Josh Beckett is a giant

[NHUConnfan]

Apparently he was seen golfing after a start got pushed back due to a "sore back." He was supposedly golfing with Buchholz who when asked about it gave "no comment" instead of diffusing the situation.

I am sooooooooooooooo done with Josh Beckett. Screw that asshat.

 

[Deepster]

Apparently he was seen golfing after a start got pushed back due to a "sore back." He was supposedly golfing with Buchholz who when asked about it gave "no comment" instead of diffusing the situation.

I am sooooooooooooooo done with Josh Beckett. Screw that asshat.

It's good to see Bobby V has cleared up all those locker room / leadership problems. This is much less serious than drinking during games.

 

[Danzz]

Apparently he was seen golfing after a start got pushed back due to a "sore back." He was supposedly golfing with Buchholz who when asked about it gave "no comment" instead of diffusing the situation.

I am sooooooooooooooo done with Josh Beckett. Screw that asshat.

All those Atlanta pitchers (Smoltz etc) used to play between starts and it never seemed to bother them.

 

[UCHuskies08]

All those Atlanta pitchers (Smoltz etc) used to play between starts and it never seemed to bother them.

The rub here is that he missed a start, and I don't think a round of golf is part of the treatment for a sore back.

 

[dsturdy5]

All those Atlanta pitchers (Smoltz etc) used to play between starts and it never seemed to bother them.

He asked out of Thursday's start because of soreness due to throwing 126 pitches in his previous game and then went and played golf two days later...That is the larger issue.

 

[60'sfan]

He asked out of Thursday's start because of soreness due to throwing 126 pitches in his previous game and then went and played golf two days later...That is the larger issue.

It's hard to know whether Josh Beckett is stupid or he doesn't care. I suspect it's a little of both. Why Buchholtz is out there playing golf with an ERA of 9.09 is a little disturbing too. Shouldn't he be studying film or talking with the pitching coach to try to figure out what's wrong? They say that one bad apple can spoil the bunch. I wish there was just one bad apple.

 

[NHUConnfan]

One of my friends posted this on Facebook: "I love the Red Sox, but I do not love THIS Red Sox team."

I couldn't agree more. I hate the entire attitude of the team. And honestly, it's not all Bobby V's fault. There are just some sour apples in the clubhouse right now. They're quickly spoiling the game for me.

 

[60'sfan]

One of my friends posted this on Facebook: "I love the Red Sox, but I do not love THIS Red Sox team."

I couldn't agree more. I hate the entire attitude of the team. And honestly, it's not all Bobby V's fault. There are just some sour apples in the clubhouse right now. They're quickly spoiling the game for me.

I agree with your friend's statement and I will be back but right now I am delighted when they lose because I am hopeful that management will see the mess they have created. Theo made a lot of bad decisions but at least he was trying to improve the team. Ben Cherington has done absolutely nothing. Bobby's not my favorite but he is a victim here.

 

[sinkhole]

One of my friends posted this on Facebook: "I love the Red Sox, but I do not love THIS Red Sox team."

I couldn't agree more. I hate the entire attitude of the team. And honestly, it's not all Bobby V's fault. There are just some sour apples in the clubhouse right now. They're quickly spoiling the game for me.

What would you do to fix it? To trade Youk or Beckett would require eating alot of salary or taking a bad salary back. Trading Lester or Buchholz is worth a look. Call Theo offer Buchholz for Garza. From an outsider looking in I would make some moves to change the culture of the team. Despite the injuries they have far too much talent to be this bad.

 

[Deepster]

Then Beckett goes out tonight and gets carved up by the Tribe. D-Lowe out duels him for the W.

Ouch.

 

[NHUConnfan]

What would you do to fix it? To trade Youk or Beckett would require eating alot of salary or taking a bad salary back. Trading Lester or Buchholz is worth a look. Call Theo offer Buchholz for Garza. From an outsider looking in I would make some moves to change the culture of the team. Despite the injuries they have far too much talent to be this bad.

I don't care to fix it. Sometimes, it's not fun to play couch manager. It's not my problem. It's Cherington's problem.

