Wakefield, Dice-K, Buchholz which of these do not belong?

As some of you are familiar with the Boston Red Sox are on of the few teams in the majors that can honestly say that they have been blessed with the "problem" of having too much pitching. In a few weeks Theo Epstein, Terry Francona and pitching Coach John Farrell are going to be faced with the tough decision of deciding which pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, and Clay Buchholz to put into the bullpen. I'm sure you all have your own opinion on this subject and I’m sure that some of you have already made up your mind as to who should be kept out of the rotation, I ask you however to keep an open-mind and keep some of these things in mind when making your final stance on the subject.

First let’s take Mr. Wakefield, no doubt a staple in the Red Sox rotation dating all the way back to the mid 90’s. A fan favorite and a wonder when it comes to his age and the success he has had especially in the first half of last season. Wakefield comes at a team friendly price with a seemingly endless team option in order to stay in Boston and not be a burden to the team’s payroll expenses. There is no doubt in my mind that as you sit and read this post Wakefield is one of your five in the rotation. Let’s keep some things in mind here before we jump the gun. On the positive Wakefield is one of the guys you just have to root for, he does everything the right way, has a great clubhouse presence and he has been one of your most consistent starters for the last 15 years. When I say consistent I mean that you are almost guaranteed to get 5-6 innings and have him give up 3-5 runs, there are some better performances but there are also some worse performances. However no matter how many of those performances you get form Wakefield he seemingly always ends up right around the 500 mark or a game over. Lifetime Wake is 179-149 with an ERA of 4.39 which is a winning percentage of .546.

Option number two comes in the form of Daisuke Matsuzaka, commonly referred to as Dice-K. While Dice-K is the one on the DL right now he has been starting games for Pawtucket which could be a sign of the way Mr. Epstein is tipping his hand. None the less this decision for me is the easiest one of all, he has to be in the rotation, no if, ands, or buts, about it. The Red Sox did not pay 51 million dollars to talk with a long reliever a few years ago and they certainly are not going to pay a middle reliever 8 million dollars a year. Now, if you take money out of the equation the decision may not be as easy as I have just made it seem. Dice-K has struggled and is among the top of the list for the most inconsistent pitchers in baseball never mind in the Red Sox rotation. According to most the World Baseball Classic has been mostly to blame for the aforementioned inconsistencies, and looking forward it is something that the Red Sox can not afford to have. In seasons during which he has been forced to pitch in the World Baseball Classic he has been dreadful, finishing with a record of 19-18 with an ERA hovering right above 5.00. However when he has not pitched in the WBC before the season he is 18-3 with an ERA of 2.80, which was good enough for a 4th place finish in the Cy Young voting in 2008. With the WBC behind him it would appear that he is poised to have a good season this year and any season in which he can get a little extra attention from the Red Sox training/ strength and conditioning staff is a good year. Not to mention the amount of time he spent in Arizona training this off-season.

Lastly, for your consideration is the 25 year-old Clay Buchholz. Buchholz will turn 26 during the season and has been widely regarded throughout the league as the Red Sox number one pitching prospect and a pitcher considered to have "ace" stuff. While Buchholz is not as experienced as the two above candidates he has had some success in the majors and some struggles. After throwing his no-hitter in 2007 Buchholz came back to struggle mightily in 2008 going 2-9 and developing a confidence issue which would force him to rely too much on his fastball. Having spent half of 08 in the minors and the first few months of 2009 in the minors he has overcome those issues and is now under the close watch of pitching Coach John Farrell. Seemingly Buchholz is going to be one of the aces in this staff for a long time to come and there is no point in wasting that talent in the minors or in the bullpen.

In conclusion my rotation would consist of the obvious three Beckett, Lester, and Lackey, followed by Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz. I have all the respect in the world for Tim Wakefield and the sacrifices he has made for this franchise over the years but in all honesty it is time for him to step aside and go to the bullpen. He is the only one of three with bullpen experience and if everything develops correctly the Red Sox could potentially have 5 "Aces." Obviously that is assuming that Dice-K returns to 2008 form and Buchholz continues to blossom and develop right in front of us. Either way the Red Sox staff is going to be something to watch for years to come.

National League Predictions

Sorry Folks that it took me so long to get on here and give you my predictions, but here they are.


NL East

Phillies
Braves
Marlins
Nationals
Mets

The Phillies will win the National League East because their lineup is very dangerous 1-8 and their pitching rotation got a big boost over the off-season with acquistion of Roy Halladay. The Braves are my sleeper in this division as they could make a run with a solid starting rotation and offense that will score enough runs to keep them in games. I am not particularly fond of the Mets this season for several reasons, but the main reason is that there is no one behind Johan Santana to have faith in.


