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Lackey Is Lacking

John Murphy — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 12:59:27 +0000

I was surprised when the Red Sox signed John Lackey during the off-season. After all, the team’s weakness last year was their lack of power in the lineup. Plus, this is the same pitcher that hated playing at Fenway and had the numbers to prove it. I didn’t understand the move at first, but as the days went by I started getting excited. The Red Sox had three pitchers who could each be a potential number one starter on any staff in the league. To top that off, Lackey was coming off a good season and a respectable post-season performance in 2009. It looked like the signing of Lackey was a good move after all; however, looks can be deceiving.

Photo by Angela Rowlings

Lackey has been lacking in everything this year. In his last three starts Lackey has a 5.19 ERA, he has walked more batters (11) than he has struck out (8), and his opponents had a .338 batting average against him. And these numbers are nothing compared to his overall numbers this season. Lackey leads the team in walks with 32 and both left-handed and right-handed hitters are hitting .300 off the $85 million dollar man. His struggles at Fenway haven’t changed either, where Lackey’s ERA is a whopping 5.60 ERA. When the team’s on the road, Lackey’s ERA is 4.22, and with runners in scoring position batters are hitting .260 against him.

I have more ugly numbers I could throw at you, but I think you get the point. Lackey is having a poor season so far for the Red Sox. What’s the issue? Well, like most pitchers he doesn’t mix his pitches and his location is off. Lackey has a good curveball, but throwing it over and over again doesn’t confuse a hitter. Francona and Lackey’s battery mate Victor Martinez might talk about what a competitor Lackey is, but being competitive doesn’t cover up the ugly numbers. The Red Sox might believe in Lackey, but my confidence in him is, well, lacking. With the A.L. East being as tough as it is, Lackey has to turn his season around if the Red Sox want to have any chance of making the playoffs.

Check out more of John’s mildly biased Red Sox commentary at The Lansdowne Lowdowne. Follow him on Twitter @lansdownelow

A Message for the Pink Hats

John Murphy — Fri, 07 May 2010 03:48:29 +0000

A few days ago, I was listening to the latest installment of “Ask a Pink Hat” on the Toucher and Rich Show on 98.5 The Sports Hub. During this bit, someone from the show asks a female, pink-hat-wearing Red Sox fan questions about the team that would be pretty easy to answer, even for the novice baseball fan.

For example, one of the questions was:

“What’s the shape of the infield?”

This pink hat answered “octagon“. For the record, a baseball infield is shaped like a diamond. Not only did this pink hat have no clue about baseball, but her geometry skills are suspect too. It’s sad that people like this consider themselves fans of the Red Sox.

: Now THIS is a real fan!

The days of the pencil pushers who kept score during the game and the gentlemen who listened to the game on a Walkman© while watching from their seats are long gone. Instead, Red Sox Nation is being infiltrated by morons. Branded like a scarlet letter, the pink hats symbolize a fickle following who are only concerned with eating Fenway Franks™ and waiting for the eighth inning to belt out “Sweet Caroline” out of tune. Who’s pitching tonight? Which team are they playing against? Well, the pink hats don’t care as long as Jacoby (!!!) is in the starting lineup. There are a good number of female Red Sox fans who actually follow the team, but they are being drowned out by the idiotic, designer-sunglass-wearing frauds that could not care less about who’s playing third or who the Red Sox top prospect is. To the pink hats, a Red Sox game is like clubbing or bar hopping. It’s another trendy thing to do when you are in Boston.

If the pink hats were more like the great Lib Dooley, aka The Queen of Fenway Park, then maybe they would receive some respect. Dooley was one of the best fans the Red Sox ever had. She attended more than 4,000 consecutive home games for over 55 seasons, from 1944 to 2000. She knew Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio and witnessed Carl Yastrzemski’s first and last games as a Red Sox. She was a passionate fan of the team and actually enjoyed the game and not just the surroundings.

