Boston Red Sox: 2007

[UMass03]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Anyone else love when Papelbon is pitching? Their is just something about him when he's in that makes him awesome to watch. I wish last nights game was in Fenway because the place would have exploded.

Can't wait for opening day tommorow.

Love to watch him throw. I like the stare he has going before he pitches to the batter.

[Dispatch]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Seattle isn't looking to good so far. Weaver is having a tough time finding the strike zone. He's already throw 40 pitches so far this game.

2-0 lead for the Sox, still 2 outs in the 1st.

[Stu]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

HR for JD Drew. 7-0 now.

[Beantown]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Drew's been worth all the money so far.

[Sandman42]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Wow Jeff Weaver sucks.

[Beantown]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Yes, yes he does.

[Coug00]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Seattle isn't looking to good so far.

Seattle isn't a great team by any stretch of the imagination, but a 6 day layoff will tend to make a team rusty.

[Stu]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

I'm at work, so am stuck listening.

Is Beckett pitching as good as his stat line makes it look like?

[Beantown]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Seattle isn't a great team by any stretch of the imagination, but a 6 day layoff will tend to make a team rusty.

And Jeff Weaver as one of your starters doesn't make you much better.

[Beantown]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

I'm at work, so am stuck listening.

Is Beckett pitching as good as his stat line makes it look like?

From what I've seen: yes.

[GBrushTWood]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

I'm at work, so am stuck listening.

Is Beckett pitching as good as his stat line makes it look like?

Yes, he's looking quite strong this afternoon. He is painting his fastball on the outside corner from anywhere between 94-96 MPH. His curve ball has a lot of movement and he is throwing it usually when he gets ahead in the count. His change up has been left floating a couple times, but usually away from the inside part of the plate and to no damage.

Seattle only touched him up in one inning for 2 hits. Other than that, he has dominated. Of course, the long layoff for Seattle along with his strong start (and subsequent tanking in 2006) must be factored in here. I'm impressed by this start, but as everybody knows, he needs to continue mixing his pitches and do this against the best hitting teams. Kansas City and Seattle aren't the best hitting teams out there.

Edit: All his strikeouts have come on fastballs, just literally throwing it by the Seattle hitters. I think there's a good chance the rust for Seattle is playing a factor in this game.

[Coug00]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

And Jeff Weaver as one of your starters doesn't make you much better.

Agreed. The 3 pitchers Bavasi brought in for nearly $20 million combined a year shows how incompetent he is. Its early, but Weaver, Ramirez, and Batista have been a resounding thud.

At least tomorrow should be a great matchup between King Felix and Dice-K.

[Dispatch]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Yes, he's looking quite strong this afternoon. He is painting his fastball on the outside corner from anywhere between 94-96 MPH. His curve ball has a lot of movement and he is throwing it usually when he gets ahead in the count. His change up has been left floating a couple times, but usually away from the inside part of the plate and to no damage.

Seattle only touched him up in one inning for 2 hits. Other than that, he has dominated. Of course, the long layoff for Seattle along with his strong start (and subsequent tanking in 2006) must be factored in here. I'm impressed by this start, but as everybody knows, he needs to continue mixing his pitches and do this against the best hitting teams. Kansas City and Seattle aren't the best hitting teams out there.

Edit: All his strikeouts have come on fastballs, just literally throwing it by the Seattle hitters. I think there's a good chance the rust for Seattle is playing a factor in this game.

Yea Beckett has looked good so far, but like you said until he faces a good hitting team I don't know what to think of him.

[Matty86]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

amazing game... should have heard the place blow up when they announced DiceK before the game.... DiceK, Pesky, and the Seattle bat boy got the loudest cheers haha

[GBrushTWood]

Re: Boston Red Sox: 2007

Another thing is that the pitchers who followed Beckett were getting strikeouts as well, Donnelly and Okajima. Neither of those guys are over powering, so it is possible Seattle was just highly terrible on this very day. It is also possible that Beckett is indeed nasty this year. It's still too small of a sample size to tell.

Of course, Timlin followed all these guys and looked pretty piss poor. I have no idea why he is the designated 8th inning bridge to Papelbon, but I imagine after he blows 3-4 close ball games, he will be demoted. He has no business being the 8th inning high leverage guy anymore, he's too old, and his command has degraded.

As for Brendan Donnelly: What a disgraceful act out there. I should include the disclaimer that I have never liked this guy at all because I think he's a lying cheating meat head, but his actions against Guillen today just reinforced my beliefs about him. Especially after knowing the umpires and MLB warned both Guillen and Donnelly before the game that they wouldn't tolerate any clownery on the field. Yet, Donnelly still said something (likely) obnoxious to Guillen after the strikeout and incited a confrontation. What a **** move. I don't think I can cheer for this jerkstore...