| Do the Sox have the best starting rotation? |
| Yes |
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27% |
[ 3 ] |
| No |
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72% |
[ 8 ] |
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| Total Votes : 11 |
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ambitious207
Message Board Junkie
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 2122
Location: Maine
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 Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 8:37 am Post subject: Do the Boston Red Sox now have the best starting rotation in baseball? |
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Daisuke Matsuzaka
Curt Schilling
Josh Becket
John Papelbon
Tim Wakefield
Jon Lester
After hearing of the signing of Matsuzaka to a 6 year deal (which will be announced officially later today) I am giddy like a schoolgirl. This kid is a 6 pitch workhorse who worked off of a 4 day rotation in Japan. The first pitch he throws in the MLB will be against Ichiro as the Sox open against Seattle for their first 3 games. |
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snoopamt
High Card
Joined: 08 Aug 2006
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 11:18 am Post subject: Re: Do the Boston Red Sox now have the best starting rotation in baseball? |
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| ambitious207 wrote: |
Daisuke Matsuzaka
Curt Schilling
Josh Becket
John Papelbon
Tim Wakefield
Jon Lester
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Potentially yes, but so many questions the answer (for now) is no.
Matsuzaka - not an expert on Japanese baseball, but I heard this morning they play with a SIX man rotation, so he wasn't going every four days, more like once a week. Also heard they play with a slightly smaller ball, and let's be honest, the hitters there aren't juiced up, so it's a little easier to post a sub 3.00 ERA.
Schilling - on his last legs (or ankle)
Becket - benefactor of HUGE run support last year, should have been 10-17 last year, not 16-11)
Papelbon - yeah, he's good for an inning, but how is his shoulder healed?
Wakefield - can be great, can be shelled ... you never know what you're gonna get (though he is usually a Yankee killer)
Lester - Cancer ... how is he mentally/physically?
Yes, they have the potential to be an amazing staff, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the team sitting at .500 with Beckett getting shelled by Tampa Bay sometime in August. |
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murmanator
High Card
Joined: 08 Sep 2006
Posts: 13
Location: Phoenix AZ
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:01 pm Post subject: |
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Have to agree with snoop, they have the potential but there are questions to be answered on the field. Beckett really has to make an adjustment to pitching in the AL, I think. He relied too much on the fastball last year and it hurt him. Shilling and Wake will be solid but we really dont know what we will get from the rest of the guys.
That said, I am also very excited about this year and about the signing of Matsuzaka. Really looking forward to catching a 3 game interleague series here in June (DBacks). |
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chillbot
Forum Bot
Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 1792
Location: Burbank, CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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I am as excited as I have been in years about the sox. I think this has been their best offseason in a long time, not so much because of the acquisitions but because they filled exactly the holes that needed filling. Every position is really strong right now (with the exception of 2nd base) and the lineup rocks. As far as landing a closer... I have to put my faith in Theo, he's been good to me so far.
Lot of talk about The Rocket going to NY or Boston... of course I can't really seem him winding up in Boston but wouldn't that be a trip? I would love to see one of the young guys like Paplebon or Beckett step up to the plate and say, hey if you can get Clemens for one year then do it, I'll be happy in the bullpen. Plus last year was a prime example of why you could use 6 starters (every 5th day was a disaster in the 2nd half for us). Someone always gets injured. I'm not counting Lester in the rotation yet, he still seems like a big question mark. |
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chillbot
Forum Bot
Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 1792
Location: Burbank, CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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| P. S. Ambitious, check out the last picture in my bike thread (titled "Bigwheell") and you can see my Red Sox devotion on my right arm. |
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DJ Ninjah
Message Board Junkie
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Posts: 2542
Location: New York, NY
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Man when are you guys gonna figure it out. The Sox are second place in the east for life. Just accept it and move on. |
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chillbot
Forum Bot
Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 1792
Location: Burbank, CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Nope, 2004 proved otherwise. |
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DJ Ninjah
Message Board Junkie
Joined: 17 Apr 2006
Posts: 2542
Location: New York, NY
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Mercy win. |
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ambitious207
Message Board Junkie
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 2122
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| DJ Ninjah wrote: |
| Man when are you guys gonna figure it out. The Sox are second place in the east for life. Just accept it and move on. |
I am offering a friendly $5 bet on every Sox-Yanks game this season. |
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ambitious207
Message Board Junkie
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 2122
Location: Maine
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| chillbot wrote: |
| P. S. Ambitious, check out the last picture in my bike thread (titled "Bigwheell") and you can see my Red Sox devotion on my right arm. |
That is awesome man. If Clemens wants a championship he will come back to Boston and be the closer. Will it happen? I would be extremely surprised, but it would be a beautiful thing. We also signed Doug Mirabelli again. Hopefully he has hit up weight watchers and is ready to try to break the .200 mark in his batting average. This season is going to be alot of fun for the Redsox.