NL Central

Cardinals
Brewers
Cubs
Reds
Astros
Pirates

Cardinals are a well rounded team with pitching and defense to go along with the dynamic duo of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday. Look for the Cubs to possibly make a run in this division if everyone stays healthy and plays up to their potential. Lou Pinella is an outstanding manager who has led his club to the postseason plenty of times before.


NL West

Giants
Rockies
Dodgers
Diamondbacks
Padres

The Battle out west will be an interesting one for sure. I believe it is strongly up for grabs and that any of the top 4 teams could finish first. I have the Giants taking the division solely based on their pitching rotation, but it might come down to the final days of the season to see who will finish first. The Rockies did not do much in the off-season, but still have a strong club and will contend for first. It is hard to say where the Dodgers will end up because they do have good starting pitching (Billingsley & Kershaw), but not much depth. They will also put up plenty of runs for Skipper Joe Torre even if Manny doesn't return to his 2008 form. The West will be alot of fun to watch.


NL Wild Card

Braves

The Braves in their last season under Bobby Cox will find their way back to the postseason under great pitching from Hudson, Lowe, Juirjens and good offensive production from Jones, McCann, and Heyward. The Rockies will fall off late in the season and just barely miss the playoffs.


Please stay tuned for more updates.

How the American League will shake out Netti Theory Style

Below are my predictions for how every dvision will finish up;

AL EAST

Red Sox
Rays
Yankees
Blue Jays
Orioles
- A little Red Sox bias here but I truly feel as though pitching and defense will prevail, and I think the Rays are going to prove that 08 was not a fluke, I'm also hoping the Yankees realize their old.

AL CENTRAL

White Sox
Twins
Tigers
Royals
Indians
- Indians could suprise people but there in need of time for their young players to develop, Nathan crushed the Twins worls series hopes but not their Division chances, and if the Tigers get any consistency out of Willis they could take this division. Above all the White Sox staff will rival any in the game, hopefully for them they figure it out on offense.

AL WEST

Mariners
Angels
Rangers
A's
- Mariners made the move necessary to win, and the Angels didn't. They lost a lot of talent all over the field. As for the Rangers they are still a good starter away from being in the picture.

A special Netti Theory guest will be bringing you the National League shake down, he's a good friend and an aspiring blogger as well.

The Greatest Player I have ever seen

I was taken with the number six pick in the 1992 amateur MLB draft, I have been voted to the all-star team ten times in my fifteen year career, I have finished in the top ten in MVP voting six times despite never winning one, I have won 3 gold gloves, a Rookie of the Year award, a World Series MVP and have been referred to as the best playoff hitter of all time. Who am I?

The correct answer? Derek Jeter.

While the heading of this post may seem a bit over the top I stand by it and say that he truly is the best player that I have ever had the pleasure of seeing play the game of baseball. Yankee or not, Derek Jeter represents the epitome of a great player and may even be considered the face of the game today and for years to come. If you’re having a hard time believing me when I say that just look at his stats above. In addition to those stats you need to also consider his World Series rings and his ability to play under the everyday pressures of New York, and not just play but lead under those conditions. He has been the captain of the Bronx Bombers for as long as I can remember and at the age of 35 is currently batting a whopping 330 and could be in line to win his first MVP award. Which under the circumstances of how great he has been was the biggest surprise to me, and it makes me wonder whether the steroid era had something to do with that. The other surprise for me was that Mr. Jeter has never won a batting title. However keep in mind that in his twelve full seasons at the major league level he has never finished a season outside of the top ten in batting average, an even more impressive feat than winning one I would say. Oh, and one last thing, let us not forget that he holds the record for most playoff hits in a career. When did he do that? About four years ago.

So why all this talk about Jeter?

As of last night he tied Lou Gehrig for the all time lead in hits while playing for the Yankees with 2,721 hits and will most likely surpass that record when he takes the field against the Orioles tomorrow night. In an era where free agency and trades have dominated it only adds to the lure of Derek Jeter that he has spent all his time in a Yankee uniform. A model of consistency and the best hitting approach I have ever seen Derek Jeter will certainly have people call the new Yankees Stadium “the house that Jeter built”

Sportsmanship and the Fans Today

LeGarrette Blount was no doubt an NFL prospect when he signed his letter of intent to go to the University of Oregon. Does that mean he should get special privileges and not have to follow the NCAA rules and regulations? Or for that matter does that make him exempt from the general rules of sportsmanship applied to all competitive activity never mind at the collegiate level? Blount for those of you who do not know went up to an opposing player after losing last week’s game and sucker punched him in the face. In the same breath we can mention people like a Joba Chamberlain. Perhaps one of the best young pitchers in the game and undoubtedly a hard thrower with above average command especially when coming out of the bullpen, how does a guy who fits that description throw at at least one person a game or every other outing? Kevin Youkilis can attest to this as well as Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s not like he is throwing at guys who cannot hit and he is simply just missing his spot high, those two players bat clean-up for their respective teams. Do these facts become overlooked when he throws at a guy’s head?

