MVN: Most Valuable Network

Tim Wakefield: For Better or Worse 2009

Mr. Reliable. Joe summed it up pretty apropos in his column on Fire Brand last week. Over the long haul, Tim Wakefield is just that. At this point, I don't know how anyone can call Tim Wakefield anything other than a luxury as a fifth starter who consistently puts up league average ERA. Consider that for that production, the Red Sox have a perpetual $4 million dollar team option year after year. That is a tremendous luxury.

At the same time, this season could be the first season in the past six that Tim Wakefield doesn't hit the twenty start mark. Should two of the group of Brad Penny, John Smoltz, or Clay Buchholz step up and give consistent starts, Wakefield could find himself as the odd man out. Sometimes, but not often, league average production isn't enough to keep a pitcher in the rotation.

Mr. Reliable.

It took me some time to come around to believing this. Like many people, I saw that Wakefield could be hit...very, very hard on any given day. So I never fully appreciated Wake's ability. It was obvious that he wasn't an ace, for ace pitchers don't get rocked that often. But with my growing understanding of statistics, came my growing appreciation for Tim Wakefield.

So "effective" I thought summed up Wakefield well. Six straight seasons of "league-average" ERA+'s led me to use that word.

Chat Transcript: Ortiz, Yankees, Buchholz and more

David Ortiz - Samara Pearlstein

Sit down with a big cup of coffee, because have I a treat for you. I participated in a chat on Tuesday night and they have made the transcript available for Fire Brand to peruse.

I talk about which minor leaguers to keep an eye on... what the Sox need to do to win this year... how important David Ortiz is to us.

Oh, I also throw out predictions such as who will finish at first... scoff at the Yankees... and talk about who the heck can be our future catcher.

My favorite Red Sox players

Pedro - drgandy

On Friday, the Boston Globe ran down the worst breakups in Red Sox history going around the diamond by position. It's a nice (and sobering) read.

It made me ask myself "who would be on my personal 'favorite Red Sox' team?" My list is here and includes famous names such as Pedro Martinez and obscure names such as Jeff Frye

Fireside Chats #31: Where a little Smoltz and Baldelli goes a long way

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Paul and Tim seem to have recovered from the aftershock of Mark Teixeira's donning the pinstripes, and John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli have alot to do with it. Aside from breaking down the new acquisitions, they go up and down the lineup, wonder if Tim Wakefield's position on this team is secure, and review the MLB Network. Are they suddenly optimistic about the Red Sox 2009 prospects? Listen and find out.

JUNKYARD DOGS, A Season of Redemption . . . and Hope.

17 of the starting 25 Red Sox for 2009 have much to prove this season. Of this number, 15 are rebounding from injuries which plagued 2008.

Charlie Zink designated for assignment

Charlie Zink, the knuckleballer signed in 2002 after a recommendation from Luis Tiant, has been designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox. Zink, who won 34 games over the past four seasons for Pawtucket and Portland, had his major league debut in 2008, giving up eight earned runs in just four and third innings.

It has long been speculated that Zink, 28, would be in the starting rotation for most teams and was only held back in Boston by Tim Wakefield. Not even Bernie Madoff could talk Boston's front office into start two knuckleballers in the rotation. Fire Brand wishes Zink the best, and hopes he gets an opportunity to prove himself with another team very soon. Preferably outside the AL East.

Cafardo's Latest: Baldelli, Smoltz close

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe is reporting that Rocco Baldelli and the Boston Red Sox are close to agreeing on terms for the Rhode Island native to become the fourth outfielder for 2009. The St. Petersburg Times reported earlier this evening that Baldelli was likely to sign soon, and Peter Gammons later reported that Rocco and the Red Sox "close."

Cafardo is also reporting the team is likely to announce a deal with 42-year old veteran John Smoltz. Sources involved with negotiations indicate Smoltz with get a one year, $5.5 million deal with the potential to make $10 million in 2009. Smoltz is likely to return by early May and has a desire to be a starter.

Whither Wakefield?

