February 25, 2007

Starting Pitchers

For the first five exhibition games:
Wed 0228 v Twins: Curt Schilling 
Thu 0301 v Blue Jays: Kason Gabbard
Thu 0301 v Northeastern: Josh Beckett
Fri 0302 v Blue Jays: Kyle Snyder
Fri 0302 v Boston College: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon will both pitch against the Phillies on Saturday, March 3.

All starters will work two innings or 35 pitches.

Ater Schilling on Wednesday night, Mike Timlin, Julian Tavarez, Joel Pineiro and Brendan Donnelly -- the four guys being considered for the closer's job -- will head to the mound.

Matsuzaka pitched batting practice to four hitters on Saturday. He threw 22 fastballs and 20 off-speed pitches to Bobby Scales, Jacoby Ellsbury, Luis Jimenez and Kevin Cash. Dice hit about 92 with his fastball; he'll throw another BP session on Monday.

Good decision by the Red Sox to not offer Schilling a guaranteed contract for 2008 before this season begins. Schilling says he will file for free agency (for the first time in his career). Theo: "Age was a pretty important factor in the determination. ... He's going to be 41. At that age we get a little more conservative. ... It doesn't mean we don't want him back."

Craig Hansen has a back sprain and has not thrown for a few days. ... Jon Lester threw batting practice yesterday and Francona said he "looked tremendous". ... Pitching coach John Farrell on Manny Delcarmen: "He has good command of all three pitches. It's only the bullpen and BP, but the first impressions have been very good."

David Ortiz has added some muscle. "It feels good, even a little more powerful. ... If I hit less home runs (this) year, I'm going to go back to being super fat."

14 comments:

9casey said...

Curt was a hero in 04 , shows up on time , supports his teammates,
and he's not worth 13 million




Jesus ,Theo don't get cheap know..

I think Curt has proven himself if Dice-k is woth 100 million to the sox , then Curt should be worth at least 13 million..

So what does Theo do root for the guy to break down all year or go out and win 20 and then have to give him 15-18 million.....

But if they want Clemens what will they pay?

Crazy move can really only backfire

allan said...

Curt was a hero in 04

We're talking about 2008.

supports his teammates

Like hinting that Scott Williamson was faking his shoulder injury in 2004? (The same shoulder that, according to the doctor that opened him up, looked like a bomb had exploded in it)

if Dice-k is woth 100 million to the sox , then Curt should be worth at least 13 million

Dice is 26 -- Curt will be 41. Bit of an age difference.

If Schilling pitches well this year, then he may well be worth another year. That would be fine with me.

Right now, he has a contract for 2007. Honor that one and when it runs out, then talk about a new one.

Crazy move can really only backfire

Backfiring is the only option?

...

It sure seems like Curt's "extend me now or I may bolt" is drawing far less heat than Pedro's similar claim in the spring of 2004. Just another double standard from the Boston media.

9casey said...

Curt Schilling Said:
"I'm going to get ready for opening day and this is not going to change anything that I do or how I do it,"

Pedro said:
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2004/05/01/martinez_prepared_to_walk/

It sure seems like Curt's "extend me now or I may bolt"

To be fair I haven't seen that statement from Curt.

Redsock said:
Right now, he has a contract for 2007. Honor that one and when it runs out, then talk about a new one.

How has that worked out for the red sox?

Pedro gone
Damon gone
Clemens gone

allan said...

Curt Schilling Said:
"I'm going to get ready for opening day and this is not going to change anything that I do


Pedro was also ready to pitch in 2004.

Curt's statement has been all over the media. He said he would not negotiate during the season, so if the Sox did not make him an offer before Opening Day -- and they said they will not -- then he will become a FA and test the waters, with every team getting an equal shot at him.

How has that worked out for the red sox?
Pedro gone
Damon gone
Clemens gone


The Red Sox offered sizable piles of $$$ to all three of those players -- and all three decided to go elsewhere. (Plus they did pick up a huge option on Pedro before the 2004 season, making him the highest-paid pitcher in history.)

I agreed with the decision to let all three of those guys go. All of the Sox's final offers were quite fair.

And even though I love Pedro, giving him four years was too much. As the Mets may be finding out.

9casey said...

I started off on the same side of this arguement that you are on.....

I said to people he has a contract , honor it...

But then after listening to people , they made sense...

All he wants is one year 13 million.

Why roll the dice? sorry for the pun..

