Pages

▼

May 13, 2007

Beckett's Finger

Redsox.com reports that Josh Beckett left the game after four innings with
an avulsion on the right middle finger, leading to "irritation of the skin." ...

It was not a blister, he said, referring to the problem that plagued him earlier in his career. Francona said it would be a couple of days before the team would decide on Beckett's next start.
From Beckett's DL history:
5/1/02: Placed on the 15-day DL retroactive to April 29 with a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. (Activated 5/14)

6/5/02: Placed on the 15-day disabled list (right middle finger blister). (Activated ???)

8/24/02: Placed on the 15-day DL with a blister to his right middle finger. (Activated 9/11)

5/31/04: Placed on the 15-day disabled list with a blister to his right middle finger. (Activated 6/16)

7/6/04: Placed on the 15-day DL with a skin tear to his right middle finger. (Activated 7/30)

6/17/05: Placed on the 15-day disabled list with a blister to his right middle finger. (Activated 6/30)
Hmmmmm. Now it could be that if Beckett is going to get a cut/blister, that is simply the most likely finger. Beckett:
My skin just tore. There is nothing there. It's not like I got a blister under my callus. It's just one of those deals where you have to wait and see.
SoSHer's notes from NESN post-game interview:
My skin broke
Ripped more and more each pitch
Nothing is wrong with my callus
I've had one of these before, better than a blister
Need to dry it out and get the skin grown
It's a big hopefully that I can make my next start
Just a bad ball with a frayed seam or something
This is the best stuff I've had the last two years
at

11 comments:

  1. thatdietcokegirlMay 13, 2007 at 11:13 PM

    so he has a permanent callous there that he relies on to stay callous-y (as opposed to fleshy and soft) all season-long?

    ReplyDelete
  2. timMay 14, 2007 at 9:44 AM

    he should really get a paraffin hand wax or something, lol

    ReplyDelete
  3. DevineMay 14, 2007 at 10:28 AM

    He cut a finger last year, too. I should look that up. As I recall, it was late in the year and didn't interrupt his schedule, but I could be wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JackieMay 14, 2007 at 11:22 AM

    I still don't really understand the difference between an avulsion and a torn open blister, but I'll trust that Beckett and the Sox medical staff do. I don't see any reason why they would lie about it, if it was indeed a blister.

    It does make sense that, if he were prone to blistering, he'd try to build up a callous. I recently made the mistake of over-pampering my feet and then doing a lot of walking... I can attest to the fact that the softer your skin is, the more prone it is to blistering. :/

    ReplyDelete
  5. DevineMay 14, 2007 at 11:23 AM

    August 24, '06.

    "Ian Browne, of Boston.RedSox.MLB.com, reports Boston Red Sox SP Josh Beckett (finger) left the Red Sox game in the seventh inning Thursday, Aug. 24, after he developed a cut on his right middle finger. Before leaving, Beckett gave the Red Sox one of his better starts of the year, giving up just one run on four hits in six innings."

    So yeah, it happened here too. He did not miss his next start. He went 7 innings, gave up 5 hits, 2 runs (both earned), walked 3, struck out 4, no homers.

    ReplyDelete
  6. DevineMay 14, 2007 at 11:24 AM

    That last is his pitching line on August 29th. Hard luck loss to Oakland (weren't they all in August?), lost 2-1.

    ReplyDelete
  7. allanMay 14, 2007 at 11:48 AM

    Nice find, devine.

    ReplyDelete
  8. laura kMay 14, 2007 at 3:42 PM

    It does make sense that, if he were prone to blistering, he'd try to build up a callous.

    Trumpet players, sax players, etc. get this on their lips. The callous builds up - then bursts or rips open. Louis Armstrong was very famous for this.

    We'll just call Beckett Satchmo.

    Of course, if Beckett was the Satchmo of the mound, he'd be Pedro, but never mind.

    ReplyDelete
  9. andyMay 14, 2007 at 8:33 PM

    when he gives his best stuff its obvious he is really gripping the ball more. It sucks he has baby soft skin but he should grip it hard every night. And a good callus will not burst on the hard surface of the hand or fingers. The lips are soft almost mucous surfaces. They will burst more often. Now a blister prone finger that is not allowed to callus will repeatedly bleed if not properly callused.The curve ball will drag on the index finger side of the throwing hand middle finger. He stopped throwing the curve most of last year for fear that he would re-blister the finger. He must have worked on a callus in the off-season. He has been great and will remain that way. Stop doubting him. The sox are running on all cylinders this year. Do you really dount the run production will come? It is almost like the batters are not letting bad outings end badly. They are playing like the motto is No Pitcher Left Behind.

    ReplyDelete
  10. allanMay 15, 2007 at 10:22 AM

    devine:

    I emailed your comment to Edes. His reply:

    "it was a cut around the nail, didn't involve either a blister or torn skin"

    ReplyDelete
  11. DevineMay 15, 2007 at 10:39 AM

    Heh. I can believe that and that it makes a big difference, but in my head, I'm just going to keep repeating the mantra..."Beckett is fine, Beckett is fine, Beckett is fine..."

    And hey, if he only misses one start, that's no big deal. I definitely prefer him missing one and remaining healthy to tearing his finger up some more against...who's after Detroit?

    ReplyDelete