My message to the pink hats is simple: Take an interest in the game or stay home and leave your ticket for someone actually interested in seeing the game. You have an opportunity to see the Red Sox, and for some baseball fans that’s a tough ticket. Pink hats don’t need to be baseball experts, they just need some of the same passion that Lib Dooley had every time she saw the Red Sox.

For more mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox, check out John’s blog The Lansdowne Lowdowne. Follow him on Twitter @lansdownelow and Facebook.

The Red Sox Real Ace

John Murphy — Sat, 01 May 2010 02:21:04 +0000

Who is the ace of the starting rotation for the Red Sox? I thought it was going to be Josh Beckett, but he’s been pretty awful his last two starts. Jon Lester is finally coming out of his annual April slump, but for a while there he was pitching pretty bad too. What about the new guy, John Lackey? Kind of hard to be called an ace when you have an ERA of 5.09 and you give up ten hits to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. With these three out of the equation there is only one pitcher who can be considered to be the ace of the Red Sox. Clay Buchholz.

Ace Buchholz?

Look at the numbers in the early going and you have to agree that Buchholz is the ace of this staff. A 2.19 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched so far this season, but it was his last start in Toronto that gave us a perfect example of how far Buchholz has come. Buchholz gave an overworked bullpen some much needed rest. Terry Francona needed him to “get some length”, and Buchholz delivered with eight innings and 117 pitches of one-run baseball. Like an ace, he also knows how to throw the right pitch at the right time, especially to Toronto’s Lyle Overbay. Buchholz explained his approach to Overbay on MLB.com: “Overbay is a guy who hits me better than anybody I’ve ever faced, and I was able to throw a four-seamer in there to strike him out.” A simple strategy, but sometimes all you need is a good fastball to get out of a eighth inning jam.

A pitcher who was once known to have not only a really good change up but also mediocre fastball, Buchholz now effectively mixes a devastating breaking curveball with a fastball that registers in the mid 90s. With his new repertoire of pitches, Buchholz can be the real ace of the Red Sox.

For more mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox by John, check out his blog The Lansdowne Lowdowne. Follow him on twitter @lansdownelow and Facebook

Dice-K Returns

John Murphy — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 02:48:46 +0000

After a couple of rehab starts in Pawtucket, Daisuke Matsuzaka is scheduled to make his first start for the big club sometime early next month. One can only hope that Matsuzaka gets his groove back, because last year was a disaster. After a dominating 2008, Matsuzaka battled nagging injuries that led to him being exiled to the developmental leagues of Florida. Like Ralph Machacio learning how to paint the fence in the Karate Kid, Matsuzaka had to learn how to pitch again and stay healthy. When he came back in September 2009, Matsuzaka showed improvement. He was aggressive, striking out 30 batters in 24 innings, by attacking the strike zone instead of nibbling the corners of the plate.

Too funny not to add to the post!

With Matsuzaka is ready to pitch, Tim Wakefield will be moved to the bullpen. Although some fans believe Wakefield’s the odd man out, I think he’s the right man out. After starting the season strong, Wakefield has come back to Earth hard, allowing 11 runs in two games. Wakefield has also proven to be a liability to the team defensively thanks to his battery mate Victor Martinez, who struggles catching Wakefield’s knuckleball. Placing Wakefield in the bullpen gives the Red Sox someone who can eat up innings and puts fewer miles on the arms of other pitchers like Ramon Ramirez and Manny Delcarmen.

The big question with Matsuzaka is whether fans will see the 2008 version of Matsuzaka (18-3, 2.90 ERA, 154 Ks) or someone more like Hideki Irabu (a career 5.15 ERA). From what I saw late last year, I think fans will see a determined Matsuzaka who has something to prove. He has had three roller-coaster seasons in Boston, but I think Matsuzaka will find stability in 2010. With the spotlight being focused on John Lackey, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett, Matsuzaka will pick up where he left off in late 2009 without having the burden of being the ace or the go-to guy in the rotation. He will finally meet the high expectations placed on him by the fans and the team and return to form in 2010.

