Red Sox Starting Five: My views, whats yours?

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This is where I think the Red Sox should go as a pitching staff...clearly my opinion and view. Share some of yours!

My starting five... Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K, Gabbard, Lester

My Middle 5... Timlin, Wakefield, Okijima, Taverez, Delcarmen

The big question is why would I take Tim Wakefield out of the starting five? Well it's a gut feeling...every time he pitches you get a 50/50 win/loss ratio with an avg of 5-6 innings. He's either gonna pitch well or pitch bad. For some of you this might be a great ratio but for me with the other pitchers you may get a 75/25 win/loss ratio and 6-8 innings. That looks and feels better to me. Tim would be a great middle man especially in the playoffs. Going from a fireballer to a knuckleballer, back to a fireballer is a deadly option for teams.

Now this would all clearly be based on how Schill does, Kason does, and Lester does...I don't have enough time to go into the specifics of each pitcher (at work on break) but I think showing a few options is fun and I would like to see what kind of comments you all have.

This is just one of the options I see as a potential line-up for pitching...

And definitely no need to talk about the closer only one word needed, PAPELBON! nuff' said!

-Peace and Happiness, GO SOX! Michael Webmaster/Creator: www.bosoxbuzz.com

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JuTMSY4Legend

883 days ago

Score 1

Well...Wakefield has factored into the decision in every one of his starts...he's 11-9, coincidently, the sox are 11-9 after each of his starts as well...of course many of those games were started by Taverez...but it goes to show, IMO, that the switch isn't helping as much as you think..

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JuTMSY4Legend

883 days ago

Score 5

Take a look at good ole' papsmear's numbers against good teams like Detroit, Cleveland, Anaheim, and seattle...limited work really but the AL central owns him at the moment and the yankees certainly have taken their clips too...

I'm not saying he's bad, by any means, but it's not "Nuff said"

of course, you could be detroit and heart attack waiting to happen Todd Jones (figuratively and literally)

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Brendan.CanneyDiv-I Stud

883 days ago

Score 4

Whenever Todd Jones pitches I always ask myself, "What if I got fat a developed a fastball?"

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JuTMSY4Legend

883 days ago

Score 1

You wouldn't be Antonio Alfonseca?

Brendan.CanneyDiv-I Stud

883 days ago

Score 0

It's be a toss up.

JuTMSY4Legend

883 days ago

Score 2

Nice Avatar...but what you really need is this:

JoshkrossDraft Pick

882 days ago

Score 0

How many fingers do you have?

MegECass110AAA-er

883 days ago

Score 3

The more I listen to the logic of Wakefield going to the bullpen, the more it makes sense to me. It's just hard for me to imagine him as anything but a workhorse in the rotation; that's all he's ever been to me.

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JuTMSY4Legend

883 days ago

Score 1

Well, that's a really good point meg...and this is why I believe he stays in...he's pitched 125 innings this year...16th in the AL and second on his team to dice-K (who, IMO is going to pose a risk by pitching this much, we've heard rumblings)

More importantly, Wake has never pitched less than 140 innings in Boston (13 years) and has topped 200, 5 times...

He can also pitch more often, like every other day, and Francoma won't feel bad...

His real value is in saving the pen...

883 days ago

Score 2

i understand what your saying to put gabbard in the rotation over wake but. you just can't do that to a pitcher with his years of experience. yes the red sox would like to do this but remeber lester and gabbard have both yet to perfrome a full year sevice in at the major league level. And maybe in a year or two we can do that but, for now we can put a guy whos been around fo awhile even if he has that kind of ratio of wins to losses but he is a veteran and could give the younger guys some advice and in conclusion thats what I have to say about this article.

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JuTMSY4Legend

883 days ago

Score 1

Its not going to matter come the Playoffs... And you can take anything you want from that statement...

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DaddyMac22JV Squad

883 days ago

Score 1

Wakefield and his 16-10, 200 innings class act won't be going to any bullpen any time soon, the Red Sox value his quality inning eating way too highly.

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SalmanpourVarsity

883 days ago

Score 1

I like your oponion though, thats good pitching lineup.

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882 days ago

Score 1

That's a good pitching lineup for about 2-3 months. When Schil is gone, here is the rotation:

Beck, Dice, Wakefield, Gabbard, Lester

..which is all right with us. We're already practicing how we can do without Schilling and it seems like we'll do pretty good.