 

[zls44]

They SHOULD blow it up. Bottom out. Build something sustainable.

But they won't. The ownership won't accept that. They will talk and lie to themselves that it's fixable. They won't learn. They'll be too busy trying to string out the sellout "streak".

 

[Waquoit]

They SHOULD blow it up. Bottom out. Build something sustainable.

".

I thought they had.

 

[60'sfan]

I don't care to fix it. Sometimes, it's not fun to play couch manager. It's not my problem. It's Cherington's problem.

This is not a team that can be tweaked and suddenly be a contender. They have way too many holes. They need to start unloading some of the bad attitudes (Beckett would be a good place to begin) and bringing in some positive clubhouse guys who want to win. Beckett can dictate where he wants to go but I think he would be just as happy to get out of Boston as the fans are ready to see him go.

I think that should just scrap this season and focus on getting better. Bring up Iglesias and see if he can hit enough to contribute. If he can't, then they need to find a shortstop. When Youk comes back, he becomes a sub in the infield. Play Middlebrooks until he shows he can't play. Bring up Lavarnway and make him the starter. Trade one of the other catchers. Neither one should be starting. Leave Nava in left, Sweeney in right and Ross in center until one of the injured guys (Crawford, Ellsbury or Kalish) comes back. Put Bard back in the bullpen as a set up guy. Send Buchholtz to Pawtucket until he figures out how to pitch. Start Lester, Doubront, Miller, Cook and Dice K.

There you go, Ben, you owe me.

 

[NHUConnfan]

Bard is doing fine as a starter. He just needs to learn how to pitch the third go around. I think otherwise, he's been pretty impressive.

There just needs to be a changing of the old guard. People like Beckett and Youk need to go.

 

[60'sfan]

Bard is doing fine as a starter. He just needs to learn how to pitch the third go around. I think otherwise, he's been pretty impressive.

There just needs to be a changing of the old guard. People like Beckett and Youk need to go.

I'm still not convinced that Bard should start. He has lost his last two starts against relatively weak teams and has recorded a total of 2 K's and 6 W's in those games. He used to be an excellent set up man with a fast ball in the high 90's. As a starter his fastball is averaging 93.5.

He just seems to be too thin for the grind of being a starter. Add him to the bullpen and suddenly the Sox have one of the better pens in all of baseball.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I'm still not convinced that Bard should start. He has lost his last two starts against relatively weak teams and has recorded a total of 2 K's and 6 W's in those games. He used to be an excellent set up man with a fast ball in the high 90's. As a starter his fastball is averaging 93.5.

He just seems to be too thin for the grind of being a starter. Add him to the bullpen and suddenly the Sox have one of the better pens in all of baseball.

A starter with a fastball averaging 93.5 is great. You don't expect him to throw gas all night long do you?

He's fine. He's made the adjustment better than I expected. The only reason he lost the last game was because he committed two balks back-to-back. That's pretty uncharacteristic for him.

 

[zyron]

A starter with a fastball averaging 93.5 is great. You don't expect him to throw gas all night long do you?

He's fine. He's made the adjustment better than I expected. The only reason he lost the last game was because he committed two balks back-to-back. That's pretty uncharacteristic for him.

The 10th fastest average fastball velocity last year was 93.5. His speed is fine.

 

[NHUConnfan]

Also, whoever said that they were unsure of Doubront...he pitched a gem tonight.

 

[Deadrody]

Bard is doing fine as a starter. He just needs to learn how to pitch the third go around.

FYI - that's exactly the kind of problem that gets you put in the bullpen in the first place and exactly why making a starter out of a reliever is rarely effective.

They took a guy with really only 3 pitches, only 1 of which is really a plus pitch, and turned a strength - a 97 mph fastball that hitters chased out of the zone a lot - into a weakness - a 94 mph fastball that hitters chase out of the zone 30% less than when he was a reliever.

Which is to say nothing of the fact that he has been really lucky with his HR/FB numbers.