For more mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox by John, check out Lansdowne Lowdowne or follow him on Twitter @lansdownelow!

Time to Bench Big Papi?

John Murphy — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:56:48 +0000

It seems like David Ortiz’s fall from grace will never end. The once-proud slugger and fan favorite now can’t even hit a fastball down the middle of the plate. To say that Ortiz has regressed is an understatement; every time he has been at the plate it looks like he’s forgotten how to hit. A kid playing tee ball can probably make better contact than Ortiz. So is it time to bench Big Papi? Should the fans and team give him more time?

Last season, Ortiz struggled through the first two months of the season. Fans had to wait until May 20 to witness his first homerun and another three weeks to see his second. During this time, Ortiz struck out 48 times in 178 at-bats, which averages to about four strikeouts per game. These numbers might be nauseating, but his batting average in the first two months will make you actually grab the barf bag. Ortiz hit an embarrassing .185, which is good if you are Julio Lugo or Brian Anderson, but not if you are Ortiz. Granted he did have a good June, when he hit over .300, but he came back to Earth in July and hit below .250 the rest of the season. Any other player would’ve been benched for putting up such disgusting numbers, but because the Red Sox really did not have a replacement for Ortiz the team had to ride it out with “Big Papi” as their DH.

Is Hermida the answer to the hole being dug at DH? (AP Photo/Andy King)

Fast forward to this year; Ortiz is batting .154 in 26 at-bats. He’s already stuck out 13 times, most of them coming against right-handed pitching. However, unlike last year, Ortiz can be replaced with either Jeremy Hermida or Mike Lowell. Hermida has been hot so far, batting over .300 with six RBIs in 14 at-bats, and Lowell has been good when hitting against left-handed pitching most of his career, something Ortiz has always struggled with regardless of the season.

The Red Sox can easily platoon Hermida and Lowell as DH, but manager Terry Francona has not given up on Ortiz yet, despite the fact that Ortiz’s very presence in the lineup is hurting everyone. For example, pitchers are now pitching around Kevin Youkilis to get to Ortiz since he has been an easy out. Sure, Youkilis gets on base, but Ortiz can’t advance Youkilis if he’s striking out all the time. Plus, Ortiz used to be able to hit inside fastballs with authority. No pitcher would dare throw a ball inside to him; now pitchers can throw their fastballs inside because they know Ortiz can’t catch up to it. He makes average pitchers like Carl Pavano and Gil Meche look like Cy Young, because he stares at pitches he can crush and swings and misses at bad breaking balls in the dirt.

(AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

If we are going to judge Ortiz by comparing his past performance with what he is doing now, then the Red Sox should bench him. However, Ortiz will still be in the lineup until late April or early May. Lets hope that he figures out how to hit again. The Red Sox need Ortiz to show some signs of life if they have any chance of being competitive in the A.L. East.

For more mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox by John, check out Lansdowne Lowdowne or follow him on Twitter @lansdownelow!

Chill Out, Red Sox Nation

John Murphy — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:56:50 +0000

Three. That’s how many games the Red Sox have played this season. Yet, to some fans it seems like there already needs to be major changes with the team. How can someone make these determinations after three games?

It’s pure insanity!

Credit Image: © EPA/ZUMAPRESS.com

The best example of this insanity is the David Ortiz-Mike Lowell DH debate. Ortiz has started off slow these past three games, having only one hit in 11 at bats with no extra-base hits. A lot of fans are having a sense deja vu with Ortiz, believing that this is the beginning of another terrible start for the once-beloved Red Sox. It could be, but how do you know?

This weekend Ortiz will be up against the Royals, who have only one good pitcher, Zack Grienke. Ortiz can easily get going at the plate if he takes advantage of the Royals’ inferior pitching. But instead of letting Ortiz get into a groove, impatient fans want Mike Lowell to take over the DH duties now. Manager Terry Francona said it best: “I don’t want David looking over his shoulder a day-and-a-half into the season”. I know it’s frustrating to watch Papi hit into the “Ortiz Shift”, but give the man a little time. If he is still hitting .091 at the end of the month, then Red Sox fans have the right to call for his benching.

