The most important part of any baseball team is the starting pitching. Although hitters play every day, starting pitchers are much more important. A starting pitcher is involved in about 100 plays per game. A position player might be involved in 10 to 15 plays a game, depending on position. Unless, of course, they're a catcher. But the pitcher is a much more influential part of the 100 pitching plays he's involved in than the catcher is, particularly when there is nobody on base.
Anyway, the Red Sox, as usual, have a lot of questions in their rotation this year. The cast of characters is pretty set in stone, at least for April, but a lot of them are surrounded by doubt and uncertainty.
1. Will Schilling pitch like an old man?
2. Will Beckett continue to struggle?
3. How will Matsuzaka adjust, and more importantly, how will MLB hitters adjust to him?
4. Is Wakefield still a starter?
5. What the hell will we get out of Tavarez?
Let's start off from the top of the rotation. Schilling is pitching Opening Day for us. This is Curt's 16th year as a starter, and he turned 40 in the off-season. He was slightly off the center of attention with Manny Ramirez's shenanigans and the arrival of Daisuke Matsuzaka, but he still managed to steal some spotlight with his sudden desire to pitch in 2008, and his ultimatum to the Red Sox to extend his contract. However, he's a professional, and I highly doubt this will affect his performance. If anything, he'll pitch better because of it.
But he's 40 years old. That's a massive number for a pitcher. He's got over 3,100 innings worn into that right arm, not including warm ups, high school, college, Little League, pick up games, the minors, exhibition games, or the playoffs. Last year he was very solid, throwing 204 innings with a below league average ERA and 15 wins. But he's not an Ace. He is a #2 pitcher in a #1 slot on this team.
I think Curt will throw close to 200 innings this year, and his ERA will be around 4.00. He'll win 16 to 18 games, depending on the offense and the bullpen. His WHIP will be around 1.30 to 1.35. In 2008, he'll get paid $10 million by the Red Sox to pitch.
Josh Beckett was the biggest disappointment on the 2006 Red Sox. But the situation with him is not all gloom and doom. He's had a full season in Boston, now. He's got a new pitching coach, and he's surrounded by other good pitchers.
Beckett had two major problems last year. Walks, and homeruns. These two problems are related. You have trouble throwing strikes, so you groove pitches that hitters crush out of the ballpark. Walks are a pitcher's worse nightmare, because they literally are free passes. Beckett walked 74 batters last year, a career high. Only 1 was an intentional walk. He walked a batter every 2.77 innings. In 2005, he walked a batter once every 3.08 innings (this was in the NL with no DH). In his career he walks batters once every 2.74 innings, so this is not a new problem. However, what was a new problem were the abundance of homeruns. Beckett allowed 36 in 33 starts. He gave up the longball every 5.69 innings. His career rate is a homerun every 8.94 innings. This was a major problem for him in 2006.
Why so many homeruns? Well, there's the DH, but that isn't too much of a factor, I don't think. There's pitching in Fenway Park, but he only allowed 12 homers in Fenway, and gave up 24 on the road. Then there's the notion of pressure, and a pitcher bearing down too hard. Beckett was on a new team in a baseball crazy city, pitching in the biggest American sports rivalry, having his every move watched, being recognized wherever he went (my friend once saw him in an electronics store in Chestnut Hill and talked to him), and having losers like me breaking down his every pitch on our blogs. So Beckett would give up walks, and the pressure he put on himself, and we put on him, caused him to press too hard. To try too much to make that perfect pitch. And if that perfect pitch is just a little bit off, it's a long way gone. I think this is why Beckett allowed so many homeruns.
But I think there's a chance he's adjusted to it all. He's had an entire off-season to cool down. His Spring numbers are pretty solid, 23.2 IP, 22 hits, only 4 walks, only 1 homerun, and 8 earned runs for an ERA of 3.04. A very small sample, but the walk and homerun totals are very nice to see. If he can keep the homeruns to around 15 to 18, he's going to be a very good starter for us. And I think he will keep those HR totals down. So my prediction for Beckett this season: 205 innings, 17 to 20 wins, 3.45 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and a whole lot of redemption.
