* The 45-second standing ovation Kevin Youkilis received in his return to Fenway last night was great. It shows Youk that the fans did appreciate him, and he’ll always be regarded with respect despite playing for the “wrong” Sox. Sometimes, a change of scenery is good. In Youk’s case, I think that’s what he needed.
* Ortiz pulled his Achilles rounding the bases on Gonzalez’s game-winning homerun last night. Ortiz said it was pulled and nothing popped, and Valentine said Ortiz will be out for a few games. An MRI is scheduled for today. Yes, losing Ortiz is tough, especially since he’s been the team’s most consistent bat all season. However, Pedroia will be back on Thursday, and this will allow some other players to get a bit of a rest. The Sox will work with a “fluid” designated hitter for a few days. I’m guessing Shoppach and Saltalamacchia will share duties of catching and DH-ing for at least one game.
* Crawford was 1-for-3 with 2 runs in his return for the season. HE’S HITTING .333! Break out the champagne! In all seriousness, I’m happy for Crawford. I think he needed to come back and produce from the get-go. Hopefully, he’ll continue hitting like he was in the minors (I believe he had a .306 BA), and the mess from last year will be quickly forgotten.
* Aaron Cook continues to impress. Last night, he pitched 7.0 innings, gave up 5 hits, 1 run, 0 earned runs. He walked and struck out 0. His season ERA is down to a very respectable 3.34, even in the limited time he’s pitched. Does this mean the Sox keep him and trade away someone like Morales?
* The Sox are said to be actively pursuing Ryan Dempster of the Cubs. I’m all for this. One, Depmster has a ridiculous 1.86 ERA. Two, he’s Kevin Millar’s best friend. I’ve seen Dempster a few times on Intentional Talk, and he’s hilarious. I think the Sox need someone who can come in and loosen the team up a bit. There’s no one who is said to be the “fun” one on this team, and I think the Sox need that. They need someone to keep the clubhouse light, to have fun with the media. The fact that he’s Millar’s best friend, well that’s just a bonus.
Showing posts with label Aaron Cook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Cook. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
What to Do with the Pitching?
Clay Buchholz is making his fifth start tonight. Surprisingly, he is 2-1, but his ERA 8.87 (it has gone down!) and his WHIP is 1.925. He’s given up 33 hits, 23 runs (22 earned runs), 6 home runs, walked 10, while striking 11 in 22.1 innings. Needless to say, Buchholz needs to pitch well tonight.
I may be undeservingly hard on Buchholz, but I think most people are. He’s shown great stuff in the past, pitched a no-hitter on his second career Major League start, won a World Series when he was only 22. Just two seasons ago, he went 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA, a 1.203 WHIP, and was sixth in Cy Young voting. We as Red Sox fans know Buchholz has what it takes to pitch in the AL East and help lead this Red Sox fans, so it’s understandable when we get frustrated while we watch him struggle this season.
In Buchholz’s defense, he was out for almost half the season last year with a back injury, and it will take some time to adjust to pitching every fifth day again. He’s had to go from being a fourth or fifth starter to a third starter, completing “The Big Three” of the Red Sox. Maybe he wasn’t ready this year.
And this brings me to the question I have, what to do with the pitching? Aaron Cook is ready to hit the Majors, patiently (or not so patiently perhaps) waiting in Pawtucket. With a May 1st opt-out clause, the Red Sox need to make a decision. In five games with Pawtucket, Cook is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.110 WHIP in 33.1 innings. He’s given up 26 hits, 9 runs (7 earned runs), 1 home run, walked 11 while striking out 13.
There’s been some talk about having Cook be used as a relief pitcher, that way the Red Sox wouldn’t lose their hold on the pitcher. Cook’s had some problems in the Majors, with a lifetime 4.53 ERA and 1.691 WHIP. But, it’s important to point out that Cook has spent his entire career prior to this year with the Colorado Rockies. The ball travels differently in Colorado, as we all know since they use the Humidor.
