Oil Can wants to pitch again

[Dojji]

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/articles/2009/02/15/not_a_good_shot_in_the_arm/?page=full

 

(scroll down)

 

At 49, Boyd wants to turn fantasy into reality

 

Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd has long felt the game of baseball was taken away from him far too soon. He was 31 years old when he threw his last pitch for the Texas Rangers in 1991.

 

But now, at age 49, Boyd believes his shoulder is stronger than ever. He says his velocity is up in the low 90s and the 12-6 curveball and changeup have returned. He wants a chance to show a major league team he can still pitch.

 

"I have nothing to lose, and all a major league team has to lose is 15 minutes," said Boyd. "Give me 15 minutes and I'll show I can still pitch. That's all I want."

 

It's always been Boyd's dream to carry on the legacy of Satchel Paige and pitch into his 60s. Two weeks ago, at the Red Sox fantasy camp, Boyd started throwing in earnest again and was pleased with the results.

 

"After surgery in '87, it took me 10 years to feel good," he said. "I wasn't on the field, started gaining weight. All of a sudden, my arm has healed. The arm strength is there and it's there consistently. The more I throw, the better it feels."

 

Former Red Sox catcher Mike Stanley, who caught Boyd at the camp, said, "He looks no different to me now than when I caught him in Texas. He still has the same passion. I don't know if he was getting to 90 because we didn't have a gun, but he still had the same stuff. The same tight slider, curve, fastball."

 

"Satchel being my idol and knowing he didn't come into the game until he was in his early 40s, that's always been in the back of my mind," said Boyd. "Now, I've been given back the fastball I once had. I want to play.

 

"I spoke to some people about it. If I was given an opportunity, I'd love to work my way back. I think it would be good for the game. It shows me baseball is a forgiving game."

 

 

 

On the one hand... :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

On the other, why not give him a shot? I don't see there's anything to lose and the team might gain a bit for reaching out to Boyd and letting him show us what he has. He probably doesn't have a prayer, but you never know... you just never know.

[italstallianion]

I think it would be fun. Not necessarily for a roster spot, but to have him around and talk with the younger dudes...I like how he still has the passion as well...

[Dojji]

It would certainly give people something else to go to Fort Myers and see.

 

For the record -- Boyd was pitching in indy ball as late as '05 so this isn't as preposterous as all that. Pitching in the CanAm league at age 45, he seems to have been flashing a bit of the old Oil Can and finished with a respecctable 3.83 ERA.

 

HE was always a bit of a slop tosser so if he has his command, it could even work. Give him a minor league contract and see what happens.

 

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/Oil-Can-Boyd.shtml

[CrespoBlows]

No.

[Dojji]

Afraid it'll work? Seriously, there is *nothing* to lose here.

[CrespoBlows]

Afraid it'll work?

 

Yeah, the thought of Oil Can Boyd recapturing his mediocrity of the 80's scares me.

 

 

Seriously, there is *nothing* to lose here.

 

It's a f***ing gimmick. Why hand out contracts to people we know that have no chance to compete?

[Keeper]

I admire his enthusiasm, but middle-aged has-beens with delusions of grandeur who pitched 2 decades ago aren't exactly in high demand...

[Cocos Disciples]

I watched him pitch in Brockton a couple years ago and he got lit up. By independent leaguers.

 

No.

[26 to 6]

Sign him up guys. Hopefully he makes the team and is thrown into the Boston bullpen

[yeszir]

I watched him pitch in Brockton a couple years ago and he got lit up. By independent leaguers.

 

No.

 

I saw the same exact thing. Wasn't pretty.

[MANNYHOF24]

No.

 

This.

[MANNYHOF24]

Afraid it'll work? Seriously' date=' there is *nothing* to lose here.[/quote']

 

Dignity?

[Cocos Disciples]

I didn't realize it's been 18 years since he's played professionally. lolwut

[BoSox21]

The Yankees can having f***ing Billy Crystal play in a ST game, why can't the Sox give 15 minutes to Oil Can?

[Youk Of The Nation]

No way we should sign him, considering he can get much more money from the Nationals.

[Cocos Disciples]

The Yankees can having f***ing Billy Crystal play in a ST game' date=' why can't the Sox give 15 minutes to Oil Can?[/quote']

 

Because Billy Crystal wasn't serious.

[SCM33]

The Yankees can having f***ing Billy Crystal play in a ST game' date=' why can't the Sox give 15 minutes to Oil Can?[/quote']

 

And the Padres/Royals giving Garth Brooks his yearly invite/cut.

