Winners of 6 of Their Last 7, But No Where Close To Their Best

Unfortunately, travel and the time difference with the Sox on the West Coast means I've only been able to watch a few games over the last week or two. Given the recent results, maybe it needs to stay that way.

Either way, facts are facts, the Sox have won six out of their last seven (despite being on the road...extra odd). However, after pouring through the articles, box scores, and talking shop with family and friends back home, I consider it pretty lucky.

I realize that our starters have put this team on their back and single handedly pulled them back into the picture, but that was the blueprint for last year's team, not the 2011 Red Sox.

I wake up each morning, analyze the box scores, and shake my head. The Sox have stranded the entire state of Rhode Island on base this week, but are pulling out W's in he end. I guess there is the saying "good teams just win"....and that may be the case, but the room for improvement despite the recent W's is astounding.

Maybe this post is simply stating the obvious, but maybe it highlights a sincere reality for this team. The pitching can and will not continue to be as lights out, so does this team have the offensive power we think it does? Or ultimately, are we just very comparable to 2010 without the injuries?

Either way, this team absolutely should be a playoff-bound squad, but can they put it all together to take the nation to the promise land? We haven't seen it yet, God willing, it's coming.

Is Dice-K The Biggest Letdown Ever?

We've blogged about it a number of times here on ITM....but it has to be tough to find a greater overall let down/overpayment than Dice-K right?

Perhaps save for the 42 year old 1st round draft pick Greg Oden?

Random interesting/scary fact I ran across today during lunch: After another lackluster start last night against the mighty Orioles, Dice-K now has the longest streak of starts allowing four or more earned runs by a Red Sox pitcher since 1942.

How do you say yikes in Japaneses?

&#&^(@ - That's my official guess.

I can't think of a player who has been more overblown, over hyped, and overpaid for in my life...(yes, that even includes you JD Drew).

Where is the 103 mph fastball we were promised? The relentless pride that makes batters swing and miss before he even pitches? The gyro ball that baffles the best of hitters? The command of 9 different pitches which can be used in any count? The endless bowls of rice?

It's like buying a 30 pack of beer and not being able to drink it....we get all the costs but none of the expected benefits. (apologies for the bad analogy, it was a tough morning)....

Consider Dice-K's 2010 numbers:

An inflated record of 9-6, an ERA hovering around 5, and a WHIP of 1.41 (that is not a typo)....all done during one of his "prime years".

And don't even try to blame the cultural differences and adjustments, he's been here for too long for that crap.

At this point in the season I'm desperately looking for something to get me excited for 2011.....and Dice-K is doing the exact opposite.....well worth all the hype and over a hundy million spot right?

Lackey to LAA: "Eat It"

ITM hasn't been nice to John Lackey for the majority of the season. To put it simply, he's underperformed.

But the big ugly Texan with a ridiculous wife (above) has turned the corner, he's earning his money and letting his old team know about.

Last night, and for his last three or four starts, he turned into the 1-A starter we thought we were getting back when Joe Murph posted about how much his tail was wagging after the Lackey signing a few months ago.

His stock is definitely rising in my book.

And his post game press conference last night caused it to rise even more.....essentially dishing out a "see how much I poured" to those fake LAA fans on the West Coast:

In response to all the fans booing him at his first return to his old stomping grounds (where for 8 years he was their ace and gave them a ring), he noted "The scoreboard talks the loudest’’...

...AKA, eat it LA, or Anaheim, or whatever other fake baseball town you're trying to represent.

Lackey has found a real team, with a real fan base who cares about the game. He's moved on, and right now, it looks like he's hitting his stride at a time when Boston (and its fans) need it the most.

How Hasn't a Red Sox Pitcher Tossed a No-No Yet?

2010 is absolutely the year of the pitcher. It seems like every night there is a no hitter or perfect game watch scrolling on ESPN's bottom line, everyone is doing it.

My question is, one, does the guy in this photo even realize he's holding a sign? He looks amazingly drugged up and incredibly old, good for him for seeing a no-no, but I wonder if he even knows he's at a baseball game. "Victory"? Really? You're not Johnny Drama dude. I'm sure his 15 year old grandson got him to pay for two tickets and convinced him to buy beers after every half inning.

Anyways, my real question is how this Red Sox rotation hasn't thrown a no hitter yet? Lester, Buchholz, Beckett, Lackey and the Dice-man?....How hasn't it happened this year?

