Should Beckett Start WS Game 4?

[YAZMAN]

Yes. Discuss.

[riverside sluggers]

Im just thinking about game 1

 

roto

 

Manager Clint Hurdle announced his rotation for the first three games of the World Series.

 

Jeff Francis will pitch Game 1, followed by Ubaldo Jimenez in Game 2. Josh Fogg likely will be the starter in Game 3 or Game 4, leaving the other start to Aaron Cook or Franklin Morales. Hurdle and his staff will decide by Wednesday whether to use Cook, who hasn't pitching in a game since Aug. 10, or go with Morales.

 

Tim Wakefield was not available to pitch out of the bullpen in Sunday's Game 7 of the ALCS.

 

"Wake is going to throw a side [session] now," manager Terry Francona said. "Just because of what he's gone through pitching, I think we felt like it was in his best interest - and we're not trying to put the cart before the horse, but getting him up quickly won't work. I think we're all hopeful that we'll have more baseball to play, and that's our best way to go about it." Wakefield is a potential starter for Game 2 of the World Series since the Red Sox likely won't want to use him in the light-air of Colorado.

 

Wakefield did have a solid outing against Colorado, going 8 stong innings I believe while giving up just 1 run

 

Game 1- Beckett vs Francis

Game 2- Wakefield vs Jimenez

Game 3- Schilling vs Fogg/Morales/Cook

Game 4- Matsuzaka vs Fogg/Morales/Cook

[BoSox21]

it would depend on Wakefield's health I suppose but because Wake is a flyball pitcher, I doubt he fare well at Coors anyway but I'd say yes especially since Beckett is getting a longer rest between starts than usual now

[rician blast]

would depend on what happens games 1-3.

[TheKilo]

He'd be going on three days rest.

 

I'd really like to see:

 

Beckett Game 1

Schilling Game 2

DiceK Game 3

Wake/Lester Game 4

 

Schilling in the thin air of Colorado scares me, plus you throw in the fact that this would leave Beckett slated for game 5 in Colorado and he has experience with the bat.

 

If they win one of the first three games, I fully expect the rotation above. If the Sox are down 3-0 then you might see Beckett.

[das11209]

More than Curt - Wake scares me in the Coors field. One of the odd suggestions in boston.com chat was if we have to go with Wake/Belli - how about pitching him in game 2? He did pretty well in the interleague against the Rockies at Fenway.

 

Also - what do we do with Gagne? I would love to leave him out of the roaster for Tavarez. Tavarez can do long reliefs if Curt/Dice/Wake struggles - I do not see any positives keeping the fatman in the bullpen.

[SoxAtUA08]

In my opinion, Joshua Beckett is a necessity for game 1, and game 4 is a possibility for Josh given the layoff. We really need to get the lead early in this series. As we saw with Cleveland, one win just isn't enough to open a series in Fenway. We have to get all four of the games.

[TheKilo]

IMO' date=' He is a necessity for game 1, and game 4 is a possibility given the layoff. We HAVE to get the lead early in this series. As we saw with Cleveland, one win just isn't enough to open a series. Gotta get all 4.[/quote']

 

What?

[SoxAtUA08]

What?

 

 

 

Beckett...starting game four.... the point of this topic

[TheKilo]

Beckett...starting game four.... the point of this topic

 

Again, grammar is cool.

[redsoxrules]

Beckett...starting game four.... the point of this topic

 

beckett is only starting 2 games this series , 1 and 5 , thats it

[SoxAtUA08]

Again' date=' grammar is cool.[/quote']

 

 

 

lol, yes sir

[TheKilo]

If anyone thinks Beckett is going to pitch in Colorado on three day's rest you're nuts.

 

Only absolute extreme circumstances will bring that about.

[zackredsox]

No unless we have lost 2 of 3. Wakefield relieve.

[TheKilo]

No unless we have lost 2 of 3. Wakefield relieve.

 

If we're down 2-1 we throw Beckett in Game 5.

[Mr Crunchy]

if the sox are down 3-0 youll see becks in game 4

outside that relatively imppssible scenario i dont think he'll go on 3 days rest

i saw the rox dismantle the sox this summerand at the time i thought they would compete for the west but i actually thought the padres were the best nl club.

the worst thing possible happened to them

they stopped playing

the sox are still a relatively fresh unit despite a 7 game series

becks looks like hes going to win 2 games

schill will win 1 and the bullpen will pull another one out and i say 5 games we finish them

i like their defense and i love their bats but i dont see fogg francis and the other guys being able to contain an offense that is juuuuust about exploding all 9 cylinders at once now...

good for tito using the jacoby and leaving drew in there

i may have gone another way

[zackredsox]

If we're down 2-1 we throw Beckett in Game 5.

