Elktonnick

I am watching the game. He isn't running well. Montgomery who is doing the color also commented on it during his first at bat.

Based on watching him play tonight on NESN. He isn't running well. He failed to run out a blopper down the third base line that would have been a double. He also still has that wide open stance although he may have closed it a tad.

None of those teams had the internal dysfunction that the Red Sox have, nor did they have to play the majority of their remaining games against the ALE.

In general I agree except when it comes to the cutter. A power pitcher such as Lester Beckett or a Hughes shouldn't use that pitch precisiely because there is growing data that throwing the cutter excellerates the process by which pitchers lose velocity. The most recent example is Phil Hughes whho according to recent reporting stopped throwing the cutter and saw his velocity increase.

read the articles from those who know pitching. You can quote stats but don't understand the game or why something is wrong. The cutter strains the arm unduely causing a reduction in velocity. Just ask Phil Hughes.

Here is but one of many articles which illustrate my point about Lester losing his fastball. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have seen their fastball velocity dip a bit early in the 2012 season. This dip in velocity is but one of the factors that has led to some four-plus ERAs from the team’s top two hurlers. Pitchers lose velocity, it’s just part of the process, as arms can’t stay young forever. However, the question then becomes: Can a pitcher adjust without his best fastball? In the case of Lester and Beckett, the results might be slow, but the process of adjustment is in place. Lester’s velocity began to drop last season, as his average fastball went from 93.5 mph to 92.6, about a one mph drop. Along with the drop in velocity came a rise in hit rate and home runs allowed per nine. In 2010, Lester started to rely heavily on his cutter and sinker, using the cutter about 15-percent of the time in 2009 and upping that usage to over 21-percent in 2010. According to pitch f/x data, Lester had not thrown a sinker before the 2010 season. The additional use of those pitches resulted in an increase in ground ball rate, but by implementing the extra movement on his fastball he gave up some command in the process, adding about one walk per nine to his stats. Also according to pitch f/x, Lester has yet to top 95 mph this season and his average velocity has dropped a bit more, down to 92.2 mph. Lester has tried to adjust, relying very heavily on the sinker (25.3 percent) and adding in more changeups as well (13.2 percent). Those adjustments haven’t works thus far, as Lester has seen a huge drop in his strikeout rate (down to about six Ks per nine) and an increase in walk rate (over four walks per nine). While Lester has gone through stretches in which he has battled his command and control before, he has always been able to maintain a high strikeout — or at least a league average strikeout rate — during those times. All is not lost, however. Lester is stranding fewer runners than he normally does (about 10-percent less), which, once (if) he figures things out and gets more comfortable using his cutter, sinker and change more often, should rise and help bring his ERA and FIP trend down toward expected levels. Beckett, on the other hand, has seen a much more drastic drop in velocity. Last season, Beckett’s average heater rang in at 93 mph. So far this season, he has been sitting at 91.5 mph, topping out at around 94. If this trend continues, it will mark the third straight season in which Beckett has seen a drop in fastball velocity. Over the last few seasons, Beckett has been mixing in more two-seamers and cutters, but with this latest drop in velocity, he has looked more toward the changeup than he has in recent years. At present, pitch f/x shows him throwing the change just over 21 percent of the time. Last season, Beckett used his change more often than he ever had before, throwing it 13.8 percent of the time. Unfortunately, the change has not been a very effective pitch for him this season, going from 7.5 wCH last season to -0.5 wCH early this season. The sample size is still too small to draw a concrete conclusion from, but one could guess that the drop fastball velocity has had a negative affect on the effectiveness of his changeup. Like Lester, Beckett is not looking like the strikeout artist he was just a year ago. Both of the Sox’ co-aces are performing well beneath expectations so far in 2012, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t striving to make positive adjustments. However, whether or not those adjustments work is a question that is yet to be answered, an answer that the fate of the 2012 Red Sox season could very well be gently teetering on. P.S. This will be my last post as a weekly contributor to Fire Brand of the American League. My job working for a minor league baseball team is very rewarding, but also very demanding of my time and attention. I want to say thank you to everyone who has stopped by to read any of my work here on Fire Brand, left a comment, followed me on Twitter or contacted me through email — or all of thee above. This is a tremendous site with tremendous writers and I was extremely lucky and proud to be a part of it. I’ll still be around in the comments and on Twitter, so keep in touch.