For all intents and purposes we've had 6 no hitters this year. 6. It's unreal, it's lost most of the appeal at this point. Garza threw a no hitter tonight, but Dez Bryant tweeted that he wears women's clothes, so that's bigger news at this point.

The Vicino over/under on number of no hitters this season is 8, and I think somehow we'll get there. All I'm saying is that someone from this Red Sox rotation better be among them (surely, it's not Buchholz tonight....)

Beckett's Back?

Full disclosure, my brother and I were watching the game last night at a bar, and after the first inning we were ready to leave....

"Beckett sucks, why did I start him on my fantasy team this week?"...

"He's not worth the money on his new contract"...

"His numbers since 08' are more comparable to Dice-K than an ace"...

"I bet he's not even from Texas, he's probably Canadian"

If you sat next to us, that went on for a bit...until Beckett pulled it together and went 5.2 more than solid innings to both shut us up and inject some hope into a nearly defeated Red Sox Nation.

While I'm not ready to give Beckett the ace title back...ever, I am ready to say I have more confidence in this rotation than I've hide all season. Sure it's mainly because of health, but with Dice-K and Lackey in a presumed grove, I haven't felt this good about the rotation since opening day.

I can't wait for the Sox to come home from the West Coast trip, I need some sleep.

ITM note, blogged this while standing in line at Comcast waiting to return my equipment. The move required a switch to Direct TV. The jury is still out on them, but thus far the sports packages and scoreboard features are money.

Big Jon Stud...Go.

Remember When People Wanted Wakefield in the Rotation Over This Guy?

Tied for the AL lead in wins (8-3),

Nearly leading the league with an ERA of 2.39,

5-0 in his last 5 starts, with a .99 ERA,

The Globe had the great stat this morning that since August of last year, he's 14-4 with a 3.38 ERA. Two months ago, people were arguing that Clay Buchholz should be held out of the rotation in favor of Tim Wakefield. How dumb do they look now? (same could be said for those of us (including myself) who wrote off Ortiz)

Right now (knock on wood), it's Clay Buchholz and David Price in a battle for who is starting the AL All-Star game. He's been that good.

Going into 2010 we all hoped Clay Buchholz would continue to progress and mature. Turns out, he's blown our expectations out of the water. Now, he's set the bar at a near irrational level, and us Bostonians are amazing at having irrational expectations.

Buchholz continued to add to his 2010 resume last night with his economical 101 pitch complete game shutout of the O's. If it wasn't for Lester's studliness, Buchholz would have to be Boston's go-to arm at this point (and he still may be).

In my mind, it's all about his confidence, and at this point, it's at an all-time high....leading to his outright dominance.

And for anyone who says we should trade him now should be hit over the head with a hammer and left for dead. He and Lester are the only arms keeping this rotation together.

They Are Who We Thought They Were.....

Turns out these Boston Red Sox are who we thought they were......it just took a while

The Sox sure had us fooled, and fooled bad. It wasn't the way Theo and company drew it up, but I think we can officially welcome the Boston Red Sox back into the world of competitive baseball. They're somehow still in 4th place in the AL East, but are only a game and a half behind the second place Yanks.

While it's been the balanced combination of pitching, hitting and defense that has led to the Sox winning 6 of their last 7 and going 8-4 against the league's best over the past week, three individuals have to be singled out as the main reasons the Sox have pulled out of the doldrums of the first 5 weeks of the season....

Big Jon Stud Lester: We held our breath throughout April, praying he would do the typical bad for one month, masterful for the rest of the year act. Take a look at his last 5 starts and you'll see why he continues to rival CC for the "best lefty in baseball" title. He has put the Sox rotation on his back, assuming the true ace role while Beckett figures his body out and Lackey stumbles along. He has set the tone, challenging the rest of the staff to play in his league, thus far, only one other pitcher has managed to accept the challenge....

Clay "I look like a child molester" Buchholz: He saw Lester's challenge and whether we want to believe it or not, has pushed himself into the number two starter role. He may not actually be the number two starter, but he's been pitching like one all season. He's been the most consistent arm and has the best ERA (3.07) in a rotation that was supposed to be the best in the league (they still may be).

David "Ride or Die with me" Ortiz: Youk may be the hottest hitter in baseball right now, but we've come to expect that at times. David Ortiz however, has managed big hits and small ones....he's broken out of his slump in a big way, and is letting us all know about it. He's finally pulling his weight in the middle of the lineup (and batting his weight as well). Let's be honest, the offense wasn't necessarily the problem in April and early May.....but Ortiz is the X factor to put the offense over the top.