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Another thing that I don’t get is how some Red Sox fans have turned their backs on Jonathan Papelbon. It seemed as soon as Curtis Granderson hit a homerun off of Papelbon in the tenth inning of Wednesday’s game, fans were screaming at Francona to anoint Daniel Bard the new closer. Fans who believe this nonsense should get their heads examined. Between 2007-2009, Papelbon has a 2.02 ERA, held batters to a paltry .197 average and saved 116 games. In that same time frame, Mariano Rivera held batters to a .205 batting average, saved 113 games and had a 2.12 ERA. Rivera is considered the best closer of all time and yet Papelbon has better numbers than him. Replacing Papelbon with Bard is completely asinine.

So, after three days what have we learned about the Red Sox? Simple. It’s too early to start changing things. Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks and months. For now, chill out, Red Sox Nation. It’s only three games.

Check out more of John’s mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox on his blog The Lansdowne Lowdowne

Sox vs. Yankees: Who Has the Advantage?

John Murphy — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:29:30 +0000

There are many questions that are hard to answer, like “What’s the meaning of life?” or “Why do people like American Idol so much?”. However, one particular question gives many Red Sox and Yankees fans a bad case of brain freeze: “Who has the better team this year?” There is no easy answer to this question, so the best way to find out which team has the upper hand is to break each team down into categories and determine which team holds the advantage in each one.

Offense - Advantage: Yankees

This is awkward...

The Yankees have probably the best lineup in baseball. They replaced Johnny Damon at lead off with Curtis Granderson, who is in his prime. Last year, Granderson hit 10 of his 30 homeruns at Comerica Park, which has one of the deepest outfields in the league. One can only imagine what he will do at the Coors Field of the East. Derek Jeter will bat behind Granderson, who unfortunately shows no signs of wearing down at the plate. Then there is the one that got away: Mark Teixeira. A dangerous switch hitter that pretty much made right-handed pitchers looks terrible last year. Just when you thought facing Teixeira was bad enough, the lineup continues with A-Fraud, I mean Alex Rodriguez. Whether he’s on drugs or not, A-Fraud is still a factor in that lineup and against the Red Sox. Then the pitchers will continue to be punished with players like the underrated Robinson Cano, the annoying but still potent Nick Swisher, and the patient Nick Johnson. The Yankees lineup is a handful from top to bottom, and only an elite starting pitching staff can cool them down.

Starting Pitching - Advantage: Red Sox

Speaking of elite pitching staffs, the Red Sox have the best rotation in baseball. Last year, the team’s ace, Josh Beckett, won 17 games and Jon Lester struck out 225 batters and held right-handed hitters to a .237 average. These two pitchers are an impressive one-two punch, but Lackey gives the Red Sox the “Yankee Killer” they’ve been looking for. Last year, Lackey had a 2.57 ERA against the Yankees and held the Bronx Bombers to a .222 average. After these three, the Red Sox have the talented Clay Buchholz and the crafty and seemingly ageless Tim Wakefield. The Yankees do have an ace with C.C. Sabathia, but after him the rotation features a pitcher who doesn’t pitch well at Fenway (A.J. Burnett) and another one who has already failed in New York (Javier Vasquez).

Bullpen - Advantage: Too Close to Call

I thought this was going to be easy to pick, but both teams have pretty good bullpens. They both have accomplished closers in Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera. The teams also have a good mix of young pitchers and seasoned veterans at middle relief with Hideki Okijima, Ramon Ramirez, and Daniel Bard for the Red Sox and Philip Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, and Damaso Marte for the Yankees. Because bullpen usage fluctuates so much over the season, it’s too difficult to foresee any advantage before the season is well under way.