The $51,111,111.11 question revolves around Daisuke Matsuzaka. Will he adjust to America? Will MLB hitters eat him up? How will he deal with the different strikezone. So on and so forth.
Just a few things about Daisuke that I've seen in spring, the WBC, and videos online. He throws a lot of pitches. I don't mean he has a wide variety (which he does), or he throws a lot in a single game (which he does). What I mean is that in order to get batters out, he works the count on them. He goes very deep into each at-bat, falling behind the count or not getting very far ahead in the count.
This is somewhat troublesome to me, because against NPB hitters, you can get away with falling behind 3-1, or 2-0, and still toy with hitters if you've got stuff like Daisuke. But in the Majors, the hitters are too good. They'll take that 3-1 pitch for a ball, or they'll be able to crush that 2-0 pitch for a double. So I think Daisuke will have to adjust to MLB hitters. And it is paramount for pitchers to be ahead in the count against MLB hitters. Their batting eyes are just too good, they crush every single mistake, and they know how to work counts. All of them.
I think this will be a huge adjustment for Daisuke. He's got the pitches to accomplish this, but the way he approaches batters will be quite different. He's going to have to throw more strikes early in the count, and I think it will be a rough adjustment, at first, as he grows accustomed to approaching hitters in this way. Thankfully, it will also be an adjustment for MLB hitters as they see his stuff for the first time. In the first few meetings between pitchers and hitters, the hitter usually has an advantage. New arm angles, release points, and movement on the ball for the hitter to adjust to.
So I think Daisuke will adjust to MLB hitters in time, and by the time MLB hitters have adjusted to him, he'll be set in the way he approaches pitching to them. And I think he has the stuff to pitch very well.
Predictions: 16 wins, 3.65 ERA, 1.3 WHIP. Solid season which will be improved upon in 2008.
Tim Wakefield in the rotation is an issue that has sort of been kept quiet around The Nation this off-season. Wake will be turning 41 in August. The general misconception is that because he's a knuckleballer, he doesn't wear down. This is incorrect. Although throwing a knuckleball is less strenuous on the arm compared to a fastball or breaking ball, it still does some damage. Counting the playoffs, Wakefield's thrown just about 2,500 MLB innings.
I think Wakefield will struggle as a starter this year. He didn't do too poorly in 2006 with a 4.63 ERA (league average was 4.61), but he's another year older. He's no longer "rubber armed," he averaged 6.09 innings per start last year, as opposed to the 6.83 he averaged in 2005. He's a 5 or 6 inning pitcher.
But we don't have much of a choice at the moment. He will be our starter for most if not all of April, then we'll go from there. The good thing is that Wakefield can be very useful out of the bullpen. With the knuckleball, he can really screw up hitters after they face our hard throwing starters, and right before they face relievers like Papelbon. I'd really like to see Tim in the bullpen. I think he can help out this team a great deal in a middle relief role and an occasional set-up man.
Julian Tavarez in the rotation is great. I actually felt as though Tavarez should have been in the rotation even when Papelbon was still there. In September last year, he went 3-0 as a starter with 30.2 IP in 5 starts, and an ERA of 3.52. I think he's a solid 5th starter to have on the team.
On winning teams, 5th starters are able to win those extra games for the team. Most of the wins come from the top of the rotation, but those few extra wins from the bottom are huge. Tavarez can give us that from the bottom of the rotation.
Prediction: 13 wins, 4.00 ERA.
As mentioned above, I think Wakefield will find his way into the bullpen somewhere in the middle of the season. So who will replace him?
Kyle Snyder is capable of spot starting should the need arise, as is Joel Pineiro. But these are not our 6th and 7th starters.
Jon Lester is the 6th starter, and I think he will be brought up in case of injury in the rotation. I also think he'll be brought up by the middle of the season to be our 4th starter, replacing Wakefield. Lester pitched solidly last season for us, all things considered. I think he'll do well in AAA Pawtucket and will eventually his way up I-95 to Boston.
Kason Gabbard is another potential option for emergency starting pitcher. Although, last year was not very good for him in Pawtucket.