Honorable mention: Youk, Manny Delcarmen (yes, you read that right) and JD Drew (T Murph is flipping out in Alabama/Mississippi/Louisiana ((they're all the same to me)) right now).

I'm usually not one to wave the Red Sox pom poms at the first sit of resurgence....but given the teams they've managed to do it against, I'm on the bandwagon and excited about the possibility of this team going forward.

Just building myself up to only be let down again? Possibly.....god I hope not, because I'll break someone or something if they return to the abyss that was April.

Could You Deal With 10 More Years of Dice-K?

10 More Years. 10 More Years.

The Diceman told WEEI this morning that he would like to play at least 10 more years in the United States.....and hopes to pitch until he is 44 or 45. He cited Nolan Ryan as his role model. Dice-k said:

“I think both personally and from a family standpoint we’re all enjoying our lives over here in the U.S., and if at all possible I would like to play over here as long as I can,” ......“I guess in the very least I hope that I can play for at least another 10 years here in the U.S. Yeah, 10 years is a long time and it’s tough to imagine what it’s going to be like that far out, but at the same time when I’m 40, or older than 40, I want to still be able to pitch.”

Nolan Ryan is a great role model to have....especially if he needs to learn the proper way to lock Robin Ventura in a headlock and beat the bag out of the guy....plus he was a decent hurler.

While I can appreciate optomism and ambition.....I'm not sure I can deal with 10 more years of Dice-K. Sure, he's still in his prime and likely has some good pitching ahead of him....but 10 more years of 145 pitches over 5 innings? 10 more years of constant bases loaded jams and pressure situations? Two years ago, there was a novelty to it, and more often than not, he somehow got out of it.....but that got old fast when hitters started spraying rockets all the way to Japan off of him.

As a die-hard Sox fan....I'm not sure if I can justify 10 more years of Dice-K to my doctor....or my wife....or my job. (ITM note: I'm also not entirely sure the Boston bullpen would look forward to another decade of the Diceman....think about how bored they must get out there.....and then think about how much more taxed they are as a result of his inefficiency).

Either way, those are some lofty expectations for a guy entering the season as at best, a number four pitcher.

Dice-K wants us to believe in him for the next decade, but first he needs to convince he's deserving of being here just this year.

Olney's Top 5 Pitching Rotations:

Forgive me if this is a bit dated for some of you....I'm still very much catching up on the smaller baseball stories since returning from the far East (ITM note: I actually chanted USA, USA, USA! when landing in Boston...it's so nice to be back). Buster Olney, who in my opinion is Peter Gammons in waiting, recently detailed his preseason top 5 pitching staff on ESPN Insider....

1-Red Sox: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, John Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz, No. 6 Tim Wakefield. On paper, a strong group -- if Beckett has a season worthy of a contract drive, if Lackey succeeds in making the transition to the American League East, if Matsuzaka can finally get on the same page as the Red Sox staff and if Buchholz continues to improve.

2-Yankees: CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Javier Vazquez, Phil Hughes. As usual, Burnett is the key for this group; it could be the best if he pitches at an elite level.

3-White Sox: Jake Peavy, Mark Buehrle, John Danks, Gavin Floyd, Freddy Garcia. Peavy looked great in his three starts down the stretch this past season. More on that in Wednesday's blog.

4-Angels: Jered Weaver, Scott Kazmir, Joe Saunders, Ervin Santana, Joel Pineiro. Lackey is gone, but if Santana is healthy, this could be an excellent group.

5-Cardinals: Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, Brad Penny, somebody else. Penny, by the way, appears to be in great shape and is motivated to have a big season.

While I'm certainly not going to disagree with Onley's choice for number one, I do wonder how he can keep the Phillies off the list with a rotation of Halladay (in the NL remember), Cole Hammels, JA Happ, Joe Blanton, and 63 year old Jamie Moyer. And did he really mention Brad Penny being motivated and in shape? I'm not buying it....he burned me bad last season.

Joe Morgan is a Mental Midget...

It's tough to blog about much from this weekend. The Sox didn't put up much of a fight as the Yankees clinched the AL East. In fact, I was somewhat emotionless during the series....that is until I read what Joe Morgan had to say about possible ALDS pitching situations (thanks to JoyofSox for the Morgan quote):


According to Joe.......

