He has to jump at that chance, right? Doesn’t it make too much sense for both sides for this not to have happened already?

Or am I missing something?

Knuckler, By: Tim Wakefield with Tony Massarotti

Tim Wakefield burst onto the national scene as a playoff hero with the Pittsburgh Pirates almost 20 years ago. He fell off the scene almost as quickly. Since then, his career has followed a long but bumpy path, mimicking the bumps and jumps of his signature pitch. This book follows his career as he changes teams, and changes roles. As he hits the highs and lows that are found in any career. How does he handle his success, and his disappointment? How did he last 20 years?

This is a fantastic book. Terry Francona has often said that he think he’s a good manager because he knows what it’s like to be a phenom, and what it’s like to be washed up trying to hold on. Tim Wakefield certainly knows how both of those feel. Those experiences have formed him into the player and teammate he is today. He was a slightly cocky youngster who assumed baseball would be easy. He was almost released before finding a role using the knuckler. He starred with the Pirates. He was released not long after. With the Sox he’s been a Cy Young contender, a long reliever, a closer, and a struggling starter. It was fascinating to see how all those experiences made Tim Wakefield. What did he think of being a closer? Has he been frustrated that the Sox use him as a utility knife? How much does he want to be the Red Sox career wins leader? This book had a great flow to it. Even the factual errors that seem to be present in any book associated with Tony Massarotti couldn’t detract from that. It was a fun read, that I had trouble putting down. Tim Wakefield’s career has a way of sneaking up on people. 200 wins? From that reliever? After reading this book, you’ll see that it never should have surprised anyone. Go read it. Quick.

Rating: 4 bases.

196, 197, 198, 199, 199, 199, 199, 199, …

Well, the Red Sox did it again. Once again Terry Francona took Tim Wakefield out of a game too early, in order to save him from himself. Once again, the Red Sox bullpen managed to blow it anyway. I don’t know what to think about things at the moment.

Part of me says that this is just everyone trying too hard for Wakefield. They’re just pressing trying to get him the 200^th win. Then, it occurs to me. Isn’t that what the playoffs will be like? Was Bard wild because he was pressing? Will he be pressing in the World Series? Is that going to be a problem in October? In the playoffs starters are given a quick hook. Is this showing bad judgment on Francona’s part? Is his hook too quick? Is this going to hurt them in October? It’s easy to say the team is distracted. But, it’s not a good kind of “distracted.” If the Red Sox really wanted Jacoby to reach 30 home runs, and they altered things a little bit, I could brush off any struggles. I could say that the team was just focusing on the wrong thing for a game or two. It doesn’t really mean anything. But, in this case they’re altering things in order to win a game. And it’s not working. That’s not cool.

The only thing I can hold on to is that it is just a little different. Not only are they trying to not lose, they need to hold the lead. But, perhaps if Wakefield were going for win number 201, Francona would let him face a batter representing the tying run. Not last night. Maybe Bard would be a little looser with the bases loaded and two outs knowing that even if the run scores, the game is only tied. That’s my only hope. Although, it’s not a great relief.

From here on out? Maybe the Sox need to try some different things. If a starter gets another 11-0 lead after four innings like Lester did the other night, Francona should pull him and put in Wake. That way, all Wake would need to do is not give up 11 runs over five innings, and he’d get the win. It wouldn’t be ideal, but it would get the milestone out of the way.

Then, maybe, the Sox can just play baseball.

Are the Sox Trying Too Hard for 200?

The Sox have basically said these games don’t matter. They can read the standings in the paper as well as we can. They know that a loss in these games probably won’t end their season. They admitted as much when they put Youkilis on the DL. Basically, they were prepared to lose a few games in August. So, would it be a stretch to say that getting Tim Wakefield his 200^th win is a top priority?