I honestly dont think he will leave his family is pretty comfortable in Medfield..

I also will not be suprised if he does sign before opening day

allan said...

I may have misunderstood you.

It seems like a gamble to lay out money for 2008 when we have no idea what kind of pitcher Schilling will be in 2007.

I also will not be suprised if he does sign before opening day

But Theo is not offering him anything to sign -- and it didn't sound like the FO would change its mind.

He says every team will have an equal shot, but I don't believe that, in large part for the reason you gave -- his family now lives in the area.

The Sox would have to have an edge somehow. If they want him back in '08, they'll make a fair offer, one that won't likely be topped (or not by much) by any other team.

Meanwhile, let's see him get rid of that gut and work on that change.

andy said...

He will be a Yankee soon.

laura k said...

How has that worked out for the red sox?
Pedro gone
Damon gone
Clemens gone


It's worked out pretty well.

No one could have predicted Clemens's return. When he left he hadn't remade himself into a stud yet. He wasn't worth the money at the time.

Damon hasn't been fully replaced yet, but it's not like he's winning the Yankees any championships. He's certainly replaceable.

And Pedro, four years was asking too much, and maybe he knew that, since he wasn't willing to pitch on the same team as Schilling anymore.

"Shows up on time, support his teammates"? Hopefully we can set the bar a little higher than that.

(And by the way, we don't know if Curt shows up on time, and who cares.)

9casey said...

l-girl said:

Damon hasn't been fully replaced yet, but it's not like he's winning the Yankees any championships. He's certainly replaceable.

So is Schilling that's not the point.
L-girl said:

How has that worked out for the red sox?
Pedro gone
Damon gone
Clemens gone

It's worked out pretty well.

Whatever???!!!!

You do know we finished in third place last year....

allan said...

Our third place finish had nothing to do with Pedro or Damon -- and certainly nothing to do with Fat Billy.

As August 2006 began, the Red Sox were in first place and were tied with the Mets with the 2nd-best record in baseball.

Then came the avalanche of injuries, which was almost universally referred to as unprecedented.

Q for Casey: If most of the team had remained healthy, do you think the Red Sox would have finished behind New York and Toronto?

9casey said...

Redsock I am a full believer in pitching and when you finish 11th in era for the american league and give up the 4th most runs in the league. You are going to finish in 3rd place. Varitek's injury may have had something to do with that.
Wakefield maybe as well...
The fact remains they pitched like shit last year. Thats why they finished in third.

I hate to keep bringing it up but in 04 they were 3rd in era, gave up the 4th least runs in the league ...

Pitching it sucked last year, plain and simple....

I realize Damon, had nothing to do with that, but some would argue having a leadoff man like him always puts pressure on the other teams pitcher and helps yours.

allan said...

Some would argue it, but I think those people would be wrong.

Damon's 2006 OBP: .359
Yook's 2006 OBP: .381

I'll repeat what I said: On August 1, the Boston Red Sox were in first place. Only one team in MLB had a better record. At that point, they were 7th in total runs allowed in the AL and 2nd in runs scored.

I'm not sure a case can be made that poor pitching did more damage than injuries in sinking the Sox in the final two months -- some of that poor pitching was due to injury -- but I'd be interested in hearing the argument.

For what it's worth, at season's end, the Yankees's team ERA was also below the league average.

9casey said...

They still play 162, The Red sox at the end on Oct.1.........Had there worst production of runs in five years and had given up more runs in 5 years.......

The FO was not prepared i.e. the slaps they threw out on the mound after Aug 1.

They could have had Abreu and had him for this year....Now I can't belive you would rather have Drew over Abreu.....

Thay mailed it in after those 5 with the yankees.

From Aug 1 till Oct 1 the pitching staff gave up 300 runs.......Thats ridiculous.....


Why do you hate Clemens so much?

You don't feel as though He was given the boot by the Duke..

allan said...

Why do you hate Clemens so much?

This Bill Simmons column from May 2001 touches on many of my feelings:
http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1206543
mirrored here:
http://yanks-suck.com/story12.php

It must be like how other people feel about Bonds: he's an annoying, grating, self-absorbed, asshole.

boot by the Duke

Not even a little bit.

I have felt for awhile that I would like to go back over his last few years with the Sox and see if he was mailing it in, as is commonly thought. My Vermont friend Ray strongly disagrees with that idea. I support it. So I may do that some day.