Manager - Advantage: Red Sox

Let’s face it, Joe Girardi has the advantage of having a team that has more money than Federal Government. The Yankees can buy any player, regardless of the asking price. Last year, they spent over $200 million to get Sabathia, Burnett and Teixeira so, unless one of these players gets injured, the Yankees will never finish worse than second in the division. If you’re Joe Girardi, all you have to do is stroke a couple egos and just keep the car on the road. Sounds really tough. On the other hand, Terry Francona has to deal with another roster of new faces and a GM that seems to shift the team’s priorities every season. He sticks with his veterans through the toughest of slumps and is not afraid to give a young player the benefit of the doubt. Both teams play for a passionate fan base and a relentless media, but it seems that Francona deals with it better than Girardi.

When I started this writing this article, I thought at the end of it I would have a clear cut answer to which team was better. However, after breaking down some of the core categories for both teams, I realized that they are pretty even. This might seem frustrating, but it’s really a good thing. In the end it’s good for both fan bases that the teams overall are equally matched. It will make for some very interesting games and will give a new spark to the greatest rivalry in sports.

Check out more of John’s mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox on his blog The Lansdowne Lowdowne

Retire the Number 21?

John Murphy — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:14:12 +0000

Remember when Roger Clemens was a Red Sox? It seems like ancient history now. Today, everyone and their mother associate Clemens with Jose Canseco, steroids or the Yankees. There is probably a generation of Red Sox fans who probably didn’t know that Clemens was not only a Red Sox, but also one of the best pitchers of his time. Before the Mitchell Report and his falling out with then GM Dan Duquette, Clemens was the Boston Red Sox. I wonder if this is the reason why no other Red Sox player has worn his number 21 on their uniform. Does his number really belong with Yaz, Williams and Rice?

Forget about his transgressions with steroids for now and let’s just take a look at his numbers as a Red Sox. For thirteen seasons, Clemens was a dominating force who accumulated 192 wins, struck out 2,590 batters and had an ERA just above three. His best season was in 1986, where Clemens went 24-4 with an ERA of 2.48. His numbers that year were not only good enough to win the Cy Young Award, but also the MVP of the league. The following year, Clemens won another Cy Young Award thanks leading the American League in wins, complete games and shutouts. Clemens was the definition of a workhorse. Between 1986 and 1990 he averaged 34 starts a year. I think you get picture, Clemens numbers as a Red Sox are memorable. However, like other players guilty or suspected of using steroids, his reputation has been tarnished.

If you look at just his numbers, then no one else should wear number 21. Roger Clemens still is the Red Sox career leader in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts. Since 1986, no other Red Sox has won more than 24 games in a season and it’s been over twenty years since any Red Sox pitcher has thrown more shutouts in a season than Clemens (eight in 1988). It’s hard to look at these numbers without thinking about how much of a jackass Clemens is now, but during his time on the local nine, he was certainly one of the best.

Is Jed Lowrie Cursed?

John Murphy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:52:41 +0000

Have you ever seen Drag Me to Hell? It’s a cheesy horror movie about a young woman who is cursed by a creepy old lady. Throughout the movie, the young woman is terrorized and tormented by the curse until she is eventually dragged down to Hell.

Well, it seems like a current Red Sox player has also been cursed. Instead of being eventually dragged down to Hell, this guy is anchored to the disabled list and could be dragged down to Pawtucket or Portland. It’s the frustrating saga of Jed Lowrie and, like the movie, this curse affects the body in peculiar ways.

It started after the 2008 season, when the Red Sox revealed that he was playing with a small fracture and sprain on his left wrist. At first it seemed all Lowrie had to do was rest it, but it became apparent that his wrist needed more than a little R & R.

By August 2009, Lowrie was on the disabled list. He was sent down to Pawtucket after his stint on the DL was over, but the curse was only starting to sink in. While he was recovering from his wrist injury, Lowrie injured his knee, delaying his return to the Red Sox. Luckily for him, the knee injury was not serious and by early September he was back with the ball club. However, it was evident that Lowrie was not going to make an impact for the Red Sox. He played sparingly, batting only .167 the rest of the season.