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Rockymount7Red-Shirting

882 days ago

Score 1

good point Romiezzo; I like Beck, Schill, Dice, Wakefield, Gabbard... with Lester in the pen

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882 days ago

Score 0

Thanks, rocky, but I don't think Lester should be a starter cuz he can pitch 100+ easily and still manage to get the job done. What's wrong with a 6 man rotation guys?

RawbeezeitzMajor Leaguer

882 days ago

Score 3

What's wrong with a 6 man rotation? It reduces the number of starts by Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka (your two best starters), takes a roster spot away from a reliever (which stretches the bullpen even more thinly) and we really don't have 6 very good pitchers to justify doing it.

Right now, it's Beckett, Daisuke, Gabbard, Wakefield, Lester. When and if (it's always an if with injuries) Schilling comes back, the Sox have to make a decision. When he does come back, we'll probably have 2 more starts from Wakefield, Lester, and Gabbard to see how they're doing. Then we can make a decision with a bit more information than 1 start from Jon Lester and the handful from Gabbard.

We also have to consider what moves, if any, the Sox will make at the deadline. If they get a starting pitcher, then you will probably see Wake go to the bullpen. If they get a reliever, you'll probably see Lester go to AAA instead of pitching from the pen.

And remember, Wakefield was predominantly a bullpen pitcher from 1999 to 2002. He's been there before, he does what he's asked, and he's in the twilight of his career. He is my favorite option to be moved to the pen because of this. And if we do make the playoffs, there's a strong likelihood he'll be going to the bullpen anyway.

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882 days ago

Score 0

That's true, but who are we gonna put as a reliever for the next two months? With Schilling gone next year, we're not gonna have a problem with this, but I think Schilling has better numbers as a starter, and we can get a lot more outta him. Beckett's a starter, no experience as a reliever. Same w/ Dice K. Lester? We can get a lotta pitches outta him as a starter. Wakefield? Ehh.. either way. Gabbard? Haven't seen what he can do as a reliever, and he's still young, so I guess it comes down to whether Wakefield should stay a starter or not.

Rockymount7Red-Shirting

882 days ago

Score 0

Schilling was in the bullpen before wasn't he? What about Schill going back to the pen?

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882 days ago

Score 0

He sucked when he was in the 'pen. We can get a lot more outta him as a starter.

Silencer76AAA-er

882 days ago

Score 0

Now it sounds like you want to turn Curt Schilling into Kerry Wood by sticking him in the pen. Barring the injury plagued 05, where Schilling did make 21 relief appearances and converted 9 of 11 save opps, he has made all of ONE other relief appearance since 1993, that coming in 2002 for the Diamondbacks. Wakefield has made just five relief appearances since the start of 2003, and his ability to grind out innings and keep the club in the game is a benefit, not a detriment. Every rotation can use a grinder, a guy that can eat innings. Gabbard has 13 major league appearances under his belt, yet you want to anoint him as a guy who can displace a vet come playoff time? I think Francona would be smart to keep the status quo instead of rocking what has been a successful boat.

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TylersaltAll-Star

882 days ago

Score 0

I'm not sold on Gabbard yet. I still say he goes to the pen when Schill comes back. I go Beckett, Matsuzaka, Schilling, Lester, Wake. Gabbard's your long guy/spot starter/Joel Pineiro-but-much-better-and-cheaper type guy, maybe he sneaks into the rotation next season if Schill bolts. Lest we forget, Gabbard's shutout wasn't against the '27 Yankees... it was the Royals. He's the first guy back into the rotation if someone gets hurt or if Schilling starts to suck again. Tavarez has the ability to be a shutdown 7th inning type guy. His starts have been good, if you just look at the first time through the lineup. I'm happy if I'm using some combination of Tavarez, Timlin, and Delcarmen to get through the 7th inning, then handing it off to Okajima and Papelbon for the 8th and 9th. Wake stays in the rotation because of his ability to eat up innings and give the bullpen a rest.

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BoSox BuzzJV Squad

882 days ago

Score 0

I am glad to see a day later all these great comments! I think the best point made so far is to see how Gabbard, Lester, and for that matter Wakefield do over there next two starts, and really the biggest wild card is how will Schill do because I think that will have a lot to say in any descisons made. Regardless of what I think or you all think what it boils down to is if the Sox keep winning each one of them will do anything there sked to do to win another World Series...Bottom Line.

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Baltimoresports247All-American

882 days ago

Score 1

Beckett, Dice-K, Schilling, Lester, Wakefield

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KelsdadAll-Star

882 days ago

Score -1

Wakefield will be on the postseason roster, Gabbard won't. Answer your question?

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