"Jon, a lot of mystery surrounds both teams here as we approach the playoffs. ... When we talk about who's going to start the playoffs for these teams. You ask the Yankees, we know Sabathia is going to start the first game; we do not know who's going to start the second game.

And for the Red Sox, we know Beckett will start the first game, but we do not know what's the condition of Jon Lester's knee or who's going to start the second game there, because of -- you know, Tim Wakefield is struggling, you know, with back problems and back issues....

and then you go to the Yankees, you don't know if they want Pettitte out there because of his experience or are they going to go with A.J. Burnett?We don't know if they are going to take the longer series, so they don't need but three starters as opposed to four if you take the short series, so it's amazing what has been decided after this long a season but what hasn't been decided about this pitching."

There are so many things wrong with this I can't, and won't, go into them all, but how do you forget about my main man Buchholz?...you know, the guy that has been comparable to Grienke the last few months? And did he not get the "Lester is starting game one" memo the rest of us received (ITM note: while it's not official yet, it's about the worst kept secret in the Red Sox organization right now). If he read any kind of media....even ITM, he would know that Lester was not hit in the knee and is going to BE FINE. And Tim Wakefield!? Really? The man can hardly walk and needs surgery ASAP.

Can someone at ESPN put us all out of our collective misery and can this guy? Or at least toss him down the stairs to get him on long term disability? Honestly, I could come up with a post like this after every game I hear him call. I get dummer just by listening to him. I'm pretty confident that Keyshawn Johnson, Charles Barkely, and Deon Sanders bring more value to their respective games than Morgan...not an easy thing to accomplish. As fellow ITM writer Joe Murph put it: "I'm pretty sure he stopped watching baseball years ago."

Thank you Joe, for turning an emotionless weekend into a hate-filled rant.

Boston's Second Half MVP

Three months ago, I'm sure Clay Buchholz didn't know which way was up. He had been mowing down minor leaguers while watching John Smoltz and Brad Penny struggle (for the most part) at the major league level. He knew he could be effective in the bigs, and other teams did too, which is why at the trade deadline he was one of the most coveted arms on the board.....

THANK GOD, Theo and company kept the asking price for Buchholz at an unreasonable level. You can point to Theo's failures this year (namely Smoltz and Penny), but you have to look at what a difference his in-season moves have made for this ballclub. V-Mart has lifted the offense out of the doldrums, and Gonzo has solidified the end of the lineup while contributing his masterful defense up the middle. The real prize however, was the deal that Theo didn't make. Keeping Buchholz close to his chest has paid the highest dividends, not only for this season, but perhaps in the long haul as well.

At the end of last year, his confidence had been defeated and character questioned, but Clay Buchholz has shoved it all back in everyone's face. I will freely admit that I was one of the many who was willing to deal Clay back in July. I was ready to accept dealing "potential young talent" for a "proven big league arm" or a "middle of the order bat".....turns out Theo got us both without dealing Clay at all.

The sample size may be somewhat limited, but what this kid has done over the last two months has exceeded every one's expectations. I don't care what you say, you didn't know he was going to be this good. His confidence is through the roof, teams have a limited book on him, and hitters are continually frozen by a change up that comes at you with the same exact motion as his mid 90's fastball. The Sox are 7-0 in his last 7 starts, he has the lowest ERA on the staff (3.21 (1.38 in September)), and if you back out two clunker games that appear to be exceptions to the rule, his numbers would be Grienke-like.

If you think about the second half MVP for this Red Sox team, many would point to J-Bay, V-Mart, or even Ortiz (leading the league in taters since early July), but the right answer is Buchholz. A 25 year old pitcher who has shown the entire league that he is far more than a flash in the pan arm who threw a no hitter only to never recover. Will he keep this up? Tough to tell. Odds are he'll come back to earth a little. Regardless, the consistency he's shown has put the league on notice: right now, the Sox have the best 1-2-3 combination in baseball, and they're ready for October.

Should I Pump the Breaks on my Excitement?

Just a quick post here on something I'll be struggling with all day...am I too excited about the current state of the Red Sox?

Sure a 4 game wild card lead coupled with the return of Tom Brady and the Patriots has my tail wagging, but for some reason, I'm feeling the kind of confidence in this Red Sox team that gets me nervous.

This weekend, the entire league saw what they may have to deal with once the playoffs come around. Beckett, Lester, and Buchholz....Judging from Beckett's 5 inning performance Saturday night, we know he's not hurt. We're also well aware of his post season resume.

