Way back in February of 2005, I wrote an article about the Red Sox’s second baseman, Mark Bellhorn. Coming off a strong 2004, I had a gut feeling that we could be in for a disappointing year by Bellhorn. After hitting .264/.373/.444 in 2004 in 523 AB, he sank to .217/.328/.360 in 283 AB before defecting to the Yankees after being released and hitting .118/.250/.294 in 17 AB. He was a utility player for the Padres last year and hit .190/.285/.344 in 253 AB. His stock has continued dropping like a rock, and has signed a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds in hopes of bouncing back in a hitter-friendly park.
By the same gut feeling that felt Bellhorn was about to drop off a cliff for the Red Sox, I have to wonder if Josh Beckett is primed for a big season. This feeling has been circulating in my body for some time, and a recent Boston Herald article has sparked me to chat about it. As the Herald states:
He dominated at times; his ERA was 2.22 in his 16 wins. But in his six no-decisions (5.02) and 11 defeats (10.36), that ERA went off the charts.
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To his credit, Beckett allowed one or no homers in eight of his final nine starts.