April 8th @ Baltimore

[RedSoxRooter]

Can you believe Lester is supposed to be even better???

[ksushi]

Why can't our starters be like this all the time? I think what you see is what you get from Schilling, Beckett and Clement right now, and I think Wakefield will be same ol' Wakefield. Not blowing anyone away, but keeping us in it most every time out. Its the 5 spot im worried about. I have zero confidence in Wells. I think Papelbon will be in the rotation, or Dinardo. Probably Dinardo for awhile to give Hansen sometime in AAA, but in the event that Wells can't pitch, Hansen will be a major leaguer.

 

Our middle relief is ok. Nothing to write home about, but nothing bad either. Dinardo is more than solid, and I've got faith in Riske to be a good pitcher. Our bullpen is really good right now, and Taveras isn't done with his suspension yet. Anything we get from Foulke is bonus. The pen is great.

 

What you see is what you get. When everyone was talking about the Sox in third place, and I laughed at them, this is why I was laughing along with most people who looked at the rosters carefully.

[MANNYHOF24]

Right now Papelbon is certainly the closer for now. I think Foulke could get a 7th and 8th inning role, if he continues to pitch like last night. If wells struggles than we have to move Papelbon to the Rotation, he has 3 great pitches. But he cant go their until Foulke proves him self

[MANNYHOF24]

Can you believe Lester is supposed to be even better???

 

I was not impressed with Lester this spring, but it is just spring training which means absolutly nothing.

[mtbykr]

How good is tito looking right now for telling Tavarez to take his suspension now. We haven't needed him at all, and hopefully won't in the near future!

[Beckett95]

Right now Papelbon is certainly the closer for now. I think Foulke could get a 7th and 8th inning role, if he continues to pitch like last night. If wells struggles than we have to move Papelbon to the Rotation, he has 3 great pitches. But he cant go their until Foulke proves him self

 

Foulkes first out last night came on a bunt by melvin mora. so theres one easy out. Next batter he gave up a line drive single to chris gomez. Then on a 2-2 pitch to Jay gibbons, gibbons slipped while swinging which led to an easy double play. Foulkes performance last night doesnt mean nothing. I think we need to trade him before he loses his trade value.

[ksushi]

I was not impressed with Lester this spring, but it is just spring training which means absolutly nothing.

 

That spring really shouldn't leave a bad taste in your mouth. Hes young. He had stuff, his pitches looked good, but where he got hammered, he got hammered because of a lack of seasoning. I think Lester is a year away still. I think he will be better than Papelbon, and that isn't to say I don't think Papelbon is a monster, I do. Lester throws about 5 mph slower out of the stretch. He didn't know how to establish his fastball and he was just up there throwing the ball. He will learn how to establish his fastball in a major league game, and he'll learn how to throw out of the stretch. These are things that AAA will teach him. He isn't going to just roll over and die. Worst case scenario, he turns into a very servicable major leaguer instead of a stellar one.

[Beckett95]

How good is tito looking right now for telling Tavarez to take his suspension now. We haven't needed him at all, and hopefully won't in the near future!

 

I think Tavarez/Riske pitching the 7th, Timlin the 8th and Papelbon in the 9th is potentially a great bullpen. Ya tavarez is a nutcase, but hes a pretty good pitcher.

[mtbykr]

Foulkes first out last night came on a bunt by melvin mora. so theres one easy out. Next batter he gave up a line drive single to chris gomez. Then on a 2-2 pitch to Jay gibbons, gibbons slipped while swinging which led to an easy double play. Foulkes performance last night doesnt mean nothing. I think we need to trade him before he loses his trade value.

 

 

Foulke doesn't have a trade value unless we plan on eating most of his contract. Our best chance is with Foulke closing, and paps ready to start if needed. If we lost Foulke, it would tax our staff---mabey not at first but in the long run it would! Let's all pray Foulke returns to form!

[Beckett95]

id like to see foulke traded at the deadline and for hansen to come by that time and be our closer. I think Hansen could be the Huston Street of last year, this year.

[mtbykr]

id like to see foulke traded at the deadline and for hansen to come by that time and be our closer. I think Hansen could be the Huston Street of last year, this year.

 

 

I guess this is just a pet peave of mine---but i don't think we should rush hansen. As i have mentioned several times, hansen was in college last year at this time! He is in AA Portland now, let's not count on him becuause i don't think we will see him in an "important" role this season!

[ksushi]

I think if Wells can't pull his weight, Hansen will definetly be up. Papelbon will slide into the rotation and if foulke can close, great, if he stills sucks, then Timlin can slide into that role and let Hansen take over in the 8th. Voula, thats a good team.

[ksushi]

I guess this is just a pet peave of mine---but i don't think we should rush hansen. As i have mentioned several times, hansen was in college last year at this time! He is in AA Portland now, let's not count on him becuause i don't think we will see him in an "important" role this season!

