08-19-08 Red Sox Talk

It's funny Wada. Good performance from your starting pitcher can do for the overall psyche of a of a baseball team and it's funny how. There's probably been a lot of talk of aces around here in the last a couple of days starting with the the unfortunate performance a couple of games ago from Josh Beckett. Followed up by the superb performance last night by Jon Lester. Followed up by the the talk earlier today by Curt Schilling on this station and posting a 38 pitches yesterday that. Probably leaning pretty heavily to the idea that. It's time to hang up those cleats and get on with with his real life all three guys. Legitimate aces at one point their careers or will be a legitimate base in John masters case.

Sometimes yeah I think Lester will be an -- around I'm not stories there right now but at the very least in them as being conservative on this one. The barely see the top three guy reliable top regard to rotation. And a guy who you don't have to worry about when you hand the ball on the post season whenever he gets the ball. In the post season because the Red Sox will be there whenever whenever he gets it. It won't be a shock to warm because he's actually done it before right now the expectations are -- different. Before when he won game four of the World Series it was. There wasn't a tremendous amount of pressure of the Red Sox were already up three zip. You felt like. If you get a decent performance out last year that will be good if not if if Colorado suddenly explode for ten runs. Guess who -- pitching game five. Josh Beckett yup so now. When he goes into the post season he's probably going to the ball second at the very least he'll get -- third. And he'll he'll be counted on to. Matches his best pitches against the best pitches of a legitimate top three got from another team or possibly in haste from another team that they play the Angels the Angels have. Some terrific pitchers. They wind up let's say. They wind -- playing with -- this an American League Championship Series starting in Tampa FFF okay. They have a deep pitching staff get three.

Rates starting guys the top Andy Sonnanstine won last night is any one of those three. New cashmere and Garza I mean it they've got they've yet pitching which is why they are where they are. And continued it says hold onto that American Natalie although under the American League east lead and add to what. Despite all the entry --

That they -- and you mentioned the two other guys with with Josh Beckett. I don't know what the issue is right now. I I don't think if it has anything to do with Josh Beckett we saw in 2006. Who just wasn't the guy everybody expected he was. He was just okay 2006 even though he had double digit victories it was just flag it was. EU EU EU. -- Leaves the top you can say it would just an era little confused every time we took the mound. Because you're remembered Josh Beckett from 2003 the World Series guy and he was given up time the home runs. With Curt Schilling not a surprise that he's leaning toward retirement -- now we got the sense that once he was down for the season. And and you look at. Some of the injury concerns and injury problems he's had over the last two or three years. Not a surprise that he's probably.

While listening to Schilling this morning with. With the guys you know and and look talking as he did to Michael Felger Joe Hagerty and he was talking about Beckett in particular. And he said and I'm going to make an excuse for a that he won't make and that he'll probably reject. He said but every time my year didn't start the right way in other -- spring training. I didn't get the proper base he said -- struggled and you think about it and it's interesting because Tony -- in his piece today in The Herald looks set you know like the final. 22 games that that Beckett is pitched this year as opposed to the final at like eleven and seven last year. The last 1819 games that he pitched at three started the season nine and -- by the way. And this year he's like eleven and -- somethin' else somewhere in that same general vicinity. What he didn't have is a great start of the season. And and it's funny because I don't think that and I I appreciate -- that they don't make excuses. But I think even Terry Francona talks a little bit about how the start of the season got messed up forum. You know didn't get his normal basin and preparation for the year and that may be one of the things affecting.

I made it okay it's a good excuse but how long does that last. Can you you you ever suggest a whole year gets messed up I can't see that so I can see. Struggling in the first month of the season first two month of the season. But you mean its army if you don't get up to me if you don't. Have the preparation that you normally have. In February -- march. That you might as well today. This season is going to be a disappointment. I -- think that's. Let us take an excuse to probably excuse for a month while it's.

It's interesting Nolan and again I go back to -- is peace in The Herald today. He said prior to Sunday Beckett was eleven and eight with a three point 92 ERA. In in 22 starts this year. Last year. You start with its first loss of the year. He went eleven and 73 point five all and it's final nineteen starts the difference was he started nine NL last year once see he lost this first game. His record was basically I'd almost stat for stat identical to what he's done this yourself for what was missing as. Pitching always has the head start I think the beginning of the season he was dominant. The start of the year last year he he came out of spring training with -- all of what out guns.

But -- that's what I'm saying okay. So he missed the chance to be dominant at the beginning of the 2008 season.

At the beginning of the art rock you lost. And now. It's Condit is not to step up -- and I understand you know yeah and got up right now and hold it against is still in the playoff race. Have a chance to win the division. I don't -- basically an.