It certainly has looked that way lately. Francona’s quick hook in Wake’s last start screamed it. Wakefield has been in rougher spots than that before, and stayed in the game. But, he had a slim lead. It sure looked like Francona was trying to save him from himself. He knows it’s possible that the knuckleball can go away quickly. If it’s just a matter of keeping a game close, he can live with that. But, in his last game, Wake had to keep the lead. He wasn’t going to be around long enough to benefit from keeping it close. So, Francona used the hook. It sure looked like the bullpen wasn’t quite ready to come into the game. Did Francona call for them sooner than he’d like? Did he call for them sooner than they’d like?

Then Francona monkeys with the rotation just a bit by inserting Andrew Miller. Sure, this could just be a way to give all the starters an extra day as we get late into the season. Sure, it could just happen to push Wakefield’s next start to Fenway. But, if adding Miller had pushed Wake’s start from Fenway to Texas, instead of the other way around, I can’t imagine it happening.

Is Wakefield pressing? I’m sure he is. But, if he’s throwing the knuckler too hard, it’s not as effective. Is he getting to the sixth inning with a lead, and just amping it up too much?

I’m sure 200 will come very soon. And, I can imagine that after that, Wakefield’s next starts will be much easier.

For Wakefield, and the Sox.

I Scored! June 19, 2010

There is a lot going on in this game, beyond the game itself. A quick look at the “Game Notes” section tells us the historical significance. This game was Tim Wakefield’s 200^th career start at Fenway Park. I’ll admit, I don’t know where that ranks all-time for the Red Sox, or for other teams in other parks. But, it’s pretty cool nonetheless. The other significant part of this game is alluded to at the top. The visiting team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. So, yes, this would be Manny Ramirez visiting Fenway. It wasn’t his first game back, but it was still a significant time. So, how did the game itself turn out amid all the drama? It was one heckova game!

First, take a look at the Red Sox line-up. It was only mostly decimated by injuries at this point. The first six batters actually look pretty good. But, then you get to the outfield. Hall-Nava-McDonald isn’t exactly the trio Red Sox fans were expecting at the bottom of the order. To their credit, though, those three did contribute to the game rather nicely. It’s hard to call a 5-4 game “low scoring” but that’s really the case. The Sox scratched out a run in the second. Two home runs accounted for three quick runs in the fourth and sixth. The last run was another claw and scratch way to score a run. There weren’t a lot of bases-loaded jams the Dodgers wriggled out of. Scoring threats were fairly limited. The Sox actually went 1-2-3 four times. Of course, the most important run scored was the last one. It was clearly scored in walk-off fashion, which is always an exciting way to end any game. It was the bottom of the order that kick-started the rally. Hall singled to lead things off. It looks like a botched sacrifice bunt allowed Nava to switch places with him at first. A strikeout put the pressure on the top of the order. A walk put Nava in scoring position. From there Pedroia sent us all home happy with a run-scoring single. It wasn’t exactly a perfect manufacture. But, It got the job done.

The player of the game? I’m going with Victor Martinez. He and Youkilis each scored two of the five Red Sox runs. Each homered. Martinez had three of the five RBI, to give him the edge. The goat of the day? Had to be Darnell McDonald. Hitless on the day with two strikeouts, including a key one in the bottom of the ninth. He had plenty of great games for the Red Sox in 2010. This just wasn’t one of them.

So, the Fenway faithful got to welcome back Manny once again. (He went 2-4, scored two runs, stole a base, and homered, by the way) The Red Sox won in dramatic fashion. We were treated to both “Okajima” and “Shippin’ Up To Boston,” blaring through the park.

And the scorecard shows how it happened.

Red Sox A-Z: W is for…

Wakefield, as in Tim.