 

Your right. I wanna see him in game 4 only if we go 0-3.

[MANNYHOF24]

I actually Like the idea of Beckett, Wake, Schilling and DiceK. It makes it so Wake doesnt have to throw in Colorado, and we have Schilling and DiceK and then Beckett for games 3-4-5.

[jacksonianmarch]

The only way Beckett throws game 4 is if the sox are in a 3-0 hole and need to rely on Beckett for 2 of the following 4 games. You dont take a pitcher who is being worked more than he ever has and then throw him on 3 days rest in a park that is one mile above sea level unless you have no other choice. His body will give out in the 4th.

[TheKilo]

I actually Like the idea of Beckett' date=' Wake, Schilling and DiceK. It makes it so Wake doesnt have to throw in Colorado, and we have Schilling and DiceK and then Beckett for games 3-4-5.[/quote']

 

I'd reverse Schilling and Wake...I shudder to think of Schilling gasping for air in Denver.

[See Red]

The air shouldn't be a problem since he won't be running. But if Papi hits one into the gap... he very well could die trying to get to second.

[ORS]

Give out in the 4th? What a load of diaper fill.

 

Elevation isn't that taxing when the activity isn't taxing to begin with. In the Marines, we mostly trained at sea level in Hawaii, and prior to deployments our forced marches would get incrementally bigger. First little 5 mile admin hikes, building your way up to 10-15 mile full-load hikes, and then the clincher, the McCress 25 mile in 8 hour hump. The biggest live fire range in HI is on the big island between Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa at 6500 feet. We did all the prep hikes at sea level, but the McCress was always at 6500'. It was no more taxing than the others (except for the additional length).

 

I think the impact of altitude is only evident on the most strenuous activities. Pitching just doesn't fall in that category.

[jacksonianmarch]

Pitching isnt a strenuous exercise? It is the most strenuous thing you can do on a baseball field.

[ORS]

It's not strenuous on the cadiovascular system, and that is where altitude is taxing. Don't listen me though, someone who has trained at high altitude. No, by all means, continue to pull arbitrary numbers straight from your rectum.

[See Red]

Pitching isnt a strenuous exercise? It is the most strenuous thing you can do on a baseball field.

 

But it's not the type of thing that leaves somebody gasping for air, which is really the only time the altitude would have an effect. Has there ever been a pitcher that has gasped for air because of pitching? Even David Wells went 5 innings last time he pitched in Coors... and he would have gone farther if he didn't get lit up.

[jacksonianmarch]

It is all about oxygen delivery. There is a lower partial pressure of oxygen at that altitude, which leads to less 02 saturation and less Oxygen delivery. And when you are pitching, you are having 150 or so short, powerful bursts that require precise timing. The muscles get more tired at the higher altitude due to increased demand with less supply. I am not denying your experience, you just might have not noticed the difference. Some do, some dont. But the science is there to support me.

[jacksonianmarch]

But it's not the type of thing that leaves somebody gasping for air' date=' which is really the only time the altitude would have an effect. Has there ever been a pitcher that has gasped for air because of pitching? Even David Wells went 5 innings last time he pitched in Coors... and he would have gone farther if he didn't get lit up.[/quote']

 

it isnt about gasping for air. It is about muscle fatigue. You have to go much higher to cause you to gasp for air.

[See Red]

I'd say that in the history of baseball in Colorado, you're the only person ever to show this concern, Jacko. Unfortunately, I'm not sure it's well placed.

[ORS]

It is all about oxygen delivery. There is a lower partial pressure of oxygen at that altitude' date=' which leads to less 02 saturation and less Oxygen delivery. And when you are pitching, you are having 150 or so short, powerful bursts that require precise timing. The muscles get more tired at the higher altitude due to increased demand with less supply. I am not denying your experience, you just might have not noticed the difference. Some do, some dont. But the science is there to support me.[/quote']

Are pitchers ever out of breath? Laboring to get the oxygen needed for their muscles, like say, a long distance runner? The answer is no. So, while you are correct about the partial pressure discrepancy and oxygen saturation, you are incorrect in one regard. You are assuming the oxygen intake capacity is static. An increased respiratory rate, something a pitcher can do with ease since they aren't anywhere near their peak rate, will deliver the oxygen needed.

 

As you can see in the table, the O2 saturation is only reduced 5% at 1500m. And this doesn't even consider that supplementation can increase the red blood cell count, which can further reduce the impact of altitude related oxygen deficiency. Do you think the Sox docs aren't already addressing this issue?

 

http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/graphics/illustrations/SaO2.gif

[TedWilliams101]

If we go 1-2 (or worse 0-3), I would like to see Beckett in game 4 and 7. If we go 2-1, then game 5.