 

2-for-42: Garth Brooks' career batting record in spring training games. The country music star singled in the ninth inning Thursday as a Royals pinch hitter against Mariners left-hander Mike Myers. Brooks, who has played spring training games for the Padres, Mets and Royals, last singled off of White Sox lefty Mike Sirotka on March 21, 1999. "I was even more surprised than the pitcher," Brooks said.

[CrespoBlows]

The Yankees can having f***ing Billy Crystal play in a ST game' date=' why can't the Sox give 15 minutes to Oil Can?[/quote']

 

Why waste 15 minutes on a pointless gimmick?

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

failthread

[JimEdHOF2009]

Low 90's? I think Oil Can was smoking some HIGH grade purple-Koosh Hydro... He is full of s***.

[italstallianion]

Why waste 15 minutes on a pointless gimmick?

 

 

Why not?

[Dojji]

I didn't realize it's been 18 years since he's played professionally. lolwut

 

It hasn't been, he pitched in 2005 in an independent league and put up OK numbers.

[Cocos Disciples]

It hasn't been' date=' he pitched in 2005 in an independent league and put up OK numbers.[/quote']

 

Oh! Well, now that you told me that four years ago he was decent against players who almost certainly will not ever see a minute above High A ball, sign him up! Who cares that he's as old as my dad!?

[Dojji]

Just rebutting an incorrect fact, dude. There's no need to get your knickers in a twist over this anyway, it's not like the Sox are even seriously considering this..

[Cocos Disciples]

But you are...

[Dojji]

Yeah -- mostly because I'm totally bored. I long since gave up on the idea that my opinion had any bearing on the Sox themselves. My speculation is a danger to no one so why take it so personally?

 

I am kinda intrigued about what Boyd might have left in the tank. It's not exactly like there was a ton of mileague on his arm when he got hurt. It probably all comes to nothing, but I just don't see what it hurts to give him a look.

 

Dignity? Please, this is a professional sports team full of undereducated jocks hopped up on testosterone and worse, there's things that go on in that locker room that make the concept of dignity absolutely laughable. This is also Papelbon's team. Dignity? Really?

[BoSox21]

I just don't see what harm a 15 minute bullpen session will do

[CrespoBlows]

Why not?

 

This guy has no chance of success. He's 49 years old, hasn't thrown in a major league game in 18 years, and his IL numbers that Dojji keeps touting are throughly unimpressive when you consider that he was pitching against IL ballplayers.

 

It's a pointless circus act that would impress people that are either bored interent browsers, or fans of Oil Can from the 90's who want to feel nostalgic. None of which are sufficient reasons to be handing out minor league contracts to the one the best teams in baseball.

 

Unless this guy has an active chance to be a contributer to the Red Sox, I don't want to waste time on him.

[italstallianion]

This guy has no chance of success. He's 49 years old, hasn't thrown in a major league game in 18 years, and his IL numbers that Dojji keeps touting are throughly unimpressive when you consider that he was pitching against IL ballplayers.

 

It's a pointless circus act that would impress people that are either bored interent browsers, or fans of Oil Can from the 90's who want to feel nostalgic. None of which are sufficient reasons to be handing out minor league contracts to the one the best teams in baseball.

 

Unless this guy has an active chance to be a contributer to the Red Sox, I don't want to waste time on him.

 

 

 

See Bosox's post above. He said it perfectly and with far more brevity than I could have possibly used...

[CrespoBlows]

See Bosox's post above. He said it perfectly and with far more brevity than I could have possibly used...

 

It's a simplistic answer that justifies handing out a minor league contract to every has-been who has delusional fantasy of making a comeback. WHATS TEH HARM? LOLZ!?

 

If Oil Can Boyd was really throwing 90 mph, or was showing an resemblence of the pitcher he was back in the 80's and 90's, then there would be no harm in signing him to a deal. In fact, a major league team would have probably given him a deal. It's far more likely that this guy is cooked, and is not even worthy of being signed to a minor league deal.

 

I don't know the contract language, but I'm pretty sure if he throws his arm out, he's entitled to medical treatment courtesy of the Red Sox. Why waste money on a nobody? Why parade this over-the-hill pitcher who wasn't cracking 85 mph on the radar gun in the independent league?

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/17/rusty_can_says_hes_returnable/

 

Looks like he hasn't got the message.