Sure the Rays are sinking faster than any team in history, save for the Mets (pick a year), and I'm still not 100 percent sold on Beckett being "back", but I gotta believe no team wants to face Boston in October right now.

If Beckett's previous struggles are any kind of question mark, then Jon Lester is the answer. 17 innings straight without allowing a run, on the absolute top of his game. I don't care what fat boy CC's record is in NY, Lester is the top lefty in the game right now. Write that down.

As if the idea of a healthy and on point Beckett/Lester 1-2 combination doesn't get you pumped for a playoff series, enter Clay Buchholz. Yes, there are a lot of unknowns here, but the fact of the matter is he's looked as good as anyone (save for Jonny on the Spot) over his past 4 starts. Consistent confidence and command is something we've been waiting for from Buchholz in the majors, and he appears to have it at the right time. The talent is there, if his confidence continues to snowball, lookout.

So the Dice-K start tomorrow night will likely come with a lot of hype, I'm sure excited. However, this team will be carried to and through the post season on the back of its starting pitching. Right now, you have to be excited about their chances.

Rainout Implications....Or Lack There Of..

Mr. Studly himself, Jon Lester, will get a day off tomorrow after throwing 23 pitches in the first inning of today's postponed game. Game 2 of the day-night doubleheader on Sunday afternoon is scheduled for 5:05pm. Lester will be opposed by James "big game" Shields, the same pitcher he was scheduled to face before today's game was called due to light mist in the top of the first.

The "playoff ace" Josh Beckett, will take the bump tomorrow against Wade Davis (who?). Clay Buchholz , and his masterful changeup, will now start game 1 on Sunday at noon against Ray's righthander Matt Garza in what should be a great matchup.

So in reality, this rain out means nothing in the grand scheme of things. The Sox will still run out their top three pitchers against a Tampa team that is both injured and morally defeated. Anything less than winning two out of three would be a severe let down.

The Sox remain two games ahead of the overachieving Texas Rangers for the AL Wildcard as the Rangers were also rained out tonight.

Four important September baseball games and a Patriots season opener over the course of 4 days, priceless....Go Boston.

Dice-K: Coming to a Rotation Near You

In what was perhaps the most anticipated class A start in recent memory, Dice-K threw 89 pitches over 6 2/3 innings for the Salem Red Sox earlier tonight against Winston-Salem....essentially a good division three college team. He gave up one earned run and a walk while striking out seven. While the competition is surely questionable, the significant amount of swings and misses, while commanding his strike zone is a key takeaway.

After providing the details of his start, NESN went on to report that it was called his last rehab appearance....so expect Dice-K to start in what will likely be a very meaningful game for the Sox....most likely a home game against the Halos early next week.

Maybe it's the time away, or perhaps it's just the utter shambles that is the current stat of the back end of the Sox rotation, but I for one am really excited for Dice-K's return. Stay tuned for a version of ITM throwing Dice-K under the bus if he gets shelled.

ITM note: how is this Ranger team still winning? Don't they know how much they're overachieving, and that on paper, they're just not that good?

We Might Have to Get Use to Paul Byrd

Boston got more than they expected out of Paul Byrd today in a 7-0 win over Toronto. The Sox were able to complete a sweep of the Jays at Fenway with what they thought would be a spot start from the 58 year old Byrd, however, recent news out of the organization indicates Red Sox Nation should get used to seeing Byrd and his old school windup every fifth day.

Tim Wakefield's back is treating him like the 43 year old he is. Reportedly, when getting out of bed yesterday morning, he was unable to stand completely erect....which sounds very similar to the lower back problems that forced him to the DL back in July. Wake will receive a cortisone shot and likely play it by ear. Don't be surprised to see another trip to the 15 day DL around the corner.

Wakefield's issues is somewhat expected of an over the hill major league ballplayer. Dice-K on the other hand, he might as well be throwing lefty. The terrible year that his 2009 season continued today. Daisuke Mastuzaka got shelled in a 49 pitch, five run first inning against Double A New Hampshire. He followed the rough first with a 1-2-3 second and totaled 58 pitches on the day.....yeah, that makes me feel a lot better. We all know that Double A team in New Hampshire has a powerful lineup and is just like pitching in meaningful (or even playoff games) at Fenway. The Red Sox have to be really concerned here, they've simply sunk too much time and too many dollars into a guy who has seemingly lost the ability to pitch effectively.

