We wanna pit-cha!
By Erik Haan
Well, we're under way. One series under our belt.
And Boston, we have a problem.
Look, don't get me wrong. Winning one out of three games isn't half-bad when you're playing in the Bronx. And they left town down only one game in the
standings, with 159 to go. There is time, and ample opportunity, to make up the difference. :)
But something really stood out to me, like a sore thumb.
Starting pitching, one of Boston's strengths last season, is now a glaring problem.
Wells was a disaster Sunday night. I don't need to elaborate on that.
While Clement didn't give up a ton of runs on Tuesday, I don't think anyone could say they had that "cozy" feeling while he was on the mound.
There was just something about sending Pedro Martinez out to the hill that made you think there was a better chance of seeing a win than a loss.
But what are the odds with our current pitching staff?
Schilling, the staff ace, should be a question mark for all Sox fans. Aside from recovering from ankle surgery, he's also no spring chicken. He's really in the last seasons of his career.
Wells is a definite "maybe". We could see him doing very well or very poorly. Back problems, the weight, the attitude. We just don't know how he's going to fit
in around here.
Clement has had a reputation for being wild and throwing too many pitches to be a consistent winner. His stuff is phenomenal. It appears the Sox were banking on Varitek being able to harness his talent.
Wakefield is Wakefield. He's great and then he gets slammed. The Sox have him for his versatility and veteran leadership. And he's done fairly well against the Yanks. But it's up and down with him.
Arroyo. Well, who really knows? The guy got by on a good breaking ball last season, but lacked a full arsenal of pitches. Will he suffer a sophomore jinx? It remains to be seen.
Wade Miller? Talk to me when he's off the DL!
While these pitchers could turn out to be decent, they're matched up against a fleet of pinstriped, proven winners:
1. Randy Johnson? No explanation necessary.
2. Carl Pavano. He reminds me of Andy Petitte. Big build, durable, throws strikes, and has very good stuff. Breakout season last year.
3. Mike Mussina. His reputation of having perfect mechanics is only bettered by his plethora of pitches and pitching angles. And he's always pitched the Sox tough.
4. Jaret Wright. We'll see how he performs in New York, but not a bad No. 4 starter, even if he gets only 10 wins or so.
5. Kevin Brown. Yeah, last season was strange. And maybe an off-year, pitching-wise. He's on the DL again, for the millionth time in his career, but again, not too shabby for a No. 5 guy when you're backed by Johnson, Pavano, and Mussina at the top of the rotation.
So, there you have it.
The Sox are going to be in the hunt, certainly, because Oakland is depleted, Seattle is really rebuilding, and the Orioles don't have enough pitching to complement their offense. And the Red Sox offense is potent enough to win at least 10-20 games all on its own this season.
But don't be surprised if we see a midseason move for a great starting pitcher.
We're not rolling out Schilling and Pedro, back-to-back, anymore.
