Boston Red Sox - 2006

[Thrasha]

Quote: Originally Posted by camulos

That doesn't surprise me. It's unfortunate because he was pitching so well in that game. It should be interesting to see how the Sox approach this. A rotation of Schilling, Wakefield, Beckett, Clement and Pauley just isn't that good with the way Beckett and Clement have been pitching.

Hopefully Beckett and Clement took notes on Pauley's performance last night...

[Thrasha]

Quote: Originally Posted by heavyXBLLN

Well, first off, you'd have to have gotten him started started in the 6th, and if he did that everyone else would THEN be complaining how dumb Tito is. Second, the month is NOT irrelevant. If you are going to use up your pitching staff like it's the 7th game of the ALCS EVERY GAME, then you are probably going to run out of gas before the All Star break. Third, Papelbon is coming in 20-for-20. He's your closer, but he is still pretty much a rookie. Last thing you want to do is put him into a tie game this early with the bases loaded and risk rattling him in an unnecessary situation. The great unknown in this ballclub, the one that scares me the most, is: how will Papelbon react after the first time he blows a save? I don't want to put him into a situation where he is set up for failure unless the season really depends on it. And frankly, last night, it didn't. Fourth, I AM worried about using him up. It's the second game of the series. You bring him into a tie game in the 7th, with Farnsworth and Rivera still out there, chances are the BEST Papelbon could do is keep it tied. Then what? How many innings? Who comes in after him? What do you do tomorrow and Thursday when Papelbon might have to sit after pitching way past his count? This was a Foulke/Timlin situation NOT Papelbon...

I don't think you totally understand what a closer by committee is.

It's basically using your best reliever for that given situation.

Last night if you were using a CBC, Papelbon probably would have been brought in. But I can't argue too much with Seanez either. He's a strikeout pitcher and pretty much our least erractic guy in the BP control wise. (Although we know that's not saying a whole lot).

[Dispatch]

I saw on the news that the Sox sent down van Buren (sp?) and brought up Craig Hansen. I wonder what this means??? Do you think they are getting ready to make Papelbon a Starter and Hansen the closer after awhile?

[Stu]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cisco Kid

I saw on the news that the Sox sent down van Buren (sp?) and brought up Craig Hansen. I wonder what this means??? Do you think they are getting ready to make Papelbon a Starter and Hansen the closer after awhile?

I wouldn't read too much into it. Van Buren was coming off a game where he pitched a couple innings and they needed an extra arm for the rest of the series. I'm not as opposed as most Red Sox fans in moving Papelbon back to the rotation, but I don't think Hansen is ready and it's not a move you can make with Timlin on the DL and Foulke hurting.

[Beantown]

Yeah...maybe once Timlin and Foulke get healthy, if Hansen doesn't doo too bad, you might see Papelbon move back into the rotation, but I doubt they take him out of a role where he's been the best closer this season.

[Thrasha]

Hopefully Papelbon will get a chance to actually close out a game in the near future.

[Beantown]

At least we can't lose tonight.

Game was postponed

[Misfit]

With the way they've been using him in the minors, its more likely that Hansen gets a try in the rotation than Papelbon. I like Papelbon as the closer because he's lights out, though part of me does dislike it because I feel it does stunt his growth as a starter. However, watching him close out games has shown that he doesn't have a consistent third pitch so its probably not the worst thing for him to be in the pen right now. Then again, coming into close games means he doesn't really get a chance to try to refine his slider (and curveball, which he used to throw as a starter last year but has abandoned as a reliever). Whats done is done though, so I feel they might as well keep him in the pen for now. If for some reason the Sox stink it up and are out of it come September then they should try starting him like they did with Lowe in 2001. Though I expect this team to compete all season long so I'm not expecting that.

If Wells is done, and it looks like he is at the very least done for the next month or so, then I have no problems with Pauley staying in the rotation for a while to get a chance to prove he belongs. I'm actually more comfortable with him on the mound than I am with Clement at the moment, which is more an insult to Clement than it is a complimant to Pauley. His command looks pretty good and his stuff is good enough to be a 5th starter in this league. I know some Boston fans have no concept of what a fifth starter is and expect every starter on the team to win 15 games with a sub 4.00 ERA so not everyone will feel the way I feel. Plus Lester is likely to get a shot during the double-header (unless this rain-out changes things) so we'll get a chance to see if he looks like he's ready to be an end of the rotation starter.

And its unlikely, but Houston isn't looking good right now in the NL now that Oswalt will be on the DL for a bit. There is still a small possibility of Clemens in a Red Sox uniform this season if Houston appears out of it come the trade deadline. I wouldn't expect it, but there likely isn't going to be anyone available at the deadline who can make a real impact in the rotation at the deadline so it doesn't hurt to wait and see. Zito isn't going anywhere so long as Oakland remains competetive and I'm not buying into the rumors that Florida is willing to part with Willis.