Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Red Sox Playing Now (Meaning "Then")
5:49: Red Sox win, 8-2. Wakefield pitches a complete game. I really hope a start like this will quiet some of the anti-Wake people. I've heard people talk about how he should take his softball pitch and go home, how the knuckleball just isn't a major league pitch, how they've "tired of his routine," etc. Do they know he has more wins for the Red Sox than everybody except Roger Clemens and Cy Young? It's almost as if their reasoning for wanting him gone his the style of his pitching--which he's proven is fine by his 16-year career. Anyway, great job today, Wake. Too bad it wasn't a no-hitter, but maybe you'll top Roger and Cy eventually.
5:28: After a running catch by the wall for the first out by Jacoby, Wake gives up a solid single to left to end the no-hitter. But the key is, it's 8 to freakin' nothing us.
5:22: Jacoby single makes it 8-0. Huge cushion for Wake as we go bottom 8.
5:15: 6-0 on a Green single. So key that we've taken the (extra) pressure off Wake here. And we're still batting, bases loaded, top 8.
5:12: Drew, after having struck out thrice in the game, hits a two-out, three run dong! After the intentionally walked Youk. 5-0 us, top 8th.
5:00: Nick Green saves the day with a crazy catch on a blooper over his head! Not a hit given up to an A by Wake in 7 innings!
4:54: Sox had 'em loaded with one out--until Kottaras hit a check swing grounder to third, and for some reason looked at the ball instead of running to first right away. 5-2-3 double play. 2-0 after 6.5.
4:43: Well, Lowell took the simplest of grounders and lolligagged it to start the bottom of the sixth. Error. But Wake got the next three guys, so that's the only Oakland batter to reach in the game. 2-0 us after 6.
4:28: This game isn't an hour old, but we're through five! No Athletic has done anything against Wake. 2-0.
4:19: Wake has (quickly) all batters through four innings. 2-0 BOS after 4.
4:14: So I was wondering if they made up a new uniform for everybody (rather than removing every number temporarily and replacing it with a 42)--and the fact that Bay's sleeve logo is correct now tells me they did indeed make up new unis. We'll have to wait till the next road trip to see if his logo got fixed. Actually, there are no names on today's unis, so they have to be new for today only--and auctioning off later, I'm sure. 2-0 through 3.5
4:04 PM: Wake has given us what we need so far--three of the quickest innings you'll ever see this side of 1981. Jacoby made a nice running catch to end the third. 2-0 Sox through 3.
I'll try to give some updates to you daytime-working humans. Every player is wearing number 42 for Jackie Robinson Day today. Every coach, manager, etc., too. Wake had a quick first, and Lowell just hit a two-run dong in the second. 2-0 us on a bright, bright, bright, sunshiny day in Oaktown. And NESN's new Red Sox theme has yet to sink into my head.
5:28: After a running catch by the wall for the first out by Jacoby, Wake gives up a solid single to left to end the no-hitter. But the key is, it's 8 to freakin' nothing us.
5:22: Jacoby single makes it 8-0. Huge cushion for Wake as we go bottom 8.
5:15: 6-0 on a Green single. So key that we've taken the (extra) pressure off Wake here. And we're still batting, bases loaded, top 8.
5:12: Drew, after having struck out thrice in the game, hits a two-out, three run dong! After the intentionally walked Youk. 5-0 us, top 8th.
5:00: Nick Green saves the day with a crazy catch on a blooper over his head! Not a hit given up to an A by Wake in 7 innings!
4:54: Sox had 'em loaded with one out--until Kottaras hit a check swing grounder to third, and for some reason looked at the ball instead of running to first right away. 5-2-3 double play. 2-0 after 6.5.
4:43: Well, Lowell took the simplest of grounders and lolligagged it to start the bottom of the sixth. Error. But Wake got the next three guys, so that's the only Oakland batter to reach in the game. 2-0 us after 6.
4:28: This game isn't an hour old, but we're through five! No Athletic has done anything against Wake. 2-0.
4:19: Wake has (quickly) all batters through four innings. 2-0 BOS after 4.
4:14: So I was wondering if they made up a new uniform for everybody (rather than removing every number temporarily and replacing it with a 42)--and the fact that Bay's sleeve logo is correct now tells me they did indeed make up new unis. We'll have to wait till the next road trip to see if his logo got fixed. Actually, there are no names on today's unis, so they have to be new for today only--and auctioning off later, I'm sure. 2-0 through 3.5
4:04 PM: Wake has given us what we need so far--three of the quickest innings you'll ever see this side of 1981. Jacoby made a nice running catch to end the third. 2-0 Sox through 3.
I'll try to give some updates to you daytime-working humans. Every player is wearing number 42 for Jackie Robinson Day today. Every coach, manager, etc., too. Wake had a quick first, and Lowell just hit a two-run dong in the second. 2-0 us on a bright, bright, bright, sunshiny day in Oaktown. And NESN's new Red Sox theme has yet to sink into my head.
Comments:
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oh come on, I've been updating all day. I'm very aware of my surroundings and haven't even used "the term"
After the past week, I'm just happy for the win. And yes, I was being somewhat reactionary last week, and Wake made me look foolish today with his great outing. With that said, I still lean towards wishing he would consider making this his final season. His value is that he eats a lot of innings with what always ends up aggregating at the end of the season into league-average performance. And yes, there's still real value to that. The downside to Wake though is also real:
There's always a fair amount of volatility to his game-to-game performance
He requires a personal catcher, which limits roster flexibility
He can't be relied upon to start a playoff game anymore
He's become less durable in recent years as he hit his 40's, with injuries starting to cut into his prime value as an innings-eater; I would expect that trend to continue
Opponents pretty much run at will on him at this point
It just seems to me that as he hits age 43 this summer, that the negatives collectively are finally about to outweight that one big positive. The other factor is the depth of pitching alternatives available to the Sox at this point....Masterson will be filling in for Dice-K in the short term, but it seems that later in the year either he, Smoltz or Buchholz would be preferable in the rotation to Wake. I guess the big variable here is Penny; if he falters or gets hurt again, then Wake would still be filling an important role.
There's always a fair amount of volatility to his game-to-game performance
He requires a personal catcher, which limits roster flexibility
He can't be relied upon to start a playoff game anymore
He's become less durable in recent years as he hit his 40's, with injuries starting to cut into his prime value as an innings-eater; I would expect that trend to continue
Opponents pretty much run at will on him at this point
It just seems to me that as he hits age 43 this summer, that the negatives collectively are finally about to outweight that one big positive. The other factor is the depth of pitching alternatives available to the Sox at this point....Masterson will be filling in for Dice-K in the short term, but it seems that later in the year either he, Smoltz or Buchholz would be preferable in the rotation to Wake. I guess the big variable here is Penny; if he falters or gets hurt again, then Wake would still be filling an important role.
Hey, if you were bad-mouthin' Wake, I hadn't remembered! So, just so ya know I wasn't writing that about you.
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