When Dan Duquette sign Tim Wakefield to a contract, I wonder what he thought he was getting. Wakefield was the national Darling when he came up to the Pirates in 1992. He had gone 8-1 on the season, and earned MVP honors in that year’s NLCS. He was the talk of the town.  The next season? Not so good. He ended up with a 6-11 record, and spent a good portion of the season in the minor leagues. That is where he spent the entire 1004 season, posting a less than mediocre 5-15 record. Clearly, the bloom had come off his rose. Maybe his trick pitch was just a fluke after all. The future was not bright. It was with that background that Duquette signed Wakefield to a minor league contract just after the start of the 1995 season. What did he think Tim would be? A player to fill out the minor league roster? A fill in if the big club needed a spot starter? Was he hoping Tim would develop into a back of the rotation guy? A ace? What was the plan? No matter what the plan was, I’m assuming he didn’t think Tim would go out there in 1995 and lead the team in wins, earned run average, and innings pitched. I’m guessing a third place finish in the Cy Young voting wasn’t on the radar either. Not too shabby.

Of course, the story didn’t end there. Tim Wakefield is still on the team. He’s currently the longest tenured member of the team. He’s moving steadily up the ranks of all-time great Red Sox pitchers. Frankly, the only reason he’s not higher on just about every list is because the Sox keep changing his role. Imagine if he had just been a starter. Or, just a reliever. His career numbers would be even more impressive. As it stands, he’s the Red Sox career leader in games started and innings pitched. (Along with walks and losses…but we’ll ignore that) He’s second in strikeouts and games pitched, and third in wins. Not too shabby for a minor league free agent.

As a fan, I loved going to games where Wakefield was pitching. If I had a tickets to a game and it was a Pedro or Wakefield start, I was a happy camper. Pedro games meant total domination. Wakefield games? They guaranteed getting home at a reasonable time. He pitched like he had a bus to catch. It was fantastic.

My favorite Wakefield memory? There are, obviously, several. But, one has a clear-cut edge. I was able to be at Fenway when he pitched game one of the 2004 World Series. If Pedro couldn’t be on the mound, I couldn’t think of another Sox pitcher who deserved it more. He had certainly earned the right to be on the mound for the first Fenway World Series game in almost 20 years. It was also nice for me, since the day was cold and raw. The wind was blowing, and the drizzle was falling. If there was ever a time for a quick Wakefield game, it was that night. Of course, the game ended up going exactly four hours. Proof that even Wakefield can’t do it alone. But, as I sat there shivering, it was certainly comforting to see him toe the rubber in the first. It still annoys me that he couldn’t come away with the victory in a back and forth battle. But, I guess I can’t have everything.

So, as we approach the end of Tim Wakefield’s time with the Red Sox, he deserves a look back. He’s seen it all in Boston. And, we should all thank him for it.

W is for Wakefield, Tim.

Did the Red Sox Just Sacrifice Tim Wakefield?

I was pretty excited going into last night. Despite the rainout, the marquee match-up had been preserved. Jon Lester was squaring off against Felix Hernandez. So, I was on my computer, and just checked in to see how the game had started. I see it’s Tim Wakefield on the mound, and my heart sank. This could not be good news. Had Lester already been shelled? Again? Was he a late scratch? I couldn’t decide which was worse. I scoured around looking for the answer, and was immediately puzzled. Lester was fine. It was Dice-K that was hurt. So, they had moved Lester into Dice’s spot, and pitched Wakefield in Lester’s place. Why do all that shuffling? Why not leave Lester in the spot he expected to be in, and let Wake go Friday? My guess is Felix Hernandez was the reason.

Some people point to the thought of saving Lester for the Rays. After all, the Rays game is more important that the Mariners. That’s not really true. If Lester won last night, and Wake loses Friday, it would have been no different in the standings. After all, Tampa had already lost yesterday. So, saving Lester for Tampa didn’t do anything. Daisuke was bypassed, and that might be a good thing, I admit. Going into Tampa, I’m more excited with Lester-Buchholz-Lackey than I was with Matsuzaka leading the charge. But, replacing Dice directly with Wake wouldn’t have changed things. And, Wake wouldn’t have been rushed into a start. I think the Red Sox were conceding last night’s game to King Felix. I’m sure they didn’t feel like wasting a Lester start on a game they weren’t going to win anyway. Even Lester needs a run or two to win a game. That actually makes sense. It’s a move I always wondered why teams didn’t do more.

