Pitching Problems You Wish You Had

My stomach is still upset and feels venerable, so I’ve decided to restrain from discussing the conclusion of the football season.

Instead, in an act of redirection, I’m going to make an attempt at diverting our attention to the World Champion Red Sox (sigh…see? Isn’t that nice?). This first segment will focus on pitching. It should begin to take some of the pain away and warm us up for spring training.

No Johan – No Problem

Just a brief message to those of you who still think the Red Sox should have went homeless in an attempt of landing Johan Santana: Sure, it would have been nice. It would have been a showpiece and could have worked out great, much like Pedro did ten years ago (weird it’s been that long). The acquisition would have been like finagling the best looking girl to go with you to prom. Everyone would have been envious, because no matter what happened she would have at least looked great in the pictures. But not getting her…I mean him…is not the end of the world. You’ve got a few pretty good looking gals on your dance card already. And at least she didn’t go with the biggest ass hole in the school. The one who is clean shaving and smooth like chocolate – so smooth you want to hit him in the face every time you see him (mostly in hate…but with a touch of envy). Not only that, but she won’t even be going to your school’s prom. And just think, there’s always that chance that at the after party she gets too drunk and throws up all over you when you go in to kiss her, embarrassing you in front of the hundreds of previously envious guys who now laugh and say to each other, “I knew she was a bad idea”.

Whether you followed that bizarre metaphor the whole way through or began daydreaming about high school girls, munch on these facts to put your mind at ease.

Santana’s ERA jumped from 2.77 to 3.33 from 2006-2007 while his winning percentage plummeted from .760 to .536. Sure, could just be a blip in the radar...maybe.

In 2005, he gave up 22 homeruns, followed by 24 in 2006. In 2007, Santana let up a career high 33 bombs – third most in the Major Leagues. Keeping the ball up against the a team like the Yankees (especially the possible three or four times at Fenway) will end up a disaster, especially when a wall looms to your back right with dents still imprinted on it by A-Rod and Jeter.

Speaking of the Yankees, they seem to know Santana’s number. Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Robinson Cano, and Melky Cabrera have a combined .366 lifetime average against the ace (Matsui and Cano each bat over .400…as if Sox fans didn’t cringe enough when Godzilla stepped up the plate). Just to give you an idea, the rest of the MLB posts a .221.

And what about the postseason? Well let’s just say, he’s no Becket. Or Shilling. Hell, I’d even take Dice-k. In 11 playoff appearances, Santana is 1-4 with a 3.97 era. Not exactly extensive work or blow out stats. Oh, and against the Yankees in the playoffs? Four starts with a 1-1 record.

Does anything else really matter?

Any Other Team’s Rotation Problems

Fans of any other team would have been on their knees crying had they heard the news that one of their veteran starters would be flying to Florida with a shoulder full of torn ligaments. Especially when they found out he would be spending all spring trying to rehabilitate it…against his doctor’s recommendation. Not this new breed of Red Sox fans. Not this year. Not since the Sox denied a trade for the best pitcher in the league (see: section one) because they wanted to hold onto two rough cut diamond studs that they plan on polishing and flaunting. In fact, the news almost made this year a lot easier.

The Red Sox had a possible six man rotation coming out of last season:

Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K, Wakefield, Lester, Buckholtz

So the question became: Who do you drop? Buckholtz is young, and besides pitching a shut out (yeah, so what?!) plus a few innings of strong relief, they haven’t seen much out of him from a starter's standpoint. Lester came up big in the playoffs, leading the Sox to believe he can be a strong four or five and Dice-K gave the team shimmers of a possible break out sophomore season. And of course, most sports fan’s jaws are still on the floor after watching Beckett in the playoffs. But what do you do with the two old men?

Because of all the Shilling controversy, I say leave him out. I wasn’t in favor of signing him in the first place, but since we’re paying him I think we should put him on the shelf and wait until someone gets injured. Maybe by then he’ll be “healed”.

In my mind, Wakefield should never be in the bullpen. Either start the man or put him on the bench (where he will hopefully stay as a pitching or bench coach with the Red Sox until he passes away. This event of course would lead to a mass gathering at Boston tattoo parlors, each customer requesting “WAKE” to be inked across their knuckles). I can say with confidence I’m not the first to have stomach aches about the thought of a knuckle-baller coming out of the pen. Sixth inning, two men on, one out and you throw butterflies at em? I don’t think so. If he’s on he’ll strike out the next two – but if he’s off you might as well throw in the towel. And if that doesn’t convince you, and you’re still weary about age, check this out and tell me you don’t feel better.

Wake started eight more games in 2007 than he did the year before: 31 games – one more than Josh Beckett. Tired old man? I don’t think so.

Seventeen wins is nothing to snuff at either. While Red Sox ace Josh Beckett lead the league with 20, only 10 other pitchers in the MLB finished with more wins than Wakefield. Not to mention, scattered throughout his starts Wake managed to strikeout 20 more batters than in ‘06, putting his 2007 total at 110.

And finally, the stats that mean the most: Wake vs. Yankees Lifetime

TEAM BA - (.254) AROD - (.256 Posada) - .250 Matsui - (.156)

The man can be a New York Killer.

All in all the Sox rotation has all the means of being a juggernaut. Provided Beckett does ¾ as well as he did in ’07 as numero uno, Dice-K cuts down on the walks and homeruns in the two spot, Lester keeps it rolling in the middle of the rotation, Wake holds on for one more year in the four, and Buchholz fills the massive expectations he has created (hell – even half of what we expect will be a success) while bringing up the rear.

Oh, and I suppose a Cy-Young winner in the six spot, fill-in position can’t hurt.