And another way I I brought it I think your misunderstanding on what I'm saying he's been the same pitcher this year. That he was last year once he lost the game. From that point until the end of the year he's been the exact same guy he's been this year. The difference what he had that dominant starting a year -- that set everything apart from brought it he's been the exact same guy.

Now what that maybe have the exact same numbers he has not been the same guy. They're there's no doubt he's he has not been the same guy this year as it was last year even four if you want to break it down that way you you know take away. You know the night and no starter take away diagnosed or he hasn't been -- And his his. Last ten starts have been all over the place he's had some brilliant stars he had the start the other day that was.

Probably one of the worst start of his career he's -- Leicester start prior to this one was his worst start of the I mean as as a -- owner Lester in Chicago. What was the one recently worry where locked around it and it really get knocked around like. Josh Beckett did Terry Francona says in today's -- recent everybody's going to have one of these pick up even a guy like Leicester even a guy like Beckett. And and we always I don't mean -- you'll need to we always overreacted a pick up -- I mean wet as as Francona said in the paper today and Schilling said on the radio today. First game of the playoffs -- things get the ball.

Absolutely not that quite get the ball to Josh Beckett with with all due respect Tito wouldn't call what Josh Beckett did the other cup. But it belts. That day of the throw up. He's done now are all I'm saying -- I -- cup that is understating it is the understatement of understatement. Number one pitcher. The last two winnings. And it didn't just hope that are on the mark my my mistake called the clunker. Yeah okay Eric it was a clunker. -- stopped it was just it was terrible bunker and and does that mean that the next time because not all boy I don't know right now well.

I'm just saying that it in 2007. Even though we have those that there Josh Beckett breaking up the season. There was a there was a steady pace that Josh Beckett 2007. I'm story had some bad start I don't remember promote them but pretty much. If they had a losing streak. Josh Beckett came in and settled it down if if you -- if you're a little concerned about the bullpen. Prospect come and -- eight. I -- the entire 2007. Season was good for him in man. The post season he took it up another a different story and -- is and that's the same with Schilling this -- evidence that that's on them. Whatever the numbers say I'm telling you that Josh Beckett has not been a steady performer from start to start this part of the.

Wanna try to make he has and and I am I know you can't do this button. He he he was about the same guy. Last year the difference wise. When he was eleven and eight the second half. You know he sit there he's he's not nine NL -- has let's say a bad start Austin's tenth game he went to nine and one -- who cares he's not a one. And you know and then he he just sort of went along the same way that he's gone -- this year and I think you're right if we went back and looked at game blog from last year. -- did have one in there anyone know what happened there as probably get at Toronto's hill probably as is that callous. As every ace in the game has start like that every guy I mean at least probably had a start this year where you don't what the heck happened to him that. Yeah I was starting gave up three runs or something yeah probably probably had had many many conquers it as as a team open. Manny I I just I I and we talked about this all season long Lester has pitched better this year. I mean excuse pitched better this year while I don't I drive people crazy but he had they give.

If they look at their expectations. You know that the Red Sox are having their offseason meetings there. Trying to predict how this season is going to plan and they look at the pitching staff. I think they would say. That John Lester has exceeded their expectations so far Daisuke has exceeded their expectations. And that Josh Beckett has fallen below their expected. So if you put it all together I don't know what they said and I'm sure they had that meeting in. Maybe bill James was in in some artillery room -- and Yankee system brilliant number crunching -- matures and stuff. There were not thinking about okay thank you very much -- Be on standby welcome regulator put. After they did all that they put all the numbers together. It probably. Has shaken out the way they expected overall although individual parts. Are are pretty consistent right but -- among these guys wreck right now Josh Beckett has eleven wins. -- eleven yes it got eleven. -- got fourteen YouTube. And -- last out well while and for our right so. Yeah you think you're thinking about those victories. You're talking about 37 victories. From these three -- In August. On August 19. I would say they were projecting. Your top three guys you think your top three guys can have 37 wins.

Sure.

But they probably just had those wins divvied up in a different way.

at a putt back it would be the guy with -- how to walk up heat of the fourteen and and Daisuke will probably have the twelve and Lester would probably -- And it if you take those three numbers maybe they'd even go a little smaller on masters -- eight or nine the last year. As we don't know what he's going to do and he's still a young kid he's still learning we -- that break -- year yet he said that that almighty god this kid who well maybe maybe not his greatest time for Gucci was making them out to beat -- maybe it's. -- Dellucci said he could be one of the best pitchers of the generation. Member of the stuff -- rather -- that.