I always thought of it during playoff series when the Sox had Pedro. Take 1999, for instance. The Sox were in the playoffs thanks to a rotation of Pedro…and four other guys. If I’m the Indians, and my rotation is Bartolo Colon and four other guys…is there merit in not pitching Colon in game 1? He’s not going to win anyway, so why waste him? Save him, and pitch him in game two against Saberhagen? (I know. Not the best example since Pedro was hurt in that game 1, but you get the idea.) So, if you’re Francona last night, you know the Rays lost. The damage is controlled. The worst that can happen is you only pick up half a game. So, why waste Lester? Throw Wakefield to the wolves, and hope you get lucky. In this case, it also lines up your best going down to Tampa. Pretty much a win-win. Hopefully the Sox score more than two runs on Friday, and make the move work out.

After all, the Sox need wins in the Tampa series.

TTM Success!

Especially if, as I do, you consider a success anything better than being completely ignored. In this case, I had two wonderful responses on the very same day.

These were new response forms for me. I have been sending letters to Red Sox players for quite some time, and never had this. It wasn’t enclosed in the SASE I sent, which is usually the way I know I got a response. In this case, it was in a Red Sox envelope. I looked at them and wondered…why are the Red Sox sending me a letter? Why are they sending me two?

They were responses to my requests from Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon. When I sent out the request, I mentioned that I didn’t expect Wakefield to respond. I had heard he only signs for charity. So, I was really only hoping for a form letter telling me how to do that. Papelbon was also risky. As an elite player in the league, I figured he got his fair share of fan mail. So, the chances of being lost in the shuffle were pretty high. What I think is most interesting about the letters is how they are different, in spite of being so alike.

Starting with the Wakefield letter, it was very well written. He thanked me, and explained the situation. He enclosed the team issued picture, which is great. It even has a facsimile autograph on it so it will display nicely. Wake was kind enough to include the extra note saying he was sorry, but was too busy to personally respond. He even went so far as to send my card back. (Unlike Youkilis and Francona, it even appeared to be the same card I sent him.) It was really a fantastic response.





The Papelbon letter is also a great one. It’s even worded differently than Wake’s version. Wouldn’t you imagine that Pap and Wake would use slightly different vocabulary? He also included the great team issued photo in the letter. Papelbon didn’t return my card, but that’s OK. It’s a great response as it is.

But, once again, a response from a Red Sox player has left me with questions. How does this all work? From what I remember, I didn’t send the Wakefield and Papelbon requests on the same day, but they were returned to me at the same time. The letters themselves are interesting. They both have the same basic format and paragraph structure. That would certainly imply that the players didn’t sit down and write them out themselves. Did they have any part in it? Were they given a mad lib? “Dear Fan, Thank you for the letter it was (adjective).” Were they interviewed, and a staff writer put it into a letter? Did some flunkey write the whole thing, but know that Papelbon would say “awesome” but Wakefield wouldn’t? Fascinating.

Despite the questions, or maybe because of them, I couldn’t be happier with the responses. I certainly want to thank Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon for whatever role they played. I also need to thank the Red Sox organization. It’s this sort of fan respect that makes them so classy. They provided paper, an envelope, postage, and a picture just to respond to someone bugging one of the players. Pretty cool.

Guess I need to write more letters.

I’ll Take the Fifth?

Once again, the Sox are faced with the decision on fifth starter. This was quite a debate during spring training, even though I thought it was a pretty easy call. The Sox avoided the whole issue by starting Daisuke Matsuzaka on the DL. Still, some people were surprised to see Wakefield in the 4th spot, with Buchholz in the final slot. That would seem to imply that the Sox had Clay on the hot seat, primed for bullpen duty once Dice came back. That’s why I was surprised to see comments and stories lately saying how Wake was destined to the bullpen. I didn’t think
that the Sox would have changed their mind so quickly. Last night I finally heard that the Sox hadn’t actually made that announcement officially. So, I’m left wondering what level of “official” it is. (Of course, by the time you read this, they’ve probable held a press conference making me look like an idiot.) If it’s the way it will be, I’m also left wondering when Sox management decided they were morons. There are really two questions to look over. Which pitcher, Wake or Buchh, is the better starter, and which pitcher is the better reliever. Let’s tackle the first question first.