Another thing that’s important to point out is Matsuzaka is heading to Pawtucket to continue his rehab assignment. While Matsuzaka didn’t do too well in High-A Salem, in four innings he had a 6.75 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, gave up 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, while striking out 3 and walking 0, he seemed to do better in Double-A Portland- 4.2 innings, 1.93 ERA, 1.071 WHIP, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 home runs, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts.
Of course, this is just a small sampling from Matsuzaka, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Matsuzaka has been such an enigma since he’s come to the Red Sox, that we’ve all come to expect a great pitched game followed by a horribly pitched game. But, maybe Bobby Valentine can be the different for Matsuzaka?
So, the Red Sox have some options that they need to consider. Do they keep sending out Buchholz if he continues to pitch the way he does? If not, do they try Aaron Cook as a starter while ushering Buchholz to Triple-A for an injury or “injury?” If they keep with Buchholz, do they use Cook as a reliever? And, what happens when Matsuzaka does finally return?
* If you haven’t noticed, I’m currently in the process of tagging all of the previous posts (there are over 80 of them!). I’m not sure how long this will take, as I have a few things going on that may prevent me from getting them all accomplished in one setting. I hope this is an improvement that people enjoy!
I may be undeservingly hard on Buchholz, but I think most people are. He’s shown great stuff in the past, pitched a no-hitter on his second career Major League start, won a World Series when he was only 22. Just two seasons ago, he went 17-7 with a 2.33 ERA, a 1.203 WHIP, and was sixth in Cy Young voting. We as Red Sox fans know Buchholz has what it takes to pitch in the AL East and help lead this Red Sox fans, so it’s understandable when we get frustrated while we watch him struggle this season.
In Buchholz’s defense, he was out for almost half the season last year with a back injury, and it will take some time to adjust to pitching every fifth day again. He’s had to go from being a fourth or fifth starter to a third starter, completing “The Big Three” of the Red Sox. Maybe he wasn’t ready this year.
And this brings me to the question I have, what to do with the pitching? Aaron Cook is ready to hit the Majors, patiently (or not so patiently perhaps) waiting in Pawtucket. With a May 1st opt-out clause, the Red Sox need to make a decision. In five games with Pawtucket, Cook is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.110 WHIP in 33.1 innings. He’s given up 26 hits, 9 runs (7 earned runs), 1 home run, walked 11 while striking out 13.
There’s been some talk about having Cook be used as a relief pitcher, that way the Red Sox wouldn’t lose their hold on the pitcher. Cook’s had some problems in the Majors, with a lifetime 4.53 ERA and 1.691 WHIP. But, it’s important to point out that Cook has spent his entire career prior to this year with the Colorado Rockies. The ball travels differently in Colorado, as we all know since they use the Humidor.
Another thing that’s important to point out is Matsuzaka is heading to Pawtucket to continue his rehab assignment. While Matsuzaka didn’t do too well in High-A Salem, in four innings he had a 6.75 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, gave up 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 home runs, while striking out 3 and walking 0, he seemed to do better in Double-A Portland- 4.2 innings, 1.93 ERA, 1.071 WHIP, 3 hits, 1 run, 0 home runs, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts.
Of course, this is just a small sampling from Matsuzaka, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery. Matsuzaka has been such an enigma since he’s come to the Red Sox, that we’ve all come to expect a great pitched game followed by a horribly pitched game. But, maybe Bobby Valentine can be the different for Matsuzaka?
So, the Red Sox have some options that they need to consider. Do they keep sending out Buchholz if he continues to pitch the way he does? If not, do they try Aaron Cook as a starter while ushering Buchholz to Triple-A for an injury or “injury?” If they keep with Buchholz, do they use Cook as a reliever? And, what happens when Matsuzaka does finally return?
* If you haven’t noticed, I’m currently in the process of tagging all of the previous posts (there are over 80 of them!). I’m not sure how long this will take, as I have a few things going on that may prevent me from getting them all accomplished in one setting. I hope this is an improvement that people enjoy!
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