Bye Bye Buchholz

Posted by Mike Giardi Yesterday at 11:26 pm

Clay Buchholz never had a chance. The Red Sox’s rookie righthander has been demoted after another shaky start this evening in Baltimore. But the Sox’s brass isn’t dropping Buchholz to Triple-A. No, he’s so messed up, they’re sending him back to Portland and Double-A.

Skipper Terry Francona telling the media, “I talked to Buck and we feel we need to give him a renewed start.”

Buchholz sounding more like he needs a vacation.

“I put too much pressure on myself. When I put one guy on base, it feels like the bases are loaded. Instead of gritting my teeth and saying, ‘Let’s get these guys out’ I’m thinking ‘Now what’s going to happen.’ I don’t have a very high confidence level and something has to change.”

Heck, forget about Maine. Send Buchholz to Fort Myers and tell him you’ll see him again in February. No knock on the kid, who I still truly believe can be an ace, but he’s going through something right now that’s he’s never experienced in pro ball.

Let’s hope Buchholz can regain the feel on his fastball, get comfortable with that new arm slot and regain the confidence that makes him the Sox’s top pitching prospect ’cause this has been tough to watch.

Lowrie Lovefest

Posted by Mike Giardi Yesterday at 7:14 pm

In light of a possible setback in Julio Lugo’s return from that quad injury, I decided to go on my “Save The Shortstop” drive. Unfortunately for Lugo, I’m not referring to him. I’m talking about Jed Lowrie, who established himself as a legitimate Giardi binky candidate last year when I spoke to him in Portland (no, I was not stalking…), and has hammered home his credentials with a strong Major League debut in 2008.

Do you realize no shortstop has more RBI since the All-Star break than Lowrie? That he has more ribbies than the aforementioned gimpy 36-million dollar man in 36 less games (30 RBI to 22)? Did you also realize that Lowrie has yet to make an error in 136 total chances? Yes, I understand the former Stanford star doesn’t actually have Ozzie Smith’s range (true confessions, I once said Jed had the range of a legless spider at short), but he’s settled down a position that has been in flux since April 6, when Lugo committed three miscues (16 total this season).

But you know what’s the tipping point for me? What’s sold me on Lowrie? That he has the same unshakeable confidence that I saw in Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis. They never considered failing an option. Lowrie strikes me exactly the same way. Okay, maybe not quite as cocky as Dusty - who is? - but you get the point. You need to have that attitude to be successful in the bigs. Lowrie has it, and the Sox are reaping the rewards.

Dice Does It Again

Posted by Mike Giardi August 19, 2008 (2 days ago) at 10:56 pm

The amazing high wire act of Daisuke Matsuzaka continues. Starting tonight in Baltimore, Dice lasts just 5 innings, throwing 105 pitches. Yet in true form, the righty allows just two runs and pitched out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the 4th, striking out Melvin Mora, then inducing an inning-ending pop up off the bat Aubrey Huff.

Dennis Eckersley said it well on the postgame show (and I’m paraphrasing): ”only Daisuke knows what he’s doing…but it works.” 

 

Beckett Banged Up

Posted by Mike Giardi August 19, 2008 (2 days ago) at 6:30 pm

You want to know why Terry Francona sometimes looks pale, almost gray? It’s days like these my friends. Ace Josh Beckett has been pushed back from his next scheduled start from Saturday to Tuesday in Yankee Stadium, and even that’s tentative.

“It’s still seven days away, so we’ll see,” Beckett said from Baltimore.

Apparently, Beckett’s been dealing with numbness in his right ring finger and pinky on and off for the entire season.

“I have some numbness in fingers I’m not used to having,” he said. “It’s just that we’ve got to figure out what the hell it was … It’s something we’ve dealt with but I’ve never had to deal with it on that level.”

Beckett’s last outing was an epic disaster. He didn’t escape of the third inning, getting tagged for 8 hits and 8 runs. It was his worst start since 2006, when he got bombed in the Bronx. This has been very uneven campaign for Beckett, who has flirted with the form he flashed a season ago, but has not consistently delivered on that excellence. Perhaps now we know why.

The Sox have survived injuries to Daisuke, Mike Lowell (twice), Ortiz and Julio Lugo, but I find it hard to believe they could handle any prolonged absence from Beckett. That starting rotation has been stretched thin, and there don’t appear to be any options available that could make people forget baseball’s only 20-game winner from 2007.

 

Red Sox Statement on Yaz

Posted by Morry Levine August 19, 2008 (2 days ago) at 1:31 pm

The Red Sox have released the following statement on Yaz.

Carl Yastrzemski was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital this morning after experiencing discomfort and chest pains. He is undergoing evaluation and testing, and no further information is available at this time.

Yaz Hospitalized

Posted by Morry Levine August 19, 2008 (2 days ago) at 1:30 pm

Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski has been hospitalized in Boston for what his spokesman called something “serious.”  The spokesman, Dick Gordon, would not give any details or say when Yaz had been admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital.  When asked if it was serious, Gordon said: “Any time you are in the hospital, it’s got to be pretty serious.”  The 68-year-old Yastrzemski was baseball’s last player to winthe Triple Crown in 1967 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989.

 

Better You…

Posted by Mike Giardi August 18, 2008 (3 days ago) at 11:39 am

People I would not want to be today:

1) Matt Cassel - Those films aren’t going to be fun.

2) Josh Beckett - So much for his consistent return to 2007 form. How many aces this year have lasted just 2.1 IP?

3) Any member of the Sox bullpen not named Masterson or Papelbon. After several weeks of making Theo Epstein look like he did the right thing by not adding any arms to the pen, they have reverted to acid-inducing form.

4) The Pats defensive front 7. Hey fellas, I realize Tampa went to the playoffs last year, but there isn’t one Snickers is that backfield batch. Its just a bunch of already-been chewed pieces that a) never had it, b) already lost it or c) are softer than a candy bar that’s been left in my car when it’s 98 degrees and humid outside (yes, I’m looking at you Michael Bennett).

5) Sammy Morris. The backfield savior in September of a season ago hasn’t looked sharp yet, be it in practice or during his first preseason game.

Fenway Area Weather Update

Posted by Morry Levine August 14, 2008 (1 weeks ago) at 3:41 pm

The current weather forecast in the vicinity of Fenway Park calls for the possibility of scattered showers during the late afternoon hours.

The Fenway Park gates will open at the regularly scheduled time of 5:05 p.m., and the Red Sox expect tonight’s game with the Texas Rangers, which is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m., to be played. However, the Red Sox want to alert our fans to the current forecast.

This forecast is of course subject to change as the day progresses. Additional updates will be provided as necessary.

Lowell on the DL

Posted by Morry Levine August 13, 2008 (2 weeks ago) at 3:59 pm

Just in from Fenway, the Red Sox have placed third baseman Mike Lowell on the 15-day disabled list.  Lowell strained his right oblique muscle during an at-bat in last night’s game.

Lowell to have MRI

Posted by Morry Levine August 13, 2008 (2 weeks ago) at 12:38 pm

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell will undergo an MRI today.  He strained his right oblique during his at-bat in the 7th inning of last night’s game.  Lowell then left the game and could be facing time on the DL. 

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