If the Red Sox are in the hunt late in the season, they will make a deal for a starting pitcher if they need one. There will be no holding back this season.
Boston sports blog featuring Patriots propaganda, and opinions on the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
2007 PREVIEW, PART 7: DESIGNATED HITTER
Just a hunch, but Ortiz will be the regular DH. He'll hit 90 HR, knock in 250 RBI, and hit .340, and will finish 2nd to a position player in the MVP.
Just kidding...or am I? The REAL American League MVP, David Ortiz, will be the DH, with the occasional spell from Wily Mo Pena, or Manny Ramirez (with Wily Mo in LF, so it will be like Pena is subbing for Ortiz). I think David will hit 45 HR, knock in 140, and hit .300. I also think he'll once again be shafted by the MVP voters.
Just kidding...or am I? The REAL American League MVP, David Ortiz, will be the DH, with the occasional spell from Wily Mo Pena, or Manny Ramirez (with Wily Mo in LF, so it will be like Pena is subbing for Ortiz). I think David will hit 45 HR, knock in 140, and hit .300. I also think he'll once again be shafted by the MVP voters.
2007 PREVIEW, PART 6: OUTFIELD
The Red Sox outfield is capable of being a top flight trio, or a complete mess.
We've got Manny in left, of course, but God knows what he's going to pull this year. He might opt to retire early to pursue his eBaying career. We know what we're going to get production wise from Manny, when he's playing. He's, gulp, the most dependable guy we have in the OF right now.
I think Manny will hit .320, with 40 HRs, 135 RBI, .420 OBP, .620 slugging (very nice OPS).
Center-field we'll start out with Crisp. We really don't know what we've got with Crisp. He still seems a bit less than healthy, and his Spring Training was horrible. I really don't think Crisp will have a good season. I think he hits .265 and by the middle of his season will find his playing time dramatically reduced.
Right-field is another big question mark in J.D. Drew. Drew's health and ability to maintain that health is the big unknown here. I think he won't get injured, though. I don't know why. I actually think he'll become a very productive member of the team. He'll hit .285, with 25 HRs, and 110 RBI, with an OBP of .400.
Wily Mo Pena is actually a really good 4th outfielder. Defensively he's essentially useless, but he is capable of putting up good numbers. I think we'll see a concerted effort to get Pena at-bats. He'll play in RF against certain lefties, allowing Drew to sit. He'll play in center if Coco struggles, he'll get pinch-hit ABs when we need a power hitter up, he'll DH when Ortiz gets a day off, and if Drew, Manny, or Coco cannot play, Pena will get the not. He'll give us some production, with a lot of strikeouts thrown in. But looking at his numbers from last season, they aren't that bad. The 90 K's in 276 ABs is very poor, but he also hit .301, with an OBP of .349, 11 HRs, and 42 RBI in limited playing time.
The Sox have some guys that are capable of occasionally playing in the OF. They might get in there in case something bad happens to Crisp, Manny, or Drew, which is unfortunately quite likely. Hinske can play the corner outfield spots, Lugo has some appearances at all outfield positions, Youkilis can play the outfield, and Cora has been used as a LF in the past. But these will be in tight spots.
The true 5th outfielder, right now, is David Murphy. Murphy played 20 games with Boston last season, and will be in AAA Pawtucket this year. He's not a stunner of a prospect, but he's close, and he can fill in as a backup outfielder should the need arise.
By the middle of the season, the 5th outfielder will be Jacoby Ellsbury. He hit .308 with AA Portland last year, had a solid Arizona Fall League campaign, and had a very impressive Spring Training. He is our #1 prospect, and will be starting the season in Portland. Expect him to move up to Pawtucket soon. The Sox might be hesitant to use him as a bench player in 2007, because it is important for him to play every day, not just sit on the bench and play an inning or two here and there. This is why I believe they'll use Murphy in the role of 5th outfielder to start the season. But Ellsbury's got something, my friends. He's got potential to be something very, very special.
We've got Manny in left, of course, but God knows what he's going to pull this year. He might opt to retire early to pursue his eBaying career. We know what we're going to get production wise from Manny, when he's playing. He's, gulp, the most dependable guy we have in the OF right now.
