Beckett Has His Pedro Moment

Posted by Mike Giardi October 19, 2008 at 3:02 pm

In my lifetime, no one has been Pedro Martinez’s equal. He was, quite simply, the greatest pitcher I have ever laid eyes on. A pint-sized intimidator with an arsenal of weapons that belied his slight frame, he was the kind of guy who, if you were picking teams in the neighborhood, would have been tabbed dead last. Okay, maybe second-to-last, behind the fat kid with the coke-bottle glasses. Of course, that only would serve to motivate Pedro into hitting one batter, then dazzling the rest with an array of fastballs, changeups, curves and whatever else he felt like throwing.

Josh Beckett, on the other hand, is the no-brainer first choice. Big, strong and - let’s face it - nasty looking with that chin hair he’s probably had since he was 13. Beckett’s the kind of guy who would let you know just how much better he was then you, then throw the ball right down the heart of the plate. Only you had no chance to hit it. He just threw so much harder than anyone you knew.

Beckett isn’t Pedro. Not by a long shot. But they have something in common now: guts. Pedro displayed that honorable trait in 1999. Game 5 of the A.L.D.S in Cleveland. Too hurt to start the game, Pedro made a stunning appearance out of the bullpen and baffled Indians hitters for six no-hit innings of relief. Watching that night, I was stunned by the performance. The lithe righthander couldn’t put his arm in his normal slot, and was struggling to hit 87-88 MPHs. It didn’t matter. Pedro hit every spot, finessing his way around a great lineup and lifting the Sox to a miraculous victory. That was the very definition of greatness and guts.

Last night was Beckett’s turn. His strained right oblique has sapped him of his power, the giddy-up on his 4-seamer no longer there. So first in Anaheim, and then again at the beginning of the A.L.C.S versus Tampa, the big Texan was cutting and sinking everything, with little success. So facing a lineup that had devastated him less than a week prior, Beckett went out to the mound with a pop-gun, yet somehow he made it work for him. Rarely did the still-in-his-prime power pitcher break 91 MPH on the radar gun. He threw more curveballs and changeups than he would in a month. Yet for 5 innings, Beckett kept the Rays at bay. Just four hits and two runs. Remarkable. Hell, Pedro-esque. And like his predecessor, Beckett gave the Sox a chance to play another day, which is all you can ask for this time of year.

Collins: Pressure now on Beckett

Posted by Chris Collins October 17, 2008 at 2:08 am

The Red Sox staved off elimination with a dramatic 8-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Going back to Florida, all of the pressure is going to be on Josh Beckett, and the bullpen in Game 6.

Lester and Dice, then not-so-nice?

Posted by Chris Collins September 29, 2008 at 10:23 pm

So, Josh Beckett has to get pushed back to Game 3 of the ALDS.

On the surface, the back up plan (Jon Lester) is one heck of a back up plan. Ever since Theo put his stamp on the Red Sox they have been set up to win short series - that’s how you win world titles.

And today, the Red Sox have the best front line pitching in baseball. They have the best #2 starter and the best #3 starter in Lester and Matsuzaka, and even though Josh Beckett has been just a shell of his ‘07 self, when the weather cools off Beckett heats up.

If he can pitch.

No matter how you spin it, to have to push back a big game pitcher of the magnitude of Josh Beckett is a terrible way to start the post season. Winning is tough enough — trying to win without your ace healthy is nearly impossible. So the next couple of days are huge. The Sox need to get Beckett back and healthy, and if they don’t, despite a great number two and three in Lester and Daisuke, no Beckett means no back-to-back.

Beckett Banged Up

Posted by Mike Giardi August 19, 2008 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.

 

Gotta Be Starting Somewhere

Posted by Mike Giardi May 4, 2008 at 9:47 pm

I think that’s a Michael Jackson tune. Maybe not. I know this though. I’m not looking it up. Anyway…

Pitching, pitching and more pitching. That’s the story of the Red Sox’s just-completed 5-and-1 homestand. The starting rotation playing a solid game of “anything you can do, I can do better.” Just look at it.

Lester 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 6 K’s, 4 BB (1-0 W, ND)

Matsuzaka 7 IP, 2 H’s, 0 R, 4 K’s, 2 BB (2-1 W, ND)

Wakefield 7 IP, 6 H’s, 3 R’s, 0 K’s, 4 BB (3-0 L)

Buchholz 5.1 IP, 5 H’s, 1R, 6 K’s, 4 BB (7-3, W)

Beckett 8 IP, 7 H’s, 4 R’s, 5 K’s, 1 BB (12-4, W)

Lester 6 IP, 4 H’s, 1 R, 5 K’s, 3 BB (7-3, W)

When the worst outing they get from “The 5″ - statistically - is courtesy of Josh Beckett, life is awfully good.

There’s a tendency for Sox fans to obsess about what they don’t have. Those 80-some odd years of futility can have that kind of impact. But if we’ve learned anything from these two very recent championships, its that you can never have enough arms. Right now, with this group of starters, and the possibility of another Justin Masterson sighting (nevermind the potential of a healthy Colon), the Sox are in an enviable position as we get deeper into May, and get into real baseball.

The only real concerns through the first six weeks is David Ortiz’s knee (more at some point on this very blog) and that bullpen. Manny Delcarmen failing to get it done again today, forcing Okajima in quicker and sooner than Terry Francona would like. The MDC holds the key, but right now, he may get grounded until he regains last season’s sharpness. Actually, check that. He deserves to be put in a lesser role. For now.

In the meantime, Craig Hansen has been recalled from Pawtucket, and perhaps this is finally the year the former number one pick gets it. He’s got a spaghetti strand for a body, but that right arm can be electric. Truthfully, and I think Theo has admitted this on our air and elsewhere, Hansen getting rushed to the Bigs really stunted his growth, really played with his head. But he’s been fantastic in Pawtucket, and that one outing in Boston was pretty electric, save for the Kotchman bomb. No idea how long Hansen will stay here on his second tour of duty, but if he throws like that, he’ll be here through the playoffs and in a key role.

Wait. Did I just write playoffs? Good grief. We’re only in May…

No Beckett. No ‘Tek. No worries?

Posted by Chris Collins April 22, 2008 at 6:27 pm

Chris Collins brings us the latest from the infectious disease unit, er, Fenway Park, where Varitek and Beckett are out with “flu-like symptoms”

Who’s up for a Turnaround Saturday?

Posted by Ted McEnroe April 12, 2008 at 9:50 am

OK, time for some turnarounds. Both the Red Sox and Bruins will be looking for redemption tonight against storied rivals. The Sox try to rebound against the Yankees at Fenway. The good news? David Ortiz’s batting average can’t get much lower. And Josh Beckett will be starting, against New York’s Mike Mussina.

Meanwhile, we’ll keep an eye toward Montreal, where it’s doubtful that Patrice Bergeron will be suiting up for the Bruins against the Canadiens. But the B’s could use the inspiration after Thursday’s disappointing loss.