February 26, 2009

A Change For Beckett

Josh Beckett wants to throw more changeups this spring. Yesterday afternoon, against Boston College, seven or eight of his 22 pitches were changeups.
It's a big feel pitch for me and the more I throw it, the more I can command it, the more I can take speed off it, and add speed to it. It's more of a feel pitch than my curveball is and I want to try to get as many of them in now as I can. That way, I don't have to still be catching up with it in the regular season.
Tim Wakefield (42 pitches) said his shoulder "felt fine", though he was "a little rusty" pitching out of the stretch.

The Red Sox have 14 players (spread out over 11 of the 16 teams) participating in the World Baseball Classic:
Canada: Jason Bay
USA: Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis
Dominican Republic: David Ortiz
Japan: Daisuke Matsuzaka
Puerto Rico: Javier Lopez, Fernando Cabrera
Venezuela: Enrique Gonzalez
Australia: Mitch Dening
Chinese Taipei: Chih-Hsien Chiang, Che-Hsuan Lin
Netherlands: Dennis Neuman
Panama: Angel Chavez
South Africa: Justin Erasmus
Jon Lester gets the start when the Red Sox host the Pirates today at 1 PM.

47 comments:

Jere said...

one hit given up by Lester in top of first. We will dominate this Pirates squad!!!!

Jere said...

How bad is this? If you go to the "stats" section of redsox.com, and click "2009 Spring Training," you see all the individual stats...of the Minnesota Twins.

allan said...

If you go to the "stats" section of redsox.com, and click "2009 Spring Training," you see all the individual stats...of the Minnesota Twins.

They train the same town -- close enough.

***

Lineups as per MLB box:

Lugo, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Drew, RF
Varitek, C
Bailey, 1B
McAnulty, LF
Green, 3B
Ambres, CF

Benjamin said...

Up two on a Gumball 2-rbi single, apparently.

GDGD.

Jere said...

Lineout DP, Lester to Bailey, to end top 2nd. 2-0.

Benjamin said...

TER*- 00
BOS - 2

*Pittsburgh Terrorists.

Benjamin said...

Hilarious:

While David Ortiz was walking into the dugout today, an older woman, surrounded by kids with baseballs and pens, leaned over the top of the dugout and rolled an oddly shaped object with a Red Sox logo on it.

"David!" she shouted. "Will you sign my coconut?"

"What?" Ortiz.

"It's a coconut! It's for the nursing home!"

"Alright."

Ortiz shrugged, shook his head, and signed the coconut, which, again, somehow had a small Red Sox logo affixed to it. Ortiz muttered something that could not be understood and smiled broadly as he walked back to the clubhouse. That, apparently, was the first coconut he had ever autographed.

Jere said...

Saito gets his first work in, only allowing a bloop single. Okajima about to pitch now. 2-0 us after 3.

Jere said...

Why are they the terrorists?

allan said...

Why are they the terrorists?

... because everyone is considered a terrorist until they prove that they are not a terrorist? (shrug)

Jere said...

Oh that's right, Pittsburgh's in the US....

Benjamin said...

Because pirates terrorize. It's one of the dyslogistic senses of the word.

Benjamin said...

GDGD still has Ambres in a San Diego cap.

Jere said...

I never really thought about how a Mariners-Pirates matchup is a sea battle.

Benjamin said...

Barthmaier will be the barth of us.

allan said...

Mariners-Pirates

NATURAL RIVALS!!!!

Benjamin said...

I never really thought about how a Mariners-Pirates matchup is a sea battle.

Specifically it's a battle between hermit crabs ("pirates") and Tasmanian gastropods ("mariners"), presumably over who gets to occupy the latter's shells.

The more you know.

Benjamin said...

I'm not freaking out about it, but I wish Papi would get a hit, one of these games.

Benjamin said...

Hunter Jones's GDGD photo makes him look like Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords.

Zenslinger said...

Benjamin, thy site wouldst not verify mine browser.

Fie.

Zenslinger said...

But, I see what you mean.

Benjamin said...

Try this one.

Zenslinger said...

Righto.

He also might have taken those glasses off.

Benjamin said...

And Nick Green is still in a MFY hat.

I don't expect them to put more effort into GDGD in the preseason, especially for invites who might never make the team. It sure looks incongruous, though.

Benjamin said...

Another of Hunter with the glasses. He must never take them off for photos. At least he isn't wearing the goofy teeth in that one.

allan said...

Is it Business Time?

Jere said...

"I'm not freaking out about it, but I wish Papi would get a hit, one of these games."

One of these two games? Come on now...they did say he hit a rocket yesterday that was grabbed by the 1st baseman, and another ball he just missed that went deep to center.

Jere said...

Our first batter interference of the spring...

Papi up with 2 outs in the 8th, we'll see if he can get that hit.

Benjamin said...

Papi up with 2 outs in the 8th, we'll see if he can get that hit.

GDGD looks like it revised events and Papi never came up.

Benjamin said...

But now it's tied up, so Papi'll get his chance.

Jere said...

I just saw that. Man, they are dumb.... THey had Papi's picture up there for 10 minutes.

Jere said...

3-2 them on an error

Benjamin said...

CRB*- 000 000 003
BOS - 200 000 00

*Hermit crabs.

Jere said...

it's a zero sandwich. On one slice of 2 and one slice of 3.

Zenslinger said...

Unclear who made the error.

Jere said...

Diaz

Jere said...

Xtra Bases is back to updating, after a lull in mid-game. Said Diaz missed a catchable line drive.

Jere said...

Chris Carter up for Papi

Benjamin said...

Sox lose. Good thing these games don't count.

Jere said...

Well, that's it. It's a "FINALL," according to Adam Kilgore.

Benjamin said...

Lentz's law states that when you induce suckage in the 9th inning relief pitching, the direction of the game is into the toilet.

Jere said...

"Richard, Lentz is dead."

Name the movie...

Benjamin said...

I can name it, but only because I looked it up.

Joe Grav said...

epic phail in the 9th. fire tito

Zenslinger said...

Obviously, we have no pitching depth.

Benjamin said...

We should lobby to get the AL to revoke the DH rule. Pitchers are clearly better prepared than batters this year, so we want as many pitchers in our lineup as possible.

Benjamin said...

Upon further reflection, perhaps a shaved Youk looks more like a chimp with alopecia.