I think Manny will hit .320, with 40 HRs, 135 RBI, .420 OBP, .620 slugging (very nice OPS).
Center-field we'll start out with Crisp. We really don't know what we've got with Crisp. He still seems a bit less than healthy, and his Spring Training was horrible. I really don't think Crisp will have a good season. I think he hits .265 and by the middle of his season will find his playing time dramatically reduced.
Right-field is another big question mark in J.D. Drew. Drew's health and ability to maintain that health is the big unknown here. I think he won't get injured, though. I don't know why. I actually think he'll become a very productive member of the team. He'll hit .285, with 25 HRs, and 110 RBI, with an OBP of .400.
Wily Mo Pena is actually a really good 4th outfielder. Defensively he's essentially useless, but he is capable of putting up good numbers. I think we'll see a concerted effort to get Pena at-bats. He'll play in RF against certain lefties, allowing Drew to sit. He'll play in center if Coco struggles, he'll get pinch-hit ABs when we need a power hitter up, he'll DH when Ortiz gets a day off, and if Drew, Manny, or Coco cannot play, Pena will get the not. He'll give us some production, with a lot of strikeouts thrown in. But looking at his numbers from last season, they aren't that bad. The 90 K's in 276 ABs is very poor, but he also hit .301, with an OBP of .349, 11 HRs, and 42 RBI in limited playing time.
The Sox have some guys that are capable of occasionally playing in the OF. They might get in there in case something bad happens to Crisp, Manny, or Drew, which is unfortunately quite likely. Hinske can play the corner outfield spots, Lugo has some appearances at all outfield positions, Youkilis can play the outfield, and Cora has been used as a LF in the past. But these will be in tight spots.
The true 5th outfielder, right now, is David Murphy. Murphy played 20 games with Boston last season, and will be in AAA Pawtucket this year. He's not a stunner of a prospect, but he's close, and he can fill in as a backup outfielder should the need arise.
By the middle of the season, the 5th outfielder will be Jacoby Ellsbury. He hit .308 with AA Portland last year, had a solid Arizona Fall League campaign, and had a very impressive Spring Training. He is our #1 prospect, and will be starting the season in Portland. Expect him to move up to Pawtucket soon. The Sox might be hesitant to use him as a bench player in 2007, because it is important for him to play every day, not just sit on the bench and play an inning or two here and there. This is why I believe they'll use Murphy in the role of 5th outfielder to start the season. But Ellsbury's got something, my friends. He's got potential to be something very, very special.
Friday, March 30, 2007
2007 PREVIEW, PART 5: SHORT-STOP
Another year, another short-stop. The Red Sox franchise has gone from Nomar Garciaparra to Orlando Cabrera, to Pokey Reese, to Edgar Rentaria, to Alex Gonzalez, to Alex Cora, and now to Julio Lugo.
Lugo's been sought after by the Sox for a long time now, and his name has been bandied about in trade talks. Finally, we got him. But who do we got?
Last year Lugo had great stats with the Devil Rays, then not so great stats with the Dodgers. With Tampa, he hit .308, slugged .498 (pretty solid for a SS), and had an OBP of .373.
I think Lugo will do well in Boston. However, it is quite a transition to go from the pressure free spa environment of Tropicana Field to the intense cauldron of Fenway Park. How he adjusts to that will be critical.
A criticism of Lugo is his fielding. Although he has very good range, he makes a lot of errors. He had 19 errors last year between LA and Tampa. The year before he had 26, and in 2004 he had 20. He's got a career fielding position of .965 at short-stop. For comparison's sake, last year Gonzalez had a .985 FP, Reese had a .979 FP at SS in 2004, and Cabrera has a career .978 FP. We've seen some great defensive SS play in the past few seasons, which will make Lugo's less than sensational defense seem even worse than it is. And Boston loves things that are worse than they really are.
I think Lugo will do well offensively in Boston. He'll hit .285, with an OBP of .380, 10 homeruns, and 70 RBI in an early position in the lineup. He has good speed which we might utilize, and I think he'll steal 20 bases. But I also think he'll make 20 errors. Hopefully, his defensive problems won't affect his offensive performance.