Each pitcher pitched very well in their last start, after being less impressive previously. I did see one thing, though, that showed me yet again that Clay not quite ready for the rotation, while Wake is. Clay has a bit too much Derek Lowe in him. Lowe was the master of the unearned runs. Derek was great at getting two outs, and having an error committed behind him. He would then proceed to give up 36 straight hits, with 15 home runs. None of those runs would be earned, though, so his numbers looked great at the end of the day. Looking back, he’d go 5 innings, giving up one run, and you’d think he had a decent day. And, it would be mostly true. It wasn’t his fault that the Sox didn’t get that third out. But, at some point, doesn’t he need to be accountable for the mountain of hits he did allow? The same thing just happened to Clay. The Sox made an error in the field behind him, extending the inning. But, he didn’t stop it there. He buckled, and gave up a slew of unearned runs. Those runs still count. Contrast that with Wake’s game Sunday. The first two batters reach on an error. (Yes, one was later reversed, but you get the point) Right off the bat, runners are at first and second with nobody out, through no fault of his own. Did Wake collapse? Nope. He just went ahead and got the next three guys. I imagine two things would have happened had Clay been on the mound Sunday afternoon. First, the inning would have been an hour longer because of the throws to first base. Second, at least one of those runners would have come home. Wakefield looks more capable of being a starting pitcher to me.

The question of who belongs in the pen is also an easy one. The Sox bullpen needs help. They don’t need a long guy. They need someone who can come into the game in the eighth inning and get outs. I’m sure both pitchers would be able to do that. But, as Wake has often pointed out, the knuckleball sometimes doesn’t knuckle. Sometimes it goes in straight, and leaves the park. If that happens in the second inning, I’m fine with that. If it happens with a one-run lead in the eighth, that’s a problem. I don’t want Wake’s flutterball coming into a close game late. I’d much rather have a guy like Buchholz in that situation. With a guy on third and a small lead, at least I think Clay can concentrate on getting the ball down. He can bear down to keep the run from scoring. Wake just hopes his ball moves. Looks to me like Clay is better suited for the pen.

Frankly, Wakefield has simply earned the right to start. And, no, there isn’t a player who should have a spot he’s not good enough to have. But, this isn’t the case. Wakefield was an all-star last year for cripes sake. For all he’s done for the team, he deserves that shot at 200 wins with the Sox. If Clay wants that fifth slot, he needs to pitch so well that it’s not a question. I don’t care that he’s the starter of the future. He’s not there yet. I’m not about to say that it’s fair to Clay. But, that’s the way it goes sometimes. He’ll be in the ‘pen until another starter gets hurt, or he gets traded. Which, by the way, is the only reason having Clay in the fifth spot makes any sense. If they told Wake, look, we need to trade the kid. He has no value until he can pitch. So, we’re going to have him start the next three weeks. Once San Diego sees him consistently in the rotation, we can trade him away. Then, the spot is yours again.

Provided the kid pitches well this month.

Not exactly what I had in mind.

You shouldn’t have to rally late to avoid being swept at home when you’re playing a .500 team. The Sox better pick things up a bit for the rest of the homestand.

One brighter spot over the weekend was the starting pitching. Wakefield had a tough outing on Friday, but didn’t embarrass himself. It’s something that just happens every once in a while. Penny had another fine start on Saturday. At what point does he not get traded because the Sox actually want him in the rotation? Lester got bit a bit by the unearned runs yesterday. While I know they’re called unearned for a reason, the pitcher could do a little more to prevent them. I know Pedro always used to say that if a guy made an error it was still his fault, since he let the batter hit the ball in the first place. But, overall, if the Sox could get those three outings over and over, it wouldn’t be too bad.

