Letting Down Your Team
I write this while watching the top of the 4th in Tampa Bay and Brad Penny has totally let down his team. A night after using every bullpen pitcher, the Red Sox were desperate for a long outing from Penny. Well don't count on it, Penny has given up 4 runs in 3 inning. He's his usual slow self throwing poorly placed, yet very hard, fastball after fastball.
Penny's performance is a clear example that the Red Sox, while improved after the trade deadline, would have been well served getting a starter. I'm not here to throw around hypothetical deals and acquisitons, but rather to call out for help.
Penny - he's been bad. He has mixed in a handful of quality starts; but his inability to go past 5 innings and his high ERA make him a failure thus far.
John Smoltz - has been nothing short of a disaster. Wise veteran or not, he is just bad right now.
Clay Buchholz - a good 2009 debut has been followed by poor outings. With him scheduled to go in the New Yankee Stadium on Saturday, I'm taking the over, for all the wrong reasons.
Regardless of how Penny finishes up tonight, the Red Sox badly need someone to step up and claim the 4th and 5th spots in he rotation. Given their troubled state, don't be surprised to see the Red Sox make a claim or 2 in the coming weeks prior to the waiver trade deadline ala last season's Paul Byrd deal.
Or maybe Daisuke Matsuzaka can help...
Comments
Dice K will be back, will he help, who knows for sure. Maybe he will be humbled and ready to contribute again.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 5, 2009 08:45 PM
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Looks like last year's Paul Bird deal is also this year's Paul Bird deal.
BTW, those "low risk, high reward" moves that Theo made in the off-season are definitely paying major dividends. Smoltz and Penny are a combined 9-10 with a 5.66 ERA so far. Smoltz and Penny started 30 games this year, the sox are 12-18 on those games.
Posted by: Faiaz | August 5, 2009 10:43 PM |
while the results aren't what the Sox wanted, they are probably in line with what 4th and 5th starters bring to the table around the league, perhaps even better.
We are entering crunch time, this is where it gets fun.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 6, 2009 07:53 AM
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Faiaz, good catch, I didn't know about Byrd and I'm not overly thrilled that he is their choice.
As for the low-risk, high reward moves, you are right, they have all been pretty bad at this point...
Posted by: Andy![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 6, 2009 07:55 AM
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Despite the points raised in this post, I bet right now, somewhere, Peters Gammons is gushing over Bostons incredible pitching depth :P
Posted by: ian![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 6, 2009 09:29 AM
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Ian - only in the context that it gave them the opportunity to get V.Martinez. He's a homer, no doubt, but he does know baseball.
BTW -
Beckett/Lester/Buchholz/Penny/Smoltz with DiceK/Wake/Byrd in the wings.
Sabbathia/Burnett/Chamberlain/Pettitte/Mitre with Ortiz in the wings.
Seems very even right now especially if you assume Chamberlain goes on a slowdown mode soon.
Posted by: blmeanie![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://yankeesredsox.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 6, 2009 09:56 AM
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