Lugo will probably see himself replaced in later innings by Alex Cora for defensive purposes when the Sox have a lead. Pedroia could also do this, but I think Cora will be used in this role. Even if Cora starts the game at 2B, Pedroia will be brought in at second and Cora will shift to SS. I think you'll see Cora with a good deal of playing time in between platooning with Pedroia, and defensively replacing Lugo.
Lugo's been sought after by the Sox for a long time now, and his name has been bandied about in trade talks. Finally, we got him. But who do we got?
Last year Lugo had great stats with the Devil Rays, then not so great stats with the Dodgers. With Tampa, he hit .308, slugged .498 (pretty solid for a SS), and had an OBP of .373.
I think Lugo will do well in Boston. However, it is quite a transition to go from the pressure free spa environment of Tropicana Field to the intense cauldron of Fenway Park. How he adjusts to that will be critical.
A criticism of Lugo is his fielding. Although he has very good range, he makes a lot of errors. He had 19 errors last year between LA and Tampa. The year before he had 26, and in 2004 he had 20. He's got a career fielding position of .965 at short-stop. For comparison's sake, last year Gonzalez had a .985 FP, Reese had a .979 FP at SS in 2004, and Cabrera has a career .978 FP. We've seen some great defensive SS play in the past few seasons, which will make Lugo's less than sensational defense seem even worse than it is. And Boston loves things that are worse than they really are.
I think Lugo will do well offensively in Boston. He'll hit .285, with an OBP of .380, 10 homeruns, and 70 RBI in an early position in the lineup. He has good speed which we might utilize, and I think he'll steal 20 bases. But I also think he'll make 20 errors. Hopefully, his defensive problems won't affect his offensive performance.
Lugo will probably see himself replaced in later innings by Alex Cora for defensive purposes when the Sox have a lead. Pedroia could also do this, but I think Cora will be used in this role. Even if Cora starts the game at 2B, Pedroia will be brought in at second and Cora will shift to SS. I think you'll see Cora with a good deal of playing time in between platooning with Pedroia, and defensively replacing Lugo.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
UGUETH URBINA IN JAIL
Former Sox closer Ugueth Urbina has been sentenced to 14 years in prison in Caracas, Venezuela for attempted murder of several men who were employees on his ranch. Urbina was acquired in a trade by the Sox in 2001 and pitched through 2002, racking up 49 saves with the team.
Ugueth's claim to fame is that he is the first MLB player ever to have the initials U.U.U. His middle name is Urtain.
I'm organizing a strike force to free Ugueth. So far I've got Rolando Arrojo, Rich Garces, Hipolito Pichardo, Bill Pulsipher, and Sun-Woo Kim on board. Any more volunteers?
Ugueth's claim to fame is that he is the first MLB player ever to have the initials U.U.U. His middle name is Urtain.
I'm organizing a strike force to free Ugueth. So far I've got Rolando Arrojo, Rich Garces, Hipolito Pichardo, Bill Pulsipher, and Sun-Woo Kim on board. Any more volunteers?
NADA ADO ABOUT COCO
I don't know what the title of this post really means, it just sounds funny.
The overreacting wannabe muckrakers at Boston Dirt Dogs once again are trying to create something out of nothing. Moreover, the not-so-brights of the Boston sports media are following suit, trying to break the newest controversial story along the same lines as Keith Foulke's Burger King debacle.
Here is what Coco Crisp said. These are excerpts from a Gordon Edes article which can be found Here
Edes: Looking forward to showing people in Boston the real Coco?
Coco: I don't really care what the people think about me. Or you guys [the media] or anything like that. I just go out there and play and have fun. Hope the rest of the people enjoy watching me.
But as far as me wracking my brain about what anybody thinks, I don't do that. I hope they enjoy watching us play as a team, I do something, they enjoy that part of it. But I don't care if people think I suck, or they think I'm good. I just go out there and have fun, and hopefully the ball falls in.
Don't get me wrong, I like the fans.
Edes: You really don't care if people think you "suck"?
