Wakefield To The DL

[a700hitter]

So you want to take a kid from starting to relieving' date=' back to starting and then finish the yr relieving?[/quote']I don't see many better options right now, and Masterson's inning total is reasonable.

[VA Sox Fan]

did not see the other thread. Kill this please.

 

Way to be on top of things jacko, you only started your thread 8 hours after mine. Pay attention doc, jeez.

[Dojji]

To be fair, he's going from starting to multiple inning relief role back to starting. Pair him and erstwhile starter Chris Smith together for a few go-rounds until Masterson's back up to speed.

 

The other interesting possibility is to call up Edgar Martinez. He's too homer-prone but he does have good stuff. I'd probably take Hansack ahead of him though.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Bowden please. Until Colon's ready.

[BoSox21]

Bowden please. Until Colon's ready.

 

I fear the repercussions of moving Bowden along too fast. he's been very up and down in his short stint in Triple A so far and I wouldnt move him until he starts to develop some consistency

[Mr Crunchy]

charlie zink come on down

knuckleballer,13+4 this year in pawtucket,the rangers havent seen a lot of wakefield so this guy may present them some confusion..

in any case they need a boost from down there

[BoSox21]

I probably have more confidence in Zink than any other option right now

[Dojji]

Bowden please. Until Colon's ready.

 

Bowden is pitching right now in Pawtucket -- he's officially a nonoption

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Right now like as we speak?

[VA Sox Fan]

From Today's Boston Globe:

 

Charlie Zink: Should the Red Sox replace one knuckleballer with another? The 28-year-old Zink, who has never pitched in the majors, is 13-4 with a 2.89 ERA for the Triple-A PawSox. Batters are hitting .228 against him. However, Zink started on Friday, which would make it a tough turnaround to be ready to pitch again on Tuesday, even for a knuckleballer. Still, don't count it out. The Providence Journal reported today that the Red Sox are leaning toward Zink.

 

Justin Masterson: After moving him to the bullpen from the rotation, it seems unlikely the Red Sox will change course and make him a starter again. However, you can expect the fans to make this option No. 1 for the Sox. Masterson has been unscored upon in his last four appearances out of the pen, including a 2 2/3-inning outing Sunday. Before moving to the bullpen, the 23-year-old Masterson was 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA in 9 starts with the Red Sox.

 

Michael Bowden: Slated to pitch for the Triple-A PawSox on Monday, the 21-year-old Bowden is the sexiest name on the list, if only because he's an unknown commodity that has excelled in the minors. Between Double- and Triple-A, Bowden is 9-6 with a 2.64 ERA this season with 115 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 126 innings. He is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts with the PawSox

 

Devern Hansack: He's scheduled to pitch Tuesday for the Triple-A PawSox, so the timing is certainly right. Hansack has a respectable 4.10 ERA for the PawSox this season, but has a 5-10 record. He has a 2.45 ERA in his last 10 starts, but has given up at least three runs in each of his last three starts. In five career appearances with the Red Sox, Hansack has a 3.57 ERA.

 

David Pauley: Another unlikely option for Tuesday (he pitched on Saturday), Pauley is having a great season in Pawtucket. He is 13-4 with a 3.32 ERA. However, he has struggled at the major league level. In four career starts for the Red Sox, he is 0-2 with an 8.41 ERA.

 

Bartolo Colon: Remember him? In Pawtucket rehabbing from a back injury that landed him on the disabled list in mid-June, Colon pitched three shutout innings for Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday, a big improvement over his previous outing, in which he surrendered three runs in just two-thirds of an inning. It appears the Red Sox don't have any intentions of rushing him back to the big club (MLB.com's Ian Browne reports that he will make at least a couple more starts before returning to the majors), but might Wake's injury prompt them to reconsider? Even if they did, he would definitely not be available to take Tuesday's turn in the rotation. A former Cy Young winner, Colon is 4-2 with a 4.09 ERA for the Red Sox this season.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Alright Zink for Tuesday, then Bowden thereafter.

[Mr Crunchy]

y'all want my phone# for any other questions?

ask va,shes been calling me up late night breathing heavy into the phone thinking i dont know its her

but i know its her by the accent on the breathing....

charlie zink

if for no other reason than to keep texas off balance

[The Dustball]

I want to see Zink pitch, his numbers have been stellar. At least give the guy a chance to show that he his stuff can translate into success in the majors. Also, bringing Bowden up already seems like it is rushing him a little too much. We don't want another Craig Hansen.

[VA Sox Fan]

y'all want my phone# for any other questions?

ask va,shes been calling me up late night breathing heavy into the phone thinking i dont know its her

but i know its her by the accent on the breathing....

charlie zink

if for no other reason than to keep texas off balance

 

I've been nabbed! DAMMIT!

[BSN07]

I believe Zink is on the same day in the rotation that Wake was on. I think he is the obvious choice for a spot start. Use him until Colon is ready to give some innings.

[Mr Crunchy]

i think the knuckleballer is the best bet based on the team we're going against.

the pressure will be the same but i think knuckleballers have it easier trying to make that 1 pitch work as opposed to a rookie with a 4 pitch arsenal,all needed against the beasts in texas.

[Dojji]

Zink isn't purely a Wakefield style knuckleballer. He mixes in a low to mid 80's fastball, curve and change.

[Mr Crunchy]

ya and he throws harder too im told

but that isnt my point

i just think when a guy throws a knuckler as his bread and butter its an easier jump to the majors than a guy who throws fastball curve slider change....on each hitter.

the knuckleball,when on,can f***up anyones day

[jacksonianmarch]

Zink isn't purely a Wakefield style knuckleballer. He mixes in a low to mid 80's fastball' date=' curve and change.[/quote']

 

He threw 88-91 mph when I faced him. He had a pretty nice slidepiece too.

[Cocos Disciples]

He threw 88-91 mph when I faced him. He had a pretty nice slidepiece too.

 

When did you face him? Don't tell me you're a AAA'er too...

[jacksonianmarch]

nah, I faced him in college. He played for Luis Tiant at Savannah A&D.

[VA Sox Fan]

Zink will start Tuesday

 

Posted by Amalie Benjamin, Globe Staff August 11, 2008 04:57 PM

 

We've just been informed that knuckleballer Charlie Zink will start tomorrow night in place of the injured Tim Wakefield. The 28-year-old Zink is 13-4 with a 2.89 ERA in 25 games with Pawtucket this season.

[Dojji]

nah' date=' I faced him in college. He played for Luis Tiant at Savannah A&D.[/quote']

 

Right, well according to what I've read, he's actually toned down the fastball in order to match it with his knuckleball mechanics. It now goes about 84-86. I don't see any reference to the curve I distinctly remember reading about but his soxprospects.com profile does mention a cutter.

 

Also Zink's "getting it" moment coincides, at least according to him, with him mixing in the change more at the behest of his pitching coach. That's all I know, probably most of you and just about everyone at SP knows much more than I do.

 

In other words, he has a couple setup pitches to offset an average to below average fastball -- and then also a knuckler. So unlike Wake he at least has an option or two that's at least a little more respectable than a 73 MPH batting practice straightball if his K-ball flattens out sometimes. That's a good thing.

[Soxfan1]

Awesome. I'll have to watch tomorow.