*hat tip - YFSF, What Does Amalie Know?*

Projections for 2009 Red Sox and others

Bill James has come out with his new handbook for 2009, and in the handbook are the early statistical projections for players next year. This may be especially significant in the case of the Red Sox, as James has a vast amount of knowledge of players in the Red Sox system due to being employed by the team.

Red Sox pick up Tim Wakefield's option

The Red Sox have exercised Tim Wakefield's $4 million dollar perpetual team option for the 2009 season. Next year will mark Wakefield's 15th season with the team.

Over that time Wake has knuckled his way to 164 wins in a Red Sox uniform, third only to Roger Clemens and Cy Young (192). On the flip side, he's given up 151 more home runs than any other Red Sox pitcher with 345 to Roger's 194.

10/14: Is Wake our Savior?

@ Oct. 14 GAME 4 - ALCS 2008 Andy Sonnanstine (1-0, 3.18 @ Tim Wakefield (0-0, -.--) Fenway Park (Boston, MA) 8:07 PM EDT, TBS 2B Akinori Iwamura RF J.D. Drew CF B.J. Upton 2B Dustin Pedroia 1B Carlos Pena DH David Ortiz 3B Evan Longoria 3B Kevin Youkilis LF Carl Crawford LF Jason Bay DH Willy Aybar 1B Mark Kotsay C Dioner Navarro CF Coco Crisp RF Fernando Perez C Kevin Cash SS Jason Bartlett SS Jed Lowrie GAME NOTES: Jacoby finally gets benched. Tito says it's time to win and he made the move out of urgency. Also says Drew is leading off because of his OBP and Sonnanstine has allowed only one stolen base all season, so speed isn't crucial. Coco is seventh because he's more of a free swinger, so they want him comfortable doing that and not leading off. Just Win....

What Sox need to do at the plate, in the field

IN THE FIELD Tim Wakefield last pitched in a game on September 28, meaning that while he will be extremely well-rested, the potential exists that he will be far too rusty to make a meaningful contribution. The question then becomes: how long of a leash do we offer Tim? Tim has a 3.10 ERA at Fenway in 90 innings this year. In one more inning, he has a 5.14 ERA on the road. That bodes well for Wake's chances in Game Four, yet another pivotal game (what playoff game isn't?) in the ALCS. If we lose this game, we have to win three straight, two in Tampa. If we win this game, we have a chance to go up three games to two heading to Tampa. These last two games, Terry Francona has shown a tendency to stick with his starting pitchers (Jon Lester, Josh Beckett) even when the pitchers...

Byrd to start Game 4? Lowe to Yankees?

Buster Olney had a chat up today with two interesting tidbits... Heard this informed speculation this morning -- Beckett, Lester, Matsuzaka, Byrd in Games 1-7. It's hard to start Wakefield against the Rays because they run so well. This is a pretty interesting argument, and it makes a lot of sense. It does make me wonder, however, the feasibility of retaining Wakefield as a reliever. Francona alluded to this talking about Game 3 of the ALDS: We put Cash in for Tek, then we went to Ross when we hit for Cash, so we would have gone to Byrd first. If Wake pitches, we'd like it to be Cashy catching, and he was already out of the game. So Byrd would have been the first starter coming out of the pen. Onto Lowe... I think the Yankees are going to throw a boatload of money at Lowe, and he will...

How 'Bout Dem New Sox?

Jason Bay and Jed Lowrie may be new to a Boston uniform, but they've proven unbelievably crucial to the Red Sox season. Jed Lowrie, despite his .258/.339 line on the season has proven himself more than capable of being the Red Sox's longterm shortstop. In 260 at-bats, he had 46 RBI. Compare that to Julio Lugo and his 261 at-bats for the Sox this year where he netted 22 RBI. Ouch. How much joy do you think Lowrie derived to go from starting the year in the minors to delivering the ALDS-clinching RBI? Jason Bay, in the playoff hunt for the first time, may not have made Sox fans forget about Manny and his quirkiness, but he did produce Manny-like at-bats for the Sox (not the Dodger Manny, the discontented-Manny, but we can only compare Bay to the Manny of Boston because that's what we were getting) and has played...