Coco: No. I don't care. I go out there and play hard. If people think I'm good, then thank you. If they think I suck, then thank you anyway. I don't really care. Go out there and play hard and try to do my job and have fun with it. Hopefully, I do well at it.
Fans are pissed at Coco for saying stuff that is really inconsequential. Let me try to clue Red Sox Nation in on what he seems to be trying to say. He is going to do the best he can whether or not he gets standing ovations or earth shattering boos and jeers. He doesn't care if he's loved or hated, he's going to do his job.
Isn't this what people want????? Quite honestly, I don't want a ballplayer on the Sox who plays the game hoping to be cheered. I want a ballplayer who plays the game hoping to be the most productive. I don't want a ballplayer who needs to be motivated by booing in order for him to get off his ass and perform. We had that in Kevin Millar, and Kevin Millar sucks!
We had a guy in Keith Foulke who really hated being booed, and we tore him down for it. We have a guy in Crisp who claims he doesn't care if he's booed, and we're tearing him down for it.
Crisp did not come out and say "I don't care about the fans" or "I'm in it for me and me only." He simply said that what the fans do is up to them and he doesn't care if he's booed or cheered.
GET THE F OVER IT!!!!!
The overreacting wannabe muckrakers at Boston Dirt Dogs once again are trying to create something out of nothing. Moreover, the not-so-brights of the Boston sports media are following suit, trying to break the newest controversial story along the same lines as Keith Foulke's Burger King debacle.
Here is what Coco Crisp said. These are excerpts from a Gordon Edes article which can be found Here
Edes: Looking forward to showing people in Boston the real Coco?
Coco: I don't really care what the people think about me. Or you guys [the media] or anything like that. I just go out there and play and have fun. Hope the rest of the people enjoy watching me.
But as far as me wracking my brain about what anybody thinks, I don't do that. I hope they enjoy watching us play as a team, I do something, they enjoy that part of it. But I don't care if people think I suck, or they think I'm good. I just go out there and have fun, and hopefully the ball falls in.
Don't get me wrong, I like the fans.
Edes: You really don't care if people think you "suck"?
Coco: No. I don't care. I go out there and play hard. If people think I'm good, then thank you. If they think I suck, then thank you anyway. I don't really care. Go out there and play hard and try to do my job and have fun with it. Hopefully, I do well at it.
Fans are pissed at Coco for saying stuff that is really inconsequential. Let me try to clue Red Sox Nation in on what he seems to be trying to say. He is going to do the best he can whether or not he gets standing ovations or earth shattering boos and jeers. He doesn't care if he's loved or hated, he's going to do his job.
Isn't this what people want????? Quite honestly, I don't want a ballplayer on the Sox who plays the game hoping to be cheered. I want a ballplayer who plays the game hoping to be the most productive. I don't want a ballplayer who needs to be motivated by booing in order for him to get off his ass and perform. We had that in Kevin Millar, and Kevin Millar sucks!
We had a guy in Keith Foulke who really hated being booed, and we tore him down for it. We have a guy in Crisp who claims he doesn't care if he's booed, and we're tearing him down for it.
Crisp did not come out and say "I don't care about the fans" or "I'm in it for me and me only." He simply said that what the fans do is up to them and he doesn't care if he's booed or cheered.
GET THE F OVER IT!!!!!
2007 PREVIEW, PART 4: THIRD BASE
Mike Lowell was a pleasant surprise last season, and was perhaps the best part of the Josh Beckett deal. He'll be starting at third base this season, and should be anchoring the 6th spot in the lineup behind the heavy hitters. He had 20 HRs, 80 RBI, and 68 extra base hits for us last season. And if you want my honest opinion, he was slightly misused by Francona. Lowell would often be hitting after Varitek or some other offensively inferior hitter, which I think cost him (and the Sox) some production.
Lowell is a solid player, which is why I like him. He's far from a star, but he comes in and does his job, and does it well. In that respect, he reminds me of Bill Mueller. Winning teams may seem to be built around stars, but they're built on the foundation of good, solid players. Just look at the NY Yankees from 1996 to 2000.