The line-up needed some help. They can’t be shut down by Mariner pitching like that. I know Lowell’s hole is bigger than it might seem at first. It’s even worse when Papi takes a rest at the same time. It reminded me of the sort of thing Jimy Williams used to do. Whenever Pedro pitched, he’d rest every starter figuring they didn’t need many runs with Martinez on the mound. The problem is, he always forgot that they needed at least one run. Hopefully Francona wasn’t looking past the Mariners in the same way.

With the best bullpen in the history of mankind, how did the Sox lose two straight games late to the Mariners? What is with baseball?

Does it say anything about closers that David Aardsma, of all people, is practically an elite one this year? Just how volatile are closers anyway?

Speaking of elite players, hearty congratulations should go out to the Red Sox all-stars. Jason Bay, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, and Jonathan Papelbon will be representing the Sox as they try to gain home field advantage in October. While I’m not sure how many of them would have made it if MLB used the selection method I proposed (check out the Bud Selig category on the right), it’s great to have a large group to watch during the game. It’s especially nice to see Tim Wakefield make a team. While I can’t say he has been snubbed in years past, he certainly deserves some national recognition for all he’s done. Over the years he has sacrificed many a personal stat for the good of the team. If Papelbon were that selfless, he wouldn’t make many all-star teams either. I wonder if Joe Mauer and Victor Martinez will draw straws to see who has to catch Wake. I bet there are a couple NL baserunners absolutely drooling at the thought. Maybe the AL should find a way to give Kottaras an honorary spot. I guess in theory, if “this time it counts” Wake shouldn’t pitch. In an important game, I can’t imagine throwing a knuckler out there to a catcher who’s never caught one…even in practice. Maybe he’ll be saved as an extra innings fallback plan. If the game’s tied after nine, Wake can pitch the next nine if needed.

First things first, though. The Sox still have two series to play before the mini-break. Hopefully they can remember that they’re not playing very good teams, and coast into the all-star break on a good long winning streak. Throwing Smoltz and Beckett is a pretty good start. Of course, I said that last week too.

Hopefully, everybody’s ready to give Nomar a much-deserved standing ovation tonight. For all he did for this team, he at least deserves that.

No-mah’s bet-ter!

Fan Mail

I just restarted a little activity I had gotten away from for a bit: writing to Red Sox players asking for autographs. It’s a fun little pastime that combines two things I enjoy, namely the Red Sox and getting mail. It’s fairly simple. I just write a letter to a player in care of the Red Sox (or whichever team the player is currently playing for), include a baseball card (or other small item like a sticker) and a SASE, and ask for an autograph. Sometimes, the player actually sends something back. Most of the time, I never hear anything again. Sometimes I get a nice form letter explaining why they can’t sign anything. Sometimes I get something other than what I sent, signed. And, sometimes they actually sign the card I send. It’s a little bit of a gambling rush when the envelope comes back in the mail. Which category is it going to be? Naturally, there are things that can be done to improve my odds. Generally, I don’t try the stars. Manny and Ortiz get way too much mail to even bother opening most of it. So, they’re out if I want a signature. Although, if I just want something, they might still be an option. For example, I hear Cal Ripken always sent a nice “Drink Milk” card of himself along with a form letter explaining how busy he was. Tony Gwynn apparently used to respond with a copy of his entry in the SD Padres media guide. Those would have still been pretty cool to get. Naturally, these things have no actual value. I have no idea who actually signed any of the things the players send. It could be the player, or a clubhouse boy. I have heard of some players having their girlfriends sign things for them. But, they look nice sitting on a shelf so it’s OK by me.

This week I sent a letter out to Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester. We’ll see what happens. I’ve heard that Wake only signs for charities. So, my main hope from him is some literature on a charity. But, I’ll see.

Has anyone else tried for autographs through the mail? Any successes or failures you’d like to share?

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.