 

[NHUConnfan]

FYI - that's exactly the kind of problem that gets you put in the bullpen in the first place and exactly why making a starter out of a reliever is rarely effective.

They took a guy with really only 3 pitches, only 1 of which is really a plus pitch, and turned a strength - a 97 mph fastball that hitters chased out of the zone a lot - into a weakness - a 94 mph fastball that hitters chase out of the zone 30% less than when he was a reliever.

Which is to say nothing of the fact that he has been really lucky with his HR/FB numbers.

Yeah, and he's only been starting for less than 3 months. He's got the stuff to do it. He's more than serviceable as the team's #5 starter. Boston's bullpen is starting to turn around. They've had several good outings in a row. Andrew Miller really has done well there. I'm less concerned about the bullpen than I am about the starting rotation (more like will Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz step up). In addition, I'm concerned about some of the bigger bats in the lineup not hitting (A-Gon especially).

At the same time, the team just needs to trust Bobby V and buy into his system. To put it bluntly, obviously what they think they're doing now isn't better cause they're not winning very often. The Red Sox will be fine. There are now three potential playoff spots in the AL East. The Orioles are starting to do their downturn (they did have a pretty hot start a couple of years ago maintaining 1st place or near 1st place until the All-Star break until finishing last or near to last in the AL East). There's room for the Sox to move up if they start playing to their potential. Of course, if they never do, the playoffs are just a pipe dream.

 

[60'sfan]

Yeah, and he's only been starting for less than 3 months. He's got the stuff to do it. He's more than serviceable as the team's #5 starter. Boston's bullpen is starting to turn around. They've had several good outings in a row. Andrew Miller really has done well there. I'm less concerned about the bullpen than I am about the starting rotation (more like will Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz step up). In addition, I'm concerned about some of the bigger bats in the lineup not hitting (A-Gon especially).

At the same time, the team just needs to trust Bobby V and buy into his system. To put it bluntly, obviously what they think they're doing now isn't better cause they're not winning very often. The Red Sox will be fine. There are now three potential playoff spots in the AL East. The Orioles are starting to do their downturn (they did have a pretty hot start a couple of years ago maintaining 1st place or near 1st place until the All-Star break until finishing last or near to last in the AL East). There's room for the Sox to move up if they start playing to their potential. Of course, if they never do, the playoffs are just a pipe dream.

So, who do you take out of the starting rotation when Dice K comes back? And what do you do with Aaron Cook when he comes off the DL?

Something that I didn't know. Alfredo Aceves fastball is averaging 94.8 and he has hit 98. I did not know that he could throw that fast.

I am really enjoying seeing Daniel Nava in left field. I think I could get used to it.

 

[NHUConnfan]

So, who do you take out of the starting rotation when Dice K comes back? And what do you do with Aaron Cook when he comes off the DL?

Something that I didn't know. Alfredo Aceves fastball is averaging 94.8 and he has hit 98. I did not know that he could throw that fast.

I am really enjoying seeing Daniel Nava in left field. I think I could get used to it.

So far, Dice-K doesn't look close to wearing a Boston uniform. Cook goes back to AAA. There's a reason he started the season there. He's got mediocre stuff.

 

[60'sfan]

I can't argue about Aaron Cook. He had one pretty good season with the Rockies but he has never had a season where his hits allowed have been less than innings pitched. He is a high WHIP guy. Dice K, however, has one and possibly two more starts in the minors before they are bringing him up. Bobby thinks he can get something out of him. I hope so. He is getting $10 million for 2012.

Lester remembered how to pitch. Will Josh?

Still liking Nava in left.

 

[NHUConnfan]

I can't argue about Aaron Cook. He had one pretty good season with the Rockies but he has never had a season where his hits allowed have been less than innings pitched. He is a high WHIP guy. Dice K, however, has one and possibly two more starts in the minors before they are bringing him up. Bobby thinks he can get something out of him. I hope so. He is getting $10 million for 2012.

Lester remembered how to pitch. Will Josh?

Still liking Nava in left.

Apparently...7 IP, 9 Ks, 2BB, 4 H, 0 R/ER

Love Nava!