 

I agree completely, but having him in the minors is a luxury. If we can afford that luxury, awesome, if not though it is more important to win at the major league level and I think it would be hard to dispute that Hansen can definetly help us there. If we need him, we need him. If not, then thats really a lucky break for the sox.

[Beckett95]

huston street was in college at this time in 2004. one year later he had an era of 1.72 era with 23 saves.

 

i also dont think Wells will have a good season. there hasnt been any proof yet of him being ready. he pitched bad last night at pawtucket and didnt pitch well in spring training.

 

rotoworld--

After Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless eighth, Jonathan Papelbon protected a one-run lead for the second time in four days to earn a save against the Orioles tonight.

Miguel Tejada flied out to left, Jay Gibbons popped out to third and Kevin Millar struck out to end it. Papelbon reached 97 mph with a couple of his fastballs tonight. Maybe his lack of a second top-notch pitch will hurt him in the long run, but he looks dominant right now. Apr. 8 - 9:43 pm et

are u serious. his slider and splitter looked pretty good tonight and have been the last 2 years. Maybe not dominant but pretty damn good

[ksushi]

I hate it when people say Papelbon only has a good FB. Its not true.

[Beckett95]

his splitter and slider will only get better as he learns from Schilling who throws those pitches pretty good.

[example1]

id like to see foulke traded at the deadline and for hansen to come by that time and be our closer. I think Hansen could be the Huston Street of last year, this year.

 

If this type of chemistry and dominance continues, and if the Sox starting 5 stay healthy, you may have just watched this year's Huston Street blow Millar away. There is something to be said for making Papelbon a starter. He will be eventually and he will be very good. But what this team needs now is a SHUT DOWN closer. With this defense starters will get a lot of wins when they keep the runs down in the first 5 innings, which is a great environment to pitch in.

 

I worry about switching to Hansen at any point if Papelbon has not struggled. "Don't mess with what got ya there" and watch Papelbon's demeanor in closing situations. He looks ice cold and relaxed.

[Beckett95]

as long as Wells can be a solid 5th starter, im perfectly fine with Papelbon closing. But i think that if by mid season, wells or someone else is injured or not pitching good, papelbon should be in the rotation and hansen should close.

[RedSoxRooter]

I say keep Pap in the closer role until we have someone as capable (consistently dominant) to replace him. Be it Foulke or Lester or Hanson or Me. Whatever, for this year, but next year Pap is in the rotation after Beckett.

[ORS]

I hate it when people say Papelbon only has a good FB. Its not true.

Last year it was a little true. Both the split and the slider were good at times, but they weren't consistent. That said, they both look like +pitches right now.

[Anuj09]

i hope the sox use Papelbon only when its necesiary

[schillingouttheks]

What do you mean by "only when it's necessary?"

[Anuj09]

i should have used sparingly, i get the feeling we are going to use him way too much and idk what how the will affect him

 

 

 

 

(affect or effect ?)

[a700hitter]

I hate it when people say Papelbon only has a good FB. Its not true.

Papelbon has shown in his two appearances that he has good command of his off-speed pitches. He threw two off-speed pitches to Millar that really had him off balance. Millar was geared up for the fastball and he had it timed. The scoreboard showed the pitches as 89 mph slider, but from my perspective the last pitch looked like a splitter that dropped and Millar helplessly flailed over it. It was quite surprising that Paps came out of the pen throwing 95+ from the get go and that he had command and feel for the off-speed pitches. By time he came in the temperature had to be in the 30's. it was freezing.

[a700hitter]

Can you believe Lester is supposed to be even better???

He isn't yet. That's quite a ways off for Lester. He needs a lot of refinement, and his velocity is nothing like Paps.

[jsinger121]

He isn't yet. That's quite a ways off for Lester. He needs a lot of refinement, and his velocity is nothing like Paps.

 

Lester is more of the 92-95 at tops but is still pretty good. He has probably more pitches than Papelbon with his change, curve, cut fastball, and regular 4 seamer but the pitches need to be refined.

[a700hitter]

Lester is more of the 92-95 at tops but is still pretty good. He has probably more pitches than Papelbon with his change, curve, cut fastball, and regular 4 seamer but the pitches need to be refined.

I didn't see that kind of velocity from him. There were no radar readings at the spring parks, but he was lucky if he was hitting 90. Paps was throwing so hard in the bullpen tonight that I could hear the glove popping from my seat along the RF line. I was so far from the bullpen that I could not see his number, but I knew from the glove popping that it was not Foulke. None of the relievers from either team popped the glove that loudly.

[Beckett95]

imagine a rotation of Beckett, Lester and Papelbon in about 5 years. :thumbsup:

[Teddyballgame10]

what was schillings range today?

[Beckett95]

he was consitnely 89-92 and got up to 95 in his last inning