36 home runs surrendered (ridiculous), an increase in walks (74), and a 5.01 ERA (although the defense wasn't exactly helping too much that season), were all contributions to a year in which Josh Beckett wasn't exactly proud of (nor were we after giving up Hanley Ramirez AND watching Anibel Sanchez throw a "No-No"). But I firmly believe that an abundance of fastballs was also a contributing factor to his lack of success.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Byrd. Byrd, acquired from the Cleveland Indians during the latter part of the 2008 season, served the Red Sox very capably out of the back of the rotation spot and was an integral part in getting the team all the way to a seventh game in the ALCS. Read on...
JD Drew is a lifetime .284 hitter. If Drew only "drew" 30 walks a season then his offensive contributions would diminish greatly. What he "lacks" in batting average, Drew more than makes up for in reaching base via the walk...and of course he hits for power too.
But JD Drew has been an on base machine over his career. People's beliefs on how walks impact the game of baseball may vary. But can anyone argue that a .392 career on base percentage, isn't really, really good? That is how often Drew has reached base in his career.
While we'll mention the conclusion to the 'Tek saga and give a quick nod to the impending beginning of Spring Training, Episode #33 (the honorary Jason Varitek edition) is all about two things; Arod and Steroids. Come beat that horse a few times with us by the Fireside...
One reason why many clubs are shying away from doling out big-money free agent extensions (besides the economy, of course) is the potential to land gamechanging hitter at more favorable prices in-season from teams that experience a budget crunch. The Milwaukee Brewers are doing this; so are the Red Sox.
Let's take a look at what players could become available to the Sox as the season goes on...
With Clay Buchholz slowly exhausting his prospect eligibility last season, Michael Bowden emerged by solidifying his status as the next best pitcher in the Sox system. One of Michael's bigger caveats coming out of Waubonsie Valley High School were his somewhat unconventional mechanics.
While they are nothing to be overtly concerned about, there are a few areas that bother me. He's your prototypical long-armer who relies more on arm strength than using his lower body.
So, here’s what’s going on with the MLB network this evening. Instead of hiding this story and saying “innocent until…
No one is saying anything so it’s time to start. Accusations are just that. And the other 103 names on…
Injury is rumored to be a reason why Beckett backtracked a tad, yet his peripherals were still very impressive to look at. So while his visit to Dr. James Andrews may have been legitimate, Beckett showed flashes of brilliance throughout the year, to have us believe that maybe the injury effected him slightly, but not enough to completely harness his great stuff.
Ben Sheets announced he will undergo surgery to repair his arm. Could it be the Brewers, Rangers, etc. rejected his…