Masterson sent down, Buchholz to start Friday

[CalvnHobs6]

Masterson is going to the pen, Buchholz to the rotation, and Bailey up in the meantime. Great move, in my opinion.

 

Pregame notes: Bailey recalled, Masterson optioned to Pawtucket

4:19 PM Mon, Jul 07, 2008 | Permalink

Joe McDonald Email

 

By Joe McDonald

Journal Sports Writer

 

BOSTON _ Red Sox manager Terry Francona just announced the club has optioned pitcher Justin Masterson to Pawtucket and have recalled infielder/outfielder Jeff Bailey.

 

This move will allow the Red Sox to recall pitcher Clay Buchholz to start against the Orioles on Friday at Fenway Park.

 

Francona also said Masterson will be moved to the bullpen for the PawSox in order to eveuntually help Boston as a reliever very soon.

 

"We wanted to, at some point, get Clay back here and in the rotation," said Francona. "We also think getting Justin acclimated to the bullpen has a really good chance to help out ballclub."

 

Masterson will join the PawSox on the road and pitch Wednesday in Richmond and Friday and Sunday in Norfolk.

 

"There's not a firm timetable, but the idea is to get him acclimated where he can come help us. In the meantime Jeff Bailey will be here until we activate Clay."

 

 

The Red Sox need bullpen help, and the thought all along was Masterson, a 23-year-old right-hander, could be the perfect guy. The sinkerball pitcher is extremely tough on right-handers, plus he's obviously stretched out.

 

Because he's already has major-league experience, and the fact he's very mature, helps his cause.

 

"We think he has a chance to be real effective against right-handed hitters," said Francona. "You come up in a stretch in the middle of the order, he's got a chance to be very effective. I think sometimes guys' stuff out of the bullpen can play up, also. We view him as somebody like that."

 

Masterson's velocity has increased since his debut, which has made him more effective.

 

The rookie started against the Yankees last Saturday in New York and suffered the loss in his six-inning outing. He allowed only two runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

 

When Buchholz was placed on the disabled list earlier this season with a torn fingernail, that Francona said today was actually a blister. When the rookie was ready to return to the rotation, the Sox thought it best to send him to Triple-A where he can work on his fastball.

 

"Let's try to look at the big picture," Francona explained. "That's not very easy to do sometimes, because getting outs is at such a premium. The kid throws a no-hitter and everyone thinks it looks easy, but there is some developing left to do. We saw that all along and I don't think it's our responsibility to point it out to the media every flaw we see in somebody's delivery."

 

The idea was to have Buchholz change his arm slot just a bit where his arm was about six inches away from his head. That tweak will allow move action on his fastball.

 

"This is a kid who doesn't need to be fighting for his life out there," said Francona. "He has a chance to be a dominant major-league pitcher, and sometimes the way to do that is slow it down and let him develop a little bit in Triple-A where if a ball gets hit it's not on SportsCenter."

http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/SoxBlog/2008/07/pregame-notes-b-1.html

 

This was a move many of us hoped would come.

[ksushi]

Yup. I think this bodes well for making a second half push to restore balance to the universe - and the AL East.

 

MDC, Oki, and Papelbon all get lefties out very effectively. Masterson is HIV to RHH. Using Masterson in an 8th inning role (along with MDC and Oki combining to do two things: Take care of the 7th, take care of situations where a lefty shows up in the 8th) will hopefully stabilize our 'pen. In situations where a lefty pops up with 2 gone in the 8th, Papelbon takes over. I think this move helps us in the 8th and really defines the roles of Oki and MDC.

[ksushi]

"This is a kid who doesn't need to be fighting for his life out there' date='" said Francona. "He has a chance to be a dominant major-league pitcher, and sometimes the way to do that is slow it down and let him develop a little bit in Triple-A where if a ball gets hit it's not on SportsCenter."[/quote']

 

This is exactly what I love about this organization. I don't want to credit Terry with this philosophy, but the whole FO, and they obviously brought Terry in because he handles people so well. I think atmosphere is a huge factor in developing good players. Baseball is all about confidence, and it was very clear Buchholz wasn't confident in his fastball and was compensating by trying to do to much with his off-speed. A lot of teams would let a guy fight through something like that, all the while taking tough losses and getting it thrown all over the papers. It can beat you up mentally and I think that is a lot to ask of a guy who is trying to play baseball in an environment as rough as Boston can be. I think our player development is great here. I'm really really happy today.

 

We need to take it to Minnesota and make a serious stake in the WC. I know its early to be talking about stuff like that, but they look like a team we will be fighting with late in the season. We couldn't stake our early claim on the division, but we can with the WC. Beat Minnesota. The second half is looking promising. Now, plz do something with Lugo/cora.

[yeszir]

Hoooooraaaaaaay!

[Cocos Disciples]

Buchholz has torn apart AAA (does that even make sense for a pitcher?). He definitely deserves this. And I applaud Masterson. He did fine.

[das11209]

Good move - now just DFA Cora, send Moss back and bring up Lowrie.15 day DL Manny ( he is doing nothing) and bring up Carter. That will make me happy.

 

Edit - and bring up Kottaras - I don't know what to do with Tek.

[ksushi]

Buchholz has torn apart AAA (does that even make sense for a pitcher?). He definitely deserves this. And I applaud Masterson. He did fine.

 

He isn't done.... Masterson did fine, and is going to a role where he should excel if we all cross our fingers.

[Cocos Disciples]

Definitely not done, thats for sure. I like his flexibility.