Today's Wasdin-like line from Dice-K comes as a bit of surprise. Prior to the start, all reports out of the organization indicated a revitalized and strengthened pitcher, a man rededicated to returning to form by getting himself in top physical condition to pitch. Now I'm not saying we should give up on Dice-K all together, but we should go into the stretch run and postseason assuming he'll be what he's been all year long, one hell of an expensive non factor.

Outside of that, you gotta be happy with the game today....Go Sox.

This Just In, Buchholz is not Playoff Ready

Blogging from the third base line at Fenway with T Murph. The game has required a post saying that Buchholz must look better on TV than from the stands. His body language has been comparable to a 13 year old girl who just got dumped via text.

7 runs over 4 and 2 thirds is Brad Penny material. Way to sink our optimistic battleship Buchholz, now members of the ITM staff need to pay for a few more 9 dollar beers as a result.

Not ready for a spot in the playoff rotation quite yet...so does that mean our hopes rest on a Dice-K return?

Go Sox.

Going Around the Horn

If you're not excited for this upcoming week of Red Sox baseball you don't have a soul. A quick two game series with the Rays in the foreclosure capital of the world, and then a big 4 game set against the Yanks in the big apple. The pitching matchups are listed below, and there is a lot to look forward to.

• Lester vs Garza- Probably the best pitching matchup of the week. Should be a great leadoff game tomorrow.



• Penny vs Price



• Smoltz vs Joba



• Beckett vs Burnett- The media will hype this one up, and somehow both pitchers will probably be out of the game by the 4th.



• Buchholz vs CC



• Lester vs Pettitte

~The series in NY has all the makings of a classic. The outcome of each game could determine who has the AL East lead that night. There will surely be steroid chants, there is that eight straight victories over the Yankees thing, and Clay Buchholz will likely become a hero or a goat in his start against CC.

~The Sox have seemingly found their offensive stroke with the addition of V-Mart. I'm pretty sure T Murph would already have a V-Mart jersey if he didn't spend money on a LaRoche one. I can't wait for the newest addition to come to Fenway and rake. Between his versatility and hitting style, it's like adding another Youkilous to the lineup.

~The longer it takes for Ortiz to come out and explain himself....the harder it'll be to believe anything he says. Ortiz should hold a press conference today, get it out of the way. Tell the truth and get it over with before the big games start up.

~Since June 1st, Ortiz is leading the majors in taters....PED's or not.....check the eye drops?

~Anyone else think the steroid story with Jerry Remy's son is hilarious? Have you seen the pictures? Priceless.

Dice-K is Pissing Just About Everyone Off

Well, I gave myself the day to digest the Dice-K news in order to avoid rushing out an "I hate Dice-K" post. Turns out, I should have just ran with it. My thoughts on this topic remain the same....stop being an uncoachable talent or you'll never live up to the hype. Seems like Red Sox management agree...

Not only has pissed off Red Sox Nation with his terrible performances this year, Dice-K recently expressed his frustration with Red Sox management and claimed his current shoulder issues are a result of training adjustments forced upon him by Boston. The Red Sox and John Farrell refute that claim saying the only adjustments made to the Japanese pitcher's regiment were just recently implemented as a result of his deteriorating shoulder strength.

Clearly it's a war of words. Based on the media reports over the few years he's been here, and the exceptionally high regard in which Boston's shoulder strengthening/management program is referred to by every other pitcher, my money is on the Sox here. I mean it was just this past off season that Dice-K frustrated the Sox by refusing to stay and train in the US. Instead he trained in Japan and provided minimal updates to Red Sox management who had little visibility to his off season workouts.

It's time for Dice-K to grow up, listen to what the people who pay him millions tell him to do, and realize it's less about culture and more about his personal stubborn nature. Sure, you were a king in Japan,but this isn't Japanese baseball, players here exceed 5 ft 9 inches and 160lbs. I don't question his desire to succeed, I question his coachability, and there tends to be a high correlation between that and overall success.

So as the rumors continue to swirl about Roy Halladay coming to the Sox for Buchholz, Bowden, and others, without child-like outbursts like this from Dice-K, it's hard to consider him an eventual factor on this team. Maybe that's why he's stomping his feet and crying, he's just not getting the attention he's used to.

I still think John Farrell summed it up perfectly on WEEI today, "There has to be accountability and responsibility on the part of the player"

Jon Lester: See How Much He Poured?