He was throwing in the mid nineties and above when he needed to. He can't do that now. I watch every game. He can't blow a fastball by anyone. He has lost his FB.

Lester's velocity has decreased considerably. I believe it is because he is using the cutter. There have been numerous articles written about this subject. Phil Hughes saw his velocity increase after he stopped throwing the cutter. Buchholtz didn't throw the cutte in 2010 and had a great year. Beckett taught him the cutter and we saw Buchholtz's velocity decline considerably as a result. Now McClure want Cooke to start throwing the cutter.

I gave this team an F. The problem is some individual players are preforming and performing well. However as a team, once again this team isn't equal to the sum of its parts. Fundamentally nothing has changed since September. Beckett Lester and the other starting pitchers underperformed then and are underperforming now. I wanted Beckett traded over the winter. He wasn't and that was a mistake. It now appears that the FO is considering moving one or more of their starters. Another major mistake was not letting the manager, whomever it was, pick his own coaches. Clearly, McClure who was a last minute hasty choice as pitching coach is not the man for the job. This team must play well over 500 to have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. I don't see that happening. They will be lucky to finish above 500 considering their remaining schedule. They can blame the manager but this team has underperformed for two, a player's manger and one who is not. The problem is with the players, namely the core of veterans. I wouldn't mind seeing them all go including the Big Diva and Little Ceasar, the mighty mouth, who may be more trouble than he is worth.

I never believed that for a second. I think the whole FO is dysfunctional with clearly divided lines of authority. The whole organization is set up with competing power centers. A general manager who doesn't get to pick the on field manager, the on field manager who doesn't get to pick his coaches, an on the field manager who doesn't have sole authority on either the 25 man roster, the lineup or the batting order, two pitching coaches, players deciding whether they go on the DL, no wonder this team is playing below its potential.

Rugby has the "mayhem" without the injuries or concussions. One of the main reasons is no equipment. American football can only survive at its current level if the players are developed at the high school level. If that stops then college football will not be far behind. The downward spiral would follow.

The danger to the long term survivability of football will come from the high schools. If local school authorities begin to be sued for concussion related injuries, public schools will take a second look at the sport. If the high schools begin to drop the sport because of liability issues, it can't survive at the university level.

Ortiz latest rant reminds me of the country club red sox of the Yawkey years. It's all about him. The funny part he actually is going to make more money this way then he would have had he gotten the deal he wanted originally. Despite his numbers, Ortiz is what is wrong with the current Red Sox. As far as I am concerned he is now expendable.

Horse hockey! He is playing well now because he was given a one year deal. He needs the incentive. He would be putting up mediocre numbers if and when given a longer term contract.

In more than fifty years watching baseball, I can't recall a team more beset by injuries then the current club. Clearly something must be wrong with their entire approach to physical fitness and training.

One theory gaining popularity as to the reason for his slow healing time coming back from injuries is his agent Scott Boras. Given the fiasco with his earlier injury and the questionable actions of the Red Sox medical staff, many think that Boras has encouraged the go slow appraoch so Ells won't put up poor numbers that would diminish his free agency value. I've heard more than one analyst put forth that point of view.

Lester used to be a power pitcher. Now he is lucky if he breaks 92 mph.

Pretty hard not to allow some to be swallowed, I'd imagine.

Smokeless tobacco?

Stress is a leading contributor to most ailments. Buchholtz seems to put more stress on himself than most. He pitches as though he is Barney Fife on the mound. For example his repeated throws to first when the runner has a one step lead and there is a tough batter up etc.