[BoSox21]

it is pre-mature but if the Sox make a serious run this year, I can see this move as being the one people look back on and say "thank god the FO did that". If Masterson can come in and be a stabilizing force in the bullpen, I really believe that it can be a stabilizing force for the entire group.

[Paradisecity]

Saw this coming weeks ago. Our bullpen needs the help. Good move.

[Jayhawk Bill]

Bump.

 

You know, I checked Pitch f/x records for Buchholz's last two games this morning, and there's a potential reason he sucked: he was squeezed. Against Baltimore, he didn't get a called strike in the bottom six inches of the zone nor in the outer two inches of the zone (where pitchers usually get an extra couple of inches, not two inches fewer). Nauert took away the bottom couple of inches and four inches on the inside of the strike zone. Buchholz was throwing what should've been strikes and he was getting balls called, and then he had to groove his pitches.

 

Let's see what happens in a game called with a regulation strike zone or, better, an MLB-norm strike zone before we believe that his AAA stuff won't translate to MLB.

[jacksonianmarch]

would you stop with that excuse. Seriously, it gets old. Buchholz is getting the rookie treatment. It will pass. It is up to him to show he can avoid it.

[ORS]

An objective analysis of how the umpire calls a game gets old? Not even close. What's getting old is the position that the application of the strikezone doesn't matter. It directly impacts what occurs on the field of play. I challenge you to justify the position that this is all immaterial.

[jacksonianmarch]

every single time a pitcher does poorly, jayhawk chimes in with the umpire being the reason why. How about you look at every time he does well and maybe he got some calls. I am of the belief that the strike zone will even out eventually. If he doesnt get a call and starts grooving them down the middle, then he isnt mentally tough. A good pitcher will throw his pitch, and if it isnt called, find another pitchers pitch in that umpire's zone. No matter how small the zone is, no umpire's zone includes only a 3" by 3" square down the middle. They all have holes. They arent perfect. Your job as a pitcher is to find them.

[ORS]

JHB has reported when calls have gone in a pitcher's favor, and he hasn't posted a "strikezone" defense for every bad start, so I don't know what you are talking about there. My guess is that you only notice when he suggests there may be a reason to justify the performance.

 

Whatever the case, I find how the game was called to be extremely relevant. Watching the game, it's easy to get the notion that a pitcher is having a hard time with location when he's falling down 1-0, 2-0 and then subesequently having a pitch that caught more plate get hit. If there is a cause and effect relationship with the application of the strikezone there, I want to know about it, because it helps explain what likely happened there. I'm not looking to excuse the performance, but get a more true assessment of what occurred and what to expect going forward. Because, like you, I think good calls / bad calls even out over time, and I'm more confident that a pitcher who is actually throwing strikes and getting screwed is more likely to find success in later starts when things "even out".

[Jayhawk Bill]

every single time a pitcher does poorly' date=' jayhawk chimes in with the umpire being the reason why.[/quote']

 

Hyperbole and misstatement.

 

Hyperbole: It's not every time; heck, I didn't post at all for two weeks. I do point out when the umpire seems to have made a difference, which is disturbingly frequent but not "every single time a pitcher does poorly."

 

Misstatement: Cheez, Jacko, you know that I blame Terry Francona more often than I blame the umpires.

 

How about you look at every time he does well and maybe he got some calls.

 

Please point out to me one game this season where the umpire's calls favored the Red Sox enough to swing the game in their favor, from a loss to a win. Boston has played 100 games. Do your research, check Pitch f/x records, and prove your point that the umpires occasionally favor the Red Sox.

 

Once you do that, I'll listen. 'Til then, do your own research.

 

I am of the belief that the strike zone will even out eventually.

 

I was until 2003-2005. After watching the Yankees comeback in 2005, I changed my mind. Thus far, Pitch f/x has supported my position that the games seem to be influenced by umpires fairly often.

 

If he doesnt get a call and starts grooving them down the middle, then he isnt mentally tough.

 

To the contrary, if he's losing every call on the inside, outside, and low, he's better off grooving them and hoping that his fielders do their work than he is walking every batter. Buchholz gave up 7 BB in 9.2 IP those two games--using the whole strike zone wasn't working.

 

BTW, just to be sure, I googled stuff regarding this game:

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CLE/CLE199204121.shtml

 

Nobody seemed to call Matt Young "mentally tough" for losing an eight-inning no-hitter by allowing two earned runs via walks. :dunno:

 

A good pitcher will throw his pitch, and if it isnt called, find another pitchers pitch in that umpire's zone.

 

If an umpire takes away the inside corner, the outside corner, and the lower half-foot of the strike zone, where does one locate a pitcher's pitch? If you look at Ted Williams' hitting chart, take away the two outside rows and the bottom three rows and the only two good spots left for the pitcher (together an area of roughly ten square inches in the umpire's outside corner) are overwhelmed by the 38 bad spots remaining.

 

No matter how small the zone is, no umpire's zone includes only a 3" by 3" square down the middle. They all have holes. They arent perfect. Your job as a pitcher is to find them

 

I didn't allege that the strike zone was 3" x 3" down the middle. I checked pitch call locations--you know, data, not baseless assertion--and I found that the strike zone allowed to Buchholz was over a square foot smaller than the regulation zone of, usually, between 2.5 and 3 square feet, with the best places to pitch taken away. That's an extraordinary difference.

 

Most readers would recognize that.

[BoSox21]

Masterson has been called up to join the bullpen

[TheKilo]

Masterson has been called up to join the bullpen

 

Aardsma to the DL is the resulting move.