Quick lunchtime post just to say Jon Lester is on fire. I mean, the guy friggin beat cancer, like shutting down the Orioles is going to be that tough for him? Last night's performance was a dominate one, but you can't help feeling that it was a routine outting for the 25 year old. Just another day at the office for Lester, you know, punch in, go 7 strong innings without surrendering a run, then punch out. Done.

Teams are lookign at their schedules against the Sox and praying they don't get both Beckett and Lester right now, because if they do, they're going to lose that series (ITM note, no matter what, the Sox apparently don't like to sweep anymore, they give away the final game of the series in pitty).

The early season struggles for Lester seem to be long gone and hard to find.....Consider Lester's last six starts...... 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA. Add that in with his money wife and his recent sweet long term contract with the Sox...and Lester on a roll for sure.

Round 2 for Smoltz tonight. It seems like there is something "big" to look forward to every night as a Sox fan. Something my fiance` is quickly starting to hate. God forbid I help with the weddign planning, "this is Smoltz' second start, it's a huge game".

Go Sox.

Pitching Pitching Everywhere

As John Smoltz prepares to make his debut with the Boston Red Sox the question on every one's mind is; what are the Sox going to do with all their starting pitching? Upon Smotlz return the Sox have 6 starting pitchers, 7 if you count Buchholz, and only 5 spots in the rotation. Smotlz was quoted this morning saying he thinks he'll start next Tuesday or Wednesday which gives the Sox a few more days to work something out.

Truthfully, we'll have to see how it plays out because no one knows what Theo and company are going to do, however here are my slightly less then educated opinions.

The Sox will not be going to a 6 man rotation, that takes starts away from Lester and Beckett. Although it would allow everyone an extra days rest, baseball players are said to be creatures of habit and messing with the pitching rotation is not something that's going to happen in June. Besides, does anyone really want to take starts away from Lester right now, he's in a groove.

There's been a lot of talk of kicking Dice K to the DL again, or possibly extended. That's the easy answer, but what hasn't been talked about is the fact that Dice K has to sign off on either of those plans. Certainly the Dice Man is pitching the worst of the 5 starters right now, but to write him off the DL skips a few steps, we'll have to see how Theo plays this scenario out.

Brad Penny looks like a different animal in his last few starts, particularly against the Yankees. It seems he's taken exception to everyone wanting to trade him when Smoltz was/is ready to pitch, and I love the fire he's pitching with. Penny was hitting 98 against the Yankees and he had a big enough pair to drill Arod. I was growing very tired of the Yanks pitchers buzzing and hitting Bay and Youk, good for Penny for standing up and telling Girardi to shut his mouth.

That said, depending on what the Sox get out of Smoltz, I wouldn't be opposed to trading high on Brad Penny. I think before July 31st if the Sox can get a bat and either Smoltz is putting up numbers roughly equivalent to Penny's and the right deal is out there, Theo pulls the trigger. Don't ask me what that deal is, but Penny is signed for a year and I think the lineup will probably need another bat before all is said and done.

Tony Mazz wrote about the possibility of moving Wake to the bullpen, he didn't take to that idea and neither am I. First of all, Wake is 54 years old, better that he's not throwing every day, even if it is a knuckle ball. More importantly, I'm not wild about messing with the bullpen right now, Tito seems to have an order worked out depending on the game of who he's going to use, throwing Wake in the mix mucks everything up.

Down on the farm you have Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowdin pitching out of their minds. I wouldn't rule out Bowdin being traded in the right deal, again we'll let Theo be judge and jury on that one and treat him with kid gloves if the deal is a disaster or revere him if he pulls another Bay deal off.

The other day Buchholz was asked point blank about how he feels about not pitching for the big club, rightfully so Clay was frustrated. His response received a little press because it wasn't the standard "whats good for the club is good for me". I do not think Buchholz was pushing for a trade or trying to stir up trouble, he was just being honest. After last year he has to be patient and continue to pitch well in Pawtucket, at some point his time will come.

One thing I do know is not everyone is going to remain healthy for the rest of year, as I said Wakefield is 54 years old, okay 42. Count on a starter going down with an injury at some point this season, and we'll all be happy when Smoltz or Buchholz can make a spot start or 2 at the time, it's a long season

As the old adage goes, you can never have too much pitching. Anyone who is complaining about the current situation should remember back to 2005 when David Wells was our number 1 starter. This is not a bad problem to have.