Matsuzaka - not an expert on Japanese baseball, but I heard this morning they play with a SIX man rotation, so he wasn't going every four days, more like once a week. Also heard they play with a slightly smaller ball, and let's be honest, the hitters there aren't juiced up, so it's a little easier to post a sub 3.00 ERA.
Matsuzaka was throwing every 4 days in Japan. He has tremendous endurance. In little league (not that it really means that much, but it's a cool story) he threw a 13 inning no hitter. Matsuzaka was also named the MVP at the World Baseball Classic, proving he can match up to the world's best hitters. |
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TilterRick
Site Admin
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 2340
Location: Full Tilt Poker
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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I think the Dodgers have the best starting rotation.
Schmidt
Penny
Lowe
Wolf
Billingsley
They also have 9 potential starting pitchers, and do play in one of the most pitcher friendly parks in baseball. |
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Zophar
Moderator
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
Posts: 3329
Location: East Coast
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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| ambitious207 wrote: |
| chillbot wrote: |
| P. S. Ambitious, check out the last picture in my bike thread (titled "Bigwheell") and you can see my Red Sox devotion on my right arm. |
That is awesome man. If Clemens wants a championship he will come back to Boston and be the closer. Will it happen? I would be extremely surprised, but it would be a beautiful thing. We also signed Doug Mirabelli again. Hopefully he has hit up weight watchers and is ready to try to break the .200 mark in his batting average. This season is going to be alot of fun for the Redsox.
Matsuzaka - not an expert on Japanese baseball, but I heard this morning they play with a SIX man rotation, so he wasn't going every four days, more like once a week. Also heard they play with a slightly smaller ball, and let's be honest, the hitters there aren't juiced up, so it's a little easier to post a sub 3.00 ERA.
Matsuzaka was throwing every 4 days in Japan. He has tremendous endurance. In little league (not that it really means that much, but it's a cool story) he threw a 13 inning no hitter. Matsuzaka was also named the MVP at the World Baseball Classic, proving he can match up to the world's best hitters. |
Alot of the Matsuzaka questions have come up because of this. Granted, there were some great hitters faced, but this was basically at spring training level. Been reading that there is question as to how he'll handle mid season form hitters while getting used to American baseball. Overall it will show his true ablitlities atleast. Will the players adapt to him or will he adapt to them and improve his game?
Boston could be good this year if Schilling and Beckett both contribute. I think Beckett's a bit overrated, one soild season, then injuries and only glimpses of brilliance before and after. Schilling just needs to stay healthy, which is a crapshoot nowadays. |
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chillbot
Forum Bot
Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 1792
Location: Burbank, CA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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| tilterrick wrote: |
I think the Dodgers have the best starting rotation.
Schmidt
Penny
Lowe
Wolf
Billingsley
They also have 9 potential starting pitchers, and do play in one of the most pitcher friendly parks in baseball. |
I call the Dodgers the Red Sox West. It's fun to watch them since I live in LA and they've got Derek Lowe, Bill Mueller (or had him anyway-- did he retire?), my favorite player Nomah!, and of course Grady Little.
EDIT: The worst part about Nomah coming west is listening to all the announcers and talk radio guys butcher his name out here. It sounds awful the way they say it... Gar-ci-a-pear-a. You'd never hear Rem-Dog say it that way. |
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snoopamt
High Card
Joined: 08 Aug 2006
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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| DJ Ninjah wrote: |
| Man when are you guys gonna figure it out. The Sox are second place in the east for life. Just accept it and move on. |
Grew up on the Canadian border watching the Blue Jays, so I am happy to report that Boston was actually THIRD place in the East this year ...
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/standings/index.jsp
We take our victories where we can get them.
(Can I get a Joe Carter shoutout? Kelly Gruber anyone?) |
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TilterRick
Site Admin
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 2340
Location: Full Tilt Poker
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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How about George Bell, John Olerud, and Tony Fernandez for ya?
Too bad Roy Halladay can't pitch everyday.  |
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