I think Lowell will have a productive 2007 season. He'll hit around .280 to .290. He'll also hit 25 homers, and knock in 90 runs.
But let's say he struggles and/or gets hurt. We've got Eric Hinske on the bench who can come in for him, Alex Cora can play third base, and we all know Kevin Youkilis can, too. So we've got some insurance, there.
I think Hinske might come in for certain situations against RHP. But normally, I'd expect/hope to see Lowell batting 6th behind Ortiz-Ramirez-Drew. That'll give us a good L-R-L-R combo in the middle of the lineup.
Lowell is a solid player, which is why I like him. He's far from a star, but he comes in and does his job, and does it well. In that respect, he reminds me of Bill Mueller. Winning teams may seem to be built around stars, but they're built on the foundation of good, solid players. Just look at the NY Yankees from 1996 to 2000.
I think Lowell will have a productive 2007 season. He'll hit around .280 to .290. He'll also hit 25 homers, and knock in 90 runs.
But let's say he struggles and/or gets hurt. We've got Eric Hinske on the bench who can come in for him, Alex Cora can play third base, and we all know Kevin Youkilis can, too. So we've got some insurance, there.
I think Hinske might come in for certain situations against RHP. But normally, I'd expect/hope to see Lowell batting 6th behind Ortiz-Ramirez-Drew. That'll give us a good L-R-L-R combo in the middle of the lineup.
25 MAN ROSTER "SET"
It isn't completely official, but it is quite clear. The Red Sox have set their 25 man roster.
C - Jason Varitek
C - Doug Mirabelli
1B - Kevin Youkilis
2B - Dustin Pedroia
3B - Mike Lowell
SS - Julio Lugo
IF - Alex Cora
IF/OF - Eric Hinske
LF - Manny Ramirez
CF - Coco Crisp
RF - J.D. Drew
OF - Wily Mo Pena
DH - David Ortiz
SP - Daisuke Matsuzaka
SP - Curt Schilling
SP - Josh Beckett
SP - Tim Wakefield
SP - Julian Tavarez
CP - Jonathan Papelbon
RP - Brendan Donnelly
RP - JC Romero
RP - Hideki Okajima
RP - Javier Lopez
RP/SP - Kyle Snyder
RP/SP - Joel Pineiro
So the Sox decided to go with 12 pitchers, which I think is the right thing to do for now. They also decided to go with three lefties. I would not be shocked if that number decreased as the season wore on and things became clearer as to who was pitching well and who wasn't.
Mike Timlin will start the season on the 15 Day DL, but the Sox believe he will be activated sometime around April 10. Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, and Jon Lester will start the season in AAA Pawtucket. Hansen and Delcarmen each had disappointing springs, and Lester is still kind of rehabbing from cancer. I think Lester will be in the starting rotation by the All-Star break.
C - Jason Varitek
C - Doug Mirabelli
1B - Kevin Youkilis
2B - Dustin Pedroia
3B - Mike Lowell
SS - Julio Lugo
IF - Alex Cora
IF/OF - Eric Hinske
LF - Manny Ramirez
CF - Coco Crisp
RF - J.D. Drew
OF - Wily Mo Pena
DH - David Ortiz
SP - Daisuke Matsuzaka
SP - Curt Schilling
SP - Josh Beckett
SP - Tim Wakefield
SP - Julian Tavarez
CP - Jonathan Papelbon
RP - Brendan Donnelly
RP - JC Romero
RP - Hideki Okajima
RP - Javier Lopez
RP/SP - Kyle Snyder
RP/SP - Joel Pineiro
So the Sox decided to go with 12 pitchers, which I think is the right thing to do for now. They also decided to go with three lefties. I would not be shocked if that number decreased as the season wore on and things became clearer as to who was pitching well and who wasn't.
Mike Timlin will start the season on the 15 Day DL, but the Sox believe he will be activated sometime around April 10. Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, and Jon Lester will start the season in AAA Pawtucket. Hansen and Delcarmen each had disappointing springs, and Lester is still kind of rehabbing from cancer. I think Lester will be in the starting rotation by the All-Star break.
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