Are these two players alone? Not by any means but these are the two most common examples that come to mind right now. It is the common rules of sportsmanship that get overlooked by league officials and commissioners everywhere today. To show a little Red Sox bias into the argument Josh Beckett threw over the head of Bobby Abreu and did not hit him, he was suspended for 5 games; however Joba Chamberlain hits Kevin Youkilis and Even Longoria in the head and gets nothing at all? Seems a bit puzzling to me, but back to my bigger point and issue, people in the old days were just as guilty as the players of today’s age, Ty Cobb used to spike short stops and second basemen when trying to break up a double play. However there were guys like Bob Gibson and others who knew how to be intimidating and sportsmanlike at the same time and these are the people we as fans need to focus on.

It appears as though us as fans have begun to root more for the bad boys and seem to enjoy a player stepping out of bounds and getting a little fired up. I had the pleasure of witnessing the Red Sox-Yankees brawl in which Pedro threw Don Zimmer. Was that a good thing to watch? Yes. Was it good baseball? Absolutely not. It is the same reason the Bruins are able to sell half of the tickets that they do, it has nothing to do with the purity of the game but instead has everything to do with the amount of fighting that takes place in the sport. People like PJ Stock and Milan Lucic have become idolized in this town because of their ability to take a punch way before their ability to split the defense or set up a one timer. Fans loved when Kevin Youkilis charged the mound against Rick Porcello earlier this season without realizing that his absence due to suspension lost them 4 of the next 5 games. As I type this it makes me wonder what type of fans there really are in the United States or the world for that matter? How many people actually love the game that they watch? And even if they do love the game is it because of someone who plays or is it for the purity of the game. I know that I love baseball because I could watch a pick-up game between seven year olds and that would be fine with me, but how many baseball fans can say that across the country? Or any sport for that matter, are you waiting for the next punch in the face after the game, the next brawl at center ice, the next fans vs. players brawl in Detroit or are you watching because you love the game and truly enjoy seeing that game played at the highest ability possible.

Patriots trade Richard Seymour

In a very surprising move the Patriots thought it best to trade former number six overall pick Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a 2011 First round pick. While that pick has the potential to be the number one overall selection and all New Englanders have been programmed that in Belichick we trust, this trade left more than a few scratching their heads. Is the general thought in Foxboro that they can win a Super Bowl and attempt another perfect season with Mr. Seymour’s services? Or do they simply just want to get rid of the contract now and make sure they can lock up the big man Vince Wilfork.

Now don’t get me wrong I have all the faith in the world in Belichick and his staff but this move doesn’t make sense. You’re going to be rid of the contract at the end of the year anyway and despite the rather nice compensation, wouldn’t they rather win a Super Bowl this year and just be dominant again? Last Years defense was certainly nothing to write home about and after already losing Harrison, Bruschi, and Vrabel, three of the most vocal leaders in that locker room this move is still baffling. Will it work out in the Patriots favor however? I would have to say yes, because I ultimately think that Tom Cable couldn’t help a high school football team win games never mind a professional franchise in Oakland, if they are even on that level. Which would mean that the Patriots are looking at a top 5 selection and probably the next coming of Jerod Mayo, however will they be the Super Bowl champions on top of that, because that is what we want first and foremost

The Red Sox current woes

While this may seem like kicking someone when they are down, watching the Red Sox has become more of a struggle than a good time. As a sox fan I now long for the days when all 5 starters knew how to get past the 5th and maybe into the 7th. These are the same glory days that remind us of how good David Ortiz was and how quickly he has fallen regardless of and PED talk. The days when Jason Varitek was a 250 hitter and could still play defense, it appears now it is only the defense we get the privilege of watching. Ahh, those days, Papelbon went 1-2-3 with two K's every time he was called upon and the only problems we had were whether the Sox would win the division or have to beat up on the Angels in the first round. The harsh reality of it all is that we must now realize that those days were only last season.

Should we be surprised by the aforementioned problems the Red Sox face on a daily basis? I say yes but only because we have been spoon feed the reality that those things would never happen to us because we were such a forward thinking organization and that Theo and the guru's upstairs were to innovative to allow such a thing to happen, I mean they are the Boston Red Sox.

Truth be told I hope that the Red Sox will somehow sneak into the playoffs and be a dangerous team in said playoffs, but as a fan I have to be a little hesitant to be excited for the future. David Ortiz, JD Drew, and the ever aging Mike Lowell are still under contract next season and making big money. Varitek will most likely be coming back and even with Victor Martinez catching most of the time teams will still run all over you, and god only knows what Dice-K can bring you although I have more faith in him than Lowell, Ortiz and Varitek. What will upset me even more is if the Red Sox have a similar off-season to this past one. If they go out and sign more and more high risk high reward injury prone players I for one will be looking for a future team to support.