Inside Pitch - Rob Dibble

" John Smoltz is racked up 210 wins and 154. Saves in his twenty season Major League career. Each and everyone has been is an Atlanta Braves. But he starts for the Red Sox tonight this is the Herb Chambers Lexus pregame show. Smoltz is returning to a Major League mound for the first time in over a year smoltz won the Cy Young award in 1996. He's an eight time All-Star. He has over 3000. Career strikeouts. And he scored fifteen in four with four saves in the post season. While pitching to -- ERA of 265. 23 year old right hander Jordan -- is about to make his twelfth career big league start all of them coming this season so far. Two and three with -- ERA just above five last time out. He allowed just a single run the blue jays that was a no decision. In three starts this month Zimmerman has allowed a total of four runs in nearly seventeen innings of work. Time now for the inside pitch which is brought to you by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to learn more about Harvard pilgrim healthcare. -- at Harvard pilgrim dot -- here's former pitcher and current national television analyst rob double with joke a stately home."

" you certainly anchor one of the best bull pens of all time the nasty boys with the reds who won the World Series in 1990 you ended. Norm Charlton and Randy Myers who walk through so hard and we're so scary face this this Red Sox bullpen compare."

" Absolutely you might even have more weapons in your bullpen that we hadn't -- You know -- and you can always have Saito was another closer Okajima and del Carmen are great bridges rate there -- Masterson can do anything. With his -- so you have five guys that can close games and we we had guys take a close but it was an on selfishness -- we knew Randy was the closer. But if I happen to Stanford save I think I had eleven that year norm I think at seven something like that it didn't matter that who's getting the job done. From the sixth inning on we also had a kidney timbers this. That had played with the Oakland Athletics -- 67 guy had a huge curve ball. We have Tim Giuliano was another great reliever with a -- your -- a huge knuckle curve ball. So really that the nasty voice came from the stuff in the bullpen more so than the final three guys. And it just kind of stock but you know it was all -- get the job done. And yet power arms a -- sites have power arm to get strikeouts -- you know there's there's certain times of the game. Especially here if you have the lead which Red Sox though you know a lot of firepower score runs to lead by the sixth inning. You want to nail it down and sometimes you gotta nailed down rally in the seventy get a shouted down the -- And then turn over toppled on what you know whether. It's 01 up one run down game -- have guys -- amend their bases loaded get a strikeout pop up get a double play. And the Red Sox have all that -- amenable. Course the Red Sox with a dozen pitchers in that era do you have ten. I think we had about and we at five in the -- and five in the rotation. Give or take maybe you know Jack Armstrong -- got -- comin' up and down. But but for the most part I I think sometimes to get too many guys in the bullpen they don't get enough work. At times here in Washington we've had eight guys because of the lack of complete gains in even the young guys -- and six and seven. But I think it -- when guys are getting consistent work every other day -- pop Obama -- side Okajima for later years there. You need to keep your edge and if you're going -- forties without pitching. You're never gonna evidence and then when you need to Camilla the bases loaded you're not revealed fires strikes low pitches."

" Rob I was -- depression -- it starting pitching was sets the tone is the most important single commodity in baseball but maybe that is changing the bullpen. Could perhaps be the most important you --"

" I I agree NL also disagree I think we need to get back to guys go longer and games. Having worked with Jim Palmer in the and you look at some of the numbers that guys like Palmer. -- facts Carlton and all of tries to all those guys that you see even you know dealer -- when it through 300 innings a year what it did. Was they had their own set up guy kind of bridge by those final. Two innings that the -- Palmer talked about you know -- first from it was Robin Roberts. And people would see is same thing might jobs to go through line up four times or now the starters it's two and a half three times so we need to get back to a philosophy like Nolan Ryan's doing now the Rangers were throw away the quakers. If the guy goes out there you know what he's had enough as a pitching coach -- think these guys are reliable enough coaches to know when the guy his work in arteries laboring but. For the most part I think we need to get back to stronger starters so that it doesn't become a formula from the sixth inning on because it becomes a formula may be in the eighth or ninth. And you just go with a few more closers and setup type guys you go with stronger starters interest -- about you starting tonight Zimmerman what is he feature. This is great this is got a -- by -- fastball he's got to very smooth mechanics. He's one of our top top guys and easily made about fifteen starts in the big leagues. But he seems to get better he throws all his pitches for strikes sometimes may be too much of the strike zone. So tonight it'll be good challenge for him I mean our guys that are great job with the with the Yankees with the with the jays and with the rays. And I think it's actually. -- waves of gauging. How good you are compared to some of the best teams and by far the Red Sox for the best team that we face this year."

" Rob always certainly enjoy your work on TV and also on XM radio and special throw because I grew up listening to your father when he. -- news on the radio in New Haven and then and Hartford affiliate WTIC. I'm sure he would've been proud to -- followed in his footsteps."

" Manchuria that your looks down mommy right now any laps and goes oh my god my son's a national radio national TV so. For me it is a thrill to follow my dad's footsteps rob thank you so much for joining us continued success thank you -- John thank you thank you -- some guests of Red Sox radio receive a gift certificate from new -- restaurant today and bar located at 415 Hanover street in the north and it. And how open adding eleven Mount Vernon street in Winchester as well. We'll take our trip around the major leagues next this is there Herb Chambers Lexus pregame show on WRKO Red Sox radio network."