When Lowrie reported to Fort Myers this year, it seemed that the problems with his wrist were behind him. But like any curse, there is always a false sense of hope that the worst is behind you. Now Lowrie is battling a pestilence with a frightening nickname that sends shivers down anyone’s spine: The Kissing Disease. Wait…

Lowrie has Mono?

What is this, the sixth grade?

It’s another setback for Lowrie that can only be explained by a curse.

It’s a shame that Lowrie’s misfortunes have overshadowed him, because behind all of the injuries he’s a pretty good player. When he was first called late in 2008, Lowrie took over for an injured and unpopular Julio Lugo and the fans finally got to see what a good defensive shortstop looked liked. Not only did he play flawlessly at the position, but at the plate he provided some offense. Lowrie batted .338 against lefties and had 28 extra base hits overall. His most memorable moment was Game 4 of the ALDS in 2008, when Lowrie hit the game winning single to send the Red Sox to the ALCS. All these things seem to be a distant memory now.

I didn’t expect him to be the next Rico Petrocelli, but I believe he could have been a good shortstop for the Red Sox. Now he is destined to be a utility player, backing up Marco Scutaro and playing various positions in the infield in the late innings for defensive purposes. I’m hopeful that this setback will be Lowrie’s last and that he will be able to contribute to the Red Sox in 2010.

For more mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox by John, check out The Lansdowne Lowdowne.

The Nomar Retirement: Appearances Can Be Deceiving

John Murphy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:37:55 +0000

Yesterday, Nomar Garciaparra shocked the Nation by retiring from baseball as a Red Sox. By all appearances, it was a great day for Nomar and the Red Sox. He will now join other Sox greats like Yaz, Rice and Williams and forever live in Red Sox lore. A proud moment for Nomar and his family and a moment that will be cherished by all the fans. Wait a second, this is the same Nomar Garciaparra that hasn’t been on the Red Sox for six years!

I bet Nomar never thought he would have to sign a one day minor league contract to retire as a Red Sox. Instead of a run of the mill press conference, it seemed more like a publicity stunt that would have made the Balloon Boy’s dad proud. It was ironic to see Nomar sitting next to Larry Lucchino and Theo Epstein, the same people who traded him in 2004 and same people he had to call to ask if he could retire as a Red Sox. Nomar was once the proud face of the franchise; he was consistently mentioned in the same sentence as Derek Jeter and A-Fraud in the late 90s. Now he retires with his dignity barely intact.

It’s a shame Nomar retired not at the top of his game, but at the very bottom. He played sparingly in Oakland last year, a franchise that barely draws more fans than an Arena League Football game. His body, which some believe was enhanced by steroids, betrayed him yet again with injuries. When he became a free agent this year, teams didn’t notice the former Rookie of the Year and Triple Crown threat. The only thing they saw was a broken down, shell of a player with his best days light years behind him. In an attempt to help resuscitate his pride, Nomar decided to go back to the team that tried to replace him with A-Fraud. It was a sad attempt at pomp and circumstance, for there wasn’t a Nomar Garciaparra Day at Fenway Park or a video retrospective of his career highlights. It was just Nomar in front of a Funai TV advertisement in the city of Palms Park, Florida, with a couple of reporters and cameramen.

One thing you can say about Nomar’s legacy is that it’s debatable. Some fans love the guy, others think he’s scum. I liked Nomar because the Red Sox finally had a real superstar that I could root for. Nomar was my Carl Yastrzemski, and to see his fall from grace was disheartening. Nomar wasn’t even around to help the Red Sox win the World Series, which he will always be reminded of whenever he looks at the World Series ring the team gave him as a consolation prize.

Nomar claimed that by retiring as a Red Sox, he was “coming home.” I never thought that his coming home would be so awkward.

For more mildly biased commentary about the Red Sox, check out The Lansdowne Lowdowne.